Chapter 29: Bearable Cold

A Chapter by Vertigo Cat1111

Just because Link and Midna are on a journey to get recruits, doesn't mean they can't have a little fun.

"LET'S MOVE IT, I'M FREEZING!"

The black and white imp, gripped tightly onto Link's fur as they traveled through the snow, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. He bolted faster when Midna yelled, and somehow they both recognized where they were at. They had easily caught sight of the Mountain of Storms soon after they had left their IGOO as Midna put it.

Obviously, they'd done the right thing, and we're nearly there after speeding through for a good several hours. Link expected to be more tired, but after a great night's rest, the night before, he had more energy then he thought possible. With Midna on his back, he felt more free, wild and light then if she wasn't sitting atop of him. "IT'S COOOOOOOLD!" Said princess shouted. He was surprised her vocal cords were so intensely strong.

He zipped through, jumping over a rotting log, and looked up, where now he couldn't even see the top of the Mountain. Harold was around here somewhere. He was pretty sure they'd come in the right direction.

He now nearly bumped into the mountain and started doubling on the sides, looking for any hint of an entrance to a cave. More specifically Harold's cave.

Snowflakes whipped across them, harshly. Link knew how much this would hurt soon, the aftermath. The blizzard raged. He put his paws on the mountain and was preparing himself to jump up to it and begin to climb. He grunted, trying to dig his claws in, but they just went into the snow. Digging deeper, and deeper into the white powder.

Snorting in frustration, Link backed up. And tried to jump back 0nto the mountain, looking for any form of a hanging slope. "Link-" Midna stuttered, and through Link's numbness, he felt Midna's tiny hands gripping even harder.

He slipped, and fell on his back, but then realized he never hit the white ground. Or was he that numb?

He looked back at the ground, flipping his head, baffled. His eyes spotted a long, thick, white arm, his blue orbs followed that, and trailed to a grinning face of a yeti.

Harold.

Link barked loudly, unsure if it was because of relief, or excitement. This drew him away from his thoughts of frustration. The bright red orbs and smile of Harold were the only things that Link and Midna could see, and Link's tail wagged happily.

"UH! LINK AND MIDNY!" He shouted, over the loud wind. Keeping a big thumb on Midna's back to assure she didn't plop on the snow, he pulled them away rather quickly and took them into the safety of his home.

------

"Hm, hm," Harold hummed smiling. "I missed you guys," he kept grinning.

Link smiled at him. "Us too, but it does feel like we saw you barely anytime ago," he chuckled softly, and Harold continued to smile. "Still too long though."

"Yeah," the Hylian agreed.

He looked to a rather silent Midna, who was wincing.

Link frowned. They'd explained the situation to Harold, but the bad problem was his extreme loyalty to Link and Midna, and whatever they believed in, seemed to censor his mind to the fact that'd this was dangerous.

But there was no turning back now, unfortunately. He'd come no matter what anyone would tell him.

Midna sighed. Maybe this was a bad idea. But Link was determined it'd be fine. He could be on the medical side- or such...

But he would be excellent in the fighting area- he could be a ruthless beast- if only he got over his innocence. He could be one of the most helpful brutes, but how would he feel exactly, when he killed a person?

He didn't seem to know exactly what he was getting into. But they still had time, Link believed. They'd figure out the best course of action in no time...

"Such cuties..." Harold mumbled, stirring the soup. Both Link and Midna had noticed he didn't say 'uh' like any other Yetis- but they still wondered...

Did he somehow know Yeto and Yeta?

"Hey, Harold?" Link began. Harold whipped around, excited to hear his friends talk whenever, whether it was a question, or just wasn't directed at him. As long as they weren't arguing!

"Yeah!?" He asked two wooden bowls of soup, with a side of a slab of meat.

"Um, do you know anyone else, besides us?" Link asked, tilting his head. Then he suddenly wondered- was that a sensitive question.

But Harold shook his head. "No. Only you two- and poor little mousey," he said, but when he brought up 'mousey' his eyes started to get bright and watery with tears, and the Hylian quickly changed the subject.

"Not any other yetis?" He asked, quickly. Harold stopped his 'about to blubber' face and stared at Link. "No. I don't think so. Haven't seen 'un, in- since I was born, I suppose," he shrugged.

Wait-

The same thought seemed to cross Link and Midna's mind at the same time. Harold, Yeta and Yeto COULDN'T be the only yetis- so... where we're the others? Or we're they really the last ones?

Link had more questions but was nervous- because they were questions about the yeti monster's parents. He turned to Midna, mouth slightly open.

If Yeto and Yeta had children would that save the yetis? Or were they already a species, they had yet to run into, and Yeto and Yeta had just decided to live in isolation?

"Do-" Midna began stuttering. "Do you know if there's more yeti's out there?" She asked curiously, yet anxiously.

As Harold handed them the bowl of soup and plate of meat, he put on a thoughtful face. "I suppose- I mean, there should be. I haven't seen any, and I don't

remember my momma, but... I don't think there instinct," he said, and he sat down and itched the top of his head, lower lip sticking out.

Now even the poor guy seemed as stumped as Link and Midna. "Uuhhh..." He stuttered. "Hmm." Link responded.

Harold looked up at them. "Why?" he asked. "Oh, well, I think that they might definitely help with all the craziness going on," Midna said, as Link wondered.

Why hadn't they ever thought about this before? Were they extinct? And if so why, and why were Yeto, Yeta, and Harold all alive, and fine?

Link shook his head concluding it- there had to be more out there. "There has to be," Link said in a matter-of-fact voice. Midna looked at him. "Yeah-" she said, but Harold looked up from his thoughts. "Well- when should I leave?" he pondered.

"Whenever you want, but it might be best if it's soon," Link explained. "I can go tonight!" He smiled. "Or-" he began. "What time is it?"

"I think it's still daytime," Link responded, then shivered, looking to the entrance of the cave. "But it just seems like night."

Harold nodded silently. "Sooner I go, sooner I can help," he smiled, one tooth poking out of his mouth. "And meet the other Yetis," Link brought up.

"OH!"

This mention got him excited, and he stood up quickly. He began to scarf down his food and talked in between insanely quick bites.

"I-gonna-miss-you-guys-but-gotta-help-and-meet-me's," he hurried. Link and Midna smiled, and the swordsman nodded. "Go right ahead."

"Mean it?" Harold asked, practically bouncing off the walls. "Mean it."

"OH!" he ran around the room now, fumbling and grabbing brown suitcases. Link looked to Midna and they both raised eyebrows. Where'd he get those from?

"I always haves these packed just in case!"

That made Link wonder if Harold was always willing to go on an adventure, but maybe he was just too scared too? He didn't have any friends who had his back until he met Link and Midna, so maybe, he just needed a little push.

That's when another thing clicked in Link's mind- sure he knew Harold had been living all alone- but now Link's mind was suddenly comprehending that loneliness for your entire life. And stepping on you're first friend-!

Link realized, he remembered what isolation felt like- even when he had a family around him... So what must it be like to have no one- no one at all?

Link frowned at that and hoped he'd never feel that complete isolation- though he had once. Even if people were surrounding him, who loved and cared for him.

Harold stomping over interrupted Link's thoughts rather quickly, and once again, he scooped them up in his arms and twirled them around, nearly squeezing the life out of them. "OH-" Midna choked. "MM! HAIR-WORLD-" Link tried to call the Yeti's name.

Harold held them tightly to his chest and spun around. "Oh, gonna miss you, miss you, so much!"

"But you're gonna- meet- Yeto and Yeta- and see us again!" Link struggled. "OH!" Harold pouted. Then squeezed them even HARDER. "GONNA MISS YOU THOUGH!!!!!!!!!"

"US TO, BUT YOU'RE CHOKING US!" Midna finally admitted. "Oh," Harold muttered. "Sorry," and he laid them gently on the floor. "Thank you for helping," He smiled and them, seeming proud, with his humongous, blue hands on his hips. "If it wasn't for youse guys, I would have never found more yetis like me!"

They smiled softly and nodded at him.

Midna flinched, worried he was gonna squeeze them to almost the point of death again. "Well, I'll be seeing you guys!"

Leaning down he gave them each a soft kiss on the head. Then he giggled excitedly, then ran out into the snow.

"That was intense." Link said. Midna laughed. "No kidding. He's a spitfire!"

Link turned to her, one thick brown eyebrow raised up as she laughed. "Hehe..." she slowly noticed and turned to him. "What?"

"Spitfire? Really, Midna? You know- YOU'RE more of a spitfire."

"Pfft." The Princess scoffed. "Yeah, well- you're a... uh..." she thought heavily. "Hmm..." she laid her pointy chin on her hand. "Uuhh..."

"Little woofy woof?" Link grinned.

Midna turned to him, this time it was her turn to raise an eyebrow. "What the heck is a wolfy wolf?"

Link shrugged innocently, looking to the roof.

Midna scoffed again, and shoved him playfully, but softly. "You're weird," she blushed.

Looking around she sighed, in the quick silence. "I'm sick of caves."

Link looked to her. "It's still well into the day. We could go out." "I mean- well, that might be the best course of action? Right?" She suggested. Link nodded, chewing his food. "Yeah. Hopefully, this soup can warm us up," he said. "Better eat yours before it turns to ice!" he joked.

"Haha, very funny. You know I like cold things."

"Pfft," Link responded. They ate quietly and looked around the cave. Link was drawn to the large indent in the floor, where it was obvious the yeti had always slept.

Dirty blankets lay on the floor, next to the indent. This made Link stop his fast eating and wonder- Do yetis get cold...?

This question kept dancing around his head, and he found he couldn't let it go.

"Uh... Midna...?"

"Yeah, Link?" She said, stopping her eating for a minute. "Do... this is an important question, so you have to really think about it, okay?" he said, turning to her desperately. She looked to him, nodding, worry but focus plastered on her face. "Do- yetis get cold...?"

"OH MY GOSH!"

"I'M BEING SERIOUS MIDNA! THIS IS SERIOUS! THIS IS GONNA BOTHER ME FOREVER! PLEASE ANSWER!"

"How the heck would I know!?"

"Uh, because you're smart...?" "I..." Midna didn't have an answer. Mainly because now she herself was thinking about what Link asked. If yetis DO get cold... does it feel good? or bad? Do they wanna warm-up, or do they embrace it? They warm up, right? Or did Harold just have blankets for comfort?

Errr..."

"Huh." Midna wondered aloud. "Right!?" Link said, glad she finally was in on it. "It's weird."

Link put his hands out, above the fire, as they felt numb, and suddenly shouted in pain.

"Link!" Midna cried looking to him, dropping her empty bowl. "Are you alright? What happened?" "Just... frostbite," he winced.

Then he took on a more jokey tone, "Probably because you're so cold," he winked. Midna sighed and threw her head back.

Link's puns just got worse.

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