Author's Note: I am having way too much fun developing this AU and keeping everyone guessing. Sorry...except that I'm not very sorry :P The challenge, I've discovered, is making sure that Navi's presence is felt in each part I write, even when she's not physically present. I like the interesting perspective this brings to our exploration of their relationship, because you can't really know how much someone means to you until they're not there. Also, please note that I've begun indicating the chronological order in which these parts occur, to ease your understanding at least once they're all published.
Timeline: Adult; Gerudo King AU part 3 of 6
Theme 25: Trouble lurking
"What heinous crime did I ever commit that the goddess would punish me so?" Binoora snarled under her breath.
"Hmm, maybe it had something to do with mercilessly torturing innocent travelers trying to pass through your lands," Link muttered, shifting his arm slightly so it wouldn't touch hers. It was hard to do, as they were both lying on their stomachs in a very small hole in the wall, but they both attempted to touch each other as little as possible.
"The desert is sacred ground, hallowed by our ancestors," Binoora whispered hotly. "We cannot allow foolish foreigners to strut through with no regard for where they tread! Or what they mishandle."
Link refused to glance at her, but he couldn't help the feeling of shame creeping over him. She was right, of course. He'd been a clumsy, foolish clod who'd naively thought his experience with four other temples had equipped him for this maddening, labyrinthine death trap with trouble lurking around every corner. And his mistakes had led to...so much pain and death...
But no, he couldn't think about the past. There was only the future, even if the future did only contain the way to turn back time. He had to focus on that, or he would never be able to move an inch.
"I think the way is clear," he said, starting to crawl out of their cramped hiding spot. "We should make a run for the next chamber."
"No, wait!" Binoora hissed, snatching at his sleeve.
But Link tore away from her grip and scurried out of the jagged hole in the wall where they'd been hiding. He peeked around the edge of the crate that mostly shielded them from view of the rest of the room, and saw nothing but burning torches and the sharp blades sticking out of the floor meant to deter the more unwary intruders.
The important thing, though, was that there were no monsters. And especially, no Hand of the Goddess. Though they would be able to hear that coming a long way off.
Link motioned to Binoora and pulled out his sword just in case. His right arm felt naked without his shield, but there was no getting it back from that enormous Like-Like. He would just have to do without. To Binoora's credit, despite their mutual dislike of each other, she unsheathed her swords as well and assumed a defensive position on his right side.
"Okay," Link said, starting forward into the center of the room. "That patrolling Lizalfos unlocked the door, so we should be able to get—"
Binoora's unceremonious shove in the side was the only thing that saved Link from the Lizalfos that sprang over the stack of crates in their corner of the room. Its long, poison-tipped rapier clanged against Binoora's blades as it shrieked a battle cry. Link turned his ungainly sprawl into a roll, striking at the second Lizalfos' legs and forcing it to jump back.
Lizalfos always fought in pairs, one retreating while the other sprang forward to attack. Their fast reflexes and unpredictable movements were difficult to counter on the best of days, and Link was already weary from hours of running and fighting. And he didn't even have a shield.
Link leapt to his feet, circling carefully away from Binoora, who was expertly trading blows with the first Lizalfos. He had less protection this way, but if they separated the Lizalfos from each other, they wouldn't be able to fall back on their usual tactics. The Lizalfos' own speed and agility would work against them, because their stamina was not up to a prolonged battle.
The second Lizalfos, who danced back and forth on skittish feet, seemed to realize what Link's plan was. Its forked tongue lashed out, and it let out a shrill, "Nyeeeh!" of irritation. But its hesitation was only momentary before it darted forward, jabbing its sword at Link's unprotected right side.
However, Link had been expecting this, and easily blocked the attack. Usually, he would have blocked it with his shield and then immediately parried, taking advantage of the moment when his enemy's guard was down. But because he now had to use his sword to block, he wasn't able to parry before the Lizalfos jumped backwards out of range.
The two circled around each other warily for a few moments, testing each other's guard with glancing jabs and feints. The one good thing about this battle was that Lizalfos carried no shields either. They only wore light breastplates with spiked pauldrons, but their flexible, reptilian movements made shields impractical much of the time. That meant Link was more or less evenly matched with this monster.
Hoping to catch the Lizalfos off-guard, Link ducked low and swiped at its legs, but it merely sprang up out of the way, scampering up the stack of crates and dropping down behind Link. He barely managed to whirl around fast enough to block the blade from stabbing him in the back.
As they continued to fight, Link began to realize they were a little too evenly matched. He couldn't seem to get an upper hand, and he couldn't even rely on his usual methods during this battle. It took much more effort to defend himself, and he had to constantly be alert, because...he had no second pair of eyes.
Navi would have shouted warning. Navi would have told him exactly how to evade the attack, and he would have instantly obeyed. He had trained himself to heed her warnings before he could even think. But Navi was gone, so there was no one to yell, "Watch out!" in his ear before the poisoned blade stabbed into his side.
Link let out a choked cry, but had the presence of mind to thrust his sword up into the Lizalfos' neck before collapsing to the ground. The pain of impact with the stones of the floor was nothing compared to the burning pain all down his right side. He looked down at his ribs impaled by the rapier, shaking his head to clear his blurring vision. It wasn't even bleeding that much, but he could practically feel the poison rushing up his veins.
With a gurgling cry, the other Lizalfos crashed to the ground, choking on his own blood and a Gerudo blade in his throat. Binoora hastened to his side, not even bothering to wipe her beloved swords clean. "Your Highness!" she cried, dropping to one knee and setting her swords aside.
Link smirked slightly. "I must...really look bad," he said, fumbling at his belt. "You never call me that..."
Rather than responding, Binoora tore his tunic away from the wound to get a better look at it. Link couldn't see it from his angle, but he could tell from the way her eyes widened above her veil that the situation was dire. What infernal poison had these Lizalfos dipped their blades in?
"Pull the sword out," Link said, pulling out the last jar of red potion and tugging the cork out with his teeth, propping himself up on one elbow.
Normally, that would be a very stupid thing to do, but the longer that sword was in him, the more poison the potion would have to counteract. He could see Binoora setting her jaw behind the veil as she wrapped both hands around the hilt of the sword, and for a wild moment he worried that she would just push it in farther and be done with him. After all, it was no more than he deserved. She owed him nothing but vengeance.
But Binoora yanked the sword out in one swift motion, and Link gulped down the red potion. He lay back, screwing his eyes shut and trying to quell the nausea that rose in response to the fire ripping through his veins. The steady warmth of the potion seeped through him, pushing back the wave of poison back to the hole oozing blood down his side. After what felt like hours, the pain subsided and the skin knit together again.
He breathed deep, wiping the sweat off his clammy forehead, and let out a long sigh of relief. The poison left him feeling shaky, though he was completely healed. His heart was still pounding with adrenaline.
"That was the last potion, wasn't it?" Binoora said, sitting back on her heels.
Link hesitated, then nodded. "We're in bad shape."
With an impressive show of nonchalance, Binoora shrugged and proceeded to wipe her swords clean before sheathing them. "As the goddess wills."
Pushing himself up to a sitting position at last, Link retrieved his own sword from a few feet away. "I'm starting to think the goddess doesn't like us."
"Oh? Perhaps it is your goddesses who wish us ill."
Link looked at her sharply; this wouldn't be the first argument they'd had about their deities. But Binoora's veil twitched and her eyes curved upwards slightly. Her dark eyes slid across to him, and Link realized she was smiling.
"Or perhaps they merely mean to teach us a lesson—in patience and forbearance, I think."
For the first time, a shred of understanding seemed to pass between them. "And in listening to the advice of those who are wiser."
Binoora got to her feet and held out a hand to help him up. "I am not wiser than you, Your Highness. I merely know the desert. Now come. The hourglass awaits."