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Description
Masked Memories

Written by Nitrinoxus and Throne Zwei
Edited and Formatted by Nitrinoxus

Chapter 4

The first thing the Zora became aware of was that his head was being jostled around, and of the sound of wheels and hooves on a road. The piscine youth opened his eyes with a confused grunt. He... remembered being in the mountains and some kind of... creature. Had it all been a dream? And why couldn't he remember anything about himself? He knew he was a Zora... and little else. His hands flew to his head as a confused grunt escaped his lips - why couldn't he remember anything? It was then that he spotted the rocky youth he was sharing the wagon with. Hesitantly, he cleared his throat. "Uh... hello? Can we talk?"

The living lump of stone stirred, blue eyes blinking open as he came to; he sat up slowly, rubbing his stony head as he did so. "...Yes, of course..." he rumbled quietly, almost unsure of his words from their inflections. "Oog... my head... it aches..."

"You too, huh? I can't even remember who I am... even my name's gone... had the weirdest dream, too..."

"I am not sure if it was a dream," the Goron replied. "It felt so... real..." He rubbed his stone-studded neck. "But I remember so little of it, so perhaps it was a dream... Ugh, it is hard not knowing which..."

The Zora nodded slowly, trying to remember anything that could tip the balance one way or the other, as far as if it had been a dream. But wait... the Goron had had it too? "Wait... you... remember it too? Some kind of... creature, right?"

"What it was, I cannot say," the Goron said. "I remember its unblinking eyes, its vicious grin... but little else. I apologize."

"You don't need to apologize... but it can't have been a dream if two... strangers had it... at least I don't remember you... or why I even am in this wagon to begin with..."

The Goron winced. "You... do not remember me?"

The Zora shook his head again, looking distressed. "No... it sounds like I should... but I cannot remember who you are."

The Goron looked down. "It is strange... I feel as though I know you, Zora, but I do not remember how I know you... I remember only that I do, and that you had a six-letter name, but..." He groaned, thumping a thick hand against his head. "Rrgh! Why are there so many holes in my memory?"

"Six letters... why can't I remember even my own name? Gah... call me..." The aquatic humanoid looked around and down at his body. He seemed to have greyish-silver scales. "...Silver. It's... going to need to do."

The Goron looked up and nodded. "Gardus. I may not remember much, but that I remember to be my name."

Silver nodded and gave a weak smile. Somehow, he felt as if he could trust Gardus. "Then it is a pleasure... Gardus. At least one of us recalls who they are."

Gardus nodded. He started to say something, but stopped when he noticed the wagon slowing to a halt. "Hey!" he called up to the front, the loud call drawing the wagon driver's gaze. "Why have we stopped, little human?"

"The horses need food," the man called back, hopping out of the wagon and strolling to the back to meet the two passengers. "And since you're awake, I'd appreciate it if you got off my wagon."

As the Goron loudly landed on the dirt of the field in which they'd stopped, the man continued. "When I came out to load the wagon this morning, you and the Zora were out cold in the back," he said, cutting off Gardus' angry retort. "I couldn't wake you two or move you myself, so I just filled the wagon around you two and headed out anyway."

"Th... thank you for not just kicking us out..." Silver hopped out next, a slight, hesitant grin on his face. At least the human hadn't waited until they woke up back... wherever they'd been.

Gardus rubbed his head. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten on the wagon in the first place... "I am sorry, little human. We do not know where we should go, and my friend here has lost his memory..."

"Then take him up north to Zora's Domain!" the man said, waving a hand towards the immense stone bridge not far from them. "I'm sure somebody there'll recognize him!"

Silver nodded numbly and started walking off towards the bridge - would anyone know him there? Surely his own kind would be able to help, wouldn't they? He stopped and looked back at Gardus - somehow he knew they needed to stick together.

The Goron treaded heavily behind, a smile on his stony face as he saw Silver looking back at him. "Do not worry about me, Silver," he said. "Go on ahead, I will catch up!"

The Zora's face widened into a grin as he dashed off, his energy fueled by hope and anticipation. He wanted to see his own kind - see their faces if... when... they told him who he was. They just had to know.

As the Zora teen dashed off across the bridge, Gardus took a moment to admire the stonework and masonry upon which he stood. As a Goron, he had a certain appreciation for rock and stone, and could tell at a glance that the Bridge of Eldin's architecture was far past its peak of flavor; still, there was something to be admired in the artistry and ingenuity of the human-made bridge, at how its stone bricks and tall towers had remained where they stood for so long. It truly was something to be admired...

After a while, the Goron glanced across the bridge. Silver had already disappeared from sight, but this didn't bother the stony teen; he reflexively rolled into a rocky ball and spun his way across the stones and onto the dirt path beyond the bridge, tumbling after his friend. Left and right and up and down he rolled, past ledges and over gaps and under the natural stone arches that lined the path until, with a thud, he uncurled and stopped right next to Silver.

The mouth of the winding path opened onto a sprawling tree-lined field, studded with mounds of stone and pierced by tall trees ringed by grass; a glimmering swath of blue bisected the expanse of brown and green, a gently flowing river that ran down the slope towards the gleaming white ramparts and blue-tiled towers of the regal Hyrule Castle.

Silver gawked in amazement at the scenery as he passed by it - human ingenuity was something to be admired, but so was the beauty of nature itself. But he just kept running towards the Zora's Domain. He could see that Gardus was following behind him, so he didn't need to worry about leaving him behind. But the idea of being able to find out who he was... what he'd done in the past, just anything was all he could think of. "Finally... finally!"

Before long, the two had walked and rolled to the north side of the field, which linked to Zora's Domain via a single tunnel gouged into the stone. As they passed through the passage, the sounds of running water echoed off the stone, growing louder and closer until, at last, they beheld the Domain.

Just past the carved pillars of the overlook on which they stood, a torrent of water gleamed in the sunlight as it cascaded down from atop the rocks; more such cascades dotted the mossy rocks around them, their tumbling waters throwing a rainbow-filled mist into the air. Across the way, a waterfall greater in both size and impressiveness plunged down from the mouth of a cavern, its waters falling into a vast, glimmering pool below... and arrayed around the pool, their scales glinting in the midmorning light as they swam through the pool and basked on the shore, were more Zoras.

He grinned as he spotted more Zora - his brethren. Perhaps even his family and friends were there! Did he even have any siblings? "Hello there!"

One of the Zoras down below looked up at his call, the water glistening as it dripped down her scales. She waved. "Hello! Come on down!"

Silver grinned as what seemed like long-hidden instincts seemed to awaken, as the piscine teen took a jump off the cliff and dove into the water.

As the youth splashed down into the pool, his downward momentum carrying him beneath the water's pristine surface, the Zora who had waved him down swam up. She looked to be roughly Silver's age, and wore a chain of coral beads round her neck. She smiled warmly as he looked her way. "Hi! Welcome back! Boy, you got back here fast!"

Silver's smile seemed to grow when the female Zora seemed to recognize him. Finally, he'd have some answers! "You remember who I am?"

"Well, sure! You were here just this morning!"

"I... couldn't have been here. I was on a wagon until recently..."

The girl started, then stopped, swimming closer and examining Silver more carefully. "...No, never mind," she said, drifting back with an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry, I thought you were somebody else for a second. I'm Siara."

"Oh... it's nice to meet you, Siara. I'm Silver... kinda dealing with some amnesia, and I was hoping that someone here would know who I was. Silver's not even my real name..." The Zora looked crestfallen as he swam in place, but forced a slight grin onto his face.

Siara's look turned sad. "Oh... I'm sorry about that, Silver... But the Zora who was here this morning, the one I mistook you for? Stunning resemblance." She gave a hopeful smirk. "A relative, maybe? You two look close enough to be twins, even."

This brought a hopeful look to Silver's face - it seemed like he was getting a lead in one form or another. Plus... it just felt good to be with his own kind. There was just a sense of community that he was grateful. "It's not your fault... So, what was his name?"

"I think he said his name was... Dallan? Dylan? No wait, Delan, that was it." Siara pointed towards the pool's mouth, the water growing swifter as it flowed downstream. "Anyway, he headed downstream towards Lake Hylia this morning. I think he was looking for someone."

"Did he say who? And... I'm sorry for asking so many questions." Still, Silver was taking as many notes as he could in his head. Even if he wasn't able to find out who he was from here, he might be able to get in contact with this Delan. Especially if he resembled himself so closely.

"He didn't, no," the Zora replied. "And don't worry about it. If you hurry, you might be able to find him!"

BWOOMSH! With a thunderclap of sound and a deluge of bubbles, Gardus plummeted into the pool, sinking like a stone to the hard rocky bottom of the pool. As he struck the bottom with a dull thud, he looked up, a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry, I lost my balance."

The Zora was knocked aside from the force of his rocky friend falling into the water, but soon righted himself in the water, his natural grace underwater starting to show itself. Still, he grinned as he swam over and patted Gardus on the shoulder. "Heh... no worries... welcome to the party!"

"What did I miss?"

"Apparently I have a twin named Delan. He apparently left here this morning. But aside from that, nobody seems to know who I am."

"That is unfortunate," Gardus nodded, climbing to his feet. "But if we can find this Delan, perhaps you will know who you are!"

"Yep! It's a lead we didn't have this morning. Are you going to be able to get out of the water, though? You're kind of... heavy."

"Do not worry, Silver!" the Goron said, thumping a fist against his rock-hard chest. "I will be fine until we reach a slope I can climb! There is bound to be a place I can climb up!"

"I'm surprised you can even breathe down here... but if you don't mind, I'd like to swim around for a while longer. It's just so refreshing to be able to swim around."

Gardus nodded. "Of course, Silver."

XXX

In the following two hours, Silver had taken to the water much like the fish that he was - it felt so freeing to not need to worry about... something. He felt like he should be worried, but why? He was on the way to finding out who he was. Eventually, Gardus had managed to find a way out of the water and had been sunning himself to dry off. Soon enough, the Zora's head crested the water and he waved. "Oi, Gardus! Enjoying the sun?"

"Very much, Silver!" the Goron replied, pushing himself up to look at the Zora. "Enjoying the water?"

"Very much so! This is a blast... I haven't had this much fun in a long time... or so I remember!"

Gardus pushed himself to his feet. "Are you ready to find your brother?"

The Zora hauled himself out of the water and nodded. "Yes. I'd love to be able to find my brother... my family."

"Then let us be off!" the Goron nodded, curling and rolling into the water and following the current downstream; rolling along the riverbed was not as easy as rolling along dry land, but Gardus didn't mind.

Silver swam behind the tumbling Goron, gracefully following his not-as-graceful lead down the flowing rapids of Zora River. The way was cluttered with fallen timber and chunks of old wood, the remnants of what the Zora could only guess to be a failed construction project; however, the rolling Gardus easily knocked aside any such flotsam that strayed into their path, leaving the way clear for the Zora trailing behind him.

Soon enough, the river terminated at a grand waterfall, which the Goron sailed across without pause, landing in the waters beyond with a mighty SPLOOSH! Silver leapt deftly over the cascade, gracefully slicing through the rushing water and joining the still-dripping Gardus on the shore below. The waters of Lake Hylia shone in the golden light of the sun hovering over the eastern horizon, setting the lake alight like a sea of flame; high above, its shadowed outline apparent against the fiery sky, hung another immense bridge not unlike the one they'd crossed earlier that day, its stones suspended far above the lake.

Silver still couldn't help but be amazed by the beauty of the area. It just seemed so... wonderful. Still, assuming Delan had been swimming or moving on foot, he probably wouldn't have been able to get terribly far away from the Zora's Domain. And perhaps he'd taken a break in the area, too... all he knew was that he needed to find his brother. It was the only key to his identity. "Thank you for staying with me, Gardus... I hope we can find my brother soon."

The Goron smiled. "I will help you search!" he declared, hauling his dense body onto the shore. "I will check the shore while you check the water. If we both work together, we will have the lake searched by sunset!"

"Sounds like a plan... perhaps if one of us finds something, they whistle loudly. Twice for a false alarm?"

Gardus gave a firm nod and rolled off along the raised wooden walkway. "Good luck, Silver!"

"And to you!" Wanting to waste no time, Silver dove into the water and began his search for what seemed like hours. The Zora commenced his search on the outside of the lake at first. There was no sign of his brother there - and the lake was rather vast in scale. But he kept looking and looking, even when his search took him into the deeper depths of the lake. He continued to comb the lake with a rather singular purpose, calling out his brother's name all the while. Silver even encountered a few of his brethren in the deepest portions of the lake, but to no avail. None of them had seen Delan recently, save for the fact that he'd been travelling north.

As the sun began to dip below the eastern wall, the two friends rendezvoused along the shore; from his crestfallen look, Gardus could tell the search had not gone as well as expected. "Did you find anything?" he asked hopefully.

The Zora shook his head. "No... he was last seen heading North."

"Back to Zora's Domain..." Gardus sighed. "He must have left just before we arrived..." The Goron lay back on the grassy shoreline, rubbing his head exhaustedly. "We have searched all day, and still have not found him... and I am too worn out to continue searching. We should rest, Silver, and try again tomorrow."

Silver nodded sadly as he sat down on the shoreline, feet still in the water. "I agree... we'd be better served going at this well-rested... I just hope my brother stays out of trouble."

The Goron cracked a smile, and gently patted Silver on the shoulder. "If he is anything like you, I am sure he will be fine."

"Heh... thinking positive? I think that will get us through... and once more, thank you. I couldn't ask for a better friend."

"Of course, Silver. I am happy to help."

Description
Masked Memories

Written by Nitrinoxus and Throne Zwei
Edited and Formatted by Nitrinoxus

Chapter 4

The first thing the Zora became aware of was that his head was being jostled around, and of the sound of wheels and hooves on a road. The piscine youth opened his eyes with a confused grunt. He... remembered being in the mountains and some kind of... creature. Had it all been a dream? And why couldn't he remember anything about himself? He knew he was a Zora... and little else. His hands flew to his head as a confused grunt escaped his lips - why couldn't he remember anything? It was then that he spotted the rocky youth he was sharing the wagon with. Hesitantly, he cleared his throat. "Uh... hello? Can we talk?"

The living lump of stone stirred, blue eyes blinking open as he came to; he sat up slowly, rubbing his stony head as he did so. "...Yes, of course..." he rumbled quietly, almost unsure of his words from their inflections. "Oog... my head... it aches..."

"You too, huh? I can't even remember who I am... even my name's gone... had the weirdest dream, too..."

"I am not sure if it was a dream," the Goron replied. "It felt so... real..." He rubbed his stone-studded neck. "But I remember so little of it, so perhaps it was a dream... Ugh, it is hard not knowing which..."

The Zora nodded slowly, trying to remember anything that could tip the balance one way or the other, as far as if it had been a dream. But wait... the Goron had had it too? "Wait... you... remember it too? Some kind of... creature, right?"

"What it was, I cannot say," the Goron said. "I remember its unblinking eyes, its vicious grin... but little else. I apologize."

"You don't need to apologize... but it can't have been a dream if two... strangers had it... at least I don't remember you... or why I even am in this wagon to begin with..."

The Goron winced. "You... do not remember me?"

The Zora shook his head again, looking distressed. "No... it sounds like I should... but I cannot remember who you are."

The Goron looked down. "It is strange... I feel as though I know you, Zora, but I do not remember how I know you... I remember only that I do, and that you had a six-letter name, but..." He groaned, thumping a thick hand against his head. "Rrgh! Why are there so many holes in my memory?"

"Six letters... why can't I remember even my own name? Gah... call me..." The aquatic humanoid looked around and down at his body. He seemed to have greyish-silver scales. "...Silver. It's... going to need to do."

The Goron looked up and nodded. "Gardus. I may not remember much, but that I remember to be my name."

Silver nodded and gave a weak smile. Somehow, he felt as if he could trust Gardus. "Then it is a pleasure... Gardus. At least one of us recalls who they are."

Gardus nodded. He started to say something, but stopped when he noticed the wagon slowing to a halt. "Hey!" he called up to the front, the loud call drawing the wagon driver's gaze. "Why have we stopped, little human?"

"The horses need food," the man called back, hopping out of the wagon and strolling to the back to meet the two passengers. "And since you're awake, I'd appreciate it if you got off my wagon."

As the Goron loudly landed on the dirt of the field in which they'd stopped, the man continued. "When I came out to load the wagon this morning, you and the Zora were out cold in the back," he said, cutting off Gardus' angry retort. "I couldn't wake you two or move you myself, so I just filled the wagon around you two and headed out anyway."

"Th... thank you for not just kicking us out..." Silver hopped out next, a slight, hesitant grin on his face. At least the human hadn't waited until they woke up back... wherever they'd been.

Gardus rubbed his head. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten on the wagon in the first place... "I am sorry, little human. We do not know where we should go, and my friend here has lost his memory..."

"Then take him up north to Zora's Domain!" the man said, waving a hand towards the immense stone bridge not far from them. "I'm sure somebody there'll recognize him!"

Silver nodded numbly and started walking off towards the bridge - would anyone know him there? Surely his own kind would be able to help, wouldn't they? He stopped and looked back at Gardus - somehow he knew they needed to stick together.

The Goron treaded heavily behind, a smile on his stony face as he saw Silver looking back at him. "Do not worry about me, Silver," he said. "Go on ahead, I will catch up!"

The Zora's face widened into a grin as he dashed off, his energy fueled by hope and anticipation. He wanted to see his own kind - see their faces if... when... they told him who he was. They just had to know.

As the Zora teen dashed off across the bridge, Gardus took a moment to admire the stonework and masonry upon which he stood. As a Goron, he had a certain appreciation for rock and stone, and could tell at a glance that the Bridge of Eldin's architecture was far past its peak of flavor; still, there was something to be admired in the artistry and ingenuity of the human-made bridge, at how its stone bricks and tall towers had remained where they stood for so long. It truly was something to be admired...

After a while, the Goron glanced across the bridge. Silver had already disappeared from sight, but this didn't bother the stony teen; he reflexively rolled into a rocky ball and spun his way across the stones and onto the dirt path beyond the bridge, tumbling after his friend. Left and right and up and down he rolled, past ledges and over gaps and under the natural stone arches that lined the path until, with a thud, he uncurled and stopped right next to Silver.

The mouth of the winding path opened onto a sprawling tree-lined field, studded with mounds of stone and pierced by tall trees ringed by grass; a glimmering swath of blue bisected the expanse of brown and green, a gently flowing river that ran down the slope towards the gleaming white ramparts and blue-tiled towers of the regal Hyrule Castle.

Silver gawked in amazement at the scenery as he passed by it - human ingenuity was something to be admired, but so was the beauty of nature itself. But he just kept running towards the Zora's Domain. He could see that Gardus was following behind him, so he didn't need to worry about leaving him behind. But the idea of being able to find out who he was... what he'd done in the past, just anything was all he could think of. "Finally... finally!"

Before long, the two had walked and rolled to the north side of the field, which linked to Zora's Domain via a single tunnel gouged into the stone. As they passed through the passage, the sounds of running water echoed off the stone, growing louder and closer until, at last, they beheld the Domain.

Just past the carved pillars of the overlook on which they stood, a torrent of water gleamed in the sunlight as it cascaded down from atop the rocks; more such cascades dotted the mossy rocks around them, their tumbling waters throwing a rainbow-filled mist into the air. Across the way, a waterfall greater in both size and impressiveness plunged down from the mouth of a cavern, its waters falling into a vast, glimmering pool below... and arrayed around the pool, their scales glinting in the midmorning light as they swam through the pool and basked on the shore, were more Zoras.

He grinned as he spotted more Zora - his brethren. Perhaps even his family and friends were there! Did he even have any siblings? "Hello there!"

One of the Zoras down below looked up at his call, the water glistening as it dripped down her scales. She waved. "Hello! Come on down!"

Silver grinned as what seemed like long-hidden instincts seemed to awaken, as the piscine teen took a jump off the cliff and dove into the water.

As the youth splashed down into the pool, his downward momentum carrying him beneath the water's pristine surface, the Zora who had waved him down swam up. She looked to be roughly Silver's age, and wore a chain of coral beads round her neck. She smiled warmly as he looked her way. "Hi! Welcome back! Boy, you got back here fast!"

Silver's smile seemed to grow when the female Zora seemed to recognize him. Finally, he'd have some answers! "You remember who I am?"

"Well, sure! You were here just this morning!"

"I... couldn't have been here. I was on a wagon until recently..."

The girl started, then stopped, swimming closer and examining Silver more carefully. "...No, never mind," she said, drifting back with an apologetic smile on her face. "Sorry, I thought you were somebody else for a second. I'm Siara."

"Oh... it's nice to meet you, Siara. I'm Silver... kinda dealing with some amnesia, and I was hoping that someone here would know who I was. Silver's not even my real name..." The Zora looked crestfallen as he swam in place, but forced a slight grin onto his face.

Siara's look turned sad. "Oh... I'm sorry about that, Silver... But the Zora who was here this morning, the one I mistook you for? Stunning resemblance." She gave a hopeful smirk. "A relative, maybe? You two look close enough to be twins, even."

This brought a hopeful look to Silver's face - it seemed like he was getting a lead in one form or another. Plus... it just felt good to be with his own kind. There was just a sense of community that he was grateful. "It's not your fault... So, what was his name?"

"I think he said his name was... Dallan? Dylan? No wait, Delan, that was it." Siara pointed towards the pool's mouth, the water growing swifter as it flowed downstream. "Anyway, he headed downstream towards Lake Hylia this morning. I think he was looking for someone."

"Did he say who? And... I'm sorry for asking so many questions." Still, Silver was taking as many notes as he could in his head. Even if he wasn't able to find out who he was from here, he might be able to get in contact with this Delan. Especially if he resembled himself so closely.

"He didn't, no," the Zora replied. "And don't worry about it. If you hurry, you might be able to find him!"

BWOOMSH! With a thunderclap of sound and a deluge of bubbles, Gardus plummeted into the pool, sinking like a stone to the hard rocky bottom of the pool. As he struck the bottom with a dull thud, he looked up, a sheepish grin on his face. "Sorry, I lost my balance."

The Zora was knocked aside from the force of his rocky friend falling into the water, but soon righted himself in the water, his natural grace underwater starting to show itself. Still, he grinned as he swam over and patted Gardus on the shoulder. "Heh... no worries... welcome to the party!"

"What did I miss?"

"Apparently I have a twin named Delan. He apparently left here this morning. But aside from that, nobody seems to know who I am."

"That is unfortunate," Gardus nodded, climbing to his feet. "But if we can find this Delan, perhaps you will know who you are!"

"Yep! It's a lead we didn't have this morning. Are you going to be able to get out of the water, though? You're kind of... heavy."

"Do not worry, Silver!" the Goron said, thumping a fist against his rock-hard chest. "I will be fine until we reach a slope I can climb! There is bound to be a place I can climb up!"

"I'm surprised you can even breathe down here... but if you don't mind, I'd like to swim around for a while longer. It's just so refreshing to be able to swim around."

Gardus nodded. "Of course, Silver."

XXX

In the following two hours, Silver had taken to the water much like the fish that he was - it felt so freeing to not need to worry about... something. He felt like he should be worried, but why? He was on the way to finding out who he was. Eventually, Gardus had managed to find a way out of the water and had been sunning himself to dry off. Soon enough, the Zora's head crested the water and he waved. "Oi, Gardus! Enjoying the sun?"

"Very much, Silver!" the Goron replied, pushing himself up to look at the Zora. "Enjoying the water?"

"Very much so! This is a blast... I haven't had this much fun in a long time... or so I remember!"

Gardus pushed himself to his feet. "Are you ready to find your brother?"

The Zora hauled himself out of the water and nodded. "Yes. I'd love to be able to find my brother... my family."

"Then let us be off!" the Goron nodded, curling and rolling into the water and following the current downstream; rolling along the riverbed was not as easy as rolling along dry land, but Gardus didn't mind.

Silver swam behind the tumbling Goron, gracefully following his not-as-graceful lead down the flowing rapids of Zora River. The way was cluttered with fallen timber and chunks of old wood, the remnants of what the Zora could only guess to be a failed construction project; however, the rolling Gardus easily knocked aside any such flotsam that strayed into their path, leaving the way clear for the Zora trailing behind him.

Soon enough, the river terminated at a grand waterfall, which the Goron sailed across without pause, landing in the waters beyond with a mighty SPLOOSH! Silver leapt deftly over the cascade, gracefully slicing through the rushing water and joining the still-dripping Gardus on the shore below. The waters of Lake Hylia shone in the golden light of the sun hovering over the eastern horizon, setting the lake alight like a sea of flame; high above, its shadowed outline apparent against the fiery sky, hung another immense bridge not unlike the one they'd crossed earlier that day, its stones suspended far above the lake.

Silver still couldn't help but be amazed by the beauty of the area. It just seemed so... wonderful. Still, assuming Delan had been swimming or moving on foot, he probably wouldn't have been able to get terribly far away from the Zora's Domain. And perhaps he'd taken a break in the area, too... all he knew was that he needed to find his brother. It was the only key to his identity. "Thank you for staying with me, Gardus... I hope we can find my brother soon."

The Goron smiled. "I will help you search!" he declared, hauling his dense body onto the shore. "I will check the shore while you check the water. If we both work together, we will have the lake searched by sunset!"

"Sounds like a plan... perhaps if one of us finds something, they whistle loudly. Twice for a false alarm?"

Gardus gave a firm nod and rolled off along the raised wooden walkway. "Good luck, Silver!"

"And to you!" Wanting to waste no time, Silver dove into the water and began his search for what seemed like hours. The Zora commenced his search on the outside of the lake at first. There was no sign of his brother there - and the lake was rather vast in scale. But he kept looking and looking, even when his search took him into the deeper depths of the lake. He continued to comb the lake with a rather singular purpose, calling out his brother's name all the while. Silver even encountered a few of his brethren in the deepest portions of the lake, but to no avail. None of them had seen Delan recently, save for the fact that he'd been travelling north.

As the sun began to dip below the eastern wall, the two friends rendezvoused along the shore; from his crestfallen look, Gardus could tell the search had not gone as well as expected. "Did you find anything?" he asked hopefully.

The Zora shook his head. "No... he was last seen heading North."

"Back to Zora's Domain..." Gardus sighed. "He must have left just before we arrived..." The Goron lay back on the grassy shoreline, rubbing his head exhaustedly. "We have searched all day, and still have not found him... and I am too worn out to continue searching. We should rest, Silver, and try again tomorrow."

Silver nodded sadly as he sat down on the shoreline, feet still in the water. "I agree... we'd be better served going at this well-rested... I just hope my brother stays out of trouble."

The Goron cracked a smile, and gently patted Silver on the shoulder. "If he is anything like you, I am sure he will be fine."

"Heh... thinking positive? I think that will get us through... and once more, thank you. I couldn't ask for a better friend."

"Of course, Silver. I am happy to help."