AN-Confession, I was watching the second Bill & Ted movie when I wrote this chapter.

**

I never used to have a problem with heights. I was always fine with having to clamber up to help repair the roof after the latest storm tore through Lynna or scramble up a tree to retrieve whatever Lloyd and his minions decided to toss up there. I never used to have a problem with heights.

"Used to" being the key phrase. I'm pretty sure I have one now. I guess that's what happens when you have to cross a gorge that is deeper than the Great Deku Tree is tall. The roar of the river below can actually be heard from the top of the gorge, and the mist that rises from the waterfall can actually be felt on the skin, like little fairy kisses. As much as a beautiful and romantic image the entire scene sets it leaves us with a couple of very practical problems.

The first is the bridge is wet. A wet wood bridge equals a slippery wood bridge, especially since it was varnished in order to prevent the wood from rotting away. When I mentioned this Ganty pointed out that at least it wasn't a rickety rope bridge, the type you always hear about in heroic stories where the bridge actually dissolves under the protagonist's feet.

Personally I don't think it really matters. Either way we would be pretty fucked. This is because of problem two. The bridge doesn't have rails. There are no wooden guards to prevent people from sliding off, not even rope to help people balance themselves. Oh no, crossing this bridge is a test where failure equals death. It really is a line of defense for the city. There is no way an army would be able to make it across. We are going to have problems and we are just on horses and have only a few pack animals that we have to get across. I can't imagine pulling a cart across. The bridge isn't exactly narrow but without rails and with the wood being as slippery as it is I don't think that you could get a wagon across it. If your horse spooked it would be all over. Apparently this river eventually feeds into Lake Hylia. I wonder how much stuff from this crossing gets washed up on the lake's shores.

Well, as long as I don't, that's the main thing. I'd bet that falling from this height into the river would kill you, never mind whether or not you can swim.

Which is why I now have a fear of heights. I'm about halfway across this bridge and am hoping that Mutoh can hold off yelling at his sons until I at the very least get across. The horse I'm leading can tell that I feel nervous which is adding to its skittishness. It isn't happy about having to cross this bridge either. The good news is I'm the second last person to cross which means that this nightmare is almost over. Ganty led her horse and one of the pack animals across without breaking a sweat. That girl impresses me.

And there! I feel the hard ground under the soles of my boots and have never been happier to do so. Thank you Goddesses! Thank you! Hurray for not falling! I run the last few steps toward the group, feeling a bit giddy as I do. I am ignoring the fact that I am going to have to cross this thing again in order to leave. I can see the look Ganty is giving me. I must be pretty pale. She is going to give me grief about this later.

Ah well, there is nothing for it. I turn my head so I can watch the last person cross. It's Sabooru who was left for last. He's looking pretty shaky. I wouldn't be surprised if the reason he's last was because he was trying to put this off for as long as possible. I can't say I blame him. After all only Ganty and Mutoh had ever been to the desert before so the rest of use are still in varying degrees of shock, or where the "-iros" are concerned, varying degrees of dismay.

We all watch silently as he crosses. No one wants to distract anyone. Despite Ganty's "it could be worse" speech even she recognizes how bad this could be. Just because it could be worse doesn't mean it isn't already bad.

Sabooru is halfway across the bridge when things start to go wrong. And when they go wrong, they go wrong. The horse takes a false step, slipping on the planks and stumbling forward. It knocks into Sabooru, sending him sliding straight towards to the edge.

Not even thinking I race forward, sliding on my stomach across the bridge toward where Sabooru is going over. His eyes lock on mine.

By Farore, I'm about to die by falling off a bridge. I never would have thought that this would be the way I go. I had always thought that I would be killed by Lloyd or Jan or something stupid like that, or maybe that I'd get wiped out the plague or something. I always thought that, well, when I died I'd be taken out by something local. Yet here I am.

I clasp his hand and we both go over.

I swear in pain as my body is stretched into, my fingers on the one hand digging the rope holding the planks together. Stupid Link. Stupid stupid stupid Link! What the hell am I doing? Well, besides dangling from a bridge miles above a raging river. This is not the brightest decision I've made.

"Eek!" Sabooru squeaks more than he screams. He's holding on to my hand with both of his and kicking and with all his might.

"Hold still! Sabooru, calm down and hold still!" Every time he wiggles I can feel my grip on the bridge slip a bit. I am definitely going to have an issue with heights before this is done.

He squeaks again but listens to what I say. Well, that's one problem down. Now how the fuck am I going to get us up?

"Link hold on!" I listen to Ganty yell a bit hysterically.

"Well I wasn't planning on letting go!" I snap irritably. Sabooru kicks again. "I said stop that!" I snark down at him. He quits his wiggling again. This hurts. A lot. My body was not built to withstand this type of pressure. My bad shoulder is screaming at me, and all its holding up is Sabooru.

I can feel the vibration in the wood as people approach. I look up and Ganty's face appears above me. A rope snakes down toward us. "Grab the rope and we'll pull you up!"

Okay, slight problem. I'm holding onto Sabooru and myself. I don't have a third hand to grab the rope. Ah hell.

"Sabooru, grab the rope as it comes down to you okay?" He just gives me a frightened nod accompanied by another strangled cry. The rope ekes down past me. I can see the loop in it as it slides downward. I watch as Sabooru catches the rope with his free hand, slipping his feet into the loop. I look back towards Ganty. "You guys ready?" Ganty gives a terse nod, which I pass down to Sabooru. He takes a deep breath and lets go.

The tension in my arms immediately lessens. I swing my now free hand up to grab the bridge. Sabooru swings over a bit, okay, well; by a bit I mean a lot. I wince in sympathy as he slams into the cliff wall. He cries out again but doesn't let go. Slowly he is pulled upwards.

So he's safe. Now it's my turn. I grit my teeth as I try to haul myself upwards. It's not working so hot. Every time my weight shifts so does my grip. Ah fuck. What to do?

"I got you!" I feel Ganty's hands on wrists. I look up. She's sitting on her butt with her heels braced against the rope I'm holding onto, giving herself some traction so she can pull me up without sliding down. Clever. Thank the Goddesses she's clever. Ganty begins to pull, and I switch my grip from the rope to her hands. I hiss every time the planks snag my tunic, every time Ganty adjusts her grip and every time my hands slip.

Then finally its over and I am sprawled on top of Ganty, breathing hard and sending out mental thanks to the heavens.

"Link?" It comes out a bit of a croak.

"Yes, Ganty?"

"Get off of me."

I give it a solid try. "Sorry Ganty. I need a minute."

"I am going to throw you off a bridge."

"Yes Ganty."

"Link?" She still sounds breathless.

"Yes Ganty?" I'm still panting.

"Don't ever do that again."

"Yes Ganty."

I crawl across the bridge, not willing to stand up until my feet, and my hands, reach good solid earth. Then I collapse again, just lying on my back as the adrenaline continues to pump through me.

"By Din! Are you okay boy?!" Mutoh's face fills my view. I just flash him a thumbs up, then let my arm fall back down to the ground.

"You had better be okay! If you had gotten yourself killed! You idiot!" I guess Ganty has made off the bridge as well. "I ought to tie to you to a horse! Why the hell am I your bodyguard if you do stupid stunts that prevent me from GUARDING YOUR BODY!" She seems a bit upset. She's lapsed into incoherent spluttering. The only word I can really catch is "idiot" though it comes up quite a few times. I think the only reason she isn't saying more is because we have an audience.

Ignoring Ganty I sit up and look around. The "-iros" are huddling around their youngest brother, cradling him and whispering comforts.

I flick my head in that direction. "He okay?"

Mutoh nods. "Thanks to you, kid. You're Goddess sent. If we hadn't found you at the Oasis…" He shoots his son a tender look, one that reminds me of the way Talen was looking at me in Hyrule Castle. Mutoh holds it for a few seconds then shakes himself out of it, remembering he has an audience. "Well, anyway. Thank you for saving his life."

I shrug. "You saved mine first." I go to stand, using my arms to get up. OW! Fuck, ow, that hurts. Not trying that again!

"Link, what's wrong?" Ganty face fills my vision. She's leaning in real close. Way too close. She smells kind of nice.

Focus Link! I rotate my shoulder, once again wincing. Sighing I explain, "I think I hurt my shoulder… again." Ganty grabs my arm, reefing on it. "FUCKING ARGH!"

She nods, satisfied about something, but I am not sure what. Maybe she has been wanting to hurt me for a while. "Well, it's only twisted." Before or after she wrenched on it? She hauls me up to my feet by my other arm, Thank Nayru. Then she pats me hard on my back. On my shoulder. On my bad shoulder.

I'm on my knees again, blinking through tears and biting the inside of my tongue to keep from crying out. I feel Ganty's hand on my chin and she tilts my face so it's looking directly at hers, which is currently sporting a smile that is far too sweet to be innocent.

"Li~nk," she sings my name eerily sweet. "oh Li~nk, if you ever do something that stupid again I will make you re~gret it." Her eyes flash with emphasis and then she lets me go. She marches off in a rising dust cloud.

Mutoh helps me up and gives me a wink. "Women, eh?"

I watch Ganty go and help tend to Sabooru, crooning softly with his every wince and gently wrapping his wounds.

Women. I'm not sure I even want to understand.

***

Here ends part one of A Single Snow Flake. I just want to break it up a bit because of how long it looks like it is going to be and I don't want to hack it up in the middle of a plot arc. But my chapters are short so there is that.

On a personal note, sorry it's been so long between updates. I didn't sleep last week. As in didn't sleep, at all. So I'll try to be more on the ball but real life keeps harshing my mellow if you know what I mean.