[EDITING] The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Overworld Chapter 52 - Under Hill

 ...along that weakly babbling stream. Link remained silent, fighting off his worries. He had done this before already in the Lost Woods. He wasn't going to let his doubts consume him now.

Zelda bounced along behind him, respecting his heavy mood. She didn't push him to be cheerful, though she was on her own, and part of that warmed Link's heart. He wished he could have just been steadfast, could have kept his emotions from swinging so much, could have come to terms with this uncertainty that was hanging over him. Perhaps it would have been better if he had just been silent, didn't say anything, didn't worry anyone.

There was that doubt again.

The ground continued to descend into the valley. Caves opened their mouths around them. The wind whipped through the stones, howling over the mouths.

"Should we just keep going?" Zelda asked, placing her hand on Link's forearm to pull him out of the center of the way and away from the brook. "Or check out some of these caves?"

Link looked further down the valley. There wasn't any sign of a battle here. Ptar had made it sound like they had lost a number of warriors, but there wasn't any indication of fights. Link didn't want to see bodies, but there were no weapons left. No sign of any conflict having happened. "Checking out the caves couldn't hurt."

"Ok, then let's try this one," Zelda offered, pulling Link a little harder along to one of the caves. The wind whipped them as they walked into the cave. Water dripped from somewhere further in, but it was difficult to see. Link pulled out his lantern and let the flame flicker on the rock walls.

Zelda took a few steps ahead, peering on into the darkness. She leaned forward a bit, before turning to Link with a finger to her lips. Link gave her a inquisitive look, already feeling like he was being quiet. Still, he pressed his lips tighter together and took his time placing his next few steps after her as they continued into the cave.

The cave floor dropped suddenly beneath them. Zelda skidded to a brief halt before hopping down to the landing three or four feet beneath the ledge she had been on. She stumbled for her footing for a minute before turning back to Link and motioning for him to follow.

Link set his lantern down and swung down to the ledge beside Zelda. As he landed beside her, Zelda pulled him close, blocking out the light of the lantern behind them as she pressed her hand over his mouth.

Before he could protest, a voice bounced up through the cave, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Thought I heard something."

"You're always hearing things. And it's always nothing."

"No, no, what about that one time. When it wasn't nothing."

"Then there was that one time when it was nothing."

From their ledge, Link and Zelda exchanged a silent glance as the two speakers went on bickering. Zelda mouthed "Yiga" to him, to which Link could do nothing but shrug with her hand still over his mouth. He shifted his hand to the hilt of the Master Sword, pulling it an inch from its sheath.

Zelda relaxed her hand from Link's mouth, edging her way slowly forward in front of him. She didn't wait on him to hop down the next three drops, slowly drawing her rapier out of its sheath as she went. Link was impressed by how silently the princess moved through the cave. She had been trained by the head of the Sheikah though. It definitely showed.

Snuffing his lantern, Link continued down into cave behind Zelda. His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light, though ahead he thought he could see the flicker of a campfire. Scouts for the Clan? Why would they need to camp when they were so close to their base of operations? They weren't near any roads either. Would they just be here to spy on Tabanth?