Between the Lines || Link x Mipha

Chapter 49: The Gerudo Legend

A new day rejuvenated by a blood moon. While most towns and cities were clearing away nearby monster camps and bosses, the Gerudo were hunting down every molduga in the region. They needed as many of its guts as they could find. They needed to save their Chief.

"Now!" The Gerudo captain ordered her troops. They all threw their spears towards the swimming beast, and it squealed. "Hold your ground!"

They all watched as the beast readied itself to jump into the air, and when it did, the captain gave the order. The best Gerudo archer in the region shot her shock arrows. They flew in groups of five, and they penetrated the molduga's eyes. It fell face first into the sand, and for the finale she blasted five more arrows into its mouth. It trembled from the intense shocks, and it finally fell limp. As it disappeared, everyone waited anxiously to see what loot it had dropped. When they saw three lumps of its guts appear amidst the black dust, a triumphant cheer arose from everyone.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Dansi held her mother's hand. The feeling of her cold and frail hands filled her with dread. She had never seen her mother in such a state before.

"Mipha..." Urbosa groaned under her breath. Dansi immediately perked up, surprised that she even remembered someone's name. "My journal..."

"Do you need your journal?" She leaned over slightly, and Urbosa shook her head.

"...Give her it."

"Give Mipha your journal?"

"That's what I said... The ocean..."

"The blue one?" Dansi pulled away and walked over to the desk in front of the bed. Sure enough, there were three books laid there. She never bothered to question what they were, but now it was clear. They were her mother's journals. She carefully grabbed the blue one and brought it over to her mother, "Do you want me to read it?"

"Uh-uh. Mipha."

"You want Mipha to read it..."

Urbosa didn't say anything. Dansi only set the book on the nightstand and sat down on the chair on the bedside. They stayed in that silence for a long time.

Minutes soon turned to hours, and through that time Dansi had gotten news that the molduga guts were received. She was urged by the doctors to act immediately, but she was hesitant and told them to give her time to think. She stared at her mother's sickly image. Her mother was in so much pain and discomfort. Would it be right for her to make her continue on? Has she fulfilled all that she has needed to? After all, what more could her mother do at such an old age?

Urbosa slightly turned her head towards Dansi. The old woman smiled, "My dear friends... So this is where you have been..." It was like she saw right through her, and that realization was confirmation enough for Dansi. She needed to let her mother go.

Dansi wiped the tears coming to her eyes and she hugged her mother as tight as she could without hurting her, "I love you mother. Thank you... Thank you for all that you've done for me."

Dansi clung onto her, and she listened to each of her mother's breaths. She counted each second between each one. She counted as each breath grew shorter and sparse. She did this all until there was nothing. There was no strain. There was no call for help. Instead there were only cries. Cries from the new Gerudo Chief.

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Dansi sat alone in her mother's room. Urbosa had already been removed to prepare for her burial. She sat in a thickened silence. She listened as she felt the darkness hover over her people. To distract her mind, Dansi trailed her eyes down to the desk with the journals. She opened up the brown journal, the blue and red one set to the side. She skimmed through the first couple of pages, they were about the Hylian Queen and the Calamity. Eventually she came upon Urbosa's more later entries, around the time when she was adopted. She began to read.