Link and Zelda stayed three more days and two nights at the Dueling Peaks Stable, with Zelda tending to his healing wound and taking care of most of his needs, except for cooking. She was thankful he had been well-prepared with ingredients and meals already tucked away in the Sheikah slate. Link had lost a lot of physical life force from the attack, and it took a few days for him to recover. His dizziness and fatigue finally went away by the morning of the fourth day, even with Zelda's multiple Balms and various elixirs. He was hesitant to take her elixirs again, but she insisted, and he admitted they helped him recover faster.
Once they had all of their supplies packed back into the slate and were both atop their horses, they rode side-by-side, talking while they trotted along the path. The stain from his life force was still on the ground despite the rains, and Link grew wide-eyed at the sight of it as they passed.
"Ari, who exactly are the Yiga Clan?" He had no memory of them, which made Zelda's heart sink a little. She very vividly remembered their attempt on her life a century ago and how he had saved her, which sparked her deep romantic love for him.
Zelda took a deep breath. "Long story short, they are Sheikah traitors who decided to rebel and take up forces against Hyrule. They worship Calamity Ganon, and through their alliance with Ganon's mages, they were able to directly harness a small amount of his power. That's why the Yiga have the unnatural ability of teleportation, and it is said they have other unknown dark magic abilities." She went on to explain that their upside down symbol, The Inverted Eye, was there to mock the symbol of the crying eye of the Sheikah.
Zelda took a few anxious breaths as the vivid graphic images of Link's attack filled her mind again. Link could hear her increased anxiety, and he would have hugged her if they weren't riding. "I'm sorry, Ari. I didn't mean to upset you by talking about them."
"No, it's okay. It helps me to talk through it. Seeing you get attacked by that Yiga Clan member was one of the worst moments of my life, Link."
"And it's all because of you that I'm still alive," he said softly, looking at her with the same look in his eyes as he had when he was on the ground and when he kissed her. He wanted to kiss her a second time, but with them riding their horses separately, it made that impossible. He was a little embarrassed after he kissed her the first time, having only just met her, even though she had assured him she wanted to kiss him, too. He had been too afraid to do it again since, and she hadn't initiated any more of them.
Suddenly Link cried out. "Owwww!"
They had been riding next to a river, and a Lizalfos was aiming water at him from its mouth and hit his arm with a sting. She immediately drew her bow and a shock arrow and it hit the surface of the water with a buzz of electricity, shocking the evil green lizard in the water and killing it before it could strike again.
"Wow, Ari, you were quick with that. Would you teach me?"
She smiled at him. "Of course, Link." She blushed as she remembered their archery lessons where he taught her expertly how to shoot an arrow and handle a bow.
Zelda took out the Pain Balm from the Sheikah Slate. There was a large welt on his arm where the poison from the reptilian creature's saliva made contact with his skin, and she tossed it to him.
"May I use some of this for my head, too? I remember those enemies. Lizalfos, right?"
"Yes. They're vile, and they're quick."
He applied the balm to his sore arm and aching temples, and relief washed over him.
They rode again in silence for a while, picking up speed on their horses, galloping past strangers along the path and various enemies. Eventually, Luna and Toffa needed a break, and they found a place just off the road to stop for a rest and for lunch. Zelda carefully placed her large blanket on the grass, sitting close to Link on top of it as they enjoyed their meal together.
Zelda relayed the story about her close call with the disguised Yiga at Riverside Stable, and she told him about her friends Nyla and Ember who had helped her. "I really hope we have the chance to meet them. There's a shrine nearby, and a tower."
"I look forward to meeting them, then!" Link said with a smile.
Zelda knew he loved to solve the puzzles inside the mysterious shrines. She hoped she could gather the courage to ask him someday if she could go with him into one. Her mind drifted to how cute he was, how much more he talked, and his sense of humor. She loved him back then, but this new Link was even more lovable than he had been. She knew better, but she could no longer help herself. She lowered her eyes and brought her face closer to his, looking into his eyes. "Link…I have to be honest with you. I really want to kiss you again," she whispered, slightly blushing.
He gazed at her with the familiar feeling of Summerwing butterflies in his stomach and his heartbeat picking up speed at her words. "Ari, I would love nothing more," he whispered, "...it's just that we only just met. It's not weird for me, but if it's weird for you I want you to tell me, okay? I don't want to make you uncomfortable. And I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable that it's not weird for me. And now I'm rambling. But yes, I would love that, Ari." She was getting even closer to his face now, and he was blushing with his heart nearly beating out of his chest.
Zelda's heart soared. She was so relieved that he wanted to do it again. Forget Hylia's warning. She leaned her face to his, and they shared several deep kisses atop the picnic blanket. Her heart soared. She was so happy to be with Link again, and she had missed his lips on hers so desperately. I need to be very careful, though.
Zelda stood, holding out her hand for Link to take. "Would you like me to help teach you sparring and some archery tips?"
"Absolutely!"
Zelda helped fine-tune some of Link's fighting skills, and she helped him with holding and positioning his bow. After an hour of this, he had much improved, and she felt better about him fighting on his own. "Shall we move on? We still have another couple of hours of fast-paced riding before we get to Kakariko Village. It seems Luna and Toffa are well-rested."
The two horses were playfully jumping around with each other and frolicking in the fields past the path in front of them.
"Yes, let's go!" Link was excited to meet with the village elder and find out what he was supposed to do next.
They rode at full speed for a while, whizzing past more enemies along the way, until they slowed to a trot. They stayed at that slower pace, taking in the sights in silence and the landscape as they rode. Soon, once their horses had tired they decided to walk together with Luna and Toffa at their sides. Link reached for Zelda's free hand as they walked, and she gladly took it.
They heard the sound of crying as they followed the path up the hill, each walking and leading their horses. They were very near Kakariko village now, with the yellow pin on the Sheikah slate map nearly flashing on their location. It sounded like a child, crying and...was that singing?
"My maracas! My maracas!
My poor sweet maracas!
Stolen by the Boko goblins!
Scary, mean Bokoblins!
Oh, whatever shall I do?
Someone, anyone, please help Hestu!"
The awkwardly rhyming song in a somewhat high-pitched, childlike voice was followed by an exaggerated, pathetic sounding wail.
Link's eyes grew wide when he heard the name of Hestu, the mysterious entity every single Korok he found felt the need to mention. He grabbed Zelda by the hand, leaving their horses on the path, and rushed around the corner with her. The sight of the clearly upset forest spirit standing in front of them made his jaw drop. Link stared up at him. Hestu looked almost identical to the smaller Koroks, except for the lush small trees sprouting out from the top of his head, and his exceptionally round shape and large size. Additionally, a large leaf hung from his nose which was under a pair of big, bushy eyebrows. I guess that first Korok wasn't lying when it said Hestu was "bigger...much bigger" than it was.
Link addressed him. "Your name wouldn't happen to be 'Hestu' would it?"
Suddenly realizing he had an audience, Hestu turned to them. "Sha-laka?! Yes, I am Hestu, the Spirited Musician who brings song and dance to the Korok Forest! Hold on…you can see me?!"
That was a rather common question from a Korok. "Well, I'm talking to you. I hope I can see you," Link replied, stifling a snort.
Zelda giggled at this new, quick-witted Link. "And we heard you too. All the way from over there." Zelda pointed from where they had come.
Hestu jumped up and down. "Finally! Finally! Finally! Someone sees me! It's been a hundred years since anyone has been able to see me! Maybe you can help me with my sweet maracas!"
Link wondered why his maracas were so important while Zelda stood smiling at the fanciful forest spirit. It had been a long time since she had last seen Hestu. He seemed not to recognize her, much to her relief, because she knew he would have blown her cover to smithereens.
Suddenly remembering his Korok seeds, Link quickly materialized a few of the ones he had collected out of his Sheikah slate and held them up. "I believe these belong to you."
Hestu stared down at the small yellow objects in Link's hand and started to jump up and down again, but then he suddenly stopped, slumped his shoulders, and hung his head. He let out a sad, loud sigh. "These seeds are useless to Hestu without his sweet maracas!" He cried again suddenly, tears falling down his face and dripping onto his large, green body.
"Why do you need your maracas, Hestu?" Link asked, curious.
"Hestu uses them to sing and dance and bring joy to the Korok Forest, but without Hestu's sweet maracas, Hestu cannot do that, and the forest will be sad forever!" Rivers of tears cascaded down to the ground.
Zelda gently placed a hand on his side. "Excuse me, Hestu. Please don't cry. We would love to help you find your maracas."
Link gave her a questioning look, eyes wide. "We would, would we?" He was eager to talk to Impa, and they were so close to the village.
"Hestu has the power of expanding your in-va-tory..." the large forest spirit sang, trying to convince Link in his childlike singsong voice.
"Wait, my inventory? In this thing?" He was pointing to his Sheikah slate.
"Shaka-laka-laka!" Hestu was jumping up and down again, nodding furiously.
"And just where might we find these sweet maracas of yours?" Link asked, suddenly interested, while Zelda gave him a smirk.
"Shaka-laka! I knew you'd come through for Hestu!" he sang. "You see those rocks over there? I think those scary, mean monsters are still there on the other side of them." He was pointing to a thin path between two large boulders in the distance.
"I can't use my magical powers without them, so please, please get my sweet maracas back!" Hestu begged.
"Consider it done!" Link shouted, as he held Zelda's hand and they ran to the rocks.
Zelda and Link quietly scaled the large boulders, which were covered in grass and moss at the top. Looking down ahead of them, they saw a large platform with a skull chest glowing purple. "See that lit up chest? I think that's where the maracas are!" Link whispered.
Zelda quietly drew her bow and took out a bomb arrow. Three blue Bokoblins were sitting on the ground in a circle, and she knew if she got the perfect shot, all three of them would be sent flying from the explosion of her powerful arrow..
The bomb arrow found its target, and the three Bokoblins were sent flying, then immediately picked themselves up while running around and screeching. They had no idea what had hit them. Soon they were sitting on the ground together once more, seeming to have forgotten what had just befallen them.
"Bokoblins aren't the brightest star fragments in the sky, are they?" Link asked.
Zelda nearly laughed out loud. She really loved this new, expressive Link with a sense of humor.
"I think one more hit will do it, Ari! May I?" Link sent another bomb arrow straight at the oblivious Bokoblins, and the familiar puff of purple and black smoke signaled their abrupt disappearance.
The two of them climbed down from the rocks, and Link climbed the platform to the skull chest. Sure enough, Hestu's "sweet maracas" were inside. He placed them in his inventory, and the information on the slate read, "Hestu's beloved sweet maracas. He's been shaking them since he was two years old."
"Aww, that's so sweet!" Zelda exclaimed as she read the screen.
They made their way back to Hestu, who was watching and waiting anxiously for their return.
"Did my new friends get rid of those scary, mean monsters? Are Hestu's sweet maracas safe?" Hestu shouted, hopefully. Link tapped the Sheikah slate, and they instantly appeared in Hestu's hands.
"SHAAAA LAAAA KAAAA!" Hestu shouted, jumping up and down in excitement. "Hestu thanks you!"
Link removed two large handfuls of Korok seeds removed from his inventory and held them up to Hestu again. With a shake of his maracas above Link's head, and another cry of "shaka-laka" from Hestu, the seeds vanished and were now making a loud racket inside the handheld wooden instruments.
"Oh yeah! Shaky-sha-ka! Yeehaw!" He began dancing wildly, shaking his maracas to a song made up entirely of nonsense words, ending with a spray of magical confetti that fell around them and disappeared with a bang. Link heard a chirping noise come from the direction of the Sheikah slate, and he picked it up, examining it curiously. Hestu explained that his inventory for shields, bows, and weapons had all greatly increased thanks to the amount of Korok seeds he already collected.
Link was amazed and thanked the large Korok.
"Hestu never breaks a promise! You were so brave facing those scary, mean monsters! Enjoy your free space! Now I have to go home to the Korok Forest and back to Grandfather. Grandfather's gonna be mad at Hestu! Oh, and if you find any more of those Korok seeds, find me there and I'll expand your in-va-tory even more!"
They watched as their new friend bounded away, singing and shaking his "sweet maracas" as he went. Link and Zelda smiled at each other as they continued down the end of the path that led into Kakariko Village.