CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
"Dinner with a Villain"
Needless to say, Brittany was surprised that the Gerudo took up with her so fast. All four desert women proved to be quite charming and witty travel companions-she scarcely found a chance to breathe once they struck up a conversation! She had so much fun listening to the merchants' trading adventures that, before she knew it, it was nightfall. Even when they made camp, the Empath found herself in the middle of another of Subira's tales. She was so caught up in the excitement that she never got a chance to ask Link for a sword-fighting lesson (not that she could since her sword was still in the Helmaroc's carcass). Yubira insisted on keeping watch with her so she was not able to talk to Vaati, either.
For the next couple of days, the Gerudo maiden became a younger sister to Brittany. The girl told her how it had been her first trip out of the Desert Wastes and that her success on the voyage was her right of passage in the Gerudo realm. With her being the daughter of the Grand Vizier, Brittany could see why Yubira would risk her life for a few feathers.
What she didn't understand was how Yubira managed to talk her into wearing that silly tube-top! After years of wearing baggy clothing, Brittany felt half-naked wearing anything otherwise. She couldn't argue since-if she did decide to join the Gerudo, she would need a tan to protect her from the scorching desert sun. Still, the fact that she was the heaviest of the women made her feel very awkward. She tried to keep her mind off of her fatter body, but exposing her back and arms was nearly a bit much for her. Somehow, Subira must have sensed the girl's insecurity, so even though the other Gerudo were eager to have their possibly new sister dress like them, she convinced the others to let her ease into the style gradually (that's probably the only reason Brittany got to keep her midriff covered!).
"My child, why do you prod yourself so? One would think you were trying to keep a demon from escaping your body with the way you keep jabbing at your midsection," said the merchant once she noticed Brittany trying to push in her stomach.
"A woman's curves make her more easy on the eyes to a potential customer. Trust me," Yubira said, her hand on her hip and her chest pushed out into a proud pose, "the more he's enthralled by your beauty, the more money you can get out of him!"
"You needn't be shy, Little Heroine," Subira teased. "Once you get used to wearing normal clothes, you'll never wanna go back to that baggy stuff. It's just not feminine enough."
"But I like baggy clothes," Brittany hissed, rubbing her midriff. "Besides, I'm too fat to be wearing stuff like this..."
"Who said?" Yubira barked.
"Well, back where I came from..."
"It doesn't matter where you came from, so long as you know where you are going!" Yubira grinned. "You're getting a bit red, Brittany. Best put your coat on."
"Yeah, my nose is starting to sting..." Brittany said, quickly turning to Zelda, whom had long ago left the boys to join her party. The girl snatched the coat from the princess and draped the gigantic garment over her head to shield herself from the sun. "How much longer do you suppose it will be, Subira?"
"Our leader often travels to the small town at the edge of the desert in order to hear the latest news. We should be nearing it any second now...aha! Look...up ahead!"
Brittany watched as the small desert town came into view. The moment she got close enough to recognize the people, she noticed that there were other Gerudo looking at them. Her self-consciousness flourished, making her hold the cloth tighter and pray that no one noticed her chubby frame. Subira chatted with one of the townswomen for a moment before they struck off down the road. Soon, Brittany found herself in front of a shady-looking tavern. She slipped off of Altair and tied him to the hitching post with the Gerudos' horses before following Subira into the establishment.
Apparently, the Gerudo must have been having some sort of celebration, because all Brittany could see was a multitude of desert women running about. The place was so crammed that not only was every table overflowing with customers, but there were also others standing along the walls chatting. A deafening roar of jumbled voices, clattering dishes and clinking of glasses surrounded her.
So many feelings pelted Brittany, but they all derived from the same emotions: amusement. Excitement. Happiness. As she watched the display of elated merchants, she felt a tap on her shoulder. The Empath turned and saw Subira motioning toward a particularly crowded area of the room. She found herself being pulled along by the wrist by an excited Yubira.
As Brittany approached the thickest part of the mob, she could hear wild shrieks of laughter coming from the table. To her surprise, they were mingled with a deeper, rougher voice. For a moment, her companions stopped. Through the thicket of people, Brittany could hear Subira speaking to someone.
"Ah, Grand Vizier Subira!" sounded the voice. "How nice to see you again! Was Yubira's first voyage as promising as I expected?"
"Sire," Brittany heard Subira's voice lower, "it was, until my child was attacked by the Helmaroc-"
"WHAT?"
As Brittany tried to peek around a few of the stalled customers, a sudden crash rang out and she heard boards being split. She nearly jumped out of her skin as the room went silent. Subira spit out a quick stream of words.
"Your Highness, do not fret," she turned to Brittany and waved her arm toward the girl, motioning her to come. "Yubira was saved by a cunning and bold-hearted maiden. I have brought her to meet you."
Brittany stepped forward. The moment the owner of the deeper voice came into view, her breath caught in her throat. A dark-fleshed bear of a man sat hunched over in a chair that was far too small for his over-muscled girth. His scalp was cleanly shaven, with the exception of a fiery ring of spiked-back hair encircling his head. A long black cloak draped over his frame, which was clothed in dark red and brown. His breastplate was longer than Brittany's arm, and he wore wicked-looking metal boots and knee armor. His fist lay curled in the crater he had smashed into the table.
He looked up at her over his long, witch-like nose. The moment she saw the acidic green eyes flash from their sockets, years of playing video games rushed back to her.
Holy Mother of God-it's...!
"Brittany, meet our lord and leader of the Southern Gerudo: Ganondorf."
If she were much weaker, the girl would have fainted on the spot. Instead, her mind decided to hyperventilate.
Oh, crap, oh, crap, oh, holy freaking CRAP! Ganondorf-the Ganondorf! Oh, snap...I'm gonna die! He's gonna crush my skull like a grape, and then I'm gonna die! What do I do, what do I do, WHAT DO I DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO?
Ganondorf gripped the splintered wood in his hand and raised himself from his chair. The women stepped back as he casually stepped toward the Empath, until there was a huge gap in the room where only she and the Gerudo prince stood. He halted just in front of her and she raised her head to face her doom.
"So..." boomed the man. "You are the one who saved Yubira?"
Brittany narrowed her eyes and tried to maintain her composure in front of the towering menace. "I am."
"Take off your coat, my child, so he can see you."
Hesitantly, Brittany relaxed her grip on the fabric, pulled the oversized garment off, and handed it to Subira. With the absence of her protective garment, all the Empath could do was clench her fists and stand as tall as she could before the intimidating Gerudo. He circled her for a moment, his heavy steel boots thudding against the floorboards and Brittany's eyes never straying from his face. He stopped in front of her again, his hand on his chin and his eyes set in deep concentration. Suddenly, Ganondorf roared back with a hearty laugh that nearly shook the tavern.
"MWA-HA-HAH-HA-HAH! This little girl defeated the mighty Helmaroc?" chortled the man. "Why, she's nothing but a child!"
Now Brittany was irritated. "I am NINETEEN years old, I'll have you know!" she crossed her arms over her chest in defiant gesture. Ganondorf let out another bellow.
"Ah, and a feisty little warrior at that!"
"My liege," Subira spoke, "this maiden boldly sought the Helmaroc alone. A party of ten men from that village perished unable to wound the beast, and yet she slew it with naught but a sword and her own cunning. My Lord, she may be quite the pasty little thing and new to the art of warfare, but anyone so courageous as to go against such a monster would make a fine addition to our sisters. Would you not agree?"
Ganondorf raised a brow. "Are you certain that she is not already Gerudo? Her hair may be different," he looked down at the girl, "but her ears are round. Only Gerudo have round ears. Tell me, maiden," he asked Brittany, "where did you come from?"
Brittany gazed up with a cocky expression. "From outside," she said.
"Heh, such wit," smirked the prince. "Your heritage, then."
"That knowledge is for me alone," she bravely spoke. "I do not speak so freely of my past. There are ghosts there that I prefer remain at rest."
The dark man nodded. "Very well...I am sure that all will be revealed in time. For now," Ganondorf placed one enormous hand on her shoulder and motioned toward the table, "I bid you sup with us. Anyone who risked her life for one of my people is welcome at my table. Of course," he looked to the Hylians behind her, "your companions may also join us."
He led the maiden over to the table and pulled out the chair next to his own. A few of the Gerudo eyed Brittany strangely, but a glare from Ganondorf dismissed their prying eyes. Yubira nabbed the chair on his right side while someone else fetched the prince a larger seat. Before any of the other Gerudo could sit by Brittany, Vaati scrambled to the table and plopped down next to her. Link and Zelda moved to the opposite end of the table to sit with Subira.
"Ah...much better," said the Gerudo prince once a proper chair was found. "While we await our supper...Yubira, why not recall for us the dreaded battle of the Helmaroc?"
The merchant girl smiled and began her tale. For the next little while, Brittany watched the animated storyteller retell the same epic she told to the villagers in Holodrum. Many of the other Gerudo gathered around, some kneeling with their arms crossed over the table, while yet others crammed along the walls to listen. Brittany looked over to Ganondorf and watched, intrigued, as his eyes never left Yubira.
Once the story was done, Ganondorf stretched and leaned back in his chair. "What a grand battle! Such rage from the beast, and such nobility of our Little Heroine! Yubira, what a fine storyteller you are making. I only hope that charisma is not the only treasure you bring back from your journey."
"Sire, if I may..." Yubira looked over at Brittany. "Little Heroine and her company asks to see a list of the people we have sold horses to in the past few years."
The desert prince looked to the Empath. "Why would you need something like that?"
"A young girl from Hyrule was kidnapped," Brittany replied, "by people riding the breed of warhorses that your Gerudo raise. Since we'd heard you kept strict records, we were hoping that such a list could narrow down our search for the kidnappers."
Ganondorf nodded. "I see...you know, we don't allow outsiders to view our records."
"Please, Prince Ganondorf," Zelda pleaded, "her family worries about her so! Can you make an exception just this once?"
The Gerudo smirked. "I suppose I could...after all, if it was Yubira or another of my subjects that had gone missing, I would do the same. However," the dark man propped his elbows up on the table and intertwined his fingers, "none of us run around with old records on us."
"Then tell us where to find them!" Link joined in.
"Boy, you would roast in the desert sun long before you ever found them."
"Then why don't you lead us to them?" Vaati said, his head still covered with the hood.
Ganondorf snorted. "Why would I bring a bunch of outsiders into my kingdom? Especially when those outsiders contain a couple of Hylian boys?"
Vaati began to snap a retort when Brittany beat him to it.
"Two words," the Empath held up her fingers. "Blood dept. Subira owes me, and you want me for a Gerudo."
The amused chatter of the other Gerudo died down a bit only to be replaced with concerned whispers. Ganondorf glowered at the impetuous maiden. Brittany refused to back down, however, and defiantly kept her eyes locked with the man's. Their staring contest continued for a few intense moments before the brute spoke.
"Usually, a glare like that could get a person killed," Ganondorf said.
Brittany gave him a wicked smirk. "Killing me means losing fresh blood, though," she reminded him as she cocked her head to the side. Ganondorf returned her smirk.
"Indeed, what a tart you are!" he let out a boisterous laugh and lowered his hands. "I'll take you to our kingdom. Not like you'll be tempted to lead anyone there-only a Gerudo can find it." He pushed out his chair and rose up. Stretching and heaving a yawn that would rival a bear's roar, he turned away from the table. "I suggest you four go make lodgings. I will send someone to wake you in the morning."
"How do we know you won't just leave us?" Vaati spat. The Gerudo turned around with a smug look on his face.
"I would not leave a potential Gerudo behind, boy," the prince coolly spoke. Then he turned and walked away, with several of the merchants following him. Yubira stood up.
"Well, now...you heard the man! Let's go find you all a place for the night."