Chapter 24 - Gerudo Desert Trip - Part Three
Summary: The family completes the first part of their journey to the Gerudo Desert.
The morning sun reflected off the calm green waters of the Lanayru Sea as a steady north wind propelled the sailboat south. Link sat in the stern, one hand on the tiller, as he steered the craft west of the tiny Wintre Island and then onto a course parallel to the Afromsia Coast. He was not alone on the boat. Gaddison, one of the two Zora guards assigned by King Dorephan to accompany them, sat in the boat's bow and kept an eye on things from there. His lovely wife Mipha was swimming with Sidon, Tidon, and Raypha as they played in the water between the boat and the shore and had no trouble keeping up with the boat's progress. Rivan, the other Zora guard on the trip, swam ahead of everyone to ensure there was no danger.
Link was thrilled to be traveling once again, feeling the wind on his face and enjoying the beautiful view. He looked forward to seeing more of Hyrule, for he had come to love every part of that magnificent land. True, some locations were quite harsh, but he appreciated them for what they were and had learned to accept them on their own terms. He believed possessing the Goddess's sword and being her servant must have deepened his feelings for Hylia's land and her people. Perhaps only Zelda loved all of Hyrule as much as him, for she too was Hylia's servant and her descendant as well.
Hyrule was such a fantastic place! There were so many extraordinary locations, each with its unique history and beauty. And even the same place could surprise you each time you returned. One day, you could find yourself wiping rain off your face and stepping through puddles as green Thunderwing Butterflies flitted about. Another time you could enjoy a mild, sunny day with a gentle breeze and a colorful rainbow in the distance. And nighttime would change things all over again. The moon and stars could be shining above as the buzz of night insects joined the crackle of wood on a warmth-giving campfire. He had quite a few fond memories of traveling throughout Hyrule and didn't mind adding some more.
And what made this journey all the better was that he was traveling with his family. Both he and Mipha wanted their children to see Hyrule for themselves and to appreciate the land and the people who lived there. Most Zora families stayed close to home and never ventured beyond the Central Hyrule, Lanayru, Necluda, and Faron Regions. So this was a unique opportunity for Sidon and their children to broaden their horizons.
And aside from simply being educational, one of them would someday rule Zora's Domain and could benefit from firsthand knowledge of other locations and races. Though, given how lengthy Zora lifespans were, Link couldn't even imagine how far in the future that would be. Would their children even remember these trips after all that time? But come to think of it, maybe that was another reason why Mipha insisted they write essays about these family trips. If they were preserved, they could jog their memories someday.
Link smiled and shook his head. Mipha was a lot smarter than people who didn't know her realized. And perhaps Zora longevity gave them a longer-term outlook on life, a tendency to plan further ahead than he ever would. And then he suddenly remembered he was supposed to take pictures. So he picked up the Sheikah Slate and took several photos of the family and their surroundings.
As Rivan swam ahead of everyone, he enjoyed the saltwater experience but stayed fully alert for any possible danger. He certainly didn't expect any trouble, but he did not want to let his guard down. He and Gaddison were charged with protecting the entire future of the Zora Royal Family, which was a tremendous responsibility.
Besides, it was not all that long ago that these waters were known to be dangerous. Back in the day, you might be unlucky enough to encounter a pair of Lizalfos. They would most likely be swimming underwater, hunting for fish. But those nasty monsters would be more than happy to alter their diet and put you on their menu instead if you happened to wander too close and drew their attention. So fishermen from Lurelin Village learned to steer clear of the telltale disturbance on the water's surface that signaled their unwelcome presence below.
But Lizalfos were few and far between now. Once Ganon was destroyed and Blood Moons no longer revived destroyed monsters, the hunter became the hunted. Fishermen banded together to hunt Lizalfos wherever they could be found and not only to remove a dangerous adversary. While it lasted, collecting Lizalfos tails could be more profitable than fishing, for the tails were highly valued as an elixir ingredient and could fetch a high price in the market.
Another possible danger was a Water Octorok encounter, but that too was unlikely these days. Those simple-minded creatures would attack on sight, spitting rocks at anyone who came within range. They could cause a nasty bruise if you weren't paying attention. But their mindless attack-on-sight behavior spelled their doom. A well-aimed arrow was all it took to destroy them, for they were weak enemies and notoriously poor swimmers. And so they, too, had been hunted and destroyed whenever encountered, more to eliminate them as a nuisance than for anything too precious.
Of course, there were other possible, though unlikely, dangers. For example, there were tales of giant Octoroks that could swallow a person whole. But any such creatures would live far offshore, in much deeper water than they were traveling. And between Link, Mipha, Gaddison, and him, Rivan thought they could handle even one of those.
Anyway, a Zora could detect danger in the water quite far away, and so far, there had been no sign of trouble.
Gaddison was relaxing on the boat, saving her energy for guard duty tonight but still keeping an eye on things. She kept glancing ahead to ensure Rivan was well, looking over at Mipha and the family swimming, scanning the sea to the stern, and then checking on Link. She recalled Mipha had pulled her aside on their way to Lanayru Bay for a brief conversation.
"Um, Gaddison, could I have a word?" Mipha said quietly.
"Of course, Lady Mipha."
"Would you mind keeping an eye on Link while I swim with Sidon and the children?"
"Of course, but is there anything wrong, something I should be looking out for?" said Gaddison.
"No, nothing wrong, really," said Mipha. "It's just that … well, sometimes Link gets tired more quickly than I remember, and I want to be sure he's alright, not too exhausted from steering the boat. Of course, I would be happy to stay with him instead, but I understand you need to rest during the day."
"Of course, Lady Mipha. I'll keep an eye on him for you, don't worry."
And she did. But as far as Gaddison could tell, Link looked fine, the same as always. She thought perhaps Mipha was worrying too much.
As Link steered the boat and leaned back, enjoying the fresh ocean breeze, he occasionally glanced to the right at Mipha, Sidon, Raypha, and Tidon as they splashed and played together. They looked like they were having a great time and must enjoy swimming in such a large body of water. He wished he could join them but understood that he needed to take care of the boat while Mipha stayed close to Sidon and the children. And despite the beautiful armor Mipha had made for him, he couldn't last as long swimming in the water as they could. Anyway, he hoped he and Mipha could be together later that night when they stopped for the evening, and the children were asleep.
Link glanced ahead to check his course, then looked back at Mipha. He had to admit he had trouble taking his eyes off of her. He could never tire of watching her, especially in the water, for her movements were so elegant and graceful as she glided through waves or dove underwater and then surfaced. She would sometimes catch him staring at her when she swam and then laugh, giving him that sweet smile of hers that melted his heart every time.
He still remembered one of those times.
It was a late afternoon at East Reservoir Lake after they married but before they had children. It was during the time they could finally live a normal life after having just helped rid the domain area of monsters.
"Until next time, Ruta," said Mipha as she affectionately patted Ruta, and she and Link prepared to leave the Divine Beast. Ruta answered by bellowing once in farewell.
"She seems in good spirits," said Link, making sure to refer to Ruta as 'she' and not 'it.'
Then he realized his choice of words was perhaps ill-advised, given their encounters with the spirits of the other Champions inside their Divine Beasts. But maybe he was overthinking it, and the allusion was too subtle, for Mipha ignored it.
"Yes, she's doing fine," said Mipha, taking Link's hand. "Come, sweetheart. I'll pull you back to the pier."
They dove into the lake, and Mipha pulled him through the water so fast he had to hold his breath to avoid laughing and swallowing too much water in the process. When they reached the northwest pier, she let go of his hand as he climbed onto the platform. Then he turned and watched as Mipha did a double dive and surfaced with a perfect landing onto the pier. He could only stare at how graceful she was and how effortless she made it all look, and she noticed his expression.
"Are you critiquing my movements, sweetheart?"
"Huh? No, greatly admiring them. The way you dove and surfaced was so amazing and beautiful! And so are you," said Link. "I love you."
"Aw, that's sweet, and we Zora love to hear compliments on how well we dive and swim. I love you, too," said Mipha with her cute smile as she took his hand. "You know we have the entire lake to ourselves, sweetheart. Well, except for Ruta, and she won't look. So…."
They looked into each other's eyes and smiled. Mipha's eyes were so beautiful, such a gorgeous shade of gold in the late afternoon sun. He didn't want to look away. But then he couldn't resist and picked her up. Then they both laughed before kissing several times as he held her in his arms while she wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. And as he carried her to the nearby bed, he didn't care if Ruta looked. All he could think about was her and how much he wanted her. They held their kiss as he gently laid her down, and then ….
"Link? Are you okay?" said Gaddison, bringing his mind back to the moment and realizing they were drifting off course.
"Oh, sorry, Gaddy, I'm fine," said Link as he corrected their course. "Just lost in thought for a moment."
"From where you were staring and your expression, I can only imagine what you were thinking about," laughed Gaddison, and Link felt himself blushing, which only confirmed how right she was.
Link wanted to hold Mipha in his arms and kiss her at this very moment. He loved her so much. And it was remarkable how little she had changed since they married. Well, except for being taller, of course. She was further along in her growth spurt now and would be a typical fully grown Zora someday. Then he would have to joke about looking up to her.
Mipha was thinking of Link, too, and kept glancing at the boat every so often until she saw Link looking her way. He looked so cute as he steered the ship, bringing back memories of times they had traveled together. She waved to him, and he waved back, then he blew her a kiss. He did it the Hylian way, of course, putting his fingertips to his lips and then flicking his hand away from his mouth as if blowing the kiss through the air to her. And she returned his kiss the Zora way, pursing her lips and forming a kiss, then waving her hand back and forth to float it to him through the water. Then they both laughed.
"Come on, Mom, let's play!" Raypha shouted, interrupting the moment. "There will be plenty of time for you and Dad to kiss later."
"Raypha, I honestly think you're growing up too quickly!" laughed Mipha. "Are we still playing tag? Am I 'it'?"
Link could hear Raypha's shout, and he laughed as well, then returned to steering the boat and checking the sail.
"You feeling tired and want me to take over for a bit, Link?" said Gaddison.
"No, I'm fine. Really."
"Then I'm going to hop overboard and snatch a couple of Porgies for lunch. Be right back."
Gaddison dove into the water and lunch sounded good to Link too. So he reached over, retrieved some food he had packed, and then began eating. His activity attracted two seabirds overhead, looking to see if he would toss them a bite - which he did. And after a few minutes, Gaddison returned to her seat in the boat, and they sailed on.
After some time, when Link steered the boat around Mapla Point and past Deepback Bay, he was surprised when Mipha dove underwater and then surfaced with an elegant landing on board.
"Done playing for now?" said Link.
"Sidon and the children are so active they even tired me out!" said Mipha as she sat beside Link and put her arm around him.
"I'll keep an eye on Prince Sidon and the children," said Gaddison as she rose and prepared to dive into the water. "I could use some more water time."
Gaddison dove into the water and swam to the others, upon which they heard Tidon shouting for a race to the nearby small island Link remembered as Tenoko Island.
"Besides, I could use a kiss right now," said Mipha.
"So could I ever!" said Link rather eagerly. "And don't worry - I can easily hold the course steady toward Soka Point while we kiss, so I don't think I'll ground the boat."
Mipha pressed her lips to Link's, and they kissed, then kissed some more, as Link closed his eyes until a glance showed they were nearing the coast, and he needed to steer.
"You should join me more often," said Link. "It does wonders for my mood."
"It does wonders for mine, too," laughed Mipha. "And I'm looking forward to Lurelin Village. Now let me relieve Gaddison from watching the children before they wear her out too!"
Mipha dove back into the water, and a few moments later, Gaddison returned and boarded the boat.
"I checked on Rivan, and he's still doing fine," said Gaddison. "Your children are fun, very smart, and quite competitive, too. I can't tell if they get that from Lady Mipha or you, but probably both."
"I might take some credit for the competitive part," laughed Link. "But I'll give my lovely wife credit for the smart part."
"Very modest of you," laughed Gaddison. "And smart too."
Then they both laughed.
It was a beautiful orange sunset when Link steered the boat between Rimba and Korne Beach, finally docking it at the pier in Lurelin Village as the rest of the group came ashore. One of the villagers relaxing there after a day of fishing helped Link secure the boat to the dock with a sailor's knot that Link thought he would try to remember.
"Welcome!" said the villager. "I hope you enjoy your stay here."
"Thanks, I'm sure we will," said Link as Mipha took his hand. "I've never had a bad visit here. It's a beautiful village."
"Then you've been here before and know your way around, I guess, so I'll say no more," said the villager. "Have a good evening."
"Does anyone need dinner?" asked Link as they made their way into the village. "I ate something on the boat just before we arrived."
"We all caught some fish and ate on the way," laughed Mipha as she squeezed his hand. "See how good it is to be a Zora?"
"I can see it has some advantages," laughed Link. "At least I'm glad I married one!"
Sidon and the children were unusually quiet and clearly worn out from playing.
"There's a quiet secluded pool of fresh water just above the village," said Mipha. "I think it's time for an early sleep."
"Aww! Already?" groaned Tidon. "We didn't even get to spend time with Dad today!"
"Yes, already. Tomorrow we will have a lot of climbing, and you all need to be well-rested," said Link. "We will have plenty of time together then."
"I know where the freshwater pool is that you want them to sleep, Lady Mipha, and can take them there," said Gaddison.
"That would be perfect, Gaddison, and thank you," said Mipha.
"Come on, everyone. Say goodnight, and let's go. I think that should include you too, Rivan," said Gaddison.
"You don't need to tell me twice!" laughed Rivan. "I should sleep like a snail. I'm exhausted!"
"Thanks, Rivan and Gaddison," said Link, and they both nodded.
Sidon and the children hugged Mipha and Link goodnight and then followed Gaddison and Rivan toward the small pond just below the waterfall above the village, where there was plenty of fresh water to rest in.
"You feeling okay after steering the boat all day?" said Mipha.
"Yes, I feel great," said Link. "You're not too tired, I hope."
"You hope?"
"Well, I mean, we…," Link stammered.
"You're so cute when you blush," laughed Mipha as she gripped his hand. "And you're cute even when you don't. Come on, sweetheart. I'm not tired at all, and I know some private spots."
"Just what I've been thinking about all day!" laughed Link as he squeezed her hand back, and they made their way together.