Chapter Text
What in the name of the Goddesses had he gotten himself into? Had Green lost his mind? That’s what he was starting to think as he stared at the man seated across from him in the train booth, arm propped up against the wall and icy blue eyes glued to the window beside him. He was bringing a selkie with him to Ordon Village. He was bringing a selkie with him to Ordon Village . Of all the crazy ideas he’s had in his life, this one definitely had to be indisputable evidence that he was off his damn rocker.
Despite the pair of eyes glued to the side of his head, the selkie didn’t seem to notice that he was being stared at, or maybe he was aware and just willfully chose to ignore it, favoring watching the scenery rush past. To Green, he looked like he was in a trance, eyes moving from side to side almost erratically in time with objects whizzing past the train, like he was trying to soak in as much as he could in what little time he had to observe each passing tree or patch of grass or creature-filled pond. Watching as the man’s eyes moved, Green’s head started to fill with questions again. Had he ever been on a train before? Did a place like Faron exist in the place he was from? What was his home like?
“What’cha looking at?” the faerie spoke up finally, breaking the silence that had befallen the pair pretty much from the moment they’d gotten settled in their booth. Blue’s gaze shifted to glance at his companion, only humoring him with a brief second of his attention before his eyes were back on the window. For a moment, it looked like he was about to ignore the question, but then his hand moved to his chin, fingers splayed as he gently brushed the heel of his palm against his chin a couple times. He paused a bit between the movements, eyebrows furrowed as he searched for the right words.
“Grass,” he answered quietly, dropping his hand to his lap again. The faerie quirked a curious brow at the hand motion, attempting to decipher what it meant in his head before dropping it and turning his gaze towards the window himself. He did have to admit that Faron looked gorgeous during the hours when the sun was lowest in the sky, the lush and healthy flora taking on a warm yellowish hue under the light of the sun and shadows growing in length and intensity, adding a certain visual appeal that just wasn’t there during the midday hours.
“It’s that interesting, huh?” Green asked, kicking his ankle up onto his knee and tapping his fingers idly against the side of his boot. “Can’t imagine you’ve never seen it ‘fore, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a place that ain’t got at least a little bit of grass, yeah?”
His gaze turned back towards Blue as he spoke, his eyes widening a bit in surprise when he was met with a shake of the head from the other man. He wasn’t quite sure what part of his statement it was in response to; the grass wasn’t interesting? Maybe he really had never seen it before? Or was he trying to say that there were places with no grass at all? Well, that last part was true, guess there wasn’t exactly any grass that grew in the Gerudo Province as far as he was aware. Did Blue live in a canyon or a desert? No, that couldn’t be right, he was way too overdressed to survive harsh heat like that.
“You really ain’t seen grass before? What kind’a place you live in where there ain’t any grass?” he settled on asking, hoping that maybe he could learn a little about the other man in the process. Blue seemed to freeze up again, a thing that had quickly become a routine any time the faerie tried to ask him a question– especially when that question regarded himself or his home. Green should’ve expected this sort of response, honestly. A pale hand, holding up three fingers, moved towards Blue’s chin, but he seemed to stop himself short before he could finish the gesture and dropped his hand into his lap again.
“Icy.”
“Huh, well that’ll do it, I suppose,” Green remarked, mirroring the selkie’s actions and turning his gaze back towards the window beside him. “Reckon not many plants grow where you’re from in general, then, yeah? If you ain’t got your fill of Faron’s flora yet, just you wait.”
The faerie didn’t get an answer from his companion. Although he’d prefer to keep the conversation going, Green let him be, silence falling over the booth again.
A large mountainscape stood between the train and Faron’s grasslands, towering high enough to keep the southern beaches cut off from the rest of the Kingdom. The tracks lead the train into a tunnel, passing through to the other side, blanketing the pair in total darkness for a few seconds before they emerged into the light once more. On one side of the tracks there was an expansive forest stretching as far as the eye could see, a thick, misty fog filling the space in between the trees. On the other side, the landscape opened up to wide grasslands that bordered the divide between Faron and Necluda, with the Lanayru and Eldin mountains in the distance providing the perfect backdrop for the scene.
Green could see Blue’s eyes immediately follow the expanse of the grasslands, a few houses scattered here and there but most of the land left to be occupied by the region’s ample population of wild horses and other fauna. The selkie’s eyes seemed to be glued to the herds as they grazed on the fields they called home. Green opened his mouth to ask a question about the equines, the curiosity in the other’s expression sparking more topics of conversation, but before he had the chance to get a word out he was cut off by an urgent grunt from the other. Blue tapped his finger excitedly against the glass, his eyes no longer on the fields. Brown eyes followed where his finger was pointing, with the only notable thing he could find in that direction being the one mountain that stood tallest among the rest, nestled by the Northern border of the Kingdom, with rivers of lava flowing from the peak and a ring of smog crowning the mountain.
“That smoky mountain yonder?” Green asked, looking towards his companion for confirmation and getting a quick nod in response. The shorter man chuckled, moving his staff so he could rest against it as he turned his attention back towards the window. “Reckon that’s Death Mountain, it’s a real big landmark for the Kingdom, you can see it from almost anywhere. I ain’t been on the mountain itself, but I’ve had to make some runs to Kakariko ‘fore, right at the base of the Mountain. We’re pretty far away right now, it’s a lot bigger up close.”
“It’s on fire,” Blue commented flatly, eliciting a laugh from the other man.
“Yeah, guess that’s one way to put it,” the faerie responded. “You never seen a volcano before?”
The selkie shook his head, his gaze staying firmly glued to the mountain in the distance. Green let out a small hum, watching along as the mountain seemed to follow the train, the rest of the landscape around them whizzing by in a blur. He’d grown accustomed to Death Mountain towering over the Kingdom he called home, suppose if you’ve never seen it before it could be quite jarring.
“Reckon I could take you there one day,” the smaller man mused, leaning a hand against the window alongside his companion. “If you want, I know you’re a might eager to get back to your folks, though. I won’t force you to tolerate spendin’ time with me any longer than it takes to get you ‘nuff money to get on a boat back home.”
Green stood outside the door of the LonLon ranch house, a plump woman who stood a good half a head taller than himself standing on the other side of the doorway, with long red hair pulled back into a messy bun and an apron tied around a dark purple, ankle length skirt. Blue stood just out of sight of the woman, his eyes wandering everywhere but towards the pair by the door.
“Fairy boy, of all the crazy stunts you’ve pulled, this one’s gotta be one of the highest on the list,” the woman groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “What in the world were you thinkin’ bringing one of them seal folks all the way out here?”
“Malon, please, he seemed so lost ‘n’ scared, I just want to help him get back home,” the faerie pleaded, glancing towards the selkie in question before looking back towards his friend.
“By bringing him here ? Have you lost your damn mind?” Malon retorted, leaning forward to try to get a look at what the other was looking at, only for her line of sight to be obscured by Green side-stepping in front of her. “You’re way too nice for your own good, Green, you’re gon’ get yourself in serious trouble one of these days. If these folks are known for poaching whales, what d’ya think he’s gonna end up doin’ to my horses?”
“What in Farore’s name would he have any need to hurt your horses for?” Green spat with a scowl.
“Hell if I know! What does they need to kill whales for?”
“Malon, you’re being unreasonable,” the fae huffed.
“And you’re bein’ impulsive,” the woman retorted, jabbing the other in the chest with an accusatory finger. Green frowned, swatting her hand away gently.
“One week, let him stay for one week and if he hurts any of your animals I promise I’ll get him on a train right back to Faron Port,” the faerie tried. “Or… or I’ll figure something else out, he just needs a job so he can earn enough money to get home, and a roof over his head in the meantime.”
“Sweet Hylia,” Malon sighed, going quiet as she pondered the man’s offer. Umber eyes looked up at her hopefully, wide and child-like as they pleaded for her to agree. The woman lost her resolve pretty quickly, caving underneath the faerie’s gaze. “Fine, he can stay in the guest room, you best not make me regret this.”
“Oh, thank you, thank you!” Green cheered, leaping forward and wrapping his arms tightly around Malon’s waist. “I promise you’ll barely notice he’s there!”
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Malon chuckled, ruffling the leafy-green hair atop the other’s head. The fae pulled away after a second, grinning up at the redhead before looking out towards where Blue was watching the horses from a distance, seemingly entranced by the creatures.
“Blue!” Green called, snapping the selkie out of his trance and pulling him back to reality. The fae made a hand motion to beckon the other man over. “Come on over here.”
The selkie made his way towards the pair, Malon leaning out of the doorway to try to get a good look at him as he approached. He stopped a good foot behind the fae, fidgeting with his hands as he awaited instruction. The woman eyed him up and down a couple times, her behavior almost akin to a hawk hunting down her prey.
“Malon agreed to let you stay here until you get back on your feet, darlin’,” Green explained with a smile. Blue stared blankly at the other for a moment, glancing down towards the ground before looking towards Green again.
“I only have one foot,” he stated quietly.
The smile quickly dropped from the fae’s face as his gaze fell to follow where the selkie’s eyes had gone, landing on the wooden peg that he had in place of his right leg. He looked back up at his face with an awkward chuckle, clutching at his staff a bit tighter then nodding towards the doorway. “It’s just an expression, pumpkin, why don’t you let Malon show you where you’re gon’ be staying, yeah?”
Blue looked towards the woman in question again, staying quiet as he studied her face. He seemed a bit hesitant as he stepped forward with a nod. Green moved out of the way to free up the selkie’s path, but that path was quickly blocked again by Malon’s hand. A startled squeak escaped Blue’s throat, taking another step back to avoid being within arm’s reach of the woman. She lowered her hand again, then nodded towards his waist where his sword and shield were strapped to his belt.
“No weapons in the house,” she stated firmly. Green’s eyes landed on Malon again, a bit of a scowl burning into his features. The ‘no weapons’ rule was new, at least he’d certainly never heard of that rule being enforced here before. The taller man didn’t seem too bothered by the request, though, only hesitating for a moment before he drew his sword and shield, making a show of dropping them on the front porch with the loud clattering of wood and metal. It seemed a bit dramatic, in Green’s opinion, but it appeared to satisfy the woman, a small ‘hm’ resonating from her throat before she turned on her heel and whisked away into the house, beckoning Blue to follow her with her hand.
Green hesitated for a moment outside the door as Blue was led inside, turning his attention to the discarded equipment that had been abandoned on the front steps. He took a moment to contemplate his decision, before resting his staff against the doorframe and scooping up the selkie’s sword and shield in his hands. The fae turned the objects over in his hand a couple times, giving them a good once over.
The sword was a simple short sword, the blade scuffed and scratched from wear, and some parts looking thinner than others as if it’s been sharpened several times in the past. The handle of the sword shared the same level of use, with the leather wrapped around it ragged and separating around the edges. It was clear the weaponsmith who crafted it put love into the design, though, with intricate patterns carved into the crossguard and pommel, and a bright blue, almost cyan in color, gemstone embedded into the hilt as well.
The shield shared the same level of wear and tear, circular in shape and crafted out of wood. The wood was chipping and missing large chunks in a few places, the item clearly seeing many battles in its time, but despite the damage, the painted design on the front was still visible. Suppose he’d just never noticed it before, or he never took the time to properly look, but now that he had the shield in his hands, the fae could make out the mark of the Goddess of the Sea in the faded paint strokes, three circles evenly spaced apart, and three crescent shapes connected at their thickest points hugging the circles.
The symbol was commonly seen in the Lanayru Province, where Zoras called home outside the aquatic kingdom they hailed from, but Green never expected to see respect for the Goddess from a creature that seemed to so blatantly disrespect her creations. A bit of anger bubbled up inside the faerie as he studied the shield, hearing leather squeak under the pressure as his fists clenched a little tighter around leather-bound handles, but before he had the chance to act out on the rising anger, he took a deep breath, and set the sword and shield down against the wall in the foyer, replacing them with his staff and following Malon and Blue inside.
He made his way up the stairs, stopping in the hall just outside the open door of the guest room. He could hear Malon explaining the house rules to the selkie, general etiquette you’d expect to hear if someone’s agreed to let you live with them for the first time. As expected, there were no auditory responses from the receiving end. Green leaned against the wall next to the doorway, waiting patiently for the woman to finish in hopes to avoid interrupting. After a moment, Malon left the room again with a final, ‘I’ll let you get settled,’ offering a smile to Green as she passed him in the hall and disappeared down the staircase. The faerie entered the room after she left, finding Blue standing awkwardly in the center of the room, looking around as if he was lost, unsure of where to start. He tugged gently on the selkie’s sleeve to get his attention, seeing the man’s soul nearly leave his body with how hard he jumped. Green let out a small laugh.
“Reckon that’s payback for you nearly scaring me out of my own skin back on the docks,” he joked, clutching his staff with both hands once he had Blue’s attention. “I just wanted to let you know I left your things by the door, I ain’t want it to get stolen.”
The selkie stayed quiet, his eyes darting around the room a bit before landing on Green again with a small nod. The fae gave him a soft smile, nervously picking at the leather wrapping around the handle of his staff. He took a moment to collect his thoughts, before opening his mouth to speak again.
“I’m sorry ‘bout Malon’s behavior. She’s real nice once you actually get to know her! She’s just a bit worried ‘bout you hurting her animals ‘cus of the stuff folks say about you…r folks…” Green assured, faltering a bit in the way he spoke as the selkie raised a questioning eyebrow at him. The shorter man shrank back into himself, letting out an awkward chuckle. “You wouldn’t do that though, yeah? You’re not dangerous, you wouldn’t hurt her animals, I don’t think. Yeah.”
The faerie was met with a tense silence, icy blue eyes boring into his skull as they stared at him emotionless and unmoving. Green averted his gaze, lowering his tail to tuck it closer to his legs. When Blue failed to give him any sort of verbal response, he took a breath in, the sound almost deafening in the silence of the room, before turning to head towards the door.
“Well, I-I oughta be goin’ now, I suppose. You’ll be fine on your own from here, yeah?”
“Yes,” came the answer, quiet and monotonous. At least he didn’t seem mad. He could barely tell what was going on in that man’s head, if there was anything going on at all.
“Great!” Green chirped. “Reckon we’ll prolly run into each other in town from time to time, we can catch up then! Take care, Blue.”
With that, the fae left the room, pulling the door mostly closed behind him on his way out. With the stranded selkie situation as taken care of as it could be for the time being, there was now one less thing on Green’s list of things to worry about. Now all he had to focus on was getting back to the Lost Woods.