Prince Sidon wasn't joking when he told them of the many enemies along the way. Almost immediately they were targeted by a relentless large group of Octoroks. Link was able to parry their rocks back at them with his shield while Zelda popped their inflated heads easily one by one with her perfectly aimed arrows. Neither of them got hit with any of their flying boulders.
Once they reached higher elevations above the river, the aquatic Octoroks were replaced with numerous groups of Lizalfos. Link and Zelda were able to sneak up on some of their camouflaged forms before being detected, killing them before the vile lizards realized what was happening. Link fought several of them in hand-to-hand combat. He was thankful he was able to complete the combat shrine with the Guardian Scout before they started so he could practice and hone his skills. He felt much more comfortable fighting enemies up close once he had completed several of the test shrines.
His reward for defeating so many Lizalfos on the path were some new weapons, including another Knight's Claymore from a black Lizalfos. He decided to save it for later and stick with his Soldier's Broadsword he had been using for a while.
Zelda gathered several Hearty Radishes and Hearty Truffles, and a few Zapshrooms. Link had also found a treasure chest with Bomb arrows inside, which he hadn't used for a while.
Suddenly they came to the first checkpoint where Sidon's voice greeted them from below in the river.
"Well done, you two! You still have a pretty long way to go, but don't give up. Watch out ahead. Enemies up there carry shock arrows. Oh, and by the way, I have something for you."
He tossed a waterproof container of yellow liquid up to them, and Link caught it. "I forgot to give this to you earlier. It's an Electro-Elixir. It's full enough that you should be able to share it. When you see an enemy with shock arrows, drink it. It will help lessen the effects of electricity."
"Thanks, Sidon!"
The Zora swam away to head to the next checkpoint to wait for them. The path got slightly more difficult, as it began to narrow and they had to climb over large rocks and go through small, narrow caves to keep following the path. One of these caves contained several Keese, which they both took care of quickly with arrows. They came to the end of one of the caves, and the familiar horn sounded that signaled a camp ahead. It was a large camp of Lizalfos with shock arrows. Link and Zelda ran back inside the cave as arrows of electricity flew at them wildly, barely missing their targets. They needed to strategize. Link gently pushed her against the wall of the cave and kissed her deeply, then moved his lips to her neck for a quick kiss. She blushed at his sudden display of affection, which she greatly enjoyed, and her mind flashed back once again to her archery lessons with him, in addition to their kisses in the castle tunnels. Keep it together, Zelda!
Link grinned at her blushing face and pulled the Electro-Elixir from the Sheikah slate. "Ari, I want you to have this. I'm more protected now than you are with my increased life force, and I can just eat a few Hearty Truffles or something if I get shocked, but you don't have extra protection. I know Sidon said it would still work if we share it, but I want you to have it."
"Link, are you sure?" She frowned, but she also knew if they shared it the effect would only last half as long, and they had a really close call. I'm the one who is supposed to be protecting you. Maybe he's getting closer to remembering!
"Yes, I'm sure, Ari. And please take one of my shields. It seems these enemies are only getting more dangerous." He gave her the Sheikah slate to choose a shield. She hadn't ever used one before. Even though using a shield was a good idea, she needed both hands to use her arrows.
"Link, if I use a shield I won't be able to shoot my arrows. I'm much more comfortable on offense than defense."
"I'll teach you how to use a shield and one-handed weapons. You wield two-handed weapons expertly, like that insane weapon you had when we first met! Still, I would be more comfortable if you would drink the elixir before we try taking on this camp."
Zelda reluctantly agreed to take the whole elixir. The bright yellow fluid tingled in her mouth as she drank it, and the taste was mildly bitter and very earthy. She could tell it had been made from Zapshrooms. She felt a tingling, buzzing sensation starting in her stomach and radiating outward as soon as the effects hit, which was almost immediately.
They quietly made their way to the end of the cave, slowly crawling to the exit to avoid being seen. Zelda was able to take out another Lizalfos holding a horn type instrument with a perfectly placed Bomb arrow to the head. At least if they were spotted now, it couldn't warn its friends.
They hid back inside the cave. They were getting close enough to Zora's Domain that it was starting to rain, so they brought out the rain gear they bought at the clothing shop in Kakariko Village and put it on.
They decided to sneak out of the cave slowly so they could get a better look at what they were up against. Most of the camp was around the corner from the cave. They slowly and quietly made their way around, and a Lizalfos trying to camouflage itself was just ahead of them, out of sight from the rest of the camp.
"Ari, watch this."
She watched as he snuck up behind the unsuspecting Lizalfos and performed a Sneakstrike, killing it with one hit with his Soldier's Broadsword, but it broke the sword.
"Well done!" She whispered when he came back. She had already seen him do Sneakstrikes a century ago, but it was still a sight to see how far he had come since Dueling Peaks. Maybe he's stronger than I'm giving him credit for.
Link replaced his broken weapon with his older Knight's Claymore from the Lizalfos on Mount Lanayru, and he noticed a large pile of circular rocks to the side of them.
"Ari, if we climb up this rock formation over here we might be able to see how many enemies there are and maybe get a few good shots in from a distance! Wanna try it?" She said nothing but grabbed his hand as they quietly made their way up the path. They were able to take out the entire camp of five more Lizalfos using only their arrows. They claimed several prizes, including a silver rupee, a Strengthened Lizal Bow, shock arrows, and a Zora Sword, in addition to several food items and rupees in boxes he broke with remote bombs that had been scattered around the camp.
"That's how it's done, Link! Wonderful!" Zelda praised him. He was becoming a skilled archer and didn't even need her help anymore.
After leaving the former camp they came to a lit cooking pot under a shelter. They decided to rest and cook up a few meals with the materials they collected before continuing on.
Soon they reached Luto's Crossing. It was a large narrow bridge with a big chasm underneath, with waterfalls cascading on either side of them. The blue diamond-like sparkles of the Zora architecture greeted their vision as they came closer to Zora's Domain, and they couldn't help but take a few pictures on the Sheikah slate over the long bridge.
They continued along the path, killing several more Lizalfos along the way. One pounced at him, and Link was able to impale it immediately as it came down on his raised sword, just like Zelda was able to do when she first set out from the castle. One Lizalfos stung Zelda's wrist with its long snapping tongue, but she put some disinfectant and Pain Balm on the welt, and it stopped bothering her within a few minutes.
Suddenly a crash of thunder rang out, startling them. The weapon and the shield on Link's back began to spark.
"Link! Quick! Remove anything metal!" He furiously grabbed his slate and held it up to his metal weapon and shield. As soon as the shield was safely in the inventory, a flash of lightning hit a tree close to them with a loud crack, making Zelda scream and Link instinctively push her away from it and into the ground.
"That was close! Sorry I knocked you over! Are you okay?" He landed on top of her, leaning over her. She lifted her head to his to meet his lips and planted a passionate kiss on them.
"I'm fine now, Link," she said with a smirk, and he lifted her to her feet. "Never have metal items equipped in a thunderstorm!"
A little farther up the path the lightning storm cleared but gave way to heavier rains. Prince Sidon greeted them from the river once more, this time from behind them as they crossed the Oren Bridge.
"Hey! Just when I was starting to worry about you!" the Zora prince exclaimed. "You're nearly there! Keep following the path. You'll get to Zora's Domain in no time! Watch out! An enemy is approaching!" He was pointing behind them.
They whipped their heads around to see a tall black Moblin coming their way with a large club.
"Get behind me, Ari! Quick!"
She did, and Link pulled out his newly-equipped wooden Boko shield and a Spiked Boko Spear from his inventory. He wanted to attack this beast from a distance, and a spear would do the job. The Moblin swung with its massive spiked weapon and missed Link, catching it off guard, so he took the opportunity to repeatedly jam the spear into its legs. The monster fell to the ground with a great thud onto the bridge which echoed across the chasm. Zelda was ready behind him with an Ice arrow and froze the Moblin before it could get up.
"Thanks! I wanted to switch to a stronger weapon, so that was perfect!" She grinned at him as he switched back to his Knight's Claymore, and he hit the Moblin again, shattering the ice. He got one more hit on its splayed body before the tall enraged monster stood up and swung at Link again with its massive club. Link jumped out of the way just in time, but too early for his special attack. No! I wanted to Flurry Rush! I did it in the shrine! He hardly had time to think that thought before Zelda hit it with another ice arrow, finishing it off just before it had another chance to swing.
Sidon's voice rang out again. "Excellent performance! That's how it's done!" He had been watching them and was genuinely impressed, though not too surprised knowing it was the princess and her Champion knight. He waved as he told them he would see them at Zora's Domain.
Link looked down to see what the Moblin had dropped. "A horn, and...oh no, not Moblin guts again!" He was visibly disgusted, but Zelda was excited.
"Link! Moblin guts are great for making Balms and Elixirs! They're one of the most potent monster parts, and they sell at a higher price, too. Go ahead, pick it up!"
Disgusted at the sick turquoise color of the twitching blob lying pathetically on the surface of the bridge, he made a face at her and reluctantly held the Sheikah slate just close enough for him to put it in the inventory. Zelda stifled her giggles. He never likes those.
He picked up the Spiked Moblin Club and walked across the bridge to the small hill in front of them, which made a sharp bend upward and to the left.
Carefully looking around the corner, they made their way around and continued up the hill. They noticed a high-pitched gleeful sound of humming and laughter getting louder as they approached, but it sounded far from friendly. Link spotted the source of the noise first as they hid behind a bush below looking up at it. It was an evil sprite with a pitch-black wickedly smiling face and angry glowing oval yellow eyes, and it was wearing a long yellow-hooded long white robe and holding a spiked rod in its black shriveled arms and hands that reminded him of dead tree branches. It was at the top of the hill, maniacally giggling as it skipped through the air on an invisible surface.
"What in Hyrule is that thing?" he whispered to Zelda.
Her voice was barely audible, but Link could hear the seriousness in it. "That...is a Wizzrobe. An Electric Wizzrobe. There are different varieties, each with different elements. They're very dangerous. They can teleport in a flash and chase you, and that weapon this one is holding is a Lightning Rod. It can send orbs of electricity flying out of it. If you're hit you drop whatever you're carrying, leaving you extremely vulnerable to attack."
"What are we going to do? It's so fast! How would we hit that with an arrow?"
"Study its pattern of movement. They're very predictable and always move in the same pattern. If you can focus your aim on one spot in your vision that it will cross, let your arrow fly just before it reaches that spot. It's just like how I was able to hit the Eyes of Malice on Naydra when she was flying."
Understanding crossed his face. "Ari...you amaze me."
She grinned at him. "Allow me to demonstrate." She quietly removed her bow and a bomb arrow and took aim, watching its movements carefully. She found the exact place she wanted to focus on, and let the arrow go. It landed exactly where she wanted it to with a great explosion, hitting it directly on its head.
"YES!" Link shouted loudly.
"Shh! It's not dead yet!" The smoke from the blast cleared, and they could see that the Wizzrobe was gazing in their direction. Unfortunately, Link's premature cry of victory had alerted the enemy, and it immediately vanished before their eyes.
"Link! Run! NOW!" They turned tail and ran as fast as they could back down the hill as the Wizzrobe reappeared in seconds right behind them, complete with the orbs of lightning from its weapon flying at them. One hit Link as they ran, electrocuting him and sending him and his Knight's Claymore flying. Zelda screamed and helped him back to his feet, and he grabbed his weapon off the ground right as the Wizzrobe appeared directly behind them again. They ran as fast as they could, not looking back until the barrage of electric spheres had stopped. They were back at the beginning of the Oren Bridge.
After catching her breath, Zelda put a hand on Link's shoulder. "I probably should have mentioned that Wizzrobes take several hits to defeat."
Link snickered through forced breaths and said, "Yes...that would have...been a helpful bit...of information."
"Are you okay, Link?" She noticed he was still breathing hard. "Here, eat some of these Hearty Truffles before we go on." She removed a couple of them from the inventory and handed them to him. He had to admit he was feeling a lot weaker than before, no doubt from being electrocuted and running for his life.
Once he was finished and felt better Zelda kissed him deeply and grabbed his hand, ready to try again.
They made their way back up the hill cautiously, and the Wizzrobe was back in the same place it had been when they first encountered it.
"I'd like to try it this time," Link whispered.
Zelda nodded silently.
He drew his bow and aimed with an arrow, and watched it carefully like Zelda had described. He found a single area to focus on, and he let his Bomb arrow fly at exactly the right time. He hit it directly in the face, and Zelda squeezed his shoulder, proud of him. Once the smoke from the explosion cleared they saw the Wizzrobe picking itself up once again, but it didn't see them.
"How many times do we have to hit this thing?" Link asked, his voice low.
"With a Bomb arrow? Probably three times. Will you do the honors?"
"Of course, my lady."
Zelda grinned and he aimed another Bomb arrow. With another twang and a whistle, the arrow was sent flying and the Wizzrobe disappeared in a black cloud, dropping its Lightning Rod.
"Way to go, Link!" she shouted, proud of his accomplishment. He ran and picked up the Lightning Rod, saying "I believe this belongs to you." She stared at him wide-eyed. She wasn't used to carrying weapons other than a bow and arrows and hadn't since her Royal Guard Sword broke; she was much more comfortable with long-distance weapons. Of course! It IS a long-distance weapon!
"Thanks, Link! This is perfect!" She equipped the Lightning Rod, and they continued to crest the hill.
The hill went down the winding path and around a corner, and they could see a red Moblin sitting on a log in front of them, facing away from them.
"Now's your chance, Ari. I'll run up as soon as you release the electricity from that Lightning Rod and I'll be right behind to pound it."
She never used a Lightning Rod before, but she had seen Wizzrobes use their elemental weapons plenty of times, so she was confident she could send the electric orbs flying where she wanted them to go.
"Sounds like a plan!" She swung the Wizzrobe weapon and sent the balls of lightning flying straight at the Moblin. Link did exactly what he planned and hit the Moblin repeatedly from behind with his Knight's Claymore after the shocks wore off. He jumped out of the way as Zelda sent more lightning at the tall ugly beast, and it was electrocuted two more times. Link finished it off with another swing of the claymore, breaking it. At least I have a second one!
Zelda ran up to him and hugged him. "We make a great team, Link!"
"We sure do, Ari!" Even though he wanted to battle on his own, he had to admit that they worked very well together, too.
The Great Zora Bridge beckoned ahead of them, but they decided to rest for a while on the log where the Moblin had been sitting. They needed a break before meeting the king, and their feet were sore from climbing, walking, and running for several hours. It was already starting to get dark. They pulled some more food out of the Sheikah slate and enjoyed it together on the log. Before long they would be well-fed and well-rested enough to continue on to meet the king of Zora's Domain.