A gentle breeze graced Link's face as he stirred awake, lightly ruffling his hair. Thin fronds of grass brushed against his skin, and leaves rustled above his head. He could imagine the scenery around him, an open field or a sprawling forest. A slight smile crept onto his face. He was in his element, where he truly belonged.

   And yet... None of this felt right. It didn't feel right in the slightest, but Link didn't know why. He couldn't have been more content. It was the calmest he'd felt in days, weeks, even. He wanted to dismiss the nagging feeling and drift away, become part of the breeze himself.

   No, Link... a rough yet sweet voice—a woman's—whispered from nearby. Link's smile slipped away. Did he know her? He felt he'd heard this woman's voice before, years ago. Not yet... she spoke again. An aura washed over him then, one he both didn't recognize but somehow knew, like it was an instinct. I miss you greatly, but you need to leave. I'll send you off. The aura engulfed him, warm and comforting. Link knew who it was.

   "M-ma?" The name escaped him in a dry rasp as Link truly awoke. The soothing warmth from the aura was still there, but it quickly grew into an uncomfortable heat. It seeped down to his bones, coursing through his body and coming to a boil in his churning, aching stomach. He stifled a groan. The pain was no longer sharp, it had turned into a deep, raw ache. It hurt to even breathe.

   Link's muscles protested when he tried to move, and his eyelids were heavy as he opened them. There was no idyllic field or forest clearing, and that wonderful breeze had long since vanished. All around him were what looked like cloth walls that lightly fluttered, dyed orange by an oil lantern that provided the only light. He could only guess that he was in a tent of some kind. 

   He was laying on the ground on a padded bedroll, a thin pillow propping up his head. To his right was a row of glass bottles atop a plank of wood, probably to keep them all level. The lack of windows made Link feel claustrophobic, and the tent flap across from him was the only way out. He wanted so badly to move, but his body wouldn't allow it. It was like nearly every drop of energy had been wrung from him. All he could do was lay there, trying to not squirm from the discomfort that consumed every part of him. Why did he feel so awful?

   That one question conjured a flood of others, all without clear answers. The most obvious one was how he was even in this situation in the first place? He was sure he was about to be devoured by the Cacturne, yet here he was, feeling sick to his core but still alive. That meant someone had found him and was somehow able to save him.

   The movement of an aura somewhere outside stirred Link's senses back to awareness, and he stiffened when it approached the tent. He forced himself to move, teeth tearing into his lip as his wound cried out in agony. A pathetic cry escaped him as he clutched a hand to his stomach, which had been buried under a layer of bandages. He'd been stripped down to his undershorts, his tunic having been thoroughly ruined. But the state of Saria's gift was the least of his worries.

   Moments later, a bipedal black reptile glided into the tent, magenta flame-like patterns across its body illuminating red in the lamplight—a Salazzle, a Pokémon species known for only being female. She was holding a bundle of cloth in one claw and a bowl of water in the other, and she froze when he saw Link. The two stared at each other for a moment before she abruptly left.

   Dread hit Link like a bolt, and worst-case scenarios began rushing through his thoughts. That Salazzle was surely going to summon her Trainer. Link tried to force Farore's essence into his veins, even if it meant more heat. He needed to defend himself. For a moment Courage flared, only for Link's strength to evaporate, and he weakly collapsed onto the bedroll. There was nothing, he had nothing.

   The Salazzle was returning now, bringing with him three others. Link began to tremble with panic, mustering all his strength to pull himself to the edge of the bedroll. He needed something to defend himself, anything! He seized one of the glass bottles by the neck and smashed it onto the plank. It shattered, giving him a crude weapon in the form of the jagged neck. It was then that they arrived.

   Alongside the Salazzle, there was a chubby pink Pokémon with brown ears and tiny wings, and two Gerudo. One was an older woman in her mid-sixties while the other was a young man, no older than Link. "Oh Hylia!" he gasped, and the woman's eyes widened in shock.

   "D-don't move!" Link snapped, pointing his weapon at the Gerudo. The pair shared looks with each other before the woman stepped forwards. The Salazzle put her claw on the woman's arm, but she gently pushed her Pokémon away and looked at Link.

   "Hello there. I'm sure you're very confused right now, but the important thing is that we have no intentions of harming you, young voe," she said in a weathered voice, thickened by her Gerudic accent. "My name is Aaira, and this is my grandson Najam. We're part of a group of nomadic Gerudo traders. One of our scouting Pokémon found you grievously injured the other night about to be taken by Cacturne, and we've been taking care of you since then."

   Did she think Link would tell her anything? "I-if ya think you're gonna get my name, th-then you're shit outta luck," he said.

   "I... figured that would be the case, considering the current situation," Aaira said. "Even if we cannot get your name, I hope you'll at least accept our help." She began taking slow steps towards him. "If you could please calm down—"

   "I-I said, don't m-move!" Link demanded. "D-don't make me h-hurt ya, 'cause I-I will!"

   Aaira opened her hands, showing that they were empty. "Look, I have nothing that could hurt you," she said. "Now, your wounds are infected, and they shouldn't be aggravated."

   "I don't care!" Link said. Did she not understand him? She moved closer, and a wave of ice broke over Link. She was getting too close. "G-get back!" He lashed out with the bottle neck, and the woman jerked her hand back before it could be sliced open.

"Vaba!" Najam gasped as the Salazzle let out an angry hiss. In a flash, she rushed at Link, her clawed hand raised. Link instantly thought of the worst and kicked out at the reptile, only for her to dodge the clumsy blow and swipe down at Link. A brief pang stabbed into his hand as the Salazzle sharply smacked it, and the bottle neck was flung out of reach.

"Vera, what are you doing?" Aaira scolded. By the time she said this, the Salazzle was back at the entryway, her arm barring Najam as she still hissed. "He didn't mean to try and hurt me!" the woman continued. But Link did. He tried to grasp at the glass shards closest to him, but they were all too small to use. "Stop, you'll injure yourself further," Aaira warned, moving ever-closer. There was now less than a foot between the Gerudo and Link.

   Things had gone much too far for Link at this point. This was when he would have lashed out with his fists, aided by a pulse of Courage while throwing in some choice words. But he couldn't. He had no more strength to lash out with, and the words were stuck fast in his throat. Where was the fire he so coveted? All he could feel was the desolate chill that had plagued him that night out in the desert. He knew what it was, and he didn't want to acknowledge it, desperately so. He slowly crept away, but the woman followed. His back then hit the wall of the tent. He'd cornered himself like an idiot.

   "Please don't force me to calm you myself. I want to give you the choice," Aaira said.

   Link shook his head. The lies sickened him to his core. "N-no, stay back!" He hated how much his voice was shaking, despised it. He wanted to scream with all his might, show this desert scum his rage. But the fire was gone, all there was was that chill, that... fear. Link's throat constricted as his eyes began to sting. Not even that, terror. He was terrified.

   Aaira crouched down before Link, putting herself at eye-level with him. He looked away from her, unable to stand looking at that disgusting amber hue. "Why won't you accept our help?" there wasn't any anger in her voice, only concern. But it had to be fake.

   Link again shook his head. "I-I don't want help from ya!" All he had left were words, and they were doing nothing.

   "Do you want to die, then? Because you will if we don't help," Najam said, and his grandmother shushed him. She turned back to Link with a sorrowful look.

   "I... understand why you would be afraid," she said. Link stiffened. She knew he was afraid, that he was a coward. "But like we said, we want to help you." She cautiously reached out a hand, and Link smacked it away.

   "Stay the hell away from me!" he cried. Any bravado he had left was gone now. All he could do was yell pointless words, and that was what he did since he didn't have the strength to do anything else. "A-all of ya deserve to d-die for all the shit ya do!" He didn't realize he was crying until he felt the tears streaming down his face. Luce, Zel! he screamed their names internally, cowering away from the Gerudo. Please help me!

   Aaira sighed. "I didn't want to resort to this, but it seems we must. Stelle, calm him down, please." She stood and stepped back, and Link looked to see the pink Pokémon take her place. Another wave of panic jolted him; looks were always deceiving. A gentle smile spread across the Pokémon's face before she put a hand to her mouth.

   "Fae," she sang, removing her hand and flicking it in Link's direction. A small orb of pink light flew at him, and the moment it made contact with him, utter confusion overtook his mind. He had no idea what was happening, where he was, why he was in so much pain. And why was he crying? Then came the singing. Where was it coming from? There was a Pokémon before him, a Clefairy, if he could recall correctly? It seemed like she was the singer, but why?

   As the music washed over him, it brought an overwhelming urge to sleep. He already was exhausted, so sleep sounded amazing then. Why was he so tired, though? He felt horribly ill, so that was likely the cause. It didn't matter what the cause was, however, because his eyes closed, and everything drifted away in a peaceful void.

—~*~—

It took some time for Link to become fully-aware when he came around next. It was like his head had been wrapped in a thick blanket, smothering his senses with a thick fog. Few thoughts were able to pierce the fog, and they were nothing but nonsense.

   It took the shifting of nearby auras to chase it away. As the lamp-lit tent came into focus, so did his thoughts. He recalled what had happened the first time he awoke, and ice washed down his spine. These auras were horribly recognizable. Cautiously, he turned his head to look, and his stomach knotted. The Gerudo woman, Aaira, was sitting across from him.

   She didn't seem to notice him at first as she was reading a book, but her Clefairy did, letting out a small squeak. Aaira glanced up at Link, and she gave him a small smile as she placed her book beside her on the ground

   "Finally awake? I apologize for having Stelle put you to sleep before. I couldn't think of any other way to calm you down," she said.

   Link's voice came out low and raspy; it matched his words perfectly. "Ya could've just left me alone, desert scum." He knew it was a stupid thing to say, but it was all he wanted to say.

   Aaira arched a brow. "Aren't you glad we didn't? You pulled through." As she addressed him, she didn't move from her spot. Knowing that there was a few feet between them lessened one of Link's worries, but the knot still remained in his gut. "Now, is there anything I can do for you? I know you must still be in pain."

   "Ya can let me leave," Link replied.

   "You know I can't let that happen," Aaira said sadly. "For my own selfish reasons, I want to make sure you're fully healed before you leave, and you have quite a few other injuries. We have to wait for the infection to leave you before Stelle can begin her proper healing. She can only mend, not dispel or create. Judging by your spryness, however, it affirms my thoughts that the infection is gone."

   She was right about the infection being gone, as the fever and nausea that had gripped Link were no longer present. Unfortunately, she was also right about him still being in pain, though he had now grown somewhat used to the deep jabs that struck him. Link ignored the unpleasant feelings as he tried to move, not taking his eyes off Aaira. When he freed a hand from the blanket, he was surprised to find that he wasn't restricted in the slightest.

   "Y-ya didn't..." He trailed off, confused.

   Aaira raised an eyebrow. "I didn't what? Bind you?" she said. "What would that accomplish? Even if it might have made our job easier, I didn't want to frighten you any more by binding you."

   "Even after I attacked ya?" Link asked dubiously, frowning. Aaira nodded.

   "You were scared, and I can tell you still are," she said.

   Link gritted his teeth, a few sparks searing him from within. "I'm not scared," he muttered. It brought him some relief that he could conjure some of his usual anger. He wanted nothing more than to escape. But weakness still had a stubborn hold on him, and all he could do was glare at the woman.

   "Then I won't say anything else on the matter," Aaira said.

   Link continued to stare at Aaira, not about to let her out of his sight. He could sense her grandson and the Salazzle moving somewhere outside alongside many more auras. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed light seeping in through a small gap in the tent flap, occasionally obscured by something moving past it.

   As this carried on, Aaira didn't do or say anything. In fact, she picked her book back up and began reading. The Clefairy seemed content as well, dozing off as she leaned against Aaira's shoulder. If it weren't for Link's own turbulent aura, then there would be nothing but peace around him. After facing such hostility at the fortress, this change would've been welcome if it weren't so bizarre. What was this woman playing at?

   A smile quirked the corner of Aaira's mouth as she looked up at him. "I'm sure you know it's not polite to stare," she said. "Unless you need something, that is. If you're in pain, I could have Najam brew you a tea with some painkillers. It wouldn't be as potent as anything Castle City's healers could create, but it would be enough for you to sleep."

   Link could admit that he was still hurting, though it was for a different reason now. The knot in his gut had only tightened, surely as a result of how tense he was. He didn't understand why any of this was happening, it made no sense. The Gerudo had no reason to help him, and yet she was.

   At Link's silence, Aaira said, "Nothing? Okay, then how about this? Our cook Rafae started preparing dinner a little while ago. You would be priority to receive something since you're injured."

   The thought of food hadn't even crossed Link's mind until then. His stomach seemed slow on the uptake as well, because now he was assaulted with new pains. It had surely been at least three days since he last saw Zelda and the others, and in that time, all he had was that bread and water Faraah had snuck him. It was no wonder he was so weak.

   "It's that, then?"Aaira asked. Link's face warmed before he could stop it, and Aaira smiled knowingly. As if he hadn't shown enough weakness in front of her already. "I can bring you something if you're hungry," she continued.

   Of course Link's first instinct was to turn down her offer, but logic prevented him from speaking this time. If he was going to have any hope of regaining his strength, he'd have to accept food from a Gerudo again. "What is it?" he asked.

   "I believe it's supposed to be heart palm soup tonight," Aaria replied, smiling. "Some voltfruit, radishes, and other vegetables stewed in milk. It's an old Gerudic recipe."

   At the very least, it didn't sound like there was any meat in it. "Then... yeah, I want some," Link said with a nod.

   "Very well. Stelle, can you keep an eye on him for a minute?" The Clefairy nodded, exclaiming a cheerful "fae!"

   Once she left, Link turned his attention to Stelle, who was looking up at him. There was nothing strange about her demeanor or aura, and Link was inclined to trust her a little more.

   "So... she's the healer of this group?" Link asked Stelle, and she nodded. "Do ya like her?" Another nod. Link frowned grimly. "Why?" He didn't expect an answer since this was a barrier of communication that couldn't be breached, and he didn't receive one. As a result, he was left to ponder his nonexistent answer.

   When Aaira returned, she carried with her a pair of bowls filled nearly to the brim with a light-colored stew. She handed one to Link along with a spoon, and he cautiously took his. Even though the smell made his mouth water, he waited for Aaira to lift the spoon to her mouth before he abruptly said, "Wait, I want yours."

   She paused, glancing from Link to the bowl. He didn't care that it made him look crazy, he wanted to make sure he wasn't about to be poisoned. Aaira shrugged before handing Link her bowl. "If it makes you feel better. Be careful, I always add a little pepper to mine for a bit more spice."

   After that, Link didn't hesitate and began eating. He shuddered in delight as the rich taste of the broth filled his mouth, disregarding the burning of his tongue from the aforementioned pepper. He hadn't had anything this good since he was in Kakariko Village. His mind hazed over for a moment as he sank into bliss, a brief respite from all of this.

   "I'm glad you seem to like it," Aaira said. "We don't get many opportunities to make this since we're more often selling these ingredients than using them ourselves." Link was snapped from his daze and looked back at Aaira. "You don't have to keep watching me like that, I won't bite," she said, her voice laced with humor.

   Any happiness Link felt then was gone, as uncertainty and hopeless confusion took its place. Aaira's aura reflected her words, light and cheerful. And when Link was faced with her before, there was nothing but concern even when he was outright threatening her. A façade or not, there was the fact that she was helping him. "Why?" he asked bluntly. "Why help me?"

   Aaira's smile faded as she placed her bowl on top of her book. "Though Vera might not agree with how understanding I am considering what being a Gerudo means, that won't stop me from being who I am. It doesn't matter if I was born here in Ikana or in Zora's Domain, I was meant to be a healer."

   "Well, ya know I ain't gonna give ya shit for this," Link said.

   "That's nothing new for me," Aaira said with a shrug. "Like I said, Gerudo or not, I'm a healer. As long as I can do that, I'm happy with my lot in life." Sadness began seeping from her. "I've tried to raise Najam the same way, even if he's taken more after Vera. But I can't blame the boy's hostility."

   Hylia only knew the reason for the Gerudo boy's feelings, but it wasn't like Link cared. Aaira smiled wryly, humor countering her sorrow.

   "Also, it helps your case knowing that you're a Holder," she added. Link glanced at his exposed left hand before cursing and hiding it beneath the pillow. But of course, it was far too late. "Knowledge of both your wanted posters have even spread to us traders. Everyone here would have recognized you as the Illusion until the guards revealed your name, Link Renier."

   "Don't call me that," Link snapped. It was already enough that Villia along with the rest of the guard knew and said his surname, he didn't want any other Gerudo saying it.

   "Then I guess we'll stick with Illusion," Aaira said. Link could somewhat agree with that. "You're wanted along with that Hylian woman with the blonde hair, Zelda Harkinian. She's quite beautiful."

   Brief warmth filled Link's chest when he heard Zelda's name. She definitely is, he thought, smiling to himself. How he missed her... He quickly wiped the look from his face as a more concerning question arose. "So what, you're gonna turn me in?" he said. It wasn't like he could do much to resist right now, so it would unfortunately be the perfect opportunity.

   Aaira shook her head. "I do want to see that you're brought to justice for the crimes you've committed, but the notice put out by the Royal Guard... concerns me." She frowned. "You and that woman were labeled as 'archive thieves.' It's strange that His Majesty would not simply reveal the truth about your identities. It wouldn't lessen the fact that there's an active hunt for you two, but His Majesty has always been so truthful with all of us."

   At least she acknowledged that things wouldn't have changed if the information was different. Of course, Link wasn't about to reveal anything about what Daemos was planning, so he kept his lips sealed.

   "But yes, that is why none of us don't plan to turn you in. For me personally, I don't like the idea of ulterior motives being fulfilled. It's a selfish thing to do." She looked concerned. "Does that answer your question?"

   Link held in an exasperated sigh. It did, and it didn't. But it wasn't like she would admit her own ulterior motives if he asked about them. Just how many slaps in the face were his thoughts going to receive? "Are the guards lookin' for me?" he then asked.

   Aaira nodded. "We've come across a couple bands searching villages and camps like ours. But I can assure you we'll keep you hidden. If you're curious, we're heading to the Wanderer's Oasis in southern Ikana. We'll stay there until you're healed. Anyways, if you're finished eating, we can get started on the healing," Aaira said before collecting Link's empty bowl. "It'll take a while since I discovered that you have a couple bruised ribs as well. A week or so, perhaps."

   It was a struggle for Link to not groan aloud. Could he go more than a month without receiving injuries that took another to heal? Obviously it was an exaggeration, but it felt that long to him. Reluctantly, he laid back as Aaira began to unravel his bandages. He wasn't in the mood to see the possible hole that had been gouged in him, so he kept his gaze trained on the tent's peak, wishing he was back with Luce and Zelda.

   "May I ask how you acquired these injuries? Your stab wound was quite severe," Aaira asked. Yet again, Link's emotions turned on their head. He smirked as a chuckle bubbled in his throat. She was going to love this.

   "I was beaten by the guards at the fortress just 'cause they think Hylians like me deserve more than a kick in the ass for not supportin' Daemos," he started. "And then one of 'em stabbed me after I thought she'd help me escape!" His eyes narrowed as he glowered at Aaira before looking away again. "I'm a damn idiot for trustin' any of ya."

   Aaira was silent as shock washed over her, and Link would have laughed if it wasn't so messed-up. "I'm... sorry to hear that," she said quietly. "I wish I could apologize on their behalf." Link's smile became grim. It wasn't possible, but it brought him some satisfaction hearing her try. How was he going to stand spending a week or longer here?

   Wait for me, everyone, he thought. He glanced at Aaira, resigned anger smoldering in him. Just keep yourselves together.