Curate, connect, and discover
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HE CAN'T HELP THE SHORT LAUGH THAT ESCAPES HIS LIPS WHEN THE HORSE PLAYFULLY NUDGES HIS CHEST WITH HER VELVETY NOSE. Epona had been by his side since she was just a filly, and that had created a connection that makes them more than just rider and mount. THEY ARE COMPANIONS. Ones who know each other perfectly and help the other when needed ❝ See? They have their own language, just like us ❞ he begins with a smile, glancing at Kenneth while he pats her forehead.
❝ They pin their ears back when they are angry, they whinny when they are happy, they drop their heads when they are tired... ❞ he explains. They were simple signs that spoke volumes if you were willing to pay attention to them and that now are telling Link that, despite the joy of seeing him, what Epona is really interested in is the smell of carrots coming from him. So he takes one from his pocket and gives it to her, stepping back once she takes it so that the horse can enjoy it in peace.
❝ You just have to learn it, ❞ something easier said than done, even if it came naturally for the hero, since it was indeed a challenge that required both patience and consistency. THERE WERE NO SHORTCUTS, NO EASY PATHS. Their trust had to be earned slowly, one step at a time ❝ and they will not only listen to you but also like you and see you as a friend ❞ which, in the end, was the reward that made every bit of effort worthwhile. For they no longer stayed with you because you commanded them, but because they had decided to follow you.
❝ i’ve got time. i’ve got lots of time. ❞
MORNING LIGHT SPILLS ACROSS THE VAST PLAINS OF HYRULE AS THE SUN CRESTS THE HORIZON, BATHING THE WORLD IN SOFT GOLD. The landscape stretches out in quiet solitude, a peaceful expanse of rolling hills and gentle meadows, untouched by the chaos of the past. In the distance, the faint call of birds echoes, their melodies carried by the soft breeze. All the while, beside Link, a stream flows steadily over smooth, polished stones, its surface shimmering in the early light, tracing ripples that mirrored the quiet stirrings of a waking world.
❝ I'm almost ready ❞ he murmurs, aware of the subtle impatience laced in the other's teasing tone. Still shaking off the last traces of sleep, the knight glances down at his reflection in the clear water to smooth out his tunic, his hands moving over the fabric with a relaxed, almost automatic effort. HE RUNS HIS HANDS THROUGH HIS HAIR, TYING IT BACK INTO A LOOSE PONYTAIL, not quite as neat as usual but functional enough. Then, with a final tug at his belt and an adjustment to his sword, he glances back up, the lingering drowsiness almost gone as he walks over to where he was waiting for him.
Once he reaches him, Link finally asks the question that had been lingering in his mind ever since Kenneth had started to wake him ❝ Why the hurry today ? ❞ His voice is calm, curious, as he tilts his head slightly, watching for a response ❝ Did anything happen while I was asleep ? ❞ he adds, his brow lifting just a little, his tone shifting with a hint of concern. If that was the case, what kind of hero would he be ? It is not a moment where he could afford to let his guard down. Not after everything that had happened.