Love in Zora's Domain

Chapter 25 - Gerudo Desert Trip - Part Four

Summary: Mipha, Link, Sidon, Raypha, Tidon, Rivan, and Gaddison reach the Gerudo Desert, but not without incident.

The early morning sky was beginning to brighten in Lurelin Village, and the nighttime torches still flickered in the offshore breeze, awaiting their turn to be extinguished. Many in the village, however, were already up and about. Most anglers had by now taken their boats to sea, eager to reach their favorite fishing spot by first light. For many years, fishing had been Lurelin Village's lifeblood, and it was not uncommon for one generation after another to carry on the family's livelihood.

But while fishing was undoubtedly still the primary occupation, it was not the only one. Now that roads were safe and travelers no longer felt menaced by monsters, some in the village realized there was profit to be made in tourism. The beautiful scenery, mild weather, pleasant beaches, and nearby attractions like Lover's Pond made the village a natural destination for vacationers such as honeymooners and singles hoping to meet that special someone. So some were now urging expansion of the village's tourism efforts, such as advertising, building private huts for rent along the beach, offering boat tours, and so on. And it seemed they were making steady progress in that area now.

Just east of the village, Mipha, and Link lay asleep on the beach. They had fallen asleep there last night to the restful sound of the wind and the waves rolling onto shore. Link awoke first to the feeling of something sharp against his foot. At first, Link thought it was Mipha playing footsie with him, for her nails were quite sharp. But when he glanced over at Mipha, she was still sound asleep. A quick look at his foot revealed an Ironshell Crab was busy exploring it.

"Argh!" Link exclaimed as he instinctively recoiled, pulling his leg back and awakening Mipha in the process.

"What's wrong?"

"A crab was at my foot," said Link as he watched it scurry away toward the safety of the water.

"Did it bite you? Are you hurt?"

"No, thankfully, I awoke before it did any harm," said Link. "But this reminds me that the same thing happened the last time we were here resting on the beach. How come these crabs never attack you?"

"Maybe they can instinctively distinguish between predator and prey, sweetheart," laughed Mipha as she caressed his cheek. "After all, if they bite me, I'll be happy to bite them back."

"Very funny," said Link. "Or maybe they recognize a family member?"

"Now, who's being funny, dearest? But I'll remember that wisecrack," said Mipha as she tickled him in the ribs, and they both laughed, then kissed.

"Mm," said Link after their kiss ended. "That was sweet. And last night was terrific, too. You were in such a lovely mood. "

"Not too crabby for you?"

"I can see I'm going to regret my ill-advised remark," laughed Link. "But we had better go as we promised everyone an early start for today's journey. I can eat breakfast on the boat."

"And I on the way," said Mipha.

They both rose from the beach, kissed once more, then held hands as they walked along the beach toward the village.

Meanwhile, Sidon, Raypha, Tidon, and the two Zora guards, Gaddison and Rivan, were waiting by the shore near the dock after having all eaten some fish for breakfast.

"Here they come," said Rivan as he pointed to Mipha and Link.

"Good morning, everyone," said Mipha. "Sidon, Raypha, and Tidon, you all look like you slept well."

"The pool and cascading waterfall were the most relaxing," said Sidon.

"And with enough room so that all of Tidon's nighttime fidgeting didn't disturb anyone," said Raypha, after which she and Tidon stuck out their tongues at each other and laughed.