The Waters of Nayru

Chapter 7: The Departure

By, Frank Hunter

The secret window let out at the back of the complex, not far from the alley where Rigo and Amili were gathering themselves. Once his feet hit the ground, Rigo took one stumbling step and looked back up at the wall. Pureet was already gone, but the window was still there. It was amazing. Such a simple thing, really, the window. So simple that he never realized he didn't know where it looked out from. Was there a whole network of catacombs behind the more familiar rooms of the pueblo? What was the purpose?

Never mind that now. No time to worry about it. He trotted the short distance back to the alley, where Amili was already waiting.

"You're late again," she said.

"Yeah, I know," Rigo answered, simply. He wanted to say more, but it wasn't right to burden her with the danger he had gone through, and the secret he had learned. She had enough on her mind.

At her feet now lay the first water skin she had filled earlier, and not one, but two additional.

"Why are there three of them?" Rigo asked, gesturing at the skins. "I'm only taking two, why'd you risk three?"

She didn't answer at first, seemed instead to steel herself as she stared at the sand. Her confidence built up, she told him. "I think...I've decided to go with you."

It didn't register at first. "You think?" he asked.

She jerked her head. "I'm coming with you."

"But...what about all the risks? What about your mother? You said..."

"Stop," she injected. " Rigo, just stop. Before you change my mind." This was visibly wearing on her. The tears Rigo thought he saw in her eyes before had resurfaced, clearer now and definitely there.

"The best way I can help protect you is to be with you. And besides, what really happens if you leave me? I know too much. I'll be in endless trouble in the pueblo. They'll make me tell them where you've gone. And our parents...no. I'm coming."

Rigo opened his mouth to argue with her. There were a million reasons why not, but he couldn't for the life of him force any sound to come out. Yes, it would be dangerous, and he had committed to going on the journey himself. But, selfish as it might be, the idea of company, of Amili's company specifically, was too good. He wanted, perhaps more than even the adventure itself, the chance to be with Amili. The chance to share all of this with her. So he said the magic word, and tried not to sound too ecstatic. "Okay."

There are moments in life when a person will make his or her own bed, and set wheels in motion that will come full circle later on. It's never clear to the person involved when these pivotal moments happen. As you must realize, it is difficult to see the full picture when you're the one being painted. But the challenges faced later in life, challenges we often chalk up to fate or karma or the intervention of the goddesses, can often be defined by what we have done in the past.

Rigo could not have known what that one little word would set in motion, and what it would mean for him down the road. But it echoed through the fabric of time anyway, and laid down the path that would become his destiny.

The two children collected up the water skins. Amili took two plus the food satchel in deference to the arsenal on Rigo's back, and they both donned black cloaks she had procured from her and her mother's wardrobe. Rigo settled it over the brown-leather day wear he had chosen for himself, and took in his appearance as best he was able. The cloak hung long in the back and open in the front, giving the appearance that he was broader, stronger than he really was. The outfit reminded him in many ways of the pictures he'd seen of his predecessor, a large, imposing figure in his own right. It seemed appropriate.

The fashion show finished, the kids made slowly for the front of the pueblo, keeping to the shadows. The stable stood outside, one of the first stops a person would make upon returning home and the last place they would need to go before leaving, which suited Rigo's purposes just fine. There was a single guard out front, and the plan was simple. However, the guard had a very loud horn strapped to her belt, and it was important that it not get blown too early.

They separated again. Amili walked confidently around one side of the small stable building, and Rigo slunk down the other. At the front, he waited. When Amili stepped around the building she made no effort to hide herself. In fact, she greeted the guard.

"Hi there!" she said loudly. "Beautiful night, isn't it?"

The guard scowled down at her from where she stood, not moving a muscle. Amili pretended not to notice.

"I love when you can see the stars. It's a good night for studying the constellations. I was doing that just over there."

"Good for you," the guard mumbled.

"Yeah, it was fun," she went on. "Do you ever study them? I was trying to find the Southern Sabre over there." She pointed out to the horizon. "But I'm not sure where it is. Do you know?"

Amili's inquisitiveness quickly began trying the guard's patience. "Look kid, what are you doing out here so late?"

Amili looked shocked at the guard's brusqueness. She fell back a few steps as though lashed at. Back toward the side of the building. And the guard's eyes followed her. Rigo took his cue.

"I...I just told you," Amili stammered. "I was j...j...just stargazing."

While she had the guard's attention, Rigo slipped in the doorway, unnoticed. Just two things to do inside: saddle and prep one camel, and then send a second out the stable door at speed. While the guard was busy chasing down the decoy camel, they'd slip out, load up, and be gone, and that would be that.

Even in the dark, Rigo found the animals and supplies without much trouble. He opened the gate to the animals' pen and chose the one he wanted, a large beast with a finely groomed beige coat. That would do him well. He began to strap the saddle to its back (the dual saddle, he reminded himself, not the single, he would have a passenger), and lent an ear to Amili's discussion outside as he worked. The distraction was working wonderfully.

"I got tired of studying," Amili told the guard, "and thought I would go out for an evening ride. I wanted to get a camel from you. I've always wanted to ride one."

"A camel?" the guard asked incredulously.

"Yeah. You've got 'em here, right?" Amili asked.

"Kid, you can't just take a camel from the stables. These animals are held in lien by the Stewardship of Gerudo. You need permission to ride one."

"I have permission," Amili said cheerfully. Rigo knew what would happen now. She would reach into her tunic and pull out a scrap of paper that he had given her. It, actually, was a napkin.

"I have a written letter here, signed by Prince Rigo," she told the guard with an air of confidence. "It says that, on his authority, I am allowed to ride any Gerudo mount I want at any time of my choosing."

The guard made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a squeak and Rigo rolled his eyes. It was incredible the guard was even entertaining this. She must have been bored. Just another minute, and Rigo'd have the first camel prepped and ready to go, complete with straps to hold fast to their water supply.

"This doesn't count as a letter of permission," the guard said from outside.

"What do you mean!?" Amili protested. "It says I have permission, it has the prince's signature, right there!"

"Yes, I see that. But regardless of what your table scrap says, the great 'Prince' Rigo does not have the authority necessary to permit release of one of these animals. You would need written consent from Stewardess Sooru for such, and even so, I would not allow you to ride freely in the dead of night. Where is your sense, girl?"

Rigo felt something cringe inside of him as he tightened the final strap on the camel. His permission wasn't sufficient? Granted, he hadn't expected (or wanted) the ploy to work, to send the guard inside for a camel, but something about the way she phrased that rejection rubbed him the wrong way. He thought back on what Pureet had told him about how split the soldiers were regarding the true leader of Gerudo. He thought he knew where this guard would stand if it came down to it.

He chose his second animal, the decoy animal, and began leading it into position in front of his own mount. This one, a shaggy brown oaf of a camel, looked down on Rigo disdainfully as he urged it into position in front of his actual ride.

"You know, as the future king of Gerudo, I would think Prince Rigo has authority to permit anything he wants," Amili said. Rigo's heart swelled. At least she was on his side. Always on his side.

The guard sighed. "Kid, I really don't have time for this right now. I don't know who your mom is, but it's time for you to get back to her and get out of my hair."

There it was. Amili had now outstayed her welcome and the time to go upon them. Rigo rapped the decoy camel on its rear end and pointed it toward the door. "Hut hut!" he urged at it under his breath.

And nothing happened.

Rigo tried again, this time accompanying the rap with a little push. The stubborn camel snorted but still did not budge.

"Well, you see," he heard Amili outside, still biding for time, "my mother thinks...knows I'm outside, see? So it's better if I just stay here."

"I really don't care where you go," the guard responded, "but you need to leave. Before I call someone to take you home."

Sweat beaded on Rigo's forehead. "Come on..." he urged the camel, all but pounding on its rump now. Still no luck. The animal seemed to be gleefully ignoring him.

"Right," Amili stalled. "It's just..."

Rigo needed to get this thing moving before Amili got into trouble. He reached up over his shoulder and pulled an arrow from his quiver. "Sorry," he whispered to the camel. "But you're being a jerk."

He slipped the arrowhead into his fingers and, not wanting to stab the unfortunate creature too deeply, left only the barest tip exposed. He wound his arm back, and with reasonable force, gave the camel one last pointed smack to get it moving.

The camel noticed it that time but, still intent on not being cooperative, did not use it as motivation to go shooting out the front door as planned. Instead, the beast let out a bray that echoed around the small stable and gave a backward mule-kick so hard that Rigo almost didn't have time to stumble out of the way. The kick, fortunately, did not hit Rigo or his mounted camel. That would have been disastrous. But it did hit a solid hitching post with a resounding crash that might have been a small explosion.

"What was that?" came the guard's voice from outside. Crap.

"Wha...what?" Amili stuttered, obviously taken off guard. "A camel?"

"Get behind the wall, girl," the guard said, asserting control in a potentially dangerous situation. Rigo saw firelight begin to dance in the entryway. She must have picked up a lantern. She was coming in.

"Hello?" the guard ventured.

Rigo, effectively trapped in the stable, stood frozen in the path of the oncoming light. What could he do? What would happen if he was caught now? Would they punish him?

Would they punish Amili?

No, he couldn't be caught, he decided. Regaining his feet, he ran back into the stable and ducked into the shadows beside a tall pile of hay and a water trough, tucking the arrow he had pulled back into its quiver.

The guard entered, though Rigo couldn't quite see. Her footsteps paused at the door. She must have seen the two camels that had been released from their pen almost at once, seen that one had been saddled up and prepared to depart.

"Show yourself," the guard ventured with more muscle in her voice. Rigo, for all his plans, did not have any experience with this sort of thing. He didn't know how to improvise, didn't have a back-up plan. He knew it was only a matter of time before she found him, and all he could think about was how bad this was going to be for the both of them.

The firelight advanced and grew brighter. Rigo pulled his shield off, desperate for something else to hide behind, something to protect him from the repercussions of his actions. The fire from the guard's lantern became visible as her hand came into view. He needed something, anything, a sign.

Just then, Amili's voice spoke up from the doorway. "Is everything alright?" she shouted, maybe just a little too loud. Rigo saw the hand holding the lantern waver as the guard became startled. The reaction steeled Rigo.

A scowl fell across the guard's face as, distracted, she looked back over her shoulder at the girl. "I thought I told you to stay put outside!"

Rigo knew this was the best, possibly the only opening he was going to get. On a surge of adrenaline, he jumped out and lunged forward, swinging the shield with all his strength at the back of the guard's right knee.

He connected and the guard dropped down to his height in a microsecond, falling to her knee and crying out in pain. Rigo didn't wait another moment. A second swing took her at the back of the head, and a quick third landed her temple. The guard went down the rest of the way, and collapsed in a heap on the floor. Dropped and discarded were the lamp and, Rigo only just noticed, a polearm with the typical curved, wicked blade on the end. That sight more than anything else shook him.

"Oh Goddess," he whispered.

"Rigo, come on," he heard Amili's voice pleading. But it was distant.

"What did I do?" Rigo asked.

"You did what you had to," Amili said. "Nothing to be done about it. But c'mon. We've gotta go. Like, now!"

Most of the rest was a blur to Rigo as he tried to cope. He had attacked a guard of the clan Gerudo. He did something beyond mischievous and troublesome. This was treasonous. There were penalties for this. Punishments he'd have to face, in the future, if not now.

The rest of the supplies got loaded, mostly thanks to Amili, though Rigo helped to haul when instructed to. Their camel was ready to go quickly, though Amili took the first turn at the reins, and Rigo sat in the back, clutching at her belt for balance. Amili, not the riding novice she had made herself out to be, gave the animal a swift kick to the flank, and the two were off into the night, on the shaky beginning of their great adventure.