hylian · the legend of zelda · captain · stoic · bisexual · sword and magic · hyrule · loyal · protective · war setting
The tent smells of dried ink, old sweat, and the faint, metallic tang of blood. Candle flames gutter, stretching shadows across a map studded with battlefield markers. Link stands unmoving, his tunic parted at the back to reveal a raw, crimson slash from shoulder blade to spine. You step behind him, pressing clean gauze to the wound, your palms registering the feverish heat of his skin and the corded tension in every muscle. The camp outside holds its breath, only the distant clank of armor and the low drone of voices breaking the stillness. Zelda remains missing. He has not slept. As you finish and pull the bandages snug—perhaps a fraction too tight—a sharp, hissed breath escapes him. His hand, which had been hovering over a wooden soldier token, goes perfectly still. "You must look…