Entry #14:
Dragons hibernate when the food supply is dangerously low. Do not panic when this happens. Instead, move them to a safe place until resources are secured.
Twilight decidedly ignored Wind's thirtieth huff today. It had been days since they landed in one of Wild's most unforgiving regions. If they were not running on empty stomachs, Hebra Region would have been a fun place to cool down and shield-surf. The Champion was the first to go down in the previous era they were sent into. Without their cook, they were left to fend off and ration the remaining food to themselves.
Still, luck was still on their side. The heroes landed on Tabanatha Frontier, and the Rancher had been in this place many times and knew where to go. Snowfield Stable would be a half-a-day trek, but getting there as soon as possible was their best option. The Ordonian took the lead and left his unconscious protégé to the capable hands of his ancestor.
"Hey, Twilight," The Sailor's voice cut through the crunch of snow beneath their boots. "Are you sure he's still alive?"
The younger werewolf inhaled. Please, for the love of Ordona, shut up, or he would - "Yes," He answered calmly for the nth time today. "He's alive, Sailor. You could hear him breathe, yeah?"
"Well, no, but -"
The Hero of Twilight groaned loudly and rubbed his face on his cold hands. He should have transformed; then, he would not have to answer the same question repeatedly. Be patient. That was Wind. He could not get angry at him. Selkies did not have keen hearing like werewolves did.
"Just trust me on this. Wild's fine. This isn't the first time it happened."
Sky glided beside the comatose dragon on Time's back. The elder werewolf had transformed to accommodate his descendant's protégé and the cold. The harpy draped his sailcloth over the Hero of the Wild to fend off the snow. "Uhhh…how many times did this exactly happen already?"
"This is the third time since we've known each other," Twilight replied. "Believe me. I panicked when it happened the first time, too."
The Rancher glanced at the hibernating dragon. Everyone's concerns were justified - they were used to seeing Wild being ungodly energetic and cheery that this sight would be worrying. The Champion's entire body was limp, easily mistaken to be dead. Not even his usually lively tail gave any indication to a living person. Only those with the sharpest senses could tell his heart was still beating.
"Are we there yet?" Legend asked. He had a scowl but often looked in the scarred hero's direction. "It's fucking cold."
The Ordonian tore his eyes away and surveyed the area before him. Amidst the snowy veil, he could see the warm lights from a familiar silhouette. A stable. He thought. Fucking finally. He pointed them in that direction, and the heroes doubled their pace. An elderly centaur, Monkton, spotted them and smiled warmly. Recognition sparked in his eyes at the sight of the younger werewolf.
"Welcome to the Snowfield Stable. It's been a while." The half-human, half-horse man's eyes drifted to the unconscious Hero of the Wild. He threw a sympathetic look at the Hero of Twilight. "Ran out of steam again, didn't he?"
Twilight sighed tiredly. "Yes, sir." He answered. "Do you still have beds we can rent for the night?"
"Of course!" Monkton nodded toward the inside of the stable. The warm lights were inviting to any weary travelers passing by. "Why don't you youngsters head inside and get yourself warmed up? I'll get Varke to sort your stay, yeah? Perhaps we could help you get something to fix Link up."
"Thank you so much."
"Whoa!" The Hero of Winds exclaimed after the elderly centaur left them to talk to the stablemaster. "This is the first time I've seen a land centaur. We only have those that live underwater. They run the stables here?"
"That's right." The Rancher nodded while he led them inside. The stable had few visitors, which was reasonable given the challenging trek to this region. "Though, not all. If we head to one of the stables near the sea, we'll meet ichthyocentaurs or even the hippocampi. It depends on the region, but centaurs run most of them."
"That's so cool!"
The Ordonian could not help chuckling at Wind's enthusiasm. He ruffled the younger hero's hair. "Don't get too excited now. We still have to wake Wild before we go anywhere."
"How long will that be?" Warriors asked as he carefully lifted Wild off the Old Man's back. The Hero of Time shook off the snow on his fur and transformed into human. A female centaur approached and guided them to their designated beds.
"A few days to a week." The younger werewolf answered as he switched the Sheikah Slate on and summoned some pillows and blankets. He signaled to the Skyloftian and passed the items to him. "Help me make a nest?"
The Chosen Hero's eyes light up, and he eagerly plucked the things off the other hero's hands. "Of course!" He chirped. "I'll borrow everyone's things, too. Wait a moment."
The vampire followed the Hero of the Skies as he hopped toward Hyrule. "What's the nest for?"
"So Wild won't panic when he comes around."
The other man looked at the Champion. "Is that something we should worry about?"
"Yes," The Hero of Twilight nodded as he removed his pelt and placed it over Sky's sailcloth. "Unless you want to deal with a confused and hissy dragon when he wakes up."
"Ugh. No, thank you. Getting my hair ripped out once was enough."
"Wise choice."
The heroes settled down and decided to resupply while they waited for their resident dragon to wake up. Sky mostly kept watch over the hibernating hero, content on wrapping the latter under his wings like a hatchling.
Three days passed when the first signs of life came from the mound buried underneath sleeping materials, borrowed clothes, and the harpy's wings. Twilight brought in a few plates of hot meals a few hours after the Skyloftian first alerted them. The others would bring the rest once the stablehands were finished cooking.
"Time to eat, Cub." The plates clinked as he set them one by one on the floor. "Everyone helped to make them."
The heap wriggled slightly, and a head of blond hair popped out. Half-lidded eyes surveyed the area before landing on both of them. The Chosen Hero chirped at Wild, who trilled softly. The latter seemed content with staying where he was. The Hero of the Skies cooed, trying to coax the still-sleepy dragon out of the warm layers.
It was a peaceful morning. That is until Twilight and Sky finally managed to tempt the Champion. The dragon finally decided it was time to demolish the food offerings, much to the sheer horror of the rest of the heroes and the amusement of the stablehands.
