Noble by Nature

Chapter 10

It was well into the next day when there finally was a change of scenery.
At first Link couldn't really put his finger on what had changed, but eventually he realized that his surroundings seemed brighter.
The dark was no longer pitch black, but more a deep grey, and he could feel an almost impalpable breeze coming towards them.
And then, finally, they saw a faint blue glow ahead of them.
Zelda let out a gasp and started running, so that Link had to sprint to catch up, worried she might step head-first into some kind of danger.
The tunnel suddenly opened up into a large, or rather, gigantic cavern.
They could clearly see how big it was, for it was littered with brightly glowing Luminous Stones. They sat everywhere; on the ground, stuck to the walls and were even hanging from the ceiling, impossibly high above them.
Their blue glow was also reflected in a small lake, lighting up the room in a strange blue hue.
'It's beautiful!' Zelda exclaimed, her eyes roaming the space before them.
Link, in the meantime, was already busy scanning for possible attackers among the rocks. He noticed some rats scurrying along, and a few Keese hanging from a massive stalactite up ahead, but no imminent danger.
'Oh, it feels great to see!' The princess called out, already a few steps ahead. 'I will never forget to value my vision again.'
Link smiled to himself, watching her dance between the Luminous Stones. The blue light making her look like a strange sort of shadow.
He had to admit, it really did feel great to see properly again. Their one torch was just enough to see where they put their feet, but it felt like everything outside of the circle just disappeared. Like they were on a small island of life in the middle of nothing.
Now that he could actually see several steps ahead, it was like his eyes finally worked again.
'Do you think this is safe?' Zelda asked. She had walked down a small slope towards the water, and was now staring out over the little lake.
Link walked over to take a look, amazed by the absolute stillness of it. It looked like a blue mirror.
He crouched beside her and gently put the tip of his finger in, creating little ripples on the surface.
He inspected his finger under the torchlight, but didn't see anything strange. He then scooped up a handful, examining it again.
In the light of the fire the water wasn't as blue, and instead seemed to turn crystal clear in his hand.
He carefully leaned forward and licked at it, ready to spit it out at any sign of trouble.
When nothing happened, he sipped some more, deciding it would be safe enough. And if not, they would find out eventually.
Satisfied with his investigation, Zelda sank to her knees and started filling their water bags.
'Do you think it's okay to go in?' She asked, looking sideways at him. 'I am dying for a proper bath.'
Link frowned at the water. It was rippling from their movements, but other than that seemed completely still. No sign of life.
'Maybe a little bit, but definitely not too far. You never know.'
Zelda beamed at him and immediately started to rummage through her stuff for some clothes, before stripping down herself.
Link remained standing on the edge, watchful as she stepped in.
She immediately hissed and he already jumped forward to grab her, but she waved him away. 'It's bloody cold!'
He chuckled awkwardly and let her go on, until the water reached her thighs. There she paused and crouched down, splashing it over herself and gasping every time at how cold it was.
Bit by bit she washed herself, but Link didn't relax until she was safely back on the ground with him, fully dressed in a fresh set of clothes.
'Ah,' she exclaimed, even though she was shivering 'that's so much better.'
'Let's stay here tonight,' Link said, wrapping his arms around her. 'We can save some of our firewood and enjoy a bit of this light.'
Zelda nodded enthusiastically, before kissing his cheek with cold lips.
They zigzagged a bit through the protruding rocks, until they found a small nook of level ground between a set of boulders.
There they spread out their sleeping gear and nestled down to warm up a bit.
'This is quite cozy,' Zelda muttered.
She was wrapped up in blankets, nestled against Link's broad chest. His arms were tightly wrapped around her and his chin rested on her head.
Link murmured his approval, relishing in the warmth of her body against his.
Without even having had dinner, they both fell asleep like that, and for the first time since they'd been down there, neither one of them had any nightmare.