Chapter Sixteen – The Gerudo
Link stood still in the desolate ruined room, staring aimlessly. Blood spattered all over Mayor Bo's former home. Chunks of flesh, strands of fat and body tissue dotted the floor. Zelda's shredded hand lay in a mushy pile where she had stood a moment ago. Shards of her bones stuck out at odd angles.
The dim light in the room made the gore shine, standing out more. The combined smells mingled together in a sickly metallic stench that made him gag and choke.
Then, the vision of Ghirahim's broken, twisted and wrecked body occupied his mind. The bones poking out of his back...the dented skull...the holes where pieces of his ruptured eyes, oozing fluid, remained as he managed a gurgling laugh at his supreme manipulation.
Link felt his stomach contract and his throat tense, his body forced him to the floor as his legs and arms went weak. Landing on his hands, he saw them soaked with blood and viscera. He retched hard as his stomach twisted in disgust. He retched again as his stomach twisted tighter.
On his third retch, bile rushed through his throat as he vomited hard. His body shook with the force as his throat stung.
After, he had a moment to take his breath as his body worked against him. Forcing his head down, he felt his stomach contract once more as he spewed bile and stomach acid on to the floor. Nothing more to give, his stomach convulsed a few more times, making him dry heave and desperate to void anything left behind. His arms shaking, he almost collapsed on to the disgusting mess.
Taking deep gasping breaths, his nose wrinkled at the odour. But he had nothing more to give. Leaning back as he sat on his knees, he let his body go limp. He slowly fell backwards, bumping his head as he hit the floor.
It was too much. As the physical sensation of sickness eased from his body, he felt empty. Nothing elicited a feeling or response from him. His mind was dull mush. Unable to turn gears or remember what he had eaten before he arrived in Ordon Village.
The exhaustion set in and he made no effort to fight it.
He closed his eyes, surrendering.
- Sabbah -
Running hard, Sabbah's feet struck the ground and kicked up dust as she ran. In her arms, she carried the girl who had called herself Zelda. She was grimacing at the pain, eyes shut tight and her teeth bared.
Sabbah's mind was electrified in fear, her body coursing with potent adrenaline. Her only instinct was to flee.
Amongst the women she had grown up with, she had heard tales of berserkers. She thought them to be cautionary tales to warn wilful children against stealing.
Tales of warriors who had lost their minds and knew only hatred and battle. That they cut fierce paths through their enemies and anybody who dared inch towards them, with no shred of remorse. Only pleasure.
She had never particularly cared for the story, preferring to believe in tangible things in front of her. Yet she had seen one with her very eyes.
An impossible concept, made flesh and fury in an instant. His eyes had blazed with pure blue light as some unknown force removed all of his charm.
In a flurry of blows she had seen the boy rend her employer in to a broken mess in under a minute. The sounds of his bones snapping was clear in her mind.
She had taken lives in the Gerudo mountains that bordered the desert. Sometimes a merchant had sold fake cures when people suffered blights and sores. She had to be punished, so she delivered it with precision. Other times, children were taken as sacrifices to pray for relief from the Snake gods of the desert. She had punished those ones particularly hard. But she had always known when to stop, when she had won.
The boy, bright and youthful, had turned in to a fearsome force that had instantly made her want to run back to the mountains without rest.
The princess let out a pained cry. The stump of her arm still bleeding freely with each beat of her weakened heart.
Sabbah cursed under her breath. Her employer had violated part of their agreement, that no woman would come to harm without cause.
She recalled how his magics had slashed her hand to pieces in a scant moment. And this princess had made no threat against him. If Ghirahim had done this to a chief in her homeland, his death would have been instant.
Sabbah slowed to a stop in the woodland outside of the village they had occupied. She set her down against a strong tree as she looked around her. Her fellow warriors had followed her without hesitation, just as eager to flee the horror of the berserker.
In their tongue, they spoke fearfully to her.
"Sabbah! We must flee this land! We have angered a berserker. He will surely hunt us!" said Zara.
Fear had taken hold of them all, none of them had anticipated such a slim and small looking boy to turn so quickly. She had to reassure them. "Sisters, calm yourselves!" she said firmly.
"If the berserker had wanted us dead, we already would be. You saw his ferocity and his speed, did you not?"
Her sisters stood still and silent. Waiting for her words as they tried to steady their breathing.
"You also saw what caused the berserker to appear!" she said, more firmly.
She had to calm them, or she risked them fleeing alone. A death sentence for them in these lands, so she thought.
Quickly, Sabbah realised something else. She had thought that the unprovoked attack by their employer had caused the berserkers rage.
"The berserker came to life and raged when a woman was harmed. This woman." she pointed to Zelda who was still cradling the stump, her eyes closed tight and her teeth bared as she rocked back and forth.
At this, her warriors all shared a look of surprise. They had been so focused on escaping they hadn't had the time to think rationally. The few guards that she had placed outside had caught up with them all.
"Sabbah! What happened? We heard fearful noises from the employers building…" said Amina.
"It was a berserker! In the flesh! His eyes burned with hatred as he tore apart our employer!" said Khadija, still panicking
"Calm yourselves!" Sabbah shouted. Discourse now would prove to be their undoing. They had only survived this long because they had helped each other.
"I do not think we need fear the berserker now. He has not followed us!" she reminded them all. They all looked among each other as her words resonated with them. She was right after all.
"You are the only one who speaks their tongue Sabbah. What did the woman say to provoke our employer?" Nadia questioned.
Recalling the events, Sabbah tried her hardest to join the words she knew as well as the ones that sounded familiar. After a moment, she was satisfied with what she thought she knew.
"This Zelda, a princess of all Hyrule, had said that she had tried to send messages to us in the past. That she wished to...talk? To trade, I think. I do not know all of their words." she explained, being the only one who could.
There were murmurs amongst her sisters. Sabbah saw them whisper and wonder among themselves.
"Sabbah…" said a broken and weak voice. It was Zelda.
She looked down to her. Her teeth still bared in agony, she had opened her red and swollen eyes to look at her.
"Please...help me…" she begged.
Among the Gerudo, to ignore those in dire need was a sickening act. Any who dared to do that paid a heavy price. Though life was difficult in the isolated mountains, everyone was obliged to help those whose needs were desperate.
This princess had not tried to bite at her or steal from her once. She had bravely faced her instead. Sabbah's honour would not falter, no matter what she thought of the impotent Hyrule. Plus, her employer was nowhere to be found, to answer for his crime.
Sabbah removed a long strip of fabric from her silk sarouel. They were baggy enough that she could cut a long strip of them away and still wear them. She passed the strip of silk to Khadija, her most skilled practitioner of medicine.
"Dress her wound, Khadija." she said with authority.
Without missing a step, Khadija obeyed. She knew the ways of the Gerudo better than most. And she was not fool enough to second guess her leader. Others, however, had different opinions.
"Sabbah...why do you help her? She and her people ignored our suffering!" Amina complained.
"She happens to show up with 'answers'? How is this not a Hylian plot to undermine our employer?" said Yasmin, one of the guards who hadn't witnessed the event.
"Sabbah…"
"Enough! I have spoken. And I declare that this Zelda shall have her wound dressed. I shall also ask her questions about her letters" she rebuked.
Then, everyone jumped as Zelda spoke fluently through her tears, in their language.
"It would be an honour to answer any of your questions. All of you." she managed, before a wave of agony made her grit her teeth and squeeze her eyes shut to bear the pain.
"When did you plan to tell us you could understand everything we've been saying? That was deceptive of you." Sabbah warned her.
Gritting her teeth again as Khadija tightened the silk bandage around her stump, Zelda took a few deep breaths to steady herself.
"I wanted to tell you in that room, after I had shown you the letters. I was going to say that Ghirahim along with Ganondorf had betrayed you. Before that, I did not know if you wanted to talk to me at all. You told me you wanted to speak to Link only, because you had asked him who I was" she explained.
Sabbah raised her head as she considered her words. Pain had a way of making people honest, so it was hard to doubt her words. And she had told Zelda that she wanted to speak to Link.
"Those letters are destroyed, along with your hand. Why risk this at all? It would have been safer for you to let Link come alone" she asked.
Zelda managed to look at her quizzically, through the haze of pain.
"Then what kind of princess would I be? I have been trying to contact the Gerudo for years! I jumped at the chance when it presented itself" she said, her voice strained.
Sabbah reconsidered Zelda. She hadn't hesitated in answering her.
"There is another letter." she whimpered as pain made her wince.
Sabbah and the others looked at each other, serious now. Sabbah knew this other letter could be important. If true, then it may reveal a lot about what had happened over the years.
"Where?" Sabbah asked flatly, eager to get to the bottom of what had been kept from her people.
"Link has it." she said as she sucked air through her teeth. "I tried to send you letters five times over three years. I only pulled out four of them. Link kept the last one, in case Ghirahim tried to destroy the ones I had… and did…"
The effort cost her, blood soaked the bandage Khadija had expertly tied around her. She sank her head as she slowed her breathing.
"I cannot walk...let alone stand. If you want to see the letter, he kept it in a pouch on his waist…" she wailed gently, unable to speak further
Sabbah looked to her sisters.
They had all heard their words, not daring to speak before their leader. Some of their eyes were curious, others narrowed in mistrust.
"I will find this other letter. You will ensure she does not die. Give her medicine for the pain. I think we have much to learn today." she said, trying to ignore the dread building in her.
"Sabbah! It is a trap! She is saying the berserker has the letter? Of course he does! The one thing that could harm you!?" exclaimed Fatimah.
"As I told you, sister, the berserker does not hunt us. For surely he would if he was still in his rage." she replied harshly but also hoping to convince herself. "This letter is important too! For our sakes, and all of our sisters at home, we need to see it."
Fatimah bowed her head and stepped back, A gesture of submission. Sabbah turned her head to look over the wooden bridge, steeling herself. "Watch over her" she said as she took her first wary steps back across the bridge.
Her senses sharp, she listened for any noise out of place. Looking around as she walked, she took in every movement that she could. For her safety, she drew her scimitar. The curved blade ideal for fighting in close quarters. Flexing her grip, Sabbah pushed herself to go forward, towards the house where she had seen the berserker. The memory played in her mind as she walked. Instead of letting her fear manifest, she replayed his movements in her mind, trying to find weakness or blind spots.
He had moved without pause with each of his devastating strikes and did not seem to need to take breath, even after his brutal swings, kicks and even attacks with his head. He closed gaps quickly and had left little room to counter any attack. His strength was fearsome. With his bare fists he had crushed Ghirahim's stomach. With his legs he had practically exploded his ribcage and sent bone fragments through his back. She could not think of a way to attack or counter beyond constantly back-stepping and hoping she could trip him, buying her precious time.
She noted to roots of the forest growing through the ground, some sticking out more than others. She committed the few she saw to memory. Though her certainty faltered. She had never imagined she would willingly walk to a berserker.
Cold sweat chilled her to her core. How she longed for the heat of the desert once more.
Then, she arrived in front of the house, its torches still lit casting a glow around the interior. Taking some deep breaths, she stepped through the threshold once again. Stepping inside, she finally saw the full carnage the berserker had caused. Blood splatters coating walls and furniture, bits of flesh and fat scattered liberally around. Then, Zelda's dissected hand laying in a messy pile along with the shredded letters now stained red. Their wax not designed for withstanding cups of blood.
She took a shaky breath through her mouth, trying not to inhale the sickening smell. Then she saw him once more as her heart nearly stopped. He lay on the floor, a puddle of noxious vomit at his feet. His face was pale and coated in sweat, his visible hair matted with blood. And, to her immense relief, he was unconscious. She had an advantage.
Walking to his body on her tiptoes, she tapped lightly across the gore smeared floor. She held the end of her scimitar to his throat, letting the blade rest against it. All she would have to do is lean slightly to cut in and sever the blood vessels, killing him. If needed.
Not daring to breathe, she started to gently open his assorted pouches on his waist belt. She found odd items here and there. Including a strange pointed black crystal. Was this part of his berserkers power? She ignored it as she continued. On the other side, she finally found what she sought. Pulling the letter out gently, she put it in her own pocket.
Then she looked over the berserker one more time. He was slim and well trained. She wondered at his past, seeing scars from battle and the glowing Triangles on his hand. She did not know what they meant. Then his body twitched slightly. Recoiling a little, she looked to his eyes.
They were open, staring straight in to her own.
- Link -
Link's senses were numb. He knew he was awake, but his extremities were limp and unresponsive. He tried to sniff at the air and couldn't smell anything. He felt air rush in, but no odour followed it. Was that normal? He felt every sensation as if it were wrapped in cloth.
One sensation was stronger though. There was something cold pressed against his throat. It was scratchy, a little.
Opening his eyes, he saw a curious sight. A powerful looking woman leaned over him, her face veiled from him and her dark hair tied around her head. He wondered if she was taking something. Lethargy preventing him from wanting to move at all. Then, she looked at him. Her pupils shrank a little as she realised something.
Then, he felt the cold scratchiness more. He became aware of a sword blade pressed in to his throat. He dared to raise an eyebrow. Then, he registered some kind of noise. Blinking his eyes to try and clear his mind, the Gerudo woman spoke again. She looked familiar.
"Do not move, boy. You try attack? You die. Understand?" she said, her voice wavering.
"Yes" he croaked out. Why was his throat so dry? Nothing felt tangible, he realised.
"You want kill me?" she asked, her voice wavering a bit more this time.
Link furrowed his brow. Why would he want to do that? He thought he knew the woman, but the idea of trying to hurt her? Impossible!
"No. I don't" he said plainly.
A flicker of realisation spread across her visible features. Her pupils dilated a little as she seemed to steady herself.
"Boy. You know your name?" the woman asked
"Yeah. I'm…"
His mind went blank. He knew he had a name. Why didn't he know it? His brow furrowed again as he stared away from her, trying to recall. He saw some chains dangling from the roof above, holding a light at the end of it. A chain...the chains were…
"Link! I'm Link!" he said as the memory finally crystallised. It felt like an eternity for him to recall that.
Who was the woman though, he wondered.
"Who are you? You look familiar" he asked, his mind dulled. She looked confused.
"You not know me? We met already. I am Sabbah!" she said, her blade still pressed to his throat.
Link's mind started to turn. Thoughts began to coalesce again as he started to recall himself and what he had experienced. The journey to Snowpeak…the piece of the Triforce of Power...Zelda.
"Zelda! Where's Zelda!" he asked, suddenly alarmed, remembering what happened to her hand.
He felt the blade push in to him a little more firmly.
"Ow! Sabbah, stop! Why do you have your sword to my throat? I'm not here to hurt you, or your friends" he exclaimed as he winced.
She narrowed her eyes.
"I saw you, berserker! I saw you crush employer! How I feel safe near you after what you do?"
Then, the rest of the memories came flooding back. His fight with Ghirahim. How angry he had gotten and then used the Triforce of courage to try and kill him. He recalled seeing through a blue light, everyone looking different through it. But then, he remembered calming down. And what Ilia had said.
"Oh no…" he said, closing his eyes in regret.
Ilia had told him that she never wanted to see him again...that she didn't want him to see Lilia...his child, ever again…
Cold dread started to tear through him. Shame turned him cold. An anxious swell pressured his stomach.
It was too much all at once. Tears started to well in his eyes and openly began rolling down his cheeks. He couldn't bear the torrent of emotion. The pressure on his neck eased off.
"You feel shame?" Sabbah asked, sounding curious rather than accusatory.
He couldn't bear to open his eyes as the horror washed through his being.
"Yes…" he said through a choked sob, drawing breath rapidly.
The pressure from his neck stopped as Sabbah lifted her blade and sheathed it.
Link covered his eyes, feeling ashamed of how he must appear to the Gerudo warrior. He tried to roll aside, as if to hide from her gaze.
He cried earnestly, unable to stop as the dread and guilt overwhelmed him. How could he have lost control of himself so wildly… He had even told himself he wouldn't let Ghirahim get to him. But when he cut Zelda's hand apart? She hadn't even tried to hurt him…
Sabbah said nothing as he wept. He didn't see her either. However, as he let every terrifying feeling tear through him, he came to accept them. That they scared him was starting to feel like it was the right thing to feel. Instead of the raw emotional reaction to it. Slowly, as tears streamed, it started feeling less intense.
However many minutes passed, he didn't know. What Sabbah was doing, he had no idea. But somehow, he had managed to start regulating himself again. He felt raw and exposed, but although he didn't feel fine, he felt like he had gotten the worst of it all out. With a few shaky breaths, he finally opened his eyes.
The room came in to focus as he wiped his eyes. He saw blood smears across the wall where he had thrown Ghirahim's broken body. There was a sizeable crack in the wall too. Just how hard had he thrown him?
"You feel calm now?" Sabbah asked
His throat was dry and raw, but he could still speak.
"I think so…"
Slowly and with effort, he moved to stand up. His limbs aching and sore, like he hadn't used them in a long time. Wiping his face clean once more, he looked around the room once more, taking in what he had done.
"What a mess…" he said flatly.
"Yes. You were fierce. I never see anything like this before" Sabbah explained.
He looked to her. She stood with her back leant against a wall, her curved sword in its sheath. She eyed him cautiously.
She could easily have killed him. Maybe she should have, he thought. But here she was, wondering about him and something neither of them had witnessed before. He still didn't like what he had done. He felt that being honest was his best option. He turned his body as he faced her, blankly. He bowed to her.
"I'm sorry, Sabbah."
He stood straight again, same blank face. Sabbah looked surprised.
"I...not expect that…"
Link raised an eyebrow slightly. But Sabbah was her own mystery. He however wanted to know something
"The girl Ilia...and the baby Lilia...do you know where they went?" he asked, ever so slightly hopeful.
Sabbah's expression faltered. Concerned was visible on her veiled faced.
"Yes. But I not tell you." she said, her hand resting on her swords pommel.
Link didn't feel anything at her retort. Ilia had been very clear about what she wanted after all. He couldn't be surprised at hearing what he already expected. At least she wasn't lost. Or so he hoped. Link realised that he wouldn't want to be near himself after how he had been either.
Sighing gently, he wondered if Ilia may one day be able to speak with him again...and let him meet his child. Lilia, he said in his own mind. Probably from Link and Ilia, he imagined.
Now though, he knew there was still things to do. He lamented how he wanted it to just be done for once. No more complications, just a nice easy day now and then. To laze by a river and sleep for a while. Opening his eyes and snapping himself out of his daydream, it was time to focus. To move. To get something done.
"I understand…" he said, emotionless. "Can we go and see Zelda?"
Sabbah relaxed herself more. Confident. She had all of her friends or soldiers watching her, Link surmised.
"How do I know you not snap again? If you do, you may kill all!" she asked bluntly.
"Because I had to do something specific to make that happen. Something I will never do again, because I will never allow myself to become...that again."
She regarded him for a moment. Unblinking as she thought to herself. A long second passed before she spoke again.
"Very well. We go then. You walk in front" she said, pointing to the door.
Link nodded as he moved to the door. Sabbah's eyes never left him and her hand never left her blade as they walked out of the building, both glad to be out of there. He walked down the path he had walked so many times when he was younger. To see the village empty didn't elicit a response. Things could be rebuilt if they needed to. Link had a realisation as they both neared the bridge.
"When I was...a berserker...did I hurt anyone besides Ghirahim?" he asked, hoping he hadn't brought ruin to anyone else.
"No. It was him only."
A small flicker of relief washed over him but quickly disappeared. As they crossed the bridge, he saw a band of Gerudo women, all dressed like Sabbah. But their garments were coloured differently. Maybe that had something to do with their roles or leadership he thought. The others looked over the bridge and saw him approaching them. In an instant, four of them approached the bridge and pointed spears towards him. Their eyes wide with fear. He heard them shouting unfamiliar words. Sabbah shouted back to them in some other strange sounds. Almost in an instant, the four rasied their spears and backed away.
"Will they be ok if I approach?" he asked quietly.
"I tell them you not threat. Go."
Link was starting to appreciate Sabbah more. There was no possible way to interpret her words differently. Simple and effective. He didn't feel much like thinking at the minute. As they walked further, the band of Gerudo women all eyed him cautiously. Many with their hands on their weapons. Some of them trembled as they surrounded him. Just how bad had it been to see him lose control, he wondered. Then, finally, he saw Zelda laying with her back against a tree. She was looking dreamily in to the night sky, a soft smile on her face as her eyes looked pleasantly tired and relaxed. He felt his gut clench as he saw her bloodied stump. Her right hand gone. He walked to her slowly, not wanting to scare her, like he had everyone else.
"Zelda?" he asked shyly.
She slowly rolled her head towards him, blinking serenely.
"Link… I missed you…" she said in a soft voice, smiling a little.
Now, relief flared in him with more strength.
"It's good to see you too, Zelda. Are you alright?" Link asked, wondering about her delirious state.
"My hand really hurt...but the Gerudo...they gave me medicine! Painkiller... I feel good!"
She smiled sweetly at him, then looked confused as she looked at her stump. The expertly tied bandage now blood red.
"Where is my hand…?" she wondered dreamily as she stared at the stump, somehow not able to comprehend.
Link didn't want to risk breaking her out of her reverie. He really needed her kindness at the moment.
"It's right there!" he said, pointing to the one she still had.
She rolled her head to the other side, looked at the hand and smiled widely through her haze.
"Yay!"
She looked so happy with herself that Link felt warmth inside him. He took her hand gently.
"Hey...I'm really sorry...about before when I...turned nasty" he managed to eke out.
Zelda didn't seem to mind. She held on to his hand softly and smiled at him.
"S'ok Link...I know you are not like that. That...Ghi...Gee-ra...ghee...the bad man is the one who hurt me."
Her eyes twinkled under the haze of the Gerudo medicine.
"If someone...did that to you? I would hate them too!"
Link felt lighter at that. Maybe it was her medically induced haze that made her more forgiving, but to hear such sweet words was medicine for him.
Zelda tried to move her arm, so Link let go and backed away, giving her space.
"No...come back Link…" she slurred a little.
"Oh? What is it?" he asked, wondering what was going on in her mind. She spread her arms wide and looked him straight in the eye with no fear.
"Indulge me!" she said with a bright sleepy smile.
Link's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected her to be fine with him, considering how scared of him she had looked back in the room. He kneeled in front of her, wrapped his arms around her back and gently pulled her to him as he lay his head on her shoulder. She, rested hers on his as she wrapped her one good arm around him, pulling him towards her gently.
"That's better...it's alright...Link. You're not a bad man…"
Then, she turned her head and kissed his cheek. He felt her lips on his skin, igniting a burst of warmth through his entire body. He felt light again and full of hope. Tears welled up in his eyes again, for a better reason this time. As they rolled down his cheeks, he didn't even bother trying to hide this time.
Zelda leaned her head on to his shoulders again and was quiet. He knelt there blissfully as he couldn't quite believe what had happened. This kiss on his cheek was one thing. But what she had said had resonated with him. That he wasn't a bad man. He had feared that even Zelda would have wanted to distance herself from him after what Ilia had said. He privately thanked the goddesses that she was able to still see good in him. He heard gentle snoring on his shoulder as she drifted in to a restful sleep. What was the medicine they gave her, he wondered. Behind him, he heard the powerful footsteps of Sabbah.
"Boy. I speak to my warriors. None trust you." she said, killing the mood.
"Alright…" he said, annoyed. "So what do you want me to do? You've already told me this and I don't know what I can do for you"
"Simple. Start with letter. Can't read your words" she said.
Carefully, he leant Zelda back so she was laying against the tree again. She slept peacefully. Then, he turned to Sabbah
"Why not wait until she's awake?" he said, pointing to Zelda. "She's the one who wrote them. She could probably explain better than I could."
"No. You. You are the one we know least about. Want to hear truth with your voice. When is letter from?" she retorted.
Link was surprised. He was used to most of the citizens of Hyrule recognising him at sight that it had become part of his daily routine. But here, Sabbah and her warriors knew nothing about him, other than what Ghirahim may have told them.
"I'll do it. But what do you already know about me? What did Ghirahim tell you?" he asked, mildly curious at the unique opportunity.
"Why you care?" she asked bluntly.
"Because it will give me a chance to tell you what is right or wrong about me."
Sabbah raised her head as she looked down upon him. She was over six feet tall and quite muscular. Being shorter than her made her imposing. But he had faced worse than her before.
"Why you kill Ganondorf? Our King."
Straight to the heart of the matter. He appreciated people who were honest.
"Because he killed innocent people, corrupted an entire race of other people and tried to take the throne of Hyrule in a bid for power." he replied flatly, looking her in the eye.
Behind her veiled face, she remained unreadable. She paused a moment, to process what he had said.
"Did you meet Ghirahim when you sought our Kings blood?"
"No. I only met him two weeks ago."
She remained quiet again.
"The princess Zelda loves you. Why are you not King with her?"
Link stared in disbelief. He wasn't expecting to have to answer anything like that.
"Because...there is another I love. I travelled with her before I got to know Zelda. She helped me defeat Ganondorf" he replied honestly, finding the words difficult to say.
Sabbah laughed this time. Her voice was deep but her laugh was unrestrained
"What's funny?" he asked, wondering what she was doing.
"You are honest boy. This bodes well for you" she remarked
For the first time, Sabbah's posture softened. She relaxed. She unclasped her veil, removed it and revealed her full face.
"So now, I be honest with you. In my lands, when you remove mask..." she pointed to the veil "...then you hide nothing."
Then, she sat in front of him. It was a little surreal for him. He had expected her to be on guard around him for a long time. In the background, he heard words in their language. Some sounded agitated. Looking to them, he saw looks of shock from the other warriors. He imagined they didn't like Sabbah being honest with him like this. However, Sabbah shouted back to them in her own words and they all became quiet quickly. They bowed their heads and stepped back.
"I take it they don't think you should be so open with me?" he asked.
"They do not. But I lead them, so they listen."
She had commanded respect in an instant. Hyrules soldiers could learn from them, he thought.
"I want to hear what letter says and when it is from." she demanded. Then, she handed over the copy she had taken from him earlier.
Feeling odd at being given back something taken from him, he took the letter and unfurled it.
"It's dated from five years ago. This would have been the time Zelda probably first started her princess duties. I think." he explained. Sabbah furrowed her brow.
"How old is she?" she asked.
Link realised had no idea. She had never mentioned it, nor had anyone else. He supposed she looked to be roughly the same age as him.
"I think she might be either nineteen or twenty?" he said, shrugging.
"If she is, then she would be princess as young girl. Barely fourteen. And she still try to contact us?" she said, trying to get all the information she could with her broken Hylian.
Sabbah frowned as she thought of something. Link had an instinct on what she may have been thinking. Either Gannondorf or Ghirahim, perhaps both, had worked to intercept these letters, preventing any communication with the Gerudo, in a bid to make the formers rise to power easier.
"Was Gannondorf your king for a long time? What was he like?" he asked her. May as well get his own questions in, he thought.
"He was powerful. As sire, he was father to many of us. So everyone felt kinship."
Sabbah looked up in to the sky, recalling her past.
"He united us. Live in small scattered towns in the south. Further than your maps show. But he brought all together on the mountain. He said it was to be 'closer to the world'."
Link sat very still, eager to hear everything. All he had known of Gannondorf was his conquest of Hyrule. He had never considered what his life prior had been like. What he had done.
"He was good man. He solved disputes easily. He helped source water wells but his enemies? He had none. Every Gerudo respected him. Then, one time, he changed" she said wistfully.
Link perked his ears up. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.
"Out of nowhere, he became brutal. Little mistake? Imprison. Speak before him? Imprison. Caught stealing? Death. Nobody know why… But we were loyal to our father. His will was ours."
Sabbah looked defeated. Recalling it all openly in front of him, he was grateful for her telling him.
"It was the golden triangle. It appear on his hand, even over gloves. He never had it before. Then after, we had learned to fear him."
Link knew exactly what had happened. His own life had changed dramatically when he received the Triforce of courage. But to think that a respected king was wildly changed because of a curse of the one called Demise… Link dreaded to think of how many lives had been lost due to this curse, across the ages.
"When you became berserker, we saw golden triangle on you too. It reminded us all of what had been" she said flatly. "And we all wanted to go home then."
Link felt horrible. Not only had he committed horrific acts in front of those who were supposed to be able to trust him but he had reminded the Gerudo of Gannondorf, the tyrant. He wondered about how their lives must have been. To live in a desert was one thing. But to live under a changed Gannondorf with no other options available must have hardened them. And he had stopped any possible interaction with Hyrule, which would have given the Gerudo an option to flee as refugees. No wonder they despised them.
"I'm sorry Sabbah… I have no idea what to say. The Gerudo should never have had to suffer this curse." he remarked.
"No. We shouldn't have." she sighed.
He raced through thoughts in his mind. All that could be done now was to try and start over, and do better.
"I know Zelda would want to help though. And so do I. My power is limited, I am just a swordsman. But what would the Gerudo need the most? If Hyrule was able to help I mean."
"Talk. Gerudo had no answers so, explain! Have your people tell us what happened. Listen to our peoples anger. Our hurt." she said angrily.
She looked in to his eyes with a passion he had rarely seen before. No matter how angry she was, she knew her people needed this. And she wanted to at least try and improve things.
"Without Gannondorf, that should be much easier now. Both of our peoples been deceived. But we can start to make it better." he said with all honesty he could muster. "I stand by what I said. I want to help"
Sabbah was straightforward, so he had to be too. She looked straight at him for a time, as if trying to root out any possible lie. She likely would have been told to expect lies, especially from Ghirahim.
"It is better option to try. When Zelda is better, we talk to her about this. Swordsman can not change fate I think"
Link fought back a smirk. If he explained everything he had done, she likely wouldn't believe him when she was already so wary of him.
"Alright. Thank you for sharing that." he opted for instead.
Sabbah nodded to him. She said something to her warriors who had been quietly listening in, not daring to interrupt. As she spoke, each of the veiled faces he could see looked thoughtful. If Sabbah had told them what they had just discussed, then hopefully the groundwork for diplomacy could begin, once Zelda was awake at least. He waited patiently for the exchange to finish as the other warriors.
"Should eat now. What do you plan next?" she asked.
Zelda's kindness had been incredibly relieving. But Ilia and Lilia were still gone. He was still aware of what he had done to Ghirahim. He had no appetite. The missing Zora however, were still in dire need of help.
"A few days ago, the Zora disappeared from their homeland. Nobody knows why. We were going to investigate a holy site of theirs and try to find them." he explained.
Sabbah looked to him quickly from the meal she was preparing.
"The Zora… the fish people?" she wondered.
"Uh...I suppose?" he stammered, surprised at her bluntness again.
She looked thoughtful for a moment. Leaning back and addressing her warriors who were making their own meals, they responded to her.
"You are going to help them?" Sabbah asked.
"Yes. Nobody knows what happened to them. We only have one lead to follow."
"We watch you solve this problem. See what kind of man you are." she said.
So they wanted to come along. Link didn't see a problem with it. Hopefully Zelda wouldn't either. They would likely meet Hylian soldiers too. As the thought manifested, he wondered if they would be able to talk and learn a bit more about Hyrule. He was idealistic sometimes, but the Gerudo hadn't been seen in Hyrule in decades. Nobody mentioned them apart from the occasional scholar. It could work. Maybe.
"I have no problem with that. You could see Hyrule more, talk to its people and see what you think?"
"Would have followed you anyway. Do not care for Hyrule yet. Want to see what you are capable of."
Of course she would have followed. She was indomitable. He hoped that they could learn to relax a little. But if he was in their land, he supposed he would be anxious to some degree.
"You wondered about the golden triangle. Do you want to know what it is?" he asked
Sabbah regarded him with curiosity. She remained quiet for a moment, but nodded. Link moved closer to her and sat in front of her. He took off the master swords scabbard from his back, laying the blade in front of himself.
"To prove that I don't want to attack you." he explained.
She allowed herself a small smile for the first time. "You are making effort! This too, bode well for you."
Taking a small breath of relief, he took of his gauntlet and showed her the symbol of the Triforce, glowing on the back of his hand as he began to explain it.
"We call it the Triforce. They represent the three goddesses and their aspect. Din, for power. Farore, for courage. Nayru for Wisdom." he said as he pointed to each triangle.
"I have the Triforce of courage, Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom and Gannondorf had the Triforce of power. Unfortunately, each of these pieces are powerful. I've survived things I really shouldn't have been able to. Zelda has wide reaching knowledge and Gannondorf raised entire armies in a bid for conquest."
For a condensed history of something so storied, he thought he was doing a good job. Sabbah was listening intently.
"Ghirahim had me searching for the Triforce of power, since his master is dead. He hoped to bring him back from the dead by using it. But I don't think he can do that now. I've got part of it." he said as he pointed to the partially filled segment at the top."
He took a breath. He knew he needed to tell her how he empowered himself as a berserker, as she had called him, to try and convince her it wasn't random chance or something that could happen again without him wanting it.
"Those of us who have this, we can draw on its power and change things for a time. Our need has to be great and we have to be in intense emotional turmoil too. Like when Ghirahim...cut Zelda's hand apart. That was enough for me to gain power. Fury did the rest."
Sabbah recoiled slightly, horrified by what he explained.
"So you chose to use power for attacking Ghirahim?" she asked.
"Yes. I was upset that Zelda had been hurt for no reason."
"What if she had attacked? Would you still have attacked?" she asked, more curious than frustrated.
Link thought for a moment. What was the right answer? Zelda was a capable fighter but if she had attacked first, what would he have done?
"If she needed help, then yes."
Sabbah smiled at this. Relaxing more, she leaned back against a tree and exhaled. Whatever she had realised, she kept to herself. Link didn't feel hungry, but knew that to ignore meals would lead to worse results at some point. He got up and walked to Epona who had very patiently been waiting for him, even as he was surrounded by Gerudo. Sabbah watched him as he left, saying something in her language to her warriors. They had taken a sharp step back once he got up and started moving. They relaxed after a moment. They kept their eyes on him as he walked to his horse, but seemed to think he wasn't going to attack them, or try to escape. He took some food from Epona's saddlebags. And his whisky flask. Walking back over, some of the Gerudo looked more curious now.
He sat back at a small fire Sabbah had made and ate some dried fruits and meats. It was an effort to swallow them, so he sipped at his whisky. Not as good as water, but after today, he wanted it more than the food. Sabbah sniffed at the air, wrinkling her nose.
"What is smell? Smell good and bad at the same time." she remarked.
"Oh this is something called Whisky. A strong drink. I've...enjoyed it a lot recently…" he said, unsure if it was good to admit it so casually. He saw Sabbah eyeing the flask.
"...Do you want to try it?" he said as he held the flask out for her.
Giving in to her curiosity, she leaned forward and took it. Then she sniffed at it some more. Frowning, she sniffed at it some more.
"How does it smell good and bad at the same time?" she said, at a loss.
"I have no idea. It burns a little when you drink it, but after that, the good flavours appear. If you want to try it, drink a small amount."
Curious himself now, he watched her as she debated if she should or not internally. He wondered if the Gerudo had alcohol in their towns. Sabbah sniffed once more and shrugged. The other women looked at her as they sat nearby trying to gauge what was happening. She took a small sip and in an instant started coughing. One of the women rushed to her and asked her something in her language frantically. Whisky always burned more on the first taste. But as the coughs subsided, there was a look of realization on Sabbahs face. She had tasted the flavours the followed through. Link liked this particular one because of the richness of it and the taste of honey at the end of the sensation. Sabbah seemed to like it too.
"Hah...that is a strange drink. But I like the taste." she said as she took another sip. She coughed again, but much less this time.
The other Gerudo were somewhere between curious and confused. Why was their leader hurting herself with his drink, he imagined. Sabbah spoke to them for a moment, probably explaining the drink.
"They are saying they would like to try it too." Sabbah explained.
"Sure. But let me get more." he said as he got up and went to get his two spare bottles from Epona. He scratched her neck before he left, promising they would leave at some point.
Bringing two bottles back, he sat nearer the women who were much less apprehensive now. He had heard a series of coughs on his way to and from Epona, but everyone was curious now. Opening a bottle, he poured a measure in to the cap and drank one for himself. Then, he filled it and offered it to the Gerudo. A quick exchange with Sabbah and a nod in return, one of them approached. She took it and, after nodding her head to him, drank it herself. She coughed hard, doubling over a little. But, the same look of comprehension dawned on her face as she looked at the cap, wondering as Sabbah had about the drink. Everyone sat around the fire now and had taken a few measures each. The mood was far more relaxed than it had been all day. Though he couldn't understand what they said in their language, he knew energetic conversation when he heard it.
One of the women stood up, posed like a gorilla, and then meowed like a cat.
"What?!" Link said, completely lost.
All of the women laughed. Sabbah too. He raised an eyebrow to her.
"Is a game from our childhood. 'Look like, sound like'. You do something to look like one animal, then make the sound of another. Try it!" she said happily.
Link felt a tinge of excitement. Breaking ground with the Gerudo was important, but now he was finally seeing their honest and fun loving sides. He couldn't miss this chance. He squatted, tucked his arms in and flapped them a little. Then, from his experience, barked like a dog.
Each of the Gerudo burst in to laughter. Sabbah too. Link found himself enjoying the game. Everyone took turns and on each round, there was shared laughter. Some of them commented something to one particular pose. Link himself clapped for a few and bowed when he got praise for his wolf pose and doing a passable bird whistle. The game wound down and spirits were, for the first time, at a peak.
"That was fun!" he exclaimed, smiling too.
Sabbah laughed a little too, clearly enjoying herself and unwinding.
"Are there Hylian games too?" she asked
"Oh, there are plenty. There's a good one for having a drink like this though. Truth or Dare."
"Oh! Think we have that. We call it 'Fact or Brave'. You must choose one, then others ask you to speak a fact about yourself, or do something brave?" she replied energetically.
"Perfect! Want to play it? Normally here, you would take one drink when it's your turn"
"Lets do it! Will translate for others" she said as she gestured to her other warriors as she started explaining what they were doing. The energy amongst everyone was at a peak.
"We know each other well, but we not know you. You go first" she said.
"Let's do it! I choose 'Fact'" he said as he poured himself a capful of whisky.
"What is most embarrassing thing that ever happen to you?" Sabbah asked
"Hah! I once got knocked over by a goat and it made my pants fall down. The whole village was there!" he laughed, remembering his younger days in Ordon Village. He went and hid in his home after that.
Sabbah and the other Gerudo laughed as she relayed it to them.
The next Gerudo woman in the circle took a Brave challenge, one of the others dared her to drink her measure of whisky whilst doing a handstand. She collapsed as she tried to tilt her head back to take the drink, everyone laughed hard at that. The game carried on for a while, with everyone drinking more one each turn. Eventually, it came back to his turn.
"Alright, I choose 'Brave' this time" Link dared.
Ideas were passed around, until Sabbah got a wicked gleam in her eyes as she smiled.
"Be brave. Must tell me how to make fried Cucco meat, but in a high pitch voice." she said teasingly
Undaunted, Link got up and kneeled in front of her as she explained her dare to the others. All eyes were on him now. Tightening his throat and adding pressure to his diaphragm, he began in a high pitch.
"First you must make sure your Cucco meat is clean and then add salt to it…"
He didn't even make it past the first sentence as he doubled over, laughing at how ridiculous he sounded. All of the other Gerudo including Sabbah were rolling on their sides as they laughed at his instructions. The game continued for a while and Links bottles of whisky were soon depleted. With thirteen people sharing them, it was a wonder that they hadn't run out faster. Acorns were juggled, Sabbah lit a torch and threw it so hard that the flame went out, Link balanced on a branch on one leg and a variety of dares were performed. The night echoed in laughter for a long time a the two cultures enjoyed their time together. As the night progressed, some of the Gerudo couldn't help but wonder about Link's triforce powers. On a rush of excitement and fun, he felt unrestrained. He also realised just how powerful it could be. He might be able to restore Zelda's hand.
As he explained his idea and Sabbah translated back to the group, everyone was curious to see what would happen. Everyone moved around Zelda as she slept serenely, her stump having stopped bleeding.
Link looked at it and felt a twinge of complex emotions run through him. Giddiness from the whisky, happiness from his time spent with the Gerudo, sadness from seeing what had happened to Zelda… They all mixed in to raw potency inside of him. As he focused through his haze, he stuck out his arm as the Gerudo watched. Shifting the emotions to the forefront of his mind, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
"Restore her hand to her. Let her be whole again!"
The now familiar rush of power coursed through his being. As his charged emotions flourished in to the Triforce of courage, the symbol glowed brightly on his hand, drawing gasps from the watching Gerudo. As golden light spread from his palm, it coalesced on to Zelda's stump as it took on the form of a hand. Golden particles seeped in to the hollow form as it filled out in twinkles of light. Then, it began to disperse, the burst of light receding. Before he could look and see what had happened, his vision dimmed rapidly. He had forgotten that it wasn't an act of courage to restore body parts using the Triforce.
"Oh right…" he said with his last conscious breath, as he drifted in to a magical coma and collapsed on the ground.