Whumptober 2020: Day 27
The cold autumn winds hit them hard as they raged, shaking thick trees, making thin ones sway and creak. The rain beat down, harder with the wind, and unforgiving in its assault. There was nearly no visibility, which Link and Zelda found out the hard way as they kept coming face to face with tree bark before managing to redirect themselves.
There was no room to slow down, no way to take it slowly, no way to watch out for Zelda’s head, or her wounds.
Link wrapped his arm tighter around her when he felt her stumble, and he pulled her into a muddy hole that was as disgusting as it sounded. He leaned back into the slimy dirt, and it trickled down, coating his hair. But he held Zelda tightly against him, and she rested her bloody head on his chest.
“Don’t sleep,” he warned, knowing just how wretched a head wound could be to fight against. “We just want them to pass by us and then we can find a shelter.”
“I just want to close them for a minute.”
“No!” he hissed, shaking her. “Focus on the rain and the wind or something.”
The trees creaked louder, wood splitting from the strain of bending. She listened to that, trying to guess which direction was getting the worst of it. She wanted to move away from Link, away from his warmth. She didn’t want to be comfortable. She wanted the freezing cold to keep her alert.
Minutes passed in silence, only the sounds of the trees and the wind and the rain in their ears, but nothing from each other. She could feel Link shift so he could see her face to make sure she hadn’t drifted off.
“You feeling okay?” he asked finally, wiping some of the blood off her forehead, though it did little more than smear in the rain.
“Just dizzy. Head hurts.”
“Did he use his magic on you? Are you okay?”
Link breathed out a laugh, focusing on her blown pupils. It was dark, but not enough for that kind of reaction. Selfishly, he wondered if it was from her injury, or from him. He’d never particularly noticed if he’d had an affect on her before. He’d simply let it be.
