( dragon age: absolution | @finaldawn )
❝ i am not letting you face one of those things alone. ❞ ( from zelda )
he turned his head towards her, pausing in the motion of sheathing the sword on his back ( the sword, not his sword–––– the only sword that had ever truly felt like his would never be wielded by him again ). another moment of hesitation & he continued to tuck his sword away while his free hand signed in one swift, fluid motion.
stay.
even knowing that it was the right course of action, it was a hard thing to sign –––– & it would have been impossible for him to say. their first true time apart had been separation after separation after separation. each one had been agony, in every sense of the word. having her back didn’t make parting any easier.
the surface was still a dangerous place. monsters still roamed & the environment could be treacherous in some places. though many of those who joined them from skyloft were knights, the only ones who had true experience were him & zelda ( & groose, to some extent ) & when there was a problem, link was happily dispatched.
not because zelda couldn’t handle it. he knew she could. she had been in training to attain knighthood just like the rest of them at the academy. it wasn’t a matter of skill. their roles had simply changed.
❝ they need you here. i don’t mind going alone –––– it won’t be the worst thing i’ve handled. ❞
their people were resilient, but this was new. no one among them had handled anything like this before, & yet they thrived under zelda’s leadership. he had always known she would make a good leader ( he could remember calling her bossy many times when they were children ), & he had always waited for the moment she would surpass him in rank. so, though he had never imagined it happening like this, he was far from surprised.
should she leave in this moment, those who relied on her would have no one to turn to. &, goddess forbid, should she be lost, there wouldn’t be anyone who could guide them through this new life like she could. though they were both skilled & well trained, to think that they were invincible would be naive. every knight had their match &, should he fall in a fight to keep them all safe, another could be trained in his place.
❝ don’t worry, okay? ❞
he hoped that would be the end of it. he rose up to press a kiss to her forehead, smiling when he stepped back.
❝ i’ll be back soon. ❞
