Chapter Eight
"'The sand…the hidden'," repeated Link in a murmur, staring at where the Mirror of Twilight normally stood. After a few moments, he looked around, sighing. The Bulblins were silent as he continued to think aloud. "'The sand'. That's here, isn't it? It's a desert. There can't be anywhere else. Can there?" He turned to King Bulblin, who shook his head.
"No other place; no. No sandy beaches."
Link nodded. "Yes…if it referred to a beach, then the Sages would have mentioned something about water, or—or the Zoras." Link stared hard at the large stone slab that helped enter the Twilight Realm.
"You know too much," commented King Bulblin tentatively, bringing Link from his reverie. The young man turned to look at the Bulblin.
"What do you mean by that?" he asked quietly.
"You…you can turn into an animal at will…and when you fell back there – " he motioned – "you were hurt, but then you were completely healed when you got up. You also knew that the corpses were from the Twilight Realm."
Link, unable to conjure an adequate answer, decided to play the insulted leader role. "You dare ask me these things? I am the strongest side! I'll tell you what you can ask and what will be the answer."
King Bulblin looked down at his axe, casually running a thick finger along its blade. "That's true, but you are also outnumbered…and really bad at trying to lie." For the first time, his smile was quite genial.
Link sighed and chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of his neck. Droplets of sweat were forming as the steady rays beat down upon them. "Aye, I suppose you're right. Listen, King Bulblin…it's a—a personal matter, I suppose. I'm not really sure about all the details myself. But in due time, it shall be revealed. Don't worry."
King Bulblin looked doubtful, but did not press Link for details. He merely nodded at this statement, still running his finger along the axe. Link did not know whether or not to feel insulted: the creature who declared him his leader had just threatened him, after all. He decided to dismiss it for now but stay on his toes for any warning signs.
"Is there a race that lives in the sand, or the desert?" he asked, happy to change the subject. "'Red-haired women'?"
"There are no longer any races that live in the sand," replied King Bulblin, seeming reluctant to give more information.
"Well, were there any?" demanded Link irritably.
"Yes." He did not speak anymore; Link's temper was getting very thin now.
"Who?" Either King Bulblin was more dimwitted than he appeared, or he was extremely disgruntled by not being in Link's confidence.
"The Gerudos. They were a race of bandits, all female, and one male was born every one hundred years. Ganondorf was one of the Gerudo," explained King Bulblin.
"That's them, then!" exclaimed Link. "Oh, and of course – this is Gerudo Mesa, aye?" He didn't wait for anyone to agree. "Let's search," he decided instantly. "We will look for the Gerudo here, around the Desert Province." He turned to leave, but a heavy hand on his arm stayed him. His eyes traveled up the green limb into King Bulblin's face, feeling slightly cross.
"They were banished long ago," he told Link, "into the Twilight Realm. They were the first ever Twili."
Link wrenched away from King Bulblin. He could not think of anything to say. The other Bulblins stared at him, their expressions blank yet curious at the same time. Link sighed, feeling defeated. If the Gerudo had been the men and women who abused their power so long ago, those who had been banished to the Twilight Realm, then could that possibly mean that half of the Mirror of Twilight was where Link was trying to go? "It's been a long day," he finally muttered, glancing down at his dusty boots. "Let's meet up again tomorrow at…the Bridge of Eldin. I'm going to Castle Town to talk with some old friends."
OoO
Link and the Bulblins trekked back to their encampment. Link, having never climbed down from Gerudo Mesa by any means other than teleportation, asked King Bulblin how he traveled back and forth. He explained that one could jump off of the edge and land perfectly safe into Lake Hylia. Link found this to actually be quite nerve-wracking, as taking huge leaps into bodies of water wasn't his ideal way of leaving the Province, but he followed King Bulblin's advice anyways. When he was out of seeing distance, Link changed species and began to run, sand flying beneath his paws. The sky was clear and cloudless; with the sun mercilessly staring down at him. Link immersed himself into deep thought as he dashed, replaying the odd events of the past twelve hours.
Even though King Bulblin's fluid movement between sides was not entirely comforting, the strangest event of the day was definitely the appearance of the White Wolf, the Hero's Shade. During their last meeting, he had made it clear that it was going off to the afterlife; what had brought him back? Was Link only allowed to meet up with him because he, too, had perished, and was somehow brought back to life?
So many questions, so little answers. It was as though even conjuring an adequate response required a whole other plane of thinking. Also, the very last words he had spoken to Link, before his initial departure, over one year ago…"Go and do not falter, my child!" Link had spent little time agonizing over the possibilities this phrase made, due to the immediate danger of Hyrule. He had almost forgotten about this until he encountered the Hero's Shade yet again. He had spoken about the Three Goddesses, and twisted destinies…what did it all mean, anyways?
Link shook his head in irritation, as though trying to rid his confused brain of these troublesome thoughts. He focused on the scenery ahead of him: long expanses of sand, with a sheer cliff and a straight drop down. There was no time to think about the terrifying leap; he merely had to get it over with and pray for survival.
He approached the edge at a run and, taking a huge breath, put all his weight behind him as he jumped, taking the plunge and feeling fright shoot through him. In second, he had been completely submerged underwater; as he swam to the surface, the Twilight Crystal dislodged from his fur and he returned to human form.
He made his way to land and, through Fyer's cannon system, he was able to reach Epona. She had patiently waited for him all day – he still marveled at her high intelligence even though, during times when he was stuck as a wolf, the animals had been much wiser than the humans. He gently stroked her for a few moments, lapsing into thought, but then he pulled himself back to reality. He put his foot in the stirrup and swung himself over Epona into the saddle. He turned her around and, nudging her gently, began trotting towards Castle Town.
OoO
Link arrived there an hour later. He dismounted the horse and hurried into the town. He ran around the outskirts of the round town square and headed down the southern road, bearing at the second left he came to. He quickly walked down the steps and opened the door to Telma's Bar.
When Link entered and looked towards the bar, he was expecting to see Telma standing behind it, manning the place as always. Instead, a pretty young barmaid was standing there, with dark skin, long, braided red hair, and bright red eyes. Link would guess her to be five years his senior; for a few moments, he was bewildered as to the reasoning of her presence, but a friendly voice called out, "Ah, Link honey. There you are."
Link peered into the small back room, where five figures were grouped around a table, their heads turned towards Link. Two of them were standing, while the other three were sitting in stiff-looking wooden chairs. Ashei, a pretty but blunt girl, raised a hand in greeting. Telma was standing next to Ashei, looking pleased to see Link but grim. Rusl had obviously given them the message as to the troubles he had heard about. He spotted his uncle sitting at the table, smiling warmly.
"Come over here, Link," beckoned Telma, motioning with her hands. Link stepped towards them, standing by Rusl. "That's my niece at the bar," explained Telma, leaning forward and speaking in a low voice. "Her name's Eir. She sometimes works here when I'm away – which is rare, mind you. She can't get work in very many places. The poor girl; there's something about her. Makes people feel edgy." Telma straightened up. "So, what brings you here, honey?" she asked, her voice returning to normal levels.
"I've just had a very odd day," replied Link. "What do you know about the Gerudo?"
Telma waved a hand, indicating that Link should lower his voice. He frowned and opened his mouth to question this, but Telma continued talking. "The Gerudo? Link honey, don't mention them in that casual way."
"What's been going on, Link?" asked Rusl solemnly, looking at him with a scrutinizing eye. "You were very vague when we talked this morning. I know you don't want to, but can we have a bit more detail?"
Link lowered his eyes to the tabletop, nodding slowly. "Yes. Yes, I suppose you can." He sighed, trying to give himself more time to think about what to say. "This actually began a year ago, after everything was done, when most of the monsters disappeared, after I was able to accomplish my tasks in Hyrule Castle. I was not alone in my quest; I had help from a young woman, but then she had to leave when everything was complete. I…I thought she had shattered the Mirror of Twilight…" Link slowly unfolded his tale, selecting to leave out certain parts, such as his species changing ability. He gave them an overview, however, of what he had been through. He made sure to be clear on the fact the strange, moving corpses were out and murderous, and thus far, he had no way to stop them. "All I know is that they're from the Twilight Realm, and they're called Senvivanes. And the Mirror has been split into two, and given to two different races, one of which is probably these…Gerudos," he finished.
Everyone remained silent after this speech. It was troubling, no doubt, to hear about the unsuccessful breakage of the Mirror of Twilight, and to know how far Link had traveled to accomplish his duties, and how many times he could have died. Fear was also evident: they knew that the Senvivanes were deadly. Link had told them how he had been able to defeat them, and suggested that they carry a blade with them all the time.
"Why don't you sit at the bar and order a drink, honey?" suggested Telma quietly. "It's on me."
Link, understanding that the Group wanted to discuss something without him eavesdropping, nodded and retreated to the bar. He pulled out a stool and sat on it, looking up at the barmaid.
"Hello," she greeted pleasantly. "You're Link, aren't you?"
"Um…yes." Link was somewhat surprised that she knew his name, but she explained it away.
"My aunt told me all about you," she explained. "I'm Eir, by the way. I don't know if my aunt told you or not."
Link nodded slowly as Eir got him a drink. He sipped it automatically, thinking heavily. He knew nothing about the Gerudo, except that they were already in the Twilight Realm. It was hopeless, this new mission of his. The only way he could possibly see the Gerudo was if he had some way into the Twilight Realm without using the Mirror of Twilight.
Basically, he could do nothing except hope for a miracle.
