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Sky's feet hurt.
They had been walking nonstop since breakfast, the dismal taste of burnt venison still trapped in his gums. It had only been a week and a half, but he was beginning to miss The Lumpy Pumpkin like a lost limb. Every time any of the others offered to cook, a small piece of his soul died, and when he shoveled his own attempt at food into his mouth he had to fight back a gag.
Time had told them that the walk would be worth it though, and Sky didn't take him as much of a liar, so they had all followed without much complaint (Even Legend hadn't made a fuss, their newest member had just packed his things and started walking without a single word). He did wish they had reached their destination hours earlier, but as they made their way through the odd cliffs and into a farmyard, he was able to admit that the trek had been worth it.
"Wait out here, I need to let my wife know we have company." Their unofficial leader leveled them all with a tired glare, his single eye catching in the dimming light of sunset, his hot breath clouding his face and making him look even more imposing than normal. Sky was pretty sure there was something unnatural about the man, or rather, something too natural about him. It was the way he disappeared into the shadows of trees, how fairies danced around him at fountains, the markings on his face that felt borderline divine. The sword strapped to Sky's back whispered scattered thoughts; child of the forest, terrible fate, lost to time.
It made it hard to meet his gaze as he nodded his agreement and took unspoken responsibility of the others.
It wasn't like they really needed it, the Smithy claimed to be older than he looked, and his mature view of life and easy transition to working in a group was proof enough for the knight. But he was prone to getting lost in his thoughts and not paying attention to the world around him. And Legend.. well, Sky had only known the man for a few days, but so far he had proved to be: argumentative, sharp tongued, smart as a whip, and painfully impatient with anyone he deemed incompetent. Which unfortunately, seemed to be all of them to some degree, and him especially.
Now, he wouldn't go so far as to call his new companion a bully, not like Groose had been years ago. No, he could tell this wasn't someone puffing themselves up and putting others down to feel better. But he couldn't name it either. Legend was simply an enigma to him, perfectly willing to do his share of tasks, nearly as good at teamwork as Four, fast to help out in a fight, and oftentimes rather cruel.
Sky didn't dwell on the snide comments about his stamina or trouble working with a group. He knew well enough by now that he didn't really mean any of it, he'd seen him lost in his thoughts when he thought no one else was awake. Staring into the fire that first night, silent tears catching the light like lava falls.
All of them had been ripped away from their homes and loved ones, Four his grandfather and best friend, Time his wife, Sky had to leave all of Skyloft and the surface project behind as he faced this new adventure.
Legend had been with them for four days now, and he had yet to mention anything about his life except that he had been on multiple adventures and was an average nobody.
He didn't have it in his heart to hate a grieving man, even if he took it out on those around him sometimes. And it wasn't as if he'd ever actually hurt anyone, mostly just started fights with Four and spoke with words so precise they cut clean.
Sky watched him as they all stood in an awkward circle in the yard, Time disappearing into the odd red building across from what he assumed was a house.
"I wonder if they have a forge." Four said as he eyed the large fenced in field in the distance, strange tall animals grazing peacefully. Time had said that as long as he didn't go bother them, they weren't dangerous. Sky was very happy to keep his distance, he didn't like the look of their large heads or long limbs.
"Depends on how far away that town the Old Man mentioned is," Legend speculated as he leaned against the farmhouse with crossed arms and a scowl. The striped scarf wrapped around his neck and lower face muffling him slightly. "I doubt if would be worth the cost of upkeep and skill if it's a short trip."
"You know about blacksmithing?" Four raised a brow.
"A little." Legend answered vaguely, like always. It was like sharing a single fact about his life would kill him. His word were slower than usual though, his gaze far away.
Four studied him with his oddly colored eyes, brown looking nearly violet in the darkening light. He opened his mouth and Sky braced himself for another one of the man's pointed questions and Legend's spitting response, he was getting painfully tired of this routine. Thankfully, perhaps a blessing from Hylia Herself, Time walked back from the odd building with a redheaded woman at his side.
She was short, about his height, and her dark eyes were kind as she ushered them all inside for food and introductions. Sky nearly cried when he learned that she had been planning on making pumpkin soup for dinner.
Legend looked like he'd seen a ghost.
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Sky glanced over from the small table in the kitchen, the edge of the patched up couch just barely visible through the archway. It wasn't a large house all things considered, not like the academy he grew up in where he had his own bedroom to himself. It seemed that most people didn't have that sort of luxury.
Time had given them a quick tour as he finished helping Malon with cutting up ingredients. The upstairs was smaller than the rest of the house, only holding a stairway landing and a large bedroom. Downstairs there were three rooms; a kitchen with a small table to eat at and a window that looked out at what he'd been told was called a 'barn'. A washroom with a tub for cleaning up and a sink with an attached water pump. And lastly, a large living space with a brick hearth and comfortable looking couch.
Sky would've collapsed there as soon as the tour was over if Legend hadn't beaten him to it, the sour-faced man falling face first into the cushions like a dead man and refusing to move. He was still there, not getting up for dinner or to clean himself up like Sky and Four had. It was odd, in the few days of knowing the guy he'd always been particular about cleanliness and never just… laid down for a nap. Legend was distrustful and watched them all with a calculated stare as they settled in to sleep. Every night Sky had watch he would find the man laying with his eyes wide open, unsure if he was sleeping or not with how still he was.
"He's not going to explode if you're not watching him." Four muttered after his third glance at the couch in as many minutes, the bowl in front of him growing rather empty.
Sky frowned, he knew that was true, but still. Something was off and he didn't like that he couldn't figure out what it was.
"He's probably hungry."
"There's plenty leftover, hon." Miss Malon assured him from across the table, the spoon in her hand loaded with perfectly seasoned pumpkin chunks. "You can check on him once you've eaten, no need to do it on an empty stomach."
It was good advice, and so Sky tucked into his food and tried not to think about their new companion until his bowl was empty and his stomach was full. He stood up and set his bowl in the pan of dirty ones to be cleaned later, internally promising to help wash them, and made his way to the living room on quiet feet.
"Try not to wake the beast," Four said with a sly smile.
Sky gave him a thumbs up, as worried as he was for the guy, he didn't want to be on the receiving end of his bad attitude either.
He tiptoed around the couch to get a good look at the man lying there, he was on his side facing the flickering hearth with his slate blue eyes showing nothing but slits of color as he seemed to stare unseeing. He didn't react when Sky entered his vision, not even a twitch of one of his long ears to indicate he was fully there. His long fringe was hanging over his tired face like a curtain, his scarf discarded and crumpled on the rug. Sky had never seen him like this, so… unguarded.
"Are you feeling alright?"
Legend blinked languidly up at him, tired eyes trying to focus on his face. After a very long second he shrugged halfheartedly. Sky should probably leave him alone, he knew how to take care of himself and from what he knew of the guy, Legend wouldn't appreciate hovering.
But.. in the dim light of the fire, curled up without a blanket and tucking his hands under himself for warmth, Sky couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"Can I check your temperature? You don't look so great." He asked with a twinge of hesitance, he knew Legend would have a retort at the ready, something to make him back off and leave the issue unaddressed. To his surprise though, Legend didn't speak, he just nodded sluggishly, eyes still on the fire. Sky furrowed his brows and moved forward slowly, waiting for him to glare and pull away.
He didn't.
Sky crouched down in front of him and carefully pushed back his greasy bangs with a frown, he didn't feel warmer than he should be, was he really just tired? He supposed it would make sense if Legend hadn't been sleeping well since joining them, but it left a bad taste in his mouth. Had he really been doing all of that fighting and traveling while on his last leg?
Concern cemented in his heart when he began to pull his hand away from Legend's forehead and the man whined. Unsure what to do he settled the back of his palm against the Vet's skin and bit his tongue as he leaned into it with closed eyes.
What the fuck?
"Do you want dinner?" He asked quietly, unsure what else to say as the Vet relaxed under his palm, his mouth going slack and eyebrows letting go of the hard scowl he'd been wearing since they met him.
Legend's answer was a quiet snore.
Sky very carefully removed his hand from Legend's forehead and tried to back away, he would have to talk to Time about how odd he was being, his best guess was that he'd eaten something weird during their long trek through the woods.
Thankfully he was able to escape this time, the Vet peacefully asleep for the first time in the last four days, and he walked on socked feet back to the kitchen.
He looked straight at Time and clasped his hands together as he issued his report.
"He's doesn't have a fever, but there is absolutely something wrong with him."
The older man frowned and followed him on unnervingly quiet feet. He frankly had no clue how he did it, while he wasn't a tall man, he wasn't tiny either. Maybe he just knew the house well enough to avoid the creaky floorboards?
They stilled in front of the couch, the Old Man's brow pulling before shaking his head and smiling thinly. "Kid's just exhausted."
Kid? Legend wasn't a kid. In his early twenties at the youngest given the lines on his face and the experience evident in each of his actions. Maybe old people just called everyone kid.
"What should we do?"
Time tiptoed to a nearby woven basket, the design featuring running horses lovingly weaved in, and pulled out a knitted blanket. He carefully laid it over the sleeping blond and stepped back with a smile.
"Let him sleep." He put a hand on Sky's shoulder, nudging him back towards the kitchen. "Come along, you can help me with dishes."
The next day Sky would be carrying a runaway cucco back to it's pen when he saw Legend in the barn shoveling manure without any trouble, a warm song falling from his lips while the cows attempted to moo along. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled, still not noticing that he was being watched. Sky looked to the cucco in his arms, Rosie, as though she held the answers to Legend's current strangeness. She unfortunately did not have any insight into what was up with his companion, or at least any way of communicating her wisdom to him.
Sky sighed and left the Vet to his contented humming, deciding that if he continued to act like this once they left the ranch then he would worry. For now it was quite possible the place was just enchanted to put him in a better mood or something. He'd ask Malon about it next time he saw her, even if he had to brave the horse things she was tending to.