Chapter Text
It was near sunset the day after Ganondorf's trial when they finally teleported back to the Gerudo Fortress. The Gerudo Warriors stood just outside the Lost Woods making the final preparations. Link was still in shock, with his few belongings in a bag on his back. Ganondorf couldn't be punished for the Great Deku Tree's Death. Oh, he was involved all right, he did tell the Gohma the Great Deku Tree was a good place for her nest, but he never broke any Kokiri laws. He didn't lie, he never broke his deal, and he didn't directly kill the Great Deku Tree. In fact, he had offered a deal that would have saved him multiple times. Link didn't want to believe it, but he saw it. The whole forest saw it. It was indisputable.
It was also indisputable that he was a danger to the world. That's why Link was traveling with them to the Gerudo Fortress. Well, it was part of the reason. Ganondorf did need watching, but Link was also Hylian, not Kokiri, and he was growing up. He couldn't stay in the Kokiri Forest and he was no longer welcome in Hyrule. It was his fault Ganondorf was free after all. He was the one who insisted that the future King of Evil would only be tried for what he had already done. Zelda must hate him.
He could worry about that later, though. He had to deal with his trip to the Gerudo Fortress first. He was terrified, but he knew he couldn't show it. Ganondorf was not five feet away from him and Link could do nothing about it. He would just have to put on a brave face for now. Ganondorf would start acting on the other parts of his plans eventually. Link could kill him when that happened. For now, he had to be patient.
Link's thought were interrupted by Kotake's clapping. She cackled at three of the seven Gerudo and Link jumped. "Alright! Are we all ready to go? Are the horses ready?" the Gerudo warrior holding the reigns of the horses nodded, "Good. Good," she turned a sharp eye to Link and he resisted taking a step back, "Are you sure you have all your things, Link? We won't be coming back any time soon."
Link swallowed and nodded, sneaking one last look back at the forest. He didn't want to leave. Kotake kept eyeing him for a few seconds before she nodded. "Alright! We need to be going then. Ganny, come help your poor, old mother activate this spell."
Ganondorf, who had been helping strap bags to a horse, rolled his eyes and walked over to his mother. Link eyed him warily. He didn't want anything to do with Ganondorf's or his mother's magic.
Ganondorf rolled his shoulders and raised his hands in front of him. Kotake mirrored his actions. In between them, a portal started to grow. It was small at first, only a few inches across, but was soon was big enough for even Ganondorf to step through easily. On the other side, Link could clearly see the Gerudo Fortress in all its sandy glory.
Kotake lowered her hands and dusted them off on her dress. "There, that should be stable until we get through. Nabooru, Ganny, you two are going first. The rest of us will follow."
Link watched as Ganondorf squared his shoulders and stepped through the portal, Nabooru to his right. The other Gerudo warriors started to follow with their horses. Link made a move to trail in beside them, but Kotake put a hand out to stop him. Link froze. She had acted reasonable enough so far, but he still vividly remembered his fight with Twinrova. She could freeze him where he stood if he wanted. Link glanced quickly back towards the forest. They were still so close; surely she understood that even if the Kokiri couldn't leave, other forest creatures could. But... at the same time, she hadn't struck him as particularly sane before. He prepared himself to run and glanced at the powerful sorceress next to him. Her mouth was pursed in a thin line and Link hesitated.
"You best stick with me," she said, "The council isn't happy with this business. Their reaction to you may be unpleasant."
Link's brow furrowed. What did that mean? He knew that he wasn't going to be well like, but how would sticking to Kotake change anything?
Kotake laughed at his confusion, "You have a lot to learn, boy. Now, come, we have business to attend to!" With that, she led him through the portal.
On the other side, the Fortress was already in an uproar. Nabooru was giving orders to Gerudo guards in a language Link vaguely recognized. Women were sprinting both towards them to see what the commotion was about and away to go get others or spread the news that their king had returned. The king in question was silent and scowling with his arms crossed. To Link, he looked like Mido when he wasn't getting his way, which was more than a little disconcerting.
More yelling came from one of the fortress doors and a large group of women started in the direction of the portal. Most were elderly and Koume was near the front. Her eyes widened as she saw Ganondorf. With surprising speed and agility, she swung herself onto her broom and raced over, leaving the other women cursing and grumbling in her wake.
She pulled so close to Ganondorf that Link thought she was going to run into him and hopped off her broom.
"Well!" she exclaimed, "Get down here and let your poor old mother take a look at you."
Link swore he saw Ganondorf roll his eyes as he crouched down to greet his mother. He looked sheepish.
"Mother, I-"
There was a loud crack as Koume hit Ganondorf over the head with her broom. "You foolish boy!" she scolded, "You had us worried sick! What would we have done if... if..." She didn't finish the sentence. Instead she hugged him tightly. Link stared at them. It was a surreal experience to watch the man he had been forced to kill in another time hug his mother.
The moment was interrupted by a sharp "Ahem". The group of other elderly women had finally made their way over. They had expressions ranging from glee to disbelief to anger. The women who had coughed stepped forward. She looked as old as the twins, but had a ramrod straight back and carried a sword. He would have had to have been blind not to recognize her as a warrior.
"Ahem," she started again, "While we are all glad that out king has returned to us, I believe we are owed an explanation," she paused, "And, by the sands, why are we speaking Hylian!?"
Kotake grinned as she nodded to Link, "We have a guest." Link knew he was right not to trust the women as chaos erupted around him. There was noise from all directions. The elderly Gerudo shouted at each other as they pointed at him and gestured wildly. The guards, who previously hadn't noticed him, were suddenly aiming their spears at his head. Kotake cackled and Link glared at her. The elderly warrior who had spoken first held up her hand and the chaos petered off.
"It seems," she bit out, "that we have much to discuss. We will continue this indoors." With that, she turned on her heal and started walking back towards the fortress, the crowd trickling after her. Ganondorf was messaging his temples with one hand as he walked.
Link stumbled as he was pushed along by both the guards and the steady flow of people. Kotake patted him on the back and winked at him. He glared at her with enough force to melt glaciers. She only laughed.
They walked through the fortress at an agonizingly slow pace. Link supposed it was necessary with all the elderly Gerudo in their party, but it made it so that he was acutely aware of the eyes watching him from doorways and interior windows. He vaguely wondered if this was what outsiders felt like in the Lost Woods.
Eventually, they made their way into a large, square room. The walls were lined with intricately woven fabrics with and torches covered in glass. Two sides of the room had low stools that sat only inches above the ground covered by cushions made of the same intricately woven fabric.At the far end, there was a slightly elevated dais with four chairs covered in elaborate carvings and a large gilded throne. The throne was made for someone much larger than the average person. Link glanced at Ganondorf. His face was smoothed into a mask of cool indifference.
Some women where already seated on cushions near the wall as the group slowly trickled in, having anticipated the meeting. Others that had greeted Link and the others outside slowly took their seats. Some younger warriors in brightly patterned clothing sat down on cushions near the door. Link was unsurprised as the elderly warrior took the seat directly to the right of the throne. He wasn't expecting Nabooru to take the seat to her right, but he did remember that she had said she had been Ganondorf's right hand women before he became evil. Koume and Kotake took the two seats directly to the left. Ganondorf stepped forward into the middle of the room, but did not take his seat on the throne. Link was left standing awkwardly near the door, keenly aware of the guards at his back.
Link couldn't understand the woman when she started talking, but she was obviously unimpressed, "Ganondorf-ti," she began.
"Ah!" Kotake interrupted her, "We have a guest. It would be rude to not include him in our conversation."
The old warrior's eyebrow twitched. In Hylian, she ground out, "Our 'guest' is a large part of the reason we are in this mess and, as I was about to tell our king, I would like to know why he is here and what happened in the Lost Woods." She spoke like a coiled snake seconds away from lashing out with poison fangs. At that moment, Link wanted to run and never look back, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. Instead, he stood very, very still. She avoided looking at him, but still said, "Besides that, if you insist on including him, it would be easiest if you simply translate."
The twins exchanged a look. As one, they held their hands out and starting muttering. A small, blue and orange sphere formed in front of them, pulsing softly. Kotake pushed the ball over to Link with a flick of her wrists and he barely restrained himself from taking a step back as it stopped about a foot in front of him.
"Now," said Koume, "This should make it so that we can all understand you and you can understand us. If you can understand me now, nod." Link nodded. She was no longer speaking Hylian, but the sphere translated as she spoke. It was like what Navi and Tatl had done, but, at the same time, it wasn't. Navi's translation was smooth and natural. The voice coming from the sphere jerked and jumped at odd times in a sentence, sometimes using the wrong structure completely.
The old warrior cleared her throat, "Now that that's out of the way," she aimed a razor-edged look towards Ganondorf, "I believe we are owed an explanation."
Ganondorf looked decidedly uncomfortable and he stood silent for a few long seconds before he spoke. "Esteemed Elder," he began, rolling his shoulders back, "I have been doing everything in my power to ensure the success of our people. This has included some," he paused, groping for the right word, "actions and plans that certain people have found... offensive."
Nabooru snorted at that, and the old woman glared her. Nabooru rolled her eyes and Link could only wonder what their relationship was.
Ganondorf pretended not to notice and continued, "The Hyrulean King believes I am a threat to his country and, without proper evidence or authority, condemned for crimes that he believed I may commit based on the word of two children, one of which claims to have traveled through time." He paused and swallowed almost imperceptibly, "Due to the fact that the child claiming to be a time traveler and," he glanced at Link, "barely speaks Hylian, there was a misunderstanding about what had and hadn't happened yet. He took issue with that and brought it upon himself take me to his own people, the Kokiri, to have a trial on what he believed already happened. I was not found guilty, but," he outright glared at Link this time, "the Kokiri also believe that I am a threat and sent him to watch me."
A murmur swept around the room. Link couldn't read Koume or Kotake's facial expressions, but the elderly warrior raised an eyebrow. When the murmuring quieted, she turned to Link, "And what do you have to say about all of this?"
Link blinked. What was that supposed to mean? She must have seen the confusion on his face because she clarified, "Why are you here?"
Link lifted his chin and looked her in the eyes, "In the future, Ganondorf stealed the triforce. The world was evil and he was evil." Link struggled for words as he thought about that mornings trial; had it really only been that morning? "The Great Deku Tree is dead now. Ganondorf did not murder, but made deal with Gohma. The Gohma was the direct killer," Link paused again, "Still bad, but cannot eat him. If he wasKokiri, he will only be allowed in village. He is not Kokiri. He cannot stay in Lost Woods, so I will make sure he is not dangerous."
The woman's eyebrow remained raised and she looked at Ganondorf and said something in Gerudo. She looked back to Link and slowly asked, "When you say eat, do mean execute?"
Link struggled again. So much had happened that day. It was getting near impossible to string the foreign words together, but he didn't trust the sphere to understand Kokiri. He took a few breaths before he said, "There is no difference. If there are bones, the person can be a stalfos. There must not be bones."
Link started to panic as the words seemed to hang in the air. Kotake was the first to break the silence, "I thought as much," she solemnly explained, "The Kokiri are not mortal. Those who break their laws are punished swiftly and without mercy. While we were there, a Hylian knight struck a skullkid with an iron dagger. He was dragged into the bushes by moblins and I can guess what happened next. The entire forest operates by those laws. The Kokiri are no exception."
The old women pointed her chin at Link, "And the boy?"
Kotake hesitated, but Nabooru raised her chin as she looked at Link, "He was raised in those woods, but he's Hylian. The Kokiri can't leave the forest. He can."
The warrior pulled at her long, silver hair. "It seems we have much to much to discuss." The room around her started to bubble with voices, but she raised a hand to silence them. "First, however, our guest cannot remain here for our council. No matter his connection to the forest children, he is not Gerudo and," he eyes softened a little and a ghost of a smile crossed her lips, "it seems he is, in fact a mortal child who has had a very long day. I think it would be a very good idea for him to get something to."
Koume cackled as Link was led out of the chamber, "You always did have a soft spot for children Artji!"
"Shut it! We still have your son to deal with you witch!"
Link glanced over his shoulder once more and barely caught sight of Ganondorf, still standing in the middle of the chamber, pinching his nose. Then, the door closed and the guards led away. The sphere than had been translating for him faded into nothing.
The guards talked quietly as they led Link down several winding corridors. He couldn't understand them, but he couldn't quite bring himself to care. Nothing else made sense, why should the language? Instead, he focused on figuring out where he was going. Link vaguely recognized the halls and rooms from his previous, or perhaps future, adventures in the fortress. Things were different now, though.
Instead of a stark tan, the walls were covered in beautiful patterns. Most of it was painted directly onto the wall, but dazzling tapestries were hung intermittently. The skull decorations hanging above the doors were still there, but they had live plants growing around them instead of the scraggly weeds Link had seen. It was disorienting walking through a place so familiar and yet so different. Link had a lot of experience with that feeling. At least this time only parts of the world were wrong and he stayed the right size.
Link was pulled out his thoughts as they came to a wide doorway covered by a cloth. One of the guards looked down at him and patted him on the shoulder. She smiled softly, "Pinzusto, ra in ash." The words meant nothing to Link, but it sounded like an apology. He swallowed.
One of the guards swept aside the curtains and a wave of noise and light hit Link hard. Before them was a hall big enough to fit half the Castle Town square. There were several windows letting in the last of the sunset, but the room was bright with the light coming from the huge fire in the fireplace. A giant metal pot sat on top of it and small loaves of bread sat in grooves carved into its sies. Meat roasted on a small grill placed directly in front. Rows of herbs hung on ropes hung several feet above it all, close enough to catch some of the dry air, but not close enough to cook. The whole arrangement took up and entire wall.
Rows of tables and benches filled the room. Gerudo of all ages were sprinkled throughout, chatting and snacking. Children sat in one corner, playing hand games with string. In another, off duty warriors examined a cracked sword. A middle-aged woman with a long nose and a stern demeanor seemed to have dominion over the pot, shooing children and warriors alike. The inherent din of a room full of people was overwhelming.
It all stopped when one of the guards next to Link banged the end of her spear on the floor twice. All eyes turned to them and Link wanted to run back to his little tree house more than anything else in the world. Instead, the guard to his left led Link to a table and made him sit. The Gerudo continued to watch him.
The silence stretched as the Gerudo stared at Link and Link stared back in frozen terror. One of the guards coughed into her hand, "Magst, kak e-ena."
The woman stirring the pot nodded, got a bowl down from the cabinet, and filled it with a watery soup. She never took her eyes off Link. He sat rigidly as she walked over, silently willing her to just set the bowl down and walk away. She didn't. She loomed over him with her arms crossed, daring him try something.
Link shook as he picked up the spoon. Silverware, or woodware in this case, was still a foreign concept to him. As he picked the bowl up and started to eat, the woman snorted and made a comment to the guards. Link had no clue what she was saying, but it didn't sound kind. He shook harder, but tried to just concentrate on eating. There was the scraping sound of a wooden chair being moved on stone floor. Link spilled the steaming soup all over his lap.
The guards and the woman starting speaking quickly and loudly at him and more chairs scraped over stone. Link heart pounded in his ears as his eyes darted around the room. There was a guard by the door behind him, so he couldn't run that way, but other Gerudo were blocking his path around the table. If he tried to jump over it, that would give them more time to block the other door.
The Gerudo who had given him the soup reached a hand out towards him and Link panicked. Forgetting his exit strategies, he vaulted over the table and made a run for the far door. A Gerudo woman stood in front of it, hands out like she was trying to calm a skittish horse. Link swerved to the right, but found he was running straight into a corner. He pivoted and turned to face the small crowd of Gerudo surrounding him. They murmured softly to each other, some looking almost as panicked as Link. Others were taking small steps towards him, crouching low with their hands out in front of them. Link drew his sword. All movement stopped.
The room filled with tension and one of the Gerudo swore quietly. A woman who had been inching towards Link crouched lower and put her hands on her knees. "Bi zhen, eso insha mus," she said slowly and softly, "Pas tatsu, heviji, bi hastis."
Link couldn't understand her. All he knew was that he was surrounded by Gerudo. He remembered the sting of the swords against his skin when he was freeing the carpenters and the terror of sneaking through the pirate's fortress to rescue the Zora eggs. He took another step back and hit the wall. The Gerudo muttered under her breath. Still, looking at him, she turned her head slightly toward the other Gerudo and softly, but urgently asked, "Hairulniv, gazh gay?"
There was silence, before a girl spoke up from near the back of the crowd, "Noona das, es fakar."
The woman in front of Link nodded slightly. "Prila chuka, bi sakt."
The girl rushed out of the room and the woman turned her full attention back to Link. He was still shaking and holding his sword in front of him. His teeth were bared and his irises were nearly imperceptable around his dialated pupils. The woman kept speaking softly to him, but he couldn't understand her. That scared him almost as much as the people surrounding him.
After a few minutes the girl returned flushed and dragging another Gerudo girl. The new gril was speaking rapidly to the one dragging her in. Her eyes were wide. The other girl pointed at Link. Link flinched.
The woman in front of Link gestured for the new girl to come closer. She did so warily and squatted down next to the other women. The woman said something to her and she nodded. She looked at Link's sword as she calmly said, "Hello, little one, I am Noona. Milish sits next to me."
Link lowered his sword an inch, but kept a fighting stance. Noona looked to the woman on her right. She gestured at Link with her head. Noona breathed out slowly as she looked back at Link. "What is your name?" she asked quietly.
Link glared at her. His heart was still pounding in his ears, but, without the overwhelming noise and the people crowding in on him, he was starting to calm down. Hylian was still too hard, but he could manage his name. "Link," he ground out. His accent was heavy and it sounded more like a rain drop hitting the ground than a true word.
Noona blinked before giving a gentle smile. Link saw teeth and brought his sword back up. The other Gerudo in the room tensed and edged back, but simply Noona put her hands up in a placating gesture. Once her smile dropped, so did Link's sword. She and Milish whispered back and forth for a few seconds. Link looked between them suspiciously, but didn't bring his sword back up.
"Link," Noona started again, "You are safe here. We will not hurt you."
Link shook his head vigourously. He opened his mouth and found that he didn't know the words for what he wanted to say. Ganondorf was still king here. He couldn't trust the Gerudo to be good. He wasn't safe as long as Ganondorf was alive. He opened and closed his mouth a few more times. Noona nodded encouragingly, as did Milish. Link glanced between them a few times before setting his stance and slowly forcing out, "Ganondorf here, cannot trust."
Noona nodded slowly before speaking softly in Gerudo to Milish. The Gerudo in the room started murmuring, but quieted quickly when they saw Link starting to raise his sword.
Link watched carefully as Noona and Milish exchanged looks. Noona sat all the way down on the floor and Milish said something to the women behind her. They started to back slowly out of the room.
Noona waited until it was only her, Link, Milish, and a few guards before speaking again. "Ganondorf is our king," she said carefully, "but we are not him. The elders do not like what he did. You can trust us, but not trust him."
Link glared as he tried to decipher what she was saying. Hylian was still hard and Noona's accent was thick, but he was starting to get what she was saying. "Can make your mind bad," he said, thinking of what happened to Nabooru in the future.
Noona nodded, "The king has strong magic. He can do many things. But do I seem like my mind is bad?"
Link looked at her, really looked at her. She was young. That was obvious. She couldn't have been more than seventeen or eighteen. Her clothes were white like the ones the horseback archery master and the training grounds guard had. She didn't have a sword or a jewel on her head. Link cautiously shook his head; she didn't look brainwashed.
Noona nodded, "That means you can trust me, right?"
Link shook his head. She might not be brainwashed, but that didn't mean she was good. "Can still be evil," he muttered, though he didn't really believe it.
She sighed and said something to Milish before speaking to Link again, "I promise I am good. Will you trust me just a little?"
Link looked at her again. She didn't seem bad, and, even if she was, she didn't seem strong. If he needed to he could run or fight. He hesitantly nodded.
She gave him a closed mouth smile as she nodded back. "I'm glad. Now, you have hot soup all over you and must be very tired. Please put down the sword and we will go to the healer."
Link pointedly sheathed his sword. Noona looked uncomfortable, "I meant that you should put the sword on the ground."
Link shook his head, "I keep my sword. Will still go with you."
Noona looked frantically at Milish who shrugged. Noona gave a strained half-smile, "Okay, let us go to the healer then."
Link nodded. Everyone in the room seemed to breath a sigh of relief. Link found himself being quickly led down several hallways by the guards and Noona. This time, they arrived in a much smaller room with 3 three low beds and two small, high windows. An elderly Gerudo woman with gray hair was hunched over a workbench grinding herbs.
One of the guards cleared her throat and the old woman looked up. She glanced a Link before speaking sharply to the guards. The guard put up her hands and replied like she was trying to diffuse an argument before it happened.
The old woman rolled her eyes and marched over to Link. Link stepped back ready to bolt. Noona rested a hand on his shoulder. He jumped and tensed before he could convince himself to relax.
"Easy little one," Noona said, "Healer Alma is just going to take a look at you and make sure you aren't hurt. That soup was very hot."
Link looked down at himself to see the cooling soup saturating his tunic. He didn't feel hurt, but the wet fabric was starting to get uncomfortable. The healer said something to Noona and she nodded.
"The healer would like you to sit on the bed and remove your tunic."
Link eyed the healer warily. She was a stern old woman with gray hair held up in a ponytail and wrinkled skin. Her golden eyes weren't particularly kind, but they weren't cruel either. She seemed more strict than anything else, really. She crossed her arms and pointed to the bed and Link decided to trust her for the moment.
She clicked her tongue as Link sat down and made a gesture like she was pulling up her tunic. Link glared, but still started undoing his belts. As he took off his sword, he made a point to keep it near to his left hand.
The healer grumbled as she examined him, constantly making what sounded like very pointed comments and questions toward Noona and the guards. There was a lot of general shuffling of feet and looking away as they answered. The more answers she got and the more she looked at Link, the deeper her scowl became. Link couldn't understand why, there weren't any burn marks from the soup and most of his scars had been erased by time travel. After what seemed like years, she turned to Noona and crossed her arms. Whatever she said she did not sound pleased. Noona flinched.
She cautiously turned to Link and said, "Our healer says that you should spend the night in the infirmary. She is worried about what happened in the kitchen."
"I am fine. No burns," Link grumbled.
Noona had a vaguely uncomfortable expression, but still looked Link in the eye as she explained, "Burns are not the problem. Your, ah," she fumbled for a word for a few seconds before continuing, "reaction was not normal. She wants to ask questions, but thinks it would be good if you ate and slept first."
Link's scowl deepened, "I am good. Need to know what happens to Ganondorf."
Noona nodded solemnly, "I am sure you are good, but our healer still worries and the council will continue until very late. She will feel better if you eat and stay here. I will tell you the outcome in the morning or you can talk to the elders yourself."
Link wanted to argue, but he was feeling tired and he didn't like what happened earlier either. Now that he had calmed down, he was realizing how much of an overreaction he it had been. Not only that, but he had felt out of control, which was a horrible way to be. So, reluctantly, he agreed to Noona's request.
Noona smiled and the guards brought him another bowl of soup that he didn't spill. The healer grumbled when he wouldn't let her take his sword or pack away, but seemed pleased that he hadn't fought his stay in the infirmary. After a warm cup of tea provided by Healer Alma, Link let himself sleep.
She groused to Noona as Link slipped into his new clothes. The pants were like most Gerudo pants, billowing and light, but, instead of a bandeau, he had been given a thin tunic. Noona explained that it was to help prevent sunburn. Link was just glad that it made it so he belt and sword sling wouldn't chafe.
Link woke early the next morning. Noona was nowhere in sight, but the healer was already up and back at her workbench. She scowled when she saw Link awake and trying to get out of bed. Link was rather pleased that he couldn't understand the obvious scolding. He was starting to put his sword and bags back on before he realized that he was only wearing shorts. When he went to grab his tunic from its place on the healers table, she deftly picked it up and put it on one of the high shelves, safely out of his reach.
He scowled as she made them both steaming cups of tea with goats milk and a variety of spices. By the time Noona entered with three pieces of flat bread, Link was starting to get restless and Healer Alma was starting to get annoyed with him. She scolding him holding a bowl of herbs in one hand and waving her grinding stick at Link with the other. Link sat mostly naked on the bed, petulantly swinging feet. Noona laughed at the sight. The old healer grumbled at her, but snatched the offered flat bread anyway.
"Good morning," Noona said to Link as she handed him his breakfast, "The council would like to talk to you, but I believe Healer Alma will do so first."
"Talk to council now," Link grouched before taking a bite out of his flatbread. It surprisingly sweet.
Noona nodded, "The council is very important, but even they respect the wisdom of Healer Alma. And," he eyes twinkled, "you have no clothes."
Link pointed to the shelf he couldn't reach. "My tunic is there."
The healer seemed to guess what Link had said because she snapped something through her mouthful of flatbread.
Noona laughed, "It seems that you cannot have your tunic until it is washed. We will get you something else to wear in the meantime."
Link felt a rush of irrational anger. That was his tunic. All Kokiri wore one like it. How dare they try and take it away? "No," Link shouted, "It's mine!"
Noona took a step back and put her hands out in front of her, looking flustered. She and the healer exchanged some quick words before she turned back to Link. "Of course it is yours," she said gently, "It is just covered in dried soup. It would be better to wear something clean to meet the elders."
Link fumed for a few more seconds before he started to see the logic. It was dirty and people were weird about that sometimes. They weren't trying to take it, just clean it. He hung his head and nodded, embarrassed by his outburst.
Noona smiled, "Good, I'll ask someone to get some clean clothes and we can talk to Healer Alma for a bit."
After that, it was another round of questions, much like the ones the healer in Hyrule Castle asked. He was about 10, but he wasn't quite sure. He didn't know his parents. He was raised in the Lost Woods by the Kokiri. He didn't know how to read. Then, she started asking questions the Hylian healer hadn't asked. She wanted to know how long he had been adventuring and who he had been with. It depended on how one measured time and with Navi or Tatl or by himself. She asked how often he ate and slept when he was traveling. He ate when he had the chance and slept when he had time. She was very interested if incidents like the night before happened often. No. With each answer her frown deepened. By the time Link's new clothes arrived her usually grumpy countenance was an outright glower.
She groused to Noona as Link slipped into his new clothes. The pants were like most Gerudo pants, billowing and light, but, instead of a bandeau, he had been given a thin tunic. Noona explained that it was to help prevent sunburn. Link was just glad that it made it so he belt and sword sling wouldn't chafe.
They walked down the hall toward the same council room Link had been in the day before. Now that he wasn't quite so overwhelmed, he recognized much more of the fortress. Despite the decorated walls, the layout was still the same. That knowledge made him feel a little better, but his uneasy mood didn't leave him.
When they arrived at the council room, it was much the same as the night before. Most of the members were already there. Some looked well-rested and ready to start, but many looked more than a little rumbled. Kotake, Koume, Nabooru, and Artji, the old soldier, were all in the same spots they were yesterday. Link didn't notice any of this. Instead, his attention was fixed on the golden throne, or, more specifically, who was sitting on it.
In the center of the dais, Ganondorf sat leaning over a piece of flatbread. He looked better than he had the day before. His stay in the Kokiri Forest hadn't left him weak or injured like his stay in the Hyrule Castle dungeons had, but his imprisonment had still taken a toll on his appearance. Now, he once again looked like royalty. He once again had a bright citrine on his forehead, the orange fuzz that had started to grow in its place completely gone. Instead of his leather armor, he wore flowing robes with dazzling embroidery. He turned sharply to cast a scathing glare towards Link. Link tensed and started to reach for his sword. Noona put a hand on his shoulder before he could.
"Easy, little one," she said, "Our king will not hurt you now. The council will not allow it."
Link didn't exactly trust that the Gerudo King could be disallowed from doing anything except by force, but he nodded all the same. He didn't want to make a fuss, especially not after yesterday.
As the missing council members entered the chamber, the twins drew up the same translation orb as the day before. With its appearance, Noona bowed and left. A young woman in pink clothes and a veil led him to a cushion by the door where she urged him to sit down. The woman around him muttered to each other, but Link ignored them. He straightened his back and glared at Ganondorf. He would not be intimidated b the room or the women or the king himself. He would remain strong. An incident like the one yesterday was something he could afford.
The meeting began with a sigh and a resigned woman standing near the dais reciting, "Our gratitude to the Goddess of the Sands, who no mortal may sway. May she judge us kindly. Our respect to King Ganondorf, the Lion of the Sun. May his reign bring us honor."
Link frowned at that, but he noticed that most of the council members did too. Some rested their hands over their faces, others rolled their eyes. Ganondorf looked sat stock still and looked straight ahead, his flatbread hidden in one of his sleeves.
Artji, sitting to his right, rolled her shoulders. "Right," she said, "As those of you who stayed for our entire meeting last night know," she cast an accusing gaze at a few council members, "We have many decisions to make today." She looked less put together than she had the day before. There were a few hairs out of place in her ponytail previously flawless ponytail, her makeup was ever so slightly smeared, and the scowl on her face seemed fixed. She nursed a large cup of black tea as she spoke.
"Our 'guest', as our honored priestesses have so politely put it, is here to observe on behalf of the Kokiri and answer questions that we may still have about the events leading to this meeting. Does the council have any objections on this matter?" A few of the council members grumbled and shifted, but none of them spoke up. Link supposed they must have talked about it the previous night.
The woman took another long drink of her tea, "Good, now then, our first order of business is to decide how we deal with our king's transgressions. Yesterday, we decided he would not be banished. There was a suggestion that he be restricted to the fortress. What is the voice of the council?"
One by one, the woman around the room stood. They raised various points and objections, but there was a general agreement on the matter. One woman seemed to sum up the argument in that "We'll lose any alliances we have left if we don't do something, but we're not going to be able to go to Castle Town for 'boyfriends' anytime soon." Link didn't get it, but it made the Gerudo around him laugh and nod in agreement. Even Koume and Kotake cackled their approval. Ganondorf's only response was to slump down and put his head in his hands.
"Good, it seems we've reached a decision. Now, onto other business. The Lion of the Sun," and she spat out the title like she was reminding Ganondorf of all the expectations he had failed to uphold, "took it upon himself to and obtain the gems to unlock the triforce." She ran her hand down her face as she said this. Link recognized the look she had as the one adults' wore when they didn't want to deal with what was happening. He saw it a lot in Termina.
She straightened and continued, "We need to take stop any further damage. While we had no relations with the Kokiri, we do have alliances with the other races of Hyrule," she turned to Link, "We know there are problems with the Zora and Gorons. Tell us how to stop this before we make any more enemies."
Link glowered, "You will not steal spiritual stones."
Koume scoffed from her seat on the dais, "Of course not boy, our stupid son has made too many mistakes already. Any chance of getting the triforce is lost. Stealing the gems would just cause more problems." Ganondorf kept his head in his hands.
Link nodded slowly, but the scowl didn't leave his face, "If I tell you, you will help me."
Most of the chamber looked confused. They murmured to each other before Nabooru spoke up, "Help you what?"
Link's scowl deepened, "Help me save Gorons and Zora.
Artji waved her hand, "Bah! This is our problem. We will take care of it."
Link's eyebrows shot up, but bunching up on his forehead again, "No, I need to save them. It is my job."
The old warrior met Links glare. Kotake and Koume broke the tension by starting to cackle. "Let the boy be the hero, Artji! If you tell him not to, he's stubborn enough that he'll do it anyway!" she smiled with a twinkle in her eye , "He's as bad as you when you were a girl!"
To Link's surprise, the old warrior started laughing along with the twins. "Fine. Fine," she said to Link, "You can come along if you behave, but we need to know what the problems are so we can fix them."
Link nodded carefully, not liking the word "behave". He told them anyway.
"The Goron mines have too many Dodongos, Jabu Jabu has a parasite... and Ganondorf wants to kidnap the princess."
"Hah!" one of the Gerudo councilwomen shouted, "A good old-fashioned kidnapping and ransom! Now that's a plan that works. Why try and threaten a tree when you have a tried and true plan right there?!"
Ganondorf groaned, "The triforce grants wishes. I want a permanent solution, not a political prisoner."
The council erupted into small squabbling arguments over the merits of kidnapping and Linked wondered if it was bad that he was working with these people. The noise stopped when Artji clapped her hands.
"Enough!" she said, "We can talk about what could have or should have been done later. Right now we have to fix what we can as fast as we can," she looked at Link, "Is it possible to fix the problems our stupid king has caused?" Link nodded fiercely and Artji nodded back. "Good, ready a messenger to set up a meeting with the Gorons. We leave for Death Mountain in within the week."