A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
A Pair of Time
Chapter 49- Amongst the Thieves of Sand, Part 1
Gerudo Valley; Day
"Don't let go… Don't let go… Don't let go… Please, for Goddess sake, don't let go!" Malon's voice echoes through the rich, red valley.
"I won't if you just stop struggling!" Link's voice joins hers.
"I can't! Have you even look below you!"
Link takes a quick glance down, and wishes he hadn't. Below him and Malon is a very deep drop in the canyon of the Gerudo's. Far on the bottom is an incessant river flowing through the length of Gerudo Valley carved by a waterfall a kilometer away. It makes a beautiful, settling scenery, but Link isn't in the mood to stare. He's in a situation, involving him, Malon, his Longshot, and a broken bridge that used to lead anybody across the wide gap of the valley. To get across the bridge, Link used his springy gadget to pull him and Malon towards the other half across them. Unfortunately, he aimed a little too low and found himself inches away from the supported edge of the bridge, dangling onto a wooden board with just one hand. Hanging desperately on his left leg is a whimpering, struggling Malon. Her fear of heights has not really subsided, even with the time she jumped off a cliff with Link once. Malon managed to keep the terror down most of the time during the quest, but now, the height present to her overkills her wall of endurance.
"You know, Link, you could have just aimed for the target sign above the bridge," Navi suddenly points out.
"Oh, now you tell me. Gee, well, maybe I would have thank you, Navi, if you just told me before I shot for the bridge!"
"Well, I didn't think you didn't notice it."
"HELP!" Malon cries. "HELP US! We're about to fall!"
"Stop moving! I'm losing my grip!"
"NO! DON'T LET GO!"
"Stop! Stop moving! My fingers are slipping!"
"NO!"
Link couldn't do a thing as he watches his fingers slide slowly away from the board. In a second, he and Malon are about to fall into the horrible crash of the pounding water below.
Goddess, no! Link's fingers finally give away to rushing air.
It would all be over. Too soon, it would all be over. All their efforts to save Hyrule from Ganondorf would be in vain. All they have to do is to wait for the water, hard as rock, to break their bodies into dead, limp beings, to be carried by the river to Lake Hylia…
A rough, strong hand wraps around Link's wrist suddenly. "Hey, I gotcha!" Link feels his weight and Malon's pull him down against resistant again. He looks up to see a buff face of a middle-aged man, his hand strenuously holding Link's arm. It's the boss of Hyrule's carpenters. "Give me your other arm!"
Link throws his other arm, occupied with his Longshot, to the man's free hand. Together, the carpenter pulls the Heroes of Time over the edge of the broken bridge. They all stand near it, panting heavily.
"Whew…" The carpenter pulls out a handkerchief to wipe himself. "Not as strong as my younger days were…"
"Not as strong?" Malon said. "You… You pulled us from the edge! I think that qualifies you as a very strong person!"
"Ah, just not as strong as I used to be." The carpenter waves off.
"Thank you, sir, for saving us," Link gratifies.
"That was nothing. But, you two were determined to get over here. I haven't had anybody to talk to."
"What happened to the bridge?"
"Those Gerudo thieves… They broke the bridge."
"Why?"
"To prevent so-called invaders. My workforce and I managed to get over here. I want to fix it, but all of my workers are gone!"
"Kidnapped?"
"No! They said working as carpenters isn't cool, and they went to the Gerudo's Fortress to become thieves… Despicable. Even dishonorable, especially to the good name of carpentry!"
"So, you're here by yourself, then?"
"Yeah, boy. If you're going to the fortress, would you mind finding out what my workers are doing over there?"
"We would."
"There's just one problem," Navi speaks up. "How are we supposed to get to the workers when the fortress is heavily guarded? I don't think we could easily sneak pass the guards, not without leaving suspicion."
"That sure is a problem. The Gerudos are good. Very good when it comes to this," the carpenter said.
"So, what do we do?" Malon asks.
"I don't know."
"Think of a plan," Navi suggests.
"But what?" Link said.
They all fall to silence for a moment to think this out.
"Navi, Gerudos… What do you say they are?" Link questions.
"Thieves… Once, long ago, they were Hylians. But, they formed from a group of women who believed their sex is the superior one over male, probably because of the forgotten notion of female subordination back then. They hid away in the west valley and the desert beyond. Legend has it the goddess of the sand in the desert transformed them, changing their physique to quick and slender. Every generation will carry on this trait, and the traits of having red hair and very tanned skin. But the deepest change the goddess gave them is that only females will be born in the population, with the exception of a male once every hundred years. Thus, the goddess had granted them the extraordinary femininity that the Gerudos so desired. Anyway, with their new abilities, the Gerudos decided to make their living by stealing and following a strict female code. The rest of their history is plainly thievery, worship of the goddess of the sand, and adaptation to the desert."
"Hmm… Tanned skin… Red hair…" Link considers this information. "Huh. Hmm… hmm?" He eyes Malon curiously.
"What?" She finds this uncomfortable.
Link looks up and down at Malon's body, nodding with each turn.
Yes, yes. It could work…
"Fairy boy, you're scaring me here…"
"I think it could work…"
"What will work?"
"Navi, do you think she…?"
"Well… I think so. She almost does look the part."
"Sir? What do you think?"
"I think it's the best plan we got."
"WHAT are you guys talking about?" Malon yells.
"Mal, you… you almost look like…" Link almost laughed as he cuts off his sentence.
"I… look like what?"
Link, Navi, and the carpenter just stare at her.
"What do I look like…?" Malon takes a self-check of herself. "I look fine. I still have everything. My clothes, my face, my hair… Oh, no… No… You guys aren't… aren't serious, are you?"
"Mal, does anybody here look as close as a Gerudo as you?"
"But, you can't expect me to waltz into the fortress and expect them to think I'm one of them!"
"I don't know, Malon," Navi said. "There are hardly any Hylians that look like you. The Gerudos might be easily fooled knowing that."
"But I still don't look like them!"
"Maybe a tan should do the trick."
"Navi, do you know how long it takes to get a tan as dark as a Gerudo?"
"That is why…" Link kneels down, touching the russet ground with his hands, "we improvise."
Gerudo's Fortress
Oh, HOW did it get to this? Malon thought as she walks towards the adobe fortress. I mean, doing all those stuff back then is okay, but this is a new low.
Yes, I know it's a new low, but we have to deal with it. Navi, on behalf of Link and Malon, joined her to assist with whatever problems that may bring on this infiltration. However, she has to stay fused with Malon's spirit to maintain secrecy.
Isn't the point of all of this to find the Spirit Temple?
Well, there's really no way I can think of to get to the temple. We might as well do what we can with what we got.
Yes. What we got is a giant, guarded fortress with the carpenters at goddess knows where.
The whole fortress itself is a large, multistory structure built into a depression of the rocky wall. As Malon slowly walks up the nearby stairs to reach the fortress level, she sees the whole place littered with guards patrolling the perimeter. No way would anybody get past them.
"Halt!"
Malon freezes as soon as the first letter of the word reaches her. She just went as far as a minute and now she's going to be captured.
"I haven't seen you around here before…" a Gerudo shrouded in purple, desert clothing of chiffon said when she reached Malon. She holds a large pole arm that, to Malon, looks wicked enough to leave a highly noticeable mark on any intruder.
"Um, um…"
"Rookie, right? I can tell by your clothing. It's not of our style."
Malon herself is still wearing the same white work shirt and purple skirt she has always been wearing. It feels awfully uncomfortable due to the stronger heat, but all the sweat she's producing now is not of the temperature. For the tan, Malon had to blanket herself in the hot, clingy dust of the valley. Dirty as it may be, she finds that it provides the color she needs.
"Uh, yeah, yeah! Just… new here." She compels a nervous laugh.
"Must be the new jail keeper, are you?"
"Yep!" Any position is good enough.
"Good. We need a second one for our recent additions to the cells."
"… Recent?"
"Yes. Those four… men we just captured. The ones who were trying to convince us to accept them. Ha, men…"
"Yeah, um, men!"
So, those workers are in jail…
"Are you not uncomfortable in those garments?"
"Um, I'm fine. Fine and dandy!"
"Very optimistic, are you? And such a tone you carry… It seems as if you are a Hylian."
"Yes, but… um, skin and hair of a Gerudo, right?"
"Yes, that is true. Now, carry on, then."
"Where would these cells be?"
"Inside the hideout. But remember, they are spread throughout the fortress. For security reasons."
"Thanks, thanks." Malon still couldn't move. She wouldn't dare risk a walk if it raises attention, or worse, suspicion on her.
"Go on, then. Don't let our third in command catch you dawdling."
"Okay…" Malon slowly steps away as soon as the Gerudo leaves her, "um, ma'am!"
The Gerudo stops walking and turns around. "Ma'am?"
By then, Malon has already sped into the hideout.