Noble by Nature

Chapter 20

They had hardly even made it out of the valley and onto the plain where Highland Stable stood, when it happened.
     Link was absentmindedly looking at their surroundings, while Laine and Reeza were quietly muttering to each other behind him. His mind had been many grim miles away when the first spasm of pain took him by surprise.
     He clenched his jaw, biting his tongue in the process, and squeezed the reins as tight as he could, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. Wave after wave of blinding pain washed over him, and he had to do everything he could to stay on his horse and keep from screaming.
     Then suddenly the Gerudo were beside him, one on either side, keeping him up in his saddle, while they rode the last part to the Stable.
     Link was hardly conscious when they helped him off Epona and carried him inside. Every movement seemed to set his nerves on fire. And even when he lay still on one of the beds, staring up at the canopy with wide eyes, the pain wouldn't subside.
     He heard voices near his feet, but couldn't be bothered to lift his head. All he could do was tense up his muscles and pray that it would end soon. He desperately tried to think of other things, of something happier to take his mind away.
     But happy seemed an impossible feeling, something he couldn't even imagine for the life of him.
     In the end the sharp pain ebbed away, until there was just the aftershock and the ache in his muscles. His entire body felt heavy as a rock, and all he wanted was to close his eyes and sleep.
     'Link,' a soft voice spoke beside his head. 'Is it over?'
     He almost laughed at the question, if he'd had the energy. It felt like such a stupid question. Of course it wasn't over. He felt like it would never be over. For a split second he thought that if this was going to be the rest of his life, he didn't want it. He'd rather die.
     But then a soft hand touched his arm, and it was like that touch reminded his nerves that there was no more pain. That there was still gentleness and comfort in this world. His arm relaxed, and he managed to nod ever so slightly.
     'Here, drink some,' the voice said, and he looked down to find a water flask hovering over his chest. He took it and smiled gratefully at Laine, who sat on the edge of his bed.
     He struggled to sit up a bit, and was relieved to find the stable mostly empty. There was only the owner and two young women, who all tried a little too hard not to stare at him.
     'I hate this,' he said thickly, before taking another sip.
     Laine nodded empathetically. 'I know. It's horrible.' She sighed. 'I wish there was something we could do.'
     'Me too,' Link said darkly. He drank some more and stared ahead, trying to clear his mind.
     Loud footsteps on the wooden floor announced the arrival of Reeza, who stepped in from outside and sat down on the bed next to them. 'There haven't been any monster sightings around here yet. But then again it's a quiet outskirt with little travelers, so maybe it takes time for the news to reach here.' She shrugged. 'We'll stay alert.'
     Laine nodded and Link sank back in the pillows. 'We should continue on soon,' he said.
     Both Gerudo looked at him with almost identical skeptical frowns.
     He shrugged. 'I'll be fine. It's better to carry on when we can than to wait for another attack.'
     Laine slowly nodded, but Reeza didn't seem convinced. 'We should take it slow,' she said. 'You need to be able to recover. There's no telling how much worse it can get if you're not rested.'
     'There's no time to take it slow!' Link snapped, his emotions suddenly welling up inside him. He glared up at her. 'Every minute we waste is a minute where those monsters can roam freely, where Ganondorf can do what he wants. This whole trip to Gerudo Town is a damn waste of time!'
     Laine's eyebrows shot up, and Reeza frowned at him.
     Link instantly felt bad for his outburst and held up his hands. 'I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout at you.' He sighed. 'I'm just so exhausted.' He let his head hang and stared at the threads of the blanket under him. 'I hate that this keeps happening, that I have no control over my body. I hate to be so damn weak.'
     'We'll find something to help you,' Laine said reassuringly. Her smile was warm when she put a hand on his shoulder. 'Have faith.'
     'I understand how you feel,' Reeza added quietly. 'I'd be biting everyone's heads off if I were you.'
     Laine chuckled. 'You definitely would. You already get difficult when you've missed a meal.'
     The other Gerudo shot her an angry glare, but Laine wasn't impressed and laughed merrily.
     Their cheerfulness made Link forget his anger momentarily, and he looked from one to the other in surprised amusement.
     'You should see her when they're out of Noble Pursuit,' Reeza said to Link. She smirked at Laine, who instantly stopped laughing. 'Did you know she was once kicked out of the Noble Canteen?' She laughed evilly and lowered her voice, whispering so loudly it was still clearly audible. 'It was like a wild beast was let loose in town.'
     Laine swatted at her, but Reeza ducked away, chuckling loudly. 'You promised you would shut your mouth about that!' Laine called out.
     Her friend smirked and shrugged. 'I guess I forgot. Much like you did.' Again she let out a cackling laugh, and Link watched with big eyes as Laine got up and threw herself at her. Under loud laughter and lots of wild movements the pair of them tumbled from the bed and rolled over the floor, while every now and then Link caught certain insults that brought a colour to his face.
     'Did you know,' Laine then said to him, rising up from their pile on the floor enough to look at him, 'that Reeza was once denied passage to town-' She was cut off when the person in question shouted loudly and pulled Laine back down, so that she was suddenly struggling to get free.
     Laine was now the one laughing evilly, and when she finally managed to free herself enough from the other's grasp she smirked up at Link again. '- because she looked too much like a voe!' She burst out in hysterical laughter, rivaling Reeza's angry shouts in volume.
     Link looked down at the wrestling pair and laughed, surprising even himself. He had never seen them so carefree and comfortable around him. Of course he knew they were good friends and could bicker like an old married couple, but they had always remained calm and collected during their travels together. He liked seeing this other side of them.
     And their laughter surely was contageous.
     They kept wrestling each other, until finally Reeza rolled over and pinned Laine to the floor. She smirked down at her, while Laine stared back up with fiery eyes.
     It was such an intense moment that Link suddenly felt like he was too much, so he looked away, noticing that everyone else had fled the room. He started to move to the edge of the bed, but then both Gerudo got up from the floor and dusted themselves off.
     Laine smiled at Link apologetically. 'I'm really sorry for her behaviour. She get's really fired up when she's hungry.'
     He returned her smirk, although he remembered clearly that she was the one to start the fight. He decided it might be best for him if he just ignored that part.
     Reeza's face lighted up and she smiled at her friend. 'Speaking of, we should eat some lunch while we're here.'
     Laine sighed and exchanged a look with Link. 'My point exactly.'
     He couldn't help but laugh, and he suddenly became aware of how much better he felt. It was like their cheerfulness had rejuvenated his body.