Little can be told of Telma's first two years at Agnes'. Once she had regained enough Gerudo to comfortably work independently, she made every effort to "exist" as little as possible in the lives of her employers. She worked diligently, but quietly – only approaching Agnes or Audra when absolutely needed. She would speak with the other girls, but only if they spoke to her first. Her meals were taken alone and whatever free time she had was spent secluded inside of her room. The only exception was Safflina. Whether it was because of their original introduction, or the fact that she seemed to accept Telma without hesitation, the two gradually became close friends. Lavender too could be kind and talkative, but she still maintained a discreet distance from her when the others were near.
Telma's 'sister' took it upon herself to teach 'Ivy' the ways of 'the house' and the Gerudo people in general – which of course drew curious glances and confused expressions when Telma did not already know or understand these things, but only briefly. The Hylian outcast was always careful not to reveal too much about herself, and remained evasive and quiet for many months. But after her first year, the crushing isolation and loss of familial connection finally broke down part of her resolve, and she admitted to her friend that she had indeed spent much of her life in Hyrule. A wave of anxious questions followed, but she did not force the issue if 'Ivy' did not want to answer. "I spent many years there, most of my life in fact. There were some bad people, but… there were some very good people who cared for me. They are gone now." Was all the young woman was prepared to say.
Her 'sister' did not understand it – Gerudo had long understood that Hylians did not tolerate any trespassers into their territory and very rarely allowed ambassadors or official messengers through the pass. But the pain on Telma's face made her heart ache and she just accepted what her marooned companion told her. For the rest of that evening, Telma felt a wonderful sense of relief and liberation – even though she had told Safflina very little, just the fact that she had told somebody something about herself, helped her to feel less alien and closer to being a true 'member' of the house. The following morning however, that liberation had turned to a very powerful ache… a need to tell her more. She longed to reveal herself to her friend; to drop the mask and truthfully be "Telma, daughter of Gormund" but… she was also terrified of losing the only friend she had in the world. So, she resisted the urge, and returned to her quiet work.
Summer, Year of the Great Kingdom 599
Little 'official' news came to Outlast from the Gerudo leadership. Knowledge of the outside world and the progress of the war had to be gathered through rumors and gossip from the desert traders, or from the warriors that rotated back to the "home country" for some rest. The women of Agnes' managed to learn that the war had come to a stalemate – with neither side able to cross the Regencia or Satori bridges. Small raids – crossing the rivers by boat at night – made some progress, but both armies quickly recovered and held their lines. As time wore on however, the Hylians were able to bring more and more soldiers to their front and Ganondorf's force was quickly becoming outweighed. If he did not do something soon, the enemy might finally be able to overwhelm him.
As the summer opened over the second anniversary of his invasion, the Gerudo Chieftain hatched a brilliant scheme. If he could not defeat the Hylians with his own forces, then he would get the Hylians… to destroy themselves. Swiftly, he dispatched emissaries to the three 'Outer Kingdoms' of Greater Hyrule. Traveling south – to the Faronian coast, then moving eastward along the beach- these women would approach the leadership of Faron first then charter discreet passage upon their trade ships to Necluda & Akkala and deliver their master's offer. Ganondorf knew of the outland's bitterness at the Hylian Dominance they lived under, but he was uncertain how willing they would be to join his cause and rebel against their masters.
The envoys were made up of a diverse group of his tribe. Powerful warriors to act as the escort – and to show 'Gerudo Strength', skilled negotiators to deliver the terms and make whatever agreements were necessary to secure their allegiance, and some of the most beautiful and alluring – to charm the governors and tempt them with greater treasures after victory was won. For several weeks, no word returned from the messengers, and Ganondorf began to fear that his plan had failed.
Outlast was normally a rather quiet village – only bustling when the weekly trading caravan arrived or when a major formation of soldiers passed through. During the hottest days, the inhabitants would shelter within their huts or under their tents – only venturing out for water, when needed. Fires -and thus cooking- would be reserved until the sun had nearly set and the night's cold began to come up. Agnes' girls were spared the worst of the heat, thanks to their large establishment, but business slowed to a crawl and very few rupees could be earned. This summer, however, would prove to be very different from most.
In late July, when the scalding sun was at its worst, three imposing messengers arrived. They entered the inn with their faces covered by white veils and carrying large spears in their hands. Telma knew they were important, but she had not learned all of the Gerudo Army's insignia. These were members of the personal guard… of Lord Ganondorf. Taking a brief moment to drop their veils and drink in the cooler air inside of the building, the women quickly approached her desk. "Are you the owner here?!" barked the first – still bearing her spear. Telma lowered her eyes and gave a respectful bow – all who were not warriors, were required to 'show submission' to the warrior caste.
"Your pardon, no." she answered softly, "My mistress is upstairs. I shall bring her to you." "Be swift!" the captain shouted, rapping the shaft of her spear against the front of the desk. With graceful speed, Ivy closed the establishment's ledger – slipping it into a drawer – and retreated up the staircase. She found Agnes counting small rupees and grains of gold in her room, leaning over last month's ledger. "Some soldiers are here, mistress. They are demanding to see you." "Finally!" croaked the old hag, "Some business!"
Leaving her scales behind, the aged matron swept past her desk clerk and fluttered down the stairs, before suddenly stopping short at the sight of them. "You didn't say they were ROYAL GUARDS!" she hissed. "I… I…" babbled Telma, but her mistress had already dashed forward once again. Gliding around the front station, Agnes reverently bowed to the captain – being sure to open her palms toward her, to show she was unarmed. "How may this loyal servant of the Goddess of the Sands please the voice of the chieftain?" she asked with deep submission.
"You are Agnes?" snapped the Gerudo warrior. The old crone bowed even lower, "Ever at the service to our lord, I am Agnes of Outlast." She answered. "And you run the whore-house in this shit-pit of a town?" sneered the officer, turning an ugly eye toward Telma, who instinctively bowed her head as well. The old matron hesitated for a moment – still looking at the floor between them – before answering, "I am the proprietor of this establishment… my vai are ready to serve any need that our lord may have." Ivy's heart began to beat much faster. "What do they mean… 'whore-house'?! We're an inn and tavern!" she wondered, but still, she kept her respectful bow.
"Special guests will be arriving soon!" barked the captain, looking back at Agnes now, "Guests of Lord Ganondorf. You are to treat them to whatever they desire!" "Of course, of course, any guest of our lord shall be treated in the highest respects!" crooned the old hag, but her eyes betrayed her fear – she worried that the girls may not be paid for favors to the Chieftain's 'guests.' The Gerudo now leaned in close, over Agnes' head, and whispered, threateningly, "See that every possible pleasure is given to them – nothing is to be held back! Our lord will not hesitate to kill you or your whores, should you fail!" "O-of…of course," babbled Agnes, "My vai are the finest beneath sun or moon… we shall not fail Lord Ganondorf."
After a few more vague threats, the royal guards returned their veils to their faces and departed. Agnes, in near panic, began shouting for all of the girls to gather in the foyer and hear the news. "Lord Ganondorf is sending… 'guests' to us! We… we… we are commanded to give them every comfort and pleasure possible!" she stammered, frantically pacing from side to side as the girls, and Audra, looked on. "Does this mean… 'man's work'… or something else?" asked Lavender. "I… I don't know," admitted Agnes, "But they came here… expecting us to perform our craft… so be ready for anything! Away now! Go! Shoo! Prepare yourselves! We don't have much time!"