Chapter 5

We hurried out of Namib's settlement and traveled southwest down a slope. It was at first a rather rocky slope, but it eventually transitioned into sand like the rest of the Gerudo Desert. At one point I took to shield surfing (using my shield as a snowboard) down part of that slope, leaving Namib behind...he does not have a shield for some daft reason. He looked quite irritated when he caught up with me, but that was soon interrupted by the sound of rocks barreling down towards us.

"Petra, look out!" he quickly yelled as he shoved me away. I thought he was about to be squashed flat mere hours after I had met him...but nope, one punch from his massive fists was enough to send those rocks flying into the nearby canyon walls, smashing them like terracotta. I was slightly terrified.

How strong is this bloke?! I had to bandage Namib's hands before we continued...

About four hours after we left Namib's home base we reentered the Desert proper. Namib insisted on us staying near the cliffs on the north side of the desert...I saw many narrow vertical pillars, the ruins of some old buildings, various lizalfos (dumb chameleon like monsters) camps...much more interesting scenery than the route I had previously taken through the desert. I eventually went for a chinwag with Namib.

"Hey, Namib!"

"Yes?"

"When I tried to enter Gerudo Town looking for Link the other day, they tried to skewer me, saying all hylians were wanker criminals. What gives?! I thought you said Dreemer ruled Gerudo Town!"

"In secret, sheila...most of my people have come to despise hylians the past few years. Ya saw that oasis on the way to Gerudo Town? A band of Voice maddened hylians destroyed the bazaar around that oasis a few years ago, and my people have become all xenophobic ever since. It's really galah...gerudo sheilas need to marry hylian bruces to have children, remember."

"Why don't you just barge in there and make yourself king instead?!" He looked very uncomfortable - embarrassed even – by the idea...

"And another thing, why the hell did the Plague Witches tell you about The Voice when you are their enemy?!" He looked even more awkward...but before I could bully an answer out of him, suddenly ten lizalfos burst out of the sand and engaged us in battle, mostly green lizalfos but also some electric lizalfos that can discharge massive electrical fields at will (or unwillingly if their nose horn is struck by an arrow). Namib quickly unsheathed his swords.

"Ya take five, I'll take five!" he called out. Namib rushed into battle...he is not as skilled with a sword as Link is, but he fights with incredible fury, like a violent thunderstorm. Within about five minutes he had finished off all five of his lizalfos and then came to help me finish off my last electric lizalfos, running it through with his sword. As much as I distrusted the dodgy thief lord, I had to compliment his talent.

"Wicked, Namib..." I reluctantly spat out.

"Ya were beauty yourself, Petra."

"Now can you please tell me how you convinced the damn Plague Witches to tell you about The Voice?!" He looked hurt that I tried to butter him up into answering that question...I just called it quits for the moment. We harvested the horns, elbow talons, and tails from the lizalfos and kept walking.

A few hours later, as the sun beat down on us mercilessly, we reached the Gerudo Desert Gateway, unchanged from when I had last passed it aside from having fewer hydromelons (I ate some my previous pass), and we continued maybe five or six hours on the trail before exhaustion finally caught up to us. We opted to settle in for the night on a huge rock about two thirds of the way back to Little Lorule...I got a campfire going and Namib cooked. I was apprehensive about letting him cook...

...he isn't going to poison me and then steal every damn thing I have, is he?

Eventually Namib finished roasting some heron drumsticks (which he had packed raw in his sack...stuff doesn't seem to rot in our bags for some reason) and gave several to me while he ate about ten. Fearing for my safety, I chucked one of the "fowl" drumsticks at a nearby stray dog...

"What was that for?!" Namib yelled out, quite gutted.

"You're a thief! Why should I trust you?!"

Well...the mutt ate the drumstick and was still perfectly fine an hour later, so I opted to eat the other two drumsticks. They...they were actually pretty good. Not as good as what Link cooks (Linky is a FANTASTIC chef) but still quite good. I felt bloody embarrassed having to eat my words along with the drumsticks...

"Namib..."

"Yes?" he said somewhat coldly.

"I...I'm sorry. About the drumstick..."

"And?" I glared at him, not wanting to give his reputation any credit that day, and then worked on getting ready for bed as far away from him as that rock would allow...

Chapter 6

It was a long, aggravating night...The Voice didn't give me any troubles, but Namib's snoring did. The bloke's stertor is insufferable...even from the other side of the rock he woke me up repeatedly with his daft breathing, making me think a monster was approaching to devour me in my sleep. When the sun finally rose and it was time for us to get moving, I was a zombie yet again and Namib was absolutely clueless as to why.

"Everything all right, Petra? Ya look all buggered." I just glared at him, packed up, and hastily continued my march away from the Gerudo Desert, almost leaving him behind.

See a bloody doctor, thief lord!

We marched on about two and a half more hours before reaching Little Lorule. Commander Peggle was at the south side of town monitoring for monsters...to my surprise, he recognized Namib.

"Lord Namib, so good to see you!" Namib ran up and gave the old man a firm handshake.

"Defo, Commander!" Peggle then noticed me.

"Oh, didja pair off with that there Thief Lord, Lieutenant?!"

"He's NOT my boyfriend!" Peggle simply laughed.

"Seriously, though...why is that there Thief Lord followin' ya around, Petra?"

"I have not found Link yet, Commander...I bribed Namib to come along and help me find him." Peggle – visibly unimpressed by my porky – held his chin for a few moments before answering me.

"Hmmm...I have not seen him yet either. However, I have heard rumors that Link was spotted at the Outskirt Stable, heading north..."

"To New Kakariko Village?" Namib butted in. I was bollocks he knew of that frigid village that lay so far beyond his native desert...

"Why in Hyrule would Link be there?!" I blurted out.

"If ya go there, ya might find out!" Namib barked back.

"You're not inspiring me to go, ya knob!" Peggle was laughing hysterically.

"You're fightin' like an old married couple!" We both blushed bright red...that ended the squabbling. Namib began walking to the north, towards the nearby Digdogg Suspension Bridge...when he got far enough away I got to "asking" the commander how in Hyrule he knows Namib.

"How the hell do you know this freak?!" I coarsely whispered to him.

"'Freak?!' Namib's no freak! We go back years, that there gerudo and I! He came to me as a youngin' of 18, runnin' away from home...I helped 'im hide from them there Plague Witches several months. Over that time he was joined by several dozen gerudo women fleeing from Gerudo Town...and then he got this crazy idea; he told me, 'Hey Peggle, how about I go rob them there Plague Witches and maddened hylians and use their wealth to feed Hyrule's other races?!' I tried to dissuade that there boy, but he sure was persistent...eventually the women who fled with 'im started helping him in his thievin' ways, and his band of thieves was born and moved to the Desert to make themselves like a needle in a haystack. New Kakariko in particular wouldn't survive without that there Namib stealin' from the rich and givin' to the needy..."

I swear this old fart has lost the plot...there are no thieves like that, they're all in it for themselves! By now Namib had turned back towards Little Lorule, wondering where the hell I was...not that I cared; I was letting him follow along because I thought I had little choice.

"Oh, I almost forgot, dearie!" Peggle cried out to me. "Please...when you head up to New Kakariko, give this letter to the village elder, Impa. We've been good friends for decades but have struggled to keep in touch lately due to that there Voice..."

OH NO...Impa will recognize me for sure...and...and if she tells this minging thief who I am...

"No thanks, Commander."

"But I'll pay you!"

"No."

"Please, dearie! I'll give you anything!"

"Like?!"

"A thousand rupees!"

...fair trade I guess...

"Alright...give me the damn letter." Peggle handed over the letter and his quids, at which point I ran to join Namib at the Digdogg Suspension Bridge. I did not dare take Namib's hand as we crossed the bridge...I just sucked it up and quickly crossed it myself. Once across we veered north to the nearby Outskirt Stable...they were NOT happy to see Namib.

"There's that damn thief lord!" the stable hand yelled out.

"Let's get him!" one of the guards called out. Namib could easily have knocked out the five guards who pursued him but simply opted to run instead (and I had to run too, they thought I was his girlfriend!).

Namib you daft coward! Turn and fight already, you'd save me the workout! Several hours later, as we approached Safula Hill, the guards gave up and returned to the stable, and we continued our trek towards New Kakariko Village...

"Why didn't you just knock the wankers out?!" I whispered to Namib in irritation. "They were trying to kill you!"

"Why hurt them if I can just shoot through? I'd be the 'wanker' if I just offed everyone who crossed me..."

Fair fair, thief lord...soon we reached the Sandin Park, a podium with a fountain and a horse statue, before continuing north to Nima Plain. We did not manage to leave the plain before a downpour broke out, forcing us to take refuge under a pair of trees to our west...Namib tried to offer me his robe to help me keep dry.

"Uh...no thanks," I bluntly told him. He was insistent about offering his robe, but I was equally insistent that I did not want it...eventually he retreated to the other tree to sleep. Before too long I was also out cold...