In the wake of the Great Calamity, the way of life changed for Hylians and all creatures across Hyrule. While the Calamity itself was contained within the confines of the ruined castle, the blood moon rises time and time again raising monsters across the land. A simple stroll across the fields now requires swords and shields to keep one safe from the bokoblins, moblins, and lizalfos lying in wait to attack. Even so, the threat of monsters doesn’t stop Hylian Leekah from walking to her favorite bridges and admiring the view.
Leekah is a female Hylian that can be found wandering Horwell Bridge, Rebonae Bridge, or their nearby stables. The rivers flowing beneath the bridges bring Leekah peace. “Seeing the water stream so peacefully makes it hard to believe the Great Calamity really happened.” – (Leekah, Breath of the Wild). It is easy to lose one’s self in the gentle ripples of a flowing river, and that’s exactly what Leekah does. She gets so lost in the waves of the waters and the hopes of her fantasy that she doesn’t notice the red and blue bokoblins invading the ruined bridge.
If Link, like any noble hero, saves Leekah from the horde of bokoblin, she’ll be thankful and feel compelled to give Link a reward, in her case whatever meal or ingredient she happens to have on her person that day. She has a couple of different lines of dialogue that she filters through, one describing that she gives Link something she had planned to give to another boy. “Thanks for saving my hide! You deserve this more than the guy I was taking it to.” (Leekah, Breath of the Wild). Whatever person she was hoping to give the ingredient certainly wasn’t looking out for the girl and offering to escort her across these dangerous paths so she could enjoy her favorite pastime. It’s not her fault that the world has become so dangerous.
“Saved again… Am I so wrong for just wanting to sit by the river? It’s getting so I can’t even take a walk anymore.” (Leekah, Breath of the Wild).
Of course, Link could take the less honorable path and choose to let Leekah defend herself. The Hylian is no adventurer or soldier. As such, leaving her to the mercy of bokoblins ends with her being knocked unconscious. If Link talks to her, she’ll express having a headache and get irritated at Link for not stepping in and trying to help her, a moment she won’t forget.
Leekah is a girl praying for peace even if her actions don’t show it. She longs for a simple life where it is safe to walk any road. “I hear 100 years ago, there weren’t so many monsters. A lady could actually go for a walk alone if she wanted. I can’t even picture it now.” (Leekah, Breath of the wild). She never considers that she could take up a sword and shield herself and fight the enemies that destroy her peace over and over again. She might be seen as weak on the surface but her resilience to keep coming back to the place she loves holds a strength of its own. No matter how many times she’s knocked down, she keeps coming back and holds onto that little pocket of peace for as long as she can.
