The next two days passed in a blur. Prayer consumed me for the rest of the third day as well as the fourth, however thanks to Link, I made sure to take a break to sleep and eat. And before I knew it the morning of the fifth day came and I had nothing to show for my efforts. Once again, I was no closer to awakening my powers.
I awoke to the smell of food cooking and crawled out of the tent. Link and I ate in silence and once this was done, I quickly changed and the two of us began to pack up. We had a lot of ground to cover to get to the Gerudo Desert.
Although I was disappointed and frustrated, a part of me was looking forward to visiting Gerudo Town, mainly because I would get to see Urbosa again, the Gerudo Chief. She had been a good friend of my mother's and had always been like and Aunt to me, providing advice and encouragement. Out of everyone in Hyrule, she was one of the few that believed in me.
Additionally, the dream I had still floated around in my mind. It had said to find the champions, one of which was bold like thunder... Surely that was Urbosa? But how was I to give her the power of lightning? What did that even mean?
I shook my head and continued to pack up. By early afternoon Link and I were ready to depart the Spring of Courage and commence onward. We traveled slowly down the river and eventually we reached the Zonai Ruins again. Past the ruins was the road, which we quickly returned to, heading West.
Soon, the jungle began to transition from exotic palm trees and tangled bushes to deciduous trees and hills. As the day progressed, Hylia bridge came into view, it's giant stone pillars visible from far away. It was truly a magnificent bridge, spanning all across Lake Hylia. It was beautiful and strong, both a work of art and an architectural marvel.
Nearing the bridge, I saw the sun was getting low in the Western sky. Night would be falling soon. Turning to Link, I said, "Let's camp here tonight. We'll get a goodnight's rest and leave at the break of dawn for Gerudo."
Link nodded and we slowly rode across the Hylia Bridge. As we crossed it, there was a water fountain in the center, water trickling down it. I hopped off of Icefire and walked around the fountain, peering over the edge of the bridge. The sunset glistened over the water and all was calm. I noticed several islands to the West, casting shadows over the lake. Turning to Link, I said, "Let's set up here."
Quickly the two of us fell into our common roles - I put the tent up, while Link found firewood to make a fire. Seeing as we were on a bridge, Link rode Epona over the bridge, leaving me alone for a little while. I didn't mind, as I was busy setting up the tent and if anyone approached me, I would hear them on the bridge.
It wasn't much longer and Link returned. The tent was ready and I had put our sleeping bags in the tent as well. Link wasted no time and started a fire. For dinner we had more rice infused with hearty durian. Finishing dinner, we sat around the fire, keeping to ourselves as night fell.
When the sun had finally set and all was dark, it was then I felt a tingling sensation upon my skin. I lifted my head and scanned my surroundings. It didn't feel like anything was wrong, I just had this inkling that there was something unusual. As I looked to the West, I got my answer, my jaw falling open in awe.
I stood up without realizing, my eyes fixed on the glowing entity flying through the sky. "Look." I gasped, drawing Link's attention. From my peripheral, I saw him stand up too, both of us staring at the dragon twisting through the night time sky.
The dragon was brilliant yellow, with crackling electricity all around his body. His horn was curved, protruding straight into the sky. His claws were long and sharp and he had a jagged mane that sparkled with electricity. The scales along his back and underbelly glowed in the nighttime sky. The embodiment of electricity, the mighty dragon Farosh.
All my life I had dreamed of seeing a dragon and here Farosh was in front of me, drifting closer as he propelled himself through the air. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen in my life, to watch this dragon lazy crawl through the sky, not paying any attention to Link or I.
Link and I had moved to the edge of the bridge, standing side by side now, intently watching as Farosh drew closer until he was flying over Hylia Bridge, just a little ways away from us. The hair on my arm stood up on end as Farosh neared us, the air all around us static. Large spheres of pure electricity floated around the dragon, adding to his grandeur.
Such a mysterious creature dragons were. If only there was a way to study them, to understand them more. Yet the three dragons that roamed the lands of Hyrule were like ancient specters, Silently observing Hyrule over the eons, never interfering or interacting with anything.
Driven by curiosity, I took the bow from my back and notched an arrow. Taking aim at a glowing scale on Farosh's underbelly, I let the arrow fly, smiling when the arrow hit it's target. As expected, the arrow merely bounced off Farosh's armored body, protected by scales as hard as diamonds. However the arrow had hit with enough force to dislodge a scale, which fell to the ground like a shooting star. When it landed, it continued to glow, like a beacon.
However my attention went back to the creature before me, watching as it completed its pass over Hylia Bridge and continued on it's way, unperturbed by the arrow I had shot at it. But what was one arrow to a dragon? It would be like throwing a pebble at a Hinox; it wouldn't even feel it.
As the dragon disappeared from view, Link and I stood in silence for a minute longer, staring in the direction the dragon had gone. Finally, my mind jolted my from my state of stupor and I looked around, grateful that the scale was still glowing. Running, I made my way across Hylia Bridge and down a steep slope onto shoreline.
There before me was a glowing scale, slightly larger than my hand. I knelt down next to it and probed at it with a finger. As my skin made contact with it, I felt a little shock of electricity down my finger and hand, but it quickly dissipated. From here, I proceeded to pick up the scale in my hand. I rolled it over and over in my hands, inspecting it. I had a faint yellow hue to it and was smooth to the touch. The yellow glow around it had started to fade.
It was then Link walked up next to me, his eyes on the scale. I offered the scale to him and he took it, intrigued. "Pretty cool, isn't it?" I said, "Maybe I can learn something from it." It was then I realized that I had made a mistake. "Oh no!" I exclaimed, twisting around to see if I could still see Farosh, even though I knew he was long gone.
"What is it?" Link asked me, making me look back at him.
"I should have captured an image of Farosh when I had the chance." I let out a disappointed sigh. Link arched his eyebrow at me, not understanding what I meant. I smiled at this, "That's right. You don't know about the Slate. How about I show you?"
Link nodded and the two of us made our way back to camp. Once there I packed the scale away and pulled out the Slate. Walking over to Link, I held up the Slate for him to see. "This is the Sheikah Slate Impa gave to me. It's an ancient piece of Sheikah technology." Turning it on, I began to show Link all the things it could do, from the albums of images and detailed descriptions, to the topographical map of Hyrule, and even being able to capture moments in time. "See you just click this button and it saves the image!" I said, an image of the Hylia Bridge appearing on the screen. Link stared at the image, impressed. "Oh you can take pictures of yourself too." I said, remembering the image Impa took. Grabbing the Slate, I changed the camera so it was facing me now. Then sliding a little closer to Link, I held the Slate up and smiled, Link arching his eyebrow as he saw his face on the Slate. And then I clicked the button and our faces were saved on the Slate.
"See!" I said, showing Link the picture of us.
"That is pretty neat." He agreed.
"It's an amazing piece of technology. This is what Purah used to awaken that guardian. And she was able to make a remote control for the guardians using the Slate."
"It certainly is multifunctional." Link concluded.
"Yes it is." I yawned, "Well I think I'm going to sleep now. We have a long day tomorrow." With that I put the Slate away and went into the tent.
Morning came painfully early. I had never been much of a morning person, probably because I frequently stayed up late, becoming distracted by some project of mine. However Link appeared to have no issue with rising at the crack of dawn. He walked out of the tent, fresh and rejuvenated. I sighed, and quickly joined Link in packing things up. We had it down to a system now and were on the road shortly after.
The day dragged on as we traveled through Hyrule. After crossing the Hylia Bridge, we were back in Central, the Castle visible in the distance. I looked at it for a minute, finding I didn't miss it at all. Nor the King that sat upon the throne in that castle.
By midday we had reached the Gerudo Canyon Pass, highlands on either side of us. The canyon was wide and quite beautiful. Swift violets grew in abundance along the base of the canyon, creating a blanket of purple in some areas. Rushrooms were also common to see growing along the cliffs.
We traveled through the twisted path of the Canyon, running into a few travelers along the way. Several stone archways greeted us along the way and I stopped to take pictures of them, stunned by how geometric the natural formations were.
As we progressed through the canyon, an odd feeling came over me, as if we were being watched. Glancing upwards, I narrowed my eyes, catching movement. There was a flash of white and maroon, but that was all I saw, nothing more. Whatever it was had moved too fast for me to get a good look at. Were there more monsters lurking in the canyon? Or was something else out there?
I shook my head, telling myself it could have been anything, perhaps a bird that suddenly flew away. Yet the uneasiness inside of me did not go away. I remained vigilant as we made our way through the canyon, expecting an attack at every turn.
However nothing happened for the rest of the day. It was a rather long, dull day of travel. Evening had come and just as the last light of day was leaving, we came upon the Gerudo Stables. Thankful, Link and I quickly boarded our horses for the night and got two beds.
Laying down, my body felt a wave of relief sweep over it, finally relaxing after all day on horseback. I laid motionless, just basking in not moving for several minutes.
"Zelda?" I heard Link call.
My eyelids fluttered open and I saw Link on the bed next to me. He held out a bowl of soup and a roll of bread. "I bought us some dinner."
Reluctantly I sat up in bed. Taking the soup and roll from Link I said, "Thanks, Link." I bit into the bread, a smile coming over my face. It was like a sweet kiss on my tastebuds. Swallowing, I said, "Tomorrow we'll have to prepare to cross the desert. We probably won't make it to Gerudo Town until the next day."
"What do we have to prepare?" He asked.
I arched a judgmental eyebrow at him. "This, coming from the person who isn't prepared."
Link gave a slight chuckle and scratched the back of his head, "Do you really need to prepare that much?"
I frowned, "Yes, unless you're a Goron, which you are not."
"Ah..."
I shook my head, a hand coming to my forehead. "Well first we'll have to get you some desert clothes. You won't make it very far in those before you pass out."
Link raised his eyebrows, "It gets that hot?"
"Yes." I answered. "Do you have any cold weather clothes?"
"I have a doublet." Link replied.
"Ok, that will work for the desert." Curious, I asked, "Do you have anything warmer than that?"
Link shook his head, "No."
I sighed, expecting the answer. "Well looks like we'll have to get you some winter clothes when we go to Tabantha."
"I should be fine in the doublet." Link assured.
I crossed my arms at this and leered at the knight. "The last thing I need is a knight who can't do his duties because he got frostbite. I swear, I'm the one taking care of you, not the other way around. I should be your knight!"
Link laughed at this, amused. I frowned though, not finding this humorous at all. Seeing my scowl, Link stopped laughing, a coy smirk on his face. "Well, Zelda, it almost sounds like you care."
I glared at him, "I'm not heartless." I retorted. "I don't want you to die."
Link arched an eyebrow, "Says the person who almost blew me up."
"I almost got blown up too!" I replied, my finger pointing at him. "So it happened to be a little more concentrated than I thought. I'll fix it so next time neither of us gets close to being blown up." Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself. "Tomorrow we'll buy you some new clothes and pack only what we need for the desert as we'll have to travel by foot from here to Gerudo."
"Forgot about that." Link said, "Guess it makes sense though. Horses would overheat in the desert."
"Indeed." I replied. "The Gerudo use sand seals instead."
"Sand seals?" Link asked, giving me an uncertain look.
I grinned, "That's right, you've never been to the desert so you've never ridden one before!" I clapped my hands in excitement. "Well I'll have to buy us both a shield too... Actually, why don't you carry a shield with you, Link?"
Link shrugged. "I used to, but since obtaining the master sword... well none have felt like they fit, if that makes sense."
I nodded, "I understand that. It was like me when I was trying to find a bow. None of them felt quite right until I tried this one." I pointed at my bow propped up against my bed.
Link's eyes glanced over at the bow. "It is a well crafted bow. Was it made by the Rito?"
I smiled fondly, "Yes, my archery instructor, Master Falnor made it for me."
"He put a lot of work into it. I can tell." Link said.
Memories of my time learning under Falnor's tutelage flashed through my mind. He was a stern instructor, but kind and respectful, always encouraging me to keep going. "I look forward to seeing him when we go to Rito Village."
"It's been awhile since I've been to Rito Village." Link said. "It will be nice to see it again."
"Was your father positioned there?" I asked.
Link nodded. "Yes. We traveled a lot between Rito Village, Hyrule Castle, and Zora's domain. I lived in Rito Village for a few years. Actually when we visit, I'll probably see my childhood rival. He was always training with me, trying to beat me at everything."
"Is that so? Did he?"
Link grinned, scratching the back of his head again, "Well, you really can't beat a Rito at archery. But I always bested him when it came to the sword."
"Figures." I replied.
Link let out a chuckle, "You two would probably get along well, now that I think about it. You both dislike me."
My eyebrows creased together. "I don't dislike you." I clarified, "I mean, I did initially... but it wasn't because I disliked you; rather I disliked you because you were my knight." I looked down, chagrinned. "I apologize for that. I misjudged you."
Link shrugged, "Don't worry about it. Although, I do like it better now that you aren't yelling at me as much."
We both smiled at this. "I also prefer it now that you're actually talking to me, Link."
"Sorry about that. I guess I just got used to staying silent."
I shrugged, "You have your reasons. And you don't have to tell me. But if you ever want to, I'll listen."
Link's eyes met mine, "Thanks Zelda." He really had beautiful blue eyes. "You can talk to me too, when you're ready."
His words hit me in the chest. When had this knight gone from someone I despised and wanted nothing to do with, to being my partner? To being my... friend?
"Thanks. I do appreciate that." Yawning, I brought my hand up to cover my mouth. "Well, I'm exhausted, so I think I'll head to bed. Although I should make a list of things I'll have to bring with me to the desert."
"That can't wait until tomorrow?" Link asked.
"I suppose, just this once it can."
I slept in later than usual, relishing the chance to get a few extra hours of sleep. Upon waking, I began to sort through my saddle bags, taking out my large backpack so I could begin packing it with things I'd need for the desert. I laid out my desert clothes and as well as the cloak I wore over my armor for the cold desert nights.
It was hard trying to narrow down what things I would need for the desert versus what items I should leave behind. My backpack wasn't that big, so I could only bring essentials and a few items I was experimenting with. When that challenge had been completed, I talked to the stable owner, making sure it was ok to keep the horses here for awhile as well as if he would store our stuff. Once we had a price figured out, I paid him and walked outside.
Link was sitting around the fire. There were several merchants at this stable, as we were close to the Kara Kara Bazaar, thus this stable got a lot of traffic from merchants. Walking over to one, I asked, "Do you have any shields?"
He nodded and proceeded to show me his selection of shields. I pointed to two knight's shields, as these worked quite well for riding sand seals due to their smooth surface. Paying him, I took the two shields and walked over to Link. "Here." I said, handing him the shield. "Bring that with you to Gerudo. You'll need it eventually."
Link didn't question me. He took it, slinging it over his back where it hung next to the Master Sword. "Do you have any of your stuff packed?"
Link shook his head, "I don't think I have to bring much."
I sighed and walked back to the same merchant. I pointed to the small backpack I had seen at his stand earlier and quickly paid for it. Then walking back to Link, I dropped the backpack in his lap. "Here, put whatever you're bringing in this. Don't forget to bring the doublet! And your Hylian trousers. Otherwise you'll freeze during the nights."
"But it's the desert." Link questioned, "Isn't it always hot."
Raising a finger, I said, "Although the desert is well known for it's extreme temperatures, the desert cools off at night and can reach almost freezing temperatures. This is due to the lack of moisture in the desert. Without moisture, the desert doesn't retain heat very well."
Link arched his eyebrows, not expecting my little science lesson. "It's like you recited that from a textbook."
I glowered at him. "Pack your stuff." I ordered, "And when you're done with that we'll buy you some desert clothes. That merchant over there is selling them."
Doing as I said, Link got up and walked back into the stables. I sighed as he did so, placing a hand to my temple. Yet I couldn't help the slight smile that played on my lips. As I waited for Link, I bought some food and went to check on our horses.
Once Link was done, we went over to the merchant selling desert clothes. She quickly measured Link and then gave him a pair of desert clothes. Seeing Link was a knight, she gave him the armored version, which consisted of red pants, a green top, and golden shin guards, bracers, hip protectors, and a pauldron. I paid her and then we were on our way.
Happy with our progress, we returned to our beds. I grabbed my desert clothes and said to Link, "If we leave now, we can at least reach the Kara Kara Bazaar. We can spend the night there and then head to Gerudo Town the next day. Or we can just leave tomorrow and head straight to Gerudo Town. Have a preference?"
Link shrugged indifferently. I bit my lip, contemplating my options. I was excited to get to Gerudo as I longed to see Urbosa. She always made me feel better and had sound advice. And I missed training with the Gerudo warriors. Still we would be leaving during the hottest part of the day. Perhaps it was best to wait until tomorrow morning and leave before the intense heat of the day. Then again...
"Let's leave today." I said. "We'll leave in a few hours, so we won't have to travel during the worst of the heat." Link nodded in confirmation.
It felt unusual being in my Gerudo outfit after an entire year. Strangely it matched Link's color scheme perfectly. My pants were the same shade of red as his, and my top was the same green as his. The pants I wore were loose and flowed around me as I walked. There were cuffs at the bottom of the pants near my ankles, and two long slits in the sides of the legs, exposing most of my leg, but also providing air flow. The top was lightweight and made of breathable material. The sleeves were long, ending below my elbow, and the shirt was cut short, exposing my abdomen. My armor was gold as well, consisting of bracers, pauldrons, and hip protectors attached to a golden belt. I placed my brass knuckles on the belt as well.
Strapping on my backpack, I attached my quiver of arrows to the backpack with a strap and then hooked my bow on the other side of the backpack. It was slightly awkward, however it would work for now. My bow was still easily accessible in case of an attack.
Link walked over to me, his backpack smaller than mine and slung over one shoulder. The sword was still strapped to his back, along with his shield. My shield was tied to my backpack.
"Here." I said to Link, handing him a small container. In response he gave me a questioning look. "It's a salve." I explained. "Put it on your exposed skin and it will protect you from the sun more. It provides an additional cooling effect." I explained, very proud of one of my first successful inventions. After years of training in the Gerudo desert, I had spent a long time trying to perfect that salve, needing something to help me combat the heat.
Compliantly, Link put on the salve and then handed it back to me. From there we entered the desert, leaving the shady canyon behind. The heat hit us instantly. It shrouded us in this heavy wave. Thankfully, due to my many years of visiting the desert, my body quickly adapted to the heat.
We trekked through the desert, our feet sinking into the sand, making our pace slower than normal. Voyaging our way through the desert, I scanned my surroundings, finding nothing but sand and more sand. I forgot how desolate the desert could be. And how hard it could be to navigate in it as there were no distinct roads and few landmarks. I had gotten lost once in the desert when I was much younger.
Still as long as we continued straight South, we would hit the Kara Kara Bazaar and directly South from there was Gerudo Town. As long as a sandstorm didn't hit, we would be fine.
After several hours of traversing through the desert, the sun was setting over the desert, creating a brilliant orange and yellow sunset. I stopped to admire it for a moment, but continued on my way, seeing a hint of green in the distance.
"We're almost to the Bazaar!" I exclaimed. Picking up our pace, Link and I hurried to the Bazaar, wanting to make it before nightfall. Soon the bustling oasis was before us, a vibrant contrast to the normal plain desert. Torches were lit around the lake and various stands were set up around it, still open. People gathered and walked around, exchanging money for various goods.
I knelt next to the lake and splashed water onto my face, removing some of the grime from the trek through the desert. When traveling through the desert, sand somehow got everywhere. Across from us there was a group of Hylians swimming in the water, enjoying the warm water as the night grew colder.
"Let's check in at the inn." I said to Link, "Then we can check out the shops."
The inn was at the far end of the bazaar, built into a giant rock, which was thick and obtuse at the bottom, but a narrow neck jutted upwards. At the top of the narrow neck, was a large oblong boulder somehow miraculously staying in place atop the thin neck.
There was a Gerudo woman at the desk of the inn, her luscious red hair spilling down her back. She was toned like most Gerudo women; all of them having excellent genes. I had trained for years and I knew my body would never look as muscular as a Gerudo. "How can I help you?" She asked in a husky voice.
"We'll take two rooms." I replied, "Single bed."
The woman arched an eyebrow, her light green lips pursing, "Surely a young couple such as the two of you would want a room together." Leaning in close to me she whispered, "Or are you two fighting?"
"What?" I asked, baffled. "Couple?" The woman's eyes looked past me to Link and then realization hit, causing my face to turn bright red.
"He certainly is a handsome voe. You're a very lucky vai!" She walked away from the desk, going to retrieve a room key.
"No, wait!" I called after her, "It's not like that!" But the woman had rounded a corner, out of earshot.
My hand came up to my forehead and I groaned in dismay. Seeing my reaction, Link walked over to me, his eyes questioning. I shook my head, "Don't ask." I said a little too fiercely. However Link didn't seem phased.
Just then the woman returned, a key in her hand. "Here," She said, handing me a key. "Enjoy!"
"But, I think separate rooms would work best." I said, trying to reason with her.
She gave me a knowing look, "You may be quarreling now, but it's best not to go to bed angry. Talk things out and then embra-"
"Nevermind!" I quickly cut in, seeing where this was going. Grabbing Link's arm, I pulled him behind me, my face burning from embarrassment.
I quickly found our room and let go of Link's wrist, ignoring his questioning eyes. Opening the door, I let out an exasperated sigh as one bed, big enough to fit two people comfortably, greeted me.
The room itself was fairly small, with a nightstand on either side of the bed and a dresser on the wall across from the bed. I set my backpack, bow, and quiver down next to the dresser and rolled my shoulders. Link set his down as well and then sat on the bed. I looked over at him, my face still flushed.
He arched a curious eyebrow at me and my hands clenched into fists. "Don't say anything!" I seethed. "It was a misunderstanding!"
Link gave a nervous laugh, amused by my outburst, but uncertain if he was safe from my anger.
Knowing he wasn't to blame for the situation, I let out a deep breath trying to calm myself. I shuffled through my backpack and took out my sleeping bag. Walking over to the head of the bed, I grabbed a large pillow and placed it in the center of the bed. Then rolling out my sleeping bag I pointed at it. "My side." Then pointing at the other side of the pillow I said, "Your side."
"What's with the sleeping bag?" He inquired.
I crossed my arms, "You can sleep under the covers and I'll sleep on top in my sleeping bag. It's basically like we're sleeping in two separate beds." I explained.
"I don't know if I see the logic in that conclusion." He said, a smile on his face.
"Just go with it." I gritted out.
He laughed and although I was still slightly angry, I couldn't help but give a small smile as he laughed. "Let's go check out the Bazaar." I said, happy to change the subject.
The two of us left the room and walked back out to the Bazaar. There were many vendors sitting at their booths, talking to potential customers. The items for sale varied considerably, from desert clothing to food to weapons to gemstones.
Link and I walked around the bizarre, having fun looking at all the cool items. Seeing a stand selling shaved ice, I quickly bought two of them and gave one to Link. The cold of the ice felt good as the temperature hadn't dropped much yet.
We finished our shaved ice and Link went over to look at a stand selling weapons. I peered at it, wondering if they had any arrows as I could stock up now. However I didn't see any, so instead I walked over to the pond and took my sandals off. I pulled my pants up and waded into the water, which was warmer than the air temperature. I squished at the sand with my feet, enjoying myself.
I had missed the desert. Despite its bipolar nature and barrenness, there was a certain familiarity that I felt in the desert. In all actuality, Gerudo had been more of a home to me than Hyrule Castle. Here there was warmth, comfort, and understanding, while at the castle everything was rigid and precise, allowing no room for error.
"Zelda." I turned to see Link next to me, a bowl of creamy heart soup in his hand. "I figured you'd be hungry."
"Thanks." I said, taking the bowl. We waded over to a rock that looked out on the pond and sat on it, enjoying the buzz around us. My bare feet dipped into the warm water. "Find any weapons?" I asked.
Link shook his head. From behind me I heard some clanking and then Link came into my peripheral, sitting next to me. He swung his legs over the rock and dipped his feet into the water too, having taken his sandals and shin protectors off. "The desert is not what I expected." he mused and then took a spoonful of soup.
"No?" I responded, "What did you expect?"
"Sand and not much else."
I smiled, "Although it may look like a barren wasteland upon first glance, there is actually a lot of life in the desert."
"I'm beginning to see that."
"We should take some time to explore the desert." I said, an idea sparking. "I can show you some of my favorite places as well as survey the desert with the Slate."
"That sounds nice, actually." Link said.
"Excellent." Setting my empty bowl down, I stepped back into the water. I tilted my head back to look at the nighttime sky, not a cloud in sight and twinkling with stars. A feeling of contentment filled my chest. Hearing a splash, I saw Link had jumped into the water behind me. Together we looked up at the sky, simply enjoying the soft glow of the torches, the warm water on our feet and shins, and the ideal chatter around us.
I glanced at Link then and smiled. Although reluctant at first, I was glad that our paths had crossed.