Hero by Heart

Chapter 42

The darkness seemed to swallow Link as the boulder was rolled back into place, with no other hint of movement.
A little up ahead he could make out firelight reflected on the rocks, but the first steps were pitch black.
With his hand along the wall on his left, Link felt his way towards the light, alert on any sign of life.
There was no telling how far the tunnel stretched, but after some nerve-wrecking minutes he reached a sharp bend, immediately followed by some more disorienting twists and turns. The light grew brighter there, allowing him to see the wall to his right. He judged it was wide enough for about three men abreast, with the ceiling still lost in darkness.
After a final bend he stood in a short tunnel that suddenly opened up into a giant cavern, illuminated by countless torches.
For a second Link stood still to take in his surroundings, deeply impressed by it despite the situation.
All across the ceiling dozens of stalactites pointed down, some as big as a grown man, with every now and then a drop of water falling from the sharp tips.
The floor was covered in stalagmites, gravel and puddles of water, which created a beautiful sound as droplets fell onto the still surface.
Across the dusty floors there was a path, meandering between pillars and around tiny ponds, with torches fastened to the dark stone wherever it was needed.
Once Link had determined there was nobody in the room, he carefully followed the path. He slowly progressed, making sure to remember which way he went and to look out for other tunnels. For now, though, there seemed to be no other way but forward.
At the other end of the cave the path finally disappeared into a narrow tunnel, with just enough room for one person to walk through.
From somewhere up ahead Link could hear other sounds now. There was the murmur of voices and a faint rushing that he thought was running water.
He entered the tunnel, which was much brighter than the first one, thanks to the torches at even intervals. Despite some twists and turns, Link judged that he was going in a decently straight line west, sloping up almost imperceptibly.
Without warning he turned one last corner and found himself in another cavern, even bigger than the first.
There were no stalagmites on the floor here, although circular patterns seemed to indicate where they had been cut away. Stalactites still littered the ceiling, and along the walls Link noticed some Luminous Stone formations, glowing faintly in the shadows and providing the space with more light.
Flowing straight across the middle of the cave there was a small stream of fresh water. Its rapid current ran over bare rocks, before disappearing through a gap in the wall.
What stood out most to Link, though, was the amount of people he saw.
Despite the early hour there were countless men and women scattered across the cavern, sitting at tables or standing in little groups.
To his relief, Link noticed that almost all of them wore different variations of the outfit he wore. Some of the people present wore their hood, or a mask, or even both, while others were bareheaded. He would have no trouble hiding his face among them.
At a first glance it seemed like a bunch of randomly selected people, but something must have put them together. Something had caused them to hide out in these caves.
     Link frowned. He had to find out what they were up to. It seemed even bigger than the Gerudo had anticipated.
'Going in or out?' A voice suddenly ripped him out of his thoughts.
Link looked up to find a man standing in front of him, with only his black hair and dark eyes visible over the red mask.
He now quirked an eyebrow at Link, likely getting a little impatient with the idiot that was blocking the narrow passageway.
'In,' Link quickly muttered, stepping aside to let the man out.
The stranger nodded in greeting and disappeared around the corner, but Link finally snapped out of his daze. He realized that he should be moving instead of gaping around from the entrance.
In the middle of the room there were a few cooking fires lit with meat roasting in the flames, spreading delicious smells that made Link's stomach rumble.
He headed that way and halted near one of them, unsure what to do now.
Luckily he didn't have to wait long before a tall woman glanced his way and smiled. 'What can I get ya?'
Link quickly glanced over the options and chose a good looking piece of meat, which the woman put on a plate and handed to him.
'Feel free to fill up,' she said, gesturing behind her to a table loaded with fruits and vegetables. 'The hunt was good today, so don't let it go to waste.' She winked. 'First come first served, right?'
Link forced a grateful smile and did as he was told. He might as well eat while he made plans for his next move. At least it would be less conspicuous to be watching the people around him while he was enjoying a meal.
He chose an empty seat at one of the wooden tables and removed his mask, although he kept his hood up. He let out a quiet groan in satisfaction as he took his first bite, savoring the juicy meat. A few bites in, though, he forced his attention back to reality and let his eyes roam.
Until now he had been incredibly lucky, having these people basically showing him exactly what to do. He wasn't so sure he would be able to act normal if someone started asking questions.