The Hylian duo.

"It's nothing. I'm just worried.." she mutters softly looking down but he was only wondering if she was. Link didn't say a word but looks to gently touching her cheek.

"Its not nothing if you are worried about it love." He said softly and lifted her face to look at him. His eyes were Ernest. All she had to do was tell him her worries and he would go to the ends of the earth to ease them. It was like he could read her mind. She didn't want him to be hurt trying to she hides her worries and fears. But here and now he was directly asking about her worries and that was something she couldn't hold back against. She looked into his kind caring eyes and debated with herself about telling him or not.

"....I'm worried about everything. The quest..the dangers we are enduring.....it's a lot for one to take." she mutters while Link looks to her worried.

"Is that so?" he asked.

"Yes. I know it sounds silly but I worry even so.."

"Its not silly. It's natural. And it's not bad." He said to her softly and kisses her cheek. That was uncalled for but she blushed all the same. "Its okay to worry because this isn't going to be easy. Just don't let the worry freeze you up. If you start to freeze up push everything out. Put everything g you are into what you need to do and you will be okay." He said and he held her closer. He knew she was depressed from losing her kingdom and the stress of taking it back. Not to mention the horrors that wait in the temples. Link didn't know hiw to explain it to himself but some how Gannon was attacking the magic of the kingdom trying to disrupt it and bring it under his control as much as the land was.

Their efforts had stopped the process and the next would begin to reverse it. The tide would turn in three favor. He explained this to her and she was amazed he would say so much. He had been silent for so long and now he was opening up about his own trauma. He was going through the same thing only from a different perspective and his silence was to give the impression of stoic dependability. He wanted her to be herself playful and happy open to exploring and doing as she pleases. Even to him. He remember e d the teasing long ago and missed it.

She didn't know be thought so deep but he did all the time it seemed and held it back to invite her in. He wanted to support her in her troubles. She thought about hiw he fought these creatures his whole life. She was used to the road by now and it was only going to he more challenging as she had to use her own power to cleanse the temple after the creature was destroyed by him. All this was spinning in her Lind as the fire burned low and he pit more wood on it and sat next to her again.

She looked at him and realized it was up to her to pick the next temple to take back her kingdom as it's ruler.

So for now, Link looks to her and hopes she will take that time to calm her mind and be ready to pick their next destination.

Zelda calmed herself and slowly began to think about her decision. The shadow temple was in the direction they came from and she had already decided to wait until it was one of the last. The water temple was beneath the lake and they had no means to get there at the moment as the lake was blocked off. The light temple was out of the question because it resided in the sacred realm and that door must remain sealed until the very last. And the spirit temple was enemy territory.

She began to think there were no options when she remembered a lake researcher who lived and worked outside the lake in the fields. She remembered he was working on a device to breathe under water. She made her decision to travel south west to his lab and hope he was finished and would let them use it.

"So south princess?" she heard Link ask to see her nod.

"Yes; we are traveling in this direction. I think we can find something to help us move on to the next temple. Lets hurry now or we might end up falling behind." She was looking ahead now walking or taking the lead. Link said nothing but he follows behind her while heading to the location of a Lake where a researcher lives.

They stay off the roads knowing they will be hounded by monsters if they did and he followed carrying their supplies. It would take a day and a half to get there and the fields were strangely the most peaceful part of hyrule even with everything going on.

For now, they were still moving along but keeping out of sight from the roads. It seems even being seen from that was dangerous. For now, the two just keeps on moving.

The lake was a serene and sparkling place. The water was so pure you could see all the way to the bottom and the water caught and reflected the sun in a dazzling display. The wind swept hills were covered in knee high grass that looked like waves in the wind. They reached the crest if the hill overlooking the lake territory and he turnd to see her bathed in the radiance of the sun. 

Blushing he looked away and followed her. The wind pushed her hair straight out behind her as she continued towards the researchers house. It was on the next hill and oddly shaped like a teakettle on stilts with a tall viewing platform. It was built on stilts in case of flooding which could happen if the delicate balance between the river and lake was upset. They saw the researcher on top of his viewing platform 

As they approach he slides down the ladder and jumps from the roof "it's about time you youngsters got here. The lake is not looking well at all. We need to talk inside." He said and Zelda giggles while link frowned. He was awfully spry for an old geezer. Following the two inside he sees a distillery and lab equipment.  

"We need to go to the lake temple and cleanse it." Zelda said looking around at the various tanks full of fish or medicines or poisons. The old man nodded and went to a large storage cabinet. Throwing the doors open they saw potions upon potions of every kind. 

"I'll make you what you need but you have to get me the materials. And I need your help. My granddaughter was taken by traitorous zoras diseased and infected with evil energy they decided to use her as a sacrifice to a dark god thinking it will save them. Save her bring me 2 scales of pure zora and I will make a token that will allow you to breathe underwater"

"Is that so? Oh my, but don't worry we will do what we can to help her and get what you need." She nods seeing the merchant nod, happy that they would help.

"Just be careful, those infected zoras are tricky but they will do what they can to get more and more trapped. Just be careful and keep your guard up. You never know what they could do. But given you both seem to have done this, I'm hoping you will be alright." he said.