Doubts

"What in the name of Hyrule happened tonight?" asked Link. Zelda did not respond, her body language making it clear she did want to discuss the matter with him. Instead, the two of them sat across from each other in silence for a while. Unsettled by the inaction that often accompanies silence, he paced around the room. He paused by the mirror when he noticed that his reflection seemed incomplete without Navi fluttering about him. It was not like her to hold a grudge this long after one of their spats. It never took more than an hour for her to be back at his side playfully antagonizing him.

Eager to think of something else, he walked to the doorway and peered down the hall where he could see a sliver of the commotion in the room where Aveil had been taken. As far as anyone could tell she would fully recover. The commotion had to do more with the line of Gerudo women coming to pay respects to their king. Tonight's events seemed to truly impress his subjects.

"Magic."

Link turned to see Zelda finally acknowledging his presence. When he returned to his seat, she was looking at him with those blue eyes, and he instantly felt awkward. Whenever she addressed him, feelings of infatuation would coopt his senses and heighten his self-awareness. It was frustrating on the one hand since he would become acutely aware of how he was sitting and needlessly concerned about how she perceived him. On the other hand, he had no trouble forgetting all the other troubles of this life—including Navi—since he could give her his undivided attention at a moment's notice.

Forcing himself to appear as relaxed on the outside as he was frenetic on this inside, he prompted her to continue her train of thought by asking, "Care to explain?"

"During dinner, Aveil said Gerudo men were gifted with a special power by the Goddess Din that binds him to his people. At the time, I judged her words as nothing more than embellishment meant to convince me how important their community is. Back home, I encountered several scholars who studied the effects of tribal unity on an individual."

"We call it strength in numbers," said Link.

"Indeed. Those scholars always seemed to approach their research with mystical reverence. In my many years of study, I occasionally happened upon mention of magic, and I don't mean in a children's tale. Our history books are dotted with unexplained events, eye witness accounts that befuddle historians. The great Hylian scribes would reluctantly label the affairs as magic in lieu of no other suitable expression."

"Well, I don't think there's a more 'suitable expression' for what happened tonight."

"So, Aveil was not exaggerating. There really is a supernatural bond between him and his people."

"Yes, the kind that explodes from your fists." Zelda looked at him with a touch of offense, as though he wasn't giving Ganondorf the benefit of the doubt. He added, "You did see it, didn't you?"

"Of course. Everyone saw it."

"Not the magic. His face. Did you see his face?"

Zelda said nothing, which was just as good as a confirmation.

"We both know he enjoyed giving that beating."

Zelda rose and turned her back to him.

Link sighed. "Do you trust him?"

"I trust the boy I grew up with," she said. "That man out there was someone else. Aveil coerced him into that situation. It wasn't his fault."

Her loyalty was enough to make him momentarily forget his infatuations. "That's all the more reason to keep our distance. What's to say she hasn't flipped a switched in him? She started it, but maybe she won't need to be around for the next little tantrum. I aim to keep you safe, and that's difficult to do with a magical time bomb in tow."

"His people are dying, Link."

"Haven't you noticed," he replied, "his people aren't exactly the take-the-high-road type."

"So they deserve this fate? Is that what you are implying?"

"No," he said in exasperation. "But they aren't exactly playing fair. They kidnapped you, for Goddess' sake. They are asking the two of us to risk our lives for a power that might not even exist. They take, Princess. They do not earn, they take. We don't owe them anything."

"You are right, we do not owe them anything. Otherwise our help would be an act of obligation. Instead, it will be an act of compassion."

Link failed to understand her devotion, and he was admittedly a bit jealous of her commitment to Ganondorf.

"He is my friend," she continued. "His people may not be ethical and what he did tonight is inexcusable, but let me ask you this. If I stumble; if I make one wrong choice, will you abandon me so quickly?"

Her words pierced his heart. He got up from his seat and approached her before saying, "No, I wouldn't."

"I did not think so."

"Besides," he said, "I can't very well go back to Hyrule without you. Your father would have my head before I stepped one foot in the city. By all accounts, I'm at your mercy." He gestured a small bow.

Zelda nodded appreciatively.

"But," he clarified, "I don't trust him. Not yet. You do and you have your reasons, but I don't. So don't be upset with me if I keep him at a distance and you close."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Close?"

He stammered, "Um, you know, for protection… in a purely professional manner, of course."

Zelda smiled. "Of course."

Aveil looked up at her king, even though the slightest movement sent icy pains through her body. She gazed upon him with satisfaction. She could already see the difference. There was a glimmer of fierceness in his eyes. He wasn't hunched over her like some soppy healer trying to ease her pain with comfort. He stood there like a guard, allowing her pain to make her stronger.

"You know what must be done," she said weakly.

He nodded. "We'll find it and fix everything."

"It won't be easy. The Hylians will be waiting for you at the base of the mountain. Take as many warriors from our city that you desire."

"No," he said. "I can't save our people by sending them to battle. The three of us will go. We will succeed."

"That is wise, my Lord. Do you trust them?"

He looked at her with a hint of offence. "I trust her with my life."

"But what about him?"

He paused before answering, "He's on our side."

"Zelda's side, you mean. Promise me, my Lord. Don't let him stand between us and the Triforce. Promise."

He looked at her and said to her surprise, "I am your king. I don't make promises to you."

Aveil smiled. His transformation had gone better than she had hoped. "One more thing," she said, motioning weakly at a nearby servant.

The servant came forward and handed a wrapped bundle to Ganondorf. When he opened it, she could see his surprise.

"I threw this away," he said. He held the demon statue fondly in his hands.

"Never do that again. That is your past. You do not run from it. It will make you strong."

He nodded, turned it over, and looked at her in surprise.

"I fixed it. Your name doesn't belong there anymore. Yes, that statue is a ganon, the fiercest of all enemies known to walk our world. You are not its equal."

He looked at her and grinned. "No, I am not. I am greater."

"Yes, the Slayer of Demons." On that thought, she allowed herself to drift to sleep.

The Gerudo city is cradled within a desert mountain basin. Its formidable lone city gate is accessible via a single, winding pass that meets a solid bridge across a narrow canyon. There is only one way in, and it is remarkably easy to defend. Impa should know. She remembered the last time she fought her way into the city. It was brutal, but it could be done.

They had reached the Gerudo border, a canyon highlighted in the full moon. It was a league deep, with a powerful river raging at the bottom. So far was the fall that it might as well be cold stone at the bottom. It was an incredible landscape when you could see it in the daylight, especially in the early summer. A rich green meadow canvased the entire side upon which Impa now stood, with sod clear to the canyon's edge. On the other side, only a spear's throw away, the earth was brown and cracked. Desert and pasture, two warring landmasses, held apart by an ancient ravine.

She stood in solitude mulling over her next move. She didn't have enough men to storm the city, not that she ever intended to, nor was it viable to sneak in. With a reputation like the Gerudo, you always have lookouts throughout the night. Besides, either action would risk the life of Zelda. She had every intention of bringing her back alive along with Din's Sword. It would please her king, and that in turn would please her. It was a pleasure she was groomed for.

Impa had been raised in a city to the south amongst her mysterious tribe of people, the Sheikah. The Sheikah value knowledge and honor, and nothing is more honorable than justice. She had been taught at a young age how her people helped the Hylian race rise to glory. The Sheikah never desired to wield power themselves; they much preferred to work behind the scenes. That is where real power lies. What would King Harkinian be without his Captain, after all?

There was no guess about her role in life. From the age of nine, she had studied military strategy, ancient Hylian runes, and everything in between. She had no regrets. She had not only excelled at her training, she had enjoyed it. Having unlocked so many mysteries of life, Sheikah long ago discovered how to hone in on a child's abilities and craft them into an honorable living. The Sheikah enjoy very fulfilling lives without the common burdens of worry or doubt.

Usually. Impa wondered if other Sheikah experienced doubt like she had been having recently about her king. Perhaps she was flawed. Perhaps Sheikah blood ran thin through her veins.

Impa forced the thoughts out of her mind. One doubt always leads to another, like a disease. She would not let doubt cloud her thinking anymore. She was grateful when Lieutenant Gudric approached her side. When he appeared, it always about duty, and duty was a welcomed distraction from her wayward idle thoughts.

"The camp is set and the men are restin'," he said. "Men will rotate night watch every hour."

"Very good, lieutenant."

Her subordinate looked across the canyon. "Will we cross?"

"No," replied Impa. "There is one downside to living in a fortress with only one way in."

The lieutenant nodded in agreement. "Aye, only one way out. Could be days. Weeks even."

Impa nodded. A good hunter outwaits her prey.

Ganondorf's reflection adjusted the straps of his black bracers. The attire, designed for both battle and intimidation, did him quite a justice. Its metal surfaces were forged from black steel, but brass buckles and brackets gave it a touch of nobility. Ganondorf looked both formidable and important. Better yet, he felt it.

The events of last night left him with mixed feelings. Something happened when he thrashed Aveil over and over again, something he couldn't explain. There was a feeling of exhilaration, but not in a sadistic way. He felt an energy he didn't fully understand. Perhaps it was the feeling of control. He'd never had that before.

Zelda's face was burned into his mind. She had never looked at him like that before. In all the years he had fallen into despair and called himself a monster, she had always looked upon him with acceptance. Now the roles were reversed: he was confident and proud while she looked at him like he was in fact the monster he had always feared he'd become.

He wasn't a monster, though. Monsters were beneath him now. She would come to see that in time.

Ganondorf took one final assessment of his visage in the mirror. He shifted slightly to get a different angle. The armor fit him far better than he expected. Even though he had always been larger than most men, he was still small for a male Gerudo. At least, that's what he had been told. He had fully expected to look like a child tromping around in his father's shoes. Yet, somehow, he fit the armor rather well. It was a little loose, but not so much that it would be a hindrance. He shifted the other way to get another look. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but he thought he looked bigger.

He reached for his sword laying on the table next to him, now housed securely in a scabbard made of woven leather with a brass cap on the end. He left his room to wait for Link and Zelda in the main hall.

Link fastened his belt. It felt good to be back in his signature green tunic. It was as clean as when it was first issued, just as Nabooru promised. The only blemish was a patch on the right leg of his trousers, a badge to ever remind him of his humiliation. Evidently the seamstress felt it prudent to remove all the bloodstained fabric rather than simply stitch the thin tear made by Aveil's knife.

He picked up the green cap and looked solemnly at what had recently been Navi's mode of transportation. She had still not returned. It was officially the longest amount of time the two of them had even been apart since the days they formed a friendship in the woods. He was beginning to worry that perhaps she might be in some sort of danger. Although, if he really was honest with himself, he was beginning to fear that she was just fine but had chosen to leave him for good. One more loss in his life.

He sighed pitifully then fastened the cap to his head. Then he picked up his sling shot and wedged it in his belt. Then he picked up a half-decent looking sword the Gerudo lent him and left to meet Ganandorf and Zelda.

Zelda finished tying the laces to her boots. Her outfit was of Gerudo making, since the only attire she currently owned was the coronation gown that had taken quite a beating during her little excursion to the desert. The whole kingdom would be looking for her, so the gown was out of the question. The boots almost reached her knees over thick white trousers that fit her rather comfortably. A similarly colored blouse served as a layer of comfort beneath the leather bodice she was given. The bodice was clearly meant for protection and she remembered that all the Gerudo women that had kidnapped her wore them. If it was good for them, it was good for her.

The last piece of her uniform was a wrist strap worn by archers. Impa had taught her how to shoot an arrow from an early age, though it was for sport more than anything else. She regarded herself as proficient, though she was certain her skills would be only marginally useful if they got into a really sticky situation. The fact that the Gerudo knew her well enough to provide the wrist strap was a bit disconcerting, but then again, they are a people always prepared for battle.

She tucked the wrist strap into her small leather bag that she planned to take with her on the journey, within which was her crown. Wearing it would be reckless since it was even more conspicuous than her old dress. She took one last look in the mirror. She looked more like a warrior than a princess and smiled at how ordinary she looked.

She made her way to the hall to meet Ganandorf and Link. She was the last of the three to arrive, and what she saw caused her heart to skip a beat. There was no mistaking the boy in green from her dream: the one that turned to dust. Beside him, Ganondorf looked impressive, and she briefly pondered why he had turned his back on her in the vision.

Link seemed to notice her reverie. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she answered hastily. It was just a silly dream, no matter how vivid. Besides, there had been a fairy, and this boy clearly had none.

Ganondorf approached and handed her a bow. "Here. I told them a bow would suit you well."

Zelda accepted it graciously. "It has been a while. I hope my skills have not too badly deteriorated."

"I doubt it," said Ganondorf as he handed her a quiver with dozen arrows.

Ganondorf looked at both she and Link. "Let's be off. The Triforce beckons."

Link sucked in the warm mountain air as Epona took careful steps down the mountain path. Ganondorf and Zelda were behind them on their own mounts. Ganondorf's horse was much bigger than the poor foal that hauled him here in the first place. This one actually fit his size perfectly, and with that armor he looked nothing like the pitiful jailbird he helped free.

The poor foal was now Zelda's, and the animal seemed much happier for it. Zelda was clearly no stranger to horses as she managed to guide it with ease.

Link caught himself glancing at every bush along the mountain pass, hoping to spot Navi, but it was all in vain. Journeys like these were always more fun with her banter. Jest with Ganondorf was out of question and talking to Zelda made him nervous. It was going to be a long trip.

Link's brooding was cut short as they rounded the final bend towards the bridge that would carry them across the ravine into the lush green Hylian fields. What awaited them was a sight to behold.

A company of Hylian soldiers already in formation with Impa on horseback before them.

"Well," he said aloud, "This should be fun."