It was a dark time for Hyrule, but the day was getting brighter. Ganondorf had destroyed Castle Town and had been a blight upon the land for seven years, but Zelda, the Seven Sages, and the Hero of Time had managed to defeat him. Now they needed to rebuild their homes and reforge their old friendships.
The Zora's were at the top of the list. Zelda had always admired the sleek beauty of the aquatic race, and if Hyrule was ever going to return to its former glory, she would need their help. She had already written letters to King Zora, who was expecting her. Zelda had met him and his daughter, Princess Ruto, even before Ganondorf rose to power, and while the two princesses had never been friends, she was sure that the two of them could come to an arrangement.
One of the last things she needed to decide on before she left was whom to take with her. Impa was the obvious choice. The Sheikah had watched over her since she was a child, but now that she was grown, Zelda felt embarrassed bringing along what was basically her babysitter.
Link, the Hero of Time, was another possibility. He had helped the Zora people in the past, and you couldn't walk around carrying the Master Sword without instilling some measure of respect. However, he was a man of few words and lacked the patience for diplomacy.
She could always go with some of her guards. With Ganondorf defeated, there was no imminent threat to defend against, though the men she had on hand were … less than impressive. No, she was being unfair. Compared to legendary heroes and champions, the common foot soldier couldn't be expected to compete. Still, if she surrounded herself with boorish, churlish men, that would reflect poorly on her.
Finally, she could just go by herself. The roads were reasonably safe, and she had survived Ganondorf's reign while masquerading as Sheik, though that would mean having no one in case of an emergency.
