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I awoke on a bed of soft down under layers of quilted fabric. Gentle sunlight drifted through the open windows and warmed my face. A dull ache coursed through my body as I turned over. I groaned and glanced over to find the hero missing. I stood up with a frown, wondering what may be bothering him. I heard a pleasant song from just outside my room as I stepped closer to the windowsill. I smiled as I leaned out over the edge, propping my head up on my hand.

Link was seated at the edge of the landing next to a young purple Rito. She was singing joyously as he watched with a smile. I grinned and turned on my heel, exiting the inn and joining the blonde. He caught my eye and immediately brightened, waving goodbye to the young girl and standing up to greet me. I had only planned on waving as I was pulled into a warm embrace.

He rested his chin atop my shoulder for a moment then jumped back, rubbing the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Ah, sorry... You're probably pretty sore from yesterday." I scoffed, brushing away what had just transpired. "You aren't?" I asked as we approached the general store, hoping to resupply before we set out for the next Divine Beast. He shook his head. "I was completely healed towards the end of that fight," he reminded me, "I feel great right now."

I rolled my eyes as I looked through the merchant's wares. "Wonderful. Can't wait to travel to the next Divine Beast like this." He shrugged and purchased a few versatile ingredients, knowing that we could probably find use for them. The Rito at the counter thanked us as we left. "Speaking of Divine Beasts... Where do we head next?" I took an apple from my bag and sighed. "I'm not sure. We've conquered two of the four... I believe we have the Gorons and Gerudo remaining," I said. "Any idea where they might be?"

"The Gerudo live in the desert in the South," I announced, surprising myself with my own knowledge. He nodded. "That's a start. Should we try and find the Gorons first, or Gerudo?" I took a bite of the fruit in my hand and pondered our options. Finding the Gorons didn't appeal to me in the slightest. The Gerudo, on the other hand, may spark my memories. I knew it was selfish of me to choose based on my own gain, but I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to me. "Gerudo," I decided with a nod. "Alright then."

Link turned as though he were about to walk straight to the Gerudo. We'd already informed the chief of our success and bid farewell to Teba and Harth, so he saw no reason to stay here. I grabbed him by the collar. "Not so fast! I've got a strange feeling about this..." I couldn't quite describe the worry I was experiencing. Something was telling me Link wouldn't be welcome there. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing. Maybe we should ask around for directions first." He tilted his head. "From who?" I hadn't thought that far. "Well I mean, the Rito can fly, can't they? I bet someone has been there before." I felt a light tug on my cloak and glanced down. The small, purple Rito from before was standing at my feet, staring upwards curiously. "Hi Miss!" She began curiously. "I heard you saved us from Medoh... Did you really do that all by yourself?" I leaned down so I could be at eye level with her, introducing myself and asking her a question.

"Who said I was alone? I had him to help me." I said, gesturing to Link with a smile. "He told me you fought the monsters and kept him safe!" I glanced at Link, interested. His face was practically burning as he waved his hands, hoping she would stop. "He said you were really brave and pretty!" I smiled brightly and laughed. "Did he now?" The girl nodded. "Mhm! My name is Kheel, by the way. I heard you guys saying you need directions?"

"You know how to find the Gerudo?" She shook her head quickly. "Nope. But my dad travels a whole lot! I bet he can tell you where to find 'em!" Link knelt down beside me. "Where can we find your dad?" She seemed to frown and shifted her feet. "Um, well, I'm not sure... He took off just this morning to visit another stable and perform. He's a great musician." My face fell as she explained. "It's okay! I don't think he's gotten very far yet. I bet you can catch up with him!"

"Do you know where he's headed?" Link asked. "Somewhere south I think. You'll probably meet up with him at a stable. Just listen for his music!" I was happy to hear he was headed in the same direction we were. I guessed we would just have to travel from stable to stable. Link thanked the girl and stood up, offering me a hand. I took it and allowed him to pull me to my feet. "Thanks for your help, Kheel." She smiled and nodded. "Good luck!"

We set off as soon as possible. I would've liked to relax for a bit longer, but Link seemed determined to keep moving. The new skill I'd gained from Revali made short work of much of the terrain we encountered. I could only perform this trick so many times, but it was far easier to conjure than Mipha's ability. I supposed summoning a gale would naturally be easier than healing the practically dead.

The first stable we encountered was just outside of Rito Village. Kheel's father was nowhere in sight. There was no sign of his music either. We continued on. I hadn't expected him to be at the very first stable anyway. Soon enough we stood at the edge of a vast ravine, spanning across much of the northwestern landscape. I faintly recalled seeing a stable at the other end of this gorge, but I doubted the Rito would be there. If he could fly, surely he'd soar over this ravine instead. "Lets cross this. I don't want to walk around." Link nodded and readied his parasail. Luckily for us, Revali's ability left behind a gale that Link could use as well. I concentrating and called upon his spirit.

I crouched down as the ground at my feet burst into a spiritual green flame. I lifted my glider and flew upwards. I adjusted myself so that I could sail across the canyon with ease. Link followed suit until we safely touched down at the other side. I put away my glider and motioned for Link's Sheikah Slate. He loaded up our map and handed it over. If the map hadn't required us to activate Sheikah towers to retrieve information, this whole trip would be a whole lot easier. Currently, there were only little bits and pieces revealed. None of which showed us the Gerudo's location.

Luckily, I could see that there was another stable just ahead. Link must've visited it before. I made a note of it on the map and pointed Link in its direction. "Should be that way. Let's go." He set off. We walked at a steady, brisk pace until we reached the comfortable building. The giant horse head just above the structure alerted us to its presence. As we approached, we heard a lovely song sounding from within. I recognized the instrument. He must be playing the accordion.

Link grinned at me and walked ahead. Just outside of the building stood a blue feathered Rito man, playing the accordion peacefully. We waited a moment for him to finish his song. I couldn't help but smile as he played away, clearly enjoying himself. He finally took notice of us and opened an eye. "Ah, hello. Enjoying the song?" I nodded. He laughed lightly. "Thank you! It's wonderful to see someone enjoying my passion."

"You're wonderful!" I exclaimed. He shook his head with a smile. "How sweet!" He responded genuinely. Link cut in. "We just came from Rito Village. Your daughter, Kheel, told us you could give us directions to the Gerudo Desert." He tilted his head. "She did, huh? Well then I suppose I can help you. You've been a wonderful audience, after all," he said joyously. "First off, my name is Kass. Who might you be?" I gestured to myself and Link, introducing us to the musicians. "My name's (y/n) and this is Link."

"Nice to meet you both. Now, do you have a map I could see?" Link nodded and offered his Sheikah Slate. Kass widened his eyes as he stared at the device. He packed his accordion away and took it cautiously into his hands. Link showed him how to mark the map and he got to work. "It's hard to say. Most of this map is blank. But, I know that Gerudo City is about right here," he said, placing a marker above its location. "There's a large mountain between here and the city, so I suggest you go around it. There's a path that cuts into the mountain right about here," he spoke as he marked another area. He placed three identical symbols in a curved line just outside the pass. "You should follow these to enter the desert. You'll come across a bazaar before you reach the City. I'm assuming that's where you want to go?" I shook my head. "No, we'd like to enter the city." I'd figured that much to be obvious.

Kass laughed. "Well if you'd like to enter, you're welcome to. He, on the other hand, will have to stay outside." Link scoffed. "What do you mean by that?"

"I've learned quite a bit about the Gerudo on my travels, but I'm afraid I've never gotten to enter the city. You see, the Gerudo race is almost entirely female. Only one male is born every one hundred years! They see all men as weak, excluding the sole male of their race. That's why they don't allow any men within the walls of their city." Link groaned in annoyance. "Seriously? How are we supposed to get in there now?"

"Why are you two so determined to visit anyway?" Kass asked curiously. "We... have a quest to complete," I said, not feeling like explaining our story. He sensed my hesitation but didn't press me any further. "Alright then... I'm not sure how I can help you with that. I trust you'll find a way if it's truly that important. Otherwise, I'm sure Miss (y/n) can handle this for you." Link held his forehead in his hand as he took his Sheikah Slate back. I rolled my eyes. "Thank you for your help, Kass. I really enjoyed your music!" He smiled and nodded. "Best of luck with... whatever it is you're doing."

I bid him farewell and led the pouting Link towards the stable manager. "We'll find a way. Besides, I doubt the Divine Beast is inside the city. I'll speak with their leader, and we'll get this done together. Don't worry." His blue eyes met my own (e/c) ones. His gaze softened as he stared at me. "C'mon then. We've got another Divine Beast to reclaim," I said as I requested our horses from the stable man.

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In about two hours, we were approaching the passage Kass had mentioned. We'd walked on for a while, taking in the gorgeous surroundings. I had to enjoy the lush, green landscape while I could. Surely, the desert wouldn't be quite so refreshing. Link yawned and stretched, clearly bored with the journey. "Oh please, you aren't amazed by all this?" I questioned, waving my arms around. We were quickly approaching a towering mountain, unlike those we'd seen before. It was far taller than I'd imagined and composed of what I guessed was sandstone. He glanced up at the structure, bored. "I've seen prettier." I scoffed in disbelief. "Like what?" Link turned and met my eyes once more. He let his gaze linger as he smirked.

I turned away quickly, hoping he didn't mean what I thought he meant.

We soon arrived at the passage Kass had talked about. The mountains towered on either side of a large opening. Green foliage lined the entrance, becoming consistently less and less healthy looking the further we traveled. Eventually, the plant life dried up completely, leaving us with nothing but the sandy ground and dry pillars of the Gerudo Desert. The air was burning hot, stinging my cheeks and making my outfit rather uncomfortable. The winds didn't do much to relieve the heat, as they were just as hot as the air around me.

Despite this, we trudged on, marveling at the sight of the canyon walls. Wooden structures lined either side of the gorge, apparently providing passage for whoever may be traveling there. Thick ropes strung with dusty fabric hung far above our heads, rustling in the scorching wind. This place had quite an eerie feel.

Link and I continued until we came across a pack of bokoblins on horseback. I took the bow from my back and aimed, knocking one from its mount. It tumbled to the ground before perishing. Link did the same with the second beast, causing the third to run. I strapped my bow to my back once more and urged (h/n) forward.

We encountered multiple similar fights as we ventured deeper into the valley. We crossed a few swaying bridges and avoided a large troll-like creature that had fallen asleep nearby. I figured the rest would come easy, until I saw a familiar flash of red. Members of the Yiga clan began appearing as we reached the stable at the end of the passage. We fought as best we could and ran when we couldn't. I half expected one of them to remove their mask, revealing the boy I'd met a while back. Fortunately, none did.

We passed by the final stable and reached a small cliff. Link and I could easily walk down the obstacle, but our steeds refused to move. I stared out over the vast desert, shielding my eyes from the sun. I could see Kara Kara bazaar and what I thought was Gerudo City from here. It still seemed like quite a trip to make on foot, given our heat exhaustion.

I heard Link panting beside me. Both of us were dressed rather warmly, but his outfit was considerably worse for this climate. He tugged at the collar of his shirt unhappily, beads of sweat rolling down his face. I urged my horse to stop for a moment. Link turned. "W-What?" He was practically dying in those clothes. "Don't you have something else you can change into?" He nodded and swung off his horse, grateful to have backup clothing. I turned and allowed him to change into something cooler. It was still much too hot for the two of us.

I sighed and stared up at the sky, attempting to tell the time. Perhaps we could wait until nightfall to make this trip. It didn't seem so far away. "Let's turn back. It's only going to get worse from here." He made an odd face whilst shielding his eyes. "How are we going to get into the city?" I urged (h/n) to turn around. "Let's wait for nightfall. It should be cool enough by then to get there and purchase something for this heat." Our horses seemed to like this idea as they eagerly left the scorching sands behind.

We arrived outside the stable and stepped down from our mounts. The wait for nightfall was going to be rather boring. There wasn't much to do but prepare for the following day with cold foods and water. I figured I'd have to remove my cloak at some point, seeing as the desert was scorching hot. I wasn't sure if I wanted to show him my scar yet... but it would have to happen eventually. Link decided to rest for a bit before we traveled out again and stepped inside the stable. I waved goodbye and leaned against a sandstone pillar, pondering my decisions as I stared out over the desert.

I sighed and reached for my cloak, pulling it off in one swift motion. The scar on my side glimmered slightly, reflecting the setting sun. I heard a whistle from nearby and tensed. "Hmm... Where'd you get that from?" I reached for my spear as I recognized that teasing tone. In a flash of red I was disarmed. He'd pinned one arm behind my back and pressed a hand over my mouth. "Would you relax? I'm not here to hurt you," hissed the Yiga boy, he voice muffled by his mask.

"You and the hero boy are in danger. You tore through that canyon like the Yiga clan wouldn't notice you were there!" He scoffed and shook his head. "Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not doing this for you," he said, as though expecting me to be disappointed. He pulled his sickle from his belt and aimed it at me, pacing back a ways to stand on top of my discarded weapon. I glanced around. The moon had risen and the stable workers had retired for the night. With a sigh I turned to face him with my arms raised in defeat. "What do you mean?" He shook his head. "Man you're- never mind. Point is, you two need to leave while you can."

I lowered my hands to my hips. "I don't think I can trust a man in a mask." He stopped for a bit. I could sense the annoyed expression he must be making. He grudgingly lifted his hand to his mask and removed it, revealing the face I'd seen but once before. His green eyes shone in the light of the moon as he watched me carefully. "Now are you going to leave or not?" he asked, pissed.

"Perhaps... But why are you doing this?" He rolled his eyes and tapped his foot in annoyance. His gloved hand ran through his hair. Bits of strands of bright red stuck out as he lowered his hand. I narrowed my eyes. I didn't think he noticed what he'd done. "That's for me to know." He smirked. "Don't look so disappointed. You'll find out when you need to." He glanced up to the moon and grimaced. "I'm afraid that's all the time we've got. Grab your friend and make your way to Kara Kara Bazaar. You'll be safer there." He kicked my spear back towards me. I made no move to retrieve it. The Yiga boy brought his mask back up to his face. I stopped him before he could reattach it.

"You haven't even told me your name." He glanced at me, and replied grudgingly. "Kahli. Not that you'll need it." I nodded and repeated it slowly. "Kahli... Thank you."

"Pssh." He brushed away my gratitude and hid his face once more. With a wave of his hands he'd disappeared. I wasted no time, waking Link from his slumber and immediately setting out for the bazaar. He wiped the sleep from his eyes as I dragged him along, holding his hand tightly. I stole a glance over my shoulder and saw the first signs of the Yiga clan's approach. I prayed that the stable workers wouldn't be harmed.

The desert was quite cold at night. Link shivered at my side. Without thinking, I offered him my cloak. He took it with a gasp. "(Y/n)... your side..." I looked down at the shimmering reminder. "It's nothing. We've got to keep going."

"Why're you in such a hurry all the sudden?" I sidestepped a desert fern as we spoke. "A friend of mine tipped me off. I'll explain later." Link sent me a confused look, but stayed silent, at least until his memory was triggered. Just outside the bazaar, he stopped and stared off into space. His eyes widened as he recollected whatever he was remembering. He finally stopped and stumbled. I caught him gently. "Are you alright?" He nodded. "Fine... Let's keep walking."

With that, we entered the bazaar. It was a gorgeous, peaceful oasis in the middle of the desert. Various shops were set up in a circle around the center pool. The shopkeepers were fast asleep as we strode into town. Luckily, there was an inn towards the back of the bazaar. A strange rock structure towered above the building. My heart skipped a beat as I examined it. Surely, I'd seen it before. "Here," I said, handing Link a few rupees, "Go reserve us some beds." He took the money with a nod, leaving me behind. "Be careful, (y/n)."