Isa: Sorry I was a few days in updating this, my computer is having problems. I hope this works. Please review if you can read this so I know it got posted when it's suppose to.
Chapter Six
Link sighed and breathed in heavily as his hand rested on the wall to support him after climbing a large flight of stairs. He now found himself standing in one of the main hallways of the upper floors of Ganon's castle. A long purple carpet lined the hallway with empty walls in which a soul window stood letting a pillar of light shine through on the black tiles. Link gripped his sword and stepped onto the carpet, it was soft and plushy beneath his feet.Voices echoed down the right hand of the hallway and Link's heart stopped beating.
Great! he thought bitterly to himself, I finally get out of those stupid underground tunnels only to be caught by some of Ganon's Gruedo imps!
The Hero of Time recollected himself and he turned in the opposite direction and sped down the hall, his right leg giving him much pain and strife. The voices chattered loudly in Link's ears and he felt as if the ice-cold breath of death slinked along the back of his neck. To make matters worse the voices were getting louder, meaning that they were getting closer.
They're pace remained the same but Link was forced to decrease his speed on account of his broken leg. He gripped his right thigh tightly and scanned the area for a place to hide. The passage continued to slide outward and then it turned down a corner and stretched further out to the threshold of the throne room. But Link dared not enter such a room. It'd be like walking into the loin's den! Still...he had to do something. And fast.
The guards were so close now he could actually pick up a bit of what they were saying. Link's gaze darted left and right and he spied a narrow space between a wall and stone statue in the far corner. Link approached the statue with caution. For as he found on his travels, magic forces sometimes resided within stone figures and brought them to life, forcing him to fight. From the sword this statue was carrying Link would utterly be cut in two in his condition.
He reached out slowly and touched the hand and jerked it back as if he had been burned. The statue continued to stare at the floor, it's position not all disturbed. Satisfied that it was safe Link wedge his broken body into the narrow space painfully and prayed to the Goddess of Wind that he would be concealed.
A short, suppressed and uncomfortable laughter echoed down the hall followed by two other voices.
"Ha, I'm not so sure...but...oh! I don't know.." the first voice sounded, obviously female.
"I am sorry if my question made you uncomfortable, I was only curious." another voice more quiet and recessive then the first.
"No, no, it's all right. It's just that...oh for the love of Nayru how do you people stand these clothes!"
Link saw them now, three gruedo women turning the corner. The two wore their hair in a tight red bun atop of their head, neatly wrapped, but the third had unusually light hair that shone like the sun that hung in a long braid down her back.
The blond tugged on the top half of her shirt that didn't cover all of her midriff and shoulders. The other guards laughed in amusement.
"It gets very hot in the desert. One doesn't want to wear to many layers of clothing." The quiet one replied. The blond covered her chest with her hands and gripped her shoulders uncomfortably.
"It feels like I'm not wearing anything at all..." she blushed and the gruedo's smiled.
"Trust me, you would appreciate it at the Fortress."
The girl shrugged and smiled beneath the violet transparent veil she wore around her face. Link's eyes widened in surprise and shock. He knew that smile, that voice. This girl was defiantly not gruedo anyone could see that. So who was she trying to fool anyway?
Link wriggled out of his hiding spot and managed to trip over himself and fall flat on his face in front of the three women who gasped. The Hero of Time swore viciously as he felt his bones crush with the weight of the floor.
"Link!" the female who did not belong cried and knelt down next to him and propped him up in a sitting position. Link stared into her turquoise eyes and smiled.
"Hey Zelda...what's the matter? Don't like being Hylain anymore?"
The Princess eyes widened and she shook her head. "What? Oh, this is just a disguise. Is...is it that obvious?"
Link narrowed his eyes as he observed her up and down. "Just a little..." his voice was sarcastic but faint. Zelda shook her head again.
"Oh Link! I need to get you to a doctor! Look how much blood you've lost...."
Link blinked and pushed Zelda's bangs aside with his fingers. "What are you talking about? I'll be fine."
"Not unless I get you some medical attention!" Zelda shrieked and she turned to her companions, "Nakia! can you help him?"
"I know of no doctors..." Nakia replied mournfully, "but we can take him to Ganondorf."
"What!?" Zelda screamed getting to her feet, "are you crazy!? Or...are you betraying me!?"
"We betray only the King of Evil." Nakia replied hastily, "by helping you. But if the Hero of Time would pretend to enter the sleep of eternity, Ganon would be pleased and he would end his search in the Underground tunnels."
The second gruedo, Inyushi nodded. "Yes, if we try to find a doctor with the circumstances as they are, Ganondorf is very alert and searching for the Hylain hero, but if he thought him dead the security would decrease and we could find someone to treat his wounds more effectively."
Zelda stared at the gruedo with narrowed eyes and then nodded slowly. "But you have to find a better way to disguise me, if Link recognized me this well Ganondorf sure will."
Link glanced up at Zelda in confusion. "What are you saying? That Ganon knows you better then me?"
"Link, you forget Ganondorf was once an advisor to my father. I know him well from my childhood and he knows me well from his youth." The Princess explained and Link nodded.
"I see."
"I think I know where I can find a thicker veil to cover your face and a headcloth to hide your hair my lady." Inyushi spoke up, "await me here, I will fetch it."
Inyushi scurried off down the hall, the metal chains attached to her feet jingled as she ran. Nakia cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted,
"Bring a stretcher as well!" She then turned to Link and knelt beside him also, "We will carry you on the stretcher, just lie back and appear to be...uh..."
Link waved his hand in dismissal lazily. "I can play dead. No problem." His eyes became heavy and mournful, "no problem at all...."
Zelda bit her lower lip. "Link, stay with us." It was not a request but a command and Link nodded, determined to obey. They sat there in silence for a long while until some disturbance could be heard somewhere off. Nakia stood gripping her spear tightly and Inyushi stumbled into view. She threw a stretcher made of tough hide on the floor and in her hand she cradled the clothing she spoke of.
She handed a white cloth to Zelda and the Princess quickly pinned her hair up and wove the cloth around her head. It wasn't that much different from the headwrap she wore as a Sheikah so she was able to hide her hair quickly with practice and experience.
Nakia slipped the veil over her mouth for her while Inyushi helped Link onto the stretcher.
"If she doesn't mind, the Princess and I will carry you. Nakia is good with words and she will speak for us with Ganondorf."
The hylains nodded their agreement and Zelda, now more eloquently disguised as a gruedo took the edges of the stretcher in her hands. She and Inyushi lifted Link in the air groaning.
"Man Link, your heavy...." Zelda muttered. Link narrowed his eyes.
"Perhaps it's the sword you carry." Inyushi said tilting her head towards the heavy weapon Link clutched in his hand. Since his sheath along with his other weapons and valuables were taken from him.
Nakia eyed the Master Sword thoughtfully. "May I see that sword? I think we can use it to our advantage."
Link stared at her with skeptical and haughty glares. "You're not taking it from me." he whispered hoarsely. Zelda rolled her eyes.
"Puh-lease, Link, give her the sword."
Link hesitated and Zelda jerked the stretcher a little bit and Link yelped in sudden pain. He gritted his teeth and reluctantly handed Nakia the Master Sword.
The guredo ran he fingers along the blade, careful not to cut herself on the sharp edges. Link fixed her with a hawk's gaze of furry.
"No harm better come to that sword, if it evens gets chipped-"
Zelda snorted. "Link shut up. You're supposed to be dead remember?"
"-I'll feed you to the Re-deads..." Link finished inaudibly and closed his eyes as Nakia lead the way to Ganon's throne room.