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Wind woke to cool metal being set on his fevered feeling forehead. Its chill dripped down his body like rainwater, driving away the heat and aching dryness of his skin. He felt like an oasis forming in the middle of nowhere; if only he had the water to match. His throat was as dry as Legend’s humour.
A voice boomed nearby, alarming him at its suddenness, fondness translating to volume as it rang out over the familiar sounds of a market; another, softer voice lost itself in the laughter of gossiping women.
Prying his eyes open was an ordeal in and of itself. Wind’s eyelids felt like they were stuck together with sea salt, and his pupils felt grainy as if covered in sand. Eventually, he managed the arduous achievement, and was subsequently met with the interior of a sandstone-carved inn. Two women stood talking near the entrance; a tiny Hylian lady with a much taller dark skinned woman towering over her.
Slowly, feeling every ache and pain acutely, Wind hauled himself onto his elbows; arranging himself to sit up against the pillows of his bed. He touched a hand to his head, feeling the twisted metal detailing of a circlet; the gem embedded in it cold to the touch, being where the relieving magical chill was coming from.
Taping her chin, in what Wind vaguely recognised as the sign for ‘thank you’, the significantly smaller woman handed over a red rupee to the other before approaching him. As she settled r by Wind’s side on the edge of the next bed over, the taller woman waved at Wind. He waved back half-heartedly, too tired to put any enthusiasm into it.
Turning his attention back to the girl beside him, Wind found her fiddling with some strange slate looking thing pensively, before seemingly coming to a conclusion. In her hand materialised a potion bottle, the green of it shimmering like algae infested water. She handed it to him, miming at him to drink it.
He was unsure if he should, since it looked a lot like a simple magic replenishment potion and he didn’t really need that. Soon enough his thirst won over and he downed the bottle. Immediately, he perked up, feeling all his lost energy come back to him in one great big rush of adrenaline.
Smiling happily at him, the girl offered him a skewer stacked with exotic blue mushrooms. His hesitance on accepting this was even shorter than with the potion; he was hungry and she seemed to be more than trustworthy. Biting into the shrooms brought yet another welcome wave of frosty coolness; an overwhelmingly relieving icy sensation shivered over his body from the tongue down. He gratefully took another bite, chasing it with the dregs of the potion.
Tentatively, the woman unhooked her veil, but raised her hands instead of speaking. ‘Hello. Do you sign?’ Wind grinned, always giddy when he got to show off what he knows.
“I do!” To further prove his point, he stuck the skewer in his mouth and raised his own hands to elaborate. ‘My little sister is partially deaf. I learned it for her!’ The woman smiled softly.
‘That’s great to hear. You must be a wonderful big brother.’ Wind puffed out his chest in pride. Of course he already knew he was, it just felt nice to hear it said from time to time. ‘I’d also like to know why a wonderful big brother like you is so far away from home?’ With one sentence the wind was taken out of his sails, his confidence deflating like a popped balloon.
Fiddling with his skewer, he deliberated on what to tell this lady he’d just met; Warrior’s warnings about stranger danger and the importance of secrecy moseying about his mind. Fortunately, the girl spoke again before he had a chance. Wind was much better at improv than he was actually planning things out, after all.
‘Do you even know where you are?’
“Are you going to get mad if I say no?” Startled, she shook her head.
‘No. That’s not my place. I’m not your guardian, just concerned about how you ended up in the middle of the desert without meaning to.’ Wind scowled.
“I hate deserts.” That got a hearty laugh out of the other; her voice surprisingly hoarse as she cackled.
‘Many do.’ She conceded, ‘I found you in the East Barrens. You were unconscious, dehydrated and overheated. Brought you here to help you.'
“And… Where exactly is here?”
‘Gerudo Town.’
“Gerudo Town?!” Wind exclaimed. The Gerudo were one of the few things Time talked openly about in regards to his journeys, and from what Wind knew they were a race of solely women who took less than kindly to men like him. With a single scolding stare, the girl needn’t say a word for Wind to wince apologetically. He continued speaking in a lower tone. “Gerudo Town? As in a town full of ‘no men allowed’ Gerudo?” The girl huffed yet another laugh.
‘Men aren’t usually allowed, no.’ Hesitating, her hands hovered in the air for a moment. ‘I said you were my child and needed urgent medical attention.’ She hushed him before Wind could say anything. ‘It was the only way! You needed help and Gerudo Town was the closest. They wouldn’t have let you in if I didn’t.’
Admittedly, it was a clever ruse; even if he didn’t appreciate its success hinging on him looking like a child. He got enough of that from literally everyone else to last a lifetime. Besides, this woman didn’t look nearly young enough to have a child his age! He didn't look that young!
Just as he was about to voice his complaints, Wind spotted the Gerudo innkeeper not so subtly listening in from her place behind the counter.
"Wait, should you be saying-," He glanced at her hands. "Uh, signing all this? Kinda don't wanna get kicked out if I can help it."
The girl grinned.
'She doesn't know sign.'
To prove her point, the girl turned, catching the attention of the woman. Then, with absolutely no preamble or hesitance, began signing.
‘I do not know who this child is. I’ve never met him before in my life. I have fooled you all.’ Wind desperately tried not to laugh at the sheer look of utter confusion on the woman’s face. He sucked in a deep breath when she instead looked at him in askance.
“S-she says, uh, thank you!” Wind stuttered through his lie, having to think of something convincing on the spot. “She’s really thankful you’re letting me stay here, even though I’m a guy and all.” Confusion allegedly alleviated, the Gerudo woman beamed, laughing and waving a hand.
“It’s no trouble at all! Our Little Vai here has done so much for us that letting her bring her own Little Voe into town is the least we can do!”
Giggling hysterically, but smiling in genuine gratitude all the same, the two Hylians turned their attention back onto their conversation.
‘By the way, I haven’t introduced myself! I’m Wind!’ He made a rolling wave motion with his arm, the sign-name Aryll had given him years ago; just lacking the L that preceded it before he met with all the other Links from throughout time. ‘That’s how you do my sign name, it stands for Wind!’ Finished speaking, he yanked the last of his snack off of its skewer. If he was going to do anymore signing it was probably for the best he didn’t have a pointy stick in one hand while doing it.
‘It’s nice to meet you Wind! My name is-’ She linked her hands together with a finger on either one. ‘That’s my sign name for L-I-N-K.’ Wind choked on his last bite of blue mushroom. Link, the Link of this new world that is, as well as the tall Gerudo lady began freaking out; soon settling for exchanging suitably confused yet panicked stares when Wind raised his fists in victory, still very much choking.
The newest Link was a girl! He was getting another sister!
They were going to have so much fun!