CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

"Caught!"

Vaati's ears twitched at the sound of scuffling sand. He and the others whipped around in the direction of the noise to find their missing companions making their way back to camp. Ganondorf and Brittany walked over to the small circle, their horses following, and sat down.

"You have a very odd friend," the dark prince motioned toward Brittany as he took a place between Link and Vaati. The latter wizard gave a strange glance up at the Gerudo. "I've seldom met such an insightful mind, and never in one so young."

The group turned to face Brittany. "I told him about my being an Empath," she said, electing a small gasp from Zelda and protective looks from the boys. She merely shrugged. "He was going to find out anyway! It may as well have been from me. Besides, we're all in this mess together-we all may as well know where we're coming from and what abilities we can contribute."

"Indeed," Link nodded, "we need a good battle strategy."

"I agree," seconded Zelda. "After all, with something so destructive running around all over the world, preparation should be first and foremost."

Brittany sighed. "I guess we may as well get everything out in the open," she suggested. "Ganondorf knows how I got here, too."

The Gerudo grunted in agreement.

"Alright! We have a bowman, a knight, a strongman, a mage, an oracle, and an Empath," the brunette pointed to each person on her verbal list. "Ganondorf, because of his strength, should make good use of close-range combat. And with Link's skill with the sword, no one should be able to penetrate our front lines. Now, I'm a novice swordswoman myself and I have the advantage of hand-to-hand combat, so I can take care of the middle line and switch to the front when Link gets tired."

"Right!" the two men spoke.

"Now, Vaati..." Brittany turned to the Picori-turned-Hylian. "You've got a lot of skill with a blade but your offensive magic can double for long-range attacks. Would you mind a position in the second row alongside me?"

Smirking, the mage nodded.

"Good. Now that leaves the back row. Zelda!" she turned to the princess. "You can cover us from behind with your bow. That should take out any enemies that give chase. Plus, we need someone back there with Farore."

"I wanna help, too!"

Brittany smiled. "Farore, you have the most important job of all: protecting that book," she put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"But I wanna fight!"

The Empath shook her head. "No, you are too precious to lose. We have more than enough fighters, as is."

"But...what if a really big, really bad enemy comes along? Or if we get surrounded?"

"Here."

The group turned around to see Link digging something out of one of the horse's saddlebags. He took out a small pouch and a slingshot, then dumped them into Farore's lap.

"I found these on one of my journeys. This slingshot helped me bring down the sorceress Veran, your sister's kidnapper. It has never failed me," he pointed to the various seeds that the oracle dug out of the pouch, explaining each one and its purpose as they came to it. "You can even use pebbles and other small objects as ammo. Now, should the situation arise, you can use this to defend us. Okay?"

Beaming, Farore hugged her precious treasure to her chest and nodded vigorously. Link looked over and gave Brittany a wink. She smiled in unspoken agreement over Link's gift.

"Alright, Farore," the maiden commanded, "you are now our look-out! Now, why don't we all get some shut-eye? I doubt much of anything is gonna attack us out here in the middle of the desert, so one person at a time can take watch. Link, you first."

Not long after Vaati took watch, he was alerted to another of Brittany's nightmares. He, himself, was still quite drained from their nearly non-stop journey over the past couple of days, but the thought of the horrors the girl's nightmares might hold after seeing the massacre of the Southern Gerudo sent him scurrying to her side. Once more, he found himself placing his hands over her cold, sweat-covered brow and muttering a spell of healing.

Either the nightmare was particularly bad or her mind was building up resistance to his magic, because it took forever for any effect to take place. As his strength flowed out through the magical aura in his palms, Brittany's frantic jerking and incoherent pleas became worse. Vaati felt his magic begin to tap into his body's energy reserves-making him so weak that he could barely hold himself up. He panted as he felt his ribs and arms begin to drain first, then he began to tremble as the magic reached his legs. But he refused to give up. He held out as long as possible until the maiden ceased her unconscious fit before giving out a weak cry and collapsing at her side.

It felt like hours flew by as he hurried to struggle to his knees, though it could not have been more than a few moments. Every fiber and sinew in his body screamed from exhaustion, but he refused to let anyone find out about his going against Ezlo's wishes. He was beginning to learn just why his former master had forbade him from using magic to heal the girl now...

"Vaati!"

In horror, the mage looked up to find four worried...well, two worried faces, a hysterical-looking Farore and a stoic Ganondorf looking down at him. He had been caught!

"Dammit it, Vaati!" Link swore softly. "What in the hell do you think you are doing?"

The sorcerer panted out his reply. "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"But, Vaati," Zelda piped up, her face wrought with terror, "Ezlo told you not to help her when she has those fits!"

"Do you think I could just sit by and watch?" he barked as loud as he could in his raspy, hushed voice. "Night after night, just helpless to watch her suffer alone in the one time of day when she should be at peace? Huh?" Vaati gazed down at his supine friend, his eyes mixed with fear and anger. "I can't...I can't stand to see her in so much pain. To hear those terrified whimpers and do nothing...that very sound pierces me to the core..."

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow, then closed his eyes and nodded. His thin lips pulled into a wicked smirk.

"You care about her, don't you, young man?"

"Of course, I care about her!" Vaati hissed. "She's my friend! How could I not-"

Vaati struggled to his feet with the help of Link and Ganondorf. The knight shook his head.

"I guess we know why you've been so tired lately," he piped up. Vaati said nothing. "Dammit, Vaati...don't'cha think Ezlo had a good reason for his advice?"

"Besides just being a cantankerous old man?" the mage huffed.

"I'm being serious!" Link snapped. "How do you expect to fight if all of your magic is gone, huh? Hell, you're too weak to even hold a sword! Say something happened to the rest of us. In your state right now, do you honestly think you could hold your own AND protect Brittany?"

Vaati fell silent. He hadn't thought of that. The thought of some monster taking hold of the brunette and his being able to do nothing about it sent a chill up his spine. And right now, he couldn't even stand without help.

"Vaati...I know it's hard for you to watch her suffer like that, but please," Zelda chimed in, "try to understand. We all hate that she must suffer like that. No one deserves such a horrible fate, especially after all that she has been through. Please, please, Vaati...we must ask that you not do that again."

The sorcerer growled. "Forget it, princess. I took an oath the day we started this journey that I would find a way to heal her heart no matter what. I WILL protect her, no matter what the cost!"

"Then do it to a lesser extent!" Farore beamed. The others looked at her like she had grown a second head.

"What do you mean, Farore?" Vaati asked.

"Why, just use enough magic to heal part of her nightmare. That way, you won't be worn out so much and she will still get some rest."

"But..."

"Vaati...it's the only choice you have," Zelda added.

The mage's expression soured. "Fine! Just..." he sighed. "Just don't tell her what I've been doing, okay? I don't want her to worry."

"Alright, I promise."

"Same here," Link said.

Ganondorf let out a muted chortle. "If she finds out, it won't be through any of us."

Vaati smiled. "Thank you all..."

"Here, you go get some rest," Ganondorf said. "I'll take watch now."