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With one firm hand holding the top of her horse’s head, Zelda thrust the bridle’s bit into his mouth. The horse snorted with nostrils flared. She pulled the standard tan leather bridle straps over his face and ears, muttering, “Come on, Storm, this isn't our first trip. Don’t act out today, of all days.”
The white stallion watched her with a wary eye.
Zelda and Link had set out from Hyrule Castle the day prior on their steeds, indispensable for the trip across the kingdom. The pair set up camp in a plain northeast of the castle after finding their way over the Crenel Hills' rough terrain left the horses too tired to carry them much further. Even so, she had insisted that she and Link start their day before sunrise. Feeding themselves, caring for the animals, then breaking down camp and getting ready for the next leg of their journey would take time, and she wanted to use it wisely.
They had been fortunate in finding the plain so close to the bridge they'd crossed after climbing down from the stony hills. Its grass made good grazing for the horses, and Link had tied both out to picket lines in a field to let them eat while Zelda cooked breakfast for him and herself. A copse of trees nearby provided firewood and a nest of bird eggs for a meal. Over a small hill lay a freshwater pond. It had been an ideal camping spot.
Unfortunately, the white horse’s behavior was turning out to be less than ideal. Simply gearing him up to ride had been a rocky endeavor. Zelda had had to keep pulling Storm’s head away from the ground while leading him to camp from his grazing spot. He tried to toss his head out of her hold before she could tie him up to saddle him. That she was able to secure the saddle with her supplies at all as he danced on his feet was a miracle in her eyes.
Zelda stepped away from her horse to look where Link crouched in the grass nearby. He was gathering up the last of his supplies to pack onto his own steed. “Are we about ready to go, then?” she wanted to know.
Glancing over his shoulder, Link paused what he was doing to give her a thumbs-up.
Zelda walked Storm on a short lead to a sturdy stone with a flattish top. Just the right height to help her into the saddle. Gripping his reins, she put one foot in the stirrup, but he side-stepped away before she could lift herself over his back. “Hey!” Losing her balance, she stepped down from the rock and yanked his reins again. Storm tossed his head in protest. Zelda growled. “We don’t have time for this right now.”
By now, Link had finished loading the packs onto his horse. Instead of mounting, he hustled to her side. “Princess, if I may?”
Taking the proffered reins, Link clicked his tongue at Storm to get him moving. As he marched him out towards the grazing field, Zelda crossed her arms and looked skyward. The sun was fully risen now. We should have already started out on the road, she thought. Impatience gave way to confusion as she watched her companion make a brisk lap around the grass. What good would this do for her horse? With a shake of her head, she conceded, I suppose he does have a certain way with horses…
Link halted Storm several paces away from the stone where Zelda still stood and waved her over. “Want to reward him? He kept a good pace on our walk.” He gave the horse’s muscular neck a few pats to encourage her.
Her puzzled look remained, but Zelda nevertheless turned to Storm and patted him. The horse shifted one front hoof. In the mildest voice she could manage, she mumbled, “Good horse. If only you could have been as well-behaved while I was putting on your gear.”
The hum of darners’ wings announced their presence. Grass rustled as small birds hopped about to catch worms. Storm stretched out his neck with a yawn, making his bridle’s metal clink. Link’s characteristic silence dragged on a moment too long. She stole a glance to find him watching her, his expression unreadable. Zelda froze under his stare. Am I doing something wrong again?
Link gazed instead at Storm while he stroked the horse's snout. “Our thoughts and emotions often reveal themselves in our actions. Horses are sensitive creatures, and they tend to react even to little changes in our behavior,” he said benignly. “It’s important to take the time to soothe your horse. It's the only way for it how you truly feel.”
Her emotions and actions… The realization dawned on Zelda right then. A guilt-filled frown creased her face. Now she stroked Storm’s neck with a more genuine tenderness, whispering, “I’m sorry… My faithful steed, I should treat you more kindly. I… I’m trying my best to do things right, make things work, but…” Her free hand at her side clenched into a fist.
Another long silence bulged between them before Link decided to break it. “Tell me what’s on your mind.”
She surveyed the sky again, brow furrowed.
Link assured her, “We can make up for lost time easily. Please…”
Zelda took a few steps back from Storm to give him space. Even as she turned to Link, she needed a great deal of strength to meet his eyes. “I… I’ve spent every day since childhood praying, trying to find favor in the eyes of the goddess. And I’ve had to do it on my own, without a teacher… You know how hard I’ve tried. But despite all my efforts and dedication, my powers still lie dormant.
“The other Champions and everyone at the castle are working on preparations against the Calamity, and it’s difficult for me to stand by and simply watch. I wish there was something more I could do to help.” With a sigh of frustration, her gaze fell to the grass at her feet. “But it seems all I can do is hope that things turn out differently when I offer my prayers at the Spring of Power.”
Zelda’s tight fist went over her chest. “I want things to be different, but…” Her voice became smaller. “I don't want to feel like—or look like a, a failure at my own destiny anymore…”
Link glared at the castle's towering spires beyond the green ridge, jaw set, eyes smoldering. His nostrils flared with the long breath he let out. When he turned his attention back to Zelda, the momentary hardness on his face had given way to a subtle gentleness, eyebrows raised apologetically. Slowly, hesitatingly, he reached out his open hand to her. Zelda placed her hand in his, and he held it in long, thoughtful silence.
“The gods have tasked you with carrying an enormously heavy burden for so long,” he said at last. “Your concerns are justified. But, you aren’t alone in that anymore.”
Zelda eyed the hilt of his sword peeking over his shoulder. The sword that chose him. The sword that decided his destiny—or perhaps, revealed his destiny which the gods had decreed in a time long past. His skill as a swordsman made his burden no less heavy, she knew. Truly, she and Link were not so different.
He finished, “I’m here with you now. In any way that I am able to, I want to help you shoulder your burden.”
“Link,” Zelda breathed. A weight lifted from her heart. She swallowed down the tightness in her throat. “Th-Thank you. That means more to me than you know. Really.”
Link gave her hand a comforting squeeze. “For what it’s worth, we have many miles between us and the sacred spring. It may ease your mind to focus on the next step immediately in front of us.”
Zelda gave a small nod first, then a firmer, resolved nod. “You’re right. We’re hardly out of the castle’s shadow. No good losing my nerve here. The next step…”
She turned back to Storm, who appeared calmer now. One of his ears shifted in her direction. Taking a deep breath, Zelda moved forth to scratch the base of his neck. Storm’s eyes closed in satisfaction. “I hope you can forgive me, my loyal steed. I’ll do my best to ensure the trip is smooth for all of us.”
With Link’s help, Zelda climbed into the saddle. Storm remained perfectly steady. Once settled, she stroked his neck, chirping, "Good horse!" Encouragement for even a small victory couldn’t hurt, she figured.
Handing over the reins, Link gave her a thumbs-up, his head tilted in question. She nodded, and he went back to mount his own horse.
Zelda took care to hold the reins loosely when she coaxed Storm to move. She guided him out to the beaten path, and when Link rode up beside them, she set their pace at a calm stroll. It matched the new calmness inside her. A lot could happen in the future, at the sacred spring, but whatever happened, she could face it with her knight, her dear friend beside her. They could face it together.
Turning to look at him, Zelda started, “Hey, Link. Thank you, for…” A pause. At that moment, there was so much she wanted to say: for helping with Storm, for listening to her earlier, for receiving her as she bared her soul to him in the past, for being a genuine friend to her. As he waited for her to go on, she finally finished, “For everything. Thank you.”
The shy smile Link gave her along with his nod warmed her heart further.
The road led east towards the morning sun, its brightness forcing them to squint and keep their eyes down at the path just ahead. The next step forward.