Hero by Heart

Chapter 34

When the dark blue night skies slowly started to grow lighter, a big company left Gerudo Town through the main gate.
     Riju stopped to turn towards Link, a kind smile on her face. 'I am incredibly grateful to you, Link, for doing this. I wish you good luck and safe travels.'
     Link nodded, glancing in the direction of the mountains. 'Thank you, Riju.'
     The Gerudo Chief then turned towards Zelda, grasping her hands in hers. 'And you too, of course, Princess. May you walk a safe path and find what you're looking for.'
     Zelda smiled back. 'Thank you. With your warriors I'm sure I will be fine.'
     While the Gerudo were busy preparing sand seals and Riju turned to Buliara for a private word, Zelda pulled Link aside. 'Please be careful out there,' she said quietly, shooting him a pleading look.
     'I will,' he said. He pulled her closer to place a kiss on her hair, unbothered by the presence of the Gerudo. 'You too.' He looked her over once more. She was dressed in her traveling gear and with a Gerudo Scimitar dangling at her hip, more as a precaution than because she knew how to use it. She seemed prepared, fully ready to set out, but he did not want to see her go.
     'I'll see you in a few days then,' she whispered to her feet, not meeting his eyes.
     Link smiled fondly and put a finger under her chin to make her look at him. 'I'll see you soon. Don't worry so much.' He leaned in and kissed her, his hand in her neck. It was soft and sweet, and he made sure to linger a moment longer, until he felt her relax a little.
     When he pulled back Zelda had flushed bright red and her eyes darted towards the Gerudo behind him, but Link didn't care. He was going to say goodbye properly, no matter what they would think. He was certain they already knew what was going on between them.
     To his surprise Zelda let out a chuckle, turning a bright smile at him. 'Goodbye, Link. Stay safe.'
     He smiled back and squeezed her hand, before dropping it and turning to head towards Buliara, who was waiting with his sand seal.
     Everything inside him wanted to turn and look at his princess one more time, but he didn't, feeling like it would shatter his heart.
     'She is in good company,' Buliara said kindly, handing him the reins.
     Link smiled up at her in thanks, before nodding and pulling out his shield. With a last deep breath he spurred on the seal and they sped off, towards the tall mountains on their left.

The sand seals were capable of making incredible speed, as they swam through the desert sand. In no time they were close to the great cliffs, where they had to maneuver around some pillars. It was no challenge for their seals, but Link had to be alert to keep himself from hitting something.
     They eventually reached a dead end, where a vertical rock wall signified the end of the desert and the start of the Gerudo Highlands.
     Buliara took care of their sand seals and sent them back to town, while Link climbed up the cliff and secured a rope for the Gerudo to help her up.
     As soon as she was standing next to him, she tightened her bags and started walking, following the slope upwards.
     Link fell into step beside her, a comfortable silence hanging over them. Temperatures rose as they climbed, causing little rivers of sweat to drip down his face. He didn't let it slow him down, though, and before long they came into view of a deep abyss, which seemed bottomless from where they stood. It looked strange to Link, who remembered the Sheikah Tower that had been there before. It was gone now, leaving the gaping hole to feel even more deserted than it had already been.
     Before he started to feel utterly alone and depressed in these bare surroundings, Buliara suddenly broke the silence.
     'It's been a long time since we last saw each other,' she stated, as if they hadn't been walking quietly together for hours already. 'So tell me, Link, how are you?' she asked, barely panting despite the steep climb.
     Link looked up at her in surprise, not used to having such a question directed towards him. 'I'm fine,' he said, a little unsure of what more to tell her.
     Luckily the Gerudo didn't seem to expect more, as she continued talking. 'Princess Zelda has told us some of your journey so far, but I was more curious about something Merina mentioned.' She glanced over at Link, who was just looking down to avoid stepping on a loose rock. 'She said you had an encounter with a Hinox on your way to the canyon.'
     Link nodded, a frown on his face as he tried to figure out where she was going with this.
     'Why did you decide to fight it alone, before telling anyone what you were planning to do?' Buliara asked, sounding more curious than anything. 'If I have learned anything about your relationship with the princess, it is that she would have been worried sick at your actions.' This time she did sound slightly accusatory, and she closely studied Link's face.
     He shrugged slightly, looking down at the ground in shame. 'To be honest, it didn't occur to me.' He fiddled with his sword hilt, not knowing what to do. 'I wanted to protect the others from getting hurt. On my travels I have been alone for so long...' He trailed off, as they had to maneuver around a big boulder lying on the path, momentarily interrupting their conversation.
     He sighed as soon as they were both on the other side. 'I have fought more monsters than I can count, but I always had to do it alone. I was the only one who could save myself.' Link looked up at Buliara, who had a compassionate look in her eyes as she gestured for him to continue.
     'I have taught myself the easiest and safest way to defeat all kinds of creatures, so I knew exactly what to do. I never saw it as putting myself in danger. To me it was simply making sure that we could cross safely.'
     Buliara nodded, but kept her eyes forward.
     'When I walked back and saw her standing there...' Link's voice trailed off as he saw the image in his mind again. She had looked so scared and helpless, yet still prepared to fight anything that hurt him. It had suddenly made him realize that he really wasn't alone in this anymore. She was there for him, just like he was there for her.
     'I never meant to make anyone worry,' he eventually continued. 'I'm just not used to having people around to discuss my plans with.' He chuckled dryly, hearing how incredibly sad that sounded.
     Without missing a step, Buliara came closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. 'I understand. I have dedicated my life to protecting our chief, so I am usually the one doing the fighting, much like you. It is hard to accept that others might feel the need to protect us.' She smiled. 'But if you can accept that, then it's a wonderful thing. To have such mutual trust.'
     Link smiled back, nodding as he let the words sink in. 'What did you think?' He then asked curiously. 'That I had gone suicidal or something? That my destiny was fulfilled and I would just throw away my life?' He laughed, to clarify that he was only joking.
     Buliara chuckled in response, shaking her head. 'I don't know. Maybe that you wanted to be the gallant knight that saves the princess.' She winked at him teasingly.
     Link scoffed. 'I have done my fair share of saving the princess. I do not feel the need to prove my worth to anyone anymore.' He chuckled, but then turned serious. 'And by the way, she has saved me more than once as well. I would never think that she is defenceless.'
     The Gerudo nodded, an approving smile on her face. 'It seems like you are growing up after all. I must say I had pretty much lost hope after you tried to ride a sand seal into town and ended up slamming yourself into the wall.' She clearly tried to hold back, but burst out laughing as she noticed the shameful look on his face.
     After another second of pretend hurt, Link laughed with her, thinking back of that day and how foolish he had been. Almost the entire town had seen him get catapulted through the air. They sure liked to remind him of it whenever they saw the silly Hylian vai.
     A new silence settled over them, as they both found their way over the steep road, a staggering depth next to it. It was broad enough to walk comfortably side by side, without getting near the edge. Link never felt bothered by heights, but even he didn't feel the need to get any closer to that abyss.

Not too much later they reached a couple of wooden platforms built against the side of the mountain, with ingenious constructions to lift heavy crates up.
     Buliara knew exactly how to handle them and with a bit of work they were soon standing on top of the cliffs.
     'We can set up camp up there,' Link said, pointing to a rock formation nearby, which rose above them. It meant they had to climb a little, but it would also be a good vantage point for looking at their surroundings.
     Buliara never questioned him and simply followed his lead, past a very old, deserted campfire that looked completely out of place.
     'Maybe that's where Birida set up camp,' Link reasoned. 'It must be called Birida Lookout for a reason, right?'
     Buliara nodded, thoughtfully looking over the little remains. 'I wonder why anyone would post a lookout here.'
     Link shrugged, as he prepared to climb the wall ahead. It was rough stone, with plenty of holds to get up. He had only just reached the top when Buliara came scrambling over the edge as well. Both of them being in good physical shape certainly paid off.
     After walking to the edge to look around, Link stood gaping at the massive desert and mountains surrounding it. 'Maybe this was the real lookout,' he suggested, chuckling when he noticed the awe on the Gerudo's face.
     'This view is incredible!' She called out. 'I can't believe I have never been here before.'
     Link, in the meantime, had noticed the mountains to their left, where he knew Zelda would be climbing at that very moment. He took out his Sheikah Slate and used the scope to follow the path he thought he could make out along the mountainside. 'I think I can see the others!' He called out to Buliara, when he finally noticed a couple of specks on the rocks.
     They were standing on a lone pillar, connected to the road with two wooden bridges on either side. Their group hadn't gained as much altitude as they had, but he and Buliara had taken up a steady pace throughout the day and their road had been steep and passable. He imagined the others had had much more difficulties climbing up the almost vertical cliffside. Besides, he was painfully aware that Zelda's fitness wasn't exactly at its best.
     As he watched, the little group seemed to move across the bridge one by one, then continued up the road. Link imagined they would soon set up camp as well, close as they were to dinner time, and he was proven right when the group halted in the first bend in the road, sheltered by the mountain.
     The rocks cast long shadows over the path, making it hard to distinguish their small shapes, but within no time a fire was lit, perfectly signaling their position.
     Link put down the Slate and turned around, finding that Buliara had already built the foundation of their own fire. He quickly jumped in to help and soon they were sitting together, waiting for their dinner to be ready.
     Exposed as they were to the elements, with the first snowy peaks not far from them, it turned cold surprisingly fast.
     Link searched in his bags until he found his warmer gear, which kept him much more comfortable in the icy wind.
     Buliara put on more clothing as well and huddled closer to the fire. 'You just had to pick a spot on top of a bare peak, didn't you?' She chuckled, only half joking.
     Link sent her a beaming smile as he nodded. 'Tell me it isn't worth it,' he said, making a wide gesture in the direction of the desert.
     It was a clear day, and now that it was turning dark they could see lights coming on in Gerudo Town and the Bazaar.
     Buliara looked at it and smiled, nodding slowly. 'You're right. That view is priceless.'

In the end they spent the entire evening looking out over the desert, recalling memories they shared or telling stories of other adventures they had been in.
     It was comfortable, with nothing to disturb them but the birds calling in the wind.
     When the sun set they fell silent, too deeply impressed to put it into words. From up there it was simply magical, the way the colors of the sky shifted so rapidly.
     Link remembered the evening he'd spent outside with Zelda. It seemed ages ago already, instead of the day before. The memories filled him with warmth, but he still found himself wishing that she was there with him. He wanted to feel her warmth against his side, to trace her smooth skin and kiss her soft lips.
     Was she looking at the sunset as well? What did she think about? Was she sad without him, or happy to be doing something? Was everything going alright?
     He was dying to know.
     When the last colors on the horizon had disappeared completely Buliara spoke again, startling Link. He had almost forgotten she was there at all.
     'I'm going to turn in. Goodnight, Link.'
     He smiled and nodded, before watching her walk a little back from the edge to lie down comfortably.
     He sat staring at that small speck of fire for some time, aching to be closer. Eventually though, he got up as well and found a comfortable spot to lie down, his head turned towards the Divine Beast that was faintly visible as a black shape against the dark blue sky. The fire on the mountain there was much brighter now, standing out like a beacon in the dark.
     Link smiled to himself as he imagined Zelda lying there, maybe even looking in his direction. He might miss her but no matter what, they were under the same stars.