Chapter 9: Prisoners Of Our Own Past
It was customary for the castle to throw a feast on the first night that an honored guest arrived at the palace. However, since the message of the Gerudo came so late in the morning, it was decided by those higher up the political chain than Impa that the feast would be postponed until the next night. Which suited Impa fine, one night or the other it didn't matter so long as she got a full belly and wine. Lots of wine.
She had hoped that the princess would after the first day realize she was being irrational and join them for the feast, but since that didn't happen and Zelda was safely in her room, that meant Impa could do whatever she wanted for the night. And she decided she was going to get drunk. For the first time in many years. She wondered if she still had the knack for it.
When she was a brash young Sheikah Needle she had spent months at a time scouting ahead of the armies of Hyrule, making note of the Gerudo's movements. Even assassinating some of their commanders when the opportunity presented itself. And when she returned to her camp she would tell all she discovered or accomplished to her superiors then she would live in the blissful haze of drink until she received her next orders.
Sometimes when she slept she dreamed of being back on the hunt. Of tailing a Gerudo war party, laying traps for them. Messing with their surrounding until they were lost. Or once when she met with a fine young Gerudo warrior and got her to switch sides and the time they had together.
She would never leave Zelda, she was as her daughter. But to be young again, and fierce, and wild. And drunk. That one seemed the most important to Impa now. She should certainly be drunk. But even as she took some more of her wine, her mind focused in on her old training. Observing everyone who entered the hall, did they move awkwardly as if they were hiding a weapon? Were they being suspicious? She glanced to each of the paths of escape, the doors, the kitchens, the offshoot hall, and the hidden one.
The two kings sat at the head of the great hall. Liotidos in a large ornate chair that clearly indicated he was the superior of their partnership. Even though the Gerudo king towered over him, even while sitting. A massive brute of a man, she wondered how many poison needles it would take to bring him down? A normal man usually takes only one. Exceptionally massive men or trained warrior with complete control over their body might need two or three. How many would an exceptionally massive man who was also such a warrior take? Four? Five? Possibly more darts than she had on her.
On the true king's right-hand side sat an empty chair, Zelda's chair. Not that her father told the princess the chair was open to her if she decided to come down. Oh no, the king just did not let anyone sit in it. A clear sign to anyone with the wit to look, that he missed his daughter. But did he say anything? No.
"Idiots," Impa muttered as she brought the chalice of wine to her lips. "Both of them."
"Hello, Lady Impa, do you mind if we sit with you?" a voice came from over her shoulder.
"Really?" came another voice. "Not here."
Impa looked over her shoulder, above her stood Sir Jora, the Knight of Foxes as some called him do his family crest of two foxes facing each other. Or the foxy knight as more than a few of the ladies whispered about him when he walked past. He was fairly handsome if someone was interested in that sort of thing. Though Impa cared more about the man's head with numbers. He had a knack for them, and the king used him as an advisor and liaison with the banking guilds.
"It would be rude to refuse you," she said and held her arm out to the empty chair beside her.
"Thank you," he gave respectful nod of the head, before he pulled out another chair and helped the woman at his side down into it. It was only then that Impa realized who the person was. That Gerudo woman, Ganondorf's aide-de-camp, she couldn't remember what her name was. The other Gerudo called her Nabs, but Impa was not so drunk as to think she would receive the same privilege.
Whatever her full name, Nabs, looked much the worse off than she had when they left for the hunting trip. Both her legs had bandages up to her knees, and her right hand was wrapped as well. "My dear," Impa said. "What happened to you?"
The Gerudo woman gave Impa a stern glare and didn't say anything.
"Come now, my lady," Sir Jora said as he took his seat between them. "You were just laughing over the story with me a moment ago."
"That was with you," the Gerudo woman said. "Not this- witch."
"Impa is not a witch," Jora said. "She is a kind and caring woman. I've known her as a friend for years. And I would like you to be cordial to her. Isn't that what this whole alliance is about? Letting go of past grudges?"
"It is alright, Jora," Impa said. "I do not need you to defend my honor."
"Jora, you're wonderful. But you don't know what you're asking of me," the Gerudo woman looked at the knight's eyes and very pointedly not recognizing that Impa said anything. "The Sheikah, they did terrible things to us during the war. I can't just ignore that."
"Nabooru, I ran you through with a lance during the war."
That almost made Impa spit out her drink. Thankfully she had only just brought the chalice to her lips and so none of the precious vintage went to waste.
"You beat me in honorable combat. What the Sheikah did, it's not the same. I don't know how to describe it to you. You just have to believe me. I am not going to befriend this woman. Even for you."
Sir Jora sighed, and looked back to Impa. "I am sorry, I did not mean to upset your dinner. I don't know what I was thinking."
"You were thinking, to try and fix relationships and create a truly united kingdom," Impa said. "Don't worry, Sir Jora my dinner has not been ruined."
"And what do you mean, friend?" the one apparently called Nabooru asked. "Your friend for many years. Does that mean…" she left the sentence wander off into the night. Waiting for someone to finish the thought. Impa of course only smiled and went back to her drink. Just enough to make the Gerudo worry before Jora ruined the suspense.
"No, no. Not like that. She is very wise, and I've sometimes consulted her on how to best advise the king."
"You just go up and talk with him," Nabooru shrugged. "That's how I advice Gan."
"In Hyrule it is not that simple. There are rules, some written others are a matter of etiquette sort of social, uhh, what's the word, Impa?"
"Protocol?"
"Precisely, a social protocol that must be followed. He is a king, and I'm just a knight. I'm not even a lord, I have already climbed well above my station."
Nabooru snorted. Actually snorted, one of the least becoming noises to hear from a young woman. Especially at a royal dinner. And the Gerudo didn't seem to care, and neither did Jora judging from his smile. "You Hylians and your stations and 'social protocols' it's all nonsense."
"The Gerudo have theirs as well," Jora protested. "You have a king after all. And you all obey him."
"Not when he's being an idiot. Alright Jora, answer me this. You've fought against Ganondorf, on the battlefield and I watched you face him in the training yard this morning."
"Yes," and for a moment Jora's smile disappeared. "I heard. You didn't have to laugh, you know. Or so loud."
"And you didn't have to stagger about like a drunk after he rang your helmet three times in a row."
"I got some good hits in, too."
"One."
"At least two."
"No, Jora, one. Trust me, I was watching."
Impa couldn't help but smile at the pair. As they talked the Gerudo seemed to completely forget that Impa was there. It was a good sign. Even if she didn't trust Impa, she was definitely fond of the charming young knight. Perhaps more than just fond. And from such intermingling the kingdom may actually stay united.
"But that's beside the point," Nabooru waved away the discussion of the training yard. "What's important is you've seen Ganondorf in battle. You've seen his armor."
"Hard to miss," Jora said.
"What color is his armor?"
"I feel like you're trying to trick me."
"I'm not, what color is his armor?"
"Black, even people who've never seen Ganondorf know about his black armor and sword."
"That wasn't his choice by the way. That armor was modeled after the armor of our original king. All Gerudo Kings have to wear it, or, one that fits them anyway."
"I didn't know that."
"And where do the Gerudo live?" Nabooru continued.
"Gerudo Desert, again I-" Jora's eyes went wide. "Oh. Oh! The Sun. He must be-"
"Uncomfortable to put it lightly. That's what it means to be a king of the Gerudo. You have to be tougher than anyone else, stronger than anyone else, and we don't go easy on him."
"That," Jora nodded his head, "explains a lot actually."
"Also why he was pushed for night raids."
Jora burst out laughing. "Oh that's ridiculous. Over the years I've heard so much about the Gerudo king's tactical genius. I've seen generals fret trying to figure out his moves. And to find out that some of it was just because he was uncomfortable in the heat? I don't know what to do with this information."
Neither did Impa. It was too simple, too plain for her drink addled mind to thing about. No one had ever discussed what Ganondorf's clothing would make him do in combat. It'd be like finding out the goddesses decided their futures with coin flips.
"Speaking of, him," Jora nodded toward the front of the room. The two kings were discussing something. Liotidos' brow was furrowed which indicated he was thinking very hard about something. While the Gerudo leaned over him, and made some gestures with his hands as if trying to explain something to him. "Have you two, ever…"
Nabooru snorted again. "With Gan? No. No no. Is that what people think?"
"You two are quite close," Impa said, before she realized that just made the Gerudo girl remember she was there.
"I admit, the first time I approached you I did not think I had a chance, because of your relationship with your king."
"It's not that. My mother worked for Ganondorf's mothers, doing everything they didn't want to do themselves, like clean, or cook, or make certain their son had his wounds bound properly. We grew up together, he's my brother in every way that matters. And he is more dear to me than anything. But that's it."
"It's seldom one hears 'more dear to me than anything' dismissed away with 'that's it.'" Jora teased.
"What I mean is," Nabooru prodded him with her elbow. "That you don't need to worry about him. Unless you make me angry, then I'll send my big brother after you." While Jora gasped in mock shock, Nabooru smiled. "Besides, can you imagine waking up in the morning to see that face leering at you? I've been in battles less terrifying."
"I'd much rather imagine your face being there, to be honest."
The Gerudo warrior blushed and turned away from the knight. She blushed prettily, and her hand went to brush at her long braid. "Well," she said looking away from him as if trying to find something else to talk about. "I'm starving, aren't they supposed to be bringing us food?" She took her unharmed hand and tried to push herself to her feet.
"My lady," Jora stood up immediately and took Nabooru's hand. "I'll take care of it. You let your feet heal." Then over his shoulder he looked at Impa. "Would you want anything as well?"
Impa handed him her chalice. "White, please."
"Is that it?"
"Make certain it's well full."
Jora chuckled, took it and walked toward the kitchens. Nabooru sat and stared at the table, her blush still glowing around her and her hand rubbing at her braid. By the goddesses she was smitten. Then she seemed to remember Impa and glanced toward her. Her eyes turned hard and she looked back at the table. Then back to Impa. Then the table again, her mouth moving in some words that Impa couldn't hear. Eventually her curiosity seemed to get the best of her and she turned to Impa. "So, you've known Sir Jora for a long time?"
"Well, I'm a bit older than you two, what I consider a long time and he considers a long time may not be the same. That said, I've known him for several years."
"Oh," her hand went back to rubbing at her braid. "Is he- I've heard, from some of my sisters, that some voe make a game of vai. And, he's so- I mean you've seen him. He's so pretty. He could get anyone. And-"
"Handsome," Impa said. "Men prefer it when you call them handsome. Women -vai – are pretty. Voe are handsome."
Nabooru gave Impa a confused look. "Why would you bother making the word different based off what's between their legs?"
Impa shrugged. "It's just the way of things."
"Well that's ridiculous. But, is he? Playing me a fool, I mean."
"I won't tell you you're the only woman he's ever had his eyes on. But Sir Jora holds true to his vows. He likes you, he really does."
"Oh," then her smile returned to her lips. Though a moment later her smile drooped into a frown as she stared back at the table.
"You know," Impa said. "Jora's a good man, but not every knight in the war was as honorable as him. Some of those others I've seen you laughing with in the training yard."
"Well, it's unfortunate that I can't know everyone's sins then. Tell me who they are and I'll avoid them."
"That's not what I mean, your master said that all grievances between our people would be ended when he signed the treaty."
"And you're wondering why I follow his words for the knights, but not for you." Nabooru fixed her glare on Impa.
"I will not deny that some of my people may have behaved dishonorably in the war. But-"
"Spare me your feigned innocence," Nabooru snarled. "At Kakariko I broke through the Hylian lines and entered into the pits. I fought my way to free my captured sisters and what I found down there." She shuddered. "No Impa, I will never forgive you for what you did to them."
"I was not at Kakariko during the battle. I can assure you, whatever you found there I had nothing-"
"I am not a simpleton!" Nabooru said far too loud, causing some in nearby tables to look over to them. "I know who you are Impa, Needle of the Sheikah. Of all the spies and assassins the Queen had at her disposal, she picked you to save her daughter. She wouldn't have done that unless your skill was well known, unless you were in some way important. You were at Kakariko, you knew what terrors they were performing. And you did nothing. Didn't even have the dignity to stay fighting and die."
And with those few sentences the other nights of Impa's old life came to her. When she didn't go drinking to celebrate victories with her friends, but to drown out the screams that echoed through her mind. Nights where she felt so vile she knew no goddesses could forgive her and the only solace she could find was at the bottom of a bottle. "I never saw what was in the pits."
"But you knew." Nabooru turned away from her. "Don't try to deny what you did, Sheikah. Not to me. Not again. Or I will kill you, treaty or no."
The two women sat in silence, until Sir Jora returned, behind him two servants. "I didn't know what you wanted, my lady," Sir Jora said. "So I figured let's try a bit of everything."
Nabooru's eyes widened in delight as the servants placed platters before her of venison, pork, and steak in various forms of roast and sausage. "You are amazing," she said, standing up and giving the knight a kiss. Only a brief one, before the Gerudo pulled away and sat back down, her blush returned.
Jora had a grin on his face when he turned to Impa. "And for you." he took her chalice from one of the servants and handed it to her. Impa forced herself to smile to him and took it. Immediately bringing the chalice to her lips and guzzling as much of it down as she could.
"Impa!" Jora said, but apparently didn't know what else to say and just sat down and turned to one of the servants. "Please bring her a bottle, I think she'll want a refill soon enough."
The wine burned beautifully down her throat and warmed her stomach. But it did nothing to silence her old memories.
A loud crash came from behind her. Impa glanced to see what was happening, expecting only one of the servants to have dropped a tray of food. But there was nothing. Only people looking confused back toward the door. Another crash. This one louder followed by the sound of wood splitting apart.
"What is going on?" King Liotidos called and stood up from his throne.
The doors of the great hall burst open. Blurred dark figures with spikes around their shoulders rushed inside. People screamed. Something blocked her view, it took a moment for her mind to figure out what her eyes were seeing.
Sir Jora moved in front of her and Nabooru, his arms wide. "Moblins! Impa, Nabooru, get to safety!"
Everyone was moving so fast. The monsters raised crude looking blades and attacked those closest to the door.
"Save them!" the King shouted to his guard. The knights ran from his side to engage the monsters.
A high pitched trilled shout came from Impa's side as the wounded Nabooru tried to push herself out of her chair only for her foot give out and fall back into it. She said something in Gerudo that sounded vulgar before she tried again. She managed to get to her feet and instead of moving away from the violence as Jora insisted, the Gerudo moved toward it. Her good arm cocked as if it was about to throw a punch.
Impa grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back.
"What are you doing?" the Gerudo hissed. "Get off of me."
"You're wounded and unarmed. Don't be stupid."
But the woman yanked her arm free and limped after Sir Jora. More of the monsters poured into the room. The King was shouting orders, and marched forward, grabbing hold of a young serving woman lying screaming on the floor and pulled her to her feet and then forced her to the back of the room. When she was safe he went again to find someone else in need of some aid.
Impa needed to do something. But her hands blurred when she tried to look at them. Of all the nights I decide to go drinking, this had to be the one when monsters attacked. One of the dark blurry figures rushed toward her, something big and gleaming in its hand. Probably a cleaver of some time. The moblins rarely had good steel.
The beast was only a few paces away when Impa moved. Her hand shot forward, and two darts flew from her fingers. Then she fell. It had meant to be a duck out of the way. But the movement had made her lose her balance and she was on the floor. A second later, the great gray blob fell beside her. When it wasn't moving her eyes could focus on it easier. The scrunched doglike face with the tusks protruding from it's lower jaw was moblin alright. As it lay, white foam spilled from it's open jaws then it started to twitch. Good, she had hit the thing. She hadn't been at all certain her darts went where she wanted them to go.
"There," she muttered as she got back to her feet. "Didn't expect that, did you?" The creature's twitching stopped as it died. The world was still swaying, but from what she could tell the blurred shapes roughly colored like the Royal Guard were holding ground.
She couldn't make out Jora or the Gerudo girl. But there were two shapes that were quite clear. One was the King, robed in white with his gut a bit of a ways ahead of him bellowed with his deep powerful voice. And stood his ground with numerous people behind him. He even had a sword in his hand. Something she had not seen in many years.
The other shape was larger still and much darker. Standing with the royal guard, the Ganondorf fought with a massive black sword. How he got it, she did not know. The royal guard were the only ones supposed to have any weapon in the king's presence. And unlike her darts, no one could hide that monstrous thing.
She shook her head, vigorously. Trying to right her eyesight, it worked… a little anyway. Enough for her to make out more of the various blobs. The moblins were contained by the door, but neither side seemed to be gaining any advantage, and by the sound of it, far more moblins lay outside the door.
First, the exits. She mentally made a list of each that was still available to them. The windows were easy enough to break, but that seemed unnecessary, and quite a drop to the lower levels. That left wing that headed toward the king's council rooms. Sturdy, defensible places, but no way to go out once there. The kitchens, were an option, but they exited in a very open door that was fairly close to the main entrance to the castle. If the moblins were charging through the halls, they would have entered very close to the kitchens. Perhaps some were even now fighting up through them. And she did not wish to wait to see if the fighting started coming from two fronts. They wouldn't survive that.
That left only her final exit plan, and one she had hoped not to use in her lifetime. She went behind the king's table, nodding briefly toward Liotidos before she started squeezing through the crowd of civilians behind him. "Excuse me," she said. "Excuse me."
But everyone was too busy screaming.
"Everybody!" Impa shouted, using the voice she used when Zelda was most disobedient as a child. "Between me and the third stone. Move!"
Many of the people actually listened. Some just stared at her with scared expressions. Impa took the closest by the shoulder and pushed him, "Beg pardon Minister Wellsy." She said as she forced the man out of her way. Then she got down on her knee and worked her fingers along the edge of the stone. Finding the switch she first pressed down, then swung it around with her fingers. Under a normal castle floor, this would have done nothing but bash whatever that lever was against the stones. But here it clicked and the stone lowered, revealing a pitch black pit in the floor.
"In," Impa ordered.
"But, where does it end?" someone over her said. She tried to see who, but the world started to spin again.
"Just get in!" Impa lurched back to her feet and moved to her king. "Sire, we have an exit, behind you."
The king glanced over his shoulder. "How did you-? I will leave once I am certain that everyone is safe."
"Yes, very noble. Only, you're not a warrior anymore, and there's little in the way your keen tactical input can help this situation." She waved at the wall of metal clashing at each other. "Either they win or they lose. With you or without you. I on the other hand, have something of a duty to protect the royal family. So, if you don't mind would you please stop being a stubborn martyr and get in the passage!"
The king harumphed. "Make certain at least the civilians get in first." He said as he moved back into the middle of the hall, gathering what survivors he could.
She'd take it. Most were already piling into the hole anyway. Impa moved back behind the warriors hacking at each other, and look for anyone hiding or wounded. She found a few of them, and managed to get them heading in the right direction. But too many of those she found were either dead or dying.
How had the moblins even gotten here?
One of the Royal Knights fell, almost on top of her as Impa tried to find a pulse on one squire who's name she had forgotten. When she looked up, a moblin was already over top her. It raised a large club and screamed. Impa threw the last of her darts, only for the club to smash it out of the air, seemingly by pure dumb luck.
Impa rolled out of the way as it landed on the squire. Crushing his chest, and sending the body flopping. If the poor boy wasn't gone before, now he certainly was. Impa kept her roll going until she landed on her feet and sprung up. The movement made her knees click and her blood rush to her head. Once more her vision blurred as her opponent lumbered toward her.
She fished in her pockets, trying to find something of use. She always carried something.
But the creature moved too quick. She ducked out of the way, she may no longer have her youthful vigor, she may even be out of practice. But she was a Needle of the Shiekah still, and a Needle does not fall to one sloppily wielded club.
Even if they're still a little drunk.
Impa wheezed out of the way, until her fingers found something useful in her pockets. She pulled out her only smoke bomb and threw it at the creature's feet. Then she dived out of the way. The creature swung wildly and charged out of the cloud, only to stumble on one of the bodies still strewn along the ground.
Before it had time to move, Impa was on top of it. Pulling a small knife from the creature's belt she pressed it into the back of the creature's neck and pushed. Until blood bubbled around her hand and the creature stopped thrashing beneath her.
She glanced back at the line of guards and gerudo. The gap was closed, but there were still more of the monsters coming. Pulling out the knife, she ran back to the king. "That's the end of them, now go. Go!"
The king barely managed to squeeze through the hole. Once he was inside, Impa slid in beside him. It was cramped and dark. People were crying and heaving, and she could only barely make out their shapes.
"Everyone," Impa called. "Put your hand on the wall and start walking. You will feel a path open up to your right. Follow it, and it should lead you back outside."
"Impa," the King grabbed her shoulder and pulled her close. "We need to get Zelda."
"Sire, you go. Lead the people away. I know these paths, I can get to the princesses chambers."
"I am going to get my daughter."
"Lio, I don't think you'll fit some of them. Go, you have trusted me to protect Zelda her entire life. I'll bring your daughter to you now."
The slight movement in the dark she saw was probably a nod. Whatever it was, he started bellowing out Impa's instructions and getting everyone moving down the proper path. Impa followed them for awhile, until they turned right and she continued forward. Until she reached a solid wall with a rope ladder hanging down.
She pulled herself up the rope until she reached a higher floor of the castle. Where she snaked around moving through the wall of the castle. There were a few old passages that lined the walls of the castle. Not all of them connected with each other and twice Impa needed to leave one passage to enter another.
Each time she did the screams of the hurt and the wrathful filled her ears. The moblins had made it well inside the castle. The third flour, the fourth. She forced her heart to steady, but it came more difficult with every step.
She reached the last of the passageways that came out above one of the king's studies. Pulling open the grate she dropped into the room. Something was thrashing about in the king's bedchamber, something shattered.
Avoiding that room she went down the hall and lost all control of her heartbeat. The princesses doors were open. She ran to the room, "Zelda!" she screamed. But there was no one inside. The books stacked on the bed and desk had been toppled over or torn apart. Empty jewelry boxes lay scattered on the floor.
"Zelda!" she called again, hoping the girl had found some way to hide from the monsters. But there was nothing. There was no blood. No body. She was alive, they had taken her. Where?
She ran back out of the room. "Zelda!" From the king's rooms the doors burst open and two moblins ran out, waving their bloodied blades in one hand and holding gold chains and coins in their other. For a moment, Impa wanted nothing more than to cut the two to pieces. But she had no weapons and Zelda was not with them.
So she ran. Down the halls and stairs toward the exits. Dashing around the violence, screaming for the princess. When guards saw her they gave her whatever aid they could. Clearing her path, trying to force the moblins back. She ran through most clashes against the moblins. Mostly unharmed but for scratches. Only changing her direction when one of the brutes stepped before her. She dived between it's legs rolled back to her feet and continued running.
The closest exit to the Princess' rooms was the east. She found one of the guards lying dead, Borra by the look of him. At his feet three moblins. "Zelda!" she cried again as she ran toward the city.
Lights were on all over Castle Town. Some from torches as the citizens gathered to come to the castle's defense. Others seem to be fires spread by the moblins themselves. "Zelda!"
"Impa?" came a soft scared voice.
Impa stopped and spun around, from the courtyard of a small temple came Zelda. An ornate grey cloak wrapped around her tightly.
"I don't know what's going on," Zelda said. "I didn't mean to- I was trying to find-"
Impa ran toward the girl and grabbed her. Lifting her from the ground and holding her as close as she could.
"Impa, what's happening?"
"We're under attack. We need a place to hide."
"Is father safe?"
"Yes."
"I was trying to get back home. It was getting late, and we didn't realize what was happening. I saw them, running through the streets and I feared-"
"You can explain what you were doing later. We need to get to safety."
"The temple then," Zelda said, trying to pull herself out of Impa's embrace. Impa lowered the girl to the ground before letting her go.
"I don't think the moblins hold the sanctity of a temple."
"No, that's not it. You need to trust me, right now the Temple is the safest place in the city."
Author's Note: Well in 3 weeks this became my most viewed and followed story. That was a lot faster than anticipated. Thanks everyone who has given a review. And I hope it continues to entertain.
