Linked stretched out his arms and yawned as the bright Hyrulian sun glittered over the horizon. It would take another days time to reach Gerudo valley. Hopefully, Nabooru would remember him. Dousing out his fire and packing up his things, Link was ready to set off. Mounting Storm he urged him towards the red rocky terrain in the distance that was Gerudo's valley.
* * *
The sun slowly set against the red rock of the Gerudo towards the west. It had been a long time since he visited the Gerudo's. Just as he thought about it, he wondered about his pass to the camp. He forgot to bring it along with, though he couldn't understand why he forgotten it at all. He was relying on his previous alliance.
Slowly he crossed the bridge and stopped in front of the purple clad women guards.
"Ugh not another Hylian," the one on his left protested.
"Do you think we are so stupid as to fall for your tricks? We want no part of your meeting, we know it is a trap to capture us," the one to his right complained.
"I am not here asking for you to come to the meeting, for it has already passed. I wish to seek an audience with your leader Nabooru. She should know me, go and fetch her and tell her Sir Link is here," Link replied with authority in his voice.
Both of the guards laughed at him hysterically.
"You have got to be kidding me!" the one to his right said between laughs," Sir Link? Bah, you're barely old enough to be a swords boy. Telling us your are a knight of Hyrule! I aught to smack you for such disrespect for lying to us Gerudo."
Link grew inwardly annoyed but did not show it on his face. How was he to get in now with out trying to fight them? Storm shook his head and whinnied a little. Link nodded and turned his horse around. He could here the women laughing behind him.
"Looks like I will have to do this the hard way," he told himself.
* * *
Link camped just out side of the valley and waited till night fall. Leaving Storm to wait for him, Link went back into the valley again. Using the night fall cover Link quietly approached, whilst still hiding, up to where the guards were. Using a make shift sling shot he aimed carefully to the other side of the ravine just past the guards head. Both of the women looked behind them quickly, then back towards where Link hid in the shadows.
"You think you could distract us?!" one of them shouted.
"It's foolish, we'll never leave our posts!" said the other one.
Just as she finished, Link aimed for her head, this time using a tightly wrapped ball of linen. He released and it knocked her out. He knew using a rock in a sling shot might have harmed her extremely. The other women gasped and knelt down beside her. Link took his cue and rushed the woman. Before she had time to react, Link had her disarmed with arms behind her back and he quickly lodged another ball of linen into mouth and strapped it around her head, as a makeshift gag. The woman struggled and tried to make break free. Link kicked the inside of her legs and was already pulling out a rope from his pouch with a hand he was able to loosen. The Gerudo grimaced as she was forced to buckle down. Once he tied her hands he drug to the other side of the bridge and hid her in the shadows. While retrieving the unconscious woman he heard someone call out a name, obviously one of the guards. He looked around for a key, but could not find one. Pulling as quietly and quickly as he could, Link dragged the unconscious woman next to the tied one. The tied one made no effort to move and just gave him a smirk look towards him. He didn't understand why but didn't have much time to find out. There was a large blunt stroke to his head and all he saw was black.
"Ugh.. I uh.. What the?" Link said rubbing his head. It throbbed with a dull but painful ache. He felt someone grab his collar and ruffly pull him up. He looked up to see it was a white clad Gerudo, similarly dressed as Nabooru, but it wasn't her. He half expected to be thrown into a dungeon.
"What's going on?" Link asked still rubbing his head.
"I'd like for you to tell me the same thing. Why is it you Hylians are so determined to get us to the castle?" the woman asked.
"I want to speak to Nabooru," Link demanded. He shook his head a little bit. The white clad woman chuckled a bit.
"Still persistent are we?' she said, "Fine you can talk to Nabooru. Only after you defeat me in match."
Link sighed but nodded in agreement. He was handed a sword, much lighter then he was used too. The woman backed off from him slightly and he readied himself in a stance. He tried to remember what fighting them was like. He knew they were quick and you had to dodge most of their moves and wait for the opportune moment.
"Stop it right now! Do you have any idea who this is?" shouted a familiar woman's voice. The Gerudo clad in white backed away from Link immediately and Link dropped the sword that was given to him. Nabooru stepped into the stone room. Link smiled at her enthusiastically and she smiled in return.
"Grown up a little bit have we?" Nabooru said and then motioned him to follow her and he did so.
"Wow, it's been so long Nabooru," Link said. Nabooru nodded.
"Or you could say it never was," she said quizzically. Link looked at her back oddly as he followed her.
"What ever do you mean?" Link said. Nabooru just laughed.
"Nothin' boy, nothin'," she replied.
Nabooru led Link to her chambers and invited him in.
"So I do wonder, what brings the Hero of Time to my fortress?" Nabooru inquired. Link cleared his throat.
"The King requested, about a week ago, an audience with the leaders or representatives of the kingdoms nearby Hyrule Castle. You were invited, and you didn't even send a reply," Link finished. Nabooru shook her head.
"You don't understand my boy. The Gerudo are thieves. We're not truly a kingdom," Nabooru began, but Link interrupted her.
"But Nabooru, as the Sage of Spirit you should understand how important an alliance would be between our nations," Link said. Nabooru shook her head again.
"Your King may be inviting but I know for sure not all the Hylians will be," she said," No I will not subject my people to discrimination."
"You're discriminating against the Hylians for refusing such an opportunity," he said infuriated.
"We would risk having to change our ways for the sake of this alliance," Nabooru argued refusing to raise her voice at her respected friend. Link calmed.
"I know change is a scary thing, but I don't want something bad to happen to my friends. Do you want to risk another war or a possible uprising of an evil tyrant link Ganondorf again?" Link replied. Nabooru still refused.
"You are naive and ignorant to the will of people if you believe something as simple as this alliance could help the long embedded hatred of the Gerudo, Link. You are courageous and kind hearted for trying though and I applaud your valiant efforts," Nabooru said, turning her back to him.
"Nabooru please. We're not asking to rule you or even ask you to change your ways. In the meeting we discussed setting up a High Council, with representatives from each of the kingdoms, to prevent violence and address problems that could affect all of us. We're not asking much please. There could be so much good out of it," Link pleaded again, determined to change her mind. Nabooru sighed and finally laughed.
"I will have an audience with your King to discuss things over. I doubt a true alliance could come out of this, however, why did you not suggest the high council be filled with you and the sages?" Nabooru said at last.
Link was about to answer but couldn't think of why it didn't occur to him to do so. He just shrugged. Nabooru turned around with the question still in her eyes.
"I don't know...," Link said finally. Nabooru nodded.
"Very well then. I will try for the alliance. I will talk to my people and then go. If my people are in too much suspicion of this then I will not comply on being on the high council for them, but I will go there as it would be responsibility as the Sage of Spirit. Meanwhile, you should stay here tonight, clean yourself and eat, and then go to the other sages. The only one you may have to inquire is the Sage of Forests, Saria," Nabooru replied. Link looked at her oddly.
"How did you know about Saria? I thought the Kokiri were secret... and she's the Sage of Forests?" Link questioned. It was Nabooru's turn to give Link an odd look.
"Link... You defeated the monster in the forest temple as an adult and awakened her as the Sage of Forests," Nabooru reminded him. Link for the life of him couldn't remember it.
"I guess it's just been so long since it had happened that I don't remember it any more, but I trust you when you say it," Link replied. Nabooru nodded but held her face with concern.
"Go to sleep now boy, follow me and I'll show you a room," she said.
* * *
Link sped off towards the forest. He left Gerudo Valley a day and a half ago and was making perfect time. He was still troubled by the fact that he didn't remember that Saria was the Sage of Forests. If Nabooru said she was though, it must be true, for she was the Sage of Spirit and would know better. What was happening to him? Was this some kind of design of the Goddesses. Was he suppose to forget the Sages> How long would when he would forget about Impa and Nabooru? What about his memories of defeating Ganondorf?
It was near sunset by the time Link entered the forest. Would he dare venture in? He remembered about how Mido attacked him while he was here five years ago. Would it be the same? With those memories he decided to wait to go into Kokiri forest. It didn't take long, but there was time enough for him to eat a little bit and wash his face. Again with night fall cover Link snuck into his old home. It was quiet. All of the little Kokiri had gone to bed, to avoid the fabled monsters. There was a small sense of homesickness in his heart. If only he could come back to meet all his old friends for just a little while with out being pushed out. It was fate though, to live in obscurity. The entrance to the Lost Woods was the same as he remembered. Something about this forest seemed to persevere through time itself, only growing more nostalgic with each passing year. It took him a little while to find his way back to the Forest Temple and sure enough, like Nabooru had promised, Saria was waiting for him. She seemed to radiate before him, it had been a long time since he last saw her.
Saria's eye lit up and she jumped up into his arms, now that he was taller.
"Oh Link! It's been so long!" she said hugging tightly onto him. Link laughed with jubilee.
"It has been hasn't it," he replied. Saria jumped back down.
"You don't even have to say anything," Saria said," Nabooru contacted me in my dreams last night and told me everything. And before you ask, yes I am totally willing to meet with you on this council," she said quiet quickly. Link was shocked at the communication that the sages had.
"I've also contacted the other sages, of course Impa and Zelda already know what's going on, but Darunia and Ruto have also agreed to join the High Council not only as representatives for their kingdoms but also more so as the Sages."
Link again was quiet shocked, but still had one question left.
"Will you be representing the Kokiri as well as the Sage?" he said. Saria looked around.
"Well... I was a little unsure if should, but after talking to the Deku Tree, I believed that I should. The Deku Tree feels that there is something the sages haven't picked up on yet and that the Kokiri will need more then the protection of the forest in the future. He advised me not to tell the Kokiri right now, but in the future I may have too," Saria replied.
"What do you mean that there's something the sages haven't picked up on yet?" Link asked slightly worried. Saria shook her head and Link could sense the Kokiri child-like attitude in her. The care free-worry about it when you need too, attitude. Maybe that is what he should do? Link nodded in response.
"Well whenever the meeting of the High Council is going to happen, just let Impa know a days head of time. I will be there on the dawn of the day of the meeting, but I may need you to escort me in," she said smiling at him. Link nodded.
"It's settled then, the assembling of the sages has been done," he said.