Chapter Two: A Sending
This land was not as warm as the one she had been raised in. Omphale found herself appreciating having taken Shayna's advice about bringing a cloak while riding. Only two days journey and the weather felt so much more drastically cold. The small Gerudo band plodded through the widened tunnel, their well-trained horses not so much as flinching within the cavernous walls. Omphale wondered again why she even bothered to go on this convoy to the Eidua Valley, to Murieope, Rae Lawen would probably care less that she would have come.
But still, Omphale could not help but admit, at least to herself that she was curious where such a strange creature as Rae Lawen had come from. She could tell when they were nearing the end of the tunnel because the breeze would start to blow through with a chill. Then light would flood through and blind you, having gotten used to only torchlight to go by for the length of your journey. The valley would be spread beneath your feet and tucked along the ridgeline of cliff above a glistening lake was the village.
Little houses sprung up in a random fashion, emanating from one central square. At the far end Omphale could make out a mill and slew for water, and within the cliffs themselves evidence of something similar to her own Fortress home, as if they had tried to rebuild a form of it many years ago. This surprised her and by seeing it placed a bit more of Rae Lawen's puzzle together. When their band reached the valley floor there were already half a dozen on the natives to greet them and they were what shocked Omphale the most. Here were men…resembling the great Kings themselves.
For an instant she had to catch herself from lowering her head to them, but remembered that they were illegitimate, not part of her race…or at least how she and the other Gerudo were to see it. As she walked through the town, Omphale noticed the mix of the different races in the people; light skin, dark skin, red hair, pointed ears…they looked so strange to her.
Koetaku, the one whom Tiamra had placed in charge of this excursion, allowed a young man to show her to where Rae Lawen was. He was a tall man, ruddy red hair, broad just about everywhere, tried to talk to her, but Omphale was not much of a conversationalist to people she did not know. To anyone, for that matter.
Lycus led her to a building not far from the central square and there was Rae Lawen, standing just inside the doorway talking to someone out of view. Lycus called out to her and she turned, smiled, and hurried over. Omphale could not tell if she recognized Rae Lawen for a moment, somehow she seemed so different than from a few months ago.
"Omphale, I can't believe you're here! What's this all about?" Loraefin was grinning from ear to ear, obviously surprised beyond belief to see the dark headed Gerudo in her own lands. She even dared so far as to reach out grip Omphale's arm enthusiastically. Omphale cocked an eyebrow and smiled, not a lot, but best she could manage.
"I thought I'd come and see where you lived, Lor…aefin," Omphale stumbled with the name, Rae Lawen wanting to be the name to come out. The presence of one of her Gerudo sisters changed Loraefin's demeanor slightly. She straitened up, stood as tall as she could, a mere three inches above five feet, and stood with a more serious air.
"I'm glad you did. Now come let me show you around. How long are you here for?" And with that Loraefin hurried Omphale away. As they made their way to Loraefin's home a cold, biting wind blew in from the northeast that settled into Loraefin's bones with a disturbing chill. She turned to face it as a shudder ran through her body and the hair on the back of her neck stood. Why was such a cold wind blowing in summer? she thought.
Omphale stopped and stared at her while she seemed to listen to the wind. It was a Sending, one of which she had never felt so strongly before. It was almost like she could hear a foreboding voice riding in on the wind, something that called only to her and whispered ill-favored rumors of times to come. The eerie feeling subsided as the wind died down and there was nothing to do but shrug it off and continued home.