**I realize that the entire story so far has taken license with the story,
and that the point of fanfics is to pretty much do just that. I just
wanted to warn everyone beforehand that I am completely making up the
history of the Gerudo here. I just had the need to say that before you
started reading. I don't know why, but I felt it was important. Thanks!**
Link had a surprise waiting for him when he got home. Saria was standing in the middle of his house with a smile on her face. "Hey!" said Link. "What are you doing here?" He walked over to her to give her a hug.
Saria allowed him to embrace her for only a moment before gently pushing him away. "That's all I get? What are you doing here?" asked Saria, faking a pout.
"Well, I just didn't expect you until tomorrow. You surprised me, that's all. I didn't mean for it to sound bad, I promise."
Saria laughed. "I know. I just like teasing you. But I am here because something serious has come up. Link, I talked to Nabooru about the leader of the Gerudo. She gave us a name, what was it again? Oh, Retta, I think. Yes, that's it. Apparently Retta started the Gerudo tribe ages ago. They come from far away where they were female slaves to an oppressive king. They were used and abused in a horrific manner. Retta was one of those slaves. She planned an uprising against the king. She gathered together a group of some of the strongest slaves and together, they murdered their master. Retta and the group of women fled the kingdom to make their home elsewhere.
"Naturally, the women swore off men. After all that they had been through under that king, who can blame them? They vowed to take care of themselves and have no man ever try to take control of their lives again. It's always been rare for the Gerudo to even trust a man, let alone allow one to become an ally and friend. You are one of the very few who have made it to that level.
"Anyway, to ensure that her women would never need to accept help from the opposite sex, or have to worry about being attacked, Retta trained all of them to become warriors. They honed their skills, and soon developed the training ground for themselves. They became one of the fiercest groups of warriors ever. You have to give Retta a lot of credit for completely turning her life, and the lives of many women, completely around," said Saria.
Link nodded and sat down on his bed. "All right, I give her credit. What she did was amazing. But how can she still be around if that was ages ago? We must be dealing with her successor, not Retta herself. Did Nabooru know who that was?" asked Link.
Saria sighed before continuing with her story. "No, we are still dealing with Retta. The Gerudo naturally named Retta their leader. After all, she was the one who got them away from the king and made them in to the warriors that they are. Retta was, for some reason, not content with just being the leader at the time. She wanted to ensure that she would lead her people for all time. Link, I think that we could be dealing with Irnan's ally here."
"What? How? Irnan would have been sealed away for a while by the time Retta showed up on the earth. How could she even know about Irnan?" he asked, leaning forward.
"The story of the three goddesses has been passed down since they first came. We both know that. We grew up listening to the tale. But you also learned the story that came before it. You learned the story of Etain and Irnan. It didn't just pop up out of nowhere, Link. Someone has always known that tale, which means that it, just like the legend of the three goddesses, has always been passed down from someone to someone else. Don't you think that someone might want to try to unseal Irnan to gain her favor and therefore some of her power?" asked Saria as she sat down next to Link.
"Well, I suppose it makes sense. But she hasn't been unleashed until now? How could anyone have acquired some of her power if she's been sealed away?" asked Link.
"Nabooru recalled a story that she had heard from a fellow warrior a long time ago. According to her, Retta had a group of Gerudo that she kept very close to her, much like the one I'm sure she has now. One of them was a slave that spent a lot of time with the priests and priestesses in the castle. She had overheard a story of a force that could grant them more power. Retta sent them off to find it. Very few came back, and the ones that did were not themselves. Retta decided to set off herself. When she came back, she was greatly weakened, but she had the gift of eternal youth."
"What do you mean by 'greatly weakened'?" asked Link.
"She no longer had the power that all Gerudo warriors possess. All that she had was her knowledge and eternity to rule over the people that she had worked so hard to help. She relies on them to do her dirty work for her. Nabooru didn't know if she had acquired her power from Irnan or not. Up until just recently, she had never heard of Irnan. But, think about it, it all adds up! What else would have the magic strong enough to grant eternal youth? It might be that Retta is indebted to Irnan for that gift, and because of that debt, she is having the Gerudos attack you."
Link leaned back now. It was a lot to take in. It was also entirely possible that the tale was a complete fabrication. There was no way of knowing whether or not Nabooru's friend was a reliable source. Still, the way that Saria had put it made a lot of sense. "Nabooru also said that Retta was totally set against men. She wanted nothing to do with them. The world, to her, would be better off without them. She has always looked down on alliances with men. I doubt she would think twice about slaughtering you, even if you are the Hero of Time. The Gerudos themselves may not feel entirely the same way about men as she does, but the loyalty that they have to their leader is indelible. No one can come between the Gerudos and Retta. They will stand by her until the end," added Saria.
"So we know that the Gerudos were acting under Retta's orders, and that it is entirely possible that Retta was acting under Irnan's orders," said Link. Saria nodded. "Well, that's good news!"
"I'm sorry," said Saria. "I know that doesn't make it any easier on you."
"No, it doesn't, but at the same time, I need to know. Any other joyful tidings from the sages?" asked Link.
"Well, about Ruto –" started Saria before Link interjected.
"Yes, about Ruto. She's a little liar! Not only has she lied to my face and tried to keep me away from her people, she's been lying to them! And you said that Ruto would never put her people in danger. She told them that I was working my hardest to solve the fish problem. She told them that she and I were engaging in frequent meetings, and she told them that the shortage was becoming less of an issue. But if you go out to Lake Hylia I can show you that that it is not the case. And she apparently sent her father on some relaxation retreat to take his mind off of his troubles," said Link.
Saria put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "Whoa! Okay, slow down. Have you talked to Ruto lately?"
"No, I heard all of this from some Zora who was fishing earlier today."
"We haven't seen or heard from Ruto in four days! When was the last time that you talked to her?" asked Saria anxiously.
"I talked to her yesterday, right before the whole wolfo thing happened," said Link. Saria shuddered. "She was really upset with me and told me that she didn't need my help."
"That's strange. I wonder why she hasn't been around?" wondered Saria aloud.
"She's up to something, Saria. That girl is hiding something that she doesn't want anyone to find out about. I know you think that she's devoted to her duties and her people, and I used to think that too, but all of this clearly shows otherwise."
"Well, I'm sure we'll figure out what's going on. Oh, Link. Our world is being turned completely upside down and inside out. It's almost as if peace and Hyrule were never meant to be together," Saria said, laying her head on Link's shoulder. He put his arm around her for comfort. "What's going to become of us?"
"I don't know, Saria. But I do know that we can't let Irnan stand in the way. We'll beat her, and Hyrule will get through this, just as it did before. We'll get through this." Link looked down at Saria, and she looked up at him with a smile.
"You think so?" she asked quietly.
"I know so. After all, I am the Hero of Time," he said, puffing out his chest. Saria laughed and playfully punched him. He let out a cry of fake pain and grabbed at his chest. "You got me!" he cried as he fell back on the bed.
Saria leaned over him and said, "Not so tough now, are we, Hero of Time!"
"No. You are my one weakness," he said quietly.
Saria's features changed. She looked down at him with a different type of smile now. She leaned in closer to his face and said, "I think I'll take advantage of that."
The kiss was soft; it was a touch barely there. But it brought a waterfall of emotions crashing down on Link. It was as if all of his life had lead up to this moment, and he wanted it to last forever. But it ended, and they pulled away. "I have to go now," said Saria, a blush creeping to her cheeks. Link just nodded, unable to find words. "I'll see you soon," she said as she made a quick exit, leaving Link to think about the kiss they had just shared and longing for more to come.
Link had a surprise waiting for him when he got home. Saria was standing in the middle of his house with a smile on her face. "Hey!" said Link. "What are you doing here?" He walked over to her to give her a hug.
Saria allowed him to embrace her for only a moment before gently pushing him away. "That's all I get? What are you doing here?" asked Saria, faking a pout.
"Well, I just didn't expect you until tomorrow. You surprised me, that's all. I didn't mean for it to sound bad, I promise."
Saria laughed. "I know. I just like teasing you. But I am here because something serious has come up. Link, I talked to Nabooru about the leader of the Gerudo. She gave us a name, what was it again? Oh, Retta, I think. Yes, that's it. Apparently Retta started the Gerudo tribe ages ago. They come from far away where they were female slaves to an oppressive king. They were used and abused in a horrific manner. Retta was one of those slaves. She planned an uprising against the king. She gathered together a group of some of the strongest slaves and together, they murdered their master. Retta and the group of women fled the kingdom to make their home elsewhere.
"Naturally, the women swore off men. After all that they had been through under that king, who can blame them? They vowed to take care of themselves and have no man ever try to take control of their lives again. It's always been rare for the Gerudo to even trust a man, let alone allow one to become an ally and friend. You are one of the very few who have made it to that level.
"Anyway, to ensure that her women would never need to accept help from the opposite sex, or have to worry about being attacked, Retta trained all of them to become warriors. They honed their skills, and soon developed the training ground for themselves. They became one of the fiercest groups of warriors ever. You have to give Retta a lot of credit for completely turning her life, and the lives of many women, completely around," said Saria.
Link nodded and sat down on his bed. "All right, I give her credit. What she did was amazing. But how can she still be around if that was ages ago? We must be dealing with her successor, not Retta herself. Did Nabooru know who that was?" asked Link.
Saria sighed before continuing with her story. "No, we are still dealing with Retta. The Gerudo naturally named Retta their leader. After all, she was the one who got them away from the king and made them in to the warriors that they are. Retta was, for some reason, not content with just being the leader at the time. She wanted to ensure that she would lead her people for all time. Link, I think that we could be dealing with Irnan's ally here."
"What? How? Irnan would have been sealed away for a while by the time Retta showed up on the earth. How could she even know about Irnan?" he asked, leaning forward.
"The story of the three goddesses has been passed down since they first came. We both know that. We grew up listening to the tale. But you also learned the story that came before it. You learned the story of Etain and Irnan. It didn't just pop up out of nowhere, Link. Someone has always known that tale, which means that it, just like the legend of the three goddesses, has always been passed down from someone to someone else. Don't you think that someone might want to try to unseal Irnan to gain her favor and therefore some of her power?" asked Saria as she sat down next to Link.
"Well, I suppose it makes sense. But she hasn't been unleashed until now? How could anyone have acquired some of her power if she's been sealed away?" asked Link.
"Nabooru recalled a story that she had heard from a fellow warrior a long time ago. According to her, Retta had a group of Gerudo that she kept very close to her, much like the one I'm sure she has now. One of them was a slave that spent a lot of time with the priests and priestesses in the castle. She had overheard a story of a force that could grant them more power. Retta sent them off to find it. Very few came back, and the ones that did were not themselves. Retta decided to set off herself. When she came back, she was greatly weakened, but she had the gift of eternal youth."
"What do you mean by 'greatly weakened'?" asked Link.
"She no longer had the power that all Gerudo warriors possess. All that she had was her knowledge and eternity to rule over the people that she had worked so hard to help. She relies on them to do her dirty work for her. Nabooru didn't know if she had acquired her power from Irnan or not. Up until just recently, she had never heard of Irnan. But, think about it, it all adds up! What else would have the magic strong enough to grant eternal youth? It might be that Retta is indebted to Irnan for that gift, and because of that debt, she is having the Gerudos attack you."
Link leaned back now. It was a lot to take in. It was also entirely possible that the tale was a complete fabrication. There was no way of knowing whether or not Nabooru's friend was a reliable source. Still, the way that Saria had put it made a lot of sense. "Nabooru also said that Retta was totally set against men. She wanted nothing to do with them. The world, to her, would be better off without them. She has always looked down on alliances with men. I doubt she would think twice about slaughtering you, even if you are the Hero of Time. The Gerudos themselves may not feel entirely the same way about men as she does, but the loyalty that they have to their leader is indelible. No one can come between the Gerudos and Retta. They will stand by her until the end," added Saria.
"So we know that the Gerudos were acting under Retta's orders, and that it is entirely possible that Retta was acting under Irnan's orders," said Link. Saria nodded. "Well, that's good news!"
"I'm sorry," said Saria. "I know that doesn't make it any easier on you."
"No, it doesn't, but at the same time, I need to know. Any other joyful tidings from the sages?" asked Link.
"Well, about Ruto –" started Saria before Link interjected.
"Yes, about Ruto. She's a little liar! Not only has she lied to my face and tried to keep me away from her people, she's been lying to them! And you said that Ruto would never put her people in danger. She told them that I was working my hardest to solve the fish problem. She told them that she and I were engaging in frequent meetings, and she told them that the shortage was becoming less of an issue. But if you go out to Lake Hylia I can show you that that it is not the case. And she apparently sent her father on some relaxation retreat to take his mind off of his troubles," said Link.
Saria put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "Whoa! Okay, slow down. Have you talked to Ruto lately?"
"No, I heard all of this from some Zora who was fishing earlier today."
"We haven't seen or heard from Ruto in four days! When was the last time that you talked to her?" asked Saria anxiously.
"I talked to her yesterday, right before the whole wolfo thing happened," said Link. Saria shuddered. "She was really upset with me and told me that she didn't need my help."
"That's strange. I wonder why she hasn't been around?" wondered Saria aloud.
"She's up to something, Saria. That girl is hiding something that she doesn't want anyone to find out about. I know you think that she's devoted to her duties and her people, and I used to think that too, but all of this clearly shows otherwise."
"Well, I'm sure we'll figure out what's going on. Oh, Link. Our world is being turned completely upside down and inside out. It's almost as if peace and Hyrule were never meant to be together," Saria said, laying her head on Link's shoulder. He put his arm around her for comfort. "What's going to become of us?"
"I don't know, Saria. But I do know that we can't let Irnan stand in the way. We'll beat her, and Hyrule will get through this, just as it did before. We'll get through this." Link looked down at Saria, and she looked up at him with a smile.
"You think so?" she asked quietly.
"I know so. After all, I am the Hero of Time," he said, puffing out his chest. Saria laughed and playfully punched him. He let out a cry of fake pain and grabbed at his chest. "You got me!" he cried as he fell back on the bed.
Saria leaned over him and said, "Not so tough now, are we, Hero of Time!"
"No. You are my one weakness," he said quietly.
Saria's features changed. She looked down at him with a different type of smile now. She leaned in closer to his face and said, "I think I'll take advantage of that."
The kiss was soft; it was a touch barely there. But it brought a waterfall of emotions crashing down on Link. It was as if all of his life had lead up to this moment, and he wanted it to last forever. But it ended, and they pulled away. "I have to go now," said Saria, a blush creeping to her cheeks. Link just nodded, unable to find words. "I'll see you soon," she said as she made a quick exit, leaving Link to think about the kiss they had just shared and longing for more to come.