Hero by Heart

Chapter 29

Zelda had barely allowed the Gerudo women to introduce themselves before she begged them to help her.
     Luckily, they didn't waste time with all kinds of questions and quickly followed her as Zelda stormed off to search the ground. She did notice some of the looks they shared, but she couldn't care less. They needed to find Link.
     The monsters that had died had disappeared in a cloud of black vapor like they always did, but their weapons and some parts still remained. Zelda carefully shifted through the stinking mess in search of any sign of her knight, a loud gasp escaping her when she finally saw it. 
     The Master Sword lay on the ground on a clear patch of grass, almost at the top of the hill. Its blade was covered in gore, but other than that it looked in perfect shape.
     Zelda knew one thing for sure. Link would never leave it behind willingly.
She grabbed the blade from the ground and carefully examined it, before calling the Gerudo over. She sent them off searching in a wider circle, but with no result.
     Eventually Zelda decided that they should check the Citadel, the most likely place for the monsters to pull back and hide.
     As soon as they stepped onto the platform leading to the half collapsed main bridge, Zelda spotted Epona. The horse stood grazing beneath the branches of a tree, all alone and looking a little rugged.
     Zelda hastily approached her, only slowing down to hold out her hand in an effort not to spook her. She made a few hushing sounds, careful to watch for signs of fear or discomfort.
     Epona, however, looked right at her and neighed in what seemed to be recognition.
     Zelda smiled and petted her on the neck, smoothing down her fur. 'Hey there, girl. Can you tell me where Link is?'
     At the name of her master the horse threw her head up, but of course there was no answer.
     Zelda decided to leave Epona where she was. She could never climb the stairs and she seemed to feel safe there. Besides, they might need a horse when they returned. If Link really was inside there was no telling what state he was in.
It wasn't something Zelda wanted to think about.
     She tied the Master Sword to the saddle and after a brief discussion with Merina, the Gerudo Warrior who seemed to function as their leader, Zelda led the way to find an entrance into the ruins.
     Surrounded by the well-trained, armed warriors, Zelda felt much braver. She climbed the stairs without hesitation, alert on any sign of a way in. She barely stopped to think, or to breathe, and she didn't really care if a monster would get in her path. Her anger had risen inside of her and now burned hot enough for her to attack any enemy with her bare hands.
     After a while of silent climbing they reached a platform where there seemed to be an old doorway. One part of it was barricaded by fallen rocks, however, while the other part was sealed shut by a large wooden door.
     On Merina's instructions Bertri and Laine started pushing, but the door wouldn't budge. It remained firmly in place, secured there by all the rubble lying on the ground.
Eventually Merina told them to stand down and push some of the rocks out of the way instead.
Zelda worked as hard as any of them, if not harder, and before long they had cleared a considerable part of the door.
Once more the Gerudo pushed and pulled, but once more there was no movement.
Zelda cursed to herself and wiped the sweat from her forehead, scowling at the door. There had to be a way. She didn't doubt Link would break the place down stone by stone if it was her inside of there.
The Gerudo Warriors glanced at her, clearly uncomfortable with their lack of results, while also taking a moment to rest from their efforts.
That was when she had a sudden idea.
Zelda mumbled something and ran back down the stairs. Not long after she started her descent she heard the footsteps of one of the warriors following close behind.
For a second she was a little insulted that they didn't trust her to handle her own, but then she reminded herself that she probably couldn't. That was why she kept Link with her.
With him in her mind she ran faster, pelting down the stairs and skipping several steps in her haste to reach Epona. The horse looked at her calmly while she rummaged through the saddlebags.
Immense relief washed over her when she found what she was looking for, and without even glancing over at the Gerudo woman that stood gasping for air behind her, she ran back up the stairs.
When she reached the door again, she told the other women to step back and be ready. Meanwhile she lifted the small hunting bow that Link always kept with him, and nocked an arrow. Her left shoulder cried out in pain, but she grit her teeth and ignored it.
The arrow was one of the special ones Link carried, with some sort of red pouch at the tip. Zelda smiled as she lit the short fuse and aimed the arrow at the door. At this distance it would be hard to miss.
'Get back!' She warned the women behind her once more. Without glancing back to see if they listened, she let go.
With a deafening explosion the wood cracked and was blown inside. Rubble flew high into the air and rained down around them. Once the dust settled a bit, it showed only part of the door still hanging in its hinges.
The Gerudo Warriors shot her various looks of shock and amusement.
'Come on!' Merina yelled, leading the charge as she stormed inside, jumping over a boulder and disappearing into the dark.
The other women now streamed past Zelda, brandishing their weapons and shouting war cries. Only Reeza stayed behind long enough to shake her head and chuckle. 'Not your everyday princess, are you?' Without waiting for a response, she jumped through the hole.
Zelda felt a strange sense of pride at her words. She gripped the bow tighter and nodded to herself, determined to prove she was indeed more than a title. With one last, deep breath, she ducked through the doorway.

Inside the Citadel, there was a world of chaos.
The Gerudo Warriors were fighting fiercely against a small group of monsters, causing a roaring wave of sound to assault Zelda's ears.
She blinked into the dusty, dim hallway, trying to figure out who was who.
Before she could really get her bearings, though, the fighting ceased and the warriors stood panting and grinning at each other.
'Let's move on,' Merina said. It was clear from her voice that she was used to giving orders on the battlefield.
The others followed without hesitation.
Zelda lagged behind, sticking close to Reeza's side as they moved on. Her every nerve was on edge, her eyes wide and breathing shallow. She felt reassured by the fearless Gerudo, but there was no denying that she was out of her depth.
They soon came out into a circular chamber, with stairs leading up and down and multiple corridors disappearing into the dark. There were so many options that Zelda felt her hopes shatter. It would take forever to find Link.
There was no time to let the despair sink in though, as a large group of Bokoblins and Moblins poured out of one corridor, some still with food in their hand or mouth. A few held crude weapons like clubs and axes, but most seemed to be empty handed. Unless she counted the steaks and drumsticks.
Zelda pointed them out needlessly, since the women were already charging forward, spears at the ready.
The Gerudo Warriors were incredibly skilled and the monsters were trapped in a tight space, completely taken by surprise. It didn't take long for them to turn and flee the other way.
When their group of women followed them, there seemed to be some obstacle, preventing the monsters from going any further. There was a big hold-up and for a moment the Bokoblins and Moblins didn't seem to know what to do.
They ran back and forth, but with no clear goal in mind. No matter what was at the end of this hallway, they clearly hadn't expected it and sure didn't like it.
Zelda could only watch as the Gerudo women took care of the monsters surrounding them, slowly but surely clearing a path forward. She tried to shoot a few of them, but her archery skills weren't exactly impressive and she was scared to hit the wrong target.
As she stood trying to find a mark that was safe to hit, her heart suddenly leapt. She had just seen a flash of bright blue. The kind of blue of a champions tunic.
Her hope ignited stronger than ever and she shouted to be heard above the din of shrieking and dying monsters. She frantically pointed down the corridor, making the Gerudo push even harder to gain more ground.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a body jumped into the small circle of safety behind the warriors, right in front of Zelda.
She barely had time to take in his filthy face and torn tunic before Link crashed into her. She stumbled backwards but was kept from falling by his strong arms that wrapped around her shoulders. Together they smashed against a wall, the force knocking some of the air out of her lungs despite his protective embrace.
She stared at him in shock, her heart racing in her chest.
Link stood pressing her with her back into the wall, his face impossibly close. Time seemed to slow as he looked her over with his bright blue eyes. He was panting, his chest heaving against her and his breathing shallow. Still, the immense relief was plain to see on his face.
'Link,' she whispered. She had completely forgotten about the world. With shaking fingers she reached out to touch his face.
'Zelda,' he mumbled back, pushing some stray hairs behind her ear. 'You're alright.' The sheer amount of relief in his voice nearly broke Zelda's heart.
She nodded and wrapped her arms around him. 'I'm alright,' she whispered. She then gently pushed him back at arm's length so she could look at him properly.
Although his clothes were torn and filthy, he didn't seem to be wounded. He held a knife in one hand and a broken broadsword in the other, a far cry from his beloved Master Sword.
'You seem alright too.' She smiled. 'And here I was trying to rescue you.'
Link chuckled softly, glancing over his shoulder at where the Gerudo Warriors took care of the last remaining monsters. 'You couldn't have had better timing. Thank you.' At that he looked her straight in the eye and it was clear that he meant it with all his heart.
Zelda simply nodded. She felt her throat clench together. She was just so relieved to see him. That he was okay. She needed him. Just the thought that she could have lost him almost made her tear up.
Link now finally stepped back, allowing Zelda to move away from the wall, but he stayed close enough to touch her. 'Come on, we should discuss some things and I am very curious to hear how you found your friends over there.'

They were standing in the dark, cold cellar where the prison cells were. The place where Link had been imprisoned. The place where he had taken out his two guards and left them next to their fire.
They were gone.
     Somehow the men had gained consciousness in time to find a way to escape. The only trace that showed they had been there at all came from the smouldering embers and the weapons Link had taken.
When he explained what they had looked like Zelda could see the grim looks on the faces of the Gerudo women. They shared meaningful looks, telling her they had experience with this.
Merina kicked a loose pebble away as she glanced between Link and Zelda, a serious look on her face. 'This is exactly why we came here in the first place.'
Link raised his eyebrows at Zelda, but she was just as puzzled as he was. She actually didn't have a clue of what had brought the Gerudo so far from home.
Before they would start a long discussion, though, she held up a hand. 'I suggest we take this back upstairs. Somewhere warm. I suppose there is a lot to talk about.'
     Merina nodded, gesturing for her warriors to turn back.
     The whole group went up the stairs, where they entered the comfortable living area that the monsters had used for their camp. A few fires were lit on the bare stone floor, one of them spreading the smell of roasting meat, which was skewered above it.
Babi and Reeza grabbed that and rummaged around for some other stuff to prepare a hasty meal for them all, while Zelda pulled Link apart.
She looked at his filthy face, the light of the fire now illuminating some scrapes along his jaw and temple. With water from her flask she wet a cloth and gave it to him, indicating the spot.
Link smiled and wiped his face, looking her over before he turned to sit at the central fire with the others.
From behind him Zelda's eye fell on the blood caked in his hair. She reached out and gently touched his head, producing a wince from him.
'I guess that's how they knocked me out,' Link chuckled dryly, pulling her hand away from his head and holding it for a second.
Zelda noticed some curious looks from the Gerudo, but chose to ignore it. This was not the time to worry about what they would be thinking. 'We should get it cleaned up, before it gets infected or something,' she interjected quietly.
Link looked up at her and smiled fondly. 'Don't worry, Zelda. We will do that later. First we need to talk.' He looked around the group and Zelda followed his gaze, finding that all women were watching them.
She shrugged and smiled, not really convinced, but not wanting to cause a scene. She sat down and turned to look around the group. 'Okay, so tell us,' she started, 'what about these guys brought you all across the kingdom?'
'We actually came to find you two,' Merina said, gesturing towards her and Link with the tip of her skewer. She stuck a piece of meat in her mouth, as if her statement was no more than ordinary.
Link raised his eyebrows, but it was Zelda who spoke. 'Us? Why?'
Merina smiled, but motioned for the Gerudo woman next to her to continue, her mouth still full.
'Lady Riju sent us,' Kotta stated. 'There is something happening in the desert, as we said, and she wanted your opinion. She said it would be best if you could come see for yourself, so we are here to ask you to do just that.' She offered a warm smile. 'And we would serve as your guard, to make sure your travels will be safe.'
Zelda nodded thoughtfully.
'Well, as far as she will be needing protection,' Reeza butt in, chuckling. 'She seemed to be doing quite alright when we met.'
The others nodded, chuckling as well, making Zelda's cheeks burn. She stared at the ground, shaking her head. She wasn't used to that kind of praise.
'What do you mean?' Link asked, confusion plain on his face.
Merina now turned to him. 'She came out of nowhere, from the midst of all those monsters, with nothing but a torch as a weapon.' She chuckled. 'She sure looked quite dangerous, I must admit.'
Link raised his eyebrows and looked at Zelda, admiration and concern battling in his eyes.
Zelda chuckled awkwardly and shrugged. 'I was just trying to find you.' She turned towards Merina. 'And to be honest, you were just in time. I don't think I would have lasted much longer if you hadn't shown up.'
She heard Link exhaling softly, before he reached out and grabbed her hand, in plain sight of everyone.
Zelda flushed bright red, but didn't pull away, and instead squeezed back firmly.
'So,' Merina went on, undisturbed, 'will you come with us?'
Zelda shot a questioning look over at Link, but he shrugged. Her plan had been to travel to the castle and then on to Rito Village, perhaps, but nothing was set yet. She had barely even discussed it with him.
So she smiled at the women around them and nodded. 'We will. If these people show up more around the kingdom we should find out who they are and what they want. That is more important right now than our current research.' She offered Link a sad smile. 'We will have to postpone that for a little while.'