***ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY**
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In Sotto Voce
By The Wolfess
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Chapter 14
When the most respected General of Hyrule arrived at Kakariko Village to personally deliver two packages wrapped in brown paper and sealed with the queen's official wax seal, word spread. Every member of tribe trickled out of their houses into the streets to watch what would happen. Some stayed near the Hylian man to point the General in the right direction, while others ran ahead to warn Impa. Others waited outside the hall where the tribal leader was in hopes of overhearing the conversation that would ensue.
Impa was with Ruto and the Sheikah Council pouring over a few old documents and talking in heated tones. Her inquiries had become the talk of the small village. She went from house to house, person to person, asking pointed questions about Kishla and Tikala and Queen Zelda the Fourteenth, and it was an understatement to say that feathers were ruffled. She was digging up old rumors and stories that people wanted to keep buried, as well as bringing some newer ones to light that people would rather remain in shadow. Tribal members were brought before the council to give testimony, including Impa's adopted uncle, and trials were underway for those under suspicion of treason. The truth coming out, bit by bit, and Impa was leading investigation with the support of the Zora princess.
What Impa had discovered in this process was that everything her Uncle said was only the beginning of a long tale. Bits of the old story were confirmed and expanded on with new details. In fact, a few of the tribal members who had been close to Kishla had even admitted to knowing of the bitterness that she harbored about the shady deal made between the previous queen and the tribal leader. Some even knew hints about her whispered plans, but they swore that they had assumed that she was just spouting off on old grudges. They encouraged her to pray more, seek the will of the goddesses, and didn't report the behavior.
Impa and Ruto brought all of this before the council, and the tribal members who had admitted to knowing bits and pieces of Kishla's plans had been punished accordingly for not reporting it. The Sheikah who had been guarding the door to the council chamber had been thrown in total lockdown awaiting judgment for allowing the elder to carry weapons into the council chamber. It had yet to be determined if they were totally complicit in the betrayal, but evidence pointed that way. At the very least, they had failed to strip her of her weapons and had to be punished for that recklessness.
The tribal opinion of Impa had grown considerably more positive. Most of the suspicion and doubt about her involvement in the treason and murder enacted by Kishla had been dispelled by the sheer passion and vehemence of her investigation. She was diligent, impartial, and continued to voice support for Hyrule and its Royal Family. Respect for her leadership capabilities in the eyes of her tribe grew as a direct result.
Impa had Ruto partially to thank for her rising popular opinion. In addition to helping with the investigation where she was needed, it turned out that the Zora princess knew a lot about how to influence popular opinion. She was more than happy to teach Impa the ins and outs of the more subtle, social parts of being a leader. In the process of helping Impa to repair her image, Ruto herself had grown quite popular in the tribe. She was a fun-loving new member of the community and acting representative of the Zora kingdom on the war trials the Sheikah council were holding. All in all, Impa felt like things were going well. The truth had been exposed, the weak links and conspirators were being weeded out and dealt with accordingly, and both she and Ruto had recovered—mostly—from the slander on their names within their own tribes at least.
The last real hurdle they were struggling to get over was what to do about Hyrule's call to arms. It had arrived by pidgin a few days ago and the Sheikah tribal council was split. Some of them felt offended by the disrespect shown to their representative at court, and the condescending tone in the call to arms sent to them was an additional slander. Others said that whatever slander the queen was putting on Impa's name didn't matter because they were honor bound to go anyway. The tribal council was split three ways on what action to take. Some asserted that they should aid Hyrule no matter what. Others said that Hyrule's offenses to their tribe and its leaders were grievous enough that they should join the enemy. Still others advocated for neutrality, saying that perhaps this war was not something that the Sheikah tribe was obligated to take sides in. Really, this was just a way of avoiding either decision all together. It was a cowardly stance that Impa would have to address in time.
Impa herself was torn on how to respond. A part of her agreed that it was their duty to aid Hyrule. Another part of her wanted to stay neutral because she was afraid of what might happen when they go to Hyrule Castle to offer their fealty. Will Zelda throw her in the dungeons the moment she sees her? Or, almost worse, will she act as if nothing happened between them to begin with—as if they had never shared any closeness or special connection at all? The Sheikah tribal leader wasn't confident that she could stand either reaction, but she also wasn't sure that she had a choice. She knew that she couldn't let the Sheikah tribe give their military support the very people who had assassinated Tribal Leader Tikala, so she was vocal in her disapproval of that course of action. Anti-Hyrule sentiment was not to be taken lightly.
Meanwhile, Ruto contacted her father by waterfowl. She managed to convince him to join to the Sheikah's cause, no matter what decision the council came to, out of love for her. Her father's love for his daughter was endless, and at the end of the day if she wanted to follow the Sheikahs' lead, then he would make sure that the entire force of the Zora Army was behind her. Although King Zora himself was unable to come, he was sending his forces downriver to join the Sheikah in Kakariko and follow Princess Ruto as their commander in chief. They were slated to arrive any day now.
The council was in the middle of their latest argument over what course of action to take when the Hyrulian General arrived. His weapons were taken from him before he entered the hall. Once he was admitted inside, he waited by the door patiently for the council and its leader to recognize his presence. It was Impa who noticed him first. She jumped instinctually when she saw him, her soldier's instincts demanding that she stand at attention. After all, she had been a Hyrulian trainee for years. She resisted that impulse though. As the Sheikah tribal Leader, she was no longer on a level at which she was required to pay him fealty.
"General Auru," she said, stepping out from behind the table they had been arguing around. "This is a surprise." General Auru was one of the older and more respected generals in the army. If anyone was sent to bring a message from the Queen of Hyrule, Impa would never have expected it to be someone as highly ranked as him.
Princess Ruto had moved to stand beside Impa, and the rest of the Sheikah council formed a line behind them both. They presented a united front to the General, a fact not lost on him. It was clear where their primary loyalties lie. Clearing his throat, the general shifted his unruly packages and bowed much lower than he normally would. "Princess Ruto, Tribal Leader Impa, Sheikah Tribal Council, thank you for allowing me to come into your presence."
Impa nodded, crossing her arms over her chest. "You have not answered my question," she said, her voice a little louder and more impatient. "Why are you here?"
General Auru stayed bowed as he spoke. "I come on behalf of the Queen of Hyrule, Zelda the Fifteenth. She is disappointed that she could not come herself, but war preparations have rendered her unable to leave the castle."
Impa nodded. "Okay. And what message do you have for us from her Majesty? Does she come with more unfounded accusations and slander against my person?" She didn't mean to sound so harsh but hearing him pretend that Zelda would have ever considered coming herself made the Sheikah angry.
General Auru straightened and shook his head. "Quite on the contrary," he said. "She sent me with a message of reconciliation, if you would hear it."
Impa grunted a little. "Go ahead," she said. "Deliver your message."
"Very well," said the general. "Forgive me if I lack her highness's eloquence." Impa nodded again, so he continued. "As you know, the country of Hyrule is in a desperate way. The queen would like to brief you on all of the details herself, but she wants me to tell you that without the support of the Sheikah Tribe and the Zora Kingdom, professed allies of Hyrule Kingdom for ages past, then it is certain that Hyrule will fall and the land will be cast into darkness. To show our good faith, her Majesty has given both of you a full royal pardon."
A murmur went around the room at this. Impa listened to the whispers behind her for a moment but kept her face neutral. How dare the Queen extend a pardon when nothing had been done to wrong her? Did she think this was some kind of gift? Beside her, Ruto's fins were twitching rapidly in a sure sign of agitation. A red flush of anger was rising into her cheeks, but just as she opened her mouth to say something the Sheikah tribal leader reached out and placed her hand on Ruto's shoulder. The Zora princess looked at her friend and restrained herself.
Impa's eyes narrowed at General Auru. "Are we supposed to be grateful for this?" Auru was an intelligent man. She honestly wanted to know what he would say.
The general shook his head. "No. Many on her majesty's advisory council, myself included, are of the opinion that great wrongs were done to both of you. I'm sure it will take years to truly mend such a great rift between our people, and the queen has agreed to cooperate. The pardon is in writing and signed, one for each of you. I have them with me for your review, directly from her Majesty's hand."
General Auru handed Impa the pardons, which the Tribal Leader took. She handed one to Ruto and then opened hers, examining both the text and Zelda's signature. While she looked at the parchment, Auru continued.
"Admittedly, a pardon is all that Queen Zelda was willing to concede. We wished to go further, however, as a sign of the value Hyrule places on this alliance. Tribal leader Impa, we would like to restore your position within the army. Not only that, but to express our gratitude for your service in the Battle of the Armies of Ruin and in recognition of your devotion to the Crown of Hyrule, we would like to promote you to the position of General. Due to General Xao's death in the battle, and knowing the trust he placed in you, there was an open position. Your name was the only one that we would accept to fill it."
Another murmur went through the room. Impa's mouth hung open a little: her? A general? Hyrulian General Impa? It was beyond her wildest dreams. "We also bring you and Princess Ruto gifts from the Royal Treasure Vaults of Hyrule Castle as concrete proof of our good faith." With this statement, he held a large package out to Impa and a small one out to Princess Ruto.
The eyes of the council turned to Impa. The Sheikah tribal leader looked at the outstretched gift but did not yet reach to take it. With respect for Impa's decision, Ruto held off as well. They all knew that what happened to Ruto was because of Wizzro, and Zelda's only offense to her was not clearing it up afterward. This was a relatively minor offense. It was against Impa that the true harm had been done, and Impa would have to make the decision for them in the end.
"I do not know what to say," Impa finally said. She shook her head a little. "I feel surprised and honored, yes, but also conflicted. You say that Queen Zelda would only extend an official pardon. The rest—the promotion, the gifts, the apology—all of these come from the generals and the councilmen, not from her. How am I to take that? If I accept these gifts, lavish as they are, it will be with the knowledge that the queen still suspects me, but is clearly allowing this because Hyrule has need of the armies that follow me."
The general bowed again. "If I may speak freely," he said. "Her Majesty said something to us that I believe you should hear as well. You swore a vow to protect the Line of Hylia and Hyrule Kingdom itself, no matter who the current monarch is or what personal problems the two of you may be having. Your loyalty, your fealty, is to the country and to the protection of the Line, not necessarily to Queen Zelda the Fifteenth. This whole matter has little to do with the queen's opinions."
Auru could see that Impa wasn't sold. He sighed a little and continued. "In light of this, speaking for myself and for the war council, I have one last thing to say before I leave you to your decision: Queen Zelda is not the one who is calling on your strength in this dark hour. She is giving her permission, but this call is coming from Hyrule itself and from her elected officials, who represent her nobility and her people. If you will not come for her, fine. But, please, come to our aid. Come to Hyrule's aid. We need all of you."
General Auru bowed again and held out the gifts. Impa took a deep breath and looked at Ruto, then back at her council. Seeing a consensus on their faces, she turned back to the general and bowed in return. "We will answer Hyrule's call," she said. They both straightened and she and Ruto took the gifts from him. Not opening them yet, Impa addressed the council. "I believe that the general's words should be a reminder for the Sheikah tribe. Our first commitment is and has always been to protect the Line of Hylia. For us to even question that loyalty due to something as small as a personal disagreement is a sign that the Sheikah Tribe has drifted away from its purpose. The moment we allow ourselves to disregard from the central tenant of our beliefs, our very reason for existing, is the moment that we will begin to fade away. We will rise to this challenge and stand alongside our Hyrulian brothers and sisters in this war. When all is said and done, I swear to you all today that we will return to the basics of our faith. As long as I am the leader of this tribe, we will keep our eyes on that foundation and root out the causes of our departure from it."
Impa looked to Ruto, and the Zora princess smiled and nodded at her. "I couldn't have said it any better," she said. "I said before that the Zora Kingdom would stand with the Sheikah. If the Sheikah tribe is stranding with Hyrule, then so shall we."
Impa grinned and placed her free hand on the Zora woman's shoulder. "You are the best friend that I have ever had," she said, her voice full of gratitude and love. "May the bond that has grown between us extend to a similarly strong bond between our people."
Ruto nodded and patted Impa's hand, then shrugged it off. "Now, enough of this wishy washy stuff," she said, laughing a little. "I have a present to open!" Everyone in the room laughed, including the general himself. As Ruto tore into her package, Impa thought again that this was her charm, and why she would make a wonderful leader for her people. Ruto had the gift to make anyone smile, no matter how difficult the situation or how up-tight the person. She was a fun, genuine, and brilliant person, and the Sheikah woman felt blessed call her a friend.
"Come on, stop looking at me and open yours!" Ruto said, pulling away the last of her paper. Inside, she found a very elaborate wrist band made of blue dragon scales and golden plate armor. Dangling from it was an orangish gold three-pronged charm of sorts. Ruto's eyes widened, and her face looked suddenly stricken.
"What is it?" Impa asked, pausing in her own unwrapping. "What's wrong?"
Ruto shook her head. "Nothing is wrong." Her eyes snapped up to the general. "How did she get this?" she said, her voice serious. "Why did I not know?"
"It has been in the royal vault since the age of the first dynasty," he answered. "It was a gift from the Water Dragon herself to the first hero and King of Hyrule."
"What is it?" Impa asked again.
Ruto looked back at her. "This is a scale from the Water Dragon. Legend says that the Water Dragon created the Zora People from her own flesh. She grew sick and died in the age of the third dynasty, and all traces of her vanished. Legend says that her scales hold tremendous magical power. With this scale, my battle power will be increased tenfold. Twentyfold. There are myths that say this exists, but no one has ever seen it. This is not just any gift—" Ruto slipped the charm onto her arm and held it up to the sunlight, watching the way it sparkled and glittered. "They have given us a legendary treasure." Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the general. "I…I am so grateful. Thank you so much. You have no idea what this mean for my nation. The magnitude of the gift that you have given us…it is beyond words."
General Auru bowed. "It belongs to you," he said. "I have always felt this to be true. It seemed appropriate to return it to you, especially considering the offenses that have been enacted against you. The Queen is truly and grievously sorry for your imprisonment and treatment. She prays that you will forgive her suspicion, and that this gift will reestablish the friendship between you."
Princess Ruto laughed again and shook her head. "Of course, silly creature that she is. I'd have forgiven her without such a lavish gift. I have only prayed that she would heal from the wounds she suffered that made her act with such careless suspicion."
As General Auru and Princess Ruto were talking, Impa continued to unwrap her gift. When the paper was loose, she folded it up and set it aside before taking a careful look at the item inside. It was a Great Sword, like the black Goron-made weapon she had now, but this one was much more beautiful. It had an ornate blue sheath with gold-metal trim to reinforce the base and the top edge. Red chord wrapped around the middle to attach it to her back. The hilt that protruded from the golden edged top of the sheath was made of an angular blue metal. Shining at the center of the hilt, just visible above the sheath, was a circular golden piece with the Goron symbol engraved in it that connected the hilt and the blade.
Impa's brow furrowed. She held the sheath out for one of her councilmen to hold while she drew the large blade. Once it was free of its sheath, she held it up to get a good look. The blade was silver and engraved with glowing Goron symbols and writing. It was squarish, but the edge was sharper than any she had ever seen. It seemed to almost glow with a bluish light. The general and the princess had stopped talking, and they were watching Impa's reaction. The Sheikah tribal leader's red eyes raked up and down its length. She turned her wide-eyed gaze back to General Auru.
"A Biggoron Sword?" she said. "I have only ever dreamed of someday owning his apprentice's trademark Biggoron Knife…I have never in my wildest dreams imagined I would hold one of these."
Auru chuckled and allowed himself to crack a grin. It occurred to Impa as he did so that his was a face meant to for smiling. It was a comforting thought that a man who smiled was in the highest position of leadership in the nation's armed forces. "The big man on the mountain doesn't work at his forge as much as he used to," the general replied as he crossed his arms over his chest. "His apprentice, who is his son by the way, is learning the family trade, yes, but he's not nearly as good as his father, not yet at least. Biggoron Senior owed me a personal favor from way back, a big one, so he did this request pro bono. It is a unique blade, in fact, because of the engravings." He reached out and leaned over to trace his fingertips along the large glowing runes on the blade as he spoke. "They are Goron power runes, and they will increase your magical abilities significantly. The big man himself told me that this sword is his finest work. I am inclined to agree."
Impa took the sheath from the Sheikah councilman who was holding it and slid the blade back into it. She then tucked the gift under her arm and bowed to the general. "General Auru, I am overwhelmed by your gifts and your compassion. I will be honored to serve under you in any capacity, whether that is as a foot solider or as a general myself."
Auru stepped forward and put his hand on Impa's shoulder. "Rise, Impa," he said, smiling. When the Sheikah did so, he continued. "In the Battle of the Armies of Ruin, you showed admirable initiative and skill. You led the men who captured the Central Keep, a victory that turned the tide of the battle in our favor. You then followed your commanding officer's orders and infiltrated the enemy keep, knowing how little support you had, because the safety of Hyrule and obedience to your commanding officer mattered more to you than your own safety. Not only this, but having won your battle with the enemy commander, you then returned to protect the princess. I am an old man and stuck in my ways, Impa, but even I can see the good judgment in this promotion. It was much discussed, and we came to a consensus." He took his hand off her shoulder and stepped back again. "Besides," he added, with a small laugh. "There have been Impas as our generals and captains for as long as we have had Zeldas for queens. Even I can see the hand of destiny in this appointment."
"Thank you, General," Impa said. "You honor me. We will ready our forces and move out to join Hyrule's army as soon as the Zora arrive from Zora's Domain."
Auru laughed and smiled. The tension in his shoulders seemed to relax, and he placed his hands on his hips. "Wonderful! Well, this is all good news. Maybe we have a hope of winning this war after all."
Impa turned to a councilman nearby. "Ralph, would you please show our guest to some quarters where he may wash and rest from his journey? And I believe that this decision also adjourns our meeting. We are going to aid Hyrule. If any of you has a problem with that, then speak to me in private. You will find Ruto and myself in my quarters." With that, they adjourned. Ralph, a councilman that Impa knew she could trust, escorted General Auru from the chamber. They gave him back his broadsword and bow at the door. Impa and Ruto left shortly afterward.
"So, how are you feeling right about now?" Ruto started.
Impa bit her lower lip. "Perhaps this would be better discussed in private." Ruto nodded and they walked in silence until they entered Impa's house and closed the door behind them. Ruto plopped down on the couch and slipped the Water Dragon's scale onto her forearm. As she turned it around in the light, admiring the way the sunlight glinted in the orange-gold depths of the scale, Impa crossed to her mother's ice chest. She opened the lid and fished around for a little longer than normal. Finally, she pulled out a bottle of wine and two glasses.
When she brought them over to Ruto, the Zora princess raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Celebrating something are we?" she asked, chucking a little.
Impa opened the bottle and waved it under her nose before pouring them both a glass. Setting it down on the table, Impa picked up her glass and handed the other one to Ruto. "Celebrating the impossibilities of life." When Ruto just rolled her eyes, Impa laughed. "Or I just need a drink to prepare myself for going back to the castle."
"Back to Zelda, you mean," Ruto said as she and Impa sat on the floor by the couch. "Look, I know you don't want to talk about this, but this guilt you're carrying around isn't healthy. What happened with Zelda wasn't your fault. It wasn't her fault either. It was just…unfortunate timing."
Impa took a sip of her wine and frowned. "I betrayed my duty," she murmured. "I'm no better than my mother or Kishla. It's all just a multigenerational history of betrayal and selfishness."
Ruto placed her hand over Impa's between them. "You didn't kill anyone, and neither did your mother," she pointed out. "Also, if I remember correctly, neither you nor your mother made the first move. Both Zeldas carry the same amount of blame if you're assigning it."
The Sheikah woman sighed. She took a long drink of her wine and then stared into the glass as she swirled the red liquid around in the bottom. "Mom always knew how to pick a good wine," she said. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Too bad she couldn't to pick a better lover. She could have said no, Ruto. I could have said no. Like mother like daughter, I guess."
Ruto sipped her wine and examined the Sheikah with her eyes. "Are you mad at her?"
Impa's eyes looked moist. Her right hand was trembling underneath Ruto's. "She's dead. What's the point of anger now?"
"The decisions she made in life don't stop affecting you after she has passed." Ruto shrugged. "It's okay to be mad at the dead. They can take it…it's not like you can hurt her feelings or anything." She smiled, but Impa didn't laugh.
"She threw me into this," Impa said, her teeth gritted and her voice shaking. "She made a deal with her lover so they could live vicariously through their children. It was sick. And…" Impa sighed. "And what's happening now isn't their fault." Ruto tilted her head, prompting Impa to continue. "Ruto…they may have set it up so that we would be together, but they didn't set up what I felt for Zelda. They didn't set up that day in town and they didn't set up that kiss. That was me. It's my fault. If my heart was broken, I only have myself to blame. Not Zelda, not my mom, and not the late queen either." Impa set her wine down on the table and put her forehead in her hand. Her shoulders shook a little.
The Zora princess scooted closer. She draped her arm around Impa's shoulders, her fins fluttering down the Sheikah's back like a slightly clammy blanket. "I don't believe it's your fault for one minute, and you know why? Zelda knew what she was doing, Impa. You weren't the only infatuated one in that relationship. She practically stalked you, and when you tried to have a professional relationship she got depressed and goaded you into something more. She was manipulating you from the moment she first laid eyes on you, and then she cast you aside and laid the blame on your shoulders because she was scared, and because some part of her knew that you would take it. It was cowardly and cruel, and apparently she's not over it if the only thing she would send you is a pardon. You can be mad at her, Impa. You can be angry."
"It doesn't matter. Her fault, my fault, our parents' fault…either way, I already told General Auru that we would go back with him. It's the right thing to do." Impa took a deep breath. As she let it out, she sat up and leaned back against the couch. "Ruto, I'm not ready to go back. I'm not ready to face her. I still can't get her out of my head. Not a night has passed when I have not dreamt of kissing her again. Of holding her again. I can't be around her when I'm still in love with her and she despises me."
Ruto sighed. She took another sip of the wine and stared out the window. It was a bright day outside, and the whole village was alive with the sounds of children running and people talking about the decision that had been made and the war that was now on the horizon.
"You are useful to her," Ruto eventually said. "You were inconvenient before because of how you made her feel, and those feelings frightened her so she discarded you. But now…now she needs you back. That demon, Wizzro, has been planting lies in the ears of the generals and the councilmen for who knows how long. I highly doubt that they are ready to trust the word of a 'little girl'…but they obviously trust you. You have their favor, something she lacks, and you have both the Sheikah tribe and the support of the Zora kingdom, again things she doesn't have. She obviously tried to make Link be their war hero, but it doesn't look like they bit that carrot. She needs you back. Even then she still can't bend her pride to ask you for your forgiveness, or even to come in person to pardon you." Ruto shook her head and clicked her tongue. "I don't know, Impa. Zelda is not who I thought she was…or this is not Zelda. How are we to know who is who these days, with that devilish creature on the loose? Who is to say?"
Impa shook her head. "It's her," she said, her voice starting to calm again. Now was not the time to go to pieces, and she was a water-magic user just like Ruto. She could control her emotions too. "Now that I have seen and fought that creature, Wizzro, I know what he feels like I think." She furrowed her brow. "That's what has confused me this whole time. That's the part that I haven't been able to figure out. Kishla tried to tell me that I need to practice my spiritual arts, the art of seeing, or there would be a cost. She was cryptic about what the cost is, but she really was clear and plain when it came to spiritual mediation and the development of True Sight. She made me practice every day, in return for teaching me about the castle and her informants. I was having small breakthroughs. When Wizzro exposed himself, I learned what his spirit 'looks' like. Since I haven't been sleeping very much since we came here, I've been practicing instead. I think I can see him now if he tries to possess someone else."
Ruto shook her head. "You Sheikah and your pursuit of truth," she said. "Well, even if it is the real Zelda, here's the truth as I see it: stay away from her and do your job quietly. I don't think she's very stable."
"Yeah, I know," Impa responded. "I'll try, but Ruto if Zelda asks…I don't think I can say no to her. This relationship is bad for everyone, I know that. I should just find a nice Sheikah girl and settle down with my nice army job to lead my people and be happy. But…I still can't shake how I feel about her. There was something between us. Fate or…the Goddesses' design. I know I'm sounding stupid. She said something about our souls reincarnating and that us being together was destiny. Like I exist in order to protect her. A part of me feels like that's still true. Like I might exist to serve someone who hates me. Pretty messed up, right?"
Ruto shook her head. "I don't know what to tell you. You should really deal with this complicated codependency thing you've got going on, cause it's really unhealthy."
Impa nodded. "When this is all over, I will. It's probably a moot point anyway. Zelda's not going to look at me twice, let alone ask me to ever spend time with her again. If the reincarnation thing is true, I'll just have to watch over her from afar and hope Link will be willing to be my eyes in her inner circle when my own can't be watching."
Ruto nodded and then looked down at the Water Dragon's scale. "I guess we'll find out how this will all go as soon as my people arrive from the river."
Impa took another sip of wine and shook her head. "I guess we will."
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Author's Notes: Revised chapter uploaded May 2022. Please find original author's note below.
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Merry Christmas everyone! And Happy Holidays to those of you who celebrate different holidays. :o)
It was a productive Nanowrimo for me. I got 7 new chapters written on my larger work, Stasis, and 3 new chapters written on this story (admittedly, they are three long chapters, so you didn't get short changed). I would say that In Sotto Voce is almost complete—maybe 4 or 5 chapters to be written still, bringing us in at 21 or 22 chapters. Hopefully you're all still enjoying it!
Until next chapter,
