The group started their trek through the Desert, the women leading the way behind Damia, all determined to complete their mission. The joy of it being basically girls only faded as they dealt with the sand and heat. All three were miserable when they stopped to make camp before it got too dark to see.
"We don't have much for dinner," Aiden sulked as she looked at the limited food they had.
"Steak would be nice, especially covered in cheese," Ravia mused, apparently having odd taste in food as the other two looked a bit iffy on the thought.
"Well it's either that or seeing if you can eat Lizalfos flesh, which would you prefer?" Sheik wanted to make sure that they knew there were more gross alternatives.
"Dried jerky it is," Came the consensus.
"You could have tried to get into town you know," came a mystery voice from above the moonlit cliffs above them.
Sheik was quick to draw a weapon due to not knowing if this person was friend or foe. The women were on it with drawing their own weapons, minus Ravia who hid behind Damia.
"Relax, I'm not Yiga," the voice explained while a hooded figure showed themselves, the tall silhouette and feminine voice strongly hinting that this person was a Gerudo, "but you're not going to last the night with what you have - you'll freeze to death before the sun welcomes you again."
"And you plan on taking us someplace we will?" Sheik spoke in a higher tone to avoid getting a smackdown.
"Don't trust her, she's scary. Just like the Demon king. I saw him once when…" And Ravia was going on the chatter.
The figure vanished in the blink of an eye and then somehow ended up on ground level - and in the camp - with the group. "You talk too much, silence."
Ravia eeped and hid behind her sister-in-law again. "Protect your Queen," She whispered/fretted.
"You're a disgrace to such a title," the mystery woman was blunt, "no woman should demand that of a sister in arms - but you only get a pass due to bearing a child."
How can she…? Sheik gave Ravia a once over and tilted his head.
Ravia tried to look innocent, "How do you know that?"
"A Gerudo spends most of her early years learning even the smallest of signs in preparation to see them in herself and others," she explained while slowly circling around them.
"Only Ravia is pregnant, right?" Damia was double checking, eyeing Aiden.
"...I believe so," the Gerudo concluded after a moment.
There was a sigh of relief.
"Um, anyway. You said something about us freezing out here?" Damia got back on track.
"The winds are unforgiving once the sun lowers. If you want to live to see tomorrow, follow me…" she let out a whistle and a two-humped camel came to her, "The queen may ride with me as she must be careful in her condition."
So the group followed the Gerudo woman, eventually slipping out, thanks to Ravia, that they were going to the Spirit Temple.
"...You do realize that's near the edge of the desert, right? And that Yiga have inched their territory to claim it." The Gerudo sounded like she was raising her eyebrow at Ravia.
"Yes, but we don't have much choice. We need to hurry and complete the temples," Damia answered, interrupting Ravia starting a long spiel.
"Maybe try after the deadly chill of the night has passed," she suggested as she led them to a standard sized Gerudo home with a camel stable and a few palm trees. "Pick who you wish to bunk with and don't argue over it."
"Dibs," Sheik put his arm around Aiden figuring she would be a safer bet than Damia or Ravia.
"Okay?" Aiden agreed reluctantly, figuring her husband would never know and it would be just sleeping.
"Couldn't us three share a room not with Sheik?" Damia figured Aiden felt weird about the rooming arrangement.
"You've never slept in a Gerudo home, have you?" she questioned with a sigh.
"No. This is the longest I've gone without sleeping in a castle with a warm bed," Damia was honest.
The Gerudo led the group inside and showed them around. "Kitchen. Bedroom. Reading nook." All she really had to do was stand in the center and point at the locations as she named them. Her statement about bunking made more sense when she pointed to the bunk bed-style slots with thin mattresses and blankets carved in the wall.
The group accepted their fate, thanking her for her help. Soon Ravia and Aiden were out like lights, snuggled under the blankets. Damia looked ready to join them but was trying to not be as weak as she probably seemed earlier with her comment. Sheik was drifting off after getting his bracers off while the Gerudo stood at a window and watched the stars. Damia approached her.
"Why are you helping us?"
"Let me answer that with my own inquiry: do you recall the first time you heard the legend of the Gerudo King?"
"Yes. When I was a little girl my mom, who's mother came from Hyrule, told me the tale."
"And what did his existence do to the reputation of my people?"
"He made it difficult for your people to travel outside the desert…"
"Among other things, yes. He thought he knew what was better for us and tried to take a land that was never his, all in the name of 'his people.' He never thought to talk to anyone, not the littlest girl nor to the wisest women among them, about how to truly help them. We have moved on from his bullheaded attempt to 'better' our lives, but the rest of the world holds us in concept for one man's actions. Your wording implies you're not even from Hyrule...so I take it you understand my perspective."
"Yes. Ravia and I are from Lorule. Our land is seeped in dark magic and immoral behaviors, despite my brother trying to fix the laws."
"Your brother is a good man…" her gaze fixed out somewhere on the horizon, "but he is like moonlight."
"What do you mean?"
"Comforting...but lacking in the needed power to travel safely across land and sea."
"Oh. That's true. I don't know what he'll do once I move to Hyrule for good."
"Pray. Plan. Cry himself to sleep when both fall through."
"At least he'll have Ravia and his children by his side,"
"Then he has hope...but only time will tell if that comes to pass. Sleep now, princess. We must journey before the sun burns travelers."
Damia nodded, going to go lie down and get some sleep. Early the next morning had everyone awake to continue their journey. They ate the breakfast, thanking the Gerudo woman for her hospitality.
"What is your name anyway, I never caught it," Ravia questioned after a five minute long thank you when the food was just what she'd been craving, apparently.
"Raja."
"Thank you for your hospitality, Raja," Damia was a bit embarrassed at not asking her name earlier. "You're willing to escort us to the temple, right?"
She gave a firm nod, "Only because I know where the Yiga like to hide and would rather not have the blood of the innocent spilled."
No one was sure how to feel about the stoic new group member as they went to the temple, reaching it just before nightfall. The group wasn't their usually chatty selves as they got ready to enter, pulling out their weapons and making sure they were ready to fight. Minus Ravia who was told to stay back and out of the way.
"I'm a good swordsman though, I promise," Ravia protested.
"Unless you can produce a shield big enough to protect yourself from oncoming attacks, it's better to keep you at bay to prevent any...accidents." Raja commanded.
Ravia pulled a shield meeting the requirements out of her bag, stunning the group. "Ready."
"..." Raja stared at the shield, Ravia and her bag several times in silence for a while. "You Loruleans are a strange breed."
"I also have extra weapons in here too, like…" She started listing them off as they entered the temple and got to work on solving the puzzles and such.
Raja just listened with a neutral expression, even as they fought the monsters and Yiga members within.
"Ravia, focus!" Sheik finally snapped when her talking almost cost them a fight.
"Ah, you are a man. You did well enough to hide it for this long."
"...Ah cucco poop."
"Don't worry, I won't tell a soul." Raja assured.
"Are there poes here?" Ravia questioned, looking around wearily.
"..." Damia ripped some of her outfit and used it to gag Ravia with. "I don't care if this is treason. For the love of the Goddesses, be quiet woman!"
"Next room over," Raja said cooly as she headed there like it was a walk in the park.
"...So is anyone else suspecting the same thing I am?" Sheik questioned the gals.
"That she's the next sage?" Aiden was helping with gagging Ravia.
"Yup. At least her ability is handy…"
So onwards they went, Ravia eeping silently and fainting at seeing the Poes. Aiden just sighed and put up flames around herself and Ravia to keep her safe. Raja and Sheik tag-teamed the Poes, also finding out that the former can use Farore's Wind given how quickly she'd move across the room, and eventually it came down the last - and biggest - of them.
"Damia, any spells you think might come in handy?" Sheik was trying to keep himself and the others from getting pummeled by the large lamp it held.
Damia summoned forth her strongest spell and used her sword to get right next to the Poe, casting it and causing a pretty powerful blow, unfortunately sending her flying into the wall.
Their opponent was defeated, but they couldn't revel in that as they had to tend to Damia. Raja picked her up and carried her through the portal that showed up as her health was more important than the bright orange disk that was materializing in the room.
"Raja, please collect that disk or Damia getting injured will be for naught!" Aiden requested as she dropped the flames to pick up Ravia.
"Fine!" Raja did a dash and grab, only ending up in the Sacred Realm once she had passed Damia to a panicking Beau, as the portal dropped them off at where the boys were left behind.
The others followed her, glad they ended up at the camp.
Beau was busy healing Damia so didn't greet them while Dale was trying to help where he could. Arew was quick to take his wife from Aiden, giving her a look over.
"What happened to them?" He questioned, glad to see no injury on Ravia.
Sheik explained everything while trying to help Beau in his efforts, being a bit more effective than Dale since he actually has some medical knowledge.
Dale, seeing that he wasn't really needed, went to check on Aiden since this seemed to be the theme of the day.
"I'm good. Not even pregnant according to the Spirit sage, Raja." Aiden thought it was cause for happiness.
Speaking of, she finally came back to the world of mortals decked out in Gerudo gold colored armor, accented with amber jewels, and had twin scimitars on her back that were equal parts beautiful and deadly to look at. "Whoa." Now that she was in fewer clothes it was also easier to tell her features: a short bob haircut with the familiar Gerudo red hair color, gold eyes and rounded ears.
Wait, those were the traits of…! Sheik hoped the goddesses knew what they were doing.
Damia was starting to come too at this point, as was Ravia. The attention was torn a bit, especially when Arew was informed that Ravia was pregnant.
"Did you know before going on this quest?"
"Yes. I've known for a couple months but since Hilda is only a few months old I didn't want to spring it on you so soon and…" Ravia had a long list of excuses, Arew looking less amused with each one.
"Home. Now." He opened up a portal for her.
"But…"
"Now or I will tie you down to the bed."
"Yes, sir," Ravia went through the portal as requested.
Everyone was trying not to watch the lover's spat.
"So...is that everyone?" Dale asked slowly.
Sheik did a headcount. "Beau still needs to unlock his Sage powers."
"After Damia's taken care of!" Beau looked close to passing out with the amount of magic he was using to really make sure she'd be okay.
"I'm fine now, really, don't wear yourself out," Damia reassured him, "I've done worse in sword practice. One time I even almost got gu-" She paused seeing the color drain from Beau's face. "Nevermind. I got a cool scar from it though."
"Good…" he then crumbled to the ground due to magic exhaustion.
"Beau!" Sheik quickly worked on transferring some magic to make sure he didn't die on them, which thankfully worked. Damia helped, as well as Arew. Arew also dug out a mana potion for him to drink once they got him awake. Once he was awake he took the potion and looked much better after the fact.
"Next time don't do that," Damia requested, fretting over her love. "You could have died from magical exhaustion for no reason."
"Sorry...I just panicked on seeing how badly you were hurt. I thought I'd lose you," Beau hugged her after speaking.
"Don't be so foolish next time, I am much tougher than that. Like I said I survived being gutted, a throw against the wall won't take me down."
He nodded and snuggled her. The group decided they'd just rest for the night, Sheik and Raja needing to discuss what she'd do without a horse to ride. After some time they decided to buy her a horse she can work with since it'd be faster than trying to catch and tame a wild one. For now she had to walk, but as long as they didn't have the horses go into a full sprint she'd be able to keep up. With that plan in mind, they headed to the nearest stable after the men (and Raja) had to go and hunt for some fresh meat. By the time they'd returned Beau was recovered, judging by how Damia and him were watching Aiden light a fire quite easily, playing with it to make various shapes and such.
"A letter arrived via messenger bird," Damia informed as she saw them return. She held up the letter for Sheik, hiding the name on it.
Sheik took it and quickly worked on reading what was going on. It was from Sir Peter, asking where he was and informing him of large camps of monsters being spotted and starting to attack outlying settlements, as well as a mysterious temple appearing. It was noted the monsters kept getting closer and closer to Castletown and the Castle itself.
"Change of plans, everyone!" Sheik announced as he tucked the letter and envelope away, "Castletown is under attack, we've got to go and keep things from getting worse!"
"Oh no, Pa's pro'ly runnin' outta knights t' keep everything under control if that's the case!" Dale was already running to his horse with Aiden in his arms.
"Arew, is there a chance you can lend us some support from your kingdom?" Sheik inquired.
"Right. I'll open a portal to get us there after we eat supper and then I'll portal to my kingdom to gather my Knights and Soldiers. You'll have my army to help you." Arew reassured, quickly writing a letter and summoning a purple bird to deliver it, so that the armies would be ready.