After awhile, the sound of a horse's gallop starts to sound like continuously
rolling thunder. Plenty of experience had taught Link to tune out that rumbling
noise and focus on the environment around him as he tore across the plains. As
Link got into the rhythm of moving with Epona's movements, shifting his weight
up and down, Navi opted to avoid the rough ride inside of his hat and fly alongside
of the horse instead.
"Making a deal with Ingo like that would go against the code of the Gerudo," Navi stated flatly.
"I know," Link said, not turning his head as he stood up in the stirrups.
"So have you considered any other possibilities?" Navi asked, shooting him a sideways look.
Link smiled tightly. "Plenty."
"Like?"
"I know where you're going with this," Link shot back, returning her look.
Navi turned back to staring straight ahead. "I just think we should at least consider that this might be the first sign."
"If we see other signs of his return, we'll worry about it," Link answered. "Until that time, Ganondorf is gone."
After that, Navi stayed silent in thought, keeping her eyes focused on the cliffs in the distance that marked the entrance into the Gerudo fortress.
Upon reaching the bridge over the gorge that led into the Gerudo hideout, Link opted to leave Epona where she was and cross on foot. Navi took up residence under his hat once more as he crossed the wooden bridge and stepped onto the opposite cliff, moving up to the two female guards outside the fortress' entrance. The appearance of the Gerudo hadn't changed in the interim years — the order of redheaded women still still wore those white halter tops and puffed-out pantaloons.
"It's been a while since I've used this," Link remarked as he reached into his satchel to pull out his old Gerudo membership card. But as it turned out, he didn't need it.
"Good evening, sir," the left guard said, smiling. "We've been anticipating your arrival."
Link froze. "You have?" he asked in disbelief.
"Always," the guard agreed with a courtly bow. "Follow me. I will lead you to your chamber."
As he stepped through the courtyard, following the guard towards one of the entrances to the fortress' structure, other Gerudo turned towards him and stood at attention, saluting him with one fist clutched over their hearts. Link smiled nervously and awkwardly returned the gesture as he moved towards the boxy, multi-story clay structure that they had built along the cliffside.
"I don't like this," Navi whispered from underneath Link's hat.
Link rolled his eyes up towards his hat and opened one corner of his mouth so as to speak without drawing attention to himself. "What part?" he whispered back.
"All the parts," Navi replied curtly.
Within the halls of the Gerudo fortress, Link's guide lead him upstairs before opening a door and stepping aside. With another bow, she gestured for him to enter. And when Link did so, he found a beautiful room unlike he had ever seen before. It seemed to be painted completely white, from floor to ceiling. A huge mirror stretched across the left wall, and the right wall was home to a beautiful bed adorned with crystal bedknobs. In the middle of the room, a small, calm reflecting pool sat, its water barely shifting in the breeze.
When the guard shut the door and left down the hallway, Link stepped up to the reflecting pool and peered in. Navi quickly flew out from under his hat and took in her surroundings.
"Whoa, hey… nice," she noted, spinning on an invisible axis as she worked her wings to see all that surrounded her.
Link nodded in agreement, lost in thought. His eyes drifted over to the bedknobs, where he saw as many as 20 reflections of his face staring back at him from within the multifaceted crystal. Then he spun to face the mirror that covered the left wall. Stepping up close to it, he ran his fingers along the glass, eyeing his reflection grimly.
After a moment, Navi landed on Link's shoulder and looked up at him curiously. "What's the plan?"
"We're leaving," he said severely. Turning on one heel, he started for the door.
Navi drifted back into the air, looking after him curiously. She knew better than to question his actions when he got like this. "So soon?" she wondered aloud.
"I know who's behind this," he answered quickly. "It started to come together as soon as we arrived." Shooting a glance back at Navi, he gestured towards his hat by way of invitation. She quickly flitted over and hid beneath it once more.
Link threw open the door and stepped into the hallway. There, at one end, he saw one of the guards pacing.
"Guard!" he called out. She turned and jogged his way. As she stepped up in front of him, she bowed.
"Yes, my lord?" she queried.
"Tell me, where have I been these past few days?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. The guard looked up at him in puzzlement.
"Humor me," he ordered by way of response.
"You traveled to the Lost Woods in search of the treasures of the ancient Forest Temple," she replied, still baffled.
Link nodded, his eyes shooting sideways as he considered that. "Good. Go to our storehouse and bring me 10,000 rupees' worth of treasure."
The guard again looked at him in confusion. "Sir?"
"I… travel to Kakariko," he said after a moment of considering his answer. "There is a mystic there who concocts potions that may allow us to triple the treasure we carry."
The young woman's face broke into a smile. "Then why only bring this mystic 10,000? Why not all the treasure of our people?" the guard asked.
"I need to test her first," Link explained. "And see if her claims are legitimate. But there is no sense in taking so little as to make the trip a waste."
The guard accepted this and raced off to gather the treasure.
"What are you doing?" Navi whispered to him from her hiding spot.
"Planning ahead," he responded.
"For what?" Navi asked plaintively. "What's going on? Who's responsible for this?"
"The only person for whom a reflecting pool would feel like home."
"Making a deal with Ingo like that would go against the code of the Gerudo," Navi stated flatly.
"I know," Link said, not turning his head as he stood up in the stirrups.
"So have you considered any other possibilities?" Navi asked, shooting him a sideways look.
Link smiled tightly. "Plenty."
"Like?"
"I know where you're going with this," Link shot back, returning her look.
Navi turned back to staring straight ahead. "I just think we should at least consider that this might be the first sign."
"If we see other signs of his return, we'll worry about it," Link answered. "Until that time, Ganondorf is gone."
After that, Navi stayed silent in thought, keeping her eyes focused on the cliffs in the distance that marked the entrance into the Gerudo fortress.
Upon reaching the bridge over the gorge that led into the Gerudo hideout, Link opted to leave Epona where she was and cross on foot. Navi took up residence under his hat once more as he crossed the wooden bridge and stepped onto the opposite cliff, moving up to the two female guards outside the fortress' entrance. The appearance of the Gerudo hadn't changed in the interim years — the order of redheaded women still still wore those white halter tops and puffed-out pantaloons.
"It's been a while since I've used this," Link remarked as he reached into his satchel to pull out his old Gerudo membership card. But as it turned out, he didn't need it.
"Good evening, sir," the left guard said, smiling. "We've been anticipating your arrival."
Link froze. "You have?" he asked in disbelief.
"Always," the guard agreed with a courtly bow. "Follow me. I will lead you to your chamber."
As he stepped through the courtyard, following the guard towards one of the entrances to the fortress' structure, other Gerudo turned towards him and stood at attention, saluting him with one fist clutched over their hearts. Link smiled nervously and awkwardly returned the gesture as he moved towards the boxy, multi-story clay structure that they had built along the cliffside.
"I don't like this," Navi whispered from underneath Link's hat.
Link rolled his eyes up towards his hat and opened one corner of his mouth so as to speak without drawing attention to himself. "What part?" he whispered back.
"All the parts," Navi replied curtly.
Within the halls of the Gerudo fortress, Link's guide lead him upstairs before opening a door and stepping aside. With another bow, she gestured for him to enter. And when Link did so, he found a beautiful room unlike he had ever seen before. It seemed to be painted completely white, from floor to ceiling. A huge mirror stretched across the left wall, and the right wall was home to a beautiful bed adorned with crystal bedknobs. In the middle of the room, a small, calm reflecting pool sat, its water barely shifting in the breeze.
When the guard shut the door and left down the hallway, Link stepped up to the reflecting pool and peered in. Navi quickly flew out from under his hat and took in her surroundings.
"Whoa, hey… nice," she noted, spinning on an invisible axis as she worked her wings to see all that surrounded her.
Link nodded in agreement, lost in thought. His eyes drifted over to the bedknobs, where he saw as many as 20 reflections of his face staring back at him from within the multifaceted crystal. Then he spun to face the mirror that covered the left wall. Stepping up close to it, he ran his fingers along the glass, eyeing his reflection grimly.
After a moment, Navi landed on Link's shoulder and looked up at him curiously. "What's the plan?"
"We're leaving," he said severely. Turning on one heel, he started for the door.
Navi drifted back into the air, looking after him curiously. She knew better than to question his actions when he got like this. "So soon?" she wondered aloud.
"I know who's behind this," he answered quickly. "It started to come together as soon as we arrived." Shooting a glance back at Navi, he gestured towards his hat by way of invitation. She quickly flitted over and hid beneath it once more.
Link threw open the door and stepped into the hallway. There, at one end, he saw one of the guards pacing.
"Guard!" he called out. She turned and jogged his way. As she stepped up in front of him, she bowed.
"Yes, my lord?" she queried.
"Tell me, where have I been these past few days?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. The guard looked up at him in puzzlement.
"Humor me," he ordered by way of response.
"You traveled to the Lost Woods in search of the treasures of the ancient Forest Temple," she replied, still baffled.
Link nodded, his eyes shooting sideways as he considered that. "Good. Go to our storehouse and bring me 10,000 rupees' worth of treasure."
The guard again looked at him in confusion. "Sir?"
"I… travel to Kakariko," he said after a moment of considering his answer. "There is a mystic there who concocts potions that may allow us to triple the treasure we carry."
The young woman's face broke into a smile. "Then why only bring this mystic 10,000? Why not all the treasure of our people?" the guard asked.
"I need to test her first," Link explained. "And see if her claims are legitimate. But there is no sense in taking so little as to make the trip a waste."
The guard accepted this and raced off to gather the treasure.
"What are you doing?" Navi whispered to him from her hiding spot.
"Planning ahead," he responded.
"For what?" Navi asked plaintively. "What's going on? Who's responsible for this?"
"The only person for whom a reflecting pool would feel like home."