Disclaimer This work of fiction is entirely unaffiliated with the legend of Zelda license or its parent company Nintendo, it is simply to be enjoyed by fans of those games.

Authors note Finally paying off the sandseal research project enjoy.

Gigantic Optimism XXVII A New Standard

The sounds of the night increase the crickets of Akala are in musical harmony, annoying and abrasive music but, completely synchronized with one another. Karlovaa is sitting outside a stable at the research lab the hard surface steadily wearing down her strained back muscles. The uptake in food supplies three pregnant sandseals required, had tripled the loading and cleaning duties. With such a small staff the work was literally back breaking incrementally the entire crew was experiencing soreness. The candlelight emitting from her lamp sufficient to provide a glimpse of the smooth black waves overpowering the cricket serenade to create a calming atmosphere. A crumpled letter lays at her feet moments ago the Vai had finished said missive, despite the calming waters her face is troubled.

She cannot quite place what about the new king's letter is bothering her, there is no alarming news or trouble in it bending over the peculiar note some of her hair touches the page. Lifting the lamp before stuffing the letter in her pocket, Karlovaa returns to her quarters careful to tread lightly her scarred bare feet creeping through the facility without noise. She moves away from the door to her small wooden chest in the corner kicking it open, she bites her lip, her bare toes smarting from the blow. Ruffling through the chest's contents with one hand she withdraws two recent letters from Sidon. Closing the lid gently she lays the two notes down on top of the container, withdrawing the note she completes the set. A cursory examination confirms her suspicion. the letters were nearly identical, they avoided responding to specifics in her correspondence in favor of generalities. Even the news that Vacta could attend and Riju had agreed to perform the ceremony went uncommented upon. Thinking of Vacta and Sidon Karlovaa recalls a conversation she had shared with Vacta about her fiancé before the future couple had begun writing. "That was no mirage Vacta, she is a daughter of a Tarrery towner and a Gerudo seamstress. Seems they both lived there together, It may be the first instance of cohabitation between a Sister and her husband I have heard of." Staring blankly into space Karlovaa imagined seeing her future mate every day. In the same mindset Vacta started the conversation anew after a few sips of her favorite drink. "Eh, That would get old I enjoy the company of my sisters too much seeing Grig only when I need some company is easier." Clearing her throat the bar patron continues, "Yet I heard of one other occasion when that happens a legend if it can be believed, states that a ranch long gone to ruin was run by descendants of such a pairing." Anticipating her cohort's next question Karlovaa spits out an answer "Finding a voe then worrying about the living arrangements is the more practical approach."

She sits there a half smile upon her face thinking of such simple times, it goes away as she realizes that question remains unanswered. She begins to sweat despite the cool night air. A Noble pursuit was not a bad idea too bad they were a regional drink, but there was something else she could do to relax that would not cloud her thoughts.

Shalsis sits up the temperature had dropped alerting the cold blooded zora that someone had entered the stable. She bolts up covered in the straw she had been fast asleep in. The Sasble doors open and a lamp pushes through revealing Karlovaa's entrance into Dorn and Beatrice's enclosure. The young girl thinks to herself "Oh it is the boss checking on me luckily someone just has to be present in case one of the cows goes into labor. take that Bacta I can get the terminology right." The zoras had sat through so many lectures on proper terms from the breeder that they were a little bitter about it. In Bacta's defense she had spent a lot of time explaining that a cow also referred to a female Seal and not just the Lon Lon ranch dairy cows.

Smacking her lips the sleepy zora staggers to her feet still covered in hay "Karlovaa, whadda need I am doin fine heeere." Hiding a yawn the freshly awakened vai is eying the straw judging when she can return to it's surprisingly comfortable embrace. " I was going to ride Dorn solo I need to think through some things." Karlovaa then notices a look from her young friend one she had seen in her reflection, "On second thought I can talk through them you want a lesson on how to drive a sandseal?" Emphatically nodding adrenaline pumping through her system Shalsis agrees. The look is gone and Shalsis is her normal intelligent self.

Glimmering in mere lamp light the buckles on Dorn's harness appear a dull red, like smoldering embers. Shalsis is standing up clenching the reigns in her fins, she begins to relax her grip" Stop if you are nervous it is best to show it he's smart he will adjust to your behavior. I am going to give Dorn a command he is going to pull toward the grass, you are going to pull him towards the sea." Tightening her grip she braces for the take off then woosh! He is off pulling towards the left Shalsis strains with all her might her sinews screaming out, her efforts are futile the seal is too strong. All too soon the rider and beast are stopped abreast of a second lantern hanging on a pole sticking out of the sand. Without delay Shalsis gives hup this time she starts pulling towards the sea, "She was right the start told the animal how it was going to go and he had listened." With a then they hit the mucky, soggy, brown wet sand and Dorn halts, throwing his rider. Karlovaa fishes her out. "Not bad we can make a racer out of you yet."

Cradd wakes up in the barn to sun streaming through the slats wondering how he got there. Blinking he sees Dorn in the paddock unconscious, Cradd tidy's up the straw just long nough for Batma to enter with the riding harness for Dorn's morning constitutional the albino sits there unprepared for another outing so soon. Cradd exits quickly off to take any outgoing mail to the Tarrey town post office. That day he deposits a letter that brings Sidon back to the project site the following week.

"Sometimes I hate that smile it is not fair." Karlovaa has just finished mucking out the enclosures only to se her Fiance beaming like the sun evidently euphoric at seeing her again. Odd considering her note had been very blunt, "Walk me up to the woods , we can talk up there. Give me a hand? Sidon lifts the vai over the railing so the two can depart.

'"Did you want to iron out the wedding plans? there is little left to do on that front but, you said we needed to talk." "We do not about that or not the logistics. Marriage is different between our cultures in mine couples rarely live together it is more a matter of convenience. I assumed our relationship would be that way." Sidon shrinks he almost cowers briefly he looked like a little boy. "Sidon my prince, I no longer think that, because I want us to be together when we are married, I want to move to the domain. "And be my queen?" Her answer was nonverbal and more affirmative then any yes could be. "You are not the only one who assumed things do you want little ones? You always were inquisitive about Zelda's son I thought you were hinting that we should have our own." Sidon receives a verbal assent to this and the couple spend time aligning their goals, becoming stronger by the openly intimate process. Sidon explains what his father had relayed about their chances of having a family he is concluding when. "Boss!" "Beatrice is in labor! This early! Even Sidon is concerned she is at least three weeks premature.

Batma was never more in her element than in this particular crisis the Zora King finds himself fetching hot water, Cradd is ready to clean any emerging pup, Shalsis is using her affinity with the mother to calm the beast while Batma and Karlovaa are extracting the infants. The other researchers were observing or checking on the other expectant mothers they had even removed Dorn from the enclosure. This arrangement only manifested after several hours of labor endured by the surprisingly formidable Beatrice. Three mewling blind pups later an exhausted crew arrange for new quarters for the family and the new additions of two cows and a bull. Batma had deftly checked the genders and health of all the new arrivals. The King extracted himself from the chaotic stables swimming home he realizes that the next time he sees Karlovaa it will likely be their wedding.

Author's Note A little misunderstanding but, they are better for it, I do not have a naming convention for the pups I need to think who the most likely culprit is to come up with theme names. Next week the wedding chapter Sincerely, 4Coyote