Until The Last Breath

19 - Back In The Inn

The meat stew had been delicious, and Link thanked Paya and Impa along with the others before they left her home. Paya wouldn't look at him, and Link completely understood why, but it still hurt.

He valued Paya, and saw her as a true friend. He didn't know what to do about their situation now.

"Bye, Link," she had whispered. "Hopefully we'll see each other again soon."

They decided to take the same path that they had been attacked on, since the group agreed it was unlikely the Yiga would strike the same place twice.

Someone elbowed him on his good side, and Link turned to see it was Riju.

"That Shiekah girl is practically in love with you," she murmured. "You should've seen the eyes she was making at you across the table. She looked like you had torn her heart out and thrown it back at her face."

Link cringed, imagining the scene. He didn't know what to say. He knew Paya loved him, she had told him. In fact, he had a feeling before that she might hold him closer than a friend. He just hadn't brought it up because why would he? There was no need to make a perfectly fine relationship awkward.

"Link, my dear friend, I think you need to start being more aware of the effect you have on people. You're hopelessly oblivious."

Link's gaze wandered to the princess, and he hoped that she was oblivious too. Everyday he felt like he was getting worse at hiding his feelings for her, and the way Riju was looking at him now confirmed his suspicions.

"I won't say anything to her if you don't want me to," she said. "But I totally support you. Can you imagine the cute kids you and Zel—"

Link almost dropped his crutches in a panic to cover Riju's mouth, and Sidon looked back at them both.

"What are you two up to?" he asked.

Riju pried Link's hands away from her mouth. "Nothing. You just go back to looking cute."

Sidon fake saluted, then walked off with the group. Riju glared at Link and wiped her mouth.

"Your hands taste like blood," she spat, then didn't say anything else.

Link hobbled along on his crutches, trying to focus on the journey ahead of them. He hoped that this stab wound would heal soon, so he wouldn't slow down the others when they faced the Calamity. He couldn't afford to be a liability.

He was also worried about the Yiga Clan, and how they'd found Zelda. He had faced a lot of Yiga Clan members on his way to defeat Ganon, but never that many at a time. He had even defeated their leader. He thought he had thrown them off his back for good after that, but then there was today. He hoped they were after him and not the princess.

The sun had set, and the few lamps in Kakariko Village was the only light they had as they made their way to Shuteye Inn.

"Hello, I'm Princess Zelda of Hyrule and I'd like a room please. Preferably big enough for all my companions to stay in."

Ganondorf shook his head, muttering, "I think you'd need a whole house for that."

The innkeeper bowed deeply, smiling at Zelda. "It's a pleasure, Your Highness. I think I have a room perfect for you and your friends."

He grabbed a key from under the desk and led them down the long halls of the inn. He opened the door to the room they would be staying in, and Link had to say he was impressed. He never would've thought a room this big existed in the inn. A decent sized living room was in the center with a kitchen off to the side, and there were two doors on one side and one on the other, which Link assumed were bedrooms.