Protection Of The Enemy Part 1

Part One - Compassion

It was stormy that night; the sand was thrown around so much that the windows of every house had to be boarded up to avoid having a desert in their own homes. A young man with tanned skin tossed and turned as the wind howled at his window. He was awake, wide awake. He knew his mother would be back within a few days with the other Gerudo women she had taken and with them, they would bring another member to add to his kingdom, but it would be his sibling too.

It was tradition, he knew, for all mothers-to-be to travel the desert with companions of their choosing to give birth in front of the Goddess of Sand, the stone statue that resided within the Desert Colossus

“How could that be comfortable?” he scoffed kicking the blankets off his front and smoothing down his thin white shirt, almost the colour of sand itself. He stared at the ceiling for a good five minutes before lowering his legs down to the stone floor and slipped his feet into a pair of sandals while striking a match to light a low candle that sat on his bedside table.

This was his chance to relax, during this week, he had had peace from his tribe and at night he could remain undisturbed by women bringing him gifts and crowning him their king. He was only eight, what could he do? Even his own mother treat him like one would treat a cheap trinket, placing him on the top shelve to admire, but nothing more. While he remained in this dark, humid and hot place, the other children his age would play and enjoy their time. Mother often made him study and meditate so he would be the perfect king.

It wouldn’t be so bad if he had any other boys to socialize with.

He glanced through the crack in the boards of his window, lifting the candle up high to see what was going on outside. He was not royalty, he had no connection to the last king, who of which had had an unruly and bloody reign till it came to a single battle between a pure blooded Hylian and himself, part of both. Maybe on different circumstances, they could have been friends, he thought.

“Ganondorf! Open your door, My Lord!” called a female voice from outside. How he loathed his name, Ganondorf was the same name as their cursed leader just over a century ago; why could he not be named something else? He dragged a hand down his tanned face, almost poking his amber eyes with his stubby fingers and brushed back his bushy bright red bed hair.

“Yes?” he asked opening the door a crack

“This has just arrived for you, my lord.” spoke she; slipping a thin envelope through on slender fingers; he did not see her face for a pink mask hiding her mouth, he often wondered if it actually kept the sand out of their faces.

When the woman was gone, he took a small dagger from a sheath he had tied to his belt and carefully chipped the rushed sandy seal off the back, opening the parchment from inside; his eyes began to dart from side to side.

The dagger slipped out of his hand, bouncing off the floor with a clatter; the piece of parchment soon following.

My Lord, Ganondorf,

I promised to write to you as you requested when I had rested from having your sibling. You need not worry, My Lord, I am well. However, the same cannot be said for you.

My Lord, Ganondorf, you have competition for your throne. A baby boy has once again been born before the Goddess of Sand. As our history states: “The Gerudo are only to have one male born every hundred years as commanded and enforced on us by the Goddess.”

You have a choice, My Lord. We have not named your brother for this reason. What is your will with him? Shall we end his life here? For he looks too much like the Hylian Hero.

I will await your answer.

Your humble servant and mother,

Jaylas.



Ganondorf collapsed against the door, his entire body shaking, was Mother asking what he thought she was asking?! How could Mother even think this?! Having a brother was a first for their tribe since it began and having two boys in the tribe was even better; finally, he could finally talk to a boy without being asked about makeup or whatever else girls needed that he completely zoned out on.

He didn’t care what Mother said, he was not trying the dress trousers on.

Even with shaky hands, he started to sharpen a quill that was on the table, the feather almost worn from its original size, none the less, it was still useable.

Mother,

I’m glad that you are well, but I am in no position to choose the life my brother wants to lead. He is welcome in my home, as the curse on our land may have been broken and your ignorance may lead to its length.

He will be treated as one of our own and I do not see him as competition to my throne, more like a second in command. Bring him home, Mother.

I look forward to your return, but only when you and he are strong enough too.

Ganondorf.



He folded up the piece of parchment he had scrawled on and weaved his hands through his hair, still quite shook up before opening the door to the quietening desert to hand his letter to the waiting masked woman that had brought it.

“What does the baby look like?” he asked handing over the letter

The woman looked down and pulled at her mask “It was a boy, My Lord. Dark blond hair and blue eyes was all I witnessed.”

Ganondorf smiled, placing a hand on top of the letter sensing her unease. “I welcome him.”

“But My Lord-” she stammered almost snatching the letter away

“No buts.” he spoke lifting a hand to stop her. “History has repeated itself to many times, perhaps now we can begin again.”



Mother and baby were brought home after the storms ended, the sand had stopped whiplashing the buildings and already carts with horses pulling them were being loaded with sand to shift it back to the growing desert. Ganondorf walked towards the entrance, a standing guard dressed in purple bowed low to him, stabbing the blunt end of her spear down with a thump.

He sighed “Are they here yet?”

“Not yet, My Lord. They cross the confusing desert now.” she replied pushing red hair away from her face.

“The storms have been down for a few days now, I have the town almost clear, where is she?” he whined, drifting into a normal eight year old state. He squinted over the harsh terrain ahead for any shapes that could pass for human, but found none.

“I cannot give an exact location, My Lord. I apologize.”

“No, I wouldn’t expect you to. Inform me the moment you see them.”

“Yes, My Lord.”



It was nightfall before the message came to him, his mother and company had been spotted crossing the sand. He was out of his bed like he had been stung by a giant wasp, still in his nightwear, he pulled his sandals on, seething a little as his toes refused to fit underneath the straps and got caught, making the skin between his toes hurt momentarily; he covered his shoulders with a cape and rushed outside, almost knocking out the unfortunate Gerudo that had passed the message to him with the swinging door.

By the time he had stumbled to the entrance of the desert, his mother was already waiting for him there. She carried a blanket over her front, the body hidden inside facing away from the world.

“Mother!” he cried rushing towards her

“Compose yourself, Ganondorf!” his mother hissed patting him on the head. He sighed, he never understood why his mother raised him so strictly, he was only eight and he could count on a single hand how much she had  

He folded his arms “Did everything go well, Mother?”

“My Lord, of course not. While I was pleased to receive a letter from you, I am not pleased with your decision. I have taught you better than this.” she replied crouching down to her young son, the purple mask that covered her mouth was all he could focus on apart from her blood red eyes. She moved the blankets over her chest to show a four day old baby inside, as the Gerudo had said, he did look a lot like the Hylian Hero, but he was Gerudo born and he knew what they were like when they left to find fathers for unborn children. They stayed away from blond haired men. So how did the boy in his mother’s arms have this tone of hair? The boy yawned, showing empty gums and opened a single cobalt eye, the iris an ocean of the darkest blue with a slight hint of green around the pupils.

Ganondorf smiled and raised a hand to the child, allowing the pale new-born to grasp a finger with his whole hand

“I like him.” he said taking him out of his Mother’s arms “We shall name him Link.”

Every Gerudo took a step back from him, each one staring at him terrified at what their king had just said.

“My Lord, that is unwise.” Ganondorf’s mother finally spoke after a tense silence

“Why? It is just a name after all.” Ganondorf argued “Just as mine is. His name will be Link.”

“My Lord, please.” his mother sighed reaching out for them

“No, Mother. I stand by my choice. If the worst should happen; I trust him to live up to that name.” he spoke looking down at his sibling, he hoped it would never have to come to that, but he couldn't just leave it for chance.