New Horizons - A Skyward Sword Aftermath Story

13 - Something in the Water

By the time morning came, it seemed that the fairies had hid in the shadows in order to take a rest. The beautiful flowers that decorated the clearing floor soaked in the warm sunlight, and the grass had been drizzled with an early morning dew.

Once the two were both up, they didn't really talk a lot, but the quietness between them didn't feel as tense or awkward as they had expected. Instead, they both could see that the other was shy, and in disbelief from what had happened. Every time Zelda looked at her friend, she was reminded of the night before. She remembered the way his soft lips connected with hers, and how wonderful he felt in her arms.

As they were getting ready for the day, they would occasionally make eye contact. Zelda couldn't help but shyly shift her eyes away from his, while trying to hide her blushing cheeks with her hair. Link would try to hide the stupid smile on his face.

The two settled for some small bird eggs for breakfast, packed their things, and started their journey. The atmosphere was still pretty quiet, but the sounds of crunching leaves and chirping birds was wonderful to listen to.

Every now and then, their hands gently brushed as they walked alongside each other. Zelda was ready to move her hand out of the way, when she suddenly felt the other gently take it. Slowly, Link intertwined his fingers with her's, and gave her hand a small squeeze. The girl glanced down in surprise, and back up at him. The boy's cheeks glowed as he gave her a warm smile; the latter shared the expression.

About an hour into their walk, they heard the sounds of gushing water. Intrigued, Zelda stepped in front, and fought through the cluster of branches to the bright light ahead of them. Outside of the woods, an enormous, rushing river trailed off as far as their eyes could see. The patch of grass they stood on led down to a small sand bank, which sat alongside the violent current. Zelda looked at her map, and then back at the crashing waves that were racing into the distance.
"This is perfect! The river travels in our desired direction. And, judging by the speed of that gushing water, we would cover a great distance in no time!"

Link, eyes widened, stared down at the vast body of water as it crashed against the razor sharp rocks on its banks.
"Are you joking? There's no way we're doing this!"
Zelda scoffed.
"Why not? It makes sense to use it to our advantage!"

The girl glanced over to an abundance of small trees that were growing beside the river. If they were going to travel on the water, then they were going to need to build a raft. She began hastily pacing over to the trees.

"Zelda! Where are you going?!" Link called out. He began chasing after her. "It's not a good idea! It's not safe!"
Zelda rolled her eyes at him. "Oh come on, Link! It can't be that bad! Look at all the dangerous things you've done in the past! I mean, you've even rafted on lava before! This is nothing in comparison!"
The boy sighed, and looked at her with a worried expression.
"Yes, but I didn't care if I got hurt! You're here now, and I have to consider YOUR safety."
His friend's playful expression faded, and she fell silent. He continued.
"Besides, I did what I did to save you, not because I thought it would be fun."

Zelda pouted. Logically, she knew he was right. It was too dangerous to go anywhere near that river. However, being the hard-headed person she is, she wasn't going to give in without a fight.

After an eternity of pleading, begging, pouting and the occasional flirting, she managed to break him down.
"Alright, fine!" Link frustratedly sighed. "We'll build the damn raft."
Zelda unwrapped her arms from around his shoulders, and quickly planted a kiss on his cheek. The irritated boy glared at her, but blushed furiously at her actions. He hated how she could charm her way through anything. He was like putty in her hands.

Chopping down some trees and gathering some vines, they built a small wooden raft. Link found a piece of rope at the bottom of his satchel, which they used to secure everything in place.
Zelda stood back and dusted her hands, admiring their creation.
"Hey, Link! We could use your sailcloth as the... 'sail'. Pretty fitting for the job, if you ask me."