The young girl walked seemingly without purpose throughout the massive area known only as Hyrule Field. She, however, knew exactly where she was going - straight ahead, around the ranch, over the two fences, to Lake Hylia. As the piercing glare of the setting sun didn't assault her eyes like it usually did, at first, she had the impression that she was too late, that Link had long since come and gone. Her emerald hues glanced upwards, to the sky. She stopped abruptly, freezing in her tracks, at what she saw. There was a single, dark cloud covering the entirety of Hyrule, and maybe even more, as far as the eye could see. Lightning streaked across the thick black haze, but there was no rain threatening - she would have smelled it if there had been. "Wow…" she whispered quietly, eyes still directed upward. She had never seen the sky so dark before…it was as if it were night already. She never stopped looking, held captive by the dark beauty of the eerie heavens.
Perhaps, if she were paying more attention to her surroundings, she would have heard the twisted laughter behind her, the hobbled, rickety, dragged steps along the lush Hyrulean grass. She wouldn't have been caught off guard; and yet, she was. She gave a sudden yelp, abruptly falling the ground, clutching her shoulder. As she looked over her shoulder, a terrified paralysis crept over her, nothing like the awed immobile state she owned a few moments ago. Her gaze met with one that originated from fiery, dark, and empty pits. The soulless eyes belonged to a jawless skull, the skull attached to a body that was nothing but a skeleton. The monster drew its arm up, the swung down at the child with long, claw-like nails, coming nearly a millimeter too far from slicing her skin. Fear seizing her, she screamed, shuffling backwards as the monster struck out at her once more. She retained her grip on her left shoulder, even as she felt warm liquid trickling down her arm. Again, the monster struck out at her, and again, she hurried back without standing up. She planned to do the same again, just as her back banged against something. She looked upwards, seeing the leafy branches of a tree, and before she could redirect her gaze, the piercing pain originated in another spot, her right arm, the one she had had out in defense. Luke warm crimson fluid dripped down her skin here, too, almost immediately after the attack. As she looked to her assaulter, she saw that there was another of it's kind behind it, backing it up in a sense. She screamed again, scrambling to her feet and hurrying off, her feet instinctively carrying her to the Valley. Her steps abruptly halted, however, as a third skeleton monster, this one larger than the other two, emerged from the ground directly in front of her. Yet another ear splitting scream was voiced, this one loud enough to make the beast stop in hesitance. She turned back the other way with her eyes clenched shut, running blindly. She didn't open them until she could no longer hear the monster's slow steps, and kept running, hurrying for shelter, straight into the first haven she saw. Her left arm reached out, instinctively, but it only renewed the pain from the first attack. She winced, and used the right to hurriedly turn the knob to the door that stood before her - where it led, she would only be now founding out - pulling it back, speedily stumbling in, and slamming it behind her.
Carefully leaning her right shoulder against the wood, her breathing came out in harsh, ragged breaths. Tears welled in wide, terrified ashen eyes, quick to spill down her cheeks. Never had she been in Hyrule Field late enough to have an encounter with the monsters that emerged from the shadows at night. She kept her hold on her wound, even as the blood still spilling from out the gashes, coating the fingers that covered it with thick maroon fluid. Slowly, she slipped to the ground, in a fit of sobs and severe gasps for air. Suddenly, more than ever, she wished she had just stayed in her cell.
No sooner after she had begun to catch her breath, she heard footsteps outside. She opened her eyes, having closed them. Frantic whispers crept underneath the door, loud enough for her to hear bits and pieces.
"Don't go, Daddy, it might be a monster…"
"Shhh. Stay…I don't hear…"
With a grimace of pain, she pushed herself up using both arms, standing steady, but tiredly, on her feet. Her eyes were an odd, pallid green, like the leaves of the plants underneath Death Mountain, covered in ashes.
"Daddy, please, no…!"
The young speaker's words were cut off as the door swung open, revealing an unhealthily large man. His nose took up more than a third of his face, an unkempt brown beard and mustache beneath it. He held a dagger in his hand, and his eyes were furrowed as he looked over the small Gerudo's head. "Who's der?! Show yerse-whaaaaa?!" His gaze moved down a foot or so, to meet with the now determined jade eyes of the child before him. She balled both her hands into fists, glaring up at him.
"Don't you hurt me! If you do, you'll be sorry! So…so don't come any closer!"
"Daddyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!"
For the first time, she saw the source of the smaller voice. A young girl stood behind the man, clutching a medallion she wore around her neck. Bright red hair fell to her waist. Eyes wide with fright, she moved back two worried steps. The man in front of glanced back to the terrified red headed child, then forward. The wounded, but unmoving child eyed him as though she were ready to challenge him.
"I said don't come any closer!"
"Easy, now, little one…no one's goin' ta' be hurtin' anyone 'ere tonight. Calm down, now. What're ya doin' 'ere? We don't open 'til the mornin', yer too late if ya want any milk…oh, look at ya', yer in a bloody awful shape…"
The man took a cautious step forward. Both girls took a step back, in opposite directions. The clearly braver one seemed to growl, eyes swirling with a bluish sea green. "MY NAME IS JUANA RUBY DRAGMIRE AND I'M A GERUDO AND IF YOU COME ANY CLOSER I'M GONNA PUT A CURSE ON YOU!"
"DADDYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
"Malon, shhh, shhh!" The man got down on one knee, outstretching a hand. "Come on. You must be right hurt; yer bleedin' an' everything…come on. No ones gonna curse no ones. Let's get you cleaned up, now." The outstretched hand waved towards its owner, beckoning Juana forward. She shook her head, taking another step back.
"I don't want nobody's help."
"But you need it. Look 'ere, yer still bleedin'…was 'at you out there screamin' yer 'ead off? There are lots o' creepie crawlies all over the place nowadays, ya gotta be careful…yer parents must be worried blue in the face 'bout ya, now, little missy. And…" He put the dagger back in the boot, in hopes of looking less threatening. "It's not nice, ta be marchin' 'round statin' yer a Gerudo. Those are some right nasty folks an' you shouldn't pretend ta be one of 'em."
"But I am." She whined it, far from the threatening tone she was trying to achieve. Either way, she seemed to be only humoring the man. Why wasn't he afraid of her? Wasn't she every bit as threatening as a full-grown Gerudo? He should have been trembling…so when he started to chuckle, she stomped her foot. Her eyes were a deep cobalt blue. "I am I am I am I am I AM!"
"Silly thing, yer not a Gerudo. They all gots red 'air, see? Like Malon 'ere. C'mere, Mal'." He reached back, pulling the petrified red headed child forward. Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Juana. They were both of equal size, and even had similar features, save for their strikingly different hair. But something the man had said ticked the Gerudo off. Her fists shook with fury, and she stomped forward two steps, enough to make Malon cry and squirm away, running back outside.
"So I'm not a Gerudo cuz I don't got red hair like everyone, huh?! So that's what everyone says, huh?! I'll show you!" She reached into her shirt, pulling out a pendant, attached to a leather cord, tied around her neck. She held it forward like it was a golden rupee, eyes ablaze with an angry blue fire. It was a miniature cattle skull, adorned with several small feathers. "See?!?! See that?!?! That's my medallion and only Gerudos have one! So see?! I'm a Gerudo, too! I'm specialer than they are cuz I'm better and I'm smarter and everything!" By the end of her rant, she was back to panting the way she had been when she ran in. The man before her remained silent, and the only sound was Malon's terrified whimpers. Satisfied that their silence meant their respect, she grumbled a sound of approval and shoved the necklace back into her shirt. "And I'm not 'right nasty'. I'm better than you are." Upon finishing, she crossed her arms over her chest. It was then that she remembered her wounds. They were still bleeding heavily, as if the five-minute interval between when she got them and that moment had been deleted. She winced, clenching her eyes shut, as they once again grew watery. "Ow…"
"…See? Yer hurt. C'mon. We gotta get some bandages on ya', whether yer a Gerudo or a Goron. My name is Talon, and this 'ere is my daughter Malon. Say 'i, Mal'." Malon peeked out from behind her father's leg, frowned, and inched back.
"…Hi."
"I'm not gonna wear your stupid bandages! I told you I'm FINE!" And even as the words angrily tumbled from her mouth, she stumbled weakly, as if dizzy. The blood loss, though minimum, was getting to her. Juana wobbled a bit more, before leaning against the wall, furrowing her brow and watching a Cucco waddle by.
"You can 'ave some milk, if ya'd like…"
"I don't want any of your nasty milk. It tastes weird…" her words slowly lost their acidity, as well as their volume level. She fell to her knees, an action that didn't look very voluntary. Talon stood up, slowly moving towards her. She gave no verbal or physical complaint…she couldn't. Her exhaustion and the wounds had taken their toll, and with barely another sound, she fell limp in Talon's arms - he had taken advantage of her exhaustion to pick her up. He beckoned a still very hesitant Malon inside, and closed the door behind her. She watched the unconscious Gerudo child warily.
"See, Daddy? I told you it was a monster."
When Juana finally awoke, it was with a groggy consciousness. She rubbed at her eyes with her one of her wrists, propping herself up with the other.
"Ah! Be careful 'ow ya' move that arm."
Practically scratching the sleep out of her eyes, she looked up at Talon dazedly. He glanced to her over his shoulder, chuckling. "Yer a right tough little booger, ain't 'cha? Wouldn't even let me put them bandages on ya' in yer sleep. Right tough." He walked out of her field of view for a moment, though continued talking. "Sorry 'ah had ta' put ya' in the stables. Me 'n' Mal', we only got two beds in the otha' buildin', an' I couldn't think o' anyplace else ta' put ya'." For the first time since she had awoken, she noticed her surroundings. She was in the middle of a large pile of hay, and though it was bristly, it was surprisingly warm and comfortable. Her body had gotten accustomed to sleeping on stone floors, and this was a pleasant change.
"Ingo'll be comin' in soon. Be wary o' 'im, 'e's not 'zactly a faerie, yanno." He said it with another warm chuckle, walking past her while holding a bundle of hay in front of him. "Lemme feed the 'orses in the field 'n' dem damn cows in the back room, 'n' then I'll take ya' 'ome on one o' dem mares we got." Juana flared her nostrils lightly at his words, not quite catching all of them. She leaned forward, watching the tubby man waddle his way out of the stables and close the door behind him.
"People out here sure do have funny accents." The words were said with a sigh as she leaned against the side of the stable, against her left shoulder. There was a dull pain because of the action, but nothing more. Something clicked in the back of her mind, something she was supposed to do… What, though? She racked her brain, trying to remember what it was she had been so bent on doing last night. "Link!" It came to her like a ton of bricks. She slapped her forehead with her hand, and dragged it down her face. How could she forget? That had been of utmost importance to her last night; that was why she snuck out the fortress. With a heavy sigh, she flopped back amidst the hay. Maybe he forgot, too…
"Daddy says to go outside."
When Juana sat up, she was face to fact with the girl from last night that had been so utterly terrified of her. She held an empty bucket in one hand and a towel in the other, and was watching Juana with a look of heavy condemnation.
"Well? What are you looking at me for? Go outside so Daddy can take you back to where you belong, nasty Gerudo."
Juana narrowed her eyes. "Who're you callin' nasty?"
"You, stupid stupid-head."
"Oh yeah, booger brain?"
"Yeah, doggie poo!"
"Cucco butt!"
"Tektite lips!"
Juana rolled her eyes the other way, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "Stupid. Tektites don't have lips. You're so stupid, I bet if you entered a stupid contest, you'd win!"
Malon gasped as if she had been gravely insulted. She was shaking so fiercely, the bucket in her hand rattled. The towel was quickly dropped to the floor as the infuriated child pointed vehemently at the door. "Get outta my ranch!"
"Fine! I don't wanna be in your stinky old ranch anyway!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"Fine!"
"'Ey, 'ey, what's goin' on 'ere…?" Talon hurried into the stable, straw in his hair and a confused look on his face, but he was far too late. Juana stormed past him, stomping out the stables and the ranch. Malon's final "FINE!" was ignored by the Gerudo, as she resolutely grumbled that she would NEVER return to Lon Lon.
"Whaddya mean, you can't find the kid?!"
There was a collection of Gerudos around Juana's cell, five very angry looking women. Three of them were arguing amongst themselves, apparently accusing each other, cursing and yelling at each other in their own language. The other two were on the side, speaking in common Hylian to one another. They, too, seemed to be having an argument.
"We looked all over the fortress, Nabooru. We can't find her anywhere."
"Looked HARDER! You know Mistress Koume said she wasn't at the Lake, and she doesn't go anywhere else but there at night! Honestly, how hard can it be to find a blonde Gerudo?!"
"Hard enough that we've been looking for an hour and we STILL can't find the brat!"
"Fine. Whatever." Nabooru waved a dismissive hand in the air, moving towards the exit. "You know what the prophecies say. Hurry up and find her. When Mistress Koume comes back and she's not in her cell, though, it's your ass."