Champions of a Fallen Age

The Fall

"There's the Stable," Kass gasped as the settlement came into view. The Bard had caught up to him and Mipha shortly after had started dragging the Zora Princess in a vain attempt to chase after Revali. He had left all of his personal effects with Daruk and Urbosa in order to fly the two Champions to the Stable where they would be able to rent a horse.

Link looked over his shoulder at Mipha. The Zora Champion was just as trapped in her own head as the last time he had checked on her.

" almost there!"

Link was extraordinarily glad that they were almost to their destination. He wasn't sure that Kass could take them much further considering how strained his flaps had become.

As Kass descended, Link twisted around and put his arms around Mipha. He picked her up and hopped off Kass' back, causing the Bard to wobble in the air as he lost stability.

The Hylian hit the ground hard and, despite bending his knees to absorb the impact, felt his left ankle twist uncomfortably beneath him. He shrugged off the pain as he set Mipha down and took hold of her hand, pulling her along again as he raced towards the Stable. Link could just make out the sounds of Midna barking somewhere behind him.

"I need a horse," he said to the perplexed stable head as he tossed a small purse onto the counter.

"I'll need a few minutes to- "

"Now!" Link snapped. The part of him that was still rational regretted his shortness with the man. There was no question that it was jarring to have a complete stranger sprint up and demand a horse.

"You can't just- "

Link tossed another purse onto the counter. He was glad he had grown accustomed to carrying his money in several different pouches.

The man's eyes widened as he looked at the two bundles of rupees in front of him. "A horse, you said?"

Link nodded firmly, his face tightening.

The man must have sensed his impatience, for he began moving like a man possessed. In no time at all, a chestnut brown horse was brought out. "We don't have a double saddle, so we left it off."

Link nodded. "Mipha?" he said as he turned back to his companion.

The Zora Princess didn't hear him.

"Mipha," he said more firmly. She blinked and looked at him, lucid for the first time since Revali had left. "Let me help you get on."

"Oh right."

Link boosted her up on the horse, helping her to position herself properly. As a Zora, her torso was disproportionately longer than her legs, forcing her to sit sidesaddle. Without a saddle though, her ability to remain astride the animal would be limited.

"I'll stay here, and wait for the others," Kass panted as he finally rejoined them

The Hylian Champion climbed up in front of her and looked back over his shoulder. Mipha's eyes were beginning to gloss over again. "Hold on," he muttered. He felt her arms wrap around him loosely. "Tighter."

He frowned as he felt her grip tighten. While he was glad that she was responsive now, he was worried that she would slip back into whatever trance she had been in and that doing so would cause her to loosen her grip again. It was dangerous enough to fall off a horse when it was merely walking, let alone traveling at a gallop.

He tapped the horses' sides with his heels, sending the horse into a light canter. "Yah!" he shouted as he tapped a bit harder. The horse began barreling along the dirt roads as he leaned forward. He could tell that this wasn't the fastest the horse could gallop, but he was also aware that pushing her too hard this early could very well injure it, and he had a feeling that Mipha wouldn't be able to heal its wounds. He knew that use of her powers required intense concentration, and right now she was struggling to focus at all.