The Missing Link - Fanfic Idea

         "I told you to stay back," the hooded man sighed. "I had it well-handled."
         The bandage was wrapped tightly, and the young blond winced. He looked up from his throbbing arm.
         "And I told you that I would have your back, Kafnell. I seem to remember you saying there are no invincible swordsmen, only incredible ones."
         The two stared at each other a moment before Kafnell, the hooded man, softly smiled and shrugged. He leaned back on his heels, readying himself to stand.
         "Just be careful in the future."
         Kafnell stood tall. His yellow eyes looked out over what were ruins of an outpost of the long-dead Hyrule Kingdom. It was clear. All the monsters had faded back into faint wisps of Malice, nothing left to mark the failed ambush. The sun would soon fall behind the silhouette of the Great Plateau and then the Highlands further to the west, marking the end of another day of traveling. With the assurance of the deceased monsters, he turned from the shadowed ruins and extended a hand to the Hylian.
          "Link, we should stay the night here. Proxim Bridge is just east of this ruin, and past that and then the Dueling Peaks is Dueling Peaks Stable. You will not make that distance before nightfall."
         Link took the offered hand and pulled himself up. His frame was unimpressive compared to Kafnell's, which Kafnell had mentioned before would tower over other Hylians as well. Kafnell stood tall and large, more than twice Link's height. His bronzed skin and bright red hair marked him as a Gerudo, or so Kafnell had said. Kafnell's brown hood on his shoulders shadowed his young face, hiding his red locks.
         Link was almost average of a Hylian according to Kafnell. His sandy-blond hair contrasted his bright blue eyes, and his height came to five and a half feet. What wasn't average, Kafnell had said when they first met, were the deep scars that covered his body, which were now covered by the strangely new woolen doublet and trousers Link had found in rusted chests on the Great Plateau.
         "We can sleep there," Kafnell said. He pointed to the remains of a stone building. It had two doors, one ending a short hallway that extended from the building. He reached up to his shoulder and pulled the straps of the pack on his back. "I will block the doors and leave you to the rest."
         Link accepted the large bag and started dragging it into the building. There was just a low stone wall at the back of the building. Loose stones spoke of an inner wall that would have supported a roof. Setting up camp passed quickly as Link recalled what Kafnell had taught him on the Plateau. A stack of kindling and a stack of larger wood in one corner, near the back. Two bed rolls toward the opposite corner in front of the hall to one of the entrances. The smaller roll would lie closer to the spot for the fire.
         "Nice work on the camp." The Gerudo walked through the small hall. Link noticed the entrance had been blocked with stones from the nearby rubble. Stepping over the bed rolls, Kafnell nodded, "Let us eat and end the day."
         After a small dinner of boar meat and mushrooms, Kafnell stood up.
         "I shall take the first and third watch. You take the second."
         Link nodded, and Kafnell turned to face the open back. Tomorrow they were going to go their separate ways. At the Proxim Bridge, Kafnell would turn around and go south to travel to the Faron Region. Kafnell had stayed quiet about what he would do there. All Link knew from him was that the woods of the region had lots of secrets he wanted to explore. It was a wild place, one Kafnell had said was dangerous to explore alone, yet Kafnell wouldn't allow Link to follow. Link had his own way to go.
         Link would continue west past the Dueling Peaks and then north to a village, Kakokiri or something. Link could never remember the name correctly. Kafnell had been the one to suggest going to this Kirikako Village when they left the Great Plateau. It was the home of the Sheikah, an old tribe that, according to legends Kafnell had heard, had served the royalty of Hyrule. They apparently also knew a lot about ancient artifacts. Ancient artifacts like the Sheikah Slate at Link's hip.
         He pulled the Sheikah Slate from his belt by its handle and held it in his hands. The front face had an indentation that glowed a blue light when Link held it. Markings neither Link nor Kafnell could read were at the top of that indentation, and below the markings was a row of boxes with different symbols, the Slate's magic Runes. The brown tablet's back face had the pattern of a golden eye and what looked like a falling tear with a blue iris. Kafnell had said that was the symbol of the Sheikah people.
         That was the biggest reason Kafnell had suggested Link go to that Kakariko Village. He had pointed that out in their first meeting, in fact.
         Link thought of the experiences that had brought them together. Waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection and finding the Sheikah Slate. Meeting the strange man who turned out to be Kafnell. Learning to fight and survive from him. Experimenting with the Slate's Runes. Exploring the Great Plateau. Finding the Paraglider in the Temple of Time. Gliding off the Plateau while Kafnell slowly climbed down.
         Link's growing smile fell. All that would end the next day. He shook his head and stepped over to his bedroll. Now was the time to sleep. Tomorrow was for good-byes. As he drifted to sleep, he hoped Kafnell wouldn't stay up watching through the entire night again.

         

-=-=-=-=-

         Link woke to the sound of birds and the light of dawn. As he opened his eyes, he grimaced. Waking up in the morning could only mean the giant had stayed awake through the night again. Link felt that deserved a loud waking groan.
         "Before you say anything," Kafnell responded to the groan, "I will remind you that we did destroy all the monsters in the area."
         Link stood and looked over at the giant still standing in the corner of the building. Kafnell had his arms crossed, which he had once explained was a common Gerudo stance in times of thought. After everything in the last week, Link had come to see it only as a sign of a long day of walking ahead.
         "I don't like it though," Link said. He began breaking camp as he continued, "You keep taking my watches. As much as I appreciate the rest, I have who-knows-how-many years of sleeping under my belt, so I think I can stand to stay up a few hours at night."
         "Well, I suppose I should explain my I worry for you." Kafnell turned and packed the wood. "We do not yet know if there will be a delayed side effect after your waking from that place. Being off the Great Plateau so soon after waking might cause problems. You're young and inexperienced."
         A long quiet carried through the rest of their packing. They moved east from the back of the building to return to the road. They continued through the outpost ruins.
         "You know what I can do."
         Kafnell frowned at the quiet words. He regarded Link beside him. "This is true, but wariness at this time is wise."
         Link looked up. He opened his mouth to protest, but Kafnell raised his hand to quiet the Hylian as they continued walking.
         "The Great Plateau is a land brimming with life. There, you learned the way of the blade and of the wild quickly. You were energized by the land as you faced the trials there. You will take the rest of your path on your own starting today, in a land that does not give so freely. As such, I felt it just to provide you with the rest you will soon be missing. Also, the path to Dueling Peaks Stable is sure to have monsters in the coming days."
         Link scowled slightly, thinking. His eyes widened in realization. "Is one of those Blood Moon coming?"
         Kafnell nodded.
         "Yes. Any monsters destroyed by travelers since the last one will be remade from Malice. You will need the extra energy for that night."
         Link became uncertain. He knew all the monsters they had fought before now were just the remains from the last Blood Moon. He looked up to a smiling face and a hand on his shoulder.
         "I am merely taking precautions. You will be well, I am sure."
         Link took a deep breath, closing his eyes. Kafnell looked out to the Dueling Peaks and squinted against the rising light. His jaw clenched. He stopped and pointed to something along the path. Or something not along the path.
         Proxim Bridge, the stone bridge that had stood through the Calamity and the centuries since, was rubble.
         "There is a saying among the Gerudo, 'Even plans set on stone can fall in a night's storm.'"
         They stood still, looking out as the sun rose to blind them. Link would not be going east this way. Kafnell looked back to the road that would lead to Faron and shrugged with a smile.
         "Well, it would be good to have a traveling companion a while longer."