Chapter 11: The Alliance
Two of them sat around the fire hidden inside an old, collapsed house. Zelda had covered the open roof with a large sheet of canvas to make the shelter.
They stared at the two rabbits Zelda had caught before she met them that were now cooking. Link stared into the fire and then looked up at Zelda.
"How long have you been hunting bounties?" he asked.
"Long time now" Zelda replied. "Five years I think."
"How old are you?" Link asked.
"Twenty-two. I took my first bounty when I was seventeen."
Link nodded.
"You weren't much older than me, then. I started at sixteen" he replied.
"I thought I'd heard of you, you know. I just realized it when we got into camp. You're that Marshal I've heard the Bulblins talking about, the one who took down Malladus. I also remember hearing that you used to be a gunfighter. I didn't know you were a bounty hunter too" Zelda said
Link nodded again.
"That all started just before my gunfighting days. I still took bounties for a little while during those days, too."
"What was that like for you?" Zelda asked.
Link heaved a sigh. The thought of hunting bounties made Link remember Cal. He had gone with Cal bounty hunting on several occasions.
"In the early days I took a few with my brother" Link said. "He left just before I turned seventeen. I became a gunfighter shortly after that. I kept up the bounties until I was nineteen. My grandmother convinced me to give that up to decrease my chances of getting killed. She died the following year. Just me and my sister were left."
"I kept up the gunfighting for fourteen years after that. It was only a few short months ago that I became a lawman. I was the Sheriff of Aboda then became a Marshal after the Bulblins kidnapped my sister. That's why I'm out here now" Link said, finishing the shortened version of his life story.
The two were silent for a moment. They listened and heard Linebeck snoring and asleep in the corner of the old house.
"I heard you took 'King' Bulbo. I've been tracking him for awhile but he never showed his ugly face around here" Zelda said.
"That one was a little personal" Link answered. "We took the bounty from the Sheriff in Papuchia."
"Lawmen don't usually take bounties. It's a little strange that you are doing that" Zelda said.
Link nodded toward Linebeck.
"I let him take all of it. It's part of our agreement. Besides, I've got a bigger stake in this than money" Link said.
"What's your stake then?"
Link sighed again.
"Family. I'm getting my sister back and giving her the peaceful life she deserves."
They were silent again. They stared into the fire, listening to the two rabbits hiss as the flames flickered and crackled below them.
"What about you, Zelda? What's your bounty hunting been like?"
Zelda paused. She thought back to the first bounty she ever took in Papuchia.
"My first one I took the day after my seventeenth birthday. I grew up in the orphanage with Impa. Well, I guess you already know that much. Anyway, there was a boy I was friends with who was a year younger than me."
"He always got picked on by a boy older than both of us. I'm still hunting him, by the way. He joined the Bulblins when he got older. Anyway, this younger boy got adopted by a couple when he was ten and I was eleven. His foster mother loved him dearly but his foster father was a drunk and horribly abusive with both of them."
"This boy put up with this shit for six years. One day, the father just snapped. I heard a lot of yelling and screaming coming from their house that day. I ran inside and the father was gone, the mother was dead, and my friend was on the floor, unconscious and bleeding."
"I immediately went to the Sheriff and soon a bounty was placed on the father's head. I begged Impa to let me go after him but she just wouldn't. She's the one who taught me how to shoot, you know."
Link was surprised.
"Oh? I thought she owned an orphanage and was an amateur historian. She knows how to shoot?"
Zelda nodded.
"She knows even more than that. She's a Sheikah. Her kind are natural warriors. She taught me to use a bow, too. If you think I'm a crack shot with a rifle, you should see me with a bow."
"A bow? You're better with a bow than a rifle?" Link asked.
"If only my bow hadn't broken, I'd show you" Zelda said.
There was a short silence before Link spoke again.
"You were talking about your first bounty?" he said.
"Right. For my seventeenth birthday, Impa gave me her bow and her blessing to let me hunt the man down who had hurt my friend. We had taken my friend back to the orphanage by then, around a week later."
"He was easy to track. I found him just at the edge of the desert, sitting at a crudely made camp. I told him I'd come for him. He laughed when he saw me. 'They've sent a girl to do a man's job' he said. I knocked an arrow, drew back the string and pointed it at his head."
"I gave him one last chance to give himself up and he laughed again. 'How is a girl supposed to kill a man? Explain that one to me.' I didn't have to explain. I showed him how. I let go of the arrow and it shot straight through his throat."
"I took his gun and shot him in the head to end his suffering."
Link nodded his approval.
"You've got my kind of honour, then" he said.
Zelda paused for a short while before continuing.
"I brought his gun, belt, and hat back to the Sheriff to prove that the man was dead. One of his deputies at the time laughed at me too. He couldn't believe that a woman had hunted and killed a man. That Sheriff is a good man, though. I guess you've met him?"
Link nodded.
"I certainly got that impression" he said.
"The Sheriff told the deputy to shut up and gave me the money for the bounty. I told them where to find him. After that, the deputy always stared at me like I was some kind of demon."
Zelda took a deep breath. She could still feel the rage at his mocking laughter and ridiculous attitude. What made him think a woman was so incapable?
"I left home shortly after that" Zelda continued. "I roamed and took bounties to make a living for about a year without my disguise. I always got paid only half the bounty because people couldn't believe I took them by myself because I'm a woman. That was when I became Sheik. I got tired of getting the short end of the stick."
"I found this town about two years ago and took it on as my own, after seeing what the Bulblins have done to it. I've sort of adopted this town ever since."
Link shook his head.
"The backward thinking of some people. I hate it. We've got people like Cole keeping gunfights alive and then we've got lawmen telling you that you can't do a job right because you're a woman. What a crock of shit" he said.
"I'm glad you don't think like the rest of them" Zelda said.
They were silent once more before Zelda finally brought up the question that hung in the air from the moment they met.
"You say Impa sent you here for me? What for?"
"All she told me was that you are a Triforce bearer and that I had to find you. Ganon is looking for you."
"Me? What does he want with me?"
"Is it really that hard to figure out?" Link replied. "He wants your Triforce. Mine too. He's been kidnapping women all around the country trying to figure out which one is you. Obviously he hasn't succeeded yet."
"I haven't heard anything about that. I guess I've been out of touch living in this ghost town."
As she was speaking, a thought occurred to Zelda. Something Link had said earlier caused a wave of guilt to flow over her.
"Did you say your sister was kidnapped by the Bulblins?" she asked.
Link nodded.
"Like I said, Ganon has been kidnapping young women. My sister is a victim of his insane hunt" Link said.
"Then that means your sister was kidnapped because of me? I'm sorry, Link" Zelda said.
Link shook his head.
"You've nothing to be sorry about, Zelda. It is only Ganon I hold responsible and his damn Bulblins. You have nothing to do with it" he said.
"Still, I can't help but feel partly responsible" Zelda replied.
Link then finally said what he had meant to say the entire time.
"Look, I came to find you for another reason. I want you to come with us. If you stick with me, there's a better chance I'll be able to keep Ganon away from you. Besides, Linebeck doesn't like our odds and we could always use an extra gun. Or bow, if you prefer."
Zelda paused thoughtfully. She didn't want to abandon Kasuto but she felt responsible for the kidnapping of Link's sister.
"I'd hate to leave this town. I want to help these people get their lives back. I can't leave" she said.
"Stick with me and we can stop the Bulblins at their source and restore peace to not only this town, but the entire country. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the fate of New Hyrule hangs in the balance. Everything Impa told me is making me start believing that maybe I have a large role to play in all this. So do you."
Zelda was silent again. She had become so loyal to Kasuto that abandoning it would feel like a betrayal. Link spoke again while Zelda thought.
"Listen, I don't hold you responsible for what happened to Aryll, my sister, but you said yourself that you feel guilty about it. If you help me get her back, maybe it'll put your mind at ease" he said.
Zelda was still silent for a long while. Finally, after much deliberation, she spoke.
"Do I have to pretend to be a man?" Zelda asked.
Link shook his head.
"No. That's ridiculous. You'll travel with us as you are. Damn what the morons out there think" he said.
Zelda smiled.
"I have one condition" she said. "I want to track and hunt the Bulblin Groose, the one I told you about, first, before we do anything" she said.
Link tried to place the name.
"Groose you say? I saw an old wanted poster of that name back in Papuchia. It's probably the best place to start looking" he said.
"Good. Then let's head there first thing in the morning" Zelda said.
"Not so fast" Link replied. "I still have business in this town. We should take care of that first and then we'll hunt your Bulblin."
"That's fair. What else are you here for?" Zelda asked.
"Impa told me about a man named Sahasrahla that hides out in this town. I'm supposed to find him and ask about the Stone and Fire Towers" Link answered.
"I think I might know where your man is" Zelda said. "I accidentally found him a couple of months ago. I'll take you there in the morning."
"All right then. Just let me say that I'm glad to have you with us" Link said, extending his hand.
Zelda grasped Link's hand. They looked at each other and felt odd. They both felt like similar meetings like this had happened before, between the two of them. They both felt ancient and wise, as though they had done this task countless times before.
They let go of each other's hand and Zelda picked up the rabbits.
"I think they're cooked. Wake up your friend over there. I'm sure he'll want some of this" she said.
Link nodded and stood up from the fire, walking to the corner of the ruined house. He shook Linebeck awake.
"Let me sleep, damn it!" Linebeck protested.
"You've got to be hungry, Linebeck. We've got a meal for you over here."
Linebeck snapped to attention and sat up.
"A meal, you say? To hell with sleep for now. A meal sounds heavenly."
Linebeck got up and followed Link back to the fire. The three of them ate the rabbits and spoke of their plans for the coming days.
The next morning Zelda led them to a cave entrance with a wooden door covering it. The entrance had been hidden from view by cacti and was purposefully built behind two ruined houses that obscured it from view.
The door was also the same dark brown as the rock around the cave, making it blend in further. Only when they were a few feet away from it could they even tell that it was a door at all.
"I came across this place by accident, like I said. I chased a couple of Bulblins this way and I wound up finding this place, thinking they had used it as a hideout. He was very nice to me, and a lot like Impa, but he won't exactly be welcoming of you" Zelda said.
"Why is that?" asked Linebeck.
"Well, it's not hard to tell that he's in hiding. He told me that Ganon is looking for him."
"What would Ganon want with him?" Link asked.
Zelda shook her head.
"I don't know. He doesn't know either but when he caught wind of it, he immediately went into hiding. He apparently built this place decades ago" she said.
"It doesn't sound like he'd trust people easily. How'd you get him to trust you?" Link asked.
Zelda didn't say anything. She simply showed Link the back of her left hand.
"Like I said, he's like Impa. He knows a lot about history" she said.
"I guess that's why she told me to come here" Link answered.
Zelda lightly tapped on the door and it opened a few inches. They couldn't see anybody but they heard the voice of an old man.
"Who goes there? I warn you, I am armed" he said.
"It's me, Sahasrahla. Zelda. The one with the Triforce of Wisdom."
There was a pause before the old man spoke again.
"You bring strangers? Do you know how dangerous that is? Get out of here, now!"
"Sahasrahla, wait! This man has a piece of the Triforce!"
There was a longer pause this time.
"Which one?" he asked.
"Courage, of course. We know Ganon has Power and I wouldn't very well bring him here, would I?" Zelda said.
"Show me your hand" Sahasrahla said.
Link stepped forward and put his left hand into the doorway. After another long silence, the door swung open.
"Come in, quickly" the old man said.
The three of them stepped inside the small cave. The room wasn't much to look at but Link immediately noticed the myriad of instruments strewn about the room.
"Are you a musician of some sort?" Link asked.
"That's not important. What is important is the fact that you are here. The Hero" Sahasrahla said.
Link finally saw the man's face for the first time.
He was completely bald but he had grown a long, white beard. He wore a brown poncho over an old, brown suit. He also wore a gun belt with an aged, weathered revolver in its holster. Link noticed the condition of the gun.
"Does that thing still fire? If you're looking to protect yourself, you'd better hope it does. It's awfully old" he said.
Sahasrahla looked down at his gun.
"This weapon is fine, don't you worry, young man. So, the Hero of our time has come at last" he said.
"People have been calling me that a lot these days" Link said.
"With good reason, lad. With good reason. Tell me, why have you sought me out today? Do you seek wisdom? Knowledge, perhaps?"
"I was told you knew something about these two towers. One is called the Stone Tower and the other the Fire Tower. I need to know where they are or, at least, why I need to find them."
Sahasrahla nodded and sat down in an old wooden chair. He thought for a long while before responding.
"Those towers house two sages at their summits. Their prayers give power to the Spirit Sword to keep the seal to the Sacred Realm of the Triforce intact. That seal has been broken so, obviously, you wish to go there to find out what has happened to those sages. Am I correct?"
Link nodded. Sahasrahla continued.
"The Stone Tower is in this very desert, though its precise location is unknown to me. The only person who knows that would be the one who broke the seal" he said.
"You mean Ganon?" Link asked.
Sahasrahla nodded.
"You somehow need to get this information from him if you wish to find the Stone Tower. It would be an impossible task for most but you are the Hero. I'm certain you'll find a way" he said.
Link was silent. He dreaded it, but he would need Ganon to return his favour.
"And the Fire Tower?" Link asked.
"There is a Goron living in the Eldin province named Darmani. He is the mayor of Goron Town. He is the only one who can reveal its hidden location to you. It is invisible to the eye unless revealed by an item that Darmani has. That is all I know."
Link sighed.
"At least we've got something" he said.
"Where should we head first?" Zelda asked.
"I'll head out to see Ganon alone. I think I've got a way of learning about the Stone Tower" he said.
"I strongly advise against this action unless you first claim the Spirit Sword" Sahasrahla said.
"Why? What good would that do?" Link asked.
"All the good in the world, my boy" Sahasrahla replied. "The Spirit Sword was a blade forged by the Hero of Spirit. He designed it so that an evil hand may never touch it. Its power will cut down evil. You stand a much better chance against Ganon with it than without it."
Link sighed again.
"All right. The Spirit Sword is in the Tower of Spirit, right? Then we'll go there first" Link said.
"That is a wise decision, Hero. Is there anything else you need?" Sahasrahla asked.
"No, I think that about covers all I needed to know. Thank you" Link said.
"It is an honour to assist the Hero in any way I can" Sahasrahla said.
"It's no honour, trust me. You might call me one, but I'm no hero" Link said.
"Do not doubt yourself, Hero" Sahasrahla said.
"Whatever you say. Goodbye" Link said.
He led the three of them back out of Sahasrahla's cave. Linebeck closed the door behind them. They walked back to Zelda's camp.
"We can head out to find your man now, if you want" Link said.
"We'll need to get to Malgyorg then and take the Spirit Tracks. It's the only way out of the Desert that won't take ages unless you have a horse" Zelda said.
"Our horses are still back in Papuchia" Linebeck said. "We need to head there to get them anyway."
"All right. Let's head out."
They followed Zelda out of her camp. The three of them walked the distance to Malgyorg to wait for the train that would take them to Papuchia.