Murdoch's behavior did not make sense to Link. He could not even figure out how his actions in the past could've hurt his son badly enough to burn the bridges between them in the first place, but a violent outburst like what had just occurred? He could not even begin to piece together the reasons behind that. He had only first met the guard captain a couple hours ago at most, but regardless, an action like that did not seem like him in the slightest. Had that sudden, enraged strike been a product of overwhelming grievances in the last couple weeks, or had it been a hundred years in the making?

He didn't know how, but he had to further understand his son's feelings. The problem was…after their encounter, when he believed that his sisters were sent to him by Link, his trust in them seemed to evaporate completely. At this rate, who would he trust enough to speak with anymore?

The handle of the Lightscale Trident, now forced apart from its head by the shockwave it had endured upon crashing into the railing, sat motionless on the ground by Link's feet. Its head, with its three sharp points, remained embedded about an inch within the railing. Considering the hard stone that made up the entirety of the bridge, this was an impressive feat. It was unknown to the trio whether Murdoch had been intentionally aiming for his father when he hurled the weapon forward earlier, but undoubtedly, a direct hit to Link's flesh would've spelled disaster. Now, as Link stood up and brushed himself off, he reached for the trident's broken neck and tried to yank it out of the railing.

Mira stood a couple feet away at the edge of the gazebo, still quivering intensely from the scene that had just played out before her and her sister. "I…I…always knew Murdoch was a…bold character, but I never thought he would've done something like that."

"That makes two of us." Link muttered in response as he wrapped his second hand around the trident's embedded head. Even with the full weight of his body tugging against the object, he was failing to remove it from the stone. "I just wish I knew where I had messed up."

"I mean…I know he's always been upset that you left us behind in the Great Calamity." Mira continued, her voice cracking repeatedly. "But it doesn't seem like him to just go ballistic and attack you like that!"

Noelani gasped suddenly. "Wait…Murdoch attacked Dad? He didn't just throw his trident on the ground or anything?"

"Yes, Lani, that's what happened. Murdoch's gone now, but before he left, he launched his trident right at Dad. We're all lucky Dad's reflexes are so good." Mira answered with a chill upon turning to her sister. "I still can't believe that just happened…"

It had come as a shock to everybody. While they were still recovering from that shock, however, Murdoch was heading off somewhere beyond their knowledge, his rage still likely boiling over. They didn't know if he would simply be running away to cool off, or if he planned to do something rash from his somewhat demented emotions. At the moment, though, there were other things they needed to be worrying about.

"It's okay, Mira, it's in the past now. The question now is…" Link paused for a moment while he grunted in his attempts to remove the busted weapon from the tough stone. "…what are we going to do with Mipha's trident? I'm sure this thing was considered sacred before Murdoch destroyed it."

"Oh, right…um…" Mira stuttered, eyeing the two pieces of the broken trident sadly as her father tried in vain to excavate the head from the side of the bridge. "…to tell you the truth, I don't know how our grandfather would respond to seeing that thing in the, uh…condition it's in."

Link halted his attempts for a moment and turned to look at the twins. "What do you mean? Is it actually sacred?"

The sisters both bit their lips. Link raised his eyebrow at them as he observed their evident discomfort and awkward mannerisms from receiving his question. He was beginning to realize, judging by their composure, that there was more to this little incident than he had originally thought. Once again, there would be more for him to hear about his children's past. The realization came with both positive anticipation…and fearful dread. After all, Mira and Noelani's faces didn't exactly look excited at the moment.

Noelani brought her hand to her chest and took a deep breath. "So…um…do you mind if we tell you a little story? It's not too long, I promise."

Link did not hesitate to shake his head. "No, of course not. Take all the time you need."

"Okay, well…" She let out a huff as she briefly contemplated a way to begin her explanation. Link had turned his attention completely away from the smashed trident and stood facing his timid daughter as she opened her mouth to speak. "…Sis, our grandfather, Muzu, and I were the only ones aware of the fact that Murdoch wielded Mom's trident. Everyone else in the Domain has been led to believe that he only used a replica."

Link's eyes widened, his interest in her speech already growing rapidly. He automatically deduced, from the measly amount of information he had received so far, that something major was bound to emerge from the upcoming revelation. It was amazing how much he still didn't know, despite having exclusively listened to his daughters for the last entire day! Was there a certain significance to their decision to deliberately hold off crucial story bits for later times?

He crossed his arms in front of him. "…Really?"

The blind Zora nodded her head. "No one sympathized the loss of our parents more than our grandfather. After all…you and Mom were his children."

Mira stepped forward to add a bit to her sister's monologue. "Yeah, King Dorephan may not admit it, but he sees you as one of his own, just like Mom and Uncle Sidon. Although we haven't talked to him recently, he's probably very glad to see you back home."

Link had to smile a bit at that heartwarming statement, but it did not remain for long. He was currently in the process of fitting more pieces into the puzzle, and as such, he kept his attention focused. His eyes remained fixed on Noelani as he waited patiently for her to resume her explanation.

She sighed. "Well, because of that sympathy, our grandfather ordered that Mom's trident be handed down to us…rather than stored away for safekeeping. Since Murdoch, sis, and I are Mom's descendants, it only seemed to make sense." She shrugged her shoulders and aimed her misty eyes toward the ground. "However, Muzu decided to grant it specifically to Murdoch, since…well…he's always had more of a warrior's spirit than us."

"…Were you ever upset about that?" Link asked curiously.

"I mean…not too much." Noelani answered dismissively. "But…now that he went and destroyed it, I guess…maybe I am a tiny bit. The Lightscale Trident was one of Mom's few remaining heirlooms. And, also…without the trident…the Champion's Festivals are going to be a bit awkward now."

Link was intrigued by her last statement. "Champion's…Festivals?"

Mira spoke up to answer the question before Noelani could have the chance to respond. "It's a ceremony our people perform every year to honor Mom's life and venerate the Lightscale Trident. Trello, a…um…member of the elder council, was the one to lead the ceremony each year when we and Murdoch were really young, but once Murdoch came of age, he was deemed to be its rightful administrator."

Link put a hand to his chin and rubbed it thoughtfully. "So you're saying Murdoch leads the Champion's Festival every year now? To honor Mipha with the rest of the Domain?"

"That's right." Noelani answered, reestablishing control of her explanation. "The trident is a big part of the ceremony, though, and now…it just wouldn't be the same. He could use a ceremonial replica, but it would only be for the purpose of venerating a weapon that he broke himself. It might stain his reputation if anyone found out."

To be honest, Link wasn't sure if his son even cared about his reputation anymore. The encounters that had occurred this day seemed to mark a major turning point in the young, distressed Zora's mind. At this point, he wasn't sure if Murdoch would ever be the same again, and he was even less sure if that change would be for better or for worse. His immediate intention was to seek out the guard captain and try once again to straighten things out, but for the time being, dealing with the ruined trident seemed to be a better choice, judging by the sisters' apparent tone.

"Okay, okay, well…what about that craftsman you told me about last night? The one that made your headpieces?" Link suggested.

The twins' faces seemed to light up a bit. "Oh, you mean Dento?" Mira remarked.

"Yeah, that guy. Can't he fix the trident?"

"Well yeah, he's the one who made it in the first place, back when Mom was a little hatchling!" Mira mentioned excitedly, her hands clasping in front of her chest. "That's a really good idea!"

Gee, he had made the trident during Mipha's youth? Dento must've been extremely old, Link thought. In order for Mipha to have looked her age at the time she married Link, she would've had to be about eighteen or nineteen in Hylian years. In Zora years, though, that equated in his head to just over a century old or so. Coupled with the century that had gone by since the Great Calamity, as well as Dento's golden years before Mipha's conception, how long could the Zora craftsman have been alive? Was he an official member of the elder council, and if so, would he be upset to learn of the trident's destruction?

"Alright, we can go see Dento, then." Link concluded. He put his hands around the base of the trident's head and gave one last attempt in trying to pry the points from the chiseled bridge. "But first…I can't get this out of here!"

Noelani stepped toward him. "Here, Dad, let me help. I think I can get it."

Link chuckled a bit. "I appreciate the offer, Lani, but this is really stuck in here. I don't think you have the strength to get it out."

The blind Zora ignored his line of skepticism and held out her hand in front of her. "Show me where it is."

Link let out a sigh, but he decided to humor his daughter for a moment. He gently grabbed her extended wrist and began to guide it towards the spot where the trident's head jutted from the banister. "You know…I doubt your healing magic is going to work on that either."

Noelani giggled. "I know, Dad."

Once her hand was rested upon the curvy surface of the trident's head, she softly caressed her fingers up the length of the weapon's spokes until she felt the area where the points entered the rigid stone. Then, much to Link's confusion, she leaned in and brought her face very close to the weapon, making sure to position her chin near the region where her fingers sat. As Mira and her father watched, she breathed in, puckered her mouth, and spat a large, slimy glob of saliva at the banister, directly onto the contact point of the trident. Mira didn't seem fazed by her sister's unexpected, unladylike action, while Link, in contrast, grimaced slightly.

Her mouth now curled into a smug grin, she stood back upright, gripped the base of the lodged piece with one hand, and yanked it right out of the banister with almost no effort. Link stared at the piece of the trident with minor distaste, having been thoroughly caught off guard by his daughter's…unorthodox method. He continued to stare as she bent over and spent a few moments brushing her other hand along the ground in search of the trident's missing handle-stick. Once she had it in her grip, she stood back up once more, and proudly held the two pieces out in front of her father.

"Here you go!" She beamed, smiling profusely.

Link eyed the oily, dripping object for a moment before reaching forward and taking it reluctantly, along with the handle-stick. Upon having it in his hand, he quickly noticed a lingering smell of raw fish on the trident's slippery head, which had likely been a product of Noelani's breakfast earlier that day. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"Um…thank you." He muttered.

Mira was unable to contain her laughter after seeing the spectacle play out before her. "Don't worry, Dad, it'll wash off in the rain!"

Link chuckled a bit as well. "Alright then, good to know, I suppose."

After handing the two pieces of the trident to her father, Noelani began to excitedly gesture toward the Domain with her hands. "Come on, now, let's go talk to Dento!"


On the way to the workshop, which was on the first level on the other side of the plaza, Link could very well distinguish the difference between his daughters and the rest of the Domain. With the brightening radiance of the sun eclipsed by Vah Ruta's relentless onslaught, the Zoras seemed to maintain their glum, quiet behavior. Mira and Noelani, on the other hand, were always cheerful and energetic around him, made all the more so by their relief from him surviving Murdoch's attack earlier. At times, when he was with his twins, he tended to forget that there was a giant elephant-shaped machine pouring down rain and threatening the Zoras' entire existence. After all, Mira and Noelani always acted as if nothing was wrong when they were with their father.

Link was well aware that the chances of Murdoch being in the Domain were low. After a breakdown like what had just happened, there was almost no way he would decide to remain in the populated area where his upset thoughts could be interrupted. Despite this fact, though, Link still kept his eye out for his son as he and the twins descended the grand staircase on the way to the plaza. Internally, he was hoping Murdoch would be somewhere nearby, and he was also hoping Prince Sidon would not be. He was feeling no less distracted from his mission now than he was the day before when he was approached by his daughters in the first place.

As they passed the center of the plaza on their way into the front entrance of the general store, Link noticed a couple of young Zora children running circles around the large Mipha statue. They must've been playing tag to pass the time, the Hylian hero figured. It must've been nice for them…getting to be blissfully unaware of the countless dangers and stresses that surrounded their playful, carefree oasis. They were also lucky, he thought, to have a closely-knit family that didn't consist of two overburdened Champions and their countless responsibilities. In fact, he could've sworn that Mira, Noelani, and Murdoch were younger than those Zoras at the time they had lost him and Mipha as their parents. That recurring thought did not do his inner guilt any favors.

Marot, who remained standing just outside the entrance to the general store as she had that morning, greeted the twins with a friendly wave as they passed by. As Link entered in behind them with the broken pieces of the Lightscale Trident in both his hands, he received a kind and acknowledging smile from the young shopkeeper. This was enough to make him feel accepted for the time being.

At the back of the main store, the platform continued into a second chamber, where an assortment of glittery tools and jewel-pieces hung from the walls by crystal nails. Display cases containing various full-sized weapons hugged the walls of the small room to complement the smaller decorations. Similar to the inn on the other side of the plaza, the entire inner side of the chamber was supported by beams rather than being covered by a wall. As a result, the room felt less like a confining space and more like a roofed extension of the plaza itself. The grandeur of the Domain and its surrounding waterfalls showed clearly through the chamber's open side. At the back of the room, sitting at a chiseled desk with a tool in each hand, was an old, wrinkly Zora with navy-blue scales. Link automatically assumed that Zora to be Dento.

"Hey there, Dento!" Mira greeted as casually as possible.

Dento jumped in his seat a bit at the sudden sound of Mira's voice, his chisel dropping out of his shaky, bony hand. Mira put a hand up to her mouth when she realized she had startled the Zora elder with her eager introduction.

"Oh…terribly sorry." She uttered sheepishly. "Here, let me get that for you."

As the young Zora let go of her sister's hand and stepped forward to return Dento's chisel to him, the elder craftsman turned in his seat slowly to look at his visitor. He received a regular supply of visitors from time to time, especially from Hylian and Goron tourists, so Mira's voice had not been enough to distinguish her to him.

"Ah, Mira." He began in his tired, raspy voice. "It is no problem. I have suffered worse. If you're here to see me today, I'm assuming your sister is here as well?"

"Right over here, Dento." Noelani chimed in with a small grin.

"Excellent." The craftsman stated with a small grin of his own. "Are you two faring well?"

Mira folded her arms in front of her and answered nonchalantly, attempting to keep the situation casual so as not to raise Dento's suspicion. They needed the Lightscale Trident repaired, but they did not want him to know that it had been in Murdoch's possession. Surely, there was no chance the elder craftsman would've approved of such a scenario.

"Pretty, well…pretty well." She hummed. "We've been catching up with Dad lately…"

Dento's eyes widened a bit. "Your father is back?"

The aged Zora turned around slowly in his seat upon hearing Mira's statement. He rested one of his skinny arms on the edge of his desk for support as he stood himself up slightly and shifted around so he could face the entrance of his shop. Once he managed it, Noelani and Link came into his view. Noelani looked lovely to him as usual, but it was Link that immediately caught his attention. His small smile evaporated instantly.

"Oh…it's you."

Yep, Dento must've been a member of the elder council. The moment that cold statement had rolled off his tongue, Link was completely sure of the fact. His alleged "abandonment" of Mipha and his family set him in very low standing with the elder council, and as a result, everyone with its affiliations seemed to automatically hate him. Apparently, Dento was going to be no exception. Therefore, he could only hope that, once again, Mira and Noelani would be able to bail their father out.

Noelani was the next one to speak, but she didn't seem to get very far. "Dento, we only came because…"

"What happened to the Lightscale Trident?!" The craftsman exclaimed, cutting the blind Zora off abruptly after noticing the weapon pieces in Link's hands. He stopped to cough into his fist a few times, since his hardened vocal cords were not accustomed to sudden loud use.

"Um…how can you tell it's not just a ceremonial trident?" Mira asked unsurely.

"Mira, please." Dento turned his glare to Mira for a moment as he addressed her attempted excuse. "I can sense the very aura of the Lightscale Trident. It was my gift to Mipha the day she had first emerged from her egg. I have no doubt that it is present right here in front of me, split into two pieces! How did any of you get ahold of it?"

That was already one barrier down. Link's initial hope was that Dento would mistake the Lightscale Trident for a replica, since several of those apparently existed within the Domain for various purposes. It seemed, though, that the Zora elder would not be fooled that easily. Being able to sense the essence of the actual weapon was a supernatural factor the three of them had not expected upon reaching the aging craftsman. What would he be more likely to believe?

"Our grandfather let us have it." Noelani blurted quickly, her eyes glancing off in a random direction. "He thought it would be better off in the hands of Mom's children, rather than…collecting dust. I guess trusting sis and I had been a bad call."

Link was impressed by Noelani's rapid and cunning fib. He was impressed by its believability, its speedy delivery, and most importantly, the fact that it wasn't entirely a lie. After all, King Dorephan had indeed granted the Lightscale Trident to his grandchildren, but it was Muzu who shifted its possession over to Murdoch. By playing that card, Noelani had managed to manipulate the blame over to herself and Mira, and by doing so, she had directed it away from both him and Murdoch. It's almost as if Noelani's blindness made it easier for her to focus rigidly on the words in a conversation…and to respond accordingly. What would he and Mira do without her?

However, Dento still seemed a bit skeptical. "Hmm…that's rather odd. Why would King Dorephan pass along the Lightscale Trident so…spontaneously? He had supposedly been keeping it safe for so long…that…it just doesn't make sense."

"Oh, no." Noelani sent back. "He had given it to us a long time ago, shortly after Mom passed in the Great Calamity. We had just…accidentally tampered with it too much while showing it to Dad earlier today."

Dento looked at the sightless youngling with suspicion, his skepticism growing. "That's highly improbable. The Lightscale Trident is my most durable creation, you see. In order for the head to split off the handle like that, a great deal of force would've been required. If, by 'tampering,' you mean you were throwing it off bridges, that would make more sense."

Noelani's seemingly airtight defense started to crumple a bit. "Well…uh…we…"

"And if you've supposedly had your mother's trident in your possession for all these years…" Dento continued, his glare unwavering. "…why haven't I seen you with it before? Where have you kept it?"

"It's been up on the mountain by the East Reservoir." Mira covered for her sister by answering that last question. "We kept it there along with the headpieces you made us. The waterbed up there is the safest place we know of."

After a moment of contemplation, Dento nodded his head once. Judging by his altered expression, it seemed to them like he was buying into their false explanation. It was helpful that Mira and Noelani were surprisingly good at mixing their lies with the actual truth, which made their explanations more believable. Everything Link was learning about his history with the Zoras was coming from these two young twins, so basically, he simply had to trust that they were telling him the truth each time. After all, with their stunning lying abilities, he would've bought into just about any lie they'd try to lay on him. Of course, he had recovered a few memories of Mipha and his family with her on his own, so he would know what was true and what wasn't.

Dento's face grew very solemn. "Now listen, I need you two to understand something. That trident has become a holy symbol to our people. It is a hallowed object that represents your mother's honorable legacy." He paused for a moment as he watched Mira and Noelani nod in understanding. "Its destruction could entail…very serious consequences."

"We understand, Dento." Noelani assured in response. "That's why…we were hoping you could repair it for us. And maybe…not…tell anybody…?"

The old craftsman sighed. "That's a lot to ask of me, you know. What does your father have to say about your actions?"

Suddenly, the atmosphere of the room seemed to change. As Dento asked that last question, he turned his gaze over to Link with an intense expression. Mira and Noelani also turned in his direction at this point, staring at him hopefully. As Link stared blankly back at Dento's piercing, expecting eyes, he started to realize what the Zora elder was attempting to do with that question. It seemed…like he was testing him.

Dento must've been somewhat unlike the others. As a member of the elder council, he did indeed seem to hold the same contempt for Link that Muzu did. However, contrary to the latter figure, Dento appeared to be reasonably civil about his convictions. In fact, as his question seemed to imply, those "convictions" may not have actually been convictions at all, but rather…suggestive observations. By asking for Link's opinion regarding his daughters' alleged destruction of the Lightscale Trident, it almost seemed like the elder craftsman was…giving him a second chance. It was as if he was allowing Link the chance to retake responsibility for his family. His chance…to reclaim his fatherhood.

With everyone in the room staring in his direction, Link took a deep, firm breath, and he gave his verdict. "I will ensure that they, who have destroyed Mipha's trident, will understand the severity of their actions. You have my word."

A few silent, tense moments passed within the small chamber after Link's authoritative words. Mira set her gaze back at Dento, who seemed to be studying Link with a fiercely observative glare. Noelani's head was still turned in Link's direction, and when he glanced over at her for a brief moment, he could see her trying to hold back a smile. Admittedly, he was a bit confused by that.

Eventually, Dento's expression seemed to relax. He sat back in his seat a bit and nodded his head at Link. "That's what I like to hear." As Mira and Noelani tried to contain their happiness, Dento motioned for Link to step forward. "Now, hand me that trident. I shall have it finished for you within a day's time."

Link stepped between his daughters and walked the few steps toward the craftsman with the two pieces of Mipha's historic weapon in each hand. As he stood directly before the Zora elder, the two of them stared directly into each other's eyes. Without averting his gaze, Link reached his hands forward and handed the pieces of the weapon to Dento, who, in turn, took hold of them for the first time in over two hundred years. As the seconds went by in this state, Mira and Noelani waited in anticipation for words to be said.

"…I can still see good in you, Link." Dento stated quietly, finally breaking the silence. "You still have a ways to go to show it to me, but I still have faith."

"…Thank you. I won't let any of you down again." Link answered even more quietly.


Later, in the heart of the plaza, Link conversed calmly with Mira and Noelani about the events that had just transpired within Dento's workshop. Had Murdoch been exposed as the keeper, and destroyer, of Mipha's trident, an unfortunate series of condemnations and pointed fingers would've likely taken place. Luckily, the Hylian hero and his cunning daughters had managed to divert the craftsman's suspicions away from the highly-respected guard captain, but even so, Dento still seemed reluctant of the trident being outside of King Dorephan's possession. Hopefully the elder's skepticism wouldn't bud into a bigger issue down the road.

There was one thing, however, that remained stuck in Link's head. After failing twice to break through his son's tough shell, he was adamant about bouncing back and trying again. He had tried to convince himself before that he'd eventually be able to do it with patience and perseverance, but recently, his trademark determination and stubborn willpower had been gnawing him to the bone about Murdoch. For some reason, he felt fixated on reconciling with the Zora guard before leaving the Domain to take on the other Divine Beasts. Now that he and the twins had dealt with the issue regarding the Lightscale Trident, Link intended to let them know about his ambitions with their other problem.

"Listen…" He began, changing the subject over from Dento and the trident. "…we need to find Murdoch. I think it's important that we keep trying with him."

Mira was quick and confident with her response. "I…don't agree, Dad. Couldn't you see how unstable he was acting? Lani and I have never seen him act like that before." Judging by their shared expressions, Link could sense that she was also speaking on her sister's behalf. "Murdoch's very frustrated and confused, and to be blunt…seeing you again is probably going to make him worse."

Noelani added to her Mira's statement. "Yeah…your courage and persistence are amazing, really…but…it's not the kind of thing that'll work on our brother."

"But…we don't even know where he is! H…How do we know if he's okay?" He asked anxiously with an awkward stutter.

Mira giggled at that response, which greatly confused her father. Noelani giggled a bit as well upon hearing it from her sister. "Dad, he's Murdoch! He killed the Lynel on Ploymus Mountain completely by himself. No monster out there could possibly pose a threat to him."

Again, Noelani added support to her sister's statement. "Exactly. Your fatherly instincts must be making you worry!"

His daughters' giggles, while cute, did not amuse him. They may have known Murdoch more than him after his memory wipe in the Shrine of Resurrection, but Link felt he was justified in worrying about his misguided son. After all, there were a couple crucial things that they forgot to consider. It was unlike them to forget important details, but at least, if they were going to be the forgetful ones this time around, he would be able to fill the gaps for them.

"…Okay, well my 'fatherly instincts' are reminding me that Murdoch doesn't have a weapon right now. We literally just handed it to Dento for repair." He paused as watched the twins' expressions change a bit. "And also, you're telling me that no monster can pose a threat to Murdoch? Have you ever wondered if maybe…the way he is right now…he could be posing a threat to himself?"

Mira and Noelani's grins seemed to disappear after he had made that point. Noelani put a finger up to her mouth, and Mira reached around to awkwardly scratch the side of her tailfin. Link eyed the two of them strongly with a rigid and judgmental glare. Their realization of the error they had made was evident to him in their fidgety behavior.

"Well…I suppose that may be true…" Noelani murmured sheepishly.

Link nodded his head once, satisfied with the point he had made. With that small triumph in the discussion, he felt like he had constructed his reasons to venture off and find his son. He adjusted his belt and turned to face the front exit of the Domain. "Now, if you two would like to join me, you're welcome to do so. We must go find your brother."

He followed his confident and declarative statement with a forward foot motion as he immediately began his trek in search of Murdoch. To his sheer surprise, however, despite having been one-upped in their short disagreement, Mira leapt forward and stopped him in his tracks by pressing her hands to his shoulders. He turned his gaze to her in slight annoyance.

"Dad, don't go to him! I'm being serious!" She pleaded desperately. "You may have had a good point just then, but we're the ones who escalated his condition in the first place! We need to give him the space he deserves!"

"Then what do you suggest we do next? Stand around and daydream of what could happen to him?" Link answered loudly. It was the highest he had raised his voice in…well…over a century. He almost reminded himself of Murdoch for a short moment.

"Come with us." Mira urged in response, her voice having quickly calmed down. Her hope was to calm him down as well. "There's one more place Lani and I have been wanting to show you. We all just need a chance to cool down and continue enjoying each other's company, and this place is mystically good at doing just that."

"Where? Where is it?" He demanded, his voice still slightly overbearing.

Noelani grinned from behind him as she sensed where her sister had been suggesting. "Ooh, we're going to Veiled Falls, aren't we?"

"Yes, Lani, that's where we're going. And Dad's coming with us." Mira answered. Her hands were still firmly positioned on Link's shoulders, and she showed no signs of removing them for the next few moments. Link needed a moment to calm down from his overactive concerns before they could turn the other way and embark on a healing journey, rather than an aggressive one. In all honesty…it was for everyone's sake.


According to the sheikah slate, Veiled Falls was located along the western cliffside of Zora's Domain. It could easily be seen, right from the plaza, towering up along the horizon in the general direction of Hyrule Castle. From down in the Domain, Veiled Falls would be the body that blocks out the sunsets. From their starting point at the center of the plaza, the structure appeared clearly to them, even through the misty fog of Vah Ruta's downpour. It seemed, from what he could see, that the waterfall was, in fact, made by Zora hands. Its downward stream looked very smooth and controlled.

The trek was not difficult, by any means. They were required to re-ascend the grand staircase, for the umpteenth time that day, toward the sleeping quarters. Then, they had to make a left and cross the very same bridge that Murdoch had stood guard on earlier, en route to the grassy ledge at the Domain's west. On their way onto the bridge through the gazebo, Link couldn't help but to glance over at the railing where his son had hurled his trident not too long ago. Sure enough, right where the entry had been made, a sizable gash was present on the rounded surface of the banister. It sat as a stark interruption to the rest of the Domain's smooth, subtle chisel-work. Frankly, it looked kind of ugly.

From the end of the bridge, once the trio's feet made contact with the wet, wavy grass, they took a gentle left along at the top of the ensuing hill that spanned the cliffside on the way to the base of the falls. The entire time, Link's mind remained trapped with thoughts of Murdoch's well-being. He wondered if, perhaps, the elder council had had an influence on Murdoch's feelings, since their opinions seemed to be very similar. With Muzu as his caregiver, it would seem to make sense. It would also make sense that, being as young and vibrant as he was, he could've amplified those feelings on his own and turned them into something they didn't have to be. Surely, he had to be at least somewhat remorseful that he almost killed his old man, right?

Eventually, beyond the evergreens and loose ferns scattered along the wide ledge, the brush gave way to a small, passive meadow. Tucked away in an indent on the rocky cliffside to their right, the base of the majestic, artificial waterfall spread its mist among the surrounding region, the roaring sound of the pounding water drowning out the dull rain patters everywhere else. While all the water filling the air around them had caused Link's hair and clothes to mat to his skin like spongey velcro, Mira and Noelani's smooth, scaly flesh caused the abundant droplets of water to slide right off them as if they weren't even there.

As they got a little closer, Link could see a decently-sized pond nestled at the base of the waterfall. It seemed to be surprisingly shallow at their end near the shore, but it appeared to get rapidly deeper the closer it got to the fall's base. At the shallow end of the pond, near the grass in which the trio stood, a stunning variety of plant and animal life existed among the calm ripples of the water. It was rather impressive, he noticed, how gentle the water's ripples could be near the pond's shore, considering the booming disturbance the waterfall continued to cause on its other end.

"Well, here we are." Mira announced. "This is Veiled Falls."

The first thing Link noticed after surveying the region's natural scenery was the sheikah-designed pedestal that sat just under the water's surface at the other end of the pond. Its presence there was a clear indicator of a shrine somewhere nearby, but he chose to ignore that for the time being. It was rather unimportant to him. Instead, he focused on arresting his troubled thoughts about Murdoch and engaging properly with his daughters while they introduced him to their last significant childhood location.

"There's a lot of natural beauty here." He commented thoughtfully.

"Oh, I know." Noelani replied with a happy grin. "The peaceful sounds here are just heavenly. I can't imagine what it must look like."

By analyzing Link's face, Mira could predict what he was most likely wondering as he scanned their surroundings. It made the most sense to her that he'd be curious about the fall's significance, since, after all, the other locations they had visited before were for relevant reasons. Not only that, neither she nor Noelani had elected to share the details on Veiled Falls with him up to this point. Naturally, he would've been curious, and with his mind likely still on Murdoch, he would need some explanation to justify his distracting presence at this spot.

"So, Dad, in case you were wondering…" She began, holding her hands behind her back. "...This is where Mom brought us to introduce us to climbing waterfalls."

Link nodded his head pensively at his daughter's words as his eyes stared at the sizable boulder that jutted out of the center of the pond. He thought back to the day before when he was conversing with Noelani under the awning by the East Reservoir. She had mentioned Mipha's passing in the Great Calamity, and how it affected their learning of waterfalls. "…You don't say…?"

Mira nodded. "Yep. We haven't actually been here too often, but while we were, we never really got anything done."

Link found himself chuckling a bit, despite his small amount of lingering stress. "And why was that? Was your mother not a very good teacher?"

"Oh, she was a great teacher, don't get me wrong!" Mira replied with widened eyes and an embarrassed grin. "It's just that we had so much fun at this place! Mom wanted us to learn, but we always just wanted to mess around. Muzu had to eventually help us with our training after Mom disappeared in the Calamity."

"Yeah…" Noelani added with a dreamy drawl in her voice. "…this place always felt more like a playground than a learning setting. I remember you would always come here with us and hang out while Mom tried to teach us the basics. I think she even urged you to leave a few times before." She giggled.

"Oh yeah, I remember that too!" Mira piped excitedly with a giggle of her own. They seemed to be really getting into their old memories this time.

"Wait…why would she do that?" Link asked, confused.

Mira turned to her father after relaxing from her laughter, though her face still showed a giddy smile. "Well…because you were distracting to Murdoch while Mom was trying to get him on track. He wouldn't leave you alone."

"…Oh…" He muttered.

Apparently, Veiled Falls was going to unintentionally serve as another monument to Link's crumbling relationship with his son. Mira and Noelani seemed to look back on their time here with great fondness, but surely, they couldn't have understood what those happy memories were slowly doing to him. At first, when their visits and discussions were related only to themselves and their mother, Link had been happy to partake in their jolly old memory trips, and he even shared in many of their laughs. Now, however, after seeing Murdoch in his dilapidated state, Link's recalls were only causing him to compare his current lament with his past happiness. The more joyful his times with Murdoch seemed to be, the more discouraged it made him feel right now. Unfortunately, he was getting a bad feeling about where this visitation was headed.

Neither Mira nor Noelani seemed to realize these effects, however. As Link sighed sorrowfully, Mira naively continued. "I could tell that Mom had a lot of faith in my ability because of how much she focused on me during our short learning sessions. She often struggled with helping Lani learn the basics, though, since her blindness made waterfalls sort of dangerous in general. Murdoch, though…was her special challenge." She and her sister laughed a bit again, enjoying what they were remembering.

Link glared bemusedly at Mira with his arms folded in front of him. "What was challenging about him?"

She turned again to address his question. "Oh, has it not come to you yet?" She paused for another moment to continue her silly laughing. "You used to sit on that big boulder right there in the middle of the pond to watch us, and Murdoch would always stick to you like glue. He'd show you things, tell you about stuff…that kind of thing. Sometimes he even tried to climb up there with you."

Link's face turned bleak. He glanced over at the large rock, and as he did so, he felt more sadness welling up inside. Where had Murdoch's overflowing wellspring of childhood love gone? Why did he take his parents' loss so harshly that he had to allow his affections to completely evaporate?

"Mom used to say his name so many times while we were here." Noelani added with more chuckling.

Inevitably, Link found his gaze stuck on the rock. As he studied the backdrop of Veiled Falls and the carefree environment it apparently promoted, coupled with the detailed reminiscence of Mira and Noelani, his memory of the spot began to return to him. He felt like it was going to be funny. He felt like it was going to be cute. He felt like it was going to be happy. And he absolutely hated it.


Once again, the weather felt sort of nice. The clouds were few and far between, and the air didn't feel too terribly humid. There was a breeze just mild enough to remind everyone that it existed, without being disturbing. Admittedly, it was bit hot out when poised directly in the sun, but luckily, the mist created by the forceful waters of Veiled Falls were adept at beating the heat as its fine particles drifted across Link's skin. With weather like this, he found it easy to forget about his upcoming responsibilities with Zelda and the other Champions.

Mipha seemed to have pushed them out of her mind herself, since she clearly had other things she was focusing on. Her little ones were being especially rambunctious today, and it wasn't particularly making it easy for her to teach them what they needed to know. Ritos needed to know how to fly, Gorons needed to know how to roll, and Zoras, well…they needed to know how to swim. Up waterfalls, more specifically. Perhaps their energy was also being fueled by the Domain's nice climate.

The frazzled Zora princess stood waist-deep in the midsection of the pond, between the shallow and deep ends, with one daughter on each side of her. Noelani was clinging to her mother's hip as she floated in the water, while Mira tried to chase her from her other side. While Mipha, even in her short height, could stand upright in the water, her young twins were still too small to touch the pond's bottom from the surface of the water. Mira was a surprisingly fast swimmer for her age, but regardless, every time she bolted around to one side of her mother's hip to nab her blind sister, Noelani would hear her movements and dart around to the other side.

"Mira, stop trying to scare your sister." Mipha scolded while shielding Noelani with her other hand. She had tried several times to halt Mira's playful actions in this manner, but each time, the young toddler's giggles would drown out her orders. "I mean it, Mira, it's your turn to practice your strokes!"

Eventually, Mipha reached out with both her hands and tried to gently grab Mira so she could lift her out of the water. The little hazel-eyed Zora must've seen it coming, however, because she bolted outwards towards the waterfall once her mother made the gesture to reach for her. Link smiled stupidly from the rock near the center of the pond as he watched his wife try to chase their daughter around the depths of the fall's base. Mipha was a faster and more powerful swimmer overall, but Mira's tiny size and unlimited energy gave her a slippery advantage.

Noelani floated silently in place, having gone completely still as soon as she felt her mother swim away for a moment. It seemed as if she did so by instinct, since her lack of visual awareness must've threatened her in the absence of a guardian. Link saw this from where he was sitting, and so he decided to do something about it to make her feel more comfortable. He slid down the side of the rock and planted his feet in the pond, making a small splash. Then, he walked quietly through the water's shallow depths to where Noelani was floating, and he scooped her into his arms.

The little Zora jumped a little when she felt the arms close around her, but soon after feeling their signature warmth, she recognized them as her father's. As Link lifted her out of the water and carried her back to the rock where he had been sitting, she turned inward towards his chest and pressed her tiny hand against his tunic. Link, remembering what he had seen Mipha do several times in the past, lifted his daughter's long, dangling tailfin and tucked it underneath her body to keep her skinny neck from being pulled backwards by its weight.

"I got you, Lani. It's okay." He cooed quietly.

"…Daddy?" She murmured. "Wh…Why is sis so mean to me?"

Link chuckled very calmly. "Oh, Lani, Mira's just playing around! She's not trying to be mean, I promise. She just likes playing with you!"

He stopped for a moment and looked up when he heard Mipha's voice calling him from the other side of the pond. She seemed to have caught Mira after a short and minor scuffle, and at the moment, she was treading water directly below the waterfall with the squirmy Zora wrapped tightly in her arm. The foamy water of the mighty fall pounded right onto her head, but as usual, neither she nor Mira seemed even slightly affected by it.

"Have you seen Murdoch?" She called to him.

"Yeah!" He answered back, loudly enough for her to hear. "He's hanging out behind me over here in the plants!"

As he answered his wife's question, Link turned around on the rock to get a good look at his son. Accurate to what he had told her, kneeling behind him in the marshy shallows of the pond was Murdoch. He was concentrating on what appeared to be…frog-catching. Hot-footed frogs had a special fondness of the waters of Veiled Falls, and as such, many of them were often found skidding the surface around the plants near the pond's shore. They had undoubtedly captured Murdoch's interest.

Despite how cute it looked, frog-catching was certainly not the lesson Mipha intended to teach when bringing her family to the falls. Upon receiving her answer from Link, she called to her son next from over by the waterfall's base. "Murdoch, swim over here, if you would! I promise, we will play later!"

Murdoch gave no response. He appeared to have just as much excited, pent-up energy as Mira, but by looking at him, it seemed he was channeling it into a different cause. His gaze remained focused on the surface of the water around the swampy plants. His eyes darted around rapidly in search of any signs of movement. He looked like an expert hunter, but swimming…apparently wasn't his interest.

Mipha let out an exasperated sigh after being ignored by her son. With Mira still gripped in her one arm, she lowered herself in the water and began to swim in Link's direction so she could grab Murdoch and take him back to the deeper area. One way or another, she wanted to ensure that her dark-red Zora got some proper swimming in before the end of the day. Link eyed her as she neared the rock on which he was sitting and stood back up to walk upon reaching shallower water.

Once she got close, he stopped her with some words. "Hey, wait a second."

Mipha halted her approach and turned to look at Link. "What's wrong?"

"Perhaps we should give Murdoch a bit of time to be himself. He seems to be training his reflexes a bit, which I think is good for him if he wants to be a warrior down the road." He explained.

Mipha sighed at this response. "Link…if I give Murdoch any leeway during our training, then I have to give the girls leeway as well. At some point, don't you think we have to double down on them?"

Link sat silent for a brief moment as he analyzed his wife. Recently, while they had been at Veiled Falls, he noticed a peculiar twist in his young princess's behavior. Something about her seemed more urgent…more uneasy…and less relaxed. For some reason, she made it seem imperative that their waterfall training go exactly as planned, even though they both knew that their children were too young for it anyway. She almost looked…stressed. And more so than usual.

"Mipha…are you okay?" He asked with a tilt of his head. "Something seems to be bothering you."

"I'm fine." She answered briefly. "I just feel like we should get the young ones learning about important things as early as possible. You know…before it's too late."

This response caught the Hylian hero's interest. Perhaps his wife had not forgotten about their important mission with Princess Zelda. On top of that, it seemed the two of them were, in fact, on the same page regarding their duties. However, on the contrary, Link was not quite as worried as Mipha about their upcoming departure. Zelda only needed their presence for the day, and during that time, their little ones would be kept in good hands. He couldn't help but adore Mipha's motherly worries, but in this case, he was certain they were merely being overactive.

"Listen, I know it's tough leaving the kids behind, but I promise you…everything's going to be okay." He whispered lovingly. "Besides, I've been guarding Zelda for months now, and never have her travels lasted more than a single day. I'm always home to spend the nights with you, right?"

Mipha did not seem convinced by his assurance. "Link…doesn't it bother you at all that the princess is requesting the presence of the other Champions this time? She has…never done that before. I fear…I fear she may know something we don't!"

"She's probably just taking some extra precautions. It's just the kind of thing she would do, you know. Or, it's also possible that her father forced the decision on her for an extra degree of safety. For now, let's just try to take it easy so we don't burden the little ones too much." He explained with a nod.

Still not convinced, Mipha opened her mouth to protest again. Before any words could escape, however, the two of them were startled by a sudden snapping noise. Link turned to his side just in time to see Murdoch, hunched over in the marsh, having just lashed his arms out at the water's surface. An abundance of fast ripples emanated out into the pond from the spot where his hands made contact with the water. After a small, awkward pause amongst the entire group, the little Zora exploded in a fit of maniacal laughter.

"I caught one! I caught one!" He chanted triumphantly. Wasting no time, he skipped around through the water towards his parents.

Mipha began to acknowledge her son's small victory, but a tiny amount of impatience remained evident in her voice. "That's wonderful, Murdoch, but…"

"Dad, look at this!" Murdoch exclaimed, completely cutting his mother off mid-sentence. He had marched over to the spot directly between his parents, but he turned his body so his back was facing Mipha. His interest seemed focused, instead, on only his father.

Link, careful not to disturb Noelani in his arms, looked down from his perch at Murdoch as the tiny, eager Zora raised his hands above his head. Sitting right in his son's cupped palms was a fully-grown hot-footed frog. Murdoch wore an immensely excited grin on his face as he presented his trophy to his father. Mipha, standing in the dust behind him with Mira by her shoulder, frowned unhappily.

"That's very cool, Murdoch! It requires fast thinking to catch a frog like that!" Link answered his son with an approving grin.

Mipha let out a huff. "Murdoch, I really think we should…"

"Oh, oh, Dad, look what else I can do!" Murdoch blurted, cutting off his mother a second time. It started to seem like he was doing it on purpose.

Link watched his son as he flattened his palms, giving the frog more freedom to move around. As soon as he did so, the frog did as one would expect, and it leapt out of Murdoch's hands by extending its back legs. In the split second the frog was in the air, at the top of its arch, Murdoch snapped his arms out a second time and caught it before it could fall back into the pond. Link blinked for a moment, impressed by Murdoch's speed and precision.

"Whoa, nice one!"

Murdoch giggled joyfully at his father's apparent approval. Mipha sighed quietly from behind him, but she chose not to say anything. Murdoch's happiness seemed to come from what his father thought of him, and as such, he seemed to be on cloud nine at the moment. She wasn't usually the type to exercise too much authority, and, despite her great stress, this case was no exception.

As it would seem, Murdoch's entire motivation for catching the frog had been…to impress his father. Such was the way he did many things in his innocent youth.


Link's eyes sadly fluttered open as his memory faded back into his mind. Once the imagery of the sunny afternoon on the rock at Veiled Falls melted away, his vision returned to the imagery of the same rock as it was now, slightly eroded and drenched in Vah Ruta's rain. He noticed a certain symbolism to the way the weather was in his memory, versus…how it was now. There were many depressing elements in his life now that…had led to the way things are.

Upon glancing to his side, he noticed that Mira's bubbly attitude had seemingly diminished. She stared back at him with a certain sorrow in her expression. "Did you…remember something? You, um…you don't look too happy."

"…Yeah…" He uttered, his voice trailing off.

"Was it about Murdoch?" Noelani asked from a few feet away.

Link nodded in response, but Noelani couldn't see the gesture. Instead, she received her answer from his following words. "I just wish I could set things right with him…"

Mira wanted to say a few things to console her father, but it took her a moment to think of what to say. Before she could think of the proper response to give, though, the three of them were distracted by the sound of footsteps approaching the falls from behind them. It sounded as if they were running, with each step squishing in the muddy grass. Mira and Link turned toward the direction of the mysterious steps.

Due to the hazy rain, it wasn't immediately obvious who was approaching them, but after enough time, a familiar figure came into view. Their visitor was tall, red, and…rather prince-like. And he seemed to be terribly urgent about something.

"Uncle Sidon?!" Mira exclaimed with confusion. "What are you doing here?"

The prince stopped running when he reached Link and his daughters. He doubled over for a moment as he struggled to catch his breath. Assuming he ran here all the way from the Domain, it made sense that he had to take a moment to recover his stamina.

Prince Sidon spoke in a raspy manner between large, gulping breaths. "Link…Mira…thank Hylia I found you guys here!"

Mira stamped her foot on the ground, unpleased with her uncle's arrival. "Uncle, if this is about Vah Ruta, we already told you…Dad has it under control!"

"No…it's not that…" He responded. He continued struggling with his lungs. "…It's…about Murdoch…!"

Everyone's eyes widened at this statement, especially Link's. He turned his attention directly to the prince's face and stared at him with a newly piqued interest. It seemed, rather mysteriously, that he had showed up at the perfect time. After all, Murdoch had been the topic of discussion just as he was heading up on the horizon.

Noelani put her hand to her chest. "Wh…What's wrong with Murdoch?"

"I'm not sure…" Sidon answered with worry in his tone. "…I was hoping one of you would know. My father and I tried to say something to him, but he wouldn't listen!"

"Whoa, whoa, what do you mean? Did he do something?" Mira asked demandingly. Her uncle was not giving good omens.

"He walked into my father's chamber and took the Lynel bow he had stored there!"

Suddenly, Link spoke with outgoing shock and dismay. "Wait, he did what?" It was the first time he had spoken to Sidon since arriving at Zora's Domain.

The worried prince repeated himself. "He grabbed the Lynel bow, along with the stash of shock arrows! I think he's heading to the Eastern Reservoir!"