A/N: Finally in Hebra/Tabantha!


After traversing through Tanagar Canyon, the group returned to Serenne Stable.

While the others followed Link to get some food, Ganondorf searched for the tailor, spotting him standing near a tree. Approaching the man, Ganondorf took out the needles and held them out. "Here's your needles."

The man gasped, snatching the needles from Ganondorf and pressing them to his face. "My babies! You're safe!"

He stared at the needles critically, searching for any sign that they weren't actually his before he nodded, satisfied.

"Excellent work. I expected nothing less."

Ganondorf rolled his eyes, holding out a hand. "The clothes? You did make them, right?"

"Of course, of course." The man bobbed his head, rummaging through his bag. "They were easier to make than I originally thought. Six warm outfits for your travels into Tabantha."

Ganondorf was handed a pile of clothes soft to the touch and lined with cotton.

Ganondorf gave a nod. "Thank you."

"Ah, a word before you go, young sir."

With an internal sigh, Ganondorf mumbled, "What?"

"If you go towards the Rito Village, you may spot a strange cart that appears only at night. The man who runs it is known as Kilton, the one who communes with monsters. It might benefit you to see if you can visit him."

Kilton? Ganondorf wondered. He hadn't' heard that name before. But it couldn't hurt to visit Rito Village either. They did need to find the location of the next spring; perhaps it was near that area of Hebra.

"Thank you for the information," Ganondorf muttered, inclining his head at the tailor before he walked back towards the stable.

The man smiled before he wandered off, petting his needles and murmuring to them.

"Are those the clothes?" Zelda asked when she saw the bundle of clothes Ganondorf held.

Ganondorf gave a nod, sitting on one of the stools so he could look the clothes over.

The largest one he handed to Sidon and the ones that weren't small but not as large as Sidon's were handed to Bazz and Mipha.

After handing the other two sets of clothes to Link and Zelda, the group split up to find places to change in privacy.

Ganondorf scratched at his arms and chest, the clothes soft but not something he was used to. He kept his cloak over his new clothes as an added layer of protection from the wind.

It didn't take long for the others to return with their own warm clothes on.

The Zora looked the strangest, wearing clothes that they weren't used to. It was a necessary evil though to protect them from freezing in the snows of Tabantha or Hebra.

"These are quite soft, I admit," Sidon murmured, running his hand down the sleeves of his shirt. "It must be made from the wool of highland sheep."

"And the feathers of Rito," Mipha said. "I heard their feathers are water and cold resistant."

Soft like a pillow, Link signed, appearing comfortable with his new clothes.

Ganondorf looked at the map, remembering what Hylia had said about the labyrinth. He searched the northern snowfield area then spotted a strange picture.

"Did you find it?" Zelda asked when she noticed Ganondorf's eyes widen.

Ganondorf laid the map on a stool, pointing to the zig-zag structure marked on the map. "That look like a labyrinth to you?"

"It does," Bazz said. "I wonder why no one has questioned it."

"I bet people have gone to the labyrinth but were turned away by the cold," Sidon suggested.

"Or something else," Mipha said. "This is for you three. Perhaps those deemed unworthy were turned away."

"That's far away," Zelda sighed, measuring the distance from their position to the labyrinth with her finger. "A day at least."

Ganondorf tapped a stable that sat in the southern Tabantha Snowfield. "We'll stop here for the night. In the morning we'll travel to the labyrinth."

How long will it take? Link asked.

"If we go at a constant pace, perhaps seven hours."

"We'd best be going then," Bazz said. "If we wish to avoid nightfall and the Stal monsters showing up."

Ganondorf nodded, rolling up the map. "Let's get going then."


Taking the road that arched around the back of Tanagar Canyon, the group easily passed from Rowan Plain into south Tabantha Snowfield. The landscape changed from grassy to rocky to snow covered instantaneously, the air changing from mild and cool to freezing and nipping quickly.

Their warm clothes kept the wintry weather at bay, making then feel cozy despite the temperature drop.

Sidon gave a shuddering shiver, breath puffing in the air. "Chilly…"

"Are the clothes not working for you?" Zelda asked, glancing at the Zora in concern.

"Oh, no." Sidon waved a hand, a blue coating his cheeks. "They're working just fine. But even with these on, it's still a bit chilly."

"It's bearable," Mipha said. "I imagine it would be worse without these clothes on."

"We'll be at the stable in a half hour," Ganondorf mumbled, Helltrotter snorting at the snow falling from the cloudy sky. "It will be warmer there."

He and Helltrotter were built for the heat of the desert, not the cold of winter.

Helltrotter seemed to agree with him, glaring down at the white he was walking on.

The snowfield stable soon loomed into their view and the group sighed as they caught sight of it.

A few travelers gawked at the sight of the Zora braving the cold, murmuring amongst themselves as the others slid down from their horses.

As Link went to gather ingredients to make dinner, Zelda approached the stable owner to request six beds.

"Are you Zora?" a male asked, squinting at the three Zora. "Really?"

Sidon nodded. "We are indeed Zora, my friend!"

"Will wonders never cease…thinking yourself Ice Zora, do you now?"

"Ice Zora?" Ganondorf asked. "I've heard of Lake, Sea, and River Zora but not Ice Zora."

"They're not like your Zora friends here," one man sniffed, wrinkling his nose. "They're monsters."

"They lurk beneath any frozen surface in Hebra," another traveler said. "They snatch up anything stupid enough to walk on it."

Ganondorf looked at Mipha who nodded, staring at the ground.

"Father mentioned them once," she said. "They're rarely seen and we can't survive freezing water temperatures so we haven't been able to make any diplomacy with them."

"Are they as violent as they're rumored to be?"

"I'm not sure."

Ganondorf gave a hum. He made a mental note to avoid frozen lakes.

While waiting for Link to finish dinner, the group sat around a nearby fire, the warmth from the crackling flames keeping the cold away.

After a few minutes, Link came over to them with plates of spicy poultry pilaf.

Keep cold away, he signed after handing the last plate to Zelda. Added spicy pepper to make cold resistance.

Ganondorf wasn't sure if Link adjusting a recipe meant the food was good or not. He took a small bite to test it. The warmth of the food spread throughout his entire body after hitting his stomach.

"This is amazing," Zelda murmured.

"It's making my insides all warm," Bazz said. "How fascinating."

Link smiled, pleased that his experiment had worked out, and sat with the rest of the group to eat as well.


After a good night's rest in the warm stable, the group left early the next morning as the sun's early light glinted off the snow covering the ground.

"Be careful of the blizzards!" the stable owner called after them. "They've been more frequent lately!"

"Thank you!" Zelda replied, waving at the owner. "We'll be careful!"

"Who the heck brings Zora into Tabantha?" a traveler mumbled, watching the strange group leave.

"Idiots," another traveler said.

The Zora stuck close to the horses as they looked around while they walked.

Tabantha moose watched the group from a distance as they grazed and wooly rhinoceros snorted, daring them to come closer.

Zelda smiled at the animals. She had only seen them in books and the books didn't do them justice.

Snowcoat foxes yipped at the sight of the group before scampering off. Cold-footed wolves watched from a distance, but didn't try to attack the group, wary of Helltrotter.

As they walked, the snow that was gradually falling thickened until it blinded their vision.

Ganondorf grunted as he put up a hand in front of his face to block the snow when it began to blow towards them as the wind picked up.

"Okay, everyone needs to hold onto each other so we don't get lost in the blizzard!"

Zelda reached up to hold onto Helltrotter's reins while Bazz gripped Mipha's hand in one hand and held onto Bluebell's reins with the other.

"We should find shelter!" Zelda called above the howling wind, ducking her head so the snow would stop biting her face.

Ganondorf nodded, squinting against the snow as he searched for something they could hunker down in until the blizzard passed. He spotted the skull-shaped cave and steered everyone towards it.

If they had to clear out a few monsters to have something out of the snow and wind so be it.

The monster den was empty though and Ganondorf wondered if the monsters became tired of the blizzards and had abandoned it.

Zelda shivered as she slid down from Bluebell, shaking the accumulated snow off her arms. "That was fun."

"When he said blizzards, I hadn't expected one so soon," Ganondorf mumbled.

The horses shook themselves off, glad to be out of the wind.

Bazz stared outside at the snow whipping past. "I don't think this is going to lighten up anytime soon."

"Then I guess we'll stay here until it subsides," Ganondorf said, spotting an old pile of wood near the center of the den.

After testing it to make sure it was dry, Ganondorf lit the wood with a small flame from his finger.

"Wait," Mipha said, looking around. "Where are Sidon and Link?"

The rest looked around the den, noticing that they were missing a horse, a Hylian and a Zora.

"He got lost in the blizzard?" Ganondorf muttered.

Zelda gasped, moving forward. "We have to find them!"

Ganondorf grabbed her arm. "Are you crazy? We'll only get ourselves lost searching for them."

"We can't just leave them out there!"

"Link will know what to do. He's probably already found shelter for them."

Zelda frowned before she nodded, looking back out into the blizzard.

"We'll wait until the blizzard dies down," Bazz said. "Then we'll search for them."

"How long will that take?" Mipha asked, looking at Bazz then Ganondorf.

Ganondorf hummed as he sat down by the fire. "Well, I remember sandstorms could last for hours or even days. I imagine it's the same concept for blizzards."

"We can't wait for days though," Zelda said.

"There's nothing else to do," Ganondorf sighed. "We'll risk exposure or death if we go back out into that."

"Link seems well-traveled," Bazz offered. "I'm sure he and Sidon are waiting for the blizzard to stop as well."

Mipha frowned then nodded, glancing back out at the swirling snow before sitting by the fire to keep warm.

Bazz settled himself beside her while Zelda sat close to Ganondorf.


Link knocked on the door before opening it slowly, poking his head inside. He didn't see anyone and opened the door for Sidon.

"Are you certain we should intrude upon someone else's home like this?" Sidon asked, ducking under the doorway so he could enter.

Link ran his fingers across the top of a bookshelf and showed the dust to Sidon.

"Ah. Abandoned." Sidon glanced around the small house which contained a small kitchenette, a single bed, and a fireplace. "Well, at least this will keep us safe from the weather outside."

Link stared out the window to make sure that Epona was all right.

There was a small stable outside for her to be mostly sheltered from the weather, but she still didn't appear happy.

"I hope the others have found shelter as well," Sidon murmured, glancing towards the window.

I'm sure they have, Link replied, heading to the kitchen to search the cupboards for anything to eat.

They were empty, probably cleaned out by the previous owner or thieves.

Link went over to the fireplace, taking a few logs from the stack beside it and tossing them in. taking out the Master Sword and a piece of flint left on the mantle, Link started a fire.

As Link rummaged through his bag, Sidon sat close to the fire, holding his hands out to warm them.

Link held out a piece of Chuchu jelly and Sidon snorted.

"Do you have anything else besides that?"

Frowning, Link went back to looking though his pack and pulled out a few wildberries he had pilfered from snowfield stable. He shrugged.

All I got.

"Those will do." Sidon took a few of the offered wildberries, popping them into his mouth,

They were juicy and sweet.

Sidon watched Link attempted to tear off a piece of Chuchu jelly, amused at the Hylian's struggles.

"Does Chuchu jelly taste any good?"

Link shrugged, holding the jelly between his teeth so he could sign Taste like palm fruit.

"Ah."

Sidon had never tasted palm fruit so he wasn't sure if it was good or not. It must have been to Link judging by the way he was eating the tough jelly without any trouble.

"What made you even try Chuchu jelly in the first place, my friend?"

Curiosity.

Curiosity? Really?

"Curiosity killed the cat, you know."

Hasn't killed me yet.

"My friend, your stomach must be made of iron."

Link grinned as he finished off the last chunk of Chuchu jelly then ate the last few wildberries. He wiped off his hands then settled into a more comfortable position.

"How long do you think we have to stay here?"

Maybe a few hours, if we're lucky.

"I see…"


Ganondorf wasn't even aware of when he had fallen asleep, but he awoke with a start, straightening and looking around.

Zelda was leaning against him, still asleep, with his jacket around her shoulders.

He must have put it around her before he had fallen asleep.

Nearby, Mipha was asleep as well, laying halfway across Bazz's lap.

Bazz himself appeared nervous, sitting ramrod straight, arms out of the way so he wouldn't accidentally wake her.

"Comfortable?" Ganondorf asked with a grin at the stiff Zora.

"Yes," Bazz said tightly, glancing down at Mipha before stiffening even more when she shifted in her sleep.

Ganondorf looked toward the den's entrance, noticing that a thin layer of snow was falling.

"Looks like the blizzard has passed. We should get out while we can." Ganondorf shook Zelda to get her awake. "Rise and shine. Blizzard's done."

"How long have I been asleep?" Zelda mumbled, rubbing her eyes before stretching her arms above her head.

Ganondorf took the opportunity to take his jacket back and stand up. "Not sure. Maybe an hour or so."
"That's not too bad."

Just as Bazz was about to wake Mipha up, she sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"What time is it?"

"Judging by the sun's position, just past two in the afternoon."

"How long will it take to reach the maze?" Zelda asked as she stood up, stretching again to get her legs awake.

"Three hours at most."

Bazz stood up after Mipha, glad to have freedom for his legs. Not that he was going to complain about Mipha using him as a pillow.

The four left the den and Ganondorf got up into Helltrotter's saddle.

"What about Link and Sidon?" Mipha asked.

"They know where the maze is," Ganondorf said. "We may meet them there or on the way."

They headed north and as they drew closer to the area where the maze was, Bazz spotted a red figure walking towards them with a horse by their side.

He pointed. "There they are!"

Zelda stopped Bluebell at Bazz's exclamation, gasping when she saw Link and Sidon heading in their direction. "Link!"

Link waved, grinning at the others.

"Are you all right?" Mipha asked when Sidon approached, reaching up her hands.

Sidon leaned down and the two headbutted gently, headtails waving.

"Where were you two?" Ganondorf asked, glancing at Link.

Link pointed in the direction they had come from. Cabin.

"You took someone's house?" Zelda gasped.

Link shook his head. Abandoned.

Ganondorf gave a nod. "Ah. Well, at least you two were sheltered."

What about you guys?

"We found a monster den that was empty," Zelda said. "It was warm enough for shelter."

Sidon smiled a bit as he straightened. "Are we close to the maze?"

Ganondorf nodded. "Not too far."

Together they all headed toward the maze that sat secluded in the topmost corner of Tabantha. The walls of the labyrinth were massive, nearly as tall as a mountain, and they all had to look up in order to see the top.

"I didn't expect it to be so enormous," Zelda murmured, staring at the carvings on the walls.

"People built this?" Mipha asked in amazement.

"The Zonai?" Ganondorf suggested, spotting what appeared to be the head of an owl carved into the stone.

"It must have taken ages to build," Sidon murmured, peering into the maze.

A wind picked up from within the maze, causing the group to shield their eyes from the biting wind. Something shot out of the maze's depths, hovering briefly above the group before landing on the outermost edge of the maze, claws gripping the rock.

Zelda gasped as she gazed up at the enormous white owl that stared down at them impassively.

The owl appeared to be similar to a barn owl with three pairs of gold eyes and blue swirling marks covering its feathers, pulsing with an inner life.

Ganondorf stared at the owl, not sure if it was an enemy or not.

So far it hadn't attacked them so he assumed it was friendly.

"Zelda," he whispered, not breaking eye contact with the owl. "Do you know what this owl is?"

"I think…it's Sova."

"The Zonai goddess of wisdom? I thought the Zonai just used animals to represent the Triforce, not that their gods were actually real!"

"Obviously we were wrong."

Sova opened her wings. "Greetings, children of the Golden Three! I am Sova, the owl goddess of wisdom worshipped by the ancient Zonai. The labyrinth that stands before you will test the depths of your insight."

Sova held out a foot, claws spread.

"Hand me the scale of the frozen dragon of frost."

Ganondorf glanced at the others before he reached into his coat, pulling out Naydra's scale and setting it on Sova's outstretched foot.

Sova stared at the scale critically to make sure it was real before she tossed it into the depths of the maze.

A light beam shot up before the labyrinth rumbled then fell still.

Sova spread a wing towards the maze's entrance. "Proceed onward into the maze and claim your prize that awaits in its heart."