Chapter 25- Gerudo Desert Trip - Part Four
Summary: Mipha, Link, Sidon, Raypha, Tidon, Rivan, and Gaddison reach the Gerudo Desert, but not without incident.
The early morning sky was beginning to brighten in Lurelin Village, and the nighttime torches still flickered in the offshore breeze, awaiting their turn to be extinguished. Many in the village, however, were already up and about. Most anglers had by now taken their boats to sea, eager to reach their favorite fishing spot by first light. For many years, fishing had been Lurelin Village's lifeblood, and it was not uncommon for one generation after another to carry on the family's livelihood.
But while fishing was undoubtedly still the primary occupation, it was not the only one. Now that roads were safe and travelers no longer felt menaced by monsters, some in the village realized there was profit to be made in tourism. The beautiful scenery, mild weather, pleasant beaches, and nearby attractions like Lover's Pond made the village a natural destination for vacationers such as honeymooners and singles hoping to meet that special someone. So some were now urging expansion of the village's tourism efforts, such as advertising, building private huts for rent along the beach, offering boat tours, and so on. And it seemed they were making steady progress in that area now.
Just east of the village, Mipha, and Link lay asleep on the beach. They had fallen asleep there last night to the restful sound of the wind and the waves rolling onto shore. Link awoke first to the feeling of something sharp against his foot. At first, Link thought it was Mipha playing footsie with him, for her nails were quite sharp. But when he glanced over at Mipha, she was still sound asleep. A quick look at his foot revealed an Ironshell Crab was busy exploring it.
"Argh!" Link exclaimed as he instinctively recoiled, pulling his leg back and awakening Mipha in the process.
"What's wrong?"
"A crab was at my foot," said Link as he watched it scurry away toward the safety of the water.
"Did it bite you? Are you hurt?"
"No, thankfully, I awoke before it did any harm," said Link. "But this reminds me that the same thing happened the last time we were here resting on the beach. How come these crabs never attack you?"
"Maybe they can instinctively distinguish between predator and prey, sweetheart," laughed Mipha as she caressed his cheek. "After all, if they bite me, I'll be happy to bite them back."
"Very funny," said Link. "Or maybe they recognize a family member?"
"Now, who's being funny, dearest? But I'll remember that wisecrack," said Mipha as she tickled him in the ribs, and they both laughed, then kissed.
"Mm," said Link after their kiss ended. "That was sweet. And last night was terrific, too. You were in such a lovely mood. "
"Not too crabby for you?"
"I can see I'm going to regret my ill-advised remark," laughed Link. "But we had better go as we promised everyone an early start for today's journey. I can eat breakfast on the boat."
"And I on the way," said Mipha.
They both rose from the beach, kissed once more, then held hands as they walked along the beach toward the village.
Meanwhile, Sidon, Raypha, Tidon, and the two Zora guards, Gaddison and Rivan, were waiting by the shore near the dock after having all eaten some fish for breakfast.
"Here they come," said Rivan as he pointed to Mipha and Link.
"Good morning, everyone," said Mipha. "Sidon, Raypha, and Tidon, you all look like you slept well."
"The pool and cascading waterfall were the most relaxing," said Sidon.
"And with enough room so that all of Tidon's nighttime fidgeting didn't disturb anyone," said Raypha, after which she and Tidon stuck out their tongues at each other and laughed.
"Morning," said Link. "We should start at once as this will be a full day."
"As before, I'll swim ahead," said Rivan.
"And I'll float alongside the boat for now," said Gaddison. "Some extra water time will be good for me before we get to the climbing part of our trip."
"And as before, I'll swim with the rest of the family," said Mipha.
An elderly retired fisherman stood on the pier, gazing out to sea, and when they reached the boat, he turned to the group.
"It's nice to see so many visitors to our fine village, including Zoras. Heading off to sea now?" asked the fisherman.
"Yes, that's right," said Link. "As you might have guessed, I'm the sailor."
"Well, I envy you, for I miss being out on the sea. For more years than I remember, it was up at dawn and home at dusk, the rest of the day spent on the water. Well, unless it was stormy - or we were lucky enough to catch our fill sooner. But at least I can see my son, grandson, and granddaughter all enjoying fishing now."
"How do the sea and weather look to you today?" said Link.
"Aye, lad, it's smart of you to have the sense to check before setting out," said the fisherman. "It looks like it will be a fine day on the water in a boat like yours. Just remember to keep your trim, maintain the fore and aft of your craft level, and don't oversheet the sail. But, unfortunately, that's what I see too many beginners do."
"Will do, thanks, and a good day to you," said Link.
"Wait just a moment, everyone," said Mipha, who then addressed the fisherman. "Would you mind taking a picture of all of us with the boat and sea in the background? Just hold this so you can see all of us on the screen and press here."
"Happy to," said the fisherman, who took the Sheikah Slate, waited for everyone to get into position and pose, then took the picture. "This is quite a fancy device."
He then returned the Sheikah Slate to Mipha, who declared the picture perfect and thanked him.
"You're very welcome, and may you have fair winds, calm seas, and a safe trip."
Link untied the boat, hopped in, pushed it away from the pier, and was soon underway, with Gaddison swimming gently alongside.
"Now, no racing or strenuous games today, do you hear me?" said Mipha to Sidon, Raypha, and Tidon as they began to swim together. "You need to save energy for climbing later."
Their route again followed close to the coastline past the Clarnet Coast, then Aris Beach. Tidon was excited when he located an abandoned chest underwater near Martha's Landing that contained a Silver Rupee.
"Wow! This is an amazing discovery! I'm surprised Dad didn't already find this on one of his travels," said Tidon.
"It's certainly a lucky find. And as Dad would say, Tidon, he had bigger fish to fry," laughed Raypha.
"Ugh! Why do you repeat stuff like that, Ray?"
"I'm beginning to enjoy using some Hylian expressions," laughed Raypha. "Especially if I know they annoy you."
"I hope you two are collecting and organizing your thoughts about what to include in your essays," said Mipha. "And I don't want them awash with jokes and silly Hylian expressions."
Fortunately, as the fisherman expected, the weather stayed fair, the winds favorable, and the sea calm, making the journey by sea uneventful. Link steered the boat and ate some food he brought on board while the others swam and ate fish they caught along the way. Mipha checked on Link several times, but he seemed fine, and they blew each other kisses.
They passed the Komo Shoreline, Puffer Beach, and then the tributary, where the Menoat River emptied into the sea. And it was afternoon when they finally reached Laverra Beach, where the sea part of their journey would end.
It was a lonely spot, and as everyone came ashore, the only sounds were from the steady offshore breeze, the rhythmic splashes of the waves rolling onto shore, and the occasional cry of a seabird overhead. Finally, with Gaddison's help, Link beached the boat and secured it to a lone palm tree at the western end of Laverra Beach, a short distance from three Luminous Stone deposits.
"Now I can even find it in the dark," laughed Link as he and Gaddison rejoined the others. "It's time to climb, and thank Hylia it's not raining. Just take it slowly and stop to catch your … I mean, recover your stamina whenever you need to."
"I think you're making Dad too self-conscious about using Hylian expressions, Ray," whispered Tidon.
"I'll talk with him later," whispered Raypha back. "I like him to use them so I can tease him about it."
The climb was slow and steady, with occasional pauses, but everyone managed to reach the top. They stood in the shallow water of the Nautelle Wetlands and could see the bizarre giant trees that grew here, their leaves and branches all clustered at the top.
"Mom, can you take a picture of this?" said Raypha. "To help our memory for our essay."
"Of course," said Mipha as she took a picture of the trees but with the rest of the family in the foreground as well. "And after all day spent in the water, nobody should need any water time now. So we should press on, and everyone, please stay together."
Link smiled and nodded, then took the lead with Rivan while Mipha and Gaddison brought up the rear. They passed through the wetlands and onward to the Oseira Plain with its tall orange grass that shook in the breeze. The air had become dry now, as was expected as they neared the great Gerudo Desert. After a brief walk across the southern part of the plain, it was time to climb some sandstone cliffs to the plateau just to the west and below Daval Peak. The start of the climb was a gentle slope southeast of the mountain, but then they turned north and began the steeper climb to the next plateau level.
Gaddison insisted on climbing first while Rivan assisted Sidon, Mipha helped Raypha and Link helped Tidon.
"I know this is strenuous, but we will go slowly," said Link. "Mipha, are you doing okay?"
"I'm clawing my way up, sweetheart."
"Please don't make me laugh, dearest," said Link as he sought to suppress his laughter and not lose his balance. "Can you please forgive me for the crab joke this morning and move on?"
"What's that all about, Mom?" Raypha asked.
"I'll tell you later," said Mipha. "Let's keep climbing."
It was slow going as they needed to pause several times, but they eventually reached the top, and Sidon, Raypha, and Tidon lay down in the cold water there. Some gentle snow was falling at this higher altitude, and the flurries glittered in the afternoon sun.
"The water is cold but refreshing," said Sidon.
"Kind of like putting ice in a slumber pool," said Tidon.
"Take a few minutes to refresh yourself, but let's not stay too long," said Link as he glanced at the sky, judging how much daylight remained. "I'm still hoping to reach the desert before nightfall, which is what I told the Gerudo, who will be waiting for us."
"Look! There's some animal over there!" said Sidon excitedly as he pointed.
"Good eye!" said Link. "It's a Snowcoat Fox. They can be hard to see but are usually fairly common in this area."
"Do they bite?" asked Tidon.
"They can, but they're not aggressive animals and generally run away if you get close," said Link.
"Kind of like crabs, Sidon," said Mipha as she made a face at Link, and he laughed while shaking his head.
After several minutes, everyone was ready to proceed. The next phase of the climb turned out to be the hardest, as it was up the sheer face at the southern end of Daval Peak. Again, there were some shallow ponds when they reached the plateau at the top, and the three children needed a few minutes of water time.
"Rest but let's not take too long, only as much as you need," said Link. "The remainder of the trip is downward, which should be less strenuous."
Rivan and Gaddison stayed with the children while Link pulled Mipha aside.
"Let's stay especially alert now," said Link. "I think from here until we reach the desert is the riskiest part of the trip."
Mipha nodded, and both she and Link scanned the area but saw nothing. Finally, after several minutes, everyone was ready to proceed.
"Gaddison and Rivan, be sure to keep close to the children," said Link.
Then they began the climb down the other side of the mountain.
"If you were all a bit older, we could paraglide down," said Link. "It's a lot easier. But I would want you to practice landing first."
They made their way down to the first plateau level just west of the summit and decided everyone needed a brief rest break. The ground here had a small layer of snow, and the few patches of grass in the area were covered white in frost. The sky was cloudy now, and the afternoon sunlight pale. Link saw something in the snow, walked over to it, then gestured for Mipha to join him.
"Look," said Link as he pointed to the ground.
"Footprints?" said Mipha.
"Yes, and I recognize them. They're from Cold Footed wolves, and the tracks are fairly new," said Link quietly to avoid being overheard by the others. "Wolves hunt in packs of three or four and howl before circling and attacking. So I thought it was nice of them to alert me first."
"Wolves shouldn't be a problem with all of us together, should they?" Mipha asked.
"No, although we should still keep an eye out, of course," said Link. "But my concern wasn't about being attacked by wolves. These tracks are reasonably fresh, yet there's no sign of any wolves. And for that matter, I haven't seen as many foxes as I would expect either."
"I get your drift," said Mipha as she gripped her Lightscale Trident. "Something more dangerous than wolves may be lurking nearby, and it's eating the wildlife here."
"Exactly," said Link. "We should stay alert and move on."
Link and Mipha rejoined the others.
"Ready to go?" said Link. "It's not much further."
They all began slowly climbing down to the next level, another snow-covered plateau. It afforded a fine view of the desert below them, with the massive South Lomei Labyrinth visible to the right. Mipha paused to take another picture as everyone approached the edge and gazed at the scene.
"There's your first look at the Gerudo Desert," said Link.
"It's so vast and empty!" exclaimed Sidon.
"And bleak! There's hardly anything but sand as far as I can see," said Tidon.
"And no water!" exclaimed Raypha.
"There are places with water, don't worry," said Mipha. "They're just scattered and isolated."
But it was while everyone was preoccupied with the scenic view of the desert that danger struck.
Two Ice-Breath Lizalfos had been hiding, camouflaging themselves white to blend in with their surroundings, one on each side of the group. They both jumped from their hiding places and hissed as they landed on their feet. Both wielded Gerudo spears, and their beady eyes scanned the group, ready to freeze everyone with their ice-cold breath.
"AHHHH!" all three children screamed, already frozen with fear without need for any icy breath.
What may have helped the situation was that the perhaps unexpected size of their group seemed to give the creatures pause, as they seemed unsure of whom to attack first. They may have thought they had stumbled upon a feast and couldn't decide which dish to begin with.
But while the pair of Lizalfos paused for an instant, Link's and Mipha's reactions were immediate and instinctive, born of long experience with such danger.
Link drew his bow in one smooth motion and fired a fire arrow at the Lizalfos on his side of the group. The Lizalfos was instantly destroyed, vanishing in a cloud of vapor and leaving only body parts lying in the snow.
Link couldn't repeat the process with the other Lizalfos since it stood to the other side of their party. But Mipha was already engaging it with her spear. Being careful to sidestep its attack, she seized the moment to rush their enemy and stabbed it three times in quick succession with her Lightscale Trident. Before Link could come to her aid, the Lizalfos lay on the ground, destroyed. When Link reached Mipha, he put a fire arrow into its body to make sure.
"Is everyone okay?" Link asked as he and Mipha continued to scan the area for other dangers, and everyone nodded. "Rivan and Gaddison, you stay with the children while Mipha and I look around."
"What were those things? They looked horrible!" said Raypha as they watched Mipha and Link explore the area.
"A type of monster that used to terrorize travelers called a Lizalfos," said Rivan.
"We didn't have this kind of Lizalfos near our home, as they prefer colder climates," said Gaddison. "But we had other kinds, and every variety is vicious and dangerous."
"It was amazing! Mom and Dad took care of them so quickly!" said Raypha.
"That's because you're seeing a side of them you've never seen before, their great skill in combat. It's something only a few have seen and not for some time. And for many evil creatures who did, it was the last thing they ever saw," said Gaddison.
"Link is the greatest fighter in all of Hyrule, and Lady Mipha is our Champion, the protector of our people," said Rivan. "They worked together to destroy a great evil back in the day, battling enemies much worse than these two. Remember what you saw, for it is only a small taste of their greatness."
"Trust me! I'll never forget it," said Sidon.
"I'm still shivering, and not from the cold," said Raypha. "I think Tidon is speechless."
"I'm okay," said Tidon. "But I hope there are no more of those things around. They give me the creeps!"
When Mipha and Link were satisfied that the area was clear, they returned to the group, where Gaddison and Rivan stood on each side of the children with spears drawn.
"I'm sorry I let that happen," said Link. "I should have spotted those two while they were still camouflaged. I'm glad none of you got hit with their icy breath. It stings and renders you immobile for a few moments."
"We're all okay, Dad," said Tidon.
"Just a little startled, but we're getting over it," said Raypha.
Link picked up the two Gerudo spears and Icy Lizalfos tails.
"I want to return these spears to the Gerudo and sell these tails at their market," said Link.
"Why not just donate the tails if anyone wants them, Dad?" said Tidon. "They look disgusting."
"The tails have some value as they can be used to make elixirs to protect one against the cold," said Link. "The desert gets quite chilly at night. As for giving them away, Gerudo women love haggling over price. They often respect you more, and feel better about themselves, when they outsmart you on something's value rather than if they got it for free."
"I had no idea you understood Gerudo women so well, dearest," said Mipha. "Maybe you could tell me all about your experiences with them later."
"Nice going, Dad," laughed Raypha. "I think you bubble burped with that comment."
"We Hylians say I put my foot in my mouth, and maybe so," laughed Link. "But I'm glad everyone's gotten over their shock. Now, let's head down to the desert, as it's getting late."
They began climbing down toward the desert and could feel the air growing warmer and drier as they descended. When they finally reached the bottom, four Gerudo guards and eleven tame Sand Seals were waiting to greet them.
"Sav'aaq! I am Captain Arana, and here are some members of my squad named Banda, Dorna, and Velda. On behalf of Chief Ryla, we bid you welcome to our land."
Sav'aaq and Sarqso," said Link. "This is my wife, Princess Mipha, her brother Prince Sidon, our two children, Raypha and Tidon, and two of our soldiers, Gaddison and Rivan."
"Gee! Dad even speaks their language," whispered Tidon. "Maybe he does know Gerudo women pretty well."
"Hush, silly," said Raypha as she poked him in the ribs.
"I see you have two of our weapons," said Arana as she noticed Link carrying them.
"Yes, and let me return them to you," said Link as he handed them to Arana. "We had a run-in with a pair of Lizalfos on the mountain."
"Ah, I see," said Arana. "That is unfortunate, and I regret we do not have the resources to patrol the mountain as well as we would like. I am glad no one was hurt. But now I suspect that all of you are tired and perhaps hungry too from your long journey. So I suggest we head at once to the Kara Kara Bazaar. Can everyone ride a Sand seal? We brought shields, too."
"Everyone knows how to shield surf, so they should be fine," said Link.
"Then let us go," said Arana. "And we should all stay together. I do not expect it, but desert sandstorms can arise unexpectedly, and I do not want anyone to get lost."
"Do you three hear that?" said Mipha, and Sidon, Raypha, and Tidon all nodded.
The Gerudo helped everyone get settled with a shield and Sand seal, explained how to maneuver, and then they were off, gliding across the desert sand as the late afternoon sky turned orange.
"This is fun!" said Sidon as he became more accustomed to maneuvering.
"I'm glad you like it," said Dorna, who was closest. "It's the best way to travel in the desert, and we love racing with them."
"When we get more practice, I'll race you," said Raypha to Tidon who were both growing more comfortable.
The ride was long but uneventful, and it was early evening when they reached the Kara Kara Bazaar. The sky was clear now, and stars shone brightly overhead as a gentle breeze shook the palm tree leaves. The market was quiet, some stalls closing up for the night, others with but a single customer looking over their wares.
"Water!" exclaimed Sidon as they saw the large body of water the bazaar was built around.
"You are safe, and we will leave you here for now," said Arana. "Sav'saaba!"
"Sarqso and Sav'saaba," said Link.
Arana and the other Gerudo guards left.
"Gaddison and Rivan, feel free to sleep," said Link. "The Gerudo keep this location quite safe."
"Thanks, I think we could all use some long water time," said Rivan.
"Goodnight!" shouted Sidon, Raypha, and Tidon simultaneously.
Then they all raced to the water and dove in with sighs of relief.
"Feel like sleeping in the water with me? Or do you want to spend some time with the Gerudo women you admire so much?"
"It's been quite a day, and I don't think you're in the mood for any of my teasing," laughed Link. "The water with you, of course, sweetheart."
"My mood? Are you saying I'm crabby?"
"No, of course not, I only …," Link stammered.
"I love it that my dear hubby still can't tell when I'm teasing him," Mipha interrupted as she took his hand and gently squeezed it. "Let's go, sweetheart."
Link laughed as they held hands and waded into the water, where they found everyone else already asleep. After a little while, they were both asleep as well.