The Legend of Zelda: Zelda's Honor

Chapter 78 - The Gathering Gloom

She woke up screaming at the top of her lungs. A swift, moist hand clamped shut over her mouth as her cries were muffled into the scaly palm. Veraca's face hovered over her as he gave her an ardent look, it was clear he was under a lot of stress and tension. The chimeric Gerudo army was not more than a few hundred paces from their concealed sleeping spot. They had been tailing them since the breaking of the Nevachrean siege at their now destroyed temple deep in the desert.

"Would you please tell her to keep it down?" Ruto hissed, propping herself up on her forearm looking over at them. She had been clearly sleeping soundly before the outcry woke Ruto from her blissful slumber.

Malon was still heaving from her vivid dream when Veraca removed his hand from her mouth. "It is not her fault that she had a nightmare Ruto. She cannot control her reaction as she wakes from it." Veraca rebuked the affronted Zora queen.

"It won't matter if she brings the whole damn Gerudo army down upon us!" Ruto susurrated harshly, she craned her neck upwards as she tried to peer over their huddled forms and view the substantial army beyond the tree line.

Dawn was just breaking as the faint glimmer of light was peeking over the eastern horizon. The Gerudo army has grown considerably since assaulting the Nevachreans. Many of their women died that day only to be reborn as two new entities; each sharing the same body, talents and memories. It was abhorrent to Malon that such a thing was possible and it did not give her any comfort that her sister, Giana, might be lost in that mob or worse, dead.

Veraca began to reproach Ruto further when Malon placed a hand on his arm, forcing him to kneel back down. "It's okay Veraca. It was just a bad dream." She tried shaking her head to clear the memory of her death and those of countless others. The worst part about her dream was the flapping of black wings. "I will be all right." She assured him with an involuntary shudder.

Ashley was effectively ignoring the whole interlude, only gazing up once when Malon woke up shrieking. He was pulling the final lace taut on his rucksack, having since packed it nearly a half hour ago in preparation to leave. The sleeping horde was just starting its first rumblings of awakening and he did not want to be late in following them once they picked up and left. Unlike the Nevachrean throng, the Gerudo traveled light and slept under the stars. They did not need to bring along tents, firewood, food stores and entertainment for the men, they were self-sufficient and dedicated to their cause. There was little dissent in the ranks for they all knew their singular purpose.

Malon gratefully accepted the firm arm of Veraca as he pulled her up off the frosted grass. They had scaled over the eastern bluffs bordering the desert and were now in the rolling fields just north of the Negev Marshlands and south of Lake Hylia. It appeared that the Gerudo were planning on attacking the army from the south and potentially cutting off what little supply lines that were still dwindling in.

It was completely astounding how lethal they were as a hostile force. With the aid of dark magick and Kotake still at their side, the Gerudo cut a blazing swath through the mass entrenched at their doorstep nearly a fortnight ago. Their Cyn'Taak infused weapons were deadly and obliterated all resistance the Nevachreans put up. With a continuingly growing force upon each death, the potential end result of this war was terrifying to Malon and the others.

"We should retreat to the Negev, rally our troops and defend Glaun'rung. I fear that once the Gerudo wipe out the main force up in Hyrule, they will travel southwards and eliminate what is left of their country. The capital is a defendable position if we invest some-" Veraca was baring his proposal plainly to the others, but Malon cut him off.

"There is no time." Malon shook her head. "We have to get to Kakariko somehow. I know that is where Link would have been meeting Talon and the others." She smiled forlornly at the mention of her father. She wondered if what the witches said about his death were true. "We must warn them that Ganondorf and his hags are not to be trusted. If we follow this army to the main body, I am sure they will cut a path for us to the other side and we travel north to the meeting place." She sighed with despondency, "I just hope we aren't too late."