Chapter 14

Link jerked back with a wince, the sudden pain catching him off-guard. His left thigh throbbed fiercely, all but drowning out the burning sensation down his arms and across half of his face. He could only open one eye, the other having been covered with some sort of fabric. Though his wounds were the first thing to register, his surroundings were also different from a few seconds ago. Gone was the open road and afternoon sunlight, replaced instead by lanterns hanging from wooden rafters and the strong smell of leather and hay. He raised his hand to explore the dressing over his face, surprised to see bandages wrapped around the limb.

"Better leave that alone, lad." The voice was vaguely familiar as a hand stopped him, gently prompting him to lower his arm. "Are you back with us, now?"

Link turned his head to see an older man sitting at his side. Tanned, weathered skin spoke of a life spent outdoors, the black hair tied back just starting to show signs of grey. His beard and mustache were neatly trimmed and his normally friendly dark eyes were creased in concern as he loosely wrung out a lightly steaming cloth.

Link recognized him as one of the many stablemasters he'd met over the course of his journey. "Anly," he greeted, recognizing his surroundings as part of the Lakeside Stable. "What happened?"

Anly raised an eyebrow at the question. "I was rather hoping you could tell me." He laid the wet cloth over Link's thigh, carefully pressing it against the dried blood holding the torn trousers in the wound. "Mire woke me with his barking and I found you and your lady friend outside, both in a daze and covered in too much blood to be good for either of you. Cima is inside helping Shay stitch up the lady and then he'll come take a look at this leg." He rose to his feet, replacing the lid on a medium-sized jar as he moved to put it away. "I used a poultice on your burns, though I've never used it on any that severe before so I don't know how much it'll help."

"Thank you." Link pushed himself to a sitting position, wincing as a sharp pain in his side alerted him to another wound he'd been unaware of. He ignored it with practiced ease, though he was a little surprised to find his right hand clutched around the sheathed master sword on the table beside him. The fact he'd had another episode couldn't be more obvious, but there was only one thing he needed to know right now. "How badly is Zelda injured?"

"She has a cut in her side that's deeper than yours. Shay said it looked like she may have taken a healing elixir as a good cleaning didn't make it start bleeding again and the deepest parts had already started closing their own." He sighed when he saw Link sitting up, stepping back to the young man and resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "She's going to be fine, she'll heal well if she minds the stitches. You just lie back and focus on your own wounds."

Link shook his head, resisting the slight pressure on his shoulder prompting him to lie back. "I'm all right." He gingerly lifted up the cloth, inspecting his leg with a critical eye. "Looks like I'm not going anywhere for a while."

Anly snorted. "I'd say you already did enough running around on this leg, lad. It's obvious it was caused by a blade but the edges have torn open even wider. Where would you be wanting to go at this time of night, anyway?"

"I know where find some fairies." Link shrugged, wincing as the movement pulled at his side. He carefully replaced the cloth to let it continue loosening the dried blood. "And I've found fairy tonics to be more effective if taken soon rather than later."

Anly's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Fairies, eh? I see why you're in such a hurry. I'd send someone to fetch them for you, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with any of my people out this late, what with the stals everywhere. We're all stable hands, not fighters."

"It's fine, I'm the only one who can get there fast enough anyway." Although occasionally found around ponds or hiding in tall grass, fairies were almost always present at any of the four great fairy fountains. And one of them had a shrine, and thus travel gate, particularly close to it. With the shrine located behind the stable, Link could be there and back in less than ten minutes.

Anly looked a bit skeptical about the claim, pointedly eyeing the injured leg, but held his peace. Fairies could mean the difference between life and death for travelers, so he couldn't fault the young swordsman for wanting to keep the location a secret. "Your horses were pretty worn, and I normally would recommend against taking either of them out until they've rested, but I'll have Kampo get one ready after Shay's done with your leg. You prefer the mare, yes?"

Link smiled, watching the stablemaster as he checked on a pot bubbling over a fire nearby. "I appreciate the offer, but I can't take a horse with me." This smile fell from his face as he glanced down to the missing Sheikah slate and then the master sword. "Did Zelda have a slate with her, about this big? Glowing symbol of the Sheikah on one side?" he asked, using his hands to show its size.

"I'll have to ask Shay or Cima. I take it this item is important to you?"

"Extremely important." Without the slate, he couldn't get the fairies nearly so quickly or easily. And, if they had lost it during his latest episode, he wouldn't even know where to begin looking.

"I'll go ask about it as soon as I'm done here." Anly moved a couple bowls of lightly steaming water to the table before using a pair of tongs to fish a soft bristle brush from the boiling pot. He carefully took the handle with his other hand, flicking the excess water from the bristles before handing a thick strip of leather to Link. "In the meantime, you'll want to bite down on this- we've got to clean out that wound before it can be stitched up."

The soft drumming of water drops on wood filled her ears, the pleasant scent of petrichor wafting in through an open window. Zelda inhaled deeply through her nose as she stretched, the smell and sound of the rain bringing a smile to her face. She opened her eyes, lazily blinking up at the cloth draped over the four-poster bed as her mind became fully alert, realizing with a start she had no idea where she was.

She glanced around, eyes falling on Link sitting in a chair at her bedside. He was wearing a different tunic from what he'd had on the day before, and had traded his trousers for a pair of ragged brown shorts. It looked like the legs had been cut off with a knife rather than hemmed with needle and thread, and appeared to be made out of animal hide instead of fabric. His exposed thigh had a line of black sutures that arced up around the outer edge of his leg and disappeared beneath his shorts. His arms were loosely folded across his chest and his head was lolling to the side, fast asleep.

Link's stitches were enough to jog her memory of the incident with the Yiga the previous night; a quick glance confirming the skin of his face and arms were indeed intact and burn-free. She also remembered her own injury, though she was surprised to feel no pain from it. Turning away from the swordsman, Zelda carefully lifted the blanket to check. She had been dressed in borrowed clothes and, when she discreetly pulled up the bottom of the shirt, found only a faint white line where she had been struck by the blade. Link hadn't been wrong about the potency of that red elixir and she was glad she had split it between them right after the incident.

Lowering the shirt again, Zelda turned back to her sleeping companion. She stared at him as she tried to recall arriving at what she assumed was the stable or anything after that, but there was nothing. No idea where the clothes had come from, who had changed her, how Link had injured his leg... She wondered if this was how Link felt after his episodes, understanding more of why he insisted she tell him everything that had transpired. It was a bit frightening to not know what had happened between one memory and the next.

The Sheikah slate caught her eye, the twisted hook having been either fixed or replaced as it hung once again on Link's belt. The master sword was nowhere in sight, indicating either someone here had far more knowledge than was possible about Link's episodes, or the swordsman was back in his right mind.

The latter was more likely, but didn't explain why he was sleeping in a chair at her bedside. Someone could have mistaken his docile state for worry and given him the chair, but she could think of no other reason for him sleep there instead of the empty bed next to hers. Unless he had been that worried and watched over her throughout the night? He had told her previously that the elixir would take several hours to fully take effect and he wouldn't have remembered splitting it between them.

Wanting to let him sleep a while longer, Zelda tried to quietly get up to find out where they were and ask whoever she could find about the gap in her memories. The bed frame betrayed her, creaking loudly as she sat up and waking the swordsman.

Link blinked a couple times, the ambient light indicating it was morning. He arched his back as he stretched his arms out above his head, listening to the satisfying crack of his spine from sleeping hunched over. An odd tug in the skin along his leg drew his eyes, brows drawing down in irritation as he saw the overgrown sutures. With an illegible grumble, he pulled a small utility knife from his belt and began digging out the stitches.

"What are you doing!?"

Link glanced up, belatedly remembering Zelda had been sleeping in the bed next to his chair. "Morning, princess." She looked slightly horrified at the knife in his hand as he worked the tip through the top most layers of skin on his leg. It took his sleep-addled brain a few seconds to process her question and expression, realizing she likely didn't have much experience with such injuries. "I fell asleep before taking my stitches out last night, so now the skin's grown over them. They can get infected if I leave them in, so..." He shrugged, carefully sliding the knife's tip beneath the black horsehair and working it back and forth without putting too mush pressure on the line so as to not further damage the newly healed skin.

Zelda closed her eyes, turning her head away. It was a logical explanation and though any one of the injuries she'd seen last night was far worse, there was something unnerving about anyone digging into their own flesh with a blade. "What happened to your leg?" she asked, staring at the cloth hanging over bed and covering most of the outside world from view.

Link paused briefly, sparing her a glance before continuing to work on removing the sutures. "I was hoping you could tell me. We had just passed the fork leading to Lurelin Village and then the next thing I know I'm laying on a table with Anly cleaning my wounds." The blade jerked slightly as the horsehair broke and he teased the end up until he could grab it with his nails. It slid out without too much difficulty and he started working on the next. "I assume I...lost the master sword?" The fact he'd had yet another episode went without saying.

Zelda dropped her eyes, playing with a lock of her hair. The turn off to Lurelin Village had been shortly after they rejoined the main road, an hour or two before the incident. Had she really gone so long without uttering a single word to him? Though the days of travel had wearied her, even the simplest of questions would have had alerted her to his vulnerability. What good was her presence if she didn't actually do anything to help when he was compromised? "You did. I did not see the initial attack- you tackled me and we both fell to the ground. The horses were startled and ran off, and suddenly there was a Yiga standing over us. You engaged him in combat, which, I'm ashamed to say, is when I realized you were not yourself. Once he had been...dispatched...you turned your sights on me."

She hesitated slightly over whether to sugarcoat the next part or not before lightly shaking her head. She had promised not to hold anything back. "I reclaimed the slate and you seemed to recognize it, for you tried to flee. I trapped you in a barrier, at which point you...went berserk, for lack of a better term, throwing yourself at the barrier like a caged animal. You wounded me as I returned the sword to you. Since you had awful burns on your arms and face, and I had a deep wound in my side, and I split your healing elixir between us before continuing on to the stable." She hesitated again, not quite daring to glance at him. "I...assume that's where we are now? I'm afraid I don't remember anything after that."

"This is the Lakeside Stable." Link kept his focus on removing the stitches as he listened to the previous night's activities. It seemed his fears hadn't been unfounded. While a monster attack could have just as easily accounted for the injuries, the damaged hook that held the Sheikah slate on his belt indicated it hadn't been that simple. And, this was now the second time he had attacked Zelda. He wouldn't be surprised if she didn't feel safe around him anymore. "I'm sorry. And, thank you for stopping me."

Zelda nodded. "I gave you my word." She risked a glance at Link, quickly turning back as he slid his knife tip beneath the next suture. "I was surprised by the potency of that elixir though- your burns were quite severe and yet just half of that tonic was enough to make it look as though you weren't even injured in the first place."

Link chuckled, teasing another stitch from beneath the skin. "The hearty elixir may be strong, but it's not that strong. It would have taken care of the majority of wounds if either one of us had drunk all of it, but splitting it likely just took care of the worst of the damage."

"Then how...?"

"I think I came back to myself shortly after we arrived at the stable. I was told that Shay and Cima- they're stable hands that work here -were stitching up your side while Anly- he's the stable master -was cleaning this wound on my leg. He told me that you and I were both pretty out of it when we arrived and he didn't know any more about what happened than I did. Neither you or I were in great condition, so I used the slate to gather some fairies after Shay stitched up my leg." He sat back as he pulled out the last suture, dropping the cut hair in the pile on his opposite leg as he rubbed the slightly puckered skin.

Zelda turned to him in surprise, her hand going to her side. "My wound was also stitched?"

Link nodded, gathering the black pile into his hand. "I took them out once it had healed enough. I meant to take mine out too, once they were ready, but I guess I fell asleep." He stood and moved to a nearby window, brushing the hair from his hand into the drizzle outside. "Wounds like these won't heal right unless they're stitched closed, even with a fairy tonic, but the tonic will make the skin grow over the stitches after a few hours."

A blush rose in Zelda's cheeks at the thought of Link tending her wound. Though the injury wasn't located anywhere inappropriate, she had never shown her bare stomach to anyone outside of her personal maid or the royal physician. She wasn't sure how to feel about Link taking such liberties while she was sleeping, even for wound care. The image of overgrown stitches rose in her mind, this time on her side instead of Link's leg, as the swordsman handed her his small knife to remove them herself. She quickly shook her head to dispel the image, deciding there was no reason to be upset at the invasion of privacy for the sake of her health. This outcome was far preferable to doing what Link had just done.

She watched as he retrieved a stick she hadn't noticed leaning against the wall at the head of her bed, what appeared to be three broken jawbones tied at its end. Link attached the makeshift spear to the harness on his back with an ease that belied his proficiency and Zelda wondered if there was any weapon he hadn't mastered during his journey.

Link approached the stablemaster behind the counter, setting a silver rupee and a fairy tonic on the counter. "This should cover our tab."

Anly looked up from his bookkeeping, raising an eyebrow as he glanced between the offerings and Link's healed skin. "I see you found your fairy all right. How's your lady friend this morning?"

"All healed up." Link moved the silver rupee a bit closer to the stablemaster. "We'll be staying here another night. Keep the extra and the fairy tonic as thanks for your help last night."

Anly blinked in surprise. "Are you sure you won't be needing it? You two got into a fair spot of trouble last night."

Link shrugged. "Fairies aren't that hard to find if you know where to look. I think they're considered rare because not many people can handle the monsters while searching."

"I'll take your word for it, and accept this with thanks," Anly replied, taking both the rupee and tonic.

Link nodded again before moving back to Zelda's bed.

She had moved to the edge of mattress, waiting for him to finish his business with the stablemaster. "So do we simply wait until nightfall? You said that is when the dragons are active, correct?"

"Yes. We'll get the shard tonight and head back to Hateno in the morning."

The rain lasted most of the day, providing a soothing backdrop as the two rested from both the long trip and the events of the previous night. It finally petered off in the early hours of the evening, leaving the air smelling crisp and clean. They headed out around sunset, wanting to be in position before Farosh began his nightly decent.

Link checked his bow over one last time before they left. It was a wooden recurve bow with swirls carved into each end of the upper and lower limbs. The string was far thicker than on most bows and two leaves- still green -hung near where the string was tied at the bottom, almost seeming to be growing from the wood itself. Satisfied all was in order, he slung it on his back as he stepped outside. "You don't have to come with me. I won't be long and I don't think you'll want to go collect the shard."

Zelda was resolute, matching his pace. "Nonsense. If last night taught us anything, it's that your episodes are becoming more unpredictable. It doesn't hurt to be cautious."

It didn't bother him either way, so Link shrugged and let the argument die. They weren't going far and it was undeniably nice to take a walk after being inside all day.

The vegetation fell away almost as soon as they turned on the main road, the ground abruptly dropping in a sheer cliff. Steep walls circled around the second largest lake on the continent, several waterfalls pouring down to the surface so very far below. Large wooden planks were lashed together to form a wide bridge that spanned the entirety of Lake Floria, supported by three truly massive trees growing out of the water.

Zelda felt a bit dizzy staring down at the surface through the small gaps in the planks, the lack of a rail pushing her to walk down the center of the bridge. It was easily wide enough for a wagon to cross with room on either side, but the sheer height set her nerves on edge. For his part, Link seemed unconcerned that a misstep could send him plummeting to his death, walking as easily as if it was solid earth rather than open air beneath the planks.

It was several minutes before they reached the center of the bridge, marked by thick branches curving up from below and a wider platform extending out from the north side. The outlook was shaped in a half circle with three short sections of what appeared to be a poorly constructed and quickly abandoned attempt at a rail. The fences, if they could be called such, did not cover even half of the perimeter and were only high enough to provide a tripping hazard rather than prevent casualties.

Though light was fading as twilight took over, the view still was breathtaking. Numerous waterfalls cascaded down from the mountain opposite the bridge, some feeding into other waterfalls before ultimate joining Lake Floria. The vegetation was thick and lush with bit of ruins just visible beneath the leafy canopy. The great distance muted quite a bit of the roaring water, lending a sense of peace and tranquility to the scene. Though still a bit nervous about the height, Zelda decided the view alone had been worth it.

Link lit a torch as the last light faded from the sky, the stars reflecting dimly on the waters while everything else was lost to the darkness. Zelda accepted the torch from him, feeling better now that she couldn't see the chasm down below but also wanting to keep an eye on the edge of the platform.

Almost as if on cue, a glow started to form at the top of the highest waterfall. It was faint at first, quickly growing brighter before an enormous crooked horn broke the water's surface. The dragon's head and first pair of feet followed, the spirit flying straight up into the sky before arching back down before his entire body had exited the pool. The shape of the horn and colors seemed to be the only visual difference between Farosh and Naydra, this dragon pulsing with bright yellow energy that partially illuminated the landscape around it. He followed the water's path, swimming through the air down one waterfall and skimming above the river before continuing down the next.

Zelda could practically feel the electricity in the air as the dragon drew closer, the hair raising on her arms as a phantom tingle danced across her fingers. Farosh had reached Lake Floria now and was continuing on across the lake. She could almost see the electrical currents in the air as the dragon neared the underside of the bridge, seeming intent to pass beneath it. It was incredible to stand before such an immense presence, a literal force of nature, forgetting what they were doing until Link's voice pulled her back to the present.

"Alright, I'm going to get that shard. I'll meet you back at the stable when I'm done."

Startled from her reverie, it took Zelda a couple seconds to process what he had said. Her question of why they would "meet back at the stable" turned into a shriek of Link's name as he took a running start and leapt off the bridge. A strange contraption of wood and fabric snapped together above his head and she had just enough time to make out the symbol of the Rito on the top before Link was out of range of her torch's light.

Zelda scrambled as close to the edge as she dared, falling to her hands and knees and holding the torch high in the hopes of spotting her knight. It was a futile endeavor, the yellow glow of Farosh's body ruining her night vision but not bright enough to illuminate the swordsman from that distance.

After a minute or two with no sign of Link, she noticed something glowing shoot down to the water below. She squinted her eyes, leaning forward slightly to try and make out what it could be. The glow soon disappeared before the familiar blue energy of ancient Sheikah tech replaced it, dispersing upward and fading away.

Zelda sat back with a sigh, realizing Link had retrieved the shard and used a travel gate to get out of the water. She took a moment to calm her breathing, wondering if there was shrine nearby. In hindsight, it was understandable why Link had suggested she stay behind. Jumping from the bridge was obviously planned for in advance, as was the use of the travel gate- neither of which Zelda could join him for. That was reasonable enough, but not sharing his plan ahead of time- especially one as radical and downright reckless as that -or giving even the slightest advance warning, was enough to earn him a very stern lecture.

With one last shaky breath, she scooted back from the edge before climbing to her feet. Link was fine and would be waiting at the stable. With torch held high, she headed back the way they had come. Farosh had turned and was heading straight up into the sky though the lower half of his body was still passing beneath the bridge. The glowing yellow energy highlighted just how high the bridge was with every gap and hole in the boards and Zelda briefly considered waiting until the dragon was gone to continue on. She dismissed the idea immediately, not wanting to dally here long enough for Link to come looking for her.

In need of a distraction, she turned her thoughts to the curious device Link had used when jumping from the bridge. Though she couldn't see much, it was obviously of Rito make and seemed to be designed to slow one's descent, likely enough to achieve a safe landing. Her researcher's interest was piqued by such a novel item and she was very eager to take a look and see how it worked. Perhaps she could even be persuaded to forego the lecture if Link let her examine his fascinating contraption.

To Be Continued

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