A Link to the Heart Chapter 5

The Spirit Temple was ancient, older than the tales could tell. It had always been there, sitting in the scorching desert sun, disdaining the passing of mortal lives. Kingdoms had risen and fallen, dynasties born and ground into dust and the temple simply endured. It had been waiting when the first Gerudo clans had stumbled across the haunted wastelands and they had immediately recognised its significance.

The temple was hidden inside a cliff face of yellow stone. Its frontage had been carved into the image of a colossal woman, sitting cross-legged with palms held up and wearing a snake-headdress. Before the entrance to the temple lay a shallow valley, running west to east. It was a barren stretch of sand and gravel, bereft of fertile soil and home only to scuttling Skulltulas, mocking Guay birds and burrowing Leevers. Only a tiny spring made it bearable, barely large enough to slake the thirst of a handful of travellers, certainly not enough to support the huge gathering of clans.

Packed into the valley were the Gerudo clans. They had come from all corners of the desert, from the baking rocks of the northern climbs to the endless sand dunes of the interior. From the sharp valleys of the west to the mountains of the south they had come. Everywhere the eye could see tents squatted, jostling for space in the narrow valley. Cattle and horses were packed together, their piles of manure stinking in the hot sun. Prisoners sweated in their chains and prayed for drops of water and itinerant traders plied their wares, drawn by the prospect of rupees. All told there must be fifty thousand Gerudo packed into the valley, the bulk of their nation gathered into one place, but Kinesha saw none of it.

Inside a shaded tent Kinesha stood with her arms wide and legs spread and a scowl upon her face. In the dark interior were boxes of rare items the clan had acquired, piles of cushions and a bronzed mirror, casting a murky reflection. Yet the cause of Kinesha's discomfort was the number of women tugging at her body and forcing items of clothing upon her. They pulled silk pantaloons up her legs and bound gold tokens into her hair, they slathered paint onto her nails and dusted her arms with glitter, while a prune-faced crone carefully applied purple Kohl to her eyelids. Kinesha felt like a doll being dressed up by a clumsy child and muttered, "Is this really necessary?"

From the rear of the tent Mahee stood with her arms crossed as she retorted, "You are the leader of the Padwe, you must look your best before the other clans!"

"I would…" Kinesha winced as someone tried to run a comb through her knotted hair, "I would prefer a comfortable robe and a bared blade."

Gurd was sitting on pile of cushions and chewing on a date as she snapped, "This is an important gathering, you said. The Padwe have to make an impression, you said."

"I meant we should ride in with our heads held high," Kinesha replied, "Not get painted up as dolls."

Mahee shook her head, "The other clans will be watching us closely. When they look at you, they see the Padwe. You must show them we are their equal in all ways, not only in war but in peace."

"Then why can't I…. yow!" Kinesha snapped as a woman doing something to the back of her pantaloons jabbed her with a sharp needle.

In the moment of distraction the prune-faced harridan working on her face grabbed her cheeks and squeezed, forcing her to pucker her lips. Red-berry juice was applied to her lips as Kinesha tried to protest, "Wad… yo… stp… at!" The hand gripping her face relented and she saw Gurd stifling a laugh. Kinesha glared and as gold bangles were forced onto her arms she spat, "You're enjoying this!"

Gurd grinned widely, "You never did like dress-up, always more eager to ride a horse than plait your hair."

"It's stupid," Kinesha growled, "Why do we need to paint our faces for a council of war?"

Yet Mahee looked thoughtful as she mused, "You don't understand. This valley is far more than a meeting place for war councils. Ancient power flows here, a font of magic cascading into the world from a sacred realm. I sense the raw potential of this place, the spiritual energies bubbling. They say there is even a Great Fairy fountain hidden within the valley. We must show respect."

Gurd frowned as she wondered, "I wonder if that is why Twinrova are so feared. They were merely clever enough to set up base in a fountain of power."

Yet Mahee sighed, "No, Kouma and Kotake are indeed cunning and powerful. They are not to be underestimated and certainly not to be trusted."

Suddenly Kinesha felt a tugging between her shoulder blades and squawked in protest as a loose feeling crept across her chest. "Hey, leave that!" she protested but was roundly ignored as the attendants removed her tight bindings and pulled a silk blouse onto her. Everybody stepped back and examined the results and Kinesha actually blushed as she was examined like a mule for sale.

Gurd tutted, "That won't do."

"Indeed not," Mahee scowled, "Fetch lamb's wool for stuffing!"

Kinesha looked straight down at herself then up as her blush grew livid and she squawked, "I don't need any stuffing!"

"Yes you do," Gurd laughed, "Don't fret, at least you've got the tummy and the legs to pull this look off. You just need some help in other areas."

The attendants grabbed soft wool and Kinesha endured a couple of minutes of total humiliation as they shoved and tugged and bound her in odd ways. Finally everybody stepped back and Kinesha could finally look at herself in the mirror. She had to admit the effect was impressive. In the bronze reflection stood not a coarse warrior but a Gerudo queen. Her skin glowed like liquid gold and her bare midriff was taut. Her face was poised and regal and her arms bound with golden bands. Hair flowed down her back, dotted with gold tokens while the naked scimitars at her hips shone like liquid silver. She didn't know where all that wool had been hidden in her blouse but the effect was impressive, most impressive.

Kinesha swallowed then said, "I suppose it will do."

"Every Gerudo out there will turn green with envy," Gurd replied, "Just try not to trip on a tent peg and fall into any manure, it would spoil hours of work."

Mahee clapped her hands and declared, "We need to go. Remember walk slowly and keep your chin up. Walk like you own the whole damned valley and all others are your servants."

"I know how to walk," Kinesha snapped.

Mahee scowled as she retorted, "No, not your usual clomping about with a blank expression. All eyes will be looking for weakness in the Padwe. You must give them nothing, show them only strength. They are beneath you, make them understand this with your bearing."

Kinesha had no idea what she meant but Gurd spoke up, "Remember when we were thirteen summers old and Vorala, daughter of Roala, stole your favourite horse."

Kinesha's lip curled in disdain, "That spawn of a jackal's loins, may Skulltulas gnaw upon her toes!"

"Perfect!" Mahee exclaimed with delight, "Keep that look upon your face and all shall know they face a queen!"

Suddenly the attendants scattered and Gurd climbed out of her cushion and moved to the tent flap. Kinesha slowly moved to the door and her friends fell in behind as she stepped into the light. Heat like a flaming brand struck her head as the light bore down and she squinted as her eyes adjusted. The tents of the Padwe ringed her abode and all stepped back in awe as Kinesha emerged. She was pleased, despite her discomfort and ridiculous attire the effect of her appearance seemed to be working. The only thing that marred the moment was the smell of cattle dung piling up in the valley.

Kinesha fought to keep her nose from wrinkling as they set off, moving towards the distant desert colossus. The Padwe had arrived late and so had to set up camp furthest from the centre, which meant they had a long walk ahead of them. Kinesha moved slowly and counted tents. The Padwe was an average-sized clan, roughly five hundred souls and by her estimate there must be a hundred clans in the valley. Almost the entirety of the Gerudo nation gathered in one spot.

They walked slowly towards the edge of their encampment and Kinesha muttered, "I had not imagined we numbered so many."

Mahee grumbled, "Yet it is barely a fifth the number of Hylians. Their lands are bountiful and rich, they can feed more mouths than we can."

Gurd agreed, "Food will be an issue, this many mouths can't be supported in a hard-scramble valley. This council can't possibly last more than a day or two before we will have to break up and scatter."

Kinesha didn't like the implications, the Gerudo nation was nomadic by nature, the harshness of their deserts meant settled agriculture was impossible. She had travelled into Hyrule and other lands, to trade and to raid, and seen the fertile lands and the vast populations. The Gerudo could put far more of their people into the saddle to fight, but that was a big slice of a small pie, the nation of Hyrule could field armies that would sweep the Gerudo aside with ease.

Kinesha muttered, "I don't know what Twinrova is thinking, but outright war does not favour us."

"Pah," Gurd spat, "Hyrule may be big but they are slow. We will favour speed and cunning. Hitting where they are weak and withdrawing from where they are strong. Their slothful army will never catch us."

"Be not so sure," Mahee cautioned, "The Gerudo and Hyrule have fought before and the result was not to our favour."

Kinesha's eyes flashed to the east, where a faint hill marked the outpost of Gerudo Fortress. One of the few permanent residences of the nation. That Fortress stood watch over one of the handful of bridges that crossed the gorge separating the two nations and it was the Gerudo's staging ground for raids into the fertile lands beyond. The Gerudo didn't favour defensive emplacements much, the haunted wastes and endless dunes were far better protections than any stone wall could ever be, but the Fortress was symbolic of their proud martial history and so it was permanently manned.

Their walk had brought them to the edge of the Padwe encampment and they stepped out, wending their way between the tents of other clans. Kinesha saw the symbols of the Otial and the Guniper clans, the Cakawa and the Hunerta, all tribes she had fought and drank and raided with on many an occasion. Alliances between clans were typically brief and usually for a specific purpose, likely to break into feuding without warning. Yet the Spirit Temple was as close to neutral ground as it was possible to get, none would dare spill blood on this sacred ground. At least that was the idea.

Kinesha saw various faces peering at her as they walked and she was pleased by the number of jealous looks and glaring dislikes she received. Her appearance was working and she lifted her chin to convey her disdain, the Padwe would not be counted as lesser than any other clan. The trio wended their way through the various encampments without issue, making their way to the colossus. They passed people cooking and sowing and drinking under shaded awnings. Laughter and merriment were in the air and somewhere a lute played a jaunty tune. The only toil was by teams of young girls beating the ground with brushes, keeping Leevers from burrowing up and ruining the peace of the camp.

As they walked she saw others present, various traders and merchants. A few were even men. The Gerudo as a whole had little respect for men, the. lingering bitterness of the curse tainting their opinions. Yet a few traders were tolerated, their wares important enough to warrant a pass. A few roaming adventurers and warriors had even earned begrudging respect and the right to come and go as they pleased. Though it was extremely rare, it took more than a strong arm to impress a Gerudo. Cunning, guile and sneakiness were more important than swinging a sword. Kinesha could count on one hand the number of adventurers who had earned the right to stand among them.

From the packed crowds a grinning trader stepped into their path, his back heavy with goods and he cried, "Buy a magic mask! Buy this mask, it will transform you into a wolf!"

"Out of the way," Gurd snapped as they strode past.

The man didn't seem admonished as they left him in their wake and he called out to a little girl with her thumb in her mouth, "Buy this one, look at the floppy ears! It will make you run as fast as a hare!"

Kinesha didn't look back as she asked, "Can one truly transform into a wolf?"

Mahee sniffed, "Possibly, but the magic required is prodigious."

Gurd asked, "So he wouldn't really have a mask that can do that?"

Mahee snorted, "Either he is a mad sorcerer, giving away mighty magic for a pittance or he is a charlatan, fleecing the gullible for precious rupees."

They were nearly at the Colossus now and Kinesha snapped, "Be quiet, we approach our goal."

They mounted a small flight of steps and walked over a stone paving. Before the dark doorway into the temple two guards stood in ceremonial attire. Purple pantaloons, tunics and veils draped over their faces. They carried long glaives in hand and Kinesha was sure they knew how to use them. Ritual clothing or not these two were genuine warriors and would not let anyone pass without good reason.

One of them called forth, "Who dares approach the council?!"

Kinesha replied imperiously, "The leader of the Padwe clan!"

The other growled, "You come late, the council has already started."

"I am neither late nor early," Kinesha replied, "I arrive when I choose."

The guards snorted in amusement but they lifted their glaives, allowing passage into the temple. Kinesha strode past them without deigning to look at them but as they stepped into the darkness beyond she whispered, "Keep your wits about you and trust no one, we are marching into a nest of vipers."