Gift of the Sages

A Zelda version of the Christmas story "Gift of the Magi". I just wanted to write something Christmasy for once. Excessive cheese, sap, and fluff ahead.

The first time he saw her, he was amazed by her. The Kokiri had come stumbling into Castle Town with dust on his worn boots and his head ringing from the cacophony of sounds and scents that assailed him. She had been standing there in the middle of it all like the proverbial eye of a storm humming softly to herself with a beatific smile on her face.

That had been the first thing he noticed about her. The second had been her hair. Up until that moment, he had never seen anyone with red hair, much less such an intense shade. It had reminded him of the shiny, sweet apples that he had picked off of low hanging branches from the trees in the Kokiri Village or the wild strawberries that grew at the edges of the Lost Woods.

Years later as he grew through his awkward teenage years, he would often lean against the corral fence and watch the sunlight gleam off of it as she tended the horses. She always wore it long and unbound to run freely down her back.

When those looks and smiles had progressed into secret kisses in the barn, he would often bury his hands and face into it to drink in the fragrant scent of the oils and perfumes she soaked it in. Once when they were sitting in her old copper tub together, he had hesitantly asked her if he could wash it and brush it for her. Malon had agreed with a small degree of surprise and pride. He had run his fingers through it almost reverently as he soaked her strands and then gently ran an old wooden comb through them.

It was her one vanity, the one thing that she allowed herself to separate her from other women. The rancher was a practical woman of humble means who insisted on wearing out clothes until they fell to pieces and even then somehow stitching them back together. Every rupee was saved and every bit of anything reused until it gave out. She wore neither jewelry nor makeup, but when it came to her red hair nothing but the finest oils and perfumes that she could afford touched it.

It was now winter in Hyrule as he stared out of the window of the one bedroom in the mainhouse. Snow lay across the field and along the fences. It was so cold even the horses were reluctant to go out for a run. The soldier sat there thinking and chewing the inside of his cheek as he realized how quickly he was running out of time. Winter Solstice was almost upon them as well as his one-year anniversary to Malon, and he still had no gift to give her. It was not that he had forgotten or procrastinated, he simply did not know what to get his wife. She did not care for jewels or baubles like most women, and she would consider any money he spent on a dress for her a waste.

An idea came to him then. Malon's hair was her pride and joy. She said it was only thing she had left of her mother. He had always thought it a pity that she used an old wooden comb with missing teeth to brush it out and style it. His wife deserved anything as good as a lord's wife for all the hard work she did.

He stood and put on his jacket, scarf, and gloves to prepare himself for the cold outside. It was a long ride to Castle Town.

Malon sat back from scrubbing the kitchen table to admire her handiwork. She frowned at her results. It was clean and shining, but she could still see the deep gouges and scratches it had acquired over the years of use. Sighing, she threw her rag back in the bucket. There was no helping it. They could not afford a new one, and that was still perfectly serviceable.

Her hands reached up and twisted her long hair into a messy bun as she sat down on the bench to survey the rest of her tiny kingdom. All of it was spotless and gleaming, but every pot was dented and every plate chipped. It would have to wait until she could gather the funds to replace that which could not be repaired. There were several mares who she hoped to breed and possibly sell their foals for a good price. Besides, there were other things she had to spend her precious little money on other than cooking utensils. There was still the matter of getting her husband a present for Winter Solstice. She had allowed it to slip her mind in the mad rush of stocking the farm with enough supplies for the winter. Now it was looming over her head, and she had no idea what to give him.

He was simple in his tastes to say the least. He insisted on wearing the same tunic in the same color with the same hat every day. He preferred for his food to be traditional and comforting and did not care for foreign spices or dishes. He always liked to be outdoors rather than indoors, and at the beginning of their relationship, she had even caught him sleeping out in the corral or on the roof. His hobbies primarily included fishing, hunting, and horseback riding.

He dressed much the same as he had on the day they had met. The man had always been strange to her even as a child, and it had not lessened during their years together. Sometimes odd moods overcame him, and he would dream at night and speak of things that had never happened. Link rarely talked about where he came from before he met her, only saying she would never believe him. So she had let him keep his silence and his secrets, knowing he would tell her in his own time if he saw fit to.

The oddest thing about him that day all those years ago was the fact that he, a mere boy, was carrying a sword and shield like any full grown man. Perhaps even queerer was the fact that it seemed so natural for him. The sword had been held with confidence, and the shield on his back settled there too easily. He had struck her as a warrior even then and had proved her right as he had quickly earned his knighthood. He could have risen swiftly through the ranks of the Hylian military if he had so chosen to, but he had told her his place was there on the ranch with her and not in the Royal Court dealing with politics and corruption.

Despite his refusal to advance his military career, he remained a faithful soldier and knight in Her Majesty's army should the need for him ever arise. Every morning while she washed and readied for the day ahead, he went out into the corral and practiced his forms against foes only he could see. Some days she watched him from the window of their bedroom and marveled at his skill, at the look of deep concentration on his face as he focused everything inside of him onto that point of space. She wondered how he could ever give that up for a girl as low born as herself.

Malon headed up to their bedroom to see if she could find some inspiration for his gift in there.

His sword and shield were hanging in their bedroom above the bed. The shield was standard issue for a member of the army and as banged up as her cooking pots. The sword was plain with no decoration or embellishment around the hilt or on the blade itself, but the steel was the finest forged within the boundaries of Hyrule. It kept its edge far longer than regular swords and even in the dim light of a winter afternoon shone faintly silver. They were the only two things he truly treasured. They were the only possessions he owned that were truly his.

It was then that Malon noticed the scabbard leaning in the corner of the room. It was the original one that had come with the sword when he purchased it, and the leather was old and cracking. The seams were coming out, and it was something not even her skills could fix. Such a fine sword deserved a fine scabbard to sheathe it, she thought to herself.

Nodding and smiling in satisfaction that an idea had finally come to her, she pulled on her boots and prepared to head to Castle Town.

Link stood in the shop perusing the selection offered to him by the jeweler. He scratched his head underneath his cap in frustration.

"This isn't quite right," he kindly told the man behind the counter. This was the seventh store he had been in and still had not found anything he thought fitting. Then a flash caught his eye. "What about those?"

The man's eyes widened as he gave Link a quick once-over before taking them out of the glass casing. "We just recently got these in for the season. They are one of a kind. Finely wrought as you can see by the filigree."

The young man murmured in agreement. They were quite beautiful, he could not deny that. Two combs worked in silver with green emeralds that reminded him of the sacred jewel of the Kokiri. The handles were shaped into leaves with three precious stones set in each comb.

"How much?" he asked, his hands already digging into pockets of his coats to pull out his wallet.

The salesman named the price, and Link felt his jaw unhinge.

"Come again?"

The middle-aged man repeated himself, careful to enunciate the number.

The knight peered sadly into his purse and counted the rupees within. It was nowhere near enough. Even if he had saved the entire year, it would not have been enough for one of the pair. His mouth set into a grim line as he tucked the wallet back into his pocket. Perhaps he could find another pair that was similar. He shook his head. He knew he would not. Nothing he had seen so far even came close to rivaling these.

He started to turn to leave in defeat but stopped at the door. There was a way. It made his heart fall into his stomach to even consider it, but they would look so beautiful nestled in the waves of her long hair. She would finally have something that matched her beauty. She would finally have something that was worthy of her.

Link turned and faced the man again. "Would you accept another form of payment?"

"It depends on what it is," the man said cautiously with skepticism lacing his voice. It was clear he questioned the validity of his offer.

When Link named the price of the trade, the man hesitantly nodded and said, "Bring it here, and we shall see."

"Just hold them for me until this evening, and I will come with the said . . . item."

The jeweler agreed, and the knight left to return to the ranch.

The farm girl eyed each item carefully before turning them aside and continuing on her apparently never ending quest. Nothing had caught her eye so far. Nothing seemed to fit. They were all too poorly made or too gaudy for her tastes. This was her third venture into shops that specialized in accessories for knights, and it was the most extravagant by far.

The man gave an exasperated sigh and threw his hands into the air. "Milady, I have only one left, and I doubt a woman of your . . . means could aff-"

"Show it to me," she demanded forcefully before he finished his sentence and slammed her hand down on the countertop for emphasis.

With a resigned roll of his eyes, he headed to the back storeroom for said item. When he returned, the item was wrapped in white silk and laid carefully on the table between them.

His weathered hands reverently peeled back the cloth to reveal the treasure beneath. Her breath caught in her throat, and she realized then what he had been going to say was true. She could never have afforded such a beautiful scabbard. The leather had been dyed cerulean and capped in gold at the top and bottom with a design in gold filigree down the middle. Her fingers brushed against it, and as soon as she touched the supple material, she knew she had to have it. It seemed as if it had been made for him though such a thing was impossible.

"How much?" she inquired in a quiet voice.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably and named the exorbitant amount. "You see the dyes used on this leather are incredibly rare, and the gold work is the best I've ever seen. This is one of a kind. Never will another like this be created. It is only meant for the finest knights."

His tone made her expression harden. What would this jumped-up merchant know of the quality of knights? Her husband was the greatest knight in all the Kingdom. She had no doubt of that. If there was ever a man who had earned such a thing it was him.

Her fingers touched her withered purse, and she cringed internally. She would have to sell all of her horses and cows to pay for it. Her eyes wandered around the shop in search of some sort of answer to her unspoken prayers. Then the sign of the shop across the street caught her eye. Wilmida's Fine Wigs it read in a bold and flowing script.

"Keep it out," she whispered, her heart dropping as she spoke. "I'll be back in a moment."

He raised an eyebrow at her request, but she nodded firmly as her hands fitfully twisted her waist length hair.

Malon stepped out of the door and crossed the narrow avenue, dodging carriages and carts as she did.

The hairdresser, a large woman with impossibly curly brown hair, stared at her in confusion before greeting her. "How may I help you, dearest?"

"How much for this?" She threw back the hood of her coat.

The woman smiled and thoughtfully paused. "For that color and length as much as you want." She pulled out a pair of scissors that flashed dangerously in the light.

The door closed behind him with a bang as he entered the mainhouse and looked around the kitchen for his wife.

"Malon!" he called out in excitement as he fingered the ribbon wrapped around the package in his hands. When she didn't answer, he called again. Brows furrowing in confusion, he ran up the stairs and found their bedroom empty as well as the bathing room. "She must have gone out for some errand."

Link went back downstairs and took a seat on the bench in front of the kitchen table. It was a few minutes later when he heard the door open behind him. He turned and saw the rancher enter with her thick coat buttoned all the way up and her hood thrown over her head.

She jumped and tried to hide the bundle in her arms behind her back as she spotted him. "I-I didn't realize you had left," she said breathlessly, stamping her boots free of the snow.

He smiled at her. "I just went out for a little while. I didn't realize you had gone either. What is that behind your back?" he teased.

"Nothing," she answered stubbornly. She always had been a terrible liar.

"Nothing? Really? Then show me your hands." He stood and walked towards her.

She huffed and gave up her ruse. "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"You were never good at surprises," he commented, trying to keep from bouncing on his heels.

"It's because you're so nosey," she replied as she took off her gloves and set them to dry in front of the fireplace.

He laughed. "Well, it doesn't matter anyways. I wasn't going to wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Your gift." He took the wrapped box off of the table and presented it to her.

"But Winter Solstice isn't for another three days, and our anniversary for another five," she scolded lightly.

"I was never very good at waiting."

"So I've noticed." Her mouth quirked into a grin as she roughly shoved the long box into his arms and took the gift eagerly from his hands.

"You go first," he stated, eyes shining as he awaited her surprise.

Her callused fingers undid the knotted ribbon and tore away the paper to reveal a square black box. Her eyebrows shot up. She lifted the lid and stared at the contents lying against the black satin.

Link felt his mood falter as his wife stared blankly down at the present in her hands. "You don't like them?"

She shook her head, and he saw tears glistening on her cheeks. His smile fell. "I-I can take them back and get you different ones or something else entirely," he stuttered as he watched her blink rapidly to hide her crying.

"They're beautiful. They are the most beautiful things I've ever seen, you great, stupid fool," she said as her voice broke.

"I don't understand, Malon. What's wrong then?"

"Just open your present already, will you?" she barked harshly.

He did as she commanded and lifted the lid from the long rectangular box to see something wrapped in white silk lying inside of it. He plucked back the cloth to see what she had given him. His mouth went dry as he studied the sheath.

The knight looked back up at her to see her still fighting her tears as he struggled to contain his own panic. "You shouldn't have," he breathed as he ran his fingers across it in awe.

"You don't like it?" she asked fearfully.

"No, it's just that. . . it doesn't matter. What's wrong with your gift? If you think they are beautiful why are you crying so?"

Her left hand reached up and threw back the hood of her coat.

He blinked slowly several times before he registered what he was seeing. Her head was shorn. Only a short fringe of hair remained where once it had flowed over her shoulders. It did not even reach her chin now. She ran a hand over her head in shame.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I'm afraid these won't do me much good now, but I still love them. I still want them." She brushed the tips of her fingers across the delicate combs.

"You cut your hair to pay for this?" He lifted the box up and stifled a bitter chuckle.

"Yes," she answered sheepishly. "It was all I could think of to pay for it. Link, it was the only one I found that I thought suited you. Your sword will look so lovely in it, don't you think? I-I just wanted to give you something nice for once."

He swallowed and stared down at the box. "It is amazing. I've never seen anything like it. Goddesses, you didn't have to do that. I would have been happy with anything."

"I know, but I wanted to give you that. How did you pay for these though? They look like they cost a fortune."

He smiled bitterly. "It's beautiful, but I'm afraid I won't have much use for it now."

Her eyes widened. "You didn't? Please tell me you didn't sell your sword to buy these combs."

He nodded.

She groaned and pressed her hand to her forehead. To his surprise, she started to laugh and shake her head. "We are truly the two biggest fools I've ever known. I sold my hair to buy a scabbard, and you sold your sword to buy me combs."

His smile became genuine as he laid the box on the table and rushed towards her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and crushed her to him in a fierce hug. She yelped. "It doesn't matter. I love it all the same, and I love you with short hair or long or none at all."

"But what are we going to do?"

"Your hair will grow back in time, and I'll buy another sword."

"But that one was-"

"It was just a sword, Malon. This," he rubbed her newly shortened hair, "means more to me than that ever did."

She let out a giggle and pressed her lips to his.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays! I hope you guys are having a good one. Sorry if this is kind of sloppy. I wrote it up last night and posted it today. Thoughts and comments are appreciated.