I DO NOT OWN ZELDA

"blah" - spoken dialogue
'blah' - thoughts
blah - telepathic/disembodied voice

Sandstorm Vignettes

Tale 2: When the Time for Words Ends

Nabooru peered out into the Haunted Wasteland through the scope she was holding. Earlier that morning, the lookout on duty had discovered them on the edge of Gerudo Territory.

'Them' being the Sand Nomads.

They were vagabonds; cutthroats and criminals whose sole purpose in life was to survive. Even if that meant raiding the Gerudo Fortress. Nabooru knew that as soon as the sun went down, the attack would commence. All she could do was prepare for the inevitable.

Returning the scope to the lookout, she skillfully made her way down the ladder to begin preparations for a skirmish. Sherida was waiting for her on the ground.

"Shall I mobilize the women?" she inquired.

Nabooru nodded to her and both women continued into the compound, going their separate ways at an intersection; Sherida to the barracks, and Nabooru to the war room.

Blades would bleed today indeed.


Link groaned under the weight of two baskets of wet women's clothing. When Nabooru said he'd be working for his room and board, he hadn't imagined it to be this way. He'd spent the better part of the morning bent over a wash basin scrubbing training uniforms and undergarments. Maybe what the trainees said about Nabooru was true.

She was a slave driver.

He finished his walk to the barracks and had just put the baskets on a table when Zaana rushed past him. Now that he took notice, the barracks were almost empty and the entire fortress had seemed a bit on edge. He'd just chalked it up to being Nabooru's 'time of the month' or something.

Curiosity piqued, he rushed after Zaana and soon caught up to her as she made her way to the archery field.

"What's the commotion?" he asked.

Zaana looked slightly frazzled, but was professional as ever. "Sand Nomads are at the edge of the Haunted Wasteland."

Link looked confused, so she expounded. "They are a vile band of miscreants who will do anything to survive. Anything meaning assaulting caravans, mercenary work, kidnapping, murder, and apparently, they seem to have a fixation with raiding our compound."

"You mean it's not the first time?" He looked troubled.

"No," she answered, "they tend to do this once or twice every six months or so."

Link gave her a glance. "Can they even get into the fortress? Getting over the wall is no small feat, and I don't imagine you'd let any of them close enough to blow the gate."

Zaana shook her head. "Firstly, keep in mind that the Sand Nomads are a family every bit as we are." She looked to the sky. "They may not all be related, but they treat each other as such."

Link nodded in understanding. "So the 'family' teaches them what they need to know to survive." Zaana nodded. "So, how does that help them here?" he asked.

The red-clad woman frowned. "Link, do you know what a Garo is?"

At this, Link's face lost some color, and he involuntarily shuddered.

Zaana gave a grim smile. "So now you know why they're such a threat to us."

They continued in silence and moments later entered the archery field. Link watched in awe at the assembled mass of women. Women, whom he had laughed with days before, were no showing next to no emotion at all.

He stood to the side as Zaana went up to Nabooru, who was standing on a raised platform in front of the troops, and handed her a folded up scroll, before entering the throng of females.

Link watched from the side as Nabooru gave the order to form up into ranks, and the women did so in what seemed like mere seconds. Link found himself nodding in approval. The Hylian Royal Infantry had nothing on these ladies.

Standing at attention before Nabooru now were three squads of soldiers, nine to each squad, and standing three by three with their squad leaders in front. He saw both Zaana and Minana at the head of a group and realized he was in the presence of the Devil Sands swordswomen.

Nabooru took one step forward and addressed the sea of red. "Ladies, you've all been informed as to the situation. Now, you are here to defend your sisters as best you can."

She jumped to the ground and began pacing in front of her soldiers. "At sundown, those murderous heathens will once again attempt to invade our home and take what is ours. Will you let that happen?"

Link jumped as resounding "NO" echoed through the archery field.

Nabooru smiled and continued her rally. "Do we let anyone steal from us?"

Another "NO" ricocheted off of the stone walls.

"Okay!" Nabooru clapped her hands together. "Minana and the first squad, you'll be the primary assault team and first line of defense. It's up to you to thin out their numbers before they reach our walls. Is that clear?"

Minana's group gave a bow and chorused an affirmative.

Nabooru nodded and moved on. "Zaana, your second squad will be the next wave. Anyone who breaks through Minana's line gets cut down by your girls. Understood?"

As with Minana's group, Zaana's gave a bow and made clear their understanding.

Nabooru smiled and moved on to the final group, being led by the only woman there beside Nabooru and Sherida dressed in white. Her hair was cut to shoulder length and she looked like she'd seen many battles, if the scars on her arms and face were any indication. Nabooru gave her a nod and grim smile.

"Bressya, your third squad has the most important job. Anything that gets through the first two squads is your priority. Keep in mind that your backs will be against the gate, and it won't be opening. Watch for explosives, and our archers will try to support you as best they can. Do you understand your role?"

Another bow and another chant of understanding.

Nabooru turned and walked back onto the platform where she addressed them again. "In two hours you will deploy outside of the west wall. Once the sun dips below the horizon, the action will begin."

Link watched as she began unrolling the scroll Zaana had brought to her. Looking out over the squads, he saw that many had their eyes shut and heads bowed. His attention was brought back to Nabooru as she spoke again.

"Before I dismiss you," she started, and Link thought that her voice sounded slightly strained, "let us remember. Let us remember the past, and the sacrifices our sisters made to protect us from these demons."

Taking a deep breath, she began.

"Korina of the Red, Mitasa of the White, Verooja of the White, Griiya of the Purple…"

Link was in shock. The list just kept going and going. So many Gerudo had fallen in these constant battles with this outsider force. Why hadn't they gotten assistance from the King? Hell, from anybody?

Pride.

Link closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. 'What do YOU know?'

I know that an isolated people out in the middle of nowhere who are constantly spat on and referred to as 'thieving desert rats' wouldn't be so quick to reach out a hand for assistance. Besides, the Gerudo would die before bowing out to anyone. That's what makes them so…attractive to me.

But Link was no longer listening to the voice. He was listening to the names Nabooru was speaking and balling his fists so tightlythey hurt.

"Heddjya, Rossuma, Teryo, Yasshin, Eterya…"

There were no ranks. These were civilians. Non-combatants.

Children.

Such killing intent for one so young. What are you planning?

Link stood fast as Nabooru finished and dismissed her troops with a prayer to Din. He waited as she began walking in his direction. Wiping her hand across her eyes, she looked down at him and gave a small smile.

It died as soon as she saw his eyes.

She'd seen that look before. When he'd freed her from her iron prison, it was that look he'd turned on Kotake and Koume. Now it was aimed at her.

And it scared the hell out of her.

"Where do you want me?" She could almost feel the chill coming off of him.

"Link," she started, "this is a Gerudo problem and-"

He took a step closer and his eyes narrowed.

"WHERE…do you WANT me?"

Nabooru closed her eyes and took a small step back. Opening them revealed no change in the warrior before her.

With a sigh, she relented. "You want to be up front right? I'll talk to Minana."

He nodded to her and walked away. She stood there for a moment, and after cursing her weakness, went to arm herself for battle.


Sherida wasn't unused to hearing the notes from the ocarina Link played, but today, half an hour before deployment, it sounded so melancholy that she had to fight the pangs threatening to resonate in her chest. The notes floated throughout the fortress and across the wind. Strapping her scimitars to her back, the white-clad woman sought out the source of the song.

She didn't have to look far.

Standing on the lookout's tower staring out toward the Haunted Wasteland was Link. Feeling a presence at his back, he finished the song and held the instrument to his chest. They watched the sands whip at the desert before he spoke without taking his eyes off of the expanse.

"For some reason that I can't explain, it always wrenches my heart whenever I play that tune. I simply don't understand it."

Sherida looked at him. "Then why play it?" she asked.

He squinted, as if trying to see something that wasn't there. "Because maybe," He gave up on whatever he was looking for. "just maybe, the wind will carry it and then when they hear it, they'll feel as bad as I do."

Sherida couldn't argue with that logic. She'd heard it and wanted nothing more than to erase the haunting melody from her memory. She noticed then, that he was climbing back down. "What's it called?" she asked him before he was too far down.

He looked up at her.

"The Nocturne of Shadow."


Minana was vexed.

She was terribly vexed. In addition to having to try to kill or injure as many of these bastards as she could, now she had to worry about the little rat bastard himself. Said rat bastard was standing away from her squad, looking out into the Wasteland.

They had deployed only moments ago, and the time for battle was rapidly approaching. And what was she going to be doing? Babysitting, apparently.

'How dare he look like he belongs out here!' she fumed inwardly. She stalked over to him, intending to set the ground rules from the get-go.

"Hey, bastard! Let's get some things straight! I don't know how you managed to trick Lady Nabooru into letting you out here, but I sure as hell won't be looking after your ass for the entire fight!"

He glanced at her with dead eyes.

"I can pull my own weight. You should worry about yourself and your squad."

Obviously, this pissed her off that much more.

Seething, she softly bit out, "Where do you get off being so confident? What are you, like nine?"

Not raising his voice, he answered her. "Twelve. Now if you could go back to whatever it was you were doing, that'd be great."

She gaped.

Had this little monster just had the audacity to dismiss HER?

Oh, she would definitely use this rage in the battle, and if the brat had the luck to come back alive, she was gonna beat the love of Nayru right out of him.

Puffing her chest out, she glared at him. "Fine! I'd rather be over THERE anyway!"

Oh, he would rue the day. She smirked. Oh, he would.


Nabooru sighed as she watched the end of the exchange between the Hero of Time and her best soldier. Sherida gave a ghost of a smile. "Like siblings," she said.

Nabooru kept her eyes on the almost set sun. "Unfortunately not the attitude we need out here at the moment." She turned to her right hand. "Is the infantry ready? In case some make it over the wall?"

Sherida nodded. "Both the first and second divisions are prepared for the eventuality, and the archers are on the walls. The non-combatants have been moved to the underground shelter, and are properly guarded. We're as ready as we're going to get."

Nabooru let out a heavy breath. "Okay. Go form up with Zaana's group. I'm leading Minana's team in. And whatever happens," she hesitated, "don't die."

Sherida nodded and they began walking toward their respective positions.

'Stay alive,' Nabooru thought. 'All of you.'


The sun had set. The order had been given. And now Link moved with Nabooru and the first squad across the soft sand.

How long has it been since that blade has tasted a human's blood?

Link frowned slightly.

It had been something that had unnerved him, the lack of feeling from killing a human. But he'd chalked it up to desensitization from slaying hordes of monsters. Somewhere along the line, the two had blurred and simply were categorized under evil.

As it should be. You cannot afford hesitation in the heat of battle. Speaking of which, here comes our quarry now.

The voice was right. His triforce was such that it gave him a 'battle sense', so to speak. Unlike the gained knowledge or physical power that were granted by The Triforces of Wisdom or Power respectively, Link's piece gave him an advantage in the heat of combat, but only if he tapped into it.

He did.

And suddenly, in his head and through his eyes, the entire battle field was open to him.

He could see the runner, moving in the stealth-like fashion of a Garo, but not dressed like one. He carried twin daggers and was very quick, but it wouldn't be enough to save him.

By now, Nabooru had seen the opponent, but before she could give the order to attack, Link had unhooked the hookshot from his belt, released the catch, and let the spike and razor chain fly.

About 30 yards from his target, Link rotated his arm so the chain would spiral. In doing so, the chain wrapped itself around the man's neck instead of impaling him. With a ghost of a smirk, Link hit the reverse for the weapon, and with a hard tug, the razor chain chewed completely through the man's neck before making it's return to it's master.

It had been so quick that the weapon hadn't gotten bloody. Returning it to his belt, he drew his sword and continued on.


Nabooru was shocked. Not only by the fact that Link had seen the attacker before anyone else, but by the ruthlessly efficient way he'd dispatched him, and continued on as if he'd merely stepped on a bug.

She motioned to the squad and they quickly followed.

Half a minute later, they'd engaged.

Link was nowhere to be seen, and as she locked blades with an opponent garbed in a tan hood and cloak, she had to wonder if he hadn't already been cut down.

'Time to worry about that later. Right now, focus!' She brought her scimitars out of their deadlock and initiated two rapid sword thrusts that drove into her opponent's chest and abdomen.

She retreated as she heard the familiar 'hiss' and moments later, her adversary exploded.

Not wasting a second, she charged into the fray again.


Minana was in her element.

She was absolutely ecstatic when she was ankle deep in her opponents' blood. It was something of a rush; a way to work off anger.

And she needed badly to work off some anger.

After the brat had so effortlessly over-killed the first opponent they'd crossed, he'd rushed off and gone MIA. Now, in addition to the enemies that had breached their line, she was going to get chewed out for losing the rat bastard.

She put more than the needed amount of force behind her swing, and cut clean through her opponent from the left shoulder to the right hip. She had already assaulted another hapless victim before her previous one went up in smoke and body parts.

'That little punk,' she growled inwardly, hacking away at her new prey, 'will be the death of me.'


Link spared a glance at his blade as he continued his sprint across the desert floor. The blade had taken on a dark tint, almost black. If not for the inlaid gold, he'd have thought the blade was a dark purple or ebony.

Don't let your mind wander. I'm not going to continue to be your spotter.

'I knew he was there,' he replied, 'and I didn't ask you to point out my enemies for me.'

It was then that he noticed his opponent. A boy, no older than he was, with scraggly black hair and a tattered cloak, was clutching a small hand scythe with two hands.

The kid looked freaked out of his mind.

End it quick. The voice whispered soberly.

Link tried to be diplomatic.

"Throw down your weapon, and run away. If you refuse, then I can't guarantee your well-being."

The boy looked ready to haul ass out of Hyrule. But then he steeled himself, and planted his feet.

For some reason, Link found himself enraged.

"You idiot! I gave you a chance to run! Why in Din's name won't you take it? Do you want to die that badly?" He pointed the tip of his blade at the now shaking boy, his eyes glowing like blue fire in the waning light. "Then charge if you have the courage, and I'll make you a martyr! He positioned his sword behind him and shield in front of him, and narrowed his eyes in anticipation.

The challenge spurred the young nomad into action, and as he charged with a piercing battle cry, Link's blade began to glow an angry red.

And as Link spun and the energy dispersal ripped the nomad in half, the voice inside his head was, for a change, eerily silent.


Things were finally calming down, as far as Nabooru could tell. After they had cleared their area and checked for stragglers, they'd returned to the gate to find it buckled, but standing.

After attending to the wounded and saying a prayer for those who'd perished, she went over to Bressya and inquired about the boy. The squad leader had replied that she hadn't seen him at all throughout the skirmish.

So it was with a heavy heart, that she ordered her troops back into the fortress.

And after the debriefing, she returned to her quarters, and clutching a bronze medallion, prayed to The Three to see Link returned to her.


Link was in a daze.

Or maybe something else. As he looked at the body, he felt…grief?

You wanted this boy to get out. To be able to avoid the battles and heartache you couldn't.

Link nodded. "Why didn't he listen to me? Why? Make me understand." He looked away from the body and drew up his tainted blade.

"Do YOU know why?"

As if on command, a figure appeared in a flurry of sand.

"Heh, heh," she chuckled, "it seems you saw me. Pity."

Link took the woman in.

Black cloak. Hood pulled over her head. Glowing eyes. The aura of someone who has been involved countless battles.

A true Garo.

Link moved to stand across from the woman and gestured to the boy.

"So why didn't he run?"

The woman looked at the boy, and for a moment the eyes seemed to dim, before they flashed and it was business as usual. "He didn't run because I'm the incentive for our troops to fulfill their duties."

Link frowned. "You would have killed him if he ran?"

The Garo shrugged. "It's my job. I help train the ones not born into our culture. If at any time a member of the Nomads deserts, people like me are sent out to make sure they don't give up our secrets. This child was weak. But he knows how to fight like a Garo so…"

She cocked her head and seemed thoughtful. "You on the other hand, are definitely a fine specimen. I've been watching you from the start, and I must say, you got my blood pumping."

She drew her blades.

"It's been a really long time since I've had a good fight, so don't disappoint me, kid!"

She ran at him, and it was all he could do to get his shield up. It didn't seem to matter to the assassin, because in an instant, she was behind him and swiping her blades across his back.

"Tad slow there, little man," she cooed as she danced around him, "you're gonna have to crank it up notch if you wanna stand toe-to-toe with me."

She rushed in again, and again, Link put up his shield. He wasn't expecting the Garo to dive feet first into his shield. The boy was sent sprawling as the woman righted herself and pounced on his now prone form.

Link immediately rolled right and the deku nut left in his wake flashed with ferocious intensity.

The assassin was momentarily blinded, but that was all the time Link needed.

Grabbing his battle-worn boomerang, he immediately threw it at her, intentionally missing wide left. As the woman turned to face him, the projectile made it's return and crashed into her back, winding her.

Link rushed in and took a swipe at her, which she only barely dodged, before back-flipping out of his reach and landing in a ready position.

She wiggled her finger at him. "You're crafty! We could use sneaky people like you. It's too bad you're shacking up with those desert whores. Truly a shame."

Link gritted his teeth. "Don't speak ill of people you've never even met."

His adversary laughed. "Oh-hoh, a gentleman, and a cold-hearted murderer all rolled up into one. How exhilarating! Your head will make a fine addition to my trophy case!"

With that, she whipped one of her blades at him, which he pushed aside. Realizing his mistake, he tried to bring his shield back in front of him, but the pain in his left arm told him he was too late.

A quartet of metal needles were protruding from his left forearm and bicep and he realized he'd dropped his sword. His arm was unresponsive.

"Sucks for you, I guess." The woman raised the dagger in her right hand. "I suppose I'll see you in hell." She sprinted toward him, knife ready to take his head.

Link raised his head, and the Garo was shocked at the ferocity his eyes showed but couldn't stop her dash.

He smirked. "Not if you're there first." Using his body to throw his left arm out in front of him, he released a primal scream, and grinned as his would-be killer impacted a wall of fire. The spell continued moving out over the sand until the flames extinguished themselves.

The Garo wasn't so lucky. With a shriek, she ripped off the burning cloak and hood and tossed them to the ground, where the flames consumed them. Her hands were burnt, and her loose black pants and shirt were singed, along with her shoulder length black hair.

And as Link looked at her, she seemed spooked.

"I knew you were something else, but damn, I think I may have gotten in over my head."

She looked from her cloak to him. "I think I'll fall back for now. I've had my fun." She began walking further into the Wasteland, but stopped suddenly. "Oh, by the way, the name's Michiko. Remember it. It'll be the last thing you hear before I kill you. Ta Ta!"

With that, she vanished into a storm of sand and Link was left to grab his gear and drag himself back to the Fortress.


Nabooru was awakened an hour and a half after succumbing to a restless sleep by the sound of knocking on her door. Upon opening it she was greeted by Sherida.

"The boy has returned," she started, "he's being treated for his wounds now, so…"

Nodding, Nabooru rushed to the medical wing where the medics were indeed wrapping the boy's torso and left arm in bandages.

Seeing the sage, he gave her a tired smile. "I look like a Gibdo, huh?"

She laughed and ruffled his hair. "We were worried about you. Minana waited by the gate for forty-five minutes to chew you out."

He looked down. "I just got held up. No big deal."

She frowned. "It IS a big deal. No one may tell you outright, but you've grown on a lot of people. They wouldn't want to lose you."

He looked her in the eyes. They glimmered. He knew that emotion. That absolutely weak emotion. He had to look away. "Nabooru, I'm a little tired, so I'd like to get some rest, if that's alright."

She looked confused by his actions, but then realized that he'd be exhausted from blood loss and the cold of the desert night. With a murmur of "goodnight", she left the room, trailed by the medics, and the boy was left in the candlelit med-ward.

Do you hate her?

'No, but I'm tired of being looked at like that. It always leads to something bad. With Saria, I had to leave the forest. And with Zelda,' he closed his eyes, 'she flung me back into a past that I had no desire to relive.'

So you fear that look she gave you is the prelude to the end of your friendship?

'I don't know. I pray to Farore that it isn't the case.'

With the conversation concluded, the boy let sleep claim him, silently praying that tomorrow would bring better things.

End Chapter

Thanks again to everyone who reviewed. Time is a precious commodity to us all, and I'm honored that you wasted some of yours' on me.