A/N Welcome readers to another chapter.
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There will some references to BOTW.
CHAPTER WARNING - Violence, threat of violence, mild cussing.
Chapter Four
Link was not a patient man. He furiously paced back and forth, glancing towards the trees, hoping for any sign of their return. "Why the hell aren't they back yet?"
Sooga folded his arms as he studied his leader. "Do I sense a tinge of concern, Master Link?" he asked thoughtfully. "Perhaps we should consider going out to look for them. It's been far too long since they've been gone."
He clenched his jaw. He actually hated that the Blademaster was the one to state the obvious. "Fine," he replied, beckoning Sooga to follow.
Link organized a search party at once. Aveil and Sofretti offered to wait back at camp just in case the pair returned. With a torch in hand, Link lead the group, which consisted of Sooga, Hilo, Larisu, plus an additional footsoldier. They traveled the exact same path, Nabooru and Zelda had taken earlier. They walked in silence, their footfalls and the noise of the forest loud in their ears. As they trudged even deeper though, there was still no sign of them.
"I'm sure they're quite fine," Larisu said confidently. However, her firm voice had an undertone of fear that did more to elevate Link's apprehension than disperse it.
Sooga, wisely, said nothing to this, though behind his mask an expression of contempt appeared on his face.
Collecting his thoughts, tension settled in Link's face almost instantly. His jaw tightened, his face darkened. "I swear if that princess has made a mockery out of me, I'm going to kill her, consequences be damned." He promised himself there would be no remorse or mercy, if she had indeed attempted something foolish.
As they reached a smaller, more densely wooded area with thick underbrush, the silence was broken when Link quickly noticed a figure sprawled out on the ground ahead. He hurried over, coming to a crouch beside the Gerudo's prone form. "Nabooru!"
Letting out a bemoaned whimper, the Gerudo stirred back into consciousness. She forced an eye open, the dimness receding. Groggy and disorientated, the warrior found herself gazing up at the man staring down at her. He was close, too close. Her first instinct was to push him away, but then her vision cleared and she saw a pair of concerned blue eyes examining her. "Link?...what? Uh... my head," she managed to murmur. With firm fingers she grasped the side of her head and twisted her neck, allowing the fingers to carefully probe the back of her head and the base of her skull. "No blood," she said to herself. "That's a good sign at least."
Link's initial relief at seeing his companion relatively unharmed quickly gave way to irritation. "What happened? Where is the princess?!" he demanded, his voice sharp with urgency. "Did you not listen to a word I said and somehow underestimated the princess's tenacity and aloofness."
Indignation forced her to fully sit up. "It wasn't my fault! The princess...she used a distraction tactic...then she hit me with something...I didn't see it coming...," she stuttered, her voice shaky.
"What is this stupidity? This is surely unacceptable!" Hilo growled, his voice laced with scorn. "How pathetic that you, a Gerudo Warrior, couldn't even manage to keep one spoiled princess under control."
"Never send a Gerudo to do a Yiga's job," Sooga declared. "When all is said and done, we are the superior race. You women are becoming far too lax; complacent; perhaps even lazy. We are much more formidable when it comes to dealing with pesky princesses. You should have let us deal with her, because clearly you are incapable."
Link smirked. Sooga was easily one of Link's best companions. Despite his cruel nature, he was always one to get the job done when asked. Unfortunately, even with his exemplary skills and unwavering loyalty, his violent streak and tendency for brutal efficiency made him unsuitable for a delicate task like guarding the princess. In fact, he couldn't help but acknowledge that the Yiga General was even more ruthless and single-minded than him. That was purely the reason he assigned his more level-headed Gerudo instead. However, he was beginning to regret his choice.
Larisu put up a brave stance. "Who are you calling pathetic and incapable?" she practically snarled. "At least we have brains. Yours are all just full of mush. Must be that obscene amount of bananas you fools get so giddy over."
There was a momentary hush of silence. "How dare you?!" Sooga thundered. "You? A mere female mocking such a superior, delicious and nutritious fruit."
"Aw, did I somehow offend the delicate snowflake," Larisu teased.
His blood boiled and without warning, Sooga raised his dual swords and then swiftly charged towards the Gerudo female.
Larisu unsheathed her Gerudo scimitar. "Bring it on! I'll be sure to give your mask a matching scar."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Link boomed, moving to stand between the Yiga and Gerudo. "If you two wish to kill each other then I'm not going stop you. But you do it after we find the the princess!"
Larisu took a deep breath, calming her mind, whilst Sooga huffed angrily before stomping off in the opposite direction.
Link turned to Nabooru. "You've suffered a rather nasty injury, therefore you should return to camp," he instructed. "Everyone else prepare to move out."
Nabooru let out a muffled curse. If it had been any other time then she would have gladly complied with Link's order—just not today. Yes, she had a pounding headache, and yes her pride had been wounded, however she was not in the mood for just sitting around whilst the rest of them went gallivanting off in search of the wayward princess. "Pfft! If you honestly think a small blow to the head is going to prove too much for me, then you're sorely mistaken. I'm not tolerant of being tricked or deceived. That little wench is going to pay for what she did."
Link spared the Gerudo no more then a glance as he turned to face the rest of the party. "Okay, listen up. The princess couldn't have gotten far. Lucky for us, we have an excellent tracker." He motioned over to Sooga. "Just a whiff of the princess's unique scent and he will lead us in the right direction."
Whilst Sooga agreed to put his skill to the test, Larisu confronted Link. "Do you think we'll find her?"
"Oh we'll find her, because I won't rest until she is safely back in our clutches," Link promised.
"She went this way," Sooga then hollered, pointing to an area a little towards the west.
Link smirked. "The river eh? What a clever girl she is. Okay everyone, let's split up and spread out. That way we can cover more ground."
With renewed purpose, each member then headed off in search of the princess.
He had to be the one to find the princess. Not that it was a contest of course. As he hastily made his towards the riverbank, Link scanned the surroundings frantically, his feeble torch provided very little light in the vast darkness. He moved further along where he dropped to his knees, his keen senses attuned to the immediate area. His eyes never stopped moving as he strained to hear any unusual sound or movement. His sharp hearing allowed him to pick up even the subtlest rustle of leaves, crackle of twigs or in this case a ripple of water.
"What was that?" he murmured quietly, his senses now focused on the sound of the river's gentle movement. "It's coming from further up river," he then muttered, rising to his feet.
He pressed onward, his resolve doubled as his stumbling turned into a dedicated run. He spotted the wooden jetty up ahead and raced towards it. As he held up the torch, Link easily spotted the raft seemingly drifting out in the middle of the river. There was a single, shadowy figure aboard which he ascertained must be the princess. Despite the time she has been missing for though, it looked as if she was struggling to make headway.
Wasting not a moment of time, Link dropped the torch and quickly lowered himself into the freezing water, his body moving silently through the cool depths. The current was strong so it took equally strong and powerful strokes to propel him forward. As he swam swiftly towards the raft, his eyes trained on the lone figure.
Blowing the raft as hard as she could had lead every muscle in Zelda's body to burn with exhaustion. Her arms in particular ached from the continuous swinging motion. The current of the river was overpowering and despite her best efforts it didn't seem like she had covered much distance. She glanced ahead and saw the lantern she had been aiming for, but it still appeared distant and unreachable.
As Link continued to swim through the chilly water, the cold began to sink into his bones. He pressed on though, determination pushing him past the discomfort. Once he had caught up, he planned the perfect element of surprise. He quietly pulled himself towards the raft behind the unsuspecting princess. Careful to avoid making any noise, he climbed up onto the surface, steadying himself as he made his presence known.
"Going somewhere, princess?" a low, dangerous voice cut through the air behind her in a deep, threatening timbre.
Zelda whirled around, letting out a small yelp as she came face-to-face with the source of the oh so familiar voice. She opened her mouth in order to form a reply, but no words came out. What she did feel in that moment however was frustrated resignation and the disappointment of knowing that her daring escape plan had failed spectacularly.
Link advanced towards her, moving with deadly ease, slow and deliberate. "It seems that your little escapade ends here, princess. You'll be coming back with me now."
She swallowed a nervous lump that had lodged itself in her throat. There was barely an inch between the two of them. She sucked in a reflexive and extremely tense breath as a mounting sense of panic twisted her insides. She would have stepped back from his looming form if there had been anywhere for her to go. "I'd rather die, then go anywhere with you!" she finally choked out, hoping her voice sounded firm, even as it wavered.
It all happened so quickly. With a swift motion, Link lunged towards her and wrapped his hand around her slender neck, slowly tightening it like a vise. "Then perhaps I should just snap your pretty little neck right here and now. I can even make it quick—painless."
Terror paralyzed her. Panic unfurled, winding its way down her spine as she struggled for air. "P-Please," she rasped.
He released his grip, looking down at her with unadulterated smugness as she wheezed and coughed. "Don't think of this as an act of mercy, dear princess. The only reason I didn't kill you is because my master would rather have a live bride and not a corpse bride."
"Well how noble of you," she replied, surprised at the steadiness of her own voice. He didn't reply straightaway, instead his eyes roamed down her trembling body causing Zelda to suddenly feel really uncomfortable.
He grabbed her hand and with a quick maneuver of his wrist, he wrenched the Deku leaf from her grasp. "Look's like you won't be needing this," he hissed. She struggled, but her weakened state was no match for his own and he was easily able to grab it from her. Once it was in his possession, he angled it, setting the raft on a steady course back towards the riverbank.
Zelda huffed, her stubbornness clearly on display. "I'm not going back!" she declared, lifting her chin defiantly. "You can't make me!"
"Oh really?" he grinned. "Watch me."
Overcome with a flood of emotions, she lashed out, thrashing and clawing at his face with her nails. It might not have improved the situation but at least it would make her captor's life harder. As he attempted to restrain her, he accidentally let go of the leaf.
"Dammit! Now look what you've made me do!" Link spat angrily. He gripped her arm tight with one hand, whilst the other gripped her hair, almost pulling it out of her scalp.
Zelda desperately tried to squirm out of his grip. "Release me this instant!" Her defiance burned brightly as her slender limbs struggled against Link's firm hold. She was not about to give up. She twisted. squirmed and writhed until she was able to yank herself free.
The raft, already swaying and wobbling from the princess's frenzied movements became rather unstable. Under their combined weight, it suddenly tilted dangerously to one side, sending them both tumbling into the cold, churning water.
Disoriented, Zelda fought to get her bearings. The thought of being underwater was deeply uncomfortable, therefore she frantically began propelling herself upwards until she broke the surface, splashing and gasping for air. The water was shockingly cold. It enveloped her, chilling her muscles to the bone.
Link surfaced not too far from her and his first instinct was to retrieve the raft. However, due to the strong current it quickly floated away and he was simply too cold and exhausted to swim after it.
Immediately, her fight-or-flight instincts kicked in giving her a reserve of strength she hadn't known she possessed. She began to swim as fast as she could towards the riverbank, and even though her lungs burned as she tore through the water, she knew she had to get away.
"Oh no you don't," Link yelled. His strength and swimming ability gave him an advantage and he quickly closed the gap between them. He clasped his hand around her waist and tugged her back towards him. Once she was secure, he proceeded to drag her towards land.
There was unlikely to be anyone out on the river at this late hour, yet Zelda knew there were villages and encampments nearby so maybe her voice would carry. She drew in as much breath as she could and let out an ear piercing scream.
"You stupid girl! If you keep screaming like that, you're going to attract attention."
"That's the point," she countered, screaming again, except louder this time.
Link attempted to cover her mouth, but her face and his hand were so slick with water, she slipped free easily, twisting and thrashing against the arm around her waist. "STOP THAT!" he hissed as he tried to maintain his control over her. She kept shrieking, trying to throw herself out of his grasp. He grunted again, his arm slipping slick against her stomach underneath her tunic.
With the water now only waist deep, Link released his grip and threw her unceremoniously into the water in order to get a better hold of her. Her breath was knocked out of her as she struggled to get her feet underneath her. There was only a momentary reprieve before his hand closed around the back of her neck and her head was suddenly shoved underwater.
Darkness pressed in on all sides, the pressure to breathe growing stronger. There was no thinking, just reacting. Zelda thrashed wildly in the water, arms breaking the surface. As her lungs were starting to feel as though they might burst, he pulled her back up. She gasped for air, sputtering and coughing through the wet hair that was plastered to her cheek. Her heart hammered loudly in her chest.
"Are you ready to be quiet now?" His voice was strained with an emotion she couldn't quite place.
If she was less stubborn then she would have said yes. Instead, she took a deep breath and prepared to scream again. As the sound started to slip from her lips, she heard him curse under his breath… and then she was underwater again.
He gritted his teeth and dragged her closer to the shoreline. Just then his ears perked up at the sound of voices coming from nearby, He froze, hoping to remain unnoticed.
Zelda's movements were frantic as she struggled and fought against his forceful hold, trying to resist his strength as he kept her head underwater. Her panicked attempts to break free were futile though as he held her firm, his determination outweighing her resistance. Eventually though her thrashing began to slow, the desperate attempts to breach the surface stopped.
From his viewpoint, Link was able to make out two figures walking alongside the riverbank. They looked to be two young Hylian women carrying lanterns and they were coming awfully close to their location. It mattered not. If they were to somehow discover their whereabouts then he would have no choice but to snuff out their lives. He rather hoped though that the shroud of darkness protected them from being seen. He did however take amusement at their conversation.
"Hey, sis. Isn't it a little dangerous to be out here at night without any protection?"
"Meghyn, I already told you, it'll be fine. As soon as we find those hearty truffles we can head home."
"I just don't think there's any here, Nat."
"There has to be!"
"Darn it, Nat. You just can't help seeing those rupees."
"It's not just about the money. We have to find them because they're a gourmet treat that soothes fatigue, which by the way could be very handy right about now. Not to mention they taste divine, so quit talking and more hunting."
"Fine, we'll keep looking, but I think we should head to Sarjon Woods. We may have better luck there."
"Well, let's head there then. Just remember though, we're not going home until we find those truffles."
"You know what, Nat. You'll be the death of me."
With their footfalls slowly fading away, Link released a sigh of relief. "You were lucky, they didn't catch us, sweet cheeks, or that would have been the last time they would have been hunting for hearty truffles."
When she didn't respond a sudden realization overcame him as he realized that he has been holding Zelda underwater for a considerable amount of time, and she has ceased fighting for her life. Concern clouded his face as he yanked her up and looked down at her unresponsive form. Panic instantly replaced his irritation. Her eyes were closed, her face pale and ashen and her lips were blue. He frantically checked for signs of life but found none.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, his heart pounded erratically and anxiety coursed through his veins. Link hurriedly dragged Zelda's unresponsive form onto the riverbank. The weight of her waterlogged clothing made the task even more challenging, but he pushed forward with urgency.
Finally, with a grimace of pain on his face, Link collapsed with sheer exhaustion next to Zelda's lifeless body.
"LINK?" A female voice rang out in the darkness.
He slowly lifted his head, and with unfocused eyes, Link gazed up at his comrades gathered before him. "You guys are fashionably late," he seethed.
Sooga spoke first. "What in Ganondorf's name happened to you? We've been searching all over."
Nabooru looked more concerned with Zelda's condition, "Link, what's wrong with the princess?"
"I think I held her under the water for too long," Link replied in a state of panic.
"You did what? For how long?" the Gerudo immediately questioned as she gently attempted to rouse the princess.
He actually couldn't be sure. "I don't know. Five minutes...maybe longer."
"She's going to be okay though, right? She's going to be okay?" Larisu asked nervously.
Nabooru proceeded to check for a pulse by placing two fingers to Zelda's neck. Nothing. She then checked for breathing, again nothing. The Gerudo's own pulse quickened and her palms started to feel clammy. Her hands were now shaking so bad. She gazed up mournfully. "I can't feel a pulse and she doesn't appear to be breathing either. I think...I think she might already be dead. Link, what the hell have you done?!"
A/N More to come...