Chapter 10
Link caught Zelda before she could hit the ground, his heart pounding fiercely against his rib cage.
"Zelda, stay with me." He pleaded in a deep, shaky voice.
"I'm just weak is all." She whispered, raising her hand to his cheek.
In the distance, Epona whinnied, and Link looked up to see her trotting towards them, shaking out her mane.
She stopped near the couple, and nudged Link's shoulder playfully as he held Zelda bridal style in his arms.
"If I can get you to the Kokiri Forest, I can get you a blue potion there." He looked down at Zelda, holding her gaze in his eyes.
She nodded, and leaned the side of her face against Link's shoulder, letting out a shuddering sigh.
Link took one last look at the draw bridge, his anger rising as Zelda's pain worsened.
He carefully set her in the front of the saddle, and got in behind her. On hand gripped Epona's reigns, while his other arm slinked around Zelda's tiny waist.
"Just hold on." He whispered before sending Epona towards the forest.
The smell of death filled Link's lungs, and he began to notice how different the fields of Hyrule looked.
Blood stains hugged the once green grass, each stain bigger then the next.
Smoke blocked out the sun, and made it look as though it were night, while also filling the air with a horrible stench.
Hooves thundering behind Link made him stop, and he turned to see three Gerudos on horseback behind him, pulling bows out.
Link cursed quietly to himself, and pushed Epona harder.
"What is it Link?" Zelda asked softly, turning her head slightly.
"Zelda, if I gave you my bow, would you be able to shoot?" Link asked, reaching inside of his tunic.
Zelda's eyes widened.
"I don't know…I've seen Impa do it before…"
"Here." Link handed her his bow, and his quiver.
Zelda looked at the arrows, and then back up at Link.
He saw the worry in her eyes, and planted a kiss on the top of her head, still steering Epona.
"You can do it, I know you can."
Zelda nodded when she saw the courage in Link's eyes, and turned carefully in the saddle so that her chest was pressed up against his.
With the movement of the horse, Zelda had difficulty getting the arrow into place, but once she had, she turned her attention to the Gerudos.
An arrow hit Link's shield, which was attached to his back.
He jumped a little, and looked over at Zelda's frightened face, making sure that she was safe.
Zelda closed her eyes, trying to remember watching Impa use her bow in the courtyard. Why hadn't Zelda asked her to teach her to use one?
Another arrow hit Link's shield, and Zelda opened her eyes, knowing that if she didn't at least try, her and Link would be killed.
She aimed at a Gerudo, and let the arrow loose.
The Gerudo cried in pain as the arrow hit her in the chest, and she clutched it in agony before falling from her horse.
Zelda bit her lip to keep from crying when the other horses toppled the dying Gerudo, and quickly got another arrow as one flew past her head.
"Aim for their horses. The Gerudos are too small of targets, but if their horses are injured, they'll have to stop." Link whispered.
Zelda nodded, and let another arrow fly, and watched as it lodged itself inside of one of the horse's legs.
It whinnied in pain, and reared up, causing the rider to fall backwards.
Link breathed a sigh of relief when Epona neared the forest. He knew that the Gerudos wouldn't follow him inside, and so he led Epona inside.
He heard the Gerudos shout in frustration, and leaped off of Epona as soon as they rounded the corner.
"Zelda…" Link stopped as Zelda began to slip off the saddle.
He cursed loudly as he caught her, and hurried inside, leaving Epona to rest.
The wind wasn't as harsh inside of the Kokiri Forest, and Link embraced the sudden warmth as he ran in, holding Zelda as close to him as possible.
"Link?" Saria asked, coming out of her house.
"Saria, I need a blue potion!" He exclaimed, stopping in front of the little girl.
Saria saw Zelda's pale form in Link's arms, and her eyes widened.
"Wait here." She muttered, and ran back inside.
While he waited, Link shook Zelda, trying to wake her up.
"Zelda, wake up, please." He got in her face, and breathed on her a few times, hoping that she would wake up.
When her eyes stayed closed, Link laid her on the ground, and tilted her head back. Her lips were closed tightly, and so he gently opened her mouth as Saria flew back outside, holding a blue potion in her hands.
"Here Link." She shoved it into his hand, and kneeled down next to Zelda.
Link threw the cork over his shoulder, and held the tip of the bottle to Zelda's mouth, and led a little bit slide in.
Zelda's eyes flew open, and she sat up, coughing up the potion. Link hit her back several times as she choked it up, and fell back in exhaustion.
"Zelda, can you swallow this?" He asked.
"Yes." She said in a raspy voice.
Saria helped her into a sitting position, and Link held the bottle to her lips.
"Ready?" He asked gently.
When she nodded, Link tilted the bottle forward, and watched as Zelda slowly drank the whole bottle.
Once she had sat for a moment, the potion took effect, and her skin regained its color, and the pain was erased from her face.
"Are you alright?" Link asked, helping Zelda to her feet.
"Devika took my piece of the Triforce." Zelda showed Link the back of her hand.
"Does she know about my piece?"
Zelda shook her head, and her hands went back to her sides.
"I don't think so. If she gets your piece, she'll be hard to defeat."
Link nodded in agreement, and turned his attention to Saria as she stood there, watching the couple.
"Saria, we need an audience with the Great Deku Tree."
"I'll ask Mido." Saria smiled, and toddled off.
In those seven years, the Great Deku Shrub had grown into a tree, and became the new guardian of the Kokiri.
"Link," he looked up to see Zelda's eyes filling with tears, "what if the Kokiri won't help either?"
"Zelda, I promise you that we will defeat the Gerudos." Link held her face in his hands, using his thumbs to wipe away the tears that had escaped her eyes.
Her bottom lip quivered, and Link bit his own lip. He hated when Zelda cried, it always tore him up inside.
Link pulled Zelda against him, his arms wrapped tightly around her as she cried into his shoulder.
He buried his face in her hair, whispering soothing words as she continued to cry.
A few Kokiri looked genuinely worried as they passed and saw Link holding Zelda, but Link waved them away when they stopped to see if they needed help.
"Link," Zelda pulled back but stayed in Link's arms, "I want you to teach me to fight."
"Are you sure?" He asked, wiping her damp cheeks.
She nodded.
"Back there, we could have died. I want you to teach me to use a bow and a sword."
Link was a bit hesitant. If he taught Zelda to fight, then she would want to fight, and if he lost her in battle…
"Alright Zelda, we can start training first thing tomorrow. Now, we need to see the Great Deku Tree."