Hero by Heart

Chapter 36

The morning sun warmed Link's face when he woke up, while an icy wind sent shivers down his spine.
     He rubbed his eyes and got to his feet, feeling well rested but a little stiff. He instantly glanced into the distance, where a faint spec of fire glowed in the shadows of the mountain, right where Zelda should be.
     He looked at it and imagined her waking up that very moment. Would she look towards him? Would she see his silhouette outlined against the clear blue sky?
     That was when a grunt sounded behind him, followed by a shuffling of feet. He turned to see Buliara straighten up and stretch to her full height. She offered him a curt nod, then drank some water from her flask. 'If we go soon, maybe we can return by tonight,' she said, crouching next to the fire. She squinted up at the sun, as if daring it to stay still.
     Link nodded, judging how far they still had to go. It should be doable. It all depended on what they would find in the Hideout.
     Together they ate a simple breakfast, before putting out the fire, packing their belongings and setting off. They first descended down the wall they had climbed the day before, then headed past the wooden platforms where they had come up.
     The mountain slopes wound around Sapphia's Table and slightly resembled a very broad road, offering them easy passage.
     Link followed Buliara in silence, neither one of them needing to make idle conversation.
     Their road eventually turned right, deeper into the mountains, high over Karusa Valley.
     They then came upon a massive hole in the ground itself, through which they could see down on the sandy floors of the valley below. Sand streamed over the edges from under their feet, over the many layers of differently colored rocks.
'It's beautiful,' Link stated, peering over the edge.
'It is,' Buliara confirmed, although her expression remained grim. 'We should look for signs of life down there. There are always some Yiga Footsoldiers on patrol.'
She lay down next to Link, flat on her stomach, and thoroughly scanned the area below.
Link walked around the edge of the cliff to be able to see the other direction, but there was no movement apart from the endless streams of falling sand. 'Maybe we have some better luck up ahead,' he said doubtfully, barely believing it himself.
Something felt off.
Buliara nodded and followed him to a next hole, from where they could see the actual entrance of the hideout.
Still no sign of life.

To get down from the mountain and onto a lower platform, Link pulled out his glider. He wanted to offer to take Buliara with him, but she was already climbing down along the wall. With a shrug he took off, using the short trip to study the entrance and surrounding ledges and platforms.
'This is weird,' Link said after they got together again. 'Where have they gone?'
Buliara grunted, her eyes forward.
They were now walking up the rocky slopes of a small valley, bathed in sunlight. Despite the sun, it was getting colder, their breathing forming little clouds in the air. Before long the road ahead was even covered in snow, just like the towering peaks surrounding them.
They were almost at the heart of the Highlands.
At that moment their road came to a sudden end, as the ground fell away to reveal a large circular pit in the depths. Across from the valley the road continued, as if something had taken a big chunk out of the mountain.
'This is it,' Link said quietly. 'We're standing on top of the back entrance of the Yiga hideout.'
Buliara crouched down, carefully peering over the edge and letting out a low whistle. 'That is one deep pit,' she whispered.
Link nodded, also looking over the edge. He focused his attention on the ledges along the cliffs and the dark crevasses that threw deep shadows. 'It is simply deserted,' he said in confusion. 'Something must have happened here.' He got up again and searched for a proper way to get across, without the risk of being seen.
Eventually he settled on the left side, where the mountain itself cast a long shadow over the valley. 'Are you willing to glide down with me?' He asked Buliara, already taking out his glider. It would be a long and difficult climb without it.
The Gerudo Warrior simply nodded, stepping closer to Link without taking her eyes off the grounds below. She clasped her arms around his neck, practically climbing on his back.
He felt a little uncomfortable being this close to the tall woman, but was grateful he wasn't face to face with her, as he'd been with Zelda. He hid his feelings the best he could, grasping onto the glider and setting his eyes on their destination.
A few seconds later they parted, and Link looked down at the pit again, not wanting to meet her eyes.
Luckily Buliara did not notice, or at least she never mentioned it. Instead she walked forward carefully, her footsteps muffled on the rocks.
Link felt a nervous flutter in his stomach. They were now in plain sight of anyone who decided to look up.
If there even was anyone to look up.