Chapter 9 – The House Of Grimal
The group walked on towards the lake with fond memories of the previous night. The sun was behind the clouds, and so it was cooler for a change. The group all walked together and talked as a group, which was unusual because they usually split off into twos or threes to walk. The conversation had been about their families. Vuto had told the others a little about his background, but the topic had swiftly moved once again to the subject of the Grimals. "Jerra," began Link, remembering something they had said previously, "I'm sure you and Yerra have called yourselves the 'middle' Grimal sisters. Why middle?"
She laughed, "Its because we are the middle children of seven, or eight depending on how you look at it. And because we are only just under a year apart in age people always associate us with each other, and we are always together anyway come to think of it. We are too young for our older sisters and too old for our younger sisters."
"How old are the rest of your family?" Asked Zelda curiously.
Yerra began talking now, "Our oldest sister Lerra is twenty one, and our other older sister Nerra is eighteen. Then there's us two, at sixteen and fifteen as you know. Then there's Derra who is twelve, named after our mother; and then Deria is ten, and Leria is six."
"All girls?" Asked Karak.
"Gerudos." Jerra reminded him.
"Ah."
"Although, we do actually have a brother." Interrupted Jerra. "Or half- brother I suppose really. Our mother has had an ongoing relationship with a Hylian man, our father. We don't know him that well, but we see him a couple of times a year I guess; we Gerudos never really needed a father figure in our lives. But he has a son from a previous Hylian wife, who died. His son is named Syon, and he's twenty-five I think."
"So you are Gerudos with a brother?"
"It happens." Jerra smiled. "But nobody has seen Syon in years, he left home when he was nineteen to explore the world, and he hasn't been seen or heard from since. We've never really known him all that well though. Yerra was quite fond of him though when she was little."
Yerra laughed, "Well he was always so nice to me. I was the youngest at the time though, apart from Derra, but she was just a baby then. I wouldn't mind seeing him again though."
"Maybe you will." Said Link brightly.
"I doubt it." Yerra replied gloomily.
"Anyway, the house of Grimal is an ancient and noble line," continued Jerra, "as we have said, we are the true heirs to the throne of the west. We're related to Ganondorf Dragmire, curse his name." 'Curse his name' was a phrase that all Gerudos used when talking about the disgraced King. "It almost makes me wish I'd kept the Light of Talandra now."
Link and Vuto's eyes slid sideways and watched Jerra suspiciously. Her hand moved to her chest discreetly, and she looked as though she was feeling for something. She suddenly stopped dead. The others looked back at her, Link grinning to himself. "What's up?" Asked Yerra concerned.
"Oh, nothing." Said Jerra quickly. "I just...no, it doesn't matter." She caught up. "No need to stop, let's keep going."
Yerra seemed to honestly not know about the jewel having being kept, but it could be an act. She didn't suspect anything now though at any rate. Jerra looked worried, to both Link and Vuto's amusement.
That evening, and it was already dark, they drew close to the lake. They decided to wait and make the final trip in the morning so that they could arrive in the morning light. Chief Hamal had warned them the previous night that there were strange folk about in the lake lands, wild dangerous folk that hunted and killed strangers, and that they should keep watch, so Vuto and Jerra went to scout the area.
The others sat down around a fire and watched the dancing embers flicker up into the starry sky.
The group walked on towards the lake with fond memories of the previous night. The sun was behind the clouds, and so it was cooler for a change. The group all walked together and talked as a group, which was unusual because they usually split off into twos or threes to walk. The conversation had been about their families. Vuto had told the others a little about his background, but the topic had swiftly moved once again to the subject of the Grimals. "Jerra," began Link, remembering something they had said previously, "I'm sure you and Yerra have called yourselves the 'middle' Grimal sisters. Why middle?"
She laughed, "Its because we are the middle children of seven, or eight depending on how you look at it. And because we are only just under a year apart in age people always associate us with each other, and we are always together anyway come to think of it. We are too young for our older sisters and too old for our younger sisters."
"How old are the rest of your family?" Asked Zelda curiously.
Yerra began talking now, "Our oldest sister Lerra is twenty one, and our other older sister Nerra is eighteen. Then there's us two, at sixteen and fifteen as you know. Then there's Derra who is twelve, named after our mother; and then Deria is ten, and Leria is six."
"All girls?" Asked Karak.
"Gerudos." Jerra reminded him.
"Ah."
"Although, we do actually have a brother." Interrupted Jerra. "Or half- brother I suppose really. Our mother has had an ongoing relationship with a Hylian man, our father. We don't know him that well, but we see him a couple of times a year I guess; we Gerudos never really needed a father figure in our lives. But he has a son from a previous Hylian wife, who died. His son is named Syon, and he's twenty-five I think."
"So you are Gerudos with a brother?"
"It happens." Jerra smiled. "But nobody has seen Syon in years, he left home when he was nineteen to explore the world, and he hasn't been seen or heard from since. We've never really known him all that well though. Yerra was quite fond of him though when she was little."
Yerra laughed, "Well he was always so nice to me. I was the youngest at the time though, apart from Derra, but she was just a baby then. I wouldn't mind seeing him again though."
"Maybe you will." Said Link brightly.
"I doubt it." Yerra replied gloomily.
"Anyway, the house of Grimal is an ancient and noble line," continued Jerra, "as we have said, we are the true heirs to the throne of the west. We're related to Ganondorf Dragmire, curse his name." 'Curse his name' was a phrase that all Gerudos used when talking about the disgraced King. "It almost makes me wish I'd kept the Light of Talandra now."
Link and Vuto's eyes slid sideways and watched Jerra suspiciously. Her hand moved to her chest discreetly, and she looked as though she was feeling for something. She suddenly stopped dead. The others looked back at her, Link grinning to himself. "What's up?" Asked Yerra concerned.
"Oh, nothing." Said Jerra quickly. "I just...no, it doesn't matter." She caught up. "No need to stop, let's keep going."
Yerra seemed to honestly not know about the jewel having being kept, but it could be an act. She didn't suspect anything now though at any rate. Jerra looked worried, to both Link and Vuto's amusement.
That evening, and it was already dark, they drew close to the lake. They decided to wait and make the final trip in the morning so that they could arrive in the morning light. Chief Hamal had warned them the previous night that there were strange folk about in the lake lands, wild dangerous folk that hunted and killed strangers, and that they should keep watch, so Vuto and Jerra went to scout the area.
The others sat down around a fire and watched the dancing embers flicker up into the starry sky.