Chapter 6

In Which Link Gets Through

My momentum carried the shield forward until it hit the seal's lifeless body, jettisoning me forward in a tumbling arc onto the sand. There was a puff of smoke and paper, along with the sound of a demonic laugh from somewhere above me.

"Do you think your Goddess will save you now, Hero?" the Yiga called. The voice was soft, almost girlish. That was interesting. Focus, Link. The impact had winded me, I wasn't thinking straight. I needed to get up.

"Dark Lord Ganon shall not be denied!" I heard the twang of a bowstring. Instinct took over, and I rolled out of the way as two arrows thumped into the ground where I had just been.

I jumped up, retrieving my own bow and arrow. I ran as fast as I could in the direction of the bazaar, feet sliding on the shifting sands. My adversary poofed into existence above me, high on a rock. I loosed an arrow, but they disappeared just as quickly. It was like they could bend the very fabric of reality to their will. Hyrule was no stranger to otherworldly powers– my fellow champions were proof of that. But this was something else entirely.

I saw a flash of blue ahead, surrounded by a cloud of dust. It seemed to be zigging and zagging wildly. I took that as an encouraging sign, that Zelda was still in control of her sand seal, and she was making some attempt to avoid the assailants. I had to get to her.

The mocking laugh, close on my right. I had my bow up and aimed before the Yiga could jump away. My arrow took them square in the chest. Another, now on the left. The red-clad bandit managed to leap backward at incredible speed, my arrow whizzing past uselessly. They ran for me, sharp sickle raised. I dropped the bow, bringing the Sword up. Metal scraped on metal, the curve of the sickle crackling down the blade, closer and closer to my hand. Without even thinking, I tossed the Sword into my left hand, spinning around my opponent's undefended left side. That was interesting, too. I'd never been a left-handed fighter before, but this came so naturally, like muscle memory. I kicked sharply, sending them tumbling forward. I thrusted with the sword, through their back and up through their chest. The Sword pulled back out with a sickening squelch.

I kept running. The cloud of dust had dissipated. Zelda must be on foot, if she was still alive. The desert sun was punishing, but I kept on. The bazaar was so close now, I could see the shimmer of the sun on the oasis' surface. Through the glare, I saw three demons in red, converging on a crouching figure. Brilliant blue. She was still alive! With one last gasp, I closed the remaining distance, bringing the Sword up to crash against the descending sickle. The Yiga was not expecting me. Assured of victory, they had gotten loose and sloppy with the grip on their weapon. The sickle spun in the air, crashing down several feet away. I felled them with a brutal horizontal strike.

I leapt over Zelda, putting myself between her and the remaining two Yiga. They twirled their blades in their hands, now uncertain. My chest heaved, and I raised my sword, daring them. Try me, you bastards. Rage flowed through me. All I wanted to do was to strike out, to punish them, to chase them back out into the sands, to kill them. First though, I had to ensure the Princess was safe.

Suddenly, the desert was split by the barks of sand seals and the whooping cry of Gerudo warriors. Urbosa's squadron must have made it. The Gerudo began filling the bazaar in a rush of white silk and ruby-studded shields. Urbosa and a trio of her team penned in the two Yiga from behind, Urbosa chanting in a fricative-filled dialect of Gerudo I hadn't heard before.

One of the Yiga shifted around, still looking for an escape, but the other became still as a statue, looking straight at me. They held the sickle, point down, with both hands over their chest. The pose looked...almost peaceful, like an effigy over a tomb.

"The wind blowing from the desert brings only death," they said, voice surprisingly deep for such a slim-framed body. The Yiga drove the sickle down and across their belly. Blood and viscera poured out onto the sand as the body fell, and with a puff of air, all of the remaining Yiga were gone.

Urbosa's warriors shouted, cursing the Yiga as cowardly, filthy traitors, but she cut them off. "Quiet yourselves! They're gone, they can't hear you. Set up a perimeter. Not so much as a cricket gets in or out without me knowing. Link! To the inn, now."

I pivoted, crouching down. Zelda's eyes were wide with fear. "Are you injured?" I asked.

She shook her head, "N-n-n-no, I think, I think I'm fine."

"That's good." I threaded my arm under her elbow, pulling her to her feet. "Let's move."

Her feet didn't seem to want to obey her. I kept one hand on her back, guiding her, but not yet daring to put the Sword away. Somehow we made it inside the inn. Urbosa was not far behind.

"Down the hall. Left. Second on the right."

I pushed open the door, to find two Goron traders huddled up in the corner.

"Out." Urbosa barked, and they obediently rolled away. She shut the door behind them, and pulled the shutters closed. Then she rolled up the rug, pulled up one of the slate tiles, and revealed a ladder into a small cellar. "Stay down there. Little bird, do you remember the song I taught you when you were small?"

Zelda nodded mutely.

"Good. I will whistle it to you when I come back, that's how you'll know it's safe to come up." Something in her expression softened. She smoothed Zelda's hair, then hugged her tightly, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "I'll be back soon," she whispered.

She squared her shoulders, now back to business. "Alright, get down there. I'll put everything back."

I helped Zelda down the ladder, then climbed after her. Urbosa set the slate tile back in its slot, leaving us in darkness.

…..

My father stood over me, hand raised, as the red and purple bloomed across my face. His pale cheeks bloomed red in anger, angry breaths ruffling his stupid, dish-water colored little mustache.

"Stop crying! You're a disgusting little runt! Do you think they'll tolerate your sissy behavior at the Citadel?"

He stepped closer, picking me up by my right arm like a rag doll. He seemed to loom so much larger in this dream than he ever had in real life.

"Do not fear…I will not kill you," he said, deep voice booming through pointed teeth. "I merely have need of the power that dwells within you."

Zelda lay crumpled on the stone behind him, deathly still. I had to get to her, but I couldn't break free.

My left hand burned like it had been struck by a cattle brand. I looked up in horror at this giant that had taken hold of me. Olive skin, tanned by a punishing sun, fiery red hair, and eyes filled with malice.

I started. I must have dozed off. I wondered how much time had passed. My stomach was rumbling loudly. Fortunately, I had some fruit and a few rice balls stashed in my pack. I reached into a deep, deep pocket, finding a small piece of luminous stone. I set it in the middle of the floor of our small cell. The blue light cast garish shadows on the walls and on our faces. I dug through the pack until I found the snacks. I could hardly complain– whatever the forest spirit Hestu had done to this pack, it was now almost bottomless and weighed next to nothing. But it was so hard to find things in there now.

I pulled out the rice balls, holding one out to Zelda, along with an apple. She stared at me blankly for a few seconds.

"Oh…no thank you, I'm not hungry."

I shrugged. More for me I guess. She kept staring at me as I munched happily.

"Is that…your own blood on your face? Or…"

I wiped my face, but nothing came off on my hand. Whoever's blood it was, it was dried now. I shrugged again. "No real way to tell." She had blood in her hair and across her forehead, but I didn't think it would do much good to tell her that.

"That's horrifying."

I shrugged again. "It happens."

She brought her knees into her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and laying her cheek on her knees. "Nothing like this has ever happened to me before."

I wasn't sure what to say, if I should try to reassure her, maybe place a comforting arm around her shoulders. Would she even find my arm all that comforting? Probably not.

"Have you ever…killed someone before?"

I'd killed more bokoblins than I could count, but never a man before, I realized. What was strange was how similar it was, in execution. Should I feel something? Remorse? There was no use being angry at a bokoblin, they were little more than beasts, doing what beasts do. But these, the Yiga? They wanted to hand the world over to the beasts on a silver platter. They saw a world rent by fire and blood, and begged for more. Ultimately, only Zelda had the power to deny them, to seal away their dark god. I would cut my way through their entire clan if it meant keeping her safe.

I looked into her eyes, sparkling green like the warm shallow seas around Lurelin. I started to answer, when I heard a melody filter down through the stone. A long note, a short trill, followed by the same long note. Despite how short it was, it felt sad and haunting.

"That's Urbosa," she said, whistling the tune back. I heard the sounds above of furniture and carpets being moved. The tile moved away, flooding the little cell with moonlight from the window.

I motioned to Zelda to wait. I wanted to go up first, just to make sure. I flew up the ladder in two steps, coming down on the rug in front of Urbosa. I unsheathed my sword, taking in the room.

"It's ok, little voe, it's just me. We chased the Yiga as far as the West Barrens, but we lost them in a sandstorm. I want to get Zelda inside the city until we know things are safe."

"No, absolutely not," I said firmly. Urbosa was slightly taken aback. She probably wasn't used to be told no by anyone, and certainly not in that tone. Least of all by me. In spite of everything, I hadn't actually talked to her that much. "I'm not leaving her side."

She arched a brow at me, then grinned. "I'd expect nothing less. That's why I brought you this." She handed over a stack of clothes.

Slippery soft, and shimmering in the moonlight, I could tell they were of Gerudo make. I unfolded them– sirwal, a breezy cropped blouse, a veil and cap, a pair of strappy sandals. I looked back up at her, questioningly.

"Wear that. You won't have any trouble at the gates of Gerudo Town."

I wrinkled my nose at her.

"What? Do you have a problem with wearing women's clothes?"

"Urbosa, this is ridiculous. Your entire guard has seen me with Zelda already, they're not going to be fooled when someone roughly my build and hair color, carrying the Master Sword, shows up in some pretty clothes. You said yourself that you don't even have the power to relax the rule."

"Aha! So you do think they're pretty!"

I stared at her, exasperated.

"Look, I may have…overstated…the rigidity of the whole 'no voe' rule. You were the one who pushed it right in the middle of the bazaar in front of everyone, so I didn't have much of a choice. There's the law as it's written and there's the law as it's followed, if you catch my meaning."

I did not catch her meaning.

"It's more like…if he's the kind of voe who can't even bear to wear different clothing for a few hours, then he's not the kind of voe we want in our town."

I wondered why not just kick the men out if they were being disrespectful? The town was full of terrifying spear-maidens, after all.

Urbosa snorted. "Maidens. Ha!"

I rolled my eyes at her. She knew what I meant.

She shrugged. "It's just how we do things. Maybe, once, the rules really were that could understand why we Gerudo would be sensitive to the idea of men in our town, given our history."

Red hair and olive skin, grinning at me with pointed teeth. The Gerudo King grows restive, massing an army on our western borders, the Zonai chief whispered in my ear. The Sheikah tribe is sundered. It is rumored some are teaching him darkest blood magic. War is coming, Link. The wind that blows from the desert brings only death.

I understood better than Urbosa could possibly imagine.

"Can I come up yet?" Zelda called. Her voice startled me back to the present.

"Not yet, little bird, Link is changing."

I stared daggers at her. She smirked. With a huff, I started pulling my boots off, then my bracers. I pulled the blue tunic over my head, leaving only my undertunic. Urbosa watched the whole thing with that same sardonic smile.

"Do you mind?"

"Fine, fine, I'll turn around. Prude." She sauntered around, turning her back to me and looking out the window. "Not that it's anything I haven't seen before," she murmured.

I eyed my boots on the floor, vaguely considering chucking one at her. It wouldn't really hurt her, but it sure would make me feel better. She'd probably drop me with a lightning bolt if I tried, though. I swallowed the urge.

There was a small vanity table with a pitcher of water and a basin. I washed my face, water in the basin turning a soft pink as the blood washed away. I finished changing, called down to Zelda that I was ready. She came up the ladder. She looked slightly shocked to see me, dressed as I was, but had the good grace not to say anything.

"There are sand seals outside. To Gerudo Town, let's go!"

"Urbosa," Zelda pleaded. "Couldn't I just go home?"

"Soon, little bird, soon. But you'll be sitting ducks in Gerudo Canyon if the Yiga find you. The wards on the city walls are strong, they won't be able to just blink in and out of existence there. I thought I had the right spells to hold them in place at the bazaar, but they're getting stronger. They caught me off guard with that blood magic," she spat, steepling her fingers together in an ancient symbol to ward off evil. "Don't worry. We'll find them, push them back to whatever slimy rock they crawled out from under, and we'll get you home." Urbosa put her arm over Zelda's shoulders. "After you, madam," she said to me, gesturing towards the door.

Zelda hissed in her breath sharply when I stepped out the door in front of them. I turned my head back towards her, questioning.

"It's just…your back. It looks painful. It took me by surprise, is all. What happened?"

Old wounds, I told her. Nothing to worry about.

Urbosa pushed her down the hall. "He was flogged, little bird. The punishment of choice for the barbarians who run the Citadel."

"But–"

"Hush now, let's just get you into town, alright?"

We pushed out into the bazaar, moon shining on the water's surface. If my father saw me in this getup, he'd have me flogged again, I thought, but I didn't say anything. We skimmed across the moonlit sands, arriving in Gerudo Town just as pink started to tinge the eastern sky.

The guard at the left side of the city gate gave me an odd sort of look, and the one on the right gave me a knowing wink, but true to Urbosa's word, no one in town challenged me.

"See? I said you were such a pretty little voe, we'd have no problems disguising you!"

I rolled my eyes at her, but she had already turned her attention to Zelda. "Now, Zelda, I beg of you, stay with Link. I'll be back in a day or two." And with that, she headed back into the desert.

We got settled in at the Chief's quarters. Urbosa's attendants drew a bath for Zelda. She came back with damp hair, dressed in the same wispy silks as I was. I said they suited her better, which drew a small laugh from her. I started to withdraw, telling her I'd be just outside the door if she needed anything.

"Wait!" She said. I paused. "Would you…stay with me?"

This was unexpected. I must have stared too long, because she added, "It's just that…I'm afraid. I'll sleep better if you're nearby."

Most unexpected. But I dipped my head in assent. I settled myself at the foot of the bed, Sword laid across my lap. Zelda climbed into bed, and, judging by the sound of her breathing, quickly fell asleep. I dozed on and off until about noon, when my stomach grumbled so loudly, it woke Zelda up. I was again surprised when she got up and requested lunch for the both of us.

An attendant returned with a heavily laden tray. She set the tray down, and leaned in towards me. "If you need anything else, anything at all…" she said, looking me up and down. "Please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you, that will be quite enough for now," Zelda said, a little sharply. The attendant winked at me as she withdrew.

Zelda approached me. "Sir Link," she began with some difficulty, eyes on the floor and foot tracing a nervous pattern. "I just wanted to say… I wanted to thank you, for your actions at the Bazaar. You saved my life, I shall never forget it."

I shook my head, telling her to think nothing of it.

"I also feel the need to apologize. My behavior has been abominable, and there is no excuse for it."

I ruffled the hair at the back of my head. "Don't worry about it," I said. "It's al–"

"Don't say that it's alright, because it isn't," Zelda insisted. "I was…well, to put it frankly, I was an ass, and I would like to make things right." The Princess, always so prim and proper, seemed to struggle to get the word ass out, and I laughed a little. "I hope that we can make a fresh start."

I assured her, everything was fine.

"All the same, I hope there is some way I can make it up to you, for my thoughtlessness and rude behavior, Sir Link."

I raised an eyebrow. "Do you really want to make it up to me?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Then just call me Link."