Apothecary

Chapter 1

It's been two years since the Twilit Crisis. Queen Zelda has taken her throne, and the rebuilding of Hyrule is still well underway. In the midst of this flurry of reconstruction and healing, a young woman named Y/N has set up a small apothecary on East Road. No one knows where she came from, but already she's been well received...

It was a busy day in Castle Town, and the day was nearing its end. I walked along South Road, hurriedly looking for the best deals on herbs and hoping against hope that the line for Hot Spring Water wasn't too long. The stand was packed, as usual, but luckily Koro noticed me at the back of the line. He turned to his father. "Papa! Papa! The medicine lady's here!" Dargero looked up from the customers he was haggling with. "Oh! Y/N! I did not notice you there, sister. I have your shipment ready." I pushed past to the complaint of other customers, and smiled sheepishly while I made my way to the front. "So, will this be enough to suit your needs?" The elder Goron gestured to a box filled with bottles of springwater. More than enough for a simple clinic.

"Oh, yes sir! Thank you, this is almost too much," I reply, fumbling for my wallet. "240 rupees is what we agreed on, yes?" I take a glance at the box. "And how much for the lining?" Within the box, wrapped around the bottles, was a special kind of cloth, more than likely preserving the natural heat of the springwater.

Dargero waved a hand. "Keep it." I stared at him, dumbfounded. "Really? Are you sure? This must have been expensive..."

"You need it more than I do. It's the end of the day, and springwater does not keep long. Besides", and here the Goron gave me a huge grin, "anything I do to help your business pays for itself. You were the only doctor in town that was willing to treat my son. Now I'm just returning the favor." "Thank you so much!" I hoisted the box over my shoulder and turned onto West Road--and was blown back by a dark blur that nearly knocked me over. A troupe of soldiers soon followed.

 Wondering what the commotion was, I turned onto East Passage to find a circle of Hyrulean soldiers surrounding a wolf in the middle of the road.

The wolf looked slightly familiar. I thought sometimes I'd seen it running through town, being chased by guards. From the brief glimpses I could get before I was pushed aside by fleeing townsfolk, it seemed to have something (or was it someone?)riding on its back. But today it was alone--and badly wounded. Blood spilled from numerous gashes in its fur, and it kept a hind foot off of the ground. Normally a single leap would drive off these guards, but tonight the wolf seemed too injured and weak to attempt. The group stood there for several moments, at an impasse, the guards too frightened of the wolf's bared fangs to move any closer. Finally one of the braver soldiers stepped forward and stabbed at the beast, throwing it against the wall. The wolf fell to the street, unmoving. The other guards seized this weakness and began beating it senseless with their weapons. Intruder or not, Hyrule guards were only supposed to use lethal force if absolutely necessary. Sure, it was an unusual-looking wolf, but at best it was a wild animal that they could let out of town, not kill in the middle of the street.

 I decided to do something about it then and there.

"HEY!"
The guards turned and noticed me. The one who started the attack stepped forward. "Miss, it's dangerous to be here. You should turn back, there's a wild--"
I looked past them and onto the street in horror. "That's my dog!"
"What?"
"The dog you're beating to death! That's mine!"
"Miss, that's clearly a wolf--"
"I've been looking all over for him! Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because it's obviously a wol--"
Guy-with-spear buried his face in his hands.
"Okay, miss. If this is your dog, then why do we have constant reports of wolf sightings in town?"
"He's a half-breed."
"The sightings report a wolf that looks exactly like this one."
"Again, he's a half-breed."
"So he just happens to trigger dozens of 'wild wolf sightings' and you'd heard none of it until now?"
"I've been out of town."
"For the past six months--okay, whatever."
He wasn't buying it. "Explain why he's been running halfway across town."
"He got off his leash."
The guard was clearly about to explode but glanced up at the setting sun. He sighed. "Alright, lady, keep your 'dog' locked up. I don't get paid enough for this..." The troupe ran off. I watched them go.
"Shame on them, almost murdering a poor animal. The gate was right there!"I turned uncertainly back to the wolf. He remained unmoving against the wall.
I stepped towards him nervously. His eyes were closed, but appeared to be still breathing. "Hey..."
At the sound of my voice he pricked up his ears. Then he got to his feet, shaking his head. He looked around for the guards, then looked back at me.
Now I hadn't seen a wolf up close before, so I'm not sure what I was expecting, but the wolf's eyes--they seemed almost human. Fierce, yes, and bestial, but human somehow. They only cemented my desire to help.
When I stepped forward he was back on the defensive, growling and backing away.
"Calm down! I'm just trying to help, wolf." I looked him over again. "Besides, you won't get far on a broken leg."
He stopped growling, but still seemed wary of me. As was to be expected.
"I'm a healer by trade. I can help you. I have a shop on East Road." The wolf began growling again.
"If you stay out here they'll find you again, and then what? They may decide to just finish you off. Listen--" crazy, telling a wolf to listen--" I'll hide you well. You won't need to worry about being found out if you come with me."

The wolf seemed to consider what I was saying. When I turned to leave, he followed behind slowly, ready to bolt at the slightest indication I wasn't who I claimed to be. As we reached the door on East Road he was limping alongside me. I fumbled for my key in the dark with one hand, balancing the springwater on the other shoulder. Finally my door swung open and I was able to set down the heavy box. I quickly start the fire, and then turn back to the open door where the wolf stands, waiting. His eyes darted to the fire, then back to me. "Wolf, come in. You have nowhere else to go." He still stood there warily. "Please?" I opened the door wider, to show the full view of the warm fire and hanging medicines. Hesitantly, the wolf stepped across the threshold, allowing me to shut the door behind him.

So it happened that the night I let a wolf into my home was the night that everything started.