"What's wrong?"
I looked up. Nabooru was there, pulling apart hers with her teeth, like a lioness with a kill.
"Nothing," I mumbled, and bent down to eat.
Once the meal was over, the camp got a lot more hectic. The tents were pulled down and packed away. The great fire was stamped out, the horses led into the centre to warm themselves on the embers whilst being kitted out for the day's walk ahead. I wandered about the camp, feeling lost, and slightly ill, as my breakfast bled in my stomach. A few Gerudos watched me curiously, but seemed too busy to approach me.
When Nabooru had finished pulling down the tent, she signaled me over and led me across to one of the horses. Like all the others it was a huge, black, proud beast. It stared at me with little interest as I scrambled inexpertly onto its back, like it had done this sort of thing many times before. Nabooru climbed in front of me.
"Just hold on around my waist."
I looked down at her toned, bare waist.
"Grow up, kid," Nabooru said. "I can think of a lot of things worse than you just holding my waist."
Grudgingly I did so. And then she dug her ankles into the horse's sides and we were off. The horse leapt forward like a bullet from a gun, ripping out of the encampment, dirt clods flying out behind it. Within seconds, the tents were mere blobs on the horizon, and the whole of Hyrule field was spread out before us but quickly becoming stretched out behind us. The wind roared in my ears and through my hair. For now it was exhilarating: I knew in five minutes my fingers would feel like frozen fish fingers and my nose like an icicle. Nabooru's hair blew out about me. She looked ready to let out a whoop andher eyes shone. Gerudos really are a species born and raised in the saddle.
"What about them?" I roared into the wind, jerking my head in the direction of where the camp had been. "Aren't we waiting for them?"
"We travel alone. There's a set meeting point and we meet up there. Other than that we go our separate ways."
"Isn't that a little lonely?"
She shrugged. "We have our men to keep us company. We prefer to be alone. And, of course, we like stealing each others things so its much easier. Did you see my friend? Avari?"
I shook my head.
"She's got her eye on you, so watch out for her. Goddess knows I need the money."
"Money?"
"Yep. Back home, you get sold. At market. I'm hoping to get a good price on you."
Curiousity overtook me. "How much?"
"5000 rupees. Probably more."
5000 rupees?! The dishes we used to feed the dogs back at the castle cost more than that.
To our right, on the horizon, there was another grey blob, gradually moving behind us. A curl of smoke rose off it.
"What's that?"
"Lon Lon Ranch. We'll steer clear of that."
"Why?"
Nabooru laughed. "Where do you think we got these horses from? Or the cow you had for breakfast"
"You stole them?"
"We steal everything, kid. Where's you hat by the way?"
I felt my head, but the green felt hat that rested there. I turned in the saddle to see if it had fallen off behind us. When I turned back, there it was, resting on the top of Nabooru's head, waving in the wind.
"I believe the term is kleptomania," she smirked, as I took it back. "So anyway, if there's another party tonight, I want you to be on your guard. Watch out for Avari and watch out for the others. Especially if they've been drinking." She paused, bending to whisper something into the horse's ear. "Don't even trust me. No matter what I say, no matter how much I beg and plead and make drunken grabs, WHATEVER happens I do not want you to get into bed with me, understand?"
"Not really," I admitted. "Isn't that what you want to happen?"
She shook her head. "Right now I'm more bothered about the money than you. Untouched merchandise can get nearly double at market, no offense. But when darkness comes and the wine gets flowing, I'll have much different interests indeed. That goes for all of us. Understand? This party could get a little.....heated."