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The snow came quickly, much sooner than previous years and much more fierce. Frost crept over window panes, freezing the glass so no one could peer out and see just how white the ground was. Cold blew in from the smallest of cracks under doorways and window sills causing the inside temperatures to plummet. Outside there was the howling of the wind, but inside there was the shuffle of feet as people scrambled to tuck blankets and furs up against any entry point for the cold, hoping to keep their home warm. Smoke billowed up from chimneys all over town, and the warm glow of the fireplaces bathed the homes in a soft light that stood out against the snow storm.
Homes with only two or three rooms were easy to keep warm. Less windows and doors meant less cracks to cover, and less space to move around meant less space to keep warm. The castle was a different story. Endless hallways were just as cold as the outside. All of the torches that normally kept the halls lit were pulled into the rooms where people were, the small flames working hard to warm up whatever space they were in. In previous years the castle staff was able to prepare for the cold and properly cover every window and door with thick wool and pelts in order to keep the nobility inside comfortable. Since the storm came suddenly, they were only able to focus their efforts on a select number of rooms before it became unbearable to be out in the hallways for extended periods of time.
That was how the four Links, their Shadow, and the princess herself all ended up in a lounge close enough to both Zelda’s room and the kitchen. Green and Red managed to grab extra blankets for everyone while Vio double checked to make sure that the wool was properly stuffed against the windows. Shadow didn’t seem too bothered by the cold and instead opted to float quietly in a corner while he waited for everyone else to settle down.
He wasn’t the only one not really doing anything at least. Blue looked absolutely miserable despite how bundled up he was. The moment they entered the room, he planted himself on the couch near the unlit fireplace and pulled two blankets over his shoulders and draped a third across his lap. He buried his face inside the fabric, his eyes barely peeking out from underneath. Zelda took one look at him before grabbing a pale blue scarf off of her desk and wrapping it around the freezing hero’s neck. There were a few ends from the yarn sticking out, but Blue wasn’t in any condition to complain and instead muttered a quiet “Thank you,” from his blanket cocoon.
The glass creaked as the wind outside pushed heavily against the barrier. Shadow and Green watched the windows carefully while Vio flinched away from the glass. Once the noise settled down, Red went around with his firerod and lit the lantern at Zelda’s desk, a few candles that were scattered around the room, and finally the fireplace, hoping the extra light would add some comfort and warmth to the group. It was just a regular winter storm, but the noise still reminded them too much of the Palace of Winds.
Unfortunately, Red wasn’t paying close attention to what he was doing and Green was standing a little too close for comfort when the sudden flame shot by to light the fireplace. He jumped back and kicked a box of various decorations away in an attempt to protect them from the flying sparks.
“Hey! Watch where you’re aiming that thing,” Green chided.
Red’s face flushed in embarrassment and he tucked his firerod behind his back. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t yell at him for doing something about how freaking cold it is in here!” Blue snapped. With the addition of the scarf, he didn’t need to keep his face buried so deep in the blanket, but he did reach up to pull his hat over his ears. Despite his best efforts to stay warm though, there was still a faint hint of pink on the tip of his nose.
“Apologies, we should have anticipated the change in weather this year and predicted the sudden cold front,” Zelda said. She took a seat at the desk over by the window and glanced outside. “Even though it was months ago, Vaati’s intense wind magic did have an effect on the weather. I pray it doesn’t throughout the season, but it is likely that this snow storm is partly his fault.”
Shadow didn’t say anything as he floated over to sit on the rug laid out in front of the fireplace, his eyes cast downwards. He crossed his legs and glanced at the flickering flame, adjusting slightly to sit out of the direct light it gave off. Vio grabbed a book off of Zelda’s desk before walking over to join him. He positioned himself on the floor and placed his body between Shadow and the fire to help shield him from some of the light.
“There’s no need to apologize, princess,” Vio said, addressing Zelda while also watching Shadow to make sure he was comfortable. “It’s not your fault Vaati escaped, nor is it your fault Blue can’t handle a little cold.”
“A little cold?” Blue repeated, his tone giving away his offense at the statement. “You try being frozen in a cave of ice for several hours and see how well you handle the cold afterwards!”
Vio didn’t bother to respond, instead just rolling his eyes while looking for a specific page in the book. Green finally found what he was looking for out of the box and pulled out a long ivy vine and some pins meant to help hang it up. He brought it over to the fireplace and began carefully draping the vine over the mantel, watching closely for any stray sparks. He made sure to hang the ivy a safe distance away from the flames while also adding some life to the surrounding stone. Zelda smiled at the first of the decorations before pulling a folder out from one of the desk drawers and shuffling through the parchment inside.
“I thought Green told you to take a break,” Red said behind her.
Zelda jumped in her chair, startled by the sudden voice, but she calmed quickly when she realized it was just Red. “I took a break earlier. There’s still so much I have to go over, especially now since the storm hit-”
“I’m sure whatever you’re looking at can wait until the morning,” Green said, not even bothering to turn around from his task.
As far as he was concerned, whatever paperwork Zelda was fussing over didn’t matter at this time. They all agreed earlier when they realized they were going to be snowed in to take time to prepare for the Winter Solstice and do a little bit of early celebrating. Filling out forms was not part of their celebration tradition, so therefore it could wait.
Zelda rolled her eyes and shook her head. “After all of the chaos that happened this year, the townsfolk deserve a well put together festival for the solstice. The longer I push off preparations, the less we’ll be able to accomplish in time. Just let me get through vendor submissions at least before you start hounding me to stop for the evening.”
Green secured the last of the ivy for the top of the fireplace before he turned around to eye the stack of paper sitting in front of her. “You want to go through all of that right now? It’ll take all night.”
“How about a compromise?” Red suggested. “I’ll run down to the kitchen and get a little food together for everyone. Zelda can review her papers while I’m gone, and then we can all take a break when I get back. Sounds fair?”
Green and Zelda stared at each other from across the room, neither looking fully pleased, but they both nodded in agreement. “That sounds reasonable,” Zelda said reluctantly.
“Uh, no it does not sound reasonable,” Blue argued. “Red, if you open that door it’ll let in all of the cold!”
“Beyond that, we were all told to take shelter because the temperature in the hallways dropped to levels that are not safe to walk through for more than a few minutes at a time,” Vio said. “Not even the night guards will be out lighting torches, and with how harsh this wind is, it wouldn’t surprise me if a window or two got blown open. It’ll be dark and cold out there, plus the stone could be slippery if any snow gets inside.”
The sharp sound of the raging wind outside stood to emphasize Vio’s points. Blue pulled the blankets around him a little tighter while Zelda shifted her chair further away from the window.
“I’ll be quick, I promise!” Red said, grinning widely as he rushed towards the door before anyone could get up and stop him. He made sure to keep a small flame lit on the end of his firerod for warmth before he slid out the door into the hallway, careful to not open it all of the way. A chilling breeze still managed to make its way inside and send shivers down everyone’s spine, but Green shoved an extra blanket against the base of the door for good measure. Hopefully it wouldn’t impede Red’s return later. Blue looked bitter over the extra cold and muttered complaints under his breath, but he also made sure to thank Green for covering the gap.
“So what’s the big deal about this solstice thing anyway if all you guys are doing is complaining about the weather?” Shadow asked. “Doesn’t exactly strike me as prime time for a festival.”
“As I was saying before, the weather is not usually this bad,” Zelda frowned. “Though if this extreme cold front keeps up, it will put a damper on the festivities.”
“I’m sure the weather will sort itself out in time. It probably just needs a few more weeks to recover from the harsh winds, but it should all be resolved by the time the solstice rolls around,” Vio said. “Hopefully.”
“You’re going to love it, Shadow. It’s the time of the year where the day is the shortest and the night is the longest,” Green said, grabbing more plants from his box. More ivy and branches from an evergreen filled the room with a sharp, earthy smell that brought a smile to Zelda’s face. Green made sure to set them up on the window sill near her desk so their presence would bring her some extra holiday joy.
“Longest night, eh? Sounds like my kind of holiday,” Shadow chuckled.
“Don’t get too excited about it just yet,” Vio said. “Yes, it’s the longest night of the year, but overall the Winter Solstice is a celebration of the light returning, since every day afterwards gradually builds towards longer days until we hit the Summer Solstice.”
“Huh, I didn’t think about it that way,” Green said.
“Idiot, we all shared a brain a few months ago, how did you not think of that?” Blue scoffed.
“Sorry for not remembering every detail about a holiday I never put much thought into,” Green said, rolling his eyes. “Link preferred the Summer Solstice. That didn’t suddenly change when we split, unless you mean to tell me you’ve changed your mind and now you love the cold the Winter Solstice promises.”
“Hey, I never said that!”
“Can you two keep it down, please?” Zelda requested. Her eyes darted back to the top of the form she was looking over, not trusting herself to fully comprehend what this vendor was offering since she read it during their little back and forth. “Blue, stop insulting Green. And Green, don’t say you never put much thought into the Winter Solstice. You’re the one who all but demanded that we celebrate together.”
Green shrugged while he tried to weave the ivy around the branches to make their layout appear more intentional than him just throwing them on the window sill. “It seemed fitting. So much has happened this year. I thought it would be nice for us to all take an honest break. No paperwork, no monsters, just all of us spending our first winter together.”
Zelda rolled her eyes at the callout, but she dropped a few pieces of wax into the small burner she had set up over her lanturn and fished out a royal stamp from the top drawer of her desk. She only had until Red returned to get as much done as possible. Between the talking, time restraints, and the uneasy feeling of dread the wind brought though, she was having a hard time focusing. She hated to admit that Green was right and that a break was very much needed. There would be time for a break later.
Once the wax was melted, she poured a small amount on the bottom right corner and firmly pressed the stamp into the puddle. She waited a moment for it to dry before carefully removing the stamp to reveal a perfectly placed royal seal of approval. One form down, dozens more to go.
“You light world dwellers would find a way to ruin the longest night of the year,” Shadow muttered, his eyes lingering on a page in Vio’s book. There were lengthy passages describing the holiday paired with sun imagery and mentions of classic rituals to hasten the return of the light. All things that Shadow couldn’t bring himself to care about.
“It’s not all bad,” Vio said, his lips twitching up into a small grin at the comment. “While the focus is mainly on bringing back the light, there are still other ways you can participate in the festivities. There’s plenty of books you can find on the subject, poetry readings at local taverns-”
“Boring!” Blue said loudly, cutting Vio off. “The main thing everyone cares about is the food. There’s usually a huge feast, or at least some stalls selling hot meals and drinks. You might not like the bonfire just outside of town though if you’re not a fan of the light, but that’s a great spot to grab fresh, fire-roasted meat and sweets.”
Shadow rolled his eyes. “Light from a flame is different from light from magic or the sun.” Despite his words though, he still eyed the fireplace carefully as if he expected the intensity of the flame’s light to grow significantly out of nowhere. At least Vio was still there to block the majority of the light from hitting him, just in case.
“If that’s the case, then you could join in on the lantern making part of the festivities,” Zelda suggested. She flipped through the forms, looking to see if the family that usually hosted that event submitted to run it again. “It is usually an activity directed for children, but since this is your first Winter Solstice it could be fun to participate.”
The thought of helping bring light to the land by making a lantern didn’t exactly sound appealing for a being made of shadow, but in a way he sort of did that already. The bringing in light thing at least. He played a vital role in defeating Vaati, which allowed the other four to take down Ganon and rescue Zelda. By helping vanquish evil, he did manage to assist in bringing light back to Hyrule. Surely a tiny lantern wouldn’t do much harm in comparison.
“Okay the light thing I get, that makes sense. What’s with the plants though?” Shadow asked, his eyes glancing around the room at the various greenery added by Green.
“Different plants have symbolism that reflects important aspects of celebrating the Winter Solstice,” Vio said, turning to a different page in his book. He turned it to face Shadow and pointed out the various drawings on the pages. “For starters, ivy is popular for newlyweds, but it is also a symbol of friendship and protection. The pine branches represent peace and joy-”
“Something we all need after these last few months,” Blue muttered.
Vio nodded in agreement as he continued down the list. “Evergreens represent immortality, since they don’t die in the harsh cold. They’re used to honor the goddesses in hopes that we make it through the winter.”
“And how common is this information?” Shadow asked.
“I mean, it’s not difficult to find. Some people might not know the details of why we hang certain plants, but these plants are pretty common to see in most houses around this time of the year.”
“I was just wondering how much thought Green put into this holiday,” Shadow said while shooting a teasing smirk in Green's direction. “You know, since he said he didn’t think about it.”
His words were clearly meant to tease, but Green just laughed as he draped more ivy across the bookshelves behind Zelda’s desk. “I’m going to be honest, I just grabbed whatever plants were still alive. I just knew Zelda would like having some nature inside, especially since she’s tied to her desk with paperwork.”
“I’m sorry, would you like to explain to everyone why we were unsuccessful in throwing a proper Winter Solstice festival?” Zelda asked. She stacked her third completed form before turning around in her chair to stare sharply at Green. Her glare didn’t last long though as her eyes focused on all of the plant life he had hung around the room. A soft smile grew on her face as her whole body visibly relaxed. “I do appreciate the decorations though. Thank you, Link.”
Green didn’t bother to correct her and instead just smiled in return. “Of course, Zelda.”
The creak of the door caught everyone’s attention. Vio got up to move the blanket out of the way and help hold the door for Red, who had his hands full carrying a tray of food and drinks. His face was almost as red as his tunic, and the spot under his nose was damp from the cold, but there was a wide grin on his face as he set the tray down on the coffee table between the couch and the fireplace.
Zelda was quick to set aside her paperwork and bring over a spare blanket to help warm up the freezing hero. Red swore up and down that he was fine, but he still took the blanket from her and bundled himself up inside.
Shadow stood up to get a closer look at the pitcher sitting on the tray, not recognizing the fragrant drink inside. “What’s that?”
“Some of the kitchen staff was still down there baking, since running the ovens helps keep the room warm. They gave me some fresh rosemary bread and a whole pitcher of wassail!” Red exclaimed.
“Wassail?” Shadow asked.
“Here, just try it!” Red said, pouring him a cup.
“It’s like a spiced apple cider,” Vio explained, grabbing a cup for himself. He took a drink of the warm beverage to show Shadow it was actually good and not another cooking experiment Red came up with out of the blue. Shadow sniffed his cup before taking a sip of the drink. It was warm, but not just because of its temperature. The spices inside were pleasant, sending a warm feeling all throughout his body. It was as if the drink was hugging him, it was that cozy.
Green came over to slice the bread and began passing it around the group, making sure to add a thin layer of butter to each piece. The warmth of the freshly baked bread melted the butter, adding to the overall softness of the snack. Blue’s words from before regarding the food to be the best part of the celebration made sense. Even something as simple as bread and cider were elevated by the seasonal spices, the company, and even the weather.
Weather that seemed insistent on ruining a good moment. The sheer power of the wind from outside finally hit hard enough to force open the window near Zelda’s desk. Snow blew inside the room as the cold caught everyone off guard. Zelda froze in place the second the wind hit her, her eyes wide in shock at the sudden gust. Shadow moved to help keep some of the wind and snow off of her back, the temperature itself not really bothering him. The stack of papers on the desk fluttered in the wind, scattering them around the room. Vio and Green reached up to grab the forms out of the air before any could land in the fireplace while Blue leapt up from his spot on the couch to run over and slam the window shut. He fumbled with the latch while Red came over to help tie the panes together with some yarn from underneath Zelda’s desk.
Even though it felt much longer, everything was settled in mere moments. The window hadn’t been open for more than a minute, but despite the short timeframe the room was still a mess. Snow melted onto the scattered paper, causing the ink to smear in certain places. Vines of ivy and pine branches littered the ground, and several of the candles Red lit before had gone out. Blue was shivering and rubbing his hands together to try and warm them up, but he seemed more concerned about the rest of the group as his eyes darted around the room.
“Is everyone okay?”
Vio took the forms and began stacking them back up while Green went over to check on Zelda. She shook her head quickly and tried to fix her hair, running her fingers through it to untangle the new knots added by the wind.
“I am fine,” she said. “The wind startled me, that’s all.”
Green took her hand and led her over to sit down on the couch. He picked up the discarded blankets Blue had on before and draped one across her lap before handing her a mug of wassail. Thankfully the drink was still warm, and the scent of cinnamon and ginger helped to sooth her. She thanked Green before taking a slow sip and settling into the back of the couch.
Blue shuffled back over to the couch, sitting on the opposite side from Zelda. Vio placed the stack of papers on the desk and grabbed the ball of yarn Red had used on the windows. There was a crochet hook in the top drawer that he grabbed as well and brought both items over to Zelda. Even if she wasn’t going to work on the forms anymore, she would still want something to do with her hands.
Green sat down in between Zelda and Blue and poured himself his own cup of wassail to try and warm up. They had done a good job keeping out the cold, but of course the wind had to ruin all of their work. It was as if Vaati was still there haunting them despite his demise months prior.
Red and Vio settled down on the rug in front of the fireplace, sitting leaned up against one another for extra warmth. Vio wasn’t particularly cuddly, but sharing body warmth was practical. Plus, Red was someone who enjoyed physical touch in general, so it had the added bonus of keeping him happy.
Shadow didn’t join the group right away. Instead he slowly made his way around the room, picking up every fallen decoration Green had worked hard to place. His placement wasn’t as neat, but he made sure to tuck some of the ivy underneath the pine branches to help hold it in place. There was a thin, wet layer of snow on Zelda’s desk that he made sure to wipe off, and he even found a few extra forms that Vio had missed and added them to the pile.
Once everything was back in its place, he took Red’s firerod and made his way over to the extinguished candles. He was careful, using the lowest setting on the firerod to relight each wick one at a time. It was slow work the way he did it, but once they were all lit, the room seemed a little brighter. He turned back around to join the group over by the fire and found Vio staring at him with a soft smile on his face. Shadow felt his face heat up and blamed it on the added warmth in the room.
“Just practicing for the lantern making event,” Shadow mumbled, shuffling his feet as he made his way back over to the rug. As Green handed him his mug of wassail, Vio grabbed his arm to pull him closer, nearly causing him to spill his drink in the process. Shadow didn’t care though. He settled in, his shoulder pressed up against Vio’s, and looked around the group. Zelda was focused on chaining for her new project while Blue begrudgingly moved in closer to huddle up against Green for extra warmth. Red was beaming from ear to ear at the sight of everyone together while Vio rested his head against Shadow’s shoulder. It was peaceful, probably thanks to those pine branches Green set out, and there was a warm glow from the various sources of fire that really helped set the tone. Despite the raging snow storm outside, everything felt soft and comforting. If this is how the Winter Solstice went, Shadow had nothing to complain about.
Perhaps the light dwellers were onto something.