Chapter 8

Intervention

Link was very comfortable when he woke up. He felt like he'd been sleeping in for hours, but when he looked to the window, it was only just after dawn. Gandor was sleeping quietly on the other side of the room. Link could hear rainfall outside his window. For the first time since entering clock town, everything seemed silent and calm, rather than the usual busyness of people out and about.

Link relaxed in bed for several minutes before getting up to shower. The hallway was likewise quiet, and dimly lit. He went down the stairs and took a left to the shower room. After showering he proceeded to the kitchen around the corner. Anju was working over a stove quietly, and she didn't appear to have noticed Link enter.

"Morning," he mumbled as Anju jumped. "Sorry," he said.

"Didn't expect you to be up so early. I hope you weren't uncomfortable! Or was it that guest? Is everything alright?" Anju asked, scrambling.

"No," Link answered, "The room was very comfortable. I awoke early because I was well rested as a result of the room. And the man is harmless, he had no bad intentions. I was not aware it was so early."

"I see," Anju said, relaxing. "Well breakfast will not be ready for another hour, when most guests tend to wake up. And I did not mean to come off as discriminating. But it's not very often you see a Gerudo in a small town like this claiming to be a traveler. It's not often you see a Gerudo at all."

"Gerudo?" Link wondered.

"Desert folk," Anju explained, "There is a moderately oppressive rule out in the desert, and the King is very strict about his people leaving. Last I heard, only trade merchants working for the government could leave."

"Seriously?" Link's eyes widened. "So shouldn't people be asking him if he's a deserter?"

"I think he's trying to hide the fact that he's from the desert. Most Hylians in this town don't know as much about international politics as I do. That's probably why he came here."

"He openly told me he ran away from the desert. He told me it was because of the oppressive government," Link said.

"Well, are you not new to Hyrule as well? He could be taking advantage of you. Keep an eye on him lad, for your own safety," Anju warned.

Link thought about it. He had only sensed genuine intentions from Gandor. Link's senses had not failed him so far, and he was not ready to believe Gandor could be trying to rob Link somehow, or trick him.

"He seemed vulnerable," Link thought aloud.

"Yeah, I could be wrong about all of this. But it doesn't hurt to be careful," Anju provided.

The two of them chatted for a few more minutes before Link returned to his room. He was studying his map when Link heard Gandor awaken. He too seemed very well-rested. He sat up after a moment and greeted Link.

"I really needed that. I cannot thank you enough," Gandor said happily.

"Glad I could help," Link said. "Unfortunately, I only have this room booked one night, and I cannot guarantee I will stay another night, nor can I spare any funds. So I don't think I can help you after check-out really."

"You've done more than I could ask for," Gandor waved him off. "I am like you; I will be traveling once again too. Maybe I can do something in exchange for you one day," he offered again.

Link nodded and the two of them headed downstairs for breakfast. Anju had prepared a very filling dish Link had never seen before. A batter made from eggs and milled flour, cooked on a pan to form a flat bread in the shape of a disk, which was served with a sugary syrup like none he had ever tasted. The cuisine of the outside world continued to amaze Link.

As checkout drew near, Link and Gandor went back to their rooms and assembled their belongings before returning to the front counter with the key. They thanked Anju for the enjoyable stay before stepping outside once again. The rain had stopped, leaving the sky grey and the ground wet.

The two of them walked in silence to the centre of the town where the clock tower resided. They both looked up at the tower and thought for a moment. It was Link who broke the silence.

"Where will you go next?" he asked.

"I don't know," Gandor replied. "It's been my goal for so long just to get to this point. Now that I'm here, I thought the hard part was over. But I don't even know what to do next."

"I have had a goal too since I left the forest. I don't know whether it will achieve anything, I just think it's better to go somewhere at least. It's that stone structure in the distance. I've been able to see it for days, and I wonder what that huge building is."

"The city of stone?" Gandor thought aloud. "I have seen this too. Much nicer than the wooden houses in most towns I've passed through. Is that where you are headed next?"

"I suppose," Link said, "I haven't thought of anywhere else to go. Would you like to come with me?" Link asked without thinking.

Gandor thought about it while Link considered whether he should have offered or not. "I would like to," he finally replied. "Perhaps we can find something there that will make things more clear. And it will give me an opportunity to pay you back somehow. You have an idea of where to go?"

"Yes," Link said, deciding he was satisfied with the offer. "I do have a horse I am responsible for. Do you? It would be difficult for one of us to ride and one of us to walk."

"A horse?" Gandor's eyes widened. "No, I do not have a horse. I wouldn't want to slow you down. Is there any way I can acquire a horse?"

"I don't know any more than you do. My best bet is to go to my horse where he is being hosted and see if others are available." Link and Gandor walked to the East exit and out to the stables. When Link walked in, the stable master waved at him.

"You're looking good, lad," The man greeted Link. "Your steed is in great shape! And a great steed you have! Here, he is anxious to see you," he said, returning in a minute with Alistair. Right away Link could detect Alistair's relief to see Link. He was well-rested, but he had been upset to be left in an unfamiliar place. Link took the reins and Alistair returned to his energetic self.

"Thank you," Link said as the man returned his 30 rupees that had been deposited. "I have a companion who is looking to buy a horse. Do you know where he can find one to buy?"

"Aye," the keeper replied. "Most of these horses are being hosted, but a select few are my horses whom I take care of here. If I were to come across someone capable of taking care of one of them, I would be willing to sell for reasonable price. You I have no concerns about, you clearly take great care of your steed. But I would have to meet your friend."

"Of course, of course," Link said. "How much would you be selling for?"

"Well of the three horses I currently take care of, the lowest I would sell one of them would be for about 500 rupees. Pretty cheap, but I would only sell that low if I really felt my horse would benefit from a new rider. I would have to be pretty confident to sell that low."

"I see," Link said. "Unfortunately, we are not in a position to pay that price. But thank you for your service. Good day to you," Link said before leaving.

As Link stepped outside with Alistair, Gandor admired the creature. "Did it go well?" he asked. "Do we know where we can buy a horse?"

"Bad news," Link answered. "He was willing to sell a horse for 500 rupees, and that's low in the horse market. I don't know about you, but I don't have anywhere near that kind of money." When Gandor shook his head, Link continued. "My horse Alistair here will still require my maintenance. I will feed him and make sure he gets plenty of exercise. In case you were wondering, he cannot carry two passengers. Not many horses could carry two people of our weight at his age. Looks like our option would be to walk to the stone city."

"Are you sure you want me to slow you down that way? You clearly have an advantage and really gain nothing from me. Of course I would very much like to accompany you, but I am already in your debt."

Link thought about this for a moment. Was he really ready to give up this efficiency he had gained from Alistair, while still having the responsibility to care for the animal? Link thought about his options. Either way, Link would have Alistair. If he left Gandor for himself, he would be able to make it to the stone city by mid-afternoon. He would also be leaving Gandor in a position no better than he had already been in. If he were to ally with Gandor, he would have someone he could trust, which would play as a longer term investment. He would take probably more than a day to reach the stone city, and he would have to ride Alistair every now and again to allow him to stretch. After a minute of thinking it over, Link had made up his mind.

"We will walk to this town. I can tend to Alistair every hour or so, we will go for a run before returning to you. It's going to be a long day, so we should get going."

"Link," Gandor looked at him. "You're sure of this? I feel like it'd be wrong for me to slow you down."

Link nodded one last time and set off towards the city in the distance. Gandor promptly followed and kept up with Link.

The day passed quicker than Link had expected. The two men made small talk for the most part. Neither went into personal detail. Link was unsure how to approach the topic, and from what Anju had said to him, he wasn't sure he should share too much personal information either. It wasn't that Link didn't trust Gandor, in fact he was oddly comfortable with the situation. Link opted to play it safe, regardless of his gut feeling.

The two of them discussed what they had found since entering this outside world. They had both been to a single stop before meeting in Clock Town. Gandor described the town he had been in to be rather small, with a large windmill adjacent to the town.

They had been walking for about 2 hours when they encountered a couple visitors.

When the two dark figures first came into view, Link just thought it was another caravan. After a couple minutes, he could see there was no party following. The two silhouettes appeared to be men riding horses. They were wearing dark brown cloaks, and most of their faces were covered with a bandanna.

Link became more concerned as the two men drew closer. He had not had many misfortunes since entering Hyrule, so he knew it was bound to happen eventually. He could sense Gandor was nervous, but he was trying desperately to keep it to himself. Link wondered if the two of them were suspecting the same thing.

The horsemen slowed and paced in a circle around Link and Gandor. They had dark skin, and they kept their hair hidden under wide caps. It was Gandor who spoke first.

"You've got to be the most obviously dressed bandits I've ever seen," Gandor laughed. "Not only are your outfits screaming 'bad guy,' but you approached us in plain sight on black horses in the middle of a sunny day." Link was not sure if trying to belittle the bandits was a good tactic. He knew that neither he nor Gandor had dealt with robbers before, so they could not be sure how they would react to sass.

The two bandits drew their sabers in unison. The one on the left spoke first. It was a woman.

"That's a fine horse kid. He'll make us a lot of money. Take off your gear and drop it in a pile," she said, pointing to Link's sword and Gandor's rod.

"I cannot release this horse to you. I have a responsibility to provide him with proper treatment until he reaches his owner," Link said calmly.

"Oh he'll reach his owner," the other bandit chuckled, also a woman. When Link remained stubborn, she continued "Then we'll just kill you now and take your belongings. What's it gunna be kid?"

Link knew he could neither afford to lose Alistair, nor his life. His options weren't looking good.

He looked over to Gandor and the two of them nodded to each other. Suddenly, it all clicked in. The next few seconds were over quickly for Link.

Gandor and Link rotated, their backs to each other. Link first drew his slingshot and fired three quick shots, two at the horse's hooves, and one at the horse's belly. As Link rolled to the front of the horse, Gandor thrust his staff to the other horse's belly before turning around and whacking down the saber of the bandit Link was confronting.

Link came out of his roll and quickly drew his sword. He was at his feet just in time to catch the bandit whom Gandor promptly knocked off his horse, only to be met with Link's sword to his throat.

The bandit who was still mounted backed up. The horse belonging to the bandit between Link and Gandor remained still despite having just been struck. Link kept his eyes on his captive, and Gandor turned to the remaining thief.

"Tell me why we shouldn't just cut her head off and make you wish you'd never fucked with us," Gandor threatened, sounding serious.

"Release my companion," the bandit replied.

"Then leave us," Link said.

"You have my word," the bandit said.

"Why should we trust you?" Gandor asked.

Link rolled his eyes. "We could do this all day." He took the blade away from the captured bandit's throat and knocked her unconscious with the hilt of his sword. "Go," he said dragging the limp body to the mounted bandit. "You can't rob us without the help of your partner, and if you try to come back we won't hesitate to kill you." He placed the body over the horse under the bandit's grip and sent them on their way.

Neither Link nor Gandor moved for a few minutes after the bandits left. Link took Alistair's reigns and broke the silence. "Guess we don't have to walk anymore," he said, gesturing to the abandoned black horse.

Gandor broke his gaze with the horizon after a moment and silently mounted the foreign horse. The two of them walked their horses for a few minutes, taking in what had just happened.

Link had a feeling those attackers were more than just common bandits, and he got the impression Gandor knew what was really going on. It was clear that neither Gandor nor the bandits wanted Link to figure it out; otherwise they would have openly approach Gandor. He decided once again to leave it alone for the time being.

"How is the horse?" Link asked. "Is he having a tough time adjusting to a new master?"

"She," Gandor corrected, "is dealing with this quite well. If I want her to trust me I must name her though. Shows that I am willing to take care of her, as she will do the same for me in return."

Link was surprised to learn Gandor was this sensitive to animals. "Do you have any idea what to name her?"

"Midna," he replied. "Named after the heroine who slayed the leader of my people hundreds of years ago. The 'Princess of Twilight' she was called."

Link thought it was odd that Gandor was praising the one who had defeated a member of his own race. He again chose not to question it.

"Midna," Link repeated.

With that, the four of them quickened into a trot, and within minutes they were at a gallop, headed towards the great stone city they had been after for so long.