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Shadowed Waters

7

When You Swim with Zoras…

Prince Ralis was utterly surprised with the girl's answer. But he was no longer letting rationality affect his actions. He had long since stopped listening to his better judgment. He knew how to get the both of them out of this situation unseen, and theoretically it should work.

Ralis let his body work without help from his mind, because he knew his mind would only distract him by focusing on things like how warm and soft the girl's hand felt in his own… Ralis blinked a few times to clear his head.

Then, in one fast movement, he pulled the girl close, spinning her onto his back, her arms clasped around his neck. "Hold on tight," he said before diving into the water.

Agitha stifled a scream as she realized what the Zora was doing, instead she took a deep breath, but didn't let go. For a moment the cold washed over her, prickling icily against her formerly drying skin. But then it changed, softened, almost. Agitha opened her eyes to a blue veil slightly obscuring her vision. She could still see, but everything had a slight tint.

"You should be able to breathe now," said the Zora, simply, as he kicked down to the bottom of the river, too deep for anyone at the surface to make out distinct shapes.

Agitha didn't test this theory right away, but gulped uncertainly. But soon enough her body needed air. She opened her mouth and was surprised to find that no water rushed in. She took a small breath, then a larger one. She was breathing… underwater?

"You should be able to talk now too, like us Zoras."

Agitha suddenly had a million questions, but all she could manage to say was, "How…?"

The Zora laughed, Agitha could both hear it and feel it as it shook his body. It sounded like chimes echoing through the water. "Let me get us somewhere safe, and then I'll explain. I can't keep this up for too long."

It was hard to tell where they were going while underwater, noted Agitha uncertainly. But she had trusted the Zora this far, and there was no turning back now. She did notice that it got very dark for a while, she could barely see anything in front of them, but the Zora seemed fine. She assumed Zoras must have better night vision than humans. She could feel the steady beats of the Zora's kick beneath her, up and down, webbed feet together, with slight changes as he swerved around obstacles she could not see.

Agitha was very relieved when she started to see light; her arms were growing tired from holding on so tight. Soon enough the water was lit up again with the bright sunlight from above. The Zora's movement began to slow as he ascended to the surface.

Agitha instinctively gulped down fresh air as they broke the surface, despite the fact that she had been breathing freely for the entire trip. She looked around the regain her bearings, and quickly realized they were just outside of the tunnel she had originally taken with the soldier, Colin. There was a stone bridge crossing the water a little ways away from them and the vast expanse of Hyrule field spread out in both directions, following the line of the sheer mountainside in which the tunnel was carved through. Agitha was still holding on to the Zora as he swam both of them over to a little stone ledge on the side of the river.

When they reached the platform the Zora easily shifted Agitha off his back and set her down on the stone shore, with very little visible strain on his corded muscles, despite the fact that he was treading water while doing this. Agitha was fairly impressed as she watched the Zora pull himself onto the platform as well. Both sat there for a moment in silence dangling their feet in the swift current.

Agitha decided to break the silence with one of the many questions vying for attention within her own head. But the one that won out in the end surprised even her. "Why did you help me?" she asked, looking at the Zora.

If the Zora was at all taken aback by the question, he didn't show it. He just looked passively out over the water and said, "Because you helped me." He paused for a moment, and then turned to meet her gaze with his emerald eyes. They were beautiful, almost luminous in the sunlight, like radiant gemstones.

Agitha quickly looked away, feeling slightly awkward, but she wasn't sure why. "This is… weird," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Incredibly," answered the Zora, his soft voice a little jumpy.

"Well," said Agitha plowing forward, "You asked me a question back there. What was it? I'll answer your questions if you answer mine." Agitha wasn't entirely sure she wouldn't regret that statement later, but there was no going back now. Now that she was alone with this Zora she just couldn't picture him as a monster. He seemed really quite sweet.

He pondered this proposition for a moment before replying, "Okay, deal. I had asked you why you helped me get out of the net?"

Agitha bit her lip, "Well," she began, unsure of what to say… why exactly did she help this Zora? "To be honest, the reasons are a little selfish," she said sheepishly. "I have questions, I want answers." Agitha had a nagging feeling that that answer was not quite as honest as she claimed, but the rational part of her mind was stubbornly refusing to believe otherwise.

The Zora nodded and Agitha watched as the reflective lights off the water danced across his shimmering blue-gray skin. "Fair enough," he said, "Now I'm sure you have many questions…?" He asked with a small smile.

"Oh yes," said Agitha, returning his smile with one of her own. She thought about it for a moment before asking, "What exactly happened? You know that day…" He held up a hand as if to say "no more" and to spare both of them further embarrassment. That fateful day was obviously still a touchy subject for the Zora as well. Agitha looked awkwardly down at her own feet.

"Well, I'll be honest now," said the Zora, "I'm not exactly sure. I just know that I was on the riverbed and suddenly you fell into the water. I think you must have hit your head or something during the fall because you passed out very quickly. I – I couldn't just leave you there. So I carried you to shore, but you weren't breathing so I, uh..." he paused scratching nervously at his fish-tailed appendage.

"So you weren't…?" started Agitha, blushing deeply, she glanced quickly up at the Zora who was blushing as well.

He held up both his hands and waved them slightly, "No, n-never," he stuttered slightly, his passive façade cracking, "I would never violate a girl like that."

"Even a Hylian?" asked Agitha quietly.

The Zora paused and looked at her for a second, "What do you mean?" His green eyes locked with her own violet ones. His gaze was piercing.

"Well," started Agitha, feeling more and more ashamed of herself by the second, "I had heard these rumors that – that Lake Hylia had become unsafe. That Hylians are disappearing and that the Zoras had something to do with it."

"What?" said the Zora sounding a little outraged. "What has Mallor been keeping from me?" he muttered. Agitha cast him a confused glance at this last statement, but he was too deep in thought to notice.

Suddenly he came out of his reverie saying "I'm sorry, but I truly don't know what you are talking about. I wish I could help dispel these rumors… but I don't know how." He looked sadly out over the rushing river water.

"Well," said Agitha mustering up as much brightness as she could, "You have one Hylian convinced."

The Zora seemed quite taken aback at this statement, "Really? I have thought I would have to be down on my hands and knees begging for your forgiveness."

"I wouldn't be opposed to any groveling," said Agitha with a light smile, "But it's really not necessary. I believe your story, and if you really had wanted to hurt me, you could have easily done so before now. And," she paused for a moment, debating on the best way to continue, "I'm sorry for overreacting."

The Zora said nothing for a moment before asking, "What is your name?"

"Agitha."

"I Ralis, forgive you, Agitha, on one condition."

"And what might that be?"

"You forgive me."

Agitha looked up at the Zora named Ralis at met his green-eyed gaze. She had the sudden urge to move closer to him, to feel his cool skin against her own. But she restrained herself, and asked, "Forgive you? For what? You have done nothing but help me… on multiple occasions for that matter."

Their gazes were still locked when he answered, "For this."

And with that he leaned down and kissed her.

*Whaaaa? How did that just happen?* Don't worry, all will be explained soon, this just seemed like a good spot to end the chapter

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