The Legend of Zelda - Endless (Zelink)

Chapter 4

After about an hour of battling with consciousness, I finally gave in and quietly got out of Link's bed. I swiftly went down the ladders without much noise, and slipped out of the door into the chilly night. I made my way to the stream and sat myself on a rock, dipping my toes into the steady flow of clear water. I watched the tiny minnows darting about beneath the calm surface of the stream, and listened to the soft sounds of it trickling down over the riverbed.

I reminisced, for a long while, about my childhood. I remembered how I used to study the guards shifts, when and where they patrolled, and for how long, and I would identify a time when I could sneak outside and not have to 'be a princess'. I used to use the window in my mothers large library, which led out into a more private area of the gardens surrounding the Castle. I would sit amongst the flowers and let the grass brush against my feet, and I would take long, full breaths of the fresh air. It was my favourite time of day, when I could get out on my own and do what I liked. I had mastered the act of sneaking back inside unnoticed, and quickly changing into clean clothes so my parents wouldnt question the grass stains on my dress. 

Most of all, I remembered when I'd been caught climbing out of the window, and though no one was angry at me, I had started to cry and get angry, rambling on about how I wanted my own life, how I wanted to live somewhere else, somewhere tranquil, small and relaxed. I had realised that day that Ordon was the place that I had been wanting since I was a small child, stuck amidst a busy and structured life, following strict schedules and rules. It saddened me that it had taken me this long to find such a wonderful place when I had lived near it for all of my life. 

"Can't sleep either?" 

I turned around to see Link, still in his nightwear, walking towards me. "Well, who can blame us?" I almost laughed. He took a seat next to me and ran his hands through his messy locks. I caught myself staring at his eyes, the moonlight reflecting off of them giving a dazzling effect. Eventually, I shifted my gaze back to the water. 

"Why so secretive today?" He said suddenly, his glistening eyes remaining fixed on the water, too. I knew what he'd meant immediately.

"When you've lived your whole life being treated as an outsider by everyone you're introduced to you tire of it after a while." I wondered if my answer was too straightforward, too blunt. But what else was there to say? It was the simple truth. He nodded and said nothing more on the subject, obviously at a loss for another topic of conversation. 

"I'm sorry. I am just so tired. Of everything. I need a break, but I just cant seem to get away, no matter what I do. It's just one way of getting a rest from it all, you know?"

He nodded again, his head resting on his hand. "Yeah, of course."

A long silence ensued. Suddenly every noise around me became apparent, the blades of grass blowing into eachother in the night time breeze, Uli's wind chimes rattling together across the village. I listened for what felt like a long time. I wondered if Link was listening too.