An Evening Stroll (Zelda)

[Abraham]

The night approached, which could be inferred by the almost-set sun. The sky was a soft pink; the trees were calm, lifted only by a slight breeze, as was the same for the grass. The birds had retired, as had the bugs, and the moon prepared its approach across the sky. Nighttime was Abe's favorite, but he was with the Princess now, who had over time become arguably his closest friend. Since Thomas had died, Abe had few friends, and Zelda, while he was but her protector, had become more than that to him. She was a friend.

Abe, wrapped in his large black cloak, stepped forward from the bridge leading out of Castle Town, the Princess at his side. He was her envoy on this evening; indeed, Abe guessed that she had been so loaded with work and especially with messengers since the fall of the Twilight King, and the young Sheikah guessed that some time off would do Zelda well. Offering his hand for her to step down the small flight of stairs at the base of the bridge, Abe looked up to her through shining purple eyes. "A quiet evening."

A man of few words, Abe spoke only when he desired conversation or when he had something important to say. His sentences were often intelligently articulated, or they were friendly. He spoke ill of no one, even his most vile enemies, or even Zelda's pursuers. A quiet and calm gentleman was what Abe had become through the course of his lonely life, though he desired nothing else. Tonight would be a relaxed evening, and Abe felt as though the evening walk might benefit him as much as the Princess.

[Princess Zelda]

take a look at my body, look at my hands

there's so much here that i don't understand

Venturing outside the castle was a rare occurrence for the ruler of Hyrule, and certainly not one that Zelda would take for granted. She love the excursions she could get, and she was grateful beyond belief that Abraham was there to humor her whims. He was her caretaker and her bodyguard, but he was more than that; over the years, he had become a friend, one of the few she'd ever had.

She liked that feeling, friendship. It was a rare gift, and one that she kept in high regard.

Zelda smiled and accepted Abraham's hand as she descended the steps, letting go after just a moment. She touched the ring dangling from her neck briefly, then allowed her hands to drop and clasp together in front of her.

Her bright blue eyes met her caretaker's purple, and her light smile grew warmer. "Quiet and lovely," she agreed, walking alongside the young man.

Abraham was a quiet person, calm; his company was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of her daily life. Zelda herself was naturally a calm woman, but even she got frazzled when too much was heaped upon her plate. A nice stroll was exactly what she needed to soothe her frayed nerves.

"Thank you for this," she said after a moment.

Her gratitude was vehement, if only through her tone. Nothing else needed to be said.

[Abraham]

"Mm," Abe commented, making the noise with his mouth with a slight smile towards the Princess as the two walked. The sky was beautiful, and the scenery was as well. Soon the moon would be out, and nighttime was Abe's favorite time to take a walk. The area around him, he noticed, seemed to be fairly safe. Abe's senses were extraordinarily acute; they had to be, after all, with the duty he'd been given. Tonight would certainly be a peaceful night.

The young caretaker led Zelda along a path and towards a cliff edge that overlooked Lake Hylia. The trees around them provided shade from the still-setting sun, and the occasional dragonfly whizzed by the duo, and Abe followed them with happy eyes as they did so. He did love nature, and wondered if the Princess did too. He glanced over at her, his eye contact being his most common form of communication. Not much needed be said for his eyes; they spoke for themselves. They were full of wonder at Nature and her beauty.

Then his head moved downwards, towards the bottom of the cliff overlook and into the large lake itself. With the sky being a deep pink with the sunset, the water reflected its color, and glimmered, noticeable from even up high. Long moments of silence went by where the only sound coming from anywhere was the soft breeze and the small waterfall roaring from Zora's River into Lake Hylia.

After a few of these quiet moments, Abe, still shrouded in his black cloak, lowered his hood. He looked over towards Zelda with a warm smile again, and addressed her. "You don't need to thank me." He said finally. "It's my pleasure." His eyes drifted towards the sky. Jokingly, he added. "I might even be enjoying this more than you, Your Majesty." A few teeth showed their way into smile, and Abe chuckled a little bit.

[Princess Zelda]

take a look at my body, look at my hands

there's so much here that i don't understand

Her caretaker's primary form of communication involved a sort of metaphorical mind-reading; Zelda, however, could quite literally read Abraham's mind, although she did this very rarely. It seemed an invasion of privacy to her, and so she merely used the power to pick up on people's emotions, which aided her immensely in her day-to-day life. So when their eyes met again, the Princess couldn't help but marvel at the Sheikah's wonder.

He was not a naive man, Zelda thought; and yet he possessed an air innocence, a quality that allowed him to appreciate the beauty of the world and do his work at the same time. She almost envied him for this; she found herself unable to multitask in such a way, and she spent most of her time devoted to running the kingdom in a smooth, controlled manner. Even now, she realized, she was not really paying attention to her surroundings; she was thinking of that chancellor or this race leader or what she would do if there was a weapon shortage.

Zelda was not a woman who could truly take time for herself or her private life. It was rather saddening at times, but she did not regret the decisions she had made.

Her fingers brushed against the ring around her neck once more, and her gaze dropped to the grass beneath her slippered feet, lost in contemplation. I can not regret.

Abraham's voice snapped her out of her reverie, and she responded with a grateful smile and a light laugh; intended or not, the man had given her a distraction again. She wondered if he knew how much he truly did for her.

"Please, Abraham, there is no need for such formalities," she told him. "It has been too long for that now."

[Abraham]

Abe laughed a toothy smile, finally being relaxed. He was rarely so open emotionally with anyone, though over time, it had become almost impossible for Abe to hide his emotions from Zelda. Even if he wanted to be closed-off, he couldn't in her presence. It was likely that because of this, she could read him like a book. He, of course, didn't mind; indeed, she had become the one friend that he needed that was able to do that, for Abe didn't open up to anyone else. In fact, Zelda and a few other elite-placed Sheikah knew the whole story about Abe and his brother.

Thinking about his brother, Abe reached over with his right hand and let his fingers glide over the black feather charm Thomas had made for him, which was hiding under his cloak sleeve. His eyes dropped from Zelda's momentarily, and back out to the lake. The sun was setting deeper into the sky now, preparing the way for the moon to come. Trying to ignore the saddness, Abe responded to Zelda. "Oh, is that so?" He said, his tone half-joking. "Perhaps you're right." Abe strolled over beneath a tree and picked a wild flower from the ground, making sure the whole stem came up with it.

He walked back toward the princess and extended his hand, offering her the flower, with a happy spark in his eyes. It was a beautiful, deep blue bloom. A rare flower, if Abe ever knew one, though he couldn't place a name. He had never been one to study botany.

The world was such a wild place, and Abe enjoyed his place in it. Abe's perfect world would invariably be full of nature; nature like was present tonight, where everything seemed serene, as though even warring nations or disease no longer existed. In his solitude, though he could feel it with Zelda as well, Abe enjoyed the solace of thought and appreciation of nature. The boy gazed out to the lake, a dreamy look in his deep purple eyes.