A Tale of Two Princesses

Chapter 16 - Rito Village and Gerudo Town Appeal

Chapter 16 – Rito Village and Gerudo Town Appeal

Summary: The group finishes at Rito Village, then travels to Gerudo Town. Mipha has some fun there at Link's expense.

The next morning, Mipha was the first to awake. She felt fully rested and arose at once. It was not that she minded staying a bit longer in the comfortable Rito-down bed. It was that she had a craving for Hearty Salmon, and there had been only one left in the pond last night. Like the old expression, 'the first fish finds the frog,' she needed to get there before any Rito did. Link would know where to find her.

Zelda was the next to awaken and stretched her arms. Link was right. You awoke from these Rito-down beds feeling refreshed and full of vitality. She looked over at the other beds and could see Mipha had already left, but Link was still sound asleep. At first, she was going to wake him but then thought better of it. She could meet with the Rito Elder on her own. Let Link sleep.

Zelda got up, grabbed a quick breakfast, and left for the Elder's hut near the top of the village. Medli recognized Zelda from past visits, welcomed her, and they began discussing how the Rito could help.

When Link finally awoke, everyone else was gone. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, then hopped out of bed. He realized what must have happened. He had slept late again, and Mipha must have gone for some water time while Zelda met with Medli. He decided to look for Mipha.

He found Mipha by the pond just beyond the village entrance. She had finished her time in the water and eaten the remaining salmon as well.

"Just getting up, sweetheart?" said Mipha. "You slept well. Did you see Zelda?"

"No, but she's probably speaking with Medli," said Link.

"I sense Zelda is growing more confident, and more self-reliant," said Mipha. "That's good for her."

Yes," said Link. "But I'll remind her we're always ready to help."

Just then, Zelda herself arrived.

"We can go now," said Zelda.

"You're all done?" said Link.

"Yes," said Zelda. "Medli said the Rito could help with light transport, and mail service, but would primarily provide defense while we rebuild our army. The Rito will destroy any monsters they run into and patrol our roads, assuring travel is safe. It's a huge undertaking, but they're uniquely qualified for it. And it buys you some deserved time off Link before I'll need your help restoring our army."

"That's very encouraging, Zelda," said Link. "Then we should get going. It's a full day's journey to Gerudo Canyon Stable, and an early start would help."

Zelda looked at Mipha, and they both laughed.

"An early start says the one who slept in?" said Zelda. "But let's go."

They made their way back to the stable and re-joined the two Sheikah guards, then retrieved their horses and were on their way.

The journey to Gerudo Town followed the same path Mipha and Link had recently traveled. Zelda was in good spirits, feeling more confident as each race she met with gave her their support. She was already thinking about what steps to take next.

"Perhaps it makes the most sense to begin by asking architects to assess what needs to be done, which buildings must be torn down and which can be repaired," said Zelda. "The Gorons can then start on demolition, while the architects work up plans. We will need carpenters and a construction company. Hateno Village is known for having skilled carpenters since they do a good deal of their own construction. We can ask for volunteers from there. We'll also need shops, and I'm hoping the Gerudo will help with that. I'm beginning to see how this might work."