Chapter 10 - Nautical Mishap

After gathering everything needed for a trip across the largest lake in Hyrule, Link and Zelda adjourned to their vessel and prepared to set sail.

Link had been skeptical of Cody's handy work before, but a closer inspection of their transportation proved his craftsmanship was nothing to scoff about. Nearly seven feet long from bow to stern with a single, rotating mast sporting a sail at the center of the deck, their boat was no vacation yacht, but it was sturdy nevertheless.

After they stored their satchels aboard, Cody untied the ship from the dock, then wound up the rope and tossed it to Link with the words, "Good luck. I sure hope you two know what you're doing."

Smirking as their boat drifted away from the dock, Link replied, "It'll come to us," and had to stifle his laughter over the way Cody rubbed his eyes and shook his head.

Even Zelda looked amused as he headed for the mast to open the sail, securing the bottom to the boom with a tight tie. With the white material unfolded, the winds filled it out, instantly pushing the boat away from the docks.

To gain even more speed, Link grabbed a paddle, pushing it through the water as Zelda sat at the tiller to steer.

Cody watched from the docks as they went, and didn't manage to pry his gaze away until a shadow passed overhead. Looking up, he noticed a mass of dark clouds gathering which had temporarily blocked out the sun. A storm? It was possible, and with the odds already stacked against Link and Zelda, the young carpenter muttered, "Looks like I'll probably get those horses after all."

Oblivious to Cody's pessimism, the Hylians continued guiding the small water craft along the lake. With the winds picking up, Zelda had to raise her voice in asking Link, "Should we just head toward those islands and get the guardian's attention by trying to reach Zora's Domain?"

Placing the paddle back on the deck, Link stood and gripped the mast while answering, "Yeah, I was just thinking that would probably be the easiest way to find him."

"Alright," Zelda replied just as a gust of wind passed over them.

The burst of air didn't rock their vessel, but it did give them quite a boost, propelling them toward deeper waters in almost no time. It was hard to say if they'd yet reached an area deep enough for the guardian to swim in, but Link pulled the flute from his belt anyway just to have it ready.

Noticing it, Zelda took a deep breath in the hopes that their idea would work. Still, something in her was confident that their current course was the right course, and the only problem was the storm cloud rolling in overhead.

Hopefully, they wouldn't run into trouble due to bad weather, and yet the wind it provided was helping them gain ground quickly, the waters beneath turning an even darker shade of blue than before. Yet the cold wind made the ride seem frigid and their vessel more difficult to steer when her fingers began to grow numb.

So Zelda retrieved her gloves from her belt pouch and donned them before glancing ahead at Link who was watching the water from the bow.

"Do you see anything?"

"Nothing yet," he replied.

Hearing this, Zelda gazed across the surface of the lake, wondering if the guardian would even notice their tiny boat. If it did, how quickly would it react? The question drew to mind what Lana said about the creature being misunderstood. Could the elderly woman's opinion hold weight? Perhaps the creature wasn't fierce at all, only feared because of its size.

On the other hand, perhaps it had eaten some people.

Whatever the answer, it seemed they were soon to find out.

As Zelda questioned the guardian's true nature, she looked up in detecting a low hum in the distance. A brief silence ensued it before another followed, more intense than the first.

Glancing back at Zelda with narrowed brows, Link listened to the differing tones growing louder as if something might've been traveling beneath them, and it did indeed sound like a slow song being played. It was muffled, making it hard to detect what direction it could've been coming from, but soon enough, it grew in pitch, and both of them glanced starboard.

There, they saw a shadow in the water moving swiftly toward their craft, one that had Zelda's lips parting in amazement, her eyes wide. The aquatic being had to be at least fifty or sixty feet from head to tail, and forty in width, the large dark spot soon engulfing the waters beneath their traveling craft.

"It's huge!" she exclaimed.

Link had to agree, staring as the guardian took up a steady position beneath the boat, traveling peacefully along with them—for the moment, anyway. At the same time, the aquatic melodies hit his ears again above the winds whipping past them, but much more clearly now.

Listening, he couldn't help but think the song seemed longing somehow, as if calling for something, and Zelda pointed out what.

"He's looking for a reply, Link! Play back to him!"

Nodding, Link released the mast and lifted the flute, hoping this would work as he pressed the mouthpiece to his lips. Then, with a deep breath, he began to play, the melody echoing out as he focused on what they both wanted to do—visit Zora's Domain in peace.

Several moments passed, his song coming out in slow and eerie tones, notes that strangely sounded similar to those the guardian was churning out.

Realizing the same, Zelda watched in silence as his melody harmonized with the guardian's—and the massive creature was now rising to the surface. The closer it got, the more clearly she could see the details than before. With scales painting vivid red and blue patterns across its body, the guardian drew so close to their boat she feared it might hit the bottom and cause a leak.

She could also feel turbulence in the tiller, her fingers tightening around it to keep them steady as they cut through the water at top speed in wait of a response.

In the process, she couldn't help thinking it was a good thing Link's eyes were closed. Otherwise, the guardian's proximity could've concerned him and interrupted his ability to play correctly.

Still, the sight of him using the flute to communicate with the massive creature as the wind whipped by was awe inspiring, and Link couldn't say he didn't feel a connection through the music he played to the guardian now. Whether by magic, instinct, or both, he knew exactly what he was doing, his fingers moving with confidence to send the notes out.

As a result, each understood the others' needs, their song continuing to harmonize for only a few moments more before the guardian's chorus quietened down. In turn, its depth increased as it turned beneath the surface—swimming away to leave them in peace.

Seeing this, Zelda stared in intrigue, calling out with a bright smile, "Link, it's working! The guardian is letting us pass!"

Continuing to play, Link finally opened his eyes to see the shadow beneath their boat slowly growing darker. Realizing she was right, he pulled the flute from his lips and cast a smile in her direction.

"What did I tell you about the man eaters that were probably out here?"

Both amused by his joke and utterly relieved their plan had worked, Zelda laughed joyously with the response, "I don't think there's a line big enough to catch this one."

Grinning, Link gazed across the waters again, just as glad for their plan's success. He was also happy to see one of the islands belonging to Zora's Domain not far off the port bow if only because the first drops of rain were starting to fall.

Ready to tell Zelda to turn to port, he was interrupted by a vibration in the water that sent a tremor through the deck.

"What was that?" Zelda asked, able to feel the turbulence more clearly through the tiller.

Link wasn't sure, but the answer soon presented itself with a loud burst of water to starboard. Instantly looking in that direction, they spied the guardian's enormous caudal fin lifting from the lake's surface, glistening red and blue with numerous streams of water running off of it.

The appendage was obviously rising as the creature had turned to dive downward, and thankfully, it wasn't close enough to directly threaten their vessel. Yet, as it came back down to submerge again, it crashed against the water with enough force to send out a wave—in their direction.

"Zelda, hang on!"

As their boat rose with the coming wave, Zelda did her best to follow his direction and keep the tiller steady. But she wasn't prepared for the type of force the wave generated, and when it hit the rudder, the tiller was jerked from her hands with enough strength to knock her onto the deck.

The result saw their vessel tossed about, and Zelda grabbed the hull's edge to both steady herself and get back up. Simultaneously, Link tried to grip the mast, but the jolting vessel had him stumbling back, leaving it just out of reach.

Hearing his struggle, Zelda looked up just in time to see the boom connected to the mast swinging around, and just before he could duck out of the way, the tip of the wooden beam connected with his temple.

Instantly, Link's body went limp, and Zelda's blood turned to ice as he toppled over the side of the boat and into the waters below.

"Link!"

With their vessel still jostling about, Zelda immediately pulled herself up and rolled over the edge of the hull, plunging into the lake behind him. Strangely, once submerged, the water actually seemed warmer, likely due to the cold wind that had been whipping over her for so long. But she ignored it, scanning the waters to find Link slowly sinking several yards away.

The weight of his sword and shield was dragging him down into the depth, and she swam, pushing her legs as hard as she could to reach him. Thankfully, his extremities became outstretched in his unconscious state, making it just a little easier for her to reach his wrist, and she snagged it tightly the moment she was close enough.

Pulling with several air bubbles escaping her nose, she dragged him up and latched an arm around his back, then looked up in the hopes of locating their boat—and it wasn't easy. With the overcast sky above, everything was dark and murky, yet the waters had calmed down, and she soon noticed the vessel drifting along slowly about fifteen feet above.

Just before she attempted to reach it, something else caught her eyes. Looking directly ahead, the guardian was swimming in the distance, details of its body obscured by the dark waters surrounding it. Yet it appeared to be moving toward a structure rising from the bottom of the lake that resembled a sunken building.

While the doors were hard to see, a golden carving of the Triforce was visible just above them, proving the structure's identity.

The Temple of Water.

Still, there was no time to consider it with the need for air growing stronger by the second, and Zelda kicked her legs as hard as she could, dragging Link toward their boat for several feet before vanishing with him in a blue green light.

The only thing left behind was Lyonel's flute, which had slipped from Link's grasp after he'd fallen into the water. Now, it was drifting downward to the bottom of the lake, stopping only after meeting the palm of a finned hand.

Teleporting out of the water and onto the deck of their vessel again, Zelda pushed herself up while gasping for breath and rolled Link over onto his back. Lowering her ear to listen for his breathing, she detected nothing, and his chest wasn't rising.

He obviously had water blocking his airways, and Zelda fought to ignore her panic and focus on what she had to do to help him—but it wasn't easy. As she gripped his arm and hefted him up, memories of his fall from Death Mountain assailed her.

With it came a sense of urgency she couldn't deny as she climbed behind him and removed his shield as quickly as possible. Allowing it to clatter against the deck without a second glance, she wrapped her arms around his sides and clamped her hands together against his chest, using them to pump against his sternum.

"Come on, Link," she rasped between compressions, trying to keep him tilted forward as far as possible so the water blocking his airways would come out more easily.

Thankfully, it worked, and after pressing her fists into his chest several times, Link coughed up the water stuck in his throat, then took in a deep breath before hacking for more air.

In the process, he gripped the side of the boat to steady himself, and Zelda collapsed back on her arms, so relieved she could no longer hold herself up. Still, she wasn't entirely convinced he was fine, and slowly worked her way to his side before commencing a visual checkup.

Yet he appeared to be fine aside from the blood trickling down the left side of his face. The impact of the boom against his temple left a gash in his brow, though it was questionable whether he even noticed it as he sputtered for breath and asked, "What happened?"

"You were knocked out by the boom and fell overboard. So I jumped in to pull you out."

As she replied, Zelda placed her hand against the side of his head and used the magic provided by the Fairy Maiden to heal his wound. With her palm glowing blue, the gash healed in no time, leaving only the blood trails behind.

Groaning over her explanation, Link found himself immensely grateful for the relief her magic provided to the ache in his head, but wished she hadn't needed to throw herself into the lake to help him, particularly with how cold it was. Shivering against the breeze gusting over them, he sat back and noticed she was trembling as well.

"I'm sorry," he breathed out, reaching to tug her in close.

Zelda let him, not only ready to hug him out of relief for his safety, but also needing the heat of their bodies to warm up. The way he took her hands in his to rub between his palms certainly helped, and she took that moment to regard their vessel.

After the boom struck Link, it'd broken from the mast, leaving them adrift on the water with no sails to catch the wind. At the thought, she replied to his apology by stating, "It's not your fault, Link. I'm just glad you're okay, but … now what do we do? The sails are down, and we're too far out to swim back to shore."

"Yeah, and the rain's getting harder, too," he muttered, scouring his mind for a solution, but nothing stood out aside from paddling the rest of the way to the island.

He supposed it was a stroke of luck that the paddle—and their satchels—were still on board, though he didn't focus on it for long. Instead, Zelda caught his attention when she let a soft whimper and muttered, "It feels like needles are st-t-ticking my fingers and-d t-toes."

Her teeth began chattering as she spoke, and though Link could agree that the cold was uncomfortable, he hadn't quite reached that level. So he started rubbing his hand up and down her back in the hopes of generating a little warmth and nearly reached down to pull her legs across his lap, but stopped at the sensation of a thump against the boat's hull and narrowed his brows curiously.

"Did you feel that?"

"No," she returned, shivering too much to notice anything. "What-t is it?"

"I don't know," he replied, pushing himself up to look over the side of the boat and into the water just as another thump passed through their craft. With the rains coming down harder now, it was difficult to tell, but watching the water for a few moments proved his suspicions beyond a doubt.

"Something's pushing us."

"It-t is?" Zelda inquired, lifting her head to peer over the opposite side of the boat. Near the stern, she noticed a pair of legs waving back and forth beneath the water's surface—that was to say, legs lined with fins. Additionally, a blue hand was pressed to the side of the boat's hull just beneath the spot where she sat.

Seeing it, she looked at Link and smiled, announcing, "It's the Zora."

Sitting back and drawing Zelda in closer, he exhaled a relieved sigh. It was nice knowing they wouldn't be stuck in the cold rain for long, and he could only hope Zora's Domain would prove to be just a little bit warmer.

Of course, they wouldn't be going anywhere if not for Lyonel's flute, and at the thought, he reached to his belt to make sure it was still there, but found nothing.

Lifting his head to look down, he scanned the deck for the instrument, but didn't see it, and asked Zelda, "Do you have the flute?"

Staring at him quietly, she abruptly looked out at the water with a whispered, "Oh no."

Hearing that, Link groaned and let his head fall back, relating, "I hope Lyonel doesn't get too angry considering the circumstances. Still, I should've put it back up the moment I stopped playing it."

Taking his hand, Zelda qualified, "It's just-t as much my fault as it is yours, so at least-t he'll have two t-targets instead of one."

Link couldn't help smiling at her joke, and the expression grew wider when she kissed his cheek to offer comfort. Meeting her gaze, he also couldn't help noticing her beauty despite how out of sorts they both were. The tip of her nose and cheeks were red from the cold while strands of her soaked hair were clinging to her neck and forehead, but it didn't matter.

She was still lovely, and he knew she always would be.

Reaching up to push her hair back behind her pointed ears, he related, "I know a good way to keep warm until we reach Zora's Domain."

"How's that?"

Wasting no time, he leaned in and gently pressed his lips to hers, carefully brushing them with measured strokes.

The moment he did, her heart quickened its pace, and instantly, the cold seemed to drain out of her body. With her hands clutched in one of his and his opposing arm around her back, she forgot every other consideration as his tongue met her bottom lip and slowly traced it before he broke contact to ask, "Feel any warmer now?"

Zelda had no idea what he was asking, at least, not at first. But the answer slowly came to her, and if she was still cold, she certainly wasn't noticing it. Instead, her thoughts were focused on the way he'd kissed her, and she found herself slowly nodding with the whispered words, "Do that again."

He certainly had no qualms obliging the lady—specifically not for the noble cause of keeping her warm—and leaned back in with a small smile.

She met him halfway, letting a soft whimper as if overwhelmed by his attention, and the thought heated his blood in a way he couldn't describe. Making it even better, her lips opened for him, his grip around her tightening as their tongues met for the first time, sliding together in a manner that caused them both to seize up against each other.

Before long, neither of them noticed the cold, only the warmth shared between them as they drifted across Lake Hylia and into the stronghold of Zora's Domain.

Near the exit of Misty Falls, a cloaked rider settled upon a silver stallion had watched the distant boat traveling beyond the guardian's barrier from the lake's shore, lips curving in a small smile beneath his hood. While he was too far away to see everything in detail, Lyonel knew Link and Zelda would reach their destination soon, meaning the second of Dragmire's dark orbs wouldn't last much longer.

Things were flowing smoothly indeed.