The Bleeding Effect
Chapter XII
"This is the worst," Link complained. "The absolute worst thing that could happen to me. I must be cursed." He raised his gaze skywards. The sun burned his eyes. "Why have you forsaken me?" Beneath him, Epona nickered and shook her head.
"There really is no need for such theatrics, hero." Alongside Link, atop his large white mare, rode Sheik.
"I would rather fight Ganondorf five—no, ten times. In a row."
"You're being ridiculous."
Link slumped down onto Epona's neck, hands lazily ruffling her choppy white mane.
"Make that fifteen times."
Sheik sighed with exasperation. "It is not—"
"It is that bad!" Link straightened again, and gestured to the land around them. The pair had traveled on horseback just about from one side of Hyrule to the other, as they set off from Kakariko Village to reach the great Gerudo Desert. They had made great progress within the past several weeks, and now the horses' hooves were crunching over gravely rock; soon enough, they'd be padding over sand.
"I can't hand another tour through another desert," Link moaned. "I've done my time. Don't make me go through this again. Deserts are the worst."
Sheik gave a little laugh and left it at that. Link found himself grinning back in response. It was amazing, really, the transformation their relationship has gone through. Once they both got everything out in the open air, no secrets left, they found each other's company quite enjoyable indeed. (Sheik wasn't as fun to pal around with as Midna is, though Link will never tell Sheik that. Even if he's relaxed a little, the Sheikah still retains some measure of his past strictness and rigidity. Midna had never had any such hold backs for kidding around and having fun.)
"I hate deserts. I loathe them. Despise them. Detest them." He turned to Sheik with desperation. "Why can't we just warp there? Don't you know a song to bring us instantly to the Spirit Temple?"
Sheik shook his head. "The magic doesn't work like that. You must visit the place first. Have a basis for the magic to return to."
"Fantastic." Said Link. "What I wouldn't give for Ooccoo's warping powers right now. I'd give an arm, even."
"Deserts are not that horrible."
"All there is is sand for miles and miles around. It's hot and itchy and it gets absolutely everywhere. Not to mention the temperature. Blistering hot in the day and biting cold in the night. The few trees around can hardly be called trees, and can hardly supply proper shade. When you're in the desert, you're so preoccupied trying to survive that you never have time to simply live and enjoy yourself. People weren't meant to live in deserts."
"Hylians, maybe—" Corrected Sheik. "—but the Gerudos thrive in such conditions. If they ever moved to Hyrule proper, they would have complaints the opposite of yours: the weather, too mild; the dirt, too wet and compact; the foliage, too plentiful." He paused, and then admitted: "I must say, I'm glad that you're here, and not the Hero of Time, for the quest to obtain this particular medallion."
"Why? Would the weather be too strong?"
"No, it's just—you're older than he is. Mentally. Explaining certain aspects about the Gerudo Tribe to him would have been…difficult."
"Certain aspects?" Link perked up, intrigued. "Such as what?"
Sheik cleared his throat, a bit awkwardly. "Well, you see, Gerudo society is very different from ours. They are ruled over by a male patriarch. But one man is born only once every one hundred years."
Link's mouth dropped open. "So you're saying that…"
"That the Gerudo thieves are practically all women. Whose standards for propriety when compared to Hylian ladies is considerably lax."
Link nudged Epona's sides, and she broke into a quick trot. Sheik coaxed his horse to the same speed to keep up with him.
"Why didn't you say anything about them sooner? The desert is looking a lot nicer the second time around." He could picture them now. Bronzed beauties in light outfits that bared an almost sacrilegious amount of skin.
"Do not underestimate them," Sheik warned him, though he feared his advice went through one of the hero's ears and out the other. "They are as harsh and unforgiving as the environment they live in."
Link still gazed dreamily off into the distance. Sheik scowled. He tugged on his horse's reins to bring himself close enough to Link to give him a solid whack in the ribs with his elbow.
Link yelped, and rubbed his now-sore side. "What in the name of Farore was that for?"
"You were thinking about them in impure ways."
"So what if I was?" Link challenged. "I'm a man who has natural urges." When Sheik's disapproving glower remained steadfast, he faltered a little. "Sheik, you know I'm just joking around with you, right? I'm not some depraved animal; I do have morals. I would never force myself on—"
"I know, I know, it's just…" He sighed. "It's so strange for you to act as you do with his face."
"What is he like?"
"What do your future legends say?"
"They only discuss the deeds he did."
"Do not deeds define character?"
"Not necessarily. For instance, I know the Hero of Time gathered the medallions and freed the sages in order to take down Ganondorf. But did he take pride in it? Prefer one sage over another? Was he afraid, reluctant? Or did he revel in cutting down every foe that crossed his path?"
"Touché." Sheik's face wrinkled with thought. "The Hero of Time would be best described as confused."
"What?" That was far from the answer Link was expecting.
"He underwent many horrors as a child, without fully understanding the magnitude of any of his actions. He did only what the Great Deku Tree—his father, in a way—and his princess bade him to do. He was perfectly obedient, but too young to carry the responsibility of the Master Sword and the title of Hero of Time." Sheik closed his eyes, face dark with shame. "So the Sage of Light elected to seal Link away, putting him in a deep sleep until he was old enough to carry them."
"That's—that's inhumane!"
"Your legends never speak of his seven-year sleep?"
"Why wouldn't you let him live out his years until he was old enough? Why not let him train, prepare?"
"The sage was trying to protect him. You must understand. When Link pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal, he opened the way to the Sacred Realm. Ganondorf seized on that opportunity and seized the Triforce of Power. His monsters ravaged Hyrule Castle and the lands beyond in search of the princess and Link. Without being able to control the Blade of Evil's Bane, the hero wouldn't have stood a chance."
"Why not send him to Lorule?"
Sheik shot him a look. "Lorule is as good as gone. It's not safe for anyone. Even less safe than Hyrule. Princess Zelda was sent there only because there was absolutely no other choice. She already was aware of Lorule's existence because it is her birthright. Link was never to know of such things. Believe me, hero, the Sage of Light went through every possibility, and sealing the Hero of Time away in the Sacred Realm was honestly the best option."
Link grumbled a bit, but let it lie.
"When the Hero of Time woke up, the world and the people living in it had changed. He had not. He did not know how to handle the situation he was wrapped up in. He relied on Navi and me to tell him what to do, where to go. He was very confused, unsure of who or what to trust."
"Why didn't you explain things to him, then?"
"I didn't want to accidentally make the situation worse than it already was. Besides, Princess Zelda has a plan."
Link quirked an eyebrow. "Does she now?"
"Yes." Sheik didn't elaborate. Link knew the other man well enough by now to know that he wouldn't get anything more out of him, even if Link kept on nagging him.
They'd come to a narrow plank of wood that leads to higher ground. Water churned below it.
"Be careful." Said Sheik. "We'll take it one horse at a time. Slowly."
They did exactly that, without much fuss. The beginnings of their problems were met only when they reached the top. There was a wide, deep valley that separated them from going any further into Gerudo territory. And the bridge had been utterly destroyed. Only a few scattered, splinted beams of wood remained, half-buried in the sand.
Link dismounted—he didn't stop to tie Epona to anything; she was smart enough to stay in the general area—and walked cautiously to the edge. Many, many feet below ran a river. Too many feet below.
"We can't survive a fall from this height." Stated Sheik, as he joined Link's side. "There are more sharp rocks down below than we have teeth. It's how the Gerudo dispose of their prisoners once they tire of them."
Link swallowed hard. "What are we going to do? We must get across."
Just then, Navi wriggled her way out of Link's cap. "I know!" She said sprightly. "Have the horses jump over the gap!"
"No." Said Sheik flatly.
"But Epona can make it!" The fairy insisted. "She was able to clear the jump over the fences of Lon Lon Ranch without a problem. She can do it!"
Sheik saw Link's hopeful face. "No. Absolutely not."
"It'll be fun, Sheik. You do know what that word means, don't you?"
Sheik ignored the jibe. "We could just as easily fall to our deaths. I'm not prepared to take that risk. There's no way to tell if the horses can make it."
Link smirked, and produced the Shadow Medallion from one of his pouches. "Yes, there is. Or have you forgotten what I can do?"
Several nights ago, as they unsaddled the horses and prepared to rest for the night, Impa contacted Link. Though he was at first startled to hear another voice in his head, he soon overcame the weirdness. Impa informed him that any time he wore the Shadow Medallion, she would release a stream of dark energy similar to that of the monster from the well, which would enable Link to transform into his wolf form.
Without further ado, Link slipped the medallion over his head. The metal was cold. He lifted up his undershirt so the medallion rested against his skin. The second it touched, Link felt the shift begin. He closed his eyes, coaxing his muscles to relax—he found out long ago, through terrible trial and error, that it's much more painful if you tense up during the transformation.
Soon enough, he was in his wolf form. He looked up at his steed. She did not appear frightened or startled at his new form.
"Hello, Epona." He barked.
"Greetings, human that is not my human." She whinnied in reply.
"How did you know that?"
"You sit differently upon the saddle."
"We're working on getting him back."
She tosses her mane. "You better."
"Do you know my name?"
"I understand too little of human speech. I know that I am called Epona. Everything else is simply…tone of voice. I can tell a kind person from a cruel one, but that is the extent of it."
"I see. My name—and your human's name—is Link."
"Link. I like the sound of that."
"Epona, I transformed to talk to you about that gap. Can you jump it?"
The horse reared up, neighing with confidence. "Something so small? You insult me, Link."
"What about Sheik's horse?" The white mare had kept her distance, eyeing Link nervously once he transformed.
When both animals looked her way, the horse admitted: "I'm too heavy. I couldn't make it all the way."
Link's paws scuffed the sand as he thought. "Epona, could you carry both of us?"
"As long as you don't bring along too many additional items, I should make it. Neither of you are that heavy."
"You're the best, Epona." Sheik snorted as Link's tail wagged with affection. "I'll get you something good after this is over. Apples?"
"Carrots, if you can."
"Consider it done."
Link trotted over to Sheik and nudged his face against the man's leg. The Sheikah got the hint; he bent down and removed the Shadow Medallion.
When Link stood up, in his normal body again, Sheik returned the medallion to him, and he stowed it away.
"Have a nice chat?" Sheik asked wryly.
"They were by far the best conversational partners I've had all day."
"So? What do the horses say?"
"Epona is going to have to take us both. We need to bring essentials only—we don't want to weigh her down any more than necessary."
Sheik nodded, and rummaged through the pouches attached to his mare's saddle, transferring items to and from them. Link did the same, and stowed everything extraneous in the white mare's saddlebags instead of Epona's.
At last, they were ready. Link mounted Epona, and Sheik settled awkwardly behind him, half on the edge of the saddle and half not.
"What about your horse?" Asked Link.
"She'll stay here until either I return or she is attacked. She's intelligent; you needn't worry about her."
Link tugged on Epona's reins, directing her to back up. She walked back all the way to where the log leaned.
"Are you ready for this?" Link couldn't deny that his own hands were trembling as they clenched the reins. Sheik wound his arms around Link's torso so he wouldn't risk falling off the horse's back mid-jump.
"I'd rather take on Ganondorf five times."
"Cheeky."
Link dug his heels into Epona's sides. She gathered speed quickly, bursting right into a fast canter. Before they knew it, they were at the edge of the valley. Epona kicked off with her powerful back legs, and for three seconds that felt like three hours, they flew through the sky. Then they landed on the other side. The landing was hard, jarring. Sheik's grip tightened to the point where the air was squeezed from Link's lungs, but the hero knew it was better than the alternative of Sheik tumbling off the edge to his premature death.
After the landing, Epona trotted forward a few paces to widen the gap between them and the valley. Link slid off his horse, legs like jelly. Sheik nimbly climbed off as well. Link gave Epona a pat of gratitude.
"Good girl, Epona."
He then turned his attention to their surroundings. They have truly entered into the desert: his boots were half-sunk in the hot sand. There was nothing around them but sand and the occasional bush. Up ahead, though, was the faint outline of a tent.
Sheik noticed it as well, and frowned. "That is not Gerudo-made. We should investigate."
They elected to leave Epona behind; the horse wasn't exactly built for the stealth that would be required to infiltrate the Gerudo Fortress.
Link's hackles rose once they reached the tent. Someone had been using it, but not anymore. A quick search inside the tent revealed five sleeping bags, but no bodies. There was a fire pit set up outside. A pot hung over it, suspended by wooden beams. Link peered into it. A stew that must've sat there for days remained uneaten, spoiling. Behind the tent was a bunch of stacked wooden beams.
"Whoever they were, it seems they were trying to fix the bridge."
"What happened to them?" Link crouched to the ground, searching for any type of track or footprint that could help explain what transpired. But the sand was too formless and changing; anything he might have found had been long blown away by the wind.
"They wouldn't have left everything like this voluntarily. These carpenters were attacked."
"Did the Gerudo…?"
Sheik nodded grimly. "I'm afraid it's most likely that they did this, yes."
Link swallowed. "Do you think they're still alive?" He glanced toward the valley, where life could be snuffed out almost effortlessly.
"I doubt it."
Then something cracked near the wood pile. Link drew his sword and shield without a second thought; out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Sheik had rustled up some throwing needles. They glanced at each other. Link pointed to the left, and Sheik nodded. Slowly, as silently as they were able, they crept towards the woodpile. Sheik took the left edge, and Link, the right. In tandem they whirled around the corners to the other side of the pile. There was nothing there but a few planks of wood that had fallen from the bigger pile.
Link sighed, tension dropping away.
"Link—" Started Sheik.
"Watch out!" Warned Navi.
The hero turned to see a man charging at him, both hands raised high, clutching the handle of a mighty axe.
Link raised his shield just in the nick of time, the clash of metal on metal an almighty clang. Link noticed that the tips of the man's ears were pointed—a Hylian. With deft handiwork that he had spent hours practicing with his ancestor, Link flipped the Master Sword around so the majority of the hilt, not the blade, faced the man. Link rammed the hilt into the man's stomach. The blow was strong enough to wind the man, to force him to drop his weapon, but not to kill him. The man doubled over, and Link kicked the axe well out of either man's reach.
"Fellow Hylian, we mean you no harm."
The stranger eyed Link incredulously.
"And we wouldn't have done any harm if you had simply walked up to us and said hello like a respectable person instead of running at us with an axe."
"'m sorry." Grunted the man. He gave his stomach one last rub, then brought his hands together, wringing them. It was strange to see such a frail gesture made by such a large man. "I thought you were some of those Goddess-damned sandies."
"'Sandies'?" Asked Link.
"The Gerudo," Sheik supplied.
"The name's Mutoh." The man extended his arm. Link took the hand, giving it a firm shake. Mutoh's hand nearly engulfed his own.
"My name's Link. And he's Sheik."
"I'm Navi!" Added the fairy.
"Link…Link…weren't you that little boy who helped my darling Anju locate her lost cuccos that one time?"
"Um…" Had the Hero of Time done that? It sounded like something he himself would do, but his ancestor? He wasn't sure.
"Yes, he's the very same one," Confirmed Sheik, smoothly stepping to Link's side as he joined the conversation. "Can you tell us what happened here?"
"My boys and I are carpenters in Kakariko. We were commissioned by Lady Impa to rebuild the bridge here. When we set up shop and started working though, the sandies were none too happy with us. It turns out that they had destroyed the bridge on purpose, and they wanted it to stay that way. But the thought of lugging all those supplies back to Kakariko Village, of having to tell Lady Impa that we failed…" The man trailed off, shuddering, leaving Impa's punishment up to their imaginations.
"Why did she tell you to build the bridge in the first place?" Asked Link. "If the Gerudo were indeed the ones who wrecked the original bridge, clearly they have no desire for any sort of trade with the rest of the world."
Mutoh shrugged. "She never gave us a reason. Just paid us well and wanted it done. Was enough for us."
Sheik shot Link a look, and the connection snapped into place in Link's mind. The reconstruction of the bridge wasn't ordered on behalf of the village—but instead for the Hero of Time, to make his journey at least a little easier.
"When we wouldn't leave, the sandies got angry. They took my men, one by one. Demanded us to leave after each man was taken." He let out a barking laugh. "As if we could just abandon them here!"
Sheik crossed his arms. "You're the last one left, then?"
Mutoh nodded. "They've been sniffing around for weeks looking for me. They couldn't ferret out my hiding place."
"That's true. So we thank you, strangers, for exposing this rat to the sun." The voice was feminine, layered with a thick accent.
As if from nowhere, Gerudo women appeared all around them. Link was surprised at once by their apparent physical differences when compared to Hylians. He expected them to have tanner skin. He saw not only that, but different features as well. Their ears were round at the tips, and their noses were larger and sharper than any Hylian's. Hylians were generally short and stocky with muscle; these thieves were tall, thin, lean.
Link and his companions were far too outnumbered; even with the carpenter's assistance, there looked to be at least ten Gerudos for every one of them. Link couldn't find it within him to marvel at their beauty. Their scimitars gleamed too maliciously in the light.
One woman dropped down directly in front of Link, Sheik, and Mutoh. She brandished her scimitar.
"Will you come quietly, or need we use force?"
"Where is Nabooru?" Demanded Sheik. "We must speak with her."
The Gerudo's grip on her weapon slackened slightly as she faltered with surprise, but she clenched it tight again.
"Well, that's rather unfortunate for you. Our exalted leader Nabooru is otherwise occupied. She's left me in charge to protect our fortress, and to deal with pale Hylian rats such as you." The other Gerudos drew closer, pressing in. Link, Sheik, and Mutoh formed a defensive triangle, each other's backs to the other two. Mutoh had only his large, but trembling fists for protection. With a flash of guilt, Link glanced over to where he kicked away the axe, far out of reach.
"So I will ask you one more time. Will you come quietly, or need we use force? Know that either way you will lose. One option, though, runs you the great risk of losing a few body parts along the way."
Link's gaze cut to Sheik.
"Your decision." He mouthed, and Link understood. Though he was not technically the Hero of Time, he technically still was. This was his quest. Although Sheik and Navi could provide assistance, he was the one that ultimately decided the course of action. And, at the moment, as loath a he was to the idea, the best course of action was inaction.
He tossed the Master Sword into the sand, followed by his Hylian Shield. His companions sided with his decision without protest. Sheik's needles fell from between his nimble fingers. Mutoh's fists uncurled, and his hands dangled by his sides.
Nabooru's second-in-command arched one red eyebrow. "You will not fight, after all? You seem to be a seasoned warrior, and yet you're nothing but a coward. I was looking forward to a challenge!"
"We would get many of you, but the battle would ultimately end in your favor. There is a difference between courage and stupidity."
The Gerudo leader sheathed her scimitar. "Search them." She ordered.
Three Gerudo women came up to them. Link briefly debated using them as hostages, but the gleam in the leader's eye suggested that it wouldn't go over well for him. So Link put up nary a struggle as the thief patted him down. She deftly removed the item pouches on his belt, as well as the leather holsters for his sword and shield. As her hands climbed his thighs, searching for hidden weapons, Link was too anxious to feel aroused or even flustered.
Another Gerudo bent down to collect the Master Sword. She grasped it by its royal blue hilt, but then dropped it immediately with a hiss.
"The blade burns at the touch, Aveil." She apologized to the leader. Well. At least now Link now had a name to put to the face.
Aveil frowned, but didn't chastise the other Gerudo. Instead, she instructed: "The Hylian must have put some sort of anti-theft spell upon it. Wrap it in a cloth to pick it up in order to place it in the sheath."
The Gerudo nodded and obeyed, and soon enough, anything potentially valuable or dangerous that they owned was collected in a pile. Link eyed the item pouches with trepidation. The medallions were in one of them. They were priceless. Their gleam was bound to draw the attention of the thieves, like moths to light. What if they traded them away? Or lost them? Even worse, what if they managed to harness the power of the medallions, and used them illicitly?
His gaze flickered back towards the bridge. He sent a quick prayer to the Goddesses that the thieves wouldn't elect to go down there and investigate how they managed to cross over. Epona and Sheik's mare would be in danger.
"Wait." Said Aveil. "Their headgear."
A Gerudo unraveled Sheik's turban; there was nothing but damp golden locks beneath. But when Link's cap was whisked off, Navi couldn't help but give out a small squeak of fear. She had ducked under his cap for safety after warning him of Mutoh's incoming attack. Before Link could think fast enough to do anything, Aveil darted forward and snatched the fairy up. Navi let out a cry of terror.
"Don't you dare hurt her!" Link lunged for Aveil, but was at once restrained by a pair of Gerudo thieves, each holding one of his arms.
Aveil held up her closed palm, so Link could see the fairy's blue glow, trapped inside.
"Such a tiny, fragile little thing." Her grip tightened.
"Don't you dare—" Link snarled.
"Or you'll what? Drop your weapons at my feet again?"
He simmered with rage, but knew he could do nothing. She laughed in his face.
"Take them to the cells."
Four women approached, securing both arms of Mutoh and Sheik, as Link was already secured. He watched as Aveil crammed Navi into a bottle one of her underlings handed her. The fairy pushed at the cork, trying with all her might to break free, but her species' strength lied in the healing arts, not brute strength. Soon enough, she slumped to the bottom of the bottle, defeated.
They're lead forward into the Gerudo Fortress, arms restrained and the tips of scimitars pointing into their backs. All in all, this was not the way Link was planning on entering. The thieves carrying their weapons and supplies peeled off from the main group. Link tried to be subtle about tracking their movements, which door they entered. If he managed to break out, he would need his gear if he hoped to make it out alive. Bit by bit, the group of Gerudos thinned as more and more split away; Sheik and Mutoh were escorted to cell in the middle of the fortress.
Link, on the other hand, was led to a cell far removed from the rest of the surrounding buildings. It was tall, made out of red clay. There was only one door leading in. They went through it. The interior wasn't much to look at, bare of any furnishings. Link was thankful it had a roof that kept the sun out; plotting his escape would be easier in the shade than in the uncomfortable heat. At the very top of the tower was a window that let in a single slat of sky. He cursed. If the Gerudo hadn't been thorough and stripped him of his item pouches, he could've used the longshot to escape.
"This is where you'll be staying for the time being, Hylian." Aveil still held the bottle with Navi in it. She probably planned to hold onto the fairy, like she was some sort of trophy claimed from their confrontation. If so, Aveil didn't plan to store Navi with Link and Sheik's gear. This was becoming more difficult by the minute.
"What do you plan to do with us?"
"Oh, there are many uses I could find for you. Put to you work, perhaps. You've got the strength needed in the fields."
"I won't serve you. Not ever."
"I could simply kill you and rid myself of your trouble entirely."
Link tilted his chin up, and said, more confident than he felt, "You won't do that."
"And what's to stop me?"
"Nothing at all. But why would you bother bringing us to cells—or ever has constructed cells in the first place, for that matter—if you were only going to kill trespassers? To transport us all the way here would be a waste of your time."
She laughed again. Link thought that he'd soon grow to hate the sound of that grating laugh.
"I said I might kill you, but I did not mean that I would do so immediately. There's a span of time between your death and now. Plenty of it can be easily devoted to torture. Perhaps we'll start with those disgusting ears of yours."
With that macabre thought, Aveil and her guards left the room and Link. He heard the snick of several locks and deadbolts sliding into place. He'd be foolish to just charge at the door. For one, it was made of sturdy iron, not breakable wood. And even if he could break it down, the noise it would cause would draw too much attention, not to mention that there were undoubtedly guards posted right outside the door that he would have to contend with.
"What in the world am I going to do now?"
He kicked with his feet and knocked with his hands upon every surface that he could reach. Nothing was soft, nothing gave. He glanced down at the ground, a compact dirt. He could dig. But suppose they came with food, or to haul him off to give him that torture Aveil was so excited for? They'd know at once what he was trying to do.
Perhaps he could reach the window. He said a short goodbye to his fingernails and buried them into the walls as he tried to climb. When he started, he soon realized the improbability of his task. The window was about fifty feet above him. Even if he was strong enough to climb all that way (hands and feet make very poor climbing tools) there was still the question of what exactly he was going to do once he got up there. Was there another building close enough to leap onto? He couldn't survive falling off.
"I've been hanging out with Sheik for too long," He grunted, as he slid a little ways back down the wall. His fingers trailed crimson streaks. "I've become pessimistic."
He climbed up a little further, muscles straining and sore—he had spent all day before this on horseback, after all—as they pulled him up. But then his boot slid off the wall and he slipped down. He dug in his hands and feet, trying to slow his descent and stop himself from falling on his back. He succeeded, but his hands bled and stung.
Link stared up at where he had climbed; the lines of blood torn from him were apparent even against the red clay. There was nothing for it, then. He wiped off his bloodied hands on the underside of his tunic. He couldn't climb the wall. The next Gerudo to come into his prison would instantly see how he tried to escape. Would Aveil punish him? And if so, how? He touched his ears, and wonders how life would be without them. True, this was not his body, per say, but he had no desire to endure the pain of parting with his ears, nor leave the Hero of Time without them whenever they managed to switch back. If they switched back.
Link kicked at the ground with frustration.
"I was right. So right. Deserts really are the worst."
-TBC-