Chapter Text
XxX Warriors XxX
“Trin here says she found Marin!” Proxy chirps, flying up to Link from the other fairy’s side and doing a quick possessive twirl around Link’s head, “Follow me!”
“Oh, thank the goddesses!” Link breathes, his shoulders sagging in relief.
He and the others have been searching the forest for over two hours, each second just adding to Link’s guilt and panic for not noticing the girl was missing sooner.
If his sisters heard about this, they’d kill him.
Tetra will kill him too— She already threatened him, at knifepoint no less, right before they left.
Impa, Mask, and Wind are probably already plotting his demise. Marin is his responsibility, and he left her completely unsupervised while organizing his men…! He thought she’d stay with the boys…!
Stupid— why didn’t he just think!
If anything happened to her… oh goddesses. He hopes nothing’s happened to her. Mask already looked terrified when he couldn’t find her.
It’s all Link’s fault…!
Rushing through the underbrush behind the two fairies, weaving through the trees, Link eventually crashes into a clearing—
Only for his blood to freeze at the sight of Marin casually sitting and kicking her feet in the water of a Great Fairy’s pool.
Uncaring, she perches on the edge of a portal into the Fae’s realm. The resident Great Fairy looming over her with the countless colorfully glowing silhouettes of fluttering fairies floating and perching around them.
Giant long painted-pink nails play with the girl’s ginger hair, they’re tapered to wicked points, the size of great swords— and they’re just casually brushing against skin and clothes as the human and Fae talk.
So easily those hands could grab and snatch the child away… especially if Marin lets slip any of the more concerning information regarding her home life.
Children are sacred for any of the Hyrulian races, precious gifts from the goddesses themselves— and that sentiment only goes double for the Great Fairies, whose magic centers around nurturing, whether it be their lands, or their many children, or caring for the wanderers that brave their springs.
Marin isn’t safe here.
Heroes are off limits, everyone knows that.
Those living inside a Great Fairy’s territory too, if to a lesser extent. Though tariffs paid to a Fountain aren’t just for the enchantments, protections, and land enrichment— it’s to keep the local children from being stolen, should one of the Fae take interest, or perceive the child as being mistreated.
Hyrulians live in harmony with the Fae but that by no means makes them safe, no matter how benign they might act or perceive themselves to be.
Oblivious unintentional harm is still harm, even if that trait is most often attributed to the Fae of the Lost Woods, it still applies to the rest of the race, if to a slightly lesser extent.
“Marin...!” Link manages, bolstering his courage as he walks forward. His heart lurching again, because is that blood on her cheek??? “Are you alright?? Where have you been?! We’ve been worried sick!” He asks, losing some of his trepidation as he scans the girl from head to toe.
His inspection, however, is cut short when the Great Fairy moves, and his attention is drawn away in lieu of watching the woman for any sudden movements. Brain whirring with strategies to get the little girl away from those large, clawed hands. “Well, little Songbird, it seems the hero has finally come to fetch you,” the Great Fairy says in the deep resonances of magic instead of words, winking with overly long painted lashes over at Link.
A shiver goes down his spine. Goddesses, he hates his beautiful face and the attention it earns him. He’s not a damn piece of meat…!
After a long moment of the Fae eyeing him like he’s just that, purring a hum, the Great Fairy turns her attention back to Marin, and that only makes Link feel worse. “I am sorry I could not be of more help on your quest, little one.”
“That’s alright. Thank you anyway.” Marin smiles, letting the giant Fae pet her head with a single finger. Something that makes Link bristle in worry.
“And thank you for taking care of that little problem for us, it was quite the help.” That does not make Link feel any less uneasy. “Do come visit us again some time, little one.”
“I’ll try.” Marin nods, with a polite smile.
“Well, until next time then! Buh-byeee!!” The Great Fairy dives back into her pool in a shower of magic and the glow of fairies. Several of her daughters take the cue, diving underwater after her, leaving nothing behind but splashing water and a few lazy pink glowing fairies still drowsy from overcharging themselves on the magic of their mother’s spring.
Marin hops down, shaking off wet feet and shoving them into her socks and then into her odd shoes, “Why did you come and get me?” She asks, like she truly has no idea.
“Because it’s dangerous to go alone, and you went missing!” Proxy answers for him.
“But why?” Blinking, Marin tilts her head, “I haven’t even been gone all day.”
“You cut out the bond.” Link tells her sternly, now that the fear for her safety is gone, he’s left with irritation, “Wind and Mask are worried sick, and you disappeared out of nowhere! What were you thinking?!”
“No one cares unless it’s a whole day...?” She more asks than says, looking like Link has just broken a rule. “And… Mask and Wind seemed happy.”
“We’ve been looking for you for a whole hour!”
“Well, you shouldn’t have.” She says with what’s probably supposed to be a stern glare, but just comes off as petulant. “I decided not to go.”
“Oh? And why is that?” Link asks with a roll of his eyes, maybe a tad too sharply. Because she flinches back.
“I… Um… well… I didn’t want everyone to laugh… and they were all having fun so…”
“You didn’t want them to laugh… so you what? Ran off?” Link asks, befuddled.
Marin’s face turns nearly as red as her hair, “You’ll laugh again if I tell you…” She mumbles, fiddling with something in her hands as she wilts in on herself.
Link heaves a sigh; this isn’t going anywhere. “Fine. We can continue this once we’re back on the road.” He turns and strides away.
“Bye Trin, bye Estri. Hope you get home safe” Marin says quietly, and Link turns long enough to see her waving at the fairy Proxy had talked to, and…
He frowns, shouldn’t she be a little too old to see the Picori?
Link can only see them still apparently thanks to his Hero’s spirit. Not that he’s ever truly interacted with them beyond the normal childhood game to find them, or to rescue one from a cat or the like. They don’t usually show themselves at all.
“You can see them. That’s a surprise.” He finds himself saying as they walk, if only to keep away the guilty silence. Again, his eye catches sight of something blue in the girl’s hand. “And what’s that you’ve got there?”
“Oh, this? It’s a Kinstone. Estri— he’s a Minish— he gave it to me. Something good will happen if I find the other half.” ‘Minish’? That isn’t a name for them he’s familiar with, but he nods along.
“I only learned their names today, but I saw some in town too.” Marin explains, “Maybe I can get some more Kinstones if I talk to the ones in town.” She smiles, a little skip briefly coming into her step. “And maybe if I match enough…” She doesn’t finish the thought, nor does Link think that the words are intended for him.
“Kinstones, huh? Don’t think I’ve heard of em?” He murmurs, eyeing the half circle.
She hums, not saying any more than that, and Link isn’t sure what to say back, so they walk in silence. Marin slowly falling behind.
“…Hey Captain?” She asks after several brooding minutes.
“You can call me Link—” He starts, only to remember.
‘You’re not my Link.’
He winces. “Yeah…Never mind. What is it?”
“Um… Are… are you mad at me?” She asks, and he looks down to see dark eyes blown wide in fear at the answer. Her little fists clenched in front of her heart like that might protect it.
He stops and kneels, to be eye level with her, ending up slightly below her instead. She immediately avoids eye contact. “Marin, please look at me.”
She does so reluctantly, eyes slowly wandering before finally meeting his own in a mix copper and blue.
“I’m not mad.” And he isn’t, he was at first, but that wasn’t true anger as much as relief, if poorly interpreted, “You just really scared us, okay? All of us. We didn’t know where you were, and didn’t know if you were safe, and that’s terrifying.” He laughs halfheartedly, awkwardly, reaching out to tuck a strand of unruly red hair behind a rounded ear, only for her to lean into the contact, so he rests a hand on one still-softly rounded cheek. “You’re precious and we want you safe.”
“But…” She frowns, thinking hard, “You hardly know me. Why’re you all worried? I don’t understand.”
“Well, I’d like to— to know you, that is.” He says with a grin, “It’s pretty hard when you keep wandering off.”
She smiles, a bashful little thing, “You seem really nice.” The smile disappears, replaced by something confused. “Mother and father don’t worry like this.”
“Well, who did worry? There must have been someone?” He prays there’s someone.
“Um…” she pauses, frowning, and with each second of silence, Link’s heart falls a little deeper into his stomach. “…Tarin didn’t really, just a bit if we were gone out too long…” she looks up briefly. “—He’s my uncle.” She tacks on at the end as explanation. “But…” a fond smile grows, “Link would. He always worried. The goof.” His stomach flips a little at the sound of his own name, but Marin doesn’t seem to notice, looking ahead and carefully setting her steps, so she won’t fall on the uneven terrain, “He worried if I was gone for too long, and he’d worry even when he was the one going into dungeons and not me.” She laughs, and it’s a sad, melancholy sound, “I really do miss him, and his worrying…”
“No one else?” He asks. Because there has to be someone else.
“No.” She breaks that hope with a blithe shake of her head. “Not at home. And I can’t see Link or Tarin anymore.” She adds matter of factly, and he can see the mask he hadn’t noticed slide back into place. An end to that line of questioning that’s far too calm and unconcerned to be real.
“Hey, Captain, do you know how to braid?” She suddenly asks, changing subjects.
It’s unsubtle, but it works.
“Yes?” He blinks, “why?”
“The fairies were trying to teach me, but I can’t do it right and it looks really messy and just comes out.” She pouts, trying to bundle up her thick waves in her hands. It’s such a childish look. So starkly different from moments before. It’s almost enough to give Link whiplash. “It keeps getting in my eyes.
“I… yeah. I noticed that in our spar…” he shakes his head, still slightly off balance, “Here,” he stops again, lowering himself down to the ground for the second time in so many minutes, “I’ll do it for you.”
“Thank you!” She chirps happily— too happily, giving him perhaps the sunniest smile he’s seen on her face, before twirling and sitting herself in front of him with a light hum of an unfamiliar tune.
She sits perfectly still as he cards his hands through her unbelievably soft red hair. His fingers occasionally brush against her round ears as he works, and he wonders if he should leave a few strands out in front of them in the Hylian fashion. Or if she’d want them hidden entirely like she’s done the last few times he’s seen her.
He wonders if she’s self-conscious about being a different race than everyone around her…
That… that sounds terribly lonely.
Marin seems terribly lonely, in spite of the smile she often wears.
Despite the fact that he’s seen Mask, and now Wind and Tetra, trying to draw her out of her shell. Then again, she seems to be trying just as hard to do the same with Mask... he doesn’t really understand their relationship, but she’s just about the only one who can get him to behave.
The second she’d disappeared; he’d become an utter menace. Wouldn’t listen to a word anyone said, glared, snapped and cussed at everyone save Wind, and then marched off into the forest like he owned the place. In comparison to when he’s with Marin, he’s practically a purring kitten.
But… no one to worry if Marin disappears for a length shorter than a day? That’s highly concerning.
He swallows, mouth suddenly dry, “How… how old did you say you were again?”
“Uh, I’m fourteen. I… my birthday was about a month ago.” Somehow it sounds off, but Link can’t see her face right now, just the intricate pleat he’s weaving of her hair. Years of experience with sisters giving him an advantage on speed and dexterity.
Then the words hit him.
Fourteen.
“And— you’re living with your parents, not your uncle?”
She sucks in a sharp breath, but her voice comes out resigned, cold, “Yes.” She says it like a Royal might. Inconsequential and devoid of any emotions involved.
A crazy, irresponsible- responsible harebrained terrible train-wreck of an idea comes to mind.
What if…. What if she could stay when they send everyone else back through the portals?
Would that be any better than parents who don’t care where their daughter is?
He’s sure he and his sisters could take better care of her. Sure that his grandparents would love having her on their farm. Sure that he, and all his family would love her to bits.
…But is he sure she would want any of that?
He isn’t.
She might get homesick. They might be shoddy parents, but they’re still hers. Could he live with himself, ripping her away from all she’s known, more so than she already is right now? Potentially for good?
Plus, obviously there are cultural differences.
Most likely racial ones too.
He’s never seen someone with round ears before her. —Not someone who clearly looks Hylian outside of that, at the very least. And she’s already mentioned how attuned to magic she is, as well as her… appeal… to the fae. Picori and Fairy alike. A trait that’s as helpful as it is potentially dangerous.
Still, he’d like to ask her to form a familial bond— again, from what little Mask and Wind have said, there is likely a cultural difference he’ll have to explain if and when he asks, but it would hopefully give her that little extra bit of stability.
But he knows he isn’t the best with them, being as magic blind as he is, and she’s already connected to Wind and Mask….
‘You’re not my Link.’
“Do you have a tie?” He eventually asks after a long brooding minute of just staring at the finished braid held helplessly in his hand.
“Oh, sure.” She agrees, “One sec, they’re in my pouch.”
He mentally shakes himself. No, he has no reason to believe she’d want to form that kind of attachment to him. As she said, she barely knows him.
She hands him a round band of cloth— he takes it, confused for a moment. Especially when he sees how stretchy it is. It’s not the scrap of ribbon he’s expecting. But he manages to tie the end of Marin’s braid with it eventually. “There. All done.” He says in a cheery tone, managing to keep his thoughts from his voice.
“Thank you.” She’s immediately standing, pulling the end over her shoulder to look, before she’s putting on a smile, that only partially reaches her eyes. Have they always looked so jaded?
“How do I look?” And the moment passes as she does a spin, and when she meets his gaze again, all he can see is childish cheer.
Standing with a laugh, his chainmail clinks under his green tunic, he takes out a handkerchief “Good. Except… can I?” Projecting his actions, he takes her chin in his hand, and dabs at the grime on her cheek, “You’ve got something on your face.”
“Oh. Oops. I thought I got all of that.” She mumbles.
Link hums as he wipes at the splatter, frowning at the red that smudges on the light cotton.
“It’s not mine.” Marin assures as she catches the look. “I helped the fairies. They healed me up.”
“So you were hurt.” Link raises an eyebrow accusingly.
“It wasn’t that bad.” She assures, shoulders rising, “Just scrapes and some burns. It wasn’t anything bad, I promise. It was my own fault.”
That…does not sound good.
And it most certainly does not reassure him.
“I’m… not sure I trust your judgment.” Link states, and gets a mulish look for his concern. Like he’s the child being scolded here.
“Well, I handled it.” She huffs, striding ahead, head high and posture poised, “and the fairies showed me how to use magic better for it. So there’s that.”
“Hey, wait!” Link is forced to follow after the girl when she doesn’t turn around or stop, lest he lose her again.
It’s another long moment of following before Link asks, “Do you know where you’re going? Proxy can...”
“I’m fine.”
“She’s fine.” —Both girls say at once. And Link decides to stay quiet again, contemplating as he watches Marin’s red tail of a braid swing like a pendulum.
As he does so, he recalls all the little gestures she’s made so far. What she’s said and what she’s not said.
“…Would you hold my hand if I asked?” He blurts before he can think, and she turns to squint up at him, eying him up and down. And apparently not liking what she sees. It’s not an expression he receives often.
“….Why would you want to?” She asks. “I’m a kid. I’ve been out in the forest all day. I’m dirty.”
“You got lost once.” He shrugs with a clank of metal. It’s an excuse. If she wants touch, he’s given her an opening to find it.
“You’re more likely to get lost than me.” She tells him frankly, but comes back and pinches the fabric of his sleeve. That… isn’t exactly what he expected.
Marin leads Link, a step in front of him, hand never leaving his sleeve as she guides them, proxy taking a perch on the shorter girl’s shoulder and occasionally chiming out a suggestion at a clearer path or pointing out a root that would otherwise trip the two.
Twice, they’re stopped by monsters, but Link easily dispatches the weak foes, and Marin is quick to grab onto his sleeve again as soon as the black smoke of malice disperses.
“I don’t bite, you know.” He says after another awkward minute of walking side by side, wiggling his fingers in invitation. Though he won’t push the matter.
Marin frowns, eyes trained on the ground, “But your gloves are fingerless.”
Link blinks in bafflement, trying to follow the logic. “Is that a problem?”
She shrugs, “Not for me. No.” She mumbles, getting quieter, to the point Link has to strain his ears and tilt them in her direction to hear, “But Mother doesn’t like it. She wears gloves a lot, so I didn’t know if… um, It’s fine with Wind and Mask, but They aren’t adults. And you are. So, I didn’t know for you.”
Her mother? What do the gloves have to do with holding hands…? Other children are fine for contact, but not adults…? And the fact his gloves are fingerless is what set her off…
Oh.
Oh no.
It’s a crazy idea, one he’d never think of in most circumstances, but from what little he knows, Marin’s circumstances aren’t normal. Not in any way, shape or form.
Has… has her mother never touched her without gloves on? Was she raised to think that’s how all adults view children? As something dirty and untouchable??
Link feels nauseous at the thought. That can’t be, right? She hugged Ravio when she thought it was her Link… but that would make sense, since they’ve been more or less engaged by bond standards for years.
Did she ever touch Sheik, Impa, or himself without them initiating? Has she ever touched any of them besides her own group?
Hylians tend to avoid contact with strangers, yes. But that’s not usually the case with children, seeing as sometimes they need to be carried home after running around town all day. Good or bad behavior is something everyone helps correct, seeing as parents often let their children play freely along the streets and aren’t always there to do it themselves, even if their familial bonds tell them where their children are, and in what condition.
Head pats and ear tweaks are pretty common— if not having townsfolk just bodily carrying a wayward child away from someplace they shouldn’t be.
Mask was pretty good at avoiding most of that treatment just by the sheer fact that his resting face and items scream ‘I’ll stab you with this here sword if you even try’ —with the curses and temper to match, not to mention his fast reflexes.
He bit one of the knights who tried to manhandle him just that morning, and Link is honestly glad it wasn’t him. Kid has freakishly sharp teeth.
and when he’s not making that face, and acting like a hell-spawn, he’s glued to Marin’s side.
Which, the red hair and round ears has probably kept most Hylians from giving her the full kid treatment, if he thinks about it. Gerudo still have something of a reputation, even if relations are mostly on the rise… and those women are not ones you want to accidentally offend by touching one of their children without permission. You could easily lose a limb.
No… he doesn’t think she’s initiated the contact, sometimes with Mask, maybe, but not often, from what little he’s seen… even though she definitely leans into it when someone else leads the interaction, nor does she pull away.
He kind of wants to cry.“I’m not like that.” He croaks over the ringing in his ears.
He has so many questions.
Ones he can’t very well ask without overstepping lines he doesn’t have a right to step over, seeing as Marin hardly knows him.
It doesn’t matter how open Marin seems, or what she lets slip.
If anything, her slips are a clear cry for help— one he’s watched his Ma answer time after time, both for himself, his sisters, and numerous other street rats and Red District children.
It’s a cry Link prays he can answer, even if he isn’t much of a hero.
Don’t think about the war— Don’t think about the deaths— Don’t think about how it’s all your damned fault for being too handsome for your own good——- -
You’re the reason these children are displaced to begin with, you bastard. How dare you pretend you can make anything better—
“I don’t mind— but if it makes you uncomfortable, just forget I said anything.” It’s hard not to see one of his sisters in Marin’s place, only to have to remind himself that he’s a grown man and can easily come off the wrong way.
The last thing he ever wants to do is make someone uncomfortable in the way some of the ladies, and occasionally men, in town have made him feel over the years.
The thought alone makes him feel nasty just to think about.
Unsurely, Marin wraps her smaller hand around his, flinching back briefly when their skin brushes, before once again making contact. Relaxing and finding a better grip once she realizes he isn’t going to react negatively.
He lets her take her time, making sure his fingers don’t lock her in, she’s in charge of the contact. She eyes him warily for a moment, almost as if she expects him to lash out. Maybe she does.
Proxy snickers and coos in his ear, but he does his best to ignore her.
Marin’s hands aren’t the fingers of a fine lady; like his, they’re the hands of a hard worker, calloused and worn. Again, he wonders about her world and her upbringing.
What if he’s making all of the wrong assumptions? He knows nothing of her people, culture, or country.
“Marin!!” Yells a young voice. Link jumps a foot in the air, heart in his throat as Mask comes barreling out of the woods, barely making any noise as he exits the underbrush, stashing a pink-haired mask as several fairies flit away.
As soon as he sees Marin, he freezes. Ears pressing back and eyes big and scared.
“Mask?” Marin repeats, tilting her head.
Mask clenches his fists at his side and strides forward, stopping right in front of the girl. “Was it my fault? Was I annoying you? Is that why you ran away and blocked me out?” His eyes are glassy as he glares at the ground.
“What? No, of course not. You and Wind were having fun. I… I didn’t want to annoy you. And I didn’t want you to laugh at me.” She mumbles.
Mask sniffs and rubs viciously at his eyes, looking up with an intense stare, “Really? You aren’t lying? You don’t hate me?”
Marin frowns, briefly looking up at Link In bafflement. He shrugs, doing his best to hide his own mental breakdown, he must do a passable job, because she turns back to Mask. “No! Of course I don’t hate you. Never!”
Link blinks, eyebrows rising to his hairline as he oversees the interaction, stomach sinking as he realizes he’s got twochildren—not just the one— who’s mental processes aren’t exactly the healthiest.
And that’s coming from him of all people.
Abstractly, he knew this; has since the whole panic attack incident. But that wasn’t his direct problem. If anything, it was Ma who handled that.
Now it’s dawning on him that these children are his to deal with, and they both just might be more of a mess than he knows how to handle.
Damn he wants a drink right now.
Goddesses give him strength.
He should probably cut back on that too, even if the withdrawals will be a nightmare. He needs to be a better example to these kids, even if losing his crutch means suffocating under the pressure his still relatively new position puts him under.
Doing it for these kids will be worth it, surely.
Wind crashing into his quarters at the barracks is the first time he’s gone to bed mostly sober in weeks— it’s also the first time in just as long if not longer that he hasn’t suffered terrible nightmares.
Mask steps forward and buries his face in Marin’s dress as he hugs her. Drawing Link out of his downward spiral.
“You scared me.” Mask mumbles into the fabric of her dress before looking up with a frown, “Laughing. We laughed at your question. You are mad at us.” He deduces.
Marin’s cheeks go pink. “Not… not mad...” She avoids the boy’s piercing stare.
“Wait.” Link cuts in as the information clicks into place, “Wait, wait. Marin, we weren’t laughing at you. It was a cute question, and completely understandable. It caught us by surprise is all.” He tries to explain, now realizing the logic she followed, “We’re all used to everyone knowing the hero is named Link. Please don’t stop asking questions because of that.”
Cheeks reddening further, she kicks at the ground. “But it was a stupid question.”
“Oh, Sweetheart—” Link kneels so he’s closer to the children’s eye level with the clink of chainmail.
Mask eyes him skeptically, while Marin avoids eye contact altogether.
“Sweetheart, Marin, please look at me.” Link pleads. He’s so under equipped for this— how does he make this better?? “There is absolutely no such thing as a stupid question. Please, ask your questions. You’re in a foreign country of course there are things you won’t know. Please, ask any question. I don’t care how stupid you think it is. Ask it. I swear I’ll do my very best to answer absolutely anything.” He tells her, desperately hoping he hasn’t lost all trust before he’s even had a chance to try gaining any, “I’m so sorry we made you feel bad for that.”
Slowly, the girl nods, hesitant and unsure. The smallest of bashful smiles lifting her lips. “Ok… sorry for overreacting.”
Brushing back a loose red curl from her face, Link gets up, “Only thing to apologize for is scaring us half to death by running off on your own and not telling anyone. And that one’s forgiven, seeing as we found you safe and sound.” He tells her, hoping his sincerity shows. It’s been a while since he’s had a chance to interact with kids, and he’s definitely forgotten how hard it can be at times. “Now we really do need to get back to the company and let everyone know we found you.”
“Right... Sorry. I really didn’t think it’d be a big deal.” Marin winces, free hand fumbling with her kinstone. Mask takes Link’s place in holding her other hand.
“You aren’t hurt, are you?” Mask asks, swinging his and Marin’s hand as they start to walk again, “You blocked me out. I couldn’t find you.” He adds, looking her over as they walk, squinting, “You are hurt, aren’t you? Show me where.” The boy demands.
“I’m not hurt. I was at a fairy fountain.” She tells him.
He gives her a pointed look, “You smell like blood and black powder.”
Link hadn’t noticed that.
“It’s not mine.” She says again with a wrinkled nose, sniffing at her sleeve.
There’s a crash of leaves, and Link draws his sword at the same time Mask does the same, Marin eyeing them in confusion. The sound gets nearer. Closer and closer.
Marin stiffens as the noise finally reaches her, drawing out her own weapon— a knife that looks more suited for the kitchen than a battle.
Wind bursts through the underbrush with his namesake hot on his heels like a gale. She must have opened up the bonds for both boys to so accurately track them this deep in the woods.
“There you are!” Wind exclaims, rushing over and sweeping the girl up into a spinning hug that has her giggling despite herself. “Gods, Marin, You had us all worried sick!” Wind tells her, nuzzling his nose to hers before he sets her down, fondly tweaking her ear in reprimand like she’s any other Hylian child.
Earning a squeal as she batts his hand away and rubs at her ear in a way that suggests she’s ticklish.
“Wind! Don’t do that! It tickles!” Marin confirms a second later, still rubbing at her ear. But then the words register, and she deflates, “I am really sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. Really, I didn’t.”
She tells him, before a realization lights her face, and she’s whirling to look up at Link, much to his surprise. “Oh, but I talked with a Great Fairy. I asked her about Zelda. She didn’t help much. Just said: ‘you should know better than anyone where Zelda is.’ And wouldn’t say anything more about it.” She pouts.
“Tha’ don’t matter!” Wind brushes off, doing his own once over, just Like Mask had moments before by taking Marin by her shoulders and holding her at arm’s length. “Are you alright? Yer no’ hurt, are ye?” He sniffs, blinking, “Why’d ya smell like gunpowder?”
She blinks, then slowly shakes her head, her eyes big and wondering, “I’m not hurt.” She shrugs, almost innocently as she avoids eye contact. “…And there were some bombs. It wasn’t bad. I promise.”
Wind squints at her, making a face.
Marin makes a different face, someplace between ‘don’t freak out’ and ‘seriously? You’re all over reacting.’
“Jeez, tell us if you aren’t, okay? It’s okay to not be okay.” Wind tells her seriously, then with a sigh of relief, Wind lifts Marin and pulls her into another tight hug. “Thank the wind and sea you’re okay.”
Link can see Marin’s face over Wind’s shoulder. Blank. Like she doesn’t know what expression to make. Then she slowly brings up her hands to hug him back just as fiercely. Eyes going unbelievably soft before she buries her face in the crook of Winds neck, hands fisted in the back of his tunic.
“You people are too kind.” She murmurs. Quiet enough that Link thinks none of them would have heard, if not for their pointed ears.
Mask and he share a look, and Mask nods. Face serious and knowing. Link nods back.
As they walk, Mask tries to get her to talk, and she does, for a bit; Fairies and their fountains, the braid Warriors did in her hair, and how she’s been trying to get it right in her spare time but never quite manages… little inconsequential things.
She asks again if the others will be mad at her. Link assures her they won’t be…
—Some might, but they’ll keep their mouths shut if they know what’s good for them.
Wind takes over the conversation when it’s clear Marin isn’t in a talking mood, keeping up a stream of chatter, describing the Great Sea, how different the fairies there are, and starting in on a clearly over exaggerated retelling of a battle he fought with a giant squid.
However, as soon as they return back where they started, leaving the trees for the train station and open road, Marin skids to a stop, taking several quick steps to Link’s side and grabbing onto his green tunic.
“Woah. Hey there.” He blinks down at her, surprised at the uncharacteristic initiation of contact. But when he looks down, her face is pale, and her eyes are focused on the horses and not him.
“They really are big.” She says to no one. In a voice that says it’s not meant to be heard.
Mask blinks in confusion, but Wind’s eyes light up with understanding, “Marin, have you never seen horses before?” He asks carefully, and It’s Link’s turn to blink, everyone’s seen horses. They’re everywhere.
“Yes.” Marin drags her eyes over to Wind after a long drawn out moment.
She doesn’t let go of Link’s tunic.
“Just…” one of the horses snorts, stomping a hoof and Marin jumps behind Link, peeking out a second later. “Just not up close.”
“Ohhh.” Mask’s eyes light up in understanding, “That’s why you cross the street.”
Link shoots him a bewildered look.
That lopsided smile Mask only ever seems to get around Marin spreads on his face as he gently steps forward and unlatches her fingers from Link’s clothes like the girl is a feral kitten, “Don’t worry, they’re real big an’ scary at first, but they’re nice. My friend owns a ranch, and she taught me all sorts.”
“Y’know, they don’t have horses on the Great Sea, I was terrified the first time I saw one. Thought it was a monster.” Wind adds, hands crossed behind his head. His smile soft, understanding, and knowing. The two boys slowly walk out with Marin in tow, cajoling and reassuring in equal measures
Oh. This is what she was so worried about…
‘You’ll laugh again.’ Link winces. He should apologize again later. He hadn’t meant to upset her with that, and he’s certain the rest didn’t either.
“Sir! You found the girl! Where was she?” A knight asks, clanking up with a quick salute.
“At ease.” Link waves off, mind quickly searching for most favorable light to spin this explanation, “A Great Fairy sought the girl out. You know the Fae; It was vague, but it sounds like we’re on the right path in our search for the Princess.”
“I see…. But then, why not inform the hero himself?” The knight ask uncertainly, “Surely, a Great Fairy would summon the Chosen Hero and not a mere slip of a girl, one not even from our lands… the legends make it quite clear that the Great Fairies hold the heroes in high regard…”
Link inwardly curses. He has a point.
Between one breath and the next, Marin’s presence shifts, and she is no longer the scared barely noticeable little girl, but a noble commanding respect as she strides over with an air of confidence Link hasn’t seen from her before. “Sir knight, I’ll have you know I am blessed by the Wind-fish. A deity of sea and sky.”
Her smile is a cold mask. One that Link doesn’t ever want to see on a child’s face.
“Not to mention I am… very attuned to magic. Link would not have sensed her presence, nor her calling at this range, as her spring is deep in the forest.” It’s the first time she’s said his name to address him, and somehow it feels wrong coming from her lips.
“I— I see, Ma’am.” The Knight says, shooting Link an understandably bewildered look. Link understands. He’s struggling to keep on his own mask of composure. “My deepest apologies. I didn’t realize you were a Maiden in service to a Blessed Spirit.”
Marin hums in a way that could be construed as an affirmation, though Link sees the twitch of her eyebrows, and the spark of curiosity in her eyes. She has no idea what the soldier is talking about.
She doesn’t allow that to break her composure, however. “Is that all you need, or would you like me to relay the message verbatim? I assume that your higher ups would rather hear it first, yes?” She asks imperiously, continuing before the man can reply, “Also, I would appreciate you not to make assumptions, just because I am a child.”
“Ah…” the man glances between Link and Marin, unsure who to address, “Yes. Yes, of course. I— once again, my apologies. I was out of line. I shall inform the others once they rejoin at the rendezvous.” The man salutes again and heads off.
Link heaves a sigh, there’s one disaster diverted.
Marin remains stiff and poised for a long moment, waiting for the man to disappear completely among the various supplies and equipment before relaxing with a sigh of her own. Melancholy eyes downcast for a moment before she visibly bolsters herself, “Well. There’s that settled.” She huffs, her usual smile sliding back on her face instead of the cold mask.
“Whatever that was, don’t do it again.” Mask orders in his usual blunt fashion. Hugging her around the middle, “That was weird. You sounded like Zelda.”
She blinks, “Was it really?” Her eyes lock on Mask’s wide and sincere once again, “Did I mess up the words? I’ve never had to use formal Hylian before in an actual conversation.”
“We call it High— or Old High where I’m from.” Wind says with a grin, slinging an arm over Marin’s shoulder. “An’ you’ve got an accent, but besides that, yer’ all good. Think ya speak it better th’n me honestly. We mostly use Common back home.”
Marin nods seriously, “Link taught me so I could talk with his sister easier.”
“Hey, why don’t you ride with me?” Mask interrupts, changing the subject, as he grabs onto Marin’s arm, “The horse I’m riding is named Wikkar. He’s not nearly as great as Epona, but he’s nice.”
“How’s about I go with you, Mask, and Marin goes with the Cap’n. Just for this firs’ time.” Wind interjects, shooting a speaking glance at Mask. The boy makes his own face back. Back and forth they go, their expressions exaggerated to the point Link has to hold back a laugh.
Marin sends Link her own nonplussed look, and he can’t help but nod in agreement. They do look ridiculous.
“Fine.” Mask agrees huffily after a long moment of concentrated staring between the two, breaking the contest by rolling his eyes and stomping off with the other boy in tow, before turning to point challengingly back at Marin, “But you’re riding with me later!” He doesn’t wait for a response as he twirls back around dramatically.
“My girl is perfectly gentle. I raised her up from a foal on my grandparent’s farm.” Link tells her with a reassuring smile, “You don’t need to worry. Aslya won’t hurt you.”
“…Right.” Marin takes in a steadying breath, “Right. Bravery isn’t the absence of fear, but action in the face of fear.” She tells herself in a murmur. It sounds like a quote, but Link doesn’t know what from.
She eyes the horses, some waiting patiently, and some not so patiently, stomping and occasionally trying to nip their neighbors. Ears flicking and noses snorting out breaths of air as their heads turn.
“—I can do this.” She whispers like a prayer. And Link truly understands how she feels. Helpless and alone in the face of duty, despite being surrounded by people.
Sometimes he wishes to run away too, though he’s never found the bravery to try.
Placing a hand on the younger teen’s shoulder, Link gives her a warm smile, “I’ll be right here with you the whole time.”
She gives him a sharp nod. He isn’t sure his words help. Her eyes are still blown wide in fear— but with a deep breath she stiffly walks forward, and towards the awaiting men who stayed behind with the horses.
“I’m sorry for causing you unnecessary trouble.” She tells them in her prim accented Hylian, looking each in the eye. Getting mumbled replies back, none of them sure what to say to such a statement.
The apology is repeated once all the others meet back at the end of the hour, and then she expounds on her previous mention of the Great Fairy, “I asked at the Fairy Fountain for Zelda’s location. Unfortunately, the Great Fairy was vague, but she did say Zelda was closer than we think. The Great Fairy also said she could sense her magic nearby, but not exactly where.” The girl rolls her eyes, “She said I’d likely know better than anyone where. Seeing as I’m hypersensitive to it…” She shakes her head with a huff, “The only problem being that I’ve never actually met the princess.”
There’s a tragedy in watching her speak like this, Link thinks. A miniature adult taking the place of the child. The two sides of Marin’s psyche at war with one another.
“Still, it is more information than we had before.” Impa says with a bow of her head, “Thank you for sharing it with us, young one. Though I recommend not making a habit of today’s actions. We hardly have time for such delays, if at all avoidable.” The general reprimands not unkindly, though it still makes Marin’s face flush and her shoulders rise self-consciously.
“Now,” his superior turns to the rest of their men, and raises her voice in command, “Make sure all is prepared. We will set off for our original destination with all due haste! The Princess is near! Let us not delay any further!”
The men cheer and descend into a flurry of motion, finishing what little preparations are left. Checking over the wagons and previsions, and doing last minute inspections of their impatient steads and other miscellaneous tasks before getting into formation for the march.
Link himself heads for his horse… and realizes he has a shadow sticking to his heals, even if she’s very carefully not touching him.
That stops the second he nears his horse. Marin staying a healthy distance further away.
“Here, come over,” he beckons with an amused smile, briefly glancing over to see Wind and Mask already mounted and causing general chaos amongst the ranks, having stolen two helmets— the corresponding un-helmeted soldiers yelling and chasing after the boy’s prancing horse. Mask has the rains while Wind directs the wind as if he’s in an orchestra. Both calling out good natured jeers, goading the men on whenever they look like they’re about to quit ‘playing’.
He… he’s going to have to deal with that later, isn’t he…?
But for now, that’s someone else’s problem. Again, he beckons Marin.
She takes a hesitant step, and Link gestures again, coaxing her like a skittish cat and keeping the light smile on his face, even as his ears twitch at the shouts and laughter going on not far off.
At least the boys are keeping their own horse away from Marin for the time being.
A small hand hesitantly rests itself in his own, large solemn eyes meeting his own as the little girl gives him a brief strained smile, putting her trust in him.
He smiles at her, feeling distinctly honored by the small action. Gently guiding her over to the horse, “Here, hold out your hand like this; palm flat to let her smell it.” He instructs, “See her ears? You always look at a horse’s ears; it’ll tell you what they’re focused on. If their ears are forward like that, it means she’s curious.” He grins, “She’s listening to us.”
“And she won’t bite me?” The little teen asks, obediently holding out her hand regardless.
Watching warily as Aslya’s black and white snout snorts warm breath against her skin.
“It’s unlikely. Aslya’s a really good girl.” He tells her, patting the horse’s neck, “That would be if her ears were pressed back against her head.” He scrunches up his face and presses his own ears back in an exaggerated grimace, earning a little grin for his efforts. He grins back. “That means she’s not happy, but—”
Aslya gets tired of waiting patiently, and nudges her velvety nose into Marin’s hand. Causing the girl to stiffen and back away.
“Aslya likes pets, so you won’t have that problem.” He tells her with a fond smile, rubbing at his girl’s speckled grey-white neck and jaw before working up to her forehead.
His girl swings her head to see him and press into the pets. Stomping a hoof as he moves some of her dark brown mane out of her eyes, “Still, no matter the horse, be careful to let them know where you are, watch their hooves, and never approach one from behind. That’s how you spook them and get a broken bone for your indolence.”
“Alright.” Marin nods solemnly. Eyes still trained on Aslya, as she lifts her hand again. His smart girl once again pressing her nose to Marin’s hand earning a genuine smile. The longer she pets the horse, the more her fear turns to wonder, especially when the horse nudges her nose further into Marin’s hand.
She does, however, quickly back up when Aslya takes a step closer, investigating for treats and starting to lip at Marin’s clothes.
“Alright,” Link chuckles, taking out a treat from his pouch for his girl to munch on and makes the executive decision to lift Marin up, earning a little squeak from her, “It’s alright, she’s just curious. I’m going to set you on her back, okay?”
“Okay.” Comes the shy response, and so he settles Marin on the saddle before mounting himself behind the little teen. “It’s like being a giant.” She whispers, looking around.
Link can’t help but chuckle at that. “Alright, when Aslya walks, it’s fine to sit, but when she starts going a little faster, you’re going to want to use your legs like this to move with her, so your rear won’t hurt by the end.” He explains, demonstrating how he rises in the saddle by lifting with his thighs, “We shouldn’t need that, since we’re all going fairly slow, but if we go faster, you’ll have to sit up like that and hold on tight, so you don’t fall off.”
She gulps, eyes wide again as she turns to look at Link, “Alright. I’ll do that.”
“Are you two situated?” Impa asks, riding up on her own black mount.
“Well?” Link asks, looking down at his charge.
“Yes, I’m ready.” Marin squeaks with a nod. That same polite but tense tone that’s been with her since she rejoined the company.
“Hey boys! With me— we’re moving out.” Link calls to his other charges.
“You’re not the boss of me!” Mask predictably calls back, though he grudgingly brings his horse to trot next to Aslya after Wind tweaks his ear, even if he glares at the both of them in what’s surely a promise of retribution for this slight.
They start off down the path, and Link keeps an eye on the girl in front of him, the tension in her shoulders lessening a little as time goes by. Especially when Mask and Wind on their chocolate stallion trot closer and start up a meaningless conversation.
That lasts for a good hour or more, the pace slow and mind numbing; thanks to the supply wagons trailing behind them, and the foot soldiers without mounts marching along.
“If… we do get into a fight,” Link starts later, having been thinking about the possibility, slow and unsure. The boys are once again distracted by causing trouble for the knights around them, only to have Impa corral them up near the front with her, Link gestures that his hands were quite obviously full with his own teen. “It would be a weight off my shoulders if you’d stay away from the fight—”
“Ah.” Marin’s gaze is traveling up, to a trail of smoke. Obviously not having listened to a word he’s said. “It’s still on fire.”
Link hisses a curse under his breath, kicking his horse into a trot to get to the front of the group, “General!” He calls, pointing, “It looks like there’s an encampment up ahead. It could be an ambush.”
“I’ve taken that into account, Captain.” Impa replies briskly, a telescope to her eye as she observes what she can. “I’ve already sent scouts ahead.”
“It’s not an ambush.” Marin pipes up, only to blush at the attention she gains by doing so, shrinking in on herself. “I took care of it for the fairies.”
“Explain.” Impa orders, sharing a nod with Sheik, who disappears up the side of the cliff.
“Well, there were monsters setting up a camp, and moving bombs to the edge of the cliff and stuff, the fairies didn’t like them close to their home.” She explains, only to take a breath and shrug, finishing with the detailed explanation of, “So I took them out.”
An eyebrow raises on the General’s face, she looks to Link, stone faced, before turning back to the girl again. “…About how many?”
Counting on her fingers, Marin looks up after a moment, “About fifteen with the explosives, maybe five or six more walking around the forest? They looked weird— and two of them were lizards.”
“And you took them out— by yourself?” Link asks, disbelieving.
She blinks, “Yes? It wasn’t that hard? You just isolate them and take them on one at a time.” She mines taking a dagger and slitting a throat.
…She says it like it’s just that simple.
“If anything, I wasn’t expecting the turrets to burn for so long.” She continues, unbothered, looking up at the smoke in contemplation, “Maybe I should’ve put out the fires?”
“No.” Impa sighs, and Link can relate. They both agreed to keep the kids out of danger and away from as much of the war as possible. “Best that they burn so that they cannot be used again. If they were natural borne, then we’ll have to burn those as well.”
“Exactly,” Marin nods, “The tower burning was my thought too… I’m… I’m not exactly sure what natural borne means though...”
“It’s a monster that doesn’t dissolve in smoke.” Impa explains with that patient smile she only really uses on kids. “Still, best we send some people ahead and make sure the area is truly clear.” She makes a gesture to five soldiers, who salute and hurry off to follow Sheik, but in a more normal fashion.
Soon they return, reporting the same as Marin had said, upon which, Marin turns to Link with all seriousness and says, “I told you so.”
“Next time, take someone with you. That could have been really dangerous.” Link sighs
“I had Trin with me.” Marin grumbles petulantly.
“I mean, another Hylian. What if it was a trap? They could’ve easily surrounded you, then what would you have done?” Link berates, “You need to be more careful.”
“Right…” Marin deflates, “Sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Link sighs, nudging his horse to move a little faster, “I’m just worried for you, okay? What you did was very helpful, and I appreciate it, but please, don’t take unnecessary risks. You have a bond with Mask and Wind, yes? Call for one of them. Or better yet, send a fairy to get reinforcements. You know, actual knights trained to fight.”
Marin opens her mouth, but never gets the chance to voice what looks like an objection,
“Hey Marin!” Wind calls with a wave, Mask steering their horse to be next to Link’s, “Sing us something!”
Immediately Marin perks up, conversation forgotten. “Like what?”
“I don’t know—” The boy grins sheepishly, but there’s a glint of something behind it, “Whatever suits your mood. Anything really.”
“Okay…” She nods, tapping at her chin, then… she starts singing something in a foreign language, something unlike the soft ballads and hymns or lighthearted dancing songs Hyrulian’s so favor, no, if anything this is a song of Din. Of fire and spirit.
It’s an answer to his previous beratement.
After a few verses, she starts at the top again, only this time in Hylian, her voice young and clear yet also controlled in a way that speaks of countless hours of practice, “I am flesh and I am bone— rise up, ting-ting, like glitter and gold.”
Around them the air seems to pulse with a beat, nature magic swirling to meet the tune and harmonize, even without the guiding instructions interlaced in a spell-song.
“I’ve got fire in my soul— rise up, ting-ting, like glitter.” The beat, so soft before grows like a war drum, and Link is certain he isn’t the only Hylian who’s ears are focused on Marin’s lilting tones and the Magics she’s subconsciously controlling.
As the song progresses, Link can’t help but smile just a bit, especially when his men pick up the lyrics and start singing along too. Morale unusually high for a traveling party.
That song slips into another, and then a third before everyone peters off into their own conversations or well-trained silence.
At some point though, Link isn’t sure when, a Picori has made it’s way onto Marin’s shoulder, busy chattering away in it’s little fae language. A fairy, Trin, if Link has any guesses, takes up her other shoulder soon after, and then Wind and Mask draw her into their own discussion, one Link is perfectly content to simply listen to and not join.
The three children descend into a game to pass the time, one where Marin tells a story and the Two heroes play out the actions of their characters… which is all fine and dandy…
…Except that the story went from ‘a noble man has asked you to defend his treasure from bandits.’ to ‘You two idiots decided to steal all the nobles treasure yourself, accidentally burn down his house, adopt his guard dog and horse, and are now wanted criminals who just flirted their way out of the city and somehow convinced a monster tribe you're not actually Hylian, just really really ugly monsters so they won’t fight you.’
…Link isn’t sure how things had devolved so fast in the story, not to mention the fact Wind’s character is now a flying sheep because he drank a dubious potion that Marin hinted wouldn’t lead to good results.
So now Mask is trying to ‘avenge’ Wind and break the curse by taking over a dark wizard’s tower and make it his own. Both boys hardly able to sit straight because of their laughter.
If nothing else, the three kids' certainly know how to keep the entire company entertained. Link can even hear similar games starting up amongst the men.
Though Link does wonder if the game doesn’t strike a little close to their own adventures at times.
Some of their responses sound just a little too knowing for his liking… like when Mask explains why it’s totally plausible to take a Cucco, jump from the tall tower he’s just… ahem, appropriated by less than legal means… and have that Cucco fly all the way across town and into the inner castle garden.
Or when Wind suggests just using a cannon, ‘Because it’s faster and you just have to watch the landing, so you don’t lose your items. Hitting a stone wall hurts like hell.’
Link definitely does not want to know what these boys have been up to if this is their idea of a well thought out strategy. Even if he’s getting more and more concerned as the game goes on...
…Still, it’s nice seeing all three laughing and acting like the kids they are… he just hopes it will last.