Chapter Ten: A Little Trip
…
The day following the letter's arrival saw Link hanging out his change of clothes and immediately hustling to the library to read up on etiquette in a knight's house. He also thought he would try to read up on the Brettson House, but he quickly discovered that the name "Brettson" was mostly a sidenote in the greater body of Hylian nobility. It made sense how the house would be looking at dissolution; they hardly stood out among other knights, and Link could see that such a lack of reputation meant that whatever meager wealth they had had in the past was about to dry up. Of course, this did not give Link much insight into the kind of wealth that Brettson must have had left, so he could only guess that there was at least enough to get him into the Watch. It concerned him, if only because he did not like the idea of this house of little reputation simply fizzling out from using the last of their wealth to put Link, effectively a stranger, into law enforcement. It certainly meant that Link would have to convince the knight that he would be worth that risk.
He skipped lunch, which was nothing surprising. By the time he had read up on etiquette (and practiced in a secluded section of the library, finding it easier to commit to memory if he acted out part of an evening), it was well into the afternoon. Upon returning home, he repacked his good clothes and made sure to set aside an outfit to travel in. After a quick snack, Mara ushered him out of the house and off to the bathhouse in their neighborhood. Link tried to make it quick, but his excitement caused him to lose the bar of soap twice while scrubbing and he skipped the tub in favor of simply rinsing himself off and hustling back home before it was too dark. Mara had used his trip to make a larger meal, which Link devoured in a rush. Before he went to bed, he recalled most of the etiquette he had read on and tried acting out a second scenario for practice. After he went to bed, he was still so restless from his hustle that he started acting out a scenario in bed until Mara hollered at him for being loud.
The next day, Mara had to pin him to the chair so that he would eat breakfast instead of loiter outside the house waiting for the carriage to arrive. Link then spent the day pacing outside the front of the house while Mara tended to her garden, taking occasional peeks around the side to see if Link had left yet. The morning seemed to drag along. What did not help was that, in their area removed from the major roads through Subordo, there was very little traffic. Neighbors walked by with a greeting and a smile, but no carriages routinely used the street. As much as it would let Link know a carriage approach just by sound, the fact that it was quiet for so long just made him more nervous.
Mara had mentioned taking Link to Hyrulia before, but Link had been so young, he did not have any memory of that event. It was just one of maybe a hundred reasons why Link was so nervous: he did not know what Hyrulia would be like. When he considered that the Brettson House was slowly fading away, he started to wonder if he would even see any of Hyrulia. For all he knew, Brettson's house was a piece of farmland outside the city.
When the carriage finally showed up, Link was a little surprised to see that it was decorated in blue with silver trim, the same signet on the letter a worn, painted badge on the door. Two men rode at the front: the young man who appeared to be the driver, and an adult who introduced himself as Durward, a member of Sir Brettson's retinue. Link showed him the letter, and Durward promptly instructed him to get into the carriage. Mara, having heard the carriage approach, waved Link goodbye as he climbed aboard.
He drifted off into a nap before the carriage left Ordon, fatigue and hunger replacing his excitement faster than he had realized. Sometime just after noon, the carriage came to a halt at Trillstop, a small village tucked away just off the path through Faron Woods. Durward ordered the carriage to a small shop next to the main road and, after dismounting, poked his head into the cart to ask Link if he was hungry. Link's first comment gave the impression that he would be buying his own food, so Link gave Durwood a five-rupee coin and asked for a sandwich. What Durwood returned with was a roasted chevon sandwich with a slice of lettuce. It was not much of a meal (and Link did not receive any change), but it was nice to have some meat other than cheap cucco. A growl from Link's stomach after they had returned to the road indicated a desire for quantity over price.
Link watched as the carriage exited Faron Wood and emerged onto the vast Hyrule Field. The road was wider and much smoother. A glance out both windows revealed the edge of the Faron Wood extending beyond sight in either direction. Across the basin-like southern reach of the field, there were trees isolated by large swaths of grass and a couple of ponds on either side of the road. Link saw only one other cart on the road, and that had taken the fork east toward the gorge in the distance, the direction of Kakariko Town. Any other traffic was by foot, maybe a few lone travelers walking either direction and at least one group going south toward Ordon. Link was confused by the group, taking note of five adults wearing tattered robes that dragged along the ground, hoods raised and turned so that the sun shaded their faces underneath. Only one carried a pack. Even after the carriage passed, Link pondered their purpose for a little bit. His best guess was perhaps a troupe of performers, likely hiding their appearance so that they would not be pestered during what must have been a long, arduous walk. Strange, but it was the only rational explanation he could come up with, at least for something that was probably not his business.
He drifted off to sleep once again, coming to an understanding of why he had had to wait for so long that morning. When he woke again, it was because the carriage gave a jolt on a rocky road that caused Link to thump his head against one side. He had to take a moment to return to consciousness, and then he realized that he could see a jagged horizon of buildings on the bottom edge of the left window. He pulled himself upright and leaned forward to see the distant towers which overlooked factories and smokestacks on the closer edge of the city. It was an interesting sight, a rusty-grey, square-toothed knife separating sky and earth that fit almost perfectly in the window.
And perfectly within Link's expectations. As he had guessed, the Brettson House was not in the bounds of Hyrulia, the closest building being a barn peering over a nearby hill. Link was not able to look straight ahead, but he knew he had to be approaching a country estate if they were far enough away for him to simply glimpse the city. A glance out the right window gave Link a sight of farmland and small homes and stables stretching back toward Faron.
He watched an iron gate pass by and glanced out both windows to try to spot the estate. It was not until the carriage turned that Link caught sight of it. The only thing visible was a stone building two stories high and flanked by small groves of trees. Ivy had long taken residence across most of the first story wall and the pillars holding up the top of the porch. Only a couple of servants were on the front lawn, both of them scything the grass in an overgrown patch in front of the trees on the left.
The carriage pulled to a stop, and Durward, after shooing away a pair of children who had come running from seemingly out of nowhere, opened the door. Link shouldered his rucksack and stepped out.
"Are you Mister Link Fieldview?" Link looked up to see an elderly woman standing on the porch. Elderly, but clearly capable of fending for herself. The air she carried about her told Link that her thin frame hidden under a white, button-up shirt and grey, almost floor-length skirt was still strong enough to whip a grown man. The tight bun of grey hair hinted at a strict attitude, and she was already glaring at Link with cold, blue eyes.
Link approached the bottom of the porch and replied, "Yes, ma'am."
She held out a hand. When Link gave it a confused stare, she simply replied, "Your bag, Mister Fieldview."
"Oh." Link slid the bag off his shoulder and handed it to her by the strap.
She tucked the bag under one arm and told him, "Follow me to the master's study, Mister Fieldview."
She turned and opened the door while Link stepped onto the porch. She held it open, and Link was halfway tempted to click his tongue at her as he walked past. He only banished the idea because she already looked like she would jab a knife into his face if he acted inappropriately.
Inside, Link was immediately assaulted by musty air. It was not an unfamiliar feeling; his own home could become like that given certain weather. The interior was wood, some very old, worn, and faded structure. The furniture in the entryway was clearly newer and kept better. The room was lit indirectly from the two rooms on either side of the short hallway, likely the large windows Link had seen at the front of the property. Link's feet caused the floor to creak as he stepped out of the doorway. The woman, who Link was sure was supposed to be a matron or head of the house's staff, pulled the door shut behind her and strode into the wide doorway on the left.
Link followed her into a large parlor, sporting a fireplace on the far wall, a spiral staircase to a mezzanine on the second floor, and a few couches and rugs which did not appear to match one another or even complement each other. It probably did not help that one high-backed chair next to the fireplace was upholstered in a fur of bright yellow with black stripes, a gaudy piece which might have helped mute the room with its disappearance. The room was unoccupied, making the house feel eerily empty. The matron walked along the wall opposite the window, and Link glanced at some of the books on a shelf they passed. Carpentry and guides to stone-working if Link was able to judge the pun-ridden titles by their themes correctly.
The matron led him into a small hallway. Link heard clattering and glanced into a dining room through a doorway to his immediate right. The matron had gone to the left, and he quickly walked into a room at the end of the hallway.
"Master?" the matron said.
The study was small, only room enough for a desk and a couple of chairs. Link looked at the bookshelves near the door to find more books on carpentry and a couple which looked to be family histories. The window was not providing enough light for the room, so a pair of candelabras sitting on the desk had been lit.
A young man looked up from reading through some kind of ledger. Link was at first confused by the stubble-faced character, having expected Sir Brettson to have been an older man. Then the younger man sighed in exasperation, and Link immediately realized that this was not Sir Reba Brettson. He rose, revealing a closed, green long coat with a white cravat. The coat was mostly plain, only a little embroidery decorating the flat collar. The man's black hair had been slicked back and tied. Link could feel a strict air from him, just the same as the matron beside him.
"Mister Link Fieldview to see Master Brettson," the matron said.
The young master heaved another sigh. "I do wish father would not indulge in these shows of charity," he said more to himself than to either Link or the matron. "We cannot afford these whims." He looked Link up and down, taking in the green tunic and only slightly worn tan trousers. "Were he a retainer, I might expect a decent day's work from him."
"You wouldn't want me for that," Link said. "I'd have too much to say about it."
The young master looked a little surprised by Link, although it was hard to tell whether it was because of Link's comment or just the fact that Link had said anything at all. He quickly recovered his stern demeanor. "Arrogance," he said, again sounding as if he was not addressing anyone. His next words, however, were clearly aimed at Link as he said, "Of course, you are correct in that regard, Mister Fieldview. A retainer such as yourself would be too much sarcasm for this estate to handle." He stepped from behind the desk and toward the window, the easier direction to move if one wanted to round the desk. "My father has retired for the afternoon. Old age, I'm sure you understand."
"Sounds good to me," Link replied. "I could use a nap myself." As if to demonstrate, Link stretched his arms into the air.
"Understand, Mister Fieldview," the young master said. "You are here on my father's invite. That is perhaps the only reason that you are here. If Navi had discussed this with me, you wouldn't have even received a letter. You are fortunate that protocol dictates that you are an honored guest in this house."
The way that the young master was clicking his R's and T's was beginning to annoy Link, as if each one was a sign of contempt. The words were out the moment Link thought of them, his face a wicked smirk. "Well, I guess I should be glad the person I have to impress goes by the name 'Sir Reba Brettson, Order of the Hammer, Knight Fourth-Class, head of the Brettson House of Hyrule'."
"You imperti—" the matron began to say.
The young master raised a hand to silence her. "That is also correct, Mister Fieldview," he said. Then he stepped forward, the simple motion giving Link the impression he was about to get body-checked into the wall. "But know this. Once my father has dismissed you back to Subordo, neither of us will welcome you onto this estate again. These grounds are not for the foolhardy. Especially those of a common surname."
"Well," Link said, taking one careful step forward just in case the young master felt like throwing a punch, "as a man with a common name, I only have a simple response to that." Link then leaned toward him and spoke just above a whisper.
"Your fly is open."
The young master took a disgusted step back. "Madame Adara, please show our… guest… to his room," he told the matron. "And be certain that he is called to dinner on-time."
"Yes, Master Edward," the matron, Madame Adara, replied.
He then addressed Link, "You may indulge yourself in a more pleasant odor before joining us, Mister Fieldview."
Link held one hand to his mouth and breathed out. "Yeah, I can agree with you on that one," he said.
"This way, Mister Fieldview," Madame Adara said as she started out the door.
Edward Brettson watched Link leave without a further word. He silently cursed his father for summoning Link to the estate. He glanced down to see if Link had left any dirt on the floor.
Then he quickly closed the button on the opening of his breeches and looked up just to ensure that no one was around to notice.