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ELDA yawned and opened her eyes slowly, stretching her arms out above her head. The firstthing she saw was the ornate roof of another woven tent, bright crimson with a blue and

golden dragon coiling endlessly through it. The Princess shuddered squeamishly, for the shiningcurves and knots of the dragon's sinuous body reminded her horribly of the giant cobra in theTemple. She was lying on her back in a hard bed, covered by another beautiful hand-wovencloth... no, she saw, turning on her side, it was not a bed but some kind of low pallet. It wascomfortable even so, and she wondered how long she had slept.

She rubbed at her eyes with her knuckles, a strangely childlike gesture out of which she had nevergrown, and sat up. Last night was a blur to her after Sofia and her friends had turned up--sheremembered vaguely a long ride through the desert as the stars began to fade, and then she was

being carried somewhere in the dark... The Princess sighed and shook her head to clear it, thengently lifted back the covers. She had been dressed in a simple linen shift, and she wondered

where her own clothes had been taken. There were some garments laid out upon the sandy floorbeside her bed, but she was for a sleepy moment sure that they were not for her--the Gerudoclothing, while clean and superbly made, would be considered highly offensive if worn at home.But was she not being prejudiced against her rescuers once more?

"When in Calatia, do as the Calatians do," the Princess muttered then, and took up the white silktrousers. The Western Desert might not quite be Calatia, but the proverb still applied. At least thethin silk would be cooler than what she had worn before, she thought and smiled. The topdefinitely would. It was a finely woven tight-fitting item of gold and scarlet thread, with tiny

beaded jewels sewn onto the shoulder straps and to... well, other strategic areas. There were nosleeves and nothing to cover the stomach. It barely covered her chest. Zelda got into the clothes

with a wry smile at the thought of Link's reaction to her new look, and then she found a strip ofred cloth that would do to pull her hair back, Gerudo-style: she knew that she must look like a

blonde Amazon with the outfit she had on, but she could not stand the prickling of her waist-length locks any more. Long hair was simply too hot in the desert.

"Zelda?" came Sofia's voice from outside. "Are you awake?"

The Princess ran a hand through her ponytail, fluffing up the long golden swathe. "Yes, I'm awake.Come on in."

The door curtain parted with a soft swish, and the red-haired woman stepped through in a blast oflight and heat. "Well, don't you look nice!" Sofia said in surprise, regarding the Princess.

Zelda bridled. "If you know where they put my own clothes, please don't hesitate to tell me!" shesnapped.

Sofia smiled and held up her hands in a calming gesture. "Peace, peace. I am afraid that thenomads burnt your other outfit and Link's tunic, Zelda--they were so dirty and desert-stained thatthey would not have served for anything better than rags anyway. Clothes are disposable here."The red-haired woman smiled and flicked her ponytail back over her shoulder. "The daughter ofthe tribal chieftain offered us both the pick of her wardrobe, but I had little choice when choosing

your clothes. You are rather slimmer than she is, I am afraid. How do you feel?"

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Zelda frowned, running her hand over the waistband of her new trousers--they were loose on her."How do I feel? Worried, Sofia. Where is Link?"

"He is not yet fully recovered," the red-haired woman admitted, shifting her sandaled feet on thecool sand. "For awhile this morning we thought we should lose him. He responded badly to theelixir we gave him against the cobra's venom, and then of course he had been worsening for a long

time before I came back." Sofia smiled at the Princess, her amber eyes flashing. "But I swear yourfriend is made of adamant, Zelda. He pulled through. He was very tired, and now he rests andsleeps."

"So he is going to be fine?" Zelda asked eagerly. "This is wonderful news! When I saw him so ill, Iwas sure he would die before you could do anything for him."

Sofia lifted a hand in warning. "Wait, Zelda--please do not get too excited yet. Link will live, yes,but he has taken some damage from the poison. He still has no sensation in his right arm--often,the paralysis lifts with time and exercise and we have no reason to doubt that it will do so thistime, but--"

"What?" Zelda interrupted. "Paralysis? What are you trying to say?"

"He cannot lift or feel his arm and hand," Sofia explained. "But given the time he should recovermost of the movement in it. I have seen this before when a bite is serious. We should be gratefulthat he lived through it at all, with the amount of poison he took. He is as stubborn as a goat."

"Poor Link," Zelda said softly. "Can I see him?"

"For a little while," the red-haired woman agreed. "It is your right as consort."

"Consort?" the Princess exploded. She stood with hands on hips and glared at the other womanwith furious ice-blue eyes. "Who said anything about my being his consort? He is my bodyguard!"

Sofia raised an eyebrow.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Zelda snarled.

"Just that I have seen how he looks at you, and you at him," the red-haired woman answeredmildly.

"There's nothing between us," Zelda insisted angrily. "We are merely traveling companions. Ofcourse I am concerned about his health, he was badly hurt, but--"

"So he's not your boyfriend?" Sofia suggested.

"No!"

"Very well, Zelda." The red-haired woman smiled, her eyes twinkling. "I'll take you to himanyway. Pretend you are his consort if you can bear to--it will make life much more simple withthese people. They will not appreciate the idea of a young unattached man and woman travelingtogether. No," -as the Princess drew in another deep breath- "do not say it. This is purely a matterof what is most prudent. We are their guests and must abide by their rules. I have put my own lifeupon the line by bringing you two here."

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Zelda sighed deeply. "I will do as you ask, Sofia." She raised her head and shot a cool glance at theother woman. "But this does not mean that there is anything between us!"

"Of course," Sofia said smoothly. She handed Zelda a pair of leather sandals. "Put these on,Zelda... the sand outside can sear the skin from your feet at midday."Outside, the sun was high in the sky and Zelda wondered how long she had been asleep, thoughshe did not ask Sofia. The place they were in was nothing compared to the tent city Gaelaidh, for it

was a mere gathering of five or six wide tents arranged in a circle around the black remains of acampfire. Bony oxen of white or gray wandered through the camp, and horses browsed upon thesmall and woody plants that grew in the sandy soil. This place was on the edge of the desert wherethere was just enough water to support some plant life. Zelda looked up into the cloudless sky, a

blue the deep color of cornflowers in high summer with the sun a disk of white gold overhead.Blue... not amber. There was little sand upon the winds.

She caught sight of one of the people of this settlement, a wizened old man sitting cross-legged ona mat in front of the dark opening of his tent, and scraping half-heartedly at the wooden shaft of adart with a gleaming wood-handled knife. His skin was the color of chocolate and looked liketanned leather. A sparse mat of white hair covered his partly bald scalp, and grizzled stubble

coated his chin. He looked up at her, eyes almost buried in wrinkes, and gave her a wide toothlesssmile. The Princess gathered her courage and smiled back at the ancient tribesman, lifting herhand in a regal wave. The old man chuckled bashfully, pleased as a child.

"That's it," Sofia muttered. "Act well and nobly, Zelda. They believe you're some kind of goodspirit. These people have never seen a being with golden hair or white skin before. Live up to theirexpectations!"

"I see," Zelda said.

Sofia led her to a tent standing apart from the others, woven in soft leafy patterns of green andaquamarine. "This is the house of the doctor," the red-haired woman informed her companion."Link was taken here to recover." Quietly Sofia stepped up to the opening and drew aside the

curtain, motioning for Zelda to enter. She laid a finger upon her lips as the Princess passedwithin.

Link was lying on a pallet similar to hers in the center of the round tent. His chest and shoulderwere bandaged, and his long red-brown hair had been combed and lay loose around his head. Heslept peacefully, looking far more healthy than she had seen him last night. Careful not to maketoo much noise Zelda padded across the sandy floor towards the pallet and knelt upon the sand

beside her friend, gently brushing his cheek with her finger.

He stirred and opened his eyes, turning his head towards her. "...Zelda?"

"Hello Link," she said softly. "It's me." Thankful tears grew in her eyes but she blinked them back.Now was not the time for weeping.

Link yawned. "We found the Temple, then," he said sleepily.

"Yes, that's right. And Sofia could become one of the Knights as well. If she agrees to come withus, we'll be halfway there already!" Zelda smiled. "You must get better soon, Link, so we can geton with our quest!"

"Don't want to hold you back." He lifted his left hand to his face, flicked back a lock of hair.

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"You won't hold us back," Zelda said gently. "How are you feeling?"

He smiled weakly. "Tired. Drained. My arm-"

"I know. It will be all right." Zelda touched his right hand gently where it lay upon the coverlet."Sofia says so, and I think we should trust her by now!"

"It doesn't feel all right," Link sighed. "It feels like meat. I could poke it with a knife and the onlyway I could tell would be the blood."

Zelda shushed him gently, stroking his cheek with her finger. "It is just an effect of the venom.You'll be able to use your hand again soon."

He blinked twice and then shook his head slightly. "Zelda... would you mind leaning back a little?That outfit is rather... shall we say... intimidating."

Zelda jumped to her feet, insulted. "How dare you!" she exclaimed, almost tempted to slap himaround the face, snake bite or no snake bite. Then she smiled despite herself, and laughed withrelief. "You must be feeling better if you've started doing that again."

Link clenched his jaw and sat up awkwardly, pulling the coverlet up around himself with his goodhand. "Have they left me any clothes?" he asked, a little breathless.

"I am not sure that you are supposed to be up," Zelda began.

"I feel fine, Princess," he said firmly. "Just a little... tired, that is all."

Zelda cast her eye over the meager contents of the bare tent, and her gaze fell upon a pile ofGerudo garments upon the sand--neatly folded trousers like her own, a kind of open vest ofleather, a wide cloth belt and a pair of sandals carefully placed on top. She knelt and picked up theclothes, then carried them to the pallet and set them down before him. "Would you like any help

with that, Link?" she asked sweetly, fingering the white silk trousers.

Link blushed to the roots of his hair. "Er... no thank you, Princess," he stuttered, for once trulydiscomfited, and shifted his legs underneath the blankets.

Zelda bit back a giggle. Revenge was sweet, she thought. "Very well. I will turn my back."

"Please, Princess, at least go outside while I dress!" Link begged, his green eyes pleading. "I wouldnot insist on being present while you... er..."

"Not a chance," Zelda said firmly. "I'm staying right here. You are still weak!" She smoothed backher golden hair and smiled wickedly. "Of course, if you were to address me as Zelda instead of"Princess", I might feel less like being stubborn..."

"I see," Link sighed. "So I have to promise to call you Zelda from now on?"

Zelda said nothing, merely waiting with her eyes firmly upon him.

Link held out for a few moments, but finally he squirmed under the coverlet and let out a sigh ofexasperation. "All right, all right! I promise!"

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"You promise to call me Zelda and not Princess?" she demanded.

"I... promise."

"Always?"

Link made a miserable face and his long ears even drooped. "I promise!" he sighed. "All right?"

Zelda smiled in victory. "See you in a few minutes, Link." She rose to her feet slowly and exitedthe tent, unable to keep a little swagger out of her walk.

Link, alone, watched the tent flap fall closed behind her, and then his dejected expressionchanged slowly to one of pure evil cunning. He pulled his left hand out of the mess of covers

where it had been hidden, and uncrossed his first two fingers. "Gotcha, Princess," he whisperedsoftly, and reached for his clothes."How is he?" Sofia asked as Zelda left the cool tent and stepped back into the boiling sunlight.

The Princess smiled. "We owe his life to these people," she said softly. "He is fine. He is gettingdressed now."

The red-haired woman frowned. "He should stay in bed."

"Don't try and make him," Zelda insisted. "Link will never do what is sensible, trust me." Shesmiled wryly. "He is as stubborn as I am... although he does not have quite as much commonsense."

Sofia laughed. "Ah well, it probably will not do him much harm to be up and about!"

Zelda smiled with the red-haired woman, and then her expression changed as a thought struckher. "Sofia," she began, "we should talk. About what the Goddess told us."

"I thought you would ask me sooner or later," Sofia answered slowly. "You wish to know whetheror not I will be accompanying you on your quest."

"That was what I was going to ask, yes," Zelda agreed reluctantly.

Sofia nodded, and sighed. "I still have not decided. It disturbs me when I think about it. I am surethat fate wanted us to come together... but to leave my homeland, perhaps forever!" She stareddown at the ground. "I am afraid," she admitted. "Part of me does not want to go with you at all."

"It is not a fair thing to ask of you," Zelda said finally, after a moment's silence. "Sofia, maybe wecan find someone who can take your place in the Knighthood. There must be someone else."

"I am not sure of that," Sofia sighed. "Zelda, ask me again when we come back to Gaelaidh. Firstwe must present you and Link to my father... and I have to beg his pardon for taking you to theSpirit Temple without consulting him or waiting for his permission." The other woman pulled anuneasy face. "I do not think he will be very pleased."

"We will deal with that when we come to it," Zelda promised. "Surely he can be brought to reason.I know something about kings, Sofia--I can help you talk him out of his anger."

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"Thank you, Zelda," Sofia smiled. "I would greatly appreciate that. I will tell you this--I certainlywill not leave without my father's goodwill. He and I... we do not get along perfectly all the time,but I do love him. He is a good man."

Zelda looked around once more, feeling strangely at home in the bivouac of the desert nomads. ByHylian standards these people lived in frightful poverty, barely subsisting upon the edge of the

endless sands, yet in their own way they had just as many beautiful things as any Hylian farmingfamily. The tents, now--they were works of outstanding beauty worthy of an incredibly high pricein the markets back home, were they sold as cloth.

She became aware of the small band of ragged children beside the burnt-out fire. The oldestaround eight and the youngest only just walking, the little group stared at her with identical wide-eyed expressions of awe. Both boys and girls were naked to the waist, and they had been baked toa warm nut-brown by the white-gold sun. Zelda smiled at them and waved, and shyly one or two

waved back.

"You do realise that you will probably become a story they will tell to their grandchildren, don'tyou," Sofia murmured.

"Thus history turns in on itself," Zelda said softly. It was another example of the cyclical nature ofhistory--she hoped earnestly that it was not a reminder of how history would turn back to Ganon'stime in three hundred years.

The tent flap was pushed back and Link stepped yawning out into the sunlight. He was still pale,but he looked nothing like as bad as he had after the cobra's bite. "Farore, it's hot!" he exclaimed,screwing his eyes up against the sun. "How long was I asleep?"

Sofia shrugged. "I know not. I could not sit and watch the hourglass; I was busy." Turning herattention to Link once more she looked him up and down critically. "You look good in the desertclothes too," she said thoughtfully. "You are the wrong color, of course, but..." She let her wordstrail off into a pregnant silence.

"But?" Link ventured.

The red-haired woman smiled and tossed back a stray strand of her long hair. "Oh, I was justthinking to myself," she answered. "It may be that my father will be more understanding if youtwo look less like Hylians and more like humans."

"Cut his ears off," Zelda suggested.

Link did not find this funny.

"Well," Sofia laughed, "perhaps you could learn a few words of our language instead. That wouldsurely help you to become accepted in Gaelaidh!"

"When should we leave?" Link asked eagerly.

Sofia frowned in warning. "Not until you are stronger, Link. We will wait at least a day or two."

"I feel fine," Link protested.

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"Well, I do not think you are ready for a marathon or a long ride," Sofia responded firmly, "andthat is what the journey to Gaelaidh will be. At least we do not have to worry about finding it--Gaelaidh is the only inhabited place in the desert that does not move around with the seasons!"

"Does this place have a name?" the green-eyed warrior asked, looking about him and taking in thesmall settlement for the first time.

Sofia shook her head. "They are the tents of the Simani tribespeople," she answered, "but they likeall the nomadic peoples carry their home with them."

"How did we get here?" Link asked. "I must have fallen asleep..."

"You were very close to death for a while," Sofia told him seriously. "You were carried here."

"Oh..." Link said quietly, and was silent.

Zelda wiped her forehead in search of some relief from the blazing heat--her hand came away wet."Well, shall we stand here until we are roasted alive, or should we move?" she asked dryly.

"If you please, you can go," Sofia smiled. "We have been given the freedom of this place by theirleader, so we may enter any of the tents except for his own. I suggest that we go back to the place

where you were, Zelda--it is larger than most and will comfortably take three people."

"They are very kind to just make room for us all like this," Link said earnestly. "We should telltheir chief that we are very thankful for their help."

"We will," Sofia said. "I have already spoken with Siman, and he does not speak any Hylian so Iwill have to interpret--"

"Siman of the Simani?" Link interrupted with a smile.

Sofia inclined her head. "On accepting the leadership of a tribe, the leader takes the tribe's nameas his own. Come now, both of you. Enough talking." Turning she walked back across the smoothground toward the red-gold tent with the dragon pattern. Scrawny chickens who had beenscratching at the ground scattered before her purposeful approach.

Zelda waited a moment before following Sofia and Link. Stepping close to the nearest tent shetouched the fabric gently, trying to fathom of which substance the beautiful thing had been

woven. The young princess could remember many unhappy afternoons in the castle back home,when her nursemaids had tried to teach her weaving and the other arts thought suitable for alady. Zelda had never managed to complete even the simplest white cloth without getting all thethreads in a tangle, snapping the weft and having to reknot it so that lumps appeared in the fabric,and even breaking the shuttle once or twice. Her creations always looked dreadful, and were oftenspeckled with tiny rust-colored spots where she had pricked her finger trying to embroider the

things. She wondered thoughtfully what would have happened to her, and what her life wouldhave been like, had she been more adept with the practices of a Royal Princess's lifestyle.

"Zelda? Are you coming?"

Zelda jumped and relinquished the weave of the tent, letting the heavy material slip gentlythrough her fingers. Looking behind her she saw that Sofia and Link waited for her at the tent flapand she hurried across the hot sandy ground towards them.

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She could remember her childhood with crystal clarity, even from the earliest age. Her father,although he was kind and loving without fail when he saw her, was too busy to spend much timetalking or playing with his young daughter and so by necessity Zelda was brought up mainly by

women. It was a background she shared with most of the female nobility in Hyrule. She had beentutored by women, socialised with women and had been cared for by women. The Royal court wasa female-dominated society--let the men play at soldiers, but the womenfolk would stay right athome and manage the kingdom's household affairs. Zelda remembered having to try and socialise

with daft frilly creatures like Fellica, the fifteen-year-old daughter of the Duke of Lotharia... at onetime her father had wanted Zelda to become best friends with Fellica. But all the other girl hadever wanted to talk about was clothes. Dresses! Zelda couldn't stand the thought of it. Dresses

with silk, dresses with satin, dresses with pearls and lace, dresses with matching muffs andpetticoats... Her friendship with Fellica had lasted one stormy morning, during which time thegentle little Duchess had been reduced to tears and Zelda to stony silence.

And now Zelda had to fight and ride with the best of them. She knew that she was weaker and,compared to the others, shamefully unfit. But she had kept up with Sofia and he throughout theirfirst taxing journey, and she could feel her body stronger and leaner than it had ever been.

Without any conscious work on her part, she had developed a set of stomach muscles, leaner legsand arms and an endurance to rival most Hylians. There was a pleasant ready feeling to her body.In the past few days Zelda had done so much hard physical exercise that the Gerudo clothes and

lifestyle looked positively good on her. If only Fellica or Gwyneth or any of those flighty ladies atcourt could see her now! She smiled as she ducked through the tent flap into the room where shehad woken only a short time ago.

Sofia sat cross-legged on the floor and Link followed suit with less grace, flopping down with agroan of relief. The Gerudo garments sat well upon him too, the open vest displaying his smoothlydefined muscles and clean lines. The bandage around his chest moved slightly with each breath,and his long red hair, red and golden-streaked now from the sun, curled down his back andaround his neck and shoulders like a lion's mane. Zelda realised she was staring and averted hereyes, blushing slightly. She sat down carefully on the floor, her legs together in front of her.

"Would either of you two like some food?" Sofia asked.

Link grinned. "By Din, yes!"

"I would appreciate a drink," Zelda answered, wiping her forehead again. Even in the shade it wasfar too hot. She knew she had been sunburnt, but she had been so busy she had not even noticedit until it had reached the no-longer-painful peeling stage. Both she and Link were deeply tannedfrom the desert trek.

The red-haired woman jumped to her feet again, seemingly furnished with boundless energy. "Iwill go and find you something," she said, making for the door. "I know not what they will havefor us, but there shall be enough for a meal. They may expect us to help them prepare the eveningmeal later--that is one of the rules of hospitality among these people." Sofia made a fist againsther chest. "If they give you food and you do not repay them, there is a debt of lif-wrahu upon you."

"I will not ask what that means," Link said.

Sofia laughed. "Yes, that is something I should get around to while we are resting here! Both ofyou must learn at least some of our language before we have to attend my father the King." Shestepped outside once more and let the tent flap fall back into place. Her footsteps, soft upon thesandy ground, receded and were gone.

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Zelda leaned forward, clasping her hands around her knees. "Do you realise, Link," she began,"that we're only here because of her?"

He nodded. "Sofia seems so much like one of us now," he replied thoughtfully. "I would love tohave her as one of the Legendary Knights--she is courageous, strong and self-confident, just what

we need!"

Zelda sighed. "I still have not prevailed upon her to come, Link."

"It must be her choice," Link said with quiet resolve. "If we make her come and she does not trulywish to, she will be unhappy and that will not be good for our goal."

The young Princess laughed suddenly. "Why, Link! Whenever did you get so wise?"

Link smiled wryly. "Sometime after that snake bit me, I believe."

They shared a peal of laughter, expressing their joy at having come so far and their relief at havingmade it through all the dangers they had faced, intact and without too grievous an injury. Thenthey regarded each other through new eyes, reassessing their relationship with each other as itnow stood. Now after all that they had done, they felt each other more nearly equals--Zelda moreadept at the tactics and hardships of survival in a hostile land, and Link less in awe of the young

woman who stood to inherit the sovereignty of the land of his birth as well as many othersbesides. Link found himself becoming less protective, perhaps, but Zelda found herself becomingless of a Princess at the same time. Perhaps in another less desperate time and place, they couldhave been brother and sister to each other.

Still giggling Zelda relaxed on the floor, setting aside any last residue of her Royal self-consciousness in order to meet him as an equal. "So," she said, mastering her happiness. "Whatabout your shoulder? I saw that you were still feeling ill when you sat down."

"It's not a feeling of illness, Zelda," Link sighed. "I just feel tired--as if I could want to sleepforever." He touched his limp right arm. "This is not helping my mood... but I think Sofia is right.I can move my fingers a little already, although I still cannot feel them."

"It will come," Zelda said gently.

Link reached up and carefully loosened the bandage around his injured shoulder. "It's gonedown," he informed the Princess. "It is not painful any more." Shuddering he gently soothed thesoft white linen bindings. "The main thing I remember about the ride back from the Temple wasthe pain... it just got worse and worse until... I must have fallen asleep. I do not remember any ofhow we ended up here."

"You did not miss anything," Zelda smiled. "Tell me about your home in Calatia."

"Calatia?" Link said in surprise. "Have you never been there?"

"No," she answered. "Much to my regret."

The green-eyed warrior frowned. "Well... it is much like Hyrule. The people live off the land.Perhaps Calatia is not quite as fertile as Hyrule, but then few lands are. Hyrule has a perfectposition... ringed by mountains, fed by a great river and on a plain which was created from

volcanic soil..."

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"I know about Hyrule," Zelda interrupted. "What about Calatia?"

Link smiled. She was so headstrong sometimes. "Yes, Calatia. Well, I grew up in a small fishingvillage called Haven, on the shores of Lake Lomere--"

"It sounds idyllic already," the Princess interrupted again. "Well, compared to living at North

Castle, anyway!"

Laughing, Link held his hand up to indicate quiet. "There's some in Haven who would disagreewith you there. But how can I tell you anything when you keep interrupting?"

"I am sorry, Link," Zelda answered, abashed. "I was always chided for my impatience back home."

"Much like me," he replied with a light grin. "My grandfather--you know, the last Hero--alwaystold me off because I kept interrupting his reminiscences to ask questions. He was a grumpy oldman, but he told me many fascinating stories about the old times in Hyrule."

"Wasn't he the one who had an affair with the Crown Princess?" Zelda asked, alert. She couldn'thelp enjoying a bit of scandal.

Link bit back a laugh. "Not really. That is, he would have married her but things never went hisway. So, after a while they parted and he went back to Calatia. He never forgot her, though, and Iheard that she never forgot him either. He told me amazing things that he had done with thePrincess--once they had to rescue a flying unicorn which Ganon had captured and was usingagainst them, and then there was this time when my grandfather was turned into a frog and hadto be kissed to break the spell, but the Princess would not do it!"

"Who did, then?" Zelda asked in curiosity.

"My grandfather's guardian fairy," Link answered. "Spryte, her name was. When he was the Hero,there were still real fairies living in Hyrule. He used to talk about her a lot, too."

The Princess sighed thoughtfully, her cerulean eyes distant. "You must have had a wonderfulchildhood if your grandfather was the last Hero... all the things he would have taught you, all thethings you could have done."

Link shook his head sadly. "Not really... He died when I was only seven. He was a very old manwhen I was born--he left it too late before he married, out of respect for the Princess."

"He must have been old," agreed Zelda. "He would have been sixteen or seventeen when Ganonlast arose."

"He was never sure how long ago it was," Link smiled. "As I said, he was very old."

Zelda leaned back against the pallet, it being the only piece of furniture in the tent. Stretching herlegs out, she asked, "What of your parents? You have said nothing about them."

"That is because there is little to tell," Link answered quietly. "My mother was a simple womanwho had lived in the village all her life. As for my father..." The green-eyed warrior sighed. "Hewas a fisherman. I did not often see a great deal of him, because he was always working out on thelake. When I did, I had the impression of a hard, unimaginitive man who only really cared aboutgetting by. He was, I think, a disappointment to my grandfather--my grandfather was upset about

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not siring a legendary Hero." He smiled. "But my father was a good man, and he looked after mymother and I, saw us through some difficult years."

"Your parents," Zelda began. "Are they--?"

"Still alive?" Link nodded. "Oh yes. And probably furious that I did not stay in Calatia to help my

father out with his boat."

"I am sorry about pulling you away from your family like that," Zelda said tentatively.

Link smiled and waved his hand in the air. "Trust me, Princess, your summons was a blessing. Ican think of nothing more boring than spending the summer mending nets and untangling crablines."

"You certainly could not call this boring," Zelda agreed with a smile.

"Now," the young warrior said, leaning forward himself, "what about you, Zelda? What was yourchildhood like?"

"O Three," exclaimed Zelda in disgust. "It went so fast I barely noticed it. If you are anyoneimportant to Hyrule--anyone at all!--your life is work, work, work, never a break, never any fun.The only free time I can remember is playing in the gardens with a set of tin soldiers one of theguards gave me. That was a sad story, actually--his little boy died before he was a year old, and sothe man was left with the toys he had inherited from his father. He gave me the soldiers when hesaw me throw my doll down the well."

Link blinked. "You threw a doll down a well?" he asked in bemusement.

Zelda shrugged. "My aunt bought it for me for my birthday when I was seven or eight," sheexplained. "I didn't want a doll, I wanted a bow and arrows. So as soon as she left I dropped itdown the well so that my father couldn't make me carry it around and look grateful for it."

What a girl, Link thought, unable to resist a smile.

OOD, when it arrived, looked to be enough for six people, let alone three. Sofia entered

bearing a wide tray laden with assorted edibles, and a sloshing water skin was looped over hershoulder. With care the red-haired woman knelt upon the sandy floor, flicking her long ponytailover her shoulder with a toss of her head, and set down the heavy tray.

"Ooh," Link said in appreciation.

Sofia flung down the skin and began to illustrate the contents of their meal. "Corn bread, goat'scheese, this meat is freshly cooked beef ribs, and we also have a little chicken although that is lesseasy to come by. Two peeled eggs, assorted fruit and nuts, and this is sherbet, a traditional sweet

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among these people." She smiled and pulled the full skin forward. "Oh, and they have procuredwine from somewhere."

"Wine!" said Zelda in surprise. "I did not know that your people drank it!"

"You thought we survived on water?" Sofia smiled. "Well, I suppose we do survive on water at

that, but we can brew alcoholic drinks also. I am afraid that it will not be quite what you are usedto--it comes not from grapes but from crushed loganberries. A little sweet for your tastes,perhaps, but it does get you drunk the same way." With a smile, Sofia gestured at the full tray."Well... go ahead."

They set to with a will.

A surprisingly short time later, the tray was almost empty. It had been the first real meal any ofthem had had for over two days, and the simple home-cooked food was both nourishing andextremely good. Zelda shocked herself by eating almost a third of the meat and bread herself,although Link demanded and got the lion's share. Sofia ate comparably sparingly, helping herselfto the cheese and fruit but refusing any meat, although even her portion of the meal would have

been seen as excessive by Hylian standards.

"I could learn to enjoy this life," Link said thoughtfully.

Sofia shook her head. "You are not always guaranteed a supply of food living in the westernrealms, Link. These people come upon hard times just like you do... and if the rains do not comethen their animals will die and leave them without all but that which they can hunt or gather." Sheset aside her cup and leaned forward, meeting the Princess's eyes with her own. "Tell me aboutthe Legendary Knights."

"What would you like to know?" Zelda countered.

"Anything you see fit to tell me," Sofia answered. "I know little yet, save that they fought againstGanon and had magical amulets to help them!"

The Princess frowned in thought. "We know very little ourselves, Sofia. The Knighthood isshrouded in secrecy. In the Book of Mudora there are warnings against trying to bring together allsix Knights, though why I do not know. All I have found is a footnote which speaks of corruption.

"From the beginning the Knighthood was a secret affair--founded, it is said, by the Hero of Time,who knew in his enlightened wisdom that Ganon would return to Hyrule in three hundred years.He prepared for the return of Ganon by hand-choosing four great warriors of the races of Hyrule.

With the addition of himself, it made up five. Legends do tell of a sixth Knight, one to wield thePower of Darkness, but whoever he or she was he was lost. I think it likely that the sixth Knight

was a Sheikah priestess, just as the Sage of Shadow was."

Sofia sighed. "Well, I am little wiser than I was before I asked!"

"You know everything we do," Zelda answered with a wry smile. "There is nothing more in thebooks I have access to--had access to," she amended. "I am not in my father's house now."

"Obviously," the red-haired woman said with a wry look.

Link stifled a yawn.

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"Tired?" Sofia suggested.

The young warrior nodded slowly. "I do not like being weak... I am not tired enough to sleep."

"Yes you are," the red-haired woman said sternly. "It was only yesterday that you were bitten, andrecovery sometimes takes up to a week. With the amount of venom you ingested, I would be very

surprised if you recovered in a day." Sofia sat beside the pallet and shook out the coverlet. "Restfor a while longer, Link--we will come for you when you are needed."

It seemed that Link would balk at the prospect of further enforced rest, but he capitulated after amoment, going over to the pallet and lying down carefully on his back. He could not hide a winceas he did so.

"Come, Zelda," Sofia murmured, taking the Princess gently by the arm. "Let us leave him to sleepa while longer--I will take you to speak with Siman."

"I'm not tired!" Link called after them as they left the tent. Sofia smiled and shook her head slowlyin a gesture of amused despair.

The sun had continued quite a way upon its journey through the sky. Now it was not sounbearably hot, although there still was a deal of heat shimmering over the sandy ground and infront of the far off mountains. Now the little camp was populated by people, short-eared and long-limbed with skins the smooth brown of chocolate--people who had frozen in the act of whateverthey were doing to turn and look at the golden-haired spirit in their midst. The slender Hylianprincess felt rather uncomfortable under their awed stares, although she had been stared at

before when with her father on royal walkabouts. Mastering herself she smiled at the littlegathering.

Sofia laid a hand on Zelda's shoulder then, and said to the assembly, "Heo naman Zelda." Therewere slow nods and murmurs of approval, and then some of the tribesmen resumed their work.The children, seemingly frozen to the spot, did not.

"What did you say?" Zelda asked.

The red-haired woman smiled. "I merely told them your name. It was not a name like theirs--thatis what they wanted. They want to see you as a being from another world."

"I think I am," Zelda said in soft wonder. "This place is nothing like Hyrule."

Sofia nodded. "From what you have said, your world is very different. But if we keep up themystery, they may well wish to escort us back to Gaelaidh, or at least help us to within sight, andthat is a good thing." She halted in front of the largest tent, woven of a black and red pattern ofscorpions and strange geometric shapes, and waited. "Siman's tent," she explained in anundertone.

"What are those for?" Zelda asked, indicating what appeared to be long ox horns atop theconstruction.

"An honour to their gods," the other woman answered quietly. "They follow an older religion thanany of us." A word was barked from within, and Sofia pulled back the flap. "You first, Zelda," shemurmured. Zelda stepped forward into the cool darkness of the tent.

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Link sighed and rested his hand behind his head. Now that he was lying down he did not even feelsleepy any more. Restless, he shifted and rolled onto his side, then looked at his right arm whichlay on the pallet before him. The skin was cloudy with bruises. A frown of concentration spreadacross the young warrior's face--his fingers curled into a loose fist then relaxed again. He bent his

wrist and then his elbow--the muscles were sluggish to respond, but finally did as he pleased. Hisarm was still numb.

He closed his eyes and then sent the impulse to his fingers to close. He could not tell whether theyobeyed him. He opened his eyes and saw that his fingers had closed, but now relaxed as he tookhis mind off the action of closing. He sighed.

Sitting up again he yawned and pushed the bedcovers away. It was far too hot to think of coveringup, anyway. Even in the light Gerudo garments he could feel the heat and sweat upon his skin. Itstruck him then that this bed was where the Princess had slept earlier. Feeling suddenlyuncomfortable in his relaxed position, he sat up shaking back his long red-brown hair and swunghis legs onto the floor.

There was a rustle near the doorway. Link turned his head and saw one of the nomad childrenstaring at him in wide-eyed awe. He guessed it was a boy, although it was not easy to tell as both

boys and girls dressed alike and had more or less the same hair. He raised his good hand andwaved at the child, and then said, "Hello." The little boy looked at him without anyunderstanding. He made a move to get up, and the dark little face vanished from the doorway, thetent flap swinging back into position.

Link stood and made for the door. There was a scattering of sudden footsteps as he ducked outinto the late afternoon sunlight. The little boy stood ten or eleven paces away, holding Link's ownrosewood bow in one small fist and a white swan-feathered arrow in the other. "Hey, that's mine!"Link exclaimed and took a few steps toward the boy. The child's muscles tensed as he prepared toturn tail and flee. Link shook his head and smiled. "I won't hurt you!" He supposed he must lookrather intimidating, the strange warrior from a far land.

The little boy gazed at him for a long moment, then turned away and clumsily fitted the arrow to

the string. He tried to draw it back, but the short bow was too strong for him and he managedonly a couple of inches draw. The arrow slipped slightly from his small fingers and he fumbled intrying to get it back where it had been without losing his draw.

Unable to resist a smile, Link strode over to the child while he was thus occupied. "No, no," hesaid, taking the bow from the astonished boy, "you're doing it wrong. Look, do it like this." Hedemonstrated, bending his knee a little and fitting the nock of the arrow to the string. Holding the

bow horizontally at arms' length, he drew--his numb right arm felt strange and unfamiliar, as if itwas not a part of him, but it held--and sighted along the length of the arrow. Relaxing his holdupon the bow, he placed it and the arrow back into the boy's hands, and turning pointed at a palmtree only ten paces away. "See if you can hit that," he suggested, kneeling beside the boy.

Although his words were not those which the tribespeople understood, the meaning of his gesture

was clear. The boy bent his knee as Link had done, then hefted the bow and nocked the arrowonto the string. Link watched, and then reached out and corrected the boy's stance. Startled thelittle boy looked up into the green eyes of the warrior, then he smiled shyly.

"Go on," Link said, indicating the tree once more. "Sight first." He placed his hand under thearrow and lifted its iron nose up a little. The boy squinted along the arrow's shaft as he drew back,his thin arms trembling with the strain. "Now," Link ordered, and the boy released the arrow witha loud twang. The swan-feathered shaft, crafted in faraway Hyrule, flew through the air with ahiss and eagerly buried itself in a target. But it was not the target Link had hoped for! With aripping sound the arrow bit through the wall of a nearby tent some four paces from the intended

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tree, and there was a hollow thud of it hitting something hard within. A blistering stream ofGerudo invective poured out of the tent flap, followed swiftly by a furious old woman, brandishinga wooden pot with the arrow buried in its flank.

"Oh dear," Link lamented, trying not to laugh. "Very sorry, milady!" He trotted up and madeappeasing gestures, indicating that he would like the arrow back. Seemingly not pausing for

breath in her torrent of fearsome-sounding curses, the old woman yanked out the arrow and flungit down at his feet before turning and flouncing back inside.

Picking up the arrow, Link inspected it for damage and found none. He turned back to his youngpupil and found that there was a group of six assorted youngsters all watching and waitingexcitedly. "What?" he asked. "You all want to learn?" Well, he thought, looking at their hopefulfaces, it could do little harm to show them the basics. Although it might be wise to take them awayfrom anything breakable first.It took Zelda's eyes a few moments to adjust, for the black tent of Siman let in little sunlight.Unlike the others, this tent was more or less rectangular so that the length of the room stretchedout before her. A fire burned in the center of the room and illuminated the creature squattingupon the mat at the far end. With his dark skin adorned with blue paint and designs and his head

shorn of hair, he was barely recognisable as the same species as Sofia. He wore the same whitetrousers and leather vest as the rest of the males Zelda had seen, but was additionally garbed witha great number of brass anklets and decorative chains.

"This is Siman, overlord of the Simani," Sofia murmured, standing beside the Princess. Thealarming figure upon the grass mat stood up slowly and majestically, jingling with ankle-rings,and spoke in a deep inflected tongue. "He says," Sofia explained, leaning close, "that he is honored

by the presence of the Lady from the East."

"Tell him that I am honored also by his hospitality," Zelda replied, falling back on court etiquette.

Sofia conferred with the painted man and then turned back to the Princess, her amber eyesgleaming golden in the firelight. "Siman asks you and your consort to join his people in their

evening meal tonight. His words, not mine, Zelda!" -as she began to object. "They will have aspecial feast to celebrate your presence among them." The red-haired woman smiled then. "Healso asks that you tell him what it is like to live beyond the stars. He believes you are a spirit too."

"That could be a dangerous misunderstanding," Zelda sighed. "Tell him it is like this land butgreener."

Sofia nodded and relayed to Siman the Princess's words. "He asks if you are great among yourpeople," she reported.

The Princess frowned, alarm bells beginning to ring. "Sofia, are these people honorable?" sheasked.

"Of course," the red-haired woman replied a little stiffly. "You do not need to fear from them."

Zelda nodded. "Very well. Tell him that I am the daughter of the King of Hyrule."

"I'll tell him you are the daughter of the King of the land beyond the mountains," Sofia corrected."We do not know the word "Hyrule"." She spoke with the chieftain once again, and then hestepped off his mat and gestured to a tray which had been placed before the fire, speaking oncemore in the Gerudo tongue. "He asks if you will partake of a delicacy they have collected for you,"

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Sofia explained. "Please try it if you possibly can--it will greatly please them, and the preparationof the dish takes a long time. It is a great mark of respect that they offer it to you."

The Princess stared at the objects on the tray, which appeared to be some kind of round whiteballs specked with seeds or tiny pieces of bark, steeped in honey. "What are they?" she askedcautiously.

"Mn geomor," Sofia answered. "Fire ants baked in flour and sesame oil."

"Sofia, I can't," Zelda whispered frantically.

The red-haired woman shook her head slowly. "It really would please him, Zelda. And you mayeven like them if you try them."

"We do not eat insects!" Zelda complained. "The very idea makes me feel sick!"

"Well, if you will not, you will not," Sofia said quietly. "Tell him that."

Zelda looked at Siman. The tribal leader seemed expectant. With a sigh, she reached down andpicked up one of the little dumplings. "I'll try," she told Sofia. The other woman smiled. Closingher eyes Zelda bit into the dumpling, tasting flour and a strong sesame essence. Something inside

was crunchy, like large poppy seeds, and there was a faintly sharp and lemony taste upon hertongue. She chewed and swallowed, then smiled weakly at Sofia and Siman.

Siman chuckled deeply, then reached down and took a dumpling himself. The tribal leaderchewed the food with gusto, smacking his lips. He swallowed most of his in one gulp while Zeldanibbled on the peculiar hors d'oeuvre. She felt herself recovering some of her poise andconfidence already, and the "mn geomor" was actually palatable, as long as she didn't think toohard about the crunchiness between her teeth. It would make an interesting thing to tell theothers back home, she thought--she wondered what Fellica would think of the idea of ant cakes.Maybe she should ask for the recipe so she could find out...

Siman rattled off a long stream of convoluted syllables that came out half-clogged by food. Sofialistened intently and then turned to Zelda once more. "He thanks you for accepting his hospitalityand hopes that you will put in a good word for his people. He also wishes to know where you areheading, and whether you will consent to accept a few small gifts from his clan."

Zelda nodded. "Well, I imagine that we are heading back to Gaelaidh, and then Link and myselfwill be thinking of ways to return to Hyrule--I have to make peace with my own father, Sofia!...What gifts? Should we accept them? You know more than I about these people."

"They will be offended if you do not accept them," Sofia told her. "Hospitality is a matter of tribalpride among the nomadic peoples. I don't know what they will give you, but I imagine that it will

be substantial!"

Frowning, the Princess shook back her golden hair--a habit she had when under stress. "Well, I donot like to accept charity," she began, "but if it is expected we should do as he wishes us to."

"Good," Sofia nodded, and relayed the information to the chief. Smiling widely and revealing a setof excellent teeth, Siman stood up straight with a jangle of jewellery and took Zelda's hand in hisown. She felt slightly alarmed as her small fingers were swallowed up by the human chieftain'sgreat fist, but he clasped her hand with every indication of the utmost friendliness, ceremoniallyshaking her arm up and down before releasing her.

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"We are dismissed," Sofia informed the Princess. "He looks forward to meeting you againtonight."The green-eyed warrior was surrounded by six avid young pupils as he sat cross-legged on theground, stripping the severed branch of a young mahogany tree with a short bone-handled knifehe had borrowed. Link was showing the village children how to construct a small bow strong

enough to kill rodents and low-flying birds--something he had done many a time during hischildhood back home. He spoke as he worked, although he was aware that none of them couldunderstand a word he said.

"...and then you have to test the branch to make sure there's no rot in it. See, bend it like this,gently from side to side. If it's weak it will break. Then, round off the bow arms like this so thatthere's a thin place just before the end. You have to make a niche there and that will be the place

where the bowstring goes."

Deft little hands copied his movement on anything that came to hand--palm bark, pieces of stickor the hems of trousers. Link picked up the coil of string that lay ready beside him and knotted theend into a loop. This he slipped over one haft of the pliant young branch, stretched tight and tiedaround the other end, cutting the leftover neatly with his knife. He hefted the little bow and then

picked up one of the small darts he had carved beforehand. There were no suitable feathers tohand to wing the arrow, and in any case fletching was a skill that took many years to acquire. Ifthe feathers were laid poorly strange effects could be observed, from dramatic midair spinning tothe arrow curving in its flight, and even swooping straight up into the air to return swiftly and hitthe shooter.

"It's ready," he said, and held the bow out to them. Eagerly the children grasped for it and after aslight scuffle one of the larger ones emerged victorious. With a whoop of joy the child snatchedthe bow and dart and raced off between the tents, followed by its companions who shouted at itsheels in hope of regaining the toy.

"You seem to be popular," Zelda said with a smile. He turned to see the Princess and the red-haired Gerudo standing and watching him. Feeling slightly self-conscious Link stood and brushed

the bark and wood shavings off his clothes.

"Well met, Princess," he said formally.

Sofia raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I tell you to go to bed?"

Link thought for a moment. "Yes," he admitted. "Why?"

Smiling, she shook her head. "Why indeed. Why aren't you there?"

"I could not sleep," he said stiffly. "And then one of them had my bow, so I showed him how to useit and then they all wanted a go, and one thing led to another..."

The red-haired woman watched the children as they sorted out between themselves who shouldhave possession of the bow and arrow. The lucky recipient of the toy drew and aimed at anunlucky kangaroo mouse which hopped about on the stones at the edge of the camp, searching forseeds with its long sensitive snout. "It looks as if you have started a new craze, Link," Sofia saidlaughing. "Their parents will be furious with them if they damage anything."

Link shrugged. "I do not think that they will be stupid enough to aim at each other, and that olderlad seems to know what he is doing. Besides, you never know, it might be useful to them." He

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smiled, his heart in the land of his parents. "I remember spending many happy days aiming attrees and bluejays with a bow just like that one."

"It will soon be sundown," Sofia said, looking at the sky which was now the deep afternoon blue ofthe tropical sea. "We should help our guests prepare the evening meal, if we can." She snappedher fingers suddenly, and withdrew a long dagger from her belt. "Here, Link, the Goddess wanted

you to have this in replacement for your sword."

Link accepted the serpentine dagger with care, holding it up to make the sunlight play along thesmooth tapering blade and glint upon the singly wrought emerald scales of the hilt. "It is a

beautiful blade," he said in amazement. Lifting the dagger he swung it several times cutting air,and then slipped the weapon through his own belt. "I am thankful to the Goddess," he saidquietly, "for this is far superior to my old sword!"

"Was it your grandfather's sword?" Zelda asked.

He shook his head. "My grandfather had a weapon that could shoot magical bolts--I don't knowwhere it was stored, or what happened to it when he died. I bought my old blade from a travelingmerchant. It was the best I could afford at the time." Link smiled wistfully. "It was nothing

magical, nothing special, just a sword, but I will miss it anyway!"

"It met as good an end as it could," Sofia comforted him. "Look, Link! There is a job for you--Cheis fetching wood for the fire." She pointed to where a young dark-skinned man with a bronze torccarried logs to the site of last night's blaze.

Link mock-scowled and trotted over to offer his services as a wood-carrier. He grinned at thehuman man and then picked up a heavy chunk of palm wood. The other young man lookedstartled and then grinned back, flashing his perfect white teeth. They bared teeth at each other fora few moments, then Che slapped the elven warrior on the shoulder and bent to pick up his ownload. The two young men set to work side by side, already the best of friends, without a single

word being exchanged between them.

"We should lend our own hands soon," Sofia said to Zelda, "but first, I would like to teach you alittle of my language. It would be good if you could learn some before we returned to Gaelaidh, formy father will be more inclined to listen to you."

"All right," Zelda answered. "Teach me."

Sofia nodded. "Repeat after me. Me in mod-sefa licao leng swa wel."

"Meh thin mod-sef..." Zelda tried, stuttering.

"No, no. Me in. Don't say "th"," Sofia corrected her. "There is no "th" in our language! It is moreof a-" She made a soft lisping noise through her teeth.

Zelda took a deep breath. "Meh thin..." She dissolved into giggles. "Oh, I cannot say it!"

"Try again," the red-haired woman suggested. "It took me a long time to learn your double L, but Igot it more or less right in the end!"

"You mean like "Gan bwyll y mae mynd ymhell,"?" Zelda questioned.

"Gan bwy..." Sofia swore. "I could have sworn I had it perfect."

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They laughed together as they wandered through the camp, trying to make the sounds of eachother's language, so different in their ears. Still spitting out nonsense syllables, they accepted theinvitation of a tribeswoman to sit and shell hard fruit in preparation for some kind of stew. Sofialistened to and translated the instructions for Zelda, roaring with laughter when the Princess triedto repeat the difficult phrases and got it hopelessly wrong. When the elderly tribeswoman joinedin in the Simani dialect, peeling tubers at the same time as trying to repeat Zelda's words, theyended up speaking in three different languages and understanding little of any of them. Thepromised dinner threatened to dissipate in gales of laughter until someone else stuck their headout of a tentflap and spat threatening phrases at them. Sofia informed Zelda that the essentialmeaning of the invective was "Keep the noise down".

"I warn you, Sofia," Zelda began, "and tell her too: I have never in my life attempted to cookanything before."

Sofia grinned, and relayed the information to the old woman, who hooted derisively and thenreached out to grasp Zelda's hand and squeeze it to show that no harm was intended. The Princesssmiled despite herself. "Can you ask her what her name is?"

"Asira," Sofia informed the Princess after exchanging another stream of words. "She also says that

she is four score and nine years old and has never seen anyone with hair like spun gold before."The old woman reached out again and took a strand of Zelda's long hair between her hornyfingers, rubbing it gently.

"Eighty-nine?" Zelda said in amazement. The old woman presented every sign of advanced age,yet in Hylian terms she was in the prime of life. Here was firsthand evidence of the differencebetween the Gerudo and Hylian span of life. "Tell her that..."

"Must I always be your translator?" Sofia said with a smile.

"I think that until I can say three of your words without stuttering, you will have to," Zelda sighed.

They were soon finished with the task, and the old woman scooped the fruits of their labor into a

wicker basket and carried it off somewhere. Sofia and Zelda remained sitting together upon themat, no longer speaking but each lost in their own thoughts.

Zelda looked at her hands. When she had started out upon the journey that had led her and Linkto the western realms, she had had well-cared for hands as any lady of the Royal House must.Now, they filled her with horror. Her nails were splitting and roughened by the abrasive effects ofsand, and her soft palms had hardened to the reins and to constant use. She had nicked herselfseveral times with the knife while removing the tough husks from the small green fruit, and thesmall cuts added to the general effect. Her hands looked like those of a hard-working peasantnowadays.

Ah well, she thought. She was well aware that there were changes all over her. Link perhaps hadnot changed quite as much... no, save for the obvious, like the spectacular tan from the desert

trek, he was hardly scruffier than he had been when she first set eyes on him. Adversity ran off theyoung warrior like water off a duck's back... or was it merely that he had never looked tidy, and sothe wilderness could do little to him?

She yawned. "Oh... I am too tired, Sofia."

"I must admit, I am exhausted myself," the other woman admitted. "I will have trouble stayingawake for supper."

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"It smells like it is almost ready," Zelda said, sniffing. Indeed, a scent of roasting meat and spiceswas floating on the air, and she could hear the crackling of a great fire. "Will I be expected to eatany more... delicacies?" she asked cautiously.

"I know not whether there will be any more," Sofia said, and smiled. "Mn geomor are a rare dish,Princess, usually reserved for very special occasions. I suppose there may be mn gedufan or ferh-

wearde, but... ah, it depends whether you mean delicacies or ants," she finished with a grin.

"I think I meant ants," Zelda laughed. She lay back upon the sandy ground, her hands behind herhead, and looked up at the deepening sky. A warm pink glow reached out from the westernhorizon, and above her head the cloudless heavens were the color of deep water shot through with

violets. She closed her tired eyes and relaxed against the hard surface beneath her, feeling thewarmth from the ground replacing the loss of warmth in the cooling evening air. Her sharp earscaught the sound of people laughing, people talking, people gathering around the fire, and the softscratching of a desert mouse as it searched for food...

"Zelda, wake up." She was being shaken. She opened her eyes and was startled to see that the skyhad deepened to blue-black velvet, and the first stars were beginning to appear in the darkeningnight, their light pale as they gathered their strength.

Sofia shook her again and she pushed the other woman away. "I'm awake."

"Dinner," the red-haired woman informed her, and got to her feet. "Ouch--stiff." Zelda winced insympathy as she heard Sofia's knees crack. Stretching her arms and legs, Sofia shook her longponytail over her shoulder and looked down at the recumbent Princess. "Well, shall we go?"

"All right," Zelda yawned, rolling over. "I cannot believe that I just fell asleep on the ground."

"Well, you did," Sofia smiled. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Strangely after such a large lunch, I am." Zelda blinked twice and then stood up, stretching asSofia had done.

They passed between the tents and came upon the cooking fire which had burned all afternoon.Now everyone seemed to be there, eighteen to twenty adults and children sitting in the circularspace at the center of the camp. Link, sitting with the young nomad Che, saw them and waved."Over here!" He already had a full plateful of food, Zelda noticed with a smile. Che was talkinganimatedly to Link in his own tongue, and every few moments Link interrupted him in Hylian. It

was obvious that neither of them had any idea what the other was talking about, but they seemedto be getting on very well.

Zelda made her way through the crowd and found a space next to Link to sit down in. She waspromptly handed a clay dish laden with a hunk of roasted beef, vegetables in some kind of spicysauce and a lump of something white and not immediately identifiable. "Thank you," she saidabsentmindedly, and turned to Link.

"This is great fun!" Link said enthusiastically, waving his hands in the air. "I could stay hereforever!"

"I hope not," Zelda answered seriously. "We have to head back to Gaelaidh soon. You look a lotbetter, though."

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He made a fist with his right hand. "It's still numb, though..." Che said something to him and Linkanswered cheerfully, "Is that right?" Turning back to Zelda he said, "He showed me the wholeplace after I finished with the wood, Princess. Did you know they've-"

"Wait a minute," interrupted Zelda, scowling. "I thought you had promised me you wouldn't callme that any more!"

"Did I?" Link said in surprise. Then he laughed, held up his left hand, and crossed the first twofingers.

"Why, you--!" The princess seethed.The evening drew on, and the feasting slowed as everyone, even the most ardent of eaters, hadtheir fill. The roasted carcass of the young cow that had been slaughtered was picked almostclean, and the children were asleep upon the ground. Link saw that his little bow and arrow hadnot strayed from the hand of the oldest boy since he had given the toy to them, and he smiled.

There was a weight upon his good shoulder, a pressure that had been there for some time butwhich he had not noticed. Che laughed and said something in his own tongue, pointing, and Link

looked down to see Zelda asleep against his shoulder. Her blonde hair had come loose from its tieand flowed around her sweet face like molten gold. The murmur of conversation had lulled thePrincess to sleep. Sofia was nowhere to be seen.

Link smiled, and then yawned--the day had taken its toll upon him also. "Well, Che," he saidcheerfully, "it seems that it is time to sleep. I'll see you tomorrow, maybe?" The other young manlaughed again, murmuring soft words as he touched Zelda's golden hair. "Fare well," Link said

yawning, and he stood and lifted the sleeping Princess to carry her out of the dissolving circle.

He took the Princess to the tent where she had slept that morning, and gently laid her fullyclothed upon the pallet. Kneeling beside her Link touched her cheek gently with the back of hisforefinger, and then he slipped out of the tent flap, letting it fall behind him. Perhaps another timehe would have woken her, but tonight he wished only to let her sleep, and to rest himself.

Tomorrow, he knew, they would be heading back to Gaelaidh, and maybe that evening they wouldbe in Hyrule once more--the adventure in the Western Desert was almost at an end.

Of course, he was wrong.

INK yawned and forced his eyes open against the sun. "Not morning already," he moanedand threw his arm over his face, turning onto his stomach so that the light did not shine onto

his closed eyelids. He still felt stuffed from last night, and a headache gnawed at his temples like ahungry animal.

With a sigh the young warrior sat up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. The tent flap had beenincorrectly tied last night, and the bright band of sunlight which had awakened him wasstreaming through a wide gap in the richly woven fabric, stippling the sandy floor of the tent. He

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was disoriented for a moment, until he remembered where they were and the events of the pastfew days. And today... Link threw back the covers and got to his feet. Today was the day theyreturned to Gaelaidh and, hopefully, headed home! Tonight they could be back in Hyrule for a

well-earned rest.

It was as hot as ever, though an instinct told him it was yet only early morning. Last night he had

gone to sleep in his clothes, pausing only to take off the leather vest before throwing himself downupon the blankets. He picked up the discarded garment and shook sand out of it--the cursed stuffgot everywhere. And he was sure that sand had gotten into his bandage as well; either that orGerudo bandages got pricklier the longer they were worn. Link grimaced and flexed his fingers...still weak, still numb. It seemed that he would have to live with the sensation, at least for a little

while. Carefully he pulled the end of the bandage loose and unwound it, suppressing a wince asthe soft material peeled away. Sure enough, a quantity of sand fell from the folds as he removedthe dressing.

Underneath he was surprised to find that his shoulder and right side were spectacularly bruised.His ribs ached when he breathed in deeply, and the bite itself was a nasty puncture wound clotted

with dark blood. It felt better to have the cool air on it, though. Link let the bandage fall andshrugged on the Gerudo leather vest. The desert clothes were definitely more comfortable than hisold tunic had been on the trek and he was glad of the comfort afforded by lighter garments.

Yawning he slipped his feet into his leather sandals.

Stepping out into the bright morning sunlight Link came face to face with the embarrassed Che,who had seemingly been standing outside to listen. "Hello," he said by way of greeting, and theyoung nomad responded with a few friendly words in his own tongue. "I wish you couldunderstand Hylian," Link remarked cheerfully.

Che grinned and made a vaguely interrogative noise, then he pointed to Link's shoulder andpulled a painful face. "Ealu-scerwen," he remarked with an exaggerated wince.

"Hurt?" Link suggested. "It did, a little." He mimicked the young nomad's wince and touched hiswound. "Ouch," he said.

"Ouch!" Che responded with a wide grin, and laughed, clapping the warrior on the (undamaged)shoulder. "e wildeor, leo." Reaching into a leather bag that hung by a strap from his ownshoulder he grasped something securely and drew it out, holding it out to Link. It was a big, duskykitten, only a few weeks old, still striped with the dark brown splashes that would mar its palegold coat until it was old enough to live alone. Che dangled the kitten by the scruff of its neck,proffering it to the young warrior.

Link grinned in amazement and touched the kitten on its round pink nose; it blinked a pair ofsaucer-shaped topaz eyes and mewed loudly. "Wow!" he said, smiling at Che.

"e wildeor," Che insisted, gently pushing the young animal into the warrior's arms.

"You want me to have it?" Link asked. "I couldn't!"

"e wildeor," Che said gently. "Ge-sellan, Link."

"Many thanks, Che!" Link exclaimed, and held the cat close to him. It purred and snuzzled intohis chest enjoying the warmth of his body.

Che grinned at him again and shrugged his now considerably lighter bag onto his shoulder;touching Link's wound once more the nomad bared his teeth in a friendly gesture and strode off

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across the sand to disappear inside another tent. Link held the kitten up to examine it properly; itwas the size of a buck rabbit and surprisingly heavy, with comical outsized paws and ears. Thekitten showed no fear and no alarm at being picked up and held, mewing softly and battingplayfully at his face with its big soft paws. "What'll I call you?" Link murmured, cradling the kittenin his good arm and stroking the top of its furry head.

"Link?" He turned and saw Zelda peering out of the flap of her own tent. "What's that you have?"

Tucking the kit under his arm, the young warrior trotted across the sandy ground to show thePrincess his present. "Look, Che just gave him to me! Isn't he great?" He held the kitten up as Chehad done so that Zelda could take a good look.

"It is very sweet," Zelda said with a smile, "but it's not a he."

Link blinked and turned the kit round again. "Hmm, so it isn't. Oh well. What should I call her,then?"

"It's up to you," the Princess smiled.

Sofia appeared around the corner of the tents. "How are you feeling, Link?" she asked.

"Fine, thanks," Link smiled. "And Che gave me a cat!" He bounced the kitten up and down in hisarms, thrilled with his new pet.

A smile spread across Sofia's dark features. "A sand cat," she said, reaching out to rub the base ofthe kit's big ears. "Che must have trapped it in a rabbit snare or something similar. He probablygave it to you in payment for the bow you made the children--it is their way always to repay gifts.

You're a very lucky man, Link! Few people ever have the honor of raising one."

"How big will she grow?" Link asked.

"Big enough to bring down a deer," Sofia said with a laugh. "As long as you can feed her enough!"

"I'll look after her better than her mother ever could," Link promised happily. "Will she be allright if I take her back to Hyrule?"

The Gerudo woman shrugged. "They don't have to live in the desert, but they are morecomfortable in a hot climate. If you're going to take her to live somewhere cold, you should makesure that she is kept warm at least until she has grown."

"Are we okay to leave?" Zelda asked. "I don't want to spoil your day, Link, but we should bethinking of returning to Hyrule as soon as we can now. My father is probably having kittenshimself by now!" Sofia stared at the Princess in confusion, obviously unfamiliar with the phrase.

"Well, I feel fine," Link said cheerfully. "And I mean it this time!"

"Sofia?" the Princess asked, glancing at the other woman.

Sofia flicked her twist of red hair back over her shoulder and then smiled. "I am ready. They havefed and watered our horses, so we can leave any time. But we should say farewell to Siman first."

"And thank him for all his kindness," Zelda said.

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Sofia spoke to the chieftain in the darkness of his tent, while Link and Zelda waited outside in thebright sunlight. Their morale had improved beyond bounds during their short stay in the nomadiccamp, and though neither of them mentioned it they both knew that they would be sad to leavethe peaceful life of the desert people. Link squatted upon the sandy ground and played with hiskitten.

It was only a short time before the tent flap parted once more and Sofia exited, followed by thepowerful form of the chieftain Siman. In the sunlight he was even more intimidating, a head andshoulders taller than the Princess and jangling discordantly with ankle-rings, but his face waskind and his eyes bright. Zelda turned and bowed slightly to the chieftain, and Link stood upquickly with the sand kitten in his arms. Siman's lips drew back from his teeth in a wide smile ashe laid his hands on Zelda's shoulders and reverently embraced her. The finality of his gesture lefther in no doubt that Siman was giving her his farewell.

Next Siman took Link's hand in his and shook it gravely, rumbling a few words in his gutturaltongue. The young warrior smiled and said simply: "Thanks for everything." Siman's smile

widened even further, if that were possible. The chieftain turned to Sofia and spoke, and shelistened carefully, nodding.

"He says," she translated for them, "that he has taken the liberty of replenishing our possessions,and he hopes that we will be pleased to accept his gifts in payment for our company. He speaks forhis tribe when he says that it has been an honor receiving us, and he hopes that we will come backand visit his people again some day."

"We'll definitely try," Zelda smiled. Link's kitten mewed loudly as if in agreement, and they alllaughed.

"This way," Sofia said gently, taking the Princess's upper arm. "Come on, Link." Siman duckedback inside his tent as the three companions walked across the warm white sand together. Sofialed them around the back of the camp to a small wooden pen where a number of gaunt horses

browsed on the straggly grass. Their own three animals were clearly visible with their richlyembroidered saddles and harnesses; the saddlebags now bulged with objects, presumably Siman's

gifts to them. Sofia vaulted over the fence and took hold of her horse's bridle, leading the animaltoward the swinging gate at the end of the miniature corral. Link and Zelda followed suit.

"What in the name of Farore has he given us?" Zelda asked in amazement, wondering at the fullbags. Reaching up she untied the thong that bound one of them, and peeked inside to see a richswathe of heavily embroidered cloth. "Oh, Sofia, this is too much!" the Princess exclaimed, a lumpin her throat. "They have given us far too much already!"

"We've already accepted their gift," the red-haired woman pointed out. "What do you think itwould look like if we gave it back now?"

Zelda sighed. "I suppose you're right. But I would have been more than satisfied had they merelygiven us something to eat and sent us on our way. This is more than ever I expected."

"These are kindly people," Sofia smiled. "They would say that they have already been paid withyour presence."

Link climbed into the saddle, still clumsy with his right arm. Sitting up alertly on the horse'sbrown-and-white splashed back he sat the little sand kitten before him on the saddle; the horselaid its ears back at the smell of the predator, but was well enough trained not to object to such a

young and inoffensive animal. "Well, shall we go?" he suggested, taking the reins in his goodhand.

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"They've all turned out to watch us go!" exclaimed Zelda as she caught sight of the throng that hadassembled by the animals' pen. Even the children were there; Link's little toy bow and arrow wasstill clutched in the hands of one of them.

Sofia was also mounted by this time. "Come, Zelda," she said quietly. "I do not wish to leave thisplace any more than you do, but we must go."

"I'm ready," Zelda answered, but she waved to the Simani before she set her foot into the stirrupof her mount. A barrage of shouts and whistles followed them across the desert air as Sofia led the

way over the white sand towards Gaelaidh, and at least a few of the tribespeople stayed to watchtheir visitors out of sight. Finally a tall dune hid the nomads' camp from sight, and Link and Zeldaturned their attention back to the way they were headed, across the dunescape towards theendless horizon.

With fresh horses, and full of good food, they made excellent progress, cantering steadily over thehard compacted sand beneath the blue sky. The desert seemed to change from day to day, for nowthere was no sign of any sand in the air and the ground underfoot was no longer gold but pure

bone-white. The surface of the desert was tough yet springy, a feeling almost akin to riding overshort spring grass in Hyrule, and the horses were able to maintain a comfortable pace with little

effort. The endless dunes rolled out beneath the companions' hooves.

"How far do we have to go?" Link asked after a while, shielding his eyes as he peered ahead intothe glare. "I do not see any signs of a city yet!"

"It is not far," Sofia informed him with a smile. "Gaelaidh has a habit of creeping up on youunawares! You may not see it because of the heat-haze, but we shall reach it before the sun passesoverhead." The light and heat that bore down upon them sprang from their left, at an angle whichsuggested a time of ten o'clock or thereabouts.

"Good," Zelda exclaimed. Reaching into one of the saddlebags she drew out a small green clothand mopped her forehead with it. "Three, it's hot," she sighed. "Not as bad as the last time we

were out here, but still hot."

"It's the desert," Sofia said wryly. "What do you expect?" The red-haired woman sighed softly andlooked out over the dunes, her eyes far away. "Is it very much cooler where you live?" she askedthoughtfully.

"Depends where we live!" Link said with a laugh. "It's pretty warm in Calatia, but not like this. Wehave no desert in my homeland--I live on the shore of a lake. Hyrule Town, where Zelda lives, is inthe north of the realm, so the temperature there is lower and they have snow in winter. Thenthere's Lotharia, which is as far north as anyone's ever been, and there's ice and snow there all thetime, even in the middle of summer."

"Snow," Sofia said with a light laugh. "I have seen it from afar, on the flanks of the greatmountains, but never has it fallen down here upon the sand. I should like to see your land when it

snows, Zelda."

"Do not talk about snow!" Zelda begged. "It only makes me feel hotter."

"We can stop in the shade of a dune, if you like," suggested the red-haired woman. "There isplenty of water--the Simani saw to that. You can have a bite to eat as well."

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"Can we?" Link asked eagerly. "My kitten's hungry." Indeed, the sand kitten had been vocalisingits displeasure for some time now, and the mews were becoming louder as they moved onwardsthrough the sand.

"Have you a name for her yet?" enquired Sofia, halting her horse. "This place looks as good asany."

Link dismounted energetically, leaping from the saddle with the cat tucked under his arm. "Ithought I would leave the task of finding a name until we were back home. I don't really know her

yet." Placing the cat on the surface of the sand, he looked through the saddlebags until he found aleather bottle filled with water; he removed the cork and drank deeply, then knelt and pouredsome into his cupped hand for the sand kitten to drink. Innocently trusting, the cat lapped fromthe hand of the young warrior, licking at the droplets of water which clung upon her pink nose.

Zelda found her own canteen and upended it, careless of wasting water now that their goal was sonear. Sofia did not criticise; indeed the Gerudo woman even had a good mouthful herself, swillingit round inside her mouth to relieve dryness. Recapping her bottle Sofia wound a scarf over hermouth and nose and then lowered herself down onto the sand with a wince. The horses bunchedtogether, snorting in the heat and lazily switching their tails.

"Here, Link," Sofia said, rifling her bag of provisions. "They gave us some fresh meat for the kit."She drew out a parcel wrapped in waxed cloth and tossed it to the young warrior. Scenting thefood the kitten miaowed loudly and jumped into Link's lap. He stroked the kit's fine fur as he fedit small pieces of spiced beef. Delving deeper into the bag the red-haired woman found a smallloaf and a hunk of goat's cheese, and she broke the items into three roughly equal pieces to shareout. The three companions washed down their midmorning snack with draughts of clear waterand relaxed for a while, enjoying the heat in some strange perverse way.

"I think we should get back to Hyrule as soon as possible," Link said finally, sitting up. He hadbeen reclining on the warm sand in the shade of the dune, the kitten curled up and purring on hisflat stomach. "If I stay here much longer," he added with a light laugh, "I'll end up becoming aGerudo and never wanting to leave!"

"That might pose difficulties in the completion of our quest," Zelda agreed, smiling. "Sofia, shallwe move?"

"Ready when you are," the other woman yawned, getting to her feet and brushing sand off herself."Now, both of you... before I forget, I must teach you the greeting of our people. It may soften myfather's heart if you are able to address him in his own tongue."

Zelda grimaced. "I think I already tried that one."

"What one?" Link asked; he had not been present during the mutual language lesson.

"Me in mod-sefa licao leng swa wel," Sofia answered with a smile. "Can you say that?"

"You better not be able to say it first time," Zelda growled under her breath.

Link frowned. "Could you say that again... slower?"

"Me in mod-sefa licao leng swa wel."

The young warrior took a deep breath. "Meh thin..." He stumbled on the next word.

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"Ha!" Zelda crowed.

"in, not thin," Sofia corrected with a wry smile, climbing into the saddle. "Can't either of youmaster one simple sound?"

"It's not a simple one," Link grumped. He shook out an empty saddlebag and put the kitten in,

then sat the bag in front of him upon the horse's back. The warm darkness and gentle rockingwould settle the young kit and perhaps send it to sleep, with its belly full of food.

"Let's go." The red-haired woman flicked her horse's reins and guided the animal up the slope ofsand. The young warrior and the princess followed with little regret--it was, after all, growing hotand the shade that remained for them between the dunecrests was meager. Hardy they mighthave become, but the heat of the desert day was too strong for even the animals that lived there,and there fast approached the time when nothing moved upon the bleached sands. "Try justmaking the one word," Sofia suggested; "in."

Link screwed his face up. "Th... pth... spht... pffth..."

"Ew!" Zelda grimaced. "Stop that!"

The young warrior sighed loudly. "It's too hard! My mouth's not the right shape!"

"Oh, and mine is?" Sofia challenged. "There's no difference, silly! And you almost had it. Tryagain!" She slowed her horse to walk alongside Link's, Zelda falling in beside her.Far back along the desert trail the three sets of hoofprints stretched out over the smooth sand,marring it with their presence. The wind toyed with the marks, tipping a few grains of sand overthe edges of the prints to round off their corners a little, but the day was a calm one and mostlythe trail remained.

A ripple appeared in the sand as something moved underneath; many desert creatures took

sanctuary under the surface of the desert when the midday heat shimmered over the crests andripples of the sea of sand. Momentarily something broke the surface; something hard and sand-colored. The ripple submerged again in a moment, but two or three other ripples appeared indifferent places shortly after, and then another after that.

The hoofprints upon the dune surface shivered suddenly, and then the sand sank inwards tobecome a flat, smooth trough, wiping the tracks from the desert. The ripples surfaced again,heading up and over the dune, wiping out the tracks as they went. A small curl of wind floatedalong the dunetops and stirred grains into the air, but there were no longer prints for the breezeto play with.Zelda was the one who first managed to approximate the sound. A pleased grin spread across theprincess's face as she looked toward the red-haired Gerudo. "Sofia-!" The rest of her sentence was

unspoken, but the meaning was clear. Did you hear that?

"Very good," the other woman said, sounding surprised. "Hold that thought. Now you, Link!"

The young warrior groaned. "Must I?"

"Come on," Sofia said briskly. "One more try."

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Link took a breath. "Sspth... no. Can't do it." His horse snorted as if to express derision, and theothers smiled at the funny happening. He made a horrible face. "Even our animals are againstme!"

Sofia laughed. "Perhaps you had better do the talking, Zelda." The princess simpered smugly.

Link grew red in the face. "Right! I'm going to do this if it kills me!" he said crossly, intenselydisliking Zelda's self-satisfied expression.

"Hopefully it won't come to that," the red-haired woman said dryly. "Try to make the soundharder. You El--Hylians--have mostly soft sounds in your language, which is why this is difficultfor you."

"Go on, Link!" Zelda giggled. "You can do it!"

"Thph... daah!" He snarled in frustration.

Sofia was staring intently into the distance. It was a few moments before her companions noicedthe silence of the red-haired woman, but when they did they both turned their attention ontoher--such was their instinctive trust in each other that neither Link nor Zelda said anything but

waited for the Gerudo woman to speak first. After a long and pregnant silence she drew a smallbreath and said, "Look. Do you see the reflection in the sky?"

Link frowned as he gazed into the expanse of deep blue, shimmering with heat-haze. Upon thehorizon, above the dunes was an image, upside-down, of the tent city! It was so detailed that hissharp eyes made out even the people who walked upon the sand between the tents, though they

were tiny and appeared as through rippling water. "Gaelaidh!" he said in excitement. "How nearare we, Sofia?"

"I judge it to be an hour's ride away, no more." The red-haired woman drew her scarf up over herface. "Come, you two. Let us ride fast now! We shall soon be back in safety!" Without waiting foran answer she dug her heels into her mount's sides, and the gray-maned horse sprang forwardover the sand. Link slapped his hors