Link rode Epona across Hyrule Field, not heading in any particular
direction, just letting off a little steam. Once he had gathered a little
of his calm back together, he pulled out the ocarina to call Saria and let
her know what he had learned.
"They were acting under orders?" Saria cried when Link told her. "I can't believe it? I wonder if Nabooru knows? Link, that's very disturbing. The Gerudo are master warriors. I realize that you've never been defeated by one, but still. If they are working for Irnan, they may receive power from her. Just think of the struggle you had with Ganon. Irnan is the first evil, and if you had trouble with Ganon, I don't even want to think about what might happen if you ever had to face a group of Gerudos with power from her, let alone Irnan herself."
"I know, I know. I let Rue know that her people no longer had an ally in me, and that I would make a point of finding out who it was that ordered this attack and then bring them down."
"Well, be careful Link. You have no idea who you might be dealing with. I'm going to ask Nabooru what she knows, and I'll let you know. I'll see you tomorrow, Link. Stay safe!" said Saria.
"You too. I'll see you tomorrow," said Link, smiling.
Navi flew in front of Link's face. "What do we do now? We have a lot on our plates already. We have to figure out what's going on with the Zoras, and we have to figure out who leads the Gerudo. There's still so much that we don't know, Link. I know you have Saria talking to Nabooru, but if someone out there can command the Gerudos to attack you again, you'd better find out what to do soon. But at the same time, it's important to find out what's going on with the Zoras. I don't like the way that Ruto behaved the last time that we saw her."
Link took off his green hat and ran a finger through his messy hair. He felt as if so much weight rested on his shoulders. He longed for just one day when he didn't have to worry about the fate of Hyrule and whether or not he would live to see tomorrow. Still, he knew that he had a duty to fulfill and he didn't dwell on his selfish wishes. "I think I won't let the Gerudos worry me at the moment. I am a little suspicious about Ruto. That bothers me. I don't think she would lie to me, but at the same time, I know that there's no way they cleared up that shortage. If they had, I know that someone would have told me about it.
"Maybe Ruto is not the best source. She's certainly not the most reliable. I think that a visit to the lake is in order. I think that we'll get more information from the Zora people than we will form their princess. I wonder where the king is? He wasn't there the last time we were there. I have never been there and not seen him sitting on his throne. I doubt he's be out and about with his people, but maybe he is. Let's head to Lake Hylia and see what we can dig up," said Link.
Navi made herself comfortable underneath Link's shield and Link turned in the direction of Lake Hylia. The sun was high in the sky, indicating that the it was probably close to the middle of the day. Link was glad that he would have quite a bit of time to investigate. He wondered if a trip to the bottom of the lake would reveal more than what dwelled on the surface.
Link was met with a sight similar to the one he had seen not that long ago when he had made a trip to the lake. There were hundreds of Zoras in the water. A few children were splashing and laughing in the shallow areas while their parents and adult counterparts searched for fish.
Link left Epona to graze on shore while he waded into the water. He met up with a female Zora he had never seen before. "Excuse me," he called out to her. "Would you mind talking to me for a moment?"
"Oh! Absolutely! Anything for the Hero of Time. You have been so generous to our people. Princess Ruto has assured us over and over that you are on the case and doing all in your power to help our situation. All of us are grateful to you. I will do anything in my power to help you," said the woman. Link was taken aback. Ruto had made it perfectly clear that she hadn't wanted his help. Why was she telling her people that he was helping?
"Well, the Zoras have always been so wonderful to me, it's the least I can do to help. I just have a few questions," replied Link. He didn't want the people to be suspicious of their leader, or of him. He thought it best to keep Ruto's lie intact until Ruto herself decided to reveal it to her people.
"I would be happy to oblige!" said the Zora. "Please, ask away."
"How has Princess Ruto reacted to the fish shortage?" he asked.
"Well, surely you must know. I mean, what with all the meetings the two of you have all the time. But perhaps she doesn't display emotion around you. She tends to keep that side of herself hidden, even from us. It is rarely that her tough surface breaks. But when the problem first started she was very upset, and it showed. She would even come fishing with us. It wasn't until her father talked to her about neglecting her duties as a sage that she came out less frequently. Now she is here very rarely, but I know that the two of you are working very hard together to come up with answers."
Link wanted to shake his head at the lies that Ruto had been telling. He held back the urge though and just mentally took them down. So far, he had that the Zoras thought that he and Ruto were meeting frequently, and that Link was himself working hard on the problem. He decided to get more from her. This fish liked to talk. "What about your king? How has he taken the news?"
"Well, the king has always been a worrying man, but he took this news rather hard. Ruto sent him away so that he could take time to relax. He needed to clear his mind. She let him know that she had it under control and told him not to return until he felt completely rejuvenated. We all agreed that the princess had made a wise decision. I thought that you would know all about his position? But maybe the two of you only discuss the shortage. I don't pretend to know, or even wonder, what the two of you discuss behind closed doors," said the woman.
"Yes, I think she did mention it, now that you bring it up. It must have slipped my mind. I've been so busy lately. Uh, have you noticed any progress in fishing?" asked Link.
"Well, Princess Ruto has made it seem that we are making progress. Now, I trust our princess completely, and I don't want to make it sound like I am denouncing her word, but I haven't noticed much progress. But maybe that's just with me! Princess Ruto would never lie to us! I was just suggesting that maybe she was trying to lift our spirits. You understood my meaning right? It is entirely possible that we are making progress, I just haven't noticed. But then I have been working so diligently that I –"
"Thanks. You have been a great help," interrupted Link. He decided that he would take his trip underwater later, when there weren't so many Zora around. He made his way back to Epona and sat on her thinking for a moment.
Navi poked her head out and asked, "So, what did we learn?"
"Ruto's been telling her people a lot. She said that I have been working hard to find the source of the shortage, that we have been having meetings and are working closely together, and that she told them the shortage is under control, when in reality the situation is no better. All of this from a very talkative female Zora," said Link.
"Well, I think we have to do a little investigating of Ruto. There is something fishy going on, no pun intended," said Navi. Link laughed in spite of himself. "All right, maybe we should go have a little rest and then do a little snooping around tomorrow."
"I quite agree," said Link.
"They were acting under orders?" Saria cried when Link told her. "I can't believe it? I wonder if Nabooru knows? Link, that's very disturbing. The Gerudo are master warriors. I realize that you've never been defeated by one, but still. If they are working for Irnan, they may receive power from her. Just think of the struggle you had with Ganon. Irnan is the first evil, and if you had trouble with Ganon, I don't even want to think about what might happen if you ever had to face a group of Gerudos with power from her, let alone Irnan herself."
"I know, I know. I let Rue know that her people no longer had an ally in me, and that I would make a point of finding out who it was that ordered this attack and then bring them down."
"Well, be careful Link. You have no idea who you might be dealing with. I'm going to ask Nabooru what she knows, and I'll let you know. I'll see you tomorrow, Link. Stay safe!" said Saria.
"You too. I'll see you tomorrow," said Link, smiling.
Navi flew in front of Link's face. "What do we do now? We have a lot on our plates already. We have to figure out what's going on with the Zoras, and we have to figure out who leads the Gerudo. There's still so much that we don't know, Link. I know you have Saria talking to Nabooru, but if someone out there can command the Gerudos to attack you again, you'd better find out what to do soon. But at the same time, it's important to find out what's going on with the Zoras. I don't like the way that Ruto behaved the last time that we saw her."
Link took off his green hat and ran a finger through his messy hair. He felt as if so much weight rested on his shoulders. He longed for just one day when he didn't have to worry about the fate of Hyrule and whether or not he would live to see tomorrow. Still, he knew that he had a duty to fulfill and he didn't dwell on his selfish wishes. "I think I won't let the Gerudos worry me at the moment. I am a little suspicious about Ruto. That bothers me. I don't think she would lie to me, but at the same time, I know that there's no way they cleared up that shortage. If they had, I know that someone would have told me about it.
"Maybe Ruto is not the best source. She's certainly not the most reliable. I think that a visit to the lake is in order. I think that we'll get more information from the Zora people than we will form their princess. I wonder where the king is? He wasn't there the last time we were there. I have never been there and not seen him sitting on his throne. I doubt he's be out and about with his people, but maybe he is. Let's head to Lake Hylia and see what we can dig up," said Link.
Navi made herself comfortable underneath Link's shield and Link turned in the direction of Lake Hylia. The sun was high in the sky, indicating that the it was probably close to the middle of the day. Link was glad that he would have quite a bit of time to investigate. He wondered if a trip to the bottom of the lake would reveal more than what dwelled on the surface.
Link was met with a sight similar to the one he had seen not that long ago when he had made a trip to the lake. There were hundreds of Zoras in the water. A few children were splashing and laughing in the shallow areas while their parents and adult counterparts searched for fish.
Link left Epona to graze on shore while he waded into the water. He met up with a female Zora he had never seen before. "Excuse me," he called out to her. "Would you mind talking to me for a moment?"
"Oh! Absolutely! Anything for the Hero of Time. You have been so generous to our people. Princess Ruto has assured us over and over that you are on the case and doing all in your power to help our situation. All of us are grateful to you. I will do anything in my power to help you," said the woman. Link was taken aback. Ruto had made it perfectly clear that she hadn't wanted his help. Why was she telling her people that he was helping?
"Well, the Zoras have always been so wonderful to me, it's the least I can do to help. I just have a few questions," replied Link. He didn't want the people to be suspicious of their leader, or of him. He thought it best to keep Ruto's lie intact until Ruto herself decided to reveal it to her people.
"I would be happy to oblige!" said the Zora. "Please, ask away."
"How has Princess Ruto reacted to the fish shortage?" he asked.
"Well, surely you must know. I mean, what with all the meetings the two of you have all the time. But perhaps she doesn't display emotion around you. She tends to keep that side of herself hidden, even from us. It is rarely that her tough surface breaks. But when the problem first started she was very upset, and it showed. She would even come fishing with us. It wasn't until her father talked to her about neglecting her duties as a sage that she came out less frequently. Now she is here very rarely, but I know that the two of you are working very hard together to come up with answers."
Link wanted to shake his head at the lies that Ruto had been telling. He held back the urge though and just mentally took them down. So far, he had that the Zoras thought that he and Ruto were meeting frequently, and that Link was himself working hard on the problem. He decided to get more from her. This fish liked to talk. "What about your king? How has he taken the news?"
"Well, the king has always been a worrying man, but he took this news rather hard. Ruto sent him away so that he could take time to relax. He needed to clear his mind. She let him know that she had it under control and told him not to return until he felt completely rejuvenated. We all agreed that the princess had made a wise decision. I thought that you would know all about his position? But maybe the two of you only discuss the shortage. I don't pretend to know, or even wonder, what the two of you discuss behind closed doors," said the woman.
"Yes, I think she did mention it, now that you bring it up. It must have slipped my mind. I've been so busy lately. Uh, have you noticed any progress in fishing?" asked Link.
"Well, Princess Ruto has made it seem that we are making progress. Now, I trust our princess completely, and I don't want to make it sound like I am denouncing her word, but I haven't noticed much progress. But maybe that's just with me! Princess Ruto would never lie to us! I was just suggesting that maybe she was trying to lift our spirits. You understood my meaning right? It is entirely possible that we are making progress, I just haven't noticed. But then I have been working so diligently that I –"
"Thanks. You have been a great help," interrupted Link. He decided that he would take his trip underwater later, when there weren't so many Zora around. He made his way back to Epona and sat on her thinking for a moment.
Navi poked her head out and asked, "So, what did we learn?"
"Ruto's been telling her people a lot. She said that I have been working hard to find the source of the shortage, that we have been having meetings and are working closely together, and that she told them the shortage is under control, when in reality the situation is no better. All of this from a very talkative female Zora," said Link.
"Well, I think we have to do a little investigating of Ruto. There is something fishy going on, no pun intended," said Navi. Link laughed in spite of himself. "All right, maybe we should go have a little rest and then do a little snooping around tomorrow."
"I quite agree," said Link.