The door burst open. Nabooru, her scarlet ponytail falling over one tanned shoulder, her yellow eyes wide and anxious, glided through the doorway with a fellow Gerudo behind her. Malon, who had been applying paste to the Advisor's wound, jumped and nearly dropped the medicine.

Nabooru saw the feeble antidote and grimaced.

"Fool!" she hissed, knocking the bowl from the maiden's shaking hands, "This is no use here! Ga'miki runs deeper than herbs can cure. Step away and watch the Gerudo healing. Ba'kti, m'hu esia tai."

Aloarn stirred in her dreams and reached to her side, searching for the hilt of her blade. Malon had thought of this and had taken the deadly weapons from her; as Link entered the room behind the Gerudo, Aloarn twisted around in the midst of a fever. Link saw it a second before it happened.

She sprung up out of bed as he leapt past Nabooru and grabbed her. She fought against him, briefly, and then began to shake as the adrenaline rush faded. Slowly, he whispered against her ear.

"You're going to be fine, Aloarn. Just hold still...please... Nabooru's here, she's going to help you..."

Her eyes fluttered and closed as she rested her head lightly on his shoulder. Link swallowed as he felt the bandaged cut in her side with one hand. Ba'kti, the woman who had walked in with Nabooru, looked startled.

Nabooru was completely ignoring the scene. She had taken a pouch from her belt, a pouch filled with red sand and a single, white leaf. She crushed it together in her hands, muttering prayers to Din, and smeared it over Aloarn's shoulder. Aloarn relaxed slowly in Link's arms and the Hylain's heart beat wildly, his breath sticking in his throat. His mind screamed at him. What's wrong with me?

But before he could answer himself, Nabooru slid the girl out of his arms. The Advisor was coming back into consciousness and sat before the Second Star, her eyes still closed. With the excess mixture Nabooru smeared the symbol of a star on the girl's forehead.

"Awaken, child," whispered the older woman. "Din has healed you with the red sand of the desert."

Then Nabooru gestured frantically at Link and the Hero heeded her, holding on to th Gerudo girl so that she would not fall or slide to the floor. From within his arms, Aloarn's emerald eyes opened.

"Welcome back, Nabooru," she whispered. She felt Link's arms and paused, thinking.

And then she gazed straight up at him and smiled.


It was near two in the morning. A blazing bonfire was roaring in the midst of the horse's pasture, a guiding light within the darkness of Hyrule's deep night. Gerudo women were giving their prayers to Din, dancing around the red fires, or sitting in the shadows and talking in hushed voices.

Link was not among them. The celebration belonged solely to the Gerudo, and neither Talon, Ingo, or Malon knew quiet why they danced and prayed; but Link knew. Red earth. Strength. Loyalty.

Honor.

He was sitting on the roof of the stable house, watching the scene below with mild interest. Nabooru was sitting near Ba'kti, and they were speaking to each other in hushed voices. Ingo was sitting sourly in the shadows as two friendly Gerudo taught Malon the festive dance and Talon slept nearby, ever exhausted from a long days work. Aloarn was resting in Malon's room.

You can't feel this again, he said to himself. Zelda was enough.

Aloarn isn't Zelda, though, a different side retorted. Link found himself silenced at this.

Navi, fluttering, ever watchful over the Hero, landed on his shoulder.

"What're you thinking about, Link?" she whispered in her tiny hum. Link's eyes danced over the roaring fire as he tried to collect his thoughts.

"I'm not sure Navi," he said. Thinking up a quick excuse, he smiled a little at the fairy. "I'm trying to plan it out, you know...I mean, if Ganon's coming back...I just need to be alone right now." The fairy seemed to pause.

"I understand, Link," said Navi slowly, "But all you have to do is call me and I'll be here. I'm going to see Epona...remember, I'll always be here to help you. Don't keep anything from me, ok?"

Link smiled as Navi fluttered away and laid back on the tattered tiles of the roof, his gaze leaving the brilliance of the fire to meet the cool comfort of the stars. But his eyes were clouded...Zelda was standing in the clouds, the breeze blowing her gold locks across her face...like the gold of Aloarn's bangs as she gazed through red sand...emerald eyes...something so deep...so intense...so beautiful...

He jumped up as he felt a hand on his shoulder and reached instinctively for his sword. Whirling, he crouched low as a shadowed figure mirrored him. But the shadow's form was different...it's sides were curved, slim waist, smooth hips...he froze when the emerald eyes he had been imagining came into focus.

"I'm sorry to startle you," whispered Aloarn as she fell out of her fighting posture and slid over next to him. Seeing her so close distracted the Hero. He had never been this close to someone so captivating since...

He shook Hyrule's - no, Ter'zai's Princess - from his head and settled down beside the Gerudo. Aloarn glanced over at him.

"Why aren't you with the others?" she whispered. No one could hear them from the rooftop, but they felt the need to whisper all the same. As the girl pulled her knees into her chest, Link's eyes returned to the fire.

"I am no Gerudo," he said quietly. "The law does not apply."

"But you know the Secrets," said Aloarn, smiling slightly. "You know the prayers, the dance, the reason..."

"You know I can't dance as well as the Gerudo," said Link, nudging Aloarn playfully in the shoulder. His grin widened as he heard the soft sound of Aloarn's laugh. For a long moment, they gazed down at the ring of Desert Women, silent.

"Thank you for saving me," she whispered suddenly. Link, startled, fixed her with a disbelieving look. Aloarn's gaze wavered. "...what?"

"It's just..." Link stuttered, catching the gleam of red in her eyes, "You don't seem the kind of person to apologize."

"Manners are the birthright of a Gerudo," whispered the girl, her eyes returning to the fire, "But I must be strong in their presence. I must fight."

Link's heart slowed. She was turned away from him, her beautiful eyes roaming over the ranch, hauntingly gorgeous in the flame's reflection. Her crimson hair was long, straight and free across bare shoulders, while her her slender legs were pulled against her chest in a protective embrace. The way she held herself in the faint light confused Link. It seemed a much too vulnerable position for such a fierce warrior. There was something too mysterious about her...something too enchanting to ignore. Something he couldn't resist. He slid closer.

"You're not in the Gerudo presence," he said, throwing a friendly grin her way. She sought him with her eyes and his smile grew a little. "...you don't always have to fight, you know." Her eyelashes fluttered faintly and she looked down.

"How can you say that?" she whispered. "You've been fighting your whole life...and soon we'll be fighting again. The Gerudo ride tomorrow."

"But we aren't fighting now," responded Link. Aloarn's gaze met his again slowly and he stood up, offering her his hand. "Come on. We know why they dance. Now let's show them." Aloarn couldn't help but laugh as she stood, taking his hand.

"I thought you couldn't dance as well as a Gerudo," she said as she began to leave the rooftop. Link smiled.

"M'ah ki nu," he whispered. Aloarn froze near the stairs and turned, hearing him speak in the Gerudo tongue.

"Just this once," he said.

Nabooru caught sight of them as they neared the blazing fire and stood, bowing respectfully to the Advisor. Aloarn put her hands on her hips in slight indignation.

"The Second Star does not bow their respect to an Advisor," she said as Nabooru stood. The older Gerudo smiled and shook her head.

"The Advisor is to be respected by all Gerudo. Status means nothing," she said. Her eyes roamed over the other Gerudo as they sat a few feet away, talking. Link could tell she was lip reading their words.

"Ba'kti wonders about the bond with you and the Hero," she said, setting her eyes on Link. Link caught the protective look in her eyes and felt a twinge of confusion start in him. Had those confused emotions he had been feeling - those strange feeligns he got when Aloarn was too close - had they been so obvious?

"Link is a fellow thief, I gave him the pendant myself," said Aloarn smoothly. "He is a friend of the Gerudo. You of all people should know that, Nabooru." Nabooru nodded with a faint smile.

"We must discuss the plans of Ramil when we halt tomorrow at midday. For now, the Gerudo must give their thanks to Din. The sour one, Link? Is he a friend of yours?"

Link glanced over into the shadows where Ingo still sat, his lip twitching slightly in irritation, as he watched the dancing women.

"Not quite,"" he said. Nabooru cocked a grin.

"All the same, he is needed to lead the riderless mares. Ramil did not let us go without a fight."

She turned to Aloarn and bowed again.

"May the night close with the Dance of the Desert Jewel."


Link stepped into his room and softly shut the door. Shaking a little, he pressed a hand to his head.

Wow.

Aloarn was swirling, her hips swaying to the Gerudo drumbeat, her crimson hair flying about her face in dazzling streaks. The belt on her hips was glittering, distracting, enticing...she slid a soft hand over Link's shoulder, across his neck, and grabbed his arm as he followed her closer to the fire. The drums and bells sounded in his ears, drowning out the Gerudo woman's laughter as Aloarn danced away, her beautiful smile flashing...

He shook his head. She's a friend, a partner, she's here to help defeat Ganon...

Another Gerudo....one who didn't dance, didn't matter...threw her a tambourine and she raised her arms to slap it. The firelight silhouetted her perfect curves in red light, over her smooth legs, her tan stomach...from behind her blond bangs, a single green eyes gazed out, beautiful, mesmerizing. He wanted to...he needed to...

Her hand hit the tambourine with a loud clash as a soft rapping sounded against the door.

Wiping his forehead he swallowed, faced the door, and opened it.

He sighed inwardly when he saw Ingo standing there.

"What do you -"

Ingo gasped, fell forward and clawed desperately at Link's tunic, his legs giving out from under him. His eyes were bloodshot and weeping as he stumbled and caught himself on the bedpost. His mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out but a terrible weezing that sent shivers up Link's spine.

"Ingo, what's wrong? Ingo -"

"I was...I was..." his voice was dry, croaked and broken. Link tried to support him but the ranch hand raised his hand and waved him away.

"No...stay...away..."

"Ingo, yo need help - Talon! Nab-"

"No...listen...." Link turned back to him and saw his face, white as snow, blood dripping from his lips. A flash went through Link's mind - lolling eyes, coughing blood, a light from a barroom window...you laughin' at me, boy?

"He...broken...Princess..." he was hacking up blood now, his eyes dilating horribly, as red spattered across the cold wood floor. His grip on the bedpost was weakening, but still he gestured for Link to stay away.

"Aloarn!" he managed. A fit of laughter broke threw, maddened, spine-prickling, crazed laughter...but his eyes weren't out of focus, but staring at Link with gaping emptiness that froze Link to the spot. He said...Aloarn...Aloarn....

"Broken...Seal, Zelda broke...Aloarn, she is -"

He convulsed, falling to the floor hard on his knees, and vomited blood. His face began, just as Leun's, to decompose before Link's very eyes.

"A curse, on me...on all of them..." he stammered. Link gazed, horrified, as he began to laugh. High, cruel, cold. It echoed through the Hero's head and his hands clenched suddenly and he raised his head to scream.

"TALON!"

Ingo collapsed to the floor in a pile of broken bones.