Chapter Seven – Newcomer

Ashekha grinned excitedly as she and her classmates approached the stables. Though they were still quite young and small in size, they were going to begin learning about the basics of horseback riding. The first things to learn were how to care for the horse and interact with it. As they walked through the stables, the teacher spoke aloud to her students and pointed out various features of the horses. "Notice how large they are," she said. "They may be beautiful animals, but they can be very dangerous too." All the girls pointed and giggled and muttered excitedly to each other as they continued on. Some of the workers were in the stables, shoveling hay into the stalls. The teacher pointed this out. "Now if you look there, you can see that the horses must be fed often. They eat hay and grasses and-"

She was suddenly cut off by the sounds of hoofbeats quickly approaching in the distance mixed with shouts from the guards out on the grounds. In the waning light of day, the girls could see the guards waving their arms at them. The teacher realized what it was and quickly herded her class out of the stables. "Come on, girls! The king is coming back and we're going to be in his way!"

Everyone hurried out just in time as the horses rounded the corner onto the grounds, heading to the stables. Ganondorf was at the front. He yanked on the reigns, stopping his horse right outside the entrance. He quickly dismounted and walked briskly over to one of the other horses. Ashekha and her friends watched from over their shoulders as they were being led indoors. As the band began to dismount, Ashekha saw Ganondorf grab a hold of a small dark figure wrapped in a cloak from off one of the horses. For a moment, Ashekha thought she glimpsed red eyes and dark hair under the cowl of the squirming person. The last thing she saw of the matter was the king forcefully yanking the small figure from the horse.

Ganondorf angrily dismounted his horse and strode over to the horse behind him. One of the Gerudo held a small child against her, wrapped in a dark cloak. With swift, deliberate movements, he yanked the child from the horse. As he did so, the child let out a cry, struggling to pull away. The king paid no attention and began to walk inside of the fortress, dragging the young one along. As they made their way, the child grunted and groaned while trying to escape the king's grasp. The noise drew attention and the Gerudo children in their classes tried to crowd around the doors to see what was going on.

The cloaked child breathed heavily and angrily while struggling. With a scratchy feminine voice, she cried out, "You Gerudo bastard! Let me go! LET ME GO!!"

Ganondorf continued to ignore her demands and gripped her arm tightly. He pulled her along through the hallways, his face unwavering and glaring. Some of the workers that were in the halls quickly flattened themselves against the walls as the king stomped through. They watched with wide eyes, puzzled. But Ganondorf knew exactly what he was doing, and it was for a good reason. As he moved along, Uganguzi rounded a corner and stopped dead in her tracks.

"S-sire?" she said, looking from the feisty child to him.

"Get out of my way," he said simply.

Without question, Uganguzi stepped aside as he turned the corner.

"You goddamned monster!!" the little girl shouted angrily. Her cowl had fallen off during her struggling and Uganguzi could see the jet black hair and furious red eyes with black markings beneath. This was a Sheikah child. "Let me GO!!"

For a moment, Uganguzi was shocked into silence, unmoving. She just watched as Ganondorf trampled down the hallway towards the back room where she was just at. The guards scrambled to pull open the door before the king got there. As soon as it was pulled open, Ganondorf lifted the child up with one arm to his chest and carried her kicking form down into the prison chamber. A guard followed him down, a ring of keys clanking from her belt.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, Ganondorf walked to a cell across from the other prisoners' cells. He then set the Sheikah girl down and gave a rude shove. The child fell on her face before scrambling to her feet again. By time she was up, the cell door slammed shut and the guard locked it up. Ganondorf glared once at the child before turning and leaving the chamber. Blazing red eyes glowed in the dim light and the girl gripped the cell bars and screamed furiously, "Take me back!!"

The iron door was slammed shut as soon as the king and the guard exited. Now the cries and shouts of the Sheikah girl were muffled. Ganondorf swiftly began walking down the hall again, past Uganguzi. As he passed, he simply muttered, "Come with me."

Uganguzi quickly obeyed and followed after him. As they turned a corner, they were met by Nabooru who fell in step with them. Confused, Uganguzi opened her mouth to speak. But before she could utter words, her sister shook her head deliberately. Uganguzi held her tongue and remained silent. Nabooru gestured to Ganondorf ahead of them and made a face that said "not a good idea." All questions would have to wait until later.

Within seconds, they came to Ganondorf's chambers. He threw open the door and told the guards to leave them. As soon as they had left, Ganondorf began to speak. "We have a bit of a dilemma." He sat on the edge of his desk, resting his upper weight on his arms. Nabooru had her arms folded as she listened, watching her sister. Uganguzi watched the king as he continued. "There was an incident… With Umtoh's help, we found the hidden Sheikah village. But while we observed, something went wrong. Someone found us and we had to attack right then and there."

Uganguzi's lips parted in surprise as she listened. She glanced at her sister who nodded gravely. "You wiped them all out?"

Ganondorf nodded. "All save that little brat we brought here."

There was a pause and Uganguzi inquired. "But why her, sire?"

Nabooru spoke up. "She knows something. A secret of some sort."

"A secret?"

"Yes," said Ganondorf. "While we were still observing, we saw the child's mother. She wore the robe of a high priest. Even the child herself wore the symbol of the high priest on her tunic."

"They were in connection to the Sheikah Temple, Uganguzi," said Nabooru.

"There's a Sheikah Temple?" Uganguzi asked, surprised.

Ganondorf nodded. "I found a map among their tents with the Eye of Truth that marked an uncharted region somewhere between here and Hyrule Castle. Their own village wasn't even marked on it. If there was a priestess housing a map such as this, then I'd say it's a sure sign that this is the resting place of the Sheikah Temple. And if I'm correct, then it could be an advantage for us. It's much closer to Hyrule than our desert and no one knows of it. So now with the Sheikah Village taken out, there's no one to stop us or to aid the royal family if they were to find out."

Uganguzi nodded, understanding. "So you took the child then."

"Yes. The mother would most definitely rather die, than surrender the location. But if her daughter were assimilated into our world, she then may lead us there herself."

"I see. Well, how long are we to keep her in the holding cell?"

"Just overnight," said the king. "Let her be drained of her anger. Only then will she be approachable." He stood up again and rubbed his forehead. "Tomorrow she'll have calmed down."

"And you know this… how?" asked Nabooru.

Surprised, Ganondorf looked up at her. "Are you kidding? I live with almost a hundred of you emotional maniacs. I know how it goes…"

Uganguzi stifled a laugh.

"Anyway, that's all for now. If you would, send Umtoh to me after you go."

"Yes, sire." Nabooru and Uganguzi bowed and exited the room. Within several minutes, Umtoh entered the room and shut the door behind her. She paused a moment, watching his face. Then her lips curled into a smile. "We did it."

Ganondorf returned the smile and nodded.

When morning finally came upon the Gerudo Fortress, all awoke and rose for their daily work. The sun wasn't as bright as usual though and it appeared to be somewhat of a gloomy day. Clouds had moved across Hyrule Field and found themselves caught amidst the mountains of the desert. Without anywhere else to go, they remained lining the skies about the fortress, creating a dismal atmosphere. In light of the situation the other day—relating to the captive Sheikah girl—everyone was worried and nervous. Never before had the king treated a child in such a way. It had namely bothered Ashekha. Late into the night she had wondered at how the king could be so gentle and goodhearted to her, but then so coarse and hateful towards the new child. It just didn't set right with her.

As she stood now in her room, she had an odd feeling overcome her. Perhaps it was just the weather messing with her. Whatever it was, she didn't feel like herself. After a moment of just standing idly, she turned to the mirror hanging on the wall next to the door. Her reflection stared back at her. Maybe she just needed to go do something. After all, it was the beginning of the day.

"Ashekha!" a voice called from the hallway.

Turning, the Gerudo child replied, "Yeah?"

"Come on, it's breakfast!"

"Okay, I'll be right there!" She glanced at herself in the mirror once more before turning out of the room. Quickly she rushed down the halls after her friends and into the dining hall. They made it just in time for the call to attention. Once the prayer was said, everyone crowded around the line for food. This time around, they were served fresh fruits and cinnamon bread. Licking her lips, Ashekha eagerly awaited her plate to be passed to her.

Nabooru walked down the halls to the prison chamber. She was ordered by Ganondorf to take the Sheikah child and place her among the Gerudo children. She was hesitant about it, but she obeyed orders. As she approached, the guards began to pull open the door. Nabooru held out her hand and the keys from the one guard were placed within. She then made her way down below and came to the cell where the child was locked inside. Peering in, Nabooru could hardly see the girl. Her dark hair and cloak hid her well among the shadows. "Usiku," she said.

The child turned her head and looked up at Nabooru with tear-filled eyes. Her face reflected deep sorrow and anguish. Her cheek rested against her knees as they had been pulled against her chest. She sniffed once.

"You need to come with me." Nabooru flipped through the keys until she had the right one. Sliding it into the lock, she gave it a twist, hearing the cranks turn. She then opened the cell door. The Sheikah girl just sat there for a moment before slowly rising to her feet. She silently walked out of the cell with Nabooru close behind. They climbed the stairs and Nabooru returned the keys. Then the two began to walk through the halls towards the dining hall.

Ashekha sat at her table and bit into an apple, a loud crunch following after. Some of the juices from the apple dripped from the corners of her lips and she wiped her face with the back of her hand. "Mmm! These are really good!" she remarked whilst chewing.

"Yeah, no kidding!" Holly agreed.

"I really like the cinnamon bread," said Y'kana.

"Uh-huh, it's good too!" Ashekha said, taking another bite of her apple.

Terra sat across from the three roommates. After taking a sip from her cup, she asked, "Did you guys see the strange girl yesterday?"

"Yeah, we all did," replied Y'kana.

"I wonder what she's doing here."

Holly spoke up. "Well, you saw Ganondorf pulling her down the halls. Maybe she did something bad."

"You really think so?" asked Rikka. "She looks like she's our age."

"Yeah, she looks really cool too!" said Y'kana.

"Oh, I know!" bounced Holly. "Her hair is like all black and stuff!"

Ashekha jumped into the conversation. "Uh-huh, and her eyes are red!"

The girls all giggled and squirmed in their chairs as they spoke about the Sheikah girl. It wasn't long before Rikka caught sight of their subject accompanied by Nabooru. As they came into the dining hall, she pointed. "Hey, there she is!"

The Sheikah child, Usiku, surveyed the room. To her great discomfort, she saw that it was full of people. She lowered her eyes to the floor as she was led through the dining hall. Nabooru gave her a tray of food and then led her to a table. Usiku sat at the very end, hoping no one would speak to her. She just wanted to be left alone to her anguish. Sadly the noise in the hall rang in her ears and made her very edgy. Nabooru laid a hand briefly on her shoulder and said, "I'll be right back."

Usiku sat motionless, staring at her food. But after a few moments, her body forced her to give in and she reached for the sweet-smelling cinnamon bread. Right before her fingertips touched it, a voice sounded beside her. "Hey, you're the new girl, right?"

The Sheikah girl glanced up at the figure standing to her right. There were actually two. One of the girls had short red hair and a few freckles while the second had longer hair and large eyes. Usiku just looked at them a moment before turning her attention back to her food. "What gave it away?" she said quietly, her voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Look, we're just trying to be friendly," said the short-haired Gerudo. "I'm Osayer and this is Filfil." She motioned to her friend.

Usiku said nothing. She lifted the bread to her mouth and took a bite.

Growing irritated, Osayer said, "Well aren't you going to tell us your name?"

After a pause, the Sheikah girl replied quietly, "Usiku."

Filfil spoke this time. "Well then, Usiku… Why are you here?"

"Yeah, we heard some of the adults talking about you," said Osayer. "They said that your mum died or something."

At the mention of her mother, Usiku's heart sank. Her body became tense and suddenly the food she was chewing didn't taste appealing. She slowly set the bread back down on her plate and painfully gulped the last chunk in her mouth.

"So is it true?" asked Filfil.

Usiku felt her patience beginning to slip away. "I'd really not like to talk about my mother right now."

"Why? Did you hate her?" Osayer asked.

The question made Usiku's hands ball into fists. She glared up at the two girls. "I would really like you to leave now."

"Well too bad, Miss Sheikah," said Filfil. "You're in our home now and we can do whatever we want." Osayer nodded in agreement.

"Is that so?" Usiku muttered, feeling her anger coming to a head. On top of these girls being so rude in relation to her mother, they were being complete brats.

"Yeah, so why don't you just answer us? You're getting awfully angry over this subject. Sure seems like you hate your mother…"

It happened quickly.

Usiku rose to her feet and swung her arm at Fifil with great force. The blow ended in a loud crack and the Gerudo girl fell to the floor. Osayer gasped in fright. Filfil lay on the ground whimpering with blood streaming from her nose. Usiku stood over her and glared. In a hushed voice, she said, "I loved my mother more than anything and if you ever speak of her again, I'll kill you myself."

At the table where Ashekha sat, the girls watched everything. They saw Osayer and Filfil approach the Sheikah girl. It was a sure sign of trouble, but the girls wanted to see what would happen. They couldn't hear any of the conversation, but they could see that the Sheikah girl was getting annoyed. Growing nervous, Ashekha said, "Should we go stop them before something goes wrong?"

Y'kana nodded. "Yeah, let's go stop them from being themselves." The other girls nodded and they all stood up. About the time they all turned to leave the table, they heard a cry.

The commotion caused many of the Gerudo children to gather around. "She's crazy!" shouted Osayer, backing away. Ashekha and her friends stood frozen and shocked. Filfil was on the floor, her face and chest covered in blood. Nabooru came running back from the kitchen and quickly knelt down by Filfil, wiping some of the blood away with a napkin.

"What happened?" she said angrily.

Osayer pointed at Usiku. "It was all her! She just jumped up and punched Filly in the nose!"

Usiku stood with her arms folded, her piercing eyes daring Nabooru to buy into the lie that was just told. The Gerudo leader looked from Usiku to Filfil and then to Osayer. "She just punched her for no reason?"

Osayer nodded.

"I can't believe that, Osayer. You and Filfil must have said something to make her do this."

Usiku eyed Osayer. "She sure did and she'd love to tell you all about it."

Nabooru glanced at Usiku and could see all the signs in her face and hear it in her voice: she had a reason. Deciding to figure it out later, she then lifted Filfil in her arms and turned to go. "You girls stay here. I'm coming right back." Then she left the room.

Osayer felt a sense of dread as she watched Usiku glare at her. This Sheikah girl was creepy. It was unlike anything she'd ever known so far in her life. Though she was angered deep inside, she let it stay buried for now. She didn't want to risk getting her nose broken like Filfil's. As she moved to a different table, the sounds of the dining hall returned. The girls began to ask her about what happened while the adults tried to get the children to finish eating.

Ashekha and her friends finally approached Usiku. The Sheikah girl glanced at them as they approached. A smile broke out across Ashekha's face and she said, "That was awesome! You have no idea how badly I've wanted to do that!"

The other girls nodded in agreement and grinned too.

Usiku watched them, a bit surprised at their reaction. But then again, she hadn't met Gerudo before. Perhaps they weren't all uncivil and barbaric. "Well I'm glad I could be of service," she said half seriously.

Ashekha kept smiling. "Yeah, you did a good job. I'm Ashekha and these are my friends." She motioned to the four girls around her. They all introduced themselves and smiled. After that, Ashekha asked finally, "What's your name?"

Usiku found the company of these Gerudo somewhat comforting and replied, "Usiku."

"Well it's nice to meet you, Usiku. Do you know who you're rooming with yet?"

The Sheikah girl shrugged. "I've been locked in your prison all night, so if that's what you mean…"

"The prison?!" Y'kana exclaimed.

Usiku smiled bitterly. "Courtesy of your king."

"Sheesh…" remarked Holly.

Ashekha said, "Well, since you're not locked up anymore, maybe he's gonna let you room with someone."

Usiku shrugged again, her gaze falling to the floor. "We'll see."

Just then, Nabooru returned and motioned for Osayer and Usiku to follow her. The two exchanged glances before filing out after her. Ashekha watched them leave, hoping that nothing bad would happen. She knew Osayer's ways of lying and twisting the truth. But Usiku seemed smart enough to outwit the brat, so she was calmed by that fact. Turning back to her friends, Ashekha mentioned that they should prepare for classes. This day was going to be a long one.