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The sunrise is beautiful, a gorgeous crest of orange-pink on the horizon, washing Zora’s Domain in a soft velvety glow. The iridescent turquoise stones along the cliffs dim with the sun, but the sleek silver surfaces shimmer and sparkle in their place, coming alive under the light. Sidon breathes in the dawn, hands curling over the railing, fins swaying softly in the breeze, and even so far above, he can smell the water, can appreciate the artful vision all around him, can hear the ear-splitting screams of his people.
He stiffens, and terrified shrieks echo up to the balcony. Sidon doesn’t wait to distinguish the startled words amidst the cries—he bolts for the stairs, nearly diving down head-first in his rush to meet the problem. Children and fully grown Zoras alike flee around him, the guards bravely standing their ground but braced for attack, squatting with their spears thrust forward. Sidon bolts between them and slides to a halt in front of a tiny furry creature.
Tiny to him, anyway. The beast is several times the size of a Zora child, with an elongated face and no fins, four paws and perked ears and a long, bushy tail. Its thick hide is all dark fur, mottled black and grey with white along its belly and snout. A broken chain rattles from its left foreleg. Sidon knows enough of the world to recall the creature’s name—he’s fairly certain it’s a wolf.
The guards face the overgrown dog like it’s a fearsome octorok. One calls, “Prince Sidon! You must retreat—we’ll protect the domain—” But Sidon’s already strolling forward; as far as he’s concerned, he’s the domain’s first line of defense.
And he doesn’t think it’s needed against a lone puppy. The wolf isn’t snarling or bearing teeth—it’s panting quietly and peering up at him with a playful twitch in its ears. Its tail wags as Sidon approaches, and though he hears gasps behind him, he doesn’t feel the least bit threatened. When he gets close enough, he can even see a hoop pierced through one ear, reminding him of a certain beloved champion.
For the sake of his fearful people, Sidon commands the dog to: “Sit.” He’s heard Hylians tell animals that before. The wolf makes a whining noise and abruptly obeys. It tilts its head, runs its tongue over its muzzle, and then croons when Sidon reaches under to scratch its chin. Its jaw instantly opens, sharp teeth just puffing out hot breath as it happily pants. Sidon pets its fuzzy flank and twists to scratch behind its ear. In his peripherals, he can see Zoras crowding around behind him, watching in awe.
“You see?” Sidon announces. “Perfectly harmless.” The crowd murmurs but seems to accept it and gradually disperses. Sidon runs his claws down the wolf’s impressive mane and praises, “What’s a sweet boy you are. And so clever, to understand my word! Did you come to Zora’s Domain on purpose, my friend? You have exceptional taste!” The wolf simply pants, seeming to smile—it’s as silent as Sidon’s most treasured friend. And he vaguely remembers that Hylians call canines ‘man’s best friend,’ which makes his next decision all the easier. He declares, “A good boy like you deserves a name, and I can think of no better name than that of our hero. I think I’ll call you ‘Link.’ What do you think of that?”
The wolf yaps delightedly. It seems pleased with its new moniker. Sidon’s equally pleased. “Excellent taste indeed! You are a most wonderful Link, my friend, and as such, you are welcome in my domain any time!” Link barks again, and when Sidon stops petting it to rise up, the wolf rises too, quickly running in a tight circle as though it’s just bursting with excitement and needs to get it out. It’s even more reminiscent of its namesake—Sidon’s often seen the Hylian Link either stand in the exact same spot for hours or run frantically around in aimless directions. Sidon feels the need to shower the new Link in the same praise but isn’t as informed of its heroic doggy deeds. Like its namesake, Wolf Link doesn’t explain them itself.
It probably has other wolves to go speak with, other friends to visit and lands to see and perhaps people to save. So Sidon offers a wave and bids, “Farewell, my friend. Return again when you wish to be pet, and I will do my best to be the doting host you deserve!”
Except when Sidon turns to stroll back to the upper part of the domain, the wolf trots along. Sidon blinks down at it. Link howls eagerly.
Offering Link an affectionate pat, Sidon returns to watch the sunset with his new second most treasured friend faithfully at his side.