Author's Note: Ahh, school. September used to be my least favorite month, but now that I'm at a university, I love it. Once you get older, I think you learn to appreciate fall more. xD Hope all of you are doing okay back at school!
Reviews:
LadyxHydrangea: Thank you! I can't tell you. That'd be giving too much away. You'll just have to keep reading. Heheh. xD
bellahelen101: Aw, don't say that. College is hard, but it's fun. You'll get used to it. Thanks for reading, even though you're busy!
kenegi: You'll just have to keep reading. ;3
Myriads of Mysteries: That's good to know. I worry sometimes whether I overdo it or not with the dramatic stuff. xD
XemyPoo: Thanks a lot! I'm honored you like it so much. But you can guess all you want about stuff. I'll never tell. You have to keep reading. :3
MissLozSoue39: Hmm...I think that happens later though, doesn't it? And if it doesn't, then oh well. I can always do something else. :D
Chapter Thirty-Six: Crossing the Desert
I stumbled into the dark house and fell to the floor. Pulling myself to my knees wasn't easy, but I managed to sit myself up and close the door behind me. Climbing the stairs also proved to be a long and arduous task. Once at the top, I crawled into the bedroom and got into bed. I didn't even bother to change into my bedclothes, not that I could've if I wanted to.
I felt nauseous and hot, like someone had decided to turn the bedroom into an amusment park ride and sauna all in one. If I layed still long enough, I could feel somewhat comfortable. My only reprieve now would be to try and sleep.
I just hoped no one would come up and see me like this.
I managed to drift off after a good long while, but it wasn't a very deep sleep. All of my actions and the choices I'd made were replayed for me like I was watching a videotape. The places we had yet to go appeared in my nightmares too, like someone was ripping them out of my head, forcing me to look at them.
It was painful.
Then everything rushed at me at once, and I shot up in bed, breathing heavily.
It was morning now and the sounds of the market drifted in from the open window. Someone must've come in at some point during the night to let fresh air in. I threw my legs over the side of the bed and walked over to the mirror.
Nothing looked out of the ordinary, and the color had returned to my face. The sick feeling was gone and I felt pretty steady on my feet. I collapsed onto the chair and breathed a sigh of relief. Whatever I'd had the night before was gone, and thank goodness for that. We were leaving for the desert today and I had other things to worry about.
Still...Maybe it'd been something I'd eaten? Or something weird in the tea?
No, nevermind. If I kept on this train of thought going, I'd never get out of here.
I was surprised to see the rest of my things from the village sitting just beside the doorway. Link must've brought them for me. My other clothes were packed neaty inside my bag. I grabbed the pants and tunic that Maya had given me for my birthday and headed down the hall for a bath. I had the feeling I wouldn't get a proper one for a while and I wanted to seize the oppurtunity to take one while I still had the chance.
Everyone seemed to be downstairs already, so I'd have to hurry it up. I tiptoed quickly and quietly past the stairs and ran headfirst into Siena, who was coming out of her own room.
"Whoops! Sorry, Siena." I said, picking up what I'd dropped. "I didn't see you."
"That's quite all right." She replied.
She was dressed differently than normal. Her clothes were considerably lighter and more Gerudo-esque. Balloon pants, short shirt and vest...all with red and blue patterning. She had tied her pretty red hair back with a scarf, and wore a few gold armlets and a matching choker.
"Is that what you're wearing?" Siena asked, looking at the tunic I had in hand.
I stared at it, too. Was the shirt strange or something? I'd worn it in front of her before and she hadn't said anything about it. "Yeah?...What's wrong with it?"
"You'll be much too warm in that. The desert landscape is very punishing. Please, come with me for a moment." She took me by the hand and led me back into her bedroom.
It wasn't all that different from Livius' room, but it was a little more decorated and had an extra bed. Siena went straight for her wardrobe and pulled it open. She seemed to know exactly what she was looking for and quickly produced some pants and a shirt that resembled her own.
"Here." Siena said. "This will work much better. Those flat shoes you have will work just fine, too. And try to only pack what you absolutely need."
"Okay. Thank you. I appriciate it." Clothes in hand, I turned to leave.
"...Are you feeling better now? Last night must have been some ordeal for you."
"What?" I stopped. How did she know about that? "What do you mean?"
There was a knock on the door. "Siena? You in there? I need you downstairs." It was Livius.
Her amber colored eyes flashed with annoyance at being inturrupted. "Just watch yourself." Was that a warning? She walked past me and out the door.
What had that been about? I tucked the clothes she'd given me under one arm and continued my trek for the bathroom. Was Siena aware of something I wasn't? No, that wasn't possible. Unless she was from the same world as me, which I highly doubted.
I washed quickly and dried off. It was still pretty early in the morning, but I didn't want to keep Link waiting. We were already on bad enough terms as it was.
I turned to check my appearance in the mirror. The scars I'd recieved the other night were more noticable now with the clothes Siena had given me. The pants were light and airy, but they wern't the balloon pants I was used to seeing on Gerudo. For that, I was thankful.
The shirt, however...
It was long, but not long enough. It would've showed off my frame, if I had one. But my lack of appitite had reduced whatever figure I'd had to almost nothing. Right before I'd graduated, I'd been working to build muscle. Now you could see my ribs instead. It didn't matter that the fabric was a pretty and flattering blue.
I looked like a skeleton.
I returned to my room to pack a few things and then finally made my way downstairs. Link and Livius were at the table, looking at a map while Siena making something in the kitchen. Hane was lying down on the couch, presumably asleep.
"Good morning." I said.
Hane was the first to reply. "Good morning yourself." He didn't bother to move from his spot on the couch. They all must've been up late last night.
Livius was marking something on the map, but he took enough time to smile at me before he went back to what he was doing. Link, on the other hand, watched my every move as if I was going to jump him or something.
"Morning." He said as I walked past the table towards the kitchen.
"Good morning." I was unsure of how to act around him after the way I left last night.
"I see you're doing fine now."
"Uh, yeah. It must've just been a slight bug or something." I busied myself with getting something to drink until there was a rap on the front door. "Oh, look. Someone's at the door. I'll get it!" I was grateful for the distraction.
When I opened it, Raynard was standing on the other side, looking like he had just jogged a marathon.
"What's the matter?" I asked.
"Come with me, girly. You've got to see this." The large man grabbed my arm and yanked me out the door with him. My other hand had still been on the doorknob, causing it to slam shut hard.
"Whoa!" I nearly stumbled onto the cobblestone as I tried to keep up with his long strides. "What's the rush?"
Before he could answer, someone came up behind me and pulled me free from Raynard's tight grasp. I knew who it was without even having to look.
"That's something I'd like to know myself." Link was standing so close behind me that it was a bit unnerving, especially because he was angry.
"Who're you?" Raynard's eyes narrowed at the grip he had on me.
This would get out of hand quick if I wasn't careful. They looked about ready to throttle each other. "It's okay. He's...a friend." It felt wierd saying that when we were so awkward.
"If you're sure." He didn't seem convinced. I didn't blame him.
"I'm sure. What was it that you wanted to talk to me about that has you so excited?"
"Your halberd is finished. Took me all night like I said, but I found something mighty interestin'."
"You mind if I come along?" Link asked, a little calmer now. "I've been a bit curious about it myself." I wondered if that was really the truth, or if he just wanted to keep an eye on me.
"It's up to the little lady."
Truth or not, I really didn't even have to think about it that hard. "No, I don't mind. Actually, I'd feel better if you would." Link had been with me the day I found it, and it only felt right that he get to hear this news, too.
"Well, come on, then." Raynard led the way back to his shop.
When we walked in, the early morning light was coming in through the open windows and I could see dust floating in the air everywhere. It made me want to sneeze.
My halberd was sitting on the table in his workroom. I hardly recognized it. All the rust had been cleaned off, and the writing on the side was completely visable now. The scratches had been polished off the handle and the blade had been sharpened considerably.
"Whoa, this thing looks brand new." Even Link seemed impressed.
"That's not what I wanted to show you." Raynard took a set of keys off a ring and unlocked a door. "Grab your weapon and follow me."
I picked it up and was close behind him. The door led to a small courtyard behind the shop. It looked almost like the wrestling ring the Gorons had in their city. My guess is it was probably for sword practice.
"Take a look at the side of your halberd."
I picked it up in both my hands and flipped it so I could see the writing. It wasn't like what was written in any of the books I'd seen in the library. "I can't read it."
"Not surprised. It's an ancient language that is hardly studied any more."
"You mean it isn't Ancient Hylian?"
"No, even further back than that. It's the language of the people who founded this country long, long ago."
Wait, wait. Did he mean those sky people? I knew the Sky Temple had something to do with that, but I was clueless beyone that little bit of information. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. My ancestors were some of those people. I couldn't mistake that language even if I wanted to." He held his hand out. "Let me see that halberd for a moment, if you please."
I handed it to him and he held it straight up. He whispered something in a langauge that only he understood. A wind picked up and kicked up the dust. I used my arm to shield my eyes. The writing on the handle flashed briefly, then disappeared as quickly as it came and everything quieted.
"I take it you've had a few troubles with this?" Raynard asked.
"A few." I admitted, brushing off some dirt from my hair.
"Do you know what happened?" I had told Link about those few times I'd lost control. He'd been concerned, but assured me we'd figure it out eventually.
"This weapon was crafted with the magic of my ancestors. It was uncontained, but it should be fine now." He handed it back to me. "If you wield it properly, it should prove extremely useful to you."
I wondered what he meant by that, but we didn't have all day to be asking questions. "Thank you, Raynard." I said. "I'll take care of it."
He walked us out to the front and we said goodbye there. Link and I walked in silence back to the twins' house.
For the first time I noticed he was wearing different clothes than normal. He wore a white tunic that was very light. The chainmail was gone and he wore a short-sleeved brown jacket over the shirt that almost seemed like leather.
"Something wrong?" He asked, when he noticed I was staring.
"No, nothing." Why was I choosing now of all times to get flustered around him? We were supposed to be angry with one another.
"...I'm glad you got that figured out. It must've worried you for a long time."
"Yeah. It's one less thing to have to think about."
"One less?... Did something else happen?" There was nothing unusual with the way he asked the question, but I couldn't help but sense something else behind it.
I opened my mouth to answer, but Livius chose that moment to walk out.
"Hello, pourquita." He said cheerfully. "Ready to go?"
Of course I'd get interrupted. Still, I took that as a sign to discuss the subject another time. "...Yes. Are you?"
Link stared at me, almost like he was still waiting for me to answer the question. When I didn't, he sighed. "Yes. Let's get going."
We gathered together the last of the supplies and locked up the house. Link had brought Zale into town with him and put my horse into the stable nearby.
I wanted to cry with happiness when I saw the grey-dappled horse dancing around in his stall. It seemed like forever since I'd seen him last and he was as attention demanding as ever.
I giggled when he nudged me for treats. "Okay, I do have something for you, you big goof." I slipped Zale an apple I'd packed earlier and he inhaled it. Then he thrust his nose at my pockets, searching for more."No, no more for you. One is enough."
"That's a beautiful horse you have there." Livius stopped readying his own horse long enough to pat my mount on the nose.
"Yes, and I love him to pieces." I grinned when he bobbed his head up and down. So cute. I wanted to melt.
It only took an hour or so to reach the lake, and it was a mostly peaceful ride there. We took the steep trail down to the bottom and left the horses on a grassy ridge. Livius and Siena would be coming back after guiding us through the desert, and would take the horses back with them to town.
Link had talked to Auru the night before. Lucky for him, he was in town instead of at the lake and the cannon was completely prepared now. All that was left was to step into it.
Except I couldn't do it. The thought of being propelled through the air that far of a distance kind of freaked me out.
"What's the matter?" Siena asked, one foot already in behind her brother. We were going in pairs.
I took a deep breath and shook my head. "Nothing."
Was that a snort from down below? I made sure to step on his shadow once or twice, but I'm sure Midna felt nothing. It was worth a shot, though.
"Make sure you hang on tight." The man that ran the cannon slammed the door shut tight and reached for the crank. The floating platform wobbled in the lakewater as the cannon spun and lifted itself higher. I had to plug my ears when the twins were shot out. It certainly was noisy.
Midna popped out of his shadow now, shielding her eyes. "That sure is a long way to go."
"No kidding." The sick feeling was starting to return at the idea of it.
"Before you hop in that thing, I want to talk to you both."
"What is it?" Link asked.
"I know you heard it from the spirit protecting the lake, but do you know the story behind the power I seek?" She checked her nails and looked expectantly at me.
The whole thing freaked me out the first time I heard it. How could I forget a story like that? "Yes. I've heard it before."
"Then you know what happened to the ones who tried to rule the Sacred Realm?"
"They were banished. The goddesses drove them into another realm."
"Correct." She looked a bit sad. Was it because her ancestors were criminals or because she hated the fact that she was even related to those people? "They were forced to live in twilight as mere shadows of Hyrule. This is the history of the Twili as it was passed down from my ancestors. Do you you now understand what I am?" The question was more for Link than it was for me. Midna clenched her fists, angry now. "I am a decendant of the tribe that was banished to the Twilight Realm!"
"So what?" Link said.
"So what? What do you mean so what?" Nice move, there. Make her even angrier.
I suppose I should save him before she kills him or somthing. "I think what he means is that it doesn't matter where you come from. He's still going to help you. Right?"
"Exactly. Why do you think that would even make a difference?"
"I...I don't. I'm just trying to say that there's a reason I need to get to the Arbiter's Grounds." Aw, was that a blush? She's just going through the whole spectrum of emotions today, isn't she?
I sidestepped around them and left them to finish their little talk alone. The man had brought the cannon back down to its original position and the door was open again. Before I went inside, I saw Midna touch Link's cheek in a way more than friendly way. The sight of it sent fresh waves of pain and a little jealousy.
Why? Because I knew I didn't belong here. Our relationship had crumbled and whatever we'd had was gone.
I tried to hold back tears when I saw him coming. She dove back into his shadow before the door slammed shut.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." I looked down at my feet.
Our conversations had become like a broken record. If that wasn't enough to break my heart into little pieces...
"Hey. Weren't you paying attention?"
"Huh?"
Link grabbed me by the wrist and held onto me tight. "You were told to hold on. We don't want you ending up in a canyon instead."
I didn't know about that. Maybe if I jumped down it would I wake up and find this was all a bad dream.
I'm telling you, the thought was tempting.
The cannon began to move upwards and now I clung on for dear life. Last time hadn't been so bad, but we were going to be shot several miles this time. I was terrified of falling before we hit land.
I didn't even have the chance to scream before we were shot into the air with amazing force. My eyes were shut tight, and I held on for dear life. The ground came up faster than we both expected and we ended up buried in the sand.
"Oof." I sat up and coughed out some of it.
"That could've gone better." He didn't seem to have swallowed any like I did, but it was everywhere in his hair and clothes.
I expected to be able to clearly see the Arbiter's Grounds from where we were, but a light sand storm blocked anything more than a mile ahead. It was almost pointless to try to get off the sand in our clothes. because it was just going to get caked on again.
"What took the two of you so long?" Livius asked. He had sand all over and was half-buried.
"Sorry, Livius. I was a little nervous about the ride over." I quickly replied before Link could say anything. It was scary how good I'd gotten at lying. I felt bad, because they'd obviously gotten caught in the storm while we missed it almost completely.
"Come. We must make as much progess as possible before it gets dark." Siena pulled herself out of the ground.
There was a long, deep canyon that stretched beside us and I wouldn't have seen it if the twins hadn't been guiding us through the mounds of sand that all looked the same. I take back what I said earlier. No jumping into any canyons for me. Nightmare or no, it was a long way down.
"Be careful here. It's slippery." Livius stopped and stuck out a foot into the canyon.
"What are you doing?" I asked, more than a little confused. There was no ground there. Was he going to try jumping across?
"Just watch, pourquita." He reached around and took off something that hung on his neck. When I got a little closer, I saw something flash. It was a clear crystal with a inner glow that was bright red. "Siena, if you will."
"Yes, brother." She took off a matching crystal that was glowing blue.
They raised them into the air and the ground began to shake. Sand began to stretch across the canyon's long gap, creating a bridge.
"Now you may cross." Livus put the crystal back around his neck.
"Hold it." Link held a hand out in front of me as I began to follow them.
I froze when I noticed what he'd seen. Small, black worm-like creatures began to pop out of the sand and circle us like sharks.
I reached behind me for my haliberd. "There's so many of them..."
He lowered his voice so he wouldn't attract any more attention than we already had. "I'll draw them out. Stay still and wait until they come at you."
Link's sword was quick as he dug into the sand with it and flip them into the air. They were ugly little monsters, with pincers the size of my hand and lots of legs. The halberd made quick work of them as they came down. As soon as he'd dug them all out, he dealt with the ones that I'd missed.
He sheathed his sword and looked around. "Where did Livius and Siena go?"
Good question. They seemed to have vanished into the storm.
"We'd better find them quick." I said. I'm sure we both we sharing the same feeling. If we got lost out here, we'd never get back.
I cautiously tested the bridge that they'd magically created. It seemed solid enough. We ran further into the storm, but it just seemed to get worse. There was no visibility at all. I couldn't even see Link now.
"I've got you." He reached for me through the sand and wind and pulled me as close as we could get. "Walk forward slowly."
Part of me felt like pushing him away, but the other half wanted to get through the sandstorm in one piece.
"Vieonos."
All at once, the storm stopped. The skies cleared and I could see the midday sun. The twins were standing about ten yards in front of us. The crystals were glowing brightly. Then they faded.
"We have to hurry. This magic is only temporary." Siena brushed a bunch of sand out of her hair. "The storms will return soon."
"There's no way we'll make it across this desert before then." Link said.
"I agree. I can see the Arbiter's Grounds, but it's still so far away." I shielded my eyes from the sun. The top of it was rising up from endless amounts of sand dunes, but that was all that was visible.
"Yes. About 50 miles, to be exact." Livius said. "Not to mention the traps and monsters between here and there. The sandstorm itself is also a precaution to keep people away from the grounds."
"Or to keep people in, right?" I recalled those books I'd read at the library. "I read that the Arbiter's Grounds are also a prison of sorts."
Sienna nodded. "Correct. Used for the worst sort of criminals, in most cases." Her red crystal began to glow again. "Come. There's another way to get through these storms."
Another way? There was nothing but sand as far as the eye could see. I exchanged looks with Link and he shrugged. We really didn't have any choice but to follow them, so we did.
The monsters seemed to be tailing us, keeping at a distance. They didn't attempt to attack, which worried me. The heat was wearing me down, and though he didn't say anything, I know it was getting to Link, too. Siena and Livius seemed to be right at home in all this. Being Gerudo, I suppose they would be used to it.
"It should be around here somewhere..." Livius bent down, brushing some sand away to reveal...more sand.
Siena walked right past him and down a slope, vanishing from sight. After a minute she popped her head back up. "It's here."
"Oh. I knew that." He grinned. "Come on. This is our alternate route."
Our alternate route turned out to be trenches deep in the ground, taller even than Livius. The walls were built with stone the same color as the rest of the sand, which is probably why he hadn't seen it.
"Where exactly does this come out?" I asked.
"About a four miles away from the Arbiter's Grounds."
While I didn't know anything about the traps, I knew there would be a group of Bublins camped just outside of our destination. I just hoped that we wouldn't come out right behind them.
The passageway was wide enough not to make me feel claustrophobic, and so far there was no sign of any traps. But those monsters had not stopped following us. They burrowed under the sand above us, but I could clearly see them.
"What are they doing?" Link kept looking up at them as we walked. "Do you know something?"
"No, I don't." I whispered back. "This part is all new to me."
Midna popped her head up from the shadows. "I don't like the looks of those things. You both need to be careful."
The sun was beginning to subside a bit as we continued down through the passage. We saw traps that were broken and rusted over, but none that were really working. Skeltons and bones littered dark corners, some with legs and arms encased in those traps. Several arrows pierced all the way through one skeleton. Whoever that poor person had been, they hadn't lived long.
It wasn't making me feel any better that it had been really quiet now for a while.
Okay, Amanda. Take a deep breath. There's no spring here, so it's not like a giant monster could pop up. I fingered my halberd. It calmed me to have it in my hands rather than let it sit in it's case.
I leaned on it for a moment, brushing my hair out of my face. When it touched the ground, a few of the bricks glowed blue-green.
"What the...?" I lifted the halberd up again and the glow disappeared. Were those...traps? And Link was about to step on one. "Link, wait!"
He stopped just before he walked on it. "What?"
"Back up about two feet and step to the right."
"What for?"
"Just trust me."
He gave me a look, but did as I asked him. "What was that about?"
"I wonder..." Would he be able to see it, too. I handed him my weapon. "Hold this and look down."
Link took it from me and his eyes widened. "Are those traps...?"
"I think so."
"If that's the case, then Livius and Siena are about to step on some." He tossed it back to me and hollered at the twins, who were farther ahead. "Hey! Hold on a second!"
Siena heard Link and stopped, but Livius' mind must've been elsewhere, because he kept going. I swear to you, the moment he stepped on that trigger, I could hear nothing else except the scraping of stone on stone.
"Oh, no."
The ground rumbled and shook sand down on us. When we looked back, the stone had begun to fall away, leaving a bottomless chasm underneath.
Link shoved me ahead of him. "Run!"
We took of down the corridor, keeping well ahead of the crumbling floor. I grabbed Siena and tugged her behind me as I ran past. The corners and walls were used as launching pads to keep momentum.
"Uh-oh." I skidded to a stop. There was a large door blocking the exit. There were no door handles, no chains keeping it shut. Just a large slab of stone with some scribbles. I brushed off some dirt, but I couldn't read what was written.
"Let me try." Siena held her crystal up to the slab, but nothing happened.
Link and Livius came around the corner, and the floor wasn't far behind. I grabbed my halberd and touched the stone, hoping it would reveal something, anything within the next twenty seconds. The scribblings turned the same blue-green that the stones had.
It wasn't writing, it was a song! One quick glance and I knew which one it was, too.
The Requiem of Spirit.
I hummed the notes that were inscribed on the stone. A blue light enveloped it and the slab was gone. Siena and I ran up the stairs, just as the ground fell out behind us. We grabbed ahold of some stones that were firmly placed in the ground and turned around to grab Link and Livius before they fell.
They pulled themselves up and we all sat in the sand, gasping for breath.
"That...was close." I said.
"I don't know what you did pourquita, but I'm grateful to you. That was quick thinking." Livius pulled himself up and offered me a hand.
"Where are we?" Link asked, standing.
Siena was already up and climbing a portion of the rocks to get a better view. "Exactly where my brother predicted. Four miles from the Arbiter's Grounds."
"Hang on. Can I come up?" I called.
"Let me help you. It's a bit slippery." She called back.
"Don't worry, Siena. This is one thing I know how to do." I used grooves in the rocks to hoist myself up. Siena perched herself on a flat part of the rocks and offered me a hand. I took it and climbed to the top.
The view was perfect. I could see the Arbiter's Grounds and the Bublin camp that was in between. Four towers were placed around it, monsters on each. At least five more Bublins and nine boars with saddles were in the camp below.
More could've been guarding the entrance to the grounds, but I couldn't see from where I was.
"Let's get down. We could be spotted." Siena had seen them, too, and had already started to climb down. I went after her, heeding her advice and watching my steps.
"See anything?" Link helped me off the last bit of rocks.
"A camp of bublins. At least nine." I replied. "There could be more farther in, but I didn't see any."
Livius frowned. "That many?..." He was nearly as scary as Link when he was serious. "Going in there in broad daylight would be suicide. We should wait until dark."
"I agree." Siena said. "Let's set up camp and rest until nightfall."
I had no arguments. My limbs were sore from running, and it was still pretty hot out. The area we were hidden in was shaded by the rocks surrounding us. There were some ruins nearby that contained a small underground spring and we used it to wash the sand off and get water for boiling.
The twins cooked some food, but I couldn't seem to eat very much of it. Forcing myself wouldn't have made it any better, so I just quit while I was ahead.
Siena offered to be lookout for a while, so the rest of us could try and sleep. The temperature lowered as the sun began to go down and Link built a small fire before he sat down against the rocks to sleep. Livius and I were more or less alone now.
"Can I ask you something?" He tended to the fire, tossing a small log on it.
I pulled my knees up to my chest, watching the sparks jump and the shadows dance against the rocks. "Sure, what is it?"
"How did you know that song?"
Uh-oh. In my rush to get us all out of the traps, I'd forgotten that the twins knew nothing of my background. "Oh, uh...I know someone who knows it."
"Only a few Gerudo know that song. Your friend must be someone important." He poked the fire with a stick and watched me carefully.
"You could say that." I tried not to look too terribly disturbed by his questions. No one would argue that the Hero of Time was most definately an important person, but the guy still kind of got on my nerves.
When I looked up, Livius was nearly on top of me. "It's not good to keep secrets, pourquita." His face was inches away from mine.
My breath caught in my throat. I wanted to say something, call for Link, anything...but I couldn't. Still, something made me look in his direction. Was he awake? I could've sworn he tensed up. If he was, he was doing a good job of pretending he wasn't.
I hadn't really cared before, but now that I wasn't running all over the place, my clothes made me feel naked. They were a shade thinner than I was used to. It didn't help that Livius was so close.
He stared at me for another minute before he patted my head. "Try to sleep. You'll need your strength."
"O-okay." I waited until he moved before I leaned back against the rocks and closed my eyes. Thank goodness he hadn't asked any more. I'd have to be more careful from now on with what I revealed to people.
I drifted in and out of sleep for several hours. I wasn't used to sleeping upright, so it made it difficult to get comfortable.
Finally, I decided to just get up. Some fresh water might help me sleep better. It was really humid.
When I opened my eyes, Link was standing in front of me, sword at my throat.
"Don't move." He said. "It will only make it worse when I kill you."
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