Chapter 4
(The Man with the Evil Eyes)
Link yawned, stretching out for a moment before getting up. Slipping on his tan work shirt, he kissed the sleeping Zelda good-bye and left. It was a dreary day; fog enveloped the little town in its wake. Quiet figures passed Link on the street, but none of them spoke a word. Link found himself talking out loud to his thoughts as they seemed to prod him, eating away at his mind and heart.
You don't belong here…you belong on the sea…a pirate captain…His thoughts prodded him, making him lose track of what he was doing for a moment.
"It's too late for that…I'm married." Link argued with himself.
You don't have to be…do you really care about her so much as to give her…that? The voice questioned.
"I gave it to her willingly. It's hers now," Link responded, getting frustrated.
You gave it away? To a woman? Why? You need that! You worked for that! Go and get it! You cannot give it away! The voice became louder in volume.
"Leave me alone!" Link yelled, startling a few passersby on the street. "I can give it to whomever I wish!"
But you can't give it away to her…you aren't meant to be this way…don't you remember? The smell of the sea…the glory of finding treasure and counting your hoard? She tricked you…she deceived you…she took it away! The voice continued, calm and flowing, with a sly tone.
"Leave me be!" Link fumed. "I'm perfectly satisfied! Don't you see? Happy, happy, happy! We're all happy!" He closed his eyes.
Very well…but remember, you can get it all back. All you need to do is ditch her…The voice faded out, until it could no longer be heard.
"Good morning, apprentice!" Rauru greeted Link as he walked in the door.
"Good day, sir," Link replied blandly. "I'll be in the back working on the displays if you need me." With that, Link made his way to the back part of the shop. It had been a busy night, and with the argument in his mind…Link was a bit stressed.
The day was very busy, and Rauru made several good sales as well as trades. For some reason, near the middle of the day the sun became hidden behind the clouds. The day became darker, and a westward wind began to blow.
Link heard the door entry bell ring, but did not pay attention. A shadow-like figure stepped inside, with heavy boots thudding on the ground.
"Anything I can help you with?" Rauru asked the customer kindly.
The man's voice was as cold as steel. "I'm interested in that brooch." A wave of his hand gestured to a woman's brooch studded with jewels that was almost buried on the shelf.
With a nod, Rauru lifted it from the shelf and passed it to the man, who looked it over for a short time. "I'm prepared to offer you a sum of ten shillings for this trinket," he stated in a bored tone.
Rauru was eager to make another sale, so he agreed, holding out a hand for the man to shake. Just as they were about to finalize the deal, Link slid down the ladder he had been climbing and rushed over. "Wait! Don't sell it!" Link exclaimed, stepping between the two.
"Why not? This man has just offered ten shillings for it." Rauru glowered at Link with a confused look on his face.
"Because it's worth at least a hundred shillings!" Link exclaimed, unsure of why the brooch meant so much to him. It was just a brooch. Maybe because of the man…something was not right.
The man threw back his hood, so his face was revealed. "That brooch is worth no more than fifteen shillings! You're lucky I've offered anything to you at all!" he spit through clenched teeth.
For a split second, something triggered inside Link. He wanted to punch the man. "Sir," he growled back, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
"You dare to ask me to leave?" the man shouted.
"No…" Link's eyes began to spark dangerously. "I'm telling you to leave. Who are you, anyway?" Link sneered. He felt something urging him to reenergize his old ways. For a moment, he surveyed the man.
He wore a large cloak, and black armor glinted under it. His fiery red hair adorned his muscular figure and dark skin. His skin was a color so deep; it was almost an olive green. He had evil eyes, eyes that seemed to bore into Link's soul. With a snicker, the man stared down at Link. He was very tall, a towering figure with a few ear piercings. Link noted in passing that he also had a very large pair of boots and an unusually big nose.
"I am Ganondorf Dragmire. I am the king's advisor. And who are you, commoner?" He glowered at Link with his eyes narrowed dangerously.
Link's eyes narrowed in response. "I am Link. Now leave," he ordered.
Ganondorf huffed in his throat. "This is not done yet, boy…" he warned. With a twirl of his cloak, he stalked out.
Link stayed silent for the rest of the day, his thoughts wandering from the man to pirating. He began to wonder if it was worth it for him to stay here. Perhaps it would be better without this charade, without this work, and without…Zelda. True, he was married to her, but perhaps it was too quick a decision. Maybe she would be better off without him. He did love her…that was that. If he loved her, why leave her? Yet as Link packed up for the day, his eyes could not help but wander to the harbor for a quick moment.
He shuffled his feet, sighing as he walked home. Something caught his eye as he passed a corner. A small group of fellow townspeople had gathered in front of what seemed to be a piece of parchment. Link tilted his head in interest, and made his way over to the group to see what all the commotion was about.
"Hey, what's going on over here? What's all the excitement?" he asked the bustling, whispering wives and husbands.
"Read for yourself, stranger." A blacksmith pointed to the paper, making a space so Link could see.
Link peered at the piece of paper, reading the large bold letters to himself quietly. Urgent Notice! Princess missing assumed kidnapped. If any soul has information on her whereabouts, see the king immediately. Reward to the finder. Link whistled in amazement. "If the king's giving a reward, it must be huge." A few of the townspeople nodded in agreement. "Where is the king anyway?" Link questioned.
"Don't you know anything?" the blacksmith raised an eyebrow. "The king lives on this island. There's his castle, in the distance there." He pointed through the fog, which did not particularly help Link. Yet, when he squinted, he could see the castle looming faintly in the distance.
"Well, what do you know?" Link remarked. "Thanks, I'll see you later folks!" He ran off, excited to tell Zelda about this little piece of information.
Indeed, Zelda was very excited to hear the news. "A princess? Missing? Wow, what an adventure. I wonder if she's alright?" she questioned out loud.
"I'm sure she's fine, wherever she is." Link pursed his lips in thought. "You know something else? I met this man today…an evil man. He swears his allegiance to the king as his advisor, but I don't know. Something about him just isn't right. He calls himself Ganondorf."
Zelda felt a shiver run down her spine. "Ganondorf…" she thought. "Why does that name sound so ominous?" The name itself seemed to warn of impending doom.
It was difficult to sleep that night. For Zelda, that is. Link fell asleep easily, worn out by a hard day's work. Zelda, however, was awake late into the night, thinking. Her mind wandered. Just as Link had struggled earlier, Zelda was currently having an argument.
Look at you…you used to be a merchant's daughter. Now you're a sad excuse for a homemaker. You can't cook, you can't buy, and you stay at home all day. He'd be better off without you…her mind taunted her.
"I love him." Zelda thought, her emotions pulling her down.
Love…do you really love him? Or do you just feel sorry for him? Did you just fall for those broad shoulders? If he was arrested, would you lay down your life for him? You know he's a pirate. He may be in trouble with the law…will you stick by him?
"Of course I'll stick by him! I…I admit I felt sorry for him at first, and yes, he has a good figure…but that's not why I married him! I really do love him!" Zelda argued back.
So be it. Just know that you don't have to keep this. You weren't legally married, you know. Yes, it was done by a ship's captain, but he wasn't an ordained preacher…did you really know him that well? Can you trust him? He has a dark side you know, he could leave you for another woman…to protect yourself, all you have to do is leave him…
Zelda felt torn inside, but just sniffed once and turned towards the window, before finally falling into a deep sleep.
In the morning, it was Sunday. The shops were closed and Link got a break. He and Zelda decided to take a stroll down to the beach and have a picnic. Of course, Zelda packed food and Link strapped the dagger to his belt.
"A dagger, Link?" Zelda questioned.
"You never know. I never go anywhere without protection," Link remarked.
"Right…well, let's go." The two strolled off, Link in his best clothes and Zelda looking extremely attractive. As they neared the beach, they passed the harbor. Link could not help it; he had to take a detour. Two men were arguing over something, and a third was watching from the ship's rail with a bored look.
"I tell you, it's the sail!" one man burst out, glaring at the other.
"No, it's the rudder," the other calmly remarked, crossing his arms stubbornly.
"What's the problem here?" Link asked. The bored looking-man tilted his head at Link for a moment, noticing that he looked vaguely familiar somehow...
"They're arguing about what's wrong with this boat. It keeps springing leaks." The man's voice calmly stated as he continued to stare at Link and ponder.
Link surveyed the ship for a moment, and tapped the wood. "Actually, gentlemen, it's neither the sail nor the rudder. It's the wood." The two men stopped arguing. "You see, this wood is oak. Oak is strong, but it gets old fast. When it gets old, it rots. That would explain the leaks," Link announced, as calm and cool as could be. The two men's jaws dropped open, and the third laughed loudly. With a quick push off the ship, he landed in front of Link.
"Thanks. I didn't think they would ever shut up," the man stated. He looked young, around very early twenties perhaps. He had on a strange looking outfit, sort of like rags, but cut and sewed together. His shoulder-length blonde hair stuck out every which way, and his bright blue eyes were innocent, yet serious. He was muscular, but it was not visible to an untrained eye.
He reminded Link of Sheik…for a moment moisture blurred Link's vision, but he blinked it back. "No problem, friend." Link smiled, holding out a hand. "I'm Link. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"I'm Miguel. No need for formalities, friend. Where are you headed on this fine day?" he questioned.
"We are heading for the beach." Link smiled back towards Zelda, who was tapping a foot impatiently. "My wife is waiting, Miguel; I had better leave you for now."
"No problem," Miguel responded. "I'm sure I'll see you around. Oh, and Link? Thanks." He turned back to the two men and began to bark orders, telling them to repair the ship and be quick about it.
Once the two were at the beach, Link was even more torn than before. Ships bobbed in the distance, and the smell of the fresh sea air did nothing to help Link. It tortured him. Zelda could see his restlessness, and decided perhaps that the beach was not the best idea. "Let's walk around town some more," she suggested. Link heartily agreed to this, anything to get away from the constant pain of memories and pangs of wanting the sea. The two passed by a bad section of town, and the bar came into view.
"Hoy there, take a look at this gents!" a man shouted. He was involved with a group of his friends as they played cards. A cigar stuck out of the man's mouth as he chewed tobacco. He blinked when his beady eyes caught sight of Zelda. "Well hello there, Sweet cheeks. I tell you what, honey, you come over here, and I'll show you a good time." He burst out into laughter, spitting a bit of tobacco juice into the spittoon. He took a swig of his beer, sloshing some of it down his bushy beard. Zelda's nose wrinkled as she stared at the man distastefully.
"I don't think so…" she stammered.
"Oh come now, I insist." The man began to get up, a grin exposing his brown-stained teeth.
"You won't talk to her again like that," Link growled, placing himself in front of Zelda. "That's my wife you're speaking to."
"Or what?" the man retorted, shooting another stream of juice into the pot.
"You'll be spitting that stuff out of your ears," Link threatened.
The man stood up and knocked over his chair, his three comrades with him. "What did you say? Look at this, boys, the peacock wants to fight us, eh?" All four of them exploded into boisterous laughter.
As silent as a whisper, Link strode up, and sat down in-between the two nearest men. "Deal me in, boys."
"Deal you in? You want to get destroyed?" one man retorted.
"I said, deal me in," Link repeated, placing his pouch of spending money in the middle to bet.
With a shrug, the men sat back down and the head of the gang began to shuffle the cards. Zelda, who had no idea what was happening, watched anxiously. At least Link had found something to interest him. An hour passed, and then two. The pot of money and assorted treasures was now huge, and each man was sweating in the tension of the continuing game. Out of the six who had originally joined, two had dropped out, unable to continue betting. The pot in the middle was large enough to buy anything, even a house. Each man was about to bet all he owned.
Finally, it was time for the last bets and the revealing of the hands. Every one of them had to bet something. The short man gazed around, thinking. "I bet my pocket watch." He pulled out a silver watch, laying it on the table.
"I bet…" The tall man also thought, before pulling out a piece of paper. "I bet the deed to my boat." At this, Link perked up. A boat! A real boat! Now, if only his hand…
He suddenly realized it was his turn to bet. "Um…" He searched his pockets, which came up empty. "Well…" In a frenzied state, he burst out the first thing he thought of. They all had a good laugh about this, and accepted it, much to Link and Zelda's panic.
Then it came to the last man, who had been drinking steadily. He was also in frenzy, for he could not find anything else to bet. He stared around him stupidly, and then seemed to have a sudden flash of inspiration. "I bet…my daughter!" he burst out, motioning to the corner, where a girl stepped forward. She was a young child, obviously used to waiting long periods in the saloon while her dad drank his troubles away. Her eyes were huge and fearful, and she cringed as her father's hands waved towards her. She was scrawny and dressed in rags, and her red hair hung in tangles. Link was about to argue, but someone interrupted.
"Well, guess it's time to reveal our hands. I tell you, someone's walking away with it all." the dealer gloated.
The man all looked at the shortest in the group, who slapped his cards down on the table angrily. "Nothing." Link stated the score.
Next was a tall man, with a lean, skinny figure. He laid his cards down without a word, as solemn as could be. "No better." Link looked at the random cards. The two looked angry and stunned, as if they could not realize they had lost everything.
The main man that had his eyes on Zelda smiled slyly, laying his hand down with a smirk. Secretly, the two other men had been helping him cheat. They were going to split the winnings. Link whistled. "Uh-oh…" He turned to Zelda. "Two-pair…I'm sorry Zelda." The man laughed, and began to reach for the pot.
"Sorry! You bet all of our money!" Zelda exclaimed. "Even our clothes!" It was true, when it had been Link's turn to bet, he had bet everything, including the clothes on their backs.
"I'm sorry! Look, you're not going to wear that dress again for a long time…" Link paused. "…Because we're going to buy new ones! Full house, boys!" He lay his cards down, which were obviously higher than everyone's. The men's mouth's dropped open, and the leader froze in shock. The small child began sobbing in fear, while her father looked on in stunned silence.
"Please…please don't take my daughter," he choked out. "She's all I have."
Link silently pulled the money and goods towards him, picked out what he had bet, and nodded to the men, smiling. "It was nice playing with you men. We'll have to do it again sometime." Taking only what was his; he stepped down to Zelda, offering her an arm as they began to depart.
"I don't understand. You won everything. Why don't you take it? We're not welchers," the leader said, confused. He had never played with a man that didn't take what he won.
Link paused. "I don't need that money. You need those things more than I do. I have all I need right here." He winked. "Next time, don't bet all you own."
"Well you're one to talk." Zelda mumbled, grateful that Link had won.
They were close to the hotel when Link unhooked his arm from Zelda's. "Go ahead to the room, I'll be right there. I have something to do."
Zelda looked at his face suspiciously, but shrugged and walked inside. "See you soon."
"Yes, soon." As she disappeared from sight, Link ran in the direction of the library. He had to find out something. He hoped it was open. As the building came into sight, Link smiled. The lights were on, but…his heart sank. A figure was fiddling with the keys and the door, obviously locking up for the day. "Hold up!" he shouted. The figure paused for a moment.
When Link got close enough to see the figure up close, he couldn't believe it. It was a young woman, about his age. She had on a green skirt and a matching top. Her hair was also green, yet it was tied back. She had glasses on, and a shocked expression. "Link?" her voice questioned. It was soft, and quiet, almost like a dove, exactly as Link remembered. She had been his…crush earlier in his life.
"Saria?" he also questioned. "But…I was on Eluryh several months ago…and you were there at the store…but you were…it must have been my memory." He shook his head slightly. "What are you doing here?"
Saria slightly turned pale. "No, if you were at the general store, you must have seen…my daughter." She pushed her glasses higher up on her face. "I married, and…he left me. I came here to earn money to send back to my daughter. There are few jobs on Eluryh. But here it is quite easy to earn pay. I run the library." she whispered.
"Oh…" Link stared at her for what seemed hours, but was actually only a minute or so. "I thought you would end up at the library…I'm surprised you earn enough to live though." His eyes caught sight of a tear in her eye.
"Yes, well…" She avoided eye contact with him. "Well, I do. Link? Tell me why. Why did you leave?" She looked up into his face. "I waited…just like you wanted…I waited for a long time…"
"Saria…things happened. I couldn't help it." He gulped. "I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't want to leave."
"Link? I thought we had something. I would have waited for eternity. But…I suppose it's too late for regrets. Some things are too late to mend. Now I have too much in my life." Her emerald eyes twinkled with tears, but she wiped them on a sleeve and sniffed. "Now, what can I help you with?"
Link sighed. "Saria, you've grown so beautiful. Really, you have. I never meant to hurt you, but I'm married now." He felt Saria's hand squeeze his slightly, and jerked his thoughts back to his present task. "I need to know about a man. Give me all the information you can on Ganondorf Dragmire." Link spent the rest of the night getting public record books and researching. He found out that Ganondorf was a Gerudo, a race across the sea. He personally seemed to have no unpaid debts, and no legal records. It was extremely late into the night when Link finally finished, and he still had found out very little. He waved to Saria, promising to visit again soon.
"Link? Do visit. If you ever need anything…any information or any shelter…if you need any help. Just ask. I'm sure we'll meet again very soon." She smiled, waving back with sparkling eyes.
On the way home, Link talked to himself. That way he kept himself company and thought more deeply.
"Hm. What a life. First, I meet an evil man, and then I win a card game but get nothing. Finally, I meet my old crush, and I can't even talk to her. A missing princess… Wow. I guess my life still has its exciting moments."
Little did Link know that he was about to have more adventure than he would be able to handle…soon he would be involved in an adventure too big to fathom…