A Sword's Sheath

PART III

PART III

The day was filled with hard work and amusement. Link made these children's day unforgettable, which was very noticeable by the dirt and sand his clothes bore. I thought this joyful moment would suffice him to break the thick layer of ice around him, but in failure, it seemed it had become thicker.

I tried making conversation with him on our way home. He replied and participated, and even smiled. But the smile he did wasn't the same. I felt he was drifting away. No, it wasn't that. The way he acted seemed familiar. He was just as such when he was appointed as my personal knight.

Was he carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders once again? Despite the calamity's defeat, was a knight's duty never to rest? Not even for a little while? Or, perhaps, could it be that I was really at fault for something I didn't acknowledge yet?

Sunset claimed the sky as the day was bidding us goodnight. I was happy to have arrived before the full arrival of the night. I felt it would have been awkward to be left alone with Link. Ordinarily, I wouldn't say something as such, but with him acting strangely distant from me, I couldn't think of anything else.

As we got off from our horses, I looked at Link caressing his steed's muzzle. My mind was obsessed about his behavior. It was driving me mad. I wanted things to be so well between us, especially after all we went through. I had told myself that it would pass, that he needed time. But no more!

I walked to him in haste, determined.

"Enough of this, Link!" I said firmly to him. He looked surprised and puzzled. I took a deep breath to collect all my heart's content. "It has been months now that you've been acting cold and afar. I thought at first that you needed time to recover from the battle against Ganon, but now you seem so far away and distant. You smile at me, but there's nothing behind your lips. And the more I see you after each passing day, the more you look like a shadow of your former self... at least when you're interacting with me."

It seemed my aim was true. A sense of guilt embedded his face. I had no intention of hurting him, but I couldn't take this behavior of his any longer. I had to know.

"After all we went through together, I thought there wouldn't be any walls between us." He remained in silence, yet hurt was clear on his face.

I was no reader of minds, otherwise it would have been easier to ease the illness he bore in his heart. But I couldn't force him to tell me his secrets, no matter what. All I could do was to be present for him.

"But..." My right hand delicately rested on his left cheek. His expression quickly turned to a warm surprise. His sudden and clueless adorableness appeared. "I can't force your secrets out of you. But know this: I'm here if you want to ease that burden. Always."

Link's face was glowing red. He nodded to me and smiled; genuinely this time. I smiled back, happy of seeing him more relaxed.

I had forgotten that my hand was still cherishing his face. Before I could take it back, his hand covered mine and held it dearly. His head turned towards it, and to my unexpected surprise, Link kissed its palm.

I felt a burst of heat embedding my face. I was frozen by... his act. More than that, my gaze couldn't leave his. My heart felt like Death Mountain erupting passionately and my breath was rapid. He looked so shy, and yet so open and vulnerable at that moment. I could read all of his emotions. I wondered if he could read all of mine. This was the first time I had seen Link behave like this.

And... I didn't mind it at all.

To be continued in part IV...