Tya begrudgingly chugged half of one of the bottles then stowed it away in her bra, since all her storage was with the pack, which Link nestled in a bush not far from where they'd be swimming.
"Ho-How's it feel?" Link dusted off his hands as he returned to her side.
"Like I need to breathe." She replied, eyes narrowing as she took in a deep breath.
"Isn't that n-normal?"
"Then I feel no different."
Link paused then, brow furrowing. He looked at the bottle, then at her, and he shrugged.
"S-See if it wor-worked?" He motioned toward the water only to freeze up and look from it to her. "Wait, can-can you swi-swim?"
"Yes." She replied, smiling gently and shaking her head. "I had no reason to avoid the water in Skyloft. I'll admit, I'm not overly fond, but I'm not hydrophobic either."
He nodded then, somewhat slowly, showing that he understood but was there to stand by regardless. Link stepped back then, and her attention turned back to the water.
She had taken a few steps forward, but paused before she entered.
Wet chainmail was the only thing on her mind.
It just seemed so incredibly uncomfortable. And would it not rust?
She took a step back, looking at her armor. Water couldn't be good for leather either.
And her hair. Water in her hair. It was kept up tightly, but taking down wet hair and putting it back up was such a pain, and the movements required for, well, anything they did, meant that doing so was necessary and constant.
…She could at least fix that one.
She pulled her hair down, and began to put it in a sloppy, yet tight braid, then she tied it off tight and hoped her bangs wouldn't be a problem to her.
"I cannot leave my armor here, can I?" She looked back to link as she put her hands on her stomach. She lightly brushed her fingers along the leather, then looked back to the water.
"I do-don't thin-think that would be a g-good idea. Wh-Why?"
"The chainmail will rust, will it not?"
"N-Not if you oil-oil it." Link shrugged, looking over her armor for a minute. His brow furrowed and he shook his head. "B-But I th-think that the leather w-will mess up."
She looked at the leather as well and nodded her head. "So then only the chainmail? And it won't get ruined?" Link smiled to confirm what she said, and from there she began to unstrap the leather pieces she wore. He moved to help with the cuirass, and as he unlatched the straps down her sides, she pulled off her gauntlets and began to undo the belt that held her tassets.
When it was all removed, Link took it to head toward the spot he'd hid the pack. He tucked them away as well, and as he did, Tya stepped into the water. She submerged herself slowly, dreading every step deeper. Finally, when she was just about to the point she'd go under, she looked back.
"Am I supposed to hold my breath or try to breathe?" Was this meant to make her breathe underwater, or hold her breath longer?
Link thought for a second about what they'd been told when buying the potion. "Uhh, I-I think ho-hold?"
Tya took in a deep breath and fully went under. She stayed for a moment, wondering why exactly she didn't just test this above water, if it was merely meant to help hold her breath, but she figured the sooner she forced herself in the better. It was a few seconds, and while she felt the odd pressure of needing to breathe, it didn't become so urgent that she felt she'd suffocate if she stayed under longer.
She resurfaced then, brushing water out of her eyes and looking up at him. "I think I'm able to make it."
"How l-long is it su-supposed to last?" He started toward the water as well, running in and pretty much diving when he got to a deep enough point that he could.
"I'm not sure, so we probably shouldn't waste any more time…" She'd already wasted enough by stalling to begin with.
"You-you ha-have the bottle in-in case?"
Tya mumbled a quiet 'yes' in response, and Link then ducked under water, starting toward the tunnel he'd discovered.
Tya followed close behind, doing her best to keep up. She did indeed know how to swim, though she'd admit she wasn't the best at it…
They resurfaced inside the tree, and were able to climb up onto a platform with more conveniently placed vines. This time, as they climbed up, Tya heard Link give a quiet thanks to Farore for this assistance.
The notion made her quietly snicker, but how else could it be explained? There was no clear way up out of the water here, and in many other cases it seemed vines had rooted themselves firmly to give a convenient way up to places they needed to be. Something had to have made them grow there, and made them grow strong, so she didn't blame him for believing it was divinity.
They got to the top and looked around.
Over the water, there were two wooden swings, though how they were supposed to get to them, Tya didn't know. Jumping appeared to be out of the question, since they were just far enough apart that they couldn't jump, and given the fact that they were swings, it likely would only end with one of them hitting the platform and flopping into the water. An admittedly amusing thought, but not at all productive.
Along with the swings, there were many of those odd floating fish that they'd confronted in the mining facility. She recalled that they exploded with enough impact, which could be useful if they could fling them into a swing with enough precision to give it some momentum.
The pair both seemed to be searching for a solution to their problem.
Examining the area, Tya notice a rigid edge of the tree jutting out at a height they likely wouldn't have been able to reach alone.
"Link," she nudged him, motioning toward the ridge that lead all the way around, just above the exit on the other side.
He nodded the moment he saw it and started over to it, motioning for her to follow. He gave her a boost and she proceeded to help pull him up.
They proceeded around the edge, but before dropping down Link decided to continue forward. It seemed to lead up farther, and he was curious about what may lay ahead, if anything.
Continuing up, the path narrowed significantly, and they walked out onto the branches that the swings hung from. Across the way, Tya could see the leaves that implied one of those plant monsters would await them.
Link seemed to notice the same thing.
"Y-You can't do the th-thing yet, can you?" He opened and closed his hands as if to tell her 'the thing' meant her fire.
She looked at her palms, noting that they were still damp at the very least, but she tried it anyway. All that came was a bit of sparks, then steam, and she shook her head.
He pursed his lips for a moment, but soon drew his sword. The blade itself wasn't long enough to reach across the gap without risking injury to Link, either from him falling or being hit by the foe. But he raised it to the sky, letting the blade fill with light, then stepped forward with the attack readied.
When the creature showed itself, Link quickly threw the light forward horizontally, slicing through the stem and effectively killing it. He then jumped across the small gap with Tya close behind. She guessed that wasn't the intended use of the strike, but it worked in their favor, so she was left only to be amused that he'd used a supposedly heavenly ability to cut down a plant.
There was nothing they really needed there, but something that they happily accepted: A Gold Rupee. Tya had never seen one, as they were worth about 300 altogether.
Having collected that though, they continued down and leaped down in front of their exit.
They stepped out onto a carved path that spiraled around the massive tree.
They proceeded up the path and then up vines, which Link was able to dispatch with the only tool he still had, his slingshot. Tya hadn't noticed he kept it on him, but it was small and wooden, so she wasn't surprised that it was fine in the water.
It led into the tree once again. Entering, the pair immediately came to a stop.
Something that resembled one of those red pests stood on the other side, though those alone wouldn't have been enough to bring pause. This one though was massive, wielding a spear and a heavy wooden shield. It immediately seemed to notice them, holding the shield in front of itself and the spear forward.
Tya's reaction was to once again try to ignite. The sparks soon gave way to a flame, but she gasped and extinguished it. Her sleeves were still drenched, allowing water to drip down into it.
Noticing this, Link held a hand up to signal for her to stand back. He moved forward with sword and shield drawn as well.
The enemy inched forward, prepared to skewer Link if he got close enough. The path was too narrow for a lot of dodging and likely too narrow for Tya to shoot at that point anyway, with Link ahead of her.
But even with that, and with the drips into her fire, she reignited. It was too risky not to help in some way—that shield could easily push Link off the edge, and though water was what waited for him beneath, it could still prove fatal. If the shield didn't get him, the more obvious option would, meaning the spear.
She didn't want to doubt Link, but it seemed he was at a severe disadvantage.
She raised her lit arm up, ignoring the stinging pain in her veins brought by the moisture on her palms. Gravity wouldn't allow the water to drip into her fire if her arm was raised. She allowed it to charge only a moment before hastily casting it forward.
Fortunately, she managed to catch the wooden shield, startling both Link and the beast. The beast shook it, trying to put it out, but to no avail. It then resorted to casting it off, letting it fall off the edge and to the water below.
With this gone, and it distracted, Link quickly took the moment to thrust his sword through the beast's stomach. It's response was an odd growling, obviously pained, and not the least bit pleasing to the ear, though Tya couldn't imagine the dying sounds of anything would be.
It swung it's spear, but Link managed to duck below it and avoid being hit. It wasn't long before it tumbled back, collapsing on the path. It would have proved a problem for them to get past, but it soon slid off the edge, falling to the same fate it's shield did.
Tya had extinguished her fire quickly and began to rub her wrists to try to soothe her pain. As she did, she started across the path to meet Link again, and they proceeded out the other side, sure not to slip on the blood left behind by the fallen foe.
They took note of the statue on the path that would allow them to return to the sky from that point, but did little more with it. They carried on up the path.
"Are y-you alright?" He asked, motioning to the way she rubbed her wrists.
"Yes," she smiled. "The water in the fire hurts, but it's bearable enough to help you if I need to."
Looking forward again, Link slowed and motioned toward one of the pests that stood, looking out over the forest.
It hadn't noticed they were there, so Link crouched, drawing his blade and moving close to the wall. Tya took a step back and moved to the wall as well so she may not alert it, but she kept behind him as Link sneaked forward.
He'd gotten half way there when a startled gasp left his lips, and his shield quickly moved to guard his head. Tya didn't understand why until a cleaver came down hard on the guard.
She flinched, frozen with a bit of panic until she saw Link thrust his blade upward and through the chest of the pest that had ambushed him. He stood then, stumbling back a step or two as the one fell dead.
When they looked forward again, they noticed that the blue skinned pest had then been joined by another, and that they were both headed toward Link.
Link quickly lunged forward, slashing his blade through the red one that had come forward, then giving a swift kick to the initial one, making it stumble back a few steps. Such a thing did a little more than he seemed to expect, because it slipped back off the edge of the tree and went falling down to the ground far below.
Tya looked over the edge briefly before stepping back and looking to Link with her mouth hanging open.
There was a moment of silence before she quietly muttered "maybe I should go home" It seemed out of the blue, honestly, but he'd been ambushed and all she did was stand aside like a useless damsel. In her head, somehow, it made more sense to leave rather than give him an extra pair of eyes to watch his back.
"Wh-Why?" His victorious expression turned to a frown, and he tried to calm his slightly labored breathing.
"If there is water involved, I'm not of any help to you." She told him simply.
"T-Ty, we al-already went over this!" He slumped a little, but his expression turned to a smile. "Even i-if you're j-just st-standing by, it's nice to not be al-alone."
They had indeed discussed such a thing multiple times, which only made her feel silly for saying it once more. But even with his repeated comforting words, she still felt the same this time. Before, it was only anxiety and self-deprecation that made her feel such a way. These things, though terrible and reoccurring, were fixable or at the very least bearable with a bit of reassurance that they were wrong. However this situation didn't quite feel the same.
Fear was what made her want to leave. Fear that she would be the reason Link fell, because he was too busy having to protect her when she was rendered useless. Along with that came frustration that she couldn't force through the pain and fight regardless, or even use a melee weapon when all else failed. Instead she just stood by like some pathetic escort story awaiting her knight to clear the path so they may safely continue.
What next, was he going to remove a piece of clothing and lay it over a puddle so she may not wet her shoes?
The thought aggravated her…
"I don't want to be a danger to you…" Her voice quieted then.
"How w-would you be a-a danger?" He sheathed his blade, looking back toward the path to see how much farther up they needed to go. It shown no sign of ending soon, and so he moved to lean against the tree itself.
"If there is water, I cannot fight, and therefore I will only be standing back and watching you take everything yourself."
"And a-after taking everything my-myself, I'll get to come o-out and see you. Waiting and Safe. L-Letting me know I'm a-alive and doing wh-what I need to." His own voice softened as well.
She hushed then, her hands clasping over her stomach and her eyes redirecting to the bloodied wood beneath her. Link stood, watching her for a moment or two longer before straightening again and pulling at her arm.
"Don't leave me h-here alone." It was a gentle order, spoken in such a way that seemed to be a mix of a command and a request. Possibly the only command Tya would ever follow without resentment toward it.
With it in mind, she motioned forward again, and Link watched her a moment longer before complying and carrying on.
He slowed so she could walk at his side, and he lightly nudged her arm a bit.
"Wh-Why don't we try to f-find something for you to fi-fight with again when we go back?"
"We already tried once, they wouldn't lend a weapon to a civilian."
"Yeah but m-maybe if I le-leave Fi somewhere and sa-say I need one, or ask th-the Headmaster. At le-least a knife. So you don't f-feel so def-defenseless. "
"I suppose…" She trailed off. Even something would be better than nothing, but she had no idea how they'd get a hold of anything. She just decided she'd let Link try to handle it, he was more likely to get his hands on something like that.
They carried on a little farther up the path and as they walked, Fi formed again. She was silent for a moment before quietly saying "Master, listen closely. Do you hear that?"
The curiosity seemed out of character for her, but Tya realized that may just be because she'd only seen one trait displayed by Fi. She didn't know her, nor did it really occur to her that the spirit may indeed enjoy something.
Regardless of that, though, Tya did actually take a second to listen in to their surroundings and see what it was Fi was talking about. In the branches above them, it sounded as if there was a creature. It seemed like growling in a way, though she wasn't quite sure that's what it was, given the consistency of it. Creatures didn't generally growl, stop, growl, and stop.
They continued toward it, ascending to the top and walking out onto a ledge. Fi had not returned to the blade, instead she gracefully floated at Link's side.
"We have reached the top of the tree." She started, moving out in front of him. She turned from him, around to look at the rest of the woods. "From this vantage point, you have a good view. Perhaps you will see an area you have not yet explored." As she spoke, she seemed to notice the sound again, and she turned only to spot a Kikwi perched on a branch not far from them. A makeshift arm motioned outward toward it as she said "Master, look up there…" There was a brief pause before she turned back to Link. "I have confirmed the discovery of a new Kikwi. Analysis indicates a 90% chance that the sounds we have been hearing are the loud snores of this Kikwi." With that, Fi abruptly retreated to the blade, leaving the two of them to stand, confused for a moment.
There were a few silent words passed between them about what the course of action should be, but they soon settled on waking the Kikwi. A bit of 'psst's and 'hey's ensued, to no avail, and then Link decided try another method. He whipped out the sling shot, and at first Tya stopped him, but he reassured her he of course wasn't going to hit the thing, only try to spook it awake with snaps on the branches.
A couple of shots, and it worked, startling the little fellow, but waking him nonetheless. Tya lurched forward as if she would be some of assistance, but the gap between where they stood and the Kikwi sat was much too large for her to catch him if he fell.
It was startled first by the rude awakening, and then again by the presence of what had done it. "Humans!" it exclaimed happily, carrying on to ramble about how they hadn't seen one of those in years. Soon enough it cut itself off though, in favor of introducing itself. "Yerbal", it said its name was, though apparently the other creatures referred to him mostly as the Kikwi hermit.
He continued on to ask if they could see them, to which both gave a confused affirmation. Tya was left to guess this was some sort of joke, because he didn't clarify at all, rather moved on to inquire why they were there. They told him as they'd told everyone else thus far, and with their explanation he agreed to help so long as they kept it a secret.
This was odd to her, that he would entrust something to the both of them, but not because he did it so loosely. She assumed it was their status as 'humans' or perhaps the questions they asked, the manner in which they asked them, and the equipment carried by her companion. It was more the fact she was so quickly trusted without question. It hadn't been overly prevalent in all conversations, but to her it felt as if it was glaringly clear she wasn't meant to be here.
There was a spike of worry as these thoughts came to light once more, but as he continued on with his story, she forced her attention back to him.
He told of a Water Dragon, and her whereabouts within Lake Floria, the entrance to which was closed and sealed only to be unlocked with the power of the goddess. It was an incomplete seal, and the complete symbol was somewhere etched, waiting to be memorized so they may unlock it. They took their leave after the hermit clarified one last thing: that the Water Dragon was particular about manners.
With that the pair stepped to the edge, from which they were able to look out over the entire forest, and place the spots which they assumed held what they were looking for. The lake itself was clearly visible from their position, and a stone slab that lay in front of it though the symbols on it were indecipherable at their distance. Moving around, they could see nothing that looked as if it held what they were looking for, so they descended the carved walkway once again, their eyes sharp so they may find what they were looking for.
And they did so, on top of an overgrown, crumbling structure that, in all honesty, made the area more beautiful.
They wasted no time, leaping off and using their sailcloths to land close, where they took in the rather simple symbol and began off in the direction of Lake Floria.
