A/N: I wanted to have the Gerudo speak their own language, but because I work 10 hour days, I didn't have time to make one up. But I really wanted to have some Gerudospeak, so I used the only other language I know, Japanese. But they're not speaking Japanese in the story, they're speaking Gerudo! If I get time in the future, I'll try to come up with my own. Sorry if people get confused. But I guess it's a bonus for those who understand? There's just one line here but there will be more in the future. orz ^^;
The sun was setting over the Lanayru Province, and the lake was bathed in a beautiful auburn. Ganondorf led Link to an obscured path just north of the Great Bridge. Link had never noticed this path in all the times she crossed through, and it wasn't on any map.
"This is the path we will take into the desert," Ganondorf explained. "After your king ordered my execution, the road was destroyed. But we Gerudo are not so easily hindered by blocked roads, and have built a path into the rubble. Your horse should be able to jump this wall." He demonstrated with his stallion.
The rock wall was slightly taller than Link, and that worried her. Epona was a good jumper, but these were rocks. One miscalculation would not only hurt the horse, but possibly kill Link. She looked to Epona as if to ask her opinion, and Epona neighed with confidence. All right, girl. You've never steered me wrong before.
Link lead Epona back as far as possible, and after catching her breath, she urged the horse forward. Epona bound forth and took the wall gracefully, landing down in a patch of weeds. Link sighed with relief. Good girl. She looked ahead- the path was narrow, but it continued past the horizon. It was understandable how she missed it in the past.
"Well done. Now come, we need to reach the Valley before the sun sets." Ganondorf took off to the west, and Link followed. The sun was just above the horizon, allowing for at most another hour of light. She remembered how cold it was the night she came to the Gerudo Desert for the first time, and didn't like the idea of repeating the experience.
After about a half hour of riding, the pair came upon a large gate manned by two Gerudo guards. The one in front saw them approach, and shouted up to the one controlling the opening mechanism.
"It's the King! Open it!"
Beyond the gate was a large fortress. It wasn't grand in any sense, but it was solidly built and weathered the desert storms well. Ganondorf dismounted in front of the center entrance, handing the stallion's reigns to an old woman who came out to greet him.
"Welcome home, young master. Your haste in returning is greatly appreciated." The old woman's gaze shifted to Link, who had dismounted but still held Epona's lead. "And I see you've brought a guest?"
Link was unbelievably nervous. All the Gerudo they passed stopped to stare at her, some of them even whispering in their language. She understood why, after all Hylians were their mortal enemies, and she did try to kill their leader.
"This is Link, chosen by the Goddesses to wield the Triforce of Courage. She has come with me not only to help me solve our problem, but also to learn from you. Treat her as one of your own," Ganondorf commanded to the crowd. He turned to Link, and instructed her to leave Epona with the woman. "Don't worry, Isolde here is good with horses."
The Gerudo king pressed on into the fortress, and Link hurried after. She was hesitant to leave Epona with the old woman, but Epona didn't seem to mind. In fact, Epona was getting along really well with Ganondorf's stallion and wanted to go with him. I hope that woman puts them in separate stalls, Link said to herself, remembering how feisty Fado's stallions were.
Link followed Ganondorf into a strategy room, where several heavily armored Gerudo stood around a map of the desert. They stopped what they were doing to acknowledge their king, but immediately returned to the map. It was a map of the Arbiter's Grounds, though there were several entrances marked that Link was not familiar with.
"Where is it coming from, Kona?" Ganondorf asked the most heavily decorated guard. She pointed to the room where Link fought the ghostly Death Sword. She then removed her helmet, revealing a long scar atop a blind eye.
"It looks like the demon is coming from this room, though it's not the same as the ones we've sealed before." Kona then realized that Ganondorf was not alone, and stared down Link. She slipped into the Gerudo native tongue to add, "Koitsu ha? Naze Hairiajin ga iru?"
"Speak in the common language when she's around," Ganondorf ordered, noting Link's confusion. "She asked who you were. Tell her."
"...Link." Link held out her hand, meaning to shake with Kona. Instead, Kona grabbed it and studied the birthmark. "The Triforce, huh? That makes you a formidable warrior, then. Forgive my rudeness, and the rudeness of my kin. We just have trouble looking beyond the oppression of Hylians past. You are here to help us, then? Did My Lord tell you what has happened?"
"There is an evil presence coming from the temple, and it has already taken the lives of ten of my kin," Ganondorf explained with a scowl. "It's not something from the Twilight Realm. At least, not the Twilight Realm I know. I'm concerned that if we don't stop it here, it could spread to the rest of Hyrule."
"If it were to spread, the first target would probably be the Peak province." Kona pointed to the Snowpeak Ruins, then traced her finger down to Hyrule Field. "Next I would guess Castle Town, Kakariko, and the forest."
"And Ordon..." Link frowned. She didn't need to hear any more. She was a little overwhelmed by the sudden rush of information, but Kona's words hit home. Ordon was defenseless, so whatever this menace was, she was determined to fight it.
Ganondorf stayed silent, noting the concern on her face. "Kona, you've been fighting since this morning correct? Escort Link to my bedroom, then retire to your own. This thing thrives at night, so there's nothing we can do until the sun rises." He noted the exhaustion on both women's faces, one from war and one from overstimulation. "I'd like you both to be in top shape for tomorrow morning. And Link..." He pulled the Hylian close and kissed her forehead, eliciting a soft mewl from her and several whispers from the guards. "You will be pushed hard in the coming days, so sleep well."
Link followed Kona through the Gerudo Fortress, ending up at a large room overlooking the entire compound. "This is our leader's room," Kona said, lighting a lamp near the door and pressing inside. "Sorry if it seems dark and gloomy, no one's had time to redecorate. Though I suppose you're used to his aesthetic by now."
"No, castle is the same. No change," Link muttered. Ganondorf did change a lot of things when he came into power, but the castle was not one of them. He probably kept it that way for the sake of earning the people's trust. The only place he changed was the rear pavilion, and for a good reason.
During the fight with Zant, Link and Midna were warped to the castle. Zant managed to get the upper hand and spun his blades around Link several times, slicing through her chain mail and cutting her up like a turkey. Even through all her ordeals, Link had never been in such pain. When Ganondorf brought Link to the pavilion for shield training, the pain came back and made Link lock up. He deduced why when he saw her grab at the scars on her stomach, and quickly had the pavilion demolished.
Thinking of it made Link shudder, so she desperately changed the subject. "Your eye, from the demon?" Kona nodded as she changed the dusty bedsheets. "From a demon, but not the one we're faced with now. This came from the hellish sword that used to be confined in the temple. You defeated it, correct? That's why the king brought you here."
Kona sat down on the fresh sheets. "You probably don't realize this, but Lord Ganondorf is a sharp strategist. To many, his plans seem erratic. But they make sense when you consider the end goal. Sit over here, kid." Link came over and sat beside the woman, and next thing she knew, her hair was being pulled. Link yelped, before realizing that Kona wasn't doing it to be mean. There were several burrs stuck in her hair.
"You really shouldn't be traveling through the desert wearing that," she commented on Link's dress, now soiled from the day's ride. Walking over to a large dresser, Kona returned with a bundle of clothing. "You can have these. They're his clothes from when the king was a teen, so they're going to be big, but at least they're closer to your size. Why were you wearing that dress, anyway? Weren't you concerned about chafing your legs?"
She was nervous discussing such things with a stranger, but Link decided to come clean about her past. When Kona heard it, she started laughing. "Ha! Leave it to the simple minded Hylians to declare a woman unfit to be their savior. So you lived your entire life as a boy? Must have been tough. I mean, a girl's teen years are the best for sexual exploration."
Link's face turned red, making the soldier even more hysterical. "Don't tell me, you haven't done it yet? Not even by yourself? Holy shit, Ganondorf has more self-restraint than I thought... Make sure you tell me all the details when it finally happens. I know Aveil and Joleni have done it with him, but they won't tell me a thing."
The red-faced Hylian jumped off the bed and ran over to the corner. The conversation took a weird turn, and it made her uncomfortable. She knew Kona was talking about sex, but sex by yourself? You can't make a baby by yourself. And Kona mentioned Aveil... Was Ganondorf courting Link during the day only to turn around and embrace his servant at night? It made her so frustrated that she punched the wall, then recoiled in pain from the hard stone on her weakened wrist.
"Hey, kid, I didn't mean to upset you." Kona apologized and came over to inspect Link's hand. "How old are you, twenty? Twenty one?"
"...Eighteen."
"Ah, okay. You're still a baby, then, I shouldn't tease you." Kona pulled Link out of the corner and studied her frame. "You're built for archery, just not in that ridiculous dress. I can tell you handle a sword well, and you even have skill with unusual weaponry. But you're also visually attractive in an unconventional sense, even with boyish mannerisms. I'll bet that's why the king is making you dress femininely, he wants to show you off. He's always loved fancy clothing, probably because we Gerudo tend to wear just pants and a sarashi or halter to hold up breasts. But he's a man, of course, so he doesn't realize how constricting some clothing can be." The two chuckled together, before Kona excused herself. It was getting late, and she could tell the Hylian was exhausted. She bid Link good night, and soon Link was alone in the giant bedroom.
Link rooted around through the bag of Ganondorf's old clothing, finding an undershirt and drawstring pants that covered her sufficiently. She crawled into the large bed, too exhausted to even blow out the candles. In moments she was asleep, and didn't hear the door creaking open.