Chapter 2: Strange Encounters
Ganondorf arrived at Castle Town by late afternoon. He turned many heads upon his arrival, many residents stopping in their daily routines to gawk at the tall Gerudo. He was a menacing sight, seated atop his hellish stallion, clad in the armor worn exclusively by the king of his people. Most of them had never even seen one of the desert thieves, let alone one of their rare men. As he approached the castle gates, the guards halted his progress.
"State your business!" one of them demanded.
"I wish to speak with the king," Ganondorf answered calmly.
"What business do you have with the king?" asked the other.
"I wish to negotiate a peace treaty," Ganondorf replied.
The guards looked at each other, then back at Ganondorf.
"Wait here," the first guard said, leaving his post and heading toward the castle.
Ganondorf waited, twirling his fingers through the fiery strands of his horse's mane. After about ten minutes, the guard returned.
"The king has agreed to see you," he said. "But, make it quick!"
Ganondorf nodded in thanks and urged his horse forward. A third guard waited at the doors to escort him to the throne room. He dismounted and followed the man inside. Upon entering the throne room, he dropped to one knee before the king.
"My guards tell me you wish to negotiate a peace treaty between the Hylians and the Gerudo," the king said. "Is this correct?"
"Yes, your Highness," Ganondorf confirmed. "I wish to improve the lives of my people and I believe this to be a step in the right direction."
"I see," the king said.
He was silent for a moment, then turned to a man at his side, his advisor. They whispered together for a moment before the king turned back to Ganondorf.
"In recent years, your people have done nothing to show that they wish to coexist peacefully with us. Why, just last week they raided our grain stores! I'm afraid, at least at this time, that I'm going to have to deny your request. Until you and your people can prove to me that peace is what you truly want, I cannot accept your request."
Ganondorf kept his composure, but inside he seethed. This man was ruining his plans!
"I understand, your Majesty," Ganondorf said, forcing a smile. "I will speak with my people and we shall make our best effort to change your mind."
The king nodded and dismissed the desert king.
Bastard! Ganondorf thought.
Ganondorf left the castle, collecting his horse and riding back into town. Evening was on its way and the crowds on the streets had dwindled down to almost nothing. People had gone home eat an evening meal with their families. Ganondorf slowed as he passed the path leading to the Temple of Time. He turned his horse and headed down the path. The large stone structure loomed in the distance. The building was old, existing centuries before the town had been built around it. Ganondorf dismounted his horse and approached the façade. He'd never seen it before, but it somehow seemed familiar. He saw something out of the corner of his eye and turned toward it. Several black and white diamonds had appeared out of nowhere and hovered in the air for a moment before blinking out of existence.
"Curious," Ganondorf muttered to himself.
The geometric shapes appeared again, several feet away from where they'd originally appeared. Ganondorf hesitantly walked towards them. When he got close, they disappeared again, only to reappear a few feet away. They seemed to be leading him behind the temple. He gripped the hilt of his sword and followed. He was cautious, but his curiosity had the best of him. He was being drawn toward whatever the diamonds would reveal. He was led deep into the copse of trees behind the temple. The diamonds appeared in a large group before disappearing a final time, but they left something behind. A man was lying prone on the ground. He wore a high-collared red cape over a skintight white bodysuit with diamond cutouts. His snowy white hair obscured half of his face. Ganondorf slowly approached the figure and nudged him with his boot.
"Hey!" he shouted.
The man remained motionless. Ganondorf cautiously knelt at the man's side, pressing his forefinger to the pale throat. A pulse beat slowly in his body. The Gerudo king wasn't one to show compassion or mercy, but for whatever reason, he couldn't bring himself to leave this mysterious man to die in the woods. Ganondorf flipped the man over in order to pick him up and jumped in shock. The front of the white bodysuit was soaked in blood. Through a large diamond-shaped cutout, Ganondorf could see a ragged stab wound in his chest. Ganondorf whistled and his horse galloped toward him. The stallion knelt to allow his master to lift the unconscious man onto his back. Ganondorf climbed on behind him, securely keeping him in place as they rode. They left Castle Town just minutes before the drawbridge was raised for the night.
…
Ganondorf arrived back in the desert in the early hours of the morning. Nabooru was patrolling the fortress, spotting the king as he returned.
"Help me, would you?" he asked her.
She helped Ganondorf ease the injured stranger off the horse. He dismounted, handing his horse off to another thief to take to the stables.
"Who is he?" Nabooru asked curiously.
Ganondorf took the stranger in his arms, the pale-haired head resting against his shoulder.
"I don't know," he replied. "I found him near the Temple of Time."
"Since when does Ganondorf Dragmire rescue people in need?" she asked. "Why not leave him for someone else to find?"
"I don't know how to explain it, Nabooru," he said. "I just couldn't."
Nabooru raised a skeptical eyebrow as her friend carried the strange man into the fortress. She shook her head and went back to the watch.
Ganondorf brought the man to his private chambers. The Gerudo all lived together in the fortress, private rooms reserved for those with authority like the king and his higher-ups. First things first: Ganondorf had to get the man out of his bloody clothes. He could have easily entrusted the man's care to one of the women, but he felt this man to be his responsibility. He stripped the bodysuit from the man with some difficulty and set about washing the wound. He'd have to remember to get some healing potions from Koume and Kotake in the morning. When he was finished, he starred at the man for a moment, taking in the contours of the lean muscle and the glow of his pale skin. Ganondorf had never been around other men before and he was intrigued. This man was so different from himself. He looked so delicate. He bandaged the man and dressed him in a pair of baggy pants made of dark red silk. He placed the man in his own bed. He stood back from the bed, watching the man sleep. When would he wake up and why did he seem so familiar? Ganondorf turned from the bed, shedding his armor and collapsing on a nearby couch.
…
He awoke in the early afternoon of the following day. The man was still unconscious. He dressed and went to seek out the twin witches who'd raised him.
"Hello, there," Koume said.
"Nice to see you're finally awake," her sister followed.
"We hear you found a strange man on your travels."
"And brought him back to the fortress."
"Were you successful in your task?"
"No," Ganondorf replied. "The king feels we aren't making enough of an effort towards peace."
"How unfortunate," Kotake cackled.
"I suppose you'll have to try again," Koume said.
"What brings you to us?" Kotake asked.
"I need something for the man I found," he replied. "He appears to have been stabbed in the chest."
Koume rummaged through a variety of bottles, choosing one and tossing it at Ganondorf.
"Rub this on the wound daily," she explained. "It will heal in a few days' time."
Ganondorf nodded in thanks and headed back to his charge. He ran into Nabooru on his way.
"Did he wake up?" she asked.
"Unfortunately no," he answered. "But I'm supposed to put this on the stab wound to heal it."
"Mind if I join you?" she asked. She too was curious about this man.
"Not at all," he replied.
The pair returned to Ganondorf's room. The man still hadn't moved. Ganondorf sat on the edge of the bed, gently unraveling the bandages and applying some of the foul-smelling potion to the wound. It hissed and smoked slightly, but the man never even twitched.
"I worry that he'll starve if he doesn't awaken soon," Ganondorf stated. "I don't know how long he'd been there before I found him."
Nabooru found Ganondorf's concern unsettling. It was very unlike him to care for a stranger in such a way. He wasn't a compassionate person.
"Where do you suppose he came from?" she asked. "He doesn't really look like a Hylian."
"No idea," Ganondorf answered. "But hopefully he'll wake up soon and tell us who he is."
