A/N: Spiritual sequel (erm... prequel?) to Side Quest. But more poorly assembled. Unedited due to time constraints. Inspired by grad school. One day, I'll be done with homework.

One can never be fully agile while carrying sixty pounds of assorted gear on one's back. To compensate, Impa had also brought along a broadsword, a sling, two throwing spears, and a set of chainmail. And a half-company of elite Hylian warriors. No use being stupid.

Princess Zelda skipped along beside her, sporting a new pair of hiking boots. She had managed to find a gnarled stick over twice as tall as she was, and thwacked it hard against the trees growing along the trail.

"Must you really train everyday?" Princess Zelda asked. "You ought to do a normal hike one day. Without any weight."

"Nannies don't get days off," Impa said with a soft chuckle. She could only vaguely recall being young enough to care about such things. The young princess's spirit was refreshing. But she was nine now, and growing fast. Soon the real work would begin.

"Rose's nanny is on vacation right now," Princess Zelda said. "Going fishing for an entire week."

Impa cleared her throat.

"She is going fishing for an entire week, the princess amended.

Impa stopped and bent over until their faces almost touched, then winked. "Rose is not a princess."

Princess Zelda tucked her chin, and placed a finger on her cheek. "Then I'll ad-... abdicate so you can rest."

"Away, foul temptress." She resumed the hike, the princess's footsteps pattering behind her.

"It would only be for a day. Rose could be princess while I'm gone."

"Is Rose's name Zelda?" In the brush to her right, a crackle of leather armor shifting. A soldier slipped deeper into the surrounding forest. Her hand tightened on the hilt of her sword.

"That's a stupid rule, and you know it!"

"Do I?" Impa scanned for the patrol leader. No sign. Nothing unusual, then.

"Anyway, we could just switch names."

"It's getting dark; we should make camp," Impa said. She let her heavy pack slip off her shoulders and thud to the ground. "Remember how to make a fire?"

"You can't just escape by changing the subject," Princess Zelda said.

"Hm?" Impa said, sinking to the ground to use her pack as a backrest. "No, I agree. You won. My vacation starts now." Princess Zelda stared at her, mouth wide. "So if you want a hot dinner," Impa said, "better get to work."

"Adults aren't allowed to be bratty; that is the sole domain of little girls!"

"I'm just doing what you asked," Impa said. She turned her hand over to look at the back of it. "Think I should do my nails? Never saw much of a point, but… brown's a pleasant color, don't you think?"

"Impa!"

"Her Royal Highness." Impa inclined her head.

"Fine, I shall just make the largest fire you've ever seen."

"Please try to avoid burning down the forest," Impa said, as the princess scampered into the woodline. As the princess made her way out of sight, Impa saw the outlines of of soldiers flanking her into the forest. The men were well trained; she was as safe as she would be in Hyrule Castle. Safer, perhaps, away from scheming rivals.

A ruslte of leaves announced Captain Malkir emerging onto the path beside her. "Don't get too good at woodsmanship, Captain. I almost can't notice you anymore."

"Eh, you need to see me, you'll see me," he said, plopping down beside her. "Anyway, she's right, you know. You need a day off."

"Careful, Captain."

"Look, you don't get to lead elite units by caring what superior assholes think when they're dead wrong. Any of my men tried to work so long with no breaks, they'd be on latrine duty until they saw sense. You can't be effective if you run yourself to the ground everyday."

"Perhaps you can't."

"When's the last time you took a day off?"

Impa closed her eyes.

"I will report your work habits to the bloody King himself if I have to. Answer the damn question."

"If you must know, it was eight years ago. I was pregnant."

Captain Malkir raised his eyebrows.

"I'm a woman. Get over it. Anyway, the break itself was nice."

"So…"

"The key to a good work ethic is forgetting to stop. It wasn't until a month after I resumed my duties that I was as good an attendant as I should be." She sighed, a renewed the seal on the nightmares, lurking in the back of her head. "We can't afford that now."

"I see. You're not taking proper care of yourself because it's too hard."

"Captain-"

"One day. I'll carry your load tomorrow; you relax, enjoy your romp outside the castle. Forget about security, we're handling it. Nap. Sleep in. No one has to know."

With a deep exhale, Impa forced herself to unclench her jaw. "The princess put you up to this, didn't she?"

"And you should bloody well listen. She's damn smart."

"Willful Captains ought not mingle with willful Princesses. She's coming back."

"Aye, that she is," Captain Malkir said, disappearing back into the forest.

Impa stared into the fire Princess Zelda had made. She had been slow, but she had managed the entire project without guidance. Atop it, turned a fish she had gathered from the river.

"Do princesses really need to know how to start fires?" Zelda said, feeding dried leaves into the fire.

"The unlucky ones do."

"Do we get to go hiking all day tomorrow, too?"

The flames grew, teasing the stone edges of the firepit. The logs shifted, as the fire finally caught the thick wood at the center. Kisses of wind played with rising sparks and flecks of ash.

"We shall see."