The Legend of Zelda: Mark of a Hero | Part 1 - Hyrule

Overworld Chapter 47 - Bladesong

...as night began to overtake them. Saddiqah's meditation didn't break until height of the evening. Even then, she didn't rise. She slid back off the center of the arena as she held out a hand to motion for Link to come join her. He shifted himself off the boulder he'd been waiting on to do just that.

Link dropped heavily to the ground before pulling his legs under him to match Saddiqah's position. "Can I ask what's going on?"

Saddiqah had her sword resting over her knees. The moon reflected against the polished edges as she studied them intently, like there was something hidden there in their flats to be interpreted. After a moment, she nodded. "A few questions, sure."

"What's the Bladesong?" Link asked, the question seeming most pertinent to the situation he was involved in now.

"The Dance of the Bladesong is a rite, a trial, to prove a warrior has the fortitude to ignite their blades," Saddiqah said, lifting one scimitar up so it caught the light of the torch in front of I'Tidal's house. The flamelight danced over it and for a moment Link could almost imagine the fire extending beyond the metal in front of him. Saddiqah lowered the sword, resting it back over her knee. "It is an incredibly difficult skill to master, and of high importance to the Gerudo, particularly here and in Rahaal. Normally, it would be performed with a student's teacher, but..."

"She won't," Link finished, glancing back over his shoulder. I'Tidal wasn't there, but he was confident she was still watching.

"Which leaves me with you," Saddiqah replied, some of her normal humor in it. "Unless by some miracle another one of her students shows up."

"Happy I can help," Link said, a small grin cracking over his face.

"I'm not sure you can, Sayre. The Bladesong is a duel bladed ceremony. You only have one sword," Saddiqah replied, pointing to the hilt behind his shoulder.

"What about your other one?" he asked, pointing to where her remaining shortsword hung at her side.

"This isn't worthy of the Dance," Saddiqah answered, quickly unhooking the sheath and throwing it out of the arena with contempt. She shook her head. "Our problem remains."

Link tapped his teeth together as he watched the sword land at the edge of the cliff, before tipping over the side, rattling as it fell down. "I guess so." The echoing still bouncing off the mountains, Link moved to his hip, pulling out the still smaller than a sword but sizeable drifemece blade. "How about this?"

Saddiqah paused for a moment, looking the blade over to assess it. "It'll do."

Moving to match Saddiqah, Link drew his sword and set it over his knees before resting the knife overtop as she had her blades interlaced. "What does the rite entail?"

"It is, as name suggests, a dance," Saddiqah explained. "Of which, I doubt I could teach you any time soon in full. So we're going to have to rely on you being a good fighter well enough to copy me."

"I can do that."

"That's what I'm counting on," Saddiqah said as a smile broke over her face for a moment. It faded shortly after, replaced again with a deep gravity for the challenge that couldn't be unseated. Link could tell by the look in her eyes, she was determined to rise to the occasion. From his experience with Saddiqah, he knew she could. Him on the other hand, well, there were some more logistics.

"Do I need to be able to light my sword on fire?" Link asked after a moment as the thought came to him.

"No, you don't. The Dance is symbolic of the trial of summoning the elements, of control over yourself even in combat. Your being there is meant to mirror me, to try me, but it does not need to be exact. No two warriors approach the Bladesong the same," Saddiqah intoned, something reverent in her voice he wasn't used to hearing. Then she turned to him, a deep honesty in her voice, "And it's so I'm not alone."