Chapter Five

Link charged across Hyrule Field and headed for the Gerudo Valley. At first he had not been sure whether or not to go to Hyrule Castle and alert the king. However, fearing that he may not have much time, he had decided to find Zelda on his own. He had no idea what they could be doing with Zelda, and he kept his hopes up with the thought that they must want her alive, or they would have killed her when they tried to kill him. The nearer he got to the desert, the warmer the air around him became. When he stepped onto the bridge that provided the only path to the fortress, he was confronted by the Gerudo guard on duty at the gate.

"You cannot go past here," she said. "Turn back now."

Link drew his sword. He was in no mood to be messed with. "Let me in," he said, "And take me to Princess Zelda. You will let her go immediately."

The Gerudo let out a laugh. "What a foolish man you are," she said. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but do you think that you will really be able to force your way in like that?"

"Yes." Link charged at the guard. As fast as lightning, she picked up a spear leaning against the gate and blocked his blow. The angry Link delivered several more heavy swings, each blocked skilfully by the woman. She then reversed roles and stared attacking Link. Impulsively he raised his right arm, before remembering that he did not have his shield, and managed to block her attack awkwardly with his sword at the last second.

The guard was a skilled fighter, and the battle went on for some time. Link was fuelled by aggression over the attack on himself and Zelda, and the guard was fiercely protecting her territory. Link swung his sword wide and cut horizontally through the air. The guard jumped to one side to avoid his sword. She did not realize that she was already close to the edge of the bridge, and after her jump only one foot landed back onto the solid wood. She teetered at the edge for a moment with arms flailing, before losing her balance and plunging down towards the river below. Link watched her fall through the air, and heard a faint splash as she hit the water. A moment later her head bobbed up as a little red dot, and Link watched as it was carried downstream in the current in the direction of Lake Hylia. He then looked around to see if anyone had seen their encounter. There was no one in sight.

Link moved towards the gate and looked for a switch or a means to open it. He found nothing, at least nothing that seemed to work. Little did he know that the key to the gate had fallen down into the river with the guard. Link decided to just climb over it. He sheathed his sword and then hoisted himself up onto the framework. The gate was not particularly high, and Link easily hoisted himself over it. He then dropped onto the ground on the other side. In front of him was a small open space containing a few patches of rocks and boulders, and two unlit torches on either side of the gate. Directly in front of him, the cliff walls narrowed in, creating a path that Link knew led to the fortress. He headed down it. The sheer cliff face kept him out of view, until he reached a staircase that had been cut into the hard rock. Link stood to the side and peered up, to make sure that no-one was looking to walk down it, and when he was satisfied there wasn't, he crept past. He followed the wall, which began to get smaller and smaller until it ended. A bunch of crates lay nearby, and Link scurried to hide behind one. He slowly raised his head and peered over the top, assessing his surroundings.

Several Gerudo guards dressed in purple patrolled the open area in front of the fortress buildings. He noticed that one of the entrances to the building had two of these guards positioned in front of it, on either side of the doorway. As he watched, a third Gerudo, dressed mostly in white walked over to them, and they spoke briefly. Link wondered if Zelda could be inside that building. The Gerudo wearing white then went inside the same building.

"Don't you think this is a little strange?" Leelyn, one of the Gerudo guards Link was watching, asked her partner who was standing on the opposite side of the doorway. "I mean, usually we only have one guard over prisoners, and she stays just outside the cells. Why such heavy security? Why can't we even go down there? And when was the last time we took a female prisoner, anyway? I can't even remember."

"Oh, there is a good reason," replied Zanei, walking back up from the cells. She exchanged glances with the other guard. "Leelyn, can you keep a little secret?"

Leelyn nodded, wondering what this was all about.

"The prisoner down there is Princess Zelda."

Leelyn didn't believe what she heard. "You're joking, right?"

"I'm not. The silly girl actually likes to leave her castle, and hang around outdoors with one dumb boy. I have seen them together several times. The opportunity was too good to refuse."

The other guard smiled. She was one of the Gerudo who had helped Zanei capture Zelda.

"What if Nabooru finds out? She won't be happy with this."

"Nabooru," Zanei spat out the name, "Would fail to see the advantage of kidnapping a princess. She wastes all her time making treaties and alliances with everyone." She raised the tone of her voice, "Oh no dear king, we won't raid your town anymore. We won't raid the ranch or the village. We will just sit back while our way of life is destroyed. Ha! Do you know what the king of Hyrule is doing right now? He is putting together a large sum of money together for the safe return of the princess. But I will not stop there. As long we have his precious Zelda, I have the king wrapped around my little finger. Daddy will do anything to keep his baby safe! Nabooru would have never taken control like this. It is only a matter of time before everyone realizes that I am the better leader of this tribe."

"We could have anything we wanted," Leelyn said, dreaming of things that the king would hand over. "Beautiful jewellery, and the finest garments."

"Exactly! So, Leelyn, are you willing to fight for the true way of the Gerudo and say no to Nabooru's treaty?"

"Yes!"

Zanei was happy to have another supporter. Although her numbers will still small, she was convinced that one day she would have enough to outnumber Nabooru. But at this delicate stage in her plans, she had to be very careful as to who she let in on her secret. The last thing she needed now was for her tribe to rebel against her. The previous morning, she and Nabooru had travelled to the Spirit Temple. This was not an uncommon occurrence. When Nabooru had her back turned, Zanei had picked up a pot lying on the floor and broken it over her head. She then tied up the unconscious woman and left her in the middle of the floor. She wouldn't be able to escape in a hurry. When she had returned to her tribe, Zanei explained that Nabooru had some things to attend to for a few days, and that she had asked Zanei, her second-in-command, to act in her place. This position of leadership meant that she could order guards to stand watch over Zelda's room, and also order them not to go inside. When questioned by a few of her more curious tribe-mates, she became angry at them for challenging her authority. She also told a few that their prisoner was a peasant girl who was foolish enough to steal from the Gerudo, and she was being held in wait of a punishment to teach her a lesson about messing with the Gerudo. Her story was bought, and slowly this rumor began to circulate.

The Gerudo Lorah stood nervously before King Harkinian. She could not imagine why she, of all people, had been summoned to see him. After all of the attention given to her when she got married, Lorah wanted to live as quiet a life as possible, and had succeeded in doing this with her husband so far. He worked as a baker, with his own little cart set up in Hyrule Market. He was at work now, and Lorah had been at home dusting the furniture when there was a knock at the door.

At Impa's suggestion, Harkinian had organized this meeting in one of the castle's smaller lounge areas. Standing before the royal throne may have proven intimidating for Lorah, and the king wanted to do everything he could to try and persuade her to help him. He and Impa both sat in armchairs, before a small table. The room was decorated in rich reds, browns and gold. A fireplace at one end held the remnants of blazes past. The day was too warm to warrant its use now. The overall effect of the decor was very warm and inviting. It was the kind of room to curl up in on rainy day. The two soldiers that had escorted Lorah into the castle stood on either side of the doorway.

"Please, have a seat," Harkinian indicated. Lorah sat in a third chair that had been positioned opposite Impa and the king. Her upright posture indicated that she did not feel completely at ease. One of the servants offered her tea, which she declined.

"I want to thank you for agreeing to this meeting at such short notice," Harkinian began, "I am about to make a request of you. Please do not feel pressure in any way to accept my proposal, and if you do not want to agree, that is fine. We will return you to your home with apologies for interrupting your day. That said, are you willing to listen to what I am about to tell you?"

"Yes, sure, uh, your majesty," Lorah said quietly, feeling unsure as to how to act around him. What on earth would the king want of her?

Harkinian smiled, "Please, do not worry about formalities now. I understand that you have been living in this town for a couple of years, is that correct?"

"Yes."

"Your marriage to a Hylian man caused you to be excluded from the rest of your people, did it not?"

"I chose to leave them," Lorah replied, "From the moment I began seeing my husband, I was bullied and abused. Every day they told me that I was not a real Gerudo. By letting a man into my life, I went against everything the Gerudo teach. I was forced to choose love over my people. By the time of my wedding, I was glad to leave."

"Did you leave any family behind?"

"I did. My mother, and two sisters."

"How did they react when you decided to get married?"

Lorah wondered why the king was taking such an interest in her personal life. "My sisters were angry. They told me I was a disgrace to the family, and the entire Gerudo race. My mother was more saddened by the whole affair. She wished it had happened to another family. Yet she seemed sad to see me go."

"Have you been back to visit since you left?"

"Yes, once. I wanted to see my family. Despite whatever they felt for me, I still cared about them and I missed them. I did not stay long because I was spat at and abused by many of the women."

Harkinian paused for a moment. "Thank you for sharing that," he said. Lorah glanced at Impa, who smiled at her.

"Now, I have something to tell you." Harkinian proceeded to describe the earlier visit by the two Gerudo.

"That's impossible!" Lorah exclaimed. "Kidnap the Princess? I cannot even imagine such a thing. The Gerudo may not be the most civilized tribe in Hyrule, but Nabooru was a loyal supporter of the Royal Family, and I don't see how she would let this happen."

"Nor do I," replied Harkinian. "We suspect that Nabooru may not be aware of this. We were visited by a woman who called herself Zanei and said that she was acting in place of Nabooru."

"She is the second-in-command," Lorah said.

"Yes. Now this is where you come in. Zanei said that if we go near the Gerudo's fortress and try and attack them, or attempt to rescue Zelda, that she will be killed. We would like you to return to the fortress and gain entry in the guise of visiting your family. When inside, I want you to find Nabooru and alert her to what has happened. I have written a letter explaining everything," Harkinian gestured to a sealed envelope lying on the table. "You just need to give this to Nabooru. If you feel that you, or Zelda, are in danger at any time, please get out at once. So, Lorah, will you help me?"

Lorah thought for a moment. For the past few years, she had been made to feel unworthy by her own people. She had been told many times that she was weak, and unworthy to call herself Gerudo. Although she had a happy life with her husband, part of her deep down had started to believe this. The thought that the king considered her worthy enough to help him lifted her spirits and gave her a new-found sense of purpose. And how hard could it be to deliver a letter? "Of course I will help you."

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" Harkinian exclaimed. "I have arranged a team of soldiers who will take you there on horseback immediately. They will take you as far as the entrance to the Gerudo valley. From there, you will have to proceed on your own. If the Gerudo were to catch sight of my soldiers, well, there would be dire consequences."

"I understand," said Lorah, "I will simply say that I am there to visit my mother."

Link watched the Gerudo guards for some time, wondering how on earth he would be able to get past them. He had no weapons other than his sword, and no means of creating a distraction. He watched two more Gerudo guards approach the two at the door. They exchanged a few brief words, and then the first two left their posts. The new guards were about to take up their new posts, when the woman Link had seen go into the room earlier rushed over to them. She made a quiet sign with her finger over her lips, and called the four guards close to her. They huddled a few metres away from the doorway entrance. The guards seemed to be listening intently to the women dressed in white, and Link started to wonder if they were even paying attention to the door. He spied another crate lying closer to the doorway and, remaining in a crouched position, dashed over to it. He paused and waited, but there were no cries of intruder and no-one came running over to him. He slowly lifted his head. The women were still in their huddle. Link decided to make a run for it. He still stayed crouched, and ran into the doorway.

Link found himself in a short corridor. At the end, it took a right turn and a ramp led down into an open room. He crept down slowly, around the corner to check for any sign of more guards. The room seemed empty enough. He stepped down into the room and surveyed it. Along one wall were a couple of cells, and in one of them, still wearing her nightshirt, was Zelda. She sat in one corner, hugging her knees that were drawn close to her chest. She was staring downwards, with stands of messy blonde hair falling into her face. Link rushed over to the bars.

"Zelda!"

"What do you want now?" Zelda asked angrily, not looking up.

"Zelda, it's me, Link!" Link could not begin to describe the relief he felt at finding Zelda unharmed.

Zelda looked up and her mouth dropped open. "Link? Link!" She stood up and ran over to the bars where Link stood. Tears were streaming down her face. "Link, it really is you! I thought... I thought you..." she trailed off.

"Shhh," Link whispered, scared that one of the guards outside might hear her excited voice. He put his hand through the bars, which Zelda clasped with both of hers. "It's all right now," he said, "I'm fine. And I'm going to get you out of here." He removed his hand from Zelda's grasp and went to the cell door. He tried the handle, and then tugged with all of his might.

"It's locked," Zelda said hopelessly.

"Who has the key?" he asked.

"I don't know, maybe Zanei, or one of the guards," she replied. "Oh Link, please don't leave me here."

"I'm not leaving without you," he promised.

Zelda smiled, but all of a sudden the smile dropped from her face and her eyes went wide. Link turned around and found himself facing two spears.

"Who have we here?" a Gerudo guard said. "An intruder!"

"I know him!" spoke up one of the other guards, "But how could you be alive?"

"You must have guts to think you could sneak in here unseen," added the first. "Or maybe you're just stupid. Now raise your arms in the air!"

Link slowly did so. Two more guards walked around behind him, and each grabbed one of his arms. Their grip was tight. Link could feel the nails of the woman holding his right arm digging into his skin.

"Now," the guard who recognized Link said, "Let us take him to Zanei. She will be happy to have a little reunion."

"You let him go now!" Zelda demanded, scared for what might happen to Link.

The guards laughed, "Silly girl. Don't you realize that this boy's actions will have cost him his life... and maybe yours." They hauled Link up the ramp at spear point, and back outside. One guard disappeared for a moment, and soon returned with the Gerudo who must be Zanei. Link recognized her from the previous night.

"Well," she said, eyeing Link up and down, "I certainly give you credit just for being alive. Alas, by returning here now you have merely prolonged your inevitable death."

"Wait," one of the guards said, "What if he was sent by the king? Maybe we should just dispose of them both before it's too late."

"He was not sent by the king," Zanei replied. "Judging by his pathetic appearance, it looks as though he came here as soon as he regained consciousness at Lake Hylia. No, I will trust that the king is doing as I ordered. You two, take him outside of the fortress and kill him. I do not want him to attract any more attention. Already, too many people are curious about our prisoner and this boy may blow my cover story. And you two return to your posting."

Link was dragged to the outside of the fortress to the Gerudo Valley. The guards pressed him up against the cliff face. One of them drew her sword and prepared to deliver a fatal strike. The moment she was only holding onto him with one hand, Link used all of his strength to spin around, the force of which knocked her onto the ground. The other guard was caught by surprise, but she managed to keep a grip on Link's tunic. He drew his sword and slashed at the woman still holding onto him. She jumped back from the attack. As soon as Link was free, he turned and ran. The Gerudo on the ground was a talented sprinter, and she was on her feet in a flash, chasing after him. Link had a head start, but she was faster and she caught up with him just as he was almost out of the Gerudo Valley. She launched herself off the ground into a flying tackle that caught Link around his waist. They both crashed to the ground and struggled with each other. Link was heavier than the Gerudo, and he managed to pin her to the ground underneath his body weight. He pointed his sword at her throat.

"Don't make me do this," he growled. "Go back!"

The woman stood up and glared at him. Link also rose to his feet, keeping his sword pointed towards her. She then turned and ran back towards the valley. As soon as she was out of sight, Link sheathed his sword.

His first impulse was to run to the castle, but Zanei's words began to play over and over in his head, "The king is doing as I ordered." Link imagined that the Gerudo were probably holding Zelda for ransom and had already contacted the king with some sort of demand. Link was a little surprised that they would do that. He could imagine the Gerudo kidnapping Zelda when they were under Ganondorf's command, but he was a little shocked that Nabooru would allow such a thing. Link wondered if he should go and offer his assistance to the king, or if he should try and find another way to sneak back into the fortress and rescue Zelda. His mind wandered back to the mad scientist of the Lakeside Laboratory. A crazy idea entered his head, and Link changed direction and headed for Lake Hylia.