Chapter 3: An Illuminating Interrogation
If someone had told Jin yesterday that he would soon be sitting in a Gerudo prison cell, he wouldn't have believed them. If anything he'd have laughed at them and offered them a drink to thank them for the laugh. His belongings had been confiscated, and he was thrown in a small stone prison room. The only thing not stone was the solid wood and reinforced metal door. There was a slit in the door that could be opened to slide in food, but he couldn't open it from his end. The first thing he did when he was tossed in the cell was sleep. Despite his obvious dilemma, he was still exhausted from fighting the molduga earlier that day. He slept till morning without interruption.
The first thing he did upon waking up was check his arm. He didn't dare unwrap it, as he knew he'd never get the wrappings back on by himself. He just poked and prodded, trying to see how he felt.
"Yeah, that still hurts like hell, but I can feel it again. Numbness is fading. Gonna need a few more days of rest for this." He looked around the barren room. Nothing there but the bed, and a chamber pot in the opposite corner. "Well, nothing else to do here but rest and think." He lay down on the bed, and began to collect his thoughts.
'Thinking out loud might help…don't care too much about what the guard thinks, and I most likely wouldn't get any information if I asked…'
"Ok Jin, why are we here…the things that seemed to trigger this are my shield, and my mother…Ripp said that the shield is given to Gerudo captains…does that mean mom was a captain at some point?...more importantly, they seemed pissed off when I mentioned mom was a Gerudo, the hell is that about?"
His train of thought continued down this path, but he was met with nothing but dead ends. He couldn't figure out what they were imprisoning him for.
He wasn't sure how many hours had passed, but he eventually heard talking outside the door. After what sounded like some back and forth, the door opened up to reveal two guards.
"You're being summoned. We've been ordered not to cuff you, but we will use force if you resist," one guard said.
Jin motioned to his right arm, "Trust me, I'm in no condition to resist. I'll come quietly." The guard nodded and gestured for him to exit. One guard led from the front, the other from the back. He was led through various stone hallways, before coming out into what looked like a throne room. Not only was the room ornate with a throne drawing his eyes, the room was flooded with well armed, and most likely well trained, Gerudo soldiers.
'Even if I had both arms working, there's no way I'd get out of here unscathed…unless I took the building down with me, but there's no way I'd do that.'
He was brought to the center of the room when the guard behind him gave an order, "Sit or kneel, whichever you prefer, you'll be here a while." Jin opted to sit with his legs crossed for the time being. He remained silent. After a few minutes, two more Gerudo entered the room.
The first one was by far the tallest, and muscular Gerudo Jin had ever seen, it was quite impressive in his opinion. She was clearly experienced and battle hardened. The greatsword she held only reinforced the fact that she was clearly dangerous, and not someone he would want to fight.
Next to her was a Gerudo that seemed the complete opposite. She was smaller and petite, with no obvious signs of hardened muscles. She also held no weapon. However, the decorative headdress she wore indicated that she was someone of importance, and the last person in the room he'd want to piss off. This was only proven further as the two of them made their way to the throne, where the smaller of the two sat upon it. Jin assumed that she was the Gerudo Chief, and the one beside her was her personal bodyguard.
The larger of them spoke first, "You are before Lady Riju, Chief of the Gerudo." That confirmed his assumptions. "Your name is Jin, correct?" Her voice was as commanding as she looked.
"Yes ma'am," he answered without hesitation. 'Honesty is definitely the best way to go here.'
"Given the report we received from Ripp and a few others, it seems you played a large part in killing a molduga that threatened those in Kara Kara Bazaar…"
She was waiting for him to answer the non-question, "I did kill it, so I would say that's correct."
She waited a second or two, "It's for that reason that you aren't in cuffs right now. Don't make us regret that choice as we move forward." Another pause.
"I promise I won't do anything to cause trouble. My lack of a right arm practically ensures that," Jin answered.
She seemed temporarily satisfied as she nodded, "Very well. We'll make it known now that this is an interrogation. You are not to ask questions unless prompted first. Is that understood?"
Problematic, but he could do nothing about it, "Understood ma'am."
"Very well. To start, why did you come to Gerudo Town?" The first question was easy.
'If she had received reports from Dorrah and Merina, then chances are this is to make sure my story doesn't change,' he thought. "I came to deliver a package to a Gerudo named Danda."
"Were you aware that voe are not permitted in Town?"
"I was aware."
"How did you plan on delivering the package if you couldn't enter?"
'Making sure that entering wasn't my plan,' he thought to himself. "My plan was to ask and pay random passersby until she was found."
She looked perplexed by his answer, "Why such a method?"
"I was ordered not to give the package to anyone other than Danda, that includes having anyone act as a go-between."
She looked over to the chief, who simply nodded. She then continued, "I heard from the day guards that they saw you return to town alongside Danda, did you give her the package?"
Jin nodded, "I did."
"What was in the package?"
"When she opened the package, there were two letters and a bindi."
"What did the letters say?"
'They may not like this answer,' He worried. "I don't know."
She didn't appear happy, "You don't know? Why not?"
"The package was already sealed when given to me. I couldn't open it to check its contents without damaging the seal. I didn't read them after giving it to Danda."
She seemed ok with the answer, "Who tasked you with delivering the package?"
"Technically my father," not a straight answer, but it was the truth.
"Why technically?"
"My father is a merchant named Patch, part of a family of merchants. He gave me the package to deliver, but said it was my mothers last wish that I deliver it."
She looked over to one of the nearby guards, "Has Danda come forth with information regarding the package?"
The guard shook her head, "No ma'am. If he did deliver a package, then she seemingly played dumb."
"Fetch her, immediately."
"Ma'am!" The guard briskly departed.
"Back to you then, Jin. It was your mothers wish for you, specifically, to deliver the package?"
He nodded again, "Unless my father lied to me, then yes; but for the record, I don't think he did."
"And why is that?"
"Because that's who he is. He took his job as a merchant extremely seriously, and would never lie to make a sale. My father would rather tell a painful truth, rather than a kind lie."
She nodded, not entirely convinced, but ready to move on, "Let's go back to your mother. I understand she passed and am sorry for your loss, but we must discuss this, understood?"
Jin nodded silently.
"We have multiple witnesses that claim you stated your mother was a Gerudo…is this correct?"
"Yes, she was," he said. 'Finally, back to simple questions,' he thought, 'nothing complicated about it.'
'Everything about that answer complicates things,' Thought Buliara. Her line of questions had a simple goal to start, figure out why he had come here and what his goal was. A package delivery seemed simple enough, the only reason he came under suspicion was his shield. She and Riju were willing to throw the whole thing away since, even if he had stolen or killed someone for the shield, there would be no way to prove either. Just a simple question about the shield, and they would have let him go. But then he had to say the one thing no one expected, and he just reaffirmed the statement in front of them.
'If he's lying then there will be terrible consequences, but if he's somehow telling the truth…there's going to be consequences Kingdom wide.'
Buliara looked to Riju, who in turn looked at her. She leaned in and whispered, "Lady Riju, this is the second time he's made such a claim."
Riju nodded and whispered back, "Indeed, but look how calm he was when stating it so matter of factly. Like it wasn't even a big deal."
Buliara hummed, agreeing with Rijus analysis, "Does he not know?"
"I wouldn't think it possible," Riju rubbed her chin in thought, "Question his knowledge of our history and ways."
"Yes, Lady Riju," Buliara stood up straight, "Alright Jin, let's continue." He seemed ready. "It's an easy question, but I assume your mother had the typical Gerudo traits?"
"Yes ma'am,"
"And those traits are?"
"Red hair, darker skin tone, amber eyes, and she was amazing with a bow."
"Did your mother teach you about the Gerudo as a people? Our language? Our culture?"
"She did."
"Hmm, and how can you prove that?" She gave him an open ended question, she wanted to see what he would do.
"I could continue the conversation like this, is that sufficient?"
Buliara and many others in the room either gasped or visibly looked surprised. Use of the Gerudo language had shifted over the centuries. Most conversations were carried out in common Hylian, with only small vestiges of the Gerudo tongue being used throughout. Jin had just spoken in full-on Gerudo and, much to her amazement, there was no foreign accent.
"H-how…" Buliara unintentionally stuttered, then took a second to compose herself, "How fluent are you?"
"Expert level, my mother ensured I could speak it as easily as the common tongue."
She was still shocked by his answer, but realized she was getting sidetracked, 'Ok, time for a different line of questioning.'
"What do you know about male Gerudo?" Everyone turned towards Lady Riju, who had suddenly asked a question of her own.
Jin didn't hesitate in answering, "I know they're exceptionally rare, and that they don't live in Gerudo Town."
Everyone who was watching Jin as he answered looked back towards Riju.
"Elaborate."
"Any male Gerudo born are trained to be warriors. When they're old enough they travel throughout Hyrule, both to keep the peace and improve relations with Hylians."
…
Every Gerudo in the room knew he was wrong, which only raised more questions.
Riju continued, "And the one who taught you this information was?"
Jin picked up on the unfinished question, "Yes, it was my mother that taught me that. That's why I was planning on exploring Hyrule after this, to do just that. Keep the peace and what-not. I figured I'd do some trading as well, my father taught me plenty."
The Gerudo in the room were very confused by his answers, but few were sure what the next steps would be.
"Buliara," Riju spoke.
"Yes, Lady Riju?"
"Have Jin return to his cell for now, we have much to discuss while we wait for Danda to arrive."
Jin sat on his cell bed, "Well, that could have gone worse," he sighed loudly, "and I'm still no closer to finding out why I'm even here." A few minutes went by when he heard talking outside again, followed by the slider opening on the door.
"Jin, you ok?" He recognized that voice, and tried peeking through the slider.
"That you Ripp?"
"Yes, I was able to pull some favors and get placed as your guard for the time being."
"Well, a familiar face certainly helps me feel at ease." Jin lay down on the bed again and sighed. "I don't suppose you know why I'm being held here, do you?"
Ripp leaned against the door, "From what I can gather, at first you were under suspicion of either theft of murder because of your shield."
"What?! I didn't steal it or kill anyone for it. My mother gave it to me," Jin exclaimed.
"And that's the crux of the issue. They had no proof of either and were simply going to ask you about it and let you go unless you did something stupid."
"So then why am I here?" Jin said annoyed.
"It's because you claim your mother was a Gerudo."
"So what? Why is that such a big deal?"
Ripp was getting annoying as well, "Are you being serious right now? Do you really have no idea why this is so important?"
"No, I don't, and considering where I am right now, I'd LOVE a straight answer."
"There ARE no male Gerudo. A male Gerudo being is something that can happen, but most Gerudo live their life never seeing one."
"..."Jin was silent, but sat upright to look at the door Ripp was leaning against. "Excuse me?"
"A Gerudo male is something akin to a miracle, there have been very few in our history, and those that are born have become our king."
Neither spoke a word for over a minute. Both were lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Jin broke the silence.
"So that's what this is about. They think I'm lying about my heritage in a bid to become king?"
Ripp hummed, "I believe they question your entire existence at the moment. They want proof you are who you say you are, otherwise they'll claim you're a charlatan seeking the throne."
"I don't suppose simply telling them I don't want to be a king will sway them?"
"Probably not. This isn't the first time that someone has shown up claiming to be a male Gerudo, but their stories all fall apart due to lack of evidence. I will say that you do LOOK the part, for what it's worth."
"...the whole king thing aside, either I prove who I am, or I'm likely to face some serious consequences. "
"That you are."
Jin fell back onto the bed, "Well, guess I better start thinking."
Riju and Buliara were currently the only ones in the throne room. The other guards had been instructed to wait outside until further notice, but to alert them when Danda arrived.
"His knowledge of our language was impressive, and certainly shocking, but that alone doesn't prove anything." Buliara said out loud, trying to convince herself more than anything.
Riju hummed, agreeing with the assessment, "You're right, and while we're on that topic he does look the part, does he not?"
Buliara sighed, "He does, but having similar hair and knowing our language, however fluent, still doesn't prove his claims."
Riju thought for a minute, "Suppose everything he said is the truth. If he DID get the shield from his mother, wouldn't there be records from her time as captain? We can cross reference her name with the name Jin provides."
"Right, all this fuss over his supposed mother, and we haven't asked for her name yet," Buliara berated herself.
"How old would you say Jin is? Around 20 summers?" Riju asked.
"I would wager 20 is a fair estimate. I'll have some of the soldiers comb through the archives from around that time to see if we can find some old brigade lists, and anything else of interest."
"Very well, sarqso Buliara."
"Of course, Lady Riju."
The two were often in sync due to their closeness with each other. Buliara could tell Riju was still troubled, and she had a good idea what it was.
"What will we do if he tells the truth?" Riju flinched when she heard the question. She had become the Gerudo Chief far sooner than she, and many others, would have liked. That said, she worked harder than most chiefs, and desired nothing but the best for her people. After the incident with the hero Link and Calamity Ganon, she had finally started to feel like she was the right vai for the job. To have someone suddenly show up that could take the reins worried her on many levels. Her only solace was that if Jin indeed was telling the truth, she could potentially have someone else she could confide in. Gerudo history showed that their kings worked closely with their chiefs. Perhaps the two of them could usher in a new age for their people?
"Captain, requesting permission to enter." a guard said from a distance.
"Enter,"
The guard came into the room, "Danda has arrived. She has the package in question."
"Good, let us get to the bottom of this."
It took about an hour to have everyone gathered together again in the throne room. Riju, Buliara, Jin , Ripp, Danda, her daughter Naborah, and about a dozen other guards. Dandas granddaughters were being watched by a guest just outside the room.
Buliara spoke first, "Sorry for the delay in resuming, we were waiting for some results to come in, but we shall have to start without them. Now then, the first question is one that we overlooked. Jin, what was your mothers name?"
Jin answered without hesitation, "Her name was Nanda."
Buliara nodded and looked at one of the guards. The guard nodded, understanding the unspoken order, and left the room.
"We're checking now to see if Nandah served as captain at some point."
"She did not serve as a Gerudo captain," the elderly voice of Danda cut through the air. Everyone looked towards her.
"Danda," Riju said, "perhaps it's time you come clean about everything. It's clear you know much more about all of this than us, and that's beyond the fact you kept this package a secret to everybody."
Danda sighed tiredly, "Very well," she reached into her pocket and pulled out two letters. "I insist you read this one first, Lady Riju," she took one letter and held it in front of her. A guard came and took the letter, then brought it to Riju.
Riju took a minute to read the letter for herself, her face betraying no emotion. After reading it to herself, she read it aloud.
"Howdy Danda!
If you're reading this, then that means Jin was able to successfully deliver this package to you! I gotta say, I had full faith in my boy, but desert travel is no joke. I hate to see him leave so soon after his mother's passing, but it was her last wish that this box be brought to you. As her letter was written in Gerudo, I couldn't read the letter she enclosed, so I don't really understand the importance of it or the jewel. I know we don't know each other, but I have a request. Please, watch over Jin. If nothing else, please keep him out of trouble. I don't know much about Hyrule, and a good father will always care about his son. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this.
Signed Patch Willows."
…
"Sorry dad." Jin's whisper broke the silence. Reminding everyone why they were there.
Riju cleared her throat, "Alright, this letter is clearly written by Jins father, and the other letter?" Danda looked uncertain, but Riju spoke up again. "Danda, is there a reason you're trying to keep this letter from us?"
"...because once you read it, you can't undo it," Danda answered.
"At this point, I believe us reading the letter is unavailable. Wouldn't you agree?"
Danda sighed dejectedly, "Yes, I believe you're right." She handed the letter to the guard who brought it to Riju.
Taking the letter, she first remarked, "It's written by a Gerudo for certain," she then took some time to read the letter. Others in the room wouldn't be able to tell, but Buliara could see that Riju was trying to hold back tears.
Riju closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "Buliara, please read the letter for everyone."
"As you wish," Buliara took the letter and gave it a cursory glance. "For everyone's information, the letter is written in Gerudo, which checks out with what was written in the previous letter." She cleared her throat, and read aloud.
"Dear Mother,
By the time you're reading this, I've most likely passed on. There was nothing that could be done, but rest assured, I lived a good life. If things worked out as planned, then my son Jin has delivered this letter to you. Yes, my son. I know our laws dictate I must bring him back to be raised as our king, but knowing the history of our kings, I couldn't do it. I wanted to raise him outside of what our laws state, that way he can develop as a person before developing as a king. I must mention, Jin does not know of his role for our people, I didn't want him to grow up knowing he would be a king, else he might grow an ego or expectation. I implore you mother, please guide Jin to our people, he's grown into a fine man, and will be a great king. I have enclosed the bindi I wore as a child, so you may have a keepsake to remember me by. I entrust my son to you and Naborah. I love you both, and will see you someday in the next life.
With love, Nandah."
…
No one in the room spoke. It was silent for an unknown amount of time. It was only broken by the return of the guard.
"Captain, I've returned and have the information you've requested."
Buliara shook her head to clear her thoughts, "Right then, what do you have?"
The guard spoke up, "There's no previous captain under the name of Nandah."
"Is that all?"
"Well, no, there's one other thing that might be relevant to this case."
That piqued everyone's interest, "Speak, what did you find?"
The guard lifted up a single piece of paper, "This is a report that might be relevant. It's short, but the point is it lists that a Radiant shield was stolen from the armory."
"Interesting, about how many years ago?" Asked Buliara.
"About 22 years ago ma'am."
Buliara looked at Jin, "Do you think that's your mothers doing?" Jin was still in shock and didn't hear the question. "JIN!" Buliara yelled.
That shook Jin from his stupor, "Yes ma'am?"
"Do you believe your mother was responsible for stealing the shield?"
"...you mean my shield, right?" He was still dazed. Buliara looked like she was about to yell again.
"That was her," all eyes moved to the source of the voice.
Buliara looked over to Naborah with a hard gaze, "How certain are you?"
Naborah didn't flinch, "I'm dead certain, she told me she was going to try stealing one the day before she left town. I thought she was joking, but the day after she left I heard rumblings that one was stolen."
The room was quiet once again.
"Danda," Riju said, "I take it that Nandah is your vehvi?"
Danda nodded slowly, "My first born, Lady Riju. Left over 22 years ago. She wanted to explore beyond the borders of Hyrule. She sent me letters at first, but when they stopped I honestly thought she had perished."
"Why did you try to keep this information, and the letters from us?" Riju asked sternly.
"...I spoke with him at Kara Kara Bazaar, and on the way back. He seemed set on exploring Hyrule. I couldn't tell him what was in the letter. I wanted him to choose his path in life. Just like my vehvi did."
Riju took a deep breath and stood from her throne, "I've heard enough. Guards, release him." The guards did as commanded, stepping away from him. Riju walked up to Jin, all eyes were on her.
"Jin, allow me to apologize for everything we've put you through up until now. Please understand that our intention was always to find if anything nefarious had occurred, and that it was not a slight against you." Jin looked up at Riju, standing proudly, but also with humility given the situation. She reached out her right hand, "Please, stand up."
He took her hand, and got to his feet. "So, what now?" He asked.
"Well…that's for you to decide, my king." Everyone watched as Riju kneeled before Jin, whose eyes went wide at the act.
"Wait, what?" Jin could only stammer, but watched as all the Gerudo in the room kneeled. "This isn't- I can't just- what're you doing?" Jin was at a loss for words.
Riju raised her head to look at him, "We have enough evidence now to confirm it. You are Gerudo, and as such you, Jin, are to lead our people as king."
It should have been pretty obvious on our end, but now everyone knows. Hope you enjoyed the process of getting there. Danda never mentions her daughter's name in the game, so I gave her one, as well as another child that happened to become Jins mother. Please let me know how I did, I appreciate any feedback.