Link woke up screaming at Len's cove again. He looked around, but the centurion was lost gone. Link fell into the water and struggled to get out. He climbed out of the water and collapsed.

"I lost?" Link muttered. Somehow he expected this, but the thought only made him grin. The thought of the centurion holding him back made him focused and angry, and the two combined to present to him a short-term objective, one that was more within his reach. Link had dreams for the far future, and now he knew what his next step was.

He would overcome the centurion. Then he would leave this place.

Link was briefly tended to by Len, who chastised him for his stupidity and foolishness. Link could only apologize for worrying her and take it. In a way the chastisement made him happy, he remembered the other boys in his village would be berated by their mothers and it reminded him of that.

"I promise, I will be more careful the next time I fight him." Link said.

"There won't be a next time! Just leave! Leave this place and return to your home!"

"No," Link replied. "I swore on my honor I would serve him, and I will not go back on my word. However, that doesn't keep me from continuing to challenge him."

Link left after being berated yet again, and made his way to the warrior cave. Immediately what he saw, he did not like. The warriors lazing about were being served by the Lesser Zora.

Another part of the warrior cave was a deeper pool of water. The centurion was idly floating in it chatting with his comrades. Link walked over and said, "I lost the first duel, as promised, I am here to serve." Link once was a slave, and knew how to act as such.

The centurion snarled at the sight of him and jumped out of the water. He grabbed Link by the shirt and shoved him into the wall. "You dare show your face around here, Huma?! I lost face because of you! Why did you accept when you were already nearly broken?!"

"It was you who requested, if you recall, master." Link replied flatly, avoiding eye contact, like a good slave. "And if there is one thing you will come to learn about me... I never back down from a proper challenge."

"Is that so?" The centurion dropped him. He turned around, scanned around briefly before pointing. "Then you can babysit her for me."

Link looked around him to see the Siren Ruto. She was among the Lesser servicing the warriors, only worse. She was pushed around and snapped at and mocked at worst, and was ignored at best. She took it all meekly and silently. Not like she had a choice with the clamp around her jaw.

"Ruto!" The centurion called out. "This boy wants to serve, so he will serve by being the one to put up with you!"

The other warriors laughed and mocked Link in their native language. Link ignored them. The centurion had called it out in the tongue of Qin to mock him with his knowledge. Link whispered, "Just guard her basically? Make sure she stays out of trouble?"

"You got it, huma." The Zora spit as if 'huma' was a curse. "She is more important than you. So her needs are to be met before yours. Now get to it and get out of my sight."

"Until next time, master." Link bowed.

"Next time..." The Zora scoffed. "If you are truly a fool seeking punishment, then I will accept putting you in your place whenever you want. Just ask."

Link ignored him and walked up to Ruto. And... not much else. Ruto stared at him uncertainly, and Link wasn't much better. He had been a slave once, but he could not grasp how one could look so defeated. He had been a strong willed slave. 'Course he wasn't treated badly as a slave. He was treated very well. That was something Link found he had not fully understood nor appreciated till now. Now that he had a reference for comparison.

"So..." Link tried. "Guess I just follow you. Don't mind me."

Not much to do about it, Link followed her as she worked. He wondered if she was a problem maker, as the centurion implied, but he saw no proof of it. She was disgustingly humble and subservient. She brushed the stone floor on her hands and knees, then attended private classes under the other Siren (Link was ordered to stand outside for this part), she cleaned cavernous homes and delivered goods that was twice her weight and nearly crushed her. In all of this she kept her head down and didn't utter a sound.

The empty look in her eyes disturbed him. It made him angry. They were not the eyes of a troublemaker, but the eyes of a defeated slave.

And this was their royalty?!

"I swear." Link hissed to himself. "If you end up being another princess hiding as a slave I'm going to have words with Farore. I don't need this shit."

The people kept their distance and cast them dirty looks. Link had about enough. He was in pain, and putting up with her infuriating defeatism made his blood boil. Link stared directly into the eyes of anyone who looked at him too long. Before long they turned away nervously. If this was his home village he would have beaten the ever living crap out of several of them.

This went on for days. With each day the pain lessened. He was given a spot to lay down in a corner the 'barracks', such as it was. The other warriors drank their version of alcohol, mocked him, laughed at him, tripped him, knocked him down, even beating him once, and he took it in stride, not lashing out but also not bowing his back to them.

And each day he was tasked with attending a slave princess so the warriors could loiter around. Each day watching her only made him more and more angry, as he saw more and more that she had no self-respect.

Bored, and aggravated, he started to help her. Ruto stopped briefly, fearful and surprised, but Link said nothing and the moment passed. When she was tasked with lifting or carrying, he took it. He felt his body had declined with inaction and returned to training and strengthening himself. When she was tasked with cleaning, he raced to do it quicker. When the looks were cast their way Link openly returned them and scowled or glared until the onlooker backed off.

For the first time Ruto had nothing more to do early and the centurion waved them off to "do whatever." Link sent him a rude gesture.

Unsure what to do, Link followed Ruto out. He decided to check with Len and see if he could push his body again to train himself. A drunk warrior tripped him as they passed. Ruto stopped to help him up automatically, but the drunkward slapped her across the face, telling her not to interfere.

Link felt his blood boil in his veins. He half heard what the warrior was saying in a mixture of languages, all he registered was that it was more mockery. He stood to his feet and the warrior kicked him down before turning on the other one and kicking her.

And she just curled in a ball and took it.

Link saw red.

He tackled the drunk warrior off the ledge into the deep lake below. Zora scattered as they splashed in. Link held on and punched him anywhere he could reach, aiming for the face. The warrior was drunk and slow to react, but inevitably he did.

The warrior kicked Link off and swam a short distance away. Link floundered around, still unable to swim. He grabbed hold of the stone side and started to climb. The warrior proved to be much faster under water than above, as he slammed into Link against the wall. Link gasped out air and warm water rushed into his lungs. The warrior pinned him to the wall with his chest. Link reacted instinctively and bit down directly on the gills in the warriors neck.

The warrior lurched painfully and could no longer breath under water. He swam for the surface. Link held on with his teeth and bit down hard as he could still flesh tore off and blood contaminated the water.

They broke surface. The warrior collapsed unconcious, having passed out from the pain, while Link used what little strength he had left to climb onto the shallows, spit out the clump of flesh in his blood filled mouth, and throw up water that had entered his lungs.

Hands grabbed him and pulled at him. Not hard enough to be an adult. He saw Ruto over him and seeing her only made him angry. He threw her off.

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"Get off! I don't want your help. What is wrong with you?! How can you just take it? Huh!?"

Link huffed angrily, half expecting an answer, hoping for one, but also knowing he would never get one. The clamp around her jaw was as infuriating as she was. Link was angry. Angry with the people here, angry with her, and now angry with himself for he knew he was being a jerk.

Yells drew his attention and Link looked down to see the centurion and a number of warriors coming. They were not yet seen, but it wouldn't be long.

"Look just go." Link said. "I screwed up. No point in you getting pulled into my foolishness." He spit out blood. "Dindamn even taste like raw fish-ack!" Ruto grabbed his sleeve and pulled hard enough to pull him off his feet.

Ruto pulled him up the long ramp spiralling the cave. Hearing the centurion yell for him, Link decided he had nothing to lose and followed her. At the top of the spiral, at the top of the cavern, was an alcove that was very thin and small where the spiral did not quite match up with the natural cavern wall. Ruto climbed in. Briefly turning around to look if the coast was clear, Link followed in.

The hiding place went on for a distance in wavering directions, no longer fashioned but natural. Link bumped his head but pressed on until it opened enough to breath and stretch. The place went on further, but it became too dark to see with the little light that could penetrate.

Ruto sat in a corner away from him and watched the hole as if wary they were being followed. Link could hear voices, but it was very distant and before long it was gone. All he could hear was a faint trickle of water at their feet and his own breathing.

Link walked up to her. "Hey th-" she flinched away from him. Guilt coiled in his stomach and he stepped back. Link sat down and sighed, feeling like a real piece of work. "Sorry, I snapped at ya. That was wrong. You're just... I used to be a slave myself."

Ruto's eyes widened. Link chuckled. "No joke. War orphan. I was taken in by a plantation owner, owned the whole village. He treated me real good. I had stuff to do and when I was done, my time was my own, he paid me, and I didn't get to share in his name like his kid did or live in the main house, but he made sure I was warm, cozy, fed, and happy..." Link looked down shamefully. "And I gave him all kinds o' shit. He didn't have none of it coming. But this place... what you get... all I know is that if I was in your spot I woulda fled or killed someone by now. The way these people treat you is just wrong. And to make it all the worse you just take it. You let them do it. Not a word. Nothing. You just take it 'n' I cannot fathom it! And that made me angry... makes me angry." Link corrected.

"I know I ain't gonna get nothing from ya, but I just can't see it. What kinda princess takes slavery like this? I met a princess and..." Link chuckled. "She is both the coldest and hot-headedest person I have ever met! Anyone who screws with her better fear for their life. She don't put up with nothing!"

As Link talked, he failed to notice Ruto hesitantly reach up and unscrew the clasp. Its binding snapped off, and slowly she pulled it off her lower jaw. She flexed her mouth, as it held her mouth shut. Creases could be seen all around her mouth from where it held firmly to her.

"S-sounds like you had a good huma." She whispered.

Link snapped his neck around in surprise. At first he wondered where the sound had come from, before realizing in disbelief that it was her. He stared at her for a long moment, enough so that she turned away in emberassment. He pointed at her.

"You can talk." He stated in a question.

"Y-y-yes." Was the weak response.

He blinked several times. "Okay... that-that's new. I was half expecting you to be mute."

He had grown accustomed to one-way conversations, at most only having to gouge her facial expressions. For some reason hearing her talk startled him greatly. It left him unsure what to say or do. Her voice was clear; weak from lack of use, but clear. He could see she was terrified, but terrified of what? Of him?

"I'm not going to hit you for talking to me, if that's what you expect." Link said gently. "I would prefer it this way than having to guess."

That seemed to reassure her, but she was still uncertain and terrified. Link didn't get it, but he knew enough of tiny animals to know how to handle something when its skittish. She breathed out and said, "P-put... your hand's ontop your head."

Link blinked. Her voice was clear and mesmerizing. But... that made no sense. "What?"

She stared at him for a moment, gulped, and said more firmly, "Stand and put your left hand over your heart."

"Uh... how about no?" Link said uncertainly. "Why? What's the point of that?"

Ruto's eyes widened before once more being skittish, "I'm sorry! I-I-I wanted to test something."

"My flexibility? I can bend my arms you know."

"No, no." The corner of her lips curled slightly. "When you talked with... Prise. He ordered you to sit... and you stood."

"Yeah, I had been laying down or sitting for days." Link raised an eyebrow.

"But the point is you refused the order."

"I would like to think I wasn't as rude or dishonorable as warrior-jackass made me out to be..."

"But you still! When Prise said to listen, you did not listen, you talked."

"I know, I get told I do that."

"No!" Ruto put a finger to his lips. "Link, you are not affected by my Gift! By our Gift. The Gift of Voice. The ability given to all Siren to command anyone and be obeyed without question." Suddenly realizing she was touching his face, she backpedaled hurriedly. She chastised herself for being drawn into his pace enough to be so bold as to be improper. "S-s-sorry!"

"For what? You have nothing to apologize for."

"Sorry..."

"Now you're apologizing for apologizing?" Link looked at her like she was nuts. "Stop it, that's dumb."

She bowed her head shamefully. Link sighed. She was taxing his patience. He was truly trying not to be angry with her, but her complete lack of any form of spine continued to bug him. One would think she would be better safe away from the abuse... but then again Link rationalized that abuse went far. He had seen it, not necessarily in slaves as he and Midna were the only ones at the plantation, but in some families.

"Why does it matter if I am affected or not?" Link asked. "I know I don't understand you Zora people... and I have heard you Siren are all big bad scary monsters because of this Gift of yours, but frankly I'm not scared. I don't think I would be scared of you even if you could control me if that makes you feel any better." Ruto started to smile a bit. "I mean, you're a wimp. You're the kind of person who just begging to have the shit beaten out of 'em. Which... you are." Ruto lost the smile and bowed her head shamefully. His words pierced her like arrows.

"Sorry..."

Link threw his hands into the air. "Oh my goddesses! Stop apologizing!"

"Well, I'm so-... It's important..." Ruto whispered. "You wouldn't be so brave if you had to live with the fear."

'No, shit. That's exactly what the opposite of brave is!' Link thought sarcastically. He actually said, "What fear? Fear of being controlled? I used to be a slave. I know a thing or two about-"

"About having the Gift!" Ruto snapped. She sniffed. Link stopped. Her tone had changed. She was still wimpy and sad, but now also angry. Not angry with him or anyone, but seemingly angry with herself. "This 'Gift' is no gift, Link. It is a curse. You don't know what it's like... to have to measure every word. To know that one wrong word can kill someone. I'm young... and kids our age are irrational. I know that. You yourself have thrown out statements you probably don't mean to Zora around you. But what if it happened as you said? You know a Siren child ordered her entire school to kill themselves? Didn't really mean it, just was being a normal child by any other standard and was upset and was yelling. But her Gift..."

Link's eyes widened. He felt his face go numb as he paled.

She continued, "... hundreds died. Killed themselves... After that, young Siren are forced to wear the clamp. Only... I want to. I'm afraid to go without it."

"You're not afraid of them... you're afraid of yourself." Link realized. "Afraid you might say something foolish, like me... only you doing it is much worse than me."

Ruto nodded.

"You..." Link hesitated. "You don't talk to anyone but Prise, do you?"

Ruto shook her head.

The two fell into silence. For Ruto it was perhaps comfortable, as she was used to silence. But for Link it was unbearable. He saw things from a new perspective and the implications startled him.

The Zora's fear...

The Siren's fear...

There was more to their problem than just one side. Both sides were scared of the other, and were even scared of themselves. For the first time since he laid eyes on her, he wasn't disgusted or angered. He felt pity. He couldn't grasp the idea of fearing yourself.

"I'm jealous... You huma are nations of the same race. You can relate to each other. We are not... Because of it we split into strict racial castes and have lost touch with each other. The Warrior cannot relate to the Worker. The Lesser cannot relate to the Siren. We think differently."

"Surely it is not that bad." Link questioned hopefully. "What of the half-breeds?"

Ruto chuckled darkly. "Half-breeds? It is illegal to marry out of your caste. The half-breed between two worker races is still a worker. Siren are the only race in our caste... and a dying one at that. I am doomed to marrying a cousin or sibling."

Ruto sighed in defeat. Link felt a disgusted chill go down his spine. He couldn't imagine the thought of marrying Midna. She was a sister to him! Technically, if one truly wished to press the issue, Midna would not have been his sister so if his master pressed the option, Midna and him could have been married as slaves. But the thought still made him squirm.

Link said, "As a slave I was doomed to being given in marriage to another slave, but now that I am free, I can choose as I will. Don't you have any options to free yourself?"

Ruto shook her head. "There is no escape from this. Not unless I cut my tongue off or die."

"What?" Link gasped.

"Father cut off his tongue after the rebels killed my brothers and sisters. Siren are being hunted and killed these days."

"Ruto... I'm sorry I ever was angered by you. You care a lot more about your people than they realize, and the burden you carry... I don't know what I can do, but if talking helps, then I don't mind hearing what you have to say. You look like you could use a friend."

Her eyes lit up brightly in a way that made him smile. It was a massive improvement from before. He put up a finger. "But I have conditions."

"What?"

"Stop apologizing. Do not say sorry unless I ask for it. Its annoying."

"Sorry..."

"Stop it!" He chided her. "Next I want to learn to swim... you can swim, right?"

She nodded.

"Great! Then when we have free time, teach me to swim. I'm a rock out there." He chuckled. He put out his hand. Ruto looked at it then back at him curiously. "Seriously... what is with you princesses... you're supposed to shake hands."

She shook her own hand.

"That's not what I meant!" He exclaimed. Ruto laughed. Something about his aggravation at something so small amused her. Link sighed and smiled despite himself. "Why is it I have to teach you princesses how to be civil and shake hands?"

They continued on talking for a time. Link found she was actually pleasant to talk to when she wasn't down or apologizing every other sentence. She was purely fascinated by his stories of life outside of the caves or ocean. Just describing what a cow was took ages. Birds and the idea of flying animals was beyond her grasp. To her such creatures were just swimmers of a different ocean.