01-17-2014, 08:04 AM
Eighteen’s deal, finally sealed with a handshake, seemed to relax both of the Primes. Ganondorf took a seat beside her on the fountain rim, his mind already searching for advantage in this deal. Of course he would come out on top in this agreement. The Gerudo somehow always managed to get the better end of any bargain. But for the moment, and perhaps even for awhile yet, it would be best for him to foster a feeling of equality between them.
After a long while, the two merely looked at one another, the icy wind nearly forgotten though it tossed their hair about. Then Eighteen spoke.
“The locals told me you spoke with the Sheriff.”
Ganondorf replied with a slight nod of his head, “I did. For the moment, it appears that things are peaceful here.”
“Or,” he admitted with a shrug, “As peaceful as things can be in a town attacked by bandits about weekly and struggling just to survive.”
With a sigh, Ganondorf met Eighteen’s sapphire eyes with his own and continued, “The Sheriff told me he’d let us know if there was anything we could help him with and for now that we should just rest from our journey.”
When the dark-skinned man seemed finished, Eighteen prodded, “And that’s it?”
Of course, that wasn’t everything that they had spoken about, Ganondorf and the man known as Roland Deschain. But the Gerudo didn’t want to bore her with the small talk that preceded their talk of business, and he certainly didn’t wish to elaborate on the near interrogation as to his and Eighteen’s motives in the town and circumstances under which they had arrived.
Now that Ganondorf thought about it, he was reminded of a feeling he’d had when the locals had led Eighteen and Mirage away. Certainly not jealousy, nor protectiveness. More than those, it was a feeling of possessiveness over the woman. After all, he all but owned her as a result of that fight, and he didn’t care for others taking what was rightfully his. That had to be what he had felt. Nothing else made sense.
Instead of answering Eighteen’s question, the Gerudo changed topics.
“You remind me of a woman I once knew,” Ganondorf said suddenly, a sly smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “She also wanted me dead.”
With a laugh, Ganondorf left the rest unsaid, though memories of Nabooru and their childhood together continued to flash through his mind. Eighteen didn’t say a word in response, her demeanor matching the desert night: cold and merciless. She wouldn’t be so easily dissuaded, but the cold air was finally getting to the Gerudo King, his years outside the desert having made his soft, or so he rationalized it. He shivered involuntarily and rose.
“Best we get ourselves some rest, Lady. The morning comes quickly out here, and we’ve work to do to gain the locals’ trust if we’re to be of any help to them in the future.”
With that said, Ganondorf turned from the fountain, purposely avoiding any further discussion. If he were being honest with himself, he’d have to admit that it was also to keep from revealing any more to Eighteen about himself. She had a way of making him divulge information that he had kept to himself for a lifetime, and he didn’t particularly care for it. Nabooru had had a similar effect on him, before she had betrayed him. Ganondorf wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
And so Ganondorf, the once King of Hyrule, wielder of the Triforce of Power, and considered to be one of the most vile beings in existence, escaped from a woman whom he had already defeated. It was not one of his finer moments, to be sure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the Gerudo had said, morning arrived sooner than even he had thought it would, as a loud banging on his door awakened him. Dreams of days past mingled with those of the present as he jumped up from the rather pitiful bedding he had had acquired. Already they were too far into the fog that dreams come from and go to for the man to make them out, but he had a vague recollection of Eighteen, dressed as a Gerudo warrior-thief, driving a dagger under his ribcage. Shaking the feeling away, Ganondorf moved to answer the knocking at his door, at once relieved for the interruption and annoyed at the gall of the person who dared to disturb him.
The door swung open, revealing the youth who had greeted Ganondorf the day prior, though greeted may have been a bit strong of a word for what had actually happened. The man grinned toothily, missing teeth creating gaps in his smile and giving him the appearance of a Jack O’Lantern. Ganondorf, having answered the door without dressing himself, merely crossed his arms and scowled down at the fool. The blonde boy’s smile slipped jerkily from his face, his eyes blatantly remaining above wait-level as he spoke.
“Good news, pal! Sheriff’s got a job fer ya!” he said, shoving a sheet of paper into Ganondorf’s hands. The Gerudo received the missive with a deeper scowl and waved the man away. When the boy didn’t move, Ganondorf simply shut the door in his face; he was in no mood to deal with the lad any more than he had to this morning. However, his mood changed quickly as his eyes scanned the message written out for him. With a sharp laugh, Ganondorf began to dress himself. This might actually be a good day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With a much gentler knock than the boy had given him, Ganondorf attempted to rouse Eighteen. Fortunately for him, it seemed the boy had given her the message as well, as she was already dressed and seemed to be just about ready to leave. His good mood restored, Ganondorf bowed low to her as she answered the door, his cape held out to the side and one hand on his abdomen.
“Are you ready to slay a dragon, Milady?”
After a long while, the two merely looked at one another, the icy wind nearly forgotten though it tossed their hair about. Then Eighteen spoke.
“The locals told me you spoke with the Sheriff.”
Ganondorf replied with a slight nod of his head, “I did. For the moment, it appears that things are peaceful here.”
“Or,” he admitted with a shrug, “As peaceful as things can be in a town attacked by bandits about weekly and struggling just to survive.”
With a sigh, Ganondorf met Eighteen’s sapphire eyes with his own and continued, “The Sheriff told me he’d let us know if there was anything we could help him with and for now that we should just rest from our journey.”
When the dark-skinned man seemed finished, Eighteen prodded, “And that’s it?”
Of course, that wasn’t everything that they had spoken about, Ganondorf and the man known as Roland Deschain. But the Gerudo didn’t want to bore her with the small talk that preceded their talk of business, and he certainly didn’t wish to elaborate on the near interrogation as to his and Eighteen’s motives in the town and circumstances under which they had arrived.
Now that Ganondorf thought about it, he was reminded of a feeling he’d had when the locals had led Eighteen and Mirage away. Certainly not jealousy, nor protectiveness. More than those, it was a feeling of possessiveness over the woman. After all, he all but owned her as a result of that fight, and he didn’t care for others taking what was rightfully his. That had to be what he had felt. Nothing else made sense.
Instead of answering Eighteen’s question, the Gerudo changed topics.
“You remind me of a woman I once knew,” Ganondorf said suddenly, a sly smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “She also wanted me dead.”
With a laugh, Ganondorf left the rest unsaid, though memories of Nabooru and their childhood together continued to flash through his mind. Eighteen didn’t say a word in response, her demeanor matching the desert night: cold and merciless. She wouldn’t be so easily dissuaded, but the cold air was finally getting to the Gerudo King, his years outside the desert having made his soft, or so he rationalized it. He shivered involuntarily and rose.
“Best we get ourselves some rest, Lady. The morning comes quickly out here, and we’ve work to do to gain the locals’ trust if we’re to be of any help to them in the future.”
With that said, Ganondorf turned from the fountain, purposely avoiding any further discussion. If he were being honest with himself, he’d have to admit that it was also to keep from revealing any more to Eighteen about himself. She had a way of making him divulge information that he had kept to himself for a lifetime, and he didn’t particularly care for it. Nabooru had had a similar effect on him, before she had betrayed him. Ganondorf wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
And so Ganondorf, the once King of Hyrule, wielder of the Triforce of Power, and considered to be one of the most vile beings in existence, escaped from a woman whom he had already defeated. It was not one of his finer moments, to be sure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As the Gerudo had said, morning arrived sooner than even he had thought it would, as a loud banging on his door awakened him. Dreams of days past mingled with those of the present as he jumped up from the rather pitiful bedding he had had acquired. Already they were too far into the fog that dreams come from and go to for the man to make them out, but he had a vague recollection of Eighteen, dressed as a Gerudo warrior-thief, driving a dagger under his ribcage. Shaking the feeling away, Ganondorf moved to answer the knocking at his door, at once relieved for the interruption and annoyed at the gall of the person who dared to disturb him.
The door swung open, revealing the youth who had greeted Ganondorf the day prior, though greeted may have been a bit strong of a word for what had actually happened. The man grinned toothily, missing teeth creating gaps in his smile and giving him the appearance of a Jack O’Lantern. Ganondorf, having answered the door without dressing himself, merely crossed his arms and scowled down at the fool. The blonde boy’s smile slipped jerkily from his face, his eyes blatantly remaining above wait-level as he spoke.
“Good news, pal! Sheriff’s got a job fer ya!” he said, shoving a sheet of paper into Ganondorf’s hands. The Gerudo received the missive with a deeper scowl and waved the man away. When the boy didn’t move, Ganondorf simply shut the door in his face; he was in no mood to deal with the lad any more than he had to this morning. However, his mood changed quickly as his eyes scanned the message written out for him. With a sharp laugh, Ganondorf began to dress himself. This might actually be a good day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
With a much gentler knock than the boy had given him, Ganondorf attempted to rouse Eighteen. Fortunately for him, it seemed the boy had given her the message as well, as she was already dressed and seemed to be just about ready to leave. His good mood restored, Ganondorf bowed low to her as she answered the door, his cape held out to the side and one hand on his abdomen.
“Are you ready to slay a dragon, Milady?”