A/N: I bet you'd all given up on this, huh? xD

Long story short, I started my first year of university this year, and the hours spent writing essays and lab reports and doing quizzes and exams does take a lot out of a person, sapping a lot of my energy and creativity (my art and sketching has suffered as well). My deepest apologies to all who have been waiting eagerly for this chapter, and I will say now that I will finish this story, no matter what (one chapter a month is what I'll be aiming for).

In the meantime however, I have consolidated a lot of the plot's story, and in turn, have had to make several alterations to previous chapters. I highly recommend at least checking out the author's notes in the early chapters so that everything makes sense as the story progresses.

Well, I won't keep you waiting any longer. Enjoy the chapter (it's about twice as long as I usually make them), and if you want to feel free to share your thoughts and send me some feedback via review! I always love hearing what you guys think, and your thoughts are always appreciated!

Chapter 10 – Healing

"Honestly Link, what were you thinking?"

The Hylian huffed at his companion's scolding, shifting his gaze to the other side of the room so that he would not have to meet hers, trying to convey without words his reluctance to indulge in the chosen topic.

Shaking her head slightly, Zelda continued to dab at her companion's newest addition to his wounds, ensuring that the tear in his flesh was cleansed and free of any filth before proceeding to cover it. She sighed, her eyes resting upon the wound for a few moments; the gash was by no means deep, but it was long, stretching from the centre of his back to the top of the Hylian's left shoulder.

"You do realise that those were our last bottles of blue potion that you used." Zelda said, allowing her annoyance to seep into her tone, "Goddesses Link, that stuff can kill you if you drink too much of it." Her blonde companion shot a quick glance in her direction, before averting his eyes from her once more.

"I am well aware of that, thank you." He uttered, a bitterness lacing his words.

A few moments of silence slipped by, the tension between the two manifesting into something that seemed almost tangible. Link knew that she was upset with him; he had allowed his suspicions to get the better of him, putting both his own life and that of another at risk. Despite this, a good portion of himself failed to consider his actions as 'wrong' in any sense of the word; distrust of the unknown had taken root deep within him during his exploits, and utilising such a cautious instinct had proven to get him out of trouble more often than it landed him in it.

In short, the Hylian had panicked at the sight of the purple creature, and unfortunately this had been one of those instances where being cautious had not served him well.

"… Did you find any sign of the sword while you were gone?"

Zelda sighed at the question, disappointment and guilt tainting her conscious. "No, I'm afraid not. All that we found was the bolt you'd been hit with… It'd been lost before we even got here anyway, so it's probably in the forest where we got ambushed still."

"Given that Ganondorf hasn't seized it," Link uttered, frustration welling within him. The Master Sword was the only weapon powerful enough to defeat the evil king, and without the sacred blade at their side the two stood little chance against him.

"The blade cannot be possessed by those who are not pure of heart, so he and his cronies wouldn't have been able to touch it, let alone steal it," Zelda replied, frowning slightly. "Besides, we can't do anything about it until we get back to Hyrule; our efforts would be better vested in achieving that than fretting over something we cannot do anything about right now."

Link only nodded in reply, praying that they would be able to return to Hyrule sooner rather than later. Who knows what havoc Ganondorf could wreck upon the land in our absence… All we've worked for would've been for nothing…

The sensation of Zelda's cold hands running down his back drew the Hylian from his thoughts, sending shivers down his spine. He felt them glide across the flesh that outlined his newest wound, sensing her gaze upon his back, searching for any dirt or grime that she may have missed. Feeling her hands move away, he waited for a few moments, listening idly as his companion began to rummage through their supplies. It was not long before the 'pop' of a cork stopper being removed reached his ears, allowing the sharp, familiar scent trapped within its container to fill the room. The blonde Hylian couldn't help but crinkle his nose in mild disgust as the scent reached his nostrils, his subconscious reminding him of the foul-tasting liquid from which the scent emanated.

Some sloshing was heard and the scent intensified, causing the Hylian to put his hand up to his nose in a subtle attempt to block out the stench.

Link felt annoyance seep into his expression as his companion's soft laughter reached his ears.

"Oh come now, Link. Red potion doesn't smell that bad." Zelda chortled, trying to lighten the mood, before deftly pressing a strip of potion-soaked fabric to her companion's wound.

The unexpectedness of the strip's appliance elicited a surprised yelp from the Hylian, who shivered violently as the coldness of the fabric began to chill his already freezing back, the red potion irritating his wound. Once again, his companion's laughter could be heard from behind him.

"I'm glad that my suffering amuses you so, princess," Link muttered through clenched teeth, doing his best to stop the chattering of his teeth from growing any louder.

"Well, seeing as how you're supposed to be some sort of battle-hardened warrior," Zelda began, smoothing the fabric into the hero's back so that it was a close to the injured flesh as possible, "One would imagine that it would take a little more than a splash of cold water to get you to make such an undignified noise. Also, I told you not to call me that; I'm not your superior by any means, and I wish to be treated as such."

Link huffed at her retort, trying to shut out the growing pain in the gash across his back as Zelda continued to press the strip into his back from his mind.

Another few moments of silence passed, the tension in the air relaxing considerably.

"Okay, how did the gash travel?" Zelda asked, summoning her magic and allowing it to gather within her fingertips as she spoke.

"Bottom to top," Link replied, motioning with his hand slightly. He thought for a moment, and at sensing Zelda's magic, he turned so that his eyes could meet hers.

"You're not going to seal it, are you?" he asked, a slight frown gracing his features.

The female Hylian gave him a look. "Is there a problem with that?"

The Hylian smiled "I appreciate the thought, Zelda, but save you magic. The bandages will be fine."

"Link, just let me do this; considering all that's happened, it's the least I can do."

Deciding not to argue with her, Link shifted into a more upright position, feeling Zelda smooth out any new creases in the cloth as he did so.

Although the concept behind it was fairly simple, sealing was by no means an easy feat, especially on a wound as large as the one that stretched across his back. It was a process by which one could use magic to speed up the healing process, closing any tears in the flesh as if someone was literally sealing the wound shut. Link could vaguely recall Zelda speaking of it in one of their few conversations, mentioning that potions possessing magical qualities could be used as a catalyst of sorts for the already tedious process.

"The red potion should make this all run a lot smoother, but I'll make this as quick as possible, I promise."

Taking a deep breath, Zelda brought her fingertips to the base of the wound and began tracing its contours along her companion's back, willing it to close. Link grunted slightly, trying to remain as still as possible as the uncomfortable sensation of his own flesh knitting itself back together slowly crawled up his back.

The two spent several minutes working to seal the wound, their handiwork marked by the pale line that stretched across the blonde's back.

Another scar to add to the collection.

"There, that ought to do the trick."

Spyro frowned as the herbalist moved away from him, examining the sticky ointment that he had smeared across the small of his back with a mix of distaste and intrigue. Thankfully, the blow from the ape's club had not broken or fractured anything, leaving only a dark, purple-red bruise in its wake.

"What is this stuff, anyway?" the dragon asked, shooting the cheetah a look as he spoke.

"Just an herbal ointment that I made up a while ago," Meadow replied, rummaging through his belongings, most likely in a search for some sort of obscure concoction or herb that would assist in the dragon's recovery. "It's got a lot of Comfrey in it, so it should at least help with the swelling."

Clutching a flask in his right hand, the cheetah moved to sit down in front of the dragon, a troubled expression gracing his features. He took a swig from the small bottle, taking a mouthful of its contents before setting it down next to him and running a paw over his head in an uneasy manner.

"… Anxious?" Spyro asked, settling himself down into a more relaxed position.

The herbalist laughed mirthlessly in response, "For the Hylian; I don't know for sure if he'll take well to the antidote."

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Spyro replied, trying to ease his friend's worries. "From what I've seen, he's not one to go down without a fight."

"Making antidotes for dragons and cheetahs is one thing, Spyro, but there is so much to take into account when it comes to making them for a species that one has no knowledge of." The cheetah looked up, his gaze meeting that of the dragon sitting across from him. "I just hope that my weariness hasn't allowed me to overlook anything."

"I don't think it would have," Spyro responded softly, a small smile gracing his features, "You're too good of an herbalist to let exhaustion get in the way of your work."

The cheetah laughed lightly at the dragon's remark, "You certainly place a lot of faith in my abilities, Spyro."

"It's faith well invested."

"There's no winning with you, is there?" Meadow mused, shaking his head lightly at the dragon's blatant refusal to allow the herbalist to wallow in his own doubt and anxiety, even for a few moments. However, there was no denying that the dragon's words of kindness had lifted the cheetah's spirits.

"So," the dragon began, shifting into a more comfortable position on the ice, "What was wrong with Link anyway?"

"Well," Meadow huffed, "Turns out that the crossbow bolt that Link had been hit with wa-"

"Wait, crossbow bolt?" The dragon broke in, confusion contorting his features.

Meadow watched for a moment as the creature floundered in his confusion, which had slowly made its way onto the herbalist's face. "The one he was hit with long before we even got here; weren't you listening to Zelda while she was explaining Link's symptoms to us? You know, shortly before we departed?"

"Ah, right," Spyro muttered, feigning his remembrance; while he did vaguely remember the mention of an arrow before sneaking off, he hadn't been paying enough attention to realise why it had been brought up.

The herbalist chuckled for a moment and continued, "The crossbow bolt that Link had been hit with was tipped; I managed to trace two separate plant toxins, but I haven't been able to identify one of them, although I'm pretty sure it was some kind of foreign, fast-acting sedative. I did, however, identify traces of fruit from the Bittersweet Nightshade plant, which would most likely be the cause of the nausea and throwing up, fever and restlessness… "

"So that's why you all had to leave," The dragon stated, managing to piece two and two together, "To go find the bolt."

"Exactly."

"…Do you have any idea how long it'll take him to recover?"

Meadow released a short sigh, "Well, if the antidote works it should only take a few more hours to neutralise it, seeing as he's already cleared a lot of it from his system… I'm not entirely sure how though…" The cheetah paused for a moment, taking some time to gather his thoughts before presenting the dragon with his valued judgement, "However, his existing wounds and extensive exhaustion will probably slow down his overall recovery, not to mention the mild hypothermia…"

"So, what, a few days then?" Spyro asked, his voice adopting a tone of concern.

"Give or take," the herbalist replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "If it were up to me I'd ensure that he'd have at least a week, but judging by what I've heard from Cyril and Hunter neither of our guests are even going to have much, let alone any time at all to recuperate; apparently we're departing for Warfang tomorrow."

The dragon sat in silence for a moment, somewhat torn by the news; part of him was excited to be leaving the fortress, and in turn ridding himself of the anxiety that had been looming over him since they had arrived, whilst another part of him felt a little wary about their sudden decision to leave, considering the Hermit's warnings and the whisperings Cyril had picked up on recently…

Regardless, they would soon be leaving the wretched wasteland that was Dante's Freezer and heading for Warfang, where Spyro might be able to get some answers…

The dragon tried to stifle a tired yawn as he sat on the snow, patiently waiting for the party to complete their preparations for the long fight to Warfang. Needless to say, the dragon's sleep had been a restless one, regularly disturbed by the ominous howls and moans that echoed across the icy wasteland when the sun was gone and shadows ruled the landscape.

The dragon shifted his gaze over to his companions idly, trying to get an idea of how the previous evening had treated them. He laughed softly as he took in each character's disposition, taking consolation in the fact that he had not been the only one lacking a decent night's sleep.

Well, with the exception of Cyril; his demeanour remained unchanged.

The sound of footsteps drew the dragon from his thoughts, and his gaze was soon met with that of Zelda's.

"We're almost ready to depart; I've just got to go fetch Link and then we'll head off." The Hylian said, not bothering to break her pace as she walked past the tired dragon and back into Cyril's icy abode.

Despite the creature being long gone, Spyro nodded in response. The purple dragon then made a move to stand, stretching and moving about as he did so, trying to get the blood moving through his veins once more. It would be a long flight ahead of them, and the last thing the dragon wanted was a cramp mid-flight; the last time that that had happened proved to be a rather terrifying experience, and the dragon had no intention of undergoing such an event again.

Some more time passed before the Hylians emerged from the cave, the pair discussing something in a hushed and hurried tone. The dragon couldn't quite make out what was being said, but he did notice Link constantly shooting nervous glances over in Cyril's direction…

"…It'll be fine, Link," Zelda assured, swivelling around so that she could look at her companion directly, placing her hands on his shoulders as she did so. "I'll be right behind you."

The boy gave an anxious nod, a small smile gracing his features at Zelda's gesture.

Seeming satisfied by his response the Hylian led her companion towards the large ice dragon, Spyro joining the two as they walked past. It took some time to get the injured Hylian up onto Cyril's back, and after a few arguments and pained curses on Link's part, the party finally took to the skies.

The dragon had to admit that it had been a bit of a struggle to get himself airborne and in motion, but it was definitely worth it; the sight of Dante's Freezer shirking off into the distance brought nothing but joy to the dragon's heart.

"This place is huge…"

Zelda couldn't help but feel awestruck at the magnificent view offered by the bedroom window; the city of Warfang sprawled out across the landscape, its contours marked by the colossal walls that encircled the city. Beyond those, the surrounding countryside could be seen; rolling hills and shadowy forest, with rivers carving their way through the landscape like a serpent through grass, while mountains pierced the skies along the horizon.

"It looks so much bigger than Hyrule," Zelda chuckled, turning her gaze back to the lavish room in which they'd been housed, before moving towards the bed that her blonde companion had leisurely sprawled himself out upon.

"I know," Link replied, sitting up so that he could properly face her. "And the city is so much bigger than Castle Town; I couldn't even begin to imagine what it would be like to live in a place with so many people…"

The princess chuckled lightly, flopping down next to her companion, who was looking a lot brighter than he previously had.

"So, how are you feeling?" Zelda asked, shifting so that she could face Link more directly.

The youth smiled a little and shrugged, "A lot better now thanks to Meadow, but that flight certainly took a lot out of me. I can't wait to take a nap or something, I'm exhausted…"

"You and me both, my friend, you and me both," The princess sighed, lowering her gaze to her lap. "To be honest though, you're the last person that I'd expect to be afraid of heights."

He reddened a little at the statement; he had once been comfortable in high places, but after almost being run off the edge of Death Mountain by a horde of tektites as a child, Link struggled to be at ease with the ground being so far below him. "I suppose everyone has their demons…"

"True, but not everybody has the gall to face them," Zelda said softly, placing a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "And if we're lucky, we won't have to do that again."

"Thanks Zelda, I hope you're-"

"Ah, there you two are!"

The two Hylians whipped their heads around at the sound of the shrill voice, startled by the sudden intrusion. At the doorway stood a small mole-like creature, struggling to maintain a proper hold on the assortment of colourful fabrics between its short arms. Zelda, taking pity on the creature, took an armful of its load and sat it down on the bed, much to the relief of the mole.

"Phew, thank you madam, I thought I was going to lose it all for a second there," The creature sighed, heaving the last of the clothes up onto the bed. "These all look to be in your size, so feel free to pick and choose as to what you wish to wear. The Council has requested your presence in the Great Hall at noon, and you're expected to look presentable," The mole continued, eyeing the torn and grimy states of the Hylians and their garbs with mild disgust. "I recommend you both wash up as well; the bath house is down the stairs, second corridor to your left, or if you'd prefer to bathe in private I can organise for someone to set something up here for you. Leave your usual clothes on the dresser and our launders and tailors will clean and repair your clothes respectively. If you have any more questions simply ask a staff member. Good day to you both."

With a curt bow, the creature scurried off, leaving the Hylians in their own company once more.

"… It feels odd being tended to like this," Link remarked, a slight frown crossing his features.

"It's almost like being back at Hyrule Castle for me," Zelda chuckled, beginning to sort through the clothes. "I won't lie though, it'll be nice to put on a fresh set of clothes and have a nice warm bath instead of washing in a freezing river or something… Say, what do you think of this?"

The princess held the royal blue dress up against her, gauging how well the garment would fit, admiring the delicate silver embroidery that lined its fitted sleeves, scoop neckline and knee-length hem. A matching sash of silver also hung loosely from its waist, giving the apparel a more slender appearance.

"I think it looks lovely," Link commented, admiring the handiwork and craftsmanship that had been applied so skilfully to the dress. "It'll look even nicer on you though," he added quietly, sending her a coy look.

The princess raised an eyebrow at the bashful comment, a smile tugging at her lips as she returned to the pile of clothes, searching for a pair of leggings or something similar to wear under her dress. While Zelda was flattered by her companion's remark, she had also been taken off guard by how smooth-spoken he was.

"Why thank you," Zelda replied, a sly look crossing her features, "Although, I wasn't aware that you were quite so silver-tongued, Link."

The Hero flushed a little, muttering something incoherent before hurriedly returning to the pile of clothes, searching for something to wear. He hadn't meant for that thought to escape his lips, and he prayed that he hadn't been out of place in saying what he had; he knew that Zelda wanted him to treat her as he would anyone else, but he still felt obliged to give her the respect that her title demanded.

Link continued to rifle through the mass of fabrics, struggling to put together an outfit that fitted and look respectable; the Hero had never worn anything other than the tunics that he'd gathered during his travels, and nor had he ever had to construct his own garb for such an important occasion, and his lack of experience left him at a loss.

"… Here, how about you head down to the bath house and clean up while I find something for you?" Zelda offered, seeing the frustration and confusion beginning to creep onto her companion's face.

"Sounds like a plan," Link replied, smiling at his companion in thanks before making his way to the door. "I'll do my best not to keep you waiting".

"Take you time," Zelda chortled, watching her companion disappear behind the door and down the corridor outside.

Sighing quietly to herself, the princess turned to the mass of clothing that had been strewn across the bed and began to rifle through the mess in search for something green for her companion to wear, knowing well that he held a fondness for the colour.

"Hmm, that went better than expected."

The two figures emerged from the shadowy mass, the sun's brilliant rays biting at their flesh and eyes, as if trying to drive the sinister pair back from whence they came.

"What do you mean, 'better than expected'?" The larger of the two growled, golden irises squinting harshly against the furious light.

"Well…" the second figure began, procuring what appeared to be a small glass orb from within the folds of his cloak, "It's been quite some time since I've had to forge my own portal to this world – about seven years in fact - and the lack of dark influence here makes it more difficult for me to penetrate the dimensional boundaries that keep it separate from yours; I suspect that your presence gave my powers the 'boost' they needed to craft and maintain the Corridor successfully."

"And if we'd been unsuccessful?" the first figure grumbled, eyeing the glass orb his companion held with disdain.

"Honestly Ganondorf, I couldn't tell you, even if I wanted to," the figure murmured icily, waving his free hand dismissively, causing the portal behind them to fade into nothingness. "I've never been there myself; some think it to be a purgatory of sorts, a limbo between the worlds. All of those who have had their Corridors collapse on them seem to have been wiped from existence, and quite frankly I'd be more content in risking my neck for influence than enduring that fate to satisfy your curiosity."

The evil king huffed at Tamaldran's remarks, growing tired of the being's spiteful attitude. Deciding to abandon the conversation, Ganondorf shifted his gaze to the magnificent scenery that surrounded them; mountains that reached for the heavens, rivers that sparkled and gleamed and expanses of green coloured the landscape, basking in the glorious light that reigned down from above. Shielding his eyes, the Gerudo looked up towards the intense sphere of light and warmth above them, a mix of awe and displacement crossing his mind; it had been years since he'd last seen the sun like this.

"… Excellent."

The calculated voice drew Ganondorf from his thoughts, turning his gaze back to his hooded companion. "That wretched thing made it here in once piece?"

"Indeed," Tamaldran said slyly, casting his gaze towards a particularly large mountain in the distance, its surfaced marred and blackened, as if scarred by some unholy flame. He also noted a few watch towers and buildings lining its peak, causing a cruel smile to form on his hidden face.

"Your destination lies within that mountain," the cloaked figure said, crushing the glass orb in his hand, causing a golden light to spill from between his fingers. The flesh on his hand smouldering, he cast the glowing mass into the air and released it, watching as it sped off towards the aforementioned peak. "If you make haste, the Hero will be there by twilight tomorrow."

"How can you be sure?" the Gerudo asked, skeptical of his companion's claims. "He has no knowledge of our presence here, nor does he have any incentive to climb those peaks."

"Fret not my friend, simply do as I have instructed and I can assure you that he will be there like a lamb led to slaughter," Tamaldran replied, his being fading into the surrounding shadows.

I'll make sure he gets the message…