Sornah checked the map again to make sure that they were on the right course. According to the Representative, they should wait for him in the East Gerudo Ruins. The first time she had done something like this, she had been so anxious that the Representative thought the whole thing was a trap and it had taken weeks of careful communication and smaller deals to regain a reputation of trustworthiness. Now she was calm and business-like. This was the fifth transaction of its kind in so many months and she was getting used to making the journey in the early hours of the morning while the sun rose over the dunes, outlining them in gold and causing the sand to sparkle like water. Instead of dashing through, sticking to the shadows of the ruins, she and her guard of three strode directly to their destination, straight backed and confident. There would always be a sense of urgency about these meetings. Her sisters were relying on her after all, but the Buyer was discreet and understood the mutual benefits of secrecy. If the Chief knew about it, she turned a blind eye. Everyone knew that she wasn't doing this for profit. It was far more basic than that. No, this was a matter of survival.

She had told herself that, repeated it over and over again to friends who had nodded in solem agreement enough times that it almost drowned out that voice in the back of her mind that shamed her with words like pirate and smuggler.

It wasn't piracy - that would involve theft, and everything she brought with her had been crafted or harvested by her sisters. Sundried voltfruits, mixed native spices powdered for potency, and cured tangy meats - these were all her hard work. In the past, she had imported raw ingredients from all over Hyrule to create the most interesting fusions, but now she was limited to the fruits of the desert. As well as the products of her own labour, she bargained on behalf of the other merchants of Gerudo Town, using her shrewd business savvy and bright optimistic manner to get her sisters the pay they deserved for their work. It didn't matter that she herself was in debt to the Buyer. Try as they might to maintain their independence and make do with what raw materials could be found in the desert, there were certain things that they needed in order to keep enough money coming in to feed everyone. She hadn't told anyone, but when push came to shove, she had seen no other option than to step up and hash out a deal with the Buyer to advance them metal ore, jewels and meat in exchange for continued business. It just meant that all proceeds went to the town, and any leftovers that would have gone to herself, she used to pay off the debt.

Convincing herself that it wasn't smuggling was a little more difficult. It wasn't explicitly forbidden to trade directly with the Rito, but it was illegal to do so without the oversight of a Hylian official. But this had always been true, even before the noose had been tightened around their throats. No one had observed it then because there had been no official government during the Calamity, and the law had only been in place to prevent underhanded dealings, forgery, or other manipulative and exploitative practises. What had then been used to protect the Gerudo and give them the power to build a steady reputation for honesty and quality was now being used to undermine and short-change them. As far as she was concerned, such laws didn't apply in times of crisis. It had not applied during the Calamity, which had been for most of her life, and it didn't apply now in a nation that was only a few breaths away from martial law. So long as she followed the spirit of the law and made sure her deals were fair and just, then she could continue to hold her head high. Furthermore, smuggling only related to illicit materials, and no one could argue that silk and gold were dangerous or immoral.

She was doing the right thing, the only thing she could do, given the circumstances, to support her people and keep her business alive. The fact that it was technically illegal was simply an inconvenience.

This morning was cool and serene and a warm wind from the south melted the chill of the night from their bones as they made their way further east. This deal was to involve a shipment of fine gossamer and silk, which was not normally her area of expertise and she practised her pitch under her breath as they walked. Her guards, silent warriors at least a foot taller than her, made her feel both stuffy and safe. They intimidated the Representative, but if she kept a cheerful, friendly tone to her negotiations, she could mitigate that. Before, Zara had been enough to keep problem customers at bay, but this wasn't the same as selling to crowds at festivals. Her old partner had never been good at dealing with buyers on a one to one basis.

As they approached the ruins, she saw movement in between the massive stone feet of the Sages. Raising her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, she counted a group of eight. She signalled her guards to stop. There should only have been one; the Representative, and he was supposed to be a Rito, not Hylian like these seemed to be. Something had gone wrong. There wasn't going to be an exchange this morning. Trying to stay calm, she started back the way she had come, only to hear a shout from the ruins. They had been seen.

There was no use trying to get away now. If they ran, it would look beyond suspicious. So they continued on as if she hadn't heard. They couldn't pretend for very long, as she saw out of the corner of her eye the Hylians running up to meet them. They were dressed appropriately for the desert, though they kept their cloaks tucked tightly around them against the lingering cold from the previous night, dark blue and stitched with the insignia of the crown, a stylised eagle below a triforce. She enjoyed listening to them struggle up the sandy slope towards them, puffing and slipping, while she and her guards kept graceful pace in sturdy heeled sandals. It wasn't until they had been overtaken that she finally stopped, assuming a mildly curious expression.

Their apparent leader, a round Hylian with pink cheeks, beetle black eyes and a mop of mousey hair, took a stand in front of them, blocking their way forward. Sornah noticed that he was wearing a delicately crafted white gold circlet under his messy fringe, adorned with a small flawless sapphire, no doubt enchanted to stave off the hard desert heat. She recognised Isha's work and tried to hide her irritation. She was willing to bet her next shipment that he had not paid a fair price for it. Hylians like these claimed to be men and women of the law, but were not above taking confiscated items for their own.

"Who are you?" she asked while he struggled to catch his breath. She had said it sweetly enough, but it was difficult to keep the accusation out of her tone.

"Ignatius... Buttle... Her Royal Majesty's... Ministry of Commerce..." he wheezed. He was joined by more of his men. Some of them wore masks to protect them from the wind and sand, but from what she had heard about the Ministry of Commerce, she strongly suspected that it was because they would rather not be identified later. As soon as the thought occurred to her, she chided herself for being paranoid. These weren't bandits, at least not the kind that she remembered from before Calamities End. She did make a mental note that all of them were armed.

"And what can I do for Her Majesty?"

He seemed to have caught his breath, and stood a little straighter, though he was nowhere near the height of the Gerudo. "What is your business here?"

"I'm out for a morning stroll," she said flatly.

"With two armed guards?" he snorted.

"They're on duty today," she explained, as if talking to a child. "Can a woman not enjoy a morning walk with her friends before they begin their shifts, or does that violate a trading agreement I haven't heard about?"

"So you wouldn't know anything about a Rito smuggling operation around these parts?" he said, folding his arms. She cursed inwardly. It had been bad enough that this particular deal had fallen through, but if the Representative had been scared away for good, she had lost her main source of income.

"Nothing at all."

"Then you wouldn't mind if we did a quick search?"

She saw a few of the men's eyes narrow in sinister smiles and felt her guards bristle, hands tightening around their spears. "I'm sorry, Mr. Buttle, we're not interested in enabling your little fantasy of playing law enforcement. You're nothing but a bunch of meddling bureaucrats who have ideas above their station. Now, if you'll excuse us..." She made to step past him, but there was a hiss of metal as his men drew weapons. One raised a crossbow. She swore.

"We represent the Royal House of Queen Zelda, so you might try showing us some respect."

"Yeah? Where is she?" She sounded a lot braver than she felt and was grateful when one of her guards caught her eye, giving her a small nod that indicated their support. If it came down to a fight, she knew she could rely on them. "I don't see her anywhere. There are rumours that she isn't even in Hyrule Castle. I don't recognise the authority of a queen who isn't even there for her own people. Now I would take you to our Chief and you can have it out with her, but you aren't even allowed in the town, let alone the palace. It's almost as if you're in way over your head in a land that does not welcome you and does not care for you or your vacant monarch. Hyrule is that way," she pointed north. "Get out before your hurt yourself."

Buttle was becoming redder with every word she said. "You really can't help yourselves, can you?" he spat. "Bring a little civilisation to this Goddess forsaken wasteland and all you get is a more civilised form of banditry. You might feel all high and noble because your crimes have fancy names now but when the sun goes down, 'tax evasion' is just another form of thievery."

Sornah flushed. She would never let him see it, but his accusations cut to her bone and for a moment she was speechless. Her guards levelled their spears, forcing the Hylians to back up, and she heard them tighten their grip on their own weapons. The crossbowman in particular worried her. All it would take is one slip of his finger.

Some of the Hylians on the edge of the group seemed to be distracted, however. They were glancing away from the Gerudo to peer at something in the distance behind them.

"Minister...?" one of them said, leaning around to see better. "What is that?"

Buttle waved an impatient hand. "Not now, Keller."

"I think it's another Gerudo," another one said.

"Nah, it's too... Goddess, I think you're right," Keller exclaimed.

Sornah, her curiosity getting the better of her, turned away from the Hylians to see what they were looking at. At first, she didn't quite understand what she was seeing. A figure, tall, red haired and dark skinned like a Gerudo, was approaching them. As he got closer, Sornah recognised him with a jolt.

xxx

He had never before appreciated just how rich his homeland was. He had stepped through into an underground tomb and even in the silence of that dead place, there was life. The air was cool, and in the enclosed space he could hear his breath echoed back to him like the whispers of the ancestors. He channelled his energy into a flame in his hand and the flickering light chased shadows into corners. By virtue of being a thing built by living hands, the tomb itself was a living thing that slept and dreamt.

He left the tomb, climbing sandstone steps into rising sunlight and marvelling at the sensation of the hot wind on his face. He could smell the baking rock and warm safflina. Unable to help himself, he smiled, taking a moment to enjoy the colours of the morning, sinking into a sitting position with this back against one of the stone pillars that marked the entrance to the tomb. A lizard seemed to think he had the right idea and crawled from its nook in the stone to bask in the orange glow, warming itself. After the world he had come to know as the Empty Place, this little show of life, of effort, delighted him.

Even so, he was reluctant to strike out on his journey. There was no shadow chasing him, but he was aware that no one was waiting for him either. There was no place for him in Gerudo Town, and it was doubtful that anything had changed in the time he had been in what he had come to know as the Empty Place. Moving through the world was still going to be difficult, and he had no idea how long it had been. When he had left, autumn had been coming on fast, and though it was difficult to be sure in the desert, but the way the creeping roots of the hydromelon under the shade of the stonework had bloomed purple flowers, the fruit itself small and inedible, he concluded that it must be spring time. Taking a breath, he stood. He could cover a lot of ground before the sun hit its highest point and the heat would force him to stop. If he had come out where he thought he had, he could take shelter in the East Ruins until nightfall and then head directly to Gerudo Town. In the absence of anything else, his priority was for his people. Like before, he would put himself at Chief Riju's disposal and serve them that way. The thought of showing his face again was hardly appealing, but what other choice did he have? He had done enough hiding.

He set out, veering north and following the base of the mountains, moving quickly to make the most of the cool morning. He tried not to think about what he was going to say when he made it to the front gate. Would she be there? Would Sun hear about his arrival? Gerudo lived long loves and had long memories. Spending much of his formative years away from them had been lucky in a way. He had never had to deal with the small-town realities of an enclosed community. Mistakes and embarrassments had never cling to him. They were something to leave behind, not carry with you. Until now. Now they were a weight on his shoulders, literal marks on his body that could sometimes be hidden, sometimes ignored, but never shed. Sun would most certainly have returned to her home, and might have told her sisters the story of Ganondorf the Coward, Ganondorf the Fool. He would be the first of his kind to come and go, leaving nothing behind like a snuffed candle. At least his predecessors left behind songs and monuments. It might be a legacy of darkness and defeat, but it was a legacy nonetheless. Sun might remember him, but once the pain had worn away, all that would be left of him to her would be the memory of a petty, shameful man. Returning might not change any of that, but staying away would draw a line under his story forever, and that was more than he could bear.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sounds of voices coming to him on the wind. It was not all that unusual for travellers to visit the most prominent landmarks of the region, though the harsh climate deterred all by the most dedicated tourists. Furthermore, the voices were raised in anger, and he recognised a native accent. Normally, he wouldn't have been curious, but he was grateful for any distraction from his worry, so he headed towards the voices until he was able to make out more of what they were saying.

Three Gerudo, two armed and armoured guards as well as what looked like a trader were arguing with a sizable group of Hylians. What was more, they had levelled weapons at each other, their bodies stiff with tension. As much as he believed that any Gerudo could take on a small number of Hylians with ease, one of them had a crossbow. It didn't matter how capable a warrior any of them were when all that stood between them and grievous bodily harm was a shaky hand and less than a split second. They had already seen him approaching, so he slowed down, keeping a calm composure and speaking to the Gerudo as if the others weren't there at all.

"Sav'otta eisha. Meda'as il ulth jinaas'na?" What are these people doing here?

The trader looked too stunned to answer for a moment, but then she collected herself and responded, also in Gerudo. "They think I'm a smuggler. They like to throw their weight around and make themselves feel important, so they're trying to arrest me."

"On whose authority?" he asked. The Hylians were looking from the trader to him. Some of them seemed annoyed that the groups attention had been shifted to the Gerudo. Others squinted, as if they could understand by listening harder. Their leader was getting more annoyed by the second.

"Queen Zelda's."

"Queen?" It was his turn to look astonished. How much time had passed since he had left? He recovered quickly however. Now was not the time to get bogged down in details. "Well tell them to speak to Riju. Queen or not, matters of law should be handled by the Chief."

"I know," she grumbled.

"Regardless, what are they doing here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Speak Hylian!" Buttle shouted, causing both of them to start and regard him with impatience.

It was Ganondorf who spoke. "There is no fight here. Put down your weapons. This trader isn't running anywhere, so if you want to arrest her, you'll have to speak to our Chief," he said, trying to keep his voice civil and free of condescension. "Her Majesty would know this. If there has been a crime, then it will be investigated and dealt with as per our own laws." He couldn't believe he had to explain this. "What are you even doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" he heard the trader mutter in Gerudo.

The Hylians lowered their weapons, but didn't put them away. His appearance and apparent authority seemed to have put them off balance. "We're here on an anonymous tip," the leader said, puffing himself up, "that there would be illegal transactions taking place at this location at this time."

"And that would warrant an arrest?" Ganondorf rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, sighing. None of this was making any sense. "You are stepping far outside the bounds of your authority. We are going to go back to town. You can do whatever you want, but if you want to arrest her, come to town with a representative of the Crown and a letter from the Queen, but know that Chief Riju will not be pleased if you waste her time with something as trivial as this. Now step aside."

For several seconds, no one moved. Then, to their leader's fury, the men and women shuffled back, opening up a space for them to pass. Without waiting for a further excuse, the trader and her guards strode past, and he followed them. They could hear the Hylian official swearing at them, but they didn't turn around. He didn't have long to contemplate what had just happened, however. After they had put some distance behind them and they could no longer be seen, the three women turned on him, the two guards raising their spears to point at his neck.

"I know who you are," the trader hissed.

He raised his hands in a gesture of peace. He hadn't expected this to happen, but now that it was, he could hardly be surprised. He didn't speak.

"You have some gall showing up here again. You're a wanted man," this from one of the guards.

"I'm not going to resist. All I ask is that you take me to Gerudo Town."

"So hand over your weapons."

He paused. All he had was his sword and it pained him to relinquish it. It didn't look as if he had any other choice, so he slowly untied it from his belt and held it out to her. She took it. "This isn't Gerudo made," she commented, and he shrugged. They looked at each other while she seemed to be trying to gauge how much trouble he would be.

"I want to see the Chief anyway," he said, "and I have no interest in being led there by force. There's no need for anything dramatic."

She looked at her two guards, considering. "If you so much as look in the wrong direction..."

"You have my word. I will come quietly."

"Let's go."

She walked ahead of him, and the guards fell in behind him, though he could sense their eyes on him, their weapons at the ready. "You know who I am," he said. "What's your name?"

"Sornah."

"I have questions."

She grunted.

"Were you really planning to smuggle something?"

A pause. "No."

He decided against pressing her. "Why exactly am I a wanted man?"

She turned to glance at him, frowning. "Are you really asking me to explain why you're not welcome here?"

"Enlighten me."

"Don't play pretend, Ganondorf. You show up a matter of months after the defeat of Calamity Ganon and just as quickly disappear. Ever since then it's like we've been cursed. You spooked Zelda so bad it's like we've gone back to the days before the Calamity. We're not welcome in Hyrule anymore and as a result we've been struggling to make ends meet. It was bad enough before the Great Plateau Siege started and now it's like the rest of the world wants to see us starve. And while all this is happening, no one sees hide nor hair of you. Even Sun couldn't tell Riju where you went." She sneered. "But let me guess, you just went on a nice vacation while the world went to shit."

He absorbed all this in shocked silence. How long had passed? She was making it sound as if he was being accused of treason. Trying to stay calm, he thought carefully about his next question. "So... Sun made it back safe?"

"No thanks to you."

"What's going to happen to me?"

"I don't know. It depends what you've done. You're not the only one who has questions."

He let out a breath. Perhaps it hadn't been a good idea to give himself up so easily. He remembered Riju being a reasonable leader, sympathetic to him, but so much had already been proven to be different. Zelda was Queen now, and from what he had seen and what Sornah had growled at him, her reach had grown long indeed. Who was besieging the Great Plateau, and why? He considered breaking away, but he could sense the tension of the guards behind him and know that he wouldn't get away without a fight, a fight that would cost him. Still, it was tempting. This would be the only time he could do it. Once they reached the town, it would be impossible. He took deep breaths. Riju would listen, he told himself. She was young, just a little further removed from tradition and history. It was why he had been confident in approaching her in the first place. Furthermore, she had an uncanny ability to ask the right questions and get to the heart of any given issue.

The sun climbed in the sky, taking the temperature with it. This was the second time he had been caught in Gerudo ill prepared, but he kept his head down, raised his hood against the sun and bent all his focus to putting one foot in front of the other. They didn't offer to pause for a break and he didn't ask them to.

After a couple of hours of this, one of the guards must have noticed his discomfort, because he felt a nudge on his upper arm and when he turned to look, the one on his left was holding out a canteen. He took it from her, trying to ignore his feelings of inadequacy. Sornah set an impressive pace, stepping lightly through the sifting sand as if she were walking on carpet while it sucked at his heavy boots. At this time of day, the sand would burn his feet, otherwise he would have removed them and continued barefoot.

So it was with a mixture of apprehension and relief that he saw the walls of Gerudo Town through the haze. They were approaching from the east side. The guards on duty waved at Sornah, who returned the gesture, calling out to them. When they spotted her prisoner, they stared openly, nudging each other and exchanging hushed and hurried words. Without being told, he stopped some distance from the gate and waited. Sornah explained the situation to the guards who then approached him, weapons in hand.

"Euluu jakkba!" On your knees!

He knelt, the picture of meekness. One of the guards who had been accompanying Sornah stayed behind while her partner and the merchant went to fetch the chief, leaving him surrounded by three veiled warriors. Thankfully, they didn't bind him.

It took several minutes for Riju to arrive, and he was reminded of the first time they had met. He had been surprised to see her in the robes and decorative symbols of her office, and at that point he thought the Chief had sent her daughter instead. It was only when he had called her Miru – 'Chieftain's Daughter' – and endured her irritation that he had learned the truth. Riju had impressed him, demonstrating a grounded knowledge of her position and a confidence far beyond her years. She knew who he was but she had never been afraid of him, more than comfortable reprimanding him or giving him orders like he was just another one of her subjects. Their first encounter had been somewhat like this, with him waiting outside the gates of the town, trying to mask his nervousness while the guards glared at him as if daring him to ask why he was barred entry.

"Ganondorf."

He looked up, and for a moment he was unable to conceal his shock. It was not a girl standing in front of him, but a nearly grown woman whose angled eyes had darkened with maturity. He let out a breath, feeling a flush rise up his neck. She had lost none of her grace, but had instead gained a focus and precision to her movements. A scimitar hung from her hip, and judging by her delicately muscled shoulders and arms, it was clear to him that it wasn't for show. For a moment, they regarded each other, as he took her in and she registered his strange clothes and dishevelled appearance.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, keeping her distance.

"I was diverted," he said, clearing his throat. "There was some… personal business that had to be taken care of. There was no time to explain. You would have been in danger if I stayed…" he trailed off, realising as he spoke how futile it was to try and account for something that must have happened years ago. Examining her face, he estimated her age at around eighteen years, meaning he had been in the Empty Place for at least three years. She was peering at him in kind, her brow knotted in a frown, and he felt misplaced, wrong footed. "I have returned This… this is my home," he finished weakly. Somehow, he experienced a pang of guilt in his chest, though he had no idea why.

"Where have you been?" Her voice remained level, but it was cold as iron.

"I was travelling with Sun, and then… I left."

"You left her? When? Where did you go?"

He swallowed, unsure how to continue. "I departed Hyrule. I have only today returned."

"If you decline to answer my question one more time, Ganondorf, things are going to get a whole lot worse for you."

He sighed. "I went to no place. I can explain to you that I passed through a curtain and describe to you the barren landscape I found myself in, lashed by an empty sea, a dead land, an Empty Place. Suffice it to say that I was not in Hyrule."

She let him fall silent, glaring at him. A tense silence followed. No one moved. "Have you been working with the Yiga Clan?"

He snorted, despite the severity of the situation. "Those cultists? No."

"You did not order them to annex the Great Plateau?"

This stunned him, his eyes wide, mouth slightly open. "They have taken the Plateau? How? Where did they find the men?"

"Do you really think you're in a position to ask questions?"

"I don't even know what I am being accused of!"

He didn't mean to raise his voice, but his frustration was getting the better of him. There was only so much he could tolerate. He felt steel against the back of his neck as the guard behind him pressed forward, growling; "show the Chief some respect."

"Let me make this crystal clear," Riju breathed in a low, dangerous voice. "You might claim inaction, but in your absence, your name – or a close approximation of it – has been used to justify the hostile takeover of sovereign ground. This in turn, has given Queen Zelda every excuse to oppress my people. As far as I am concerned, if you had remained hidden away in the Hebras and had the good sense to keep your head down, then none of this would have happened. I tried to defend you, tried to advocate for your innocence, but after you disappeared even I had to ask myself; what are the chances that you are the first? The first Gerudo man to come into our world and leave without sowing ruin and devastation."

He had no answer, so he remained silent, his jaw tight.

"Where were you?" She cried, emotion breaking into her speech for the first time. "Where were you when Zelda levied unjust laws against us? Where were you when she punished us – not even for your crimes but the crimes of your forefathers? Were you there to speak for us? Where were you when we were forced to trade with the Yiga just to survive? Even here in front of me, you do little to convince me that it wasn't you who ordered the move against the crown, controlling the Yiga from the shadows."

Outraged, he opened his mouth, ready to rebuke her, but she held up a hand. "No. You don't get to speak. Not now. You had your chance three years ago when I questioned you, and you had three years since then to break your silence. You did not. Time has run out for you. You will be escorted from Gerudo and you will not return. I hereby banish you from our homeland."

She stepped forward, closing the distance between them so that she could look directly down on him. "The Gerudo disown you. This is no longer your home."

8