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Quite frankly, it probably wouldn’t have happened if he’d taken the hint.
But, in his defense; he’s a Link, since when do any of them do that?
The captain and vet had departed about early that evening, half of the rest of their party in tow and leaving those not involved with their Incidents behind at the inn. Honestly, they could have left earlier, but he’d overheard Warriors saying something about wanting to let Legend get at least a little more rest before having to undertake “the monumental task of disappointing my mother”, which, now that he thinks about it, really does sound rather horrible. Imagine having to be the person responsible for explaining to someone’s mother that, rather than being successfully married with children, they are, in fact, still incredibly single and unable to get a date with any woman even slightly sane! Not that he’s ever seen the captain put in an effort , but still, he does not envy the vet his task.
That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to see the guy try to accomplish it though. Knowing Legend, he’d never back down from a task, but disappointing what sounds to be a sweet older lady, probably old enough not only to be his own mother but maybe even a grandmother? Oh yeah, if their vet has one weakness, it’s sweet older people, of that he’s certain.
Twilight would not miss this for the world.
So, although he’s not invited along, and although he’d be pretty noticeable if he followed from a distance, the truth of the matter is that Wolfie has plenty of experience sneaking around castletown, and while it has changed a lot since his own time, all he really has to do is follow his brothers, his fur giving him an excellent camouflage against wary gazes looking for hylian followers on.
Honestly, he’s sort of shocked none of them notice, but then again, they are obviously trying to keep a low profile, armor shed and weapons either left behind or concealed as the five heroes and one shadow all move along from the center of the city to the northern outskirts. Pities sakes, the captain has even shed his uniform in favor of some oddly simple clothes he apparently had on him all this while, and if not for his stature, Twilight would almost be afraid of losing track of the man among the flow of average looking people in the streets, moving from shop to shop. Not that his nose couldn’t pick up his brothers’ trail again, but among so many different smells, many of which are very strong and very pungent, he’s not confident he’d do so quickly. After all, the further they move through the streets the worse the world around them looks.
Sparing a glance, ears and nose trained on Time, the wolf hero glances around himself with a frown. Does the captain’s family really live in this kind of place? It’s, while not exactly a slum , not really the sort of place he would imagine spawning the polished and proud man they travel beside, never mind a hero! Yet, when he looks back to where the man in question walks, he can only see surety in the soldier’s steps, a familiarity as he nods or greets passers by, many of which double take when they see him only to break out into smiles or friendly conversation, all obviously eying his companions but nobody making bold enough to ask about them.
Warriors doesn’t offer, instead exchanging pleasantries briefly before excusing himself and their brothers to continue on to their destination.
For some reason, Twilight expected a house, a nice one, maybe one of those tall, white-washed ones one might see just off the city square, but the stone building with a large sign hung over the door, marked simply “Taylor” isn’t any of that.
“They live over the shop,” the captain explains easily, “round the back.”
“It’s nice,” Legend sounds, taking what almost sounds like a steadying breath, and earning a smile for his comment. The house, however, is not nice. The vet must just be being polite.
“Didn’t you buy this place for them?” Time asks, looking around as the six of them move for the small alley between the tailor shop and the next building over, a passage he can’t follow for himself until they’re fully through, lest he be seen, but their voices bounce back off the dirtied stone..
“More or less,” Warriors answers, “we rented first, but I dinna feel right leavin’ mum doin’ that when I could save her the trouble.”
“You didn’t think to upgrade them?” He doesn’t exactly recognize that voice, but it sounds sort of like Four’s? More…snide though. He can only assume it’s the shadow.
The vet’s sigh is recognizable though, even without being able to see the six of them.
“This is where we’ve always been, where our neighbors and customers are, why would we leave?” ‘We’, he says, like he’s part of the life around them, like Warriors actually once belonged around these parts. Goats, it’s hard to believe that. The other heroes take it in turn though, and as he enters the alley upon their exit, his ears twitch to the sound of a key in a lock. “Well, welcome to our home then, mind yer step an’, well,” there’s a pause, an absence of obedient steps, “maybe I’d better go first actually. The twins get awful excitable, sometimes, leastways when I make it back fer any reason.” There’s an odd… lilt to the man’s voice when he speaks, unidentifiable as of yet, but… oddly out of place, again, for their polished and pristine war hero.
He risks a peak from his place in the alley, and is… well, he’s not delighted to see the piles of garbage stacked about in the alley between houses, he is glad of the cover it provides him, even if his poor nose is suffering something terrible as he hunkers down behind one, willing tail and paws be still and quiet as he watches the captain come about the door he’d been apparently holding open, only to not make it even a step inside before some squealing force topples the man tail over tea-kettle.
“Link!”
“Yer home!”
Two squealing forces then.
Legend’s got a hand on both of the smaller heroes, tugging them some out of the way, and Time himself is sort of just standing there, grinning in a weird way that’s… just… wrong for him. As for the shadow, it’s just…standing there, next to Four.
From where he’s sprawled on the cobblestones, perfect hair now a total mess and definitely full of dirt, the captain’s smile could be described as nothing short of radiant as it turns on the two near identical girls sitting on top of him. “No’ even gonna let me in at the door, will you?”
“You’ve been gone f’rever!” The one sounds in answer, throwing herself down to wrap her arms around his neck, even as the man pushes himself somewhat upright again, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in answer.
“Just a few months. It’s laughed, warmer than he’s heard before.
The words are ignored, the other girl pushing around her apparent twin to also cling to their captain, making him lurch forward and take the weight off his arms so he can gather both girls in close, squeezing them until they squeal. When both pull back again, the face of the man is near unrecognizable, features the same but smile all crooked and a bit wild, hair hanging messy over his eyes.
Sweet Ordonia, what happened to their prissy captain? Who is this man?
“Lads,” since when did he have an accent? “I’d like y’all-” he’s saying ‘y’all’ now?!?!?! “-t’meet my sisters. Lyre, Lil, say hullo.”
“Hullo,” the one on the right sounds dutifully.
The other one though- he can’t tell which is which or if the captain had indicated either when giving their names- is all bright eyes and eagerness as she looks to the rest of the heroes, gaze falling immediately to Legend. “Are you Kit?” She sounds, ignoring her apparently older brother’s request and instead all but bouncing in place as she watches the heroes with big blue eyes.
Abruptly Twilight finds himself staring. Blue eyes and blonde hair are to be expected, although the girls have a dirtier blonde than the captain, and the blue borders a bit closer to gray, but what’s most noticeable, to him at least, is the distinct lack of pointed ears sticking out from behind either girls’ pig-tailed braids. Is…. is one of Warriors’ parents…. Human?
Not that he’d be one to judge, not that he minds humans at all (he’s spent the better part of his life with them!) but he’d sort of expected the man who depicts all Hyrule wants of it’s hylian heroes, to be, well, fully hylian .
It doesn’t matter though, he has to shake off the thought and refocus because Warriors is looking skywards for aid and already Legend is sighing one of those great sighs that takes all the breath he’s got, Time and Wind exchanging a knowing look between themselves as the vet does so.
“How bout we head in,” Wars decides aloud, “an’ make proper introductions all round, yeah?”
“But-”
A brow raises. “Y’ed have our guests stand on the stoop all night, poppet? Come now, I thought I brought y’up with a hint more in the way o’ manners!”
Hang on, what? Warriors brought them up? But he mentioned his parents didn’t he? What were they doing? Where are they for that matter? Twilight has to employ every bit of willpower to stop his tail thumping against the stone in impatience, but with murmured apologies and a rush to take the hands of their guests and lead them within, the heroes finally make it through the still open door, which, by the click it makes upon closing, must be promptly locked afterwards.
He’s up on his paws in a moment.
Warriors had said that the house was over the shop, which means peeking in at a window won’t be enough to catch sight of what’s happening within. Luckily, the washing lines hung between houses offer the perfect access to the second story, and while it’ll be precarious, it’s nothing he hasn’t attempted before!
Finding a way up to them is a bit of a struggle, but with so much junk and crap piled about, (sometimes literal crap) he does manage to find a place where it’s as high as a line, and from there he simply has to navigate back to the house the other heroes had entered in at. The washing line swings something terrible beneath him, but if he crouches low and keeps his tail waving to account for his balance, he can manage to get a peek in at one of the cracked open windows.
The sight he catches when he does, were he hylian at the moment, would definitely make him laugh out loud.
As predicted, Legend, strong though he is, unshakable as he pretends to be, is nothing in the hands of a sweet old lady, and the woman standing before their vet, both hands actually cradling his cheeks at the moment, the most adoring look on her face, is most definitely the definition of “sweet old lady”. Oh, Twilight is so glad he followed along! This is gold!
“An’ here I was thinkin’ he’d never find himself a mate, how busy he’s been!” And yep, that is definitely an accent, heavy too. “Yet here y’are, so pretty an’ perfect an’- dear me! Bless ya, lass, for given’ this old woman’s heart some peace! Now I c’n rest easy knowin’ someone’s out there mindin’ him when I can’t be!”
Oh how he wishes he had a picto box, or opposable thumbs to operate one at the moment! He’d even accept Wild’s offer to use that weird slate thing about now, strange magic though it is, just to get a chance to keep forever the expression of absolute despair as touches violet eyes under a stare the same color as their captain’s but a thousand times more open and adoring. Legend is putty in her hands, and any hopes Warriors must have had about the vet clearing up matters must by flying out the cracked window and past Twilight’s own face at the moment. After all, who with a heart could deny such a sweet looking old lady? Much less disappoint her! By telling her her son can’t land a wife for himself no less!
He just knows Legend is going to cave to the act, fall back on old lines and that awkward little nervous smile, maybe even the fawning expression from the tavern last week, the one that left Warriors dumbstruck. Whatever he does, Twilight is absolutely prepared to watch and commit it to memory. A moment like this should not be lost, and should, most certainly, be shared with the rest of their party. Not even a yell from across the alley and a clashing and clattering from the next house over will stop him bearing witness!
Or, well, so he’d thought, before something rather large, very heavy, and incredibly painful as a result of both of those things, slams into him from seemingly out of nowhere .
Good as he might be at balancing, at least in this form, he’s still only got four paws and a tail, and no combination of that, as far as he’s aware, could keep anything perched on the washing line after being slammed into by whatever that thing was. Needless to say, one moment he’s watching Legend turn bright red, and the next he’s slamming into the ground with a yelp of pain and surprise that turns into a whimper when he actually lands.
He only fell one story, but wolves can’t tuck and roll very well and are most certainly not made for heavy impact with stone. When he lands, he lands hard , and his head is positively spinning, vision blurry and body one throbbing ache as reality settles in all around him.
He’ll blame that for why he takes a moment to realize there’s hands on him, as well as the fact that it takes him a moment to realize just how rough they are. Not the playful roughness Wild uses on him when he’s in wolf form, but the sort of genuinely painful kind he’s come to expect from strangers when they see a wolf.
His head is still spinning, vision blurred, but he has the presence of mind at least to bark, a warning, and try and stand or move away, to get away from the hands that grab at fur and try at pushing him down. He can’t see his assailant, but they’re big. Not as big as a wolf, but enough to actually make him stumble when their full weight bears down on him, and a cold sort of fear sparks in his gut when he feels the rough bite of thick rope quickly wrap itself tight around his neck, only a moment later catching around his muzzle, and then no amount of snapping or barking does him any good because both jaws are firmly held together by his newfound bonds.
One blessing, however, is that, with focus all on his teeth, the man on top of him seems to forget about his paws , and in a brief moment where the fellow seems certain the worst is over, Twilight as able to wriggle out from beneath the stranger’s weight. Even without the ability to snap at the hands that immediately reach out to grab him, to try and hold him down again, now fearless with his muzzle bound, he’s still able to growl and make muffled attempts at a warning bark as he darts out of reach.
The rope round his neck and muzzle is both painfully tight and dangerously long, long enough for the man to easily catch hold of, but he’s heavier, faster, and stronger, especially as a wolf, and with four paws to his person it only takes the slightest of springs to have him darting off and away into the lengthening shadows of the alley ways around them.
A common beast would run; run far, far away and not look back. An intelligent one would dart towards some den or hiding place, but Twilight is no beast, although he may wear the form of one at present. The moment he hears steps taking off after him, shouts sounding of “wolf! There’s a wolf loose!” he dartakes the first sharp turn he can spy, and the moment he rounds that he doubles back around.
His pursuer, panting and shouting at the top of his lungs, sees him only take the one turn and so follows the alley in that direction, still loudly sounding his fear to the whole of the neighborhood.
Doors fly open, faces peeking out. By now, he’s managed to burrow down into the trash again, ignoring the pain in his side from having whatever that had been thrown at him to knock him back down to earth, and he watches as faces peek from homes, fear washing them all white even in the newly fading light of the evening.
Someone, an elder fellow, wastes no time in peering about the alley and immediately darting to the back door of the tailor shop, knocking furiously until a startled looking Warriors opens it.
“Link! Lad, when-” the man cuts himself off, shaking his head and turning again to look out over the alley. “The girls are all home, yes?”
“Yes?”
“Good, keep ‘em in. There’s a wolf loose-
“A wolf?” It’s sounded in several voices, mostly female, all from behind the captain, but he can hear the other heroes in there as well. He can’t see anything, just the captain’s head peeking out from the door, but the man glances back within, exchanging a glance with someone, someone shorter than himself by the angle of his head. The sigh that follows is telling, and the door creaks as it swings further open.
“Y’all stay here with Mum, understood?” And then, “you as well. We’ll be back in a bit.” Worry sounds from within, but only Legend, Time, and the captain slip out from the door, all looking somewhat worried and Time with his one eyes set in that way that always tends to remind him of Shade.
“It went that way,” the old neighbor points a withered hand down the road.
Thanks sounds, a clap on the shoulder offered by their captain before he darts off down the road, bidding his mother’s neighbor to remain indoors and lock up tightly, something the man does the moment all three heroes are well out of sight.
Well, he’s busted.
No way, knowing Time, the old man won’t have put two and two together, and likely the others as well. Trouble is, with rope tied to his muzzle and neck, he’s not in a state to shift back to hylian, and without opposable thumbs, the best he can do is paw at the thing, nose to the ground and claws scraping away.
He cannot get caught like this. It happened once before. More than once in truth, and he’s not keen on the pitchfork and torch chaos that follows. Sometimes he forgets, especially after so long with his fellow heroes, but to the average person, a wolf is no friend but a threat, and while he may be at peace now with his alternate form, those around him will typically only see a beast and a foe, not a friend.
He needs to get out of here, needs to make himself scarce. Let them think they’ve chased him off, eventually things will die down. He can‘t hide here forever though and darting off into the town like he is will only stir up further fear, or even incite harm from panicked locals upon seeing what, to them, is a rampaging animal only barely restrained.
He needs the muzzle off!
He couldn’t care less for what damage claws might do to his face, a potion can fix it later. He paws at the ropes bound tight around his jaw, and try though he might to keep silent, pained whines and yelps escape each time claws made to kill strike just a bit too deep in their efforts to break through the thick coil of the rope. It’s tied too tightly though, digging in deep to the fur of his face and biting where it overlaps, pinching skin between the bands. Trying to push it free does no good either, not when it leads back around to his neck, bound near as tight there but blessedly with enough space left to allow him breath; his only mercy, but one he’s thankful for all the same.
He even tries catching the tail end of the rope between cracks in stone walls and tugging, hoping to loosen the thing- it’s a desperate attempt, one likely to make matters worse, but he’s desperate.
He cannot be caught as a wolf in an alleyway of a strange neighborhood by people who will only see him for his beastly skin, he can’t!
The longer he tries though, the worse it gets, and even with blood leaking from small cuts and gashes, it doesn’t make the slide of the rope any easier, just makes his paws slip all the more when they meet it.
Ordania’s Horns, he is so screwed! Why didn’t he shift back once the rest had gone inside? They wouldn’t have seen him, and at worst if someone else had, he could just explain that he was... was... a friend? A colleague? Heck, he could have said he was Kit Taylor’s older brother! Say he was making sure the new in-laws were being good to her without any of her own family around or some such. People might accept that! It could even have been funny!
A wolf though- a wolf isn’t something anyone will believe is just there to watch, will laugh with for lingering around. They just see sharp teeth and claws and all anyone will believe is that family and home are in danger, that the wolf needs to go, be it by death or being chased off. With his brothers darting off into the streets, he hasn’t got anyone else around to say otherwise.
He can’t stop the soft whine that escapes around the muzzle of rope. Sweet Ordonia he wishes he’d stayed back with the rest! Curse his darned curiosity! Blast the need to have more ammo to tease the captain!
“Wolfie?”
The voice makes him start, more due to the softness than the words- shouts can still be heard in the streets, the alleys, another voice to join them wouldn’t shock him really. This one though, it’s close, familiar, and quiet, so quiet .
The wolf hero turns towards the sound. He knows that voice, that’s Legend; that’s Legend and, well- scolded though he may be, angry though the other might become, the vet has thumbs and is good with knots and maybe, maybe if he tries hard enough to convey what he wants, the other will take enough pity on him to help him get untied. Legend may be a bit of an ass at times, but he’s a good kid, and he cares, whether he’ll let on as much or no.
So, he turns towards his brother, fully prepared to be met with one of those heavy sighs, or a scolding look, or judgment. He’s not expecting, however, the wide eyed expression that’s fixed on him, long ears drooping and something almost like agony behind the violet stare that meets his own. Legend’s breath startles, steps moving closer before the other is crouching to be level with him, taking his own furry face between gnarled hands. “Shit, mate…. What….” There’s a flicker, ears, eyes, both moving slightly before the vet shakes himself, bites his lip and trails both hands through long fur, earning a whine when they pass over fresh cuts, but Twilight finds himself just hushed quietly when it happens.
In time, his brother finds the ropes, and when he does, he follows them, works his finger beneath until the knot catches against his hand, and then the wolf hero is being forced to move, smaller hands than last time pushing his head at an angle that sits just so, allowing the veteran to duck in closer and fix eyes and hands to his task fully.
With a breath that’s a wolf’s version of a sigh, Twilight blesses the hylian goddesses for sending his brother to him.
“What sort of jerk,” the grumbles are faint, wandering off into different tongues, each starkly different but similar in that he can’t understand more than the emotion behind, which mostly seems angry, although there’s a pain behind even that as well. Not the vet’s own though, he thinks, but, somehow, on his behalf. “Jist hang in there, rancher, I will be getting these off, just…”
The vet is fumbling though; hissing and making some soft aborted excuse for a growl that, to his currently wolfish mind, sounds more like a wee pup than something dangerous like it ought to be from a hero the like of Legend.
“Darned blood,” there’s a fumble, a sharp little tug that slips free and just makes him wince and whimper slightly. “Sorry,” Legend sounds, “I’d cut it away, but it’s-” he shakes his head slowly, hands pawing long fur away, “I have no clue where the fur ends and you begin and I’d like to avoid doing more-”
“There it is!”
Both of their heads jerk up at the shout.
It would seem his pursuers have circled back around, and now there’s far more than just the one. In fact, it looks as though they’re managed to attract a city guard to their group, and the man stands at their very front, spear in hand.
He can’t see Time or Warriors among them.
“Just as I said, it was hauntin’ the Taylor house!”
Outrage sounds among the gathered men, those who aren’t panting in exhaustion. They’ve slowed their pace, some stopping altogether at the sight of a real and proper wolf before them, but others keep onwards, makeshift weapons and some real ones held out before them defensively as they shuffle forwards.
Twilight’s own heart stammers some at the sight. At weapons, at fire . He… he’s done it before but he doesn’t want to do this again, not again.
Feet scrape the stone beside him, make his ears flicker, eyes dart for just a moment.
Legend’s drawn himself up beside him, blood still on ringed hands and an odd look in suddenly terrifyingly blank eyes, fingers lifting to wind, near claw like in their grasp, amid his fur. Despite being on the smaller side among their party, and thus amid any crowd of men, there is a sort of…bigness as he stands there, something big enough to make the men before them stumble slightly, halting. Only one set of feet can still be heard, running, and it’s a fair distance away yet, trying to catch up with the rest.
“False alarm,” Legend’s voice trembles just slightly, not near as firm as his person, hands shaking just slightly amid long fur. From this close, he can feel it’s more than just his hands, and maybe he steps a bit closer, offering his support to the vet, although he’s not sure what about this makes the other unsteady, especially when, to the crowd before him, he seems quite firm indeed. “There is no wild wolf, you can all go home.”
“Then what’s that there!” Someone asks, voice too deep to become shrill, but definitely panicked. He has to remind himself, not for the first time, that they’re just as scared as he is in this moment. They’re just trying to protect themselves.
“This-” and Legend hesitates for a moment, gaze slipping down to him. Twilight can’t read his expression and he’s not sure how he feels about that.
Running feet and heavy breathes are all the sound for a moment. There's a shuffling of bodies a moment after, and then Warriors is pushing through the crowd, coming up sharply to a halt when he spies the two of them sitting right before his house.
Shit. Does Wars know about the wolf thing yet?
The captain’s panting, but he’s apparently got enough in him to make a series of wordless expressions before finally just looking up to stare at Legend, a question written clear across his face.
The vet’s face doesn’t show it, but standing next to him, Twilight feels a full body wince go through the younger hero. “This wolf is my-” he glances to Wars, face twitching, “ our daughter’s familiar.” Lie told, the vet starts easing some, head falling to shake with one of those sighs that are becoming apparently a huge part of this character, or maybe just his own behavior, who can say? “I told her to leave it outside of the city so we could avoid this very situation, but it seems either she didn’t listen, or else her furry friend couldn’t wait any longer for her to come back.”
Suddenly, the captain himself is all weary smiles, turning to the locals with a heavy sigh. “Deepest ‘pologies, friends. Rest assured tho’, seems we’re in no danger of any real threat t’night.”
“It’s a wolf.” Someone says, which is, in truth, a very good point.
He’s not sure what it is, maybe the flash in blue eyes as they dart back, looking to him, something dangerous deep in their depths, but then the captain’s back is once again turned his way and the man’s spreading his arms in some placating gesture. “Just a familiar,” and then, with words that make Twilight freeze dead on the spot, “Lassie wouldna hurt any of ye.”
Legend nods, shooting one of those sweet but tired smiles at the crowd as he wraps both arms around Twilight’s neck in a motion that might be an embrace or mockery of restraining him. “Indeed, she’s quite tame unless her little mistress is threatened.”
She. She . Lassie! What in the good goats are these two doing!
He’s half a mind to growl at the vet only to realize, when dark eyes meet his with a small twitch of the brows, that he can’t. He’s cornered here. If he growls then he’s showing aggression, going against the very words the captain and vet are spinning to save him. If he shows any sign of displeasure then he’s proving them wrong, so instead he has to just accept it when Warriors wanders back towards them, steps easy and calm, and starts scratching him behind the ears, a gesture Wild has told all of them he’d prefer they not attempt, the man’s face all wide smiles and sparking eyes.
Despite a bruised side and bleeding face, his pride hurts worse than either as he makes himself drop his head submissively and accept the captain’s petting.
Legend chuckles, nervous, a bit too breathy, but turns another sugar sweet smile on the crowd. “I’m terribly sorry about this, everyone. But let’s be glad there was no real threat.” And then he’s standing again, still shaking slightly, and much like Twilight himself, when the captain offers an arm, the vet can only take it, forced to keep in character. “We’ll take Lassie in with us, and rest assured, this sort of thing won’t be happening ever again,” the vet’s voice hardens just slightly with those last words, gaze all ire when it turns on him, but false as much as the female voice he’s speaking in.
Twilight, for lack of a better way to sell the picture, drops his head low to his paws and whines softly.
The crowd gathered all exchange glances, murmuring among themselves, but then one of them, apparently either respected enough that none mind, or else speaking what all think, steps forwards, tugging his cap off in a respectful gesture and nodding to the vet and captain. “If’n you say so, Sir, Ma’am. Was it anyone else, we’d have doubts, but I know I speak fer us all when I says we’d trust Link here with our lives, an’ any lass good enough to win his heart is good enough for us to trust. Ain’t that right lads?”
Agreement sounds in some murmurs and a few short cheers, and, with just a bit more talking, Warriors’ hand reaching down to catch the rope about his neck as it’s done but Legend ending all chatter quickly with a well timed stumble, hands catching on the captain’s shirt and maybe tugging more than needed before saying something about being exhausted from travel, and the three of them are able to move for the door that, somehow, somewhere amid the madness, Time had come to be standing beside, and now holds open for them.
Calls of “goodnight” sound as people disperse, heading back to their homes. The guardsman throws a salute at the retreating ‘couple’ and moves off back towards the street, and with Legend actually sort of hanging off one arm and his other hand on Twilight’s rope, Warriors guides them all into the house.
The moment they’re inside, door shut, he’s let go, and for a moment it’s like he’s not there at all as Warriors turns to the vet, now offering both hands in support and making Twilight realize the younger man might actually not have been faking at all. “Y’okay?”
Legend’s breath is coming on too fast and the grip he’s got on the captain has him white in the knuckles and even whiter in the face. “Fine.”
It couldn’t be more clearly a lie.
“Vet-” Time sounds, only to be cut off with a batted hand that serves to be the vet’s literal downfall, as he seems to lose his balance and suddenly become heavily reliant on Warriors for keeping somewhat upright.
Legend groans, head sinking and gaze slipping shut. “Okay, so, maybe large crowds with spears and fire might freak me out. Just a bit. I’m fine.” He’s panting for breath though.
Twilight whines. He’s still stuck, but worried now too. He wouldn’t have guessed Legend also had difficulty with this sort of thing, although knowing his own reasoning he’s suddenly somewhat more concerned about the why of Legend’s fear than it’s actual effects at the moment.
“Legend-”
“I’m fine , Wars, let it go.”
“Yeah no ,” the captain huffs, and it’s just about that moment that another voice joins the fray among all of them, calling down a narrow flight of steps to the four heroes.
“Link,” feet tap down towards them, “did they deal with that- oh heavens to Hylia! Why’s the wolf inside!”
“Mum-”
“An’ what’s it done t’poor Kit!” The woman’s standing now on the final step, no room left for her at the base what with the group of them all filling it up, and while blue eyes turn on him briefly in fear, she’s apparently either more worried about her apparent daughter-in-law, or else trustful that her hero son won’t let the wolf in her house harm her. Honestly, either way, it's a refreshing change of pace from everyone who’d been outside.
Not that Legend seems to think so. “‘M fine, ma’am.”
“Can you even stand on your own?”
“I could if you’d let go of me,” comes the grouchy response, shot with a scowl that is anything but endearing but fully and completely their vet, not whatever maternal persona he’s created for himself as ‘Kit’. It seems to catch the lady of the house off guard, but she’s quickly assured by her awkwardly smiling son.
“Just a wee fright, mum.”
“I didn’t think,” he doesn’t know the voice calling down the steps, and there’s no face to see with it, “that Kit could be scared. She’s a right demon when unleashed, what the dickens could frighten her?”
This time, for the first time, it’s the vet who shoots their captain a gaze that’s bordering on pleading. Bordering, because Legend wouldn’t be caught dead begging for anything save the life of a brother, and never anything for himself. Still, it’s close enough to make the captain wince.
“How about we all head upstairs,” the man’s mother suggests, eying Twilight rather guardedly, but the moment she’s got her hands on the vet, trying to usher him up the steps, Warriors is dropping down at the wolf hero’s side, a knife appearing in his hand as he nods.
“Be there in two shakes, mum. Let me jist get this ‘un free.”
No one questions the man, or the fact that he’s unbinding a wolf. Twilight would love very much to know why, but unless he feels like shifting in front of all these people (which he doesn’t), he can’t exactly ask for himself at the moment, so he just sits as still as possible, Time’s hands helping steady him as Warriors squints and picks away at too-tight chords with his knife.
Despite the effort though, Twilight’s not about to forget the behavior of his brother when they were outside, and when free he wastes no time in snapping at the elder hero, growling and flashing sharp teeth in the face of a man who just raises a brow in answer.
“Ya done?”
He snorts.
The gesture is returned, mockingly, and then Warriors is rising to his feet and motioning up the stairs. “Along ye come, might as well join us if’n yer gonna be listen’n in.”
He’s not sure how the other knew, but then again, there’s not a lot of other excuses for why he’s here, so he follows.
The captain’s family keep a nice home it seems, humble but quite quaint, and their soldier seems entirely comfortable settling down on the floor amid what, from the door, Twilight counts to be six girls and woman of varying ages, all with the same blond hair and blue eye combination, although in varying shades for each one. The smallest girl, maybe seven if he had to guess, is currently trying to climb into the veteran’s lap, where he’s been settled down by their hostess into an old rocker. The twins from before are draping themselves shamelessly over their elder brother even as Wind and Four, and even the Shadow, seem to be conversing with the older three, one of which he recognizes from the picture in the paper this morning. Laura, was it?
As for the lady of the house, she appears only a moment later from beyond some door, behind which good smells waft into the main room, and by that hint he assumes it's a kitchen. She’s got a mug of something warm in her hands at any rate, and to apparently nobody’s surprise, it’s offered with much fussing to their vet, who sighs and looks, yet again, very, very at a loss.
Oh yeah, his whole having been knocked to the street and chased around would have stopped any explanations being given, wouldn’t it? Yet, in a way, it’s also secured him a front row seat to observe all that, Time settling at his side with a hand working slowly through his mane while the two of them watch the attempts made by those around them to make sense of the misunderstanding they’ve become entrenched in..
“So…” Laura is the one to speak, and she had also done so before, he realizes, although he hadn’t been able to see her do so. Unlike her brother and mother, there's a distinct lack of an accent, but here and there a word will sound with a hint of one as she speaks, so he knows it’s there. “The wolf…”
“A companion of ours,” Legend answers, cup of tea held well over his head while the child in his lap desperately tries reaching for it. Without even blinking, the vet flashes a ringed hand in front of her face and immediately, the youngest of the captain's sisters turns her focus to inspecting every one of the shiny rings encircling his fingers.
Twilight winces, there’s still blood on those fingers. And his own face, actually. Although he’s not sure how much that matters at the moment. Someone must think it does though, because there’s very abruptly a shallow dish on the floor before him, a familiar red liquid poured within and smelling just as awful as ever. Regardless though, he laps it up while they speak, ears tuned in for what is, in his opinion, a well earned show.
He’s not sure when or how that dish ended up there but he’s going to credit Time for it.
“Lassie, was it?” Oh horse-apples, they were listening in, weren’t they? Or maybe, they, like he, had been abusing that cracked open window.
Four, sitting across the room, starts cackling, joined quickly by a breathless Wind who’s only making less noise because he appears unable to breathe at the moment. “You didn’t! ”
“Blame the captain,” Legend sounds, but he’s already gained some color back and his lips twist into some semblance of a smile as they turn on the hero in question. “Believe it or not, he led this time.”
“ No, ” Wind gasps, “Link? Leading the dance? Truly a day for the history books, wouldn’t you say, Mask?”
“Oy, shup you,” any attempt at a scowl is apparently failing, laughter bleeding out over the face of the war hero, “I can lead a dance just fine, it’s play actin’ I haven’t the tongue for, an’ ye know it!”
“Unless, apparently,” the vet amends, now actually smiling, although with that exhaustion that Twilight fears might become permanent, “it involves getting revenge on someone.”
At his side, Time sorts. “Yeah, well that’s a bit different now, isn’t it?”
Traitor . He scowls at his mentor, earning only a sly smile for his troubles. The man looks like Warriors for a moment when he does it actually, and it’s deeply unsettling.
Those around them just look about confused, and it’s with that that Legend apparently determines it best to prove Twilight wrong and show himself to be much stronger than a good many of them. “I’m afraid you’ve all been a bit misled, you see-” there’s a pause where the vet sucks in a deep breath, but just because he’s struggling doesn’t make him any less courageous for the stunt he’s pulling, “my name isn’t actually Kit.”
“What is it then, luv?” So sweet, so warm, so accepting.
That heavy breath escapes in a single whoosh. “It’s actually Link.”
And, well, he sort of thought that would earn some kind of reaction, and it does , but not at all what he’s expecting. Instead of questioning the vet, or one of the rest of them, Warriors mother turns immediately to her apparently only son and sputters, “why didn’t ye say ya were gay?”
It’s just seven words, but enough to suddenly have the captain heaving forwards and choking up a storm, face quite red as his younger siblings are sent flying off his shoulders into a squawking heap on the floor.
Wind, on the other side of the room, seems to finally collapse, holding his ribs tightly and wheezing, beating out the captain by a long-shot as his skin begins to mimic his tunic rather than just the crimson hue of his older brother.
To himself, Twilight just sort of huffs, rolling his eyes because they apparently missed that one by a mile but also, maybe it is sort of funny? Yes, this could be interesting actually! It’s sort of a pity he’s not Hylian at the moment though, because this would make an excellent chance to employ some of his own favorite jabs at the duo.
Not that there’s time at all to do so, not with Legend immediately responding, face and ears as red as his clothes but breath still quite his own. “No, we’re- we’re not married . And we have no interest in becoming so either!” And then, as though a second thought, the vet adds, “we’re not actually a couple either, it’s all just an act to keep them -” an accusing finger is jabbed towards their two smallest, “-out of trouble.”
“Sooooooo,” Laura sounds out slowly, toying with a strand of hair, “you’re single then?”
Forget preserving the sight of the expressions on their faces, Twilight wishes there was a way to save the sound that escapes from their dear captain, because it’s both beyond words and mere memory, and he wishes he could somehow keep it forever.
Goats, he may be one big bruise tomorrow, and granted, even when he changes back his face will probably be a bit of a mess, but as long as the others forget about his Warriors assigned persona, this was worth it! You just can’t get experiences like this anywhere else!