"But he would be good at it, wouldn't he?!"
"I've found that people are exceedingly bad at things they don't want to do, regardless of how much talent they might have."
Link exchanged a look with Kass. The Rito didn't look upset exactly, but it did seem that his patience was wearing thin. Maybe that had to do with the exhaustion that had forced them to continue their journey on foot. As to what was wearing on his patience currently, Link didn't understand entirely, but he could relate.
During light conversation, Penn had brought up his career as a reporter for Traysi. While the conversation had been fairly uninteresting, it had eventually turned to Penn trying to convince Kass that he should consider the career himself. What had caught Link's attention was how quickly his friend had become reserved and almost cold. He wasn't rude, but it was still a dramatic shift from what Link was used to.
But it didn't take him long to figure out what the issue was.
Kass had already politely tried to make it clear he wasn't interested, and based on his phrasing, this evidently wasn't the first time that they'd had this conversation.
"I mean, I'm sure he'd learn to love it. It's all about traveling and telling stories, you know."
"There is a difference between the kinds of stories I tell and the kinds of stories that interest Traysi," Kass replied, clearly trying to remain pleasant. "And really, Penn, I have lost far too much time where my family is concerned. It nearly crushed me to leave them again, and I can't imagine what that did to my family."
"Really though- "
"Now would be a good time for you to stop," Impa interrupted.
"Ah, I was about to go too far, wasn't I?"
"You passed 'too far' a few statements ago." Impa gave the Rito a stern look. "Persistence is admirable and even necessary to do your job well. But you need to learn when to let something go."
Penn looked between Kass and Impa sheepishly. "Sorry, Kass."
"... You are forgiven," Kass murmured. "I am… honored that you think so highly of me, Penn. But now is not a good time."
"I understand."
Kass caught Link's eye as Penn turned away. It was enough to confirm what Link suspected. Even if the bard didn't have concerns about leaving his family for extended periods of time again, that wouldn't remove all his hang ups. Personally, Link thought Kass wouldn't be well suited to Traysi's particular brand of news. Kass had once confided that there were many stories from his teacher that he refused to retell because of the nature of them. He was worried that they may spread rumors that would tarnish reputations of those who had given their lives to stave off the Calamity.
Or those who had survived to the current day.
It was something that Link appreciated, as Kass could certainly have tarnished his reputation if he so desired. But, as far as Link had seen from the mild-mannered and kind bard, those moments may as well not have existed.
"There's a stable," Penn remarked as the familiar horse head shaped sign climbed over the horizon. He still sounded abashed about what had happened and was probably eager to leave it as far behind him as he could.
"Good," Impa said. "We can all get a good night's rest before deciding how to continue."
"I'm sure I'll be well enough in the morning to continue flying you to the Village," Kass said.
"I don't think that's a good idea. You've been running yourself ragged trying to ferry Link, his packs, and Midna. It's going to take you more than a night and an elixir to get you back in shape. There's also the matter of -"
Link stopped listening as Midna caught his eye. The wolf had stopped in her tracks and was sniffing the ground. Suddenly, her head snapped up and, with a bark, she darted off toward the stable. A half second later, he was after her. He wasn't sure whose scent she had caught, but there was a good chance that she could get herself hurt if she went charging into a stable without him there.
Unfortunately, he wasn't as fast as he used to be.
He called out to the wolf, however she either didn't hear him or didn't care. She continued on her mad dash, barking loudly.
So, Link continued sprinting after her, even as his reduced stamina and speed demanded he give the chase up. He wasn't going to catch up before she reached the stable. He would just have to hope she was recognizable to the stablehands. Considering the fact that they could easily identify every horse in the system, it was possible they could identify her.
As he drew close enough to the stable to start picking out individual figures, he noticed a few figures milling about, working with horses, tending fires, or engaging in other work. As he kept running, he saw a familiar horse's head snap up and turn to look at Midna. His sharp ears just caught a whinny as the horse bolted toward the wolf, much to the apparent chagrin of the workers who had been brushing her down.
He smiled as Epona raced toward Midna and met her in the middle. The two danced around excitedly, with the horse leaning down to nudge the wolf. Midna playfully fell onto her side, then began wriggling around on her back as Epona nudged her again before letting out another loud whinny.
The horse's ears perked up once again as he closed the remaining distance. As she caught sight of him, she neighed excitedly and trotted over to greet him as well. He wrapped his arms around her neck, patting her affectionately as she nickered quietly in his ear. "Hey, Epona." He took a step back, laughing quietly as she nudged him then poked down at the pouch on his hip. "Sorry, girl. I don't have any treats for you right now." He felt a bit guilty about that, but considering how food kept these days…
Epona snorted as she rolled her head, but didn't make an issue of it.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as he resumed petting her.
Epona snorted again, but otherwise gave him no insight into how she had managed to find herself so far away from where he had last stabled her. Not that he had expected much of an answer anyway.
At least from her.
Keeping a hand on her, he started leading her back toward the stable, finally noticing the stablehands that were staring at him wide-eyed from a short distance away. They gave him an awkward wave, which he returned casually as he led his horse back toward them. They all exchanged a glance and a few words before slowly turning and making their own way back to the rest stop.
"You know… if you're going to run ahead, you could give us more of a warning."
Link rolled his eyes as Impa appeared beside him. "Tell Midna that."
"I blame the person setting an example for her." Impa reached over and patted Epona. "It's good to see you again."
Epona nickered, tossing her head in Impa's direction.
"The others?"
"I figured that it wasn't an emergency, so I told them not to rush."
Link couldn't help but look over his shoulder and make sure the two Rito were still safe. While he was sure Midna would have noticed if there were any threats around, he wanted to be sure.
Penn waved excitedly before turning back to Kass and continuing his conversation. Perhaps it was a trick of the light or the distance, but Kass seemed far more receptive to the other Rito.
If he had to guess, Penn was probably talking about the scene between the two animals, trying to figure out exactly how he could spin it into a story. For all of his shortcomings when it came to social boundaries, he somehow maintained a childlike wonder that could be endearing. It was probably why Traysi had hired him as a reporter.
The wings probably helped as well.
"What does he want?" Impa asked suddenly.
Looking back to the stable, Link noticed Dabi standing next to a wagon, eyeing a ledger of some sort as he waved them over.
"Right," he said as they approached. "Everything is accounted for. You'll be able to set off right away in the morning." He set the ledger on the seat of the wagon and smiled. "Heard you were missing. Good to see you safe and sound." He stuck his hand out.
Link returned his smile as he shook the man's hand.
"And you must be Impa," he said as he turned to the Sheikah.
"That's right."
"Huh. Weird. I always thought Impa was some… really old woman."
"It's a name that's passed down through the generations."
"Ah, of course. I apologize if that was…" he trailed off, looking for the right word.
"Don't worry. I am ancient at heart," Impa said as she stuck her hand out.
Dabi laughed cordially as he took her hand and shook it. "Well, it's an honor to have you both here." His smile faded into an inquisitive frown as he looked behind them. "Is that Kass back there?"
"Yeah."
"Good. She dropped a letter off for him as well." Dabi reached for his ledger and slipped a folded piece of paper from it. "Miss Fi already covered your rooms. As for meals…" He chuckled as he looked at Link knowingly. "I already know how that's going to go."
"Thanks," Link said.
"Of course. Why don't you leave Epona to us and go get settled."
Link nodded as a couple of nearby stablehands came over and enticed his horse toward the stalls with an apple. He stayed for a moment to watch as they stabled her and began brushing her down. Though he'd never had a poor experience at any of the stables, that didn't mean it wasn't a possibility. And this was one of his companions.
Once certain that she would be okay, Link turned toward the entrance to the inn and made his way there.
"So," Impa murmured, following after him, "who exactly is 'Miss Fi?'"
Teba rolled his shoulders with a sigh. He'd decided to sleep in that morning and have breakfast with his family, rather than waking up early and making himself busy. It had been a much better start than he'd been used to over the last few months, and seeing Saki's surprised smile had certainly been good for him. Tulin had also seemed happy to have him around, though he wasn't sure how much that actually had to do with him.
But even a pleasant morning could only do so much to prepare him. Still, he hid the sense of dread he felt. It was probably going to be hard enough for the team leads to give him the inevitable bad news, he didn't need to compound that difficulty by walking in with a frown. And he most certainly didn't need to create more anxiety in his son. Tulin had been thrilled when Teba had told him he would be sitting in today, but now as they neared the gazebo, he noticed the fledgling was dragging his feet.
It was something that Kaneli had brought up during one of Teba's visits. He'd never noticed how the rest of the villagers had responded to his cues. Ever since then, he had made an active effort to put on more of a level-headed display. Since he started masking his stress and frustrations, the general response to him had been much more positive. Oddly enough, that had the added effect of reducing his own stress.
"Am I gonna have to talk?" Tulin asked as they drew close.
"No," Teba muttered as he caught sight of his brother-in-law and a few other Rito already gathered. "You're just here to learn. You probably won't have to attend another one."
"O-okay."
Harth was the first to notice them. He gave Teba a grim look before noticing Tulin. He gave his nephew a confident smile and wave.
Something that Teba appreciated.
"It's good to see you both," he said, still wearing the fake confident smile.
"It's good to see you too. Did you check in with Molli?"
"You think I'm not gonna check in on my daughter first thing? I'm all for blowing you off to spend time with her." His smile was a little more genuine with the light jab.
"Well, at least your sense of humor survived. Can't imagine what we'd do without that," Teba muttered dryly.
"You know, kid, sometimes I wonder if your dad likes me. Then I remember… he loves me."
Tulin giggled, throwing a feather over his beak to try and muffle the sound.
"I'm legally obligated to tolerate you."
"See? He loves me. He just said so."
Teba rolled his eyes and entered the gazebo. He exchanged a few terse greetings as they all settled around the large map covering the floor. As everyone else took their places, he took a moment to eye the detailed map of the Hebra region. The number of red Xs he saw was dismaying.
The grim reality settled even further over him as his son sat next to him, his large blue eyes inspecting the map.
Teba looked up, eyeing his fellow villagers.
"... It's not as bad as it looks," Harth offered after a tense silence.
"Oh, don't try to make it sound better than it is." Teba's eyes flicked to Finn, who was frowning disapprovingly at Harth.
Harth's smile tightened with barely repressed anger, though he still threw his wings up in an attempt to placate. "Hey, let's not -"
"No. You know just as well as we do -"
"Lay off, Finn," Kita interrupted. "It's not going to help anything to harp on him when he's just trying to help."
"Help? Just because a fledgling is -"
"Enough!" Teba snapped, causing everyone to stiffen and turn to him. He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he rubbed the top of his beak. It wasn't unusual for there to be some bickering, which he did his best to be patient with. Kaneli had reminded him that others needed a chance to vent their frustrations just as he did, so he allowed it so long as it was at least somewhat productive.
But his son being brought into the spat was crossing a line.
"Finn, we are all a part of the same flock, whether chick, fledgling, or adult. We should remember that during times like this."
Finn blinked repeatedly. Then, he looked at Kita, Tulin, and finally Harth. "Sorry," he said with a bow of his head.
Kita and Harth responded in kind, silently accepting his apology. Tulin nervously followed suit a moment later, the motion being incredibly stiff.
Teba didn't acknowledge it, but he was glad his son had done so. Even if the situation may have excused it, not returning the gesture would have been considered rude. And Finn clearly wasn't making excuses for children.
"Harth, Kita," he said once the exchange was over. "Finn does have a point. Tulin has to learn what it means to contribute to the flock at some point. And it's our responsibility to help prepare him and the rest of the fledglings."
They both nodded in resignation, knowing he was right. They then turned to Finn and inclined their heads in respect, which Finn returned after giving Teba a quick glance.
An uncomfortable silence fell over the gazebo as everyone's gaze flicked between Harth, Finn, Teba, and Tulin. Nobody seemed to know how to proceed, how much was too much for the present company, and whether or not their contribution would meet with the same response.
Finally, someone spoke up. "I can handle it."
Everyone looked at Tulin, surprised to hear him speak up. As they all exchanged glances, some shrugging, some frowning, and some even inclining their heads in acknowledgement, Teba caught his son's eye. He gave Tulin the barest nod of approval, which prompted a small smile from him. It was a proud moment for him, to see his child speak up despite how nervous he'd been. He knew all too well that Tulin would need as much courage as he could muster over the next few months, and every step he took on his own would help him build more. Even if he had his own misgivings about what the fledgling was about to hear, it was encouraging to see him stepping out of his comfort zone on his own.
"You heard him," Teba said curtly before too much time was spent on Tulin's statement. "Finn?"
"Like I said," the brown feathered Rito said, "it's not looking good. We scavenged the last bit of food we could from our caves. They still have water, which is something… not that there are many of us who can carry it, especially with Kass gone." Teba shrugged off the slight hint of accusation in his voice. "But, we can't really push north at the moment," he sighed. "Pretty sure monsters are settling into the caves. We'll have to fly even further north, but that's gonna put the team at risk."
"... Have they fortified?" Teba asked quietly.
Finn looked at him in surprise, a small glint of hope in his expression. "Not as far as we can tell."
"Hmm." He turned to his brother-in-law.
"Our caves haven't dried up yet. But they don't have much left. I think we should be able to push further into the mountains though, as we haven't seen many monsters yet."
"Kita?"
The rest of the scouts had as bad news as Finn. Or worse. Some groups had been forced to pull back as monsters had pushed into their territories, while others couldn't find food even if they could find new caves to explore. The only bit of good news was that one other team aside from Harth's still had a solid lead on food. But Teba didn't have to see it to know that it wouldn't last long. The further the teams wandered from the village, the more food that was supposed to be coming back had to be consumed just to keep them going.
Teba folded his wings and closed his eyes. They couldn't push into the Tabantha region, as it didn't grow enough to sustain the village. And that was before the malice or gloom or whatever they were calling it had started draining the life from the landscape.
Central Hyrule was one of the worst options. The gloom was strongest there as far as he knew. So strong that not only did it affect crops, but it was making people sick as well. He was sure that he and some of the hardier Rito could make it, but he wasn't willing to bet on it. And that was if what a team managed to collect kept long enough for them to return. And relocating the flock there wasn't an option. He wasn't willing to expose the children and others with weaker constitution to gloom and risk a sickness no one understood.
Which left Kakariko and Zora's Domain.
But last he knew, a mysterious illness had cropped up in the Domain. Assuming that it didn't affect Rito, then the Domain might be able to offer their young and elderly the protection they needed, which would ease up on the village's needs. He would have to reach out to his contact and get more specifics.
However, so far as he knew, Kakariko wasn't suffering from any serious issues. But, the Sheikah village was small. They would only be able to support a small amount of their people.
But, of course, that presented another problem. To send their young and their caretakers out, they would have to spare some of their warriors to protect them. Or send a message and wait for help to arrive.
If anyone could spare it.
There weren't many options as far as he could see. And the ones he did have weren't good.
"... Finn?"
"Yeah?"
"Can you clear the caves?"
"If I have the right team."
"You and Harth put together two teams. One to clear out those caves, and the others to keep gathering what they can from the caves."
"And the rest of us?" Kita asked hesitantly.
"The rest of us will be preparing to send the children and the elderly to Kakariko Village."
He expected some anger or indignation, but all he got was resignation and even defeat in some eyes.
He sighed, rubbing his crest in frustration. "Finn?"
"Yeah?"
"What did I just ask you to do?"
"Clear the caves?"
"Right. Does that sound like a request from someone who's given up?"
He could see his point beginning to dawn on them. They all shook their heads, looking a little less forlorn.
"Then why are you all acting like I've asked you to give up?"
They all exchanged sheepish glances.
"We'll get right on it," Harth said.
"Good. Don't forget that some of us are staying behind so they have a home to come back to. Any questions?"
There were a number of shaken heads and nos offered in response.
"Then let's get to work," Teba said as he climbed to his feet. Everyone, including Tulin, wasn't far behind. Harth and Finn put their heads together in a corner, conversing quietly. Meanwhile a few team leads were standing nearby, likely waiting to hear who would be sent where. The ones who weren't waiting were walking with purpose to the stairs leading down into the village.
"Are we going with Finn?" Tulin asked, sounding more excited than Teba cared for.
He knelt and looked his son in the eye. "Eventually," Teba replied tersely, "but listen closely. When we go, you are to do as I say when I say. If you can't do that, then I'll bring you back to the village myself."
"Okay!"
Teba sighed, but didn't say anything else. Between his conversations with Kaneli and Saki, he had come to the conclusion that trying to clip Tulin's wings would help nothing. At best, he could maybe lean into his son's enthusiasm and try to help him make more sensible choices.
But that was something to deal with later. Right now, he was trying to figure out how to tell Saki.
As soon as she disappeared from the view of her home, Amali deflated. Saki had told her just a few hours ago that her family was going to be evacuated all the way to Kakariko Village. The harsh, endless winter had been hard enough and Kass's absence was still weighing heavily on her. Especially because it was so hard on the girls.
And now, she was going to have to figure out how to tell them, how to pack for them, and how to get a message to her husband. But that would only be the start. There was the travel with five children that had a limited flying capacity, how to feed them on the way, and then what she was supposed to do once they reached the village.
Assuming the Sheikah would even take them in.
But what if they didn't? Were they supposed to make the long journey back? Were they supposed to find another village to take refuge in? Perhaps the Domain would be a better option. Kass had mentioned that he had a few friends in the Domain, one of them being a Rito himself. Maybe he would take them in or, at the very least, know how to help them see to their needs.
But having options didn't make it any easier.
She had built a life in the village. It was where she had grown up, where her friends were, where she had gotten married, had children, and where all of her things were. And now she was being asked to leave it all behind. She would do it, of course, for the sake of her children, but that didn't make it easy.
There was so much to do and so much to figure out, but at the moment, she was concerned about getting everyone together for dinner. At least some bit of normalcy after the news would help.
Genli had been cooking while Kotts was placing the dishware. She had sent Kheel to fetch her aunt and Cree to invite Saki, who she worried would otherwise be eating alone. All that was left was for her to find Notts. A prospect that was easier said than done. While her younger daughters had all picked a store or the inn to help out at, Notts didn't have a set role. Rather, she determined where she was needed most and would devote her energies there. Sometimes, she would help Amali find kindling near the village, or she would help Kaneli, or maybe clean a few homes, or help her sisters.
While it meant that she could be the most reliable when someone needed help from one of the sisters, she could also be the most difficult to find.
But, Amali had noticed that over the past few weeks, she had been spending more and more time near the lowest sections of the village. And sometimes, if she was quiet, she could hear Notts singing.
So, she stopped at regular intervals and closed her eyes, listening intently. It took some time, but eventually, she heard the sound of her daughter's voice floating up from near the village's entrance. Amali honed in on the sound as she made her way toward Notts. Though she lacked the control and range that her father had, Notts's voice was still beautiful.
And a comfort during some of the harder times.
The fact that her daughters had inherited Kass's musical talents was a source of pride for her. And the fact that all of them, with the exception of Notts, had stopped practicing was saddening to her. But the reality was that they were busy helping out around the village constantly and they needed time to play and pursue their real interests.
Perhaps when things calmed down they would take practicing back up.
As she finally reached the foot of the landing near the entrance, she stopped just out of sight, listening to her daughter sing for a moment longer. Not wanting to keep anyone waiting any longer, Amali walked out into the open and called out to her daughter. "Notts? It's time for dinner."
Notts, who was standing near the Goddess statue, flinched. She looked over sheepishly. "Coming."
"What were you doing?" Amali asked quietly. There was no one around to hear them, but Notts seemed embarrassed about whatever she'd been up to. And when her or one of her sisters were embarrassed, it didn't matter how many people were or weren't around. They still felt that everyone within several miles were looking at them and judging.
"Uh… singing."
"To the Goddess?"
"Y-yeah."
"Well, I'm sure it made Her happy."
"You think so?!" The near fledgling asked, her embarrassment giving way to shy excitement.
"I do," Amali replied warmly. "It always makes me happy when I hear you sing."
Notts said nothing, but the mother didn't miss her feathers puffing up just slightly and the subtle bounce in her step as they made their back up through the spiraling village.
"What were you singing about?"
Notts instantly flitted back to embarrassment. "O-oh…"
Amali said nothing and kept her eyes forward.
"Remember when Miss Fi came and visited us?"
"I do. You and your sisters talked about her for weeks."
Notts clicked her beak. "I was thinking about the story she told us. About how the Goddess heard a child crying and went to help them." She paused for a moment before lowering her voice even further. "I thought maybe if I sang, She would hear me too…" Her feathers puffed up again as she shrank shrank inwards. "It's stupid, I know."
"It's not stupid to ask for help," Amali replied. "I have to ask for help all the time."
"You do?"
"I do. From your father, your aunt, Saki, Teba, Kaneli. Even you, sometimes." Amali finally looked down at Notts, making sure she had the girl's attention. "It's stupider to not ask for help when you need it."
She got a non-committal trill in response.
Amali stopped and knelt. "Do you remember what Teba told you and your sisters the other day?"
"We're all part of the same flock?"
"We are," Amali said with a nod. "So don't be afraid to ask for help, whether from your father and I, your sisters, or the Goddess."
Notts stared at her for a moment before nodding slowly.
Amali smiled and stood. She set a wing on her daughter's back, rubbing it comfortingly as they made their way home.
There were many things Impa missed from her original youth.
Wagons were not one of those things.
But, she only spared her distaste for the vehicle a thought before returning her attention to more important things. When she had asked Link who Fi was the day before, he had told her simply that she was a friend and wouldn't elaborate further. While that wasn't unusual for him, what did catch her attention was she had managed to get ahold of Epona, a wagon full of food that somehow had yet to go bad, and had known exactly where she, Link, and Kass would be.
The Sheikah had her suspicions of who Fi really was, but she found that was less concerning than the note that had been left for Kass. Whatever it had contained had been enough to convince the bard that he needed to return home right away. However, he had refused to explain what was in the note or why it was so urgent. When Impa had pressed him, citing a need for information in order to be of the most help to him, he merely said that he would tell them later.
With Kass gone, Penn had also taken his leave with an apology. He felt that he couldn't effectively transport them so felt his skills would be better used elsewhere.
So that left her and Link alone to make their way along the lonely road.
Despite how eager she was to arrive at Rito Village, Impa was relieved that it was just her and Link. Between trying to soothe Kass, managing Penn's inquisitive nature, and ensuring that Link was taking care of himself, it had been difficult to find time to sit down and meditate. Riding along in a wagon wasn't the ideal setting to sit down and quiet her mind for reflection, but it would have to do. Once they made camp, she would probably find herself trying to keep Link busy once again, either with a card game or another bout of training.
In fairness to her friend, she wasn't entirely sure he needed the distraction, however, she suspected he might. When he had first conveyed what had happened with the stalkin warrior below Hyrule Castle, she couldn't help but think there were certain pieces of information that he either hadn't thought about, or wasn't yet dealing with. Not that she could blame him. It had been a century for her and she still found herself grieving her friends from time to time.
For Link, it had only been a few short years.
He had been grieving in his own way in that time, and had taken massive strides toward acceptance of what had happened. But she knew all too well that grief could be a cycle, and one that could lead to a spiral. Whether he was actively choosing to ignore the stalkin's implication that their friends could somehow be revived, or simply hadn't caught onto it, she knew he would have to confront it at some point.
It most certainly didn't help that the Princess had also disappeared on his watch. She couldn't be sure if he was dealing with that either.
Then again, Link had stopped being predictable to her at some point.
He still carried the sadness and guilt from the Great Calamity, but ever since he had first returned from the depths, he had been different. Still driven, still focused, and still prone to push himself way too hard. But there was also a newfound peace about him, one she wouldn't expect from him, especially in the wake of Zelda's disappearance. Since his awakening on the Great Plateau, he'd committed himself to her protection at the cost of his health, safety, and even emotional well being.
And yet, now he made jokes, played games, and even took time to rest.
It was almost like someone had taken two different Links and smashed them together.
A ridiculous thought, in her opinion. At least, it had been ridiculous to her until Kass had mentioned his sister's strange behavior. And as she reflected on what Kass had described, she started to remember some oddities in Link's recent behavior. He was prone to headaches and nausea when specific topics were discussed, and at other times, he seemed unable to focus.
Impa's stomach rumbled in discontent as her mind turned over recent events. She set her thoughts aside to focus on the more prevalent issue.
"Are we stopping for lunch soon?"
Link reached to his pouch and pulled out some jerky for her.
"That doesn't answer the question."
"It does."
"Does not."
Link eyed her. "Does."
She leaned toward him, glaring daggers at him. "Does not."
Midna, who had been curled up between on the seat, began growling.
"Do-"
The wolf's growl grew louder.
"See, she agrees with me," Impa said quietly, folding her arms.
"She was sleeping," Link muttered as he turned his eyes back to the road.
"We may-"
Midna barked sharply, startling Epona and causing the cart to jerk violently beneath them as the horse darted forward. Link was forced to pull back on the reins, trying to calm the spooked horse as he shot her a dirty look. Thankfully, Epona had been more surprised than frightened, and Link was able to slow her back to a steady pace quickly.
Meanwhile, Midna was sitting up and glaring at them both.
"Sorry, " Link muttered.
"I suppose I cou-"
Midna started growling again.
Impa sighed. "... Sorry."
Midna gave them both one last annoyed glance before curling back up.
Impa and Link locked eyes, staring right through each other.
"I'm going to destroy you later."
Midna nearly tackled the Sheikah off the cart.