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Under the crack of thunder and lightning above him, Link hurried into the Tabantha Bridge stables, entirely soaked from the rain. In the soft light of the lamps he saw Kass, sitting on a bed with the accordion in his lap, pensively looking at the dark skies. The Rito noticed him as he came close and raised a wing in greeting.
“Hello, Link!” he said, voice musical and light. “You look a poor excuse of a traveller. Come, sit by me and I shall dry you.”
With a wave and a quick sign in thanks, Link hurried over, dropping his weapons and sinking gratefully into the soft mattress. The innkeeper called out something, and Link waved him away with a quick gesture to his rupee pouch. Pulling the tie out of his hair, Link barely had a moment to run his fingers through the wet knots as a blue wing enveloped him.
By some stoke of bad luck from the heavens, this was not the first time Link had been caught in a storm. Something about him just drew the clouds to a boil and many a times had he found Kass atop some cliff or hill, as wet as a Hylian bass. The Rito were a race that shook water out of their feathers, so the premise was fairly close.
“Just like one of my hatchlings,” Kass chuckled, fluffing Link’s hair up once more. “Of course, mine are not quite so vicious.”
Link snorted and pushed at his wing.
I’ve seen you fight, he signed. Those hatchlings will be more than a fair match.
“Touché, my friend.”
Rolling his eyes, Link took out his Sheikah slate and carefully checked it was dry. Noting no damage, he signed, Any news?
“Not much, truthfully. It has been raining here for three days. There is a shrine nearby you have not attempted yet, you may like to try it.”
Link nodded.
“Oh, I quite forgot. Somebody is waiting for you.”
The Rito did not have the faces for smiling but when Link looked up at Kass there was a definite glint to his eyes.
Who?
Kass gestured across the room and Link turned to see a huge bundle in the shadows on the other side that he had missed when he had come in. It was Beedle, sitting on the ground beside a bed, knees tucked under his chin. He seemed to be asleep.
“He said he had heard from some passers-by that a Hylian was on the way here. He decided to wait for you.”
When did he arrive?
“Yesterday.” A trill bubbled up from Kass’ chest, a Rito version of a Hylian laugh. “His puppy love is quite endearing.”
That earned him a smack against the shoulder. Another one of his laughs gurgled in his chest.
“Will you not speak to him?”
Link put down the Sheikah slate, brushing hair out of his face, and shrugged.
He is sleeping, he signed. Don’t want to wake him.
“And will you be here in the morning? Because I know you will not.”
A dark flush crept up Link’s neck. Of guilt and shame because the Rito was right and he knew he would vanish by the early light of dawn. The thought must have flickered across his face because Kass’ wing lightly ruffled his hair.
“The shadow above you is a dark one, Link,” he said. “Don’t let it change the colour of your feathers.”
Link smiled. Another bit of old Rito wisdom?
“More experience, let us say.” And with that he clicked his beak and stood. “Well, now, I think this deluge has lessened a bit. I shall sit outside and ponder for a bit of music inspiration, if you don’t mind. You seem dry enough now.”
Link nodded.
“And don’t take my words lightly,” added Kass, in a soft tone so that only Link could hear. “Let your own self feel goodness sometimes. Don’t waste this moment.”
He did not wait for an answer, just brushed the tip of a feather beneath Link’s chin and turned, hurrying around the corner of the inn and vanishing.
The innkeeper was quietly counting up his rupees and adding notes to a sheet of paper, bowing his head as Link placed his due payment while passing by. Their light tinkle was swallowed by the rain, which still came down in a steady flow, and Link wondered if he too slept through innumerable conversations and moments after dragging himself to a bed in the late hours of the night. He rarely slept well, he knew that.
An amalgamation of bags, boxes and canisters of various shapes surrounded Beedle where he snoozed. Carefully stepping around them, Link settled on the bed beside him and took in the sight in front.
It had taken Link a while to decipher and begin to enjoy Beedle’s unending enthusiasm. At first the Hylian found it suspicious, and half expected the freckled face to turn into a Yiga Clan mask and what followed with it. Once he was convinced that Beedle was, in fact, just Beedle, he expected some sort of scam or practical joke. When neither of those things came to fruition either, he actually began to like the merchant. Now, seeing him at such a peace, with faint snores passing his open mouth, a new kind of tenderness festered in his stomach. He did not wish to wake him, if only to watch the kind face.
Without thinking, Link reached over and brushed a stray lock of hair behind Beedle’s ear. The action was clearly the opposite of his desire to allow the merchant to sleep, for Beedle’s eyes snapped open.
“Hey!” cried out Beedle, scrambling to both sit up and rub his eye in the same moment. “Hello, Link! Fancy to see you here.”
His heavy backpack overweighed him, and Beedle tipped haphazardly behind into the stable’s wall before Link reached over to fist a hand into his shirt and tug him curtly back.
“Oh!” Beedle ran a hand over his face and cleared his throat. “Thank you for that.”
Suddenly feeling very aware of how close they were, Link carefully let go of the merchant’s front. No worries, he signed.
Beedle gave him a smile that was ear to ear. “I’m happy to see you, Link!” he said, trying his best to straighten his shirt while sitting. “Anything you want to buy? Any bugs on you? Although, you seem very wet. Must have gotten caught in that storm, huh? Maybe I should grab a towel from that innkeeper for you. He gave me a funny look when I came in, but I suppose he did not remember me. I have been here before you know, when—”
Link, who lost trail of Beedle’s excited words after the brilliant smile and far too tender enunciation of his name, vaguely nodded his head. A blush was building up steadily from somewhere beneath his collar.
“— but, of course, then it was a bit different. The stable was far less —”
Link wondered if Beedle ever felt lonely with his wandering ways. The deluge of words that escaped his mouth whenever they were near was a comfort, though Link joined in the conversations where he could. Beedle liked to ask, and he always had another dozen questions to spare whenever one was used up. When his own travels were more difficult, and many weeks would pass before he would see the know shadow of a stable, Link would try remember such conversations.
“— and because of that, here you go!”
An ancient arrow was held up abruptly beneath Link’s nose, awakening him from his thoughts. Beedle looked expectantly, and this was not the first time he had done it, and Link reached tentatively for the arrow.
“I know you need these, Link,” he added with a sheepish smile. “I’ve heard the stories of you doing battles, even with the lynels! A spare arrow can never be amiss.”
He was right and Link, once again, was grateful and touched at the thought, taking the arrow and putting it carefully on the bed.
Thank you, he signed.
Beedle, freckles standing out against a sunburnt and flushed face, gave a toothy grin.
“Of course, Link! I just know you too well!” He ruffled his bangs and leaned with an elbow against the bed, cupping his cheek in a hand. “Nothing about you can escape a good friend like Beedle.”
That made Link’s crawling blush reach his face in full force. He thought of laughing but, with Kass’ words from before still playing in his head, nervously held out his hands and signed I want to repay you.
Beedle vehemently shook his head. “Not a rupee from you, Link!” he said with a determined pout. “I will not hear of it.”
Not rupees, something else. He felt like a remote bomb had gone off below his feet.
“Oh?” That made Beedle’s eyebrows go up. “And what would that be?”
For a knight, Link felt very little bravery, brain turning to mush as he leaned forward and gently kissed Beedle on the cheek.
Link’s mind seemed to stop and restart as his lips left the skin after a moment, and he leaned back, both mortified and happy. He began to think of excuses he could give, but all were forgotten as Beedle’s warm hand closed around his fingers.
“Now I’m definitely not letting you out of my sight,” he said cheerfully, squeezing Link’s hand in his own. “We must have been married in our past lives!”