Year of the Great Kingdom 583
A second, even more aged Gerudo woman slowly descended the staircase and studied Mama Vai suspiciously. "What is going on down here?" she croaked in a raspy voice. Before her clerk could answer, Mama Vai spoke up, "I need to find my last voe!" Agnes narrowed her eyes and leaned back slightly away from her, "Why? Did it not take? Just find another voe!"
Telma's mother glanced down at her daughter and quickly back up at the two old women, which drew their eyes down to the little girl. "What is a child doing in here?" the old matron growled, until she noticed the small points at the top of Telma's ears. With surprising swiftness, she glided around the counter and grabbed hold of the little girl's face. She shrieked and squirmed, but the old hag firmly twisted her back and forth, studying her features.
"What… is this?" she whispered to herself, "I have heard stories of… 'these'… but I always believed they were stories. I've never actually seen one myself!" she quietly exclaimed and released the girl. Telma dashed behind her mother, and threw her arms around both her legs. Mama Vai grunted in annoyance, but did not try to remove her.
"What… what are you doing?" Agnes hissed with a dangerously suspicious, almost accusatory tone in her voice. "The child should be taken into the desert and disposed of without delay! Why are you trying to find your old Voe?!" she finished. Though Telma could not see it at her short height, Mama Vai's right eyelid twitched, and her mouth quivered with the strain. Slowly, she untied her rupee purse from her hip, and poured its contents onto the clerk's counter.
She never learned what the sum was, but it was enough money to raise Agnes' eyebrows and make her forget about her fears regarding the child. "I know that you keep records of every voe that comes in here for… 'meetings'." Mama Vai whispered. "I conceived this one here. I need to find him. That is all I will say." The old crone stared at her quietly for a few moments, considering the proposition, before grinning broadly down at Telma and reaching out her hand. "Come child!" she began sweetly, "Come with Grannie Agnie. Let's find you something to sip-sip hmm?"
The little girl shook her head "no" hastily in fear, but her mother firmly pulled her free from her leg and commanded her to go with the old woman. 'Grannie Agnes' gave a nod to her clerk, then led Telma down the short hall to the bar. As her mother reviewed the establishment's records, the terrified child was given a little food and a cup of water to drink. 'Grannie' continued to stare at and study her closely, asking little questions about how she had grown up, how she handled the desert heat, and whether or not anyone else knew her name.
After several uncomfortable minutes, Mama Vai came over to where they were sitting and commanded her daughter to follow her. They quickly left the dark building, with Telma glancing back to see the old woman watching her from the entrance with the same leering smile. "Where are we going, Mama Vai?" she asked her mother. "East. Now be quiet!" she answered sharply.
They retrieved their mule, refilled their water skins, and continued the journey eastward. After another day's walk, they came upon an imposing ridgeline that towered high above them. For as far as the eye could see – both to the north and south – the great, red cliffs stretched; like a great barrier against the outside world. Ahead of them though, the desert road passed through a narrow valley – the only break in the stone that Telma could see. "Come!" her mother snapped, and the two entered under its shadow.