*** I usually start these things off with some pseudo witty excuse for what you`re about to read, but I am too damn tired now.   Suffice to say the ending stinks, because I wrote it drunk and tired.   ***

       It was Hyrule`s hottest, driest summer in the last twenty seven years.   To make matters worse, the wind was blowing at a steady forty kilometers per hour, and the sun was at its zenith -- it was just past noon.   For someone who was trekking up a mountain, the miserable summer was made all the miserabler by the thin, dry mountain air.   Most sensible, ordinary people would never attempt such a feat as mountain climbing on a day like today, but Natassia had her reasons.   But Natassia was not what one would consider an ordinary person.
       She looked upon the small, sparsely decorated town with a feeling of triumph.   She knew she would make it to the top of this mountain unaided.   It was not a matter of if, but when, and all things considered she had made excellent time , using paths that were better suited to animals with four feet rather than two.   Her legs ached and her tan skin sported its fair share of scrapes and dried calluses.   She looked forward to the prospect of spending a night in a bed for once, if someone in the town would afford her one.   Of course, if they didn`t, that wouldn`t be too much of a surprise.   It was unlikely that the natives of the town of Vassla would be very receptive of a Gerudo guest.
       At any rate, it was worth a try.   She started to walk towards the settlement, separated from her now only by a wide wooden arch that reached from one side of the crevasse leading into the town to the other.   She felt her feet burning in her moccasins, the weight of her sword, strapped on to her back, slapping again and again against her bottom.   She could feel the dirt and dust of a two week journey caked on to her skin, and she wanted nothing more than to wash it off.   She felt like nothing could keep her from that town, from shade and a properly cooked meal.   Nothing, at least, until she suddenly felt the sharp sensation of a finely sharpened spearhead against her throat.
       Natassia stiffened almost instantly and looked at the spearhead, than up the shaft of the spear to the two hands that were firmly and competently holding the weapon.   The two hands belonged to a veiled woman with tan skin, long red hair, and tilted, almond eyes, just like Natassia.   Because she was Gerudo, just like Natassia, but not quite.   She was Vasslar.   At any rate, she was close enough to Gerudo that she could throttle the much younger Natassia if she wanted to.  
       "Gerudo."   The woman said coldly, her language garnished by an accent that Natassia herself shared.   "What brings you here?   You are not welcome."
       Natassia noticed the surprised look on the guard`s face.   While Natassia was obviously Gerudo, a tribe of people not normally welcome in the town of Vassla, she was also very young.   At the tender age of twelve, she was without a scrap of baby fat and only a hint of curves, making her look closer to a boy than a girl.   That would be impossible, though, as the Gerudo never spawned male children.   Almost never, anyways.
       "My name is Natassia." Said, trying to keep her voice calm.   "I come to you not as Gerudo, but as Natassia."
       The eyes of the woman narrowed a bit in suspicion.   "What do you seek here?"
       "A person."   Natassia answered carefully.   "I am only here seeking a person."
       The woman still seemed doubtful.   "...do you swear by the boy child you may one day bear?"
       Natassia tried to nod, but found the spear that was pressed against her throat a little unaccommodating. "I swear it."
       The guard held the spear against her throat for a few more seconds and then, finally convinced, she let the spearhead drop back down on to the mountain rock.   "You said your name was Natassia?"
       Natassia nodded, breathing a sigh of relief.   "Yes."
       "Then you are welcome, but we will be keeping an eye on you."
       "I understand... have any other Gerudo passed by here recently?"
       The guard shook her head.   "Not so far as I know, and such news would spread quickly here."
       "I see."   Natassia felt a sinking disappointment.   Could it be that her mother really wasn`t here?   Natassia felt the weight of the crumpled up letter tucked behind her belt sash, almost as if though it weight as much as the sword strapped to her back.   The path had lead here, it surely had.   But then, if Natassia`s mother didn`t want to be seen...
       "Is there anywhere I might be welcome to stay for the night?"
       The guard shook her head.   "I`m afraid not.   This is a settlement for the Vasslar only; few would ever dare to venture up here.   We seem to be in rare form for visitors, though -- another six people arrived here early this morning.   We have never had a need for inns and the like, so now our streets seem unusually crowded.   You may try to find someone who would be willing to shelter you.." The guard looked away from the girl.   "But do not be surprised if the hospitality here is lacking to one of your kind."
       Natassia bowed slightly, trying to look polite.   Actually, though, she was already sinking into despair knowing that the soft bed and properly prepared meal she had been dreaming about might remain just that: a dream.   "Thank you."   The woman recognized Natassia`s gratitude with no response, so Natassia continued her journey into the town.
       Her first impression was underwhelming, but almost exactly what Natassia was expecting.   This was Vassla, the home of the exiles, the town cursed and forbidden by the Gerudo.   Here were the Gerudo who had cast aside their culture and their comrade-re for the domestic trappings of a husband and family.   Most Gerudo claimed that they were a blight on the entire race.   Most Gerudo, except for Maru, Natassia`s mother.
       Maru had brought up Natassia differently than most Gerudo children.   Natassia learned to fight, survive, and disappear as all Gerudo did, but whereas most Gerudo mothers instilled their daughters with an overwhelming sense of pride, Natassia was taught far more humbling lessons around the house.   She tried to tell Natassia that the Vasslar were not to be hated but respected.   They had chosen love over the ancient laws of the Gerudo, but they had not abandoned their customs all together.   They held on to their home, the spirit of the desert.   Vassla had originally been built on the desert floor, but when the angered Gerudo repeatedly attacked, they did not leave the desert.   Instead, they chose to migrate up a dry desert mountain, where no food could grow and no water could be found, but where not even the highly skilled Gerudo could lay siege.   As hard as life was for the Gerudo in the desert, it was harder on the mountaintop.   Even still, the Vasslar had thrown away the thieving occupation of the Gerudo and began to pursue the artistic and spiritual skills that the Gerudo were once known for before they resorted to steal to get by. That was why, Maru said, the Vasslar deserved the begrudging respect they never got from the Gerudo.
       Even after her mother`s teachings, it was hard for Natassia not to learn to despise the Vasslar, since almost no other Gerudo could let the word pass their lips or ears without spitting.   Even Natassia`s best friend River, a full year younger than Natassia herself, continually belittled the Vasslar and their attachments to their husbands, or their "livestock" as River preferred to call them.   Yet when Natassia saw the town of Vassla itself, with its homes crudely dug out of the crevasse walls and its walkways mere slabs of stone set on top of hard mountain earth, she felt homesick for the towering, log constructed buildings of her home or the ornate, breathtaking stone sculptures of the Desert Colossus where her she and her mother often visited.   Natassia had no idea how big this town was, but considering the entire town was built into the walls of a complex maze of narrow crevasses, it would doubtlessly take little time to get lost.   The Gerudo home fortress was constantly busy -- looking around Vassla, one could swear that nary a person was living there.   Natassia felt certain her mother was here somewhere, but where could she even start looking?
       Feeling suddenly defeated, Natassia pulled out the carefully folded letter that her mother had forgotten at home:
       "Maru -

       I wish I could say this was going to be a pleasant letter, but it`s not.   I realize we haven`t seen each other for over ten years, but I need help, and I have no one else to turn to.   Please meet me at the foot of Mount Vassla at dawn three days from now.

       How is Natassia doing?   I have to see her some day.

       With love,

       Daniel"

       Natassia poured over the letter, hoping for new clues.   Daniel was a man`s name, and it was a man who knew Natassia`s name.   And someone who was important enough to her mother that Maru took off without a moment`s notice, leaving Natassia a terse letter that said, "You`re a woman now.   Take care of yourself, I`ll be back soon."   Natassia could have just stayed at home -- probably should have -- but the curiosity was too much.   What man could persuade Maru to leave so suddenly?
       Sighing heavily, Natassia carefully folded the letter back up and replaced it under her belt sash.   There was no purpose doing nothing, so Natassia set out on her search through town, setting one foot in front of the other.

       It was Hyland`s hottest, driest summer in the last twenty seven years, and so Shannyn`s first steps into the town of Vassla were anything but welcoming.   She was walking with a slight bowlegged arc, and her sore bottom protested every step.   She was used to horseback riding, but riding that horse all the way up a steep, uninviting mountain was another matter all together.   Furthermore, she had forgotten how dry the desert air could be, and the air`s quality would be further disintegrated by the high altitude.   Two minutes after she had started walking on her own two feet again, she started into a fit of coughing.   It made her regret ever starting up that smoking habit.
       At first glance, the towering mountain walls of the barren looking town of Vassla were intimidating, but Shannyn had her instructions, and she was confident she`d be able to find the place she was supposed to be without too much trouble.   And, as surely as if though she were walking through a generic corridor, she followed the direction she had been given -- the first left, the second right, and then straight until she hit a dead end -- brought her, after a lengthly walk, to another cliff wall that looked no different from any of the other walls in the "town".   A cave mouth served as a door into a "building" while a few holes dug at eye level into the cave wall were probably supposed to be windows.   There was nothing outside the building, no sign or markings to distinguish it from the rest of the buildings.   Though she really didn`t want to risk this being the wrong building, there was no reason to stand waiting, so Shannyn nervously stepped through the doorway.
       The inside was dimly lit by a series of candles that gave off just enough light to keep from bumping into any walls.   Shannyn was surprised to feel thick, plush carpet under her feet.   She looked down to find a beautiful, intricately designed rug spread across the floor -- probably the kind that the Gerudo were valued for before they turned to thieving.   Its design, a blend of earthy colors that washed over the carpet asymmetrically like a chaotically beautiful painting, was absolutely breathtaking.   Shannyn found herself so caught up with the sight of it that she didn`t even notice someone approach her.
       "And who might you be?"   A deep baritone voice asked, startling Shannyn.
       Shannyn looked up at the newcomer, surprise clear in her face.   He was a tall man -- taller than Shannyn at least, and Shannyn was tall for a woman -- with brown hair that hung in front of his face in bangs.   A pair of dark, piercing eyes stared at her from under that hair, and a playful half smile curled on his tightlipped mouth.   He was a well built, strong looking individual, the kind that most women probably would have found attractive.
       "My name is Shannyn.   Shannyn Hu."
       "Ah.   So you`re our crime investigator."   The man said, then paused to look Shannyn up and down.   She was wearing a white blouse and a pair of black sacks, both now soiled thoroughly by the journey up the side of the mountain.   The clothes did nothing for Shannyn`s figure, but the man still seemed impressed enough to whistle.   "You`re a lot better looking than I was expecting, especially after I heard you were coming from Fabul."
       Shannyn was slightly taken aback by the man`s sudden lewd comment, but chose to try and ignore it.   She nodded slightly and was caught off guard when a thin layer of dust fell from her long dark hair.     She would kill for a bath right now.   "Yes... that would be me."
       The man`s over confident smile never moved.   He offered a hand for a shake.   "Hey, my name is Crash, or at least that`s what they call me in the unit.   We`ll be working together quite a bit, I think."
       Shannyn took the hand in her own and shook it firmly, firmly enough that one of Crash`s eyebrows actually climbed his face in surprise.   He used his head to gestured towards a nearby doorway, which separated this room from another candle lit room.   "Let me take you on back so that you can meet the rest of the gang."
       Shannyn followed Crash closely as he walked out of the entrance room and down an adjacent, almost completely dark corridor.   She was half tempted to reach out and grab Crash to keep her from running into a wall, but she decided it was best not to look too helpless too early.   It wasn`t long before more dim, flickering candlelight could be seen.   Crash entered the newly revealed room and Shannyn followed close behind.   This room was, surprisingly, even smaller than the entry way, and far more spartan.   Making matters worse there were three other people crammed into the room.   Crash sidled against the wall and stood to one side, where he gestured at the people who had been waiting with his right hand.   "Shannyn, I`d like you to meet Blue, Oni, and the Boss.   Boys... here`s our special investigator, Shannyn Hu."
       The light in the room was dim, but Shannyn`s eyes were sharp, and she could make out the details of each mercenary.   Blue, the first, was a tall, lithe looking man who was probably named after his blue hair color, which Shannyn doubted was natural.   His eyes were wandering off somewhere in the distance, somewhere outside of the cave, and a toothpick lazily hung from his bottom lip as a testament to his indifference.   Oni looked more like a professional body builder than a mercernary: his skin was stretched taut across his cord like muscles, and his mouth was tightened into a grin that was too childlike to be artificial.   He waved at Shannyn when Crash announced her... actually waved.
       And then there was the Boss...
       He was the furthest back in the cave, and his face was almost lost in the shadows, but he had a distinct look to him that Shannyn could never forget.   His garb was neat and slick, almost military.   He wore a plain jacket with a small, nondescript logo on the left breast, under which was a name plate that read "Boss", leaving no question of his authority.   On his other breast was a front pocket, just over the top of which Shannyn could see a half opened pack of cigarettes.   His face looked like it had been crafted from stone by wind -- his cheeks were narrow, his chin strong, his hair short to his scalp, and his ice like eyes belied a kind of world weariness that few people carried, the kind of eyes you might see only once in your life, the kind of look your couldn`t hide if you wanted to.   Those eyes were resting on Shannyn now, piercing her soul, and for a moment she was afraid the man might find out more about her from a mere glance than she`d ever want to tell him.
       "Shannyn Hu." He said.   His voice was like tires slipping on loose gravel.   "Fabul.   One year shy of forty."   The Boss paused to spit on the floor -- not a gesture of disrespect, but merely because he felt the need to clear his mouth.   "Do you know why you`re here?"
       "Yes.. Boss."   Shannyn said.   She felt entirely foolish referring to people by names like Crash, and more embarrassing yet, `The Boss`, but such was the trouble with being around Mercs.   "I usually don`t get calls from mercenaries, you know."
       `I`m amazed you get calls from anyone."   Boss said bluntly.
       Shannyn didn`t react.   And why should she?   A crime investigator who specializes in supernatural crime got a lot of flak.   "I`m assuming, Boss, that your need for me is genuine?"
       "I don`t think so, but our superiors do."   Boss said gruffly.   "Though I have to admit, we`ve been working these parts since before the Great War, and we ain`t never had anything like this."
       Shannyn sighed and crossed her arms beneath her breasts.   "Well, I`m still a bit limited on the details.   All I know is I was offered good pay and the job had something to do with an `urban legend.`"
       "An urban legend copy cat."   The Boss said, apparently clarifying.   "I seriously doubt there`s a ghost roaming around killing Vasslar."
       "You`d be surprised." Shannyn said cooly.
       "...but until we have proof that it`s a clever Gerudo killer and not a vengeful spirit, I guess you`re supposed to hang around."
       "Then would you mind filling me in on this `Urban Legend`?"
       The Boss chuckled, a laugh that didn`t touch his eyes.   "Are you kidding?   I`m not gonna waste my time with kid`s stories.   That`s why I have these losers with me.   We`re supposed to be looking for this `ghost` later tonight... whatever it is, it`s claimed one victim a night for the last two weeks.   And no matter how violent the kill, we haven`t been able to get a hand on it, and not a single lead to follow."   The Boss grinned, though his face was clearly not meant for it.   "Maybe you can do better?"
       "Maybe."   Shannyn said uncertainly.   She hadn`t felt so unwelcome in a long time.
       The Boss`s small smirk vanished then, and his face crumbled back into the humorless shape nature had built it into.   "Until then, little missy, I recommend you put whatever you brought with you into your room.   It`s that one right over there."   The Boss pointed to a windowless outcropping in the cavern that was almost entirely shrouded in blackness.   "You`ll be sharing it with Oni."
       Shannyn glanced over at the large man.   He smiled and shrugged like an innocent idiot.   Shannyn felt like groaning, but the intimidation of being in a crowded room alone with four mercenaries was getting to her.   "All right, then."   She said softly.   "Just.. tell me when we leave."

       Natassia was miserable.   She had gotten lost just as fast as she thought she would.   The sun had almost disappeared from the sky as evening approached, but it didn`t make the desert mountaintop any more bearable.   Even the steel of the desert forged Gerudo had its limit: Natassia had been on her feet all day and now they felt like a pair of of numb sandbags tied to the end of her legs.   Worse, she had been looking forward to possibly getting food and cold water when she reached the mountain town -- it was part of what kept her going -- but now she was faced with the possibility of getting neither.
       But the most off putting was the fact that after wandering aimlessly around for an entire evening, she was really no closer to finding her mother than when she arrived.   Natassia managed the bravery to ask the rare wandering residents, who often looked at her like she might be a snake waiting to strike, if they had seen any other Gerudo in the town.   No one had a clue of what she was talking about.   Most seemed shocked that the possibility existed that there could be two Gerudo in the town of Vassla at one time.
       And now, Natassia didn`t even know if she could find her way back out of town if she wanted to.
       Despair was finally setting in, and Natassia was resigning herself to the fact that she might well be sleeping against hard rock in a corner somewhere, enveloped by the warm night air, sweating even in her sleep.   Just as she began searching for a place to lay for the night, she heard the distant sound of voices echoing quietly against the cliff walls.   They carried a sense of mirth, a scent of youth.   Natassia hadn`t seen a single child in the entire town, but she knew that given the origins of this town -- a home for Gerudo who wanted to live with the men they loved -- she expected that children should have been all over.   Natassia felt like she would have better luck talking with children, so she decided she`d take one last stab at information gathering by asking these kids.   So, she started to follow the bouncing, echoing sounds of the children through the crooked maze of Vassla
       When she found them, they had their backs turned to her, seemingly huddled over something.   The child in the middle, who was the shortest of the three, was slightly hunched over, her body completely tense, as if she were waiting for a shot.   The other two children at her flanks were far more animated: the taller one to the right was shifting excitedly from foot to foot, while the stout girl on the left was rubbing her hands together excitedly.   Natassia, quiet as the night, walked a little closer to three, to see if she could catch a bit of what they were talking about.
       "...one more time, Nicky."
       "Come on, Nicky!   You`ve almost got it!"
       "Fa.. Fa... Fauna..."
       "Come on, Nicky!"   The stout girl on the left was so excited Natassia though she might just explode.
       "Fauna the..."
       The taller girl nudged the middle girl on eagerly, but she didn`t seem encouraged by the gesture.   If anything, she started to shake even harder.   All three grew quiet, staring as if in a trance at the thing that the middle girl was holding, which was hidden to Natassia.   When the tension between the three of them was so thick that it threatened to burst, it did, as the middle girl finally screamed and tosses the object she was holding over her shoulder, burying her face into her hands and squealing.   "I CAN`T DO IT!" She exclaimed.
       The other two girls began to chide and verbally torment the middle girl, ignoring the object that she had thrown, and it landed at Natassia`s feet with a loud clatter.   Natassia bent down to pick it up and analyzed it.   It was a rather plain mirror which had, surprisingly, not been broken by its violent journey through the air.   Natassia stared briefly into it and frowned.   Her skin was redder than usual, her hair was a filthy, strangly mess, and her tilted eyes were slightly sunken in.   Everything in that picture of her just made her realize all the more that she was sorely in need of a bath.
       While Natassia was staring into the mirror, the three children apparently got over their fun, since they had turned around to retrieve their mirror only to find another young girl holding it.   All three slowed their pace when they noticed that the girl had a look that was unfamiliar to all of them.   Natassia couldn`t help but allow her stare to linger on them as well -- all the other girls where she came from were warriors in training, taught to hold a sword before they were even taught to read.   These three girls looked like they wouldn`t last very long in a fight.   Though their bodies looked to be in good enough shape, an unavoidable side effect of living on a desert mountaintop all your life, neither of them looked like they could hold their own in a fight, and all were dressed in heavy cotton clothes unsuitable for battle.   Natassia had never seen children outside of her home, and these children looked so pampered she couldn`t imagine how they lived this long.   And the way they were staring at her, garbed in her sheer pants, moccasins, and midriff baring top, complete with a sword slung to her back, Natassia was betting they had never seen a Gerudo child before.
       "Who are you?"   The stout girl asked.   She was staring at the sword strapped to Natassia`s back in wonder.
       "My name is Natassia."   She said, bowing slightly.   "I`m.. uhh..." Natassia stumbled on her words uncertainly until she noticed she was holding the mirror tightly in her hand.   "...here."   She said, quickly handing the mirror to the other three girls.
       The taller girl took it carefully, as if expecting Natassia to reach out and grab her if she came too close.   "I`ve never seen you before."   She said.
       "I.. just got here."   Natassia`s eyes flickered towards the mirror again.   She had a mission here, but she was a curious child, and what she had just seen piqued her interest very much.   "What were you doing just now?"
       The short girl, who couldn`t have been older than eight, frowned so sharply that it looked like she might start crying.   The taller girl saw this and smirked smugly, flipping the mirror casually in her hand.   "We were daring Nicky here to summon Flora the Flower girl."
       Natassia`s eyebrows perked.   "Flora the Flower girl?"
       The stout girl barked in disbelief, though her eyes never left Natassia`s curved sword.   "You`ve never heard of Flora the Flowergirl?"
       "No, not at all."
       "It`s like this."   The tall girl came in.   She seemed to puff up with pride as she prepared her tale, and when she started to speak it was like a schoolteacher instructing her students.   "A long long time ago, when Vassla was still at the foot of the mountain, a wandering Gerudo, hungry and tired, arrived in our town.   No one knew her story or her purpose, but she was very near to death, and she went from house to house, knocking on the doors.. because they had doors back then, you see... and when the door was answered, the Gerudo would offer a flower, a rare flower from the far south, for either a night of shelter or five rupees to buy food.   But at every home they turned away..."
       "Because she was Gerudo!"   The younger girl cut in. her face still mangled into a half-cry.
       "...right." The older girl began again, obviously not happy at being interrupted.   "Because she was Gerudo.   And eventually, the girl, unable to find food or rest, fell into the sand just out of town and died.   But before she did so she put a curse on this town, and swore that if anyone called her name into a mirror three times, she would visit the town and kill anyone who shared her Gerudo blood."
       Natassia`s eyes widened in a sudden jolt of fear.   "You mean all the people here let that girl die just because she was Gerudo?"
       "Well.. yeah."   The taller girl shrugged. "No one liked the Gerudo back then.   The Gerudo were really mean and ate their husbands and stuff."
       "But..."   Natassia couldn`t believe it, but tears were welting up in her eyes.   Her mother had always told her it was okay to cry, but River always told her it was a sign of weakness.   She couldn`t cry now, not in front of the Vasslar.   She had to represent the Gerudo strength better than that.   And so, taking a deep breath, she tried to take in all her despair.   But a twelve year old girl is still a twelve year old girl after all, and despite her best efforts she soon exploded into tears.
       The misaligned face of the small girl suddenly softened in interest and surprise to see this girl suddenly break down into tears -- the two older girls simply looked on in surprise.   "What`s the matter, Natassia?" The small one asked.
       "But I`M Gerudo, and you`re all just going to let me die here?"
       All three girls stiffened in surprise.   Then they slowly looked at one another.   The stout girl raised an arm in fear, pointing directly at the sword that was on Natassia`s back.
       "OH NOOOOOO!" The youngest screamed.
       "NOW YOU`VE DONE IT, NICKY! YOU BROUGHT FLORA BACK!"
       And just like that, all three girls turned around and bolted away, the legs that Natassia had assumed were unfit for battle carrying them away at a frantic speed.
       Shocked, Natassia swallowed her remaining tears.   She had been so curious about that stupid story, and now those silly girls thought she was some ghost from a campfire story.   Those girls were her last chance to get some kind of information, and she had been silly enough to lose her good sense and scare them away.   Well, she was going to find out what they knew, even if she had to tackle them to find out.
       And so Natassia started to run down the pathway, confident that her legs would be more than fast enough for the soft Vasslar girls.   And she was correct, because after she rounded the first corner, she could see the three of them (the little one was very nearly falling behind) disappearing around another turn.   Natassia kept running as fast as her tired, sore legs could carry her, and when she turned that corner, she got an even better look of the three girls darting into a narrow crevasse just a handful of strides from where Natassia was.   She continued chasing, and though the thin crevasse was a tight fit, she managed to squeeze through in time to see the girls take another turn.   Natassia followed, took the turn, and as she rounded the corner, she stopped dead in her tracks.
       Looming before her, at the end of a long, wide, valley of stone, was a building.   Not a building in the Vasslar sense that their carefully dug out caves were buildings.   It was a huge house, larger by far than any single dwelling in Gerudo, that was made entirely of brick walls.   It reminded Natassia of stories of the Hyrule castle, with its tall spires, and its multitude of floors.   Natassia could see windows that were made of glass -- real, actual glass.   Natassia stared up at the building in awe, having never seen anything comparable in her life.   It was like staring directly into a dream.
       She had already forgotten all about the three girls when her inquisitive nature pulled her forward, demanding she get a better look at the fantastic structure.   It was at the end of the stone valley, a good two hundred yards from where she was standing, but besides that massive house Natassia could see no other "homes", nor even other turns leading back into the maze like network of mountain crevasses.   Just that home, standing like a monument, like the center of a small universe, urging Natassia closer.
       She started off walking, but soon her excitement urged her onward, like a carrot dangling in front of a horse, and she transitioned into a steady trot.   A few strides later the ache in her legs seemed to have vanished and the weariness in her body evaporated -- she threw herself into an outright run, racing towards the large home to see what it was.. why it was here.. and who could possibly be living in it.   She was running so hard, her attention was so focused, that she didn`t even hear the cry of "Look out!" somewhere to her left.   She was, in turn, also completely taken by surprise when she was tackled off her feet in mid-stride.
       Natassia`s fighting instincts kicked in almost immediately after she hit the earth.   She sprawled herself out completely, pressing her belly flat against the ground, and then she pushed against the surface with her hands in order to launch her back to her feet.   At least that`s what she tried to do, but there was a considerably weight on her back that caught her completely off guard.
       "GET OFF ME!" Natassia cried out in startled discovery.   She grabbed at the handle of her sword and tried desperately to free it, but the weight lying across her was also pinning her weapon to her back.
       "Are you crazy?   You can`t go over there, you`ll get eaten for sure!"
       The words seemed distant to Natassia, and she didn`t waste time trying to comprehend them.   Instead, she rolled over to one side slightly so she could take her weight off one of her arms, and then she used it to plant a shoulder in to the side of the head of the person who was lying on top of her.   The blow must have been sufficient, because Natassia felt her body liberated.   She leapt to her feet and whirled around, bringing her curved short sword out in one smooth, water-like motion. She held it in front of her in the defensive style she had been taught, half expecting to bat away an attacker.   Instead, she was faced with one of the girls she had been chasing who was rubbing her cheek vigorously, her eyes moistened halfway to tears.
       "What.. did you do that for?"   The girl whined, trying to hold back a sob.   "I was just trying ta help ya!"
       Natassia looked at the roundish girl that attacked her in surprise, and then noticed that she was almost crying herself.   She wasn`t about to show weakness in front of the Vasslar, however -- she took a deep breath in through her nose, sucking up the snot that was starting to build up.   "What were you doing?"   Natassia demanded.   "You`d have to be crazy or stupid to jump on a Gerudo like that."
       "I`m... I`m..." The girl`s eyes locked on to the drawn weapon Natassia was holding.   "Oh, spirits no, you aren`t going to..."
       Natassia seemed surprised to find the weapon in her hand herself.   She awkwardly resheathed it on to her back with little of the grace she had used when drawing it.   "No... of course not.   I wouldn`t.. I mean..."   Natassia sighed, noticed she was fumbling on her words, making a further buffoon of herself in front of this girl. She decided it was time to change the subject.   "What did you do that for?"
       "YOU WERE RUNNING STRAIGHT TO OLD WIDOW VARELA`S HOUSE!"
       The squarish sitting on her behind wiping away tears seemed incapable of answering, but Natassia`s question was still met with a reply, called out from someone further up the valley trail leading to the house.   Natassia shielded her eyes from the dwindling sun with one hand and tried to spot whoever was speaking.   In the distance, she could barely make out the form of two other girls -- one almost twice the height of the other.   Natassia immediately recognized them as the other two girls she had been chasing.
       "Old Widow Varela?"   Natassia said quietly.
       She had meant the comment only for herself, but the stout girl overheard her and mistook the statement as a direct question.   "Old Widow Varela never comes out of her house.   She just kidnaps Vasslar children... and eats `em.   You don`t want to go down there, miss Gerudo."
       Natassia looked down at the girl in puzzlement.   Were all Vasslar this odd?   But she seemed genuinely concerned.. and even if she had form tackled her   in a running sprint, Natassia`s mother had always told her to practice good manners.   So, for lack of a better reply, Natassia offered a hesitant, broken "Thank you."
       This seemed to calm the stout little girl, whose tears had evaporated.   Gaining bravery, she stood up and took a shy step closer to Natassia.   "You.. aren`t really Flora, are you?"
       Natassia sneered.   "No, of course not!   Do I look like a murderous flower girl to you?"
       The other girl averted her eyes from Natassia, as if though she wanted to avoid that question.   "But you`re really Gerudo?"
       "Yes."
       "Well.. umm... do you really need some place to stay tonight?"
       "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU`RE DOING, TASHA!" One of the girls in the distance cried out incredulously.   It must of been the older, taller one, since the younger one stiffened up so quickly that a stiff wind might have blown her over.
       Natassia glanced up at the other two girls, then back to the one in front of her.   "Yes... yes, I really do."
       "Then maybe.."
       "TASHA!" The scream came, more energized this time.
       "..I can talk with our mom and dad.   They`re real nice, and I bet they`d let you sleep.. and maybe even eat.. with us tonight."   She paused for a moment, then looked back to the sword strapped to Natassia`s back. "Even if you are Gerudo." She quickly added.
       Natassia could tell by the reaction this idea was getting from the other two girls in the distance that this might not go over well with everyone, and her pride, which sounded like River`s voice chiding her in the back of her head, seemed to be saying that she shouldn`t indebt herself to these Vasslar.   But she was hungry, and she was tired, and her throat and skin were so parched that she couldn`t find the resolve in her to deny such an offer.
       "Yes... I`d.. really appreciate that." She said, bowing slightly.

       It was Hyland`s hottest, driest summer in twenty seven years, so it was a good day to stay indoors, especially if you lived high in a mountain.   For Old WIdow Varela, though, it didn`t matter if it was hot enough outside to suck the air out of your mouth or cold enough to freeze your breath, she would do as she did every other day -- stay in her cozy, climate controlled home, the only amenity endowed house in all of   Vassla.   It was a strange metaphor for her life -- everything she wanted was inside, and there was nothing for her on the outside.   She couldn`t think of a better place to be than here, in her home, sitting in a cushy velvet chair, petting her cat, and staring at a sun bleached sky through a window that was worth enough to pay for another house.   Here she had comfort, food, and privacy.   Here, she was alone.   The quiet felt like silk.
       "Ms. Varela, how are you doing today?"
       Ms. Varela`s wrinkled, leather-like face curled into a smile as she turned to face Ana.   Well, she was almost alone.   Old Widow Varela could not stand the company of many people, but Ana was an exception.     When Varela`s old eyes looked on Ana, she saw all the properties of a perfect companion.   Her shy green eyes were patient, with none of the fire of Gerudos like her.   Her posture was meek, like she was afraid something might fall and startle her at any time, but it was the posture of a good listener.   And of course, who could forget her handicapped right leg, which had been cut off at the knee, and was now replaced with a crude, metal contraption that allowed her to walk, however gracelessly.   It was a sad disfigurement, yes, but it made the girl sympathetic and understanding of the plights of other people.   Particularly Old Widow Varela`s.
       And she knew how to cook too.   A definite bonus, since Varela`s cooking experience earlier in life basically amounted to setting dead animals over open fires.
       "I`m fine, dear."   Ms. Varela`s old raspy voice said.   She reached a hand over her shoulder and stroked Ana`s arm lovingly.   The corners of Ana`s mouth tightened a bit as a trace of a smile appeared on her petite, tan face, and for a moment Old Widow Varela fancied herself a grandmother consoling her granddaughter.   "Is something bothering you?"
       "No, Ms. Varela.   But you haven`t had any breakfast or lunch today, and it`s almost past suppertime.   Are you sure you don`t want me to make you something?"
       "No, dearie.   I`m just not hungry some days.   It`s nothing to worry your pretty little head over."   Ms. Varela gave Ana`s arm a little squeeze, and her smile broadened.   As meek as the girl acted, it was sometimes hard to believe that she was almost eighteen years old, but it was the unfortunate destiny of a Gerudo born too small, too weak.   The desert would have killed her long ago, if Ms. Varela wouldn`t have met her by chance and invited the girl into her towering home.   "Tell me, has that... young woman.. been here yet today."
       The change in conversation seemed to make Ana noticeably nervous.   "No.. ma`am.   She hasn`t come today, not yet at least."
       "Maybe she`s finally given up."   Ms. Varela said grumpily, but she knew that wasn`t the case.   The outrageous urban legends surrounding her home had done a good job of keeping intruders away in the past, but this persistent woman had visited every night for the past two weeks.   A grown Gerudo dressed in modern attire, constantly bothering her home, like a despicable fly trying to get in through a crack in the screen door.   The sun would soon be gone, but that woman seemed the type to bang her head against a brick wall until she bled to death.   A part of Old Widow Varela had to respect that kind of persistence, but for the most part she was simply annoyed by it.
       "If she comes tonight, do you want me to send her away again?"
       "Yes.. please."   At least Ana understood.   The girl was turning to walk away, but seeing her walk away spawned an urgent feeling in Varela`s stomach, like watching a sunset that you knew was going to be over soon.   "Ana?" She said it quietly, but the vast, empty halls over her home magnified the sound so that Ana had no trouble hearing it.
       "Yes, Ms. Varela?" Ana asked, looking over her shoulder.
       "On second though, could you make us a little tea?   I`ve been thinking of turning in early tonight, but I`d like a little spot before I turn in."
       Ana`s small, tight-lipped smile returned.   "Yes ma`am.   Would you like that brought to you?"
       "No, that`s okay, I`ll come to the kitchen and drink with you."
       Ana`s smile seemed elated, but she nodded her head evenly, with practiced calm.   "I`ll go ahead and get it ready then, Ms. Varela."
       Ms. Varela returned Ana`s smile and watched as the young girl turned and walked down the hall, which from where she was sitting seemed to go on forever.   Varela, still smiling, turned back to the window and looked at the dwindling sun one last time.   She could faintly see her reflection in the mirror.   The face of an elderly lady, skin made of sun kissed leather and hair a blinding white peppered with streaks of silver.   Everyone grows old, even the Gerudo, known throughout the Web of Worlds for being beautiful and brutal, the very stuff of youth.   The Gerudo were supposed to live hard and die young -- few would believe that a Gerudo would ever   be caught lounging in one chair, night after night, keeping a cat for company and drinking tea before turning in for an early night.
       But then, Varela told herself as she gently pushed the cat from her lap and struggled to her feet, no one could accuse her of not living a life worthy of the Gerudo.   But she had used her youth up long ago.

       Thirty minutes ago, Natassia had been chasing three other girls through the narrow, canyon like streets of the town of Vassla.   Now, she was walking back to their home with them.   Although at first the three girls seemed nervous, even the one named Tasha (who had invited Natassia in the first place), half hearted prejudice and superstitions soon succumbed to the power of youth-like innocence and curiosity.   In a matter of minutes, Natassia knew almost all there was to know about the three girls.  
       The stout one, Tasha, seemed the most eager of the bunch.   As the girls left the valley leading to Old Widow Varela`s home, Natassia was unable to get a word out of her mouth that wasn`t meant to answer a question Tasha asked.   Apparently the other girl had a romantic interest in the Gerudo akin to a little boy who wanted to be an astronaut or a fire fighter.   She wanted to know everything about Natassia, her sword, the older Gerudo, and the life of thieving and pillaging that the Gerudo practiced.   Natassia didn`t make it sound very wonderful, or at least she didn`t think she had, but Tasha ate it up like candy, staring with wide eyed wonder at Natassia`s sword when she wasn`t too busy making her mouth move with her incessant flapping.   When the girl finally stumbled on an obstacle in her endless marathon of questions, Tula leaned her mouth towards Natassia`s ear and explained that, at home, their mother was very concerned about Tasha`s behavior.
       Tula was, of course, the name of the tallest, oldest girl.   At fourteen years old, a year older than Tasha and a full three years older than the littlest, Winna, Tula was obviously obligated to take on the role of "leader" when it came to the girls.   Her attitude was not so different than some girls from Natassia`s own home: Tula believed she knew everything, or at least more than most girls her age, and she wanted as many people as possible aware of her uncommon wisdom.   She seemed constantly ready to add her opinion to any conversation, an opinion that she thought anyone would consider valuable, and she took any opportunity she could find to tell someone something she knew that they might not.
       And then there was Winna, the youngest, who still had a bad habit for letting her thumb slip into her mouth.   She was quiet and cautious, and far too gullible for her own good, but Natassia thought she liked Winna best.   Tasha became irritating, Tula overbearing, but Winna was always quiet, and though she seemed in awe of Natassia`s presence, she seemed more unafraid than not.   Besides that, her humored, eye-rolling responses to both Tula`s overstated facts and Tasha`s longwinded questions betrayed a wisdom in the girl that made her immediately more interesting than either of the other two girls.
       And so, by the time the quartet had made it to their home, a plain cave carved into a stone wall like all the others, they were already friends.   The juvenile conversation was enough to put Natassia at ease, so she could forget about her mother for a while and lose herself, if only temporarily, in the company of these other girls, so different from her and yet not very unlike her at all.   And so when Tula pushed aside the ornate carpet that served as a door to her home, Natassia felt less like a desperate traveller looking for somewhere to sleep for the night and more like a girl simply coming over for her friend`s slumber party.
       Natassia was surprised by her first look at the interior of the home.   Though the Gerudo were thieves, they were not lawless, and their homes reflected this.   The homes of Gerudo were half castle fortresses with walls made of wood, and half social communities, where one sister could look out for another.   Gerudo did not claim entire houses for themselves, and so the prospect of a home belonging to one "family", even if it was simply a hole dug out of a rock, was foreign to Natassia.   Gerudo homes were large and spacious to accommodate many people -- this home was small and cozy.   Gerudo homes were lit by strong-burning torches, with flames that danced with the intensity of the outcast race of the desert.   The Vasslar, the outcasts of the outcasts, lit their homes with nothing more than simple candlelight.   When her mother walked her through the Desert Colossus, Natassia could not imagine a place more quiet, more serene.   Confronted with this closed in, silent, almost holy home, Natassia couldn`t help but feel that her entire view of the world had shifted dramatically.
       Natassia watched absently as the other girls started to kick off the sturdy boots they wore, and just as she was beginning to wonder if she herself should take off her moccasins, she heard the distinctive "flap flap" of bare feet against stone from a dimly lit hallway adjacent to this entry way.   Natassia leaned over and peered down the hall just in time to see a massive, alien figure emerge from it.   She nearly screamed when she saw it, but the creature, a human like giant with fur around the lower half of its face and a massive stomach, seemed to look just as scared of Natassia as Natassia was of it.
       "G... Girls?" The creature`s deep, booming voice said.   "Who.. is this?"   The human looking monster seemed to be eyeing Natassia`s short sword like it was in her hand and she was waving it madly.
       Tasha seemed ecstatic to lurch forward and be the first to tell the story, but Tula, seeing as always her chance to impress all with her wisdom, beat her younger sister to the punch.   "Her name is Natassia.   She`s a Gerudo, and we were wondering if she could sleep here for the night."
       The creature`s eyes seemed to bulge until they were wide as teacups.   Natassia had no idea what this strangely sentient creature was, but the three girls seemed to trust it, and it seemed to be of some value to this household, so Natassia thought it best to quell its fears with some kind of gesture or remark.   She hoped maybe it knew Gerudo custom, so she bowed as gracefully as she could manage in her confusion and uttered "I am Natassia.   I come to you not as Gerudo, but as Natassia."
       Instead of being comforted by this, the large creature took a step back and looked into a different adjacent room, one that Natassia couldn`t see into.   "Ce.. Cecilia?   Could you come out here?"
       Natassia listened and heard the footfall of a new person approaching the room.   When the new figure appeared, Natassia felt somewhat comforted.   It was a woman, and though her middle was distorted by a bulbous curve that most women didn`t have, and her cheeks puffed out slightly with extra weight, Natassia could tell by her olive skin and bright red hair that this was a Vasslar, one who had been Gerudo at one time.   She looked surprised to see a Gerudo child standing in her entry way, so Natassia offered her greeting one last time so there was no risk of a misunderstanding.   "I am Natassia.   I come to you not as Gerudo, but as Natassia."
       "Girls?"   The woman said.   Her voice had a creamy, jaunty bounce to it, very unlike any voice Natassia had ever heard before.   "Would one of you mind explaining this to me?"
       Tula, of course, was the first to volunteer.   She started off from where they had mistaken Natassia as Flora the Flower Girl, carefully omitting any details about the mirror and their attempts to get Winna to summon up the ancient spirit.   Natassia looked back to Winna when Tula conveniently skipped that detail, but she merely stood by the back wall passively, her hand hanging from her mouth by the thumb.   The story wound to a close with Tasha`s brave rescue of Natassia from Widow Varela`s sinister clutches
       Their mother did not seem impressed, but she did smile slightly throughout Tula`s colorful explanation.   When the longwinded girl finally went quiet, the Vasslar woman stepped forward and knelt down in front of Natassia.   She had bells in her hair and attached to her anklets that tingled quietly with every step she took, and a sweet smell, like fresh bread, seemed to surround her.     She was the first Vasslar Natassia had encountered all day that had not been scared by the sight of her.   "And what`s your story, little one?" The woman asked.
       "I came here looking for my mother."
       A touch of concern became evident in the mother`s eyes.   "But why would she be here?"
       "I.. wasn`t supposed to know." Natassia said honestly.   She may   have been Vasslar, but in a way the woman was still Gerudo, and lying to other Gerudo adults was forbidden.   "Some man called her to the base of this mountain.   I didn`t know who it was, and she left without warning, and told me to stay at home, because I was a woman who could take care of herself."   Natassia tried to swell with pride at this last part, but her enthusiasm inflated like a leaking balloon.   "I... I was sure she`d be up here."
       "Don`t you trust your mother, little one?"
       "Well.. yes..."   Natassia said quietly.   "But... if I`m such a good young woman, why couldn`t she have told me what`s she`s doing?   I don`t like it.   I don`t even know when she`ll be back."
       "You came all this way yourself?"
       "Yes."
       The creature-human in the back, who Natassia had almost forgotten about, uttered that monosyllabic expression of amazement.   Natassia looked at the thing again, scrutinizing it as though she were seeing it for the first time once more.   Up this close, it really wasn`t that intimidating.
       "What`s that?" Natassia said, pointing at the creature.   Its cheeks immediately flushed with color.
       The girls` mother laughed melodically.   "That`s my husband.   That, little one, is a man."
       Natassia gasped with the revelation.   It occurred to her that even though she had been in a town with men for the better part of the afternoon, she seen very few people out and about on such a hot day, and none of them were men.   It cast the creature in a whole new light -- it was bigger than most any Gerudo, but he looked soft, like a luxurious cushion, and the hair that grew around his face was absolutely off-putting.   "Wow."   Natassia returned in kind.
       The one word brought laughter to the mother, who then stood up.   "Natassia, my name is Cecilia,   This is my husband, Stanley."   Cecilia playfully ran her fingers through Stan`s dark, thick, mop like hair.   "And I`m sure you know our three girls by   now."
       "So can she stay, mom?" Tasha, who had been energetically shifting her weight from foot to foot, asked.
       "I don`t see why not."
       The three girls exploded into a chorus of cheers.   Stan looked scared half way to tears, but he managed to put on a brave face and even smile a little.   Cecilia, like a proud, wise matriarch, seemed to stand at the center of it all, watching the reactions of her family with amusement.   When the three little girls finished their gleeful tirade, Cecilia knelt back down and put a hand on Natassia`s head, stroking her dirty hair softly.   Natassia would have normally been insulted to be touched in such a child like manner by a Vasslar, but something about the aura of Cecilia, her gentle touch and even the calluses on her fingers, reminded Natassia of her own mother.
       "You have to promise me one thing if you stay here though, Natassia."
       "What`s that, Cecilia?"
       "Tomorrow I need to take our horse and cart down the mountain road to get us new water and candles.   You have to come with me, so I can take you back to the base of the mountain.   And you need to go home."
       "But..."
       "Shhhh." Cecilia said, softly pressing a finger against Natassia`s lips.   "Your mother will come home.   I`m sure she will.   But imagine how sad she`ll be if you`re not there waiting for her."
       Natassia`s heart sank a bit.   She was still very curious about what exactly her mother was up to.   She wanted to help, if she could.   And she wanted to know who this Daniel was.   Natassia hated being without her mother -- she just didn`t seem to fit in with the rest of the Gerudo.
       Still, she had to admit, she was going nowhere fast in her search, and there didn`t seem to be any help to be found in this mountain settlement full of exiles.   Natassia indicated her agreement to Cecilia`s terms wordlessly, with a slight nod of her head.
       "Now... are you hungry, little one?"
       "Yes."   Natassia said, expending some effort in keeping herself from carrying on about just how hungry she was.
       "All right."   Cecilia stood back up.   "I had supper ready a while ago, but it`s getting cold.. probably because some girls of mine were a little late coming home today."   Cecilia looked over at her trio of daughters, and all of their eyes fell to the floor like there were weights tied to the ends of their eyelashes.   "It isn`t much, but I`m sure there`s enough for an extra person."
       And so Natassia had her first real meal in days, her first bath in weeks, and her first comfortable night`s sleep in what seemed to be forever, all thanks to Vasslar hospitality.

       "... and they call her the flower girl."
       "Let me get this straight."   Shannyn said after soaking in the last part of Crash`s story.   "We`re out here, freezing our asses off..." Shannyn shivered against and hugged herself for warmth, squeezing her knees to her chest.   The mercenaries must have thought she was quite the dimwitted psychic floozy, for assuming that the desert was always hot, even at night, and not bringing any warm clothes for her stay.   Let them think what they want.   "...and we`re here to catch what is essentially the ghost of a lost Gerudo woman who tried to get a night`s stay by peddling off a... a flower?"
       Crash grinned, looking down at Shannyn from where he was standing with that half-charming smile.   Shannyn had yet to see the man in anything resembling daylight, but though he came off as a bit rude at first, he was actually rather accommodating and seemed to enjoy chatting with Shannyn.   Even if it was just in a futile attempt to get in her pants, Shannyn couldn`t help but appreciate the distraction.
       "It`s really a classic story." Crash said.   He was leaning against a large piece of rock that was jutting from the ground and twirling a small butterfly knife around idly.   "I`d bet every dimension from here to the Fringe of the Fringe has some version of the story, something that the chilluns use to scare the shit out of each other when they`re roasting weiners around a fire.   They tell the same story in Tasnica, except it`s not a flower they`re selling, but a set of Xsian knives, so you can probably imagine where the dark color of that story comes in.     I think that`s part of why The Boss is so doubtful about there being any supernature in this stuff."   Crash suddenly stopped twirling.   "Of course, Boss don`t really believe in anything he can`t touch, feel, or spit on."
       "Yeah... I noticed."
       Crash seemed to notice the note of disdain from Shannyn.   He snickered half-heartedly.   "Look, about The Boss... I know he seems like a tough guy.. and he is.. but..."
       "...but what?"
       "Well, ya gotta know him.   He kinda hates this place.   This was the first job he had after his old lady screwed him over."
       "Screwed him over?"
       "Yeah.. fucking bitch."   Crash started twirling his knife again.   The moonlight reflected rhythmically off the polished sides of the disappearing, reappearing blade.   "They had a kid and all that.. and three days before he takes off for the job, she decides she`s had enough of being a Merc`s wife, grabs the kid, leaves without warning, and for no good reason runs the poor bastard`s credit card to its limit."
       Shannyn whistled, and Crash nodded energetically.   "Helluva girl, huh?   During the same mission, some whacked out Gerudo bitch nearly takes his arm off.. see him now?"
       Shannyn looked over to where "The Boss" was standing.   He was chatting with Blue, but the way he stood and composed himself -- his foot tapping rapidly, his mouth moving with strained difficulty -- it was obvious that he was apprehensive about something.   On Crash`s note, though, Shannyn took a better look at his two arms.   One was buried in the pocket of his jacket, its hand dragging it down like a weight.   But the other one, the left arm, hung like a sleeping creature at his side, dead to the world and oblivious to the body it belonged to.   Shannyn was surprised she had never noticed it before.
       "Wasn`t all that Gerudo did, either."   Crash continued.   "There used to be six of us in this unit, but the same woman cut down two of `em.   Boss says he never would have managed to kill that crazed Gerudo, either, but apparently she got distracted by... something.   I dunno.   It`s a long story, and The Boss doesn`t like to linger onit.   He was never the most sociable guy to begin with.   But I`ve been working with him since this unit first started up, and he only gets this grouchy when we come back here."
       As if to demonstrate The Boss, who had been at one moment standing still, tense but calm, suddenly screamed and expletive and then kicked a rock that had been lying at his feet.   "Where the hell is she?   Cowardly Gerudo bitch!" He demanded to the sky.   Blue`s eyes looked on The Boss with concern.   It was the first change in emotion Shannyn had noticed from that man.
       Crash whistled.   "He`s right though."   He added.   "She`s never been this late."
       "So sure it`s a she?"   Shannyn asked, arching an eyebrow.
       "Just so you know, I`m not exactly privy on the idea of ghosts, specters, and other things that go bump in the night.   I just don`t see the point of being as an ass about it."   Crash knelt over and offered a hand of assistance to Shannyn.   "Come on, let`s go see what the Boss wants to do."
       Shannyn took the hand tentatively and followed behind Crash as the two approached Boss.   Even though just moments ago he had lost his composure, he seemed to have regained it, and except for a single sweat of perspiration cutting a trail down his stone like face, it was impossible to tell he had lost his cool.   "What is it?"   He said shortly.
       "Just wondering what we were going to do, Boss."
       The Boss just grunted and looked to the moon, trying to discern the time.   "She`s never been this late.   She`s never even been close.   She must be scared of you finding her out, miss Hu."   His voice was positively dripping with sarcasm, so Shannyn didn`t see the point in replying.   Finally he just sighed and shook his head.   "Well, I`m sick of this bullshit.   I`m turning in.   You guys can do whatever you want.   You..."   The Boss brought his eyes down from the sky and stared at Shannyn levelly.   "You, miss Hu, can do whatever you want.   You should probably look for some ectoplasm or whatever it is you do.   But if you see an angry red haired woman with a bloody sword, you`d best run as fast as you can, which still won`t be fast enough."
       Shannyn`s reply was icy cold.   "You should really open yourself up to the possibility that this isn`t a Gerudo at all, Boss."
       The Boss`s eyes narrowed.   "I`ve been around here to know a Gerudo when I see one.   Brutal savages, the whole lot of them, and the bodies I`ve seen have been Gerudo work.   You give me solid evidence of a vengeful ghost, and maybe I`ll think about changing my mind."   The Boss snorted and then spat.   "I`m going to sleep."   Then he abruptly turned around and left without saying another word.
       "And so speaks The Boss."   Crash shrugged, trying to smile convincingly.   He failed.   "You should get some sleep too.   Not like we have to get up for anything, but after it heats up enough you aren`t going to be able to stay under covers."
       Crash left to join The Boss, then Blue, and then Oni (after he waved stupidly at Shannyn).   Shannyn stood there, now alone, staring after her "comrades."   She sighed and let her arms, which she had been hugging herself with, drop to her sides.   She thought about roaming around a little, of at least putting up the pretense of looking for evidence, but she decided against it.   Partly because she was certain there would be no evidence to find.

       Old Widow Varela was badgered out of her sleep by the sound of a muffled scream.   At first she thought it was her imagination, and yet just as sleep was seducing her back into its comforting embrace Varela heard the scream again.   A sense of urgency pulled Varela to a sitting position.   Her cat, who had been nestled comfortably across her legs, meowed a protest and then lazily sauntered to the edge of the bed, where she curled herself back into a ball.   Varela fetched her slippers from under the bed by using her big toe and, feeling the cold desert air that had begun to invade the mansion, she threw a thing blanket that was hanging over her headboard and wrapped it around her shoulders.   She walked to the doorway.   Her footsteps, rapping against the bare stone floor, echoed in the near empty room until they sounded like like handclaps.
       Varela was opening the door to the hallway when the scream came again, this time followed by a light "ting" sound across her window.   Startled, Varela whirled around, now worried for her own safety.   She crept to the window, half expecting a Gerudo to be on the other side, sword in hand, dangling from the rooftop by a rope.   The old widow`s eyes crept carefully around the window`s perimeter, looking for a limb or even a shadow.   Then there was another "ting" sound, and Varela managed to spot a small flash of light that bounced off the glass of the window, so small that Varela couldn`t have possibly spotted it were it not for her excellent vision at night.   More confused than ever now, but convinced there was no night stalker waiting for her outside, Varela unlatched her window and opened it.   Before she could lean over her sill to look below she felt a small pebble bounce across her forehead.
       "Who`s out there?" Varela shouted into the night.
       "Oh.. Hi, Ms. Varela!"   came a distant, surprisingly jubilant reply.
       Varela narrowed her eyes, seeking the barely visible ground below (her room was on the fifth floor) for her trespasser.   Even in the dim moonlight, though,   the invader was easy to spot -- her red hair, bright even by Gerudo standards, stood out in stark contrast with the rest of the neutral colors of the mountain.   Adding to that she was dressed in blue jeans and a oversized college sweatshirt, she would have stood out if she were surrounded by a million Gerudo or a million Vasslar.
       "You again, girl?"   Varela shouted, her voice saturated with venom.   "How dare you wake me up from my sleep!"
       "Ms. Varela, I really need to talk to you!"
       Varela was beside herself with rage.   This was the same girl who, like an annoying little gnat, had been trying to get into Varela`s house for the last two weeks.   "Get the hell out of here little girl!   I don`t have time for this!"
       "Please, Ms. Varela, it`s really import..."
       "I have armed guards here, missy, and I`m about this close to waking them up!"   After uttering this lie, Varela slammed her window shut so hard that, looking back, she would be surprised the glass didn`t shatter.   She dove back into her bed, kicked her slipper off, wrapped her blankets around herself two times, put a pillow over her head, and then tried to find the blissful sleep she had been enjoying earlier.   Though the girl outside didn`t make another sound, Varela still couldn`t seem to get back to sleep.

       Natassia woke up before everyone else, but hoping not to be rude she stayed where she had fallen asleep, curled up by the fireplace, until at least some one else was up.   About twenty minutes later Natassia heard Cecilia stir -- she had fallen asleep in a rickety rocking chair last night as she sat crocheting a sweater.   Natassia rolled over as soon as she heard Cecilia moved and watched as the woman woke up with silky smoothness, her eyes opening slowly, awake as though she were never asleep.   She stood up from her chair and beat the dust from her sturdy dress.   Then she looked down at Natassia and, noticing she was awake, smiled warmly.
       "Good morning, Natassia." She said.
       "Good morning."   The Gerudo girl repeated drowsily.
       "Do you know what time it is?"
       Natassia shook her head.   She couldn`t tell without looking at the sun.
       "Well..   I think I might have slept in."   Cecilia said, judging the amount of sunlight that was getting in through her "window."   "I`d actually like to leave soon.. maybe an hour or two.   Do you have anything you need to do to get ready?"
       Natassia shook her head.
       "Oh.   Well... I`m sure you want to say goodbye to the girls.   They usually don`t stay in bed long after I do."
       "Oh."   Natassia smiled and sat up, throwing her warm blankets off of herself.   "My legs are sore.   I think I`m going to go out and walk for a while.   Maybe a jog."
       Cecilia smiled.   "Okay then, little one.   But don`t take too long."
       Natassia nodded and reached for her sword, strapping it again to her backside.   Natassia wondered if Cecilia might be offended by her own insistance to always carry her weapon around, but she only took her weapon off her person when she was bathing or sleeping, and even then she kept it close by.   But then, Cecilia had to have been Gerudo at one time, so she should understand.   Natassia gave the kind Vasslar one last good-bye wave and then darted outside.
       Walking down the makeshift streets of Vassla, Natassia was surprised at the amount of activity the town held compared to yesterday.   It was no surprise that the residents might want to get their things done in the morning, while it was still cool, as opposed to later in the day.   Throughout the streets, there were collections and clusters of woman with little girls, and even the occasional man.   As Natassia wandered the streets, these were the creatures she watched with the most delight.   Though eyes locked on to her as she roamed, her eyes delved with even more curiosity at this strange breed called males.   There hair was not always red, in fact it rarely was.   They ranged in size from little and skinny to absolutely huge, larger than any Gerudo Natassia had ever seen.   And while all Gerudo had skin tones running the gamut from olive to tan, the men of the town of Vassla could be as pale as bone or as dark as dried blood.   Natassia felt like she had stepped straight into a campfire story.
       "Hey.. you.. kid."
       It was a low, gravelly voice, the distinct tone of a man, and at first Natassia thought it was a father trying to get her child`s attention.   The man called out again, however, and the tone seemed to be reserved for a stranger, and the direction was pointed at Natassia alone.   The Gerudo girl finally turned around to see what man could possibly want her attention.   Who she spotted was a large, stony looking man that reminded Natassia of some of Gerudo`s greatest warriors, the ones who seemed to exist as their own, the ones who seemed unreachable.   His hair was cut short, so short Natassia could see his scalp, and his arms and legs were as thick as rocks.   He was dressed in neat apparel, clothing Natassia had never seen before.   Just over his left breast was a name plate that read in bold, gilded letters, "Boss."   He was leaning against a crevasse wall, smoking a cigarette and watching Natassia.
       "What`s your name, kid?"
       Natassia looked to the main uncertainly.   "N.. Natassia."
       "You Gerudo?"
       "Yessir." Natassia said.
       The lit cigarette that was hanging limply in his mouth danced as he spoke.   "Huh.. how the hell did you get in here girl?   DIdn`t think they let Gerudo come through the front door."
       "I made an oath on the son I may one day have."
       The man grunted.   "Pathetic.   And these idiots believed you?"
       "Y.. yessir."   Natassia felt heat coming from the man`s eyes.   He suddenly felt very uncomfortable.
       "So, you`re Gerudo, kid.   That means you`ve got a pretty bright future ahead of you.   What, with the stealing and killing.   I bet you can`t wait to grow up."
       Natassia`s nerves bristled, and she felt like she had cold water poured all over her.   "We are honorable thieves.   We do not take life unnecessarily."
       "Tell yourself that all you want, kid.   There`s nothing honorable in what you`re going to be doing."
       "I..."   Natassia`s fists clenched.   She was not used to this kind of confrontation.   In Gerudo, she and her mother were considered too soft, too forgiving.   Never had Natassia been accused of being too brutal or cruel.   "We are not evil.   My mom.. my mom is gonna bring back the arts of the Gerudo, and the worship of the spirits.   We only steal to survive." Natassia looked up at her verbal assailant and his unconvinced eyes.   "We`re going to worship again.. mom`s gonna do it, and I`m going to help!   I promised!"
       To this, the man barked a laugh to the sky.   "Your mother is going to turn your entire miserable desert race back into a cult of rug weavers and glass blowers, huh?   If I`m not mistaken, most of you ladies who try that out end up on this lovely mountain here, don`t you?"
       "No."   Natassia shook her head.   "These are the people who have cast aside the spirits, who have..."
       "Stupid kid."   Boss tossed his lit cigarette at Natassia`s feet with his left hand.   She stepped back from it, startled.   "You, just like women, only have the capacity for evil.   Write it off however you will, you steal because it satisfies you.   And if you don`t believe me, look at yourself again in ten or twenty years and ask yourself how `honorable` you`re being, how `good`."   Boss turned around and waved.   "I think you`ll be surprised."
       Natassia`s mouth worked to find words to retort with, or even hurtful words to relieve the sting that was resonating through her heart, but before she could cry anything she heard her name cried again, this time by a chorus of high-pitched voices.   Natassia looked over her shoulder and spotted Tasha, Tula, and Winna all jumping around excitedly, beckoning their one and only Gerudo friend back to their home.   When Natassia turned forward again to find Boss, to get in one last word, he was already gone.
       Feeling defeated, and suspecting that because of that brief encounter her entire day was probably shot, Natassia returned to her friends, trying half-heartedly to manage a smile.

       It was a near sleepless night for Shannyn Hu.
       By the time she got back to the cave-home where she was supposed to be sleeping the four mercenaries were all in various states of slumber.   To make matters worse, she had been designated as the one to sleep with the lumbering Oni, who it turned out snored like a freight train and smelled like a pig sty.   Shannyn figured she looked like hell when she woke up the next morning, and if Crash`s reaction when she wandered out of the cave and into the sunlight was any indication, she was right.   Even Blue, who was standing in that lazy, indifferent way of his raised an eyebrow when he saw Shannyn`s terribly disfigured mop of black hair, dangling in front of her face to frame her eyes and the bags underneath them.
       "Tough night, love?"
       "Shut up." Shannyn said grouchily.   "Was it some kind of joke to pair me up with Oni?"
       Crash snickered.   "Sorry about that.   Meant no malice by it.   To be honest, we didn`t even think of it.. we`ve been working with him so long we`ve learned to tune him out.. and his smell.   But enough of that.   We`ve got some bad news."
       "Bad news?"   Shannyn asked, trying futiley to straighten her hair with her fingers.
       "The `flower girl` struck last night."
       Shannyn`s fingers stopped midway through her hair. "Come... again?"
       "She struck all right.   And I think she knows we`re looking for her.   That, or this is one hell of a coincidence."
       Shannyn was just beginning to ask where the victim was, but before she could Blue suddenly moved, raising an arm gracefully and pointing one slender finger towards the middle of the street, behind Crash.   Shannyn hoisted herself up on her tip toes to get a look behind Crash`s shoulder and gasped in surprise at what was revealed: a dead woman, her body sliced diagonally from the shoulder to below the chest.
       "My Gods, someone should clean that up..."  
       Crash shrugged.   "We`re used to it.   And it looks like the Vasslar are used to it too.   Hope it`s not stepping all over your.. female sensibilities."   He smiled when he said it.   He looked absolutely smarmy.
       Shannyn grunted.   "Where`s The Boss?"
       "Smoke break.   He was pretty pissed when he got up.   You care to look at the body, beautiful?   To see if it was really a sword, and not a vorpal blade."
       "Shut up." Shannyn said shortly, and pushed her way past Crash so she could walk towards the body.   She was half way to it when suddenly The Boss, with Oni close to his shoulder, stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
       "What are you doing?"   Shannyn demanded angrily.   "I thought you wanted me to do some investigating."
       "You won`t need to."   He said roughly.   Then he looked over to Blue and Crash.   "Hey, guys, get over here."
       The other two mercs obeyed, and soon all five of them were standing in a little oblong circle.   The Boss drove his good arm into his front pants pocket and took a deep breath.   "Our Gerudo ghost slipped up."
       "Really?"   Blue said.   It was the first word Shannyn had heard the blue haired man say.   His voice was absolutely dry, like paper tearing.
       "Really."   The Boss said confidently.   He then reached his right arm forward and opened it, palm facing up, to reveal a beautiful flower.   It was a dark, dark shade of midnight blue, the kind of blue Shannyn didn`t think she had seen in a long time, a blue she was willing to bet that some people in this town had never seen before.
       "A flower."   Shannyn whispered.
       "Very observant, detective."   The Boss said sarcastically.   "But look closer."
       Shannyn narrowed her eyes, discriminating the details of the velvet like flower.     There was the color of dark red on the end of one of the petals, and looking   at the palm of The Boss`s hand, she could see the powdery remnants of dark blood."
       "Yes, it belonged to the killer."   Shannyn discerned.   "But how does that help you identify the killer."
       "She got sloppy."   The Boss said.   "It wasn`t a clean kill.   It got messy, and it wound up on the streets.   I wouldn`t be surprised if that woman was sleeping in her home when the killer arrived and tried to get away. And since she was messy..."   The Boss stood to one side and pointed at a small dark spot on the red, rock floor of the streets.   It was a discrete spot, one that wasn`t worth a second look to all but the most obsessive of passer-byes.   And yet there was a trail of droplets leading away from the body and towards the exit of town.
       "A trail of blood.   Leading right down the mountain road."   Blue smiled.   "Shall I, Boss?"
       "Do your thing, Blue."
       The mercenary nodded and started walking away.   Everyone turned, obviously ready to follow.   Except for Shannyn.
       "What`s the meaning of this?"   Shannyn asked, incredulous.   "You really think that trail of blood is going to lead you to the killer?"
       "Blue is an expert tracker."   The Boss said, as if he were explaining that water is wet.
       "But that trail couldn`t go on for more than a kilometer."
       "Blue will find her."   Looking at the smile on his face was like looking at a brick wall two feet from you windshield.   "Don`t worry, Blue will find her."

       It was a near sleepless night for Old Widow Varela.
       Though the persistent visiting girl disappeared after Varela`s first threat, she couldn`t lull herself back to sleep afterwards.   All her life Varela had been unable to sleep in too late, and so her internal alarm clock had forced her from her bed, even though she argued passively to stay in it.   Mumbling a series of curses, Varela left her barren room, walked down three equally barren flights of stairs, and followed one empty hallway, lined on both sides by huge, empty rooms that she had never used, until she reached the kitchen.   Varela had chosen that particular room as the kitchen because it was tiny -- with the old fashioned stove, table, chairs and ice box, there was only enough room left for two people.   And on most mornings that was Varela herself and then Ana, who was already there preparing a breakfast for Varela, who arrived in the kitchen at the same time every morning like clockwork.
       "How are you doing this morning, Ms. Varela?" The girl asked in her quiet, timid voice.
       "Oh, just fine."   Varela lied.   There was a glass of tea, slightly warm but not hot, waiting for her on the table, just like every morning.   Varela took a sip of it, thankful for the small jolt of energy it seemed to give her, and made herself comfortable on one of the padded wooden chairs surrounding the simple table.   "Our little friend visited again last night though."
       Ana gasped loudly and quickly turned from the stove to look at her mistress.   The very look on her face seemed to say that she took the fact that someone had approached the building, and that she had done nothing about it, was a personal injury.   "Ms. Varela, I`m so sorry!   I promise I will stay up tonight and keep an eye out for her! I won`t let her.."
       "Ana, Ana, calm down."   Varela said soothingly, letting a little humor slip into her voice. Ana was, quite simply, too protective at times.   "I scared her away with a little idle talk of armed guards.   Maybe a threat was all it took to scare her off, because she left almost immediately.   Maybe we`ll never see or hear of her again."
       "Don`t bet on it."
       Varela dropped her tea cup, which shattered against the stone table, when she heard the voice.   It was a voice that was neither Varela`s nor Ana`s, and theirs were the only voices which had been heard in this mansion for years upon years.   Varela looked in horror from where the voice came, the half open kitchen cupboard in the corner.   The door was opening now, creaking noisily on its hinges, revealing the person it hid inside: a Gerudo, with short, bright red hair, dressed in a pair of jeans and a hooded college sweatshirt.
       "You!" Varela growled. Despite her age, she could put an awful lot of violence in the tone of her voice.   "What are you doing here?"
       The girl seemed threatened, but perhaps seeing she had crossed the point of no return when she showed up in a closet she hadn`t been invited into, she tried her best not to sound scared or threatening.   "Now.. Ms. Varela, I know you`re a little peeved right now... but I really need to..."
       Old Widow Varela heard the telltale click of Ana`s artificial leg, and before she could stop the child, she had grabbed a menacingly looking knife that she had earlier been using to chop onions and lurched at the woman in the cupboard.   The woman`s eyes lit up in alarm, and all that saved her from a knife in the chest was the closet door.
       "HOW DARE YOU ENTER OUR HOME!"   Ana roared, every last vestige of modesty and frailty vanishing in an instant.   Even though the woman on the other side of the door had two good legs and was a good foot taller than the young Ana, she had none of the killer instincts of a Gerudo, and though Ana was one no longer, she had grown up with the cruel mistress desert before she came to Varela.   There was no question of who win this battle.
       "Ana.. calm down."   Varela warned, though her voice strained with the effort.
       "Ms. Varela, please, I really really need to talk with you." The woman said rapidly, her eyes staring intently on the part of the knife that made its way through the door.   "I`m sorry I snuck in, but.."
       Ana screamed again and pulled the knife loose from the door.   The woman made some indistinguishable sound of panic and ran away from the door.   She was faster than Ana and her machine leg, but not by much.   Soon, the two faced each other from opposite sides of the table, like a classic cartoon, with Ana close to the door and thus Varela, and Ana, growling like a caged beast, on the other.
       "I suggest you run, young woman, back out whatever sneaky entrance you used to come in."   Varela suggested coldly from her seat.   She was mere inches away from her intrude.
       "Please, Ms. Varela!"   The woman pleaded again, though her eyes were locked on her would-be assassin on the other side of the table.   "I really need to speak with you, it`s about my mother."
       "And what would I know about your mother, child?" Varela said evenly.   "I haven`t been with the Gerudo for over forty years, and I knew of very few people after that."
       "I know that, that`s why.."
       "I don`t know who you are child, now get out."   Varela was half tempted to poke the woman with the spoon that was in her now shattered tea cup.
       "Please, I know you know her, you just have to!   Her name was River Aurora..."
       Varela felt a chill run up her spine.   Had she another cup of tea in her hand, she would have dropped that one too.
       Ana growled and lunged across the table for their morning visitor, raising her knife for the killing, or maybe just the maiming, blow.   Varela, feeling a sudden urgency, screamed a simple command to stop.   Ana`s reaction to the order was almost instantaneous, which was a relief, since the kitchen knife she was holding stopped dead in the air, its tip touching lightly on the letters of the sweater on the young woman, who looked like she was about to faint.
       "Ana."
       "Yes, ma`am."
       "Get me my outside clothes."
       Ana`s hand trembled a bit, but she did not question her mistress.   "Yes, Ms. Varela." She said humbly, and without another word left.
       Varela turned to look at the young woman.   "Very well, daughter of River.   We will go for a little walk.   But you`d better not disappoint me."

       Natassia was surprised by how sentimental she felt as she watched the rocky town of Vassla disappear into the distance.   Saying goodbye to the three girls, who she had only known for one night, was almost heartbreaking.   Tula was certain to advice Natassia on exactly how long the trip down the mountain would be, and what landmarks to look for.   Tasha begged to hold Natassia sword, a request that Natassia granted (though Tasha, unfortunately, didn`t get to so much as swing the weapon because of the protests of her mother).   Winna simply stood back quietly, watching everything with her childlike wisdom.   When Natassia said goodbye to her, the little one offered a handshake with her tiny hand.   Natassia shook it, smiling.   She felt the slick feel of spit on the girl`s thumb, as it was her favorite sucking thumb, but Natassia didn`t mind.   She felt overwhelmingly charmed by all of it.
       And so it wasn`t without a little remorse that she left Vassla.   She hated to admit it, but she actually grew a little fond of the people there, and she saw in it some promise of her mother`s mission.   Here were people who had returned to the simper, non criminal acts of life for the well being.   They did not steal, and their home was even harsher than that of the Gerudo, and yet they got by.
       Natassia nested herself in the trailer of the horse drawn carriage, surrounded by the rugs, pots, clothing, and other homemade things that Cecilia and her husband had crafted themselves, ranging from the practical to the unforgivingly beautiful.   These were the things that Cecilia would sell, and that money would be used to buy water, food, and whatever else it was her family needed.   It was a long trip from the town on the top of a desert mountain to the nearest town, but the crafts of the Vasslar were popular and oft requested, and they fetched a good price.
       The mountain was relatively tall, and it had taken days for Natassia to mount going straight up.   Cecilia`s horse lead wagon had to tread a harsh mountain road, and Natassia was certain it would take even longer, but so long as she wasn`t actually walking she didn`t mind -- here was the chance to sit back and relax, to let the gentle rocking of the horse drawn carriage carry her down the mountain.
       Sometimes Natassia would pass the time by watching the horses, which were funny beasts with too much hair on their manes and hooves, not at all like the sleek, tall mounts that the Gerudo rode upon.   Cecilia told her their names, and they were all childish, stupid names.   Cecilia told Natassia that the girls had named the horses, and Natassia in turned nearly had a heart attack.   A horse was meant to be a part of a Gerudo, a friend and comrade.   A Gerudo wasn`t given a horse until they were old enough to go on raids, and on that day a Gerudo had to name her horse.   It should be a strong name, something that inspired courage and fear both.   Not `Fluffy` or `Popcorn.`
       And that was Natassia`s favorite way to pass the time: Talking with Cecilia.   She had grown enchanted with this mother like figure who seemed so friendly and soft.   She shared stories of the three girls, of their mischief and exploits, and Natassia laughed at each one.   Natassia even managed to get the real story of Widow Varela from her.   Apparently Varela was just a Gerudo who fell madly in love with a very rich man.   He didn`t want to give up the amenities of modern life, she didn`t want to give up her heritage and leave the desert, so they compromised by building the biggest house in Vassla, and technically the only house in Vassla.   When the old man passed off, Varela absolutely cut herself off from the rest of the town, and of course few things make for as good a story as an old woman in a house that`s too big who barks at children when they come too close to her sandy yard.   Natassia thought it was a cute story, but that Varela was being too mean, and she said so.   Cecilia just kind of shrugged.
       Cecilia had plenty of other stories like that.   She told Natassia how to crochet, how people played cards (she even let her try klondike with a deck of cards she had with her, though Natassia couldn`t get them to lay straight so she ended up just looking at the pictures painted on them.   She even tried to convince Natassia that men weren`t really "all that bad" by telling Natassia the story of how she and her husband, Stanley, met.   As far as romances go, it was really quite tame, but Natassia had never heard a single word from the genre, so she sat enraptured by the tale, hanging on every word with a focus quite unlike she had shown anything in her entire life.   When it came to a close, Natassia collapsed into the trailer, on a pile of soft, hand woven blankets, and tried to imagine Cecilia as a beautiful, ferocious young Gerudo, having her heart stolen from her by a clumsy soldier she tried to kill.
       The time passed so smoothly, in fact, that Cecillia didn`t even notice the sun creep up the sky, to its very height, and then past the zenith.   It was well into the afternoon when Cecilia drew the horses to a stop, citing that they needed some rest.   Natassia agreed and leapt from the trailer so she could walk around and give her legs a good stretch.   The rocking of the trailer was relaxing, but the solid ground felt absolutely magical beneath her feet.   She asked Cecilia for a drink, and she offered a flask, which Natassia took gladly.   The water was warm, just the way she was used to it.   When Natassia was done, she wiped her mouth off with her arm and turned to give the flask back to Cecilia.   But Cecilia was gone.   Looking immediately around her Natassia could find no one.   There were no cliffs, no where Cecilia could really disappear to, except further down the path.
       "Cecilia!" Natassia called out as she ran down the stony road.   She hadn`t run very far when she heard the soft taps of feet on stone to her right.   Natassia turned and saw Cecilia, creeping with the utmost care, down a rather steep slope.   "Cecilia!" Natassia cried again, trying to get her attention.
       The woman turned around, a pained, frightened look on her face, and pressed a finger against her lips.   "Hush, little one, can you hear that?"
       At first, Natassia heard nothing.   Then she focused.   Distantly, so minute it could have been mistaken for whistling wind, was the sound of metal hitting metal.   At first it reminded Natassia of the forge in the Gerudo camp where the steel of her people was created, but then she noticed the pace was much different, the strokes much lighter.   There was a frenzied timing to them, a kind of back and forth sound that reminded Natassia of tales of battles and raids.
       "A battle?"   Natassia said quietly.   "Here?"
       Cecilia nodded.   "You stay here, little one.   I`ll see if anyone needs help."
       "No!"   Natassia called out.   She rushed forward and grabbed Cecilia by her sleeve, but the older woman merely shook her head.
       "I`m sorry, Natassia, but you can`t come.   What if it`s a fight between Gerudo and Vasslar.   What will you do?"
       "I..."   Natassia hadn`t even thought of that, but when posed the question, she knew what she would do.   She would draw her weapon and fight alongside her sisters, alongside the Gerudo.   She would fight against Cecilia.   "Then.. you can`t go either!"   Natassia demanded.
       "I have to go, little one.   You don`t.   You have to find   your mother.   Go wait by the horses.   Hopefully it`s nothing and I`ll be right back.   If I`m not back in a half hour..."
       "...noooooo..." Natassia whined.
       "If I`m not back in half an hour, you go without me.   Leave the horses behind -- it will help any search parties find what happened to me..."
       Natassia shook her head, disbelieving.   This was all in accordance to Gerudo law.   You could never leave your sisters behind.   Likewise, you could never throw a child into battle.   But Cecilia had thrown away Gerudo law before, why couldn`t she do it now?   Natassia couldn`t understand.
       "..Cecilia.."   Natassia whined again, unable to think of any better argument.
       But Cecilia said nothing more.   She pulled her sleeve free from Natassia`s tiny grasp and continued down the mountain slope.   Natassia, powerless against her customs, simply watched her.   She watched her scale it to the bottom, and watched her disappear from sight around a corner.   She did, however, refuse to go back to the horses.   Instead, she squatted on to her behind on a crag, staring at the slope`s bottom with a mixture of feelings.   She felt fear, and the desire to see her mother again, as well as ancient Gerudo custom.   All of these things were pulling at her by the neck, like a leash, trying to drag her back up the mountain and back to the horses.
       And then there was something different.   Something she had only newly discovered.   An appreciation for that kindly woman named Cecilia, that woman who was too fat to fight anymore.   And she thought about how the Vasslar had broken Gerudo rules, and how the spirits did not come down to smite them.   And she thought of her mother, the woman she wanted to see again so much, who had declared outright that she would bend some of those very ancient Gerudo laws so that the Gerudo would live an honest life again, so that they wouldn`t have to send their daughters and sisters across the border to kill and steal.   And while she pondered these two conflicting sets of feelings, the furious sounds of metal striking metal continued.
       Sense and honor told Natassia to go back to the horses.   But it was a passion and understanding that eventually won Natassia`s heart, that forced her to brave that first step down the slope.   The rest came easily -- Natassia wouldn`t leave Cecilia behind.

       The trail that Blue followed lead to a dark cave.   Unlike the homes of the Vasslar, carefully dug out of the sides of mountain crevasses, this was a cave of nature, cut into the rock over hundreds of thousands of years by heavy winds and rare, trickling rain water.   The darkness was nearly smothering, but Shannyn`s night eyes were as sharp as ever and she had few troubles navigating.   The four mercenaries were not quite so fortunate, but luckly Crash brought along a flare stick that, when activated, radiated a perfect sphere of white light.
       "Sure this won`t give you away to your killer?"   Shannyn asked tersely.
       "I think we all know that this killer isn`t exactly supernatural anymore."   Crash said.   "If you want to take off, love, you`re more than welcome to.   We should be able to handle it from here."
       "Oh, don`t be too sure about that."   Shannyn said.
       Crush looked back at Shannyn doubtfully, but she must have looked determined enough, because he continued walking after a moment or two.
       The five of them continued their trek through the darkness.   It was a wild goose chase, Shannyn knew it.     They thought they were going to waltz right in here and kill some vengeful, maniacal Gerudo woman.     But that wasn`t the way it was going to go.
       It started with Oni.   The silent tank of a man, despite his huge legs, was a slow walker, and so he was always a few steps behind the rest of the group.   Shannyn knew he wasn`t too far behind, because his smell preceded him by at least ten steps.   But the mercenaries, despite all their training, did not know how to watch their backs, which was unfortunate, or they might have seen the first kill.
       "What was that?"   Blue said.
       Shannyn, as well as the three mercenaries, had heard it: the sound of something falling on the cavern floor, like a large sack of sand.   A dead, limp weight.   Crash turned around and stepped back into the cavern a few paces, holding his light flare high above his head.   The light revealed the huge, lumbering figure of Oni sprawled across the floor, his head propped up against the cavern wall.   Blood was dribbling like a river out of his ear, and his eyes were already staring forward with the look of the dead, frighteningly similar to the dumbfounded look Oni usually had in his eyes.
       "What.. the fuck.." Crash muttered.
       "Arms out."   The Boss ordered calmly, pulling his own weapon, an ancient looking dart gun, out with his right hand.   Crash likewise used his free hand to pull a gun loose from its holster at his side.   One of Blue`s hands started to glow softly with a yellow hue, announcing his weapon, effectively, as mana.
       Crash stepped in front of Shannyn.   "Stay close... love."   His voice had none of its usual confidence.
       The Boss started to give more orders.   "Blue, you face rear.   Crash, lead the way."   The Boss cocked his weapon.   "I`m just going to shoot anything that moves."

       The cave was dark, darker than any place Natassia had been in her entire life.   She could see well in the dark, thankfully, but even her unusually good night vision wasn`t enough to trek the halls without incidence.   She wondered distantly how the out of shape Cecilia had managed this cavern, but she probably progressed in the same manner that Natassia herself was -- by following the sounds of steel, the sounds of battle.
       Natassia continued following those sounds, tracing her path by carefully feeling each step with her foot, and each bend and turn with her hands.   Slowly, her vision seemed to improve, and at first she thought it was merely her eyes adjusting, but as she continued slowly through the cave she thought she could see very indistinct traces of light coming from somewhere.   Now following the light and the sounds, she moved faster, until the light was no longer a subtle gradient but instead the ambience of lit torches hanging on the walls.   Spurred on, Natassia broke out into a run, the stealthy run she had been taught as a Gerudo.   When she had almost reached the edge of the light, she heard the faint sound of someone slowly approaching, and brought her feet to a stop.
       She waited, paralyzed by fear, hoping the cloak of darkness was drawn tightly around her.   She wondered what she would do if a Vasslar appeared.   She wondered what she would do if a Gerudo appeared.   But the fears her young mind had not even imagined were realized when around the corner came, injured and stumbling, Cecilia.   She walked slowly, leaning against the side of the cavern wall for support.   One of her legs was bent the wrong way and was following behind her like a tail, while half of her face looked like bloody, skinless meat.
       "Cecilia!"   Natassia cried out.
       Cecilia`s face looked up with effort, and her remaining eye opened in horror.   She tried to say something, but with only just a corner of her mouth to work with the words didn`t seem willing to form.   Natassia started into the light, concern overwhelming all else, but she froze again when a second, massive shape appeared from the same corridor Cecilia had.   It was a man, the largest man Natassia had seen yet, and he wreaked of death.   He had a stupid smile on his face, and his eyes looked upon Cecilia`s broken body like a child who had found a toy.   In his right hand was a wicked mace, as crude in its design as it was in its application.   The man`s grin broadened as he raised the weapon and unceremoniously slammed it down across what was left of Cecilia`s head.
       Natassia was sure she screamed, but even if she had, the lumbering giant didn`t seem to notice.   Instead, the idiot looked down the two choices of paths he had and, instead of following the path Natassia was hiding in, he retreated back down the same corridor he had come.
       Natassia screamed Cecilia`s name and ran to her side.   The Gerudo girl knew that her friend was dead -- there was nothing left that could even be recognized.   She felt numb all over.   She knew she should cry, but she just couldn`t seem to manage it.   A part of her was still trying to figure out what had just happened.   Gerudo as she was, it was the first time she had seen someone die.   She suddenly felt like the smallest person in the world.
       "..Natassia.."
       That voice, coming from the darkness, felt like warmth to Natassia.   Like being in the arms of the one person in the universe that really cared for her, like being wrapped safely in the wings of an angel.
       "M.. mom?"
       She stepped into the torchlight like a savior, like a battered angel.   Red blood stood out in contrast across her bare shoulders, midsection, and the veil over   her face.   Her dark red hair was collected in a ponytail behind her head, and her green, slanted eyes stared at Natassia in disbelief.   She was dressed for battle, and she smelled of violence. "Natassia.. what are you doing here?"
       "I.. I came to find you."   The tears started now, and Natassia began to explain herself, but her words became mangled by her sobs.
       "Natassia...   shhhh..."   Natassia felt herself picked up by her mother`s strong arms, felt a kind hair stroking her hair, heard her mother whisper into her ear.   The effect was almost immediate: Natassia felt calm.   "I don`t know what you`re doing here, honey, but it`s dangerous.   It`s very, very dangerous, and you never should have come.   Can you find your way out?"
       "No."
       "Then..."   Natassia felt her legs back on the ground, and for the first time she noticed her eyes were closed tightly. She opened them now and looked at her mother again.   She had never seen her mother looking so apprehensive.   "Follow me, honey.   Take my hand, and don`t let go."
       Natassia slipped her hand into her mother`s and was taken by surprise when her mother started to run.   Natassia had to pump her notably smaller legs as hard as she could to keep up, and her mother was going so fast through the corridors, and taking turns so quickly, that Natassia was half certain she would end up diving over a cliff or running into a wall.   But she put her complete faith into her mother, and did her best to keep up and eventually, eventually they came to a stop.
       "Daniel." Natassia heard her mother say evenly.
       Across the room, a man, who was tightening tourniquet on another individual lying across the floor looked up at Natassia`s mother.   He was the most pleasant man that Natassia could remember seeing yet, with dirt blonde hair, blue eyes, and a handsome white uniform with gold trim. "Yes, Maru?"
       There was a short, nearly undetectable pause.   "This is Natassia."
       Daniel looked absolutely stunned when his eyes fell upon Natassia.   "You don`t mean..."
       "Yes."
       Daniel spared one last glance at the injured man, who didn`t even look conscious, before crawling to where Natassia stood with her mother.   "Hi... Natassia.   I`ve heard all about you."
       "Keep an eye on her."
       "But.. how did she get here."
       "She`ll explain later."   Natassia`s mother said, turning back towards the corridor.
       "No.. mom.. don`t go."
       "I`ll be right back, honey."   Somehow she didn`t sound convincing.   "Talk with Daniel while I get back.   He`s been.. meaning to meet you."
       And just like that, she was gone again.   Natassia had never felt so afraid in her life.