Ganon watched with mild interest as his son and nieces romped around in the brown puddles. For the past two months their land was blessed with heavy rainfall that only recently showed signs of easing down. Fruit bearing plants that only showed themselves during the rains grew along the edges of puddles, buildings, and roads. Here there was no concept of a plant being a weed, everyone took care around the sprouts and did their best to not accidentally uproot or trample them. The Lizal River was flooded due to the heavy rainfall, grass and flowers grew freely along the flourishing banks. The travelling Gerudo families were camped out on the arena grounds in preparation for the week's festivities, already they were trading goods and stories.
The nomads gifted ten cows to Lesinea, it was an offer of the highest respects. Cattle products were a rare commodity in the desert since the animals were costly to take care of year round. One could argue that horses were the same way, but his people had valued horses higher than cows for centuries due to them being a vital aid for warriors. Towards the end of the festival the cows would be butchered and everyone would have a chance to eat the uncommon meat. The hides would be turned into leather to make shoes and drum heads, the bones would be used to make weapons and trinkets. No parts of the beasts would go to waste.
He was glad Din's Festival was finally happening, it would take his mind off of pressing issues for at least a little bit. Faron Province had been their ally for years, it had also been a convenient barrier from the desert and New Hylia. Now that it was annexed into the hostile country, New Hylia shared a border with the Gerudo Desert. Reports of rebellious groups were already being discussed at the council meetings, volunteer Gerudo warriors were moving into the Lomei Fortress in preparation for any attacks. It was the closest settlement to the border and it was his people's first line of defense.
A Hylian spy had been found in the Diranes Commune, which was fifty miles southwest from Lesinea. It was still unknown how he managed to traverse through the desert undetected and unharmed, but it was clear more safety measures would have to be put in place. A logbook had been found with the spy, in it was written a rough estimate of the commune's population, what time of day guards patrolled the perimeter, as well as all of the names of the members on the council. He'd been caught when he was seen attempting to poison the animals' water supply. Needless to say everyone in Lesinea was on high alert.
The Mounted Guard volunteered to cover extra shifts, teens who still had yet to finish their combat training offered to patrol the times and places that had gaps. At the last council meeting a few tough decisions had been made. They would no longer allow Hylian refugees onto their land, it was too much of a risk in case they turned out to be a spy with intentions of causing them harm. Ganon didn't agree with the ruling, but with the council being on edge the majority of the votes were against Hylians being anywhere near them. Even though there had not been any official declarations of war they still had to prepare themselves for the worst.
"Oops, I'm sorry." one of the nomadic women said when she bumped his arm and spilled a bit of her drink on their feet. Ganon knew it was no accident, this was something he had to deal with since his late teen years. It was no secret that Din's Festival had another importance namely to the nomadic groups, to put it bluntly it was the best time of year they were able pair up with an unrelated Gerudo male.
"I'm not interested." he said politely and he refocused his attention to the playing children.
"Can't blame a gal for trying, eh?"
"I suppose not." Somewhere nearby one of the bands started playing an upbeat tune, the festivities were now beginning. People danced in the market with scarves, rum, and fried sweets in their hands. Link managed to nab one of his aunt's streamers and he ran around with it while his sisters decided to join in the fun. Ganon offered an apologetic shoulder shrug to his sister and he let out a hearty laugh when her own daughter grabbed her remaining scarf. Children would be children.
"Are any of them yours?"
"Yes, the little one with the purple scarf." Ganon responded while taking a bite of his veal skewer. It was glazed with a zesty voltfruit and turmeric marinade, overall it was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. He gladly helped himself to a few more skewers while washing them down with a mild fermented palm juice drink. This time of the year had always been his favorite mostly because of the abundance and variety of food choices.
"Well he's certainly a charmer." Ganon looked at Link to see what the woman meant by that. His cheeks had mud smeared on them, his hair was halfway out of his ponytail, and his shirt was now on backwards. He didn't know how Link was able to get himself into trouble in such a short amount of time, clearly it was one of his many talents.
"That he is." Ganon quickly finished the rest of his food and walked towards the playing children. "Link!" his shout startled a few surrounding newcomers, it wasn't his fault his voice was naturally loud. Link spun around and displayed his messy hands.
'What?' Link smiled innocently as he signed, his slightly turned head completed the cute look he was aiming for. Since he couldn't communicate verbally he mastered the art of using body language and facial expressions to his advantage, truly he was a cunning child. As his father, Ganon knew what his son was up to, as well as his little tricks. He wasn't so easily fooled, at least not most of the time.
"You know what. Come here." he said in a firm, yet calm tone. Link dropped the act and let out a loud huff of air through his nose. Ganon sat cross-legged on a green and brown rug shaded by one of the many awnings, an 'oof' escaped from him when Link plopped himself onto his lap. He used a damp scarf to wipe the caked mud off of his son's face and hands, he set it aside once that task was over with. Next was the matter of Link's perpetually tangled hair. He worked through the snarls the best he could with his fingers and worked the hair into several small braids before tying it into a high ponytail.
"Do you want a haircut this year?" Link shook his head and fixed his shirt as he stood up. "Okay, you have all week to decide if you change your mind. Now go on, have fun. Don't make a huge mess." Link grinned and darted towards his sisters to resume their chase and tackle game.
The week passed by far too fast, the last day of celebration was already upon them. The visitors had their wagons packed so they'd be ready to leave once the ceremonial fire at noon was lit. Since he was part of the council Ganon was helping with the setup of the pyre on top of the mountain along with most of the other members. He scattered the twelve inches of hair he had cut around the wooden structure, despite how much was sheared off his thick mane still covered his back. Link ended up getting a small trim as well. Ganon clapped his hands a few times to get the remainder of the hairs unstuck from his fingers and he proceeded to check the logs to make sure they were properly stacked.
Down below people were gathering at the base of the mountain to observe the fire, a few last minute offerings of hair and enclosed letters were tossed into the pyre. All of the kids who could play instruments marched out of the Zenali building and arranged themselves in tight rows depending on what it was they played. The younger ones were paired off with an older teen or young adult, it was an ordeal that was surprisingly organized.
The drummers took off and played a simple beat with the exception of the experienced players who added a bit of flair to the beginning of the song. Ganon smiled knowing his son was among the drummers; Link hadn't been able to make any noises from the horns but he discovered he enjoyed playing the drums. The rest of the band joined in and began the classic 'Bolero of Power', everyone else danced casually along. The council members descended the summit and signaled the fifteen torchbearers to begin the ceremony.
The pyre bursted into flames and the torch carriers retreated to avoid the intense heat of the fire. Everyone cheered and downed their drinks, it was now officially the start of a new year, hopefully it would be a prosperous one. After things calmed down, the visiting Gerudo said their goodbyes and left to go on journeys unknown. The cleanup that followed was effortless since most people were good about picking up after themselves.
With the celebration over things started settling and calming down, but there was still one thing he needed to take care of; Link's birthday. Since his origins and exact age were unknown, Ganon decided to celebrate his son's birthday on Din's Day, which was the day after the summer solstice. Children born on that day were said to be blessed with luck and prosperity by the spirits of the desert. Luckily he already had the perfect gift picked out due to the generosity of Link's archery teachers.
When he went home that night he was unsurprised to see a pile of kids sleeping on the floor, Link was always inviting his sisters and friends from the other buildings over and that was fine so long as they weren't too destructive. He put out the lights and quietly made his way to his room. The liquid medicine in a vial under his pillow remained undisturbed, he still wanted a better place to hide it so it'd be out of reach of the kids but they also knew better than to go into his room. He pulled the cork and took a swig of the bitter herbal elixir, the taste was something he'd never grow accustomed to. Almost instantaneously he felt it working, drowsiness overcame him as he laid on his bed. Soon he fell into a dreamless slumber, as it was the intention.
The following morning he woke up to Link prodding his side. Without opening his eyes, Ganon reached out and pulled his son to his chest, then he started tickling him. Link giggled and wildly kicked his feet, he was no match against his father. Eventually Ganon opened his eyes and ceased his attack, Link wriggled out of his loose grip and he bounced energetically on the bed. He signed 'get up' over and over again, Ganon let out a yawn and groaned as he swung his tired legs over the edge of his low mattress.
When he stood, Link hopped on his back and wrapped his arms around his neck, then he dug his heels into his sides.
"I'm not a horse." Ganon said while resituating his son so his arms weren't pressed on his neck. Link pointed forward and urged him to go by lightly kicking again. "You're lucky it's your birthday, otherwise I'd throw you off. Alright squirt, let's go eat." They made their way to the dining hall and thanked everyone who wished Link a happy birthday. No one thankfully seemed to mind Ganon was still in his sleeping clothes and his hair was an unbrushed mess, they were all too concerned with showering their love over his son.
The food options were leftovers from the previous day's festivities, not that it was a problem, it was still delicious. They even indulged themselves to a few sweets, it was a special day after all. Once they finished eating, they went to the river and walked along the flooded banks. Small fish swam away as they strolled by, damselflies zoomed in and out of their views, lizards basking on the sand scurried into their dark hiding places.
'What are we doing?' Link signed after he let go of his dad's hand.
"It's a surprise." Ganon responded while they followed the bend towards the field. The goats and horses eagerly craned their necks over the fence, all hoping to get either a treat or attention. Link patted their noses as they walked along the pasture, the animals followed them while they strolled.
The massive clouds to the west rumbled and contorted with the wind, the heavy rain it would soon bring was a welcomed sight. The scrubland they resided on, normally brown, was flourishing with green plants that would stick around until the months of rain were over. With luck the wet season would last another four months, but more realistically it would end in less than two.
Link cocked his head and his ears wiggled slightly when they approached the kennel and the hounds started barking. Ganon couldn't help but smile, he thought the Hylians trait of being able to move their long ears was endearing, especially when paired with that look of curiosity. His sisters warned him that his son's natural fearlessness and inquisitiveness would get him into trouble someday. That may be true, but today would not be that day, he wouldn't bring himself to worry about it now.
With a renewed bounce in his step, Ganon led Link into the main building away from the outdoor pens. The inside smelled of wet fur and urine, whoever was in charge today was clearly slacking with their duties. While he hadn't taken an interest in archery like Link was now, he still knew his way around the kennels despite the sighthounds typically being reserved for those going into one of the various guard positions. He vaguely remembered being caught trying to sneak out when he was a young teen, his punishment had been to work for the kennel master for a month, it had been a crappy job. Literally.
He found the whelping box he was told to pick from, inside was a beige sandhound licking her newly weaned pups. They rolled around on their pudgy bellies and they gnawed on the soiled green towel. All of them yipped and tried climbing out of the box when Link and Ganon reached in to pet them.
"You get to pick which one you want." Ganon said softly while Link allowed the puppies to lick his face and arms. Link turned and looked at him with disbelief, those wide eyes of his were filled with excitement. "I'm not joking, this was partially your archery teacher's idea. Go on, they all love you."
Link smiled then refocused his attention to the squirming pups. He seemed to be having problems choosing only one, but eventually he turned around with brown ball of fur cradled in his arms. The puppy he ended up choosing had a brown and white speckled coat, the tip of her tail and muzzle were solid white. Like all sandhounds, her fur was short save for the feathering on her ears and tail; she was going to be a spoiled dog.
"I'll take care of her training, you'll only be in charge of cleaning up after her, alright?" Link nodded while petting his new companion, the hunting dog thumped her tail happily against his chest. Ganon stroked the pup's ear then he ruffled Link's hair, who only protested the action a little bit. His son's ecstatic expression was priceless and heartwarming.
Link was the happiest kid in the land.
A/N: Sorry this was short and took so long, I'm having some medical problems.
Some Gerudo facts about hair: Hair is important to the Gerudo, it's seen as a gift from the Goddess Din. More traditional Gerudo cut their hair only once a year, and this Ganon is a bit of a traditionalist. If one wants to present as masculine, they keep their hair tied high. If one wants to present as feminine, they keep their hair tied low.
Thanks for all your support!