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Description
Part 1 for the Hyrule Battle Tourney.

Text for the first part:

“Team Green will be assigned to the Lost Woods and Gale Meadow. You will be asked to collect Gale Seeds, a small, blue seed. It is hard to miss, they radiate a soft, white glow, so they cannot be mistaken for other plants. Gale flowers grow in the most harsh of conditions, and bear fruit. If all else fails us, we will have these fruits to feed our children and elderly.”

It took them two days to travel to Gale meadows, partly because it was second farthest from the Castle, but mostly because of the snow. It stretched the journey to more than four times what it ought to have been. In Hyrule field, it was waist deep, which made the going slow and the complaints numerous.

A wagon of supplies and passengers were pulled by two thick, muscle-bound oxen since mules were too short and not hardy enough to plow through the wall of snow. Kanoru chose to ride a mount rather than sit huddled among the tired and cabin-feverish contestants. She sat astride CrazyHorse, Leoni’s speckled gelding that he entrusted to her care while he traveled to and in Zora’s domain. They plunged through snow drifts, carefully picking their way over the deceptive hills with the other mounted tourney-goers, trying to secure the safest and shallowest route to Gale Meadows.

When they made it to the pass, Kanoru, Aji, Mika, Tel and Zyra said goodbye to half their group, who tore across the frozen beach to the South. They would be searching the West side of Gale Meadows while Kanoru and her comrades combed the East. The other ten in their group had left for Koriko Forest to seek sanction from the Great Deku Tree to search the small village and surrounding maze of woods.

They spent several weeks tiredly trudging through snow with nothing to show for their efforts. More than once they had to seek shelter in cliff caves from blizzards, or turn back to a town a day’s journey behind to wait out a storm. Sometimes they had no choice but to burrow behind a snow bank and huddle with the animals to keep warm.

“Do you think these seeds really do what they say they do?” Aji asked one night as they sat around a small fire at the mouth of a cave. Tel and Zyra stayed towards the back of the cave with the oxen and CrazyHorse to dispatch any Keese or rats that might decide to make a meal of their steeds. Mika sat next to her, and Kanoru was sure she was regretting her decision to come to keep an eye on her adopted daughter. Not that she’d ever regret being here with her daughter, but the winter blizzards had a way of bringing down everyone’s spirits.

“Probably,” Kanoru said, bringing her knees up to her chest. Their thick woolen coats kept out most of the cold, but it still crept in through the layers. “I don’t think they’d send us chasing after these things if they weren’t important, and considering what they did with the Fire Temple, we all knew it would be a lot harder than we expected.” The other two women nodded and huddled closer, leaving Kanoru to her thoughts. The taste of stale bread and hard, frozen cheese still left a pungent after-taste in her mouth. She couldn’t help missing the soft beds of the tournament quarters and the warm food served from the kitchens. Most of all she missed Leoni. She was sure he would brighten the dreary, monotonous days with bright conversation and though Kanoru was sure she’d resist taking part in anything he suggested, she knew he’d eventually convince her and they’d all end up having a much better time finding the blasted seeds.

She felt the warmth and sting of tears threatening, so she dropped her head onto her knees to discreetly wipe them away. The Gerudo had become increasingly emotional over the past few weeks, and every time she gave herself time to think about it, a convoluted hurricane of emotions and thoughts swept over her. She was pregnant, of all things that was certain. She’d conceived enough to know the signs. She also knew who the father was. That wasn’t the problem, at least, not as much as wondering how he would react was, as well as the torture of keeping it a secret from her teammates. She’d already decided she would withdraw from the tournament once they got back. There was no reason to hamper them with her condition or the knowledge of it. What would happen after her withdrawal is what bothered her most. If Leoni was less than welcome to the idea of a child, she would return to Kakariko and go back to her life with her mother-in-law and raise her daughter alone, but…

Kanoru didn’t bother to try to stop the small fantasies of raising a family with Leoni, they usually crushed themselves. Every time she imagined telling him about it, his face was replaced with Beiron’s and she felt the same happiness she always did when his look of utter disbelief would work a crooked smile on his face and then… her fantasy would turn to nightmare and the same thing would repeat itself. Something would happen. She would lose the child. She’d fall down the stairs. It would be stillborn. And his crestfallen, disappointed look would cloud the whole house. He’d leave for weeks, not telling her where he’d gone, and come back like nothing had happened. Even though he’d be back, it would be emptier than when he was gone, and she’d feel more secluded, more alone.

Kanoru woke with a start, Tel’s gloved hand gently shaking her shoulder. The winter cold had worked its way to her bones.

“It’s your watch,” he whispered as he relit the fire and tried to stoke it since the wind had died down outside.

“Right.” The red-head got up and stretched, trying to warm her frozen fingers by flexing them to get the blood moving. She moved to the back of the cave where Zyra stood with the oxen and CrazyHorse. “I’m here to relieve you,” she said, tapping the bleary-eyed girl’s arm.

“Thanks,” she mumbled and made her way to the front. Though it was farther from the fire, it was warmer with the animals’ large bodies. The slight warmth made up for the smell.

“Good evening,” she murmured to the horse, rubbing his neck. “What do you think? I’ve already told you about the baby. What do you think Leoni will say?” The gelding gave no response to indicate he heard her. She smiled and rubbed his forelock.

In the town of Chinook, five weeks after arriving at Gale Meadows, Kanoru was walking CrazyHorse around the streets to warm him up before they set out. At least, that’s what she told her teammates. She stole away for a moment to see a midwife and make sure everything was okay. Thankfully, her layers kept the others from noticing that she was starting to show. Much longer in Gale Meadows though, and she’d have to excuse herself and leave without a formal withdrawal.

As they passed by a shivering potions master setting up his wares for the day, a weathered hand stretched out from the shadows and caught hold of Kanoru’s ankle. Her first instinct was to kick away the hand when she saw the old hag’s sagging face and wild eyes, but her words froze the ex-thief in the saddle.

“Seeds,” she wheezed, yellow and brown spittle flying from her mouth, her free hand weaving erratically through the air. “You seek the seeds.”

Kanoru couldn’t speak, glued to her seat and unable to so much as blink as the oracle continued, her heavy robes swaying, dancing almost methodically as she continued to waver her arms and speak.

“If you seek the seeds, then turn north less than an hour’s journey by horse and oxen. Inside a protective throng of Deku Baba lives a field of the seeds. Be careful of the red vapor. One of you will not survive it. You… you will be able to see through the trick when the illusion appears. It’s okay to respect the dead and immortal. A little fear is good sometimes.”

The woman stretched out her hand and rubbed CrazyHorse’s nose, who oddly did not seem to mind the woman’s presence at all. Now that her attention was not holding Kanoru captive, she noticed the crone, though old and wild, had young, vivid bright green eyes and smelled of warm, damp earth.

“Your friend will be your most important asset to secure your return. Listen to what he says,” she breathed, letting go of Kanoru’s boot, as if releasing whatever spell she’d thrown on her.

“Who-” Kanoru began, but a sudden wind struck up, throwing dirt into her eyes. When she’d rubbed and blinked the debris away, the woman was gone. The street was empty, save the potions master and other ware-sellers setting up their displays. The Gerudo twisted in the saddle to look around, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. As they continued their way back to the inn where their group was staying, the woman reflected on what the oracle said. There was a whole field of these seeds, apparently inside a nest of Deku Baba. Kanoru furrowed her brow as she thought about that part. Deku Baba hibernated in the winter like all perennial plants. She supposed that it meant the seeds could only be reached in the winter while the carnivorous plants slept, which would make finding the nest difficult. The rest of the words didn’t make much sense to her, other than the foreboding words that one of them would not be returning alive. She carefully reviewed all the old woman’s words, full well knowing what could happen when the warnings of future-seers were dismissed. She winced a bit, remembering a particular blunder on her account that resulted in a huge embarrassment to herself and some of her guildmates that could have easily been avoided if she’d listened to a seer. Though, she’d never had one disappear so suddenly or offer advice without asking for payment. The Gerudo had a sneaking suspicion the woman was layered in heavy magic.

At the rendezvous, Kanoru related the incident to the others. They agreed it was worth checking out, especially since they had no other tips to go on, and they set out North, deciding to leave Mika and Zyra with the supplies when they came to the nest.

Within the hour, they noticed the going was easier. Snow covered the ground less and less until only a light frost dusted the tall stalks of grass. When Kanoru and CrazyHorse came across the first Deku Baba, it sprang out of the grass so suddenly Kanoru was unseated when the gelding reared. The horse soundly thrashed the plant which withered away into the ground in a spray of red mist. He immediately bounded away from it and back to the cart.

Kanoru stood and dusted herself off, she was winded and her hip was sore from where she landed, but otherwise unhurt. Unsheathing her scimitars, she cautiously stepped forward and tested the ground. Plants sprouted from all sides, gnashing their “mouths” and spitting foul-smelling juices from their shell lips. They were unlike any other Deku Baba she’d ever encountered, large and strangely colored. She slew five in sprays of red before returning to the cart. The vapors clung to her skin and clothes, stinging slightly in a way that unsettled her.

“The nest,” Tel affirmed from his seat on the cart. Tel, Aji and Kanoru shouldered small packs and headed back into the fray.

“I think this is the red vapors,” Aji commented and she jumped back from a red spray of mist. They avoided it as best as they could, but with all that hung in the air like a foul-tasting ash, even Mika and Zyra who sat at a distance felt the sting. The fight to the center was long only because of the number of Deku Baba they had to kill to clear a wide path. Inside the ring of plants it was much warmer and strong gusts of scented heat emanated from the boulders. As they walked closer, Kanoru noticed the gelding prancing along an invisible perimeter, whinnying and snorting. He tossed his head and pawed the ground, refusing to get any closer. Kanoru had never seen him be so clear in his communication, she motioned for the others to stop.

“What is it?” Aji asked, eyes darting about as if she expected another enemy to appear.

“I think we should wait,” the Gerudo cautioned, but even as she said the words, she could feel her anxiety and adrenaline ebbing away.

“I agree,” Tel said hesitatingly, as if he really wanted to keep going towards the boulders nestled at the center of the waves of heat. Why are we so worried? Kanoru thought, it was only a few rocks.

“Let me just get CrazyHorse. He seems nervous,” she said and walked back to the animal. “C’mon you.” She took his reins and began walking back to the other two. The speckled gray tossed his head again and backed up. The colder air slowly cleared Kanoru’s senses, as if her mind has been smothered by a thick quilt. The hair of the back of her neck raised up and her adrenaline came rushing back as she realized what happened.

“Tel! Aji!” she called, but when she turned, the two had disappeared. Her own swords lay discarded in the grass with Aji’s spear where they’d been standing. How did that happen? Kanoru turned back to CrazyHorse and patted his neck. “Thanks,” she whispered before pulling off her winter layers and stuffing them into saddle bags. She shivered, but it helped her think. She took out half her supplies, leaving herself a handful of potions, her quiver and bow, a lantern, and wax that she wadded and stuffed into her nostrils. Wasting no time, the ex-thief ran for the boulders, scooping up her scimitars on the way. Between the hulking gray rocks lay an opening that led into the earth. She didn’t hesitate as she jumped down, screaming her companions’ names.

To Part 2: [link]

Description
Part 1 for the Hyrule Battle Tourney.

Text for the first part:

“Team Green will be assigned to the Lost Woods and Gale Meadow. You will be asked to collect Gale Seeds, a small, blue seed. It is hard to miss, they radiate a soft, white glow, so they cannot be mistaken for other plants. Gale flowers grow in the most harsh of conditions, and bear fruit. If all else fails us, we will have these fruits to feed our children and elderly.”

It took them two days to travel to Gale meadows, partly because it was second farthest from the Castle, but mostly because of the snow. It stretched the journey to more than four times what it ought to have been. In Hyrule field, it was waist deep, which made the going slow and the complaints numerous.

A wagon of supplies and passengers were pulled by two thick, muscle-bound oxen since mules were too short and not hardy enough to plow through the wall of snow. Kanoru chose to ride a mount rather than sit huddled among the tired and cabin-feverish contestants. She sat astride CrazyHorse, Leoni’s speckled gelding that he entrusted to her care while he traveled to and in Zora’s domain. They plunged through snow drifts, carefully picking their way over the deceptive hills with the other mounted tourney-goers, trying to secure the safest and shallowest route to Gale Meadows.

When they made it to the pass, Kanoru, Aji, Mika, Tel and Zyra said goodbye to half their group, who tore across the frozen beach to the South. They would be searching the West side of Gale Meadows while Kanoru and her comrades combed the East. The other ten in their group had left for Koriko Forest to seek sanction from the Great Deku Tree to search the small village and surrounding maze of woods.

They spent several weeks tiredly trudging through snow with nothing to show for their efforts. More than once they had to seek shelter in cliff caves from blizzards, or turn back to a town a day’s journey behind to wait out a storm. Sometimes they had no choice but to burrow behind a snow bank and huddle with the animals to keep warm.

“Do you think these seeds really do what they say they do?” Aji asked one night as they sat around a small fire at the mouth of a cave. Tel and Zyra stayed towards the back of the cave with the oxen and CrazyHorse to dispatch any Keese or rats that might decide to make a meal of their steeds. Mika sat next to her, and Kanoru was sure she was regretting her decision to come to keep an eye on her adopted daughter. Not that she’d ever regret being here with her daughter, but the winter blizzards had a way of bringing down everyone’s spirits.

“Probably,” Kanoru said, bringing her knees up to her chest. Their thick woolen coats kept out most of the cold, but it still crept in through the layers. “I don’t think they’d send us chasing after these things if they weren’t important, and considering what they did with the Fire Temple, we all knew it would be a lot harder than we expected.” The other two women nodded and huddled closer, leaving Kanoru to her thoughts. The taste of stale bread and hard, frozen cheese still left a pungent after-taste in her mouth. She couldn’t help missing the soft beds of the tournament quarters and the warm food served from the kitchens. Most of all she missed Leoni. She was sure he would brighten the dreary, monotonous days with bright conversation and though Kanoru was sure she’d resist taking part in anything he suggested, she knew he’d eventually convince her and they’d all end up having a much better time finding the blasted seeds.

She felt the warmth and sting of tears threatening, so she dropped her head onto her knees to discreetly wipe them away. The Gerudo had become increasingly emotional over the past few weeks, and every time she gave herself time to think about it, a convoluted hurricane of emotions and thoughts swept over her. She was pregnant, of all things that was certain. She’d conceived enough to know the signs. She also knew who the father was. That wasn’t the problem, at least, not as much as wondering how he would react was, as well as the torture of keeping it a secret from her teammates. She’d already decided she would withdraw from the tournament once they got back. There was no reason to hamper them with her condition or the knowledge of it. What would happen after her withdrawal is what bothered her most. If Leoni was less than welcome to the idea of a child, she would return to Kakariko and go back to her life with her mother-in-law and raise her daughter alone, but…

Kanoru didn’t bother to try to stop the small fantasies of raising a family with Leoni, they usually crushed themselves. Every time she imagined telling him about it, his face was replaced with Beiron’s and she felt the same happiness she always did when his look of utter disbelief would work a crooked smile on his face and then… her fantasy would turn to nightmare and the same thing would repeat itself. Something would happen. She would lose the child. She’d fall down the stairs. It would be stillborn. And his crestfallen, disappointed look would cloud the whole house. He’d leave for weeks, not telling her where he’d gone, and come back like nothing had happened. Even though he’d be back, it would be emptier than when he was gone, and she’d feel more secluded, more alone.

Kanoru woke with a start, Tel’s gloved hand gently shaking her shoulder. The winter cold had worked its way to her bones.

“It’s your watch,” he whispered as he relit the fire and tried to stoke it since the wind had died down outside.

“Right.” The red-head got up and stretched, trying to warm her frozen fingers by flexing them to get the blood moving. She moved to the back of the cave where Zyra stood with the oxen and CrazyHorse. “I’m here to relieve you,” she said, tapping the bleary-eyed girl’s arm.

“Thanks,” she mumbled and made her way to the front. Though it was farther from the fire, it was warmer with the animals’ large bodies. The slight warmth made up for the smell.

“Good evening,” she murmured to the horse, rubbing his neck. “What do you think? I’ve already told you about the baby. What do you think Leoni will say?” The gelding gave no response to indicate he heard her. She smiled and rubbed his forelock.

In the town of Chinook, five weeks after arriving at Gale Meadows, Kanoru was walking CrazyHorse around the streets to warm him up before they set out. At least, that’s what she told her teammates. She stole away for a moment to see a midwife and make sure everything was okay. Thankfully, her layers kept the others from noticing that she was starting to show. Much longer in Gale Meadows though, and she’d have to excuse herself and leave without a formal withdrawal.

As they passed by a shivering potions master setting up his wares for the day, a weathered hand stretched out from the shadows and caught hold of Kanoru’s ankle. Her first instinct was to kick away the hand when she saw the old hag’s sagging face and wild eyes, but her words froze the ex-thief in the saddle.

“Seeds,” she wheezed, yellow and brown spittle flying from her mouth, her free hand weaving erratically through the air. “You seek the seeds.”

Kanoru couldn’t speak, glued to her seat and unable to so much as blink as the oracle continued, her heavy robes swaying, dancing almost methodically as she continued to waver her arms and speak.

“If you seek the seeds, then turn north less than an hour’s journey by horse and oxen. Inside a protective throng of Deku Baba lives a field of the seeds. Be careful of the red vapor. One of you will not survive it. You… you will be able to see through the trick when the illusion appears. It’s okay to respect the dead and immortal. A little fear is good sometimes.”

The woman stretched out her hand and rubbed CrazyHorse’s nose, who oddly did not seem to mind the woman’s presence at all. Now that her attention was not holding Kanoru captive, she noticed the crone, though old and wild, had young, vivid bright green eyes and smelled of warm, damp earth.

“Your friend will be your most important asset to secure your return. Listen to what he says,” she breathed, letting go of Kanoru’s boot, as if releasing whatever spell she’d thrown on her.

“Who-” Kanoru began, but a sudden wind struck up, throwing dirt into her eyes. When she’d rubbed and blinked the debris away, the woman was gone. The street was empty, save the potions master and other ware-sellers setting up their displays. The Gerudo twisted in the saddle to look around, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. As they continued their way back to the inn where their group was staying, the woman reflected on what the oracle said. There was a whole field of these seeds, apparently inside a nest of Deku Baba. Kanoru furrowed her brow as she thought about that part. Deku Baba hibernated in the winter like all perennial plants. She supposed that it meant the seeds could only be reached in the winter while the carnivorous plants slept, which would make finding the nest difficult. The rest of the words didn’t make much sense to her, other than the foreboding words that one of them would not be returning alive. She carefully reviewed all the old woman’s words, full well knowing what could happen when the warnings of future-seers were dismissed. She winced a bit, remembering a particular blunder on her account that resulted in a huge embarrassment to herself and some of her guildmates that could have easily been avoided if she’d listened to a seer. Though, she’d never had one disappear so suddenly or offer advice without asking for payment. The Gerudo had a sneaking suspicion the woman was layered in heavy magic.

At the rendezvous, Kanoru related the incident to the others. They agreed it was worth checking out, especially since they had no other tips to go on, and they set out North, deciding to leave Mika and Zyra with the supplies when they came to the nest.

Within the hour, they noticed the going was easier. Snow covered the ground less and less until only a light frost dusted the tall stalks of grass. When Kanoru and CrazyHorse came across the first Deku Baba, it sprang out of the grass so suddenly Kanoru was unseated when the gelding reared. The horse soundly thrashed the plant which withered away into the ground in a spray of red mist. He immediately bounded away from it and back to the cart.

Kanoru stood and dusted herself off, she was winded and her hip was sore from where she landed, but otherwise unhurt. Unsheathing her scimitars, she cautiously stepped forward and tested the ground. Plants sprouted from all sides, gnashing their “mouths” and spitting foul-smelling juices from their shell lips. They were unlike any other Deku Baba she’d ever encountered, large and strangely colored. She slew five in sprays of red before returning to the cart. The vapors clung to her skin and clothes, stinging slightly in a way that unsettled her.

“The nest,” Tel affirmed from his seat on the cart. Tel, Aji and Kanoru shouldered small packs and headed back into the fray.

“I think this is the red vapors,” Aji commented and she jumped back from a red spray of mist. They avoided it as best as they could, but with all that hung in the air like a foul-tasting ash, even Mika and Zyra who sat at a distance felt the sting. The fight to the center was long only because of the number of Deku Baba they had to kill to clear a wide path. Inside the ring of plants it was much warmer and strong gusts of scented heat emanated from the boulders. As they walked closer, Kanoru noticed the gelding prancing along an invisible perimeter, whinnying and snorting. He tossed his head and pawed the ground, refusing to get any closer. Kanoru had never seen him be so clear in his communication, she motioned for the others to stop.

“What is it?” Aji asked, eyes darting about as if she expected another enemy to appear.

“I think we should wait,” the Gerudo cautioned, but even as she said the words, she could feel her anxiety and adrenaline ebbing away.

“I agree,” Tel said hesitatingly, as if he really wanted to keep going towards the boulders nestled at the center of the waves of heat. Why are we so worried? Kanoru thought, it was only a few rocks.

“Let me just get CrazyHorse. He seems nervous,” she said and walked back to the animal. “C’mon you.” She took his reins and began walking back to the other two. The speckled gray tossed his head again and backed up. The colder air slowly cleared Kanoru’s senses, as if her mind has been smothered by a thick quilt. The hair of the back of her neck raised up and her adrenaline came rushing back as she realized what happened.

“Tel! Aji!” she called, but when she turned, the two had disappeared. Her own swords lay discarded in the grass with Aji’s spear where they’d been standing. How did that happen? Kanoru turned back to CrazyHorse and patted his neck. “Thanks,” she whispered before pulling off her winter layers and stuffing them into saddle bags. She shivered, but it helped her think. She took out half her supplies, leaving herself a handful of potions, her quiver and bow, a lantern, and wax that she wadded and stuffed into her nostrils. Wasting no time, the ex-thief ran for the boulders, scooping up her scimitars on the way. Between the hulking gray rocks lay an opening that led into the earth. She didn’t hesitate as she jumped down, screaming her companions’ names.

To Part 2: [link]