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 49 - At Least We're Interesting

Link was told to stay in the cart with Kiro as they entered the city. Ayla claimed it was for his own safety, that the fewer who knew who and where he was, the better. Just a nice way to asking him not to cause too much of a ruckus. He didn't know exactly how the Gerudo would react to a voe suddenly being among them, but he suspected it wouldn't be pleasant for him.

As the cart trundled through the streets, he kept an eye on Kiro, who'd passed out several hours before. His breathing was slow and even, which suggested he was actually resting as opposed to nearly dying of whatever magical poison Kohga had used on his weapons. It was mere luck that said poison stopped working once the man himself was dead. Link checked the boy's bandages, making sure they were fastened properly.

"Idiot should have known better than to throw himself into a fight in his condition," Sheik said quietly, for once agreeing with Link's suggestion that he should be quiet. "What was he thinking?"

"Y-You're the one wh-who s-said he o-owed a life d-debt," Link reminded him, covering Kiro with a blanket. The sun had set an hour or so ago, and it was getting quite cold. "G-Guess he w-wanted to r-repay it."

"Not by throwing away his own," Sheik groaned. "What kind of life lesson is that?"

"A sh-short one?"

"Har har, very funny."

"Hey, be quiet in there," Ayla's voice suddenly whispered harshly from outside, barely audible over the wooden wheels crashing against the cobbles. "We're about to pass through the palace gate."

"Is there anyone in the palace who doesn't know about us at this point?" Sheik asked, but there was no reply. "Paranoid, isn't she?"

Link hummed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. By now, he didn't really care how he was smuggled into the city as long as he actually got there. He just wanted to get some sleep...and try not to think too much about his next task, which he'd have to get started on as soon as possible.

As if to emphasise the unpleasantness of it all, Naboris roared in the distance, the ground shaking noticeably from her stomping, causing Link to wince.

I can do this, he tried to tell himself. I've freed three Beasts already, what's one more?

He tried not to think of just how many close calls there had been in the process of freeing those Beasts, however. Vah Medoh had been the closest on yet, and if Teba hadn't been there...well, Link highly doubted he'd be alive to think about it now.

On his belt, Sheik sighed and spoke quietly, "Okay, spill it. What are we panicking about now?"

"Wh-Wha—"

"Don't play innocent with me, Link," Sheik interrupted. "Your heart rate just went up, and I know it had something to do with Naboris. Worried about tomorrow?"

One of the (many) infuriating things about Sheik was that, thanks to the Slate's functions, he was practically a walking lie detector. Whatever information he could glean from people could easily be used to detect changes in their speech (be it volume, steadiness, tone). Sometimes all he needed was to look at someone's heartbeat to detect when they were just a tad too nervous to be speaking the truth. It made it incredibly difficult to keep things from him—things Link would rather deal with on his own.

"You don't need to answer, by the way," Sheik said after a long moment of silence. "I know you are. I could probably try telling you something trite about how far you've come and how proud of you I am to motivate you...but that wouldn't work, would it? Because by now you've already concocted a million scenarios for how things could go wrong, and you haven't even seen the damn thing yet."

Link nodded. That was, more or less, the gist of it. Why waste his breath when Sheik could sum it up so perfectly?

"So instead I'm going to tell you that no matter what happens, I'm going to be with you the entire way, telling you what you're doing wrong and how to do it right. If there is one thing we can agree on, it's that I have the right idea of things, eh?"

"M-Most things," Link corrected him. "Y-Your social skills are t-terrible."

"So are yours, what of it?"

Link couldn't suppress his grin at the speed of Sheik's defensiveness, and how quickly his walls went up.

"And y-your one-liners are t-terrible," he continued.

And that was true. Sheik tried, bless him, but the bananas line he'd made after defeating Kohga was just the tip of the iceberg, and Ayla couldn't have been more wrong in her conclusion. Even when given the opportunity to think of something ahead of time, they usually fell flat.

"That is...you are...eugh, fine, see if I bother trying to cheer you up ever again, if all you're going to do is counter with bullying."

"I l-look forward t-to hearing m-more when we b-beat Ganon," Link told him earnestly, holding the Slate up to his face. "And th-thank you. F-For everything."

The screen dimmed. "Yeah, well...wasn't going to leave you hanging now, was I? We're a team, you know?"

"A w-weird one," Link said, nodding.

"Who could possibly want to be normal, anyway?" Sheik said with a scoff. "Dullest people in the world, normies. At least we're interesting."

"Th-That's a n-nice word f-for it."

"Har har," Sheik repeated his fake laugh from before. There were voices all around them now, most asking how the raid had gone, welcoming Barta and her group back. It was so loud Link barely heard what Sheik said next, a mere mumble from the Slate's speaker.

"I am, you know."

"Hm? Y-You're what?" Link asked, holding the Slate closer to his ear.

"Proud of you," Sheik replied, even quieter. "You've come a long way since we met."

Link snorted. "F-Funny," he said.

"It's true!" Sheik protested. "You may not notice it yourself, but you're nothing like the nervous wreck you were back at the Shrine of Resurrection. You've become more assertive, your fighting ability is getting better and better as you recover, and hell, your stutter has started to disappear every now and then. That's progress, in my opinion."

"B-But—"

"And considering the many allies you've gathered since waking up, I think everyone else notices it too. You've managed to unite the Sheikah, Zora, Gorons, and Hylians against Ganon in a matter of months; something no one else has managed in a century since you fell! And soon enough the Gerudo will be joining as well—I have a feeling they have a bone to pick with Ganon too, after everything the Yiga put them through."

Link smiled, nodding. There was no arguing with Sheik now, even if he greatly exaggerated Link's deeds. He'd had help with most, if not all those things. Without Sidon, Yunobo, and Teba he'd never have managed to gather the army against Ganon. Without Impa and the Sheikah, he wouldn't even have reached the Zora's Domain in the first place.

But Sheik was trying to cheer him up, and it was working even when Link's brain told him that he hadn't done a damned thing to earn that praise. Such was the power of Sheik's voice—louder than anything, even when he was being quiet.

"Th-Thank you," he said, pressing his forehead to the screen. "C-Couldn't have d-done it w-without you."

"Eh, sure you could've," Sheik said. "It just wouldn't have been as much fun."

That was one way to describe it, Link supposed.

"You're back!"

Riju excitedly jumped out of her throne and ran towards Barta, throwing her arms around the older woman like a long-lost relative, squeezing the bewildered warrior tightly. Buliara followed behind her chief at a more sedate pace, eyes roaming the people who had been brought to the throne room with suspicion, searching for spies.

"My chief," Barta said once Riju had let her go to individually greet the other prisoners, still surprised. "I...I apologise for the late arrival. We were delayed."

"All that matters is that you made it back," Riju said, hugging every single one of the Gerudo who'd been brought back. "I wish all of you had made it back, but..."

"They died honourably," Ayla said. "The Yiga tried to stop us from getting back—we made them regret it dearly."

"The scout you sent back for the cart reported that Kohga is dead," Buliara said. "Which one of you is responsible?"

"That would be Link," Sheik announced, and not for the first time Link wished there was a convenient hole nearby he could dive into and disappear forever. "Crushed him to a fine paste."

"Is this true?" Riju asked, looking to Ayla and Barta for confirmation.

"It is," Barta said with a nod. "The Hero used Kohga's own magic against him, killing him with his own weapon."

Buliara looked to Link, eyebrows raised in surprise and looking rather impressed. "That is...I did not expect such an outcome. Hero, you have our thanks." She bowed her head in respect.

"I c-couldn't have d-done it without Sh-Sheik," Link said, pointing to the Slate.

"Then we owe you both our thanks," Buliara said, looking to Riju and clearing her throat.

The chief jumped in surprise, scowling a little before nodding. "Yes, we do," she agreed. "Thank you, Link, Sheik. Now we can all rest a little easier, knowing that bastard will never plague our people again." She looked closer at Link, her eyes narrowed. "The report also said you had recovered the Thunder Helm. Where is it?"

Link looked to Barta, who nodded and quickly left the room. When she returned, she was supporting Kiro, letting him lean against her as he slowly made his way inside the room.

"A Yiga!" Buliara said, immediately lifting her massive sword in preparation for an attack. "Chief, stand aside!"

"Buliara, stop!" Ayla exclaimed, standing in front of her. "Kiro is a friend!"

"You dare bring an enemy into our home and call him a friend?!" the massive Gerudo seethed, glaring down at her subordinate. "What is this, Ayla? Treason?!"

"She's speaking the truth, Buliara!" Barta said, several of the other rescued Gerudo joining in as well. "Without Kiro we would've—"

"Be quiet, Barta! I'll deal with you later!" Buliara exclaimed, looking to Riju, who was simply studying the injured Yiga with a curious look on her face. "Riju, get away from him, before he tries to—"

"Enough!" Sheik shouted so loud his voice echoed in the throne room...which was odd, because there were no back walls off which his voice could bounce. "Anyone who tries to touch Kiro will answer to me!"

"And m-me," Link said, gulping a little as he stepped closer to Kiro...and into Buliara's path. One chop of that blade of hers, and he'd suddenly be two Heroes...but he wouldn't let her hurt Kiro. Not after what he'd done. "R-Riju," he said, looking to the chief. "It's t-true. He's a f-friend. He s-stole the Helm f-from the Y-Yiga, and f-freed Barta and th-the others. Th-They tried to k-kill him f-for it."

"And why would a Yiga turn on his own?" Buliara asked, sneering. "It's a trick, trying to ingratiate himself with us, only so he can have a chance to kill our chief!"

"I'm not!" Kiro exclaimed, his voice tired and rusty, his one visible eye looking at them blearily. He was holding the sack cloth containing the Thunder Helm in one hand, using the other to desperately cling to Barta's waist. "I'm not...a spy," he finished. "I...betrayed my clan, because what we were doing...wasn't right. Kohga destroyed everything about us that was good, and turned us into weapons, serving it like mindless drones!" he spat out the word 'it' like it had offended him. He held out the sack containing the helm, groaning from the effort. Ayla quickly took it from him, cautiously approaching Riju.

"He stole the helmet back for us," the captain said, reaching into the sack and retrieving the Helm.

It was quite...gaudy, in Link's opinion. Solid metal painted gold, with six inlaid emeralds along the front that made it appear as if the wearer had three sets of eyes, and a pair of rubies near the bottom. Above the head rose a golden crest with stylised bolts of lightning seemingly striking the helm, harmlessly bouncing off. He'd been allowed to look at it closer once before Barta had taken it back, keeping it safe with her. It had been heavy, and he couldn't imagine it was particularly comfortable to wear, since there was no padding whatsoever on the inside.

From the way Riju's eyes widened and the reverent way she held the helmet, looking as if Hylia herself had reached down and granted it to her, Link knew he clearly didn't understand its significance.

Guiltily, he found he didn't particularly care, either. All he cared for right now was its usefulness against Vah Naboris.

"We owe him our lives," Barta said, drawing the chief's attention back to her. "Without Kiro there to get us out, there is no telling what the Yiga would have done to us. No prisoners leave that mountain alive, after all."

The prisoners agreed, nodding and murmuring.

"I owe h-him my l-life t-too," Link said, throwing his hat (if he had one) into the ring, as it were. "He t-took a b-blow for m-me in the f-fight against K-Kohga."

"It almost cost him his eye," Barta said, gesturing to the bandages covering Kiro's face, then to the lump of bandages around his shoulder. "Kohga poisoned him with his magic, even, when we made our escape."

"He owed us a debt in the first place," Sheik added. "This was his way of repaying it. As far as I'm concerned, he's one of us."

Buliara's jaw was clenched, her teeth grinding together, but she finally looked to Riju for orders, and the chief simply stared at Kiro for a while, her green eyes meeting his one visible red.

"And," she said, "what do you want in return for doing us this favour, Kiro?" she asked. "Life debt notwithstanding, I assume you did this for a reason?"

"Asylum," Kiro said, bowing his head. "I...I ask for asylum. I'm a traitor to my clan and will be a target for the rest of my life. All I ask is that I am allowed to stay until I've recovered and can survive on my own."

Riju's eye twitched. "That's all?" she asked.

"Yes, Chief Riju," Kiro confirmed, his eye drooping with exhaustion.

"You rescue several of my imprisoned people, recover a priceless artefact passed down in my family for generations and return it to me...and all you ask for is time to recover?" Her brows furrowed, and Link could practically see the cogs and gears spinning and whirring inside her head, trying to work out what Kiro's true angle was...and finding nothing.

Kiro had given up all his bargaining chips right away, with not a single caveat. It didn't make sense, especially not for an enemy begging for asylum. For all he knew, they could have taken the prisoners and helmet and simply killed him, tossing his body out to feed the vultures.

"Chief?" Buliara asked.

"You've done me, and the Gerudo, a great service, Kiro," Riju said after a while, giving Buliara a discrete nod that had the large warrior immediately stand down. "You're welcome to stay in the palace until you have recovered as a guest. As for what happens after...we will see."

Kiro breathed out, relieved. Link did so as well. He wasn't sure what he'd do if Riju had said no or, even worse, ordered Buliara to attack. He'd definitely been prepared to defend Kiro.

"Thank you, Chief Riju," Kiro said, almost dropping to the floor if not for Barta's strong hold.

"I do believe he needs some rest, Chief," Barta said, smiling.

"Have a room prepared for him," Riju said.

"My Chief," Buliara said. "If the people find out about this, that a voe is residing in the palace, there will be—"

"I will make an announcement as soon as things have calmed down," Riju said, back to studying the Thunder Helm. "Until then, please make sure no one finds out about him."

"Wise decision, Tiny," Sheik said. "You're not bad."

Riju nodded absently, humming. Then her eye twitched again, and she levelled glare on the slate.

"Who the hell are you calling Tiny, you little...!"

Link wasn't sure how to act when, later that night, one of Riju's guards came to his and Sheik's chambers, telling him that the Chief had asked for his company.

Without Sheik.

"It's the Tiny thing, isn't it?" Sheik had asked. "She should learn to embrace her shortarsedness—turn it into a weapon!"

"Th-That's not e-even a w-word," Link told him, tying the Master Sword to his back before following the guard, ignoring Sheik's shouting after him.

"Language is an ever-evolving creature, Link! You cannot stand in the way of progress!"

"What an unpleasant character," the guard muttered under her breath.

"He's n-not bad, once y-you g-get to know h-him," Link told her, to which the guard simply rolled her eyes.

To his surprise, the guard didn't lead Link to the throne room. Instead she led him further upstairs, to the what must have been Riju's private quarters at the very top of the palace. Two more guards stood outside the doors, nodding to them as they approached.

"The Hero, as Riju requested," the guard said.

"Go on in," one by the door said to Link. "But behave yourself, or you will be evicted from the palace."

"Th-Through th-the door?" Link asked hopefully.

"The window," the guard corrected, giving him a sadistic grin. "I wonder how far I could throw you..."

Her fellow guard rolled her eyes and pushed the door open behind her, waving him. "Go on."

Whereas the throne room had been large and open, and for the most part empty in order to make the Gerudo Chief appear intimidating, Riju's private quarters felt more lived in. The room was still spacious, but there was furniture and bookshelves to make it appear less severe. Carpets dampened the sounds bouncing off the stone, and multiple candles and a roaring fireplace kept the room warm.

Riju was sitting at a desk that was stacked high with papers and scrolls, going through a sizeable pile of them. Buliara stood close by, ever vigilant.

Neither of them seemed to acknowledge Link's presence, so he remained by the door, clearing his throat. "Y-You asked f-for me?" he said.

"Ah, Link," Riju said, leaning back in her chair, stretching. "Sorry to call you here so late, but I thought it would be a good idea for us to talk in private." She looked to Buliara. "You can leave us, Bul. Get some sleep."

"As you wish," Buliara said, nodding and turning to leave the room, pausing when she noticed the Master Sword on Link's back. "Please leave the sword with me, Hero."

"N-No," Link said, staring back at her. "It d-doesn't l-like to be h-held by s-strangers."

Buliara brow slowly furrowed as she tried to make sense of what he'd just said. "I beg your pardon?" she asked.

"It h-has a m-mind of its own," Link tried to elaborate, realising he was sounding more and more insane by the minute. "There's n-no t-telling what it w-will do if y-you touch it."

"What utter nonsense—"

"Bul, it's all right," Riju interrupted before yet another argument could break out. Link wondered if all Gerudo were this high-strung or if he'd just gotten unlucky. "That's the Sword that Seals the Darkness...I don't think he will part with it unless you kill him. Besides, I can look after myself. Go on, and I will see you in the morning."

Buliara did not look comfortable with the idea, but nodded nonetheless. "As you wish, Riju." To Link, she whispered, "Not one step out of line, understood?"

Link nodded, and then Buliara was gone, leaving him alone with the Gerudo Chief, who finally rose from her desk and gestured to a sofa group near the fireplace, on which a tea set stood.

"Buliara only acts like she does because she is concerned for my safety," Riju said. "She means no harm—not truly."

"I understand," Link said, still hovering by the door.

"Come on, have a seat," she said, gesturing again, impatiently. "Tea?"

"P-Please," he said, slowly lowering himself into the cushioned chair opposite hers. In the back of his mind, protocol told him that it was rarely the job of royalty to pour drinks, but Riju had already begun before he could say anything or offer to do it.

"You'll be happy to know that the Thunder Helm is intact," she said, immediately taking a sip from her cup. "I had it checked."

"That's g-good," Link said, drinking from his own. The tea was sweet, not at all bitter like he'd expected. He made no comment as he watched Riju pour sugar into the already sweet drink...if only because the glare she threw him warned him not to.

"That means we can take on Naboris right away," she continued. "Or do you need some time to rest?"

"I'm f-fine," he said. "Ready."

"Good, we'll begin at dawn, then."

He paused. "W-We?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Of course, we. Only members of my bloodline can use the helmet, remember? You'll need my help if you want to get close."

"B-but you're a...a..."

"What? A vai?" her eyes narrowed, nostrils flaring a little. "Of all the people in Hyrule, I didn't expect you to consider us inferior—"

"A l-leader!" Link exclaimed, cutting her off. "Th-The leader," he corrected. "Wh-What if you g-get hurt?"

Clearing her throat, Riju regained her composure. It was a slow process. "I will do anything for my people, Link, even risking my life. That was one of the things my mother taught me before she...well. A Chief's duty lies with her people. Naboris needs to be stopped, and only I can wear the helmet to ensure you actually manage to do it." Her eyes met his, challengingly.

Even if Link knew how to counter that reasoning, he wasn't sure if he wanted to. Riju was clearly trying to prove something, but not to him. Herself, then? Or someone who didn't believe in her? Her mother?

"Okay," he said, nodding.

She smiled. "Okay," she repeated, pointing to her messy desk. "We got a piece of good news earlier today...or bad, depending."

"Wh-What is it?"

"Remember the barricade that's been cutting us off from the rest of Hyrule?" she asked. "Well, it's no longer there."

"Wh-What?"

"It's strange," the Chief said, sweetening her tea even further, to the point Link was certain it was going to melt her teeth. "Someone or something seems to have...punched through, for the lack of a better word. The barricade itself is destroyed—blown to pieces—and the Yiga guarding it are all dead. Some...more than others."

It took Link a moment to realise what that meant. He assumed it had something to do with...pieces.

Ew.

"D-Do you kn-know who?" he asked.

"No idea whatsoever," she said, shaking her head. "There were no signs of them when my scouts checked it out, and the only set of tracks were leading into the desert, the winds have whisked them out. Someone came through, killed the Yiga, and continued on their way. It's the damnedest thing."

That sounded like good news to Link. Anything that made it easier for the Gerudo to link their forces up with the rest of the Hyrulian army was, in his book, good.

Strange, however, for whoever it was not to announce their presence...or intention.

"My scouts are still searching for whoever's responsible, of course," Riju said with a sniff, finally satisfied with her tea. "But the desert is a big place. Once someone disappears into it, they are hard to find."

"B-Best stay a-alert, then," Link said, still not sure why he was here. Could just be a courtesy thing, from the Chief to the Hero, but it didn't quite feel like it.

"Mhm," Riju hummed. "Another thing, it seems Kohga's death has thrown the Yiga into disarray. Several of their key positions have been abandoned, and the headquarters themselves seem to be emptying out. Could be because of what Kiro did...either way, it will be some time before they can organise enough to pose a threat to us again."

That was very good. Link couldn't help but smile at that. It meant Kiro's Very Stupid Plan had paid off, even if he'd nearly paid for it with his own life. Between him blowing up the Yiga headquarters and Link (and Sheik) killing Kohga, Ganon had hopefully just lost a great number of its allies, which would make the upcoming battle much easier.

...if only they knew who had been strong enough to punch through the barricade. Whoever they were, they could make a powerful ally. He could only hope Riju's scouts would find them and make contact.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed Riju staring intently at the Master Sword, which he'd laid across his knees.

"Can I see it?" she asked, eyes shiny in the firelight. "Mother told me stories, and I've seen the drawings, but the real thing..."

"Is B-Buliara going t-to kill m-me if I d-draw it?" he asked, only half-joking.

"By now Buliara will be so far gone she'd sleep through an earthquake," Riju said, grinning. "She's the best warrior we have, but she's a very heavy sleeper." She paused. "Just...draw it slowly?"

Link did so, making a little show of it. Not that he needed to. The sword's appearance alone was entrancing, especially in the firelight. In addition to its own innate light, it seemed to absorb the warmer colours of the fireplace, combining it with its own, almost making the blade look like it was on fire.

"Amazing," Riju said, entranced by the sight. "I never dreamed I would ever get to see it with my own eyes. Then again, I never dreamed the Hero of Hyrule himself would rise from the grave, but here you are."

Link looked at her, noticing how her wide eyes made her look even younger than before. Hylia above, how could a child shoulder so much responsibility, leading an entire people?

How could a child shoulder the responsibility of slaying pure Evil before he was old enough to realise what that entailed?

In that moment, he felt a strong kinship with Riju. Neither of them had really gotten to enjoy their childhoods, had they? Zelda, too.

He frowned, and quickly sheathed the blade. "S-Sorry," he said. "Don't l-like drawing it w-without reason."

Riju nodded, looking a little disappointed. "I understand."

They sat in an uncomfortable silence for several more minutes, and Link wondered if he'd accidentally offended her. He hoped not. It would be just his luck that he'd do such a thing on the eve of a major battle he needed her help with...even if he wasn't sure exactly what her plan was.

"Do you..." Riju began, trailing off, mouth opening and closing, looking a bit like a fish. Link refrained from voicing the comparison. Buliara would rip his spine out for such an offence, he suspected. She cleared her throat. "You were alive, a hundred years ago," she said.

"I w-was," Link said, still unable to truly get his head around the absurdity of that statement. "Wh-Why?"

"You knew Urbosa," Riju said, almost accusingly. "She was the Gerudo Champion."

Link supposed he must have. He could remember bits and pieces, fragments from the memories he had with the other Champions as a whole...but individual details were hard to scrounge up. She'd been a fierce warrior, strict in discipline, but also caring. Link could remember his whole body in agony, beaten to hell and back while sparring against her. He could remember conversations around a campfire, a stern voice firmly putting an end to arguments before they could escalate into actual fights.

Link refused to take any responsibility for that. Revali was just that much of an arsehole.

She'd been the one Zelda had gone to for advice, when she needed help from someone she considered an authority figure. Mipha had been more like a sister, Daruk a brusque uncle and Revali...well, he was Revali. The tagalong no one liked.

Okay, maybe he could be a little likeable when he turned his scathing tongue on someone other than Link, but those occasions were few and far between. At least the feathery bastard had come through with Medoh.

"Link?" Riju asked, looking at him with concern. "You were miles away."

"S-Sorry," he said. "L-Lost in old m-memories...or wh-what remains of th-them. I d-don't remember m-much, I'm afraid. S-Side-effect of th-the Sh-Shrine, apparently. Only f-fragments remain."

"Oh." Riju drooped a little in her chair. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"It's all r-right," he assured her. "J-just a l-little...d-difficult sometimes. I c-can t-tell you what I r-remember, if you'd l-like?"

If you can tolerate my damn stuttering, he added to himself.

Her face lit up. "Could you? Please?"

He smiled. "Of c-course."

It was late by the time he returned to his room, and Sheik immediately assaulted him with questions on the state of his wellbeing, if he was going to have to challenge Riju for Link's hand, and a million other queries that were a mix of serious and joking. Link tried to entertain for a while, but soon enough the fatigue of the past day caught up with him, forcing his consciousness back into the depths of sleep.