"Look at all of the fish! There's so many you can't help but stick your spear in and bring one up!" The young Gerudo guard was enthralled with the work she had set up for herself: feeding the entire group on the footlong silvery fish that swam two feet from the shorelines of the Zora river.
"We shouldn't eat more than we need. It'll be too much to carry. Besides, this is our last stop. After this we return to the Valley and our desert cuisine! I miss the spicy pepper paste so much, and the dates!" They all fell into silence, dreaming of their first meal back in the Valley. It had been over a month since their departure, and the group was weary. Despite the excitement they had seen and the richness of the lands they had visited, nothing could truly replace the sense of being at home any Gerudo felt in the desert. Their ancestors truly had adapted, physically, emotionally, and culturally, to their harsh home in the Valley.
A sudden parting of the waters shattered their reverie. A stately looking child emerged wearing jewelry and a sleek suit of armor, followed by what appeared to be several Zora warriors. The Gerudo guards instantly rose to their feet with the scimitars pointed in a defensive position, the Chief Guard pulling Ganondorf behind her stocky body, ready to defend him with her life.
"What are you doing eating the cleanscales! Don't you know they are the cornerstone species of this riverside ecosystem? They are the cleaner species that keep the shorelines free for other plants and animals to roam without letting the shallow-root plants grow too thick along the river's edge. If you are going to eat anything, eat the roots of the shallow-root plant! They have become too abundant in as of late. The waters of the river have grown much warmer with the volcanic activity under Death Mountain, and the alkaline balance is a bit off. The cleaner fish are doing the best they can to keep the shallow-root plants in check, please let them be!" The Zora princess spoke harshly but firmly. It was clear she was used to addressing anyone as an equal or inferior.
Ganondorf stood up and shook himself off, weaving through the guards to the front of the group. "I'm sorry for our behavior. We did not know, it has been over a month since we've left the desert and three weeks since our visit to Castle Town for supplies. We promise to act as you say, just please have mercy on our behavior this time. We will respect the land as you see fit, for your culture was raised in this land."
The child princess nodded in acknowledgement. "I will ask my father for clemency for you all this one time." She looked Ganondorf over, then reviewed the Gerudo guards, still in their defensive positions. "You must be the Gerudo King! I heard a new one was crowned. And every 100 years! How lucky I am to see a new one. But I must say I am a bit disappointed. You have women protecting you? You sink to the back of the group? Can you not fight yourself? What is a Gerudo King to do but follow in the footsteps of his mighty guards?"
Ganondorf bowed his head. Koume and Kotake were right, other cultures had no understanding of matriarchy and only viewed him as a submissive King to be dealt with as a subservient. It would take a lot of diplomacy and pride-swallowing to work with the Zora it seemed. "Not all cultures act as you do. I am sure you must be familiar with that as a princess. While the Hylians of Castle Town bow to a King at all times, we Gerudo have Kings only in times of need. It seems that the need occurs every 100 years. If we have intermittent periods with no king, don't you think the Matriarchs could have as good or better a handle of ruling the Gerudo tribe than I as a fresh king would? No, my work is to engage with the other races, while the wise Matriarchs manage the internal affairs of the Gerudo as has been done for thousands of years. As the Gerudo King, I have come to speak with King Zora and discuss the opportunities for collaboration with the Gerudo Tribe as has not been done since days long past, several generations of my male ancestors ago."
The Zora princess looked unperturbed. Then she scrunched her mouth, nose, and brows together in something between a sneer and a frown. "I will take you to him, but I will not forget that you failed to seek counsel with us before eating the cleanscales! Lord Jabu-Jabu has become sick from the heating waters and alkalinization, and any further disturbance could set her off. Come, let's travel up the river. You are close to our domain."
—-
The Gerudo couldn't hide their awe as they entered the cavernous expanse behind the waterfall. It was treacherous for them entering, as they could not swim below into the underground caverns and had to walk along the waterfall cliff face to find the above-water entrance. As they slipped down along the damp, wet path, the depths of the cavern truly opened up to them. There were many pools and streams all flowing out from deeper inside the cavern out towards the river, and the Zora were swimming effortlessly, with only enough exertion to stay in place. Some would sit on the banks, some would climb up the rocks and dive back into the pools. The Zora seemed a playful people, and the Gerudo wondered if it was the abundance of the river waters and the life springing from them that allowed such frivolity and joy.
They climbed the slick stone stairs up into the King's chamber, where Princess Ruto waited. As they entered, she was whispering in the King's ear. He straightened up to look at them, reviewing each of their faces in turn. "So the Gerudo envoy comes to the Zora? I had heard word from the Kokiri that you have been on quite the journey in order to reach this point. I heard from my daughter that you ate the cleanscales without seeking our council to do so, and did not choose to eat the shallow-root plant as we have instructed all travelers to Zora's river to do. However, you could not have known without reaching a Zora first. It has been quite a challenge for us keeping up with everything going on in the watershed. With the heating of the spring that feeds Zora's river, Lord Jabu-Jabu has become slightly ill. The shallow-root plants are proliferating beyond stable ecological limits, and this is throwing off our favorite food stores as well. The trees cannot establish themselves as before, and other biological resources are becoming scarce. I wish you could have come at a better time, but we must live in the history we are given, moment by moment.
Ganondorf stepped forward and bowed. "I am overjoyed to finally meet you, King of the Zora. You are the last stop on my journey before I return home. I have come first to offer you a gift. Please accept this fine sapphire, worked only recently by our Gerudo master jewelers. We present it in good faith for a lasting partnership between the Zora and Gerudo." The King, looking it over in amazement, handed it to his daughter.
"Here, honey. Take this, it suits your eyes." She was mesmerized by the pendant, and rushed off with her entourage to fuss with it. The King smiled slightly, and nodded in appreciation to Ganondorf. "Well done, King of the Gerudo. You all have my ear now."
Ganondorf began as he had rehearsed. "If you've spoken with the Kokiri, then you may know of my requests of the other non-Hylian races here in Hyrule. I have studied the ecological history of Gerudo Valley, since at least five male ancestors ago. Before the drought of the past century, Kokiri forest wrapped around the southern end of Hyrule Field all the way through Lake Hylia, stopping just inside of Gerudo Valley. The desert had not yet begun its march into the valley, and there was plenty of food and forest products for us to use. This was the way our Gerudo ancestors found it, a land of plenty and abundance of nature. I wish to make it so again. My plan is to first prepare the soil using ash and dodongo fertilizer for the valley floor, where the riverbed could be widened and slowed. Then we will build irrigation channels to encourage a greater diversity and abundance of plant growth, some of the species that used to grow in the Valley in generations past. This re-greening of the floor of the Valley will be with plants carefully selected by the Kokiri to handle the harsh temperature changes in the valley, but with the assistance of the abundant waters from irrigation and the amended soils. I am not fooled into thinking this is anything other than a generation or more of dedicated effort. I am lucky that I have only recently been crowned king and have the remainder of my reign to devote to this process. I have secured the commitment from the Great Deku Tree for some of her forest energy, and her expertise in identifying plants that can survive the harsh initial dryness and heat of the Valley floor. I have spoken with the Gorons and will commit to opening up the cavern entrance that is sealed by boulders using Gerudo labor and tools. All that remains is securing the water rights to draw more into irrigation ditches and trap it behind miniature dams. I know you all depend on a careful balancing of the water level of Lake Hylia in order to travel through the underground caverns connecting Lake Hylia to your Domain, and we do not want to upset that balance. But without more water, my plan will not succeed." He shifted in his boots, staring silently ahead. This truly was make-or-break. His plan had no chance of succeeding without the agreement for use of the irrigation system. He could not immediately bring himself to look King Zora in the eye.
King Zora was glad, as he too had to avert his eyes. He had heard of the Gerudo King's quest since it began, and was familiar with the plight of the Gerudo since before his time. Some Gerudo refugees had tried to assimilate into the Zora Domain, but without the physical adaptations the Zora possessed there was little hope for them. The Zora and Gerudo scientists had even developed swimwear along with Hylian specialists that allowed both Hylians and Gerudo to breathe underwater, but the ability to swim with ease was still lacking. Progress was being made, but it was always easier for the Gerudo refugees to resettle in other areas like Kakariko village and Castle Town.
"Gerudo King, I honor your courage. You have traveled far in the name of your people, and I applaud you for that. However, the water levels of Lake Hylia have been dropping for some time. You see, the drought affects more than just you. We all are suffering, and I do not know how much more we can spare. Lord Jabu-Jabu isn't just affected by the changing water temperatures; she has become stuck in her pool now, unable to pass over the lip of her basin into the other waterways that she used to roam. We cannot afford any less water, at least not at this time. You are free to use what little runs through the Valley floor now, but we cannot open any waterways to send more your way without compromising our own Lord's health. I hope the drought will break soon and our water reserves will be replenished with rain. In the interim, I cannot allow you to build any excess dams."
Ganondorf slumped slightly and struggled to remain upright. His head bowed momentarily in silence. All he had worked for, all of the different places and peoples he had visited. To be brought to nothing because of the water rights. The Zora clearly had such abundant water supplies! To his knowledge they barely even used Lake Hylia. Why then were they so reticent to offer such a humble request? He could feel his fury building. "King of the Zora, have you not looked out into your domain? It is full of water! How can you claim that there is a shortage of water for you all when we see your people swimming all throughout the caves with ease?! My people starve in the Valley - every day more Gerudo abandon our ancestral home to live elsewhere, seeking to escape the poverty of our land. We were once great, but no more! This drought has destroyed us, but it is not done. We lose population every day! And you can't spare us water?!" He shook violently, but the Gerudo guards grabbed Ganondorf to calm him. The Zora guards raised their spears and pointed them directly at Ganondorf's chest, calm but ready. At the outburst, Princess Ruto ran back into the room.
"Was that all your gift was then, a bribe to get our water?!" Princess Ruto shrilled. "You are a wicked man, the Gerudo really would do better without even one! I hear your Matriarchs can handle everything, why do they even need a King?! Take this back, I don't want your fake goodwill!" She flung the sapphire back at him, and he caught it deftly. Looking at it, he felt himself begin to release back into calm. He had done his best. Maybe they could make due with the water they had, and would need to spend more labor on reinforcing the current irrigation infrastructure. A major setback, but he could not do anything else given how he had angered the Princess. It was time to return home.
"I'm very sorry for my outburst. This was not what I had intended. My King, my Princess, I wish to leave you the sapphire. Despite my outburst, I still intend to foster a peaceful relationship with the Zora. I hope to see you again soon, when I make my next round to the various partners of the Gerudo people. May you have peace in your kingdom and much to be thankful for." As the Gerudo left, Princess Ruto sneered at them. King Zora kept a quiet composure as he could sympathize with Ganondorf's conundrum. There was a time when the Zora had little and no other race had come to their aid. He still could not offer water without sacrificing his own people's wellbeing, but he could at least offer his silent pity. Not that it seemed of much solace to the Gerudo King. As they walked into the distance, he could swear he felt the water even hotter than before. Was it just his imagination? Anxiety at the outburst of Ganondorf? Or was Death Mountain entering a dangerous new level of volcanic activity? It had been so long, long before anyone 's memories. Except maybe Lord Jabu-Jabu. He would have to consult with her when the time was ripe. And it looked like time was a little overripe and the fruit was going bad. This all did not sit well with King Zora.
