Cold- a Zelink fanfic
It wasn’t like Hyrule’s Hero to get sick, in fact, Link was often in peak physical condition. He trained hard and ate well, but he lacked one thing. A good night’s rest.
Link often opted out of well needed sleep to train, he could always do with extra practice. The knight would stay awake and sometimes actively search for danger while Zelda would sleeping at the nearby stable. Sometimes he’d wander to gather supplies. One thing was for certain though, Link hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep in weeks.
It was a cooler evening in the Akkala region, they had stopped at the stable for the night. Storm clouds had been gathering over the land and Zelda swore she could feel the electricity coursing through the earth’s surface. She had made it very clear that she did not want to continue their journey today. Link was okay with that, it was probably best to let Epona and Storm rest for a while. The board their horses at the South Akkala stable and Zelda gets to work on cooking them some dishes for their journey tomorrow. Link sets off to find supplies.
Zelda waits up for Link, sitting by the fire with a journal and pencil. She scribbles some notes, she watches the birds over head, listening to their evening songs. An hour passes, still no sign of Link has the clouds grow dense above her head. “The storm is coming…” She mumbles softly to herself, worried that her knight might get caught in it. She looks off down on the direction he took off in hours ago, hoping that by some miracle she might see him walking back. Unfortunately, she’s disappointed to see a young traveller who is very much not Link. The first droplets of rain starts to fall from the sky and she packs up her journal, sighing. He’d feel the rain and he’d be back soon. Zelda heads into the stable for some shelter.
The first signs of rain appear overhead and Link sheathes his sword, looking up to the dark sky. It was getting late, he should be heading back anyways. He had made an ambitious trip to the Torin Wetlands, which in hindsight was probably not the smartest idea. He sinks into the muddy earth, his eyes scanning the array of trees and decaying remains of atrophied Guardians. The one that had chased him earlier long gone. Pulling his Sheikah Slate from his hip, he glanced once more around to make sure he was in the clear before checking his map. He would have to head south west to get back to the stable. A mighty sigh escapes his lips and he starts to make the trek up to path that surrounds the citadel high above. His eyes are aware of the movements around him as he journey’s on, so far the path clear of monsters or predators of the night. Heavy droplets of rain cascade down, thankfully he has a hood and he holds his shield above his head to act as a barrier. The night grows cold, and however safe he may be from monsters, he isn’t safe from the lurking sickness that comes with the damp chill of rainfall. He sniffles, it’s been thirty minutes of a heavy downpour. Zelda had warned him about rain earlier today, but he had only thought it to be a light drizzle, maybe a little more. Link hadn’t thought it would be a lightening storm. He tries to keep closer to the citadel as he passes, not wanting to be the tallest thing in the open path. He looks up at the Guardians idly soaring above, scanning the walls of the citadel for possible intruders. Link keeps cautious, holding his shield above his head still as he continues on.
Zelda worries, she always does, but it had nearly been two hours since the storm started and still no sign of the Hero. She paces some at the entrance of the stable, looking down the path that Link had set off on before sundown. She sighs. “Link, please be safe…” She says softly. She’s stopped in her frantic pacing by the traveller she had spotted earlier, the woman places a hand on her shoulder, pointing towards the path. Zelda looks up at her, then spins to see none other than Link trudging up the path towards them. She lets out a relived gasp and runs to him, quickly pulling him inside. He’s covered in mud and soaked to the skin, a bone rattling chill shakes him. She brings him to their room, helping him rid of his soaked clothes. “Oh Link…” She says softly, removing his garments and hanging them to dry. Zelda swiftly searches through their gear and finds Link some spare clothes, instructing him to get dressed and dry. She waits on the bed as he slowly makes his way to the powder room to change. The divider is drawn and a small cough comes from behind the wood. Link changes, sniffling all the while. He dries his long hair with the hand towel provided and crosses his arms over his chest in attempts to keep warm. It does little for the chill that runs up and down his spine. He sneezes into his arm as he pulls the divider back, revealing himself to Zelda. She stands, handkerchief in hand, immediately at his side to clean his nose. “You must have caught cold in that storm…” She provides, leading him back to the bed and tossing the dirty cloth into their laundry pile. Sighing, he sits down, letting her pull the blankets up to his waist. “And you must be hungry. I made stew when you were gone, it should still be warm. That should help you warm up some.” She smiles, running her hand through his damp hair to get it out of his face. Link coughs into his arm, nodding at her proposal of food. He would never say no to her cooking, it really was the best food he’s had since he woke up from the shrine of resurrection. Zelda makes haste, grabbing a bowl and spoon from the travel bag, fixing him some dinner. Then she wanders into the common area to fetch some hot water for tea. When she returns, Link is nearly asleep. She smiles softly, knowing how his training tired him. He never stopped, he worked so hard. Zelda sits beside him, gently waking him from his slumber. The smell of the hearty beef stew rouses the Hero from said slumber, a mouth watering array of spices, herbs, vegetables and broth. Zelda steeps them both a cup of tea, fixing Link’s to his desired state. Some sugar and some milk, to get rid of the “tea” flavour. She watches as Link eats, ravenous as always. The princess chuckles, settling beside her knight, her hand atop his shoulder as she rests against him. “I’m glad you came back safe. I was worried sick…” She confides, a sigh falling from his lips, a single tear escaping her eye. Horrible flashes of the fateful day cross her mind, she couldn’t lose him again… but she couldn’t keep him by her side as prisoner either. He was capable of handling himself, he knew his own limits. Whether he would listen to his body when he’s crossed that line was another thing. Zelda could do little to banish the thoughts of Link overworking himself when he’s made up his mind. He was stubborn. The young knight finishes his stew, with a small cough and a wipe of his lips. Zelda looks up at him with a smile. “I take it that it was a good stew? Maybe I’ll make it again tomorrow for the road.” She says, Link nods, sniffling. “For now though, you deserve a rest. Let’s stay here, in Akkala for a couple nights.” She smiles, voice soft. Zelda sees the way Link is about to protest, that they need to keep on keeping on, but she stops him. “I could use the break. I’m feeling a little tired.” Zelda lies, knowing he would never stand for it if she said he needed the rest. Link was stubborn, driven by the idea that he was invincible, but Zelda knew better and she knew exactly how to get him to take well needed rests. His face softens, nodding.
