Chapter 35 - On Foot

To the Five he must give aid
Lest time itself become unmade
The Ruler, The Stone, The Thief, The Forest Guide, The One From Deep
With each assisted, with him they shall keep
The One of Many shall hide his face
When the Five doth stand in place
Behind the shadow doth he stand
The power of the Dark God in his hand

It was Saria that found the two boys some time after the people had left to go home. They were sleeping underneath a table, completely exhausted from tearing around all night.
"Link, Talen, time to wake up. You need to get back to your own beds," Saria said softly, trying to shake them awake. But Link and Talen were immovable. She sighed and went to fetch the others, returning with everyone in tow.
"Can we carry them back? I don't really have the heart to wake them after they were being so nice tonight," Saria told them.
"I'll look after Link. Florella, you take Talen," Fura said quietly. She stooped down and lifted the slumbering boy into her arms. Florella made a gesture with her hand and Talen lifted into the air with a spell. She walked beside him, her hand absently running through his hair as they made their way back to the manor. Link squirmed slightly in Fura's arms, but settled down and buried his head in her shoulder with a contented sigh. Their respective carriers placed the two boys in their beds before everyone turned in for the night. It didn't take Link long to completely wreck the tidy bed sheets that Fura had so carefully put him under. He lay sprawled on his back, snoring loudly and thrashing his tail around. Talen, on the other hand, slept on his side without moving so much as a muscle, the expanding and contacting of his chest as he breathed the only movement noticeable.

Some of them were dreaming. They knew that their dreams were significant somehow, but they didn't know why. Link and Talen were sharing an identical dream. The two of them were fighting something, and their movements were exactly the same as the others.
Zelda was falling, no, flying in complete darkness towards Link. He seemed to be falling with a look of hopelessness on his face. He reached out one feeble hand towards Zelda and she took hold of it, stopping his descent. The two of them were suddenly surrounded in light and were lifted out of the darkness by a mysterious force.
Florella was dreaming too, but her dream wasn't some kind of profound message. Hers was more of a fantasy. She was standing at the altar with Talen and they were about to be wed. Everything was just the way she wanted it to be. White flowers littered the chapel; white silk streamers snaked out from the ceiling to every corner of the room. She was wearing a beautiful white dress and Talen was in a blue doublet. Everyone was there. Zelda, Saria, Ruto, Fura, Impa, Navi, Chat, Tannis, Elousin, Yula, Gargun, Torgun, Gardelia, Morgan, Isabella, Shera, everyone they had met on their journey. But one was missing. Link. She suddenly had a feeling that something was about to happen, and sure enough, it did. Just as her and Talen were to be pronounced man and wife, Link burst into the room and ran up to Talen. He bumped Florella out of the way and pointed towards the door.
"The fish are really biting today!" he said excitedly, handing Talen a fishing pole that he got from out of thin air. Talen took it up and ran towards the door with Link.
"Sorry Florella, maybe some other time," he said before disappearing out the door. Florella awoke with a start. It took her a while to remember where she was.
"Ugh," she groaned, flopping back down onto her pillow. "Even in my dreams he's annoying."

They left Arbouren in the morning. There were lots of tears on the girls' part. There was also lots of hugging and promises to come and visit. Link and Talen stood by in their regular clothes and waited patiently for the tears and goodbyes to subside.
"Why are they crying? It's not like we're never going to see her again," Link mumbled to Talen.
"They're girls, they like to over dramatise things," Talen mumbled back.
"True, true," Link nodded.
"Oh, I promised myself I wouldn't cry," Saria sniffed, walking away from Yula, who was crying herself.
"I never heard that," Link whispered to Talen. Saria stamped on his foot.
"Go over and say goodbye," she told the two of them. Link looked at her.
"I already did. I walked up to her and said "goodbye" as clear as a bell. You even heard me," Link told her.
"That wasn't good enough. There needs to be hugs in proper goodbyes. Now go," she shooed. Link made a face at her and walked over to Yula.
"Well Yula, it was an honour to meet you. Never before have I met a girl who showed such sensibleness and restraint. If we're lucky, some other people, who shall remain nameless, may have picked up on it. We'll see you again as soon as possible, Yula," Link told her. Yula embraced him fiercely and Link patted her on the back. Her tears were flowing again once she had also bid goodbye to Talen. Impa thanked Tannis and Elousin for their hospitality.
"Oh don't mention it," Tannis said. "Visitors actually give me an excuse not to do work for a change."
"Here, take these for your journey," Elousin told the Sheikah, handing her a bag. Impa inclined her head and turned to the children.
"Well, shall we go?"

"Oh, I'm going to miss her," Zelda said almost bitterly as they walked along the side of a small stream.
"So you've said for the umpteenth time," Link yawned. "You'll see her again."
"You wouldn't understand," Fura said loftily with a wave of her hand.
"You've got me there," Link shrugged. They were lucky the weather hadn't gone unbearably hot. Still, Link and Talen carried their boots instead of wearing them, claiming that their feet would get all gummy inside them. Birds whistled, leaves rustled, water gurgled in the stream and Link's shield and sword clanked together quietly.
"What was in the bag that Elousin gave you?" Zelda asked her guardian. Impa unclipped the bag from her waist and opened it.
"Something that Link would appreciate; candy," Impa smiled.
"That'll go down well after all those pies you ate," Florella laughed heartily at the boy.
Link gave her a sideways frosty glance, but said nothing. Navi looked at Impa as she circled Link's head.
"What kind of candy?" she asked.
"Boiled sweets and some chocolate."
"Hah!" Link laughed suddenly. "I don't even like those!"
"Oh? And why is that?" Florella asked mildly.
"I dunno. I can't eat chocolate without feeling sickly, I've always been like that," Link shrugged.
"You can eat twenty odd pies in one go, but come time for some chocolate, you get sick?" Zelda demanded.
"I eat so much because I'm a growing boy. Plus I need lots of energy to put the Fierce Deity's mask on," Link explained. "Besides...those pies were only little snack-pies."
"So you won't be gobbling all our supplies?" Florella queried.
"Of course I won't," Link snapped, looking a trifle hurt.
"Oh, you've gone and hurt his feelings," Fura said, gliding up to Link. "My poor widdle baby." She proceeded to pull him into a crushing hug that lifted him off the path. She walked along with Link dangling in front of her, letting him go only when he started whipping her legs with his tail.
"Now, now children," Impa told them. "Play nice."
"I was being nice," Fura pouted. Link shook his head and sighed.
"A pat on the back or a hand shake would be enough for me, you know," Link told her. Fura's eyes filled with fake tears and her bottom lip quivered.
"Y-you don't like it when I h-hug you?" she sniffed. "Even after I told you how much you mean to me?" Link suddenly looked very worried.
"Wait, that's not what I meant...oh, don't cry," he begged her. He sighed and gave her a quick, perfunctionary embrace. Fura sniffed and wiped her eyes dramatically.
"Thank you, Link. That means a lot to me," Fura told him in a choked voice. She turned and winked at the others, and also made sure to poke her tongue out at Ruto. Impa leaned over to Zelda.
"Taking notes?" she whispered. Zelda looked slightly startled and blushed rosily.
"Oh, and Fura? When you're trying to wheedle something you want, it's best not to over-dramatise things," Link said without turning around. Fura breathed in sharply and looked at Link as he strolled along the path.
"If you knew, then why did you play along?" she asked.
"Because like you said, I know how much little things like that mean to you. All you have to do is ask, and I'll give you a hug if you really want me too."
"You almost made it sound like a chore," Florella said with one eyebrow quirked.
"Well...it is embarrassing...and Fura squeezes too hard," Link said, looking skywards.

They walked for the rest of the day, surrounding themselves in idle conversation to pass the time. Link and Talen kept wandering up ahead of the group, insisting that they were scouting ahead for nasties, but they were, in truth, looking for an excuse to muck around without being told off by the girls. It was on one of these little excursions that the two of them found a good spot to spend the night. It was a sheltered spot of clear land on the bank of the stream a little way off the path. The two boys were quite pleased with themselves as Impa congratulated them. Talen dropped his heavy pack on the ground and proceeded to erect the tents as Link gathered wood for a fire.
"We're out of the large tree grove," Impa had told them. "So lighting a fire should work." And sure enough, it did. The orange flames danced against the darkening sky as Impa prepared their meal. Link and Talen were overjoyed to be able to eat hot food again, and got the tents set up in record time.
Once dinner had been prepared, Talen dragged a couple of logs over near the fire so that everyone could sit on them as they ate. The two boys were slightly disappointed over the fact that dinner consisted primarily of cooked vegetables, but hot food was generally good food in their opinion. Florella made sure to sit next to Talen, since he and Link were already deep in conversation, leaving only one side free. Ruto and Fura were so busy trying to wrestle each other away from the space at Link's side, that they didn't notice Zelda merely sat herself down without so much as a word. The two of them stared at her before giving each other icy glares and sitting themselves on different logs. Link looked up from his conversation.
"Did I miss something?" Link asked, blinking.
"No," Zelda said quickly. "What are you and Talen talking about?"
"Nothing really, just idle chitchat," Link yawned.
"You look tired, maybe you should go to bed soon," Zelda told him.
"Well I did go to bed pretty late last night, I'll turn in soon. But I want to do something first."
"And what would that be?"
"Have a poke around the stream. It's a nice, warm night and the moons out," Link shrugged. He finished eating and put his eating utensils down. He hopped off the log and wandered off towards the stream.
"Hey! Where are you going?" Navi called.
"I'm just going for a drink. Don't worry, I'll be back soon," Link assured her.
"Well don't be too long," Ruto told him. Link rolled his eyes and padded along the sandy bank.
The sand squidged between his toes as he ambled along the bank. He swished his tail around absently as he clambered onto an old rotting log that jutted out into the water. Being careful not to fall in, he leaned out over the edge of it and drank from the surface of the water. Upon drinking his fill, Link leaned back in and sighed happily.
"You certainly were thirsty," someone said from the bank. Link whirled around to see Zelda standing in the sand.
"Oh, hello Zelda. What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I just thought I'd come too...so you wouldn't be by yourself," she told him somewhat awkwardly.
"Oh, I see...thanks." Zelda looked up at the large, milky moon in the starry sky.
"It sure is beautiful," she breathed, climbing onto the log and sitting down.
"At least this one doesn't have a big, leering face peering down at us," Link shuddered. Zelda patted next to her, motioning for Link to sit. He obediently did so, dangling his legs over the side and letting them sway with a natural rhythm. They sat in silence for a while, listening to the gurgling of the stream as it flowed under the log. Zelda looked at Link out of the corner of her eye. He looked exactly as he did the day they had first met; happy. His eyes were bright and did not seem to carry the tired look of gravity that they held ever since he had returned from Termina. She smiled as she remembered the times they sat in the sunny courtyard with Link's little sword and shield strapped to his back. Link now held numerous scars, mementos of battles and fights with horrible creatures.
"Link," she said finally.
"Mm?" he mumbled.
"Link I..." Zelda hesitated and bit her lip. "Was I really dressed as a man?" She had originally intended to ask him something else, but had lost her nerve.
"You had me fooled," he told her. "But there was always something oddly familiar about you. Perhaps it was the way you looked at me. I especially remember one time at Kakariko when a ghost knocked me out after it threw you to the ground. I woke up and you were watching me. There was something comforting about that gaze," Link mused, looking up at the sky. He hadn't noticed that Zelda's hand had wormed its way into his, and he gripped it unconsciously. Link suddenly turned to Zelda and began to slowly move his face closer to hers. Zelda's heartbeat quickened and excitement bubbled up inside her and she waited breathlessly, watching his face. He brought his hand up to her face carefully, not quite touching her, as he gazed into her eyes. She swallowed and then closed her eyes in anticipation. There was a light slap to her cheek and she opened her eyes in surprise to see Link had leaned back to his sitting position and was examining his hand.
"Dumb mosquitoes," he muttered, holding his hand up for her to see the smashed bug. "You had one on your cheek. You'll probably have a bite mark there tomorrow." Zelda took a moment to allow her heart to slow down a bit. Link was still very much a little boy, and Zelda couldn't help but laugh at the thought of him kissing her under the moonlight. There was suddenly the sound of people laughing from the direction that they had come from.
"Sounds like they're enjoying themselves," Zelda smiled. Link nodded.
"Well, I'm gonna turn in," Link said around another yawn. He stood up as did Zelda, but he lost his balance on the uneven surface and began to topple over backwards. He swung his arms like windmills, trying to regain his balance. Zelda reached out and grabbed his hand, but he was already too far gone.
"Waugh!" he cried as gravity took control. Link twisted in the air, hitting the sand face first and rolling onto his back just in time to have Zelda land on top of him.
"Oh sorry! Are you alright?" Zelda asked him. Link looked up at her as she knelt on all fours over him and blushed suddenly.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine," he stammered. They were motionless for a while, staring at each other as their faces grew an increasing shade of red.
"Oh, um," Link mumbled. Zelda suddenly realized their position and leaped to her feet.
"Sorry about that," she said quickly.
"N-no, it's okay. Just a mistake," Link told her. He stood up and brushed the damp sand off his tunic and legs before heading off towards the glow of the fire.
"A girl can dream," Zelda sighed as she followed him back.

"What were all of you laughing at?" Link asked as he hopped back onto his seat.
"We were just talking about the time Fura got you by the nose when you jumped off the Gerudo fortress," Saria told him.
"Why is that funny? Getting your nose nearly ripped off your face kinds hurts," Link muttered.
"You were almost in tears and your eyes were like saucers," Fura chuckled.
"I wish I'd seen it," Florella giggled. Link made a face at her as Zelda sat down near the fairy, since Ruto had quickly darted over to Zelda's old one.
"Where did you wander off to?" Florella asked her. Zelda cast a furtive glance at Link, who had busied himself with another conversation with Talen. She leaned in and whispered the events of the encounter by the stream. Florella's face, at first, was alight with eagerness, and she was practically pleading Zelda to hurry up and get to the good bit. Her face, however, suddenly showed a look of puzzlement that switched to one of sheer frustration and agony. She stood up and glared at Link.
"You!" she shouted. Link flinched and turned to face her.
"Me?"
"Yes, you!"
"What have I done now?"
"It's not what you did, it's what you didn't do! You're such a clod! It makes me want to...aaargh!" she raged, clenching her little fists and thrashing them in the air.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked.
"So close...so close! If you weren't such a...a boy, you'd...augh! Damn it all! I've got a long way to go with you yet," she sighed mournfully. She sat back down and buried her face in her hands as Zelda put a comforting arm around her. Link blinked. "Careful you don't choke to death on your own rage, Florella," Link said mildly.
"Aaargh! Somebody hold me back before I hit him!" she ranted with new fever. Link and Talen both shook their heads as Saria held Florella back by her arms.
"What in the world was that about?" he whispered to Talen.
"I have no idea, but she looked pretty angry. I'm glad I'm not you right now," Talen shuddered.
"Hey, you're the one who's going to marry her one day," Link muttered.
"Well you've got two of them fighting over you," Talen shot back. Link snorted.
"They'll give up eventually," he said, waving it off.
"Not on your life," Fura said sternly. "You beat me in battle and earned my respect. You saved my life and earned my affection. Then you died for me and got my love."
"You're sounding a tad serious," Link said in a slightly worried tone.
"Really? You think? You're stuck with me forever, Link, for-ev-er," she told him, prodding her finger into his chest to emphasize each syllable.
"That's a long time," Link gulped.
"It certainly is," Fura grinned.

The night passed quickly, and the first hints of morning sun filtered through the thick, leafy canopy of the Great Forest. Link and Talen were, surprisingly, the first to wake. Link poked his head out of the tent flap and blinked groggily before the two boys went out into the morning air.
"Nobody's up," Talen observed. "What a bunch of slackers."
"I heard that," came a muffled grumble from the tent Fura was in. Her head popped out of the entrance wearing a scowl. Her hair was tumbled messily about her face in a red cascade and her eyes were bleary.
"Good morning, Fura," Link greeted her. "Did you sleep well?"
"I did actually," she jerked her head in her direction. "How about a morning kiss?"
"Why don't you wake up, because you must be dreaming," Link told her. Fura's look darkened.
"Be nice and come over here and give me a little kiss," she growled. Link's eyes narrowed shrewdly.
"Well I guess I could, but..."
"But what?"
"You don't mind the, well...remains?"
"Remains? Of what?" Fura asked suspiciously.
"Well I think I still have some dragon bits on me that weren't scrubbed away."
"You're lying," Fura told him sceptically.
"Oh really?" Link grinned. He reached up behind his neck and wiped his hand, before pulling it out into view. On his hand was a strip of something darkish and slightly squishy. Fura's eyes practically bugged out of her head and her copper skin took on a slightly greenish cast.
"I've changed my mind," she said, quickly withdrawing into the tent. Talen laughed.
"Quick thinking," he congratulated him. "But what is that stuff?"
"Huh? Oh, it's leftovers from last night. I have no idea how they got up there, but waste not, want not," Link shrugged, gobbling it down.
"What was it?" Talen asked.
"Ugh, eggplant I think."

It took the girls a good hour to get completely ready (bar Impa), during which time Link and Talen had eaten breakfast and were twitching to get moving again. When it finally was time to get going, the hot tropical sun was making everything very sticky. Link and Talen didn't seem to mind, though. Their particular choice in clothing allowed them to stay quite cool, but not quite as cool as Fura who still retained her two-piece outfit that left very little to the imagination. Link have made a silent vow to keep out of her grasp as much as possible while she continued to wear that particular outfit. Talen's bulging backpack provided Link with ample protection from the over-friendly Gerudo girl. Whenever she began to drift over towards him, he would circle around Talen until he was on the opposite side to Fura. Needless to say, she was extraordinarily frustrated by the time they stopped on the side of the path for a rest in the afternoon. Talen gave a heavy grunt as he dropped onto his backside and let his pack fall from his shoulders.
"I swear that thing gets heavier every time I pick it up," he groaned, pulling his boots off and wiggling his toes in the air.
"Well I'm no genius, but I think you may have mistaken Florella for your pack," Link yawned as he stretched out on the ground.
"And I think you may have mistaken that as a safe place to rest, smart guy!" Florella barked at him. Link's eyes snapped open just in time to see Fura's hands grab the front of his tunic and haul him into her lap.
"Ahh, this is much better," she sighed contentedly as she held Link's head to her bare midriff while she sat against a tree. "Don't you think so, sweetie?" Link squirmed in a vain attempt to worm free, but finally gave up and half-lay across Fura's lap with a scowl on his face.
"You look like you're having fun," Saria observed dryly as Link flicked his tail around irritably.
"This is uncomfortable and embarrassing," he blurted. Fura, who had her eyes closed at the time, rapped him smartly across the head with one of her large golden bracelets.
"Ow! Those things are solid! How can you stand to have two on your wrists and an even bigger one around your neck?" Link asked, rubbing his head.
"I guess she's just gotten used to them...like I have with your mouth," Florella shrugged. Impa began to unpack some food for a snack and Link began to struggle with renewed vigour.
"Ow! Hold still!" Fura told him.
"But I'm hungry! The food doth calleth me!" Link protested. Fura sighed and let him go.
"How can you possibly call me fat when you act like that?" Florella asked him.
"Hey, I'm growing, I need food, and unlike you I do exercise."
"I exercise too!" Florella declared hotly.
"Eating fast is not exercise."

"It's hot," Zelda groaned as they slogged along an open section of the trail after their stop. The sun beat down on them mercilessly and the air seemed to warp and waver in front of them.
"It's not too bad," Talen said mildly, shifting the pack on his back.
"How can you say that? You're carrying that huge pack and you don't feel hot?" the princess asked him incredulously.
"It's shady under here," he shrugged.
"It sure is," Link agreed as he walked in Talen's shadow. "You're only complaining because you cooked yourself back at Arbouren."
"I did not cook myself, thank you very much," she huffed. Link raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Then you don't mind if I give your arm a little twist then," he chuckled. Zelda hid her arms behind her back protectively.
"All right already! I'm completely roasted. My skin's peeling like there's no tomorrow and the sweat makes it sting," she muttered in defeat. Link shook his head.
"Why do girls have this weird fascination with the colour of their skin? You lie out in the sun until you're golden brown and ready to be served with a side of potatoes, and then you go all complainy like it's someone else's fault." Zelda blinked.
"It is someone else's' fault," Zelda told him. Link snorted.
"Uh huh, whose?"
"Yours."
"Mine!? How the hell does that work?"
"I did it for you. I thought you might have liked a little bit of colour in me." Link blinked.
"Why?" he asked, completely puzzled.
"Completely clueless," Saria sighed as Ruto and Fura looked at Zelda suspiciously.

They continued walking well into the twilight hours of the afternoon. The sky had taken on a purplish tinge and the faint emergence of stars could be seen.
"It's getting late. Maybe we should stop and set up camp for the night," Saria said, looking up at the sky. There was a groan of relief from both Talen and Link, who fidgeted uncomfortably under the weight of their luggage. Link had relieved Talen of some of his load some time beforehand and carried it himself. They went off the path and pitched their tents before lighting a fire. Since there was no seating available, they were all forced to sit on the grassy ground. The two boys had passed out almost immediately, much the extreme irritation of a few girls in particular.
"They didn't even eat anything," Fura muttered.
"Well we can let them sleep for a while, then we can wake them up for some dinner," Zelda told her.
"Of course, that means that they'll be awake until all hours of the morning," Saria mumbled around some bread. They all sat in silence for a while as the fire popped and crackled above the sounds coming from the slumbering boys.
"Florella, do you know how Talen got his abilities?" Zelda asked suddenly.
"I'm afraid I've got no idea, and not even he knows that. All I know is that he's getting stronger and stronger and his control of stone and such is getting more varied."
"That is true. Making a huge stone spire rise out of the ground is no easy feat," Impa noted.
"He's also getting physically stronger too. He'll eventually get to the stage where his stone skin will only add protection, for he will grow just as strong as he is with the skin covering him." Florella looked at Fura, who was examining Link closely as he snored away on his back.
"What are you doing?"
"Hey...he looks serious even when he's asleep," Fura said as she peered at Link's face.
"What? Oh yes, he's always been like that. We grew up together. Well...at least we did grow up together. This is about as big as I'll get, but for as long as I've known him, he's always looked like he's grumpy when asleep," Saria said absently.
"That's because he's a grumpy old fogy," Florella sniffed.
"I wouldn't say grumpy. He's more...sensible," Impa said, trying to find the right words.
"More like stubborn. Impossible Child over there simply goes out of his way to go against the natural order of things," Florella muttered.
"By natural order of things, you mean falling hopelessly in love with someone?"
"...Yes," Florella said after a short pause.
"Link isn't like that. He isn't some knight in shining armour ready to whisk a fair maiden away for a night of passion and romance. Heh, his idea of romantic is keeping your seat warm by falling asleep in it. He's got everything that counts; bravery, loyalty, kindness, innocence. You just have to work on him each in your own ways," Saria explained. She looked around at everyone and saw them staring at her with bewildered looks on their faces.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing, they were just surprised at the total accuracy of what you said. Link's a difficult one to pin down...like trying to nail jelly to a wall," Florella chuckled.
"It will be interesting to see how he turns out when he grows up," Impa said in her quiet voice. Fura suddenly snapped her fingers.
"Hey, that reminds me. When Link becomes the Fierce Deity he turns into an adult version of himself...right?" she asked.
"He tried explaining it to me once, and as far as I can understand, yes. When he grows up, he will look just like he does with that mask on...minus the glowing white eyes, battle markings and white hair," Saria said. Fura grinned and rubbed her hands together.
"Yeah! He's gonna be a handsome one, by Din! Of course, he already is...but he'll be even better looking! Ha-Haa! Watch out fish-girl!" the Gerudo cheered.
"What are you talking about?" Ruto sniffed loftily. "I already know you like him, who doesn't?"
"Yeah, but what you don't know is I'm gonna marry him!"
"What!"
"You said it yourself, you will step down if he chooses someone else! So I'm gonna make sure I'm the someone else!"
"Just because you like the way he looks?" Zelda asked in a slightly frosty tone.
"Are you kidding? I'd like him even if he had the face of a Moblin. It's what's on the inside that counts, and as Saria pointed out, he has everything I could ever want."

"Link...wake up, Link. You need to eat something decent...wake up!" The last part was barked out a little more forcefully than the rest, causing Link to heave into the waking world.
"Huh? What? Morning? Ugh, I need rest before I walk any further...the spirit is willing, but the feet are spongy and bruised," Link mumbled. Fura sighed and decided to use a more direct approach. She leaned over the half-asleep boy and gently nibbled on the tip of his ear. Link's eyes snapped open and he sat up smartly, looking around suspiciously.
"What was that?" he asked, rubbing his ear.
"Oh nothing, must have been a bug," Fura replied vaguely.
"But Florella's way over there," Link yawned, pointing to the Great Fairy, who was rousing Talen.
"Hilaaaarious," Florella muttered.
"What was?" Talen yawned as he sat up groggily. "Ugh, why'd you wake us up? We won't be able to get back to sleep for ages now."
"Oh hush, pumpkin. I can put the two of you to sleep quite easily, and so could Zelda if she wanted to," Florella shushed him. The boys' dinner was thrust in front of them and they ate hungrily.
"Ah, meat," Link sighed happily after he and Talen had eaten. "Is there anything as sweet?"
"Kisses?" Ruto asked.
"Kisses are about as sweet as spitting in a person's mouth," Link said flatly.
"Oh gross! You can't be serious! Kisses are nice!"
"Kisses are yucky, now sleep, that's wonderful. In fact, I'm going to get myself a whole lot of it right now," Link yawned. He staggered to his feet and lurched over towards his tent.
"Hey! Get back here and say goodnight!" Fura demanded. Link groaned and turned around and headed back to the fire. Once there, he bowed floridly and took off his cap.
"Goodnight, fair maidens. May you be blessed with a fitful night's rest."
"Stop being smart and do it properly."
"What's properly? Goodnight is goodnight."
"You're supposed to kiss each of us in turn...starting with me, because I suggested it." Link quirked an eyebrow and then yawned.
"Goodnight, Fura," he said with a small smile, before turning around and ducking into his tent.

"What's wrong with you?" Ruto asked Link as he stumbled out from his tent. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
"My back's sore. Must have been from carrying all that stuff yesterday," he yawned. Link tried to stretch, but quickly stopped himself when he felt a twinge of pain.
"Sore?"
"It isn't too bad. I'll just have to walk it off," he shrugged, sitting on the ground with a grunt.
"Or you could get the incredibly talented Fura to fix it for you," Fura declared.
"Huh? No, don't worry about it. It hurts too much," Link told her.
"Don't be such a wimp. The pain goes away pretty much straight afterwards," she reassured him. Link looked dubious as he recalled how she had stamped all over his back to get rid of the twinge.
"Okay then...but can you do it without treading on me?" he asked.
"No problem!" she grinned, giving him a thumbs up. She skipped over behind him and kneeled down. She got him to put his right arm up to his left shoulder and to take a deep breath.
"Okay, when I tell you to do so, exhale as much air as you can," she told him as she put one hand on his shoulder and the other between his shoulder blades.
"Are you sure this won't hurt?"
"Of course, now get ready...exhale!" she ordered. Link let his breath out and Fura pushed between his shoulders whilst twisting his back at the same time. There were a couple of audible cracks followed by Link's sigh of relief.
"Ahh. Heaven," he breathed, rolling his shoulders. "Thanks Fura, I owe you one."
"Don't mention it, my magic fingers just have the healing touch." Ruto rolled her eyes and scowled.
"Hey Ruto, that face doesn't become you. Scowling is Link's job," Florella told her.
"Well I would have taken the job of being overlooked in times of conflict, but Talen has that," Link shot back.
"Someone has to do it," Talen said, waving his hand.

A few choice remarks and a breakfast later, the group was once again on the move. The load from Link and Talen's packs were now evenly distributed throughout the group, a fact that the boys were extremely thankful for, plus it didn't allow for Fura and Ruto to move around as much, something that put Link in a cheerful mood. It was around midday when the jungle began to thin out and the temperature started to slowly drop.
"We're getting towards the edge of the jungle. We'll be able to see the ocean soon," Impa told them.
"Why is it getting cooler?" Zelda asked her guardian.
"Well because the jungle isn't as dense, there isn't much to trap the heat and moisture. It won't get much cooler than this until we move much further away from the equator."
"Well at least the edge has been taken off the heat," Fura sighed.
"You come from the desert, how can you possibly be hot?" Ruto asked.
"We have stone buildings that stay cool all day. The guards are rotated regularly so they don't get heat exhaustion."
"Yeah, the fortress is remarkably cool. Gets too cold at night, though," Link added.
"Don't be a pansy. You've only been there once," Fura told him.
"I've been there a couple of times, actually. Had to sneak around a fair bit because they locked me up the first time I went in."
"When did this happen?" Fura asked.
"In the far-flung reaches of the future. I had to biff the guards into unconsciousness to get around safely. But after a while I beat the second in command in a duel and became a member," Link stated proudly.
"Wait...you actually had to hit them?" Fura asked intently. Link became slightly nervous.
"...yeah."
"Blockhead! One of them could have been me!" she snapped, whirling around to face him. Link cringed back.
"I don't think I did. None of them, uh, had a radiant beauty such as yours," he faltered. Fura calmed down and narrowed her eyes slightly, then faced back to the front without so much as a word.
"Nice save," Talen whispered to his friend.
"What exactly do you do at the fortress?" Ruto asked Fura suddenly.
"Me? Well I'm too young to go on guard duty just yet, so I'm trained in the art of stealing and fighting. I'm one of the best thieves they've ever had," she stated proudly.
"Well if you're so great, why haven't you stolen anything since we started our journey?"
"It's a question of ethics. You simply don't steal from people you get to know or like. I'd feel too guilty otherwise."
"That doesn't make any sense!" Ruto exclaimed.
"Maybe not to you, but Link understands...right?" she said sweetly, batting her lashes at the boy.
"I guess it makes some kind of sense. So long as it works I suppose there's no point in changing it," he replied with a shrug. The brief argument ended there as they walked in silence for a while. The jungle suddenly gave way to an open path that ran parallel to a cliff that overlooked the ocean. Talen peered over the edge and whistled.
"Wow, we're pretty high up," he murmured. Florella reached over and took hold of his shirt before she pulled him away from the edge.
"Just stay away from the cliff, Talen. I don't want you falling off."
"Yes mother," he sighed.
"And don't do that either."
"I'm sorry Florella, can you forgive my inexcusable behaviour?" he asked with an expression of exaggerated self-pity. She put on an expression of mock seriousness.
"I'll think about it."

Newfin came into view as the sky started to turn orange. It was a bustling little town built at the water's edge. The natural waterline had been altered so that the sea met with a stone wall that was part of the docks. The top of the wall was at ground level and was decorated with murals of Zoras and many a strange sea creature. It was easy to see that the docks were the main source of income for a large portion of Newfin, as a complex matrix of jetties and walkways extended out from the top of the wall to where countless boats were moored. Waves rolled in and broke against the wall in endless repetition. Finding somewhere to stay was no problem. Due to the fact that the town was a centre for much trade, an almost limitless number of inns could be found. Impa led the way to a fairly respectable one and paid for two rooms, since only four could fit in one at a time. The two boys were dubious about sharing a room with two girls at first, but their fears were put to rest when Impa paired them with Saria and Zelda. Needless to say, three young women in particular were very put out with the Sheikah woman. They ate dinner in the downstairs dining area of the inn. About all there was to order was seafood, but nobody complained because they didn't have to do the cooking.
"Well it's nice to finally be here. Three days of solid walking gets old quickly," Ruto groaned, rubbing her feet.
"I'm just looking forward to sleeping on something with sheets," Zelda murmured around a mouthful of fish.
"Link, will you come with me to find my uncle tomorrow?" Ruto asked. "I don't actually know where he lives."
"Sure, I'll go," Link said, cleaning off his plate. Saria stared at him.
"You've eaten already?" she asked incredulously.
"Yeah, so what?" he asked, puzzled.
"Nobody else eats as fast as you," she sighed, shaking her head.
"Yes they do," Talen said, pushing his plate away.
"You too?" Florella exclaimed. They talked for some time before heading upstairs to bed. Link collapsed and started snoring almost as soon as he climbed onto his bed, and Talen did much the same. Zelda waited until Saria had dropped off to sleep before rolling out of bed and crossing the room quietly. She smiled and tucked Link in as he dozed.
"Goodnight Link," she whispered before lightly kissing his cheek.