Chapter 6
"Finally!" Zelda exclaimed looking up at the clear sky above her, "Looks like things are looking up, Fi!"
The sword spirit appeared next to Zelda, observing the lack of rain. "She seems to be feeling better," the sword spirit thought, "or at least feeling her best since Calamity appeared."
After her meeting with her ancestor from the Era of Time, Zelda had a new sense of confidence. She still knew little of magic or how it worked, but now she felt she could gain an understanding. After all, she spoke with her ancestor, that was a start! It was certainly more than all the silent praying had brought her through the years.
The fire she could spawn from hands now (thanks to her ancestor) was strange but Zelda was slowly getting a handle on it. Of course not without mistakes. Thinking back on it, she had accidentally set Fi's cloak on fire and nearly did the same to the entirety of the Great Plateau. It was fortunate it had been raining before or else the green plains of the plateau would be scorched black.
"Indeed, Princess. Before leaving, you should stock up on food. We have little knowledge of the landscape and whether more will be available later on." Fi advised. Zelda gave the spirit a wide grin. Fi hadn't seemed surprised when Zelda told her she spoke with one of the older queens, in fact Zelda wouldn't have been surprised if the spirit had known it would happen.
"Sounds like a plan," Zelda spoke as she began heading to one of the more wooded areas of the Plateau, "We'll gather some fruit and such. There's a river on the way to Kakariko, so we should be able to find fish there." She started scanning branches for fruit, "With luck I think we should be able to make it there in a few days." She only had one bag so how much she could carry was limited. Something was better than nothing though and soon Zelda's foraging proved fruitful, earning her a small supply of nuts and fruit. She worried it wouldn't last the few days she needed to travel, but she figured it would at least give her some energy in a pinch if they couldn't find anything else.
Satisfied, Zelda headed to the edge of the plateau. She gulped, looking down at the ground cliff's edge. If she were to fall she'd surely die.
"If it soothes your concerns, you have already made the climb before." Fi's voice chimed, the spirit no doubt sensing her unease, "In theory, if you've done it before, you are able to do it again."
Taking a deep breath Zelda nodded, "Thanks Fi." The sword spirit's attempt to make her feel better about making the climb down was appreciated.
Without another word Zelda lowered herself over the edge, and began climbing down. Starting at the top going down, Zelda decided, was much worse than going up. At least with up she didn't have to look down. Now though, she had to make sure to watch her footing and that meant looking down. Seeing the dizzying height made Zelda's stomach queasy, but she held firm to the cliff side as she made her descent.
Slowly the ground got closer, and Zelda felt herself relax as she got to a survivable fall distance. She felt her muscles strain at the effort of climbing but after doing it once already, she was prepared for it this time.
After so long the ground was only about a foot, perhaps a little more, away. Zelda pushed herself off the cliff, her feet landing somewhat unsteadily on the ground. Taking a moment to gain her balance, the hylian panted for a moment, using her sleeve to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
Then she grinned looking up at the cliff she just scaled, letting a sense of accomplishment fall over her. Or… maybe it was the feeling of actually falling… because she felt something large hit her body, causing her to topple over with a yelp.
A wet tongue licked her face, and Zelda felt a familiar, large, furry body settle on top of her. With a grunt, Zelda tried to push the wolf off, but the beast merely started licking her face more adamantly. She heard the sound of Fi's body manifesting and out of the corner of her eye, the familiar purple-blue cloak. Her vision was covered mostly by the wolf's face, two bright eyes stared back at Zelda.
"I believe that is the wolf you fed days ago, Princess. It appears to have waited for your return." Fi spoke, calmly, while Zelda tried in vain to push the beast off. She did take note, though, that the wolf was still grossly thin. Its bones stabbing her uncomfortably as the beast rested its body on her.
"I can see that..." Zelda sputtered, trying to avoid getting a mouthful of wolf's tongue as it continued to lick her. After several more licks, the animal finally relented, allowing itself to be pushed off.
Zelda got back to her feet, using her sleeve to wipe her face with a disgusted groan. The wolf barked at her, tail up and ears perked up as if pleased with its work. Despite wanting to, Zelda couldn't remain angry at such a display. Experimentally, she reached out, touching the wolf's head. The wolf panted happily, moving forward so the hylian's hand would run down his head and neck.
Smiling and chuckling dryly, Zelda scratched the wolf's head, earning a pleased chuff in response.
"What are you still doing here, boy? Don't you have a pack to get back to?" Zelda asked the wolf, feeling slightly silly for speaking to the animal. The wolf let out a whine though, moving closer to Zelda and shoving his body against her.
"Do you want to come with us boy?" Zelda offered. The wolf perked up at that. Moving from Zelda, it barked at her, tail up again, panting happily. Zelda let out a small laugh at the sight. The animal's actions were far more akin to a domesticated dog than that of a fearsome wolf and right now, in its current state, Zelda didn't think the animal could even take on weak prey animals.
"Princess, there is a high probability that this wolf will attempt to eat your supplies or even attack you once it gets back to its full strength. Is it really wise to allow it to accompany us?" Fi spoke up, breaking her streak of silence up until now. Zelda gave the spirit a reassuring smile.
"Have a heart, Fi!" Zelda knelt down scratching the wolf's head again, "Look at this wittle boy!" The wolf didn't pass up the opportunity to lick Zelda's face again now that she was closer. Fi didn't seem impressed, but she didn't seem ready to push the argument.
"Very well, Princess. I would advise you to think about obtaining food as soon as possible. It is unlikely the wolf will be satisfied with the small amount of fruit you have." With that, Fi disappeared. The wolf jumped to its feet, barking several times at the space Fi once occupied and moved away from Zelda, going to sniff the spot as if searching for the spirit.
"Don't worry boy, Fi's fine!" Zelda said with a laugh, going over to give the wolf a pat on the head. The wolf barked, seeming to understand her.
"If you want to travel with us you're going to need a name, huh?" The wolf barked, panted, and sat down, letting Zelda pet his head some more. Laughing, she obliged, scratching the wolf with both her hands and earning a pleased noise from the animal.
"How about…" She thought, "...Twilight?" It was told in legend that in the Era of Twilight the hero had turned into a mighty wolf, the form being brought upon by contact with the Twilight Realm. It seemed a fitting name for a strange wolf that seemingly wanted to follow Zelda.
Standing up, Zelda gave Twilight one last pat before adjusting her bow and bag on her back.
"Alright, let's go Twilight!" Zelda prompted, causing Twilight to jump to his feet and let out an excited bark. Pulling out her map, Zelda checked to make sure she was picking the correct road and headed off, Twilight following at her side.
The sun was out today, a stark contrast to the last two days of non-stop rain. Zelda could see the Dueling Peaks in the distance, appearing much the same as they did in the past.
Twilight stayed at her side as she walked. Only going off to chase a butterfly once before quickly returning to the former royal's side.
It was nice. Zelda never really did like traveling alone. She had done it of course, because to travel with others meant she'd be found quicker by her father. With Fi, and now this excitable wolf, Zelda really felt like she wasn't alone. Things were looking up. She was coming to understand her magic abilities now and with the company, Zelda almost felt like she was able to do something. Maybe not stop Ganon, but she was sure that there was some way for her to contribute. And that was progress. This thought made Zelda hold her head up a little higher, a small smile graced her lips.
Fi was not sure what to make of their newest companion. The wolf was strange, and Fi had little data on the species to reference it to anything. Fi felt the animal was strange. It followed them as they traveled down the road, every so often Zelda would give the wolf a pat on the head or encouraging words. The sword spirit remembered her first master acted similarly to his loftwing. Perhaps Zelda was latching onto the companion since she was on this journey alone? Alone aside from Fi, of course. But Fi knew she wasn't the best traveling companion.
She didn't ponder the thought any longer though, if the wolf became a threat to Zelda, Fi would deal with it. For now though, it wasn't hurting anyone, so she decided to let the wolf be. Instead, she focused on their surroundings.
When rested in the sword, her sight was limited, as she had no eyes or body. She could sense the world around her by seeing the aura that living things gave off. Zelda's aura was a blinding gold that Fi couldn't focus on for too long or else everything would dull in comparison. The wolf following was a mass of mossy green that mingled harmoniously with the sprinkling of soft greens that came from the grassy fields around them. There were no monsters around them, creatures of malice were black holes that absorbed all color around them like parasites on the world.
While in her physical form the world was slightly clearer, but Fi had never truly seen anything. Or at least, not in recent memory, only the colors and shapes of people's auras. Briefly, Fi wondered if she ever did see the world as Zelda and her master did, but she pushed the thought away. She had to focus on the mission at hand.
"Fi? ...Fi? Are you sleeping? D-Do you even sleep—Wait… That's rather rude to ask, isn't it? I hope I'm not waking you up..." Zelda's voice jolted Fi from her thoughts, she hadn't even realized the former royal was calling upon her. The spirit didn't sense any danger around them, so it must have just been Zelda wanting to interact.
"I do not sleep, Princess. I was not paying attention. I apologize. How may I serve you?" She heard the former royal chuckle and the wolf let out a bark.
"Nothing important, I just wanted to know if you wanted to stretch your legs for a bit." Zelda explained, leaving Fi quite confused.
"Stretch my legs?" Fi repeated. The sword spirit didn't really have a body that required stretching, so Zelda's query was perplexing.
"You know: Walk with us… out of the sword? You don't have to, but I thought it might be nice. It can't be comfortable to be inside the sword all the time." While not understanding why the former royal would want her physical presence, the spirit still obliged and compiled in a flash of light, standing next to Zelda.
"I have no concept of 'comfort'. I feel nothing when inside the sword." Fi clarified, before Zelda could respond though, the wolf barked, and suddenly a mass of wolf was upon Fi. The spirit tensed, not used to anything touching her physical form. The wolf jumped on its hind legs, putting its front paws on Fi's shoulders for balance as he licked her face. Fi heard Zelda giggling before the large animal was pulled off her.
"Awww! Twilight missed you!" Zelda said, still laughing. Fi failed to see humor in the wolf's actions. It was good to hear the hylian so happy though. It was actually the first time Fi had heard the former royal laugh genuinely.
"I have not been present in the world for that long. It is unlikely the wolf has any feelings regarding me." A whine from the wolf followed Fi's words, but Fi ignored it. Zelda laughed again, taking a step towards Fi.
"You hurt his feelings! it's okay Twilight, you'll win her over soon!" The wolf barked, and Fi was about to argue that there was nothing to win over. Suddenly though, Zelda was close to her, and the sword spirit startled, almost drawing away.
"Hold still for a second - you have wolf slobber all over your face." Zelda, using Fi's cloak, gently wiped the spirit's face, removing any slobber left over from the wolf's greeting. Fi tensed again, like with the wolf, but this time was different. Zelda's hands were gentle and Fi found herself somewhere else.
"Fi, please, you can't…" Said a voice the spirit couldn't place. Gentle hands tried to clean blood tangled hair.
"I'm fine."
Fi heard her own voice hiss. It was different though. It sounded… human… almost. This was not the normal monotone that Fi knew her voice to be.
"Your arms…"
"I'm fine!" She insisted, "Leave me alone!"
"Fi..? Fi..!" The sword spirit jolted at Zelda's voice as her world came back into focus. Checking her surroundings, she was back on the road with Zelda and the wolf, as they were before. Inwardly the spirit shuddered. These flashbacks were getting worse. It was getting harder for Fi to stay grounded in reality.
"I am still functioning, Princess." Fi could feel the doubtful look Zelda was giving her.
"Are you sure?" She let out a worried laugh, "You… spaced out there for a moment." Fi couldn't tell the former royal that she was questioning her entire past and whether she was alive at some point or not. Zelda had enough to worry about and logically putting more stress on her would only hinder the mission to stop Calamity.
"I apologize. I was merely distracted for a moment. It will not happen again." Fi could still sense the doubtful look on Zelda's face but the former royal relented.
"A-Alright then, let's get going. We're almost to Proxim Bridge. With luck we'll be in Kakariko in the next day or two." Zelda said, excitement at the progress shown clear in her voice. Fi nodded, following the hylian as they continued on their way. She pushed the flashback to the back of her mind, repeating the same thought to herself over and over: "after this is over, and the Master Sword was put to rest, it wouldn't matter anyway." Fi figures she will simply go back to sleep and everyone in this era will pass on before she wakes again, if that even were to happen again.
"Proxim Bridge, still intact after all this time!" Zelda hummed to herself, quickly scribbling the bridge's location onto her map. While she did so, Twilight was off chasing a group of herons, who flew off before the wolf was able to catch any. Fi was standing not to far off, unblinking eyes looking off in the distance.
The sun was still fairly high in the sky and Zelda was pleased with the distance they'd covered. Testing to make sure her ink was dry enough, Zelda folded her map back up, pocketing it.
"Twilight!" Zelda called. The wolf, who was circling the spot the birds had been at, perked up upon being called before happily trotting back to the former royal.
Heading across the bridge, Zelda spotted someone leaning against the stone railing: a hylian man holding a spear in one hand, his other hand positioned over his eyes to block the sun while he looked into the distance.
"Hello there!" Zelda greeted. The man jumped but quickly relaxed upon seeing it was just Zelda and her companions.
"Afternoon Miss, fine day for traveling today, huh?"
Zelda smiled, it was surprising how normal this felt. Even with the threat of Calamity looming in the distance, one could almost forget that it was even a threat at all.
"Most definitely! Are you on a trip yourself?" Zelda asked, stopping by the man. Twilight had already gone off to explore the other side of the bridge. Fi remained silent behind Zelda, getting a strange look from the man. However, since she wasn't hovering off the ground, one could just think that she was an odd looking hylian and not a few millennia old sword spirit.
"Nah," The hylian threw his hand, "Name's Brigo. I just watch this bridge to keep it clear of monsters. A lotta folks cross through here, it'd be a shame if it got infested." Brigo explained, a proud smile on his face. Zelda had to admire his goal. Without being ordered to by anyone, he was taking upon a task that could spell danger, even death, to himself. But in order to help others, he did so anyway.
"That's quite noble of you," Zelda smiled.
Brigo rubbed the back of his head, a slight blush surfacing on his cheeks "Just doin' what I can, Miss…"
"Zelda." She motioned behind her, "And this is Fi." Then motioning toward the other end of the bridge to the wolf, who was now rolling in grass. "And the wolf that ran by is Twilight."
Brigo let out a short whistle. "Some group ya got! Haven't seen no one with a wolf since I visited the Faron region. Buncha those tribes down there have em' as huntin' dogs." A curious thought, Zelda thought: perhaps Twilight was once a hunting animal for someone else? It would certainly explain why he was so friendly and followed commands with ease.
"Tribes? I've never been to the Faron region." A small lie. Zelda had been to the region, but not for a long time. Clearly things had changed.
"After the Great Calamity, y'know, everyone was scattered and dyin' off. Sos' a buncha people formed roamin' tribes and they been movin' 'round ever since. They're a pretty rough bunch but mostly stay in the Faron and Hebra regions."
Zelda hummed in understanding. It made sense not everyone would be complacent in hiding in small villages, but it did make the nagging sense of guilt return to her. Her people wouldn't be forced to travel around like vagabonds if it wasn't for her.
Fi must have sensed her guilt creeping up on her, because surprisingly the sword spirit spoke up:
"Are these tribes violent?"
Brigo shrugged, leaning back against the bridge's railing. "Depends on the tribe I guess. They'll sometimes help the villages clear out monsters, but mostly keep to themselves. Sometimes ya hear about tribes fightin' each other over huntin' grounds, but that's about it."
That was good Zelda supposed. She would have to keep these tribes in mind moving forward. After all, they were her people. After Ganon was defeated, it might take some convincing that it was safe to settle down again.
"Thanks for the info, we should probably be heading off though." Zelda gave a small wave, beginning to walk again.
"Course! Hope to see ya crossin' again." Brigo said with a smile giving a friendly wave goodbye, "May the goddess watch over ya travels." Meeting Twilight on the other side, the wolf, now covered in grass, happily trotted back to Zelda.
Following the river up towards the Dueling Peaks was rather uneventful. On the other side of the river, Zelda saw what looked like a camp of bokoblins but she still wasn't confident enough with her skills to go looking for a fight. Instead, she looked around for potential food sources.
Spotting a group of fish swimming around the edge of the river, Zelda pulled out her bow. It was a more challenging shot since the fish were more mobile in the river and a missed shot could mean a lost arrow getting swept away in the current.
Zelda took a breath and let an arrow fly. She heard a splash! and within a moment a dead fish floated to the surface, an arrow stuck through its body. Quickly, Zelda scooped the fish out of the water, a proud smile on her face. Twilight barked, tongue lolling out of his mouth, staring at the food. Laughing, Zelda softly pulled the arrow out of the fish before tossing it to Twilight (who caught it flawlessly). The wolf inhaled the fish, licking his lips, satisfied.
"Your skill is improving greatly, Princess." Fi noted, a hint of actual admiration slipping into her usual monotone.
"Good thing too. I'd… rather not starve." Zelda stated half-jokingly as she wiped the arrow tip off on her pants before slipping it back into her quiver. Fi didn't respond to that, but there was the slightest of nods from her.
The group continued on their way. Every so often, Zelda would stop to try and catch a fish she saw lingering by the edge of the river (However, she did end up missing one, and sadly, lost an arrow). In the end, it was worth it - having caught four fish, giving all but one to Twilight. She could cook the last one up for dinner later for herself.
Reaching the Dueling Peaks, the large mountains towered above. Passing through them always made Zelda feel small in comparison.
"Hey Fi," Zelda prompted the sword spirit, who turned her gaze to the hylian to show she was listening.
"There's a story about this place." She pointed to the break in between the two mountains before continuing, "It's said that a dragon god split the mountain in two so that the people could pass through. Have you ever seen a dragon?" She turned back to Fi with a child-like glow to her eyes, "Were they alive once? No one in current times has ever seen one." Zelda was curious. After all, many of the things she'd come to know for the past few days had been challenged. And who wouldn't want to know if dragons actually once roamed Hyrule!
"Her Grace, Hylia once tasked three great dragons to protect the surface of Hyrule." Fi spoke, following Zelda's gaze up at the sky peeking out from between the mountains above them. "I am actually curious myself to know if they survived or if they reincarnated."
"That's incredible!" Excitement at new information bubbled in Zelda's chest. "Did you ever meet them?" She always did love learning new things, even things not related to the ancient Sheikah tech she worked on so much. Any knowledge was useful knowledge to Zelda and she was glad Fi was being more forthcoming about this information.
"I encountered all three during my mission with my original master: Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru." Already Zelda noted that the names of the regions of the land took them so from the dragons. An interesting note to take as she never stopped to think who or what her land was named after. Fi continued, "They taught my master the 'Song of the Hero'. I myself did not interact with them much. My task was to aid my master."
"Your… first master… what was he like? You seem to be very loyal to him." A silly question. It was told in legend that the sword was always loyal to the one who wielded it, but Fi had to have her own thoughts on the matter. Zelda doubted Fi would just let any old person use the Master Sword.
"He was an outstanding individual. I am pleased to have called him Master… and friend, I suppose. He would be displeased if I did not include that." Fi paused for a moment as if lost in memories of the old hero. "I did not understand mortals very well when we began our journey. However, as we continued, my master helped so many people across the land. Most of them he did not need to. Yet he did so without intention for any personal gain." The spirit went silent again and Zelda frowned.
"Do you miss him?"
The spirit didn't look at her. Even Twilight noticed the spirit's change in demeanor. Going over to her, the wolf nudged his nose against her side.
"He is never really gone. His spirit is reborn and we meet again in a different time. A different life." Fi's voice had lost its monotone but it certainly sounded like she was trying to keep it. Zelda wanted to say something to comfort the sword spirit but she feared anything she said the spirit would reject.
"You and him are fairly similar." Fi said suddenly, causing Zelda to sputter.
"M-Me? Similar to the Hero of Skies!?" The idea was insane! Zelda was nothing like the hero! The Hero of Skies destroyed the first incarnation of the evil Hylia fought against. There was no way Zelda held any similarities to him. Zelda would be lucky if she shared similarities to her own ancestor of that time!
"Yes. He, too, often questioned me with frivolous queries that held no value to our current quest. He once asked what my favorite color was."
"What is your favorite color?" Zelda asked smiling, cutting Fi off because she was genuinely curious and because she knew it would fluster the sword spirit.
"I fail to see how that is relevant to our situation. Please do not follow in my master's footsteps. Many people of the surface thought he was insane with how he talked to me without my physical form being taken."
Zelda giggled at that, she could already see herself doing the same. She was already used to the familiar weight of the Master Sword on her back. Talking to Fi, even when she wasn't standing before her, was already becoming second nature.
"Well, now I think I have to know! Someone has to uphold the legacy of the great Hero of Skies! At worst, people think I'm a little crazed. It wouldn't be the worst people have said about me..."
"The Princess of Nothing but Failure" was probably the worst thing Zelda had ever been called. After that, being called crazy for talking to a sword was nothing in comparison. At least Zelda knew she wasn't crazy and she actually had the sword spirit to talk to.
"Maybe if you tell me your favorite color now I'll refrain from asking about it in the presence of others." Zelda teased, laughing slightly at the expressionless gaze staring at her.
"It is irrelevant data. I now regret telling you about my master. It seems you want to emulate his behavior."
Zelda laughed at that, she hoped somewhere the spirit of the Hero of Skies was getting a good laugh at this. The former royal got the feeling this was exactly why the hero questioned Fi, too.
"There are worse people to emulate. Come on Fi, just answer the question..! Or I could give a different one so I'm not just copying the hero." Zelda grinned the entire time she spoke, enjoying the track this conversation had taken. She hadn't had a talk this laxed since before her mother died. It was always duty or the coming destruction of Ganon. Never something so silly.
If the spirit could, Zelda bet she would have sighed. After several moments of silence and Zelda watching the spirit expectedly, she finally relented.
"I find purple to be aesthetically pleasing." Fi spoke reluctantly and Zelda grinned.
"See, wasn't so hard! Mine's green by the way. I'll have to think of more 'frivolous' questions to ask." The hylian could almost feel the groan that the spirit wanted to give but refrained. Talking to Fi about random topics was certainly more entertaining than walking in silence. Plus, Zelda was pretty sure she just learned more about Fi in this one conversation than any other time she had tried to prompt the spirit to talk about herself.
"You should refrain. It is a waste your energy." Fi stated monotonously, keeping her gaze ahead.
"I'd beg to differ—" Zelda was about to continue but was suddenly pushed to the side by Fi. Within seconds, she saw why. Out of the water sprung a lizalfos spear, landing in the ground where Zelda once stood. The former royal stumbled backwards, nearly falling over.
She quickly righted herself though. Twilight hurried to her side, lips pulled up and releasing a gravelly growl. Fi stood in front of Zelda, between the monster and her.
"Stay back, Princess." Fi spoke softly before moving towards the monster to engage.
The lizalfos hissed, ripping its spear from the ground and lunging it towards the spirit.
Fi dodged out of the way using the spear's slow recovery to her advantage.
Zelda watched on as the two fought, Twilight at her heel growling. She didn't trust herself to try and hit the fast moving monster now. She might accidently hit Fi and Zelda wouldn't forgive herself for causing the spirit harm.
Something in the river caught her eye, though. Movement. Larger than a fish. The realization dawned on her, seeing the unmistakable horn from another lizalfos break the water's surface. Fi was too busy fighting the other one to notice its kin preparing to strike.
Quickly, Zelda pulled her bow out, drawing an arrow.
The beast poked its head up, ready to leap from the water. It was greeted with an arrow flying from Zelda's bow, nailing the monster's head and burrowing deep into its cheek.
The lizalfos let out a shriek, sinking back into the water.
It's cry brought the attention of its kin fighting Fi, giving the spirit the opportunity to jump and land on the beast's head.
A crack resonated, and the monster moved no more.
It's kin rocketed out of the water. Sickly, black malice running down its face from the arrow that was buried there.
The monster didn't last long against Fi, already injured as it was. It fell just like the other, hitting the ground with a thud. Malice leaking from its wound.
Fi stopped elegantly and turned to Zelda, "The threat has been neutralized, Princess." She stated calmly before walking away from the dead as if it were a normal, everyday thing.
Twilight barked, running over to the monsters to sniff them and confirm their deaths.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Zelda slung her bow back onto her back and went to retrieve her arrow. Unfortunately, the bow shaft was covered in the gunky malice seeping from the monster's head.
Unlike everything else that bled normal blood, monsters had malice running through their veins. Malice was a gunky, slime-like substance that came from Calamity Ganon. It was a toxic substance that would corrupt or kill anything that touched it. A single drop of malice could render an entire lake undrinkable or cause severe burns to any it touched.
The arrow was better off abandoned than risk injury to reuse it. It was possible to clear things of malice but they had never figured out how to do it. Legend went that the princess could cleanse things of Calamity's taint, but Zelda certainly didn't know how.
"Let's keep going then. The sun should be setting fairly soon." Zelda stated, looking grim at the deceased monsters.
They kept moving and Zelda made sure to look over the sword spirit for any damage done during the fight.
"Are you okay, Fi? That monster didn't hurt you, did it?" Looking the spirit over, Zelda saw no injuries. Then again she wasn't sure what to look for. She was fairly certain the spirit didn't bleed, so the hylian was uncertain if Fi could even sustain injuries like most.
"I am undamaged, Princess." The spirit reported, and Zelda believed her, spotting nothing amiss about the spirit.
Reaching the other side of the mountain pass, the hylian smiled at the last rays of sunlight hitting her face. The sun was dipping over the horizon now, and the orange rays made the river sparkle in the light.
Off in the distance, Zelda saw another vaguely horse shaped building. Another stable, she quickly realized.
Wasting no time, Zelda hurried over to the building. While staying at the other stable near the Great Hyrule Forest, she had learned that there were stables all across Hyrule now. They acted as safe places to stop during a trip across the land. Cooking pots were free to be used and they charged little for actual bedding. However anyone was free to camp out near the stable if they needed to.
Fi returned to the sword before anyone could see her. Though she seemed to be getting more lax about people other than Zelda seeing her, it would seem suspicious to see Fi not eat or sleep the entire night they'd stay there. The spirit decided it would probably be best to avoid the questions that'd be raised at that.
Zelda greeted the many other hylians that were mulling about the stable. One complimented the Master Sword strapped to her back, even asking if it was for sale. She politely declined and went off to the cooking pot to cook the fish she saved. Roasting the fish didn't take too long but the sun was nearly gone by then.
Feeding what she didn't eat to Twilight, Zelda found a nice spot not far from the stable. Underneath a tree, she sat her stuff next to her and settled down. Twilight curled up next to her, letting out a large yawn. Quickly, Zelda fell asleep, the quiet chorus of crickets becoming quite relaxing to the former royal.
She awoke to a startling awakening, Twilight had jumped up barking. Shaking her head, Zelda frowned and rubbed her eyes. The sun was just barely rising, its gentle rays painting over the land. She wondered what got the wolf so worked up.
"What's wrong boy?" She said tiredly, still adjusting to the sudden day.
Twilight barked, sniffing the spot where Zelda's bag sat. She gave the wolf a look, not seeing what was wrong. Then she blinked, figuring she was just tired.
Getting up, Zelda picked up her bag and bow, searching around, but it was gone. A shot of adrenaline sent panic straight to her heart as she looked around in vain. It was gone.
The Master Sword was gone. Fi along it...