"Good morning!" Nyla's cheerful greeting met Zelda's ears as she sat up in her soft bed. She had slept well, despite the unwelcome interruption in the middle of the night and the even more dreadful nightmares that plagued her mind as she slept. Hylia had warned her that her nightmares would be worse during the Blood Moon, the time when Ganon's demons re-enter defeated monsters and bring them back to life. One never wanted to be caught outside fighting enemies during a Blood Moon.

She stretched as she sat atop the soft bed. It was only five o'clock in the morning, but her need to get to Dueling Peaks was causing much anxiety within her. She needed to get there before nightfall, so she had to make sure to leave Riverside in about an hour. Considering what had nearly happened with the Yiga Clan member, she changed her plans to stay at Dueling Peaks for several nights while she waited for Link. The near-miss encounter with the Yiga had really given her a fright, and she was no longer comfortable camping out in the wilderness alone.

Zelda pulled out her map to go over the route she would be taking. With the natural landscape being so varied, she didn't have a lot of choices. She could either go southwest from Riverside Stable and then east to Dueling Peaks by following the path, or cross the river heading east as a shortcut until they find the path again. If she knew her horse better and hadn't just tamed him the day before, she may have chosen to cross the river, but she reluctantly chose the first option. This option put her back in the midst of Central Hyrule, where there were many village ruins teeming with Guardians. She was comforted that she had a fast horse, since that meant she could outrun most enemies, even Guardians, if any gave her trouble. She could well-defend herself on horseback as well, using her bow and arrows effortlessly while riding. With her route decided, she put her map away, gathered the rest of her things, and approached the counter.

She saw Nyla emerge from the kitchen carrying a large handful of homemade muffins and aged goat cheese for the road, along with a bundle of Endura carrots for Toffa. She then brought out a breakfast of scrambled cuckoo eggs with roasted boar and the same aged cheese made from leftover goat's milk. Zelda expressed to Nyla her admiration of how they raised and sourced their own ingredients, and she had always daydreamed of homesteading and living a life with her own garden and raising animals, living off the land with her family. As Princess Zelda that dream was impossible, but as Ari, it seemed to her that it was a dream that would be within her grasp. I can pretend, right?

Zelda teared up as she packed her travel bag onto Toffa's back and said goodbye to Nyla and Ember. She gave them each a hug.

"Please stop by if you ever find yourself in our area again," Nyla said. "We'd love to have you." They had treated her, well, like a princess. She left a large handful of gold and silver rupees and a note inside the counter when neither of them were looking earlier that morning, and she only wished she could see their faces when they discovered it.

She started out on the path with Toffa, ready to face whatever the day would bring them. Her horse flew like the wind. She couldn't believe how fast he galloped, only veering off the path a handful of times, and she would gently guide him back to it. Running away from enemies, even Guardians, proved to be vastly effective. Their laser beams were much too slow compared to Toffa at top speed. She only had to use her arrows on horseback once when a group of Bokoblins tried to foolishly attack her on horseback from the ground. She made quick work of them with her arrows, and she picked up every horn and purple blob of Bokoblin guts they left behind. After defeating them and realizing they were already a third of the way through their journey, she decided to give Toffa and herself a break.

Zelda sat down in the grass on a small towel to have her lunch. She grabbed two of Nyla's muffins and an apple for herself, and an endura carrot and another apple for Toffa.

Zelda smiled as she allowed her mind to drift about what it would be like seeing Link alive for the first time in a century. Her lovesick heart ached for him. The last time she had seen him, he was dead when she handed his body over to Robbie and Tiko, an image which still haunted her thoughts and her nightmares. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to contain her excitement seeing him alive and breathing after waiting over a hundred years. And I have to pretend he's a perfect stranger. How in all of Hyrule will I ever manage that?

Her mind drifted to their forbidden love one hundred years ago, a love which may have sent him to the gallows if anyone besides the very select few who knew found out. Their relationship was chaste and scarcely went beyond heavy kissing, as anything more intimate felt wrong to both of them since they were unmarried. He had always told her he wanted to treat her like the lady she was. As she thought more about it, the prospect of currently having to pretend she didn't have feelings for him felt very similar to what she had to do publicly during their forbidden romance a hundred years ago.

Hylia's words rang in her mind. "Any distractions could prove fatal." She secretly hoped he would remember her right away so that she wouldn't have to pretend, but Hylia had said he would only remember "when the time is right." She wanted that time to be soon.

After finishing her meal and with Toffa rejuvenated, she climbed back onto the saddle, and they continued east. A few hours later, Toffa had slowed to a trot after so much running. He seemed to go in waves, where he would gallop at full speed for a while, then slow to a trot, then gradually pick up to full speed again. While he was trotting a blue Lizalfos came running at them with a spear. She was quick to draw her bow and shock arrow and shoot before it hit her or Toffa. The arrow hit its side and electrocuted it, but it wasn't enough to kill it. To her surprise, Toffa turned around, ran away from it, then charged at the terrified enemy as fast as he could. He easily ran it down and stomped on it until it disappeared with a screech and the usual cloud of smoke. Toffa let out a satisfied snort. She hopped off his back and praised him, giving him lots of nose and face rubs and another Endura carrot. "We make a great team," she lovingly told him while he nuzzled against her shoulder.

Hopping back on once again, she brought Toffa up to full speed as they continued on their way. Just as the sun was beginning to set over the horizon, Zelda saw the familiar wooden statue of a horse atop a circus tent-like structure. They had made it to the Dueling Peaks Stable! Her heart leapt when she saw several shrines and a couple towers in the distance that were no longer orange but gave off a bright blue glow. Link! Knowing he was getting closer sent Summerwing butterflies dancing in her stomach as she imagined what it would be like to finally see him. She had literally waited an entire century.

She approached the outside counter, and a young man, one of the stablehands, greeted her.

"Welcome to Dueling Peaks Stable. Please see the counter inside for accommodations. Would you like to board your horse?"

"Yes, please!" She dismounted and gave Toffa another apple and several more cuddles to his face and nose as she said goodbye, and she went inside to pay for her four-night stay. She was early and had no plans to venture very far; the last thing she wanted to do was somehow miss Link.

Zelda flopped her travel bag and weapons onto the soft bed as she removed her boots from her tired feet, then stashed everything under the bed. This stable was much busier than Riverside had been, with only two open beds left. She hoped there would be one left for Link by the time he got here; she didn't want to think about what she might do if they had to share one.

She slowly walked around the room, stretching her stiff legs. She had been sitting for over twelve hours, and while her saddle was comfortable, she could feel the soreness in her backside start to settle in. She decided she should try formulating a Muscle Balm in the near future.

Trying to get her mind off of the minor pain she was in, she approached the counter and asked if they had anything to eat. She was disappointed to learn they didn't serve hot meals, unlike Riverside, but she took their offer of a cold sandwich and an apple anyway; she was getting too tired to care. After finishing her sandwich and apple, she crawled into bed, deciding if she could go to sleep, she would be that much closer to seeing Link when she woke up.

...

...

Link was feeling pretty good about himself. He had successfully defeated countless enemies, and his inventory was full of various monster parts. His fighting prowess was improving quickly, his biceps were beginning to appear, and he no longer looked as though he was "half-starved," as the king had told him when they first met. He had defeated his first Moblin, another creature his mind remembered with a twinge as he saw it, along with several Lizalfos. It took him longer to remember the lizard-like creatures that apparently enjoyed attacking with their tongues, stinging him and leaving welts on his skin, but he made quick work of them with his spear and collected the various parts they dropped anyway. A swarm of Keese had attacked him the previous night, and he hoped he never had to go through that again. He hated their squeaks, their sharp bites, and their creepy red-orange single eyes, but he still reluctantly collected the eyes they dropped as they disappeared, along with their wings. The number and skill of the enemies he was starting to encounter was increasing, but they made for good training and building strength.

He had already journeyed much closer to the Dueling Peaks Stable like the king suggested, finishing several more shrines and collecting the Spirit Orbs from the still-creepy skeleton monks. He just needed to find another statue of the Goddess so he could collect another one of those heart containers. They made him feel stronger and more confident, a far cry from how he felt when he first emerged from the depths of his slumber.

He realized finding Koroks was one of his favorite things to do. He found a few more of the funny forest spirits, sometimes chasing them or solving small puzzles using his runes, or more rarely simply walking close to one. He enjoyed laughing at their silly antics and collecting their so-called seeds. He had a feeling they weren't really "seeds" because of their scent, but he didn't want to think about what they might be. He had no idea what they were used for, but apparently Hestu needed them for his maracas, according to every Korok he met. Some of the Koroks even liked to tell him a joke. The first one made him laugh for a solid five minutes. He loved the funny Children of the Forest and hoped to find many more.

Link made use of several cooking pots scattered throughout the land, taking advantage of them whenever he could. He soon held a large collection of various meals tucked away inside the slate. He accidentally made a dish called "Dubious Food" after he accidentally dropped a Bokoblin horn in with his ingredients. Curious, he tried it, thinking the horn might add a good source of nutrients. Even though the "Dubious Food" was very chewy and tasted a little odd, he decided it would work in a pinch. He really would eat anything…except maybe Bokoblin guts.

He was getting better at using his paraglider. The first flight off the Great Plateau Tower, while terrifying, had been a thrill, although he slightly misjudged the landing and needed to use the Bruise Balm from the king in a rather embarrassing place. He was amazed at the effectiveness of the balm and wondered where he got it from. He was happy the Bosh Kala shrine had given him more practice with his paraglider as he rode along the wind gusts to the many waiting platforms inside. To his relief, the "bottomless pits" inside shrines were not actually bottomless; if he fell he would suddenly find himself back up on the ledge, only slightly shaken, where he had fallen a few seconds earlier. Shrines were strange places, but he grew to enjoy their trials and puzzles because they helped significantly strengthen his skills and prowess.

Link came to a large bridge along the path toward the two halves of the Dueling Peaks. The sign read "Proxim Bridge." He checked his slate to make sure he was still headed in the right direction, and he began to cross it. A man named Brigo greeted him and explained he was there to guard the bridge against enemies so people could cross safely. He also told him of an attack by Guardians the man had suffered and warned him to watch out for them, especially if he ever ventured near Hyrule Castle. Link thanked Brigo and continued on his way across the bridge.

Another orange tower came into view and caught his eye as he crossed the bridge, but his vision was drawn to a large structure ahead of him in the shape of the upper half of a giant skull. Wisps of dark gray smoke were blowing upward from the holes in the skull. I bet it's another camp!

Link quietly crept toward the oversized structure, and he could see several Bokoblins inside. They were sitting next to a few red barrels that had skulls and crossbones painted on them. Are those bombs? He watched the Bokoblins inside who seemed to be dancing around the fire, if he could call it dancing, and their wild movements amused him. He watched them for a few more minutes, and an idea sparked in his mind.

I wonder what would happen if I shot a bomb arrow at one of those red barrels.

He removed his bow and the elemental arrow from his sling, taking aim at one of the red barrels the Bokoblins seemed to be ignoring. Before the twang of his bow stopped ringing in his ears, a large explosion of fire came out of every hole in the skull, defeating every last Bokoblin with a single hit.

He grinned and ran to the inside of the shelter and was disappointed to see the explosion had destroyed their weapons. Many of his were nearly broken or already broken. Nearly defenseless besides the bow and arrows he carried, he decided to make camp there for the night. The sun was setting, and now he knew from experience and not just the king's word that many more enemies lurked about in the darkness.

The previous night he ran into several groups of Stalkoblins. His head ached with a twinge of pain as his memory triggered at a loud rumbling noise that came from under the ground in front of him. The bones of what used to be Bokoblins had reanimated and began attacking him. To his amusement, he hit one of them with his club which sent its head flying, and he had an idea to kick it as if it were a ball. He ran over and picked it up and decided to kick it into a nearby pond. To his surprise, that action killed the Stalkoblin, so he did it again with the other two. They weren't hard to defeat, but they were an annoyance to those traveling in the night.

Settling in by the fire at the old Bokoblin camp, Link decided he would unlock the nearby orange tower ahead of him in the morning. The Dueling Peaks were just ahead of him, so the stable wasn't far beyond, and he could now clearly see the thin space between the two peaks where he would be heading tomorrow.