Fantiality

A Lost Princess

The ground had turned so muddy in the perpetual rain that getting out of Kakariko Village was an adventure in itself. By the time we slugged through it, down the stairs, and to Hyrule Field, our spirits were too damp to handle what we came to without wanting to cry. The mellow river which ran out from Zora's domain now flooded out far into the field, as well as drowning part of the stairs. The waters, before calm and crystal clear, were now raging cascades of dirty foam. Logs and debris were tossed to and fro in its angry current.

"Well, that's something." said Shadow, as though looking at a strange work of Picasso.

"We need to get across."

I glanced to my side at Link, incredulous. He had been doing amazingly well despite his mauled back, though color had yet to return to his face. "Across? We'll drown before we even get in!" I said.

"Which is actually very true." added Shadow in that same, aloof tone.

"Can you swim?" Link asked me, ignoring him.

"Yeah, well enough, but no one can swim through that, Link. Don't be daft. We're going to have to find a way around."

"What happened to that fat blue flute thing of yours?" asked Shadow.

Link frowned. "I returned the Ocarina of Time to its true owners."

"So the princess has it. Wonderful."

"I don't know if I could've teleported all three of us with it anyways. I never tried that before."

I perked up. "So that teleportation thing was real?"

The thunder boomed. Lightening threw shadows of the rapids across themselves. A lone tree that stood smack in the middle of the river was silhouetted black, clinging on for dear life. Then it hit me.

"What about that tree there? Couldn't we grapple onto it?"

The Links examined it thoughtfully. Shadow took out his grapple hook to measure the teeth.

"It's an idea, though that tree is only half way out. We'd have to figure out another way to get to the other side." said Link. "But it may be the quickest way we have. It wouldn't be worth it to go through the canyon to the backside of the castle. It would take too long. A few days at least."

"And you don't want to be going through any sort of canyon in this rain." I said. "I know about flash floods. We get them almost every time it rains where I come from."

"Then it's decided." Shadow's grapple hook was already whirling about him. Totally out of the blue, I noticed that he was left handed. He let it loose to fly. He missed the first two times, but the third time was a charm and it struck home, wrapping tightly about a strong, lower branch. He took a deep breath and then waded down into the water, pulling himself forward along the rope. The moment his feet were swept away by the current the waters tore at him, insistent on carrying him along with the rest of its luggage.

"Um..." What was I suppose to do then?

Link took out his hookshot. Without saying a word he wrapped an arm tightly around my waist, aimed, and shot the barb. Unlike Shadow, he hit the first time, and right as it did so we were jerked forward. Foamy spray of the diseased river reached for me as we flew across.

I slipped dangerously from Link's grip as we clunked to a halt.

"Get her!"

Shadow was there instantly, reaching down for me and pulling me up. His hands were like ice. I then turned to help the weakened Link, seeing Shadow was reluctant as ever to even touch his lighter self. It was extremely awkward for all of us to cling to the slippery, wet branch, which groaned treacherously beneath our combined weight. I climbed to an upper branch, feeling crowded anyways.