Hero by Heart

Chapter 36

The morning sun warmed Link's face as 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.
     Off in the distance he could still see the little spec of fire, on the slopes where Zelda should be.
     He looked at it, imagining her waking up right now, looking in his direction and maybe even seeing his silhouette outlined against the clear blue sky.
     That was when Buliara got up with a grunt, drinking some water from he flask and packing up her gear.
     'If we go soon, maybe we can return tonight,' she said hopeful, crouching next to the fire.
     Link nodded, judging how far they still had to go. It all depended on what they would find in the Hideout.
     Together they ate a simple breakfast, before putting out the fire and setting off, first down the wall they had climbed the day before, and then past the wooden platforms where they had come up.
     The mountain slopes wound around Sapphia's Table and actually looked a bit like a very broad road, offering them easy passage.
     Link quietly followed Buliara as she headed towards a stone colossus that stood at the end of the cliff, neither of them needing to make idle conversation.
     Their road eventually turned right, deeper into the mountains, high over Karusa Valley.
     They then came across a couple of giant holes in the ground, through which they could look down on the valley below.
Sand was streaming over the edges from under their feet, over the many layers of differently coloured rocks.
'It's beautiful,' Link stated, carefully peering over the edge.
'It is,' Buliara confirmed. 'But we should look for signs of life down there. Normally there are always some Yiga Footsoldiers on patrol.'
She lay down next to Link, flat on her stomach, as she thoroughly scanned the area below.
Link walked around the hole to be able to see the other direction as well, but neither of them could see any movement apart from the endless streams of falling sand.
'Maybe we have some better luck up ahead,' Link said doubtfully, barely believing it himself.
Buliara nodded and followed him to the next hole, from where they could see the actual entrance of the Hideout.
Still no sign of life.

To get down from the platform and onto the next, Link pulled out his glider. He moved along the left side of the hole, while the Gerudo Captain climbed down on the right.
Both of them studied the entrance and surrounding ledges and platforms, but it was completely deserted.
'This is weird,' Link said after they got together again.
They were now walking around a large rock formation in the middle of the small valley, up the rocky slopes that were bathing in sunlight.
Despite the sun, it was getting colder and their breathing formed little clouds in the air.
Before long the cause of this became clear, as the road ahead was covered in snow, just like the 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 softly. 'Were standing on top of the back entrance of the 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, but instead focusing on the ledges along the cliffs and the dark crevasses where anything could be hiding.
'It is simply deserted,' he said confusedly. 'Where are they?'
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 large 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 as she still looked down into the valley.
He felt a little uncomfortable being this close to the large woman, but hid it 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 walking forward carefully.
They were now going around the valley, in plain sight of anyone who decided to look up. If there even was anyone to look up.