Noble by Nature

Chapter 27

Zelda was standing on top of the wall, looking out over the courtyard below as she had done countless times before.
This time, however, she wasn't watching Link or their Hylian soldiers at training. This time the courtyard was packed with Zora and Gorons.
The Gorons far outnumbered the Zora, and with their substantial size they nearly drowned them out completely. Still, the fish-like people fought with a pliability and speed that the Gorons had no chance of equalling. Instead they used their sheer force and rock-hard bodies to throw down their enemies.
Zelda watched two groups consisting of three Gorons and three Zora each fighting each other in a practice session. They were learning to work together and rely on each others strengths, and she had to admit that it was frightening to behold.
It was impressive to see the way they instinctively seemed to know their roles in this, and how they had quickly learned to rely on the others.
Zelda felt immensely grateful to have them at their side. After not hearing from the Gorons for so long, it had been the best surprise she could hope for when they suddenly appeared on their doorstep.
She had asked Yunobo a thousand questions, but eventually she thought she had the whole story of what had happened up on Death Mountain.

At first they hadn't known what was happening in the kingdom, because they had so few visitors to their city. No one had been able to travel up the mountain to tell them the news.
Finally one particular Goron had encountered the monsters on the road when he wanted to go up.
He had been forced to turn back, but understood the importance of finding a way to the city. Even without knowing the fate of his kin, he had been determined to find out.
Eventually he had climbed the mountain along a different route, leading him past and even over many pools and streams of burning hot lava.
Yunobo had told her the rocky scales on his back had protected him for the most part, but even those had been burnt and damaged, leaving his back raw and red when he finally reached them.
'Of course we rewarded him for his courage and all the effort it took to tell us,' Yunobo had assured her. 'We tried to heal him as best as we could, and he remained in the city.'
He wasn't the only Goron to be left behind. Their elder, Bludo, had been a frail and elderly Goron even before they defeated Ganon. The months after had left him hardly able to walk, surrendered to the care of his kin. He had remained behind, together with most of their elderly and children, or those too weak or vulnerable to leave the city.
A host of stronger, able-bodied Gorons stayed as well, to protect their city from the monsters on the mountain.
But when their main host had traveled down to stand together with the kingdom, they had made sure to block as much of the road as they could.
Yunobo had been beaming with pride when he told her about that, explaining how they had blown up parts of the mountain and set booby traps along the path, so that monsters were forced to double back or crawl over burning lava.
Not many Gorons were needed to protect the few places where the road was still passable, so they were confident they could keep the city for as long as necessary.
'You did really well,' Zelda had assured him, smiling kindly. 'Thank you so much for coming out here.'
'It seemed like the wisest decision,' Yunobo shrugged. 'We stand stronger together, right? Like last time.'
Her heart had warmed at his pride, and she remembered how well he had managed in the Battle of Castle Town. Even through his insecurities and awkwardness he was truly growing into a very powerful Goron.

And now he was overseeing the training of his men with the Zora.
The Gorons had collectively chosen him to act instead of their elder, so apparently they too had come to trust him as a warrior.
She could see him standing below, talking animatedly with Sidon, who was grinning down on him.
They seemed to be getting along really well, and she appreciated all the hard work they put in.
It had been two days since the Gorons had appeared, and since then they had been busy discussing plans and strategies.
Their war counsel was already rather large, and sometimes she could hardly keep them all from erupting in chaos.
Still, she sorely missed Link in all of this, and Riju as well. Her Gerudo would make an essential addition to their strength, and she deeply wished they would find a way to reach them. If the Gerudo were even able to come out and help them.
Like the Zora, they might be needed to protect their own home from being invaded.
Every single time she walked the castle's walls she glanced out to the southern horizon, hoping against hope to see the glint of golden armour, with a flash of bright blue at their head.
Or, if anything else, to just see a lone rider galloping her way. She would imagine the look in his eyes as he noticed her on the wall, and the way his hair would stream in the wind.
It had become almost an obsession, and it was the first thing she did in the morning and the last thing before turning in, but so far there was no sign of him.
A Rito had arrived the same day that Yunobo had, telling her he had seen Link at the Gerudo Canyon Stable. He had assured her he had made it there safely, despite the canyon itself crawling with monsters.
That news had lifted a heavy weight from her shoulders, but since then there was no more word. For all she knew he could have died in the desert. Still, she didn't truly believe that. She thought she might be able to feel something. Anything to tell her Link was gone.
And although her heart still had a gaping, bleeding hole in it, she felt like it wasn't because of him.
She glanced over her shoulder, where she could see a sliver of the rolling green hills of Hyrule Field. Still no army of Gerudo, and no knight.
The last few days she had watched the fields slowly fill up with more and more monsters. Every single time she looked there seemed to be more of them, but so far they just sat there.
It kept people from leaving the town's walls, and already they were forced to ration and redistribute certain items of food as to make sure they still had enough for when the battle actually began.
The merchants of the market in Castle Town asked more than double their prizes, but still people were desperate enough to buy their wares, too afraid they would soon run out completely.
For now the lands across the moat to the north were still relatively untouched, and Zelda had sent out multiple foraging parties to gather what food they could find.
The Zora were helpful in providing them with fish from the river, and the Rito brought in what they could from their home, but they sorely missed crops from Hateno and Kakariko Village. Fresh vegetables were in short supply already.
If Zelda wasn't worrying about Link, Ganondorf, the monsters on her doorstep, or the fate of everyone left out there in the wild, she was fretting over finding food and trying to grow their own crops inside the walls. And if that didn't keep her busy she could always ponder their defences and the training of their troops.
The soldiers in their Hylian army were still so green she was terrified to ask them to fight. She knew many of them would die, and dreaded the day she would have to give them the command.
Her mind was so busy these days that she hardly had any time left to think on the horrible things that had happened when all of this started. She didn't even have much time to dwell on their lost child, although that grief was always somewhere in the back of her mind. It was like a fist was clenched around her heart, one that would give a tight squeeze every now and then. And if she got through the day without breaking down at least once, there were always the nightmares to keep her up at night.
There was never a moment respite. Slowly but surely she felt like she was losing her mind. When she saw her reflection she hardly recognized herself. Her face was always pale, her eyes sunken in and staring out dully and lifeless. Her cheekbones were sticking out more than ever, and her hair was limp and messy. She was no more than a shell of herself, but nothing she did could bring back that spark in her eye.
She got through every day fighting to keep her kingdom safe. She had vowed to protect her people, and would until her dying breath. But she had already resolved that she would gladly sacrifice her life to do so.
If she should die to defeat Ganondorf, that might even be for the best. All these problems would come to an end, and she would be free of this endless suffering.
Her friends had tried to help her. She knew it killed them to see her like this, but she couldn't help it. She didn't have the energy to pretend to be fine, not even for their sakes.
Sidon had tried talking to her, being the only one to know the full extend of what was bothering her, but even he couldn't reach her. She heard what he said, and nodded along politely, but it just didn't work.
Yunobo had tried to cheer her up, making silly jokes and showering her with optimism, but in the end he gave up, rebuffed by her inability to smile back and share his positivity.
Teba didn't really show that he even noticed, but she could tell he cared by the way he kept subtly offering her food, so that she was forced to eat something.
There were others too, who tried to offer her kind words or give her comfort. She appreciated it, but at the same time wished they would just leave her be. She was exhausted, and all their attention cost her even more energy.
For now Zelda was clinging onto the hope that Link would return soon, and that he would help her. He would make everything better. Or at least it would be easier to bear.
At the same time she was terrified that nothing would change. What if she put all her hopes on him and she still felt this awful? She didn't think she could handle that.