Inverted Triforce

Chapter 7

Ganon and Epona walked through the waters with some difficulty. Sometimes, Epona would step awkwardly on the rocks at the bottom, causing her to almost trip. Each time, Ganon would stand closely behind her, ready to catch her if she fell too far. Each time she made a mistake in her steps, she would make a grunting noise and do her best to avoid his touch. When he realized that it was his helping hand she was avoiding, he kept his distance.

They reached a point where they were able to sit down because the small river’s edges sunk down just enough, allowing them to sit comfortably on the edge. The more Ganon thought about, he figured that it would be more accurate to call it a wide creek. It was shallow, but it made up for the depth in its width.

Ganon looked around them cautiously. He was searching for a sign that Zelda may have passed through this area at one point. Staring at the water, it took him a moment to realize that the current had stopped. When they had started, it was strong and threatened to take Epona back to the carriage. “The current has stopped,” Ganon said with surprise.

“You’re right,” Epona replied nonchalantly. It didn’t seem to surprise her as much as it did him.

Looking up and down the river, he felt confused about how the current could stop. “Are you ready to keep going?” he asked, standing. Whether or not she was ready, he wanted to keep moving.

Epona shot him a glare and got up, walking closely behind him. With no current, it was easier for her to move and he didn’t feel the need to keep her in front. Slowly, the water level fell as they traveled, until it was at Epona’s knees. The small incline they were climbing earlier, changed dramatically into an uphill battle.

“Maybe we should walk on the edge, Ganon,” Epona panted. She was visibly flustered. Ganon and Epona were both hardy and strong; the exhaustion and weariness setting in was something they rarely felt. “I’m not sure how much longer my legs can take this, Ganon,” she complained, her breathing becoming more ragged.

Ganon stopped, putting his hands on his knees as he bent over, trying to recover from the burning sensation in his legs. He was at his limit as well. Panting, he looked further up the river, in the direction they were traveling. There was no end in sight. He wasn’t sure if the river would bring them where they needed to go any more. Taking a deep breath, he turned to look at Epona. He gave out a yell in surprise to see her removing her armor. Beneath her armor she wore thin clothing like him and Zelda; her underclothing was white and consisted of loosely fitting pants and a long sleeved shirt. Because of the sweat, her clothing was a sheer off-white color.

“Epona, could you put your armor back on?” he asked, turning away. He couldn’t blame her, but it angered him that she would suddenly stop to take off her armor; what if they were attacked? This would delay their traveling, he thought.

“I’m not sure how you’re not taking it off, but I can’t keep going. I need a break!”

“We just took one.”

“I’ll carry my armor then, but I can’t keep lifting it in the water. My legs are killing me! Why don’t you take off your legs pieces? Then, you’ll see just how much more comfortable it is!”

He grunted in response. She kept talking, but he tuned her out. His thoughts were focused on trying to get to the top of this hill.

After what felt like an eternity, Epona stopped talking and they reached the top. Both panting, they stared blankly ahead at the village before them. They stood at the top of a waterfall that was frozen in time. Looking back, he saw that each footstep Epona and him had made left a permanent ripple on the surface of the river. “Something’s wrong,” he mumbled. He wondered how he hadn’t noticed the change in the water