Chapter Twenty:
"We need help here!" Loraefin shouts from the entrance of Zora's Domain with Link slumped against her shoulder. "Quick somebody! Link needs help! Kresca su!"
The doctors took over from here, taking Link off of Loraefin's tired shoulder and carrying him to a nearby bed in one of the chambers hidden behind the stone walls. Loraefin gives them the antidote and repeats the instructions the old hag in Kakariko gave her. One of the doctors then gave it to a nurse and ordered her to go and prepare some broth for the ill; the nurse speeds away.
The symptoms were getting worse; Link's vision persisted on failing him each time blacking out for a longer period of time. He was hot and feverish and now the burn-like marks had started to appear on most of his body. Someone hands Link a bowl and he immediately leans over the bed and vomits into it.
"This is the worst case we've seen yet," the doctor that Link, Navi and Loraefin had met earlier said. "He must have been directly exposed to the infliction. Nurse bring more blankets!"
Loraefin and Navi are shooed out of the room while the doctors and their nurses try to stabilize Link. The two pace up and down the room, waiting impatiently for any news at all, but wait in vain. A nurse did inform them that the broth with the antidote had been administered to all of the patients and they were doing well. At least now Navi and Loraefin could breath a little easier, the Zora were out of danger, but what of Link? A familiar figure appeared beside them, the two didn't notice her at first until she said something.
"Link is going to be OK isn't he?" Ruto asked with much concern in her voice. She swayed back and forth where she stood, in a trance of some sort with eyes fixed against the door to Link's room.
"He'll pull through, I know it," Navi comforted Ruto and herself. "Link's been through worse than this."
"Yes he has," she says solemnly and then turns to Loraefin looking her over briefly. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting before." Loraefin stands up and extends her hand to Zora woman before her. "My name is Ruto, Princess of the Zora and Sage of Water."
"Um…My name's Loraefin, but you can call me Fin er…I guess," Loraefin said shyly.
"Just call me Ruto," She says with a wide smile and takes a seat beside her. "Are you a friend of Link's?" Loraefin looks at her for a moment.
"Um…yeah, I guess I am."
Just then a doctor appears from behind the door and motions them inside. Link was sitting up in bed when the three entered, sipping the hot broth the nurse had just given him. His color had returned and his vision had been restored to him, how long they didn't know. When he saw them enter he put a smile on his face and placed the empty bowl off to the side.
"Hey," Link said, his voice still weak.
"Hey yourself," Loraefin smiled as she, Ruto and Navi stood by his bed. "You feeling better?"
Link leaned back against the pillow, "Yea, I'm fine. The Zora?"
"Fine Link thanks to you," Ruto bent down and kissed him in thanks; Link blushed.
"Well I had some help," Link said as he took Loraefin's hand and squeezed it gently. "She deserves just as much credit."
"You're the resident Hero," Loraefin laughed, "I just helped out a bit at the end."
The doctor came back into the room. "You should be going now, Link needs his rest." Navi and Loraefin give Link one last smile and leave the room. Once everyone is out Ruto and Link are left alone; Ruto kneels down by the bedside.
"I really want to thank you Link," She said softly as she placed her pale blue hand on that of his flesh colored one. "You saved my people."
"It's my duty as the Hero of Time to protect Hyrule," Link said, "it was nothing."
"Well it means a lot to me anyway, duty or not," Ruto gives his hand a squeeze. "I'll let you get your rest now. I'll be returning to the Sacred Realm once I'm sure my people are fully recovered; I'll say hi to everyone for you, Saria will be happy to hear from you. Get better soon." She leaves the room and Link drifts off to sleep, comforted by the knowledge that the Zora were safe.
***
After another day of aimlessly wandering around Zora's Domain Loraefin started to get homesick. She missed her family and her friends; she missed Lolita telling her about bizarre dreams she had had, she strangely missed Marivi and Staceana's constant bickering, and she missed Megeara. All she really did was get in the way of the doctors most of the time, always underfoot she thought to herself. Link slept a lot so Loraefin had only Navi for company really, (Ruto left earlier the day before back to the Sacred Realm) which of course she didn't mind. Loraefin, though she loved her newfound freedom, longed to go back home with the people she loved and cared about, but that of course she never mentioned to anyone.
"This soup is really good, but I don't think I want to know what's in it," Loraefin mentioned out loud to Navi as she sat on the cold ground overlooking the central lake.
"You don't," Navi teased her.
"Oh," Loraefin let what was in her spoon drop back into the bowl, but a few minutes later she picked it up again and continued to eat. Navi could tell that Loraefin was becoming restless because she too longed to get out Zora's Domain as well. As Link was incapacitated and they both weren't doing any good there Navi suggested this:
"Why don't we go out to Hyrule Field and get some fresh air for a little while; we're not any help here."
Navi seemed to read Loraefin's mind.
It was mid-day outside and the sun shone brilliantly on the fresh green grass of Hyrule Field. The birds sang and a breeze blew in from the west, sending a cool current of air over everything. Loraefin ran out and spun around with arms wide open until she became so dizzy that she almost fell over. She looked quite funny stumbling around the grass laughing hysterically, Navi joined her in her laughter as she fluttered about in the open sun. It was amazing what a little sunshine and fresh air will do to a person.
Loraefin settled herself down in the grass and started to make a little crown of flowers like she and her friends in Murieope did. One flower after another she knitted into the frame she made out of the longer grass and low and behold a beautiful floral piece was made for her head. Loraefin placed it on top of her brown hair with childlike ecstasy, not bothered by any worries or troubles, a free spirit. She and Navi laughed and talked away a good part of the hour with frivolous chatter about nothing in particular.
"Look at the clouds over Death Mountain," Navi brought to Loraefin's attention.
"What about them?"
"Don't they look interesting?"
"Yea, I guess they do," Loraefin replied now rolling over on her back. "We should probably check in to see if they need any help, not that they probably do."
Navi flitted about and then landed on the tip of Loraefin's bare feet.
"You're probably right, we should head back in," Navi agreed. Loraefin stood up and started to walk back to Zora's Domain when Navi gasped suddenly, "Loraefin look!"
"We need help here!" Loraefin shouts from the entrance of Zora's Domain with Link slumped against her shoulder. "Quick somebody! Link needs help! Kresca su!"
The doctors took over from here, taking Link off of Loraefin's tired shoulder and carrying him to a nearby bed in one of the chambers hidden behind the stone walls. Loraefin gives them the antidote and repeats the instructions the old hag in Kakariko gave her. One of the doctors then gave it to a nurse and ordered her to go and prepare some broth for the ill; the nurse speeds away.
The symptoms were getting worse; Link's vision persisted on failing him each time blacking out for a longer period of time. He was hot and feverish and now the burn-like marks had started to appear on most of his body. Someone hands Link a bowl and he immediately leans over the bed and vomits into it.
"This is the worst case we've seen yet," the doctor that Link, Navi and Loraefin had met earlier said. "He must have been directly exposed to the infliction. Nurse bring more blankets!"
Loraefin and Navi are shooed out of the room while the doctors and their nurses try to stabilize Link. The two pace up and down the room, waiting impatiently for any news at all, but wait in vain. A nurse did inform them that the broth with the antidote had been administered to all of the patients and they were doing well. At least now Navi and Loraefin could breath a little easier, the Zora were out of danger, but what of Link? A familiar figure appeared beside them, the two didn't notice her at first until she said something.
"Link is going to be OK isn't he?" Ruto asked with much concern in her voice. She swayed back and forth where she stood, in a trance of some sort with eyes fixed against the door to Link's room.
"He'll pull through, I know it," Navi comforted Ruto and herself. "Link's been through worse than this."
"Yes he has," she says solemnly and then turns to Loraefin looking her over briefly. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting before." Loraefin stands up and extends her hand to Zora woman before her. "My name is Ruto, Princess of the Zora and Sage of Water."
"Um…My name's Loraefin, but you can call me Fin er…I guess," Loraefin said shyly.
"Just call me Ruto," She says with a wide smile and takes a seat beside her. "Are you a friend of Link's?" Loraefin looks at her for a moment.
"Um…yeah, I guess I am."
Just then a doctor appears from behind the door and motions them inside. Link was sitting up in bed when the three entered, sipping the hot broth the nurse had just given him. His color had returned and his vision had been restored to him, how long they didn't know. When he saw them enter he put a smile on his face and placed the empty bowl off to the side.
"Hey," Link said, his voice still weak.
"Hey yourself," Loraefin smiled as she, Ruto and Navi stood by his bed. "You feeling better?"
Link leaned back against the pillow, "Yea, I'm fine. The Zora?"
"Fine Link thanks to you," Ruto bent down and kissed him in thanks; Link blushed.
"Well I had some help," Link said as he took Loraefin's hand and squeezed it gently. "She deserves just as much credit."
"You're the resident Hero," Loraefin laughed, "I just helped out a bit at the end."
The doctor came back into the room. "You should be going now, Link needs his rest." Navi and Loraefin give Link one last smile and leave the room. Once everyone is out Ruto and Link are left alone; Ruto kneels down by the bedside.
"I really want to thank you Link," She said softly as she placed her pale blue hand on that of his flesh colored one. "You saved my people."
"It's my duty as the Hero of Time to protect Hyrule," Link said, "it was nothing."
"Well it means a lot to me anyway, duty or not," Ruto gives his hand a squeeze. "I'll let you get your rest now. I'll be returning to the Sacred Realm once I'm sure my people are fully recovered; I'll say hi to everyone for you, Saria will be happy to hear from you. Get better soon." She leaves the room and Link drifts off to sleep, comforted by the knowledge that the Zora were safe.
***
After another day of aimlessly wandering around Zora's Domain Loraefin started to get homesick. She missed her family and her friends; she missed Lolita telling her about bizarre dreams she had had, she strangely missed Marivi and Staceana's constant bickering, and she missed Megeara. All she really did was get in the way of the doctors most of the time, always underfoot she thought to herself. Link slept a lot so Loraefin had only Navi for company really, (Ruto left earlier the day before back to the Sacred Realm) which of course she didn't mind. Loraefin, though she loved her newfound freedom, longed to go back home with the people she loved and cared about, but that of course she never mentioned to anyone.
"This soup is really good, but I don't think I want to know what's in it," Loraefin mentioned out loud to Navi as she sat on the cold ground overlooking the central lake.
"You don't," Navi teased her.
"Oh," Loraefin let what was in her spoon drop back into the bowl, but a few minutes later she picked it up again and continued to eat. Navi could tell that Loraefin was becoming restless because she too longed to get out Zora's Domain as well. As Link was incapacitated and they both weren't doing any good there Navi suggested this:
"Why don't we go out to Hyrule Field and get some fresh air for a little while; we're not any help here."
Navi seemed to read Loraefin's mind.
It was mid-day outside and the sun shone brilliantly on the fresh green grass of Hyrule Field. The birds sang and a breeze blew in from the west, sending a cool current of air over everything. Loraefin ran out and spun around with arms wide open until she became so dizzy that she almost fell over. She looked quite funny stumbling around the grass laughing hysterically, Navi joined her in her laughter as she fluttered about in the open sun. It was amazing what a little sunshine and fresh air will do to a person.
Loraefin settled herself down in the grass and started to make a little crown of flowers like she and her friends in Murieope did. One flower after another she knitted into the frame she made out of the longer grass and low and behold a beautiful floral piece was made for her head. Loraefin placed it on top of her brown hair with childlike ecstasy, not bothered by any worries or troubles, a free spirit. She and Navi laughed and talked away a good part of the hour with frivolous chatter about nothing in particular.
"Look at the clouds over Death Mountain," Navi brought to Loraefin's attention.
"What about them?"
"Don't they look interesting?"
"Yea, I guess they do," Loraefin replied now rolling over on her back. "We should probably check in to see if they need any help, not that they probably do."
Navi flitted about and then landed on the tip of Loraefin's bare feet.
"You're probably right, we should head back in," Navi agreed. Loraefin stood up and started to walk back to Zora's Domain when Navi gasped suddenly, "Loraefin look!"