Chapter Text
Wild hated to admit it, but he was nervous.
There was nothing in the individual’s dress that raised any red flags. There was nothing in the individual’s demeanor that suggested underlying malevolence. And yet, as the group of wayfaring heroes approached the seemingly innocuous traveler on the side of the road, the champion’s fingers itched for the concealed knife at his hip.
As much as he’d tried to divert his thoughts, he couldn’t shake the feeling of foreboding. He couldn’t shake the harrowing memory from the previous day—a memory that clung to him like calamitous malice.
He found it ironic that, for once, he was resenting a memory rather than welcoming it.
That morning, they had passed through another one of those mysterious gateways across time and space, leaving behind Hyrule as he’d known it. Upon entering foreign country, the Links had resolved to ask the next person they came across for directions to the nearest settlement. Much to their surprise, Wild had objected.
I’m not sure if that’s in our best interest, he announced to the puzzled group. We don’t know where we are, these people could be anyone.
I don’t see any better alternative, Time reasoned. Without a map, we’re aimless.
I know, but I just think—
What’s this all about, Wild? Twilight asked, his brow raised. I never took you to be the type who can’t ask for directions.
Yeah, since when do you get nervous? Wind added. About anything?
I’m not nervous, and it’s not that I can’t ask for directions, he argued. I just… think we should be careful.
Well, if you think of a better solution, then let us know, said Time, moving down the road. But for now, we’re going with this.
Wild couldn’t think of a better solution.
As they neared the solitary man on the side of the road, Wild forced himself to stay present, frustrated with his mind for unearthing the past. He recalled the close call he had the day before, when he and Warrior had set off on their own to restock their arrow supply. They had engaged in a transaction with a merchant on the way to West Necluda, far from their lodgings at the Wetland Stable.
Big mistake.
Had Wild not snapped into focus at the last second, Warrior’s face would have been carved like a pumpkin at the Kakariko Fall Festival.
Wild shuddered. He really was becoming too complacent…
“Hey, so what’s up?”
The champion started. He found the Hero of Legend walking shoulder-to-shoulder with him, which certainly hadn’t been the case a few moments ago. The veteran hero’s gaze was fixed straight ahead as he spoke discreetly under his breath.
“You’re zoning out,” he muttered. “What is it?”
Wild shook his head, regaining his bearings. “Nothing. S’fine.”
Legend looked over at him, his expression dubious. But before he could respond, they came to a sudden stop, addressing the traveler who lounged off the side of the road.
“Greetings!” Sky announced with a smile. “My companions and I are a bit lost. Would you mind directing us to the nearest town?”
“Ah! Nomads, eh?” the traveler smirked, appraising their attire. “Or… mercenaries?”
“Uh… something like that,” Sky replied, fiddling with the hair at the back of his neck. “We were hoping to settle down before it gets too dark. Do you know of such a place?”
“Sure do,” the man replied, jumping to his feet. He pointed into the distance, indicating where the path disappeared into the woods. “Head east along this thoroughfare, and continue straight when the road forks. You should reach the Town of Rauru before the sun sets.”
“Great,” Sky said warmly. “We appreciate the help.” He began to turn away, lifting a hand in farewell. “Have a nice—”
“Not so fast, my friend!” the traveler remarked, bounding forward. Wild froze, unsettled by the sudden gesture. “What about some snacks for the road, eh? Some edibles to keep your stomachs occupied?”
“That won’t be necessary, thank you,” Time said offhandedly. “We have all the food we need at the moment.”
“Ah, but is any of it fresh?” the traveler challenged, untying the string of a large knapsack. “I’ve got some mighty fine fruit in stock, straight off the vine! How about some papayas? Or possibly bananas? There was a surplus this season, so they’re on sale—”
There was a high-pitched whistling sound and a glint of steel. Before anyone could process what was happening, Wild leapt forward with lizalfos-like reflexes, positioning himself between the man and the rest of the group. Surprised gasps rang out as Wild bore down upon the unsuspecting merchant, his dagger in hand.
For a moment, everything was still. Wild glared at his perceived threat, daring him to make another move.
Until he saw the fear in the man’s eyes.
“I-I’m sorry, okay?” said the merchant, backing away from the tip of Wild’s blade. “Look, it’s fine, you don’t have to buy. I’ll just be on my way—”
“Sir, please forgive us, I’m not sure what’s come over him,” Twilight intervened, gently taking the blade from Wild’s hand. He sent a scathing look at his protégé, as if demanding an explanation from him.
“I…” Wild began, his eyes blown wide. “I don’t…”
“Please understand, sir,” Warrior interjected, raising his hands placatingly. “We’ve been subjected to all sorts of hostile interactions during our travels. For that reason, we can be a little… apprehensive sometimes.”
“I… understand,” the man acquiesced, putting distance between himself and the Links.
“Here, take these,” Twilight insisted, placing a few yellow rupees in the man’s palms before he could step out of range. “We’re sorry for the trouble.”
The merchant stared at the gems as if they were foreign objects, utterly perplexed. Twilight turned back to Wild, steering him away by the shoulders. “Have a nice day,” he said without a backward glance.
As the group of heroes took their leave from the baffled merchant, Wild looked down at his feet, numb to everything except the feel of Twilight’s fingers digging into his arms. His mind felt frozen in time, unable to process what had just transpired. He allowed himself to be marched down the road until they were out of sight of passerby, which was when the older hero rounded on him.
“What was that?” Twilight snapped, spinning Wild around to face him. “Why would you pull a stunt like that?”
“I didn’t,” Wild faltered, trying to formulate a response. “Or I mean, I didn’t intend to pull a dagger on him. It was an accident.”
“How was that an accident?” Twilight pressed as the rest of the group caught up to them. “It looked pretty serious to me.”
“It was serious, but that’s only because I thought he—”
“Are you okay, Wild?!” Wind interrupted, running forward. “What happened? Was that guy trying to mug us, or something?”
“No, no, he wasn’t trying to mug us,” Wild retorted, growing irritated. “I just thought—”
“We certainly scared him senseless, that’s for sure,” Four added, fingering his Minish earring. “At least we paid him for it.”
“Why would you even try to pull something like that, Wild?” Twilight asked, exasperated. “He did nothing wrong, he was only trying to make a living—”
“I only did it because I thought he was Yiga!” Wild yelled. “Their trademark is the banana, how was I supposed to respond to that?! Warrior would know, he was with me just yesterday when one nearly ran him through!”
The Links eyed the Hero of Warriors with uncertainty. Warrior shifted his weight, his royal blue scarf swishing around his legs.
“That’s true,” he replied. “Things could have ended a lot differently for me had you not—”
“Wild, we’re not in your world anymore,” Twilight sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “There aren’t any Yiga clansmen here.”
Wild drew a blank, feeling idiotic. “But they… there could still be muggers! Or worse, assassins!”
“Do you really think an assassin would attempt anything in broad daylight? In front of an armed group, no less? Wild, we can’t just go pulling blades on everyone we come in contact with unless we’re sure they have malicious intent. We’re heroes—we’re supposed to keep people safe, not make them feel like we can’t be trusted—”
“Back off, Twi.”
Wild’s head whipped around. Suddenly, Legend was at his side once again, facing off against the Hero of Twilight. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, his stance assertive.
“Cut the guy some slack, why don’t you?” Legend snapped. “He told you it was an accident, end of story. What more do you want?”
“I want to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Twilight argued, his expression hard. “Nobody deserves to have a knife pulled on them like that.”
“Nobody deserves to be grilled because of a mistake either, but you clearly don’t seem to care about that.”
Twilight’s mouth dropped open, taken aback by the accusation. His eyes flicked briefly over to Wild before returning to Legend. “It’s not… it’s not that I don’t care. It’s just something that needs to be addressed—”
“Then address it to that tree over there, because it’s not doing any good here. Why don’t you lay off of things you know nothing about for a hot minute, yeah? Come on, Wild.”
A hand closed around Wild’s bicep, tugging him away. Legend shouldered past the other group members, taking to the road with Wild in tow behind him. Wild stumbled after the fuming hero, allowing himself to be hurried away.
They power-walked down the path, heading in the indicated direction. As Wild fell into step beside his companion, shame took root in his chest. He could feel his comrades’ eyes trained on his back, watching his every move. Wild gazed unseeingly at his boots, trying to ignore the burning sensation.
They were judging him, no doubt. He couldn’t blame them.
He lashed out at a citizen. He nearly attacked a citizen.
How could he?
“Earth to Wild,” Legend interrupted, tapping his arm. “Snap out of it, man. Dwelling on it isn’t gonna help.”
Wild rubbed at his arm, contrite. “Yeah, I… Sorry about all that. I didn’t mean to involve you.”
“You didn’t ‘involve’ me. You never forced me to do anything. You shouldn’t have to apologize for protecting us, Twilight doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Because you’re right—that guy could’ve been anyone.”
Wild glanced over at the other hero, stunned. He had to admit that, of all people, he wouldn’t have expected Legend to come to his defense like that. After all the taunts and teasing, Legend was probably the very last person Wild expected to come to his aid. “Um… thanks for that,” he said.
“Don’t mention it.”
They continued walking. The heat of the sun was soon blocked out by a dense wood, shading them on both sides. Wild looked back at the group from the corner of his eye, watching them trail behind from a considerable distance.
“Yesterday was… scary, I guess,” he mused. “I never considered that the Yiga might still be active, even after Ganon’s defeat. It shocked me.”
Legend kicked a pebble, which skidded down the road. “I get it. You go through all the motions of saving the world, but it’s still not enough. They never know when to quit. Take my kingdom, for example. Even after I restored the world of light to its proper state, the place was still crawling with thieves. One guy even robbed my whole inventory blind, the twit. And speaking of blind…”
The veteran hero groaned, vexed by a memory. Wild raised an eyebrow, curious.
“Blind was the worst of the lot. He and his band of thieves were the scourge of Hyrule. They still are. They’re like roaches—you just can’t get rid of them, no matter how hard you try. It’s like you can’t walk a single step without being swindled or attacked.”
Legend shook his head. “At one point, Blind even disguised himself as a maiden to lure me away from the one he was imprisoning. Didn’t work. Still didn’t prevent him from dishing out a fireball to my face, though. The creep…”
Wild watched the clouds of dust kick up at his feet, thinking that sounded familiar. He thought back to the situation playing out in his own homeland; the Yiga were still on the prowl as well, despite his best efforts to stamp them out. They were also masters of disguise, capable of assuming the form of any harmless commoner. He could see why Legend would be just as skeptical when it came to strangers.
“Point is, these lowlifes will try just about anything to get the jump on you. You can’t afford to let your guard down. Their wiles will do you in.”
Wild smiled, unable to help himself. “So this Blind guy tried to woo you with his maiden charms, did he? What made him think it would work?”
Legend looked over at him, unimpressed. “Beats me. He knew he couldn’t beat me in combat, so the snake had to get creative. And don’t even try me, Wild. You’re the real beguiler here, what with your ‘graceful movements,’ or whatever that smuggled diary said about you.”
Wild snorted. He recalled Legend’s ridiculing rendition of Mipha’s journal, and how much Legend had teased him over that. He was only too willing to reciprocate. “It wasn’t smuggled, you dolt. It was freely given to me. And I’ll have you know that she’s right—I am exceptionally graceful, and also very beautiful.”
“Sure.”
They exchanged a quick look, smirking as they glanced away. Though he was reluctant to admit it, Wild couldn’t help but think that for all of Legend’s cheap talk, there were nuggets of gold that could be found within the blather.
“Don’t let it get to your head, Wild. You’re fine. Besides, Twilight wouldn’t know a snake from a garden hose, so don’t worry about it.”
Wild laughed. “Come on now, you gotta give him more credit than that. Twi’s a good guy. He just wants what’s best.”
“Yeah… you’re right. I just like giving him a hard time.”
“Oh, I’m aware.”
As the Links continued their trek towards town, Wild felt himself smiling. He sent a silent prayer of gratitude to the heavens, grateful that he was no longer alone.