Chapter 9: They Conquer The River
They rode all day without a problem. The sun was just starting to set when Ruto began to feel light headed and woozy. She let Link know, and they puled over so he could check her bandage. "Let's see how your doing." He pulled away the bandage, and was horrified but what he saw. The wound itself was a pale white color. The muscle of her calf was severely swollen. As he sat there gaping at it for a moment, and he could see the sweat forming on her leg. "We better hurry if we are to get the medicine in time." He said worriedly. Ruto tried to stand up, but she had gotten so weak, she began to fall back down. Link caught her before she hit the ground. "Maybe you should just leave me. " She said wearily. "Nothing will stop the poison. I won't make it." "Don't say that!" Link said, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "You have to make it. Even if I have to carry you the rest of the way." He gently scooped her up into his arms and went back to were Epona and Sid were waiting. He carefully remounted, still holding Ruto in his arms. "Sid, do you think you can take the reins?" Link asked the skull kid. Sid smirked. "You seem to forget I had stolen her once from you. As long as she knows it's alright, I can steer fine." " Good" Link said. He set her gently in his lap while Epona galloped to their destination. He changed her bandage, then took her back in his arms. By now she was sweating feverishly, seeming to be torn by waves of pain. "Just hold on." Link whispered softly to her. "Just hold on."
The sun had set by the time they reached the river. "Do you think we should set up camp?" Sid asked. "NO." Link said determinedly. "We have to keep going for Ruto's sake." "Well, we have two ways we can go. We can jump this fence right here, or we can cut through the water and go the rest on foot." "We'll go on foot." Link said. "Can't risk jarring her in a jump." Link carefully dismounted Epona and sent her back to the ranch. "You better get on my shield strap, Sid. These are fast waters." Sid mounted and they trudged across the water. Once reaching land, they continued. "Link..." Ruto moaned, clutching the front of his tunic. "Everything is going to be alright, Ruto." Ruto smiled weakly, the sweat dripping off her forehead. " Like I said." She stated weakly. "I'll put my life in your hands any time." As they continued on, Octorocks popped out of the water. They began to shoot stones at the trio. "Sid." Link said. "Take my bow from my back and use it to beat those creeps." Sid did as he was told and fended them off until they were crossing the bridge near Zora's domain. They quickly moved from rock bridge to rock ridge until finally, they were standing in front of the water fall leading to Zora's Domain. Link set Ruto down gently in front of him and pulled out the Ocarina of Time. He began to play a gentle, flowing melody. When he finished, the water slowed down and parted, revealing the entrance to the Domain. Link picked Ruto back up. "Let's go Sid." Link said, and they nimbly jumped through.
As they entered, Sid and Link were able to make out the different parts of Zora's Domain. The throne room was up the stairs down the path, and the local store was the winding path down to the right. You could see the waterfall in the background and the water below to the left. Link didn't stand there long, though. Before long, he was tearing through the paths of the domain, hurrying to the throne room to gain the kings permission to enter the sacred lake of Lord Jabu-Jabu. Sid could barely keep up as he ran up the staircase, bursting through into the chamber. "Hello Link!" said the large king from atop his throne. Then the king beheld the limp form of his own daughter and turned deathly pale. "Did you not find the cure as promised?" he said. "Forgiver me you highness." Link apologized. "But I need an electric jellyfish from the bowels of Jabu-Jabu to complete the formula and cure your daughter." "Then you shall have your jelly fish." The king proclaimed. "But come, surely you are weary from your journey. I will send my strongest men for the jellyfish. In the meantime, you may rest in Ruto's room. I would offer a guestroom, but unfortunately, we are not accustomed to guests. We will also send a physician to help you maintain her good health. I don't want anything to happen to her." Link bowed humbly, careful not to drop Ruto. "Thank you your highness." "You will find Ruto's room behind the water fall. It was carved there a years after you saved her from Jabu-Jabu." Link bowed again, and left the room. He walked down the stairs and continued on to the waterfall. He walked underneath and entered the room, The water soaking his tunic as he went. Sid, though disliking water, followed.
Upon entering the room, a large bed became visible on the opposite side. It appeared to be constructed of corral, with red seaweed for blankets. A canopy was made of the same material. Among the puddles of water, there were a large variety of shells on the floor. Against the wall was a vanity, a giant clamshell for a mirror. Link walked over, gently set Ruto down in the bed, and tucked her in. he sat down in the chair near to her. It wasn't long before the physician arrived. He gave her a dull check up and a bottle of red potion. After the doctor left, Ruto had regained consciousness. Her sweating and fever had also gone down. Too bad this is only a temporary solution. Link thought bitterly. "Where am I?" she asked slowly, still in no condition to move. "We are in your room back at Zora's Domain." Ruto smiled weakly. "So you didn't give up on me. I had a feeling you wouldn't." Link laughed inwardly. "How do you feel?" "Like I fell from the top of Hyrule Castle." She said, reaching for his hand. "But other than that, I'm fine." She slipped her hands into his, and he gripped it tightly. "Everything will be just fine. I promise. I already know how to get back in a third of the time it took us to get here." "That's great. " she said. He let go of her hand, and got up. "Where are you going?" she asked worriedly. "I'm going to get us some dinner. We haven't eaten in a while, and our stocks ran out earlier today." He said as he left. Ruto nodded and rolled over, drifting off to sleep.
When Link returned with the fish he bought at the Zora mart, Ruto was sitting in the chair by her vanity. "I see that red potion is doing it's job." He said. Ruto stood up, holding onto the chair arm for balance. She walked over to him, and rested against him. "You're sure we can make it back to that weirdo in time for the anti-venom?" she asked. Link took her by the shoulders and pulled away, looking her right in the eye. "I won't lie to you. I'm note sure if this is a quest that I'll succeed in. But I will do the best I can." Ruto pulled away and laid back down on the bed. "That's all I needed to hear." She said.
By now it was dark, and they decided to sleep for the night. Link slept in the chair, and Sid slept outside the door just inside the waterfall. Ruto was lying in bed, but she wasn't sleeping. I still can't believe he would go all this way to save me. His life is much more important than mine. She rolled over to look at him. Link was peacefully sleeping, his swords and shields resting against the wall. If only he knew how I feel for him. She thought forlornly. Then I wouldn't have to beat around the bush about it. Getting up, she crawled off of the bed and lent against his legs, starting to feel drowsy. This may not be too comfortable, she thought, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
They rode all day without a problem. The sun was just starting to set when Ruto began to feel light headed and woozy. She let Link know, and they puled over so he could check her bandage. "Let's see how your doing." He pulled away the bandage, and was horrified but what he saw. The wound itself was a pale white color. The muscle of her calf was severely swollen. As he sat there gaping at it for a moment, and he could see the sweat forming on her leg. "We better hurry if we are to get the medicine in time." He said worriedly. Ruto tried to stand up, but she had gotten so weak, she began to fall back down. Link caught her before she hit the ground. "Maybe you should just leave me. " She said wearily. "Nothing will stop the poison. I won't make it." "Don't say that!" Link said, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. "You have to make it. Even if I have to carry you the rest of the way." He gently scooped her up into his arms and went back to were Epona and Sid were waiting. He carefully remounted, still holding Ruto in his arms. "Sid, do you think you can take the reins?" Link asked the skull kid. Sid smirked. "You seem to forget I had stolen her once from you. As long as she knows it's alright, I can steer fine." " Good" Link said. He set her gently in his lap while Epona galloped to their destination. He changed her bandage, then took her back in his arms. By now she was sweating feverishly, seeming to be torn by waves of pain. "Just hold on." Link whispered softly to her. "Just hold on."
The sun had set by the time they reached the river. "Do you think we should set up camp?" Sid asked. "NO." Link said determinedly. "We have to keep going for Ruto's sake." "Well, we have two ways we can go. We can jump this fence right here, or we can cut through the water and go the rest on foot." "We'll go on foot." Link said. "Can't risk jarring her in a jump." Link carefully dismounted Epona and sent her back to the ranch. "You better get on my shield strap, Sid. These are fast waters." Sid mounted and they trudged across the water. Once reaching land, they continued. "Link..." Ruto moaned, clutching the front of his tunic. "Everything is going to be alright, Ruto." Ruto smiled weakly, the sweat dripping off her forehead. " Like I said." She stated weakly. "I'll put my life in your hands any time." As they continued on, Octorocks popped out of the water. They began to shoot stones at the trio. "Sid." Link said. "Take my bow from my back and use it to beat those creeps." Sid did as he was told and fended them off until they were crossing the bridge near Zora's domain. They quickly moved from rock bridge to rock ridge until finally, they were standing in front of the water fall leading to Zora's Domain. Link set Ruto down gently in front of him and pulled out the Ocarina of Time. He began to play a gentle, flowing melody. When he finished, the water slowed down and parted, revealing the entrance to the Domain. Link picked Ruto back up. "Let's go Sid." Link said, and they nimbly jumped through.
As they entered, Sid and Link were able to make out the different parts of Zora's Domain. The throne room was up the stairs down the path, and the local store was the winding path down to the right. You could see the waterfall in the background and the water below to the left. Link didn't stand there long, though. Before long, he was tearing through the paths of the domain, hurrying to the throne room to gain the kings permission to enter the sacred lake of Lord Jabu-Jabu. Sid could barely keep up as he ran up the staircase, bursting through into the chamber. "Hello Link!" said the large king from atop his throne. Then the king beheld the limp form of his own daughter and turned deathly pale. "Did you not find the cure as promised?" he said. "Forgiver me you highness." Link apologized. "But I need an electric jellyfish from the bowels of Jabu-Jabu to complete the formula and cure your daughter." "Then you shall have your jelly fish." The king proclaimed. "But come, surely you are weary from your journey. I will send my strongest men for the jellyfish. In the meantime, you may rest in Ruto's room. I would offer a guestroom, but unfortunately, we are not accustomed to guests. We will also send a physician to help you maintain her good health. I don't want anything to happen to her." Link bowed humbly, careful not to drop Ruto. "Thank you your highness." "You will find Ruto's room behind the water fall. It was carved there a years after you saved her from Jabu-Jabu." Link bowed again, and left the room. He walked down the stairs and continued on to the waterfall. He walked underneath and entered the room, The water soaking his tunic as he went. Sid, though disliking water, followed.
Upon entering the room, a large bed became visible on the opposite side. It appeared to be constructed of corral, with red seaweed for blankets. A canopy was made of the same material. Among the puddles of water, there were a large variety of shells on the floor. Against the wall was a vanity, a giant clamshell for a mirror. Link walked over, gently set Ruto down in the bed, and tucked her in. he sat down in the chair near to her. It wasn't long before the physician arrived. He gave her a dull check up and a bottle of red potion. After the doctor left, Ruto had regained consciousness. Her sweating and fever had also gone down. Too bad this is only a temporary solution. Link thought bitterly. "Where am I?" she asked slowly, still in no condition to move. "We are in your room back at Zora's Domain." Ruto smiled weakly. "So you didn't give up on me. I had a feeling you wouldn't." Link laughed inwardly. "How do you feel?" "Like I fell from the top of Hyrule Castle." She said, reaching for his hand. "But other than that, I'm fine." She slipped her hands into his, and he gripped it tightly. "Everything will be just fine. I promise. I already know how to get back in a third of the time it took us to get here." "That's great. " she said. He let go of her hand, and got up. "Where are you going?" she asked worriedly. "I'm going to get us some dinner. We haven't eaten in a while, and our stocks ran out earlier today." He said as he left. Ruto nodded and rolled over, drifting off to sleep.
When Link returned with the fish he bought at the Zora mart, Ruto was sitting in the chair by her vanity. "I see that red potion is doing it's job." He said. Ruto stood up, holding onto the chair arm for balance. She walked over to him, and rested against him. "You're sure we can make it back to that weirdo in time for the anti-venom?" she asked. Link took her by the shoulders and pulled away, looking her right in the eye. "I won't lie to you. I'm note sure if this is a quest that I'll succeed in. But I will do the best I can." Ruto pulled away and laid back down on the bed. "That's all I needed to hear." She said.
By now it was dark, and they decided to sleep for the night. Link slept in the chair, and Sid slept outside the door just inside the waterfall. Ruto was lying in bed, but she wasn't sleeping. I still can't believe he would go all this way to save me. His life is much more important than mine. She rolled over to look at him. Link was peacefully sleeping, his swords and shields resting against the wall. If only he knew how I feel for him. She thought forlornly. Then I wouldn't have to beat around the bush about it. Getting up, she crawled off of the bed and lent against his legs, starting to feel drowsy. This may not be too comfortable, she thought, but I wouldn't have it any other way.