Hero by Heart

Chapter 49

It was still pitch black outside when Zelda carefully stepped through the front door.
     She glanced around, but apart from a few campfires burning low it seemed completely deserted. She doubted there were many sentries posted, if at all. That was something Link would have to deal with soon enough.
     She made her way around the inn, where a small stable offered room for their horses. Luckily neither Epona nor Thunder made a sound when she entered, and there were no other horses present.
     This was what she had been most nervous about. Link was trained to focus on Epona's warnings, even in his sleep. He would come rushing out here and Zelda's entire plan would be discovered.
     Not that it was much of a plan, she thought grimly. Her only goal was to sneak out of here and ride to Rito Village before Link could come after her.
     She felt slightly bad for just taking off without telling him, but she couldn't waste any more time bickering about it.
     Part of her was even a little angry with Link, because he refused to see how badly she needed him for this. She never doubted for a second that he was perfect for the job, but he didn't want to see that.
     He was too hung up on the fact that she almost got killed in the desert, even though that had been a completely different situation.
     This was only a short trip to the Rito, over a road that she had traveled dozens of times before. If she was lucky she could be there before nightfall, and Link would be too late to come after her. He would stay back and do what she had asked him to.
     Despite trying to convince herself, a worried frown settled on her face as she rode through the western gate. She didn't know if the knight would actually forgive her for this. What if she ruined their entire relationship?
Zelda stubbornly set her jaw, refusing to think like that. They desperately needed the Rito, of that she was certain.
They could fly great distances in short periods of time, and scout the area below with their sharp eyes, enabling them to get a better idea of what they were up against.
Providing that the Rito would be willing to help her.
She sighed. There were so many uncertainties to deal with, and she felt overwhelmed by the disastrous possibilities waiting for her.
     Right now she just had to focus on herself, she thought. One step at a time. First she needed to get to Rito Village.
     The first part of the road was uneventful. A broad path led her over grass and rocks, through a short tunnel and past the ruins of a village.
     She rode onto Carok Bridge, from where she cast one last glance at Hyrule Castle. It seemed so long ago that she had hoped to peacefully live there. Now that seemed like a childish dream. Somehow her destiny continuously threw other plans at her.
     Zelda let out another deep sigh, as she turned her head forward again and plunged into the darkness hanging over the Breach of Demise.
     The entire atmosphere here made her feel uneasy. It was an eerie place, with deserted monster camps scattered across the hard stone floor. Especially now that the sun was starting to rise above the horizon the rocks appeared to give off a faint light, making the shadows seem to dance.
     To her immense relief there was no movement, safe for one sleeping bokoblin. She quietly rode past it, holding her breath in fear of waking the creature up.
     Only when it was well behind her did she dare release her breath, but she remained tense and agitated. This place really creeped her out, making all the little hairs on her neck stand up.

When she finally emerged onto the open plains the sun was well above the horizon, casting the world in a golden glow and warming her back.
     Zelda instantly felt much better, and slowly started to relax again as she rode towards the strangely shaped, giant trees scattered across the Seres Scablands.
These surroundings were in such stark contrast with the darkness of the Breach of Demise that she completely forgot about her worries.
     She was so caught up in enjoying the whistling of birds and the steady hoofbeat on the ground that she only noticed the two Bokoblins when they were almost upon her.
     In a rush of adrenaline she pulled out the Gerudo Scimitar and swung it in a broad arch towards the first one. It caught right underneath its arm, which was raised in preparation of its attack.
Without thinking twice about it Zelda pulled back with all her might, at the same time spurring her horse on to a gallop.
The second Bokoblin got pushed aside by Thunders broad chest, but Zelda still managed to slash her blade over its body, leaving a deep gash.
As she rode away at full speed she quickly cast a glance over her shoulder, seeing a puff of black smoke as one of the monsters disappeared. Of the other she saw no trace.
Her heart was still hammering inside her chest when she reached the stable, cutting straight over the grass in her hurry to get there.
She dismounted, barely holding her weight on her wobbly knees, and sat down on one of the stools to calm herself.
It wasn't that bad, she reminded herself. She didn't get hurt. Link would be so pissed, though, if he ever found out she had been in danger, no matter how minor.
     Zelda allowed herself a few minutes to rest, while she watched the people around the stable go about their business. It must be somewhere around eleven o'clock now, with the sun fully up in the sky and the morning peacefully fading into noon.
     Eventually she drank some water from her flask and ate a simple meal of fruits that she had carried with her. She was anxious to continue as quickly as possible and this way there was no need to bother the stable owners.
When she continued a little while later she was much more cautious. Still, it was hard to pay attention to anything but the deep, dark canyon below as she came to the Tabantha Great Bridge.
The height was incredible, unlike anything else she ever experienced. No matter how often she might cross the canyon, it remained as impressive as the very first time she lay eyes on it.
To be completely safe she dismounted and led Thunder over the bridge on foot, meanwhile casting quick glances over the sides.
In the late morning there was a thick fog hanging over the ground, making it impossible for her to see the bottom. She could just as easily be walking on an island in the sky.
     Off in the distance she could now clearly see the impressive silhouet of Rito Village, Divine Beast Vah Medoh perched on its peak.
     She wondered what kind of welcome would await her there. Link had said that most of the Rito were kind enough, but they seemed rather independent. They didn't care much for the problems of outsiders, and liked to solve their own problems by themselves.
     If only she could convince them to help her. She didn't know what to do without them.