The Legend of Zelda: Zelda's Honor

Chapter 23 - Truth or Dare

Link awoke with a jolt as a hand clamped down over his mouth. With a yelp of surprise he quickly rolled off the wooden bench that doubled as bed and landed in a half push-up on the brick floor. He flipped up onto one knee as he looked at the person who awoke him. Standing mere feet away from him was Impa. His shoulders visibly sagged at relief for he thought it was someone or something far more heinous. It was then he realized he had been sleeping on the bench rather than the floor. He peeked over to the bed and saw Zelda still sleeping soundly with her back to the room. He blushed furiously as Impa eyed his reaction.

"H...how did you get in here?" Link rasped trying to find his voice after having been shocked out of deep sleep.

Impa gave a little huff as she folded her arms, "I am Sheikah. I go where I please. It appears to me that you like getting close to girls Link."

A small grin spread across one side of her mouth, but she tried her best to hide it as Link stuttered, "She said she was cold, so I started a fire." He indicated the smoldering logs, the initial flames having long since gone out. "After a while the chill started to settle in, so she asked me to keep her warm. I didn't know what else to do, so I just laid next to her to make sure she was warm. I wasn't-"

Impa laughed softly, "I knew what you had done Link." She waved a hand to dismiss his fears, "I was simply teasing you. I understand this is an interesting time for children as they start to grow into the adults they will become. You must be carefully guided through that or you will make poor choices."

Link stood slightly dazed, still unsure of what she was referring to, "So I'm okay?"

"You're okay." She smiled warmly.

Link ran into her arms and gave her a joyous hug as she gratefully accepted the embrace. She placed one hand on his hair and gently smoothed it down. Impa was the closest thing he had to a mother, especially since she was there when his true mother died in the Lost Woods. Impa had buried her body near one of the roots of the great Deku Tree and after having made sure he was safe with the other Kokiri in the village, left him to his fate. It was what his mother wanted.

Link unrelenting in his hug looked up into Impa's eyes, "Where is Epona? Did she make it here safely?"

Impa tickled the back of Link's ear as he giggled at her touch, "Yes little one. She is currently resting in the stables as we speak. I dare say the stable girl will get quite the surprise this morning when she sees a new tenant." Impa smiled at this thought.

Link looked around the room but did not see any portholes opening out into the night sky, "What time is it Impa?"

"It is just past the zenith of the moon, it will be a few more hours before dawn breaks." Impa answered.

They released each other and stepped back a few paces before Link went over and squatted next to the fireplace to tend to the logs hopefully promoting further heat. "Did you find out what they are going to do with us?" Link was hoping for some good news.

"I'm afraid not." Impa said with some discomfort, "I had hoped the meeting with the Gerudo had gone better. I miscalculated and for that I am sorry. Placing you in these prison rooms was not my intent. My knowledge of how Gerudo do business is somewhat limited."

Satisfied that more heat was generated from the fire hearth, he got up and paced back over to Zelda. "They placed her in here with me; they thought she was a boy. Could they not see she wasn't?" He looked up to Impa for answers.

Impa breathed a sigh of relief, "I was not sure if my stealth haze was sufficient enough to throw off the Gerudo. The Sheikah have many abilities, one of them being able to modify our appearance just enough to look like someone else. There are limits to this, such as being unable to change our hair color." She ruffled the top of her gray hair, "I don't think I could pass off as anyone but an old lady now."