The next morning, Alysse shoved Ruuya and Nan out of the house soon after breakfast, handing Nan a canvas bag filled with lunch, packed and cooked by her husband, Joshua the goat. She told Nan to give Ruuya a tour of the village and asked the young goat-girl to help Ruuya pick out a few new articles of clothing.
Why had she entrusted purse to Ruuya of all people? She a thief, an exile. It seemed so strange until she glanced over at the girl, Nan all but prancing as she skipped out the door, her hooves smacking the paving stones.
Right, Ruuya thought, she's a...kid. Literally two times over. Probably not the best person to trust with your hard earned rupees. She guessed Alysse was working with what she had. It was another sign of trust. These people were insane, she decided. Innocent. Ruuya awkwardly pocketed the wallet, uncertain if she would return it, still.
With a smile and a wave, Alysse ushered the pair off, stepping back inside to work on her latest project: translating a small, worn book. From what Nan had said, she had been working on this particular translation for three months and had barely made any progress. That comment had left Ruuya speechless. She listened with half an ear as they walked into the village, Nan rambling about all the residents, the fields where food was grown, places she liked, places she didn't, and all manner of nonsense that Ruuya could barely keep up with.
Nan even went as far to introduce Ruuya to some of the villagers, though not all of them wore easy smiles. Many were shy, others afraid, uncertain. Some even looked hostile. The two ambled through the village, Nan chattering the whole way, until they came to the edge of the village. Here, the houses were more like huts, and spread farther apart, dotting the mottled fields. Farm country, it looked like they grew some kind of wheat, or, perhaps, the Dark World equivalent.
They did not stop at any of these, though Nan still bounced along, despite how far they had come from the village center. The kid was brave. They crested another hill.
"And over there is where Aunty Flow lives!" she said, still bouncing on her hooves and pointing at a large spiraling tower upon the top of the next hill. It was crowned by a thatched cone and small, square windows dotted its weather worn stone. A wall made of the same multicolored stones separated it from the outside where an overgrown garden grew, filled with fruit-bearing trees and other plants Ruuya couldn't name. Nan tugged on her fur, the girl's eyes sparkling with mischief. "She's been here the longest, and told us allll about the Great Vaati!"
"Aunty...Flow...," she said, giving the goat-girl a deadpan stare.
"Yeah. My maa says not to call her that, but I don't like calling her granny like the others do." Oh Din, the bleating. "It's a gods-awful name. Don'tcha think? Poor woman!"
She bahed after that, then winked. Ruuya found herself smiling slightly at the girl's attics.
"So… this Flow," said Ruuya, eyeing the strange tower with a hint of suspicious, a part of her wondering what she could take from this place. A place like this had to have treasure... "She's the founder of your village, right?"
"Maybe she is," Nan answered, then shrugged. "That woman is as old as her home. Ancient. I swear she's been here forever."
"And she's okay with...someone like me in the village?" Ruuya asked.
"So long as you don't bad mouth the Great Vaati," Nan replied, rolling her eyes slightly. "Come on! She talks a lot, but she'll definitely want to meet you!"
"W-wait...!"
After passing through the open gate, they strolled down the long path through an impossible maze of cherry blossoms with blue eyes, and fruit-bearing trees with heavy eyelids. How this could fit inside that small enclosure, Ruuya didn't know, but at long last, they came to the strange, stone tower. Looking up at the ancient tower, she felt a chill climb up her spine. This wasn't the house of a normal denizen like Alysse or the residents of the village, but some kind of powerful sorceress. How else could she have created an endless maze out of trees?
Ruuya almost told the goat they needed to flee, but before she could, Nan opened the door, skipping inside the warmly lit building. Dear Din, that girl was fearless, walking into a witch's home without even… She blinked.
There was a welcome mat on the ground.
It had a picture cat on it, though the mat had seen better days. A wreath of leaves and flowers had been hung on the door. Despite the tower's ominous appearance, the owner had at least tried to make it look welcoming. Ruuya took a deep breath and entered the tower.
Despite her misgivings, the inside of the tower was homey. And cluttered. Every tabletop and shelf, as well as the occasional chair, were covered with papers, cloth, and trinkets of wood and metal. Some papers lay scattered on the floor, crammed with tiny scrawlings. There seemed to be no order to how anything was placed.
"Aunty Flow!" called Nan, loudly. "We've got another one!"
A clamor came from one of the dozen side rooms leading away from the atrium. Gods. There were too many doors and hallways in this place, just like the maze outside. Why did this woman need so many of them?
"Just a minute!" said a hoarse voice. Ruuya flexed her fingers, listening to the bangs and shuffling from further in. Soon, a trail of fog streamed into the atrium. It was grey as steel, and condensed all at once into a vaguely humanoid shape. Arms and legs formed, and in a matter of seconds, a woman made of clouds stood before them.
Her robe was faded, shades of a brighter blue sewn on in patches. Most distinct of all were the double sickles in the center, the blades were upside down, facing each other to create an oval. A single red, square patch sat within; altogether, it seemed like a deformed rabbit design.
"Greetings, dear traveler, and welcome to Outcast Village!" she said, clamping a fluffy hand on Ruuya's shoulder. Ruuya barely felt it, though she nearly winced anyway. The tone was the same one Rhiun used whenever she discussed their "destiny" to serve the Great Ganondorf and how prosperous and great they would become as a result. She was hoping that these people weren't as crazed as those back at home, but perhaps all leaders were just as mad as the old lady.
"You must be so disoriented, and confused!" the cloud-witch said, turning. "Come, there is much to discuss."
Ruuya watched as the cloud-woman floated into another room, her feet barely touching the ground. Flow side-eyed Nan, raising a fluffy eyebrow. In response, the goat-girl trooped after Flow, confidently, making a remark about Flow's baking skills. With a sigh, Ruuya reluctantly followed suit.
"Now," said Flow, "I assume Nan has already told you who I am. I look over the village and the people in it, and ensure that no harm comes to them. The Dark World is not a kind place, though that does not mean we should be cruel to one another."
Stepping into the room, Ruuya paused. They were in a...kitchen, probably. Like the atrium, however, every surface was covered with junk, from books, to bottles, to strange machines with mechanical wheels and gears that operated on their own. In one corner, Ruuya spotted an old log oven, a fire burning within. Flow floated over to it, then pulled down its black door, releasing a blast of heat into the kitchen. Nan bleeped, ducking to the side in alarm.
"I won't ask for your life story," she said, reaching for a strange wooden paddle. "But there are some things you should know, child..."
"Like?" Ruuya asked, purposefully staying as far from the stove as possible.
Flow placed the paddle in the stove, then withdrew a flat metal pan from within. With a wave of her hand, a gust of wind cleared off the table, shoving the things on it onto floor. Flow placed the pan on its "cleared" surface and stuck another into the stove, closing its door with an audible bang.
No wonder the place was a mess.
"The Dark World is a dangerous place. This village is just one of two locations where we may live without the constant fear of being attacked by monsters," said the woman, grabbing a plate from a stack marked "cleaned" and putting it next to the sheet. She removed the small, round flatbread and placed them on the plate, cooling them with a sudden gust of air. It was horribly inefficient. "The other is a cursed fountain somewhere in this world. It's said that the guardian of the fountain will grant sanctuary to any who finds it, but nobody can agree where it is."
Ruuya glanced at Nan. She was bouncing in her seat at the table, very nearly jumping right off the chair. Ruuya carefully sat down beside her.
"That said," Flow said. "There are a few things you need to be made aware of. Monsters respect power. Unless you have enough magic to make the hinox bow to your whims, don't even think of trying to command them. Food is not scarce, but don't waste it. Everyone in this village will charge you fairly. Anyone else should not be trusted. Never touch a skull, thieves hide in the forest, and the mountains are perilous to anyone without something to protect themselves.
"And finally!" Flow said, taking out the other pan from the oven with added flare. "Nobody leaves without having one of my "rainy day" cookies!"
Ruuya eyed the round flatbread critically. She glanced up, noting Flow's creepy, half-moon shaped smile. Behind her, Nan shook her head.
"And these...cookies. What are they made of?" she asked, warily.
Flow chuckled. "A little of this, a little of that. Mostly it's a secret."
Ruuya stared at the discs. Was...it poison? No...that didn't make sense. Nan had implied she'd been here countless times…
Except if this was all some elaborate ploy...
Nan sighed. "They're not bad, Ruu," she said, giving her a pat on the arm. It wasn't comforting, despite the goat-girl's intent. "They're delicious, the best cookies I've ever eaten, really. It's just...that..."
Flow cackled. "She can't get enough of them. Just like her father." Nan looked away sheepishly and stared out the window, the sky having turned purple as the strange red sun approached the horizon.
Still skeptical, Ruuya took a cookie and bit into it.
She had never tasted something so... sweet.
Before she knew it, a quarter of the plate was gone, and Nan had joined in, devouring two at once. Then another. Damn. That kid could eat.
"I see you've taken a liking to them," said Flow, sitting down in another chair. "I guess I can get to the point, now.
"I mentioned earlier how we don't have to be cruel to one another. Things weren't always the way they are. A long time ago -" Ruuya barely paid attention. These cookies were heavenly, absolutely the most wondrous thing she'd ever eaten in her entire life. Sweet bread and cinnamon seasoned fruit had nothing on this. She nodded every now and then, trying but failing to slowly eat them so that she could savor their taste...
Finally, the cookies were gone and Nan nudged her under the table.
Flow was gesturing to the ceiling, for some unfathomable reason. "- back to his fortress, where I became one of his most trusted servants."
The woman sighed, wistful for times long gone by.
"He had me help plan his grand re-entry into the World of Light. It was going to be magnificent! He would have taken his rightful place in the world!" Her head darkened into a worrisome dark gray. "But then that lousy pig interfered! We were so close! I had the portal open, everything was going just right… And that...that...fiend ruined it all! The Great Vaati was cast down in a terrible battle, then captured and murdered by that swine that dared called itself king!"
A fog began to form above their heads, swirling about like mists in the wind. Something wet fell on Ruuya's shoulder. Wait – was it raining? She glanced up. Oh, it was. Flow was, after all, a cloud. The woman sniffled.
"And...and our wonderful king...," said Flow, once she regained her composure. "Our handsome, and strong and perfect Vaati… Oh dear gods...was he handsome. He was so lanky, yet fit, like a runner, and his hair, so luxurious...so soft...so -"
"Aunty Flow," Nan interrupted. "You're doing it, again."
Flow covered her mouth.
"Jee…" Nan muttered, glancing at Ruuya.
"Oh! Yes… Well. He was the best ruler of Dark World, and I know he would have been the same for the Light World." She sighed, one last big drop fell on Ruuya's shoulder as a result. "Some days I wonder...was there anything I could have done to prevent that tragedy? He came in so suddenly… He must have been waiting, but where, I..." Flow shook her head, thin wisps trailing on either side. "Since then, no one has entered the palace. Fortress. He considered it both. Yet, I still have the key after all these years..."
Ruuya took a mental note of it, and crossed her legs. But how to steal a key from such a powerful witch… "You said you had a portal open. To the Light World?"
Flow nodded. "Yes," she said. "The Great Vaati entrusted me with the key to our freedom. I practiced every day to perfect that spell. When we were attacked, I tried closing the portal, but I… I wasn't fast enough. The Usurper had one of his subjects stabilize it. The ones who served Vaati were slain or converted. With no choices left, I fled. I scavenged and hid and eventually settled down here.
"By then, the Usurper had disappeared. The path between worlds had become one-way. People can enter, but they can't leave. Yet." The woman straightened in her seat. "When the Great Vaati returns, I know we will be able to return. It's only a matter of time!"
Ruuya's instincts screamed at her to run, but she instead grabbed the edge of her seat, digging her claws into the wood. Despite the witch's clear insanity, she held answers Ruuya needed.
"And the key?" Ruuya asked. "You really haven't gone back up there since? Not even to take back a few things to remember him by?"
Flow fervently shook her head. "Never! The entire fortress is part of his legacy, and I won't disturb it."
Ruuya put her hands up, placatingly. "I understand," she said, evenly. "Some places should stay as they are to preserve the memory." When Flow's shoulders sagged, Ruuya lowered her hands.
"Yes. Thank you," said the woman. "I'm glad to see someone young who understands the value of leaving things alone." Flow side-eyed Nan, and the girl bleated nervous laughter.
Mentally, Ruuya cheered. It had always been such a chore to convince even the least suspicious of her former sisters of her claims. Here, all she needed were a few choice words.
Far be it from her to look a gift horse in the mouth.
"So," she began, perhaps a bit too loudly. "Tell me more about the Great Vaati. It sounds like you two were close…?"
"Oh goddesses," Nan muttered, hands covering her face in horror. "Ruu!"
Ruuya's fingers twitched. Flow giggled. "Ahh… Vaati never let anyone get close. Although, he and I did share something...special."
The woman sighed wistfully, calling over the kettle of steaming water and pouring herself a cup of tea. It floated back onto the stove. Ruu hadn't even noticed that the old witch had put it on.
"Those days..." Flow shook her head, and stood up. She grabbed the empty plate and piled more cookies upon it. "In those days, Lord Vaati had a single purpose in life: leaving the Dark World. He had so many hopes. And they all came crashing down..." Ruuya could smell them from here, the aroma made her head spin. What had she been thinking again?
"I hope," she continued, "that when he appears again, he may see the glory of the Light World once more."
Ruuya found herself snorting. "The Light World isn't as glorious as you think it is," she said, crossing her legs.
"Ooo!" Nan was suddenly in her face. Ruuya jerked back, but the back of the chair kept her from going very far. "You can tell us about the other world, yah? It's been a long time since anybody's seen it! What's it like now?"
"Uh..."
Flow laughed. "Now, now, Nan," she said, patting the girl on the head. "Take care not to overwhelm the poor girl."
Ruuya gulped, suddenly incredibly conscious of her furry paws and multiple tails. Nan groaned, but acquiesced. With the goat-girl in her own chair again, Ruuya sighed in relief.
"So?" asked Nan, grabbing a cookie and taking a bite. "Tell us! I can't remember the Light World very well, and my maa and paa have told me about the forests and towns, but I've never seen a desert before!"
Ruuya raised an eyebrow. "You really want to know?" she inquired.
Nan nodded. "Yeah, of course, I've only read about them!" Flow smiled, taking a sip of her tea then rolled her hand, giving the universal sign to "go on".
Tapping her thigh – and cringing – Ruuya slumped in her seat. "The desert, huh?
"It's… It is…" She paused, and started again "It's endless. Sand stretches on and on in every direction, farther than you can see. In the day, the sands are scorching hot, and at night they are cold as death. Ice. We even have snow in the highlands. The chill saps your strength, and threatens to drag you away into the All-Waste. Creatures hide below, waiting to ambush their prey. The sands are always moving, dancing at the wind's whimsy…"
Ruuya closed her eyes. Somehow, it already felt like it was so long ago since she'd been there… Had it really only been a few weeks since she'd left?
"It's dangerous to travel alone, but it...is not impossible to live there. Tents and firepits to keep cool or warm. Cacti grow fruit, protected by rows and rows of spines. Spices can be foraged. Water can be found in oases to save a dying woman from thirst.
"It's tough, but it's home. Was home."
Idly, Ruuya rolled her fingers in, her claws marring the wood table with scratches. The feeling of sand between her toes in the morning had become nothing more than a memory. Familiarity had flown out the door the minute she left the desert. Veil had been left behind, her best friend was missing, and now she had taken on the form of a beast.
A hand laid atop hers. Ruuya opened her eyes. Flow nodded, something akin to... understanding written on her face.
"It is not alright." Flow gave her hand a squeeze, like a caring, old grandmother might to comfort her grandchild. "And I won't tell you otherwise. I can't imagine what you've been through. But we have a home, a village, that you can be a part of. If you like. You don't have to decide right away, but should you stay, you won't be without friends here."
She stared. Nan patted her back. No matter how she worked her mouth, no sounds would come.
Flow smiled, stiffly. "Why don't you go for a walk?" she asked. "I find that it steadies the nerves. And makes it easier to think."
Ruuya swallowed. "Thank you," she said, quietly. She stood, rolling her fingers again. "For everything. I… I need to...go...think." Ruuya turned on her heel, and quickly walked out of the kitchen.
"Ruu, wait!"
"No, Nan," said Flow.
By instinct, her eyes darted around the house as she left, a small metal lump finding its way into her hand as she stepped outside; she pocketed it without further thought. Strangely, she made it through the maze without getting lost once. Out in the open fields beyond, she took a few steps and stopped. Thoughts whirled and repeated in her head, taunting her with loss.
Taking a moment to breathe and reorient herself, Ruuya started walking again, allowing her feet to carry her back up the path and towards the village proper
This wasn't the first time she had ever walked off stress. She was just aware enough of the people and things around her to avoid bumping into them. A few of the villagers even moved away from her, though she barely noticed this as she went.
Steadily, the frustration ebbed. Her situation hadn't changed, but she could adapt. Would adapt. She would learn. She would do what she'd been doing for the past four years: scheme.
Ruuya finally came to a stop, then looked up. Then higher still. The statue of Vaati loomed over her, cracked and headless. It was little more than a boundary point, standing at the outskirts of the village. Yet it gave the villagers hope, something they desperately needed in this strange land. The man could have been a maniacal tyrant for all they knew, and yet they would've followed him, regardless, just for that sliver of hope he represented.
Ruuya sighed. She knew all too well how precious that feeling was. She'd seen it in the eyes of sisters, her mothers… Watched just how far someone could be willing to go for such a thing…
She looked past the broken sentry, to the woods and plains beyond. In the distance, creatures stalked the land or settled in groups. They looked like mere specks from where she watched, but she didn't dare underestimate their deadliness. A rattlesnake was just as venomous up close as it was from afar.
It was an odd revelation. The monsters could enter the village at any time, slaughtering the cursed people. Yet, for whatever reason, they chose to stay away. It was as if they were actively avoiding some invisible border, if the emptiness between her and the roving dots were anything to go by.
Perhaps Flow was even more capable than she had first thought. Not just a witch whom could make a small garden seem like a maze, or cause it to rain when she grew sad...
Ruuya squeezed her eyes shut, and let everything out in a sigh. She had dug herself out of holes before. Lesser holes, but holes all the same.
"Ruu!" called a young voice. Nan. "Ruuya!"
Staring at the landscape, Ruuya listened as Nan's hoofbeats got closer. The girl was nearly out of breath by the time she came to rest by the statue, panting. Ruuya licked her lips, then stopped, feeling the stiff fur of her muzzle. Goddesses, that was getting annoying. Instead, she hummed.
"What...is it?" Nan said as she tried to regain her breath, hands on her knees.
Ruuya's gaze roamed the landscape. "Flow," she said quietly. "She kept talking about the palace-fort. But I don't see any sign of it."
"That's...because...it's way up there!" said Nan, pointing towards a far-off mountain range covered in snow. The sickly green sky seemed to drape across it like an encroaching miasma. "The Great Vaati built his palace at the top of Hebra Mountain. You can't really see it from here, though."
"Oh."
"It's supposed to be huge, and carved into the mountain itself!"
Ruuya continued staring into the distance, not really concentrating on the peak.
"...Ruuya?"
She breathed in, mind still whirling with ideas. Plots. Schemes. This...was going to be hard.
That felt like an understatement.
"Hmm...?" she answered. Suddenly, warm arms wrapped around her. She froze, shoulders hitched. Strangers didn't hug. Daughters of the desert were serpents, not to be trusted.
But this wasn't the desert. Nan wasn't a daughter of the sands, just a child of the Dark World, a girl who had barely known the world of light, but was kind nonetheless...
The rules had changed, she realized with a start. That frightened her more than death itself.
"It's...so far," she whispered, finding her voice again. "And covered with snow, like the Gerudo Highlands, or the chilly top Mount Agaat…"
"You're not planning to go, are you?" asked Nan.
"Don't be ridiculous," Ruuya said, holding back a scoff, "That'd be suicide."
The goat-girl leaned back and looked her over, tilting her head. How a young girl like her could have such a piercing gaze, Ruuya didn't know. Maybe Nan had gotten it from her mother.
Eventually, Nan shook her head. "Nope!" she said. "I think you're lying. Which doesn't make sense. Why would you even want to go there? You already know it's super dangerous, so why…it's like trying to get George to give you a ride!"
George? She decided not to ask.
"I need to. I..." she said. "I've gotta get back...I...my friend and I got separated...and I'm..."
She swallowed. The wall had broken. Why bother fixing it now? "She's all I've got left. I have to make sure she's okay. And it seems that his fortress – palace, whatever he called it - is the only chance to get back there and make sure she's safe. To protect her..."
Nan nodded; shockingly, it seemed the young goat understood. "I'll tell maa, don't worry. We'll help you."
"No!" Ruuya shouted, her feelings of panic returning. She covered her mouth a moment later, walking a few steps back, away from Nan. "I mean, no one else has to know, Nan. Right now, I mean. I don't even know when I'll be leaving."
Nan's ears flattened against her head. "You don't trust us?"
Ruuya hesitated, then rubbed her forehead. She was damned either way, wasn't she? Trusting was better than dying.
"Your mom taught you about Gerudo culture, yeah? Then you know we don't trust easily. Only tell Alysse about my…" She blanked. What was that word? "Uhhh...leaving." The exile paused, looking again at the far off monsters. They barely seemed to move, but they were still there. Still dangerous. She...could trust the girl and her mother, however. Nan had proven a friend, despite what she knew of Ruuya herself and her people. "However...I'll take any tips or advice you can give."
Nan stepped forward into her line of sight. It took every bit of resolve she had not to jump. "You don't have to be alone," the girl said. "We can help you... After all, you're one of us!"
Ruuya's brain stopped. The reflective retort she had on her tongue gone. She had left everything behind, and then lost what remained. To belong in a village, a community again, after she had willfully accepted banishment, was unthinkable. Rogues like herself were seen as little more than trash by her sisters...
Did this girl understand what she was offering?
The bright smile offered said "yes". Of course, Alysse had taught her daughter well. Or perhaps Nan was just kind by instinct. What a strange idea indeed.
Ruuya carefully mimicked Nan's smile, feeling something she hadn't in weeks.
Hope. A desire to accomplish something… Perhaps she could find more than one answer at the palace. Flow had said the gateway could only open one way, and suggested that the reason was linked to whatever had happened to Vaati. Where the old sorcerer had ended up after his defeat laid answers, as well. She had to go. This child didn't deserve to be stuck in the Dark World anymore than Jamila deserved to be lost.
Hospitality must be returned with hospitality, after all. That was the way of her people.
"Sarqso," she said. At Nan's befuddled stare, she laughed. "It means "thank you"."
Nan's smile returned, and they headed back to the village, together.
Kandragon: BOOP BOOP. I'm Tet, what's up? Anyway, hospitality is often a huge thing in desert cultures, and Ruuya thus feels like she must return it because Alysse, Nan, and co. have shown it to her without prompting. Welcome to one of the "themes" of this fic, I guess