Chapter Seven:
Link had found the lost group of the Gerudo. Who else could they be? He had followed the path that Tiamra had pointed out to him. The fact that at the same time as Pamiea's group left, there were openings for them to follow in the walls of Lake Hylia. And the river that swept him away carried him here. All of the evidence pointed to them. Plus, many of the inhabitance had the more rounded ears, a physical trademark of the Gerudo people. And some had the more pointed ears, such as himself. This community was defiantly a mixture of races. There was nothing that could prove him wrong, and indeed he was not wrong.
He had not given any indication that he knew who they were, though he doubted they would care. He planned to wait for the right time to confront someone about it, may be he could find Pamiea herself. But meanwhile, Link was enjoying the company of the Hakes', as well as the whole town of Murieope.
He and Joshuan took the Hake's four dogs, Laelaps and Gabriel, along with their two pups, Acantha and Styx, to Lake Avernus and went fishing. In a way, Joshuan reminded Link of himself at that age. But Link was not one to scorn other company though. He took pleasure in the friendship that he was making with everyone he met in Murieope! Link met with Megeara and Loraefin's friends, quite a lot they were, but none the less funny and kind hearted. They showed him around Murieope with its clusters of earthen houses and rising cliffs all around. They took him just beyond the village where the land suddenly sloped down, the shores of Lake Avernus right below it. They took him on the grand tour you could say. He met with everyone in the village and everyone took an uncanny fascination to him. With the exception of the village elders, these people have never seen anyone from the outside, all they knew were the people they were born and raised with. Many of the girls his age, the second generation born in Murieope, took an extra interest in him for, besides his obvious good looks and warm good humored heart, Link was 'new meat' to a pack of wolves who have had the same diet their whole lives.
All of Link's experiences in Murieope were pleasant ones, but always in the back of his mind was the though of his 'new quest' nagging at him. Link, at night, tried to think of what he should do next. Should he wait here and see what happened? Or perhaps he should try to find some way back to the part of Hyrule he knew. Link couldn't be sure how far the river had carried him downstream, he could be miles away from anything that was familiar to him. But always Link consoled himself with the thought that once he found Pamiea, he could get all the answers he needed. Thus, Link decided to stay put for awhile until something, anything, came up.
On his third day in Murieope, Loraefin was showing Link around the windmill located at the Northwest part of town. The giant blades powered by the wind pumped the water from Lake Avernus into an ingenious water slew that carried the water through the village to the well at the center of the town. The 'life source of Murieope' Loraefin called it at one time while they were on their way there as a way to break the silence between them. She told him briefly how it was built and what different functions it served for the community, but all the while she knew that Link could probably care less. All she knew her whole life was that town and the people who lived there, nothing she told him, she thought, would have any interesting value to him. He, who was well traveled, had been out in the world, instead of being isolated from everything like she had been. The village elders would tell stories now and then, especially to the younger children, about the 'cruel life' they had come from, and how Murieope was such a blessing to them. Loraefin remembered hearing these stories when she was younger, they used to scare her and Joshuan before they went to sleep, leaving her with a buried fear of the outside world. Everyone knew that the place the elders came from was brutal and harsh, a thing that they had been told since childbirth. No one had ever tried to leave the valley, at least no one Loraefin had known of. And of course why should they? Who would want to leave safety and comfort for a cruel and hard life in the outside?
There was one thing though that never let Loraefin believe everything her elders told her, and that was her grandfather. She remembered how she loved to sit and listen to her grandfather tell stories about his life as young Hylian boy and the adventures he had went on. He would gather her and her cousins and brother away from everyone else, usually going for a long walk and tell them these tales that kept a small light burning in their minds. But after every story, their grandfather would tell them not to speak a word of what he told them, and to especially keep it from their grandmother. It was their 'special secret' with their grandfather, and it meant more than ever now that he was gone. Loraefin's grandfather never talked about the place that they came from as being 'bad', not like her grandmother and others did. He always spoke of it in the most amazing tone, like it was a land of wonders and adventures always meant to be explored. Loraefin and her cousins would every now and then talk about their grandfather's stories and the fanciful idea that perhaps they would go there one day. And now, much to Loraefin's surprise was a boy standing in front of her who had been there, to the outside. There were millions of questions she wanted to ask him, but held her tongue despite her burning desire to have them answered.
"When I was younger, all of us would play here," Loraefin reminisced, "we would ride on top of this grinder that crushes the grain for hours just spinning and making up games to go along with it. Did you ever do things like that when you were younger?" She stood atop the grinder, hugging onto the center beam.
"I had a…interesting childhood," Link said rather awkwardly. Loraefin was on the verge of asking him about it when he intervened. "We have a windmill to where I come from, in Kakariko Village. There is this old music man who likes to sit inside there and play his music all day long. Day in day out, that's all he does."
"He's creepy that's what he is," Navi added.
"Sounds interesting, the place you come from," Loraefin laughed at Navi's comment and continued to spin around on the stone platform, "I wish that I could see it someday…It's too bad we won't." She hopped off and started to ascend the wooden ladder that led to the top of the mill. Link followed her up until the ladder opened to a large platform scattered with flour sacks.
"What makes you say that? Hasn't anyone ever thought of leaving here?" Link asked her. She turned and the corners of her mouth twitched briefly in an odd expression and thought for a moment before she answered.
"Well…I have, for one," then quickly added, "but just for curiosities sake. Besides, what's the point? There isn't anywhere else to go. You can't get out of the valley." The girl walked through the small door that led out to the bastion and beckoned for Link to follow. Outside Link could see the long stretch of field that spanned the valley and the small, but substantial forest that crawled along the cliff edge. The cliffs were tall and they hinted a bit of red color in them. The valley stretched along way, almost to the point where Link could not see where it ended. The cliff walls were narrower at the end of the basin where Murieope was nestled, but once you got past the village, the valley expanded until it seemed as far across as it did long. The trees grew in clumps forming forests and were scattered along the border of the bluff. Link could see the small waterfall that deposited the river, and him, into Lake Avernus below the town. The water reflected the blue of the sky and made a pretty site at all times of the day.
Link looked over to Loraefin, who was talking again about something, but he wasn't really paying much attention. He noticed her few strong Gerudo features, like the broad bridge of her nose and her round ears that were partially hidden by her hair. Loraefin's nose was not as big as a pure Gerudo; the end did not come down so far but instead rounded itself off quite nicely. Her skin was not quite so dark as well, but most definitely darker than his or Megeara's. It was a pleasant tan color that complimented her long, brown hair that was sketchily tied up into a loose half-ponytail. Her eyes though, as Link could plainly see, were Hylian, big, bright, and blue.
"What do you mean there is no way out? There has to be one." Link scratched behind his ear making the small silver hoop on it glint in the sunlight. Loraefin shrugged her shoulders with a very careless air to the gesture.
"No, there isn't," she said firmly and then her features softened and she reached a hand to hesitantly touch his forearm. "I'm sorry Link, but as far as I know you're going to be staying with us for a long time. The only way I know into the valley is the river and as you know it's one direction." Link was mulling this over in his brain quickly but kept his expression impassive still. Surely the dream had not sent him here to stay, what would that accomplish? There had to be another way.
"We can't stay here," Navi objected quickly, "We don't mean to sound ungrateful, but we need to leave as soon as possible." Loraefin shook her head again.
"I've lived here my entire life and I've not seen one person leave here once in those eighteen years. I would like to sympathize with you, but Mureiope isn't a bad place you two, in time you'll come to see it as home I'd hope." Home, certainly not their home. Just as Link was opening his mouth to speak Loraefin's attention turned to the scuttling sound down below on the stone floor. Megeara came dashing up the ladder to meet them and her face had a look of excitement on it.
"Loraefin! Pamiea gont ta' luu rou Link!" She exhaled all at once. Loraefin's face then too got the look of surprise as she and Megeara exchanged glances.
"Ghun?" Loraefin asked.
"Now!" Megeara answered. Link and Navi were looking from one to the other very confused.
"What's happening?" He said. Both girls seemed to have a wave of realization come over them as they both tried to explain at once, making sure they kept their tongue in Hylian.
"We were wondering when she was going to call for you!" Loraefin exclaimed.
"My Grandmother wants to speak with you," Megeara repeated scooting down the path with the others following.
"Why is that so special?" Navi queried. Megeara seemed to be trying to find the right words.
"She's…um well, the leader of this village you could say…at least since my Grandfather died."
"She probably wants to ask you some questions, it's been a long time since we've gotten any visitors around here," Loraefin continued.
"Yeah, like thirty something years," Megeara retorted all the while hurrying through the village square. The square was alive with people going about their business and daily life. They looked at Megeara and Loraefin strangely as they both practically shoved Link through the market place. Some other children their age ran up to them and inquired what they were doing. Megeara explained briefly and they too, seemed to become full of excitement.
"What wait a minute!" Link exclaimed and stopped himself promptly. "I'm not going to go anywhere until you two tell me something." The two looked at each other and then back to Link.
"Loraefin," Megeara turned to her friend, "I think Lycus was looking for you earlier, you should go find him and see what he wants." Loraefin, taking the hint from her friend, nodded and left off in the other direction.
"OK, I'll see you guys later then!" She said. Link thought for a moment.
"Navi, why don't you go with her. I'll catch up to you later," he said. Navi hesitantly obeyed and flew after Loraefin.
Link had not noticed that he had stopped in front of a rather large building at the far East end of the square. He stood in the midst of it's massive shadow as it towered above him. It appeared to serve as a town hall of some sorts with its more elaborate architectural structure than the rest of the buildings in the forum.
"Is…is this where we wanted to go?" Link said in almost a timid voice. Megeara smiled at him and walked in the front door.
"You don't have to worry Link, my grandmother isn't going to eat you or anything." Link was surprised by this comment, Megeara must have picked up on his apprehensive feelings or something.
"No, it's not that," Link replied as he followed her inside, "it's just that…I dunno, she sounds like an important person. Maybe I'm nervous."
"Well don't be," Megeara laughed as they turned the last corridor. She led him down the hall where it opened into a larger room. "Now don't be nervous, my grandma should be here any minute. All she wants to do is ask a few questions that's all." She left the uneasy Link alone in the room and closed the door behind her.
It had not been a long wait, ten minutes later Megeara showed an elderly woman in. Megeara closed the doors behind her grandmother and left the two alone. The old woman circled him, looking him over carefully. Her skin was wrinkled with age but her eyes were still alive and young. They were Gerudo eyes that Link could see hid something, though he couldn't see exactly what.
"So you are the young man that my grand daughter and Loraefin found," she said. "Megeara has told me a lot about you, what is your business here?" Link looks at this undersized old woman. The dark purple cloak that blanketed her head framed her face perfectly as it curved around. Faded red hair that had been largely taken over by white and gray stands peeked out from beneath the cloth, spraying into wisps wherever it had not been fastened back. Her Gerudo nose a very strong feature on her face, which was obviously very handsome in her youth.
"Are you going to answer me?" The old woman spoke to Link with such authority that it surprised him. He fumbled for a moment, not knowing what to say.
"I was swept away down river and it carried me here," Link came out at last. The woman's face filled with skepticism.
"How did you come to be in the river?" She wanted to know.
"I um…I don't think we've been properly introduced, my name is Link," Link tried to get off the subject of him being in the river. The woman cocked an eyebrow and Link thought he saw a glimmer of a smile briefly. She walked over to one of the tables that were situated in the room, sat down, and folded her arms so that they rested against the tabletop. Link still stood centered in the room, not knowing whether he should follow and take a seat or not. The woman's face now brightened into an actual smile, not a big one, but one all the same and said:
"My name is Pamiea."
Link had found the lost group of the Gerudo. Who else could they be? He had followed the path that Tiamra had pointed out to him. The fact that at the same time as Pamiea's group left, there were openings for them to follow in the walls of Lake Hylia. And the river that swept him away carried him here. All of the evidence pointed to them. Plus, many of the inhabitance had the more rounded ears, a physical trademark of the Gerudo people. And some had the more pointed ears, such as himself. This community was defiantly a mixture of races. There was nothing that could prove him wrong, and indeed he was not wrong.
He had not given any indication that he knew who they were, though he doubted they would care. He planned to wait for the right time to confront someone about it, may be he could find Pamiea herself. But meanwhile, Link was enjoying the company of the Hakes', as well as the whole town of Murieope.
He and Joshuan took the Hake's four dogs, Laelaps and Gabriel, along with their two pups, Acantha and Styx, to Lake Avernus and went fishing. In a way, Joshuan reminded Link of himself at that age. But Link was not one to scorn other company though. He took pleasure in the friendship that he was making with everyone he met in Murieope! Link met with Megeara and Loraefin's friends, quite a lot they were, but none the less funny and kind hearted. They showed him around Murieope with its clusters of earthen houses and rising cliffs all around. They took him just beyond the village where the land suddenly sloped down, the shores of Lake Avernus right below it. They took him on the grand tour you could say. He met with everyone in the village and everyone took an uncanny fascination to him. With the exception of the village elders, these people have never seen anyone from the outside, all they knew were the people they were born and raised with. Many of the girls his age, the second generation born in Murieope, took an extra interest in him for, besides his obvious good looks and warm good humored heart, Link was 'new meat' to a pack of wolves who have had the same diet their whole lives.
All of Link's experiences in Murieope were pleasant ones, but always in the back of his mind was the though of his 'new quest' nagging at him. Link, at night, tried to think of what he should do next. Should he wait here and see what happened? Or perhaps he should try to find some way back to the part of Hyrule he knew. Link couldn't be sure how far the river had carried him downstream, he could be miles away from anything that was familiar to him. But always Link consoled himself with the thought that once he found Pamiea, he could get all the answers he needed. Thus, Link decided to stay put for awhile until something, anything, came up.
On his third day in Murieope, Loraefin was showing Link around the windmill located at the Northwest part of town. The giant blades powered by the wind pumped the water from Lake Avernus into an ingenious water slew that carried the water through the village to the well at the center of the town. The 'life source of Murieope' Loraefin called it at one time while they were on their way there as a way to break the silence between them. She told him briefly how it was built and what different functions it served for the community, but all the while she knew that Link could probably care less. All she knew her whole life was that town and the people who lived there, nothing she told him, she thought, would have any interesting value to him. He, who was well traveled, had been out in the world, instead of being isolated from everything like she had been. The village elders would tell stories now and then, especially to the younger children, about the 'cruel life' they had come from, and how Murieope was such a blessing to them. Loraefin remembered hearing these stories when she was younger, they used to scare her and Joshuan before they went to sleep, leaving her with a buried fear of the outside world. Everyone knew that the place the elders came from was brutal and harsh, a thing that they had been told since childbirth. No one had ever tried to leave the valley, at least no one Loraefin had known of. And of course why should they? Who would want to leave safety and comfort for a cruel and hard life in the outside?
There was one thing though that never let Loraefin believe everything her elders told her, and that was her grandfather. She remembered how she loved to sit and listen to her grandfather tell stories about his life as young Hylian boy and the adventures he had went on. He would gather her and her cousins and brother away from everyone else, usually going for a long walk and tell them these tales that kept a small light burning in their minds. But after every story, their grandfather would tell them not to speak a word of what he told them, and to especially keep it from their grandmother. It was their 'special secret' with their grandfather, and it meant more than ever now that he was gone. Loraefin's grandfather never talked about the place that they came from as being 'bad', not like her grandmother and others did. He always spoke of it in the most amazing tone, like it was a land of wonders and adventures always meant to be explored. Loraefin and her cousins would every now and then talk about their grandfather's stories and the fanciful idea that perhaps they would go there one day. And now, much to Loraefin's surprise was a boy standing in front of her who had been there, to the outside. There were millions of questions she wanted to ask him, but held her tongue despite her burning desire to have them answered.
"When I was younger, all of us would play here," Loraefin reminisced, "we would ride on top of this grinder that crushes the grain for hours just spinning and making up games to go along with it. Did you ever do things like that when you were younger?" She stood atop the grinder, hugging onto the center beam.
"I had a…interesting childhood," Link said rather awkwardly. Loraefin was on the verge of asking him about it when he intervened. "We have a windmill to where I come from, in Kakariko Village. There is this old music man who likes to sit inside there and play his music all day long. Day in day out, that's all he does."
"He's creepy that's what he is," Navi added.
"Sounds interesting, the place you come from," Loraefin laughed at Navi's comment and continued to spin around on the stone platform, "I wish that I could see it someday…It's too bad we won't." She hopped off and started to ascend the wooden ladder that led to the top of the mill. Link followed her up until the ladder opened to a large platform scattered with flour sacks.
"What makes you say that? Hasn't anyone ever thought of leaving here?" Link asked her. She turned and the corners of her mouth twitched briefly in an odd expression and thought for a moment before she answered.
"Well…I have, for one," then quickly added, "but just for curiosities sake. Besides, what's the point? There isn't anywhere else to go. You can't get out of the valley." The girl walked through the small door that led out to the bastion and beckoned for Link to follow. Outside Link could see the long stretch of field that spanned the valley and the small, but substantial forest that crawled along the cliff edge. The cliffs were tall and they hinted a bit of red color in them. The valley stretched along way, almost to the point where Link could not see where it ended. The cliff walls were narrower at the end of the basin where Murieope was nestled, but once you got past the village, the valley expanded until it seemed as far across as it did long. The trees grew in clumps forming forests and were scattered along the border of the bluff. Link could see the small waterfall that deposited the river, and him, into Lake Avernus below the town. The water reflected the blue of the sky and made a pretty site at all times of the day.
Link looked over to Loraefin, who was talking again about something, but he wasn't really paying much attention. He noticed her few strong Gerudo features, like the broad bridge of her nose and her round ears that were partially hidden by her hair. Loraefin's nose was not as big as a pure Gerudo; the end did not come down so far but instead rounded itself off quite nicely. Her skin was not quite so dark as well, but most definitely darker than his or Megeara's. It was a pleasant tan color that complimented her long, brown hair that was sketchily tied up into a loose half-ponytail. Her eyes though, as Link could plainly see, were Hylian, big, bright, and blue.
"What do you mean there is no way out? There has to be one." Link scratched behind his ear making the small silver hoop on it glint in the sunlight. Loraefin shrugged her shoulders with a very careless air to the gesture.
"No, there isn't," she said firmly and then her features softened and she reached a hand to hesitantly touch his forearm. "I'm sorry Link, but as far as I know you're going to be staying with us for a long time. The only way I know into the valley is the river and as you know it's one direction." Link was mulling this over in his brain quickly but kept his expression impassive still. Surely the dream had not sent him here to stay, what would that accomplish? There had to be another way.
"We can't stay here," Navi objected quickly, "We don't mean to sound ungrateful, but we need to leave as soon as possible." Loraefin shook her head again.
"I've lived here my entire life and I've not seen one person leave here once in those eighteen years. I would like to sympathize with you, but Mureiope isn't a bad place you two, in time you'll come to see it as home I'd hope." Home, certainly not their home. Just as Link was opening his mouth to speak Loraefin's attention turned to the scuttling sound down below on the stone floor. Megeara came dashing up the ladder to meet them and her face had a look of excitement on it.
"Loraefin! Pamiea gont ta' luu rou Link!" She exhaled all at once. Loraefin's face then too got the look of surprise as she and Megeara exchanged glances.
"Ghun?" Loraefin asked.
"Now!" Megeara answered. Link and Navi were looking from one to the other very confused.
"What's happening?" He said. Both girls seemed to have a wave of realization come over them as they both tried to explain at once, making sure they kept their tongue in Hylian.
"We were wondering when she was going to call for you!" Loraefin exclaimed.
"My Grandmother wants to speak with you," Megeara repeated scooting down the path with the others following.
"Why is that so special?" Navi queried. Megeara seemed to be trying to find the right words.
"She's…um well, the leader of this village you could say…at least since my Grandfather died."
"She probably wants to ask you some questions, it's been a long time since we've gotten any visitors around here," Loraefin continued.
"Yeah, like thirty something years," Megeara retorted all the while hurrying through the village square. The square was alive with people going about their business and daily life. They looked at Megeara and Loraefin strangely as they both practically shoved Link through the market place. Some other children their age ran up to them and inquired what they were doing. Megeara explained briefly and they too, seemed to become full of excitement.
"What wait a minute!" Link exclaimed and stopped himself promptly. "I'm not going to go anywhere until you two tell me something." The two looked at each other and then back to Link.
"Loraefin," Megeara turned to her friend, "I think Lycus was looking for you earlier, you should go find him and see what he wants." Loraefin, taking the hint from her friend, nodded and left off in the other direction.
"OK, I'll see you guys later then!" She said. Link thought for a moment.
"Navi, why don't you go with her. I'll catch up to you later," he said. Navi hesitantly obeyed and flew after Loraefin.
Link had not noticed that he had stopped in front of a rather large building at the far East end of the square. He stood in the midst of it's massive shadow as it towered above him. It appeared to serve as a town hall of some sorts with its more elaborate architectural structure than the rest of the buildings in the forum.
"Is…is this where we wanted to go?" Link said in almost a timid voice. Megeara smiled at him and walked in the front door.
"You don't have to worry Link, my grandmother isn't going to eat you or anything." Link was surprised by this comment, Megeara must have picked up on his apprehensive feelings or something.
"No, it's not that," Link replied as he followed her inside, "it's just that…I dunno, she sounds like an important person. Maybe I'm nervous."
"Well don't be," Megeara laughed as they turned the last corridor. She led him down the hall where it opened into a larger room. "Now don't be nervous, my grandma should be here any minute. All she wants to do is ask a few questions that's all." She left the uneasy Link alone in the room and closed the door behind her.
It had not been a long wait, ten minutes later Megeara showed an elderly woman in. Megeara closed the doors behind her grandmother and left the two alone. The old woman circled him, looking him over carefully. Her skin was wrinkled with age but her eyes were still alive and young. They were Gerudo eyes that Link could see hid something, though he couldn't see exactly what.
"So you are the young man that my grand daughter and Loraefin found," she said. "Megeara has told me a lot about you, what is your business here?" Link looks at this undersized old woman. The dark purple cloak that blanketed her head framed her face perfectly as it curved around. Faded red hair that had been largely taken over by white and gray stands peeked out from beneath the cloth, spraying into wisps wherever it had not been fastened back. Her Gerudo nose a very strong feature on her face, which was obviously very handsome in her youth.
"Are you going to answer me?" The old woman spoke to Link with such authority that it surprised him. He fumbled for a moment, not knowing what to say.
"I was swept away down river and it carried me here," Link came out at last. The woman's face filled with skepticism.
"How did you come to be in the river?" She wanted to know.
"I um…I don't think we've been properly introduced, my name is Link," Link tried to get off the subject of him being in the river. The woman cocked an eyebrow and Link thought he saw a glimmer of a smile briefly. She walked over to one of the tables that were situated in the room, sat down, and folded her arms so that they rested against the tabletop. Link still stood centered in the room, not knowing whether he should follow and take a seat or not. The woman's face now brightened into an actual smile, not a big one, but one all the same and said:
"My name is Pamiea."