destination
n. the purpose for which something is predetermined or destined
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"So you could make snow angels and not get cold?"
Zelda laughed. "I don't know. I told you I've only read about them."
"Okay, but you're ignoring all of the possibilities!" cried Link. "You could spend all day building a snow fort and never have to stop to warm up your hands." He gasped and looked at her sharply. "You'd be invincible in a snowball fight."
The knight and princess were back on the road to Kakariko Village. Although crossing the river was a hassle, they still had energy to spare. The mushroom skewers Link had made before they set out were mouthwatering, and Zelda nearly wept at the flavor. Then she admonished him for not cooking for them sooner, to which he laughed and made some facetious comment about their loyalty to their favorite granola.
Now they were full, happy and ready for this final leg of the journey. They'd likely reach Kakariko before lunchtime, even with their laggard progress. However, a short while into the trip, the food high began to wear off. Link was trying to be covert, but Zelda knew he was fretting over Catherine's worsening condition. Meanwhile that sinking feeling that they would be met with disappointment at the village seeped its way back into Zelda's gut. Just because they'd found one stambulb didn't mean they'd find sundelions, let alone enough to mitigate the malice across the land. Which was also assuming it nullified the effects at all.
Whether the distraction was for his or for her sake, Link began questioning Zelda about various mushrooms again.
There was a warmth in her chest, a lightness when Link nodded thoughtfully and asked follow-up questions. Seeing the eager intrigue in his eyes felt like looking in a mirror. Although his contributions were somewhat childish—like gauging his capacity to endure wintry activities—it was becoming harder to convince herself that his engagement was just an act. His whimsy at the notion of forts and angels of snow was too authentic. She didn't realize she was studying his profile until a patch of sun turned his hair sandy, and she felt phantom flutters vanish from her heart. As if acknowledging their presence caused them to do so.
It was alarmingly similar to the feeling she had around Mido, but she dismissed the implications. She was just happy to share her knowledge with someone who was genuinely interested, is all. And even if it was more than that—which it wasn't—Zelda was loyal to Mido.
"Where do we gotta go to get some of these mushrooms, then?" Link was saying, "I wanna stock up before winter."
"Hmm, chillshrooms thrive in snowy conditions. I'd think a cold region like Hebra would be the best place to harvest them." She gave her tangled hair a haughty toss over her shoulder. "Had I known you were looking for cold resistance, however, we could've gathered some warm safflina while we were in Gerudo."
"Hold on." Link's eyes sliced sideways. "You're telling me safflina can do this magic mushroom shit too?"
"Sure am," she singsonged. "Lots of plants do lots of things. Remember the Hyrule Herb in the Yiga hideout?"
Link nodded. "So... back then, when you said you only knew useless facts, what you really meant to say was"—his voice pitched up an octave—"'Yes, Link, I know all their super powers.'"
It took more effort that she cared to admit not to reward his mockery with a snicker. "That's not what I sound like. And don't know all that much regarding fungi or fauna,"—Link scoffed, obviously disagreeing—"it's flora that I'm most interested in."
"Like, flowers?"
"Amongst other things."
"Okay then, what's your favorite?"
Gravity ceased, and her legs slowed so her feet could stay on the ground. "My favorite...?"
At first he didn't notice. "Yeah, your favorite flower, what is it?"
It was such a simple question, of course she knew the answer. She'd known it long before Mido snuck her out to look at the stars. She'd rehearsed her answer innumerable times in her head, waiting for the day he asked her that same question. He never did.
Link then noticed her decrease in pace, but mistook it for thoughtfulness. He wore an easy smile. "Guess it was a harder question than I thought."
Finally, Zelda sighed. "My favorite flower is a Silent Princess."
Her tonal shift, it snuffed Link's enthusiasm like a candle. "Oh."
It was obvious he'd gleaned the irony of the allegory from the name alone, but she felt the need to carry on with the rest of her spiel anyway. "It's a rare, endangered species. Despite our efforts, we can't grow them domestically yet. The Princess can only thrive out here in the wild. All that we can hope... is that the species will be strong enough to prosper, on its own."
Link was silent for a moment. Her explanation only further confirmed why they both knew it was her favorite. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness."
The pity shouldn't have startled her. She'd always braced for it from Mido, but he shouldered the same prophecy as her, and she thought it'd be a point of deeper emotional connection between them. "Why are you sorry?" she asked Link almost accusingly.
But it didn't need to be said. Your favorite flower is just like you.
And it was true; Zelda had always believed that if she could live outside the confines of the castle that she, too, would thrive. But so far, her faith had been just as rare and endangered as before the Blood Moon.
"You've given this a lot of thought," he commented.
"I suppose I have."
"Do you..." he scratched behind his ear, "want to talk about it?"
She focused her attention on Storm. "What's there to talk about? It's just a flower."
"Not the flower, you. And what's it's been like. Knowing you've been expected to save the world since before you could walk."
"I don't really have a say in the matter, do I?"
"Maybe not, but that doesn't mean you don't get to feel things about it."
Liar. Her feelings were just as irrelevant. The clerics, her father—Hylia Herself didn't give a damn what the princess felt. It didn't matter, yet the emotions clawed up her throat anyway. "You wouldn't understand."
"You're right, I probably won't," he agreed, "but I'd like to try if you'd like to share."
The emotions climbed higher, pooling in her eyes. Where was this magnanimity coming from? What was he trying to get from her? Did he think opening her heart would allow Hylia's power to pour out like a river? As if she hadn't shredded every inch of it apart looking for the headwater herself?
"It must have been really hard for you," he pushed.
Why, why, why?
She was afraid using her voice would give her away, although her inability to respond or look him in the eyes was just as betraying. "It was," was all she could risk getting out.
Link seemed to sense her reluctance. "If you don't wanna talk about it, that's fine too. But I'd gladly listen if you ever decide you do wanna talk about it."
Zelda pressed her face against her stallion's neck to smother the traitorous tear that had already slipped down her cheek.
"Thank you, Link," she murmured into her Storm's mane, maybe so that she wouldn't be heard. She didn't watch Link to see the results.
The hills began rising up on either side of them, fluctuating back down to the earth before rearing higher into mountains. They were so, so close to Kakariko. Zelda felt a bit of anxious nausea—from nerves? Excitement? Exhaustion?
Whatever awaited them in the village would not be waiting much longer.
"Do you have a favorite flower?" Zelda said to break the uncomfortable silence that settled between them. Strange—when did she start preferring his dialogue instead?
"Me?" he asked. His hmm was light and thoughtful, like he was trying to place a particular, nostalgic flavor. "I guess I've never really thought about it. I've never been asked before."
That made two of them.
"If you had to pick?" Zelda prompted.
"Maybe... Forget-Me-Nots?" A quiet pause. Zelda resisted the urge to fill it in case Link wanted to elaborate, or reconsider. "They remind me of home," he finally went on. "Of course—you probably already know—they don't actually grow in Akkala, but my dad always brought some for my mom on his visits home from active duty. She'd put them in a vase on the kitchen table and say with a sigh, 'You're supposed to give me these before you leave for months on end, not when you come back.'" Retelling the memory of his childhood brought a forlorn smile to his face.
Akkala? Of course—that would explain the mild accent. That region was northeast of Central Hyrule. The princess heard they had breathtaking autumns there, but she'd never been herself. Still, she was sure there was another reason why that name sounded so familiar... but Zelda couldn't put her finger on it.
"Like my dad, the Forget-Me-Nots were always a little withered from the journey from Castle Town, but a few days with my mom and they perked right back up. Their color came back and they stopped looking so heavy. I used to think it was some kinda magic."
Zelda smiled softly. "Maybe it was."
"Nah," he laughed, "I'm pretty sure it was just her cooking."
Zelda eyed him surreptitiously, trying to read his expression. She'd be willing to bet his mother was the beginning of, if not the reason for, Link's own culinary expertise. She also figured his enlistment in the Hylian army had something to do with his father. She racked her brain for another Aleron or a face from her time spent in the training yard that would match, but recognition failed her again. Part of Zelda wanted to inquire further about Link's family, his history, but a bigger part of her was afraid for some reason. Link was akin to their campfire, providing much needed light and warmth, but any experienced individual knew that getting too close could burn you. So Zelda let the unasked questions crackle in the air between them.
After passing through a wooden archway, the mountains grew together, forming a sort of ravine that would lead the duo straight into the heart of the village, probably within the hour. The sun was beating down overhead into the ravine, providing a pleasant warmth in spite of the cool late-morning air. Passing under another archway, between the muted clopping of hooves on dirt, there came a low rumbling sound, stopping and starting repeatedly.
"What is that?" Zelda asked after it stopped a fourth time.
"It sounds like Midna's snoring," Link answered. Zelda rolled her eyes.
The rumbling started again, and this time the princess could feel it beneath her feet, just slightly. Under another archway and around a bend in the ravine, their path ahead was entirely blocked off by a large boulder.
Except... was it... moving? Zelda squinted, and as the rumbling matched the rise and fall of the obstacle, she began to make out distinct features. A big, bokoblin-like ear. An arm and a leg, two toes with jagged yellow nails. The thing was lying on its back, perpendicular to them, and taking up the entire pathway with its short legs and outstretched arms. It was asleep, snoring loud enough to send vibrations throughout the rock around them.
Link smirked upon their approach. "Oh look, it is Midna."
Zelda rolled her eyes again. "Very funny. What is it actually?"
"It's called a hinox."
This massive thing was a hinox? The princess had known they were enormous, but she could never have anticipated a monster of this magnitude. Its great red belly swelled well out of Zelda's reach. She couldn't even see its face from down here. What on earth were they supposed to do? Link and Zelda could probably stealthily climb over one set of its limbs, but leaving the horses behind in their condition was not something either of them was willing to consider.
"Princess," Link articulated, reaching for his bow, "take Catherine."
"Excuse me?" she hissed. "You don't intend to fight that thing with just a bow, do you? You'll be slaughtered!"
"Oh, then you'll finally be rid of me. Here." He tried to hand her the reins.
She didn't take them. "Link, this is no time for ill-conceived jocularity!"
"There'd be a lot more time if you used shorter words."
"I'm serious. You're a pain in my ass, and while I admire the intrepidity, I can't let you fight a fight you're going to lose."
Turning his head just enough to keep the beast in his peripherals, he regarded her.
The princess put her free hand on her hip. "I'll make it a royal command if it means you'll listen to keep your perfect record."
"Well then what do you propose we do?"
"There's another entrance to Kakariko," she suggested, "on the northeastern part of the village."
His shoulders turned to her, but his eyes fixed on his mare. "We can't afford to waste any more time. We'd hafta backtrack out of the ravine and circumnavigate the village. That could take us the rest of the day, if not longer at our pace."
"Well..." Zelda looked over the giant monster. "Maybe our horses could jump its legs."
"Jump?" Link's eyebrows rose reproachfully, as if they could ask the next question themselves. Are you serious?
She felt stupid for suggesting it.
Link gestured to the living barricade. "Your Highness, I just don't see any other op—"
The hinox's snoring stuttered, and it began to move. Zelda's heart rate rocketed, the space in between each beat becoming nonexistent, like her heart squoze and forgot to release again. Its wide toes fanned out and pressed into the wall and its lanky arms stretched out to its sides, nearly reaching them. But then its arms flopped over its distended belly, which sank with a deep exhale. It was still asleep. And, it had just opened up a path above its head. Albeit narrow, the horses would just fit by the looks of it.
Blue and green darted to each other. "Hylia exists after all," Zelda uttered so quietly, she practically just mouthed it.
He didn't hear. "What?"
Zelda waved him off, nevermind.
They decided Link would go through first, since Catherine would likely need more time. They crept forward at a sloth's pace. Zelda mounted her horse, and trailed a few paces behind them, ignoring her heartbeat in her ears. From her seat on Storm's back, she could see the hinox's ugly face. Wrinkled and hairy, with a piglike nose and two rounded tusks jutting out from its lower jaw. Scariest of all was its singular eyelid; this monster was a cyclops. She watched with horror as its eyelid squeezed tighter, and the rest of its body followed suit. Its shoulders tensed, and one arm flew up above its head, severing Zelda's path to Link.
Catherine spooked, summoning reserved strength to dart ahead down the ravine, and Link let her, turning his terrified eyes back to Zelda. Storm had startled as well, rearing up on his hind legs, and Zelda gripped the reins like a lifeline. There was no room to turn around—her only hope was to jump the hinox's arm. She yanked for control, but Storm let out a frightened winnie, stomping his hooves down in order to rear again. The hinox stirred, giant eye blinking lazily—it was now or never. Zelda managed to back up a step, but they could only manage one step forward again before the hinox's giant head lolled towards her. Its eye opened before her like great doors, as daunting and damning as the entrance of Hyrule Castle. She gaped into the yellow portal for only a beat before the blue and violet iris narrowed in recognition. With great effort, the monster began to sit up. Zelda thought it might create the opening she needed, but Storm thrashed so violently she was thrown completely off his back, hitting the dirt with such force it knocked the wind out of her. The hinox rose to its full height, gripping either side of the ravine, and Zelda felt the color drain from her face.
Then the hinox broke a chunk of rock from the mountainside and threw it at her horse. It missed, sailing overhead and landing behind them, which served to spook Storm forward. Zelda scrambled to her feet, trying to grab on as her stallion ran past, but she wasn't fast enough, and she toppled again. The hinox swiped at the creature as he barreled past, but it was also too slow to catch him.
At least one of them would make it out of here alive.
The hinox turned on her again, but before it could grab her, it twitched angrily and contorted its body, allowing Zelda a glimpse of Link on the other side and the arrow he had shot into the monster's back. The hinox swept its hand along the wall of the ravine, a shockwave of destruction dropping rocks and dust down upon Link. Annoyance gone, the hinox turned to her once more, leaning down so Zelda could peer into its curious, open mouth. Its sickly blue tongue fell out with a zephyr of rancid breath that would've knocked Zelda over if she wasn't already on the ground.
Was it going to eat her? Squash her? Chew her up and spit her out?
She was just about to find out when Link came rolling between the monster's legs, crouching in front of the princess and firing an arrow directly into its massive pupil. The hinox roared, falling on its backside and clapping its hands over its eye with such intensity some more loose pebbles precipitated from the walls around them.
"Go!" Link barked at her as he nocked his next arrow.
Zelda clambered to her feet but shouted "I'm not going without you!"
"I'm fine, Princess!" Link shouted back. The authority in his voice shot ice through her veins. "Get out of here now!"
She let out a frustrated sound. "I command you to come with me, Link! We can both get out of here while it's down!"
As if he was programmed to comply, he returned the arrow to his quiver without hesitation and joined her frenzied escape, though his acrimonious expression told Zelda he was not happy about it.
After they'd skirted around the fallen hinox, Link spun, keeping up with Zelda via backpedal and firing one last arrow at the rocky wall overtop the monster. It knocked loose only a small stone, but subsequently destabilized the bigger boulders above it. They came crashing down on top of the hinox, rolling off between them and forming a meager barricade. It definitely didn't kill the beast, as evidenced by the lack of malicious smoke, and it could easily surmount the barricade if it had the intelligence to pursue them, but Link assured the princess that they were out of sight and out of mind.
Zelda's heart lurched to find both of their horses some ways ahead, having displayed enough concern to wait for their riders there. Link hugged Catherine tightly, apologizing profusely and wiping the thick snot from her nose then rubbing it off on his surcote. Beneath her disgust and what was probably patriotic treachery, Zelda found the gesture rather endearing.
They started walking again, the wooden arches increasing in numbers as they covered the last of the ground. They'd reach Kakariko at any minute.
"I wasn't gonna lose, you know," Link commented easily after some time.
"Is that so?" Zelda eyed him. "Why didn't you go ahead and fight it, then?"
"What do you mean 'why'? You told me not to."
"If you were as sure of your victory as you say, you could've disregarded my adjuration."
"And disobey a royal command?" he guffawed. "That's crazy."
The princess huffed.
"Oh, I'm sorry," he crooned, catching her eye roll. "Is that word too dumb for you? Perhaps absurd would be more fitting."
This made her snort. "...Preposterous," she offered after a beat.
"Ridiculous," he added next.
"Ludicrous."
"Unthinkable!"
"Inconceivable!"
"Outlandish!"
"Asinine!"
He paused. "Only a nine?"
She paused too, thinking her brain just needed a pause to catch up, but nothing clicked. "...What?"
With a twinkle that informed Zelda he was about to make a stupid joke, Link twisted to examine his backside. "Surely my ass is at least a ten."
Zelda gasped. She'd anticipated the stupidity, but not the accompanying Smotherwing butterflies that swarmed her stomach. Panicking, she shoved Link. Hard. "You are talking to your princess!"
He rubbed his arm, though surely it couldn't have hurt that bad. Despite the grimace, his face was lit with mirth as they approached the final archway. "Too far? Sorry, I thought it'd be funny."
Only after she exhaled the last of the butterflies did she admit, "It was rather funny." She remained slightly ahead of Link the rest of the way to avoid the new, sudden temptation to verify the "ten".
"Is that... my goodness, Princess Zelda!"
"Is that really her?!"
"What is Princess Zelda doing here?"
"What on earth happened to them? They're filthy!"
In no time at all, Sheikah flocked to the run-down visitors as they entered into the village, and Link positioned himself in front of the princess like a shield. The Sheikah people, with their ivory hair and scarlet eyes, swirled like a snowstorm, asking questions and offering hospitalities, but the onslaught was too great for Zelda to catch any singular remark.
"Alright, alright, move aside!" an elderly voice crowed above the rest. "Let's not trample our guests before they can properly introduce themselves—"
The sea of white parted for an ancient Sheikah, shorter somehow than Midna and sporting more lines of wisdom on her face than Zelda thought possible to gather in an average lifetime. She wore a large conical hat that cast her entire body in shade and a walking staff to keep her steady. Behind her trailed a beautiful young lady, casting nervous glances throughout the crowd. Link pivoted out of the way of the princess for them.
"Great Hylia..." the elderly one murmured, raising a trembling hand toward Zelda's face. "It really is the princess."
"Greetings," Zelda breathed, dipping into a curtsy despite her lack of skirt. She cringed at the sight of her pants, a collage of mud and dust, dirt, sweat and grime. Surely her face was painted the same. "I am the daughter of King Rhoam, Prin—"
"Princess Zelda, yes, yes," the lady interrupted. "We all know the subject of legends. I am Impa, the Chief of Kakariko Village. And this is my granddaughter, Paya." The young lady behind her startled before bowing slightly. Impa cupped Zelda's bemired face. "Why, Princess, I haven't seen you since you were but a child."
"Forgive me for not recognizing you sooner, Lady Impa." Beside her, Link let out a quiet huff. He'd only seen this exceedingly polite side of Zelda at public royal appearances.
"Don't be ridiculous, there is no need for apologies," Impa said. "That was many, many moons ago. What business do you have in Kakariko Village?"
"We've um," Zelda blithered, mind suddenly reeling with the intake of new information. "We're uh..."
"Here, here come with me," Impa said already turning. "Let's talk somewhere more comfortable. Cado will take your horses."
It was a short, quiet walk to Impa's house, but Zelda took in as much as she could in the beautiful sunhigh light. Kakariko Village was a quaint little place, with grassy paths and carved wooden buildings topped with sweeping rooflines. A small whispering river cut through and around the houses, snaking between the mountains that surrounded the entire village. As Zelda's eyes trailed up to their summits, she saw it. A humongous stone O wedged between two peaks, and Zelda stifled a gasp. It looked nothing like the strange cliff where Link had found the stambulb, but it was fantastical in its own right. And it couldn't possibly have gotten betwixt the mountains like that any other way. Instinctively, her eyes sought Link. He was already awaiting her gaze—of course, there was no way he could've missed the ring. Still, the broad grin plastered on his face made dandelions burst behind her ribs.
She told herself it had everything to do with the sky island. Despite her confidence, Link's eyes took on that black hole quality again, and Zelda grew wary of their pull. She steered clear of it the rest of the walk.
When they entered Lady Impa's Hall, the elderly woman headed towards a stack of zabuton cushions. Instead of offering one to the princess and her knight, the old lady climbed up and situated herself upon all three. Her tremulous granddaughter took station behind her, hands wringing fretfully behind her back as she glanced back and forth between their visitors and the floor.
Impa offered a crooked smile. "Well, let me start by saying it's an honor to have both the fated hero and the divine princess visit Kakariko at the same time."
"I'm sorry, I think you've gotten me confused," Link interjected. "I'm not the fated hero, I'm just a knight escorting the princess..."
Impa cackled like dry rice in a hot pan, snorting between breaths. "Don't flatter yourself boy, you think I don't know who Hylia's chosen one is? I'm not talking about you."
"Wait, what?" Zelda gasped.
"Surely your travels haven't rattled your brains so much that you've forgotten him. I'm talking about Mido Equestor."
The floorboards beneath her feet seemed to fall away, and a torrent of warm wind barreled up around Zelda. "Mido is here in Kakariko?"
"Yes. This appears to be news to you."
Zelda let out a sound that was somewhere between another gasp and a laugh. Unbelievable! After what must have been weeks now, she was actually going to see Mido again! Link looked to her, but she ignored him this time.
"He arrived earlier this week," Impa went on. "I'm sure you saw the Ring Ruins between the mountains on our way here?" Zelda nodded eagerly. So that's what it'd been named. "They believed it might have some connection to the Master Sword. However, falling between the mountains like that... it caused numerous rockslides and the whole area has been too unsafe for curious onlookers. When Mido and his party arrived, we established a team and set to work stabilizing the area. Only just this morning it was deemed safe enough for his party. They are there right now."
"How providential is that?" Zelda sang. "That's actually why we're here, too! I believe that structure might hold a clue to thwarting the Calamity, outside of its possible relation to the Master Sword. Lady Impa, please allow me to investigate the Ring Ruins as well." Minding her manners, Zelda got down on her knees and bowed deeply to the old woman.
"My apologies, Your Highness."
Apologies? Zelda's head bolted upright.
"I'm afraid it's still much too dangerous for a princess." The old lady's face twisted regretfully. "Had Rhoam sent word of your visit, perhaps we could have better prepared for someone of your stature..."
Her stature? Zelda could feel Link's eyes on her, and in her peripherals she could see—he had taken offense on her behalf. She was not some porcelain doll. But the princess kept her eyes on Impa and forced a placating laugh. "Excuse me? I-I'm afraid I don't understand... We've traveled a long way for this. If it has been deemed safe enough for Mido and his men then surely it is safe enough for me."
Impa leaned back thoughtfully. "I can see this is of great importance to you."
"It is. Please, Lady Impa, I have to find the answers for myself."
"Very well, give us time to communicate with the survey team. We'll see to it that you may safely investigate the ruins yourself, as well. In the meantime, how about some tea?"
Zelda breathed a sigh of relief. If they'd come all this way only to be denied... "Actually, if it's imperative that I wait, and it's alright with you, there's something I'd like more than tea."
"Ask away, Princess. Kakariko Village would be honored to oblige if we can."
Zelda ran a hand along the bird's nest growing out of the back of her skull. "I could really use a bath."
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Wooah! They've finally made it to Kakariko!
I've got the next bit of story mapped out, but to be completely honest I was in a bit of a slump for awhile. I'm assuming thanks to Aubrey's amazing art that a lot of you found my story yesterday, and I was totally floored by all the love and comments I started receiving! It makes it a lot more fun to write knowing there are people who are excited to read, so thank you everybody who's given this story a chance and expressed any affinity for it! I'm so humbled, I really can't thank you enough. Definitely gonna hunker down the next few days between work and family Christmas things to get tons more writing done! Happy almost-Friday!