Fragments of the Past

myth

You felt.... Uneasy.

The imposing building stood silently against the murmur of the village. That feeling of deja vu from when you first entered the town had yet to leave you. Combined with the way the two men guarding the entryway stared at you, you couldn't help but feel out of place. You tried to stay grounded in the moment, though—tried to focus on the feel of Epona under you, and Link's shirt bunched in your fingertips.

While you felt uneasy, more than anything you felt... Afraid. Here you were, almost entirely without any knowledge of who you once were, and in this building was the one person who might have the information that you needed.

But what if it was something you didn't want to know? Already the fear of everything and everyone you once knew being gone held onto your heart like a vice. If this were the case, did you really want to have those suspicions confirmed? How could you deal with being alone in a time you didn't know?

You didn't realize your hand was trembling until Link was clasping it tightly in his own, turned at the waist so that he could better face you. He smiled at you softly, a look of concern on his features as a calloused thumb smoothed over the back of your hand.

You let out a breath you hadn't realized you were holding and felt an ounce of tension relieve from your shoulders.

"Are you ready to go in? We can stop and rest a bit more, first, if you need?"

The soft tone of his voice caught you off guard, and you cast your gaze downward. As you turned the question over in your head a few times, you couldn't help but frown. Yes, you were scared. You didn't know what kind of answers you would be met with. But, ultimately... you needed to know. And the sooner, the better.

With a quick shake of your head, you chanced a smile at Link, before turning your head up to study the building.

"No, I'm... I'm ready. I need to know who I am."

His smile seemed to brighten at your answer, and he nodded. With a pat on your shoulder, Link hopped off Epona, before offering his hands up to help you down. You took them gratefully, as you still had some trouble getting on and off the horse even though it had been a few days. If you held on to Link's hand a bit longer than necessary, he didn't mention it.

Link led the way up to the front of the stairs, shoulders set back in an almost defensive manner. The guards gave a small nod to him as he passed, yet averted their gaze as you trailed behind. You picked up your steps just a bit, pressing almost flush against Link's back as you shadowed him.

The blond didn't seem to mind, and, as you reached the top of the stairs, he took in a deep breath, before pushing the double doors open. Wood grinding against hinges sounded loudly against the noise of the village, and you tried not to acknowledge the way your heart pounded in your ears.

You held on to the back of Link's shirt like a lifeline.

As your eyes began to adjust to the dim lighting inside the building, you couldn't help but relax just a little bit. Everything about the room was comforting—warm lighting, and an even warmer atmosphere. The scent of incense filled the air, calming you with it's aroma. It had the tension in your shoulders relieving just slightly, easing your grip.

The sound of a girl startling, however, had your focus shifting down beside the now open doorway. A girl, about your age, was knelt against the wood floorboards. Judging from the small bucket and cloth beside her, she was in the middle of cleaning when the two of you barged in. Her face alit with a pink hue as she looked up at Link, moving her hands to her chest.

"Oh! M-Master Link! We weren't expecting you back so s-soon...!" The girl cooed, rising to her feet hurriedly and bowing her head. It was then that she seemed to notice you, though. "Ah..! I-I'm sorry, I didn't see you there..."