CutesyArts

The man nodded a few times, running his fingers through his white hair. Goddess, he looks like Sooga. The similarities were more stark now that he was so close. All I could see was the face of a man who had shoved me into the dirt too many times and had not openly mocked me, but allowed all of his soldiers to do so. The feeling made anger boil in my stomach, but I took a deep breath and again reminded myself that this man was not Sooga.

“What’s your name?” I asked boldly. If I put a different name to his face, my thoughts towards him would change. 

“Kikte,” he responded readily. He extended his hand, palm open and waiting. 

After a moment of hesitation, I gripped his hand and we shook. “I’m (y/n).” 

The silence that stretched after the introduction made my skin crawl and I resisted the urge to shift on the balls of my feet. Kikte noticed and swung his arm in the direction of the village. “I’m guessing you haven’t been here before, by the way you were looking around before I showed up. Do you need a place to stay?”

Thankful that he was willing to help, I nodded. “Yeah, that would be great.”

Having a place to stay would help me blend in. From any outsider, I looked like an unassuming Sheikah girl with the same hair and eye color as the rest. If anyone saw me, they would not mark me as a Yiga Clan member. I simply had to keep my tattoo hidden. 

Kikte walked with me down the main path, past shops and yards full of cuckoos. The people that we saw waved cheerily at Kikte, to which he responded with a big smile. It baffled me how no one here seemed to be lesser than anyone else. Of course, the children were expected and shown respect to their elders, but even the guards that stood in front of a massive staircase seemed to be friendly to everyone they saw. 

“Instead of having you stay in a motel, there’s an elderly lady that needs some help getting around and taking care of business. I know she'd be happy to house you as long as you keep clean and quiet.” 

I nodded as he looked over his shoulder at me inquisitively. “That works. I know how to do most housework, if that’s what you mean.” 

“Yeah,” Kikte agreed. 

He led me to a house that was set between the steep hills and another small house. Outside was a weathered elderly woman sweeping the stones in front of her house. Her white hair was tied up in a loose bun with several strands of hair falling around her neck. 

“Luki, I found someone to help you!” Kikte approached her and bent down to return the hug the older woman immediately initiated. 

The older woman, Luki, then turned to me with a warm smile. “And who is this young lady?”

“I’m (y/n),” I said respectfully. When Luki reached out, I placed my hand in hers. Her palm was warm but clearly had seen years of dedicated work. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Running her thumb over the smooth skin of my hand, Luki began to lead me into her house. I looked back at Kikte, uncertainly running through my veins. But he just smiled and made a shooing motion with his hand. 

—

For the rest of the day, Luki gave a tour of the house. She showed me my bedroom and where the cleaning supplies and food were. Once the sun dipped behind the steep hills surrounding the village and behind the horizon, we both made a mushroom stew. I enjoyed it far more than my own cooking or my mother’s. 

But when Luki started asking questions about my past and where I was from, I began to trace an elaborate lie. I needed to remember it, so when Kikte started to ask as well, everyone in the village would have the same story. Now I grew up an orphan, but a Gerudo woman took me in as a child. I lived in the desert but decided I wanted to learn first hand about my heritage.

It was a simple enough lie, but every time I told it, my heart ached for my mother. As much as I hated to admit it, I missed her. Part of me wished that she was here beside me. My mind wandered to the idea that we could settle down here and live Yiga-less for the rest of our lives. No Sooga. No Master Kohga. No duties or low rank or endless reminders of my father’s death and betrayal. 

It would be just us.

But I knew that was impossible. As much as I hated to admit it, Sooga was out there searching for me right now. It would only be a matter of time before he found me and I’d be dragged back to the Clan and imprisoned for treason. Or sent off to the Goddess like my father. 

I had to enjoy my freedom while it lasted. 

So I did. 

For the next week, I spent my time with Kikte or Luki. I made food made with fresh ingredients and no bananas and went on walks through large fields of soft grass. I rode a horse for the first time, laughing as the wind billowed through my hair. I spent evenings listening to the stories that the elders had to tell around the fire. I learned that Kikte too didn’t have a family and had been taken up by Luki and her late husband. 

For the first time in a long time, I was content. 

—

On the eleventh day since my arrival to Kakariko Village, I exited Luki’s house and found Kikte standing near the small flight of stairs that led to the door. He had a bag thrown over his shoulder and a wide smile plastered over his face.

I narrowed my eyes playfully at him and crossed my arms. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

A snort slipped from his nose and he flicked a finger in the direction of my hair. “You look like a rat took residence in your hair.” 

My hand flew to the top of my head almost instinctively as I patted my hair. “What are you talking about?”

His eyes rolled before he patted the bag over his shoulder. “Come on. We’re going to the fairy fountain today. I’ve got lunch for us.”

My eyes widened as excitement bloomed in my chest and I bounded down the steps to walk beside him. I had never seen a fairy fountain before. I’ve heard tales from the Yiga footsoldiers, but their drawings had never been great. “There’s a fairy fountain around here?” 

Kikte looked down at me in amusement at my excitement and I slapped his shoulder lightly. “Come on. I didn’t have a fairy fountain.”

We walked the steep path up to the small forest above the village while playfully fighting each other. The path was a lot steeper than it should’ve been, but I had walked through some pretty interesting places, so I knew that I could not complain. 

But when hardened dirt began to become speckled with grass and the sounds of water wove through the trees, my excitement spiked. I could hear the little sounds of bells tinkling as the fountain itself slowly came into view.

“Oh, Goddess,” I gasped as I froze on the spot, awe shattering every other feeling inside me. Petals rose up from the ground, vibrant pink and dappled with soft pink, baby blue and sun-light orange. Gold spiraled up from the water glowing in the sun and a pathway made of mushroom heads led to the pool of water in the middle. A few tiny balls of light with transparent blue wings fluttered around the fountain, shying away as Kikte walked closer to the pool of water. 

“Kikte, don’t scare them.” I slowly followed after him, careful to not make loud noises or talk too loud. “Are those smaller fairies?”

“Yeah,” Kikte answered in a hushed tone. He set the bag down near the foot of the mushroom steps and lowered himself to the ground. I followed his lead and slid down to the ground in front of him. 

“How can you not spend all of your time here?” I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the sight. Everything was so bright and vibrant and warm. How the Yiga Footsoldiers and Blademasters hadn’t run away from their duties and found somewhere like this to live, I couldn’t figure out.

“Before you showed up, I spent most of my day in this forest, actually.” Kikte leaned back, bracing his palms on his knees. “When I was younger, I would play in the dirt and wait until the sun had set to go back. It drove Luki up the wall, but I couldn’t resist. Besides being a playground for someone with a big imagination, it was peaceful. That was something I didn’t have before I was taken in by Luki.”

I nodded in understanding as I let him talk. I untied the bag that lay between us and handed him some bread. “I get what you mean. The desert never had anything like this. I had heard of a fairy fountain far off into the parts of the desert not even the strongest Gerudo warrior wandered through. It was never for the faint of heart.” 

We ate and spoke lightheartedly throughout our meal. It was peaceful, with the sound of rushing water somewhere to my right and the birdsong that passed through the trees. But soon after, Kikte rose to his feet with a stifled groan and murmured, “I’ll be right back.” 

I nodded my acknowledgement and watched him go before standing up myself. I walked closer to the fountain, studying the large petals that grew from the dirt. They were soft in texture, but thick. 

Shudder.

A whisper down my spine sent my senses on overdrive. My skin crawled as I straightened up, beginning to turn around. The sounds of cards shuffling through the wind landed on my ears just before a hand clamped over the back of my neck. 

Before I could let out a scream, I was pulled back into a firm chest. I swallowed thickly, my breath cut short as I gasped. “Forgot all of your training, did you?” A deep voice whispered past my ear and I could tell he was angry. Pissed. “Even the youngest of the Yiga Clan can tell when someone is near them.” 

“Sooga–” I brought in another rough breath, my chest heaving and my heart pounding. “Let me go.” My hands landed against his own and I tried to pry his fingers off the sides of my neck. His grip was harsh against my skin but, to my surprise, it didn’t hurt. It was immensely uncomfortable, however. 

“Do you really believe that I will let you go? After you follow in your father’s footsteps like a fool?” His words stung, which was ridiculous based on the situation he had me in. 

My nails dug at his gloves as I grunted, “I’m not a traitor!”

“No?” His grip on the back of my neck tightened and I felt his arm wind around my stomach. “Then what exactly did you think you were doing?”

“Let me go,” I hissed. Anger rose in the pit of my stomach as I felt his arm press against the soft skin of my stomach. The way he pressed me against him had me feeling vulnerable, which was what he was most likely doing purposely. He wanted me to feel off center. 

He didn’t let me go. Instead, his gloved hand slid up the back of my neck into my hair. “Your mother is going to be so heartbroken, knowing her daughter is just as much of a traitor as her father is.” His tone was mocking, almost concerned sounding. 

Heat spread up my cheeks as I pushed at the arm against my stomach instead. His armor didn’t give way as I shoved. I opened my mouth to snarl another demand at him, but my words were cut off by Kikte.

“(y/n)?” A moment of tense silence filled the forest around them Kikte spoke up again, this time his voice smaller. “Sooga?” 

————

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