I know, I know, I keep teasing you all with so many cliffhangers! I'm sorry; they are just so much fun to write! This chapter doesn't have one, I promise. Neither does next chapter! But, after that... well, not making any promises!
So last chapter was a popular one! So many comments...! I love it, keep them coming! You're all awesome, and thanks for reading this crazy thing! Last chapter was so satisfying to write, but I'm happy to say that the fun times don't end there. There are approximately 11 chapters left after this (I did add one!), plus... some extras along the way. There's plenty of action sequences (just wait until next week...), along with memories, interactions with your favorite characters (I know that I, for one, am greatly missing a certain musical bird...), and then, of course, a conclusion that I hope will knock your socks off. I can't wait to share it all! But, first, let me respond to a few comments...
Klynnw: I love the idea of trying to tie more of Zelda lore into Breath of the Wild. There's so much there, and tons of it is hidden in the background, and I'm all about digging into it. As well as adding a bit of my own spin, naturally. I try to stay as faithful as I can to the established lore while giving myself a little bit of room to play with it. And as far as what Link gave Zelda for her birthday... That was a common curiosity after last chapter. It seems my little tease worked! Don't worry-it'll come. Not today, but it will come!
midnaisbae: Wow! You left me a lot of comments. I like it, but there's no way I can respond to it all! I will pick a few things here... First, the Yiga! So I don't know what the game writers originally intended, but I agree that some Yiga were likely born into it. However, I don't think they all were. Certainly not in my own story! Some members of the Yiga Clan have been brainwashed, others don't believe anything about Ganon, but harbor grudges against certain people, and still others are just straight crazy. Going a little further back, you mentioned Rhoam as a prince or noble. I agree! Zelda's mother was certainly the royal in that relationship, and Rhoam married into it. After all, Zelda makes it clear that her mother had the power or at least understood it. Finally, regarding the Masterworks, oh I've read some of it (thanks to the magic of Google Translate!). In fact, there are plenty of details in my novel that came from it. I can't wait for the English translation, though. Got it preordered.
Michy21: Like I would make it easy for Link to take down a Divine Beast! That one was fun, though. Imagining Link trying to be all cool like the Gerudo-and kind of failing at it-was quite enjoyable for me. See the above comment about Link's birthday present... It's coming! And, yes, present Link is still hesitant to admit things for sure. He wants his context!
iCards: Thunderblight is, in some ways, my favorite (awesome sword fighting/dodging/parrying!) and in others... not (lightning spikes, I hate you so much). Either way, it was a blast to write. It was fun just giving Link someone he could fight on a somewhat equal footing (...not that it has feet). And the Skyward Strike was very satisfying to write, indeed. Breath of the Wild has the classic sword beam, sure, but I couldn't resist giving Fi a little moment there.
Now, please, read (especially after that cruel cliffhanger!), enjoy, and let me know what you think! And... well, look forward to Saturday. Because that chapter is one that I feel very, very strongly about, and I think you will too.
Chapter Fifty
"Link!"
He grunted with exertion, reaching back up with fingers outstretched and grasped the small rock ledge. Feeling more secure, he glanced back down from the rock wall he clung to, spotting two blonde women surprisingly far below him.
Zelda looked up at him with concern visible in her expression, even from here. Aryll stood beside her, holding a small basket of wildberries in one arm.
"I'm okay!" he called down. Granted, he'd almost just fallen, but almost didn't mean much of anything when it came to rock climbing.
Zelda pursed her lips. "I wasn't expecting you to just run off and start climbing that wall. Really, you can come down—I don't need to get the mushroom."
"I'm okay!" he repeated, before looking back up. The purple fungus was only a few more feet up, really, and he could see the path he needed to take to reach it. He lifted a foot, finding another hold, and pushed himself higher. A few pebbles broke loose, tumbling down the steeply inclined rockface.
And don't pretend like you didn't actually want me to climb up here and get it, he thought, grinning, despite his precarious position. Zelda had seen the purple mushroom hanging off the side of the wall and gasped in that way she always did when she saw something that she wanted to study closer.
He could hear the two girls talking below. Aryll was babbling about something indecipherable, and Zelda responded half-heartedly. He glanced back down, finding that Zelda still watched him with concern.
She's seen me climb rocks before, he thought, curious. What's so different now? Of course, this cliff face was somewhat taller than he had climbed in her presence, but it was hardly the highest climb he ever done, nor was it the most difficult.
He pushed himself higher and reached down, pulling his belt knife free. He carefully extended his arm up and easily slid the knife along the base of the strangely colored mushroom, sending it tumbling down the wall.
"Here it comes!"
He glanced down to see Zelda move forward, catching the falling mushroom—which was surprisingly large—in outstretched hands. She looked back up at him and smiled, despite her protests.
Goddess, he liked seeing that smile.
His foot slipped, and he swore, gripping the rock with straining fingers. He heard the girls below yelp. "I'm okay!" he called as he blindly searched for another foothold. Thankfully, he did manage to find one before his fingers gave out and that statement became an unfortunate lie.
Link began the careful climb down until, finally, he hopped the last six feet or so, landing on the ground in a crouch. He stood back up, brushing the dust off his clothes. Zelda stood nearby, holding onto the mushroom, and looking relieved. He stood a little taller, trying to feign a nonchalance that he didn't really feel.
"Are you done showing off? I'm hungry." Aryll asked, chewing a berry.
"Quiet, you," Link said, giving her a sharp glare. She smirked at him. He reached out, grabbing a berry from her basket, popping it into his mouth. He eyed her basket and then looked up at her incredulously. "You've already eaten half of those!"
"Not just me!" Aryll protested. "Zelda ate some too."
Zelda laughed. "Oh, don't you start blaming me. I had one handful."
Link's sister made a face and then popped another berry into her mouth. "I only ate two or three handfuls. But don't worry—I saw another bush full of them not far from here. I'll pick some more while you cook."
Link reached out and ruffled his sister's hair before giving her head a gentle nudge. "You're going to get a belly-ache just like last time."
"No, I won't."
"If you say so."
Aryll smirked at Link and then turned, scampering off, presumably to gather more of the wildberries. Link watched her go fondly, until he became acutely aware of Zelda's presence to his left. He glanced over at her, meeting her eyes.
She smiled at him. "You know, I always wished I could have had a sibling."
"You can have mine, if you want."
She snorted and shook her head. They began to walk back to the small camp that Link had set up for them underneath a wide oak tree. She held the oversized purple mushroom in her hands in such a way that made him think of a bouquet of flowers.
"You know, that is exactly what I meant when I told you not to be so reckless," she said after a minute of walking.
He snorted. "That wasn't so bad. Three lynels were at least a little bit more difficult."
"So humble, you are."
He smiled a little sheepishly. "Sorry."
Zelda smiled at him. "Well, I doubt anyone else would have been able to handle that, either, so I suppose you can be a little proud of it."
Link could remember that fight, near the base of Death Mountain. It hadn't been anything to be prideful about at the time. It had been butchery, plain and simple. An ambush by monsters, a family of lynels, and Zelda in the middle of it all. It was a miracle that they'd survived—and with barely a scratch.
Silence fell between them for a time before she spoke again. "You know… your sister told me something funny."
The hair on the back of Link's neck stood on end. "She did?"
"Mm-hmm," she said, looking straight ahead, her face carefully blank. "She told me that it was actually your idea all along to invite me along on this trip."
He felt his face flush. "Well, that… I mean, yeah. It was."
She looked at him with a frown. "Link, you know that I didn't want to come between you and your sister's time together. If you want to spend some time alone with her, I really would be fine with staying at the lab for a couple of days."
"It's not—" he started, and then hesitated. "She's thrilled to have you here. When I got back, all she asked me about was traveling around with you, and I thought that this would be a good opportunity for her to get to know you some."
Zelda raised her eyebrows. "Oh? Is that the reason you invited me?"
He cleared his throat, glancing away. "It's one of them, at least."
"And what was another reason?"
Link sighed softly. "I figured you could use an excuse to get out of the castle for a bit."
The return from their trip to the Spring of Courage had gone just as Link had feared it would. The priests had descended on Zelda before she'd even dismounted from her horse, asking about her experiences at the spring, if she'd felt or experienced anything. Even worse, her father had been there as well, looking as stern as always.
That night, Zelda confided in Link how much she hadn't wanted to even return to the castle because of how much she'd felt like a failure following the spring. That hadn't been a surprise for him—she'd grown increasingly reticent the closer they got to the castle on their long trek north through Hyrule Field.
The trip to the Royal Ancient Lab, then, was a way to accomplish both Link's plan to take Aryll out on his promised trip to sleep beneath the stars and to give Zelda a chance to visit the Sheikah. It had been Aryll's idea to invite Zelda to stay with them, rather than sleeping in her room at the lab, but he found that he didn't want to correct her now.
Besides, he was telling the truth about Aryll's feelings about Zelda's presence. His little sister had taken to the princess almost immediately—especially after Zelda told her in no uncertain terms that she wasn't allowed to call her princess.
Zelda sighed softly, but a small smile crossed her lips. "I thought as much. You really didn't have to do that, you know." She glanced to the east, in the direction of the distant castle. "Honestly, I probably should have devoted this time to more prayer in preparation for our trip to the Spring of Power."
"Yes, I always like to pray before I pray to make sure I pray right," Link said.
She looked back at him, trying to stifle a grin. "I'm serious."
"So am I!" Link protested. "I say a prayer before every meal prayer."
She reached out, giving him a light shove. "To think that I used to wonder at how little you spoke."
"Well, I used to pray silently."
"Mm, I'm sure."
They crested the small hill, reaching the oak with their campsite. The small lake extended before them, glittering in the late afternoon sun. To the east, a small herd of horses galloped across the Irch Plain, and to the north, Salari Hill rose up, with the Hebra Peak forming a distant backdrop.
Zelda sat down on her small blanket, setting the mushroom down, and beginning to take some photographs of it with her Sheikah Slate. Link watched her for a time before beginning to work on getting a fire started. Eventually, Aryll made her way back with a full basket and fingers stained red from picking—and eating—so many wildberries.
For a while, Link contented himself with preparing the meal while listening to his sister and Zelda babble behind him. Aryll had launched into an explanation about the difference between river barges and proper sea vessels, and Zelda, for her part, seemed legitimately curious.
Aryll eventually ran off again—she could never stay put in one place for long. Link watched her protectively as she hurried down to the lake's edge, watching as she pulled her boots off and waded out into the water after rolling her pantlegs up to her knees.
Finally satisfied that the stew had the right amount of ingredients in it, Link stood, stretching and backed away from the bubbling cauldron. It would take another few hours before the meal would be ready. He glanced around, finding Zelda studying a field of colorful flowers.
"What are you looking at?" Link asked, walking over to her.
Zelda glanced back at him, smiling, and then looked back at the flowers, lifting the Sheikah Slate and taking a photograph. "I just noticed how odd these flowers are."
Link waited for a further explanation, which did not appear forthcoming. Finally, he asked, "Why are they odd?"
"Because they're here." She leaned forward on her knees, examining one particular flower. "Like this one. I'm pretty sure that this one is native to the Akkala region. And this one—" She pulled back up and shuffled forward, still on her knees. "Is from the Faron grasslands!"
He watched her with amusement. "Really."
"Yes." She took another photograph. "I don't think I've ever seen such a variety of flowers growing in the wild. Many of them have very unique properties. In fact, this one over here—we could add this to your stew and…" She trailed off.
Slowly, she leaned forward, reaching out with her bare fingers to gently brush along a flower with five petals, each colored blue near the stem and turning white at their edges.
"This one here is called a silent princess," she said, quietly enough that Link had to move closer to hear her. She spoke with apparent reverence for the flower. "It's a rare, endangered species."
She glanced at him, smiling slightly. "Despite our best efforts, we can't get them to grow domestically yet. The princess can only thrive out here—in the wild."
Zelda sat back on her legs, lifting the Sheikah Slate to take a photograph of the flower. Then she lowered it to her lap, staring quietly at the flower. "All that we can hope is that the species will be strong enough to prosper, on its own."
Link frowned slightly, looking at her. Somehow, he wasn't certain she was talking about the flower any longer. "Zelda?" He shifted slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of her face.
Suddenly, she gasped, moving forward on all fours, and Link found himself looking directly at her backside, which was, he dared admit to himself, quite shapely in her snug, black riding pants. He looked quickly away, feeling embarrassed by his silent admission. I can't keep thinking such things.
"Look at this!"
He looked back at her to find Zelda sitting back up on her knees and turning to face him, hands cupped together over something. She beamed at him with an excitement that belied her solemn words from seconds before.
"I don't believe it—I actually caught one!"
"Caught… what?" Link asked, warily.
She shuffled forward on her knees, coming closer to him. Alarmingly close. Close enough that their knees almost touched. "This delicacy is known to have very, very potent effects under the proper circumstances." She opened her hands just enough to show Link what she held. "Tada!"
"That is… a frog," Link said, staring at the small green amphibian in her cupped palm.
She nodded excitedly. "I know! I've never caught one before!" She brought it closer to her face, inspecting it critically. "Research from the castle shows ingesting one of these can actually augment certain abilities."
"Augment abilities? Zelda, that—"
She pressed on, seemingly oblivious to his confused protests. "We wouldn't be in a controlled environment out here, but with your level of physical fitness, you would be a perfect candidate for the study."
"What?" Link said, eyes widening with alarm. "No."
"Yes." She moved even closer, shoving the frog towards him. "Go on—try it! Taste it. I've never had a chance to see the effects in person."
"I'm not eating that frog."
Zelda sat back, frowning at him. "And why not? It won't hurt you."
"I'm not worried about—I'm not just going to eat a living frog."
Zelda opened her mouth to protest, but suddenly, Aryll was there, pants still rolled up to her knees and boots held in her hand. "Link, you'll never guess what I just—oh, you caught a frog!"
Zelda turned to her, eyes shining. "I never caught one before."
Aryll's eyes widened—and then she grew serious, eyebrows drawing down in a somber frown. "We need to fix that."
Zelda mirrored her expression. "Yes, we do."
And, before five minutes were up, all three of them had traveled down to the lake, each with their pant legs rolled up to their knees, catching frogs. And somehow, Link was certain that at least one of the poor creatures would end up in his stew.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Link!"
"Zelda."
Memories burst to life in Link's head. Climbing the cliff face, Zelda and the frog, all three of them ending up soaked after splashing each other in the lake. Zelda, insisting that they try to add some of the supposedly ability-augmenting frogs to the stew, which summarily ruined it.
Other memories followed it in a rush of colors, feelings, and thoughts. Lying out beneath the stars beside Zelda, speaking softly of his childhood, even though he knew he'd told her much of it before. Her admission that she rarely had friends to play with as a princess. He could remember her rolling over onto her stomach, her face surprisingly close to his, eyes large and so green in the firelight. And she thanked him, for being her friend.
It had been like something grabbed his heart and squeezed so tightly. Goddess, did she know how he felt in that moment? How badly he had wanted to—
Link stopped, forcing his mind from the memory. To the present. Zelda's voice. Here. Now.
"You're speaking to me," he said, eyes widening.
"You did it. Link, you really did it." She sounded excited. Triumphant. "I knew you could. I knew you would."
How many times had he prayed to hear her voice again? How many times had he spoken to her, hoping that she could somehow hear him? And here she was, her voice as strong as though she were beside him.
"Zelda, what's going on?" He sat against the bed in the half-ruined inn, looking up at the ceiling. "I thought that Ganon was fighting too strong for you to be able to speak with me."
"He was," she said. "But something has changed now that you destroyed his final blight. When you defeated it, he grew angry. Angrier, even, then when he first saw you. He nearly broke free. But then he withdrew."
"Withdrew?"
"I…" Her voice lost some of her certainty. "I can still feel him, here in the castle. In the sanctum. He is no longer fighting against his bonds. He is preparing for you to come. But for now, he is not attempting to break free, and I can let myself… be, for a time."
Link's throat constricted. She sounded so much like herself. Even more than when he'd last spoken to her like this, at Tarry Town. There were so many things that he wanted to say, so many things that he had to say, yet now he found that the words would not come.
"Have you…" His voice was a croak. He cleared it and spoke again, more clearly. "Have you been watching me, all this time?"
"I have, when I could. I saw you draw the Master Sword and I saw you in the woods." She paused. "I should have told you how to summon a guide. That was an oversight on my part, I apologize."
"What? No, it's fine—I'm fine. I've been trying to talk to you. I wasn't sure if you could hear me, though."
She laughed softly. "Oh, yes. I have. Mostly, at least. I'm sorry that I haven't been able to respond until now."
"It's really… okay." Link felt embarrassed suddenly. He had hoped that Zelda could hear him, of course, but… well, at the same time, he had been speaking as though she couldn't. How open had he been? He couldn't remember everything he had told her.
"Have your memories continued to return?"
Link nodded, though then he felt silly doing so. "Pieces. I just remembered the day we spent at the lake. With Aryll. Do you…"
He felt a sudden rush of warmth, almost like an embrace, wash over him. It was the same sensation he felt when he saw her smile. "I do. It was near the end of summer. I remember it well. That was such a moment of peace. Many things grew more… difficult shortly thereafter."
An uncomfortable weight settled between them, and they both fell silent. Zelda, with her painful memories, and Link, still lacking his.
Finally, Link broke it after looking down at the colorful Gerudo blouse on the dusty bed. He felt a new wave of embarrassment wash over him and groaned audibly.
"What?" she asked.
"You've been watching me this whole time."
There was a long pause, and then she spoke again, amusement apparent in her voice. "Why, yes. I have."
"I assume, then, that you witnessed everything that I have done to gain entry to Gerudo Town?" he asked, fearing her answer.
"Well, I think you could say that I have discovered a new side to you, Link," she said, clearly enjoying this conversation. "And, really, that outfit does look very good on you."
"This conversation ends now."
"Oh, come now. You're the one that has been reading my old diary. I never knew you had such a disregard for privacy."
Link's face flushed. "That's not… You've been watching me all along! I have been—changing and—relieving myself in the—bathing—have you been watching all of that?"
Zelda did not answer.
He stood up, smiling victoriously, despite the embarrassing situation. "How well can you see me now?"
"As if I were there."
He took a step forward, eyes focused on the direction that he felt her voice had come from. "And how close are you?"
Suddenly, her voice was closer. Much closer. Like a whisper in his ear. "Close."
He turned, half expecting to find her green eyes inches from his own, but there was no one there. Only a half-collapsed wall, covered by sand. "I wish I could see you."
There was a long pause. "I wish you could as well. But that would take too much of my power. If Ganon tried to break free while I did that—"
"It's all right, I understand." He paused. "I'll be able to see you in person soon enough."
He felt that same surge of warmth that he felt earlier. Somehow, though he couldn't see Zelda or her expression, she conveyed her feelings to him all the same. "Yes, you will." He felt a shiver of anticipation, and he wasn't sure if it came from him or her.
But then the feeling faded, and her voice pulled back some. "But, Link, don't rush this. For now, Ganon has retreated. The best thing you can do is make sure you are fully ready. When you return, I doubt that I will be able to hold him."
He nodded slowly. "It's going to take some time to gather the Divine Beasts. And the Sheikah have been working on the Guardian problem."
"Good. I will do my best to keep Ganon blind to what you are planning. He is not omniscient, and perhaps he will not realize what is happening until it is too late."
A thought occurred to him. A strange thought, considering their still-precarious situation, yet it was one that had been repeatedly brought to him mind lately. "Zelda?"
"Yes, Link?"
"What… will you do? When this is all over?"
She was silent for a long time. Long enough that he wondered if she'd been forced to depart. Finally, however, she spoke again. "What do you remember of that last autumn?"
"Very little."
"I don't yet know what I will do when this is all over. I feel that what I would like to be able to do and what I must do are still two separate things." She paused, and Link heard her sigh softly. "I suppose that will likely never change."
Link frowned. "I think you've done your duty more than enough, at this point. You deserve to be able to do what you want."
"And what would you do?"
"I… I don't know," he said, though he knew it to be a lie.
"Are you certain?"
He remained silent, not daring to speak his thoughts.
Zelda, it would seem, was content to do the same. "Try to remember that last autumn. Our conversations together. Our trips to the Springs of Power and Wisdom. I believe that you will find your answer there."
Part of him felt frustrated by her non-answer, but he also thought that he understood. She wanted him to know. To remember. That had always been her intent, even when sending him to free the Divine Beasts. That was why she gave him the Sheikah Slate, why she encouraged him to look at the photographs. It was the same reason Impa had chosen to let him discover much on his own.
By remembering the past, he was slowly reclaiming his own life. No one, not even Zelda, could give that to him.
"I will."
Gerudo Town was in a state of confusion. Many had seen the bazaar be destroyed, and they feared that Naboris would turn back towards the city, though the Divine Beast had now begun marching inexorably towards the canyon that would take it out of the desert.
Others were convinced that their period of trial was over. Some claimed to have seen Lady Riju ride out to confront the Divine Beast that very morning, and that her return—and the ceasing of its storms—signified that she had been successful in taming it.
Either way, Link was allowed entrance into the city without any trouble. He hadn't even bothered with disguising the Master Sword this time, though he had grudgingly put on the Gerudo attire eventually, once Zelda had departed to refocus on keeping Ganon blinded to outside events.
He suspected that she was still able to see him, however, though it hardly made sense to worry about it now. If she had been watching him all this time, she'd seen him in all states of dress. Still, it was embarrassing to think about. He preferred not realizing that she was watching him in those moments.
Link made his way through the town, which was even more crowded than before. Even more of the outer Gerudo tribes had entered into the city, as had any women that had been staying at the bazaar. He still saw no men inside the city, though he noticed that the tents outside of its walls had grown in number as well.
He kept an eye out for Rhondson as he walked. He had checked on her house on his way up to the city, finding that it had been completely destroyed. It pained him to know how much work had gone into that small home and shop and wanted to be the one to deliver the bad news to her. He wasn't able to pick her out among the sea of tall women with red hair, however, and ultimately decided to continue on towards the palace.
Here, too, he was let in without any incident, though the guards at the entrance all eyed him with strange looks. He suspected that they knew the truth of who he was and what he'd done but had been forbidden from discussing it.
The throne room was empty when he arrived, so he made his way out onto the outer staircase that led up to Riju's room. Here, he found both her and Buliara standing, watching towards the northeast, in the direction of Naboris.
Link's foot scuffed one of the stone steps, and Riju turned, eyes widening. Suddenly, a mass of red hair hit him as she raced down the stairs and embraced him tightly around the torso, her face pressed to his chest. It was such a strange action, so unexpected, that he just stood there, uncertain of what to do.
He met Buliara's eyes, who looked horrified though she kept her tongue. Finally, he hesitantly patted Riju's back, and she pulled away, beaming up at him.
"It's done? You tamed it?" she said, though she clearly already knew the answer.
Link nodded, smiling back down at her. "I couldn't have done it without your help."
Riju smiled even more broadly and made her way back up the stairs to stand beside Buliara again, looking to the northeast. "What will happen now?"
Link stepped up to stand beside the two Gerudo. "I'll be leaving to finish preparations to retake the castle." He hesitated, looking down at her. "That's actually something that I wish to speak to you about."
Riju looked at him, eyebrows raised. "I expect you will want Gerudo help going to battle against the Guardians?"
"Well, I hope that the Guardians won't be an issue, ultimately, but… yes. I am gathering an army to help me retake Hyrule. Drive the monsters out and, if necessary, defeat the Guardians to allow me a chance to face Ganon."
Riju waved a hand dismissively. "I've already spoken to Captain Teake about it, and she is preparing to begin traveling that way."
Link grinned. "Urbosa was right."
"What do you mean?" Riju looked at him sharply, confused.
"She was there, on Naboris. We spoke… She said that you would agree to send soldiers to our aid. Something about how Gerudo are never outdone?"
Riju gasped, eyes widening. She glanced back towards Buliara briefly before looking again at Link. "Vigilant in the sun, growing brilliant; Gerudo, never outdone."
"What does it mean?"
"It is one of the inscriptions found on the three pillars that each Gerudo chief must study and learn." She fell silent, considering quietly. "We will do whatever we can to aid you, Link."
"Thanks, Riju."
Buliara cleared her throat, eyes flashing dangerously. "You will not speak to Lady Riju with such familiarity!"
Link grinned broadly. "Right. Of course. My apologies, Lady Riju."
Riju returned his smile, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Apology accepted, erm… what would your title be, anyway?"
Link shrugged. "I believe Madame Link would be acceptable. Lady Link. Or dame, now that I think about it. Dame Link?"
Riju giggled, shaking her head.
"What? I'm sealious!"
The young Gerudo chief only began to laugh in earnest, while Buliara groaned audibly.
Link found Rhondson later that evening. As the news of Naboris' departure filtered out to the city, many of the Gerudo that had taken refuge in the city began to leave again. Link borrowed another sand seal and rode down to the bazaar ruins, not surprised when he found the tall Gerudo woman picking through the wreckage of her shop.
She looked up when she heard him arrive, her expression difficult to read. "Sav'saaba, Link."
"Sav'saaba." He disengaged himself from the seal, making his way towards her while avoiding some of the wreckage left on the ground, courtesy of a lightning strike.
Rhondson turned back to her shop, crouching down and pulling out a piece of red silk, torn along one edge. She sighed. "I expect you are to thank for putting a stop to the Divine Beast before it could do any more destruction?" She spit to the side as she mentioned Naboris.
He stepped up beside her, looking down at her home. "We tried to stop it before it reached the bazaar. I'm sorry, Rhondson. I'd hoped your home wouldn't have been damaged."
"We are saved. That is all that matters."
Link could tell by her tone and expression that she didn't truly believe that. He knew how proud of this shop she had been, despite her lack of business. "Will you rebuild?"
She remained silent for a long time before, finally, shaking her head. "No. At least, not for a long time."
"Why?"
She allowed the silky fabric to slip from her fingers and turned, sitting upon a stone that jutted up that might have once been part of her roof. She stared out over the oasis. The evening sun reflected off of the small pond in its center, turning it a fiery red.
"What else? Money. I have told you—I was not very successful here. Most traveled to the city for their tailoring needs. I made only enough to survive. Barely even that."
Link settled down next to her, frowning. He thought about the gemstones that he had received from the Gorons and the rupees from Impa. He didn't mind the idea of parting with it—the small fortune meant very little to him. He told her as much.
"Sa'oten!" Rhondson said, her tone growing agitated. "I would not take that from you, even if I were to take you as a husband!"
Link held up his hands quickly. "Sorry! I didn't mean to suggest—"
Rhondson made a cutting gesture with her hand, halting him. "No, it is… it is fine. I am just…" She groaned softly, shaking her head. "It is a kind gesture. But you have done enough to help the Gerudo. I would not take more from you now."
Link remained silent, suspecting that there was more to her rejection than that.
"When I first opened my shop… My vaba gave me a small loan. She knew that I wished to be a tailor, but my mama—she sold fruit and would not accept that I would not do the same."
"Vaba?"
"My mama's… mama. Mother?"
"Your grandmother?"
"Yes, grandmother." She stumbled over the word slightly. "My vaba. She told me, 'Rhondson, it would please me more than anything for you to become a tailor. Do not give up on your dreams.'" She sighed softly. "But she died soon after that. I tried becoming a tailor in Gerudo Town, but there are already so many good tailors in the city. So, I chose to come out here. Mama was very angry with me for it."
Link understood. He understood better than he thought that he should have. As she spoke, more memories began to bloom in his mind. Standing with Zelda on the stone bridge leading to her tower, looking down on a Guardian. Her father…
He pushed the memory from his mind for the moment, returning his focus to Rhondson. That memory held pain, he was certain of it. "What will you do now, then? Try again in Gerudo Town?"
"Likely sell fruit with Mama. Maybe, in time, I can start over again."
He considered for a moment before smiling. "Rhondson, what if I told you that I knew of someplace that needs a tailor very badly?"
She looked at him, eyebrows raising in curiosity. "What is this?"
"There is this… town. A settlement, really, but it's growing. They are still missing a lot of the craftsmen and women that a town needs—including a tailor."
Rhondson narrowed her eyes. "You mean beyond the desert?" Link nodded. "Where?"
"The Akkala region, to the east. It's called Tarry Town."
She remained silent for a long time before, finally, shaking her head. "I do not think that would be possible. That journey is so long, and I do not even know if I would be accepted in a place such as that."
"Rhondson, take it from me… You are the exact kind of person that they're looking for. And I'm sure they would be willing to pay you well for your services."
She tapped her knee thoughtfully for a long time. Finally, she looked up at the sky, which bore shades of red and gold. "I have never left the desert."
"It's not so bad out there. There's less sand. More grass."
"What is grass?"
Link looked at her in surprise. "What? Oh, it's—" He stopped when he noticed her grin. "You're joking."
Rhondson threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, I had to. I know what grass is. Honestly, it is as if you've never been to a Voe and Me class."
"I can assure you that I have definitely not been to a Voe and Me class, though now I am very intrigued…"
She snorted, waving her hand dismissively. She turned her head to look to the northeast. "It would be a long journey…"
"Not as long as you might think." He reached down to pat his Sheikah Slate. "I couldn't take you all the way there, but I could take you to within a day's journey."
She continued to tap her knees, frowning. She whispered, "Do not give up on your dreams." Finally, she looked at Link, nodding. "I'll do it. When do you want to leave?"
He blinked and glanced up towards the darkening sky. "I plan to leave in the morning, but I can come back in a few days if you need some time…"
Rhondson shook her head. "No. Most of what I own has been lost. I will recover what materials and tools that I can. I can leave in the morning."
Link nodded, smiling. "Great. Now, come on. I'll help you dig some of this stuff out."
