Link and I set off for the Gerudo's Fortress as soon as we could. "We'll have to be careful," Link yelled over the wind. "The Gerudo aren't exactly friendly towards outsiders."

I smirked. "I know someone. But we'll have to wait around until noon." I paused. "Unless you have a song that will magically take us to where we want to be," I added.

Link shook his head. "No. The song only works when someone teaches it to you. One of the sages taught me the song to the Temple of Time when I returned."

Link wasn't too happy about waiting around so close to Gerudo territory. I told him to stay near the smaller bridge with the horses. I should have listened when he suggested we just go alone.

Emma walked down to the bridge at the time we agreed. "Finally someone arrives on time," she pronounced.

"And I don't see you carrying a load of supplies from one end of Hyrule to the other," I snapped.

"Chill, I was only relieved."

"Why?" I queried.

"Because-"

She was interrupted when a guard in a purple outfit leaped over her head and landed in front of me, slashing her swords at me and cutting my arm. I was thrown backward and landed flat n my back, clutching the deep cut on my arm. The woman laughed. "Hey, Calandra! Bring the other one!"

The Gerudo, clearly Calandra, joined my attacker, dragging a bound Link. "Should I tie her up, Nahia?"

"What do you think?" Nahia mocked. She put her foot on Link's chest when Calandra threw him down. I was tied up with Link, and the next thing I knew we were dragged into the secret fortress of the Gerudo.

.

"Hey, Madeline! Madeline, wake up!"

I began to stir. I cracked my eyes open to see a blurry image of a woman's face. "Wake up!" she hissed again.

I bumped my head on a stone and jerked my eyes open. The woman wore a white shirt with gold borderlines and puffy pants. Emma, I realized.

My friend took out a knife and began to saw off the bonds around my hands and feet. "Finally," she whispered. "Do you realize how long I've been waiting here trying to get your attention?"

The rope binding my wrists broke free and I rubbed the side of my head. "Link," I whispered. The green man was leaning on my right shoulder. "Link?" I poked him. He snorted, then went limp on my shoulder again. "Link!" I whisper-shouted. Nothing.

I shook my head and sighed, gazing up at the ceiling. Has he always been this deep of a sleeper? "Link!" I hissed, punching his shoulder.

Link snorted again and rubbed his eyes. "Wow, Link," I said ironically. "Just, wow."

Emma undid his bonds and sheathed her knife. "Come on, then. Don't want to be in here forever, now do we?"

"How do we get out?" Link asked. We both stood up and stretched out our backs.

"Easy," Emma replied. "I'm sure you have something in that pouch of yours to latch onto that window up there. I'll meet you outside." With that, Emma stepped back and chucked a Deku Nut out in front of her. Link and I shielded our eyes. Once we looked up, the Gerudo was gone.

I glanced at the window at the top of the holding cell. Moonlight shone in from the outside. "Well, now that was a stupid question Link," Link scolded himself.

"Why?" I inquired.

"Been here before. Before the Spirit Temple. I was caught riding into the fortress on Epona."

"Well, how'd you get out? And how did you even make it to the temple, I thought it was behind a gate?"

"I fought a few of the prison guards to save a few carpenters and the last guard gave me a membership card. I had no reason to come back after Termina, so I never did. As for your first question..." He pulled out the small object with a hook at the tip tat the Deku Tree had gave him and held his hand out to me. "Ready?"

I gave him my hand gingerly. "Yes..."

He pulled me close to him. "Then hold on." He pointed the item at the boarded roof of the window and shot the hook towards it. I yelped as we were jerked up to the ledge.

He set me down, but kept hold of my hand. I gasped and held my left hand to my chest. "What was that?"

"Longshot," Link answered. "On three," he breathed, looking downward. He looked up at me. "One-"

"What?"

"Two-"

I shut my eyes.

"Three!"

We leaped off the ledge and landed sharply on the ground. I swallowed back a scream as I hit the ground. I slowly flexed my legs. Only shock, I reassured myself. Nothing broken.

"So where are the guards?" I asked.

"In the prisons. Or training. They only wander the fields this late at night when the gate on the bridge is gone," he replied.

"Having fun?" Emma said teasingly. "So," she began, "I know you weren't here to deliver the goods. You're never early, much less at the bridge before I am. You do know that's why they captured you, right? They assumed that you'd been spying."

"Why am I not surprised?" I mumbled.

"What do you need?" she concluded.

"We need to go to the Spirit Temple. There's a boss there that we need to fight," Link answered.

She nodded slowly. "If you're going there, then I'm coming with you."

"What?" I asked. "Why?"

"Can you realize how much trouble I'll be in if they ever find out that I helped you escape?" she scoffed. "And trust me, you don't want to know what they do to prisoners, especially you, forest boy."

"Don't they kill us?" Link asked.

Emma shook her head. "Worse. But let's not talk about that." She shivered. "Well, come on then, I know a secret way into the temple."