Chapter 5: A Stranger
The sunlight reflected off the brilliantly white sand and into their eyes as the three rode through the sweltering desert. Dry, arid winds swept across the barren landscape, swirling sand into their faces. They had strips of cloth tied around their mouth and nose to keep from breathing in the dirt and sand.
"Link, how much farther do we have to go?" Zelda asked in a hoarse voice.
"We have to go as far as we can before the sun sets. We've still got a few more hours of good sunlight," Link answered.
Saria remained silent as she leaned over the horn of her saddle. Her head was bowed and her long hair fell around her face in a shimmering curtain. Her delicate hands were red and burned from the sun, and she coughed every once and a while.
"Saria, are you okay?" Link asked gently, nudging Epona towards the sagging girl.
"I'm fine," she said bravely with a little nod.
Link gave her a worried look before taking the lead once more. The three continued through the vast, expressionless desert, nothing to see for miles except for the white sand, the blue sky, and the blazing sun. Finally, they came to an outcropping of rock, the only thing they had seen since they entered this godforsaken land.
"We should stop here. It's doesn't matter if it's still day, we have to rest," Zelda said wearily.
Link nodded agreement, and led them into the stretching shadow of the rock. He slid off Epona and tied her to the rock in the shade, and Zelda followed suit. Saria was too tired to do anything but slither off the saddle, and Link caught her in his arms before she fell to the ground. He gently leaned her against the rock as Zelda sank thankfully to the relatively cool sand. Link took care off the other two horses before indulging in rest, and the three sprawled in the cool shade, taking sips from their flasks of water.
"Link, how many miles do you think it is across this desert?" Zelda asked softly, not wanting to wake Saria, who had drifted to sleep.
"I don't know, I really don't know," he replied despondently.
Zelda touched his hand comfortingly and rested her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes, she had fallen asleep, and Link remained barely awake, fighting his weariness.
"It's only been one day.and it was so tiring.how are we ever going to make it?" he asked himself quietly.
Before he knew it, he had drifted to sleep too, and as they slept, the sun slowly slid below the horizon, and the sky went from a clear blue to blood red.
~~
Link opened his eyes and was confronted with an alarmingly different sight. The sun had fully set, and the moon was on the rise. The white sands now shimmered silver, and the moonlight shone on the tops of the dunes. Huge shadows seemed to shape the landscape, and panic nearly overwhelmed him. They had wasted at least three hours!
"Zelda, Saria, wake up!" he hissed softly, jumping to his feet.
The two girls were too exhausted, and they didn't even hear him. Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps on the sand. Link whirled around to see a slim, feminine figure standing behind him. The lower half of the stranger's face was covered, and deep purple eyes gazed at him intensely.
"Who are you?" he said cautiously.
"Don't fear me." The voice was strangely accented and soft as a whispering wind.
"What do you want?" Link demanded nervously.
"I know why you are here."
The sunlight reflected off the brilliantly white sand and into their eyes as the three rode through the sweltering desert. Dry, arid winds swept across the barren landscape, swirling sand into their faces. They had strips of cloth tied around their mouth and nose to keep from breathing in the dirt and sand.
"Link, how much farther do we have to go?" Zelda asked in a hoarse voice.
"We have to go as far as we can before the sun sets. We've still got a few more hours of good sunlight," Link answered.
Saria remained silent as she leaned over the horn of her saddle. Her head was bowed and her long hair fell around her face in a shimmering curtain. Her delicate hands were red and burned from the sun, and she coughed every once and a while.
"Saria, are you okay?" Link asked gently, nudging Epona towards the sagging girl.
"I'm fine," she said bravely with a little nod.
Link gave her a worried look before taking the lead once more. The three continued through the vast, expressionless desert, nothing to see for miles except for the white sand, the blue sky, and the blazing sun. Finally, they came to an outcropping of rock, the only thing they had seen since they entered this godforsaken land.
"We should stop here. It's doesn't matter if it's still day, we have to rest," Zelda said wearily.
Link nodded agreement, and led them into the stretching shadow of the rock. He slid off Epona and tied her to the rock in the shade, and Zelda followed suit. Saria was too tired to do anything but slither off the saddle, and Link caught her in his arms before she fell to the ground. He gently leaned her against the rock as Zelda sank thankfully to the relatively cool sand. Link took care off the other two horses before indulging in rest, and the three sprawled in the cool shade, taking sips from their flasks of water.
"Link, how many miles do you think it is across this desert?" Zelda asked softly, not wanting to wake Saria, who had drifted to sleep.
"I don't know, I really don't know," he replied despondently.
Zelda touched his hand comfortingly and rested her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes, she had fallen asleep, and Link remained barely awake, fighting his weariness.
"It's only been one day.and it was so tiring.how are we ever going to make it?" he asked himself quietly.
Before he knew it, he had drifted to sleep too, and as they slept, the sun slowly slid below the horizon, and the sky went from a clear blue to blood red.
~~
Link opened his eyes and was confronted with an alarmingly different sight. The sun had fully set, and the moon was on the rise. The white sands now shimmered silver, and the moonlight shone on the tops of the dunes. Huge shadows seemed to shape the landscape, and panic nearly overwhelmed him. They had wasted at least three hours!
"Zelda, Saria, wake up!" he hissed softly, jumping to his feet.
The two girls were too exhausted, and they didn't even hear him. Suddenly, he heard the sound of footsteps on the sand. Link whirled around to see a slim, feminine figure standing behind him. The lower half of the stranger's face was covered, and deep purple eyes gazed at him intensely.
"Who are you?" he said cautiously.
"Don't fear me." The voice was strangely accented and soft as a whispering wind.
"What do you want?" Link demanded nervously.
"I know why you are here."