Below the water's surface, Girl was pulled down to the bottom by the current. Her arm and back felt pain that seared through her whole body and her movement was limited. She was running out of air though and could not survive much longer as the river relentlessly jarred her body against rocks, which sent more pain through her.
Without warning, she felt her stomach hit something hard which pushed her up slowly out of the water into fresh air. She gasped, her lungs begging for air as her whole body was lifted from the water. She sat up slowly, grimacing through pain and looked down in dismay. She sat upon something large and green, smooth like a rock. A small head popped up from the water. The turtle regarded its passenger with curiosity for a moment before slowly beginning to move down the river slowly. For some odd reason, this large creature was unaffected by the river's current, though logic told Girl he should have been pulled along like anything else. But this turtle followed his own logic, moving at his own pace.
"Are you quite alright, young one?" A voice popped up in her head and Girl looked around frightfully in surprise. "Down here. The one you're sitting on," the voice said in her mind with bemusement. Girl looked down to the turtle she sat upon. Its large eyes stared back at her, blue like the sea filled with ancient wisdom.
"You… talk?" She cried in dismay. Never before had any animal, much less an oversized turtle, spoken to her. She could not believe what was happening.
"That's one way to put it," the bemused voice sounded again in her mind. "Only in your mind though, young one," he added. Girl nodded slowly; though still not understanding how this was possible she accepted the fact, grateful to him for having saved her.
"I'm sorry… I-I've just never met a talking animal before," Girl explained when she finally found her voice once again, though to her it sounded weak and distant and she wasn't sure it was really her own.
"Don't worry about it. I get that a lot." In her mind, she could hear him laugh lightly at her comment and she couldn't help but smile.
"Gismay at your service, young one. Going anywhere in particular?" He asked politely with curiosity in his voice. If that was even possible since his voice was only words appearing in her mind.
Girl nodded. "My village." She pointed farther downstream towards the dark village. Dark? That wasn't right. There should be lights on now that the sun had gone.
"You sure? Looks pretty empty to me," Gismay replied dubiously.
"Y-yes… I think so…" Girl spoke softly, frowning. "There should be lights on though," she added. Her heart was pounding in her chest with worry. Her village always had lights on after dark, or they would never see anything. It was common sense.
"Well, if you're quite certain," Gismay replied. "Going that way any way," He added without concern. "On my way to Hyrule, don't you know. Nice place there. Ever been there?" Gismay asked, striking up a light conversation.
Girl looked down at Gismay with wonder. "You've been to Hyrule? What's it like!" She exclaimed excitedly. Never before had she met anyone –or any animal- from Hyrule.
"Lovely place! You've really never been there? Not far from here at all. I could take you there if you wanted," Gismay offered kindly. Obviously he couldn't believe she hadn't ever been there.
"Really! That would be amazing!" She exclaimed happily. Traveling along the river like this seemed like a much easier way to get to the kingdom than by the long, winding road her mother had said was the only way they could travel there.
In her mind, she heard Gismay chuckle to himself. "Spirited young one, aren't you?" He remarked as they drew closer to the dark buildings of her village.
Both grew silent as they approached the first building. Neither light nor sound came from the house and Girl began to grow tense, a knot forming in her chest. "Are you certain there is anyone here? Seems pretty quiet to me…" Gismay said with concern.
Girl simply nodded and jumped onto the bank, wincing as pain rippled through her back from the force of the movement. "Tell you what, I'll stay here for a bit. Anything happens, you come right back here alright, young one?" Gismay offered. Girl nodded again and walked slowly towards her house.
