Chapter Text
There was something his brother had told him once about the Gerudo, Dark reflected as he approached what appeared to be a hidden canyon alongside Hyrule Field, Epona in the lead as he trailed slightly behind her. He wished he could remember what it was; he had a feeling the information might be somewhat significant if he was now headed towards them.
"You probably know more about them than I do, huh?" he muttered at Epona, who turned her head in his direction, blinking at him innocently.Of course she does,he thought moodily.She's the one that brought us here, anyway.The ground beneath his feet was turning from dirt and grass to tightly packed sand as he strode forward, and he looked down to see his boots had become covered in a thin layer of red dust. This had been his first time in a landscape like this, and he could not help but look around in amazement as he made his way up the hill and beyond the canyon into what, he assumed, must be part of the Gerudo homeland.
"Why did you stop?" he asked Epona as he bumped into her stationary form. She pawed at the ground in response, and he shifted his gaze to look at the path up ahead; one that was marked by a broken bridge. Dark scowled at it. Was he really going to make it this far, just to have a bridge taunt him?
"You have to jump, boy!" he heard a voice yell at him, and jump he did, startled at the sound. He had not expected to run into anyone else here, and he looked across the ravine to find a large man standing outside a tent, his arms crossed as he surveyed Dark's predicament. "Use that horse of yours. I bet she can make it across easy."
This did not seem to be a good time to admit he did not know how to ride a horse, and he did not feel it was something he should be learning while likely clinging on for dear life as he would be if he tried to jump over that gap. His expression darkened, and he let out a string of expletives that if Link had heard, he would have scolded him for. All the man did, however, was laugh.
"Don't blame me if you can't get across," he said loudly, and he grinned broadly at Dark as he continued to curse. "Should've thought of that before you got here."
It was not worth Dark's time to explain that he did not really know what to expect before he arrived, and could not prepare for it, so instead he turned his attention to the packs Epona carried. There was an item in particular he was looking for; the longshot. He had used it previously, with Link's guidance, and was sure this was a situation it could be applied to with ease. It did not take long to find, for it was tied loosely to her saddle along with other tools; a reminder that he may well need to bring others with him.
"These Gerudo," he called over to the man, who had continued to stand outside and watch him. "What are they like?"
"Boy!" exclaimed the man, and he slapped his knee as he roared with laughter. "You're not telling me you came all the way here without knowing anything about the Gerudo! This ain't territory you want to be trespassing in...unless it is, if you know what I'm saying." Dark could scarcely make out the wink the man gave him, and once more tried desperately to recall what Shadir had told him. In the end, he decided to simply ignore him, turning his attention to the array of tools once more. He was not as accomplished in long-range weapons as Link; he preferred to get close to his targets so he could be sure his hits landed correctly. This meant that many of the items he saw before him would not serve him very well - but one caught his eye anyway, though he was unsure of how useful it might be. He picked up the purple glass with the Sheikah emblem on it, cradling it in his hands for a moment before tucking it safely into his belt.It belonged to my people,he thought.It's mine now.
Taking a deep breath, he inched his way towards the edge of the ravine. Despite having resolved to not look down, he could not stop his eyes from darting in that direction, and gulped unhappily as he saw the scene below: shallow water, splashing over a bed of rocks. If he were to fall, or misjudge his movements in any way, it did not look like something he could recover from. The height and water combined were almost enough to make him turn away, but he raised his arm, adjusting his grip on the longshot as he did so. He was not a coward. He was not helpless. He could do this.
His aim was true, thanks to his prior practice with it, and as it made solid contact with the wooden archway of the bridge on the other side he felt himself be lifted up, his body swinging across the ravine as he held onto the longshot tightly. He was not in the air for long, perhaps three seconds, and yet it had felt like an eternity. He landed on the other side, immediately dropping down to his knees, thankful to have survived the journey.
"You alright?" the man asked, speaking in a much quieter tone now. "You're a right unnatural state of white, you are." Dark did not see any reason to tell him that was his normal complexion, not that he could have spoken anyway. There was a sharp pain in his chest and his lungs felt like they might never be able to take in air properly again, so he simply looked up at the man, reassuring himself that he had, in fact, made it to the other side. "I'll be damned," he said in a low tone of voice, sounding awed. "Your eyes are as red as a sailor's sky."
Dark was not quite sure what exactly a 'sailor's sky' was, but before he could contemplate that he felt himself being grabbed roughly under the arm and pulled to his feet, where he swayed for a moment before regaining his balance.
"Should have used the horse," the man told him in a conversational tone. His gaze, however, was focused on the longshot Dark still gripped tightly in his hand. "Mind if I take a look at that? I'll give it back, boy," he snapped, correctly interpreting the look on Dark's face. Wordlessly, he handed it over, and the man began inspecting it, paying close attention to the hook and operational mechanism.
"I had that damn thing fixed at one point," the man said, nodding his head towards the broken bridge. "Then my men ran off and left me, and it snapped in half again before I could join them. Idiots," he growled, handing the longshot back to Dark. "Leaving an old man like me to work on this by myself."
"Why don't you ask the Gerudo to help?" Dark asked, having finally regained the ability to speak, and the man roared with laughter that seemed to shake the very ground.
"Because they're all women!" he burst out, and this statement jogged Dark's memory, his mouth dropping open slightly as he recalled that the Gerudo were a race of women ruled by one king - Ganondorf, the Great King of Evil. The man responsible for the war that had devastated his people. "This is men's work, it is. Now, you..." he eyed him critically. "You look a bit scrawny now, but by the time we're done with this bridge, you'll have muscles nearly as big as mine."
Dark looked distastefully at the man's arms, which he was now flexing in a show of his great strength. "I have to go," he said, walking towards what looked like another canyon in front of him. He had no desire to stay in idle conversation with this man, not when his mission lay just ahead of him.
"You're walking right into enemy territory!" the man warned him as he walked away. "Mark my words boy, they don't take kindly to us invading their space. You're better off here with me."
He paused for just a second, taking that into consideration.Enemy territory.Surely, they could not still hold animosity towards them, not when the war had ended so many years ago. He shook his head slightly.Everything will be fine,he told himself. And without another word, he moved onwards, holding his head high as he entered into Gerudo Valley.
It had taken Link the remaining hours of the night to mull over what Zelda had told him. Despite her insistence, he still had his doubts. Dark had continually insisted he was capable of facing dangers by himself, and would likely not thank him for assuming otherwise. But the fact that he had not joined him by dawn made him come to the realization that he truly might be in danger, and it was this that finally prompted him to begin his search.
There were easier ways to locate his companion than simply search for him on foot, though it was the method he had chosen to use. For starters, Dark and Epona were probably together. He could always play Epona's Song, calling her to him, and hope that she would bring him back at the same time. But what if she came alone? He would leave Dark stranded without any supplies, or any mode of transportation. No, he dared not call Epona, despite the convenience it might offer him.
Then, of course, he had the obvious choice - the speaking stone. He assumed Dark would have taken it with him, and now that he had the matching one, he could reach out to him and simply ask him where he was. This, surely, had been Zelda's intention when she gave it to him. But there were downsides to this too. The speaking stones did not take immediate surroundings into consideration, and if Dark had gone and done something reckless in his absence, he might be putting him in danger by using it. Or, if he was upset at him for leaving and didn't want to be found, it would alert him that Link was on the lookout and might make him even harder to find. So it was better to leave that option as a last resort.
And so, not sure what exactly he might find, he trudged through Hyrule Field. The logical place to begin was where he had last seen him; approximately halfway between Castle Town and the Kokiri Forest. He already knew that he would not find him there; Dark would not have sat and waited for him beyond the first few hours. Still, he needed to know what direction he had gone, information he would not have until he reached that location.
Upon arrival, it did not take him long to spot the clues of Dark's departure: trampled grass in a line large enough for both a horse and a person to have meandered through the field. He could see where the trail started out in a direction that seemed to indicate they were heading towards Castle Town, but as Link followed it, there was an abrupt turn towards the south; like an indirect route to Lake Hylia.
He hoped he hadn't decided to head to Lake Hylia by himself; he was tempted to warp there ahead of him in order to head off any risky acts he might be thinking of. But if there was one thing he had learned during his time with Dark it was that it was best not to jump to conclusions regarding his behavior. Since the moment they had met he found himself expecting the unexpected, and as the path he had been following narrowed slightly and made another turn he was thankful he had not strayed off course.
The Gerudo,he thought as he spotted footprints in the sand in front of him; fear striking in his heart. It was inevitable, he supposed, but he was sure Dark had no idea what he was truly getting into by going there. Surely he had hoped to continue out their mission; before leaving, Link had named them as one of the next places they would be heading, but he had yet to warn Dark of their fierce independence and hostility towards those they viewed as intruders.
He supposed it was possible he had stayed on the outer edges of the Gerudo Valley, choosing to gather information and take in the sights over exploring the fortress, but he was very doubtful that was the case. If there was a way to get in trouble, he knew Dark would find it, and his worst fears seemed to be confirmed as he rounded the corner.
"Epona," he whispered as he caught sight of his horse, waiting patiently near the edge of the ravine. His eyes narrowed and he scanned the area even as he ran up to her, throwing himself into the saddle. The bridge was out again, and with no trace of Dark he was sure he had found an alternate route across. Clicking softly to Epona, he wheeled her around, building up speed and jumping over the broken bridge without a second thought, deaf to the whistle coming from a man standing beside a nearby tent until he had made it to the other side.
"I'm looking for someone," Link told him, choosing not to introduce himself or otherwise greet the man. He had seen and spoken with him before; he was sure this was the head carpenter who previously lived in Kakariko Village. "Have you seen anyone come through this way?"
"Boy about your age? Red eyes?" the man asked, and Link nodded. "He went through about two hours ago. If you're looking to punish him for stealing your horse, the Gerudo have probably already done it for you. Poor chap," he said with a sigh. "I rather liked him."
Link did not bother to ask how the man knew Epona belonged to him, and not to Dark. Leaving her on the other side had likely given that away, or perhaps the man had recognized them as well. "He's a friend," he corrected him softly. "I'm hoping to secure his safe return."
"Good luck," the man told him gruffly. It was apparent he believed the task impossible, and Link frowned. The Gerudo may not have taken kindly to the men who entered their territory, but they did not usually harm their prisoners. Tapping Epona with his foot, he urged her into a trot, leaving the man and his campsite behind.
The sprawling, militarian structure of the Gerudo Fortress was not far from his present location, and as the building came into focus he halted Epona and jumped off, crouching low to the ground. His eyesight was surprisingly good, much better than he had estimated the Gerudos' to be, and he surveyed the scene in front of him without any fear of being discovered.
The ridiculous thing about this, he reflected as he crept ever closer to the grounds of the fortress, was that he did not actuallyneedto be this sneaky. He may not have been particularly liked by the Gerudo, but he was certainly respected, and he had open access to all areas of the complex - with the exception of their high security dungeon. Saved for only the most troublesome prisoners, only certain Gerudo had the honor of guarding it. If he knew anything about Dark, it was that he would be feisty enough to land himself a permanent spot there.
Sure enough, as he looked across the grounds, he could spot two Gerudo guards marching below what he knew was the above-ground entrance to the dungeon. They held their weapons at rest over their shoulders; their backs straight and proud expressions on their faces as they marched towards each other, passed, and then turned to repeat the process. It was a sure sign that a new prisoner had arrived that day, and Link made his way back to Epona, intent on inspecting the weapons he had thought to bring with him before their return to Castle Town.
Unfortunately, the one he needed, the longshot, was gone.Naturally,Link thought as he stared at the place it should have been.That's how he got across the bridge.If he had the longshot, he would have been able to stage a distraction for the guards, then launch himself up and into the dungeon. The thought did cross his mind briefly on if Dark had been able to do the reverse; use the weapon to escape from his prison, but he found it to be unlikely. There had not been enough time for Dark to properly plan out his escape, even if he had been captured shortly after his arrival. Even so, Link had a feeling the Gerudo would have taken his weapons - he himself had broken out of that exact dungeon on a few occasions, which had ultimately led to the Gerudo re-evaluating their process for capturing trespassers.
On the bright side, he still had his bow, and he took it along with a quiver full of arrows. While he had his sword and shield, he shouldn't need to use them here unless he was to get into a direct confrontation - something he was hoping to avoid. With a last look at what he carried with him, he took hold of Epona's reins, leading her a bit farther back to avoid her capture should the Gerudo investigate further towards the valley than they typically did.
Don't worry, Dark,he thought as he gave Epona a last pat on the head, and made his way back towards the fortress.I'll be there soon.
Dark had not been entirely sure what to expect when he first laid eyes on the Gerudo Fortress. It was an impressive building, and he wondered if this served as a home to all Gerudo or if it was more like Castle Town, where their real lives happened far beyond the walls. Upon his first glance, the Gerudo seemed to be seasoned warriors. All within his view held weapons as they went about their daily work, and occasionally one would move to a battle stance, their eyes darting around suspiciously.
To his chagrin, he found himself wishing that Link was with him. He surely would have a plan for this situation, but alone, he found himself unprepared. If he was able to talk to any of the Gerudo, perhaps he could have explained his situation and made progress on his mission, but his instincts told him that the guards outside would be less than friendly - especially with this having been referred to as 'enemy territory'. For all he knew, these Gerudo lived by a rule of attacking first, and asking questions later - provided they asked them at all. The thought made him shiver, and so he looked around, wondering if he could get past this building, and if so, how he would do so.
Following his previous curiosity as to if there were more Gerudo beyond the fortress, ones that he could talk to, he began looking around for a continuation of the path he was on, staying low to the ground as he did so. His eyes narrowed as he spied a large gate to his left; a lone Gerudo guarding it. He could see beyond it into the sprawling desert, and a grin spread over his face. There was something he needed to see beyond that gate, somethingimportant,he could feel it. He just needed to figure out how he would get through it undetected.
The best way to go about this, he decided, was to simply confront them. There were ways he could continue to sneak around, certainly - he had already seen several moments where all the guards backs were turned - but in an open area such as this, he was bound to be caught eventually, and it did not seem advantageous to appear even more suspicious to the Gerudo than he already would.
"Halt!" the Gerudo guard yelled as soon as she saw him, and Dark froze, his hands up in the air to show that he was unarmed - save, of course, for the weapon secured to his back. He had anticipated this behavior. What he had not anticipated, however, was the circle of guards that now surrounded him, all pointing glaives and scimitars in his direction.
"He has a weapon," one of them announced, and he felt his sword and shield be poked at with the blunt end of a glaive. "I don't recognize the make. It's probably old."
"Disarm him," commanded the guard who had first alerted her comrades to his presence, and Dark reached back to protect his equipment.
"Stop!" he said, as one of the Gerudo approached him. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to get through that gate. Let me go." He could draw his weapon faster than they could take it from him, he was sure of that. But if he could find a way out of this without a fight, it would be preferred, especially when his odds were five against one.
The advancing Gerudo stopped in surprise, and then looked around at her colleagues, who all laughed. "Listen to that!" one said, jeering at him. "He wants to go to the Haunted Wasteland. Foolishness knows no bounds!"
"I say we let him go," piped up another. "He will realize the error of his ways soon enough, and either he will come back to us for his punishment or he will die."
"Then we shall send you to pick up his bones in the desert," the original Gerudo he had approached snapped back. This was obviously not a task any of them wanted, for they all bowed their heads at those words. "Prisoner," she addressed Dark, and his expression went flat at the term. "What business have you beyond the gate?"
Words had never quite been his forte, and diplomacy was even less in his wheelhouse. "It's personal," he spit out at last, and his answer was met with another round of laughter.
"All men are the same," one of the women with a scimitar sniffed, lazily twirling her weapon. "I've never heard a truthful word come out of their mouths. Why give him a chance to explain? Just lock him up. He would make an excellent addition to our cage."
Dark blanched at the wordcage, and the second he saw the lead Gerudo tilt her head in consideration, he drew his sword, crouching low. While in a traditional battle, he may have drawn his shield too, he knew he would need to leave it in place to protect his back - a thought that did not come a moment too soon, as he felt the first strike.
While most of the Gerudo were mid-strike, the one directly in front of him simply shook her head, a small smile on her face. "You intrigue me," she told him. "You come here willingly, ask to traverse the cursed desert, and then think you can fight us? We do enjoy variety," she said, and then barked a command at the guards that he did not understand. Before he had time to do more than raise his sword, it went flying out of his hand, and his shield had been yanked from his back as well.
"What do you think?" the Gerudo woman asked, now grinning broadly as Dark found himself restrained. "They're well trained, aren't they? All of us are. You don't get the opportunity to guard the exterior of our fortress unless you are willing to pour your life into your training." She bent over him, surprising Dark with how tall all the Gerudo were, and her eyes lit up with interest as she looked into his. "A Sheikah!" the guards holding onto Dark muttered uneasily, but did not lose their grip. "Well, well, well. We thought you all were dead."
"All except me," Dark said, struggling against the holds on his wrists and shoulders. He would have spat on her, not planning to make this a pleasant experience for any of them now that he had been captured, but almost as if sensing his intentions she moved out of the way.
"A rare find," she mused. "Don't worry," she said, and Dark did not like the glint in her eye. "We'll takeverygood care of you."
Generally speaking, Link had not usually found his passage through the Gerudo Fortress to be panic-inducing or otherwise stressful, but this time was different. There was more at stake than simply his own life, and the increased security measures did not make it as easy to move around as it once was. In retrospect, he found himself wondering if perhaps he should have just talked to the Gerudo, flashing his membership card and claiming he had business with the prisoner, but he wanted to keep his involvement out of this prison break for as long as possible.
There were two ways he could get into the high security dungeon; the first was the guarded entrance he had seen from outside, and the second was a hidden trapdoor in the floor. While it seemed like an easy choice at first, as the outside entrance was more visible and provided a clear path to get into it, there were several flaws with the plan. In order to get close enough without the longshot, Link would need to climb on the roof of the closest building in the complex, and jump over. While it was easy enough to get to the roof, he would be easily spotted, and by the time he made it inside there would likely already be additional guards who had come up through the floor.No, he decided with a sigh,it's going to have to be the trapdoor.
The main disadvantage to this plan was he would need to make his way to the basem*nt of the complex, which was deep underground, and not somewhere he had been previously. Thankfully, the entrance was not well-hidden: a haphazardly stacked set of boxes barely concealed a staircase, and the arrow he had shot down to the other end of the hallway kept the guards out of the way as he walked down it. He did not want to harm any of the Gerudo if he could avoid it, but he knew that he would need to distract or disable any who stood in his way.
The stairs led him to a dark and deserted corridor, thick with cobwebs though there were no Skulltulas to be seen. He blinked as he peered into the unending darkness; when he had recovered Dark, they could probably escape this way as well. At least he would be able to see more than a few inches out in front of him, so they would likely be able to move faster than Link was currently walking.
Thankfully, the corridor proved to be shorter than he had expected; it seemed it only passed beneath one full room and perhaps part of another before he felt the sandy stone of the fortress wall in front of him. He turned to see two lit torches marking a ladder, and wondered how long ago they had been lit or if they simply burned continually before making his way over, giving the ladder several hard kicks to confirm it would hold up to his weight. Spaces such as this one tended to become rather damp over time, leading to softer wood, and it would not have been the first ladder he climbed up with a less-than-desirable structural integrity. It seemed like the dry heat of the Gerudo Desert had saved this one from that fate though, and satisfied with his findings, he climbed up to the top and undid the latch on the trapdoor.
The sight waiting for him when he emerged was enough to make his heart stop; Dark was leaning forward slightly with his head tilted down, his arms pinned up and attached to the wall behind him with metal chains. His hands were hanging limp from cuffs around his wrists, and Link took a step forward, fear filling him as he tentatively whispered, "Dark?"
His head whipped up, and Link breathed a sigh of relief as he caught sight of his ruby eyes, which widened momentarily before he leaned his head back against the wall. "I'm hallucinating," he said simply, and Link frowned.
"You're not hallucinating," he told him. "I'm really here." He took another step forward to prove it, spreading his hands out encouragingly. "See?"
Dark lifted his head once more, and blinked at him. "You're really here," he repeated, and Link nodded. "Then get me out of here!" He rattled the chains slightly, and Link shushed him, peering around the room. The last thing they needed was for the guards to hear the noise and come to check on their prisoner.
"How did they capture you?" Link asked, inspecting the chains. They seemed loose enough for him to walk at least a few steps forward, but his upper body seemed to be partially pinned to the wall, and his arms were locked into position above his head with an additional set of chains.
Dark muttered a reply under his breath, which Link could not hear well, but gathered that it didn't contain any useful information anyway. "Do you know if these are magic?" he asked, tapping on the chains.
"One of them is, I think." He scowled as Link continued to pick through the chains, frowning as he came across a single gold one amongst the silver. Magic locks usually required magic solutions. He was; however, skilled enough to pick the other ones - assuming he could find something to pick them with.
"Your weapons," Link said suddenly, noticing that Dark no longer carried his sword or shield. "Did they take them?"
"They're over there." Dark jerked his head towards one of the darkest corners of the cell, where Link could just make out the outline of Dark's shield propped up against the wall.
"Lucky you," Link commented, walking over and picking them up. In addition to Dark's sword and shield, the longshot was there, and Link tucked it into his belt for safekeeping. "Typically they take weapons for themselves - and they don't keep them within reach."
"I wouldn't call the other side of the room 'in reach'," Dark sneered, when it suddenly dawned on him that Link seemed to know an awful lot about this prison, and those who had taken him captive. "It sounds like you've been here before," he said suspiciously, and Link nodded.
"I have," he admitted. "More than once." He looked around for a moment, realizing that some things had changed since the last time he was here. The chains on the wall, for one, were new. He had always been unceremoniously thrown into the cell, left to roam free while he was there. And the place also seemed to be more decorated, if one could call it that. Pottery was artfully placed in the corners of the cell; tapestries even adorned the walls - though they were more likely added to muffle the sounds of screaming than for any preference in interior decor.
"Well?" Dark asked, and Link gave him a confused look as he turned his attention towards the locks once more.
"Well what?" he asked, following the single gold chain until he found its lock, tapping it thoughtfully as he thought about the best way to undo it.
"Why have you been here before?" he asked, his tone indicating that he thought the question should have been obvious.
"Because I snuck into the fortress to break some people out of prison," Link said with a grin, knowing the answer would surprise Dark. He was not disappointed with his shocked expression, and resisted the urge to draw back and watch him while he told the rest of the story. "Men are banned from the fortress, you know." This, he assumed Dark had figured out by now. "Not that it matters, as long as you can beat the Gerudo fair and square in a fight - which I've done."
Dark recognized the note of pride in Link's voice, and supposed it was something he would have been proud of too. The Gerudo seemed to be tough opponents, and should any of the ones Link faced be even half as troublesome as those he had encountered, the win would have been an impressive feat. "I'm guessing you've lost against them at least once, though," he said, smirking slightly at the scowl that came over Link's face. It was a rare treat to see that expression on his companion, for it was usually he himself who wore it.
"Yes," Link admitted unhappily. "But don't think that -" He stopped as Dark turned his head and stared at a blank spot on the wall, seemingly on high alert. "What?"
"Do you hear that?" Dark whispered.
"Hear what?" he replied, but then he heard it too: the sound of footsteps approaching from underneath, complemented by slight scuffles on the walls outside.
"Get out of here!" Dark hissed at him, but even as he said it, he realized there was nowhere for Link to go, and feeling helpless he watched him raise the enchanted sword and shield he was still holding, wishing he was free to wield them himself.
They appeared as if from nowhere; fierce Gerudo warriors coming up from the floor and falling down from above. There were only ten in total, but that was more than either Link or Dark would have given credit to the cell for holding, and Link felt lucky he still had ample room to move despite being surrounded.
"So," one of the Gerudo sneered, and with a start Link realized she was holding a bow rather than the traditional glaive used by the desert-dwellers. "It's you."
"Who else would you have been expecting?" Link asked calmly, though he felt panic rise in him as he realized that many of these Gerudo were wielding bows, meaning that he was unlikely to stop all of them with close range combat weapons.
"Someone with more incentive to rescue a Sheikah," the Gerudo responded, sounding equally as calm. "We have no quarrel with you, hero. Leave now and you may continue to come and go as you please throughout our fortress. We'll even let you keep the weapons you stole."
"And leave my friend locked up? Never." He would have stolen a glance at Dark, if only he hadn't felt so sure that removing his eyes from the woman he was addressing would have resulted in disaster.
"Very well," she said, with a fake-sounding sigh. "Then I'm afraid we have no choice." She made a small gesture with her hand, and all the Gerudo aimed their bows directly at Link.
The smart thing, he supposed, would have been to surrender. One man overburdened with the weight of two swords and shields did not stand much of a chance against ten women with bows and arrows. It wasn't that he doubted his ability to defend himself, but more that he was not confident he could take them all out before Dark got hurt. Unfortunately, he had already made his choice, and he could only brace himself for the impact while strategically angling himself away from Dark.
Some of them did have the more traditional glaives, he realized as the attack began. They reached out artfully, twirling their weapon around to hit him with the blunt end as arrows sailed over his head, hitting the floor with a clatter. Had he simply been an observer, he would have admired their coordination and teamwork. Every move they made was like a dance that had been practiced time and time again, and it was a performance he likely would have enjoyed under different circ*mstances. He joined their routine as best he could, whirling to block with his shield and spinning with his sword.
They were not actually trying to hurt him, he realized. If they had been, he would have been spending more time blocking their attacks than simply trying to avoid them. "Enough playing games," he said, standing resolutely still. The risk was well worth the reward, in his opinion - he would not remain stuck in a stalemate with these Gerudo. He had no intention of leaving without Dark, and they had no intention of letting him leave with him.
"Who says we're playing?" one of the Gerudo asked, and he jumped out of the way as he realized a glaive was headed his way blade-first. The change in tactic seemed to spread throughout the fighters, and even as he deflected the next set of arrows with the sword a sick feeling settled in his stomach. The solution to his dilemma was startlingly simple, and it was exactly where he knew he was going to end up all along - using magic.
The fraction of a second he hesitated was nearly too long. He heard Dark cry out, an arrow headed straight his way, even as the ocarina touched his lips. He was faintly aware of the arrows buzzing around his head, but everything seemed to slow down as he took a deep breath, playing the first note.
The Song of Time rang out in the room, causing a blue glow to settle in the air around him. He opened his eyes. Time seemed to have stopped; arrows were hanging in midair all around the room. He reached out for one, drawing his hand back quickly as it suddenly sped up, flying across the room and hitting a jar. Everything was frozen again for a moment, but then the jar shattered, sending shards of pottery around the room in slow motion.No,he thought desperately as he saw the arrow hovering in front of Dark.I can't lose you.
And then everything started moving in reverse. The jar put itself back together, and the arrow zoomed back to the bow of the Gerudo who had shot it. Other arrows began moving as well, until finally he heard the click of Dark's chains and the thump as he fell forward and hit the ground, released from the frozen bubble of time he had been in.
"How..?" he asked, looking around in wonder.
"Later," Link said, quickly handing him his sword and shield as he pulled out the longshot, wrapping his arm around Dark as he aimed and fired the weapon at the door.
Before Dark even had time to register what was happening, Link had pulled him into a controlled fall, tugging him to his feet as he dragged him towards the gate he had wanted to get past so badly. "But...we just..."
"I know," Link said encouragingly, ushering him through the gate and holding him close again as he used the longshot on a set of crates barely visible through the dusty air of the desert. He kept a tight hold on Dark even as they crossed to the other side of the river of sand, helping him move through the barely visible path leading to the Haunted Wasteland. "It's okay," he said as he finally let go, noticing how Dark was swaying slightly. "You're safe now." And with a newfound sense of determination, they forged ahead into the expanse ahead of them and whatever awaited them in the desert.
