Chapter Two: Caught!

The clouds parted enough to let the sun shine down on the Gerudo training grounds, revealing an unusual sight. To figures were standing in the center of the sandy arena, staring each other down. One was dressed in traditional Gerudo garb, with her flaming red hair pulled back in a high ponytail. The other was dressed differently; with a cloth tied around her chest, just enough to conceal her breasts, and a the same style skirt that she always wore. Her long black hair was braided, accentuating her green highlights, and hung down well past her hips. A few spectators had gathered to watch the unfolding event.

"To scared to fight for your throne?" Sneered the red-haired Gerudo, Aveil. Zabrina took the verbal abuse calmly.

"Am I too intimidating for you? Too strong, perhaps?" Aveil continued. Zabrina just kept her golden gaze on the sandy ground, outwardly calm but inwardly stewing.

"Or did it just break you to see your weakling of a younger brother murdered right in front of you and you were too cowardly to defend him?" Aveil prodded, unaware of the doom she was bringing down on her head. Something inside Zabrina snapped, and complete turmoil and wrath washed over her. In a blur of motion, Zabrina knocked Aveil's legs out from under her, causing her to fall flat out on her back, and was straddling her abdomen. Her left hand was positioned on Aveil's shoulder to pin her down, while the other was poised in the air to strike.

"Don't you ever insult my brother. Ever." Zabrina hissed. Aveil flipped Zabrina over her head and leapt to her feet. Zabrina used the momentum of the flip to roll, then popped to her feet. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, Aveil's curved blade was in her hand, pointing at Zabrina threateningly.

"Come, you coward. Fight!" Aveil snarled. Zabrina replied by pulling her sword from its sheath at her hip, then pressed a button and another blade popped out of the end of the hilt. She whirled the double bladed sword in front of her, then expertly stopped the whirl and brought it down on Aveil's head. Aveil brought her sword up just in time to stop Zabrina from lopping off her head. Aveil pulled her second curved blade from its sheath on her back, then made a horizontal slash towards Zabrina's waist. Zabrina launched herself in a flip over Aveil, landing lightly on her feet behind the red-haired woman. Zabrina's double-bladed sword was pressed up against Aveil's neck threateningly.

"Too slow," Zabrina said mockingly. She grabbed Aveil's shoulder and spun her around so that they were facing each other.

"I've had enough of your petty attempts to overthrow me. You have twenty-four hours to be out of the desert. If my guards find you here again, they'll kill you." Zabrina stated simply. Then, without even the slightest warning, Zabrina brought her fist up hard into Aveil's gut, sending the older woman flying several feet. After a few seconds of catching her breath, Aveil rolled over and coughed up some blood, then glared at the Desert Queen.

"What are you going to do when the King comes to retrieve his daughter, hm? When you're captured and sentenced to death?" Aveil said hoarsely. Zabrina averted her gold eyes and looked at the horizon.

"I would rather die than live without my brother." Zabrina said softly, and with that she spun on her heel and walked back toward the Gerudo Fortress. She briefly brushed shoulders with a cloaked figure, but thought nothing of it at the time, not noticing the the person was masculine and carrying a broadsword strapped to his back. Zabrina was to lost in thought to notice the person she encountered was the famous tracker and hunter, Link, who was sent to capture the Desert Queen and rescue the Princess.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Link's cerulean gaze followed the tanned back of the retreating Queen as she entered the Fortress. Silently, he followed her inside, his bottles feet making no sound on the stone floor. The Queen was headed towards her private quarters, and Link encountered not many guards, surprisingly. A well-aimed Deku Nut took care of those he did encounter. The Desert Queen entered her room, then closed the double doors before Link could slip in. Growling softly, Link tried to turn the handle, in vain. He let out an irritated sigh and turned to walk back down the hallway. The dungeons were as good as any place to start.

The Gerudo's dungeons were dark, damp and murky. A mist was settled in their cool depths, and Link had to strain his eyes to see his hand in front of his face.

"Disgusting," he muttered as he pulled a wet and sticky spider-web out of his blonde mass of hair. It was stuck to his hand now. Wonderful. He wiped his hand on the brick wall of a cell, wincing when he touched something slimy. Link shuddered as a pleading wail came from the poor soul in the cell. Link knew his mission left no time to free other prisoners, however, and he hurried down the long passageway, occasionally slipping on an unknown substance. He fleetingly noticed that some of the people, no doubt new to this dungeon, were fit and alert. He ignored them too.

Finally he came to the cell he was looking for. Inside, curled in a corner, was Princess Zelda. Her hair was matted and dirty, her dress torn and filthy.

"Princess!" Link whispered through the bars. Zelda's head snapped up and she leapt to her feet, running over to the bars.

"Oh, Link!" She whispered reverently. "You came for me!" Link snorted in disgust.

"Don't get used to it, Princess," he retorted, digging a file out of his satchel and proceeding to use it on a metal bar. Once the procedure was complete and Zelda was free, Link promptly escorted her back to the Desert Queens chambers. As Link pondered how to open the double doors, Zelda grew more and more agitated. Finally an exasperated Princess surrendered her hair clip to Link.

"Use this," she said, the hair clip glistening in Link palm.

"Um, why didn't you escape yourself if you had this?" Link asked, puzzled.

"Don't know how to pick a lock," Zelda said, sacrificing proper grammar for an exasperated command,"Now, c'mon! Let's go!" Link, grinning and shaking his head, picked the lock and eased the door open.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Zabrina sensed a presence enter her room. She turned, her hand resting lightly on the windowsill, to observe a bedraggled Princess Zelda and a certain handsome, blonde-haired young man.

"I see you somehow managed to infiltrate my Fortress," Zabrina commented. A bow seemed to leap from out of nowhere into the man's hands, and he nocked an arrow, which was pointing straight at Zabrina's heart.

"Let me see your hands," the man ordered in a low voice. Zabrina complied, raising her hands. The young man swiftly crossed the room so that he was standing directly in front of Zabrina. He bound her hands in front of her with a piece of rope. When he purposely yanked the knot too tight, the rope dug into Zabrina's wrists, causing her to cry out in pain, giving the man a glimpse of the young woman underneath Zabrina's façade. He smiled, curled one hand around Zabrina's elbow and ushered her out, a relieved Princess following behind.

Dread numbed Zabrina's mind as she began a march that would certainly lead to her death.

A/N: Second chapter! And I haven't even gotten a review on the first yet! Tsk tsk tsk. ;)

When I looked over the first chapter just the other day, I noticed that the lines that were supposed to separate the main characters view points weren't there! Ah! {is very embarrassed} I fixed it though, and the chapter should make more sense now. Sorry about that!

Please review! It means a lot! I apologize for any spelling and/or punctuation errors that may appear. If you have any comments/questions/concerns, please ask in a review.