Disclaimer: I do not own any Legend of Zelda characters, nor the series or anything of or relating to said title-except some games, but I do not own the rights to any of it. I am not profiting from this. This is purely for entertainment purposes.
Prelude
He lives his life not in the vain of his country's destruction, but in his country's honor. There is no blue in his blood for it lacks the luster of royalty—but that does not make him inadequate for the job he was born for, if anything it strengthens his prominence. His village was one of the last to be touched by the filthy hands of a being known as Ghirahim Meikka; man of no home, Lord of Slaves, and with only enough loyalty to stay true to himself and his master.
The attacks did not happen during the early hours of sunrise, as some may presume—but nor did they happen in the late hours of twilight where the sun would be at the attackers' advantage. No, no, the villains and their adopted leader much preferred their victims to see them coming on at full view, for it was not everyday women struck fear into the hearts of men.
Ghirahim's Gerudos would charge at full speed as soon as the sun hit its peak allowing their pray to see them sometimes for miles on end; their deadly purple blanket coating the fields until they met their unwilling opponents. Their form was beautiful and had it not been for the terror in the moments during and after the attacks, perhaps the victims would have noticed just how extravagant the tribe was.
Lord Ghirahim Meikka road a horse that matched his silvery hair, while the women road the black stallions native to their homeland. Such tall horses—and powerful as they were grand; the women, of course, could be described the just the same; as powerful as they were grand.
Their hair was copper just as their skin which made the purple costumes they wore stand out against their flesh as their eyes beamed golden as the sun on a morning rise. Such rarity it was to have these beauties in this land that nearly all the inhabitants had believed the women to be merely legend. However, with the passing months of growing attacks fingers began to be rightfully pointed at these near mythical beings, and, as a result, some began to believe in the legend of the all female race once again.
It was a terrifying thought, for these women were not known to take pity nor mercy. In legend, they were heartless, strong, and willful. With the rise of the attacks, people began whispering Gerudo, for they believed if they said the race's name too loud, it would not only strengthen the women's existence but also bring to light a new nightmare; one which had been lived through hundreds of times before. One, in which, the outcome was to either defeat or be defeated. One, in which, would challenge both the mind and heart of a young man and change his life and those he knew before completely.
Chapter One
The young man holds his knife firmly and, with short quick strokes, he begins to remove the red scales from the fish before him. It had been a quiet day in the village for the day after was to be a celebration of their three Goddesses; Din, Farore, and Nayru. The young man watches as the little boy across from him tries to do the same but with a much smaller fish and knife. It was too small a fish to make a meal of, but the boy's father, Rusl, wished for his son to learn the basics of cleaning and gutting a fish. It was something the man's father had taught him and his father's father before him. In Rusl's eyes, it was a right of passage for a boy to learn the process; it was a lesson of care and maturity, things that a boy would need to learn in order to become a man.
"Shorter strokes," the young man whispers to the boy as Rusl props his fishing rod into a hole in the mud along the river. The little boy furrows his brow with all the concentration a seven year old can muster and attempts the short sweeps with his blade taking care not to knick his fingers.
"Short strokes with firm pressure, Collin; remember that," Rusl announces as he brings a bucket of water towards the boys. "Gentle, though," he advises with his hand teetering and eyes narrowing with the words. The man pushes back his shaggy salt and pepper hair and smirks as he lowers the bucket to the wet earth. "If you're too firm, you'll slice the fish." He lowers to a squat at his son's side and presses his forehead to the boy's. "And we don't want fish guts in out stew, now do we, boy?"
Collin's mouth stretches open as his tongue slides out with a sound of distaste making both the young man and Rusle chuckle. "No, papa," Colin answers with a shy smile as he continues to scrape the scales. After the boy's father has left his side, Colin's young sapphire eyes dart to the young man and then back to the makeshift table.
"What does Uli plan on doing with all these fish?" the young man asks as his eyes look to Rusl examining his propped rod.
Rusl shrugs as he turns to the boys. "I was planning to smoke them, but she insisted it would be best to have a bit of a feast for the village tomorrow." He huffs and rolls his eyes. "If you never listen to a word I say, Link, hear these one; women will be the death of you, boy—I swear it," he says with a shake of his head and exasperated sigh.
Link lets out a chuckle and shakes his head as he lowers his bare fish into the bucket of water and begins cleaning a new one. His brow furrows lightly with concentration, but the smile still sits on his face. "She is your wife, Rusl. You chose to marry her. Truly, Uli is not so bad, Rusl—,"
"As opposed to what; a bear, a lion, perhaps a feral cat—maybe even—," he takes a shaky breath and looks at Colin, "Sera?" The boys let out a loud laugh. Sera, at times, could be more than a bit demanding of her husband. Uli in comparison to Sera was a summer's breeze.
"You are unfair to her," Link says through the side of his mouth.
"You don't know her like I, boy," Rusl says with his brows raised.
"She has been nothing but a blessing since my parents' passing," Link says as his eyes rise to Rusl. The young man had a soft place in his heart for that woman, for she was the one who took him in when he had nowhere else to go.
Rusl sways bashfully with his steps as he approaches Link's side. "I know boy," he says gently before matting the young man's blonde hair.
"What were your parents like?" a small voice asks making Link and Rusl look across at Colin. The little boy's eyes timidly dart back down to his fish until the burning stares make him look back up.
Link takes a deep breath. It had been too long since he last allowed his mind to think of their faces. "My dad was something like your dad," Link says with a ginger nod and stretched face. "Very much a brute… but he did have his gentle side—,"
"Since when do I have a gentle side?" Rusl barks out before letting out a chuckle.
"My mum was a sweet woman. She looked something like yours," he says. The two boys were maternal cousins. "The blonde hair, the big eyes… though… I think my mum was shorter," he says with an unsure nod.
"That she was," Rusl confirms. "Stood about this tall," he says with his hand at shoulder level. "But she was feistier than any annoyed goat I've ever seen—hell, she made enraged cuccos seem tame at times!"
Link smiles as Colin watches his father. The child loved to hear stories—it didn't matter if they were made up or simply memories of earlier times.
"I remember," Rusl continues, "Link's papa decided he was going to go with me to Hyrule Castletown one day. Rowan didn't tell Jenora where he was going or when he would be back." Rusl shakes his head slowly. "When we returned… we were a little more than inebriated—,"
"What does that mean?" Colin asks.
"Silly," Link says quickly before Rusl can explain.
"Not only did Jenora give him a piece of her mind, but me as well. I told her I wasn't her husband but if she wanted to pretend, I would have no problem with it she'd just have to ask Rowan for permission first. Jenora smacked me upside the head and told me I was a bastard and that she didn't need to ask for permission from anybody about anything she did!" He throws his head back at the memory. "Oh, did I learn not to mess around with her that night," he yelps with a laugh as Colin lets out a giggle. "She kicked my arse right out the door!"
Link grins and lowers his eyes to the fish before him and dunks it into the water bucket. Rusl continues to talk about the pains he and Link's father gave his mother, but Link does not hear any of it. All he sees is the last moment he saw his parents alive. They were headed to Kakariko Village. He was too young to remember what it was about—but he knew it wasn't a safe journey.
Link wipes the scales on his knife onto his trousers. His mother kissed him goodbye and his father matted his hair much in the same way Rusl had done moment before. He was younger than Colin at the time, but he could still see their faces as if it were yesterday. Link picks a new fish. Uli had offered to look after Link until the two got back. They never returned.
"So, there we were; more naked than the day we were born and tainted blue from the deku babas' petal paint." Rusl shakes his head as Colin belts out a laugh. "Jenora didn't know what to do with us." He sighs. "That poor girl—you know, most women would have tossed us out of their house and told us to keep away."
"But mum didn't," Link says.
"No, instead she married one of the arses and introduced the other to her sister," Rusl says making Link let out a chuckle. The man smirks and adds, "I guess she didn't want to be the only who suffered—," Rusl turns his head to the south. A feverish fear courses through his blood as he listens to what the air carried with it.
"Is that thunder?" Link asks as he cautiously rises from his stool.
Rusl's eyebrows lower to a furrow as his lips part. "Look to sky, boy. Do you see a cloud?"
Link looks up to the heavens and sees not a single puff of cloud. "Nothing but blue," he nearly whispers. "What could it be—,"
"Papa," Colin nearly whimpers as fear makes his skin cold and clammy.
"Link," Rusl says slow and calmly as to not upset his son. "I want you to take Colin to the ranch—,"
"What about Uli?" Link asks, panic making him speak faster than usual.
"Don't you worry; I'll find her. Just take Colin and go where it's safe." Rusl turns his head to his son as Link takes the young boy's hand. "You stay with Link, you hear me, Colin?" he says sternly as the thunder grows in volume. Colin gives a nod before swallowing hard. "You know where to go in the stables, boy?" he asks Link and the young man nods quickly.
Rusl's back straightens as he looks out in the direction of where the thunder sounds from. "Don't you let that one out of your sight, Link," he says with a shallow nod; his face is like stone, so unlike the Rusl Link had known.
"I won't," Link says with his eyes looking down to the young boy and then back to the man.
"Good," Rusl says before taking a step towards the thunder. "Like we practiced, boys; if youu see a youngling running about, take them along."
"Aye—,"
Rusl waves a hand. "I don't want to hear you—I don't even want to see you. Just run. Stay hidden until this storm passes."
Link tightens his grip on the boy's hand and stands for a second longer on unstable legs. Suddenly, he and Colin are gone in a flash. As Link and the boy race up the river's hill, Colin slips on the wet earth and Link holds tight onto the boy's hand adrenaline keeping his hand from releasing the boy's.
Colin lets out a whimper and, quickly, Link picks the child up and carries him; the boy's legs wrapped around his waist and small arms around his neck. He can feel Colin's struggled breaths as the child fights to keep from crying. By the time Link has made it up the hill, his legs are screaming from the incline and added weight, but fear of the raging thunder keeps him going.
With his heart pounding in his ears, Link cannot hear anything anymore. As he races down the path, he shakes his head and attempts to hum a soothing song for Colin as the boy begins to cry. One minute, Link sees the familiar houses of his village and the next he is racing up another hill. The gravel path keeps him from getting a firm enough grip with his steps. At one point he falls to his kneels only to have Colin let out a scream. Link's vision is tunneled and almost vibrates with the excitement—from what, he does not know, yet he believes it is enough to fear for his and Colin's life.
"We're almost there," Link says in a breathy whisper as he rises to his feet. He can feel Colin looking behind. "Remember what your papa told us? Keep looking ahead; never look back," Link says as he taps Colin's back.
"I can't!" Colin cries.
"Then hide your eyes," Link answers and abruptly feels the boy press his face into the crook of his neck.
As they reach the gates of the ranch, Link boosts Colin over before climbing the posts himself. "Get to the stables and go in the crawlspace. Keep as quiet as you can," he orders the small boy.
"What about you?" Colin asks on the edge of a whine.
"I'm going to look for the others," he says before looking down at the village below. Suddenly, Link feels something wrap around his waist. He looks down as sees Colin holding him. Link takes a deep breath and places his hand on the back of the boy's blonde head. "I know it's scary," he says quietly as the thunder continues to rumble. "But you need to listen to me," he says.
"Please d-don't leave me," Colin rushes out between hiccoughs and sobs.
Link pulls to child away, but Colin's small hands grip his tunic in a knuckle whitening grip. "You have to listen to me," Link hollers, his patience running thin as screams sound from below. "Colin—," Link whips his head back to the village and feels his body vibrate with adrenaline as three horsemen charge the path leading to the ranch.
Link takes Colin's hand and quickly races to the stables. As they enter the dark structure, the goats within anxiously greet them. Colin sniffles and wipes his face as Link leads the way to the crawlspace in the back. As stands below, he reaches his hands up for Colin to come. Just as the young man holds Colin beneath the pits, something pulls back and the boy screams and wriggles under its grip.
As always, reviews are much appreciated and always welcomed!
~MsBBSue