Disclaimer: I do not own The legend of Zelda
It had been near a week since he'd been moved from the cell and since the incident in their training grounds. She seemed to have forgotten what happened, seldom mentioning it unless someone else brought it up. She'd been right when she said he'd be laughed at because of what happened. The very next day when she came to fetch him to help move barrels snickering followed them wherever they went in the fortress city.
She still came by each morning like she did the first time, tray of food and more water with her. What she brought varied each day, though the majority of it was figs and the occasional pomegranate because meat, she explained, was rarer seeing that there was little grass to raise livestock on.
"We're going to the marketplace today," Zanora said, brushing the juice from her fig on her pants. "Ought to get you some proper clothes so you don't stick out quite as much."
"What's wrong with mine?"
She shrugged. "Nothing really, but you won't stick out quite as much if you're wearing our clothes."
He tucked his arms together and took a small step back. "Wait, I'm going to have to dress like you?" He wasn't too keen on the idea of wearing an outfit like that.
"Oh its not that bad. Don't be a baby about it."
Once she lead him out of the fortress, they crossed the large sandy road that quite obviously saw more foot traffic than horse and cart.
"Through here," She said, leading him through a large set of gates and through a tunnel carved into the rock.
A multitude of voices echoed in the short tunnel.
The tunnel opened to a surprisingly bustling marketplace sprawled out across the sand.
There were some shops were laid out in somewhat uneven lines, most shops had low counters, with the unpacked goods protected by tarps and the vendor sitting upon a rug. Some shops were taller, the counters a normal level with tarp all around it. Here and there was a much larger stalls, designs pertaining to the nature of the shop painted on the sides of the tent that housed it. Woman shouted greetings at passersby, some even ringing bells whenever someone walked by.
He found some comfort in the fact that despite the alien atmosphere, somethings such as the habit of market vendors didn't change.
He followed Zanora closely as she weaved through the stalls, her eyes sharp as she seemed to be searching for someone or something.
The vendors seemed to hone in on him as they passed, seeing his foreign clothes, his foreign features and called out to him, trying out boast each other to draw him in. Some of them did call out to Zanora, asking friendly questions or giving her a respectful tip of the head.
He did note, that not all of the vendors tried to draw people in by shouting or jangling bells to catch peoples attention, and that those who were quiet watched people come and go with a quiet confidence.
"Ah there's one!" Zanora exclaimed, hustling him through the people and stalls to stop at a particular one.
He found himself staring at the vendor with some amount of shock. A man welcomed them with a friendly smile, auburn hair falling over pale green eye and pointed ears. He held out his hand to Zanora, his skin the same shade as any Gerudo's.
He'd seen only one other man during his short time in the desert, and it had been a clearly human man that had been dressed in similar clothes to the woman who's arm he hung off of.
"Welcome, Lady Zanora, I see you've brought a new face to my humble stall." She nodded, giving his hand a quick tug and offered her own smile
"Yes, I'm looking for some clothes for him, think you've got any thing that'll fit him?"
"So quick to get down to business, one moment." The man ducked down beneath his counter and came up with a large bundle of clothes in his arms. He spread them out carefully before them. "I think you'll find these more than suitable."
Zanora rubbed the edge of one of the garments between her fingers. "Just what I would expect from a tailor like you, Arook. Yes, I'll take them."
The Man produced a rough looking sack and shoved everything inside. "Normally I'd say thirty rupees a piece, but since you helped me last week, lets say three hundred even for everything."
Zanora produced a small pouch, and pulled the sum of rupees from it. "Deal." She tossed the rupees onto the counter as he handed her the sack. "See ya round." The man waved as she dragged him back through the market, stopping at the odd stall here and there on the way back to his small room.
"That man back there, he looks like a Gerudo." He said as they walked. "I was starting to think there were no male Gerudo."
Her nose crinkled slightly as she responded. "He's not a Gerudo. He looks like one because he's a half breed. We have voe, but there's one for 'round every hundred of us and they're not recognized as full Gerudo because they're not the king." she looked at him from the corner of her eyes. "You didn't buy into that stupid myth that there is only one male born to the tribe every century, did you?"
He shook his head. "I've never heard of that before. Why would people believe something like that?"
"Because of some old miscommunications . Only one male per hundred years is born full blooded and we keep a tight hold on the precious few halfbreeds we have, so people stupidly began to believe there was only one male born to us at all per century and it stuck.". She explained.
There was something about that that struck him as odd. "But that doesn't make sense. How can only one man be born full blooded?"
"Chosen by the sand goddess most likely."
She closed the door behind him and rummaged through the bag, pulling out different articles before tossing the bag across the room and onto the bed. "Strip." She commanded and he took a small leap back and gripped the edge of his shirt defensively.
She waved her free hand in the air, "Don't be such a baby about. Just be grateful I didn't have you change in the middle of the market place." He cheeks burned as she threw at light peace of fabric at him. "Take your shirt off and put this on."
He grumbled, but did as he was told. The light brown fabric hung loosely to the tip of his fingers.
She held a pair of pants of the same color up. "These too."
He took them, holding them close to his chest. "Fine but turn around or something."
She rolled her eyes, digging further in the bag. "Don't be such a prude, It's not like I'm asking you to take off your small clothes too." She pulled pit a long, bright green piece of fabric and nodded approvingly.
He grumbled, but relented. The pants too, hung past his ankles, the light fabric brushing against his heels. "Are they supposed to be this loose?"
She looked up at him, a duller green garment in her hand. "yes, now put this on these on." She handed him the garments.
He slipped on the dark green vest and tied the thick, brighter sash round his waist and she gave a nod. "Okay now the bracers. Gimmie your arms." He stuck out his hands, watching as she gathered up the fabric around his hands and slipped stiff, dark green cuffs around his wrists. "Like this."
She handed him two, slightly longer cuffs. "Put these ones around your ankles so you don't trip on your pants."
She gave him a nod. "Looks like it all fits good. I'll have to commend Arook on his work next time I see him." She walked over and set the sack down on the mattress on the floor. "For someone who deals mostly in voe clothing he can tell how something will fit anyone. It's a talent."
"The pants and the shirt, they're so light." He muttered.
Zanora nodded "Yeah, breathable but durable is a must out here in the desert." She clapped her hand around the door's handle. "Now that you are dressed properly, I've promised a friend I'd join her in the training hall and you might as well come with. Might be good for you."
He got the feeling that in his time in the desert, he would soon memorize the path from his small room to the Training halls.
When they entered the great room, all the weapons that had laid scattered around in the sand were gone without a trace. Instead, a fair group of women moved about in the hall, hips moving in time with the beating of the drums coming from the corner. The group consisted mostly of young women and those just entering the throes of puberty, though a few older women were mixed in with them- instructors, he assumed.
Many pairs of eyes turned to him even as most of them kept dancing.
"I get the distinct feeling that I'm not wanted here." He whispered.
"You'd be right about that," She laughed quietly. "But if I've brought you with then they can't complain."
"Zanora!" A cheerful voice cried. A girl probably no older than fourteen or fifteen bounded up to them. Her hair was tightly wound over her head, each section ending with a coil that bounced and brushed at the tops of her shoulders as she moved. Her golden eyes were filled with mirth, making the star marked upon her skin at the corner of each eye rather appropriate.
"Aveilna." Zanora smiled.
Her bright eyes went wide when she came to a stop in front of them, outright staring at him before she broke out into a grin. "So this is Link, huh?" She grabbed at his arm and held it up to her view. "You're not as pale as Sanshaa's husband." She dropped his arm with her odd comment. "Are you guys ready to dance or what?"
"Oh, I don't know how to dance." He said quickly, and the girls smile fell.
"Shouldn't have said that," Zanora muttered. "Not to Aveilna anyway."
Aveilna's smile returned in full as she grabbed him by the hands, tugging him on with as strength he didn't expect from such a small person. "Well then this is the perfect time to learn!"
He dug his feet into the sand. "I'm really not good at it."
He stumbled forward when Zanora pushed him forward with an amused laugh. "Only one way to get better at it!"
Aveilna dragged him further into the chamber, unperturbed by his token resistance.
"Okay, now stick you leg out like this, and twist your foot just so." Aveilna said, and stuck one arm into the air at an angle. "And strike your arm out like this."
Zanora hooked her foot around his and gently pulled his leg forward when he hesitated. "Don't just stand there and watch us dance, join us!"
With some trepidation he attempted to mimic the movements Aveilna made, all too aware to the eyes watching him.
"You weren't kidding about not knowing how to dance." Aveilna giggled. "But you'd be better at it if you weren't so stiff. Relax a little."
"You must be fluid," Zanora added, rolling her shoulders and hips in one smooth motion. Let go of the feeling of the others watching you.
He sighed forcing himself to relax his muscles and repeated the movement. Aveilna clapped her hands together. "Much better. You'll get the hang of it yet."
It was from that moment on, Aveilna had seemed to make it her personal mission to get him to do it correctly. "I can tell you're a fast learner," She said, sweeping her foot in a wide arch in the sand. "You keep holding yourself back but I can already see you getting better." She praised, her face never dropping the bright grin she wore.
They kept him at it until the eldest woman in the room called break.
Aveilna groaned in protest though she shuffled out of the great hall with everyone else. "There's never enough time." She huffed. Link did not share her opinion and was more than thankful to the old woman who'd broken up the group. The room had been hot with the swarm of moving bodies and any longer he might have started to perspire.
Aveilna joined them on their walk back, chattering amiably with Zanora until they came upon the door to his tiny chamber.
He noted how the door was left cracked open. He had been certain he'd closed it behind him. Zanora too noticed the open door and said some foreign word that sounded like it was a curse. She shouldered the door open with a sigh. On the small table, sat a small burlap sack. "Well I had been hoping to be the one to give this too you..." she picked up the sack and passed it too him. "It's the stuff you had one you when they grabbed you. I had to pull a few strings but I thought it would be a nice gesture."
He opened the bag, Aveilna standing on her toes behind him, peering over his shoulder curiously. He couldn't help but smile as he reached in and felt a smooth, familiar ceramic object.
"What is that?" Aveilna questioned, eyeing the object in his hand.
"It's an Ocarina." He answered, turning the small instrumented over a few times.
Aveilna shook him by the shoulders excitedly. "Can you play it? Can you?"
"Uhuh," He nodded. "Sure can."
"Will you play us something? Please?" She begged.
"Uh, sure." He brought the Ocarina to his lips, playing a quick, fast paced song a girl he'd met in the woods once during a his first hunting trip with his uncle when he was young had taught him.
Aveilna clapped her hands to the rhythm, her movements clearly only restrained by the small space, and Zanora, he noted with some satisfaction, hummed under her breath as she tapped her foot.
"Where'd you learn how to play?" Aveilna questioned, fiddling with the ribbon wrapped around her wrist. "Could you teach me?"
She suddenly clapped her hands with a small gasp. "Oh! You and Zanora should play together! A duet!" The younger girls ability to suddenly switch topics without so much as a blink amazed him.
"I don't know how to play an ocarina, Aveilna," Zanora said.
"No, but you play that- that thing!" She waved her hands about wildly. "You know the thing, with the strings! That thing!"
"You mean my lyre?"
"Yes!" Aveilna cried. "Yes that. You should play it with him."
Zanora tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Well I suppose maybe sometime I could."
"Let me know if you do. I'd love to dance to something that pretty." Aveilna bounded towards the door. "I'd better get going- Old Asha wants me to help her with some laundry and I better go do that so she doesn't tan my hide."
"See you 'round, Aveilna." Zanora offered a small wave as the girl bounded out the door, her steps sprightly.
"Shes... very energetic, isn't she?" He said.
Zanora nodded, "Yeah. A bit too much so sometimes, but shes a good kid."
He looked down at the instrument in his hands, his thumb rubbing circles over it. "Can I ask you why?"
She turned to him, bemusement in her eyes. "Why what?" She questioned, "D'you mean why I got your stuff back?"
He shook his head. "No. Well, yeah, that too. But I mean why? Why bother to save me? why bother with me?"
Her face flushed and as she made to shut the door he was sure he'd asked something that would just get him scolded.
Instead she sighed and sat down on the floor. "I suppose it can't hurt to tell you, if you promise not to tell anyone." She toyed with the fabric of her pants. "But I saved you because I had a dream."
He sat down with her. "A dream?"
She nodded. "Yeah. You know how I can talk to you in your head? Well sometimes I get strange dreams- premonitions."
"And you had one about me?"
"Sort of. There was a eastern wind blowing, and with it came grass and golden flowers. It's all pretty fuzzy- they all are, but it was a good omen, despite the direction of the wind, I knew it was though I didn't know quite what it was trying to tell me and the..."
"And then?"
"Well, then I saw you and I had a feeling. Probably sounds stupid, but when I have premonitions and feelings, they usually come to fruition in one way or another."
Sorry that it's been a while since I've written anything, but this chapter just didnt want to be written and i've been looking for my bird.
for those who may be wondering, I added more men because it's just not plausible for a people to survive with only one.
I know that most things in Zelda aren't plausible to begin with, but still, it makes more sense, at least to me this way.
