The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.

The Voice
Chapter 44 - Disobedience? From my Link?!

The wagon came to a slow halt in front of the walls of Gerudo Town, the merchant announcing they'd arrived. Link thanked him for the ride, jumping off the side of the wagon and into the sand, which gave way beneath his feet and immediately invaded the open-topped shoes he was wearing.

"It was no trouble, honey," the merchant said, giving him a wink that Link would have thought lascivious if he hadn't just listened to the man talk lovingly about his husband, who was minding their shop back in Hateno, whom he couldn't wait to see again once the blockade was lifted. "Put in a good word for me and the hubby with the ladies in town, will you?"

"Of c-course," Link said, making sure to speak in a little higher tone than usual. He wasn't sure how successful it was, especially since, according to Sheik, his voice wasn't particularly manly to begin with...which had earned the Sheikah an hour-long timeout by way of the mute switch. "Th-Thank you a-again," he added, waving as the cart began moving again, heading towards the back of the town, where he would deliver some supplies from the Bazaar.

Whether or not the man thought it strange to be transporting a Hylian woman who was armed to the teeth and had a habit of talking to herself, Link didn't know, but he appreciated the lack of comments all the same.

"So," Sheik said quietly, for once not trying to draw the attention of everyone around them. "This is Gerudo Town, huh?"

"S-So it s-seems," Link confirmed, taking a moment to study the home of the Gerudo...or what he could see of it.

From a distance, it had just looked like a random rock formation on a slight rise in the sands, topped with three bulbous stones that, upon further inspection, appeared to be leaking water. It was only when they'd gotten closer that Link saw the carefully carved stone archways that allowed access to the interior...as well as the heavily armed guards manning them.

The height was definitely a thing with the Gerudo...along with a pretty serious abdominal exercise regimen, if their exposed midsections were anything to judge by. Compared to them, he felt a little inadequate. Hopefully, his lack of visible abdominals would be offset by the sheer number of scars...

He sighed. Who was he kidding?

"Th-This isn't g-going to w-work," he muttered under his breath. "E-Even if I l-look l-like...you kn-know, it's s-suspicious as h-hell with all th-the weapons..."

"What, you don't think women are allowed to defend themselves with whatever means at their disposal?" Sheik asked. "They'll probably just think you're some Hylian mercenary who's come to offer her services. That's hardly an unusual background, you know."

"H-How w-would you kn-know?" Link asked.

"Was I the only one paying attention back at the Domain?" Sheik asked, scoffing. "At least a third—maybe more—of the Hylians gathering there were women...and I don't mean as camp followers. And you've already seen the ratio in the Zora forces, the Sheikah...I don't know about the Rito, and at this point I strongly suspect the Goron are a mono-gendered race, because I have yet to see one woman among them...or least someone who presents themselves as female...hm, I should ask Roly-Poly next time we see him..."

"Sh-Sheik," Link said. "B-Back on t-topic, please?"

"Right, right...what was the topic? Oh, yeah, your ability to pass as a woman. Trust me, you can. Now go get your ass inside so we don't have to freeze to death outside the walls!"

Hardly the pep talk he'd wanted, but the sun was going down, and his current outfit was far from suitable for spending the night in the freezing desert night. Bracing himself, he stalked towards the gates, keeping a wary eye on the massive three-pronged spears wielded by the guards. If he failed this, he'd get skewered.

"Halt," one of the guards said, holding up her hand. "Who are you, and what is your business in Gerudo Town?"

"M-My n-name i-s..."

Oh good, Link thought. The super stutter is back.

He cleared his throat, raising his voice to what he hoped was a convincing tone.

"My n-name is L-Li..."

...fuck, he'd forgotten the name he and Sheik had agreed on to use as a cover.

Think, damn it, think!

"L-Link...le," he finished lamely. "L-Linkle!"

"Din above, save me..." Sheik muttered.

"And your business, Linkle?" the guard asked, preoccupied with the sheer number of weapons he carried on his back. Instead of suspicious, however, she appeared to be...impressed? Or at the very least approving of it.

"I'm a m-mercenary," he offered, realising he and Sheik really should have worked on a cover story of sorts. They were supposed to have been able to just walk in, damn it! "C-Come to p-ply my t-trade."

"You certainly look the part," the other guard said, looking at the myriad of scars and other marks on Link's skin. "Unfortunately, we can't just let you in based on that. We've had problems with Yiga spies lately, so unless someone in the city can vouch for you, we'll have to turn you away."

"Do you know anyone in the city?" the first one asked, amber eyes boring into Link's. "Or are you a spy, perhaps?"

"I'm n-not a s-s—"

"Ah, there you are, dear!" Ayla said, who'd appeared behind the guards, as if out of nowhere, her hands on her hips with a disapproving look on her face. "I've been waiting all day for you! What happened? You were supposed to be here hours ago!"

Link stared at her, suddenly very happy for the veil, as it covered his dropped jaw.

"Play along," Sheik hissed.

"O-Oh, I g-got delayed," he said, wincing at the unconvincing lie. "S-Sorry..."

"Oh, that's all right," Ayla said, stepping up to pat him on the head. "I'm just glad you didn't run into trouble! Come on!"

"You know this one, captain?" the first guard asked, surprised at her sudden appearance.

"Do I know her? Do I know her?!" Ayla asked, widening her eyes, clapping a hand to her chest...and causing Link to realise just how bad of an actor she was. "Corporal, this is Linkle! One of the finest swordswomen I've ever met! I've enlisted her as extra protection for our caravans! Didn't you hear?" She turned to the other guard, cocking her head to the side. "Surely you have heard of her?" she asked, her tone suggesting anyone who hadn't was an idiot.

Of course, the guard wasn't an idiot, and nodded vigorously. "O-Of course I have! Linkle, right!" She lowered her head to Link. "My apologies—I forgot..."

Link opened his mouth to say something, but Ayla's arm wrapped around his shoulder before he could, tugging him along and into the city.

"No offence taken, I'm sure," Ayla said, waving to the guards. "Good job, you two, I'll take her from here!"

As soon as they were out of sight, she pushed Link into an alley. "Linkle?" she asked, grimacing. "Really?!"

"It w-was the b-best I c-could c-come up with," Link said, blushing.

"If that's your best, Link, I suggest you never try improvisational theatre—you'll be murdered by the critics," Sheik piped up, ever so helpfully. "Then again, who would purposefully expose themselves to improv in the first place?"

"Oh, good, you brought him as well," Ayla said dryly, massaging her temples. "That's gonna be fun to explain."

"Were you waiting for us?" Sheik asked, paying no mind to the quip directed at him. "Where did you even come from?"

"I was hiding in an alcove," she said. "And yes, I was waiting for you. I had a feeling you'd be stupid enough to try waltzing through the gates, so I decided to avert a potential disaster."

"W-We w-were told to j-just w-walk through," Link said sourly, leaning against the rough sandstone wall.

"Yeah, it worked for the other guy, apparently."

"It won't the next time he tries," Ayla said, mirroring Link against the opposite wall. "Some Yiga tried your exact trick the other day...didn't go too well. After that, Riju decided not to let anyone into the city unless they have legitimate business here."

"Huh...could've warned us about that," Sheik said.

"I didn't even know about it," she snarled. "I've been out of the city for the last two weeks! Besides, I thought you'd actually try for a stealthy approach, not..." she gestured to Link's outfit. "This!"

"Hey, what's wrong with it?" Sheik asked. "I think he looks damn good! This just isn't the right light—here, I've got some photos..."

The back of Link's head thumped into the wall behind him. This really wasn't the time for Sheik to on a tirade like this.

Ayla shook her head. "Well, you're right, he is damn pretty...for a Hylian. I think. Certainly fooled those two idiots at the gate, but they're not exactly the sharpest tools to begin with, so..."

"Well, we're in now, so problem solved, right?"

"Right," the Gerudo muttered. "Right, well, you're in the city, at least. Getting into the palace will be harder. I'll have to pull some strings and call in a few favours."

"H-How long will th-that t-take?"

"No more than a few hours—if I'm quick, I can get you a meeting with Riju tonight. Means you'll be on your own for a while, though. Meaning you have to blend in and not expose yourself as a man. Can you handle that?"

"O-Of course," Link said, glaring at her. "I'm n-not hopeless, you kn-know!"

"You sure about that, Linkle?" Sheik asked.

"It's you I'm worried about, actually," Ayla said, glaring at the slate. "You seem to have a real problem with keeping your mouth shut, and it'll take just one slip of the tongue to get you and Linkle in a whole heap of trouble!"

"You don't think I know to shut up when necessary?"

"I highly doubt it, at least."

"Now you look here—"

"Linkle, please make him shut up."

"Sh-Sheik," Link warned.

"Fine, shutting the fuck up," the slate growled. "Against my better judgement, I might add—"

"Is that shutting up?"

"..."

"There you go, good boy."

Link tapped the slate. "J-just for n-now, okay?"

"Fine..."

"Okay, that's about as good as it's gonna get, I guess," Ayla said, leading Link out of the alley and down the street.

Gerudo Town hadn't looked very inviting from the outside. More like a heap of stone, really. The inside, however, was stunning. The houses had been carved out of sandstone and painted a bright white to reflect the heat of the sun. Tiled mosaics decorated the walls and streets, all depicting joyous and vibrant motives. There was green everywhere—from palm trees to carefully kept gardens and hanging pots—completely unlike the desert wasteland outside.

Water was carried around the city in aqueducts, which fed the many pools and fountains, which seemed to be the main meeting areas for the inhabitants.

Said aqueducts appeared to be fed by the waterfalls emanating from the three large, bulbous pillars of rock near the northern end of town. A large building appeared to have been carved from the base of those pillars.

"The palace," Ayla said, pointing at said building. "Riju rules from there."

They arrived at what seemed to be the centre of the town, which was a large, open space covered in tents and booths, from which merchants plied their trade. The buildings around the square seemed to be taverns and inns and restaurants, all of them filled with lively Gerudo and other races, laughing and talking and eating and drinking.

"The market's still open for another few hours," Ayla said, gesturing to setting sun. "I can get you something to eat while you wait, if you want?"

Link's stomach was still full after the lunch he'd eaten on the wagon ride, so he shook his head. "N-No th-thanks."

"All right," she said. "Well, I'll go pester my contacts into getting you an audience with Riju now. I'll be back in a while." She pointed a finger at him. "Do not leave the square, all right? This is a big city, and if you wander off, you're on your own. Got it?"

"U-Understood."

"Good. Just...wait here, all right?"

She kept casting backward glances in his direction as she walked, as if expecting him to be gone the moment she looked away. Link gave her a cheerful wave.

"We're not actually staying put, are we?" Sheik asked, keeping his voice low.

"Of c-course n-not," Link said. "I w-want to e-explore!"

"Disobedience?" Sheik gasped. "From my Link?!"

Link chuckled. "It's m-more likely th-than you th-think."

The Gerudo were a tall people. That was already bloody obvious just by looking at them, but Link really became aware of it when he entered a shop and found that most of the tables and counters displaying the items for sale were too tall for him to actually get a good look at them. The shopkeeper seemed to find this very amusing, though she did offer to fetch a stool for the adorably short Hylian vai who'd come to browse her wares.

She used those words exactly.

Link was too embarrassed to say no.

At some point he nearly had to mute Sheik because he was snickering so loudly, especially when Link had to bring the stool with him to look at another display.

"Shortarse," the Sheikah whispered gleefully.

Link muted him.

"You're getting too trigger-happy with that thing," Sheik muttered sourly as Link entered another shop.

"S-Stop p-picking on me, th-then," Link whispered back.

"Come on, it was funny."

"N-No."

"Eugh..."

This place seemed to be a mix of a grocer and food stand, as one could purchase vegetables and meat in front of the shop, while a group of Gerudo were willing to cook the ingredients for you in the kitchen at the back, which was equipped with several ovens and counters.

Link still wasn't hungry, but the smell of cooking food that permeated the air in here was just unbelievable. The dishes the Gerudo were cooking didn't seem all that different or complicated compared to what he himself had tried to while travelling—how come his food always ended up catching fire or something equally embarrassing?

It had to do with the techniques he employed, surely?

There was an open cookbook on a counter nearby that some of the cooks consulted often, and he decided to have a look...and ran into the height issue once more.

This time, there were no stools nearby.

He sighed and made to turn away, when a Gerudo stepped up next to him, looking down at him with a kind smile.

"Are you interested in our recipes?" she asked. "Would you like me to read it to you?"

Link had no idea what prompted him to say "Y-Yes, please," instead of asking if she could just hand him the damn book so he could read it himself.

And that was how he spent fifteen minutes having a cookbook read aloud to him by a kind woman who, let's be honest, probably thought he was a bit simple.

At least she was kind enough to write down one of the recipes on a piece of paper for him to take with him. He thanked her for that.

He had to duck into another alley so Sheik could finish laughing.

"That...is one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen," Sheik whispered.

"A-Agreed," Link muttered, staring in horror at the small stand on the other side of the square, where a Rito woman was happily selling drumsticks of meat that had definitely come from some sort of bird.

"Isn't that, like, cannibalism?" Sheik asked.

"N-Not if sh-she d-doesn't eat it herself...?" Link said doubtfully. "Right?"

"Maybe? I guess?"

They both fell silent when, during a lull in her business, the Rito happily devoured one of the drumsticks with the ferociousness of a starving wolf.

"R-Right," Link said.

"Can we go now?"

"You! Hylian!"

Link whirled around, eyes wide, shocked to find a Gerudo pointing a finger at him.

What did I do? he thought, trying not to panic. She hadn't accused him of actually being a voe...er, a man yet, so he must have committed some sort of cultural faux pas...but what? He had just been walking along a side-street, minding his own business and enjoying the ambience of the early evening.

"M-Me?" he asked, embarrassed when his voice cracked and squeaked. His throat was going to be so damn sore the next day...

"Do you see any other Hylian vai around here?" the Gerudo asked, waving him closer. "Are you tired of being alone?" she asked.

"A-Alone?"

"Are you tired of working all day, and coming home to an empty house with no one to warm you at night?"

"Er..."

"Are you, like so many other women, tired of the so-called sure-fire ways of snagging yourself a husband that yield no results?!" she practically shouted this in Link's face. "Then this, my girl, is the course for you! Come in and let Ashai teach you how to seduce any voe you come across on your travels!"

"N-No th—"

"That's right!" she said, giving Link no quarter as she pulled him inside the building and into a classroom, where several younger-looking Gerudo had gathered behind desks. A formidable-looking woman stood at the end of the room, in front of the blackboard, wielding a piece of chalk like it was a weapon.

In his mind, Link heard the phantom crack of a whip. The door closing behind him sounded like that of a jail cell.

He was trapped!

"Ah, we are joined by a Hylian vai," the teacher—Ashai, presumably—said, fixing Link with a kind look. "What's your name, dear?"

"L-Linkle."

"That's a cute name," Ashai said. "Tell me, Linkle, do you have a loved one in your life?"

"Well..."

Link muted Sheik, nodding. "I d-do," he said. "S-So I sh-should p-probably—"he began heading for the door.

"Fantastic!" Ashai exclaimed. "Then we'll have someone with actual experience to show us how it's done! You know, most of the girls here have never actually met a voe before! Linkle, you will be invaluable in helping me teach them the art of seduction!"

Every amber eye in the room immediately landed on him, all of them shining with curiosity and expectation.

Oh, Link thought.

Oh no.

By the time the class moved on to a quiz, Link was ready to start weeping. There had been so. Many. Questions! And how was he supposed to answer them? He knew nothing about seducing men! Sure, he had two male lovers, but he'd stumbled into those relationships by complete accident!

In the end he'd been forced to make up some outlandish lies and hope to Hylia that the things he'd enjoy were universal...

Hylia help him, the men of Hyrule were going to exposed to some strange seduction attempts in the future.

Luckily, the girls in the class had apparently been paying attention to Ashai's earlier lectures, because their answers to hypothetical situations involving voe were, for the most part, good and sound. Especially when approaching a stranger for the first time.

Except for one...

"I would walk casually toward him and then strike a fierce blow when he least suspected it!"

There was a murmur among the students, and a long silence from Ashai.

"Risa," she said, not unkindly. "That...would be a crime..."

"Ah," Risa said, looking chastened.

Well, Link thought, at least she's proactive?

The quiz continued, this time about what to do if they were to find an injured voe lying on the ground. Again, the answers were mostly good. Some would run to find help, others would bring him to the nearest doctor. Link watched Risa raise her hand again.

"I would secretly bring him back to my home, where I could help him gradually recover!"

She was so proud of the answer too, judging by her beaming smile.

Ashai was better prepared this time, only stunned for a second.

"Risa...a sweet sentiment, but also basically kidnapping."

"I see..."

Terrifying as he would find to be seduced by Risa, Link still couldn't help but root for her a little. She was trying, damn it!

"Now, final question," Ashai announced. "You are suddenly approached by a voe whose attention you have sought, and he abruptly engages you in conversation. What do you do?"

Good answers all around.

Except...

"I would grab his hand and twist his wrist until he agreed to marry me!"

This time there were loud groans from everyone in the room. Ashai stared at Risa, aghast, before sighing.

"Risa...let's talk after class."

"Okay!" the girl said brightly.

Link made his escape as soon as the class was over. It was probably time to meet Ayla anyway, and he just needed to put some distance between himself and the fact that he'd just probably doomed all hopes for future Hylian-Gerudo relations with his terrible advice.

Between him and Risa, war was probably an unavoidable fact.

Apparently, the girl had considered this to be a refresher class!

He unmuted Sheik once they were away from the crowd.

"What was their problem?" he asked, sounding offended. "Her answers were perfect! I'd be damned flattered if someone approached me like that!"

Link paused, looking at the slate with narrowed eyes. "Wh-Who?" he asked warily.

"Risa, duh!"

And that said more about Sheik's approach to seduction than Link had ever wanted to hear, and he found himself thanking Hylia for the fact that Sidon had taken the lead back in the Domain.

"I distinctly remember telling you not to wander off," Ayla said, regarding him with a look reserved for unruly children, her arms crossed and her foot tapping the tiled street. "Where have you been?"

"We took a class," Sheik answered brightly. "It was very illuminating."

"A class?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "What class? The only one I know about is..." she trailed off. "You didn't," she said.

"W-We did," Link confirmed.

"And...how did that go?" she said, looking afraid of the answer.

"Let's just say the voe of Hyrule have a very interesting future ahead of them, romance-wise."

Ayla seemed to be contemplating drowning herself in the nearest fountain. "Well," she murmured, "can't be worse than Risa."

"Lay off Risa, she's precious!"

"Shhh," Link shushed him. "Y-You're going t-to get us c-caught!"

Sheik growled but said nothing.

"S-So." Link turned to Ayla. "The p-palace?"

"Right, yeah, come on," she said, leading them out of the square, heading north towards the big rock formation. "Only Gerudo are allowed inside the palace right now, but I've arranged for some of the guards to look the other way. It'll be up to you to convince Riju to not have you thrown in the dungeon."

"What, Link couldn't pass for a Gerudo?" Sheik drawled.

Ayla scowled. "The short answer is no."

"And the long one?"

"D-Don't answer," Link pleaded.

"He's short, he's got the wrong hair colour, and his abs aren't even visible. Trying to pass him off as one of us is the dumbest plan one could attempt."

"A-Always with th-the height th-thing..." Link murmured. It wasn't his fault everyone else in Hyrule were so freakishly tall!

"You heard her, Link, better start doing crunches."

"I h-hate you!"

Kiro clung to the ceiling beam, shimmying along painfully slow in an attempt to be as quiet as possible. His pack was heavy, the weight nearly costing him his grip on the wood several times, forcing him to stop and readjust. It wasn't the best way he'd infiltrated a room, but beggars couldn't be choosers. At least the shadows kept him mostly cloaked, the torchlight not reaching this high.

Below, the dungeon guards were talking quietly among themselves. At this time of day, early evening, there were only two of them. It was his best chance, really, as long as he didn't fall off the fucking beam.

They'd just had their dinner, judging by the empty banana peels on the floor by their feet, and the satisfied way their rubbed their stomachs.

Just a little further...

He reached the wall and, after a moment of mental calculation, jumped to the air canal, pausing a moment to make sure the guards below hadn't heard him. No reaction.

He swung himself into the canal and followed it for a short while until it opened up again into a large room lined with cells. Dropping to the sandy floor as quietly as he could, hoping not to upset the occupants.

"What do you want?"

He winced. No such luck. He sighed and turned to the cell the voice had come from.

"I'm here to get you out," he said, walking up to the cell door, reaching into his pack for his lockpicks. The Gerudo inside the cell was sitting on the floor, her legs crossed in a meditative pose. The look she gave him was none-too-impressed.

"Hah, right," she snorted. "That'll be the day."

"I'm not joking," Kiro said, showing her the lockpicks. "I'm here to get you out and home to your people."

Her eyes narrowed, flashing dangerously in the torchlight. "And what, exactly, do you want in return?"

He removed his mask, and her eyes widened. "Asylum," he replied. "Once I do this, I'll be marked for death as a traitor. I want your protection."

"You're just a kid. Why would you do this?" the Gerudo asked, standing up. The cell was too small for her, forcing her to hunch over slightly. "Why turn on your own people?"

"Because...because what we're doing isn't right," he said, feeling his chest clench. "And because I've a debt to pay, to a friend. I think this would be an adequate way to do it. So...?"

"It isn't up to me to offer asylum," she said. "Only Riju can do that...but if you can get me and my girls out of here, I promise I will do everything I can to convince her."

Kiro nodded, and began to work on the lock, hearing shuffling and muffled whispering from the other cells. The other Gerudo had been listening, it seemed. He hoped she would be able to convince their chief to protect him...but if she couldn't...well, he had other bargaining chips.

"What's your name, kid?" the Gerudo asked.

"Kiro," he replied. "And yours?"

"Barta."

The lock gave up with a click, and the door swung outward as Barta pushed it open, straightening to her full height, towering over him. She nodded towards the other cells.

"Well?" she asked.

"R-Right," he said, quickly approaching the next cell to repeat the process.

"How are we getting out?" Barta asked quietly, leaning against the wall next to the dungeon door. "This place is crawling with...well, you guys."

"I've...arranged some distractions," Kiro assured her. "They'll take effect in...oh, a few minutes."

Or so he hoped. It'd be damn embarrassing if he'd miscalculated the length of the fuses. The lock opened, and he quickly went to work on the next.

As the room filled with more hushed conversations and relieved smiles from the captives, Kiro felt his chest warming slightly.

Maybe he was finally doing something right.