Chapter 2: The Worm Turns
They think our heads are in their hands
But violent use brings violent plans
Link awoke to the sound of Marin's voice, singing clearly in the morning sunlight outside. Stirring, he climbed out of bed and crossed to the window. Down below, in the town square, she stood below the weathervane at its center, her voice carrying over the entire village. It was one of the most beautiful things Link had ever heard, and by the looks of it, he wasn't alone; several of the other villagers were gathered to listen to her. After a few minutes, he regretfully went to get dressed before going downstairs and proceeding to cook breakfast.
Tarin had still been lost when Link returned the previous evening, but Marin hadn't been too worried, claiming he'd done this many times before. After they'd had dinner, she'd insisted that he stay in the guestroom until the villagers had built a new house for him. Privately, Link had no intention of letting it come to that, but hewas perfectly willing to accept her hospitality in the short term. It certainly beat sleeping in a tree.
"Link, you didn't have to do that!" Marin exclaimed, sounding surprised and pleased, when she came in to find him setting out servings of fried toast and bacon.
"Didn't have to, but wanted to," Link said cheerfully. "You guys are putting me up. Taking my fair share of the cooking is the least I can do."
"Well, aren't you the gentleman," she teased him, sitting down and taking a bite. "Ooh. A good cook, too. I wouldn't expect that from an Agent of the Crown."
"When you spend a lot of time on the road by yourself, you learn fast if you don't want to keep eating swill," he explained, starting in on his own. "Call it a survival trait."
"I can see how that would work, yes," she agreed. "Dad's going to regret it when he hears he missed out on this, even if his mushroom hunt went well."
"I was thinking about that, actually," Link said smoothly; for some reason, he wanted to avoid mentioning the owl, and a way to do so had presented itself. "If you're busy today, I can go look for him. The more of this island I can explore, the better. I like knowing the lay of the land."
"Now that's something I'm not surprised to hear coming from somebody in your line of work." she said impishly. "I was planning on looking again today, actually, but with two of us we can cover more ground. Good idea!"
"Glad you approve." He shot her a grin. "I assume the monsters in there aren't too nasty, if you don't worry about going in there alone."
"I'm happy you have such faith in me." She feigned a scowl, but her eyes were still amused. "I'll have you know I'm quite a good shot with a bow and arrow. Not that I need to be in the woods; you're right about that. It's mostly moblins in there. They're mean, but dumb. Even if they attack you, it's pretty easy to get them to run into trees or their own pitfalls. Just don't go too far north. If you come out of the woods, you'll be right next to the Goponga Swamp, and that's a different story. The goponga flowers they grow there are nearly impossible to kill."
"I take it they're aggressive, too." Link made a face. "I hate carnivorous plant life. Nearly, huh? Any idea what does work?"
"Bowwow," Marin replied with a straight face. "They're his favorite. Madame Meowmeow walks him up there since he likes them so much. That's about it; they burn, but not very well, and they do grow in water, so you have to ignite the entire thing all at once. Even bombs don't work. Lady Gie grows them because of that, I hear, since they keep anybody she doesn't want to bother her from doing so."
"She lives up there in that swamp, then?" He raised an eyebrow. "Can't say I'd choose that as a place to build a luxury mansion."
"I wouldn't either, but the Lords and Ladies don't live in those," she explained. "Their homes tend to be much more grim than that. They've each got one, all over Koholint, and... well, to be honest, most of them are really more like glorified dungeons than anything else."
"Let me guess, they're swarming with monsters," he said, groaning inwardly. Familiar patterns. "And generally somewhat difficult to access."
"Well, you're right about the first part," she told him. "That's what the monsters do, mostly. Serve the Lords and Ladies directly. It's why nobody really minds them so much, when they're not this worked up. Someone has to do it, and better them than us. The latter depends on who it is. Some of them like their privacy, and with others, it's just a matter of them knowing you're coming so they unlock the door for you."
"I suppose that makes enough sense," Link agreed. They'd finished their breakfast, so he stood and began taking the dishes to the sink. "Shall we head off once the dishes are done, then?"
"Sounds good, but you're staying put on that." Marin swatted him with a towel. "Don't you know? 'He who cooks doesn't clean.' I'll take care of the dishes."
"Yes, ma'am," he said with exaggerated obedience, and she laughed as she got to work. Privately, he admitted to himself that he already liked her; there was a lot about her that reminded him of Zelda, but just as much that was different. Like the princess, she was friendly, with a quick wit and a good sense of humor, and a natural sense of toughness despite her easy femininity. At the same time, she was more relaxed and casual than Zelda, and seemed more optimistic as well. No traces of a strict upbringing showed, nor of any hardships so great as to permanently change her.
Small mystery she's so popular with everybody in town, Link thought to himself, before shrugging. He'd have to be careful not to get too close, of course. Not only because he wouldn't be staying, but there was another woman still waiting for him back home, who he dreamed of every night. Marin was nice, but he would be leaving her life soon enough, and she his. A knocking on the door caught his attention, and with a nod from Marin, he rose to answer it.
"Oh, hello," Mamahl from a few houses over stood there, her ever-present baby in her arms. "Link, wasn't it? I just came over to ask Marin if she had an egg I could borrow."
"Of course!" Marin replied from the sink. "Could you get that for her, Link?"
"No problem." Link went over to do so, then remembered something. "Oh, here. Marin said you've been wanting one of these, right?" The doll he'd won in the crane game had been left on a chair nearby.
"Oh, a Yoshi doll!" Mamahl exclaimed brightly. "My baby's been begging for that!" The infant in question did, in fact, begin babbling happily as soon as Link handed the soft toy over. "Thank you, Link! You're such a generous young man. There's got to be something I can give you in return... oh, here!" She dug out a pretty pink length of ribbon from her pocket.
"Hey, thanks," he said diplomatically as he took it, though he wasn't quite able to control his face so well. Um. This is... new.
"Give it to Marin," she whispered under her breath. "She likes you, you know!" Taking the egg as well, she returned to her normal voice. "Thanks again, both of you. I'd better go back to cooking breakfast. Papahl wants a hearty meal before he goes hiking in the mountains again. I'm sure he'll get lost, just like last time."
"Again?" Marin giggled. "He and Tarin should just go out together. Maybe between the two of them, they'd be able to find their way back."
"Either that, or get twice as lost!" Mamahl laughed as well. "Have a nice day!"
"Well?" Marin shot him a sly grin once she was gone.
"You heard that, didn't you?" Link grinned back. "Good ears."
"Mamahl's nice, but she's a bit silly sometimes," she told him. "She and Papahl both are. Hate to disappoint you, but pink's not my color."
"Well, darn," he joked. "My cunning plan is foiled. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find some use for this. Maybe I can tie it around my sword's hilt."
"I think any monsters you came across would die laughing if you did that," she said lightly, finishing the dishes and drying her hands off. "Shall we, then?"
"Oh, by all means." Link nodded, slipping the ribbon into his pocket and taking up his sword and shield. Together, they walked out of the village to the west, then turned north, into the forest Tarin had vanished into. "All right. You know this place better than I do. How should we do this?"
"You take the west side, and I'll take the east," Marin decided after a moment's thought. "Meet up back here every hour or so."
"Sounds good," he agreed. "I'm guessing you have a better sense of direction than your father does."
"Just about anybody does, except Papahl, but I've never gotten lost here myself," she said with a shrug. "You too, mister adventurer?"
"Something else that's pretty much required in the line of work." Link agreed, heading off into the trees.
True to his word, Link quickly assembled a mental map of his area of the forest, adding it onto what he already knew of Koholint. As Marin had said, grumpy moblins swarmed the wood, blue-skinned humanoids with heads like bulldogs, but most of them only chucked an idle spear at him in passing without a word. Link, however, was trained to take that sort of thing personally, and showed no mercy to those who did, cutting them down quickly and skillfully. Any guilt he might have felt was silenced when one spear nicked his shoulder; it was only a scratch, but it still irritated him.
Eventually, he came across what had to be the fattest raccoon he'd ever seen, sitting on its hind legs-or, to be more accurate, reclining against the back of a tree on them-while it chewed a long strand of grass.
"Morning, young fella," it greeted him cheerfully.
"Good morning," Link replied politely, still growing used to the concept of talking animals. In addition to the chomp and the owl, he'd met Sale the banana 'man', who'd turned out to be a friendly crocodile. "I don't suppose you've seen a man with a mustache named Tarin around here today or yesterday?"
"Can't say I have, nope." The raccoon shrugged. "Easy ta get lost around here, though."
"Lucky for me, I'm good at not getting lost." Link shrugged right back. "Well, if you see him, let me know, huh?" He turned away and kept walking, only to hear an oddly sinister chuckle from the raccoon.
"Think so, huh? Easy ta get lost, yup. Especially with me helping ya out!"
Link turned around to respond, then blinked. Somehow, in a blur of motion, he was now standing in an entirely different path in the forest, one he'd explored previously. Taking a minute to reorient himself, he set off, and quickly confirmed that he had indeed been transported by magic. A moment more of thought brought something else to mind; the raccoon's voice had oddly been familiar. Groaning, he returned to the meeting point.
"Any luck?" Marin asked a few minutes later, joining him.
"Yeah, the bad kind." Link shook his head. "You told me a mushroom turned him into a raccoon once, right?"
"Oh, no." She covered her face with her hands. "No memory of himself, magically sent you somewhere else?"
"Pretty much." He sighed. "At least you know how to change him back, right?"
"We'll have to go see Syrup for help," she said, recovering. "I can introduce you while we're there. Good thing I picked this up when I saw it, just in case." She showed him a squat, rubbery-looking mushroom with a sweet smell and a reddish-orange cap.
"Oh, those grow here, too?" he asked, having seen them before. "I get it. Magic powder, right?"
"Syrup can make it for us," she explained. "Come on, we'll leave the forest to the northeast. She lives up near the graveyard."
"Makes magic powder, lives near a graveyard..." Link thought back. "That's right, you said she was a witch earlier. Does she do potions, too?"
"No, she says she was never any good at those." Marin shrugged. "Nobody can do everything."
"True," he conceded, slightly disappointed. Some healing potions would have come in handy if his stay on the island was going to be like he was planning. "Oh well, at least she'll be able to turn Tarin back."
They made it through the woods without any further trouble. Link tried to refrain from killing moblins while she was with him, although he did cleave slime-blob zols in half when they popped up. Once, though, an aggressive moblin with a sword left him no choice. To his surprise, Marin didn't look away or comment, simply waiting until he was done, before she kept walking. Once they were out of the forest, the moblins no longer bothered them, and they continued to Syrup's home without further trouble, a hollowed-out dead tree.
"Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble, a mushroom mix makes powder for tricks!" The old woman inside announced dramatically as they entered. "Your father again, I take it, Marin? And who's your handsome young friend, heehee?"
"I'm Link," he introduced himself with a bow. "New here. It's nice to meet you, ma'am. You're right. Tarin's a raccoon."
"You say that so casually," Marin commented, giving Syrup the mushroom. "Do people turn into raccoons often around Hyrule now?"
"Maybe someday I'll tell you about the time I spent a while as a bunny rabbit." Link rolled his eyes. "I'll probably need something to drink first, though."
"You have the smell of one who has commonly associated with strong magic, indeed," Syrup said as she tossed the mushroom into a cauldron, grinding and stirring it quickly. "Very strong. Though none on you at the moment."
"I've had an interesting life." Link shrugged it off.
"Seems that way." Marin raised an eyebrow. "A bunny rabbit, huh? At least you weren't pink, right?" Her eyes widened as he winced. "You're joking. You were?"
"Bad day." He raised a hand to his face. "Very bad. Bad month, really, but that was the low point."
"Some luck you had, at least, then," Syrup commented as Marin howled with laughter. "You changed back. Be glad for that much."
"Oh, I am," Link agreed, deliberately ignoring Marin. "Definitely. Should we come back in a few hours?"
"No, my lack of skill in potions is made up for by my ability with powders." Syrup procured a cloth bag and scooped up a glowing, rainbow-colored powder from her cauldron. "There, then. A sprinkle of this will provide what you need, and ignite as well! Just take some care, as there's not much there!"
"Really?" Link blinked. "The last stuff I had wasn't too flammable." Walking over to her unlit fireplace, he tossed in a pinch, and nodded as it lit. "You are good with this. I'll have to be careful not to get any on me, or anybody else for that matter."
"It's good for some monsters, though," Marin suggested, the last of her giggles dying down. "The ones you can't chop up, like buzzblobs."
"Thought I saw one of those outside," he muttered. "I hate those things. All right, let's go track down Tarin. Thanks again, ma'am."
"Get that silly fool home, and warn him again to be more careful about which ones he eats!" Syrup told them, waving as they left.
"Raccoon's this way," Link said, leading her back into the forest. The return trip went smoothly, and soon, they found him again. Before the raccoon could say a word, Link threw a pinch of dust into his face. "Here you go, buddy. Enjoy."
"Ah-achoo! Man, whadja do that for, huh?" The raccoon complained, sneezing uncontrollably. "Raccoons like me-choo-our noses are sensitive to-choo-stuff like dust! Aachoo!" The last sneeze had enough force to propel him violently, bouncing off several trees. Link and Marin turned their heads to watch him ricochet until finally, in a blast of light, Tarin was sitting there once more, looking woozy. "Whoa... what happened? Last thing I remember's biting into a big juicy mushroom... then wham! Out like a light! Dreamed I was a raccoon..."
"Oh, boy." Marin sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "I'll explain it on the way back home, dad. Let's get going."
"You two go on ahead," Link said, on a hunch. "I want to explore a bit more. I'll remember to stay out of the swamp, though."
"Mister Write lives up here, so say hello if you meet him," Marin advised, helping Tarin back to his feet. "Come on, dad. Let's go."
"Why're you looking so cranky, Marin?" Tarin asked plaintively. "I didn't do nothing!"
"Probably for the best I'm skipping that conversation." Link shook his head, walking north, where he'd tried to go before Tarin had gotten him lost. Entering a glade, his eyes were caught by a large, decorative key lying on a tree stump. The hilt had a carved jewel shaped like some long-tailed insect upon it, and the metal was at least gold-plated.
"Hold on there, Linko." Hoad's voice echoed through the clearing as Link crossed to the key. "Not bad, but not just yet." Looking up, he saw the Lord reclining up in the branches overhead, along with another woman. "Well, Sleel? What do you think?"
"I like him," the woman, apparently Lady Sleel, murmured with a smile. Though less androgynous, she bore a strong resemblance to Morm. Her skin, hair, and clothes were nearly identical, though she wore a dress slit up the sides to the waist. As beautiful as she was, her eyes had a cruel glint to them as she looked down on Link. "I like men who can chop moblins like firewood. A shame he didn't want to deal with the raccoon the same way."
"Eh, Gie'd throw a fit if he did that," Hoad grunted. "She thinks that buffoon's hilarious. Besides, nothing wrong with putting a little thought into things. Smart fighters are living fighters, etcetera, etcetera."
"This coming from the one who thinks with his fists more than his head," Sleel said mockingly.
"Are you quite done?" Link asked, unamused. "If you don't want me for anything, I've got things to do today. I'll be taking that key, though."
"Perhaps not so smart after all," Sleel murmured. "That key is of no use to you, handsome man. It unlocks my twin's home. I have a better idea." From nowhere, she pulled another key, this one with what looked like an eel on the hilt. "Take this, instead, and come visit me some time, hm? I think you'd enjoy it if you did."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Link shook his head. "Sorry, but I don't trust handouts. I'll stick with what I've got."
"Why would you want-" Sleel started to ask, then frowned. "Oh. Oh. You're like that, are you? A pity. I'll warn you, then, my brother's uninterested in men. Hardly a surprise that Hoad picked you up, though."
"Sleel, what the hell-" Hoad started to shout furiously, then paused as she began laughing hysterically. Looking at Link's face, the fiery Lord joined in, howling.
"This is why I don't get along with people like you," Link muttered.
"Relax, handsome man, I was only teasing," Sleel assured him, still shaking with mirth. "Thin-skinned, aren't you? A man without interest in women wouldn't still be staying with Marin. You're absolutely infuriating Morm, you know. He's wanted her ever since she came, but Fade's kept him at bay. And here you come, and she's all over you. No wonder he's off sulking with Gie."
"That's why I wanted the key, actually," Link lied smoothly, ignoring the jibes at Marin. "Don't want any bad blood between us, if I'll be here awhile, so I figured I'd better go talk with him before it gets any worse. I'm reasonable like that."
"Well, isn't that sweet." Hoad barked with laughter again. "More like you don't want anything unfortunate happening to the girl if Fade's not looking, right? Chill, Linko. That asshole might be lazy, but he keeps his eye on things." He glanced over at Sleel. "Well, what do you think? Should we let him go have his talk?"
"Perhaps," Sleel murmured, before jumping down from the tree, landing on the ground before Link. "You said you wouldn't mind if I amused myself. How about that, then? Play with me a bit, handsome man, and you can have the key. If you win."
"Playing, huh?" Link drew his sword. "Somehow, I don't think you mean the way you were before."
"A smart man, after all, perhaps," she confirmed, as the air around them took on a sudden chill. Before Link's eyes, a tree to her left became covered with frost, the ice creeping up it in a matter of seconds. The pale woman's hand crept onto its side, and with a jerk of movement, she shattered it, shards flying away in all directions, though none of them hit anybody else. In Sleel's hand, a single long piece of frozen wood remained, tipped with a sharp point. Shifting her grip, she aimed her spear at Link. "I think I'll enjoy this!"
"I don't judge, lady," Link wisecracked, keeping his eyes on her. "Whatever you like. Hope you don't mind if I get it over with as soon as possible."
"No stamina at all," Sleel scoffed, then darted to the left with surprising speed. "Men." As Link turned, her spear darted out and tapped his off-arm. Sleel jumped away as his sword slashed out in response, smiling. "I prefer to take my time. Enjoy myself."
"First blood!" Hoad crowed. "Watch out, Linko! We're not amateurs, any of us!"
"So I noticed," Link growled, bringing his shield up. When Sleel struck again, he deflected it, then sliced at the wood.
"Clever man, but not clever enough!" Sleel exulted as his blade simply bounced off. "Don't be fooled by appearances. My spear is part of my essence. It'll take more than you have to make an impression, little boy!"
"Talk, talk, talk." He held his ground, waiting for her to strike again. He'd fought many things in his career, but this was his first time against an experienced spear fighter. "Can I at least assume it's not poisoned?"
"What did I just tell you?" She stepped back, bringing the point of her weapon up to her face and licking the blood off of it, so slowly and dramatically that it had to have been deliberate. "I prefer extended bouts. Poison would ruin that."
"You're overdoing the whole vamp thing, Sleel," Hoad commented. "Dial it down a notch, huh?"
"Again, this coming from you?" she asked scornfully, jumping back repeatedly as Link rushed her. "Ha! Nice try, but like Hoad said, we're hardly amateurs. Just because I'm talking doesn't mean I'm not paying attention!"
"It was worth a shot," Link said, faking calm despite some concern. She clearly had the advantage of range, and was agile enough to maintain that. How do I touch her? Holding his shield up again, he kept facing her as she circled him, striking again and again. He deflected her strikes, but made no more moves to attack. Each time, he let his shield slip a little more to the left, exposing an inch more of his torso.
"Are you tiring out already?" she murmured smugly. "I'd thought you'd have more in you."
"He's pretty beat up from the shipwreck," Hoad spoke up. "Go easy on him, huh? Don't kill him."
"I wasn't intending on it," Sleel promised, lashing out again. "That would spoil the fun. I just want a fair taste, is all!" This time, her spear plunged deeper, and the shield failed to deflect it, leaving it to stab into his right shoulder. "Got you!"
"Other way around," Link replied with a pained smile of his own. Dropping his shield from his left hand, he grabbed the end of the spear, and shoved sharply downward. Despite Sleel's skill, he had far more strength in his arms, and the weapon was jerked from her hands, the butt rising up to smash her own chin. Before she could recover, Link was on her, dropping the spear to deliver a mighty overhead blow with both hands.
"You-!" She stumbled, the blade biting deep, and he kept on her, hacking and slashing repeatedly. The wounds were odd; instead of blood, the liquid that spilled was jet black, and inside was only more darkness, with no muscle or bone or organs showing. Link's final blow took her across the waist; screaming, she seemed to fall into the earth, melting into a flat, two-dimensional shadow.
"As I thought," Link said, sheathing his sword. "You're not human. Not even close."
"We never claimed to be." Hoad shrugged. "Looks like you lost this time, Sleel."
"Losing to a man like this isn't bad," Sleel murmured, the shadow reflecting her shape if not her image. "I hope you don't think I'm dead, though, boy. We'll meet again... and next time, we'll have just as much fun. Look forward to it." The shadow flickered away, dancing across the ground through the trees, and was gone.
"She's right, you know," Hoad added, not making any effort to budge from his spot in the branches. "Being killed in that form won't cost her more than a quarter of her power. She'll need to rest for a couple days if she wants to recover that, but it's not enough of an imbalance to actually affect the 'ice' on the island."
"I hope you realize you're talking gibberish," Link said bluntly. "I have no idea what you're going on about."
"Not my problem," Hoad shot back. "Just saying, she'll be back. You, on the other hand, might want to track down a fairy for those wounds. Should be one around here somewhere."
"Thanks." Link muttered, taking the key from the stump. "I'll do that." Fairies were gentle folk, with healing magic they were glad to use on any passersby. "Let me ask you something. You're the one who brought me here, right? So that means you've got jurisdiction over me more than the other seven."
"In a nutshell, yeah," Hoad agreed, looking curious now. "So, what's the deal?"
"Deal's this." Link took a deep breath before continuing, hoping he'd judged the angry Lord's nature correctly. "Is it okay with you if I go beat the crap out of your friend Morm?"
"Huh?" Hoad said stupidly. For a moment, he was silent, and Link was afraid he'd made a mistake. Then he exploded with laughter, almost falling out of the tree. "You're something, Linko! Asking me to let you pound on Morm! I knew I was right about you!" The laughter died down, and he grinned savagely at Link, eyes burning. "Yeah, sure. Go right ahead! Hell, don't stop with him, if you want! Don't blame me if he kills your ass, though. Him or any of the others."
"Wasn't planning on it." Link smiled back coldly. "Looks like I owe you one, then. I'll pay you back someday."
"You do that." Hoad stood. "I'm off, then. Have fun, and make sure you give me one hell of a show!" Bending his knees, he jumped, and was gone.
"Oww." Link clutched his shoulder wound once Hoad was gone. "Been a while since I've been hurt this badly. That jerk was right. I'd better find a fairy. Don't want to go back to Marin and Tarin looking like this."
"One hides in the bushes to the east of here, hoot!" the owl said as he flew down, perching on the stump where the key had been. "A bold first step, on your quest to wake the dreamer, defeating one of the eight. Be warned, though; their true strengths and forms are far greater than the illusions they wear as they walk."
"I figured as much," Link replied. "I'm kind of used to this kind of stuff. I'll be honest, though. I don't know anything about waking any dreamer. I just want out."
"Much of mystery you will find on this Island of Koholint, lad," the owl told him gravely. "It is good that you are experienced in such things. As for leaving this island, that is why you must wake the Wind Fish. It is watching you, hoot. But for now, your path leads to the Tail Cave, hidden away between the beach and the village. One of the eight lives there, protecting the instrument that shall be their undoing, in your hands."
"Morm, right?" Link nodded. "I was going to pay a visit to him anyways. We've got a few things to talk about. Might as well pick up this instrument while I'm there, though. Thanks for the directions. I wasn't really sure I wanted to ask anybody in the village."
"I am glad to assist you, hoot!" The owl's eyes seemed to smile, despite his unmoving beak. "Now and in the future. Stay alive, and triumph, young man! The Wind Fish waits! Hoot!" Spreading his wings, he was gone once more.
"Right, fairy, then back to Marin's," Link muttered to himself. "I'll go take care of business tomorrow." Picking his shield up, he set off back through the woods.
"As I thought." Link rolled his eyes, unable to force himself through any more of the book on swordsmanship. "All fancy tricks. Good way to kill yourself. Boy, am I glad I learned the right way. Some stuff just doesn't translate into print." Shaking his head, he replaced it on the shelf in the town library, and pulled out an atlas of Koholint Island instead. He'd gone through books on swords, shields, and bombs so far, plus a strange one that claimed to be about the island's "dark secrets and mysteries" but was written in incomprehensible lines.
He hadn't wanted to lie to Marin and Tarin, so on his third day, Link had explained that he felt like visiting the library, on the southern edge of town. They'd had other business, as he'd hoped, so he'd gone, intending to spend an hour or so there before moving on. He'd never been that much of a reader, so that was about all he felt up for. Putting the atlas back up, he left, waving at a pair of the quadruplets who were playing ball outside as he went south.
It didn't take long for him to find the crevice in the cliffs on the path down to the beach. After a few twists and turns, it ended in sheer faces on three sides, one of which contained a wide-mouthed cavern opening. Steel bars kept it inaccessible, and before it were three statues, larger versions of the insect on the key he'd found. A moment's search found a keyhole in the center one, and using it brought the bars down, opening the way.
"Summer vacation's over, then," Link muttered absently to himself as he walked inside. "Time to get back to work."
The Tail Cave seemed to have been carved out of solid stone, smooth and polished, sloping downward as Link walked. Statues of rocklops, one-eyed hulking golems, gave Link pause at the entrance, but these seemed only statues in truth, meant for decoration. The numerous firepits were placed similarly, far more than were necessary to provide illumination, and burning strangely without any visible fuel.
"This place was designed by Morm, all right," Link muttered. "It's got that jerk's showiness all over it." Shaking his head, he kept walking down and in. When monsters attacked, he wasn't surprised one bit. A pair of batlike keese swooped down, screeching, and he chopped them out of the sky. Their companion, a land squid of a type familiar to him, save for the hard black shell covering its top, was another story. A few experimental chops confirmed his suspicions when his sword barely put a scratch on it.
"Somebody's been playing around with evolution," Link growled irritably, battering it away with sword and shield. "Can't say I like that. Another one I owe them." An experimental chop at the legs below failed as it skittered back; the beast was surprisingly mobile. Shaking his head, Link simply pushed it back until he found what he'd been looking for. A wide, narrow pit he was able to knock the squid into. A storage chest on the other side of the trench held a small key, which he pocketed. From there, the cave forked to both sides.
The decision of which to take was made for him when a pair of animated skeletons began advancing from the right, grinning silently. "Stalfos. Just what my day needed." The monsters were just as irritating as he remembered, springing back from all but the deepest swings of his sword with unconscious agility. It took a few minutes to hack both to pieces, but when he did, he was rewarded with another chest at the end of the path, this one containing a map.
"All right, let's see here," Link muttered, unrolling the parchment. "I don't believe this. It's actually shaped like this bug, whatever it is." He frowned, noting that the shape of its body was starting to seem oddly familiar, but he couldn't quite place it yet. "Says the only road from here is one-way..." He glanced over at the north wall, where there was some odd door-shaped panel of stone with an impression like a human body. "I'd rather avoid that, thanks. So, the other way."
The question of the insect was answered after he made a right turn on the left path, when a familiar foe charged him. "Moldorms! Of course!" A moldorm was a terrifying beast from far-off desert islands. Adult males were bigger than bull moose, and would kill and eat anything they came across. Those were few and far between, though, as they usually killed each other as well. What was charging Link now was a juvenile his own size, its carapace still soft. Made of spherical segments of descending size from the head, it moved in erratic curves and turns as it eyed him hungrily.
"If these are here, is there an adult, too?" Link wondered aloud, cutting it down. "Man, I hope not." Another one beckoned from the right, though the path continued straight as well. After a moment's thought, he went for the beast, killing it like he had its brother.
If he'd been in a normal part of the world, Link would have shuddered to think of the amount of labor that must have gone into carving out the Tail Cave. Each wall was absolutely smooth and flat, and the floors and ceilings so as well, though still inclining downward. By now, he was probably underneath Mabe Village, if he was any judge. The stone was gray one moment, white the next, then brown, red or yellow. In some rooms, it was even more fantastic colors. Despite the monsters, it felt empty, even tomblike, enough to have given a lesser adventurer the chills.
The paths kept splitting, to the point that Link would have lost track of them without a map. Soon, he was forced to turn back from more than one by pits that crossed the entire hall, too wide to jump over, and deep enough to be fatal if he fell in. He had the feeling there was some gimmick, but he couldn't find it. His efforts were at least somewhat fruitful; he used the key, found another, and also claimed what seemed to be a piece of a stone tablet with writing on it. In the end, though, he was forced to go back to where he'd first found the moldorm larva, and go straight from there.
"Wondered when one of those would pop up..." Link muttered to himself as he dodged a bladed wall trap. Past that, he found a dead-end with a staircase leading downward, and a stone slab covered in crudely carved words on another wall, missing a piece. Pushing in what he'd found, he smiled as it fit perfectly. "Okay. 'Turn aside the spined ones with a shield'? What the heck does that-oh." A scuffling sound drew his eye to the stairs, where a pair of enemies were emerging. Like the land squid, they were familiar but altered, much more dangerous in their current form.
Headless turtles had been bizarre monsters already; four legs emerged from their shells, but nothing else. To fight them in the past, Link had been forced to use a sledgehammer, something he now lacked. The fact that these ones had nasty-looking spikes on their shells was hardly encouraging, and neither was the sudden turn of speed they put on as they sensed him, charging like bulls. Sidestepping one, Link raised his shield against the other as advised. The enemy hit, and though it forced him back, it failed to hurt him. More importantly, its rebound actually flipped it onto its back.
"Well." Link blinked, then shrugged, stabbing down into the exposed underside. "That seems to have done the trick." The second spiny was no smarter, and was dispatched just as efficiently. "Wonder who left that there? Doubt Morm wanted to give me a hint. Hoad, maybe? Well, I'm not complaining." Descending the stairs, he passed through a narrow tunnel ending in another staircase back up, much cruder than the rest of the Tail Cave.
There, he finally found something new; walking brown mushrooms on stumpy feet, with smirking faces on their caps. Whatever they were, they were easily dispatched. He actually killed the first simply by jumping off the stairs onto it, crushing it flat. On the other side of the tunnel, he found only a short hall that ended in a pair of treasure chests surrounded by more statues and firepits. When blade traps shot out from both walls, he was ready, and dodged back, crossing while they were busy retracting.
To his disappointment, one chest was empty, but the other one held a feather the size of his hand. Picking it up, he suddenly felt light on his feet. On a hunch, he tried a jump, and practically sailed into the air, more than a foot on a simple hop. Grinning, he turned around, and easily hurdled the blade traps. "Well, now. Thank you very much, Morm. I'll be taking this." The trenches that had barred his way would be easily surmounted now, he guessed.
His guess turned out to be correct. The first pit he hurdled brought him yet another chest, this one containing a second unique key. Jet-black enameled, it bore a horned head on the end. "Oh, Goddesses. This old gimmick too? Are there any original thoughts happening here?" Muttering his disapproval, Link went on to jump the other hurdle, finding a locked door his small key from earlier opened. By his map, it went to the last part of the Tail Cave he hadn't explored yet, save for one odd room he hadn't been able to find the entrance to.
When he passed through the door, he almost thought he had found what he was looking for; a blank, perfectly square room of purple stone. Aside from wall torches, there was nothing there but the doors to the left and behind. It was otherwise empty, or so he thought until he walked through, and the doors both slammed shut. A moment later, somebody fell upon him, and he swore aloud at his own inattention.
"Hi, Link!" Gie greeted him happily, hugging him as if he were an old friend. Her touch was neither hot nor cold, but warm with life; what made it unsettling was the feeling of motion, as if other living things were moving beneath her skin. Releasing him, she jumped back before he could draw his sword. "What are you doing here? This is Morm's place!"
"Hoad's orders," Link explained carefully, keeping his eyes on her; despite her appearance, he knew she would be just as dangerous as the others. "He told me I should come here and talk a few things over with Morm."
"But Morm doesn't want you here," she argued. "We were having a nice time before he saw you coming in. Can't you come back tomorrow?"
"Somehow, I doubt that would be a good idea." He shook his head. "At the least, I'd find all the locks changed."
"Please?" she whined, her eyes wide and soulful. "Come on, Link. If you'll be nice to me, I'll be nice to you..."
"Sleel said something similar." He gave her an unimpressed look. "It didn't turn out to be nice at all. Still not sure whether she meant it that way from the start, or if she just gets distracted easily. Either way, you're overplaying your part a bit, lady. You can go ahead and cut it out entirely, if you want. I don't scare easily. Let's talk straight, huh?"
"Really?" Gie suddenly straightened her back, her facial expression changing to a more controlled smirk. "Well, all right. If you insist. Remember, this was your idea. Morm doesn't want you here, Link, and he doesn't really care what Hoad told you to do. That's why he sent me out to get rid of you. I'll say it one more time. Will you take a hike if I ask nicely?"
"Sorry." Link echoed her expression. "I'm bad at taking advice."
"We'll do it the way that's not nice, then." Gie extended a hand, an acorn appearing between her fingers, and dropped it into a crack in the floor. Instantly, it sprouted and grew, a tree rising to the ceiling in only a few moments, impossibly fast between them. Just as quickly, the leaves aged and fell, covering Gie entirely, followed by the branches. The remaining cylinder of wood fell to the side, tearing the roots off. Now spanning the entire room between them, it grew wooden spikes all along it as a final step, even as leaves, branches and roots all began to melt into the air.
When Gie was exposed once more, she was no longer even remotely human. A blob of pale violet with flippers for hands and no feet whatsoever, she also had a single antenna dangling from the back of her head. Her mouth was a fish-lipped, goofy smile, and her eyes bulged, rolling wildly. "Now you'll play with me whether you like it or not!"
"Is this your true form, then?" Link asked, holding sword and shield at the ready, eyes on Gie. "Can't say it's what I expected."
"Nope!" She giggled. "You'll have to come crash my place if you want to see that!" Her flippers shoved the log with what had to be inhuman strength, and it began rolling towards Link at high speed. "Catch!"
"Is that an invitation?" he asked calmly, the giant feather in his off hand. A strong leap carried him over the rolling log, which crashed into the wall behind him with enough force to bounce back.
"Once we're done here, sure!" Gie's voice came from above, her shadow darkening him. When she landed, it was with the weight of a much larger human, flattening him to the floor. Giggling again, she bounced off, around the room several times more before springing over the log and shoving it back the other way.
"Great," Link growled, rising just in time to hurdle the log again. This time he was ready when Gie pounced, slashing at her with enough force to knock her away. "I'll take you up on that!" He tried to follow her to attack further, but she sprung away with surprising agility.
"You have to win, first!" she reminded him, reaching the log again and pushing it once more. When Link hurdled it, she jumped to his side this time, then came at him in a tackle that surprised him, smashing him against the wall. "Otherwise you'll be dead!"
"Good to have that cleared up," he snarled, managing to cut her again before she bounded away. Like Sleel, she bled black, and even in this shape, her skin still moved unpleasantly when they touched. "Let's take care of that, then!" He jumped the log once more, and this time, met her charge with the whirling blade strike. Focusing on his blade even as he leaped over it, he unleashed all the strength his arm could contain, spinning around in a full horizontal circle that caught Gie in mid-jump and smashed her away from him into the wall, with a huge cut opened across the span of her body.
"Owwwww!" she yelped in pain, sliding off the wall after a moment. "What the heck was-!"
"Forgot to warn you." Link leaped towards her, pinning her against the wall and slashing her again and again. "I play rough. Sorry." His last attack deepened the wound from the whirling blade strike, to the point where she was almost cleaved in half.
Howling in pain, Gie began going off like she was filled with gunpowder, the surface of her blobby body erupting in explosions. Startled, Link jumped away just in time, before the last detonation blew away any traces of her physical form, leaving only the shadow on the floor. Unlike with Sleel, Gie's shadow immediately began to flicker oddly, and was gone within moments..
"Hrm." Link raised an eyebrow; one spark of light had remained from the explosion. Looking closer, he saw that it was a fairy. "Where'd that come from? Oh well, I'm not complaining." The sprite, seeing him, obligingly flew over to heal him, then flew away without saying a word. Feeling his bruises fade, Link nodded and walked through the door, onward. He doubted that Gie was actually dead, any more than Sleel had been, even if she'd disappeared. For now, though, it was time for the main act.
Twice more, bladed wall traps sprung from the hall on both sides of him as the stone darkened into black. Both times, Link hung back and then ran past while they were resetting. He passed another staircase leading down, but declined to explore it this time, continuing forward instead. Through one more door, he entered another square, nearly featureless room. This time, his opponent was sitting in an armchair, a book.
"So you've triumphed over Gie, and my sweet sister as well," Morm said calmly without looking up. "Sleel will simply be all the more interested in you now, but I daresay Gie will be in a foul mood for some time. She might even have reformed and attacked you again, had you not been here."
"What's being here got to do with it?" Link asked warily. "Is this going to be more gibberish like the kind Hoad spouts?"
"Don't ask questions if you're not willing to understand the answers." Morm shook his head. "Pitiful. This is my lair, and the place on the island where 'earth' is strongest. Too strong, in fact, for the other seven to bear once rendered incorporeal. She was driven away. So much for my entertainment." Closing the book, he gave Link a flat, unfriendly look. "Well? Out with it, boy. Why have you come here? You're bothering me. And you've stolen my roc's feather."
"Oh, is that what this is?" Link examined the feather with exaggerated interest. "I always thought those were just a myth, though I suppose I of all people should know better. You're kind of calling the kettle black while being a pothead, though. I hear you have something that was mine. How about we trade?"
"Setting aside the fact that that's not how this would go, I don't even have your silly boomerang at the moment," Morm explained. "A servant of mine stole it and ran. He will be punished, of course, once I track him down. No more dilly-dallying. Explain your presence."
"I should think that would be obvious at this point," Link said with just as much condescension, making a small motion with his sword. "We've got a few things to talk about. Let's start with Marin, and go from there."
"Oh, please spare me the dramatics." Morm rolled his eyes. "I never touched the girl, and I have no intention of doing so as long as that worthless lout Fade has his eyes on her. Probably other things as well. Don't tell me you came here on her account with a straight face."
"Ha." Link chuckled lightly. "You're not as stupid as you look. Fine. I need off this island, and it seems you guys won't let me. So, I'm dealing with that problem, the best way I know how."
"You need to leave, or you want to leave?" Morm asked, smiling. "In time, boy, you will learn the difference between the two. For now, setting aside the obvious logical fallacies implicit in your assumption, I would think you would start with Hoad, as he is your personal patron."
"I'll get to him eventually." Link shrugged. "I'm guessing I'll have to take all eight of you down, anyway. You were the closest to Mabe Village, you tick me off, and you look weak. Three good reasons to start with you."
"I look weak, do I?" Morm's eyes narrowed, and he stood up, idly kicking the armchair away to a corner of the room with blatantly inhuman strength. "Well then, we have something in common. Or rather, two things. You've managed to irritate me. Congratulations. Allow me to show you what you're really dealing with by challenging us, as a reward. I shall simply have to apologize to Hoad afterward. It will be grating, but worth it nonetheless."
"Going to transform, are you?" Link taunted him further. "Turn into some ugly freak like Gie? No big deal."
"Hardly." Morm's smile turned ugly, as the room began to shake around them. "I am throwing off my transformed state. Prepare to behold my true form, boy, and make your peace with the Goddesses while you're at it. You'll be returning to them soon enough!"
Two great cracks appeared in the floor, on either side of them, and the ground beyond them fell away. What was left was a circle of floor hanging between the door Link had entered by, and another opposite it. From the chasms to the sides, insects poured up in waves, but made no move to attack Link. Instead, they swarmed over Morm, flowing into the orifices in his head and his body, beneath his fingernails and toenails. Disgusted, Link stared as the Lord expanded like a balloon, bulging more and more until finally he burst, skin melting away into sand and dust in the air.
What emerged from within him was a beast both terrifyingly familiar and oddly alien to Link. Larger than a bull moose, the many-legged insect was formed of spherical segments, smallest at the tail and largest at the head. Unlike the younger specimens, each segment save the last was covered in an exoskeleton harder than steel. There was where familiarity ended; the armor was black rather than green, and the head entirely different, with slitted eyes and pincer jaws. It was like an illustration drawn by somebody who'd never actually seen one, but Link still knew it for what it was supposed to be.
"Morm." Link whispered, suddenly understanding. "Moldorm."
"Bzzzzz!" The beast recoiled, surprised itself now. "You know my true name? How? You've barely been here three days!"
"I've fought moldorms before, and killed them," Link explained, shaking off his stupor. "Never one quite like you, I'll admit, but I bet you'll die the same way!"
"We'll just see about that, boy!" Morm's voice sounded like a furious buzzing now. He charged Link, jaws working furiously. "Bzzzzz! Die, outsider!"
There was no time for witty banter now. Unlike with Sleel and Gie, Link recognized the massive threat this beast posed, and concentrated entirely on survival. Bringing up his shield, he made a spinning dodge to the left, moving along the beast's side quickly until he could bring his sword down on the last segment, at the end of its tail. A lumpy, misshapen sphere, it was the only part of an adult moldorm's body that was vulnerable, and severing it completely would cause the monster's death.
"Bzzzzz!" Morm hissed in fury as the first strike sank in, whipping his head around at Link. "You know that, as well?" He was already moving in the opposite direction, running around the edge of the platform. A normal moldorm's body automatically followed the path of its head, and he was hoping this one would be bound by the same limitations. His hope was promptly dashed when the tail lashed out, smashing him in the chest. He managed to stab it again, but then he was falling into the chasm. At the last moment, he managed to grab one of the lumps on the end of the tail, hanging from it almost below floor level.
"Nice move, bzzzzz!" Morm twisted around, bringing his pincer jaws close to Link's hand. "Now then, will you let go and fall, or shall I chew your hand off for you?"
"What the hell is this?" Link demanded, ignoring him. His eyes were locked on what was in the basement, at eye level now. Three human skeletons hung from ropes attached to the ceiling, clad in rotting scraps of dresses.
"Some of those I bring to this island are less than grateful," Morm replied calmly, as if he was talking about the weather. "I prefer to be able to educate them, but if stubbornness prevails... I am not a man to be denied."
"You're not a man at all," Link snarled, incensed. Bringing his sword up, he pierced the tail, and the resulting reflexive recoil pulled him back up, flinging him into the air. He landed on the floor with jarring force, knocking the wind out of him, but he rolled away and then rose to his feet as Morm screeched and raged. "You're a corpse, Morm. If you won't die, then I'll just kill you again and again, as many times as it takes!"
"Ignorance will only get you so far!" Morm howled, charging him again. "And hardly to bliss, bzzzzz!"
Link fell silent once more, eyes burning, as he stood fearlessly in Morm's path. At the last moment, he used the Roc's Feather to spring into the air, landing on the beast's back. Immediately, the tail flung him off and away, but not before he managed to slash once more. The rearmost section was flopping around loosely with every movement now, half-severed.
"Close, but no cigar!" Morm roared triumphantly, bearing down even as Link landed with a bone-jarring impact. "Nowhere to run now!"
Link's only response was to ram his shield between the pincers of his maw, locking it in place. Immediately, he proceeded to leap onto the head and then down the length of the body, holding on tight as Morm thrashed and crashed around in an effort to dislodge him. He kept going gamely, inching his way down until he was within range of the weak spot and could hack at it, holding on with his legs. It would have been impossible, had he not ridden a horse bareback, many times in his career.
When he felt crushing pressure and massive pain rip into him from behind, he didn't stop. He knew Morm had caught him, and that his only hope was to press the attack, until with one last mighty swing, the smallest segment fell off, the nerves and veins and muscles severed completely through. The jaws opened in involuntary shock, and Link slipped out, diving across the floor. Morm was frozen, paralyzed, as black blood spilled from the wound. His exoskeleton began lightening in color, turning tan and grainy, until a sand sculpture of a moldorm was all that stood there, before falling apart.
"Done," Link said quietly, as the man's shadow appeared on the floor. "You lose, Moldorm. One down."
"Stop calling me that!" Morm yelled, flickering like Gie had as soon as he said the name. "You think you've won? You're dead on your feet! I'll finish you off!"
"Why should I, Moldorm?" Link repeated, smiling coldly as the shadow flinched and flickered faster. He'd said it the first time without thinking, but it looked like that was an important lucky accident. "You seem to be having a bad reaction to your name, Moldorm. Why is that?"
"I'll murder you in your sleep!" Morm threatened, voice filled with audible pain. "Don't think this is over!"
"I'll be waiting, Moldorm," Link replied, unafraid. "I know your name and your nature, Moldorm. Be gone from this place!" The last repetition did it; without another coherent word, Morm's shadow faded away, still screaming. Once the sound had trailed off, Link walked forward. As much as he wanted to leave and find a fairy, he wanted to see what was beyond even more.
The last room in the Tail Cave contained only two things, both prominent. In the center of the room was what seemed to be a fountain of dirt and pebbles, spewing forth like water and then melting away as it poured over the floor. Link was no magician, but he knew the art when he saw it, and the fountain was practically glowing with power. Beyond it, on an altar, was a cello which was actually glowing, lit up from the inside. Walking around the fountain, Link picked it up, reading an inscription on the back.
"The Full Moon." Link shrugged, then blinked as the bow began moving across its strings of its own will, playing without a hand to use it. It was only a short tune, but Link knew it regardless; the opening of what Marin had been singing the morning before. As it played, the room around him grew brighter and brighter as well, until he had to cover his eyes from the blazing green light. When he opened them again, he was standing at the entrance of the Tail Cave, out under the setting sun, and the cello had vanished.
"You have recovered the first instrument of the sirens, lad." The owl's voice called his attention to where it perched, on a nearby tree. "I must beg your forgiveness, hoot. At first, I did not truly believe you were real. But if you can defeat one, you can defeat all."
"I've seen things I've had trouble believing too," Link replied. "So, what was that thing, anyways? Do you know why Morm was protecting it?"
"The eight instruments of the sirens have the power to wake the Wind Fish," the owl explained. "It is no coincidence that they each hold one, hoot. Collect them all, awaken the Wind Fish from its slumber, and you shall leave Koholint as you desire. Do not worry about the Full Moon's repossession; the children of nightmares cannot actually touch them."
"Which implies that Morm moved into that place, rather than building it himself," Link said, thinking aloud. "Let me guess. You were here before they were, and that's how you know so much about it."
"Hoot hoot!" The owl bobbed his head. "That is one way of putting it. Now, you must journey towards Goponga Swamp, north of the woods. Heal your wounds, then seek the next instrument! Hoot, indeed!" In a flurry of feathers, he was gone once more.
"Gie, then," Link recalled aloud. "That works out just fine." He winced, clutching his wounds. "But first, a fairy, and then I'd better get back. Hope Marin and Tarin aren't waiting up for me. She'll probably be cranky enough that I'm missing. Oh man, I really hope she didn't go looking for me at the library." Sighing, Link set off back up towards the path, as the day slowly ended above him.
"Sleel and Morm," the old man standing at the window said as the sixth and seventh of their number joined them, turning around. "I'm glad to see that you finally made it."
"My dear brother was occupied, Greeper," Sleel explained. "An engagement which did not end well for him."
"I noticed the imbalance," the child said from his chair, not looking up from the notes he was reading. "You lost half of your power, Morm. The imbalance with 'air' will be noticable."
"I'll recover it soon, Sliyes, once I kill him," Morm vowed. "Which I'll do right away. He's dead!"
"Yeah, right." Hoad was sprawled loosely in his chair. "You couldn't take him in your true form. What makes you think you can in any other?"
"Enough, both of you," Greeper said, turning away from the window. "This is hardly the time for squabbling. If Morm succeeds, all well and good. But if he doesn't, we must plan further."
"Well, we certainly can't keep meeting here," Sleel said, glancing at her twin. "Don't think I don't see you flinching, dear brother. It's highly uncomfortable for you, just as it would be for me in Hoad's, or Gie at Fade's. Speaking of whom, I notice he's refused to grace us with his presence once more."
"Like that's surprising?" Hoad snorted. "I went over and told him what was going down, and he just said it was our problem, and he didn't want to deal with it. Typical."
"Sleel has a point," Sliyes agreed. "Our individual homes are unsuited for meetings, due to the opposing natures of our powers. We should procure some common ground. On that note, I assume Morm is staying with you for now, Sleel?"
"I won't be able to return to my own home for some time," Morm admitted candidly. "That damnable cretin has somehow blindly crashed into the correct method for banishing us. I'll be residing with my sweet sister for now, yes. One more thing to take out of his hide."
"As you wish," Greeper agreed. "The two of you may run interference, for now. You may even get lucky and succeed. As for a meeting place... perhaps Kanalet Castle would suffice? Prince Richard was given it by our generosity. Now we shall need it ourselves. Evicting him to his villa would be reasonable, under the circumstances."
"Harsh, Greeper." Hoad snickered. "Selling him out like that. He's yours, after all. Guess that just means you do whatever you want to him. Nah, don't get all uptight, I'm in. Matter of fact, me and the kid can take care of that. What do you say, Sliyes? Wanna go have some fun?"
"I suppose I could find the time for that," Sliyes said, smiling unpleasantly. "I can't wait to see the look on that fool's face when we tell him we're turning him out."
"You all do whatever you want," Gie spoke up; she'd been oddly silent up until then. "But it's my turn to play with the hero next."
"Of course," Greeper agreed. "Your home is the closest to Mabe Village aside from Morm's, so it's natural he would seek you out."
"That's not enough." Gie shook her head. "He's ticked me off. I'm going to have some fun with him."
"By all means." Greeper glanced over at the seventh member of their group, the only one to remain silent so far; he'd been calmly gnawing on a leg of chicken the entire time, seemingly ignorant of their discussion. "You can even go ahead and take Angish, if you'd like. Use him however you want."
"Can I really?" Gie sat up straighter, eyes turning to the largest member of their fellowship, along with everybody else's. "Yay! Thanks, Greeper! You hear that, Angish? You're with me for a while! That means you have to do what I say!"
"Okay," Angish replied after a moment.
"Excellent." Greeper rubbed his hands together. "That should be more than sufficient to deal with our little problem. And if it's not, we shall come up with more plans. One way or another, young Link will cease to be an issue for us."
Some were scowling, others smiling, as the meeting broke up. But the thoughts of all seven were the same, despite their slight discrepancies. One way or another, sooner or later, they all desired Link's death. And what they desired, they always acquired, on Koholint Island.