The morning begins with the regular sounds of pots and pans clanging, and the added sound of one-sided conversations; the smell of the ham and eggs wafting throughout the building as we cook and prepare breakfast.
Surprisingly, Kael knows a little about cooking, but that doesn't stop him from accidentally rubbing up against a hot pan. He sucks in air sharply through his clenched teeth, wincing from the burn on his elbow. It darkened the shirt and left a welt in the form of a line. I ask him if he wanted something to cool down the burn, but he simply shakes his head and speaks for the second time, his tone depressed.
"I've had worse."
Careful not to poke too hard into his personal matters, I ask, "Like what, worse burns?"
He holds up his arm and rubs the welt through his shirt. "No."
And that was it. He kept silent and didn't say any more. I won't make him say more than he needs to. I return to cooking, the air around us still and charged with un-said questions without answers. Perhaps after breakfast I will get to teaching him about the store, and then get some suitable clothing for him. Ha, I sound like a parent listing his child's needs! Of course, that's what I think myself to be now, at least until I can find Kael a good home that's not near where I found him. Speaking of parents, where are his parents? I presume them to be either dead, or just out there somewhere looking –or maybe not looking- for him. The thing is, I can't think of a parent who would just leave their child to suffer, or worse.
After breakfast, we wash the dishes and set them to dry on the rack.
"Well Kael, I think it's time for you to learn how the store works," I say, inviting him to the counter. He follows and watches as I point to different things such as the treasures in the back and the register. I let Kael come with me to the back of the counter.
"And this is where I do my portion of the work; taking the money and sorting it. Of course, this is just part of my job. Let me show you what you need to do for your part." Kael nods, and I lead him to the backroom, a basic storage closet. I bend down and open a few boxes, showing him the contents inside.
"These are just simple things for the general store; pots, pans, and dishes," I say, drifting over to a few more boxes. "And these are more… miscellaneous things. Things such as dried fruits, sugar, and other food items." Kael shoves his hand into one box and pulls out a small animal plush. He mouths "oohs" and "ahhs", holding it up in front of him. A boy his age shouldn't be acting like this over a child's play-thing, but who am I to judge?
"…You can keep it, if you want to. On the house," I say. He glances over at me from the other side of the room, a strange sparkle in his eye.
"Really?"
"Yes."
He hugs onto the thing for dear life, as if it was a friend he wouldn't see again for a long time. His actions are those of a child, not one of a growing teen. Innocence such as this is something to be wary of, for many reasons. Still, I do enjoy his attitude and outlook on things.
I stand from my position next to the box and open the door that leads to the store area of the building, a smaller box in hand. Kael notices, puts the plush down, and follows me. The store is very… old fashioned, to say the least. Squeaky floor-boards and worn carpets, it does have a truly homelike air about it. The shelves hold jars of dried fruit, boxes of supplies such as string and cloth, and other things. The windows are large to let the light in and also to let me know of any customers.
Kael pokes around, his curiosity getting the better of him. He sticks his hand inside a barrel and fishes around, pulling out a pair of scissors. He studies them closely, opening and closing them. He tosses them back into the barrel when he was finished and comes up to me, eager for a lesson.
"Well, there isn't much to be explained here, but I'll do my best. For now, the job you get to do is to sort and stack products for me, as well as clean the windows," I say as I go over to the shelves. I reach down into the box and pull out a jar, placing it on the shelf above me. "Like this. Common sense, but sometimes things need a little bit of explaining. You try."
I hand him a jar, and he just stands there, staring at me. Then it hits me; the shelves were too high for him to reach! My eyes dart around the room, looking for a stray chair or something like it. Why I do not own a ladder is a question that, honestly, I cannot answer.
I find something that came in a close second to what I was looking for, a simple stool. I hurry over to it and bring it back over to Kael.
"Now try. I know it looks a little… unstable, but I'll spot you. You won't come crashing down if you lose your balance!" Kael nods and eases his way up onto the stool, jar in one hand, and his other hand holding the wall for balance. He slides the jar onto the shelf, and jumps off, a loud thump coming from his hard landing. Now he didn't have to jump, but as long as he's all right, I don't care. I do hope the window washing won't be as… interesting as the shelf problem. I make my way to the back counter, bend down, and place a bottle of a homemade cleaning solution, a sponge, and a towel.
Kael sees what I put down and pipes up, "I know how to do that."
"Do what, clean windows?" He nods. "That's good then. I'll just leave these things out in case you would like to practice a bit." I begin to wonder about his skill level in mental tasks. If he was decent at math, he could probably sort money for me as well.
"Kael?" He locks eyes with me, just like the beady-eyed man did back then. "If you want, I have another job you can do. Are you any good with numbers?"
He tilts his head and furrows his brow and replies, "Kind of." I hope by 'kind of', he means 'of course I do'. He comes up to the counter where I wait. I find him some paper, a pen, and a jar of ink, and write a simple equation down on the paper. I push the bundle his way and he picks up the pen with -strangely- his right hand. There stops the similarities between Kael and the hero of long ago.
"It's an easy one to start with, ten times twelve. Do you know how to do it?" I ask, a smirk on my face. Let's see how far this can go.
Kael begins writing, the scratches getting slower as he stopped to think. When he finishes, he gives the paper to my outstretched hand. His answer was correct, one-hundred and twenty. He knew how to carry numbers, and that was a good sign.
"Correct. Let's see how you fare with this one!" I say. Kael gives me a determined look, his mind ready for anything.
The adding, subtracting, multiplying, and even dividing continued for several minutes. He could do math, and that meant that I wouldn't have to keep an eye on so many things at once.
"Looks like you got the job. Hmm… all you really need to do here is take the customer's money, give them change, those things. Anyway, I'll be in the backroom. If you want, you can wash the windows for me, all right?" I say, giving him a pat on the head. I come from behind the counter and head to the backroom, Kael's pitter-patter the only sound that accompanies my hard steps on the old floors. I look behind me, and Kael is already at the first window, getting the solution on the towel.
Once in the backroom, I begin sorting things in the closet when I see another small box on a shelf. This box was very special to gramps; it held pictographs of him, his grandfather, and two boys who shared the same name, as well as small objects and trinkets. Ever since the day gramps passed away, I vowed not to look in the box, afraid of what I may see. I didn't want to be reminded of him, especially now that I have company that wouldn't like to see me in a weak position. Still, I wanted to see what was in there after all these years.
I slip my hands around the box and bring it down, careful not to look inside just yet. I sit cross-legged on the floor and rest the box on my legs. Looking in, I see rings, coins with an odd triangular symbol, and most importantly, the pictographs. Bracing myself, I reach in and pull out the first one. It was of a young boy clad in green. He stood in front of a steamship standing next to a man who looked like gramps, but his outfit was slightly different, with three fairies hovering over them. Fairies are hard to come by now. Some say they just got up and left Neo Hyrule altogether. I wonder if Kael believes in them.
The man's arm was slung around the boy's shoulders, a grin on both of their faces. It scares me, how close alike they are to Kael and I. I put the pictograph down and pick up another one, this one of just the boy. In this one, he isn't smiling, but just has the same blankness of a look Kael has. I looked at it a little more and noticed a scar or two on his cheeks. The picture made me feel depressed, like how the boy looked. I set it down and pick up another. I can barely hold my gasp when I see just who was in this one.
It was of a boy and an older man, both who looked very much alike. The boy had dark chocolate brown hair, just like the man he was standing next to. He wore a simple blue shirt with a red scarf around his neck, and had tan pants. He wore sandals that looked worn but comfortable. This boy, I realized, was me as a child! The man who I was standing next to wore a hat and a blue trench-coat, my grandfather.
I quickly place the pictograph back into the box and shove it onto the shelf. I shut the door behind me as I drift over to where Kael stood, looking over his work.
"Finished already?" I say. Kael almost jumps out of his boots at my voice. He whips his head around, shock filling his face. When he quickly looks over just who was standing there, he calms down and sighs.
"…Yes, I'm finished." He replies, his eyes focusing on the now closed door to the back room. "What were you doing in there?"
"Just sorting out things, that's all," I answer, scratching the back of my head. "Anyway, I think now is a good time to go out and get some decent clothing for you. What do you say?"
Kael directs his gaze back to me and replies with a quick nod. He runs past me and into the hall, around the trading post, through the small "house" area, and into the bedroom. I figure he's in there to change. Once he's done, I'll… wait. He doesn't have any clothes in there he can borrow. What am I to do?
I make my way to the bedroom and give two swift knocks on the door.
"Erm, Kael? Can I come in?" I ask.
The door opens slowly, with a still fully-clothed Kael in the entrance. He moves out of the way as I walk towards the dresser.
"Listen. That's my last clean outfit you have on," I admit, searching the dresser for something. "However, you can wear this. You still have to wear the pants you have on right now, though." I pull out one of the shelves and show him a top that went to some night-clothes. It was a light mint-green, not exactly my color. It was just like the shirt he had on too, buttons and all. It looked like a simple top for the day, so he could wear it anytime. He takes the shirt from me and begins un-doing his shirt. I was going to move out of the room at that point, until I see something on his chest that looked painful. His entire chest is now revealed, and on it are dozens of scars. Where did he get these from? How? Kael looks up at me, his eyes telling me to leave.
"Kael…" I begin, stepping towards him. "How did you get these?"
Kael swiftly pulls his shirt together to hide his little secret. He inches back on the bed, trying to get away from my questioning.
"Please, tell me. I know that you've been through something that affected you deeply, and I'm pretty sure these scars are a part of it. What did they do to you there?" I lean over and place a hand on his shoulder, most likely covered with hidden scars, too. This raises even more questions about Kael's past. I think back towards what the beady-eyed man said, something about boys doing very fine work. Accompanied with scars, this could only mean that Kael was a slave of some kind. But what kind of slave? My mind reels over to the worst possible idea, but I shove it away. Things like that don't happen in a place like this… right?
Kael brushes my hand off of his shoulder and scurries farther back. He whimpers, but doesn't shake. He opens his mouth to scream.
"Don't! Don't touch me, please! Just leave me alone!" Hot tears stream down his face, a memory most likely clouding his thoughts. I straighten out and only stand there, watching his frame quiver. I have no idea what is going on, or what to do. Do I leave him here to regain himself, or try to comfort him? Either way, he's going to break down.
He calms down a bit, slowly bringing his head up. "The scars mean nothing. Nothing happened to me, nothing you should worry about. Please, just let me be."
The biggest lie I've ever heard come out of his mouth, I'm sure. I turn my back on him and leave the room, answering his wishes. Kael couldn't have been something like that, a slave! I've never heard of anything like that in Neo Hyrule, or am I just that sheltered from the words of the workings of the underground?
I find a spot on the couch and sit down. I can hear sniffling from the other room.
After what seems like hours, Kael trudges out of the bedroom and sits next to me. Knowing what happened the last time I tried to comfort him, I merely sit there looking straight ahead, like him. His face is wet, his breath shaky and unbalanced.
We sit there, the flow of time keeping still. I listen to him breathe, the only thing he can manage at this point. I don't know if we should go anywhere today, unless he wants to.
Kael slowly turns his head towards me, his mouth open with no words falling out. After a time, he urges out, "Are we going, Linebeck?"
That was the first time he's ever said my name, and it had to be said at a time like this. His words sounded slurred and choked, like the first time he spoke. I give him a slow and slightly unsure nod as I stand. He follows and rises up from his seat. My wallet already in my pocket, we head out into the autumn-chilled afternoon, flocks of birds overhead in tiny V's.
We arrive at the train station at a quarter past twelve. Reading the train schedules, I decide to take train four, leaving in twenty minutes. The place is packed with all types of people, from the springy to the scrawny, to the fit and to the lame, all going to different destinations. The shopping district is located in the Center Square, also home to many businesses, as well as the castle that houses the young princess and prince. The royal children's father passed away years ago, leaving them to be taken care of by their mother. The girls in the family have shared the same name for ages, the bloodline being carried over vast distances. Some say that the land that the royal family came from was now currently underwater due to a king's final plea. I don't believe it, but some still do. The princess, her name always the same, is fair and kind, but can state her feelings as true facts; a feisty spirit rests in the young Zelda.
As for her brother, he is loving of his sister but is more forceful and blunt. His name is Luca, but everyone I know tends to call him Luke, a name I think better suites him. The two polar opposites still manage to get along, perhaps a lesson to us. My family has a close relationship with the royal family, but I never do see them. I guess I just never have the need to.
Together, we make our way towards the ticket window, pushing past a few people. There's more commotion today than yesterday, with everyone gathering in one area. After purchasing the tickets, I watch people take out their pictoboxes and crowd around wildly. Is there someone important in town? Or maybe…
Kael tugs on my coat and points to a pair of siblings, one a girl and the other a boy. Both of them have lively brown hair; the girl's accented by a floral clip. She wore a long and flowing blue dress with a part in the center that was filled with a long white skirt. Her brother wore blue as well, a regal tunic with a black belt around his waist, as well as black leather boots. The royal children. They were the first in the royal family to have brown hair for a long time, their father having the hair that dominated the light blonde of their mother. It was also a first in a long time for the family to have more than one child, twins even. The only thing that stayed the same all the years was their brilliant azure eyes, something that both parents had. They looked to be around Kael's age, perhaps a bit older. Around them were knights covered in green, the uniform of old not changing a bit.
The knights push the masses away as we try to get closer.
"Luca, does that man look familiar to you?" The princess says, pointing at… me?
"Who? The man with the black coat and child at his side?"
"Yes! Doesn't he look like the man from the pictographs? The one with grandma's friend," She says, putting her index finger on her cheek in thought.
"A little. I don't think he has any relation to him, though. "
She turns towards her brother and pauses for a moment. "Should we go ask? It would be terribly rude if we did…"
Her brother grins and replies, "There's no reason not to. Let's try."
The two ask the knights guarding them to guide them over to presumably me. They begin to march through the crowd as it separates, with Kael and I in the center of their path. They stop in front of us, my prediction proven correct. Kael stood at my side, eyeing the twins as if they were fine jewelry in a glass case. We bow as the princess starts to speak.
"Hello, sirs," she begins, "I have a question for one of you, and I hope not to seem rude to ask it."
"It would not be rude, your highness. Ask me anything you need to," I reply. She giggles and turns to her brother for a moment before coming back to me.
"Thank-you. We were wondering if you had any relation to man named Linebeck the Third. If you do not, please apologize our intrusion."
"Ah, I do. He was my late grandfather. I am the current owner of the trading post he created."
"I was right, brother! He is part of the Linebeck family!" She exclaims, the knights rolling their eyes at her sudden outburst. I merely smile.
"You were right, sister. You've asked your question, so we must leave now."
She gives him a sour look but quickly smiles at me and replies, "Thank-you, sir. You and your son are welcome to chat with us at the castle anytime. Goodbye."
"Goodbye, your highness."
They turn and are directed back by the knights as the crowd closes in, amazed. How funny, she thinks Kael is my son! I'll have to tell her the truth when I get the chance to.
"So, what do you think about the twins?" I ask Kael.
He merely shrugs his shoulders.
"I see. Well-"
Just then I'm interrupted by the announcer, who calls out train number four, our train. Kael and I hurry to the line, tickets ready. The line isn't really packed, so it only takes a few minutes to get checked and boarded. Today has been a strange one, being bombarded with everything. I think that this is only the start.
Just then, I hear a sound that can only be someone's stomach rumbling, and it isn't mine.
"Don't worry Kael, we'll get something to eat later," I say as we walk together to car five.
He looks up at me, not a single defining expression on his face. "I'm not hungry."
"Of course you are, I heard your stomach!" I chuckle, but then stop after the awkward silence.
We find our seats and sit, this time next to each other. Apparently there is another passenger sitting in front of us. Who this could be, I don't know.
The train starts and chugs along on the tracks, those on it bobbing a little. Kael, who got the window seat, stares out of the window, watching the trees and the land go by. I'm guessing he likes the country-side. I look out too, the only thing we can do right now. Kael isn't one to start up a conversation.
"Well I'll be! If it ain't Linebeck! 'Ow've ya been?"
I jerk my head around to see just who is speaking to me.
"Ah, hello there, Starn! I've been doing well. Sit, sit!" I greet him, Kael giving Starn the same look he gave me when we first met: blank.
The big fellow sits in front of us on the other seat, acknowledging Kael's presence.
"And 'tis must be 'yer worker! What's 'is name?"
I glance at Kael as I speak. "…He didn't really have a name when we first met. Where he came from, everyone was a number for reasons unknown to me."
He's taken aback pretty far. I have much explaining to do in a little amount of time.
"What? 'Tat ain't right, not right at all! Where'd 'e come from? Did 'ya give 'em a name?"
Kael shifts a little in his seat. He doesn't seem to like the conversation very much. I'm sorry, but I have to tell Starn everything. I can't leave my friend out in the cold like this.
"Well, yes," I begin, "I named him Kael. Of course, who knows? He might have a real name besides that number."
"Ah."
He turns to Kael, who is currently staring out the window, his breath fogging it up. His elbow rests on the edge of the wall, face cupped in his hand.
"So… Kael is it? Is Linebeck 'ere give'n 'ya any trouble?" He chuckles. Kael doesn't move and continues to stare out the window. I don't think he likes Starn all too well. An awkward silence fills the air, and Starn lets his eyes wander about the place.
I finally open my mouth and say, "Kael doesn't talk too much. He doesn't like to discuss anything about his past, either. It's a secret only meant for him as of now, Starn."
Secretly, I wish that Starn wasn't here right now. I know that sounds terrible, but Kael is already wound up as it is. I don't want him to jab at his life experiences, but he will. Human nature at work. But I really do enjoy his company. He's my friend, and I will treat him that way.
Starn purses his lips in thought. "Well 'den. Is 'e like'n 'ta place so far? Did 'ya give 'em any work?"
Well, at least he isn't trying to get anything out directly.
"Yes, he likes it. He was really impressed with the store. I gave him some work, like cleaning, manning the register, sorting things, etcetera."
"Good. 'Ey, did 'ya 'ear 'bout 'ta royal children? 'Dey were 'ere today at 'ta station talk'n to somebody!" His eyes light up with sudden excitement. Oh, I can see his face now after I tell him who they were talking to!
"That somebody, Starn, was me. They were asking if I was related to The Hero's friend."
His eyes widen even further. "Wow, Linebeck! 'Tat's amazing!"
I decide to play this off even more. "I can even head to the castle whenever I want to speak to them."
"You are one lucky man, Linebeck! One lucky man!"
We talk for an hour or so, enjoying our time. Kael however, just sits there listening. He passes the time by drawing shapes on the windows. When he is bored of it, he just cups his head again and sighs. His head starts to bob, and the lightest snoring comes from him.
"I think 'ta kids' asleep," Starn points out.
I look over, and sure enough, he's out. I shift his body from his position to a more comfortable one, sitting with his head against the chair. I think train rides tend to put him out. Maybe it's the motion that puts him at ease?
Starn and I continue with our small talk.
"Well, anyway Starn, how's Millie?" I ask.
Millie is Starn's daughter. Her mother passed away five years ago, when Millie was only three. She doesn't remember much about her, so she wasn't hurt as much as Starn. She looks just like her mother too; raven hair, silky and soft, a round face with rosy cheeks, and a joyful air about her. She hates wearing dresses, and opts out for pants, shorts, and tunics. She's a tomboy, Starn's pride and joy. He's always wanted me to settle down, marry, and have children, but I don't think I'm ready for that yet.
"Oh, Millie? Lass has grown a lot since 'ya last came 'ta visit. 'Er drawings have been getting better, too," He says with a longing tone. "She's at home with 'ta sitter right now while I shop fer supplies.
"Ah. I'll be sure to bring Kael along next time. I think they might become good friends. Millie needs someone to hang around with, right?"
"That she does."
Kael strikes again, his upper body falling onto my shoulder. As I look at him, I notice he's frowning in his sleep. Is he having a nightmare… er… day… bad dream?
"Ha! 'Ta kids' so tuckered out, 'e can't even sit up!" Starn laughs. "'Ya better move 'em."
"Nah, I don't mind. Train rides tend to do this to him. When I was young, anything that moved put me to sleep. Be it horse, ship, or train," I explain to him. I reposition myself and put an arm around Kael.
A few older men start coming down the hall, and motion for Starn.
"Ah, I gotta go, Linebeck. Business stuff. See 'ya in a bit," He says before getting up and leaving Kael and I alone.
I start to think about Kael and Millie together. They're so far apart in age, but I bet they will get along if Millie wants to meet him. Kael might not be a social butterfly, but Millie can sometimes be wallflower at points too. Perhaps this butterfly I hold can make that flower happy. Being with a sitter and not her father can make a child distant from others.
Not wanting to disturb Kael's sleep, I carefully slide him up and stand. I lay down his body on his side like yesterday, and inch over to the other seat. There I sit to wait out the rest of today's trip, already worn down. I just hope that he doesn't fall asleep every time we happen to travel.
"Sleep tight," I say to him, still frowning in his dreams. What he is dreaming of is something I do wonder, but most likely will never know. All I know now is that his secrets are his to keep, until he wishes to share. For now, I will wait until that day, ready to help him through his troubles.
