Our Childhood Memories

Vah Ruta (Part 2)

"Link! Wait up!" I called out while trying to keep up with the Hylian boy. "I don't think father would let me go, much less Muzu!!"

Link didn't seem to hear any word I said and continued to walk towards the boat, his pace quickening. Oh come on! I know he heard what I said! I'm pretty sure Hylians were good at following orders... um, advice... or were they? Link certainly wasn't helping the matter.

"Come on! Maybe we can even take a look inside it!" Link grinned, ignoring my pleas to stop. "We could be explorers!"

Aww... his young and energetic spirit began to warm me up to the suggestion. Just a little.

"Okay, fine... but let's get on quickly before they see me!" I whispered loud enough so only Link could hear me.

"Before who sees you?" Link asked, turning his head.

"Father and Muzu. I doubt they'd even let me get close to the Beast, much less explore it. Muzu would probably tell me to go back to the Domain too."

The answer perplexed him. I guess things are done differently at his place. Then again, perhaps Link was only showing his more adventurous side now that his father wasn't here. That must be really nice. Too bad I'm spoiled when it comes to that stuff.

"Why wouldn't they let you get creative... explore? You're a Princess...." Link stopped, seeing that the Zoras packing the boat were preoccupied discussing something with several Hylians.

"Link, I know that I'm a Princess, but sometimes... sometimes I wish I wasn't one. It's not as great as it sounds."

"Why not?" He asked and sat down with me on some crates. "You can do whatever you want... no one bosses you around... you're not a lower-class citizen...."

I peered at Link's face as his voice slowly faded away. He stared long and deep at the ground, his eyes wide and lifeless.

"At least you're somebody. At least you have friends and... nevermind... I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry for?" I said, trying to ease the atmosphere a bit. "Are you okay?"

Link played around with his fingers, as if he didn't know what to say. "It always seemed to me that nobles and royalty always had for freedom to themselves. Me... I live among farmers and ranchers... a lot of people look down on us, thinking that we're only fit to work all our lives."

"Why would they look down on you like that?" I asked, genuinely curious. I knew there were different social classes and divisions throughout Hyrule, but to treat others like that? It didn't seem fair at all.

"It's been that way for as long as I could remember." He replied.

"But what about your father? Is he a rancher then? Or a knight? I remember seeing him in armor the last time I saw him."

"Father... father was a rancher... but ever since becoming the King's knight, he spends most of his time at the castle. I only train all day with some old solider... he wants me out of this life I guess but I need to prove myself worthy first."

Several moments of silence followed after. I began to think that maybe we shouldn't have discussed such a sensitive subject... Link did appear to feel very strong about it.

"Alright Dento, here's the Shiekah woman I was telling you about." Bazz's voice rang out behind us.

We turned around to find a strange Hylian woman dressed in a white and red tunic... wearing a strange disk-like hat of some sort... very strange. Her hair was white as snow and tied in red ribbons. I have never seen such a bizarre... Hylian... not that I've seen many till now anyways. She did look very beautiful. Link's face showed that he'd never seen her before too. Weird. The surprises kept on coming and coming.