The Legend of Zelda- Ocarina of Time

Darkest Hour

Chapter 18

Darkest Hour

The rhythmic lapping of oars against water lulled Link into a half-dream. On either bank, the drone of insects mingled with the trill of birdsong, while the gentle breeze carried the scent of damp earth and wildflowers.

Link could almost imagine himself back among the green bowers of his home. His mind wandered through memories of mornings spent hunting with Brynn, training with Forenz, or playing with Saria, a peaceful bliss that seemed a world away.

On the fringes of his awareness, the Spiritual Stones hummed with a strangely comforting ethereal magic, almost imperceptible to the mind. It would have been enough to lull him off to sleep had Link's gnawing hunger not stirred him to wakefulness.

Pushing his cloak aside, stomach grumbling loudly enough to draw an amused smile from Navi, Link yawned and stretched.

"Sleep well?" Navi asked with a hint of mock exasperation. "It's nearly midday!" Link couldn't discern if she was amused or mildly irritated by his talent for napping. "Hungry?"

"A bit," Link admitted, but something else occurred to him as he scanned the trees. "Any sign of Kaepora Gaebora?" It seemed odd that Kaepora hadn't caught up to them by now. He had expected him to remain close to Zora's Domain unless he was busy relaying a message to Impa.

"Not a feather," Navi answered, likewise searching the trees.

"Do you think something's happened to him?" Link asked with a tremor of worry.

"Kaepora can take care of himself," Navi replied. "Let's focus on reaching Castletown, shall we?"

Link accepted this, though it didn't dispel his worries as they continued downstream. The initial thrill of the boat journey was beginning to fade, and Link wished he had brought a fishing rod or anything to stave off the boredom. His stomach rumbled again, so he helped himself to a Zoran biscuit. Although it tasted unpleasantly like brine, he knew better than to be fussy.

"How long until we get to Castletown?" he asked after a brief time, nibbling on another biscuit.

"Probably by nightfall," Navi said.

"That long?" Link groaned, feeling the first tendrils of restlessness coil in his gut.

"Patience, child," one of his Zora companions, Lutara, chuckled. "Merchants sailing to the Zora Isles in the east speak of days at sea, a far grander undertaking than our journey. Humans do not easily grasp the beauty of such an endeavour. The sea is only an obstacle to be conquered."

"Tell me about these Zora Isles," Link said, accepting the distraction. "Is it really just an endless plain of water?"

He recalled Malon and Navi showing him a map of the realms beyond Hyrule, introducing him to the concept of the ocean.

And so Lutara spun a tale of a faraway archipelago teeming with vibrant coral and fish of every colour. She spoke of white-sand beaches and water so clear it mirrored the sky above. Link would have listened for hours if his stomach hadn't continued its persistent rumble.

Ruto's provisions—salted fish and the same gritty black biscuit he'd been gnawing on—did little to sate his appetite. He offered the rest to Lutara and her companion, but they had already brought a small supply of crayfish, which they munched on, shells and all. They offered him some of their smaller crustaceans, which took him some time to eat as he picked apart their shells.

Full and sleepy, Link drifted back into a light doze, lulled by the boat's gentle rocking.

Link wasn't sure how long he slept, but he awoke with a start. The world around him was no longer a picture of calm tranquillity. The trees along the riverbank writhed in the grip of a violent gale, their branches whipping sideways. The once peaceful river now resembled a roiling cauldron, its surface heavy with fury.