New Horizons - A Skyward Sword Aftermath Story

Chapter 23 - Lost in the Woods

Two long days had passed since the pair first landed in the mysterious woods. The thick white fog made it impossible for them to know where they were going, or if they were going anywhere at all. It felt as though they had entered an alternative reality. They no longer felt the sun's warm rays on their skin, and even their loudest of calls for help never even escaped the towering treetops.

The woods were barren of any supplies, and with the pair only having simple ingredients such as oats, uncooked rice and stale bread in their bags, their stomachs growled louder than hot-tempered loftwings.

Despite how isolated they felt, they knew they weren't alone. They were constantly haunted by the faintest sounds of monstrous growls, snarling and heavy footsteps in the distance, their source forever a mystery. With each little creak and groan in the distance, Link's hand grabbed the handle of his blade by instinct, but just as he expected, nothing ever came forth.

At night, Zelda hardly slept at all, and Link refused to. He didn't dare shut his eyes for even a minute. He could sense that whatever was out there, it was waiting for them to be at their most vulnerable. Sometimes he would hear the high-pitched squeals of other small creatures, presumably after becoming prey to whatever lies ahead. 

By day, the pair dragged their feet through the woods, the direction they went in didn't seem to matter anymore. The exhaustion and lack of food made their bags feel like they were made of lead. Link wasn't sure if his head was spinning, or was just confused by how every direction looked the same.

For what must've been the billionth time that day, Zelda pressed her index fingers against her mouth and did her usual call for her loftwing. Her whistle had grown weaker over time, partly because of her parched throat, partly because she was losing hope that her loftwing would ever hear it.

"Stop doing that." Link spoke. "You'll hurt your throat."
"It's better than nothing." His friend replied. He could sense a hint of irritation in her voice.
She kicked a small stone she found on the floor as they walked.
"The others...they must be so worried about us."
Her friend let out a small "hm" in response, not really having the energy to give a good response. His eyelids felt heavy, his chest was painfully tight from the stress and anxiety.

The atmosphere returned to the same dreadful silence it had been. Neither of them knew what to say, and there wasn't anything to even talk about. The only thing that eased Zelda's boredom was the golden bracelet she had acquired back at Eldin Volcano. Upon pulling it out of her bag for the nth time, she examined it. Bringing a finger up to her chin, she let out a curious hm.
"The Great Anudria... Who was he?"

Perhaps it was the hunger and exhaustion that made him like it, but Link couldn't help but feel annoyed. It felt like she was almost too preoccupied by her recent findings to be concerned about their current situation.  He swore that he would sacrifice anything and everything to protect her. He knew he had to remain vigilant, but she just seemed to be engrossed in that chunk of gold. By accident, an irritated sigh escaped his lips. It was quiet, but loud enough to reach the ears of his friend. She turned around.
"What's wrong?"
The hero stared back at her, his tired eyes dull with disappointment.
"All you've talked about is that ancient Goron leader."
Zelda raised an eyebrow, her face showed that she took offence to his comment.
"Huh? Well, what else am I supposed to do right now?"
"Perhaps focusing on trying to get out of here?"
"Well, sorry for just wondering about it!" She hissed, shoving the artifact back in her bag. "What else do we have to talk about? About how we might die out here? About how something is coming to try to eat us while our backs are turned? Do tell, Link!"
The other narrowed his eyes.
"I'm just saying that we can find more answers to all this later. Right now, we need to get out of here, otherwise there won't be an us to find those answers."