Life went on. Seals were killed, food was gathered, and storms were weathered. A solid routine was worked out for them too. They would sit down at night and plan the next day’s activities. If it were going to storm, they would find things to mend, projects to complete, food to dry. Link was smart about food though. He impressed upon Zelda the importance of always leaving some. If they went to gather grass for baskets or mats, they would take no more than necessary. The odd fruit was taken sparingly and if seafood were scarce in one spot, they would find a different spot and let the other spot repopulate. They made one seal and its meat last for two weeks. The seal colony moved from spot to spot, and didn’t seem to miss a seal every now and then.
Once, while Link was out fishing, he could see a pod of whales in the distance. He watched them for a long while, admiring their size. The next day when Zelda went to gather some abalones, she found a big surprise on the beach. A really big surprise: a beached whale. It was 45 feet long. She stuffed herself that night, alternating handfuls of meat and oily blubber. She had never tasted anything so good. The vast amount of meat was eventually dried and store in the back of the cave, filling an entire corner. There was no going hungry now. The bones of the whale were used for implements, tools, plates, bowls, drying racks, and almost anything else they could think of. Teeth were carved by Link’s nimble hands into several implements, including lamps for the oil rendered from the blubber. For living on a deserted island, life became almost easy.

One and a half year had passed since they landed on the Island.
Zelda was out gathering eggs from the nests of gulls. Since they nested on the side of cliffs, she had to be very careful. But one loose rock sent her falling. Luckily, there was a tree root sticking out of the rock face. She grabbed it, and yelled for Link. He arrived not a moment too soon. Just as she grabbed his extended hand, the root broke, falling to the sharp rocks below. Zelda cried as Link took her into his arms. He’d almost lost her.
“I don’t want you gathering anymore eggs,” Link blubbered. He had been so afraid. Zelda kissed Link, meaning to tell him she was grateful, but her meaning changed entirely when he kissed her back. The two of them embraced even tighter, rolling on the ground away from the cliff. Link finally had a way to say that he loved Zelda. They lay there for uncounted minutes, hours, days, weeks, years or even decades before either of them felt like moving. Link was the first to get up. He gathered Zelda into his arms and took her back to the cave. There would be some modifications to their beds made that night.

“Link, I don’t feel good at all!” Zelda whined. She had just thrown up for the tenth time that week, and it just wouldn’t go away. Zel pondered and pondered over what might be wrong. Maybe whale and seal meat was too rich for her. But it hadn’t affected her before. It didn’t start until after… “Oh no!” she cried. “Link, I know what’s wrong!”
“What is it, Zel?” the Hero had been very worried for his love. He didn’t want anything bad to happen. Little did he know, this would turn out to be the best and worst thing to ever happen to any man.
“Link, I’m pregnant.”
Link promptly fainted.

By Zelda’s ninth month, she was quite large and had trouble getting around on her own. Link confined her to the cave, fearing another egg incident might occur, and hurt the baby. She stayed in bed most of the time, mending nets, weaving mats, making containers from the long grass and eating. She even took up carving wood and whale teeth with some skill. Boredom ruled over her days while Link was out gathering food, making traps for birds and fish, hunting, and making tools. In her tenth month, tension was high for the both of them. The baby was late. But these tensions only grew exponentially when Zelda went into labor. Link was constantly running his hands over his hair as Zelda strained with every contraction. He couldn’t bear to see her in so much pain. But he had to be there. Zelda screamed and sobbed every step of the way as she pushed with the contractions. Finally, her water broke and the baby crowned. Zelda realized that she could not deliver it like this. Not on this island far from civilization and all she ever knew and loved. What kind of life was this for a baby? To grow up as a savage? Her sobs only grew more pained as she doubled over.
“Push, Zel, push. We can’t let our child die! Come on, that’s it! Push hard! Do it for me, for you, for the baby! Please, Zelda, try harder!” Link was crying himself, trying to help his love to overcome this. They had not spent two years and three months out here to lose everything. Zelda bore down with the next contraction and felt it slide. She gasped and pushed down one more time. There was no more pain now. It was suddenly gone. Her sobs subsided and felt something in her arms. She looked down and saw a tiny person. It was a baby. Her baby. A girl. A lovely little girl she could love. Her sobs were gone, but the crying was still there. She had a piece of sinew tied around her cut umbilical cord to keep her from bleeding to death and she was wrapped in sealskin. The tiny girl wailed, demanding air and food. Zelda smile dreamily as she held the baby to her breast. Zelda had been prepared to name her daughter Adara Rose, but somehow it just didn’t seem to fit the little girl in her arms. With a flash of inspiration, Zelda called out to Link.
“Yes, Zel? What is it?”
“Impa.”
“What?”
“Impa. Our daughter’s name is Impa. Adara Rose is too stuffy for out here. She needs a name that suits the location. Don’t you think it’s perfect?” Zelda nuzzled her suckling babe. Link put his arms around her neck, hugging her with all his might.
“Impa is a wonderful name.”