The next morning Link woke up to the familiar sound of the Cuccos waking up the town, his sleep had not been a good one. His thoughts had drifted to his leave ten years ago, and as a he had slowly gone to sleep his thoughts had been dragged with him and it had not been the best dream in his life. True nightmares occurred at times but this was not a nightmare but still not a good dream. The dream had taken him to the day before he left the castle and how he had tried to say goodbye.

It was a sunny day the day before he left and he and the princess had been in the courtyard telling each other their dreams for the future, he had tried to hint to what his plans for the night were but she never got it. He told her how he would love to travel and meet other people, the feeling of the wind blowing in his face when he was riding Epona. And he had been wanting to pay Saria a visit after all the time he had spent in the castle.

But she had answered that he would have lot of traveling when he was older, when he went with her to other countries and travels, she told him that it would be just the same when he got older. But the princess had not tasted the freedom he once had, how it felt to have no one but himself to answer to. How it was to camp in the middle of nowhere and sit in front of the fire, with Epona lying behind him so he could sit up fairly straight.

She never knew this because her memory of the time Ganondorf ruled Hyrule never existed to her, when he had gone and warned her all those years ago she only knew that Ganondorf was up to no good. And when he had convinced both the princess and the king what the man was up to, something that was not an easy feat, Ganondorf was thrown in the dungeon with no chance of ever getting out. And Link’s reward was to live in the castle and was adopted as a member of the royal family.

As grateful he was, he never thought his life would turn out the way it did, and had no other choice. He knew that if he had said something, the king and his daughter would have done everything in their power to stop him from leaving.
His thoughts floated back to the present as he dressed and went down to get something to eat before taking a walk in the city. The meal had been very simple and he was soon out in the sun and walked around, he could see the castle and its royal profile glistering in the morning sun that was warming the people that was busy to open their various shops and stands around him.

He walked around for a couple of hours in the busy town, going in to different shops that looked interesting but bought nothing. He had everything he needed but food for his journey but that could wait until he was leaving, he thought about what Talon had said about visiting and he remembered that Talon was off duty today and decided to take him up on the offer. It took some time for Link to find Talon’s house but after asking around a bit he found it, it was an old house that looked like it could use a fix up before it fell completely apart.

He knocked the door and waited for the door to open, he could hear two kids yelling and running inside, a boy and a girl if he was not mistaken. The door opened and a woman stood in the doorway “Yes? Can I help you sir?” She was a beautiful woman with a kind smile and with kind brown eyes to go with her looks. Link smiled back politely “Yes I was wondering if Talon was living here, I was invited to come and visit last night” The woman looked at him and answered “Oh yes! You must me Link! My husband told me about you last night when he came home. Oh, come in!” She let him and shut the door behind them “Talon will be home soon, he is out getting the food for the day at the marked. And pleas excuse the mess in here, its not easy to keep the house clean when you got kids running around” she joked and started to clean up some of the wooden toys on the floor. “Oh don’t clean for my sake ma'am, I understand” Link answered and took a look around the room.

It was an all in one room sort of stile, the stove and water was in one side of the room and an old dining table with five chairs around it at the other end. He could see the staircase up to the second floor on the right from the door and the left side was prided with portraits of what Link assumed was family and ancestors.
The kids came running down the stairs yelling and fighting with wooden toy swords, too occupied to notice Link at first. When they did notice him they stopped and looked at their mother “who is he mommy? Is it the bad man again that wants money?” the young boy said and pointed at Link with a slightly afraid face. “No dear, this an old friend of your father” she answered and smiled at her kids “you must excuse him sir, kids these days says the silliest things” Link smiled and waived his hand to say it was no problem.

He bent down to the kids so that he was in their height and smiled “Hello there, my name is Link…” he saw the toy swords the kids where holding “Now that was a magnificent blade you have there young man! Can I see it?” The boy nodded and gave the toy to Link that examined it thoroughly “My dad made it for me! He made one for my sister too, but girls aren’t meant to use them, that’s just stupid!” the boy said proud and stuck his toung out to his sister.

Link smiled and handed it back “It’s a fine blade you could take good care of it, but you are wrong you know… In my journey I have seen many girls that are just as good with a blade as a man, maybe even better! So be nice to your sister” Link winked at the boy and straighten up again and turned to their mother as the kids ran away to play again.

“Cute kids, what is their name ma'am?” he said and smiled “Eric and Mina, and call me Cecile… that ma'am stuff makes me feel like a hundred years old” she answered. Link nodded “Cecile” he said an smiled. The door opened and Talon came in the front door! “Honey I just got bread and milk today I’m sorry dear, but the pri-“ He had been talking as he shut the door and had not seen Link at all, “Link! I see you decided to pay us a visit, just in time for some food too!” he said with a smile as he walked to them and gave his wife a kiss.

” I see you have met my wife Cecile, have you met the kids?” Link nodded and sat down when he was offered a chair at the table. The kids came running down again and went straight for their father, “daddy, daddy! Did you know there are woman that is better than men to fight? Mr. Link told us!” said Mina and smiled “And he told me that my sword was magnificent!” continued Colin.

”Now did he?” Talon said and took a quick look at Link to confirm what the kids had said, Link nodded and smiled. “Here you go kids! Breakfast for empty tummy’s” Cecile said and placed bread and milk on the table. Colin gowned and took a slice of bread and some milk in his glass “just bread again? Not even butter?” Talon’s face fell a little and answered sadly “I’m sorry Colin but that is all we can afford at the moment, maybe next week” They ate in silence, Talon told Link to eat but he polity declined. He had the feeling that the family needed all the food they could get.

When they were finished eating the kids went outside to find their friends and play and the adults where left to talk freely, Cecile started to pack away the little food that was left and started to clean the glasses and plates. “I know this is not my business at all, but before you came home Eric spoke of a bad man that wants money… do he have something to do with your, how can I put this… lack of rupee?” Link said with concern, even he knew that a guards salary would be enough to buy a good amount of food for his family.

Cecile became quiet where she stood and Talon sighed “Yes… he comes with his damn thugs around the time when I get my pay and threaten us to give him our money, or else he will take the kids. So we give him everything we can afford and he leaves, we can’t do anything about it because he knows half the people around here.” Link had heard of this kind of people before and had hated the kind from the start. “I’m sorry…” Link said, looking at Talon and his wife.

“Oh! Don’t Think about it Link, we will get through like always! Tell me instead of your travels, I bet you have many stories to tell!” Talon said, waving the other stuff away.They sat there for hours as Link told about things he had seen and been a part of, the kids came home around midday and sat themselves around the table and heard about Link’s adventures.

As night time fell upon them it was time for Link to leave, the whole day had gone by listening to Link’s stories, they had eaten a small dinner and he had resumed telling his stories afterwards. “Thank you again for letting me stay this late, I took up your whole day! Sorry about that” he said when he stood outside the door, talking to Talon and his wife. “No problem Link, you made the day seem so exiting with all your adventures! What a life you lead” Cecile said with a warm smile “you must come again and tell us more, I bet you have more stories lying around” she continued.

Link smiled “Of course I will, Tell me Talon what guard shift do you have tomorrow?” he asked, Talon thought for a moment “I’ve got the evening shift tomorrow I believe…” he said and smiled. Link nodded and started to walk and waved goodbye for the night, the couple shut the door but Link heard they talk through the door “Honey…tomorrow is payday, remember to get the rupees” “I Know Cecile…” Talon said.

It was the last thing Link heard as he walked back to the inn, as he walked he thought about how unfair it was, he had no home but had a lot of rupees in his pocket from his travels and his old friend had a wife and two kids and almost nothing to buy food for, all because of some idiotic thug that thought he was better that others.