#sr link

A squak escapes him before he could stop himself. Link whips around with his spoon brandished, splattering food everywhere. "Wha-!"

Almost instantly whatever anxiety fueled fight or flight response died as soon as Link found the source of the voice. Before him stood the Hero of Twilight, a comforting smile on his face even if his eyes betrayed his amusement. 

"Well good evening to you as well, Link." The hero muses, gently pushing the 'weapon' to the side with a finger. 

Link felt the back up of neck heat up, and he was certain it wasnt his campfire. "Ah! Uh- Mr- uh! HI! Sorry! G-good evening."

Internally cursing himself, Link quickly turns back to his soup. A quiet chuckle makes his ear flick as the heat spreads up his head and to his pointed tips. Shuffling catches his ear as well and before he knew it a familiar yellow glow twinkles in the corner of his eye. 

As the hero of Twilight makes himself comfortable on the cool night grass, he sighs to himself as he admires the Hyruilan night sky. 

"The Twilight dont get stars quite like these." Twilight hums after a moment. 

"...No?" Link furrows his brows, eyes flickering briefly to the hero. 

"No." Quiet. "A shame I'd say. They're breathtakin." 

Eyes follow his, peering past the canopy into the shining night sky. Quietly, Link wonders if he ever took the time to truly admire the stars. Did he ever give them more than a passing glance? Now that he was, could he discern where they were breathtaking or not?

"Yeah." He decided. "They are."

He could.

Tired

Word count: 400+

He was tired. So...so tired. 

Travelling non-stop, more and more monsters rearing their heads and facing challenges that took more than just his body to get over. Link was tired. How couldnt he be? Before all of this he was just a simple smith- sure he had a bit more strength than most but besides that he was not...he was not the adventurer sort. 

Link rested at the foot of the bed, hands running through his hair as a shaky breath leaves him. He considered himself lucky that this Inn had a free room so late at night or he'd be sleeping in the darkness for the umpteenth time in the row. But he doesnt feel lucky. Not tonight and not any one prior. With a groan -his muscles fighting against him at every moment- the boy laid back on the rough sheets with little relief. 

Darkness engulfed the cramped room, he was certain he could reach both sides of the room if he just stretched. It was suffocating- the choked out moonlight and furniture fighting for space. 

Limbs slowly curl into themselves as Link pulls his legs close. In a room so cramped yet he still felt so...small.

Link was so tired. He didnt want to be tired anymore. He didnt want to ache. He wanted to go home, back to his forge and friends. He just wanted to--

A shimmer of gold catches his eye. The medallion sat illuminated by the slivers of night light peaking through the window.

...He wonders if Sky ever felt like this. Did Wild? Twilight?..

Time?

A wet laugh leaves him as he rolls over, hiding from that damned thing’s taunting. What was he thinking? Of course they didnt. Legendary spirits- Legendary heroes, hand picked by Hyila herself. Real heroes. Real heroes who kept going no matter what, who didnt think of such trivial things- who saw the bigger picture and didnt indulge in selfish thoughts like he did. So why is he here? He was a coward, selfish, untrained, useless.

Teeth sunk into his cheek as he felt his eyes begin to burn, hands digging into the aching arms as a futile attempt of soothing himself. 

Why? Why him? Why did he have to be tired? Why did he have to go on this journey when he's been told to his face he wasnt enough?! Why did he have to bare his blood and sweat for a goddess who took everything from him! 

His parents. His grandpa. His--

Tears clouded his vision, streaming down his face and soaking the bedding as a choked sob is ripped from his throat and into an isolating room. He tried to stop him. Hands clawing at his face to smother this childish reaction but he just couldnt. He was *so tired*. 

He just wanted to go home. He just wanted his friends. He just-

Link was so tired. So...so tired.

Teaching the Teacher

Word count: 300+

"Link, I have a question." Sky's cheery expression pops into his periphery. 

"Yeah?" He answers, keeping his head forward. 

The boy had just left a town -to not only stock up for the next trek of his journey but to also get any information he could- so the chances of him running into someone else was still rather high. And as much as it amused the spirits, he would rather not get weird looks for speaking to thin air. 

"You had quite a lengthy conversation with that blacksmith back in town." His Mentor smiles. "If I remember correctly, you were one as well back in your village, right?"

Link blinked at that. "Yeah, how did you..."

A sudden memory from when the two first started travelling together comes to mind, as well as a...rather uh...*kind* young lady. His mentor laughs softly watching Link struggle to fight back the embarrassment rising on his face.

"Yeah." He sighs. "I was. Why do you ask?"

For a change, it was his mentor to gain a sheepish look for once. "Oh! well, I was just...curious on what that was like! I never quite got to learn that much about smithing myself so..."

"But didnt you forge the master sword?" Link asks, resisting the urge to turn his head. 

"Ah! Well," The hero rubs his head. "On a technicality, no. Fi -the mastersword- was already an esteemed blade before I wielded her! All I did was gather power to bring her to her full potential. B-but I wouldnt consider that forging!"

Squinting at that, Link wanted to challenge his mentor on that. He had tempered the blade in divine(?) flame, hardened her steel and sharpened the edges. Perhaps he did not cast the sword nor hammered her into form but the hero did more than most ever could with even the simplest of blades. 

But...the possibility of teaching his mentor something was an opportunity he simply could not pass up

"I'd be happy to tell you about the process, if thats what you're asking." Link offers, finally meeting his mentor's eyes.

"Truly?" Sky beams excitedly "Id like nothing more!"

...Huh.