"Lakeside Tower and the fortress attached to it were built a little over two hundred years ago to watch Gerudo activity. At least, that was its original purpose. It has been a number of things through the years, but it has always been a station for Hylian soldiers."

They were eating warmed up cucco and dumplings that Auru had put into a clay pot with a matching lid, and pushed into the coals of the fire. It was a day old but still rather good, and it wasn't surprising to Link that an older gentleman like Auru would have had years of cooking experience. The fire had sprang back to life once two pieces of split log were thrown on top of it, and the two men were starting to feel more warm and comfortable after standing up on top of the cold tower.

"There were other buildings near it other than the stable, but they're all gone now. Their stones were taken down to help build foundations for Lakeside, which was a town built with commerce in mind, not war." Auru prodded at his meal with a spoon, the firelight shining off the gray in his black hair. Now that he had his hood down, Link could see that the man's hairline was receding slightly, and he had streaks of pure white near his ears. "But I'm getting ahead of myself. How much do you know of the Gerudo War?"

Link stared into the flames, remembering both the history his mother had taught him, and the book on the subject he had at his home. "A male Gerudo named Ganondorf Dragmire wanted something in Hyrule, maybe the land here, or to be king. Who knows? Either way when the previous civil war had ended and the races were beginning to make peace with one another, he came to Hyrule with an offer to make the western desert part of the kingdom. He offered fealty in exchange for trade, since the Gerudo lands were always harsh and it was hard for them to obtain a lot of things."

He paused to eat a bit and continued. "It was all lies. Whatever he wanted here, Ganondorf had convinced King Nathaniel that he was an ally and planned on using that advantage to invade, but the Child Hero had inside information and warned the Princess Zelda of the time, and she told her father. The previous Link was only a kid, but he knew a lot of things he shouldn't have, so the king believed him. They were prepared for the invasion but Castle Town and Hyrule Castle still fell. Ganondorf chased that Link and Zelda around the kingdom while they did something important, and eventually he was captured and executed."

"You know a bit more than the average person, which is impressive considering you're what...sixteen?"

"Eighteen. My parents made sure I knew what happened. Since my mother was a Sheikah, she wanted me to know the truth and remember it. It's a Sheikah thing." He reached for the mug of tea that was still quite hot and took a careful sip. "I'm sure there's more to it, but like you said I probably know more than the average person. Most people don't even remember Ganondorf's name anymore."

"There is indeed far more. The reason the Demon King invaded, for example." Auru set aside his empty bowl and sighed. "I suppose it's fine to tell you, since you're the current hero. He wasn't after land. He wanted to enter the Sacred Realm and obtain the Triforce." The older man saw Link's startled expression, and raised his eyebrows. "You know of the Golden Power, don't you?"

"For multiple reasons, yes. The Triforce is what caused the Gerudo War? It makes sense, considering it's what caused the Interloper War." He warmed his hands around the mug, thinking of the piece of the Triforce that was hidden in one of them. "Did he enter the Sacred Realm? The Triforce isn't there anymore."

"Did the Master Sword tell you that?" So Auru knew of the sword's sentience.

"No, I figured it out on my own." Well, may as well tell this man the truth. He was connected to Zelda and apparently the sages as well, so there was no point in hiding it. "It's in my left hand. I have the Triforce of Courage, just as Zelda has Wisdom."

"Ah, so then you know that you possess it. I wasn't quite sure. There's a good reason why the Golden Power is now tied to three different souls. The princess and hero of over two hundred years ago went to the Sacred Realm, and Ganondorf followed them. They all tried to use the Triforce at the same time, and it split." Auru reached out and tapped the back of Link's hand with a faint smile. "You having it is now a sign that you are the hero, as a princess who has it becomes the next Zelda. I think I don't need to tell you who the last soul was."

"Ganondorf? Wouldn't that mean that somewhere out there is somebody reborn with that soul, that has Power?" It was not a pleasant thought. What if that person was malicious, like Ganondorf was? "Previous Links and Zeldas have always been Hylians, and as a matter of fact we always have the same face. This is the face of the Ancient Hero." He pointed at his face with a faint smile. "Since that's the case, there's probably a male Gerudo out there with Power that looks a lot like Ganondorf did."

"Perhaps. That in part is why I visit the desert, but that is not the only reason. I am the royal family's contact with the Sages, ancient spirits that have specific duties not known to most mortals. Not only that, but I am also attempting to mend the relationship between our race and the Gerudo." The older man stared into the fire grimly. "They were slaughtered, two hundred years ago. The remaining Gerudo that did not follow Ganondorf surrendered and King Nathaniel told them as long as they remained in their desert, they would not be harmed. Unfortunately the next king was not so kind, and he felt threatened by the tribes of the desert. The Hylian army invaded and began to kill them." He leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table, clasping his hands together as he watched the flames. "They had to retreat deeper into the desert, and their numbers dwindled. They never really recovered, and it is both my hope and Zelda's that they can be free to come to our kingdom in order to marry and have children like they used to."

"You want to make sure they don't die out. That's admirable." He took a drink of his tea, now feeling much warmer, and a bit sleepy as well. Being in the saddle all day was tiring. "I spoke with a Zora in Lakeside earlier that said that the Gerudo were coming there to look for men, but none of them have come over since the invasion happened."

"Yes, and that's why I sit atop this tower with my spyglass and watch my friends from afar. I'm worried about them." He shook his head. "But let's talk about this Mirror of Twilight thing. You're seeking it?"

"You know what? Why don't you read that letter Shad sent you while I step outside for a minute." He stood and stretched. "I'm sure it'll be faster than my long-winded story. Or maybe not. Shad's pretty wordy."

"More so when he speaks than when he writes, but I get what you mean." The scholar rose and crossed the small kitchen and went into the main room of the fortress, leaving Link alone in the kitchen. He turned to exit out the back door.

As he expected, there were a pair of outhouses outside not too far from the back door of the kitchen. It was fairly dark and no lamps were lit on this side of the fortress, but the half a moon illuminated things well enough for him to find his way. Once he came back inside, Auru was waiting for him with the letter in hand with a shrewd expression on his face. Link had only been gone for a minute, but the scholar had read the letter already.

"Link of Lon. Son of Gwyn of Lon, which means you're also the son of Sami of the Eclipse Clan, Queen Constance's protector." Auru smirked a bit impishly. It was strange to see, because so far he had seemed like a gruff man. "You were holding out on me, boy. How was I to know that you had such a pedigree?" When Link opened his mouth to reply, Auru held up his hand. "No, wait. It isn't just your bloodlines that you were hiding from me. Where's Midna?"

"If you knew I was here, you didn't have to wait for him to come back inside." she said, her voice coming from beneath the table along the far wall. "I try not to go along with Link when he relieves himself, so I was in here with you the whole time." The cursed creature formed out of the shadows from beneath the table, and gave a formal bow. "I suppose I don't need to introduce myself, then. It's nice to meet you."

The scholar responded with a bow of his own, his demeanor a bit different. He had been gruff and then somber before, but now he seemed excited, in a gentlemanly sort of way. "A pleasure, my lady. I am fortunate enough to meet someone from the Shadow Realm. This presents me with quite the opportunity to learn of what is on the other side of the mirrors."

Midna tilted her head slightly, confused. "Mirrors? There's only one mirror, and that's where we need to go. Link and I need to go to the Twilight Realm."

"Is there?" That implied that he knew something that she didn't, but he didn't explain. Auru held the note up, and Link caught a glimpse of small, neat handwriting. "Shad mentioned that you need to rally your people, since Zant killed your king. I don't doubt that they'd be more than happy to help...provided there are any left that haven't been transformed into Shadow Beasts."

"Only a few of the Shadow Beasts we've fought have disappeared back into the Twilight Realm, so most of the ones we've encountered were transformed Hylians." That explained why some of them vanished when dead, and some did not. She was right, most of the ones that they had killed had remained as corpses. In the end it didn't matter of they were Twili or Hylians; they were still humans once. "When I was escaping with my piece of the Fused Shadows, most of the population was fleeing to the Outer Islands. It was complete panic and chaos, which is probably why Zant was able to take over. If we had all stood together in the first place, this probably wouldn't have happened."

"If we can get the Twili together, we should be able to get back the rest of the Fused Shadows. Then between that, Midna's people and me we ought to be able to defeat Zant." Link said.

"Did that letter mention what Zelda did?" Midna ventured a bit apprehensively.

Auru did not look angry or disappointed, unlike the others had. "Yes. I know what she did, and considering what you've said of your plans, I can understand why. Do you believe you can restore her soul to her body if you kill Zant and break the curse on you?"

She gave a confident nod. "I think I can do that without too much problem, yes. If not, I should be able to use the Fused Shadows in a different way to do it. Once I had the four pieces and had it under control, I started to understand the kinds of things I could do with it. It isn't only capable of destruction. Regardless of what it can do, I plan on getting rid of it if I can, once we're all done." Midna tapped the stone helmet on her head with one small finger. "I'm okay using it, but it could still fall into the wrong hands."

"That's admirable of you, and also shows that you are in control of the relic instead of the reverse." Auru had no way of knowing that Midna had become close to being taken over by the Fused Shadows, and was protected by Courage. That was a detail he hadn't told anyone, and even the Zoras present at the time didn't know what was happening.

"It's too dangerous. Imagine the Master Sword, but with a bunch of nasty souls combined instead of a single good soul. Now imagine that doesn't have the protections the Master Sword has and anybody can use it." She gave a smirk. "It's far better either destroyed or thrown to the bottom of the ocean."

The scholar nodded in agreement. "I'm glad that you are wise to the dangers of the Fused Shadows." He looked back to Link. "Back to the matter at hand. I now understand the situation fairly well, and I agree that you must enter the Gerudo Desert, even though it's the middle of summer and it's the worst time to go. The heat is far more deadly, there are more frequent sandstorms, and the native predators are far more active. Then there is the issue of that army camped in the middle of Gerudo lands."

"Lovely." Link said dryly. "When do we leave?"

"Ideally we would have entered at around sunset in order to travel at night, but we have little choice but to leave tomorrow morning." Auru neatly folded up Shad's letter and put it into a pouch at his waist. He had a lot of pouches on his body. "I've taken over the commander's quarters, but there are still beds in the barracks over in the next room. I suggest you get some rest. We have a difficult trip ahead of us tomorrow."


The next morning they rose early and ate a breakfast of salty ham and rice porridge, and departed about an hour after sunrise. The road ended at Lakeside Tower, so unfortunately they needed to make their way across the Great Bridge of Hylia and follow the road along the north side of Lake Hylia. They stopped briefly in Lakeside on their way through the town to buy a few supplies. More specifically, Auru made Link buy a bunch of apples and pears even though he still had food packed from Kakariko.

"Deciduous fruit is near impossible to come by in the desert." the older gentleman said as Link put them in his saddlebags after giving an apple each to their two mares. "Trust me, you will find a use for them."

"If you say so. I like pears." He pulled himself back up into the saddle, a smaller man on a larger horse.

"I never said they were for you." Auru said mysteriously with a faint smile.

The two of them rode through Lakeside and up the twisting road that brought them just south of the Great Bridge of Hylia. They crossed the bridge with the sun to their right, it having risen high enough over the distant cliffs and forests at the eastern edge of the lake. There was a brisk wind just like the last time Link had ridden through here, and it probably was a constant thing high above the waters of Lake Hylia.

While they crossed the latter half of the bridge at a walk, Auru talked. He said that he would certainly have his share of questions for both Link and Midna, but he wanted to explain a few things first. Auru was once the head scholar and castle librarian at Hyrule Castle as well as Princess Zelda's tutor, but he passed those abilities on to Shad, who he felt was far more suited for the job. Auru admitted that while he himself was quite intelligent, Shad was a genius. He also had the plan to have Shad befriend Zelda, since the two of them were so buried in their duties, they had few friends. It worked out and they became good friends, and because of that friendship the resistance against King Adelbert was born.

Auru himself wanted no part of it, not feeling as if he could stand up to the king, no matter how horrible he was. As the lone person who was in contact with the Sages in the name of the royal family, he did not want to risk his job or his life. He began to spend more time in the desert to continue his studies on the various ruins there, and eventually Zelda sought him out to be the emissary to the Gerudo race.

"One of the ruins I was studying over the past four years is called the Arbiter's Grounds. It is a very ancient Gerudo ruin, at least a thousand years old, if not more." He looked to his right were Link rode next to him. "That ruin is where the Mirror of Twilight is, among other things. The Mirror is currently guarded by the five Sages, since they are the only ones from this side of it who know how to operate it."

"Oh, you mean those spooky weird guys in white robes?" Midna's voice came from Link's torso in general. "I remember them. They didn't stop me when I came through and flew away. Then again, Zant wasn't too far behind me, and I think they had to deal with him."

The scholar looked grim. "I had wondered how you would be able to enter the light world without them stopping you. The Sages were supposed to prevent anything from coming here from the other side of the Mirror. I hope that none of them were killed."

Link recalled something from two nights ago. "The Arbiter's Grounds...Shad mentioned that place. It was the prison that the people captured in the magic purge were brought to."

"Yes, that's its purpose. I call it a ruin, but it's still mostly intact and houses the bones of ancient criminals. There are some dangerous creatures housed there as well, although I doubt any of them are alive. The prison holds those who can't be sent through the Mirror of Twilight, or those who await execution." He grew quiet, their horses continuing to amble at a walk as they left the bridge. "It's where those from the magic purge wound up. I don't know whether they were all killed or if some where simply left behind in the prison. There are ways in and out of the building that are no longer secure, so it's possible some escaped. Still…"

"Still, a lot of people died there, and they were innocent." Link stared at the road ahead of them, his blue eyes distant. Those captured fared no better than the ones slaughtered at Kasuto. A disturbing thought occurred to him then. "Is it possible that the souls of those wrongly imprisoned there are still in Arbiter's Grounds?"

"As undead? Entirely possible. The Gerudo won't enter the place because they say it's haunted. It's why I haven't been in there yet either."

"You're thinking it's just like Kasuto, aren't you?" Midna asked quietly in his ears.

"Yeah. It's all right, we can tell Auru about that." he replied, and then turned to the scholar. "I visited Kasuto not too long ago, which was where I lived before the military came in and killed everyone. They came back as zombies and ghosts…" He gave an involuntary shiver. "It was a horrible experience. I recognized some of the people by their clothes."

"I'm sorry, that must have been difficult for you. How did you survive the attack on Kasuto?" Auru asked curiously. "I know that you and your mother were not among the dead there, thanks to Shad's tireless research."

"My mother and I escaped on Epona and made it to Ordon, to where a family friend was." He hoped he didn't have to go into details.

"Ah, Ordon? That was wise of her. How is your mother, then?"

"Dead." Link said with no emotion in his voice, hiding away how uncomfortable simply mentioning his mother's death made him feel. "Wounded on the way there."

Auru was silent, having picked up on something from Link's face or body language, and he kicked his mare into a canter. Grateful that the old man didn't want to ask any more questions, Link followed on Epona, and the two of them traveled quickly in silence. If Auru had worked at Hyrule Castle, it was possible he personally had known both Gwyn and Sami. The man undoubtedly knew Sami, since she was always with Zelda's mother.

They reached the road in Lower Lanayru that headed west, some miles north of Lake Hylia and the thick pine forests that held a number of small towns and logging camps. As they went west, they would sometimes see a narrow road going into the dense forests, headed to some settlement or another. Link wondered if the people there were safe from the invasion. The Faron Woods certainly hadn't stopped the Bulbins from attacking Ordon.

The land became dryer and more hilly, and the pines became more stunted. There were signs of fires here and there, bits of blackened forest that had burned either by locals managing their land, or by a lightning strike. He knew nothing about logging so he had no idea which.

They stopped at an area where the southern forest was now on a flat rise, and the north had similar trees but at the same level as the road. There was a stream and enough grass nearby for their horses to drink and graze while they ate a brief lunch. The two of them only spoke of the horses and their meal until Auru had finished, and the gentleman rested his hands on his bent knees, leaning against the trunk of a tall white pine.

"I should have offered my condolences for your mother. I had assumed that she survived, since she was a skilled warrior and a brilliant woman." he said, watching a group of magpies that had gathered nearby in hopes of mooching some food from the two humans.

"How were you going to know? It's fine." He wasn't upset that Auru asked, or that he hadn't said anything in response. What bothered him was remembering. If he thought too hard to recall what happened between Kasuto and Ordon, he would begin to shake. "I'm glad you dropped it. It's a really uncomfortable memory for me."

"It would be, since you're so young. You would have been what...twelve or thirteen? That experience must have been horrible for a boy that age." He slowly rose, still slightly stiff from his age despite his strong body. "We won't talk about it anymore, other than for me to say that Sami was my friend. I'm glad that I've been able to meet her son now that he's an adult. It doesn't surprise me that you're a warrior just like she was."

"I'm glad I've met somebody who knew my parents. Now that makes two, out of everyone in Hyrule that could have possibly known them." He stood as well, adjusting the Master Sword on his back. He had to push the scabbard slightly to the side when he sat down since it was so long. "I don't know who is left, after everything that happened."

"I'm sure there's somebody out there." Auru said, his eyes sly. He knew something Link didn't. "You simply haven't found them yet." He walked back to his roan without saying another word on the subject, and Link figured that he wasn't going to talk about it if asked.

Epona was close enough that he didn't have to sing her name, and he walked up to mare, who was no longer grazing but standing there sedately while Midna patted her nose. As Link got closer, he could hear the Twili humming the horse's song. He hated to admit it, but she sung it far better than Ilia had.

"Now you like my horsey song?" he asked with a smirk.

She stopped humming when he approached. "I know I poke fun, because honestly...who has ever heard of a guy who sings to his horse?" She smiled the content mare, who seemed more than willing to let Midna pet her. She had more or less ignored the horse up until this point, but Epona liked Midna. "I want to be her friend, Link. We don't have horses in the Twilight Realm, at least in the part where I come from. We know what horses are, as well as a few other animals that never came with us like donkeys or geese. Even though we've been there for centuries, the Twili have always told stories of what the light world was like."

"Does it make your people sad? They weren't the ones who tried to invade the Sacred Realm." He patted Epona's neck and then mounted up.

"Mm, yes and no. There's curiosity, but we've learned to be content. We're Twili now, and even though we never want to forget where we came from or why, life goes on." She blurred and merged with him. "At least, until our king was killed."

"It seems like your people care a lot more about your king than we do in Hyrule."

She paused, quiet for a moment before responding to that comment. "Your king was crazy and killed his own people out of paranoia. Our king was loved, and he had a wonderful heart." He could barely detect it, but there was a note of pain to her voice.

"Midna, did you personally know your king?" It could have been possible that since she was his counterpart in the Twilight Realm, she worked with the king in the same way he was working with Zelda. They could have been friends, for all he knew.

When she replied, her voice was so quiet he could barely hear her over the sound of Epona's hooves on the road. "I don't like to talk about it. Please don't ask me."

Link gave a small nod and placed a hand to his chest, where he knew she was hidden. If their king was loved by his people, it would be upsetting for her to talk about his murder, whether she actually knew him or not. He let the subject drop and continued down the road after Auru.

It wasn't too much longer before the trees to the north crowded up to the road, and the rise to the south grew taller with reddish strata visible in its cliff face. The pines were mixed with gnarled and short trees that Link did not recognize, and the occasional tall feathery-leafed tree he knew were palms. The temperature was also rising far more than it normally would have for Lanayru in summer. It felt even hotter than Kakariko at mid-afternoon, and he found himself sweating. He was absently thinking of when Midna complained about him being "moist" when they came up a rise that abruptly ended at the stonework of a ruined bridge.

The Gerudo Valley at this point was more of a gorge, deep and cut by thousands of years of the swiftly-running Gerudo River making its way south to the sea. Farther north it opened up and looked more like a proper valley between hills and mesas, but here it was quite narrow. He could have shot an arrow to the other side easily, but it was too far for a horse to jump; not that any horse would be willing to jump a gorge. Not even a well-trained horse like Epona would jump over a drop that was nearly two hundred feet.

What was left of the bridge was only the stone support arches and the foundations, landings and railing supports on either side. It appeared that it was once a mixture of stone and wood, but the wood components were completely gone, ripped off and destroyed by the Gerudo. The only wood that remained were two square frames at either end of the bridge in lieu of proper entryways, both made of thick stripped logs. The Gerudo had sabotaged this one way into their lands to protect the kingdom that had nearly wiped them out. If the Hylians knew of this, they likely would have changed their opinions of the desert tribes.

"All right, now we're here at the bridge, I'm going to ask you what's been on my mind since you said you'd take us into the desert." Midna appeared between their horses to speak to Auru. "You knew the bridge was destroyed, yet you brought us here anyway. I doubt we're going to turn around and leave, so what trick is up your sleeve?"

"I'm curious too." Link said. "A person could walk along the stone arch if their balance was good, but there's no way to get horses over there."

Auru gave a mysterious little smile and put two fingers to his mouth to produce a loud, sharp whistle that made the two horses move a bit anxiously. He waited a moment and repeated the whistle, and then there was the sound of another distant whistle from the other side of the gorge. There was movement from that side, and a woman appeared from behind a stone wall that was erected along the edge of the gorge.

It was hard to see too many details about her, but she had tan skin and orange-red hair, the color far too vibrant to be ginger. She wore a light brown cloak over loose green leggings that were gathered at her ankles and a close-fitting dark green top that left a stripe of her abdomen bare. There was a sword belted at her waist, its golden hilt and scabbard glinting in the afternoon sun. The woman waved jovially and cupped one hand to her mouth to shout across the gap. "Auru! You're late by two years! And early by three months!"

"I was busy, and now I'm bored!" the scholar called to her with a grin. The broad smile made him appear younger despite the crow's feet near his eyes. "Actually, I have a good reason!"

The woman's laughter faintly carried across the gorge. "What, you were lonely? Did you need to see your girls that badly?"

"It isn't what you think!" Auru gave a small shrug. "All right, it mostly isn't what you think! But I need to bring this young man to the chief!"

"Oh, that is a male with you! I couldn't see him well at first!"

"A male?!" a second voice called and another woman appeared, this one taller than the first one. She was dressed identically in green clothes, sword and brown cloak, as if they were wearing a uniform of sorts. "Auru, did you bring us a gift?!"

"It begins." giggled Midna, who had hidden in Link's shadows as soon as the woman across the way had whistled. Link gave a small sigh, but didn't say anything.

"That's up to him, not me!" He turned to Link. "I hope you're prepared for ah...some forward advances on the part of many Gerudo we meet. Since you're obviously a warrior and an equestrian, you'll earn their respect—and their interest."

"A friend warned me about how the Gerudo behave towards men. I think I can handle it and turn them down." He wasn't looking forward to it. If he was going into their lands, he wanted to try to get along with the Gerudo. That would be hard if he had to keep turning down proposals.

"Even if they ask for sex?" The man had been such a gentleman so far, the words seemed strange and out of place coming out of his mouth. "What you do with your free time in the desert is entirely your choice, but I would assume the hero has more important things to do than chase tail."

Link did his best to look determined and hoped that his ears weren't pink. "I'm only going to do what I came here to do, no matter what they say or offer."

"Just as long as you're prepared." Auru called back across the ruined bridge to the two women, who were busying themselves with coils of rope. "We're ready!"

The Gerudo didn't reply, and picked up a pair of heavy crossbows that had ropes attached to the bolts. Not entirely sure what they were up to, Link backed Epona up, but Auru calmly remained where he was. He clearly had confidence that the women were going to hit their targets with those crossbows…if that's indeed what they were. They looked more like ballistas that the women lifted with ease.

The women raised their bows and fired, and two harpoons shot across the gap to embed themselves in the pylons of the wooden frame not too far away from Auru. Ah, so they were actually harpoon guns and not crossbows, which made sense. Link hadn't understood how they had managed to attach lines to the end of crossbow bolts. Then again he was only partially paying attention and had other things on his mind, mainly whether the women on the other side of the canyon were going to be lewd towards him or not.

Auru dismounted and beckoned towards him. "Link, come over here." Once the young man had slid off Epona and came to stand next to him, the scholar pointed at the harpoons stuck in the wood. There were splinters and holes in the pylons, indicating that this had been done before. "Do you know how to tie a buntline hitch?"

He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "A what?"

"A kind of knot. I will show you how. Go to that one on the right. Since you are left-handed, you can simply mirror what I'm doing."

And so Link learned not only that knots had specific names, but had specific ways of being tied. He had noticed that sometimes when people tied things up or off they had looked differently, but he hadn't thought about it too much. Now he was tying a buntline hitch after wrapping the rope around the pylon twice, which was a bit more difficult than he expected since the harpoon was attached to the rope and kept getting in the way as he tried to pull it through the loops of the knot. The Gerudo on the other side patiently held the other ends of the ropes and fed them slack as needed.

Auru tugged on both ropes to test the knots and nodded. "Good, they seem secure. They'll tie off their end, and we'll repeat the process. This time the lines will be tied at about knee level as opposed to shoulder level, so the ropes will lay on top of the of the arches. The idea is to make a pair of guiding ropes for the guards to clip safety lines onto, while they fasten planks to the lower ropes and a few points on the bridge framework."

"Part plank bridge, part stone bridge? Interesting. Why bother making a temporary bridge in the first place?" Link asked. "Wasn't the idea to close the border between Hyrule and the desert so the Bulbins can't bring more troops over?"

"It was, but you did notice all the men in Lakeside, correct? While some of there are interested in finding a woman, many of them are already married. Lakeside began as a settlement for commerce, but became a home for the husbands of Gerudo women. They destroyed the bridge to protect their husbands, but they still want to visit them. They couldn't bring them into the desert to live with them, since Hylians were banned from Gerudo lands after the war and the culling of the race." He gave one of his mysterious, knowing smiles. "That is...most Hylians. I'm an exception, because I have important work in the desert that the Gerudo dare not interrupt. You're my guest so you likely will be welcome."

The construction of the bridge went as Auru had described; once the second ropes were tied off on both ends, the two women put on leather harnesses that attached to their waists and hips. Then they disappeared again, going behind the walled area to where their station was. They returned with large rolls of something wooden, and after leaving and coming back with a few more and depositing them near the bridge, Link realized that they were the bridge planks, but already attached together via ropes and rolled up like carpets. The Gerudo attached their harnesses to the guide ropes with safety lines and clips, and began the process of rolling out the sections of bridge and lashing them to the lower rope.

"That's really clever." Link said, impressed. "What happens if somebody is trapped on this side of the bridge and the guards aren't there for any reason?"

"Many visiting Gerudo will bring clawshots like the one you're wearing, just in case that happens." The older man gave a small chuckle. "I suppose you could have gotten across that way, but that would have left your horse behind."

The two guards lashed the planks to the ropes and stone framework far faster than Link thought they would. All told, the process took about a half an hour, and then they had a fairly sturdy bridge. He did notice that even though the guards were working, they kept stealing glances his way, both of the women having red-on-yellow eyes just like Midna did. They were also quite tall, both of them well over six feet, and they had had fit and muscled bodies. These women were warriors.

"All done!" said the shorter of the two women, the one that had answered Auru's whistle. She put her hands on her hips and looked up at Auru, who sat mounted on his horse. The two men had mounted up while waiting. "It's a bit strange to see you in summer, but nice all the same. It's good to see you after a few years away. Welcome back."

"Thank you, Nebara. I take it we can't go to the city right now?"

"Not with those ugly green monsters squatting within its walls, no. We've moved to one of the old fortresses for now." She turned to cross back over to the other side, but her companion did not budge. "Stop staring, it's rude." she said, tugging on the other woman's cloak.

"But did you see his eyes? They're bluer than Auru's!" said the taller Gerudo, who was openly gawking at Link. "And gold hair!"

"Trust me, I noticed. Move your feet back to our post, otherwise he's never going to cross the bridge." Nebara gave the other woman another tug, and she followed.

Midna began to giggle, and Link grumbled under his breath. "I don't know which is worse, them or you, Midna."

"Ask me that tomorrow." she said, her voice mirthful.

Auru's horse was more than willing to cross the bridge, used to the whole process and thinking nothing of it, but Epona was hesitant. The mare likely didn't understand how the bridge had suddenly appeared, but she was aware that there was once open air over the canyon. Link had to dismount and hum the horse's song to her in order to lead her across. The planks of the bridge were thick and held Epona's weight just as well as the ones at the bridge back in Ordon, but she was still nervous and rolled her eyes despite being sung to.

"That's an amazing horse." Nebara said approvingly once he had finally gotten Epona across. "I've never seen one like her. Are they common in Hyrule?"

"No, my father was the only one who bred them. He passed away years ago, so now nobody does." He noticed the way that Nebara was looking at him. It was about the same way she had looked at Epona, and it made him uncomfortable.

"Are you sure you're not here for a bride? You're quite handsome. Short, but handsome." Most men would be short compared to Nebara. She was taller than Auru, and the man was on the tall side himself.

"I'm fairly sure. I have business at the Arbiter's Grounds." He noticed that Auru had not dismounted, so he hauled himself back up into the saddle.

"Ah, a shame. You look like you're quite strong." She shrugged and turned to Auru. "Wait here a minute. Since beautiful over there is going with you, you two will need an escort. Protocol, and all that. I'll go get my horse." The red-haired woman turned and went into a building that was attached to the adobe guardhouse, the two of them sunk partway into the ground in order to stay cool.

While she was readying her horse, Link looked around this side of the valley. It was the start of a winding canyon, with the guardhouse situated at a wider area not too far back from the walled border. He saw a flash of color up on the nearby cliff, and spotted a pair of red-haired women peering down at him, bows in hand. They were cautious, and he honestly couldn't blame them.

A few minutes later Nebara led a large muscular horse with wide hooves and a sleek black coat out of the stable. It was as large as a draft horse, and had a rust-colored mane and tail. When she mounted up, the tall woman seemed to fit the large horse.

"That's an amazing horse." Link said with a smile. "I'm going to guess that those are still being bred?"

"Oh, you're not getting one, beautiful. Not even if you marry a breeder." She grinned at him with white teeth that stood out from her tan-skinned face. The Gerudo did not seem to be tan from the sun, but naturally had darker skin instead. "Let's go. You'll want to make good time if you plan to see Hida tonight."

They rode through the winding canyon, the walls of it made of yellow and orange striated stone, cut by a river that was long gone. It kept getting hotter as they followed the twisting canyon road in a westerly direction, and Link decided to remove his hat and put up his hood to keep the sun off his head and face. He was still warm, but he didn't want to go through his time in the desert with sunburn.

After two or so hours of riding, they came to another square adobe guard station, where two women were seated beneath a cloth awning playing cards. They wore the same dark green clothing and sand-colored cloth cloaks that Nebara wore, and the two of them slowly stood when they saw the group approach. No, not the group; him. Link knew that he was going to be the center of attention the entire time he was here.

One of the guards said something in a language Link didn't recognize, and Nebara responded in kind, giving an offhanded wave towards the two men. After a short discussion, Nebara nodded and turned towards them, twisting in the saddle. "You'll be able to water your horses here, and yourselves. It's recommended." She fixed her red eyes on Link. "I know you're here on business, but if you ever change your mind, you know where my station is. See you later, beautiful." She wheeled her large mount around and rode off at a canter without a word, headed back to her post.

Link dismounted after Auru did the same, feeling a bit of culture shock. The Gerudo seemed to be quite forward, blunt and unabashed. It wasn't that they were intentionally rude, it was more that they didn't waste words when speaking. He followed the other man as one of the guards led them to a clay watering trough in the shade so the horses could drink, not sure he liked being called "beautiful". He'd dismiss it as a term of affection like how Telma called him "handsome", except Telma wasn't interested in him romantically. If romance was even involved in Gerudo marriages.

"What's your name?" the guard asked. She wasn't quite as tall as Nebara was, but was still around six feet tall. Her fiery orange hair had been gathered up on top of her head in a bun and decorated with a number of gold charms. She also wore golden earrings and bracelets, as did the other guards he had encountered. The Gerudo seemed to favor gold. Since she didn't have her hood up as the others had, he could see that her ears were pointed, but not as long as a Hylian's.

"Link." he said politely. Hopefully since this Gerudo looked to be about his age, she would be a bit more reserved or shy.

"What a very Hylian-sounding name for a male!" she giggled, putting her hand in front of her mouth like a shy girl.

"Well, I am a Hylian man." He pushed down his hood and scratched at his hair since he was in the shade, hoping he'd feel a bit less sweaty.

"I'll say." She looked at him intensely with dark eyes the color of blood. "Since your horse is going to rest for a bit before we get moving, how about we take a walk? There's a quiet spot not too far away where nobody will see or hear us." The young Gerudo wrapped her arms around one of his, hugging it to her torso and quite intentionally putting it against her breasts. "I promise it'll be fun."

Oh, gods. This was getting to be a bit too much, and this was only the third Gerudo he had met. "No thank you." he said, yanking his arm free and putting a bit of space between them.

She giggled. "Are you blushing? Oh! Look at that, the tips of your ears turn pink! Your pale skin is funny." The Gerudo hadn't even told him her name, yet she was proposing exactly what Auru had warned him about earlier. She reached out to put a hand on his arm again. "Are you sure? It'll be a good way to kill time."

"Positive. I'm here with Auru on business, and nothing else." He did not like how she kept invading his personal space, and did his best to keep his face and voice neutral.

"Aw. You're no fun." she pouted, and then went back to sit beneath the awning as if nothing had happened.

Link sighed and rested his forehead against Epona's flank, and endured more obnoxious giggles from Midna. This was going to be a very long trip through the desert.

After resting for about fifteen minutes and refilling their water supplies, the guard that had so brazenly offered a physical encounter to Link brought her horse around and mounted up, ready to lead them. He had hoped the other more quiet guard would be the one to escort them, but no...it had to be the promiscuous one. As they followed her through the canyon, he stared at the back of her hooded head and wondered if most other men would have been willing to take her up on her offer. Probably. Even Auru apparently had "girls" somewhere in Gerudo lands, which was something he never would have guessed about the man.

It wasn't that the Gerudo were unattractive, he decided as they cantered through the canyon. It was more that he simply had no interest in women he knew nothing of. Physical traits were well and good, but the mind was just as attractive as the body in a woman, and he felt fairly uncomfortable at the idea of ignoring one in favor of the other.

They stopped at another station to switch their escort and water the horses after only about an hour. The new guard asked to touch his hair since it was "the color of gold in the sun" as she put it, and he wasn't sure if she was just curious about the different texture of Hylian hair, or if she was looking for an excuse to touch him. Probably both, and he insisted that he was not interested.

The canyon spread out into wide areas in places, some of them having a small spring crowded with desert plants, others having buildings. There was a large fortress that they passed on the right, built of square sections of dark brown stone instead of adobe, huddled beneath an overhang of the canyon wall. It was a much larger building than he had seen so far, and because of its location it was probably cool inside. He spotted a few Gerudo here and there, all wearing similar clothing and realized that it was indeed a fort with a garrison, and this was the place where most of the guards lived. Like all the others, they stopped to goggle at the man that had entered their lands. The ones without their hoods up all had similar hairstyles, pulling their hair up on top of or at the back of their heads in tails, buns or braids.

The woman brought them to a large gateway at the end of the canyon, a wooden frame set into ancient stonework carved from the canyon walls themselves. The gate itself was little more than a palisade attached to ropes, built of thick and sturdy wood banded together with steel. They paused for a moment while their escort stopped to speak in the Gerudo tongue to the two other guards that were stationed at the gate, and after a moment they laboriously turned the crank to raise the wooden gate up, their muscles standing out as they worked. The Gerudo appeared to be quite strong.

He could feel the eyes of the two guards on him as they passed through the gate, and then they continued on through the end of the canyon as it opened up into desert. The road was marked by tall poles of wood that had flowing red flags attached to the tops of them, which was a good thing since there were no tracks for them to follow. They simply followed the posts over rolling sand dunes, making their way along through the shimmering air. That was something he hadn't seen except on some of the hottest days in Ordon. Even though it was farther south, Ordon's forests were far cooler than this place.

Link soon understood why it was unconventional to travel through the desert in the summer, and downright stupid during the afternoon. He wilted beneath the heat of the sun and the heat rising up from the dun-colored sands beneath him, feeling as if he broiled in an oven. Poor Epona didn't fare any better, and the mare seemed to be far more winded than normal. He felt guilty about bringing the poor horse to this horrible, hostile place.

There was no shade, no plants other than the occasional cluster of cacti and scrub, no animals other than a few lone hawks screaming far above. Only dunes as far as he could see, the shimmering air distorting them and making him question whether he was actually seeing the large wall of stone in the distance. He realized that was where they were headed, a landmark in the middle of endless sands.

It wasn't a wall, but instead a large, long outcrop of dark brown stone jutting up through the sandy floor of the desert. It could have been considered a mesa, but it was made of only one kind of rock instead of many layers, some odd geological event having pushed it up and out of the earth in the distant past. Carved out of the stone itself was a massive statue of a woman, the figure sitting cross-legged with her hands rested on her knees, palms up. A large snake coiled itself around her neck and body. As they approached he could see a tiny set of stairs and a doorway in the rock beneath the statue, and he realized that it was far larger than he thought. A nearby oasis with palm trees and a cluster of adobe buildings just solidified how massive the statue was.

Their guide led them to these and not the massive statue and the doorway beneath it. It looked like the building was important in some way, perhaps a religious temple, but he knew nothing of Gerudo religion. The figure looked like a Gerudo, but it could have been intended to be any of the three Golden Goddesses.

"The Desert Colossus." Auru said when the man saw Link staring at the massive carving, once their horses had slowed to a walk. "It's at least a thousand years old, perhaps more. The building beneath it is carved directly out of the stone, as is the statue of the Goddess of the Sand."

It was at a least a thousand years old. What had Hylians been doing in the past thousand years? Fighting one another, fighting the Zora, invading neighboring countries and generally not making any progress. Meanwhile the Gerudo had wonders such as this. He realized that in their isolation, the desert tribes had flourished and their civilization was farther along. It was no different than the Gorons or the Zoras, who while they were no strangers to war, still mostly kept to themselves. He briefly felt ashamed for being Hylian, for the race that only knew how to make war.

He heard a chime of quick notes coming from the sword on his back, and its voice spoke within his mind. It was not always that way, and the wars were not always the fault of the Hylians. Do not doubt your race, Master. You are the children of Hylia, and her ways were the ways of peace.

Auru perked a brow at him beneath his green hood, having also heard the short notes. "Did the sword just speak to you? Legends say that it once was able to speak, but no hero has heard it in a long time."

"The previous hero did, or at least the sword tried to talk to him. He was kind of messed up and unable to communicate with it well. It told me that my mind is a bit easier to talk to." He gave a short laugh. "Not that my own brain isn't broken in its own way."

The look Auru gave him was knowing, and he smiled a bit sadly in response to Link's attempt to dismiss his own personal trauma with a joke. "Perhaps in the future, we can speak about your experiences; your time with the Master Sword, what you've done for Hyrule as a hero, and the life you led before you answered your calling. I understand much of your life was unpleasant, but you are not that different than Shad or Zelda."

"I've started to realize that about Shad, but I don't know much about Zelda." He frowned. "I feel like I should. Her soul is tied to mine."

Auru glanced up ahead at their guide, but she was far enough that she probably couldn't hear their quiet conversation. "You know of the cycle of reincarnation, then. There is much to that, but I don't think you should feel obligated to know her just because she is a Zelda and you are a Link. I would rather you get to know her because she is a young woman close to your age, who has gone through similar difficulties in life." His eyes grew distant as he stared again. "She is very alone, outside of myself and Shad. She could use someone like you."

Link looked down at the reins in his hands, considering what Auru was saying. He had lost his parents to Zelda's father and his insanity...but hadn't Zelda lost her own father in a similar way? Renado had said that Adelbert had lost his mind in grief after Queen Constance died. He tried to imagine being eleven years old, trying to grieve your mother and watching your father's mind slowly unravel, only for him to marry a new woman immediately that looks just like your dead mother. The idea of having to be alone through that, having to rely on her own personal strength brought a lump to his throat. At least he had Ilia, Rusl and Uli. Zelda only had Shad, and that was only more recently.

He decided then and there that once they had found a way to return Zelda's soul to her body, he would become that friend that she needed. Something about her being alone through her pain hurt him, although he wouldn't have been able to explain why if asked. All he knew is it felt wrong.

Auru dismounted, and Link snapped back to the present and out of his thoughts. They had arrived at the group of buildings, which looked like a small village. Their guide was leading her large black horse to a larger stable than the ones at the other guard stations instead of the oasis, so presumably there was water inside. He dismounted and led Epona into the adobe building with its high barred windows, and found it was much cooler inside. There were other large black Gerudo horses in the stable, and they watched him and Epona go past with their large dark eyes.

"I would not remove their tack if I were you, since we will be leaving once the sun goes down. It is far too hot to cross the rest of the desert until then." Their nameless escort was using a pump to fill a bucket in order to water her stallion. None of the male horses appeared to be gelded. "There will be someone here who can bring you to Hida. I need to return to my post as soon as it's cool enough to leave." She lifted the heavy bucket of water easily and brushed her curly red bangs out of her eyes. "Are you sure I can't touch that pretty golden hair of yours? I've heard that some Hylian hair is much finer than Gerudo hair, and I have never seen one with straight hair before." She gave a smile. "My husband is also Hylian, but his skin is darker than mine, and his hair far more curly."

Link relaxed a bit as he grabbed a bucket. "I thought you were trying to get handsy with me. One of the other guards certainly was."

"Young man, I am at least ten years older than you are, and happy with my husband and daughter. I'm most certainly not interested, as cute as you are." She brought the bucket to her horse, who began drinking immediately. "I suppose you couldn't tell? The women without children yet are the ones who are usually after a mate."

"Like that helps. I won't be able to tell until one of them hits on me." he said dryly, and then tugged his hood down. "All right, knock yourself out. It probably isn't what you're expecting." He stood patiently as she reached her hand out to his head and endured the strange feeling of a stranger running her fingers through his hair. It was one of the many weird things that had happened today, and he doubted it would be the last.

"Yes, it does feel different, although it is rather thick, isn't it? Still, it's quite softer than mine or my husband's." She withdrew her hand and grinned, and he could see that she had a gap in her front teeth. The woman was still quite lovely, like the other Gerudo he had seen. "Thanks for indulging me. I'm going to freshen up and cool off. Good luck speaking with Hida." The woman turned and left without another word, just as abrupt as the other Gerudo had been.

"It was nice of you to let her touch your hair like that." Midna said, and from where Auru chuckled nearby she was speaking so both of them could hear. "To be fair their hair is really different than yours."

"True, but I'm not asking to pet them." He smirked a bit, giving Epona some water. "I guess it's my thing lately to let beautiful women touch my hair." He hadn't told her that Ilia had done that, and he had no plans to either. It was his own little private joke.

The Twili laughed at that. "I'm glad you believe me when I say I'm beautiful."

"I don't think you're lying, not after some of the things you've said to me." He began to look around for some feed, wanting to give his poor tired horse something. After finding it he hummed the song again and fed her, picking up a nearby brush to remove what dust he could from her coat.

"Of course you would know that song." Auru had finished with his own mare and came over to where Link was still working. "It's been in your family for a very long time, but there are others who know it thanks to the way your father trained his horses."

"A man named Erol recognized it. He asked if it was magic, but I told him that I was simply good with horses." He inspected Epona's legs to make sure she hadn't twisted anything while running over the sand. It must have been difficult for a horse who wasn't used to it. "What's this Hida like?"

"She's around my age, and she's the head chief of all the Gerudo. The lesser tribes defer to her, even if there's still a lot of disorganization with the nomads. She doesn't smile too much until she gets to know you, so if she seems a bit intimidating at first, don't worry. Hida's a kind and just leader." The man smiled. "You were worried after that last guard said 'good luck with Hida', weren't you?"

"A bit. Although after meeting the leaders of the Gorons and Zoras, I admit they weren't what I expected." Satisfied that Epona's legs were fine he stood up, setting the brush aside. There was no point in cleaning the horse if they were only going to ride out into the desert in a few hours. "So, what is there to do here while we wait?"


The Gerudo's name was Keela, and she was nearly seven feet tall. Link had never met anyone that tall that was human before, only people of other races like Darbus or Jorvan. Keela had her wavy hair cut just above her shoulders, and instead of piling it on top of her head like the others, she had pulled the top half of it back with a gold barrette. Unlike the other guards so far, she was wearing makeup: pale pink eye shadow and matching lipstick, and a line of dark kohl just above her top eyelashes. It was far different than how the women in Castle Town wore makeup. She had been rifling through paperwork that was covered in a sprawling script that Link had no idea how to read, and smiled fondly at Auru when she had seen him.

The two exchanged a few words and Link could tell that this was one of the man's friends from the desert he had spoken of. After working here for twenty-five years, he would have made friends, and good ones. Keela didn't seem to be quite as old as Auru, and was perhaps forty, but like the other guards they had encountered her body was fit and muscled, only she had the kind of wiry muscle that those who had passed their prime tended to have.

Auru briefly explained their situation, and even mentioned who Link was. The woman looked down at the Hero of Hyrule when introduced, towering over him. "Oh, dear. You would have to be a pretty one, wouldn't you? You poor thing." Keela sighed and patted him on the shoulder. "Best of luck to you. I understand you have an important duty, but it will be a miracle if you come out of this desert without a betrothal."

"I'm really not interested in a bride or...anything else. I have someone already." He averted his eyes for a moment, feeling a bit foolish for admitting it. They weren't a couple, but there still was something between himself and Ilia.

"Ah, saying that you already have a woman is a good way of letting my fellow warriors know that you are not available. Although some may see your girlfriend as competition and try anyway. I'm going to assume that you're not married yet, since you're still quite young." The tall woman raised her eyes to look past Link and to the door, where someone had just entered.

"Keela, there's a beautiful horse in the stable!" Another Gerudo had come inside, and was shaking the dust off her cotton cloak. All the Gerudo cloaks were cotton, as was a good deal of their clothing. Having cloaks made of cotton probably didn't matter so much in a place where it rarely rained. "And get this: she's wearing a bitless bridle!" The woman turned from hanging up her cloak and her red eyes widened in surprise when she saw Link. "Oh! You must own that horse. I thought you would have gone to the shop next door, but here you are."

"No, Auru brought me here to meet his friends while we wait for things to cool off." He smiled in a friendly way. "You must be Dai. I've already met Keela. I'm Link."

Dai smiled a dimpled smile in response, giving a slight bow. She was nearly Keela's age and not quite as tall, but unlike the other Gerudo she had wider hips and a bit of extra padding on her belly, which was bare beneath her midriff top like all the other women. Her arms were still muscular, and she wore only kohl on her eyelids and a simple braid. "Nice to meet you, and let me say I'm excited to meet a Hylian who doesn't use a bit. Some of us still use bits, usually snaffles. Not everyone can steer without one."

"My father was a horse breeder, so I have a way with them. Epona seems to understand how I'm feeling and responds pretty easily. I can't imagine putting a bit on her."

"I wish I could watch that, but I understand your mare is resting, as are you." She clapped her hands together, which had many gold rings on them, and a few made of Zoran silver. "Well, since Keela's too lazy to do it, I'll go make some tea and food. Take that wool cloak off and make yourself comfortable."

Keela crossed her long arms. "I had only just said hello. I was taking care of this week's rosters, not visiting my kids like you keep doing."

Dai laughed and crossed the room to head towards a doorway, which was presumably a kitchen area. "If you have more than three, you won't say that anymore."

"Three is plenty, thanks." Keela put her hand next to her mouth and spoke in a mock whisper to Link. "She has six. I don't know how she keeps getting down to Lakeside to make them when she's second-in-command here."

"I heard that!" the other woman's voice came from the kitchen, but it was jovial.

If the woman had six children, it would explain the extra weight she was carrying. He also couldn't imagine having six children before thirty-five, which was how old Dai looked. Gerudo must be ridiculously fertile. "Do most Gerudo have children eventually? Not all Hylian women do."

"It's an obligation in our society. Our numbers are too few for us not to have children, especially since the desert is so dangerous. My sister isn't even interested in males, and she still has two kids." Keela looked at the papers strewn across the table. "I suppose I should put these away for now. You're in for a treat, Link. Dai's quite the cook."

They sat and talked, and Link was glad to take off his cloak and gear. He didn't want to take the Master Sword off, even though he trusted these warrior women. If they were friends of Auru's, then they must be respectable people. After speaking with Keela for a bit while Dai cooked, he found himself liking her. She had a dry sense of humor much like his own, and exchanged jabs with Auru, and then Dai when the woman brought out some food. There was flatbread, rice, and grilled chunks of mutton in some kind of brown sauce that must have had a dozen spices in it. The tea wasn't what he was used to and was pale in color, had a slice of lemon in it, and more honey than he thought was reasonable. As unfamiliar as the food was, he found it quite good, and offered a few of the pears that he had stowed in his satchel as a dessert in exchange for the meal. It felt wrong to not offer anything.

Dai was more than pleased with his offer. "Of course I'll take your pears, you sweet little thing. I love pears, but they don't exactly grow around here."

"What does grow around here?" He had noticed some carefully tended trees near the water of the oasis.

"Mmm, let's see…" Dai ticked them off her jewelry-laden fingers. "Dates, tangerines, lemons, almonds, figs, cantaloupes...although that last one doesn't grow on trees. Oh, and olives I guess...although I'm not really sure if that's a fruit or not. You need to pickle those before you eat them or you'll get sick."

"I only know what a few of those are. We grow lemons and cantaloupes in Ordon, where I'm from." He had heard of tangerines, and knew them to be related to oranges. "There's a pretty large lemon orchard not too far from my house. It's a really popular fruit in Hyrule so they're one of our most-traded goods."

"I've never heard of Ordon, only Hyrule. Is that another country?" Keela asked.

It was his turn to talk for a while, and he told them all about Ordon and how it somewhat blended with the Faron region of Hyrule. Ordon was its own nation, but had no central government, and was known as supplying much of the fruit that Hyrule ate. He described the subtropical forests and rolling fields and neat orchards, and the women seemed impressed by the amount of things that would all grow in the same place, and the size of the fields he described. They asked questions about his family, which he more or less truthfully said that his parents died when he was a child and he had adoptive parents. Then they wanted to know about his girlfriend, and as much as Link wanted Ilia to be that, he felt wrong calling her that.

"She's seventeen, and we've been friends since she was eleven and I was twelve. She has hair even lighter than mine and green eyes, and she's small. Very petite. " He stared into the dregs of his tea and the sodden lemon that lay there. "Do you know the Bulbins that rode through your lands to invade Hyrule? They came down to Ordon and attacked us. They shot her and bashed me on the head, and because of that she's forgotten a lot of her old life. The experience wiped her memory. She's gradually remembering, but she doesn't remember me yet."

"So that's why you acted awkward when I asked if you had a girlfriend earlier." Keela said. "I'm sorry. I didn't know." The woman reached out and patted his arm kindly. "But I've heard of that kind of thing happening. Don't worry, she'll remember eventually."

The conversation shifted more to the two women and their jobs as commanders for the small village that sat next to the Colossus, and the Spirit Temple that was situated beneath it, which was a place of some importance to the Gerudo. Link only vaguely listened, his mind on Ilia. It was foolish of him to think of her; he had only left her behind yesterday, yet he missed her already. Trying to push her from his mind was like trying to stop breathing, since he couldn't do it for long. He hoped that his business with the Twilight Realm kept his mind occupied enough that he wouldn't think about her too much.

After some more tea and a few more hours of conversation, the sun dipped low and Auru announced that it was time to go. Keela offered to guide them to where Hida was, since her children were nearly grown, unlike Dai's. The tall Gerudo told them to get their horses ready and meet them in the middle of the village, which had the creative name of "East Oasis". Then she rose and prepared to go.

Fifteen minutes later, the three of them were mounted and in the middle of the little adobe settlement. Keela had put on a long blue tunic that was covered in embroidery, and pulled her hood up. "You should know, it gets very cold here once the sun goes down. Auru knows how to dress, and I see that you're wearing layers a lot like him, so you should be fine."

"It gets cold, even in the summer?" Another alien concept. The desert sure was a weird place.

"There's no moisture and barely any plants to hold on to the heat, unlike back in Hyrule." Auru told him. "That's also why it's so hot during the day. The Gerudo tend to be more active at night and rest through the day."

"Yes, but summers are harder because the days are so long. There's less time for us to do things." She turned her large black horse. "Let's ride."

Keela led them west, following the road that was marked by more poles with long red flags. Here and there the road itself was packed, the sand harder than the dunes around it, but other times the stuff heaped itself up directly in their path. The moon was only about a quarter, but even then its pale light lit the desert well enough. In its light he could see that every once in a while, one of the pole markers would have a heap of stones next to it, and he wasn't sure of their purpose. Only when she veered off the road and to the left did he understand why. She turned at a particular pole that had two smaller piles of rocks instead of one large one. It was a way to mark the path without the Bulbins knowing.

Epona's breath steamed in the air as he followed Keela south, towards distant cliffs. It was hard to tell how far away they are, but that was how it was for everything in the desert. He had no idea how the Gerudo judged distances, but perhaps it was easier having grown up here. Because of that, he also had no idea how long they were traveling, and his only judge of time was how close to setting the moon was.

This time his horse didn't seem as winded, far better suited for riding in cold weather than overly hot. Her harness creaked in the dry desert air as he tailed Keela, who said nothing as she led them onward, using landmarks only she recognized for navigation, or perhaps the stars themselves. The dark cliffs loomed closer, and suddenly they were right next to them, more tiered mesas that stretched south for who knows how far. It was possible they went all the way to the ocean.

"We will need to ride single file. Do you know of this ancient fortress, Auru?" Keela asked.

"I didn't know about any southern fortresses, no. I thought they were all in the north. Is the city's population here now?" The older man was just as lost as Link was, since his visits to the desert probably went straight to the city that he had mentioned.

"Part of it. Some of have joined the nomads or have settled in ruins along the north mesas. We have lost some warriors, too. Not as many as the green bastards, but still…" She sighed, and made a beckoning motion. "Follow me."

The gap in the dark cliffs was only apparent once Keela rode through it. Auru followed, and Link went through last. It was dark inside and the sides of the cliff were close, but a warm light up ahead made it so they could find their way, and he followed the dim form of the man and horse in front of him. After going around a bend in the narrow gap, they came across a lit brazier, its light hidden from the open desert outside. There were others at regular intervals past it as the path widened.

The canyon opened up into a large rounded area that gradually sloped uphill. A town crowded the dark walls of the canyon, multi-level buildings made of adobe and brick and lit by torches and braziers. The bowl-shaped canyon walls that leaned inwards at their tops reminded him of Goron city, but that was the only thing that did. The Gerudo had a market, signs for pubs, shops and even a small inn, and even though it was late at night, the town was alive. Red-haired women with varying shades of dark skin went about their business, all wrapped in cloaks to ward off the chill in the air. Even though Link had his hood up, heads turned to look at him, most of them not paying Auru or Keela any heed. A few greeted Auru by calling out and waving, but most tried to see the face of the other man who had boldly ridden into the lands of women.

Keela led them to the back of the canyon, which had a much larger structure that was made of dark brown granite, parts of it polished and reflective in the warm lights of the town. It occupied the space from wall to wall of the canyon, although it appeared that the canyon continued on past the building. The fortress had narrow windows with gilded lattice grates instead of glass, and it was two floors tall with a squat round lookout tower on top. It looked far older than any of the other structures he had seen so far, with the exception of the Colossus and the temple beneath it.

Their guide rode up to two tall guards that were even more heavily muscled than she was, and about as tall. They wore golden armor and had large two-handed swords strapped to their backs over their dark red cloaks, and one of them called out to Keela as she approached. After an exchange and some gesturing, that guard smiled at Auru and motioned for him to come closer. The other went inside.

"Well look what a haboob blew in. You're here far earlier than expected." she said with a grin. It was strange that the Gerudo had their own language yet spoke flawless Hylian.

"And you're not in the city. It seems everything is out of sorts." He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder at where Link sat on his horse. "That's why I have this young man with me. We need to speak to Hida."

"Don't tell me you're bringing Hylian problems here. We have enough on our plate." The guard's smile never faded. So far, the Gerudo were friendly and outgoing. Link was glad of that; this one had biceps the size of his head, and he'd hate to be on her bad side. "But I'm sure Hida will let you hear all about it."

"I'll take my leave now." Keela said, adjusting her hood to cover her head better. "I should get back to East Oasis before too late." She smiled at the much smaller Hylian. "Good luck, Link. I hope you find what you came here for."

"Thanks for everything, Keela. I hope we meet again." He returned her smile.

"Oh dear. Try not to show that smile to too many of the women inside. Most of Hida's warriors aren't married yet." She laughed when he assumed a serious expression, turned her horse and rode off without a goodbye.

"People sure come and go in a hurry around here." he said, watching the woman as she left.

"In a place like this, you tend to not waste words or actions. It's far better to spend your time paying attention to your surroundings." said the guard. Her eyes were almost golden in color, which was different. All the others had red eyes so far. "Now that I look at you, I can understand Keela's advice. Tsk, blue eyes. That's trouble. Keep that hood up unless Hida tells you to remove it. We have a visiting tribe here, and some of the warriors from it are...crude."

He hated to think of what the Gerudo considered crude. "I'll try to be careful."

The other guard returned with an older woman with white hair and two young women that weren't as muscular as the rest. They were servants, not warriors, and so they weren't built like the others he had seen so far. The old woman stepped up to Auru's roan and patted the mare on the nose. "Please dismount, gentlemen. Your horses will be stabled and well cared for."

Link had expected to care for Epona himself, and felt guilty as he got off his horse. Even though one of the young women came over to Epona, he took the time to softly hum to the mare and offer her an apple. "I'm so sorry. I'm not fair to you, my Epona." he said, leaning his forehead against her nose as she crunched her treat.

"You sound so sad." the girl said, although she seemed to be a bit on the shy side. "I promise I'll take good care of Epona."

He sighed and turned towards her, handing over the reins with a small smile. "Thanks."

The servant took the reins, her face looking a bit darker than before, and she gave a quick bow before leading the mare away. Midna spoke for the first time in hours. "I don't know who is more the fool, you or her. All you did was give a small smile, no teeth even, and she absolutely melted. Did you see it? I can't even laugh about it now, Link. I'm starting to feel like I'm going to have to show myself and defend you against these women. Either that or put a sack over your head."

He gave a faint smile and put his hand to his chest, unable to respond in any other way in front of the Gerudo, and followed Auru and the old woman inside.

It was cool inside the stone building but not as cold as outside. The thick granite walls kept the temperature constant, which was probably the intention when the place was built. They were led through an entryway and past an intersecting hall, and on to a large atrium. The room was made of different kinds of polished granite, its wide pillars set near the walls with braziers set in front of each one. A large fountain gurgled in the middle of the room, water spilling over a single layer of black stone into a square pool below. Having a fountain in the middle of the desert was likely considered a luxury.

Warriors lined the walls. Some stood in groups chatting, others sat on stone benches reading or playing card and board games, and even a few were examining their weapons. The chatter of female voices in the large room ceased when the two men entered, and dozens of red-on-yellow eyes followed Auru and the mysterious male who had the hood of his brown cloak pulled up.

The room was silent as the servant brought them to a stone chair situated along the back wall, the wall itself flanked by two hallways that went farther into the fortress. Two more tall guards in golden armor with large swords stood on either side of what was clearly a throne, and the woman seated in it. She was a middle-aged Gerudo with tan skin that had almost a golden tone to it, and her burgundy-colored hair was streaked with white at her temples. She didn't wear any more pieces of jewelry or fancier clothing than the other Gerudo, but the woman carried with her an air of authority. This was Hida, the woman that he had to speak to, and the one who would either help or hinder his mission to the Arbiter's Grounds.

She put a hand to her chin thoughtfully as her orange eyes looked to Auru, and then to Link. Then she smiled ever so faintly, the corners of her green-painted lips turning up slightly. "Oh, dear." Hida sighed dramatically, her eyes amused. "Look at this. What poor fool has my husband dragged to the desert this time?"