Chapter 40Wounded
"Sheik?"
Link released the Master Sword, steadying himself to avoid stumbling as he cradled Sheik in his arms. Her face tensed with pain as she glanced down at the blade lodged in her side. Crimson seeped between her fingers, staining the sand beneath.
Link stood there in shock, his mind still racing amidst the confusion. So much remained a bewildering blur. Too many events had unfolded. He had taken the life of a Gerudo, a necessary act or not, and the weight of that deed sickened him. What else had transpired? The Gerudo had betrayed their allies and their king, slaying Ganondorf. Link almost laughed with near hysteria.
Was it truly over?
Link had witnessed Ganondorf's body vanish before his eyes, but even if the king was gone, what about the malevolent force possessing him? Could a fallen deity succumb to a mere blade?
It seemed almost too simple and too good to be true.
No. Despite his efforts, Link couldn't dismiss the nagging feeling that Ganondorf had somehow endured.
Too much was unfolding. Link blinked as the desert wind whipped up a cloud of sand, stinging his face.
Focus, he urged himself sternly. Fallen bulblins, casualties of the portal's passage, lay strewn in the sand. Courage attempted to communicate, but Link, overwhelmed by the surrounding chaos, remained deaf to the spirit's words.
Sheik was injured... How had she sustained such a wound? Blood tainted her tabard, saturating it in a deep crimson.
Too much, Link thought, a sinking feeling of dismay enveloping him.
He didn't know what to do. He was no healer. Saria was, but she was too distant to assist.
"S-Sheik?" he whispered once more. "Sheik, what should I do?"
The wind responded, howling through the night. Somewhere behind them, the echoes of battle resonated through the air. Across the broad river, the fortress glimmered in the pale moonlight. Flames danced above the walls, casting shadows into the ashen sky. Griffins, once assailants, were gone, and burning barges floated down the river. The Mithirans seemed defeated, retreating downstream and fading from Link's view.
"We did it," Navi breathed, gazing across the river, oblivious to Link's turmoil. "I can't believe we escaped... Link?"
Navi turned, gasping as the colour drained from Sheik's face, teeth clenched when Link set her down.
"Link," Sheik whispered, her voice weak with pain. "We escaped. I told you we would."
She smiled faintly, her fierce Sheikan demeanour momentarily lost.
"I never doubted you for a moment," Link replied.
"You're a terrible liar," she weakly retorted.
"Oh dear."
Link looked up to find Halvard standing nearby, his usual unsettling grin absent. "This is not good, not good at all."
He hurried to Sheik's side, kneeling beside her, examining the knife. Worry etched his face as he studied the blade.
"Sheik?" Link asked uncertainly. They needed to extract the knife without causing further harm, but how?
"A bulblin's knife?" Sheik murmured, recognizing the runes on the blade's hilt. "I was stabbed by a bulblin... A Sheikah has never fallen to one of those before. A fortunate strike."
"I think your concern should extend beyond pride, Sheik," Navi remarked.
Sheik managed a rueful smile. "Thank you, Navi. That truly lifts my spirits."
It was the closest Link had heard her approach sarcasm. Her smile wavered as agony tightened her features.
"What do I do?" Link pleaded.
"Remove it..." Sheik gasped, her voice thick with pain. "The blade is tainted. I can feel it burning inside me."
"Tainted?" It took a moment for Link to grasp the gravity of her words—the blade was poisoned.
Oh no, he thought.
He wanted to scream.
Damn it. No!
"Take it out," Sheik hissed, gripping his tunic. "Now."
"Wha-what?" Link stammered. Wouldn't that worsen the bleeding? He had nothing to staunch it once the knife was withdrawn.
"You'll have to cauterize the wound..." Sheik gasped. "Use fire on the Master Sword till it glows, then apply it."
"You want me to do what?" Link exclaimed, hands trembling as Sheik clutched him.
"Do it!" she ordered firmly. "I can mend the worst of it."
"I can't-" Link stammered, reluctant to inflict such pain on her. The scent of burning flesh was a memory he wished to avoid.
"Damn it, Link!" Sheik hissed, her face tight with pain. "If I hear those words from you one more time, I'll carve them into your forehead. I... arghh!"
Her lips thinned in a grimace of pain as a wave surged through her. "Just... get it out!"
Frantic and desperate, Link grabbed the knife's hilt. Sheik averted her gaze, face contorted with pain.
"Is there another way?" Link asked. "I don't want to hurt you."
"I wish there were. Just don't twist it."
Link looked at Halvard, who rummaged through his pack and retrieved a clean bandage.
"Do it!" Sheik urged weakly.
Link drew a shuddering breath, tensing as he pulled the weapon's hilt. Sheik groaned as the blade emerged, leaving the wound to bleed profusely.
Goddesses, so much blood. Too much.
He tossed the knife away, the sand absorbing it like a venomous creature. Faint wisps of smoke rose as the blood seemed to meld into the metal. Halvard joined him swiftly, providing bandages and a waterskin on a cloak.
"Do what you need to do with that sword," Halvard instructed, nodding towards the Master Sword. "Quickly, boy, time is short."
Link nodded in silence, ensuring he wore Impa's ring to avoid injuring himself. Focused, he delved into the essence of magic, sensing Water, Fire, Earth, and Courage. Ignoring the spirit's annoyance, he drew in the elements, particularly Fire. With determination, he channelled it into the Master Sword's hilt.
Opening his eyes, Link felt the hilt grow hot beneath his fingers. The heat intensified, compelling him to drop the blade, an effort to resist. The Master Sword's faint blue lustre transformed into an angry red, glowing fiercely until tendrils of flames curled out, shifting from blue to white.
Halvard cleared Sheik's tabard, revealing the poisoned wound. Link struggled to steady his breath and suppress trembling as he geared up. As feared, thin black lines marred Sheik's skin, signifying poison. With a nod from Sheik, Halvard placed a cloth in her mouth. Eyes closed, bracing for the ordeal, Sheik awaited Link's action.
"Make it quick, boy," Halvard barked, devoid of his usual sing-song tone.
Link exhaled shakily. "I'm sorry, Sheik," he whispered, pressing the Master Sword's flat against the wound. Sheik tensed, clenching fists, the cloth insufficient to muffle her scream. The smell of burnt flesh revolted Link; he battled not to drop the sword.
I'm sorry.
"That's enough," Halvard intervened.
Link withdrew the Master Sword, the blade returning to its serene blue glow. Sheik shifted to her uninjured side, gasping for breath. Beads of sweat adorned her face.
"Are... Are you alright?" Link inquired anxiously as Sheik removed the cloth.
"I've been better," she said hoarsely. "Thank you."
"We need to dress the wound quickly," Halvard added.
He applied cloth bandages around Sheik's waist. Sweat persisted on her face, breath still labored. She remained conscious briefly before slipping into unconsciousness.
"Will she be okay?" Link asked after Halvard finished attending to Sheik, the bandages now concealed beneath her garments.
"It's too early to tell... Deep abdominal wounds without fairy magic risk poisoning the blood," Halvard explained. "Our method, although effective, is not ideal without a healer nearby."
Link pondered whether his actions truly helped or worsened her condition. In the vast Gerudo Desert, distant from aid, with limited supplies, uncertainty loomed.
"Should we return to the fortress for help?" Link suggested.
"Don't be foolish, boy," Halvard retorted sharply. He softened, gazing at the distant fortress. Surprisingly, he sighed deeply and continued, "Even without Ganondorf's curse, Sheikah are often unwelcome among the Gerudo. Meeting the wrong individuals could prove fatal for her. If the Blins abandon the fortress, which is likely, we risk encountering them. No, I have another plan. There's a Great Fairy in a cave near the Desert Colossus. We can head there, but our horses won't endure the journey without collapsing from exhaustion."
"Are we to wait and see if she'll recover?" Link questioned with frustration.
"Yes," Halvard replied flatly. "Endangering yourself won't aid Sheik. I just rescued you, and I intend to ensure both of you stay alive."
"That's reassuring," Link muttered quietly, expressing more to Navi than Halvard. Trust in the man remained elusive; too much remained unknown. Halvard's peculiar fascination with powerful masks capable of causing calamity heightened Link's suspicions.
"Can't we attempt to heal her?" Link proposed, though inexperienced in healing magic, willing to try.
"Don't you think I would have suggested that if it were possible?" Halvard snapped. "No, you cannot."
"Why not?" Link demanded fiercely.
The anger in Halvard's eyes almost made Link recoil. "Do you understand anything about healing magic?" he challenged. "You should be aware of the perils of meddling with powers beyond your comprehension. Many mages have perished attempting to master it, sometimes out of desperation."
"Perished?" Link asked, shocked. "What do you mean?"
Halvard sighed, averting his gaze. "It can function in three ways. The most common involves drawing on the injured person's strength, accelerating healing but leaving the patient weakened. The second requires the mage to tap into their own strength, often necessitating multiple healers. The third involves extracting strength from another living being, a practice many find repugnant."
Link shivered, sensing a chilling undertone. "So we can't try?"
"No, we can't. Moreover, drawing on multiple elements with two still tainted could lead to disastrous consequences," Halvard explained gravely. He sighed again, adding, "I'll keep watch and wake you in a few hours."
"We need shelter," Navi remarked. "We're too exposed here."
The sky, clear and moonlit, exposed them. Navi had a valid point.
Halvard pondered the fairy's words briefly, then nodded. "Fair enough."
Surveying the dunes, he pointed to a peculiar rock formation nearby, resembling a stone giant's teeth.
"There," Halvard directed. "The Gerudo occasionally used those rock formations as settlements. Mainly peddlers and tinkers, but we're unlikely to encounter them now."
"Tinkers?" Link questioned, unfamiliar with the term.
"Nomadic Gerudo tribes," Halvard clarified. "They abandoned warrior ways for the peaceful doctrine of the Goddess Elin. Not much different from the Kokiri, but they avoid the capital. Enough of this, help me get Sheik onto the saddle."
Without further ado, Link aided Halvard in placing the injured Sheikah on Epona's saddle. To Link's relief, the mare cooperated, crouching to facilitate the lift. Once Sheik was secured, Link led Epona towards the rocks, their pinnacles rising like ancient towers. The rocks harbored small chambers, remnants of past settlements.
Link settled Sheik on his bedroll, concern gnawing at him. Their shelter, though crude, shielded them from the elements. As he lay down on the opposite side, using his cloak as a makeshift blanket, worry lingered.
He stared back at Sheik, barely discernible in the darkness.
"Halvard?" Link queried, a thought crossing his mind.
Halvard, looking towards the distant fortress, replied without turning, "Hmm? You should rest. Perhaps I'll kindle a fire. Gerudo pass through these settlements frequently; they won't find it suspicious."
"How did you heal me before, when you found Navi and me after my injuries?" Link asked, memories surfacing, dark and unwelcome.
Halvard remained quiet for a moment, as if weighing his words. "I had a fairy. Retrieved from the Fairy Spring in Death Mountain, she summoned Elisia for me both times. Though neither of you would recognize her; she maintains a disguise for obvious reasons. A Great Fairy with her power? Ganondorf would have sought her death or enslavement."
"She could have revealed herself to me," Navi grumbled.
"Telepaths reveal few secrets," Halvard explained. "If the Gerudo had kept you captive longer, you'd have disclosed everything. Aveil deemed it too risky to send you straight to Castletown... or what remains of it."
"What happened to the fairy?" Link inquired. Halvard's decision against summoning Elisia again raised questions.
"The witches took her," Halvard admitted without meeting their eyes.
Navi gasped, and Link averted his gaze. The fate of the sprite seemed apparent.
"You used her," Navi accused, her voice a quiet mix of shock and anger.
"She consented," Halvard responded flatly. "Be grateful she did, or your friend wouldn't be here."
Link looked away from the unsettling red eyes. Navi, still silent, maintained a horrified gaze.
"Did you see the other fairy?" Link questioned her.
"I did, but if I'd known she'd been taken from Elisia's home..." Navi trailed off, a lingering disgust evident. "You don't think... Halvard used her life force to heal you? The Sheikah did that to my kind, long ago."
"How?" Link whispered, horrified. He kept watch on Halvard, ensuring he wasn't eavesdropping. Busy trying to ignite a feeble fire, he paid little attention.
"Sprites like me were... Great Fairies," Navi explained.
"What?" Link looked at her sceptically. "But you don't even look remotely like one!"
"I was a little piece of one, not that I remember it," Navi explained. "Our forms were shattered, and each fairy took on a distinct personality over time. Some Great Fairies possessed very potent healing magic. They are still around... all but several of them were shattered. Sheikah healers would drain their lifeforce, siphoning their powers and..." the final words died on her tongue, but Link already knew enough to know where she'd been going.
Halvard chose the third option.
That idea sent a wave of sickening revulsion through Link. The idea that the mask man could have even considered taking the life of another to heal him was abhorrent. He felt a sudden urge to get up and demand the truth from the man. Had he lied about Elisia healing him? Had he simply taken a fairy from the fountain on Death Mountain and killed it? Link's outrage flickered and died faster than the pitiful fire Halvard was busily trying to start. No, he still felt disgusted, but he knew his fury wouldn't get him anywhere right now. Perhaps there'd be a time to confront him about it, and now didn't seem appropriate.
"Get some sleep, Link," Navi said at last. "I'm sorry; perhaps I said too much."
"No, you didn't," Link quickly assured her. "That's not the only thing I'm worried about."
"You think the Gerudo will come after us?" Navi spoke his thoughts aloud.
"Yes," Link said.
"Aveil will probably send some of her people to help us, but driving out the Blins will take time," Halvard said. Apparently, he'd heard that much of Link and Navi's conversation. "We can discuss this later. I suggest you sleep. It will be a long ride in the morning."
Link slumped against his saddlebag again and drifted into a dreamless slumber.
Courage waited for him in that place of spirits. A realm beyond the waking world that could only be reached in dreams, or in the hours that preceded a soul's departure from the mortal plane.
"He isn't really dead, you know." Link could sense Courage's presence, as awareness came to him, but there was still nothing to be seen. Nothing but darkness, and the solid ground upon which he stood.
"Who?" Link asked, answering the wolf's statement. Even before the reply came, Link already knew the answer.
"Ganondorf," Courage answered patiently, and Link turned to see the wolf standing behind him. Pale light filled the void now, revealing a mist that twisted and curled around him. "He cannot be slain except by the one who wields the sword that seals the darkness. Even then, the cycle of reincarnation will always ensure he returns."
"Can you break the cycle?" Link asked.
"If it were so easy," the wolf's voice was a growl. "He can be stopped for a time. First, you must make certain that Sheik reaches the Great Fairy in the Desert Colossus. Much rides upon her survival and your own."
"What do you mean?"
"Some things you will learn in time," the wolf answered. "Do not waver in your courage; it is difficult to help you when you do, and you can be sure this realm will test you."
Link wanted to ask how the spirit knew that or even what it meant, but before he could answer, the otherworldly entity was nowhere to be seen, and everything dissolved into nothingness.
~ 0 ~
What felt like seconds later, Link woke to a startled cry. Blinking and disoriented in the darkness, he scrambled and clawed the stone for his sword, sure for a moment that they had been found by something unfriendly.
A bright light stabbed his eyes, and he groaned. "Navi?"
"It's Sheik," Navi whispered, sounding frightened.
"What?" Link looked over to where Sheik lay, and his insides knotted in fear. Sheik was thrashing in her sleep, moaning incoherently.
What's wrong with her? Link wondered, turning with a start to wake Halvard.
The man was already awake, summoning a small sphere of light to brighten their small cave.
"What is it?" Link demanded.
Halvard quickly moved over to Sheik, kneeling down beside her. He placed a hand on her forehead. She didn't stir. Then he lifted the cloth covering the wound. It wasn't a pleasant sight, and Link felt an overwhelming urge to be sick. It wasn't just the sight that bothered him; the wound smelt foul and corrupted.
"It's exactly what I feared," Halvard said calmly. "Hold her while I redress the wound."
Link complied without a word, grasping both of Sheik's shoulders as Halvard tended to her.
"We need to get her to the Desert Colossus," Halvard said as he finished. "If the Great Fairy isn't home, then we can warp to Kakariko Village and get help."
Link wasn't even sure if Sheik had that long. She was shivering now, murmuring something incoherent.
"Gather your things," Halvard said, his voice firm. "Go!"
Link turned and ran out of their small dwelling to secure his gear to Epona's saddle. The desert surrounding the mysterious rock formations was pitch black and smothered in a deep silence. Lights still shone from the fortress, but there were no more fires. That was a good sign at least.
Halvard came after him. Holding Sheik, he clambered down the stairs in the rock and over to Epona. Once Sheik was securely in Epona's saddle, Halvard mounted his own horse and took the lead. Soon the river and the Gerudo Fortress were far behind them.
Dawn soon crept over the horizon. As the sun crested the distant mountain peaks, the vibrant yellow and golden light made it seem as though the desert was on fire. As far as Link could see, there were dunes and pillars of rocks that jutted out of the sand like fingers of stone. No sooner had the sun inched over the eastern mountains than the temperature began to climb, and Link was dripping with sweat, his garments clinging to him.
When a soft breeze began to blow across the sands, Link was relieved. It offered some reprieve from the heat, but not a lot. Then the breeze became a terrible, howling gale that whipped the desert sand across both steed and rider. He soon learned to appreciate why the Gerudo wore scarves; the sand found its way into everything. It was in his tunic, his gauntlets, boots, and even his undergarments. To his immense irritation, as the desert winds rose to a crescendo, the tiny grains of sand even stung his eyes. Aveil had thankfully left scarves in the saddlebags so he wouldn't end up inhaling half a sand dune.
They tried to keep going, knowing Sheik may not have long. She slipped in and out of consciousness, murmuring incoherently, her breathing ragged.
"We'll make it," Link said softly, "We're halfway there."
Epona couldn't move quickly in the gale of wind and sand, and their pace was soon reduced to a steady crawl. It was bad enough that Epona wasn't used to travelling on such a soft surface, even after the Gerudo had given her a little practice. Halvard's animal seemed to practically dance on the sand, managing a far more graceful stride than Epona. When she shook her mane, frisking after having almost slipped, she loosened a cloud of sand that splashed straight onto Link's face.
"This..." Link spat out sand as he tried to speak. "This is useless..." he spat out more sand, "We're not going to get far in this..." more sand got in his mouth. "We need to find shelter."
"I think you are right," Halvard called back. "Keep up, I will find something."
A rocky outcrop, similar to the one they had camped in during the night, served as their shelter. At least it was cooler in the small cave, and the nooks in the rock formation offered enough room to shelter the horses.
As he sat in their shelter with Halvard and Navi, Link propped himself against the stone. He stared at Sheik, frustrated that they could not go any further until the storm ended. Removing his shoes one at a time, he emptied out the sand. He took off his hat next, unleashing another flurry of sand as he ruffled his untidy hair.
"You know you're just going to get more of that on you?" Navi asked, emerging from Link's pocket and shaking sand from her wings.
"Yeah, but I intend to be rid of at least some of it," said Link. "I feel like I'm going to be shaking sand off of myself for the rest of my life."
Navi chuckled.
"Easy for you," he muttered. "You can just hide. Don't you like getting sand on your wings?"
When she didn't stop chuckling, he threw his hat at her. It missed, falling to the floor.
They fell into an uncomfortably long silence as they waited for the storm to pass. Gradually, it did. Halvard said these storms didn't last long, and they were sometimes the result of a ward meant to keep outsiders away from the Desert Colossus. It was possible that Ganondorf had set up safety measures to ensure the temple was protected. It was the source of the witches' power, and controlling it had allowed them to brainwash the Gerudo, so it made sense he wouldn't leave it defenceless.
Rising from his uncomfortable position as the storm finally exhausted itself, his eyes gritty from sand, Link stretched his cramping muscles and then scrambled from their cave. Trying to clear his eyes of sand, he climbed down the stairs to where they'd left Epona and the other horse. Reaching her, Link pulled on her reins, leading her back to the entrance of the cave so he could get Sheik back in the saddle.
How much further do we have to go? He looked out at the desert, as if hoping to find the answer, and saw something he didn't expect.
Less than twenty feet in front of him was a tree. Not any tree. Golden dapples of light danced in its enormous canopy, but he could hear no animals calling or chirping from amidst the branches. That should have told him something was wrong. Too stunned to realize this, his eyes travelled from the gnarled branches and down the trunk until he saw a face carved into the tree, like the work of a master woodcarver.
It was the Great Deku Tree.
Link closed his eyes.
No. The heat was getting to him. He was seeing things. When Link opened his eyes again, the tree was still there. The tree spirit touched his mind, its ancient consciousness conveying both wisdom and power.
It really was the Great Deku Tree.
No. Link thought. I'm going mad. He'd picked a truly terrible time to go mad.
More trees appeared behind the ancient forest guardian and suddenly he was back in the forest. Had he slipped into some kind of dream, like his visions of the Sacred Realm?
"Great Deku Tree?" Link gasped. He fell to his knees, mind numb with shock. "You're... You're alive."
"What..." He didn't realize Navi had flown to his side. She had been busily yelling at him, bobbing up and down and nearly poking him in the eye. "Hey, listen! Snap out of it! You're not going crazy on me!"
"Can't you see it?" he asked Navi, gesturing at the forest. "It's the Great Deku Tree."
"Link?" Navi's eyes widened in alarm. "What are you talking about? Haven't you had enough water or something?"
"Link." The tree spirit's emotions flowed into Link's mind, sending a wave of anger and disappointment through the bond. "You promised you would protect them... Why did you leave?" The pain in that voice was like a dagger twisting into Link's heart. "You abandoned them! You swore to protect those who could not protect themselves, and instead, you fled!"
There was anger in the forest spirit's voice. Link gazed into its expressionless face, confused and hurt. Those stinging words didn't sound like something the Great Deku Tree would say.
"I... I..." Link stammered, a painful lump rising in his throat.
I left because you told me too,"Link wanted to reply, but he could not bring himself to speak.
"Boy! Can you hear me?" a man shouted from somewhere behind him, but Link didn't reply.
"You told me to leave," Link murmured. "I had to leave to protect the forest."
"You abandoned the Kokiri!" the voice in his mind boomed. "You were gone too long! You abandoned the girl in the fortress. You left her to die!"
"No!" Link said, his voice hoarse.
"Link! C'mon, snap out of it already!" came Navi's shrill shout. But Link barely heard her, shame burning through him from the Great Deku Tree's words.
"I tried," he whispered, his voice pained, "I promise, I will do my best... But I cannot do this alone."
He couldn't protect everyone, even if he was the Hero of Time. He'd learned that the hard way when Mido died. When Saria was almost killed.
"You failed them..." The accusation cut deeply.
"I- I didn't," Link said weakly.
Something was wrong, and some rational part of his mind screamed as it tried to smack him back to reality without success. The Great Deku Tree would never say such hurtful things, it told him. Link's blood ran cold as the air in front of the tree rippled. Then before him stood five Kokiri, Mido amongst them.
"Mido?" Link choked.
"Why did you let me die?" Mido asked, his voice quiet, sorrowful. Link wished the boy had shouted or hit him like that fateful day when he'd left the forest. That would have been easier to bear.
"You left! You abandoned us before our village was attacked," Brynn accused him.
"Stop, I beg you!"
Link's plea fell on deaf ears.
"You let them attack us! You let the desert man destroy our homes," Fado said, her eyes bright and accusing.
Link scrambled back, desperate to get away from the angry Kokiri.
"Hey, stop ignoring me! I don't know what you can see... It's not real!" a fairy shouted angrily from nearby.
"You left us, you abandoned us... You let us die!" the Kokiri said in unison. Suddenly, Saria appeared, eyes burning with a hatred that seemed to twist and distort her youthful face. There was a knife in her hand.
Saria stepped forward, blade raised.
Link gasped. Something cold slammed into his face. He blinked, instantly recognizing the round edges of a mask's eyeholes. The Great Deku Tree and the Kokiri vanished, replaced by the harsh desert dunes.
Link blinked, swallowing back tears. He was shaking violently, and he wanted to be sick. As he grabbed the mask, desperate to rip it free of his face, someone grabbed his hand.
"Don't take that off..." Halvard was staring at him with deep concern. "Forgive me. I should have expected this. Long ago, along with the sand storms, the Gerudo used illusions to ward off people who got too close to their temple. I had no idea the wards that created them had been recast... It should have been obvious... Are you alright? What did you see?"
"I'd rather not talk about it," Link mumbled, looking away from the man as he blinked back tears. He doubted Halvard would understand. The wolf had been right, and Link had failed to remember its warning. How had it even known? As he expected, there was no sign of the wolf's presence, no touch of its mind upon his own. Even then, he still knew the spirit was disappointed.
I failed that test, he thought, annoyed with himself.
Reading into his silence, Halvard sighed. "Whatever you saw, it wasn't real. It might have hurt, but that's what it was designed to do. Believe me, I have seen magic do some very warped things."
He grimaced, his eyes turning away from Link.
"Why weren't you and Navi affected?" Link asked hoarsely, swallowing.
"I am Sheikah. As for Navi, I imagine her fairy magic protects her," Halvard answered without looking at him. "Hylians are particularly sensitive to some forms of magic. Come on, we need to get Sheik help."
"That is a really creepy mask..." Navi said, almost causing Link to instinctively remove it.
"Navi... don't make me take it off," Link said irritably.
"Sorry..." she still stared at it even as Link glared through the eye slits.
"What is it exactly?" she asked Halvard.
"The Mask of Truth. Impa urged me to carry it in case I needed it," he answered, "So long as you wear it, you will be protected from the illusions. Should you feel an overwhelming urge to remove the mask, I suggest you don't. I don't know how the magic of the Desert Colossus will affect you the closer we get to the temple."
"I always thought the Great Fairy of the Desert was a little whacked," Navi muttered.
"Why do you say that?" Link asked, surprised that Navi would ever speak ill of any of the Great Faeries, especially given their conversation the previous night.
"Well, who in their right mind would want to live somewhere that makes you see things and go crazy?" she asked.
"They say the same thing about the Lost Woods, Navi," Halvard told her. "Not all the forest spirits are benevolent to outsiders."
Link winced. Halvard's words were an uncomfortable reminder of the vision he'd witnessed, and it struck far closer to home than he wanted to admit.
"Yeah, well, those wards are there for a good reason," Navi said. "I fail to see what the reason for protecting somewhere like this would be."
"Don't let the Gerudo catch you saying that," Halvard said. "Not that I expect we will run into any just yet."
"And what makes you think that?" Link asked.
"They no longer have a king. Until their regent is appointed, they will be in disarray," he answered. "A pilgrimage to the Desert Colossus will not be high on their priorities. As for their tinker folk, they aren't likely to venture to a temple dedicated to a faith they abandoned."
"You think Ganondorf's dead?" Link asked, looking at Navi and Halvard.
They both stared at him sceptically, and then Navi gave him a pitying look. "No. I mean, did you expect it to be that easy?"
"Between the Triforce of Power and the spirit that possesses him, he's well protected." Halvard paused at the dark look on Link's face and added, "Protected from most things." His eyes lingered on Link's sword tucked in its scabbard. "The Ancients can only be destroyed by one to whom the power of the Triforce has been given."
"You said you fought one before," Navi said, "How did you kill it if you didn't have the Master Sword?"
"It wasn't me," Halvard said with a grimace. His face grew troubled at the memory. "It took a long time to realize that only a bearer of the Triforce, or a part of it, can kill one of the ancients. I believe that was why the Goddesses left it here. If Hyrule were ever threatened by the ones who were exiled from their realm, a chosen few could protect Hyrule from that evil."
"You still haven't said who killed the demon," Navi said. "If it wasn't you, then who was it? Something tells me it wasn't Ganondorf, and if only someone with the Triforce can slay an Ancient, that leaves only Zelda..." she looked at him more seriously then. "You've seen her, haven't you?"
"I haven't" Halvard answered quickly. His eyes turned to Sheik and he straightened. "We shouldn't delay much longer. Besides, I think you've had enough of this place."
Yeah, Link thought irritably. I have.
They kept going, the heat no less unbearable. Epona was struggling before long and so was Halvard's horse.
"Can't we just play the Song of Storms and be done with it?" Link whined after another hour of baking in the hot sun. He couldn't take much more of this. He was drenched in sweat, feeling as though someone had just thrust him into the heart of Death Mountain's crater and was dangling him over a lava pit.
Navi sighed. "How many times do you want me to tell you? If you do that, every Blin in fifty miles will be on top of us."
"It won't matter if we're dead," Link replied, irritated, "And I want to take this damned thing off my face!" He gestured at the mask he was wearing. It was making it very hard to see out of his periphery. Goddesses help him if he had to use his sword while wearing this damnable mask.
"You know you can't do that," Navi said sympathetically.
Link wished she was wrong. He kept glancing down at Sheik, her face was flushed, and she looked like she was roasting alive beneath her clothing.
Odd. Weren't the Sheikah less sensitive to heat than Hylians? He placed a hand on her head, wincing. Her forehead was hot, almost as if it were on fire.
Fever. He thought. Oh no.
Saria had told him how serious a fever could be. In the woods, he might have been able to find some herbs to help bring the fever down. Water wouldn't have been a problem either.
Sheik's eyes fluttered open, seemingly confused at the mask staring down at her.
"Sheik, can you hear me?" Link asked, "We're not far from the Desert Colossus." She didn't respond beyond a murmur and Link kept going, desperate to reassure her and himself. "We'll get the Great Fairy to help you."
"Thirsty..." Sheik croaked. "Need... water."
"We're nearly there," Link assured her, but he looked up with worry. They'd drained over half their waterskins.
"Is she alright?" Halvard asked, bringing his horse up alongside Epona.
"Sheik needs water," Link replied grimly.
He brought Epona to a halt as Halvard placed a hand on her forehead and closed his eyes.
"She has a fever," he murmured. "This is a problem."
"You can help her, right?" Link asked, desperate.
Halvard nodded. "There's a waterhole not far from here. It should do for now."
Link followed Halvard across the sand dunes. Once they reached the crest of the next dune, they spotted an oasis not far away. It stood in stark contrast to the rolling sand dunes around it, surrounded by patches of long, tough grass and short palm trees. He almost thought it was another illusion and had to touch the mask to remind himself it wasn't.
Link almost tried to prod Epona into a gallop, but he knew that doing so would only make Epona stumble. Once they reached the oasis, he scanned the surrounding dunes for any sign of Gerudo or Blin. There were none, and even if someone did appear, the bushes were tall enough that Link's small party could easily hide in them for a time.
"We're not far from the Desert Colossus," said Halvard as he led his horse beside the water.
"You've been here before?" Link asked.
"Once. Some obnoxious poe gave me the wrong directions," Halvard replied. "Alas, he fled before I could tell him what I thought of him."
They placed Sheik by the waterhole and Link quickly filled their waterskins. As he knelt before the water, he jerked back in shock, barely stifling a scream. Realizing he'd been spooked by his own mask, he mentally smacked himself, muttered a few colourful variants of the word idiot, and then peered back at the water.
A white mask reflected off the cool, rippling surface of the waterhole. There was a single enormous red-rimmed eye, with a golden iris and three triangles adorning the appendage. The mouth was painted with broad red lines, giving it a downright creepy edge. He raised a hand to pull it off, his fingers just touching the wood when he remembered Halvard's warning.
Don't take it off, he reminded himself.
He quickly remembered Sheik, cursed himself for his negligence, and ran back to her. He pressed the waterskin, now full, against Sheik's lips. Her eyes fluttered open and she swallowed as he urged her to drink.
A minute later, she threw up the meagre few mouthfuls of water.
Link helped her on her side, waiting as Sheik finished being sick. She groaned, rolling onto her back and then going still, listless.
"What are we going to do?" Link asked Navi, noting that Sheik's skin was turning a nasty shade of grey. "She's dying, isn't she?"
Frustration welled up inside of him. She'd saved him on more than one occasion. He owed it to her to save her just this once.
Halvard crouched down beside them.
"She still has time," he said quietly. "The moment the horses have had their fill of water, we will move."
One look at Sheik's flushed face, Link wasn't sure he agreed that they had enough time. At Navi's suggestion, he doused her with water, soaking the cowl and bandages. At least in the wind, it would cool her a little, and they would be moving quickly. That was when he first noticed something glowing through the bandages on Sheik's left hand. Something golden and shaped oddly like a triangle.
"What is that?" It looked very familiar.
Navi peered over his shoulder to see what the matter was and then gasped. "That looks like..."
The symbol glowing through the wrappings on Sheik's hand looked identical to the Triforce, one piece burned brighter than the rest.
"Is that... That looks like the Triforce?" Link exclaimed.
Reluctantly, and carefully, he drew back the bandages on Sheik's hand, the scar on his hand itching as he did so. A faint moan escaped Sheik's lips but her hand didn't so much as twitch.
"It..." Navi's voice caught in her throat, as Link stared in shock. "It is part of the Triforce."
Now the wolf's words made sense, but that just left Link with more questions. How had it known Sheik bore the Triforce of Wisdom?
"What are you doing, boy?" Halvard broke off abruptly as he spotted the mark on Sheik's hand, shock plain on his face. "It can't be-"
"You didn't know?" Link asked.
"No," Halvard's voice was quiet, contemplative. "You had better hope Ganondorf doesn't know either. I thought Zelda was the one who bore the Triforce of Wisdom, and so far as anyone knows, she isn't in Hyrule."
"What happens if Sheik dies while she bears the Triforce of Wisdom?"
"I don't know. Rauru might have known but he was forced to flee the royal court. Unfortunate though it may be, such is the fate of a royal bastard."
"What do you mean?" Navi and Link asked in unison, before the latter added, "What's a bastard?"
He'd called Ganondorf one, but in truth, he hadn't fully understood the meaning behind the insult.
"Later," Both Halvard and Navi answered. Halvard sounded firm, but Link could still hear the surprise in Navi's voice.
He caught Navi's gaze and she shook her head. "Now isn't the time."
Still baffled by Navi's startled reaction to Halvard's words, Link just nodded.
"If we don't save Sheik," Halvard said, voice grim, "Things will get a lot worse."
That really doesn't make me feel better.
They quickly ran back to the horses, carrying Sheik and placing her gently back in the saddle.
Just hang on, Sheik, Link thought, urging Epona to move once again. She didn't like being forced away from the waterhole, but she complied after some gentle coaxing.
Sheik's short gasping breaths were making him worried. They didn't have long. Epona made the crest of the hill, and in the distance, Link could finally see a towering structure built amidst a rocky hill. Unlike the rock formations they had passed earlier, this one resembled a solid stone table. Navi called it a mesa. When they noted the wall that ringed the rocky mound, and the flags adorning the nearby road, they realized what they were looking at.
"That's it!" Navi yelled excitedly, "That's the Desert Colossus. The Great Fairy is somewhere there."
"Somewhere?" Link asked, wanting a better answer than that.
"Don't worry. One of the fairies in the fountain can summon her if she isn't home."
"I hope you're right," Link told Navi, he looked down at Sheik.
Her breathing was getting worse, making Link painfully aware of just how little time they had left.
Just hang in there, Sheik.