Chapter 21: Change of Course

Note: Rather fitting that I post "Change of Course today, having had a "Change of Course" myself! I hadn't intended to travel for Thanksgiving, since my family is all pretty far away, but now things are falling into place and I'll be gone for much of the week! Wednesday, in particular, I'll be in a car for 13 hours or more. So I'll post two chapters today, and then I'll try to remember to post the next chapter after that on Friday. ( :

I hope all of you have a wonderful week! Those of you who are looking forward to spending time with family, I hope you have some beautiful days! Those of you who are dreading this family time for any reason, I feel much empathy and compassion for you, and I pray that you will find better people to be your family later on, as I did! ( :

The denizens of the South Akkala Stable were devastated to learn that their magical Cucco had, in fact, been nothing more than a Yiga trap. They thanked Link and Penn for eliminating the threat and offered them free beds and meals for however long they wanted to stay. Link decided privately that he wouldn't leave in the morning, as he'd initially planned.

Penn was still there when I woke up the morning after the battle on the bridge. And I doubt he's been injured like this before – the least I can do is see that he recovers properly.

He helped the Rito lay down on one of the beds and asked one of the stable workers for any medical supplies they had. It was the youngest sister who ended up bringing the items, piling them up on the nightstand next to the bed. And she kept coming… and coming… and bringing more and more supplies, until they spilled over onto the floor.

"Is it that bad?" Penn squawked, staring at the pile of medical supplies as Link sorted through to find something to clean the wound.

"No, it's not," Link assured him. "She's just being nice."

The young girl blushed fiercely, already bringing her next armload of supplies. "I – I don't know what you need, so I'm just bringing it all," she explained.

"Thanks," Link said with a smile. "I appreciate it."

He spotted a packet of dried out cool safflina – just the thing to reduce swelling on things like broken bones. His brow creased. Inasmuch as I've decided to wait for Penn to heal, might as well take care of my own wounds for a change, he thought. He couldn't shake a tight, restless sensation in his gut at the idea of just lying in a bed for days on end, but he tried to reason his way through it. Actually taking the time to heal will make things better for me overall, he scolded himself.

"This'll hurt a bit," he warned Penn, beginning to clean the slice on his wing.

Penn flinched horribly, a strangled sound coming from his throat. "A – a bit?" he echoed in disbelief. His talons clenched tightly around the bedsheets, but he remained still as Link tended the injury. "It hurts – considerably – worse than a bit," he ground out tightly.

Link nodded nonchalantly. "Almost done. Then I'll stitch it shut – they got you pretty good."

Penn gave him a flat look. "Then you're not almost done," he said, his voice pained.

Link considered a moment, readying needle and thread. "I… guess not," he shrugged. "Halfway done, then."

He worked quickly through the rest of the process, sewing up the sides of the wound – it was actually fairly difficult with feathers in the way – and securely bandaging it up.

"Thanks," Penn mumbled tiredly. "Your bedside manner could use some work, though."

Link chuckled, looking through the pile of medical supplies and gathering out things that looked useful for his own injuries, crafting two cold compresses out of dried safflina – one for his wrist, one for his ribs. Then he pulled off his top layers and settled down on the stable bed next to Penn's, wincing slightly as he placed a compress on the hot, swollen skin over his ribs and wrist.

Penn sighed deeply, glancing over at him. "How do you get used to this?" he asked, and Link assumed he was referring to his myriad of scars.

"I don't know," Link admitted honestly, considering the question. He smiled grimly. "If I had a rupee for every time I've gotten injured, I bet I could buy every stable in Hyrule." He let his head rest back on the pillow and gazed listlessly up at the ceiling. "I don't know. Prolonged exposure, I guess. My body knows by now what's actually worth worrying about. I still feel it all, it's just… easier to push past, because I know it won't kill me."

Penn winced. "It… doesn't sound like a very pleasant life," he commented quietly.

Link nodded slowly, unsure how else to respond. He thought of his right arm, damaged beyond repair, skin and muscle all melted down over the space of a few agonizing moments. He could remember, dimly, those final moments of cognizance on Blatchery Plain – the sheer raw horror of feeling as though his body was falling to pieces along the edges of the wounds gouged out by laser beams. Not very pleasant, indeed, he thought wryly.

But then his thoughts turned to Zelda. Her hopeful smile when they finally defeated the Calamity together. Thoughts of the future they had dreamed about, hand in hand.

"It'll all be worth it, if we can win," he murmured. If we can… find each other again, and live past the end of it to find happiness beyond.

He felt a deep, bitter ache in his soul, missing her, mourning the fact that he hadn't acted sooner. A part of him whispered darkly that he was, and would forever be, an eternity too late for her.

It was a thought that certainly didn't help as the next days came and went. There was a shrine near the stable, fortunately. Each night Link returned to it to sleep, feeling the light of the shrine's blessing washing comfortingly through his corrupted arm. By day he kept Penn company and tended to his own injuries as well; he could feel his wrist and ribs healing, see the progress of the skin closing back together on his calf. He tried to be satisfied with that, but every moment he spent laying down he couldn't help but wonder what Zelda was doing at that very moment, whether she was in danger or worse. He worried about the Yiga Clan, and what traps they could be setting up now while he did nothing. Their Cucco ploy had been flabbergastingly effective; Link had seen enough bizarre things in his life that he hadn't once suspected the Yiga Clan. Didn't even know they could turn into animals, he scoffed inwardly. What's next, trees?

And he worried deeply about the Demon King. I've foiled two of his plots so far, with Tulin and Yunobo's help. Will he retaliate? Will they be alright? Tulin's just a kid, for the Goddess' sakes! I'd… I'd so hoped he wouldn't have to deal with everything I did. And Yunobo's not much older, in many ways.

Which turned his thoughts once more towards the other two regions in peril. Riju's only sixteen and trying to rule her nation. What's she supposed to do with a food crisis in the desert of all places?

At least Sidon's an adult. And from what Purah said, he's got a handle on things at Zora's Domain, for a while, at least.

Penn kept some of the restlessness at bay. He commiserated with Link's agitation – his dominant writing wing, his right wing, was the injured one. He attempted several times to write up 'the Saga of the All-Clucking Cucco,' as he called it, only to find himself constantly frustrated with his attempts to write with his left wing.

"It's hard enough using a pen with feathers," Penn grumbled dejectedly.

"Here, I'll scribe for you," Link suggested at last. "My right arm's fine."

And that provided a decent amount of distraction, and amusement for the stable's residents, until the article was finished and edited before either of them was fully healed. Then Link came up with lists of random words, and Penn tried to put them altogether in a short story, until they got bored of that, too.

At long last Penn's wound was healed, and he showed off his fresh scar proudly when he pulled away the bandages. "Wait until Traysi sees this!" he said with a wide grin. "She'll have to give me a raise – I'm technically qualified to be her bodyguard now!"

"Keep practicing that swan attack," Link grinned, clapping Penn's good shoulder.

"Swan attack – it just sounds so cool," Penn sighed, practically preening. "Thanks for helping me recover, partner. I'll never forget that."

"Sure thing," Link said, walking with him out into the daylight. "Safe travels out there."

"You as well," Penn chuckled, offering a quick salute. "Maybe I'll see you at Outskirt Stable." He flapped his wings experimentally, then took off, quickly gaining altitude and circling once around the top of the stable. "Soar long!"

Chuckling, Link turned towards the paddock. He lured Ember back to his side with a sugar cube in hand; the little horse cantered over to him with a distinctive bounce in his step and a cheery glint in his eyes as gobbled up the treat and lightly nudged Link's chest with his broad forehead.

"Looks like you enjoyed your vacation," Link grinned. "Ready to keep going?"

Ember tossed his head eagerly.

Within the hour he was saddled up and ready to go. Link set out for Tarrey Town, waving over his shoulder at the two stable hand sisters as they saw him off – the youngest had even brought her beloved Cucco along.

Tarrey Town wasn't all that far from the stable, but it was only approachable from a single direction – a land bridge reaching over Lake Akkala from the east. The road meandered along the Torin Wetland and the shores of the lake, so he could see the town long before he actually arrived. And the changes it had undergone.

A rail had been constructed going from the top of Tarrey Town all the way to the construction site in the Torin Wetland. As Link rode Ember down the trail, he saw some sort of device travel from the bottom of the rail up to the top, and then back down. The construction site itself seemed a lot busier; if he squinted he could make out the telltale green of various Zonai devices amongst rubble and ruins that had clearly fallen from the sky.

Looks like they've been busy since the Upheaval, Link thought in astonishment, as with a burst of bluish flame one of the Zonai devices rocketed skyward before dissolving.

The town itself didn't seem all that different. The elderly couple Moggs and Monari sat together in the shade beneath the veranda by the Unity Bell, watching birds in the sky without a care in the world. Fyson the Rito manned his general goods stall, talking with a couple of travelers, with Pelison sitting nearby, fiddling with a gemstone stuck to the end of a sword.

Hagie, a rather obnoxious wealthy man with his second home in Tarrey Town, stood near the main Hudson Construction office, in front of a platform with the rail Link had noticed earlier. The second home had originally just been Hagie's summer home, but the tycoon liked Tarrey Town enough that it became his family's permanent residence – not that he would ever admit it to anyone. Hagie's daughter Hunnie was playing with Mattison in the dirt in front of the office.

"Hi, Mattison," Link called with a wide smile as he neared, slipping down from Ember's back.

"Link!" she beamed, hopping up from the dirt and racing up to him. "Ohhh… you got a new pony! What's her name?"

Link chuckled. "His name is Ember."

At once Mattison looked inexplicably disappointed. "Awww, of course he's a voe pony," she said glumly. And then alarm flashed across her face, and tears started glittering in her eyes. "And – and you're a voe –" With a distressed cry, she turned on her heel and dashed away just as fast as her little legs could carry her, her head buried in her arms as she sobbed and disappeared into Hudson Construction's main office.

Link stared after her, bewildered and a little hurt. "What… what did I…"

"Hi, Link," Hunnie said, standing up from the dirt and brushing off her skirt. She was nine years old, much older than Mattison; the times Link had visited, it seemed as though she had taken it upon herself to be the little Gerudo girl's big sister. Her brow wrinkled as she glanced off in the direction Mattison had run. "I don't think it's you. She gets like that around every boy these days. But she gets all sad when I try and ask her about it. So we try and dig up Molduga hatchlings in the dirt!"

Link stared at her. "Have you… found any?"

"No, but we've found lots of lizards, and that's close," Hunnie said eagerly. "Mattison used to be so excited about going to the desert. I'm trying to help her be excited again." Her shoulders drooped slightly. "I thought it was working. Until now."

Link bit his lip. "Keep trying," he encouraged her gently. "I'm sure she appreciates it."

Hunnie smiled brightly.

There came a sudden thundering of footsteps from the Hudson Construction office, and then the door burst open, revealing Hudson himself. "Link!" he exclaimed, relief palpable in his voice as he rushed down the stairway towards him. "Thank the Goddesses – you're alive! It's so good to see you, kid!"

Link smiled. "Good to see you too."

"And – and what about Zelda?" Hudson asked, peering over Link's shoulder. "I admit, I'm surprised to see you without her!"

"She's – still missing," Link answered haltingly, his chest tight – and he knew it wasn't from his ribs, because they were almost completely healed by now. "I'm looking for her, but I… haven't had much success. I… wanted to stop by, just visit for a bit."

Hudson frowned, avoiding his gaze. "Normally I'd love to have you around, Link," he said quietly, and Link felt as though a cold stone had dropped into his stomach. "But with the way things are right now… it… it might be best if you…" He sighed deeply, rubbing a calloused hand wearily over his face. "Goddesses, I can't even say it…"

Link stared at the man. "What's going on?" he asked, unable to keep the shock from his voice. "Maybe I can…" His brow furrowed. "Is it… because of what's going on with Mattison?"

Hudson winced. "Here," he said heavily, walking towards the rail leading down to the construction site. "If you'll join me for a bit of a walk, I can… try to explain."

Link nodded slowly, dread squeezing around his heart from Hudson's odd behavior. Hudson paused by Hagie, giving the man a stern glare. "Don't you charge folks for passage on the railcar while I'm gone, you hear?" he said firmly.

Hagie nodded with a too-wide smile. "Course not, boss."

Hudson led the way to the platform next to the rail itself. Two Zonai devices with wheels hugged the rail, and a wooden box hung down from the devices, with room enough for a couple of Gorons and crates of supplies to sit comfortably. He stepped on and beckoned Link after him; then he punched the side of the box, and the Zonai devices up above activated with a low whine, setting the whole assembly moving down the rail towards the construction site.

"I caught Hagie charging people to use the railcar when I wasn't around," Hudson explained with a weary sigh. "That's not what it's here for – I'm not the type to squeeze folks for every rupee they've got. So I told him to put a stop to it, but I still worry he keeps it up behind my back."

Link nodded – standard Hagie money-grubbing, then. The older man had once offered to pay Link to kill a lynel in an area he wanted to picnic at. The payment had been a measly two rupees.

"I saw all the Zonai devices on my ride in," Link said. "Looks like you've been busy."

Hudson nodded grimly. "Seems there's a lot more Zonai devices that fall here than anywhere else in Hyrule," he said. "Once we got all the Skyview Towers and Lookout Landing all taken care of, enough had fallen that I wanted to try doing something with it all. Figure out what it's all used for. I made a deal with the Zonai Survey Team and YunoboCo, and now we've got folks from all over coming here to help us build and experiment. We're in the early stages as of yet – cataloging all the different types of devices and what they do. But a couple bright minds have started drafting up ideas and testing them out." He shook his head in wonder. "Lots of potential here, for certain."

He struck the railcar again when they reached the bottom, and offered a 'good morning' to the Goron sitting beside it.

"But," Hudson said quietly, walking towards Lake Akkala's shore, "that's besides the point."

Link sighed softly. "I saw Mattison playing outside," he said. "She looked happy to see me at first. Then all of a sudden she started crying and ran off." He grimaced, scratching the back of his head. "She seemed suddenly upset that… I'm a man?"

Hudson stopped walking, turning his concerned gaze out over the water. "Rhondson's been in a state since we heard about Gerudo Desert," he said. "The sand shroud."

Link frowned, feeling as though he was beginning to understand. "Mattison was supposed to leave for Gerudo Town soon," he realized. "Back before the Upheaval, when we were here last. Her birthday would've been… six weeks ago?"

"Yup," Hudson nodded, his eyes seeming strangely glittery. "Four years old now, that girl. Her birthday came and went, and no word from Gerudo Town about picking her up. The only word we've gotten is that no one can get through; the sand shroud is too thick, the temperatures too extreme."

Link swallowed grimly, thinking again about Riju. He remembered, when Purah first told him about the regional disasters, that it seemed the Rito and the Gerudo faced similar threats – threats of starvation, running out of food and water.

How long has it been since the Upheaval? Almost… almost three months?

And Hudson says there's extreme temperatures… too extreme for even the Gerudo?

"Rhondson's got it into her mind that she and Mattison are the last of the Gerudo," Hudson said, his voice thick with emotion. "And so she's got it stuck in her head that it's up to her to preserve Gerudo culture and tradition." He managed a shaky laugh. "She makes a delightful Noble Pursuit. And Mattison has enjoyed learning Gerudo tailoring, although of course she's four, so it doesn't turn out like much." He swallowed, his eyes dark with deep pain. "But… there's another aspect of Gerudo culture that has… become quite the sticking point."

Oh. Of course. All at once Mattison's behavior made perfect sense. "No men in Gerudo Town," Link said quietly.

Hudson nodded, bowing his head slightly. "It's – it's a tough one," he said. "Because, of course, we don't live in Gerudo Town, where those laws are in place. We live in Tarrey Town – a place I built to be welcoming to everyone. A peaceful place, a safe haven, if you will. Where anyone in Hyrule could come and work together. And… that means men, too."

Sighing deeply, Hudson continued. "I understand why those laws are important to Rhondson," he said. "I try to, really. The whole 'don't get into a relationship until you're ready' – I think that's pretty smart. Knew too many kids when I was growing up who got into relationships young and had their hearts broken, or made some decisions with serious repercussions. There was the odd couple that actually worked out in the long term, but… it wasn't most common. So, sure – help protect my daughter from heartbreak, help her focus on growing up and learning new things and figuring out who she is before adding another person into the mix. I understand that. I support that."

Hudson shook his head slowly. "And then there's the other part of it – that there are bad men out there, and it's certainly a good idea to protect children from that." His lip trembled, and when he spoke next, his voice broke. "But I'm her papa," he said miserably. "And – and you, Link; she calls you 'Uncle Link' all the time around the house, and asks when you'll be back to visit at least once a week. There's good men out there, too – men who are part of her family. And I – I just don't understand why they have to be shut out, too."

Link bit his lip, lifting a hand and placing it on Hudson's bowed shoulder. "Is… is Rhondson shutting you out?" he asked uncertainly.

Hudson shook his head. "No," he swallowed. "No, she hasn't shut me out. We'd already planned to visit Gerudo Town while Mattison was there – I wouldn't go inside, of course, but Rhondson would bring her out and we'd play in the sand, maybe go for a ride on a sand seal… we'd planned it all out so that we could both still be part of her life." He let out a deep, shuddering breath. "That was when… that was before the sand shroud. Now, Rhondson feels like it's all up to her to preserve Gerudo culture. She's taken to staying inside the house – she panics every time she sees a man other than me. Don't know how many times now she's fallen asleep crying because she doesn't know if she's ruining tradition by having me in the house – our own little 'Gerudo Town,' I suppose she thinks about it."

Hudson wiped a hand across his face. "I've… even offered to sleep outside. But she doesn't want me to do that – she feels torn by her culture and by our family, and she feels guilty with whatever she chooses on a given day. And I just – I don't know what to do. Gather up Greyson and Pelison, Hagie and Moggs, Fyson and Kapson and Granté – and what, tell them all to hit the road?"

"Might be worth a shot with Hagie," Link said, trying to lighten the mood. "I don't think anyone would miss having him around." He swallowed, noting that Hudson didn't seem cheered up in the slightest. "But… you've definitely got a point about the others."

"I don't know what to do," Hudson said quietly. "I'm sorry to dump all of this on you, Link – Goddesses know you've got plenty on your plate as it is. But I'm… I'm at a loss here. There doesn't seem to be anything I can do that'll make everyone happy."

Link nodded, his stomach squeezing uncomfortably tight. And… and it all boils down to the very real possibility that everyone who lived in Gerudo Desert is… is dead.

He clapped Hudson's shoulder lightly. "I was going to try and make it out to Gerudo Town anyway," he admitted. "I've been able to help with the cold snap in Hebra, and… the trouble in Goron City, as well. There might be something I can do for the Gerudo, too."

Hudson looked at him with widening eyes. "You can't do that, kid," he protested. "First there's the sand shroud, keeping you from seeing anything at all and getting your bearings. You'll inevitably wind up lost! And once you do, there's the temperatures to contend with – scorching heat during the day, all the way out to Gerudo Canyon! And at night, freezing cold temperatures – colder than a Hebra winter!"

"I've got ways to deal with those," Link assured him. I still have that amulet from Kheel that'll protect me from the cold. Maybe I'll just travel by night, find shelter during the day. As for the sand shroud… I'll figure something out.

Hudson pinched the bridge of his nose. "I didn't tell you about all this just so you could go off and risk your life when you shouldn't," he said tiredly. "I know it's been a joke between us in the past, but genuinely, Link – you are a member of the company in all but name, and you are as a son to me in all but blood – and name as well. Please don't just…" His voice trailed away and he grimaced, shaking his head with a frustrated sigh. "You mean a lot to me, kid."

"Someone has to do something," Link responded softly, glancing back up towards Tarrey Town. "I'm not about to just let the Gerudo be… exterminated." He swallowed, his heart aching at the thought. "For whatever reason, I was able to make a difference in Hebra and Eldin. I have to at least try." He met Hudson's gaze intently. "I promise – I won't intentionally do something that'll get me killed. If the weather is too much, I'll… I'll turn back, and I'll find another way." Somehow.

Hudson exhaled heavily, squeezing Link's shoulder. "I'll hold you to that promise," he said somberly. They started walking back towards the railcar. "And I've got a request for you as well – come back in a month. That gives you plenty of travel time, as well as, if you're successful, time in… Gerudo Town. But after that month, meet me back here so we know you're alive. I'll… talk to Rhondson as well, see if we can give you a warmer welcome."

Link smiled at him. "I can do that," he said, feeling a slight twinge in his gut and hoping he was right. "I'll be back in a month."

Hudson clapped his shoulder. "Anything I can get you for the road?" he asked. "I'm… sorry I can't do more."

"I've got everything I need," Link assured him, shaking his head. "Thanks, though." He paused, frowning. "Actually… if you could keep an ear out for any word about Zelda, from travelers or other workers or… anything, I'd appreciate that."

"I'll keep two ears out," Hudson vowed.

They reached the railcar, and Hudson sent it rolling back up the track towards Tarrey Town, where Link had left Ember.

I'll go to Lookout Landing first, he decided. Check in with Purah and all them, let her know my plan, stock up on supplies. Then I'll stop by Outskirt Stable; see if Penn is there with any word on Zelda.

After that… I guess I'll face the sand shroud, and see what's become of the Gerudo people.