Chapter 20 Aveil

The fortress reaching out before Link's eyes was huge. He craned his neck in order to see its whole dimension but it seemed impossible to catch it with a single glance. It was built of strong brick that swallowed every ray of sunlight. He gulped when the thought struck him, that Ganondorf had been born into this very fortress many years ago. He had heard a few stories about the Gerudo folk and none of them were very positive. Were they really responsible for everything that was happening in Hyrule right now? He couldn't imagine that a single folk, consisting only of women was able to evoke such a disaster.

The fairy popped out her head of the saddlebag and watched her companion with a mixture of anger and worry. They had been waiting for two days in the valley and at the wake of the third day, Link had decided they would move on without Sheik. She wasn't sure about the hero's feelings but his face had shown doubt. Doubt in the faith he had in the Sheikah. Maybe, this was his last mission alone and in these times, who could you really trust? She pulled herself together and climbed out of the bag. She joined Link and sat down on his shoulder.

"The desert is right beyond the fortress."

Link looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "You're talking to me again?"

"I guess you're lost without my advice," she answered. The snippy tone in her voice was unmistakable.

"Fine, let's go."

She pulled at his hair to make him stop from simply walking into the danger. "Hey! You can't just walk past the fortress like you have all the time in the world!"

"How else am I supposed to get to the desert then?"

"Remember when you first visited princess Zelda in the backyard of the castle? Just try to hide and sneak past the guards."

Link took the rest of food and stuff they needed out of the saddlebag and put them into a cloth which he used as a bag to carry their belongings along. He caressed Epona's soft nose a last time and sighed. "Go Epona, this place is not safe for you." She whinnied softly and nudged his side before she trotted away. Navi flew ahead of him to check the situation and made a sign for him to follow her whenever she felt they were safe and unseen. They managed to sneak past the guards until they reached the back of the fortress. The desert was stretching out before them, vast and mysterious, dangerous and beautiful at the same time. "Come on, Link, we're almost there."

Link nodded and was about to move forward when a voice appeared behind him.

"Where are you going, young man?"

He pulled out his sword and faced the person behind him. It was a red-haired woman, dressed in purple, holding a sharp spear at him. Her golden eyes looked at him suspiciously. One by one, other guards gathered around them and soon Link was caught in the middle. "Did you think you could just walk past us without being unnoticed?" She laughed and a spear from behind pricked his back.

Link stared at them undecided. Should he try to fight or drop his sword? Were they even his enemies? A kick from behind in his knee bend relieved him of his decision and he fell down to the ground. "Throw him into the cell, I will tell Aveil of our discovery."

The Gerudo who had caught sight of him first went off into the forest and the other women dragged him along into the basement and threw him into one of the cells that were lined up. Before he could protest, they unarmed him and closed the door with a loud thump. The lights of the torches slowly faded away and then he was alone in the darkness.

"Shit!" he cursed and piled his fist against the cold wall. He couldn't believe that he actually got caught by a few women, after all he had been through. He could only hope that he could persuade them to let him go soon or that Sheik would find him. His brows furrowed when he thought about the Sheikah. He hadn't come when he had promised, so why would he come this time? Maybe his first impression had been right; maybe he had been wrong to trust him. He shook his head in order to get rid of the thoughts in his head. He had other things to worry about now.

He didn't know how much time had passed when he saw light flooding the dark basement again. He lifted his head and peered out of the cell. The same guards were walking towards his cell, led by another Gerudo in red velvet clothes. Unlike the guards, her clothes were of much more value, decorated with golden ornaments around her waist, arms and ankles. They matched her eye colour and her make up. She stopped in front of his cell and pushed the door open. The guards stayed outside while she closed in on the hero. He eyeballed her closely. The most striking difference between the Gerudo and the Hylian women probably were the short, rounded ears and the tanned skin. Their faces were not as soft as a woman's face usually should be and the eyes were much narrower. All in all, they did not seem weak the least but despite these characteristics, Link had to admit that the red-clothed Gerudo in front of him was quite pretty.

He slowly got up to face her.

"Why didn't you tell me that he's so handsome?" she said, "he might be a good match, unlike the ugly men that usually dare to show up in our fortress." She couldn't hold back a giggle.

"What's your name, boy?"

He crossed his arms, pretending not to have heard what she said before. "My name is Link."

"Link you say? What a cute name." She grinned and he could hear the guards outside chuckle. "What is your business here?"

"I need to go to the desert," he answered.

"The desert? What would someone like you want from the desert?"

"This is not your cup of coffee."

"Oh yes, it is. You are going nowhere if I don't allow you so you better tell me why you want to visit the wastelands."

Link kept his arms crossed and remained silent. If they wanted the information, they had to beat it out of him.

"Take him to my chambers!" she ordered. "We'll see if he's going to talk or not."

The guards dragged him out of the cell and all the way up to the Gerudo leader's chambers. They pushed him inside and once again closed the door behind him. He sighed. Luckily they hadn't been able to catch the fairy and he hoped she would be able to find someone who would help him out of here. He looked around the room. It was decorated with red and golden draperies hanging from the ceiling. A few pots filled with sand stood around on the floor and the scent of incense sticks was floating in the air. A small metal table with an oval mirror stood on the left side, a huge bed was positioned in the middle and many red, purple and golden cushions were scattered around the floor. The sun shone through the round window and was reflected by the golden draperies, flooding the room with a warm, golden light. He moved over to the table with the mirror and took a close look. His skin had become a little tanned, making his blue eyes standing out even more. Yet, it wasn't the only reason why he looked different; he seemed to have grown older both physically and mentally. When he turned away from the mirror, he realised that he wasn't alone anymore.

"Sit down, Link. And allow me to ask you some questions."

The Hylian hesitantly sat down on one of the cushions and watched as the woman in front of him did the same.

"My name is Aveil. I am the second leader of the Gerudo. As you may have noticed, our tribe consists only of women, except the great Ganondorf, so we're not used to having men around here."

Link stared at her when she mentioned Ganondorf's name. How could she call someone as dastard as him the great Ganondorf? However he kept quiet and let her continue.

"Sometimes men visit our fortress because they think we are weak. They think they can simply come and choose one of our girls for marriage. Ridiculous! However, I feel that you are different and telling the truth. But I have to ask you again: What is your business in the wastelands?"

She sighed when she still didn't receive an answer and stood up.

"We protect the desert from outsiders, it is our duty. Not many Hylians have crossed these lands and most of them never came back. It is a dangerous place." She looked at him. "We might not be enemies, Link," she added as if to persuade him that he should finally speak up.

"Ganondorf is the king of your tribe, how could we possibly not be enemies?" he said in a hostile tone.

"Ganondorf? He is a fool! He has lost his sanity because of the Triforce." There was regret in her voice as she went on. "He once was a great king. But he was driven too much by the lust for power. He should have been satisfied with being king of the Gerudo but he was looking for more. His foster mothers, the evil witches, have cursed the spirit temple in the middle of the desert after he and his minions used it as a hide-out."

Their eyes met for a moment. "It is the temple you are seeking, right?"

He nodded. Something about her made him believe the stories about the Gerudo were not true.

"Our leader, Nabooru, went to the temple but she hasn't returned yet. She wanted to stop Ganondorf but no one knows what really happened. Link, I don't know what your business is in the temple but if I lead you the way, can you find out about Nabooru?"

Link's eyes suddenly glowed as a smile formed on his face. "I will," he promised.

"We will set out in the morning. But first, you should take a bath." She winked at him.

The Gerudo guard led Link to another room with a huge bathtub in the middle. The room itself was decorated in the same colours than Aveil's chambers. When he was alone, he took off his clothes and put them aside. With one foot, he checked the water temperature, then sat down in the hot water. He couldn't help but let out a soft moan when he leaned back and closed his eyes for it felt so good. His stiff muscles finally got a chance to relax and he spread out his limbs.

He left the tub when the water had cooled down and realised his clothes were gone. He looked around for a towel, but there was none. Dumbfounded, he stood in the middle of the room and didn't know what to do. He couldn't just walk out there naked. Besides, he was the only man among women – and there were many.

There was a short knock on the door, followed by a few young Gerudo who entered the piece. Link quickly covered his crotch with both hands and stared at them. They stared back and blushed. Never before had they seen a naked man and now a very handsome one was standing before them. One of the girls turned away her gaze as she handed him over a towel. Another one of the girls put down folded clothes on a chair.

"Please wear this, your clothes are being washed." She bowed to him politely and the three of them hurried to get out. Link could hear them giggle behind the door and sighed deeply. He dried his body and put on the wide trousers. They were black with golden and red ornaments. He didn't find a top. Apparently the Gerudo didn't like wearing too much. When he put on the pointed shoes, he wished he had a mirror to look at himself. He was sure he looked ridiculous.

Aveil was waiting for him in the huge dining room of the fortress. She was sitting at the end of the table and smiled when he entered. "You look gorgeous! Wouldn't you want to join the Gerudo?" She smirked. "Now, let's sit down and eat, you must be hungry." She invited him to sit down next to her and another young woman filled his plate with meat, vegetable and couscous. It looked delicious and Link's stomach started to growl, reminding him he hadn't eaten properly for a few days. No matter how hostile the Gerudo had been when they caught him, they were the best hosts he had ever encountered. And good cooks as well.

With a full stomach and a satisfied look on his face, the blond followed Aveil to his bedroom. They both entered and Aveil sat down on the bed next to him. She let her eyes travel over his exposed chest and face. "You know, I wasn't joking when I offered you to become one of us. You're courageous and strong. You could be our king. Besides, you are really good-looking." She smiled and touched his chest with her hands.

He looked at her, irritated. What was she talking about?

She pushed him down on the bed and sat down on his legs. "You could have all of us."

"What...do you mean?" His voice sounded nervous.

She ran her hands over his chest and stomach and bent down, her impressive breasts in front of his eyes and ignored his question. Her lips touched his neck and her hand disappeared under his loose trousers, realising he was wearing nothing underneath them.

"Ah...stop this!" He pushed her off him and jumped out of bed. She sat up and looked at him.

"What a pity." She got off the bed as well. "I will wait for you at the entrance of the wastelands tomorrow morning. Don't be late."

He waited until she was gone and flopped down on the bed. Gerudo women definitely were dangerous. He blew out the candles and lied down in bed, eyes on the dark ceiling. His thoughts wandered off to Sheik and bothered him once again. He missed him.