[Sooga POV]

Early morning on the day Izuna was set to depart, Sooga straightened the belts on his uniform and exited his quarters, intent on finding Izuna for a private moment before he sent her off, only to stop abruptly so as not to bump into the very woman he sought. Izuna blinked up at him in surprise, hand poised to knock. "Izuna? Is something the matter?"

"No, I..." she ducked her head, cheeks steadily turning a delightful shade of pink visible even in the low light. "I just wanted to see you before I met up with everyone else," she mumbled. "Is that okay?"

"Would you like to come in?" She nodded and followed him back into his quarters, setting her pack, bow, and other supplies in the corner. "Since you're here, I have something for you."

Izuna made a soft sound of surprise. "Oh? What's the occasion?"

He crossed the room to retrieve the kodachi he'd left on his desk the night before and held it out to her. "No occasion is necessary when it comes to improving your safety."

Her eyes flickered briefly between him and the weapon before accepting it. The beginnings of a smirk teased at the corner of her mouth. "And this has nothing to do with your vendetta against my trusty Hylian dagger?"

"There's nothing 'trusty' about the Hylian trash you insist on carrying." That it hadn't already broken was an inexplicable miracle, but he wasn't about to put her fate in the hands of shoddy craftsmanship.

Shaking with silent laughter, Izuna pulled the blade from its sheath to inspect it. It was one he'd had for several years that he was rather fond of, and it was the perfect size and weight for her to wield with little difficulty. He had originally planned to give it to her when she returned, but there was no telling how long their trek into the highlands might take; if her search was fruitful, she could be back within days, otherwise she could be away for weeks. Sheathing it once more, she said, "Well then, I'll make sure to take good care of it until I can return it to you. I'd hate to deprive you of one of your fine weapons for too long."

"You deprive me of nothing; I want you to have it."

"I couldn't possibly," she objected, brows furrowed.

"Consider it a gift. It's customary in Kakariko to present your intended with courting gifts, is it not?"

Izuna ducked her head, hiding her face from sight. The tips of her ears, however, turned pink. "Well, yes, but you don't have to-"

"It is a Yiga custom to do the same."

"Oh." Her gaze met his, worry swimming in the slate depths. "Forgive me, I didn't prepare anything for you. I'm not used to..."

He was about to say her company was gift enough, but his mind caught up with the rest of what she'd said. "Your betrothed didn't court you properly?" Courtship was an integral part of determining a couple's compatibility, arranged or not. Refusal to do so was an egregious insult-

"He tried," she muttered, "but I rejected him. It's not like I had a choice to break it off, since the village elders are the ones who decided on it, but I didn't want to give him false hope. He gave up on that nonsense after six months."

Sooga couldn't decide whether to be proud of her unyielding will despite her impossible situation or to shiver from her frigid rejection of the other man. He'd briefly witnessed her temper, but she hadn't treated him with such coldness since their spat in Tabantha, before they'd become better acquainted. "If you'd rather forgo courting gifts, perhaps there is something else-"

She shook her head, hastily tucking the blade into her red obi. "No-no, I didn't want Koro's gifts for obvious reasons but," her face turned red, "I'll treasure anything you give me. Thank you for this," Izuna said softly.

His shoulders relaxed. "The best thanks will be your safe return," he murmured.

"You assigned two people to guard me. I'm sure I'll be fine-"

"Three, actually. Ryo is coming along as well."

"Oh." Her brows rose. "Are you sure I need that many guards? It's just rupee scavenging-"

"Unless you'd prefer me to dismiss them and escort you myself, I would entrust your protection to no fewer." If anything, he was inclined to send more warriors just to be safe.

Izuna bit her lip. "I couldn't ask that of you, especially not after taking so much of your time in the desert-"

"I don't regret time spent in your company. You need only say the word and I'll be at your side."

She stepped into his space and Sooga wrapped his arms around her, savoring the softness of her body pressed against his. "I don't want you to neglect your duties on my account. It'll be fine."

He inclined his head. "As you wish."

"But before I go..." The color returned to her cheeks. "Will you kiss me?"

He grinned, though she couldn't see it from behind the mask. "It would be my pleasure," he purred. Her eyes fluttered shut and Sooga pulled his mask off, brushing his lips against hers. Izuna kissed him back more firmly, gripping the belts over his chest to pull him closer. Sooga caught her plump bottom lip between his teeth, and she gasped. His tongue brushed the abused flesh in apology, leaving one last chaste peck before resting his forehead against hers.

"Why did you stop?" she asked softly, cupping his face and dragging her fingers down his cheek, over his nose, his lips.

Sooga closed his eyes; her hands were far softer and smoother than his, though she had a few calluses, likely from archery. "If we don't get going, we'll be late." It wouldn't do to get carried away again, especially now that they were alone in his sleeping quarters. Still, he did not release her.

"You're their general, I doubt they'll say anything."

Seiji wouldn't care much, but Ryo would certainly have little comments to share. Toki, however... With a sigh, Sooga replaced his mask. "Be that as it may, the hike into the highlands is quite long. Best not to delay."

"Right..." Izuna pulled away and turned around, a frown tugging at her lips. She crossed the room, shouldering her pack. "We should go then," she said, brows furrowed, and stepped out into the hallway.

He put his hand on her shoulder, stopping her. "You're upset."

"No, it's just..." Izuna fidgeted, biting her lip. "I feel foolish for misjudging the situation. It's disrespectful to disregard the value of your soldiers' time-"

Pulling her into his arms, Sooga cupped her cheek, tilting her face towards him. Glancing around the hallway and finding it empty, he murmured, "It's not about that, I assure you. I am merely trying to spare Toki's feelings." His motivation for volunteering to escort her was transparent; as much as Sooga wanted to succumb to temptation, he wasn't so callous. Toki's feelings would surely be injured if she arrived with kiss-bruised lips.

Her eyes widened and Izuna blushed. "Feelings? He's been nice, but that doesn't equate to-"

"In this case, I assure you, it does."

"Oh. I didn't realize he..." Dropping her head onto his chest, she groaned. "How awkward. Is this because I saved his life? He doesn't even know me."

Sooga chuckled. "Master Kohga would say there's no logic in matters pertaining to the heart."

"Obviously not," she muttered against his chest, and he petted her hair. "So are we hiding this courtship or...?"

"Absolutely not. I simply don't want to damage his morale before you embark on a mission together, for your sake as much as his. Once you've accomplished your task, we can spend more time together, openly."

Izuna pulled back, a hint of a smile on her lips. "I'll hold you to that." They resumed their path to his workroom, and he smiled when she laced her fingers through his.

[Izuna POV]

The others were waiting outside Sooga's workroom, and Izuna let go of his hand before anyone noticed them arrive. If the other blademaster truly did see her that way, Sooga was correct in not rubbing salt in the wound before a potentially lengthy journey. Despite the miscommunication, Sooga's consideration for his subordinates only endeared him to her further; and part of her was tempted to push this journey off another day or two simply to spend more time in his company but she couldn't allow herself the indulgence, no matter how much she yearned for it. The arrangements had already been made, and there were rupees to find.

Ryo was the first to spot them, and they quickly elbowed Seiji. "Good morning, Master Sooga, Izuna!" She smiled and waved.

Seiji offered Sooga a bow and dipped his chin to her. "Master Sooga. Izuna."

The other blademaster, Toki, no doubt, regarded his comrades with a frown. To her surprise, he was unmasked, revealing dark brown beneath thick furrowed brows, a crooked nose – likely from being broken, and prominent cheekbones. "I didn't realize more were joining us," he said. "Is there trouble in the highlands, Master Sooga?"

"No more than usual, but we can never be too cautious." Sooga ushered them all into his workroom and took a seat behind his desk. Izuna stood between Ryo and Seiji on the opposite side, and Toki stood at Seiji's right. "You've already been briefed on the purpose of your mission; however, I must impress upon all of you that your primary objective is to keep Izuna safe at all times. As I'm sure you're aware, a couple trainees have gone missing near the highlands. The reason for their disappearance remains unclear, so be vigilant. Do not allow her to come to harm."

"Understood!"

"You can count on us!"

"Yes, Master Sooga."

"Very well then. You're dismissed."

Seiji and Ryo filed out of the workroom and Toki hesitated, throwing her an inscrutable glance before following them out. Izuna waited for the door to shut then crossed her arms. "You never mentioned any missing trainees. Should I be worried?"

He shook his head. "Not necessarily. A soldier or two will go missing up there every so often – usually as the weather turns. However," Sooga drummed his fingers on the surface of the desk, "the timing of their disappearance is what has me concerned. They should have been on guard duty at the gates while the other squads were engaging the Gerudo."

Her brows rose. That was recent. "Do you think they deserted?"

"Unlikely; both Nobu and Shin were very young and eager to serve our cause." Her eye twitched; that was regrettable, but it wasn't like Sheikah children weren't indoctrinated to be subservient to the royal family. "That, and all their possessions were still in their quarters, including their warmer clothes. All Yiga are taught from a young age to survive. They wouldn't be foolish enough to attempt a journey to the highlands without the proper equipment."

"Could an enemy have successfully infiltrated your hideout?"

He shook his head. "That is extremely unlikely, given the secrecy of our hideout's location. You are the first Sheikah we've allowed behind our walls, other than the rare few who defect to our side, and it's been a long time since that has occurred." Probably because supporting the calamity went against every survival instinct a normal person could have, in her opinion. "But you're not under any suspicion, if you're worried. They were missing long before you arrived."

She hadn't even considered she might be a suspect, but that was a relief, nonetheless. "Were Astor's whereabouts accounted for as well?" Izuna may be the only Sheikah but she wasn't the only outsider in the hideout. And the seer had made his disdain for both their tribes abundantly clear.

"It does not behoove him to reduce our numbers."

"Hm." Perhaps not, but it didn't behoove anyone to follow the demon, yet there they were. She said nothing, however, unwilling to start an argument before setting off. "I should probably get going."

"Be careful."

"I will," she said, punctuating her words with a nod.

Izuna schooled her face into an expression of polite neutrality before joining the others in the corridor. Toki had finally donned his mask, which might have made distinguishing him from Seiji difficult, if not for the traditional gold bands around Seiji's wrists as well as the way Ryo hung onto his arm. "Everything good?" Ryo asked, cocking their head to the side.

"Yeah, let's go."

They led Izuna down the same path they'd taken to get to the celebration several days ago, leaving the warmth of the hideout behind. Without the cover of night, warm firelight, and enormous crowd of Yiga, the area could almost be described as desolate. Passing the pit lying directly at the center, Izuna paused, perturbed, creeping closer to peer over the edge. She couldn't see the bottom; no wonder it had been sectioned off.

"Where does this go?" Legend said that demons crawled out of the earth in the most ancient past to ravage the land. Was this one such tunnel? It would be fitting if it was, given the Yiga clan's allegiance to Calamity Ganon.

Seiji stopped, turning toward her and bodily pulling her away. "To your grave. Stay clear of it." Shivering, she nodded hastily, scrambling after the others. The air was brisk, a mere taste of the chill they would find at the higher elevation, but it helped clear her muddled thoughts enough to focus on the task at hand: finding rupees, and lots of them. No need to dwell on mysterious pits that more-than-likely led to the underworld.

They stopped at the foot of some shorter cliffs that led to the highlands, opposite from where they had exited the hideout. "Because you don't know your way around the area, Seiji and I are going to take turns carrying you wherever we need to climb," Toki said, kneeling in front of her. "Hop on."

She blanched. "I can't expect you guys to carry me the whole way. Why don't I try transporting myself instead?"

Toki shook his head. "Master Sooga said you're not very good at it-"

Her eye twitched. "Inexperienced was what he said," Ryo cut in. "But I mean, if you want to try, I'm all for it. Climbing in the snow is the worst."

She could not allow herself to be a burden this early into their journey, especially when they needed their strength to fight off monsters or predators. Izuna formed the hand sign the way Sooga taught her and stared hard at the opening of the pass, willing herself with all her might to be there. A cloud of smoke and tags erupted around her, and she instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, only to open them with a gasp as the air suddenly turned colder and her feet sank in the snow. Izuna let out a whoop just as her escorts appeared at her side. She did it!

Ryo held their hands up and she high fived them, grinning. "That's what I'm talking about!" they exclaimed.

"Well done," Seiji said, clapping her on the shoulder. "If you can keep it up, that'll save us a lot of time. Now let's get moving. This pass is dangerous because it's narrow and steep so be cautious. Ryo, with me." He and Ryo moved to the front, weapons drawn, and Toki took his spot beside her, wind cleaver in hand. For her part, Izuna kept her gaze on the ground, searching for any sign of rupees. She grabbed some sparkling chillshrooms she found here and there and tucked them into her medicine pouch. It wouldn't hurt to stock up on supplies while she was out.

While she foraged, Seiji and Ryo moved further ahead, and Toki sidled up to her, clearing his throat. "So, you and Master Sooga, huh?"

Brows raised, she straightened dusting her hands off. "How did you know about that?"

"Everyone knows," he said, voice glum. "Master Kohga made sure of it since it's not every day his right hand chooses to court someone."

Sooga's consideration was all for naught, then. Somehow, Master Kohga being a gossip didn't surprise her in the least. Still, word traveled remarkably fast around the hideout. "If you already knew, then why ask?"

Toki tightened his grip on his sword. "I wanted to see if it was true, and to warn you if it was."

Izuna stopped short. "Warn me about what?"

He shrugged, and kept walking, forcing her to catch up to hear his next words. "Master Sooga has a track record of fucking whoever he's interested in then moving on."

"Are you implying he's infected with venereal diseases?" she countered.

"Wh-what? No, of course not!" Toki sputtered. "Why is that the first thing you think of?"

Izuna held up a blue-glowing hand. "Healer, remember? But if you're not trying to warn me about a medical condition that needs immediate treatment, then what do you hope to achieve by telling me this? Am I meant to be upset that he's more sexually experienced than I am? It's not a big deal."

Toki let out an aggravated sigh. "I'm just saying, I've never seen him commit to a serious relationship before."

"You also just said it's not every day he chooses to court someone," Izuna pointed out. "I appreciate that you're trying to look out for me, but I don't need you to." In any other situation, from any other person, a warning like this might have given her pause. But from Toki with his purported feelings toward her? Absolutely not. It reeked of envy.

"Suit yourself," Toki grumbled, stalking further ahead.

She plucked a purple rupee from the snow and shoved it into her giant wallet. Off to a great start already.

Thanks to Izuna transporting herself to the tops of the cliffs they would've otherwise needed to scale, they cut a few days' worth of travel into mere hours, reaching the west foot of the Laparoh Mesa by late afternoon. Unfortunately, that leg of their journey was made almost entirely in silence, at least between her and Toki. It was surprising considering how talkative he'd been when he'd escorted her through the desert. His sullen recalcitrance only lent further credence to Sooga's claim regarding his supposed feelings. She could think of no other reason why he'd warn her off the general. Still, it made the trek feel longer than it ought to have. Travelling quietly was one thing when she was alone, but something else entirely when among company where conversation was welcome.

That evening, Izuna shrugged off her pack with palpable relief when they stopped to rest by an ancient Sheikah shrine, and she set to work at once setting up her usual camp consisting of a small tent, a modest cooking pot, and an oiled tarp to guard against snow or rain. Whenever she found herself camping near one of the ancient shrines, she always put up her tent as close to it as possible. For some reason, they were warm to the touch and could help stave off the worst of the cold. The others had placed their own shelters close by, perhaps for the same reason.

Grabbing her bow, arrows, and wallet, Izuna tramped toward the larger of the two tents and cleared her throat. "Seiji, I'm going to search for rupees."

"Go with her," she heard him say from within the tent.

Ryo pushed past the flap and stopped next to her. "Alright, show me how you really find all that money," they said, their grin audible.

"It's not all that difficult," she said as she led them away from the shrine. "They're usually low to the ground or," Izuna nudged a medium-sized rock out of the way with her foot, revealing a sparkling silver rupee, "underneath things."

Ryo sucked in a gasp. "Woah."

Izuna plucked the rupee from the snow and tossed it into her wallet. They continued like that, moving further away from camp unearthing the little gems, and even some larger ones until she had collected a modest sum. It wasn't enough for Mija's offering, but it was a good start. If the rest of the highlands were as fruitful as this area, she might even be able to get enough for Cotera's offering as well, which would make things much easier for her later, since rupees tended to be more difficult to find in the Necluda region.

"So, I may be wrong," Ryo said after they'd strayed more than far enough that they wouldn't be overheard, "but earlier when you were walking with Toki, did I hear 'Master Sooga' and 'venereal disease' in the same sentence? I knew he got around, but I'd never thought about-"

"It's not what you think." The steep drop over the cliffside looked mighty tempting right about then.

"Well, you'd better explain, because I've been dying to know all day."

Nosy. "It only came up because Toki was warning me about Sooga's apparent promiscuity. So, I asked him if he was trying to imply that he was diseased in some way."

Ryo howled with laughter. "You didn't!"

"I thought it would shut him up," she said defensively. And it had sort of worked, but Izuna was starting to regret her tactic. She didn't even want to picture the general's reaction if he ever caught wind of what they'd spoken of. "Toki said he was looking out for me, but what Sooga got up to in the past isn't really his or my business." That wasn't to say she didn't care at all, but the past was the past – there was nothing she or anyone else could do about it and Izuna wasn't about to compare herself to faceless lovers, if they ever got to that point. It would be another matter entirely, however, if Toki was right about Sooga's commitment, but she couldn't picture him acting in such a dishonorable manner. Especially since he was courting.

"More like looking out for himself," Ryo muttered. "I don't care how heartbroken Toki thinks he is, that's outta line."

Izuna scoffed. "He doesn't know me well enough to be heartbroken."

Ryo shrugged. "He's always been impulsive like that. That, and he likes your ass."

"Excuse me?" She knew she never ought to have worn that stupid uniform-!

They stopped, crossing their arms. "You didn't know? He's had a lot to say about how pretty you are naked."

"When-?" Her stomach dropped in realization, churning with unease. Her offering to Tera. Peeking at her was bad enough, but to spread it around the hideout like it was some kind of accomplishment? The comments about wanting physicals after the celebration made a lot more sense now. The audacity of him warning her away from Sooga for past trysts as if he wouldn't commit to her when Toki himself had, whether knowingly or not, gossiped about her to his comrades. Her breath hitched at the thought of the general. There was no way Sooga hadn't heard. What if he thought she'd dallied with Toki? Izuna's face burned, tears welling in her eyes.

"H-hey, don't cry!" Ryo stammered. "It's just talk!"

"It's never 'just talk,'" Izuna snapped, roughly wiping her face. "The only reason I'm tolerated is because of what I do for your people. My safety hinges on the goodwill and respect of your tribe!" It wasn't a fact she liked to acknowledge; ideally, she would be accepted because she was a person with inherent value, not a tool to be used. But that kind of unconditional acceptance was rare, even among her own people.

"Maybe it was like that at first, but you're as good as one of us now-"

She shook her head. "No, I'm-"

"You are," they said, grasping her hands between theirs. "You may not have joined us, but you are a friend to us like Master Kohga said. None of the stupid things Toki said changes that. For what it's worth, I genuinely don't think he meant anything bad by it."

"Maybe not, but it's humiliating to find out he was spying on me. Sooga's probably already heard-"

"It would explain all the patrols he's had him on," Ryo said, rubbing their chin. "But if Master Sooga cared about any of that, I doubt he'd have asked to court you. Besides, I have it on good authority he's bananas for you anyway."

A watery laugh burst from her, unbidden, and her face warmed as the way the general had kissed her in the archive room came to mind. She touched her lips. "Bananas, huh?"

"You bet. Now let's get back to camp before we get stranded in the darkness."

They returned to camp where the blademasters had a hot meal along with a generous side of bananas waiting for them. She accepted one from Toki with a cool nod and proceeded not to make eye contact for the rest of the evening. Despite the taboo around removing their masks outside the hideout, they didn't hesitate to tuck into the nutrient-dense food. Izuna, too, wolfed down her own meal with as much gusto as the others. The transportation technique took a lot out of her, not to mention tramping about in the snow all day. Thanking the others for the food, she retired to her tent that night, falling asleep almost as soon as she tucked herself into her bedroll.

To Izuna's dismay, there were few rupees to be found the next day or the one after as fierce winds buffeted them during their crossing of the Vatorsa snowfield. The trek was long and grueling and finding cover was impossible in the open terrain, which led to fending off more than a few wolves seeking to make a meal out of their group. When they finally hunkered down for camp that night nobody had any energy to do more than eat, sleep, or take their turn for the night watch. Yet despite her exhaustion, Izuna struggled to rest; the bitter cold had settled into her bones, leaving her yearning for the warmth she'd left behind. As she shivered in her bedroll at night, she couldn't help but think this journey was a mistake.

Izuna stared up at the steep path to the top of the plateau, shivering. Ryo had already transported themselves to the top to scout ahead while Seiji remained at the base to watch her back. Unable to rest enough to regain the strength to transport herself, she'd have to go on foot. She was running on fumes as it was, no matter how many bananas or meals Seiji foisted on her. She'd reached her limit. If she didn't find anything up there, they'd have to turn back.

A hand landed heavily on her shoulder, and Izuna turned tired eyes on Toki. "Hop on," he said, moving to kneel in front of her. It was a testament to her complete lack of energy that her only response was a resigned nod. She wasn't so foolish as to believe she could make it on her own. That didn't stop the sting to her pride, however, as Toki lifted her with ease, and they began their trek up the plateau.

"Don't go telling everyone you felt up my legs or something," she muttered.

Toki had the decency to flinch. "I shouldn't have looked-"

"Or boasted like being a pervert is some kind of accomplishment."

"It won't happen again. I'm really sorry, Izuna..."

Izuna didn't reply; no apology could take the words back, nor soothe her humiliation. But she also didn't want to argue about it; not when she could barely keep her eyes open. Eventually her breathing evened out as Toki's body heat seeped into her chilled skin, thawing her a fraction, and Izuna slipped into a much-needed slumber.

Gentle tapping on her cheek woke Izuna with a start, and she jerked forward, nearly headbutting Seiji. "Wake up; we've reached the top." She blinked blearily, finding Toki and Ryo a fair distance away. The snow was bright, even under an overcast sky, and she found herself squinting as her eyes adjusted.

Izuna started to get up, but Seiji shook his head. "Eat first. You slept for a couple hours."

"It makes no difference-"

"It does," he insisted. "I should have seen the signs of fatigue earlier; your body is unable to handle how frequently we've been transporting ourselves." But she healed people all the time and it didn't tire her out to this degree. Her confusion must have shown on her face, because Seiji explained, "Learning new techniques is like building muscle. You need to give your body food and time to rest after training to get stronger."

He handed her a banana and she accepted it without further complaint, peeling and taking a bite of the sweet fruit. Once she'd finished it, Izuna got up and brushed off the snow. "If we don't find anything up here, I want to return to the hideout," she said as Seiji turned away.

"Understood."

At first, the plateau was as devoid of rupees as the previous areas they'd searched; with much of it flat and snowy, there was little to find. However, as she approached an incline, a massive stone sword came into view, stopping her in her tracks. She drew closer to it, marveling at its dizzying height. It was easily the largest carving she'd ever seen. Izuna swayed, blinking away the black spots in her vision.

Ryo sidled up to her, whistling. "That looks like it belongs to one of those Gerudo statues."

"Oh?" She pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a few deep breaths.

"Yeah, there's seven or so of them standing in a semi-circle down in the desert. Wonder how one of the swords got up here."

"Hard to say. I still can't wrap my mind around how the divine beasts were made, if I'm honest."

"Have you seen them?"

Izuna shook her head. "No, but my friend's sister has been studying them. She's obsessed."

"...Is it the weird one with the red streak in her hair?"

She stilled, furrowing her brow. "You have spies in the research lab?"

"C'mon, Izuna. The question is where don't we have spies?" they joked. "I heard from my friend stationed there that there's these two crazy researchers and the girl has a red streak. Some of the stuff she told me is nuts."

Izuna snorted despite herself. Nuts sounded about right when describing anything relating to Purah or Robbie. "That doesn't surprise me in the least. Those two are menaces on their own, but together?" She shook her head. "Absolute chaos." Her eyes returned to the massive sword, travelling down the stone blade until a dark lump half-buried in snow caught her attention. "What's that?" she asked, pointing toward it.

"Dunno. Let's check it out-hey! Be careful!" Ryo called out as Izuna lurched toward the base of the sword, slipping on the way down and almost falling. She caught herself at the last second, dropping to her knees and started digging, scooping large handfuls of snow and tossing them away.

To her surprise, it was a chest. It was relatively nondescript, but whatever it held was heavy, and she could only budge it a little. "Hey, Ryo, I-" There was a yelp and Izuna turned just as Ryo slipped down the slope, nearly colliding with the stone sword.

"Woah! That was close!" they gasped, clutching their chest. "What did you find?"

"Not sure yet. Can you help me?" Without even waiting for her to help, they easily pulled it free. Izuna gaped. Ryo was a lot stronger than they looked. "Thanks."

"Anytime! Let's see what's inside!"

Numb fingers struggled to open the rusted latch; however, a nearby stone made short work of her problem and Izuna threw the lid open revealing the bounty within. Her eyes widened at the sheer number of sparkling jewels inside. Rupees as well as rubies, sapphires, and even a diamond were but a few of the treasures. A sapphire circlet, amber earrings, and some mismatched Gerudo adornments lay interspersed among the rest.

"Woah, what the hell is this doing out here?"

"Who knows? But I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth," she muttered, grabbing large handfuls of rupees to throw into her wallet unconcerned with counting, having spotted several silver and gold ones. This would more than cover both offerings and she was not about to waste the opportunity. Especially not after how miserable getting there had been. There was nothing else inside to indicate whom the treasure belonged to or why it was there, but it wouldn't have made much difference to her. Someone who left their lifesavings lying around outside couldn't have any expectation of security.

"True. How much more do you need?"

"Honestly, this is plenty and then some, especially if we count the rupees we found before. We can finally go back."

"Awesome! I'm tired of freezing my ass off out here-" They cut themselves off abruptly, fingers fidgeting with their arm spikes. "That's not to say I'm not honored to be of assistance-"

She waved them off. "You and me both. I hate snow. But... I do appreciate everyone's help," Izuna finished shyly. "You've saved me a lot of time."

"Aww glad we could help! It's the least we can do, especially since we all owe you a life debt."

"Consider it paid. This trip has been miserable," she deadpanned.

They laughed and patted her on the back. "Not even close. C'mon, let's tell Seiji and Toki the good news."

Izuna followed Ryo, taking care to walk in the path they left behind in the deep snow. Even so, each step was like lifting a lead weight and her progress was slow. By the time the pair found the blademasters looking out over the edge of the summit into the valley below, Izuna had broken out into a cold sweat and her stomach was churning.

"Seiji!" Ryo called out. Both Seiji and Toki turned to face them. "We found a huge – well, Izuna found a huge treasure trove and we can go home now!"

"That's good to-" Seiji paused, peering past Ryo toward her. "Izuna?" His voice sounded far away, at least compared to the blood rushing through her ears. Her extremities tingled and she missed a step, slipping face first into the snow.

"Izuna!"

She fought to get up, but everything was so heavy. The cold was both a discomfort and a balm to her feverish skin, Izuna shut her eyes, everything fading to black.