Chapter 1:
"Link, can I go with you?" Aryll looked up at her older brother, standing on her tippy-toes from the edge of their grandmother's kitchen table. Aryll had her nose just above the table's surface, so all Link could see was the very top of her head, and her eyes, which were opened wide with a sorrowful look in order to coax her brother into giving her what she wanted. Link, the renowned hero himself sat at the table scrawling out a some choice notes over a couple of new islands and trades he and Tetra came across on their most recent voyage. He had become accustomed to ignoring his sister when she pestered him like- "Link, may I go with you, please?"- well, like that! The boy, or at this point young man gave an exaggerated sigh, rolled his eyes, then continued writing.
'Humph, I'm not going to be brushed off to the side, not this time!' Aryll thought, as she came around the table to Link's right side, and reassumed her previous position, except Link's arm had become the table. Link wrote with his left hand so he shouldn't have been too irritated by her action, but then Link, sparing his sister a momentary glance, had to do a double take. Aryll wasn't just looking at him anymore with that defiant expression he'd grown used to, now she was staring, intently, and actively. The manner in which she stared was much like the way one would see a dog's to be if someone had a treat. He gave a surprised grunt of discomfort, but other than that he showed no other physical sign of cracking. He just continued writing, and she continued staring. This monotone mantra went on for what any outside observer would think was an eternity. Aryll was about to give up, but then she noticed something, Link had stopped writing. Her eyes returned to her older brother's face; his eyebrows were furrowed heavily, and his face wore an awful grimace. She knew this face, Link always made it when he was greatly disturbed, and it didn't happen very often, being as he sees the gods know what out there on the briny blue.
"Aryll, let go…" Link said solemnly. He wriggled and jostled his arm, but to no avail, Aryll stayed hooked. "Aryll-"
"Would you and Tetra please take me with you?" Aryll, blurted out as Link got up from the table, literally dragging her along with him.
"No Aryll, now let go." The boy, whipped his one large blonde bang out of his face, then started trying to pull his younger sister off his arm.
"Stop being annoying Aryll! Now Let go of meeeerrrm…!"
"NO!" Aryll, clutched Link's arm tighter.
"Yow, Aryll STOP! I'm not taking you with me and that's finalllll…..!"
Link had gotten as far as the door with Aryll before he tripped from lack of balance, causing them both to fall to the floor in a heap.
Aryll still latched on to her brother's arm yelled at him:
"You just don't want me to come because you want to be alone with Tetra!", she jeered at her brother.
"Ack, shusssshhhh!" Link slapped his free hand to Aryll's mouth, "Be quiet, someone will hear you….!"
It wasn't that much of a secret that Link had a large crush on the esteemed pirate captain, that the two siblings had grown to know over the period of the last 5 or so years. When Link and Tetra had first met, it was because Aryll had been kidnapped by a giant bird, and Link running to the rescue, sadly couldn't catch up. Tetra offered to help, only because a witness who had seen the incident, the postman, had played the game of guilt. When Aryll had been brought back to safety Link left Aryll in Tetra's care, which influenced this argument in part, while he went to go fight off this oncoming threat of a sorcerer. The so called legendary battle with this sorcerer is where Link got his title of hero. At the time, who would think a scrawny boy of 13 would have saved the world. Even though the 'hero' had accomplished greater feats since then, he still had trouble talking to the girl he liked, but then again that girl was Tetra.
Link was a year younger than her, and half a head shorter, Tetra had a fiery personality, and temper; whenever moody it wasn't good to be a ship she raided, nor was it good to be a part of the crew that questioned her commands. Link was level headed most of the time, and seldom angry, only under certain circumstances was he ever furious, but along with his level headed personality came being shy, and so he couldn't work up the nerve to tell the bold-as-brass of a female his affections.
"Mrrm! Mrrm,...mm...rrrrrr!" Aryll's words were muffled against Link's hand, but she wasn't going to be silenced. The girl licked the inside of her brother's palm.
Earning an immediate response of disdain from Link, "Mmeck!" the lad jerked his hand away. "Oh Aryll, look what you did...uuuckkk!"
"Humph, serves you right." Aryll nodded and stamped a foot to the floor.
"You're still not coming with me." Link stated.
"But why?!" Aryll cried, finally letting go of her brother's arm.
"Because-!" Link cut off, thinking of a valid reason to satisfy the 13 year old.
"Well?" Aryll huffed.
"I-you-Guhh-!" Link sputtered, not having enough time for a well thought out answer, "It's dangerous!" he finally settled, crossing his arms.
That apparently wasn't good enough, "So what, if it's so dangerous then why'd you leave me on the ship with Tetra in the first place?"
Link bent down and got in his sister's face, "I had no other choice!" fanning his arms out for emphasis.
Aryll wasn't backing down, "You had plenty of other choices, you could've brought me home, or to the island with the Deku tree, or-"
"I didn't have enough time...!" Link said in a-matter-of-factly tone.
"The wind could have carried you to either island fast enough, as hard as it was blowing."
"Ooooh..." Link stood up straight, arms at his side, shaking.
"Admit it, you knew no harm would come to me when you left me with Tetra and her crew on the ship."
"Tetra's ship IS dangerous, and horrible, as is she." Aryll gasped, Link thought his words were sinking in. "She's a bloody baroness." He continued, though Link's words were harsh they sounded quite the opposite, almost admirable.
"..." Aryll stared, with a horrified look, up at her brother, or so he thought.
A voice then whispered into his ear, "Who's a bloody baroness, Link?"
Link gave a start and whipped around, to find the voice's origin, when he did, he made a face similar to his sister's. It came from the real source of Aryll's expression, the 'bloody baroness' herself, Tetra. Her platinum blonde hair was surprisingly down for once, it framed her face falling to the middle of her back curling at the end, she wore a large burgundy hat with a golden, and a lime-colored feather sticking out from the black band on the right side, and to go along with it, a red long coat, with diamond shaped buttons, and silver embroidery along the edges and cuffs, designed to look like leaves; underneath she wore a white shirt with puffy sleeves, and her trousers, a radiant ebony.
Tetra stomped one knee-high booted foot on the wood floor, making a loud clicking noise that wasn't at all comforting.
"So who's the bloody baroness, Link?" she repeated, a dangerous look in her eyes.
"Umm-Uh-N-no, No Tetra! I didn't mean...!" Link spluttered out not, making sense. Tetra's cutting eyes had the hero of time gapping like a fish, and it didn't help that all the while he made feeble attempts to steer away the Tetra's anger, that said pirate had grasped the hilt of the sword she had stored away in her belt.
The woman's hard glare went soft when she noticed Aryll, "Aryll why don't you run outside and go help your grandmother gather some fruit and fish for dinner. Me and Link need to discuss some... 'things'." Tetra finished the sentence off with an evil grin in the older boy's direction.
Tetra grabbed the front of his shirt, and Link gave a terrified squeak. Aryll nodded and quickly, ran out the house like Tetra had asked, to find her grandmother, but before she was too far away Aryll heard Link yell something like the word 'HELP'. Aryll bristled fearfully, her teeth clenched and her pigtails turned upwards.
'You've done it now Link.' She thought, then after first taking a big breathe, Aryll continued down to the beach where a short older woman stood knee-deep in the shallows. The elder had a tan complexion, and her hair was a whitish-gray all wrapped in a bun. Though the bun she wore upon her head was askew, tiny hairs sticking this way or that, sweat settled heavily on her brow, showing that she was hard at work.
"Grandma!" Aryll called to her.
The elder woman looked up, "Oh Aryll, over here!" she waved to the girl.
"Could you give me a hand with this crab?" Grandma pointed to said crustacean, that at moment was sidling around in the water tauntingly.
Aryll gave her answer by finding a thin, sharp rock under the sand. She picked it up, sharp end out, and hurled it at the crab.
*Bloop* was all the sound the rock made before it found its target in the water.
Grandma picked up the now dead crab, the rock still sticking out the top of its shell. After turning it around in her hands a bit Grandma threw the crab in a larger basket filled with a dozen other dead crabs.
"That was a clean shot, Orca would be proud Aryll." she said, after inspecting the crustacean.
Aryll smiled at the older woman's approval.
Grandma smiled back and continued, "I hoped Link would be coming out here too, that's why I sent Tetra in the house in the first place, as much as he fancies the girl he'd follow her anywhere."
"Well...about that... Grandma, Link, he..." Aryll started.
[BAM] The front door to Grandma's house busted open!
"Tetra, I'm sorry, I won't call you that again!" Link screamed, running out. The boy was smarting some new cuts and bruises it looked like, across his arms and legs. Grandma raised her thin eyebrows at this in amusement, while Aryll looked on wide-eyed in shock. Previous conversation forgotten completely.
'I didn't think he made Tetra that angry.' Aryll thought terrified.
"DON'T THINK I'LL LET YOU OFF THAT EASY!" Tetra flew from the doorway after Link snarling.
The latter ran from the house down to the beach and hid behind Grandma and Aryll.
"Look," He began quickly, seeing the distance between his family and Tetra closing rapidly."I didn't know you were there-."
"And if I didn't show up, I can only imagine what else you would say!" Tetra huffed angrily, pushing her way through the other two females.
Link cringed, and scrunched up on the ground. He put his hand in front of his face in defense.
"No-no-no you misunderstand, I was just saying that to deter Aryll from wanting to go with us on the next voyage..." The blonde bruiser, closed his eyes tightly knowing what was about to come...
But it didn't, Tetra had stopped at Link's words, she blinked and stood there for a few seconds pondering a thought.
The pirate captain then swerved around to face Aryll, "Is that true, Aryll?" she asked the younger girl with a surprised yet firm expression across her face.
"Err...what?" Aryll questioned, both not sure of what the Tetra was referring to, and afraid that said woman's anger had been redirected at her.
"That you wish to sail." Tetra stated taking a step forward.
Aryll's eyes lit up, "Yes! Yes, I've been wanting to do this for some time now."
Link thinking it was now safe, got up and stood next to Tetra who was smiling at her long-time friend's younger sibling.
She laughed, "Well silly, why'd you not say anything?"
"I did! Link just kept saying 'no'." Aryll spouted indignantly.
"'No'?" Tetra slapped Link across the forehead. "Why was I never consulted about this?"
"Ouch," Link rubbed his hand on the red spot now forming on his cranium. "I didn't say anything to you, because I knew you would say, 'yes'." Link then pulled the hand occupying the sore spot on his head away and had it instead occupy his arm. He averted his eyes from Tetra's and looked away towards the water, a small blush present on his cheeks.
Tetra then understood, "Oh Link, you were just trying to protect Aryll, weren't you?"
Grandma and Aryll then both set their gazes to the lad, all eyes were now on him.
It was silent for a moment or two afterwards, then after closing his eyes and letting out a long sigh, Link answered:
"I'm sorry Aryll, I just don't want you to get hurt...I" Link heaved another long sigh, "I mean what if some idiot corners you out there, and I'm not there, what if we're under attack and your captured, possibly killed, what would I tell Grandma if something like that were to happen to you? I wouldn't able to live with myself, Aryll."
Aryll stayed silent long enough to see if her brother had finished. "Link, if you're afraid I won't be able to protect myself, then teach me how."
"I don't want you to fight like I have to." Link objected.
"But what if I want to, big brother?" Aryll's eyes met Link's, it had been a long time since she called him that. Aryll wanted Link to know she was serious.
The corners of Tetra's eyes crinkled as her current grin grew wider, she was impressed with the hero of time's little sister. Apparently Link wasn't the only one with a taste for adventure. Link on the other hand was flabbergasted.
"Who will stay to make sure Grandma's okay?" Link had directed the question at Aryll, but it sounded as if he was asking everyone.
"I don't know about you," Grandma spoke up. "but last time I checked, I'm not a helpless old lady."
Link turned to her, "She's safe here with you though."
"What's the point of being safe if you're bored out of your mind, hmm?" Grandma went on not waiting for Link to answer. "Every day that you're not here, Aryll sits at the kitchen window waiting for you to come back, and take her with you. She would've gone off with Beedle in his boat yesterday, had Sturgeon not caught her."
At that last statement Link gave Aryll a critical look, earning him a slap behind the head from Tetra who whispered to him something about 'It's not nice to give little sisters stank eyes.'
"The point is," Grandma said, bringing everyone's general focus back to her. "she's now old enough to start having her own experiences-"
Link cut her off, "But she's too young to be out at sea."
"She's the same age as you when you first went!" Grandma snapped, startling both Aryll and Link, even Tetra shuddered slightly.
"Link, she does have a point." Tetra said to the eighteen year old, thoughtfully.
The latter switched his gaze between the pirate, and his grandmother disbelievingly.
"Big brother," Aryll started carefully. "please, may I...?" Again meeting her brother's eyes just as before, Aryll's eyes were as big as watermelons. Giving her the biggest puppy dog expression she'd ever made, but this time it wasn't fake.
Link's heart melted, he couldn't say 'no' this time.
"Fine, you can come." He said finally, another blush beginning to spread across his cheeks.
A slow smile worked its way onto Aryll's face, "Really? Oh, thank you!" she ran and hugged her brother's abdomen nuzzling her face into his side. "Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you, Link!"
"Alright, enough of that." Link wriggled, out of his sister's grasp. This wasn't doing anything for his warrior image, and he didn't want Tetra seeing him being all mushy, but then again hadn't he just been cowering in front of her a little while ago? Either way, he managed push Aryll away, not rudely, but with just enough force to separate the two siblings. He'd have to give Aryll a real hug later.
"That settles it then!" Tetra beamed. "We sail in five days, Link make sure you take stock of the ships supplies, and..." She stopped, smiling down at Aryll, "...make sure our newest crew member is up to speed with the objectives of this voyage."
"Um.., right, c-captain!" Link stuttered, now finally realizing his and Tetra's close proximity. Aryll could've sworn, she saw the pirate smirk at this, but she kept her mouth shut.
Link gulped, which did not go unnoticed by Tetra, she smirked again. This time both Aryll and Grandma saw it, the two shared a knowing look.
Tetra let out a small nonchalant 'Hah', then turned around and headed back to the ship, but not before smacking Link lightly on the butt.
Link let out an surprised 'Oh' before his face went completely red. At this, again both Aryll and Grandma shared a look, but said nothing. Unlike Link, Tetra hadn't given anything away as she briskly strolled off.
"And Link! I expect those mission reports to be finished and on my desk by tomorrow morning!"The pirate captain called back before she was out of hearing range.
Said young man whipped around and gave Tetra a salute, "Y-yes, captain!" his voice cracked. Tetra waved her hand to show that she had heard, and continued on.
Link, Aryll, and Grandma stood there a few minutes after Tetra had walked out their line of sight. Link still in the same position.
"Uh, Link?" Aryll started, partially worried for her older brother, and partially excited. "Shouldn't you get to finishing up those mission reports?"
"Ah, right!" Link immediately turned back around and ran straight back up to the house. The door slamming behind him let Aryll and Grandma know he'd made it in without hurting himself.
Aryll shook her head and sighed, and Grandma chuckled.
The elder woman took Aryll in close, and in a hushed voice said, "While you're out there, do keep an eye on the both of them." she jabbed a thumb towards the house, and another towards the docks. "I'm sure Tetra's a good girl, but I don't want Link getting all sprung. Make sure he takes his time."
Aryll nodded in agreement, and sighed, 'Oh, big brother, you're such a goof sometimes...'
A/N: How'd you all like this chapter? Feel free to leave a review!
I want to thank you for reading this chapter, and hopefully you'll be along for the entire journey. This story takes place in the Wind Waker universe, and the main character is Aryll, Link's younger sister. In my mind I imagined Aryll to be fascinated with seeing the world, and want to take a trip of her own, and that's where I came up with this story. Also because Aryll's just that one character I wanted to see more growth for. As evident with WI(Warrior of Ice), I've got a thing for taking notice of side characters.
Anyway I've been restless with this story, finishing up this chapter unparticular was a nightmare. Not because I couldn't find anything to write about, no, it's because I have everything planned out(sorta kinda), and I really want to get into the main part of the story already, but don't worry I didn't rush through the writing.
