Link eyed the queen of the Gerudo suspiciously. "You never mentioned you were engaged to Ganondorf."
Nabooru had been silent after her conversation with the witches. Their surprise visit had stolen the triumph of finally having her hands on the gauntlets she had so coveted. Part of Link didn't blame her while the other part felt betrayed.
"Does Impa know?"
"Of course Malukha knows," she replied quietly. "That is how she plans to keep Ganondorf off of the battlefield."
Link furrowed his brow. "Does he still love you?"
Nabooru threw her head back, "HA! As if that monster knew the meaning of the word." She turned to face Link for the first time in more than an hour. They were nearly back to Al Quasar now and besides Nabooru's sour mood the journey was decent. The mysterious sandstorm that had been blinding on the way out had subsided and left nothing but packed sand and sun.
"Malukha believes I can still convince him though," Nabooru said.
"By pretending to lead him to Princess Zelda?" Navi asked from above.
"What happens when he realizes you are lying?" Link asked before the Gerudo queen could answer the fairy's question.
A forced smile from the red woman, "Link of Little Faith, I would not have accepted Malukha's request unless I was sure I could escape." She reached over and patted Link on the head. "I will be fine."
Link pushed her hand away and grumbled to himself.
"So what was waiting for you inside the temple?" Nabooru asked after chuckling softly. She had yet to try on the gauntlets, but she was repeatedly patting them to make sure they were secured to her side.
"You were right about the spirits and ghosts," Link answered with a shrug. "Even ran into a mummy that spat fire. Worst was giant suit of armor with an axe."
Nabooru's head jerked to the side. "You fought an Iron Knuckle?"
"So it has a name?" Link rubbed his wrist recalling the incredible amount of pain he had suffered.
For the first time Nabooru looked at Link with respect and a hint of admiration.
"I only know of two others, as young as you are, who have defeated an Iron Knuckle."
Link blinked in surprise. He expected to be the only twelve year old to have ever fought one let alone defeated one.
"Nagina?" he guessed.
Nabooru shook her head. "Ganondorf. His mothers pitted him against several as he was growing up."
"Sweet Goddesses!" Link exclaimed shaking his head. There was no end to that man's accomplishments. "And the second?"
Nabooru smiled, genuinely this time. "Impa Malukha."
Link threw his hands in the air. "I get it! I'll never be as good as those two! I give up."
Navi and Nabooru shared a laugh.
Nagina was waiting for them at the western entrance of Al Quasar. She was dressed in her usual attire, with both of her scimitars on her hips. Link had little doubt that she had been standing there for hours, ready to sprint through the desert if she suspected her queen was in trouble. Link had to admire the devotion.
"My queen," Nagina dropped to one knee. "It is good to see you have arrived unharmed." Her narrow eyes bounced from Nabooru's hands to Link's, then to her queen's face. "Did your quest bear fruit?"
Nabooru unfastened the red bundle from her side and held it in front of Nagina. "The treasure of Antaeus," she said with a smile.
Nagina's jaw dropped. Reverently she rose to her feet and held her shaking hands out to receive the parcel. "May I?" she asked unsteadily.
"You are the warrior, not I, Nagina. Wear them for me." Nabooru extended the gift even farther. Still hesitant Nagina's hands hovered over the package.
Gingerly she pulled the red cloth off and laid her eyes on the greatest treasure of her people, the silver gauntlets of Antaeus.
"Go ahead," Nabooru urged. "Try them on."
Slowly Nagina picked up the left glove and slid it over her hand. Her eyes doubled in size the moment the gauntlet was pulled past her wrist.
"Oh!" was all she said. She flexed that hand opened and closed testing the gloves leather.
"Can you feel anything?" Link asked excitedly. He was the one who risked his life for the damn things after all.
"Of course I can, boy," Nagina said as she pulled on the second one. "I can feel the heartbeat of Antaeus on my fingertips. I can feel his might flowing through me!"
"Show me his power," Nabooru commanded. She tilted her head to the side towards Link.
Link looked up at Nabooru. "Why are you. . . oh no!" He started backpedaling away from Nagina, who was now smiling devilishly at him. "No, no, no. Hang on! I'm sure we can find a boulder or something to—"
Nagina sprang forward and caught Link by the arm. Her grip felt like his forearm was caught between two boulders. Before any more objections could escape the boy's mouth, Nagina, with one hand, threw Link straight up into the air.
For the briefest of moments Link understood how Navi must feel, flying about the place all the time. Link sailed up at least thirty feet before gravity remembered him.
"Shit!" He flailed his arms frantically as he began his decent.
Just before he crashed into the ground and broke a few too many bones, Nagina caught him in her arms.
Navi, Nabooru, and Nagina shared a laugh.
"My queen, let me accompany you to Messa at least," Nagina implored. The three of them were all seated on the ground around a table in Nabooru's chambers. Link had been relieved of his gear again but there was little he could do about it. If Nabooru or Nagina wanted him dead they would have killed him long ago. Or just not caught him.
"I need you and Link the Flying Boy to warn Malukha that our window will approach faster than we anticipated," Nagina said. "Ganondorf will be gone from Hyrule for one day, at most, in ten days time. After running into those damned witches I dare not delay any longer. Malukha will need as much time to gather the armies as possible."
"It took us a week to get here though," Link pointed out.
"Maybe we can cross Hyrule Field this time," Navi suggested.
Nabooru shook her head. "You won't even be able to leave Gerudo Valley without being spotted," she explained. "If Ganondorf receives a report that you were sprinting across the field, coming from the desert, then my deception will be discovered almost immediately when I arrive. No, you will have to return the way we came."
Link put his chin in his hand while Nagina began to rattle off the things they would need for a most expeditious journey.
"If we each ride with two horses," Nagina said, "we can ride them hard and switch mounts as they tire."
"That cuts our time by what, a day?" Link asked. He didn't like the idea of pushing Epona so hard in such unforgiving terrain.
Nagina glared at him. "Can you think of a better way, boy? I suppose I could throw you there."
"What about Lake Hylia?" Link asked ignoring Nagina's joke. Nabooru and Nagina both looked at him quizzically. He quickly rolled his map out in front of them. "You said the eastern entrance to Al Quasar is a bridge that goes over the Hylian River, right?"
"That's right," Nabooru answered skeptically.
"Well the Hylian River feeds Lake Hylia." He followed the river down to the lake with his index finger.
"That would still require us crossing Hyrule Field without being detected, and without horses," Nagina said crossing her arms over her chest. "We would be run down by Ganondorf's cavalry patrols before we made it to that ranch of yours."
"We wouldn't need to leave the lake," Link said becoming excited with his plan. "There is a secret passage in the lake that leads to the Zora Domain!"
Nagina and Nabooru shared a looked. "And you know for a fact this passage exists?" Nabooru asked.
"We've used it ourselves," Navi piped in.
Link nodded excitedly. "And from there, there is another secret passage to my forest. We could make the trip in a matter of hours!"
"My queen?" Nagina waited for approval from a pensive Nabooru.
"That could work," the queen said thoughtfully.
"The only problem," Link interjected, "is that we can't bring horses, and we can't be weighed down with equipment. We would have to travel light."
Nabooru waved her hand. "That won't be a problem. I am sending a cavalry unit to your woods anyway. They will make the week journey through Sur and they will bring your equipment and that squishy mare of yours." Turning to Nagina, "You will go with Link through these passages and help Malukha prepare for what is hopefully the only battle we fight in this war. It goes without saying that you will take command of the unit when they arrive."
Nagina bowed her head. "Of course, my queen."
"Good!" Nabooru rose to her feet with Nagina and Link following right behind her. "Then let us not waste time. I will accompany you two to the east entrance, then continue on to Messa."
Even fifty feet up the roar of the rushing river was deafening.
"Maybe my plan is a little flawed!" Link called over the noise. Nagina seemed equally skeptical. "Why didn't you tell me the river was this violent?"
"What?" Nagina cupped her ear.
"Why didn't you tell me my plan was terrible?" Link yelled.
"What?"
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME MY PLAN WAS TERRIBLE?"
"What?"
"WHY DIDN'T YOU-"
Nagina gave up trying to hear him and turned to her queen. The two began gesturing with their hands and fingers. While they carried on their silent conversation Link peeked back over the edge. Sprays of foamy waters slapped the sides of the chasm as the water bullied itself in its mad dash for Lake Hylia. The boy double checked the line he'd used to secure Din's Wrath to his back, as well as the one around the wallet he kept inside his tunic. The small leather pouch held only a few rupees, his pointed Kokiri hat, and Zelda's ocarina. He had opted to change back into his Kokiri clothes, figuring the Zoras would recognize him better with them on.
Nagina and Nabooru bowed to each other, then Nabooru blew a kiss towards Link. Averting his gaze slightly Link waved goodbye. Without a second glance she turned her desert horse away and headed for the bridge.
"LADIES FIRST!" Link shouted.
Nagina bit her thumb then flicked it outwards towards Link. He didn't need to know sign language to guess the meaning.
"Well," he said with a sigh to himself, "here I go."
By Hylian standards, Link could only assume he was a talented diver. He had, after all, been taught by none other than Master Angler, the Zora's most accomplished diver and officiator of the Zora Games. With all of his lessons at the forefront of his mind, Link spread his arms, tightened his core, and leapt into the air curling his body when he reached the zenith of his jump. As he began his decent he brought his hands directly over his head, praying that his form was right and he would break the surface of the water properly.
He had never dove into a coursing river before.
The moment his shoulders broke through the surface, perfectly following his hands then head, the river yanked him along its path with ferocious speed. Without losing his cool Link held his breath and kicked about until he could bring his head above water. He barely had enough time to grab a fresh breath before he was pulled under again. The boy thanked the Goddesses for the blessing the Zora's had given him, their silver scale. With the spell being a part of his body he knew he could hold his breath for more than a minute longer than a normal Hylian. Comforted by this notion Link kept his arms and legs tight to this body, lest the river decide to slam him against the canyon wall or a rock.
Only sixty seconds into the thrill-ride and Link was entirely disoriented. He could no longer tell which way was up, which was down, or even if Din's Wrath was still on his back. As the limits of his breath hold approached he again began scrambling and kicking to get his head above water. Just as his lungs were about to burst his head found the surface. A second breath of fresh air then the tossing and turning resumed.
When the river finally decided to slow down Link vomited on its surface. With contempt he splashed what had been his last meal away from him.
"You still alive, Navi?" he asked searching the air above him as he floated along with the river's current. The end was nowhere in sight but he was thankful he was no longer tumbling out of control.
"I was about to ask you that," Navi called from her safe and dry spot in the air. "I lost sight of you a couple of times."
"Yea, 'bout lost my head there." Link exhaled thankful that ordeal was over. "Where is Nagina?" he asked turning about.
"She jumped just a few seconds after you," she said, "but I lost sight of her after she hit the water."
"Crap." Link began swimming against the current. He was still moving in the direction of Lake Hylia, just slower. "Keep your eye out for her, Navi. I barely made it and I have that spell the Zora cast on me. She might be in trouble."
"Link!"
"You see her?"
"No, but I see Lake Hylia."
Link looked behind him but only saw river, canyon walls, and blue sky.
"How can you –" then he heard it. The waterfall that fed into Lake Hylia. How did I forget that?
"Is it bad?"
"It's bad."
"Dammit!" he swore. As the current pulled him relentlessly closer Link had no choice but to hold his breath and prepare for the impact.
The fall.
Then the impact.
The pain was somewhere between hugging Darunia and being broken by the Iron Knuckle, but Link maintained consciousness and managed to swim over to the lake's shore.
"Are you alright?" his companion asked concerned.
Link waved her off. "I'm fine, I'm fine. The water was deep enough I barely hit the rocks at the bottom."
"This was a bad plan," Navi said in her serious voice.
Link couldn't help but laugh. "Yea, yea it was."
Navi gasped.
"I see her!" Link dove back into the lake and swam as fast as he could.
When Nagina didn't surface, the boy took a deep breath and dove underwater. Navi darted ahead of him, barely slowed by the water, and illuminated their unconscious escort. Wasting no time Link wrapped his arm around Nagina's thin waist and kicked his feet as fast as they would go. Once they broke the surface Link didn't stop, swimming as fast as he could with one arm and a body in tow he made it to the shore.
"C'mon Nagina, breathe, breathe!" He started pushing on the center of her chest in half-second intervals. Water spurted from the woman's mouth but still no breath.
"C'mon you sarcastic bitch! You don't get to die here!" He pushed a dozen more times then moved over to her mouth. Without a pause for thought or shyness Link placed his lips over Nagina's, clamped her nose shut with his fingers, and filled her lungs with his breath. They rose only slightly. He breathed once more then went back to pushing on her chest. By the third compression Nagina ejected the last of the water in her lungs, along with bile and vomit.
"Thank the Goddesses!" Link sat back, giving the woman room to cough up the last of the water and view her new appreciation for life.
She coughed violently several times, then just stayed there on her hands and knees breathing deeply. Her Gerudo clothes were completely wet, clinging to her body so tight they may as well have been part of her skin.
NOW Link thought about being shy, and averted his gaze.
"This was a bad plan," Nagina finally managed.
"Yes, yes it was."
Navi, Nagina, and Link shared a laugh.
The Gerudo woman and the Hylian boy allowed themselves a moment to collect themselves, ensure their belongings were still attached to their bodies, and get the water out of their shoes. There was no way, or real reason, to dry off so Link had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't polite to stare at Nagina's stunning, sopping wet, physique.
"I have never actually been to Lake Hylia," Nagina said looking out over the calm water. It didn't seem to bother her at all that her semi see-through clothes were now completely see-through.
They were at the northern edge of the lake where they were hidden from view by dunes and a natural bridge. They couldn't risk the fishermen or villagers seeing them.
"Maybe some time you can see it from the eastern bank," Link said. "It's beautiful from there."
Nagina scoffed but said nothing about his comment. "So where is this secret passage of yours?"
"Just around the corner," Link pointed to the southeast, "about two hundred yards down the bank. We'll be harder to spot if we swim there."
Nagina nodded, checked her belongings, patted the purse that held the gauntlets twice, then waded into the water. To Link's delight he realized he was a much better swimmer than Nagina. Of course it was because she was raised in the desert, where she never had the need to swim, but Link's pride helped him ignore that fact. The woman's breaststroke was inefficient and awkward. The weight of her scimitars and purse didn't help anything.
"That thing you did," Nagina said, her mouth barely out of the water as she swam. "Where did you learn it?"
"I learned it from the Zoras," Link answered. He decided to be a gentleman and swim slower, alongside Nagina. "By that I mean they used it to save me. I drowned no less than three times while I was with them last. They call it cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Or something like that, I haven't a clue what any of it means."
"Hmm."
They swam in silence for fifty yards.
"You're welcome by the way."
Nagina splashed him in the face. "It's because of your terrible plan that was even necessary, boy."
"In my defense," Link said shaking the water out of his eyes, "I have never seen the Hylian River that ferocious before. If you'd warned me, I might have changed the plan."
Nagina said nothing, just continued to swim forward poorly.
"I should probably warn you about this shortcut." Link had been debating when he was going to tell her this bit. "It's an underwater tunnel with a magic current that's really, REALLY, fast."
"I loathe you."
"All you have to do is dive down to it, hold your breath, and in thirty second we'll be in the Zora domain. Can you handle that?"
"I suppose I don't have any choice." Nagina did not sound happy but she continued to "swim" towards Link's spot.
"Don't worry," Link said jokingly, "if you drown again I'll just resuscitate you again."
"If you ever put your lips on mine again, boy, I'll rip your throat out."
Link shook his head. "No appreciation." He pointed to a white marble structure visible through the clear water below them. "That's it. Remember, just hold your breath, plug your nose, and stay calm."
Nagina didn't look the slightest bit calm, she looked like she was about to be sick.
"Are you ready, Nagina?" Link asked concerned.
"Just give me a moment!" she snapped. She took a couple deep breaths. "Okay."
"Good. Follow me."
Link dove under water. He could feel the pressure on his ears as he descended but he payed it little mind. He caught the top edge of the tunnel with his fingers, pulled himself down to it, then stopped to look back at Nagina. She was right behind him. Without waiting for her bubbly objection he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the tunnel with him.
An unreal sensation of incredible speed enveloped Link for the third time in his life as he and Nagina rode the magic current. Link didn't bother trying to open his eyes since he knew the tunnel was pitch black until it opened up in the Zora domain.
He could feel Nagina's fingernails digging into his wrist as she had opted not to stay calm. Link could do nothing except hope she didn't make the mistake of exhaling. He counted the seconds until they were at the end.
Right at thirty five seconds Link and Nagina were thrown from the tunnel into the gentle waters of the Zora domain. Nagina burst through the surface desperate for air. Calmly Link breached the surface beside her.
"Not you again."
Link turned around and spotted a familiar fishy face.
"Good to see you too, Master Barbel."
Author's Note: This chapter was pretty fun to write. You'll get to find out more about the conversation with the witches later so don't worry. I'm trying to utilize some more bits of OoT's map with all these secret tunnels and what not, hope its coming off well enough for all of you.
Well I don't have much more to say on this chapter. I do have a question though, without going back does anyone remember who Barbel is? PM me and you'll get a virtual cookie.