Link felt better as Epona covered more and more ground towards the brownish-
red land of the Gerudo. He'd bring this man, Stephin, to justice soon
enough. Finally, after at least an hour of riding in endless grassland,
Link caught a glimpse of brown land.
"Gerudo Valley, dead ahead." Link said.
The closer he got to the rich red earth, the more his mind wandered back to wondering about the desert. He figured that the absence of rain, and clouds, meant the absence of heat at night and cool air and shade during the day. Either way, the desert was ruthless and he sure wasn't looking forward to searching THIS desert out of all the other deserts in the world for Stephin.
The sun rose slowly on the horizon of mountains on either side of Link as he slowly approached the sound of water and caught sight of a bridge. It was morning by the time he reached the entrance to the Gerudo Fortress, the only thing between him and the vast desert itself.
He got to the other side of the bridge when he realized that the entrance to the Fortress was barred.
"Halt!" a voice called out.
Link looked up, and saw a Gerudo. She looked angry and annoyed just by his presence.
"And you're here...why?" She demanded of him.
"I'm looking for a man named Stephin. He's hiding somewhere in the Haunted Wasteland."
"The hell is Stephin?!" the Gerudo demanded again.
"Stephin...he's...he's..."
"You're making this up to get in! Why?" She shouted at him.
"No! I'm not making it up!" Link protested.
"You know, boy, that we Gerudos dislike men and children...and that we actually distrust children, to boot." She said in an annoyed voice.
"Well...yes..." Link mumbled.
"So, why should I trust you, a male child?" She said, and laughed. "Whatever. I'm not going to bother with a child." She nonchalantly reached out and grabbed Link by the shoulder. Then, gently to her as it seemed, but with great strength, pushed him right off the side of the bridge, sending him plummeting into the river below.
As Link fell, he heard her shout, "By the way, thanks for the horse!"
He hit the water so hard he blacked out.
Lake Hylia
"Owwww..." Link muttered. He woke up with a sharp pain in his back. He was lying there, on the shore of Lake Hylia, about mid afternoon on the second day of his return to life. His hand rested on his chest. He was about to move it when he stopped; there was something odd. He pressed down on his chest, but he didn't feel anything. He pressed down harder and harder, but still he felt no heartbeat. He sat up.
"What the hell!" He panicked.
"Link, relax, please..." A harsh voice said behind him. Yet...the voice seemed wise, courageous, loving...
"Din!"
"Yes..." came the response. She sounded rather sad, for some reason.
"O Din...am I...did I die?"
"Yes, Link. The fall killed you. It's to be expected, however...seeing as you've passed out so much." Did Link hear a snicker? Her face was masked, as he just noticed, so he couldn't tell. "The gift of wisdom has been removed from you, and in a trade I give you my power..." With a swipe of her hand, she left with Link standing there, wondering.
Suddenly, Link felt an incredible surge of power run through him. It was amazing...he felt great. He felt powerful...extremely powerful...
"This is awesome!" Link cried out. He looked around for something to test his strength on and spotted a nearby tree. "I bet I could lift that!" He said, as if challenging the earth in a bet. Then he walked over to the tree and, without the slightest bit of effort, pushed it onto its side, roots and all. "Damn..." he said in amazement.
He wasted no more time. He ran as quickly as he could, which was rather quick now that his legs were so strong, back to the Gerudo Valley bridge.
Gerudo Valley
Link approached the guard at the gate blocking Gerudo Fortress.
"You again?" The guard said in disgust. "I thought that would have killed you. Heh...you're stronger than I took you for..."
Link said nothing. He came up to her, until he was right in front of her. Then, with his new strength, he grabbed her wrist and threw her off the bridge. "See," Link yelled after her, "it's not too pleasant falling off of bridges, is it?"
Then he turned toward the gate, lifted it right off of the ground, and set it to the side. "Amazing." He said. "This certainly beats my old gauntlets."
He ran into the fortress right as the sun began to set. He didn't know what to expect; he hadn't been here since 8 years from now.
"Gerudo Valley, dead ahead." Link said.
The closer he got to the rich red earth, the more his mind wandered back to wondering about the desert. He figured that the absence of rain, and clouds, meant the absence of heat at night and cool air and shade during the day. Either way, the desert was ruthless and he sure wasn't looking forward to searching THIS desert out of all the other deserts in the world for Stephin.
The sun rose slowly on the horizon of mountains on either side of Link as he slowly approached the sound of water and caught sight of a bridge. It was morning by the time he reached the entrance to the Gerudo Fortress, the only thing between him and the vast desert itself.
He got to the other side of the bridge when he realized that the entrance to the Fortress was barred.
"Halt!" a voice called out.
Link looked up, and saw a Gerudo. She looked angry and annoyed just by his presence.
"And you're here...why?" She demanded of him.
"I'm looking for a man named Stephin. He's hiding somewhere in the Haunted Wasteland."
"The hell is Stephin?!" the Gerudo demanded again.
"Stephin...he's...he's..."
"You're making this up to get in! Why?" She shouted at him.
"No! I'm not making it up!" Link protested.
"You know, boy, that we Gerudos dislike men and children...and that we actually distrust children, to boot." She said in an annoyed voice.
"Well...yes..." Link mumbled.
"So, why should I trust you, a male child?" She said, and laughed. "Whatever. I'm not going to bother with a child." She nonchalantly reached out and grabbed Link by the shoulder. Then, gently to her as it seemed, but with great strength, pushed him right off the side of the bridge, sending him plummeting into the river below.
As Link fell, he heard her shout, "By the way, thanks for the horse!"
He hit the water so hard he blacked out.
Lake Hylia
"Owwww..." Link muttered. He woke up with a sharp pain in his back. He was lying there, on the shore of Lake Hylia, about mid afternoon on the second day of his return to life. His hand rested on his chest. He was about to move it when he stopped; there was something odd. He pressed down on his chest, but he didn't feel anything. He pressed down harder and harder, but still he felt no heartbeat. He sat up.
"What the hell!" He panicked.
"Link, relax, please..." A harsh voice said behind him. Yet...the voice seemed wise, courageous, loving...
"Din!"
"Yes..." came the response. She sounded rather sad, for some reason.
"O Din...am I...did I die?"
"Yes, Link. The fall killed you. It's to be expected, however...seeing as you've passed out so much." Did Link hear a snicker? Her face was masked, as he just noticed, so he couldn't tell. "The gift of wisdom has been removed from you, and in a trade I give you my power..." With a swipe of her hand, she left with Link standing there, wondering.
Suddenly, Link felt an incredible surge of power run through him. It was amazing...he felt great. He felt powerful...extremely powerful...
"This is awesome!" Link cried out. He looked around for something to test his strength on and spotted a nearby tree. "I bet I could lift that!" He said, as if challenging the earth in a bet. Then he walked over to the tree and, without the slightest bit of effort, pushed it onto its side, roots and all. "Damn..." he said in amazement.
He wasted no more time. He ran as quickly as he could, which was rather quick now that his legs were so strong, back to the Gerudo Valley bridge.
Gerudo Valley
Link approached the guard at the gate blocking Gerudo Fortress.
"You again?" The guard said in disgust. "I thought that would have killed you. Heh...you're stronger than I took you for..."
Link said nothing. He came up to her, until he was right in front of her. Then, with his new strength, he grabbed her wrist and threw her off the bridge. "See," Link yelled after her, "it's not too pleasant falling off of bridges, is it?"
Then he turned toward the gate, lifted it right off of the ground, and set it to the side. "Amazing." He said. "This certainly beats my old gauntlets."
He ran into the fortress right as the sun began to set. He didn't know what to expect; he hadn't been here since 8 years from now.