Blades of the Yiga
The sun was just over the horizon to the east, she could see the brilliant hues of reds and yellows beginning to illuminate the sky. She was making good time; she predicted she would have been passing Lake Kolomo by this hour but she had passed it nearly an hour ago, she would reach her destination with plenty of time to spare. A smile spread across her rosy cheeks, she was feeling adventurous, content with her freedom. Her satisfaction was cut short as a pair of bright blue eyes entered her mind; His eyes.
Those eyes that were always watching, fearless and devoted yet utterly expressionless and void of almost any emotion. She felt a twinge of guilt at that moment, what would he think of her now?
Did he think what everyone in the kingdom thought of her?
Distracted by her thoughts and guilt, the princess failed to see an approaching bokoblin charging towards her. It was the terrified whinny of her white stallion that brought her attention back to the road and to the charging creature ready to strike. She managed to steer the white horse out of the creatures wooden club and galloped away at full speed.
Her breath was stilled as she continued to gallop down the road too afraid to look back. Only when she felt she had put enough distance between herself and that monster did she finally release her grip on the reins and pulled her steed to a stop.
"I'm sorry Faina, I didn't mean to put you in any danger. I suppose this would be a good time to stop and rest, what do you think?" She asked as she pulled her white stallion to a nearby tree. The sun had made its ascent into the sky by now and the once blush sky was now bright and blue. As she dismounted her companion she thought about the reactions her caregivers would have when they realized she was gone. What would His reaction be to her absence? Would he try to track her down, he'd done it once before but she had been careful this time not to leave any obvious tracks to her whereabouts. She didn't want to be followed by Him, she'd made it clear that day in the Ancient Columns.
Flashback
She crossed the Tabantha bridge with a sigh of relief, bridges were never her strong suit. There was something nerve-wrecking about them, about their structure, that always seemed to make her feel uneasy. But she reminded herself this was for the sake of research and therefore sacrifices must be made. Despite her uneasiness, however, she felt quite excited, the anticipation of inverstigating a shrine was outstandingly thrilling, and although she could not predict what she would find—if she found anything—the thought of making a breakthrough had her all the more eager.
"This is the day Faina, today we find success!" She said trying to convince herself that although this was her 80th shrine, this was the one; the shrine that would finally allow her to peer inside. Nearing the summit the Ancient Columns finally came into view and pretty soon the roof of the shrine came into her range of sight.
"There it is!" She shrieked with excitement. She pulled her white stallion off to the side and tied her to the column closest to the shrine. She gazed in amazement at the structure. No matter how many times she saw one, her amazement and intrigue were always the same. She walked up the steps to the shrine and carefully began inspecting the terminal pad. There was nothing significantly different from the rest of the shrines but she thought she might as well follow a well-executed inspection of the area. So she walked around the shrine three to four times, just in case she missed something, she walked down the hill and inspected the columns for a clue that would show her how to open the doors.
Alas she found nothing worth noting, feeling exasperated she began to walk back up the hill towards the sleeping shrine, the sky was already painted bright orange and she could see Divine Beast Vah-Medoh out in the distance. The sight was too beautiful to behold. Suddenly feeling determined she decided to continue inspecting the shrine, but first she decided to capture the moment and with her Sheikah slate in hand snapped a photo of her inspiring view.
"That's definitely a keeper" she said as she smiled.
She gazed back at the shrine and thought just maybe..
With the Sheikah slate in hand, the princess walked back up the hill and onto the shrines platform, she thought just maybe the slate was the key to opening the shrine, it worked on the Divine Beasts so why not here?
Slowly she descended her hand onto the terminal pad and gently placed the Sheikah slate over it—nothing happened.
"Nothing, just as I thought" she said removing the slate from the pad, frustration seeping into her.
"Hmmm"
"It appears this structure, like all the others, was designed to be exclusively accessed by the swords chosen one" she said bitterly
Refusing to accept that fact she pressed on.
"But designs can always be worked around, at least I hope they can, in this case." She continued, frustration and resentment filling up inside. It was a combination of feelings she was used to experiencing, having failed on so many shrine surveys she was very well accustomed to this type of dissapointment; resentment, however was new but she'd quickly gotten used it nonetheless. It wasn't a feeling she was proud of, but she couldn't help herself, when He appeared in her life with that sword on his back, her failure to unlock her own destiny was constantly reminded.
"How do I get inside?" she sighed
"I need to activate it somehow" she tapped her fingers on the slate, a mannerism she used when she felt annoyed or frustrated.
Just then she heard the sound of an approaching horse and was quickly greeted with the sight of her appointed knight riding as fast as he could up the hill.
Anger came flooding into her as she aggressively stomped towards him.
"I thought I made it clear that I am not in need of an escort." She spat angrily
The blue-eyed knight was taken aback by his princesses aggression, but refused to show any emotion to her animosity. This wouldn't be the first time she was offensive towards him but nonetheless it angered him, and it took every ounce of his will power to restrain himself from biting back. She was after all his princess and it was his duty to protect her at all costs.
"It seems that I am the only one with a mind of my own" she shook her head dissaprovingly
"I, the person in question, am fine, regardless of the kings orders." She continued angrily without restraint.
He wanted to fight back and ask her what her problem with him was but he didn't, he looked at her, face blank, eyes focused. It seemed that his demeanor added to her frustrations, she didn't understand why he never said anything. Why he just looked at her with those calm blue eyes, they were like the waters of lake Hylia— blue and still.
"Return to the castle and tell that to my father, please" she spat as she walked around him, sass in every step she took.
As she walked away the young knight took a deep breath before finally chasing after his angry princess, he maintained a safe distance behind her, watching and observing. Probably one of the most annoying things he could do, but he did it all the same because it was his duty to serve and protect.
She mounted Faina after her meal was finished, she shook her head angrily at the memory. She'd been so angry and disappointed that she took it all out on Him, it wasn't his fault her power had not yet awakened, yet his eternal presence continually reminded her of that fact.
He must hate me, especially after this. She thought regrettably.
"It doesn't matter now, there's no point in dwelling in what's already happened there is still much to be done" she said nudging Faina to go a little faster this time. The sooner she got to Gerudo town the better.
She reached the canyon stable by sun down and figured she might as well stay the night, they would tend to her horse and she would get a chance to rest. She wondered how the castle was handling her escape, how He was handling it, was He tracking her down, did He give up? Her father would be furious when she got back, but she would handle that when the time came, for now her research was important, too important and therefore her mind needed to be well rested. With that last thought the princess fell victim to her fatigue and was soon fast asleep.
She was awakened the next morning by one of the stable workers, an old grumpy looking man who had seen better days.
"Thank you, sir" her voice sleepy and tired. She looked out towards the outside and saw that it was still dark.
Perfect she thought.
If she left now then the heat of the dessert wouldn't be so harsh, she would rent out a sand seal and make her way to Urbosa in Gerudo town, then she would head out towards the Palu wasteland where she was sure a shrine lurked by.
She left the warm comforts of the purchased bed and quickly put on her ankle boots, she washed her face and made herself a quick omelette before renting a sand seal from a Gerudo woman at the champions gate. As she set off towards the sandy sea she couldn't help but think about Him, she didn't understand why it was so seemingly important for her to know what he thought of her. What He thought about her inability to awaken her power, did he think she was a failure like so many others?
He awakened his power with so little effort, he was focused and strong and tasks seemed to come easy to him, well all except keep his eye on her. She slipped away from his watchful eye without much effort, she felt guilty about making his job harder than it had to be but for some reason she couldn't bare his presence—it was that stupid sword on his back, her constant reminder of her failure.
She wiped the sweat off her brow, the heat of the desert was already becoming unbearable. She was nearly there however, she could see the stone towers of Gerudo town and she could see Naboris off in the distance. It would be at least another hour before she reached it however, so she decided to stop at the Kara Kara Bazaar for a drink and a few minutes of shade. After her short break she continued to sail across the sandy desert, it was nearing noon when she finally reached the gate of Gerudo Town.
As she entered the town she was greeted with a lively market full of life. She made her way to the center of the town where she knew the entrance to the chiefs palace was. As she neared it she realized that she had not been greeted with impolite stares or whispers, it seemed that no one here knew who she was or cared who she was. It didn't matter to her, for the first time in her life she felt like she could breath easy even if it was just for a moment.
As she reached the top of the stairs the princess was greeted by a large Gerudo woman with bright blue eyes guarding the entrance.
"Good afternoon I've come to see Lady Urbosa" she said timidly.
The woman looked at her for a few seconds before nodding her head and opening the path to the palace. As she entered she was greeted by her friend who sat in her golden chair drinking from a stem glass.
"Welcome princess" she said in her sultry voice.
"Hello Urbosa, I'm sorry to just drop in unannounced but I received information that a shrine was nearby and I wanted to take a closer look at it." She responded
"Of course princess, you can always count on me for assistance, however there is something that I must address with you" she said as she put her now empty glass down.
"The king notified each and every one of the champions of your stunt and asked us to notify him at once if you came to us, now I'm not going to do that unless to give me a good reason as to why you put yourself at risk like that" her emerald eyes burned through her own, waiting for a reasonable explanation.
"I.." she stumbled
"I knew father would object to this expedition and I knew I had to come and continue my research, it is all I can do to prepare for the return of Calamity Ganon, without my sealing powers I am virtually useless and I wanted to feel like I'm doing something, to play my part as best as I could." Her voice cracked as she finished, she'd never admitted her fears to anyone out loud before but she felt she could trust Urbosa, there was something in her that felt motherly, and so she was drawn to that.
Urbosa eyed the young princess, thinking whether she should ask about the boy assigned to protect her, but she knew the answer to her question so she refrained from asking.
"Very well princess, I will not let your father know that you are here, for now anyways. Now tell me where is this shrine you wish to see"
They traveled across the desert aboard Naboris, she was a fascinating machine constructed so beautifully and powerful; Zelda was glad the beast was on their side.
They reached the wastelands in record time at which point Zelda began her investigation. Urbosa watched from a distance aboard Naboris thinking how much effort she seemed to put into her work only to come out empty handed. She could understand why she didn't want the boy near her, a skilled swordsman who accomplished so much at such a young age, well it was unbearable for her. Still, it was a difficult situation and yet Urbosa remained hopeful that the princess would one day realize how similar they both were.
As she gazed towards the horizon the bright reds and yellows of the sun enveloped the sandy dunes of the desert making them seem like they were ablaze. It was a beautiful sight truthfully but it reminded her of everything they could lose if things did not go as planned. As the night drew nearer she decided to fetch the princess before she was eaten alive by a desert coyote.
Commanding the beast to lower the hatch she set out towards the area Zelda was currently scanning.
"Princess the sun will go down any minute now, it is time to go back inside. You can continue in the morning" she held out her hand and swiftly helped the princess up on her feet.
"Thank you Urbosa, for everything" she said as they walked back inside Naboris
"Don't thank me yet princess" she said as she closed the hatch.
While inside Urbosa made them a traditional Gerudo meal, creamy hearty soup made with some of the finest ingredients in town. They ate in silence mainly because Zelda was too exhausted to hold a conversation. Once the food was gone they sat out in the terrace area with a blanket and a few pillows. It wasn't long before Zelda found herself asleep against Urbosa's shoulder.
It was then that she heard Him arrive.
"Ah, well you certainly got here fast. I should have expected as much from the princess's own appointed knight."
Her eyes were fixed on him, she'd only met him once before during his ceremony. He was tall, strong, handsome and he carried himself with confidence and elegance. There was something else about him too, his cobalt eyes were focused and stern. She'd seen that same focus many times before on a pair of emerald eyes.
She caught him looking at the blond haired princess now currently sleeping on her shoulder. His eyes were warm and tender.
"She was out on a survey all day today—still as the sands now.." she answered his question without him having to ask.
"So…? Spill it boy. Have the two of you been getting along alright?"
Her question took him by surprise, he wasn't sure how to answer. Should he tell her the truth, that she hates him for no apparent reason, that she finds any opportunity to shout at him, that he feels like he's way over his head. That the burden on his shoulders is weighing him down..
He shifted uncomfortably and was about to answer her question when she interrupted him.
"It's ok, I know, your silence speaks volumes" she said while turning her gaze back to the sleeping princess.
"She gets frustrated every time she looks up and sees you carrying that sword on your back. It makes her feel like a failure when it comes to her own destiny"
It was like she could read his mind, she was answering the questions he'd wanted to ask but couldn't bring himself to do so. This revelation however made him see the princess in a different light, he was so focused on protecting her and training himself to defeat an enemy he had no idea how to defeat that he failed to realize that they both carry the same burden.
"Don't worry it's not like you carry blame in any of this. It's unfortunate, she's put in more than enough time, ever since she was a young girl, she's gone through rigorous daily routines to show her dedication. She once passed out in the freezing waters trying to access this sealing power, and she has nothing to show for it. That's the motivation driving her research, I'd be doing the same thing." She continued
"She really is quite…special" she brushed a loose hair away from the sleeping princess.
It was in that moment that Link decided to be more tolerant of the princess's animosity towards him, he finally understood her, at least a little more than he did before. He would continue to silently carry his burden and he would share her burden, for it was the two of them who were chosen by destiny to defeat Calamity Ganon once again.
"You be sure to protect her with your life"
She turned her emerald gaze back at him, "it's quite the honor" her lips curved up into a smile, a gesture he returned in acceptance to his duty as Zelda's knight.
A cool breeze blew through the still night and Link shivered at the brisk temperature.
"The night brings a chill, it's probably time we take her in" she started to get up but decided against it.
"Hmm, or.."she whispered, mischief in her eyes.
Without warning she snapped her fingers and a bolt of lighting struck near Naboris. The sound was deafening and frightening at the same time. Zelda jumped from her spot on Urbosas shoulder, her heart racing.
"Urbosa what was that, did you feel that?" She asked feeling panicked.
Slowly she turned around and was caught off guard upon seeing Him standing there.
"Wait, what—how did you—what are you doing here?!" She exclaimed, feeling a rush of embarrassment at her present state. She could feel the heat rising in her face.
Seeing her flustered Urbosa couldn't help herself and started laughing.
"Wh-what's so funny?" She asked feeling agitated.
"Urbosa you promised you wouldn't tell my father where I was" her agitation worsening with her thunderous laugh. She rose from her seat on the ground, her cheeks bright red, she looked at Link and back at Urbosa. Unable to stand the situation she stormed off into the interior of Naboris.
Feeling helpless Link stared at Urbosa waiting for her to say something. When she finally stopped laughing she too got up from her spot on the floor.
"Don't worry Link I'll talk to her, meanwhile you should go, head back to Kara Kara, I've arranged a place for you to stay the night. I'll watch over the princess for now." She placed a strong reassuring hand on his shoulder and headed back inside, where you could hear the princess fuming.
He stood there for a few minutes admiring the scenery, despite the frigid air, the desert was a beautiful place. A place he would like to visit again once this was over. Wrapping his hood around his neck Link left the Divine beast and headed towards the bazaar, where a delicious hot meal and warm bed awaited him.
That night Zelda slept under Urbosa's watchful eye, after she stormed away she came to realize that she could count on no one, not even Urbosa. She didn't really understand her frustration, she didn't understand that she did not want to be around Him.
She did feel a bit guilty however, she'd yelled at him yet again and to no fault of his own. He must despise her by now.
She turned to see Urbosa fast asleep against the wall, her lightning helm safely tucked underneath her arm.
She became angry, everyone thought she was defenseless, and she hated that. All anyone ever did was try to protect her, to keep her safe, she made it all the way to the Gerudo desert without an escort, and she was fine. The journey was without incident and rather than be acknowledged as self-sufficient she was regarded as reckless. No one had said so, but she knew they were thinking it.
Well she would show them, she'd made the journey to the desert on her own and she would make it back to Hyrule just the same.
Making sure that Urbosa was still fast asleep, Zelda removed the covers off her body and quietly walked around her. Without any hesitation she wandered down to the hatch and opened it. She hoped the loud noise wouldn't wake Urbosa up and as the landing opened completely she hopped of the Divine beast and began to walk towards the bazaar.
As she walked through the cold night Zelda wished she would have waited until morning to make her escape, she'd rather be a little warm than cold. Holding her arms close to her chest she continued to walk until she could make out the large stone tower of the Kara Kara bazaar. She predicted she would reach the bazaar before anyone woke up, if she was lucky He would sleep in thinking she was still under Urbosa's watchful eyes. By the time they realized she was gone she would be at least two hours ahead of them, giving her enough time to get to the castle before He did.
When she got back to castle she would speak to her father about Him, tell him that she didn't want to be followed around, that she didn't need protection, that she didn't need to be someone's duty.
"Yes I will tell him that" she said to herself.
She looked out towards the horizon, the sky was starting to turn a blush tone, the sun was nearly out. She had to hurry, if she didn't reach the bazaar before sunrise she feared someone might see her and immediately alert Him or Urbosa, so she quickened her step in hope of reaching her destination before that time.
A few minutes later she reached the entrance to the bazaar and luckily the the sun was not yet over the horizon. She continued to walk into the desert towards the direction of the canyon stable, where she would get her horse and gallop away towards the castle.
She was nearly there, one more hour and she would be free. She crossed the bazaar just as the sun was beginning to illuminate the sky. She walked a few meters away from the bazaar when she heard someone following her. Feeling uneasy she continued to walk thinking she was hearing things, she had walked all night and was probably fatigued. She heard it again and this time could not ignore the sound to be a figment of her imagination.
Looking back to see what it was she saw nothing but sand and the slow and steady rise of the sun.
As she turned back she saw a bright glowing light manifest itself in front of her and then two more on each of her sides. When the light disappeared three Yiga clan members stood before her, sicle's drawn.
They were tall and lean and wore a bright red suit, similar to the Sheikah's, their faces were covered by a mask bearing an inverted eye. Startled she turned back and started running towards the bazaar.
She ran as fast as her legs would allow her, but she wasn't fast enough they were right behind her, laughing maniacally; they were taunting her. Still she kept running, the sun was just over the horizon and she could see the Kara Kara bazaar, perhaps if she managed to reach it she could scream and call for help. Surely someone would hear her—at least she hoped He would.
She reached the entrance to the bazaar and just when she was about to call for help, she felt a stinging pain just above her ankle and tumbled down to the rocky floor. One of the clan members swung his sicle at her legs and sliced her skin; blood was trickling down her leg now and she was completely defenseless.
They circled around her swinging their blades, she was surrounded, was this to be her end, would she die right here, right now without unlocking her power?
She closed her eyes just as the soldier picked up his sicle high above his head and just as he was about to strike a long sword cut him off and swiftly knocked him dead.
She opened her eyes at the sound of metal clashing together and was surprised to see Him—Link—standing protectively in front of her. His sword was drawn and his eyes were intense. Zelda couldn't Believe her eyes, he protected her without any consideration for his own life. From where she stood she could see every angle of his face, she hadn't noticed before but Link was very handsome. Her cheeks grew warm but not from embarrassment, she wasn't sure why, but there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach, something like butterflies fluttering inside her. She couldn't explain it but it was a warm fuzzy feeling, a feeling that she had never felt before in her life.
"Princess are you alright" his voice brought her back to reality.
He was kneeling in front of her now, a worried expression on his handsome features, his wolf-like eyes tender and warm. She felt her cheeks burning again and immediately looked away from him.
"My leg" she managed to say, still feeling a bit shaken from the attack. He brought his gaze to her injured ankle at which point she saw two bodies lying on the ground—lifeless. She looked away and focused her eyes on him. He was scanning the cut in her leg.
"Does it hurt?" He asked, gently moving her leg.
She winced and nodded her head. "Do you think you can walk?" He asked again.
"I can try" she said starting to get up. Suddenly she felt the weight of his hand on her shoulder.
"Not yet, allow me to me to clean the area first." Without waiting for her approval he left her side and headed towards the small body of water a few yards away. The area where he had touched her was warm and fuzzy, a feeling she could not shake. He came back as quickly as he left, he had white rag in one wand and a small vile full of water in the other.
He kneeled in front of her again. "This is just water, we'll need to tend to it when I take you back to the stable." He said as he gingerly cleaned the blood off her leg. Once he was done he wrapped the cloth gently around her leg and secured it with a knot.
"Is that too tight?" He asked.
She shook her head in response and took his hands as she tried to get up. She managed to stand on her own but when she tried to take a step, the stinging pain in her leg had her falling straight into Link's awaiting arms.
"Are you alright?" He asked.
His arm was wrapped tightly around her waist while his other hand held hers. Her other free hand was tightly wrapped around the fabric of his Champions tunic.
They were only a few feet away from each other, but it was enough for her to see every freckle and feature of his face. He was beautiful, his hair was like the golden fields of wheat that covered parts of Hyrule, his eyes as blue as the waters of Lake Hylia—she'd fallen for him. In an instant her animosity towards him had vanished, and all it took was his courage.
"Yes, thank you" she shied away from his gaze. Realizing how improper this must look, Link slowly released his grip on her.
They needed to find a way to return to the stable, traveling the desert on a sand seal was out of the question for now. There was only one thing he could do.
He kneeled in front of her once again but this time with his back facing her.
"Climb on princess" he instructed
"wh-what?!" She exclaimed
"This is the only way, it'll only be for a while. When we get to the stable you'll be able to ride your horse" he explained. He admitted this was a terrible idea, but what else could he do, he knew she would object to the idea of asking Urbosa for help—she'd just escaped her grasp—this was the only way they could get across the desert without hurting her any further.
Seemingly reading his mind, Zelda complied and gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders and over his torso. She allowed herself to press her chest against his back and was surprised when Link, without warning, lifted her up by her thighs.
She was surprisingly light Link thought.
"This is very inappropriate." She whispered to herself hoping he didn't hear her.
Knowing she wasn't talking to him Link pretended he didn't hear her and only smiled at her comment.
The journey through the desert proved to be a bit tougher than Link initially thought. He had to stop twice to regain his stamina, the added weight took a lot out of him, even if the princess was as light as a feather.
"Link I can walk from here, we haven't much left to go" this was her second time volunteering to walk the rest of the way.
"It's alright princess, I'll be ok" he said with a reassuring smile. Zelda blushed mildly at the gesture.
"Let's get going, the sun will be setting soon and I do not want to be in the desert during the night" he resumed his position on his knees which Zelda took as a sign to climb on.
They traveled the rest of the way without interruptions, occasionally wandering away from the road if they spotted a lizalfos in the area.
By then they had traveled for about two hours and were nearing the end of their journey though the desert. By now Zelda had grown weary and had made herself comfortable against Links back.
"Princess we are here" he said softly
She realized she dozed off and immediately felt a twinge of guilt for putting her full body weight on Link.
"I'm sorry Link I didn't mean to doze off." She said embarrassed.
"It's alright" he said as he put her down gently on the stool near a cooking pot.
They had reached the stable and well before nightfall. Link truly was amazing, she could see now why he was chosen by the sword.
"I'll be right back" he said handing her back the Sheikah slate which he had been holding on to before they departed. The princess nodded in gratitude and watched as her knight got them two beds for the night, when he returned he gently tucked his arm underneath her legs and gingerly picked her up. Although she was surprised by his lack of attention she admitted she liked his sudden spontaneity, and so she wrapped her arms around his neck which inexplicably caused a slight flush to his face.
Once inside the small area Link gently put the princess on the bed and immediately began to care for her wound.
Zelda watched intently as Link cleansed the cut on her leg, she noticed he was very meticulous about his work. When he was done he wrapped the wound with a clean cloth.
"The wound is clean for now, but we'll have to change the bandages every 6 hours or so, also there is a chance it may leave a scar." He kept his gaze downward as he picked up the materials he had used to clean her cut.
"Thank you, Link, for everything you did today—and I'm sorry for causing so much trouble today and for everything else."
Her apology took him off guard and as he gazed at his princess he realized how different she was now to the person she had been a few days ago. He was different too, the night he received news from Urbosa informing him of the whereabouts of the princess, he was filled with rage and hatred towards her. He resented her childish behavior and immediately distanced himself from her emotionally. However after everything that happened today and the conversation he had with Urbosa the night before, Link could see the princess clearly now, she was just like him—burdened with the prophecy of legends.
"You're welcome princess" he responded
That night after a delicious meal, which Link gobbled down, the pair said good night and went off into their separate beds feeling like they could look forward to the following morning. A clean slate for the both of them.