Chapter 7 – The Grandsons Of Karak
Vuto awoke the following morning with a sharp jab in his side. He jerked up and grabbed the stick and thrust it towards the one who had held it. Yerra stood unmoving, the sharp point of the stick under her chin, "Its time to get up." She said.
"Foolish girl." Said Vuto standing up, and dropping the stick.
He crossed over the other side of the area they had slept in, to where Link was sitting sharpening a sword with a stone. Link saw him approach and stood up, handing the sword over. "Here, have it back. You may go now." Link turned aside and wandered over to where Zelda still lay sleeping, presumably to wake her up.
"Link!" Called Vuto.
Link turned around and came back to Vuto. "What? Do you need something else?"
"I was wondering...would you mind if I came with you?" Vuto looked at him hopefully.
"Do whatever you want. But me and Zelda are going to the Northern Waste, the others are going to turn east soon."
"Oh. Well still, would you mind if I came?"
"Why?"
"I just want to explore. I have heard there is a great lake in the north."
"Yes, there is." Confirmed Link. "Look, I really don't mind what you do. If you want to follow us into the darkest most evil place in the world, then be my guest. But don't blame me if harm befalls you."
"I won't, don't worry."
Within the hour, they were packed up and travelling again under the morning sun. They were walking downhill most of the time, something that all six of them were incredibly grateful for. They entered a low valley between two steep walls, with a gap only wide enough for one at once to walk through. As they emerged at the other side, the sudden increase in light was incredible. They had left the shadow of the mountain and walked out onto an immense grassy plain.
"The Great Northern Plain..." Zelda whispered in awe. Link ran over to a rocky overhang, which was the end of the mountain and the beginning of the plain. He clambered up to the top of some large rocks and let the wind blow through his hair; he pulled out his sword and held it up to the sun, it was so exhilarating. The others walked up beneath him, and looked in wonder to the north. It was so far, so free. A long way in the distance they saw mountains, and the glimmer of water in the sunlight. That was the Great North Lake, that was where they were heading first.
They all sat down for a while and had a rest, and took in the view. Jerra, Yerra and Zelda climbed a little way back up the mountain to get a better view. Vuto sat alone on the rock where Link had been standing; he needed time alone. This left Karak and Link together, and Karak seized this opportunity, "Link, I'm ready to talk to you now. I have to, if I am to head east soon."
"Okay." Link turned to face him.
"I grew up in the east," he began, "in a town by the sea. My full name is Karak al'Tyak."
"So your family has the same tradition as mine? Taking one father's name as one's title name? Or indeed the mothers name if you were a girl."
"Yes, your name is Link al'Ryak isn't it?"
"Yes. My father's name was Ryak."
Karak was clearly not sure how to put this. "Link, do you know what your father's full name was?"
Link thought for a second and then realized he didn't know. "Know, I'm afraid I don't. Why?"
"Because I do." He took a deep breath. "His name was Ryak al'Karak."
"How do you know that? Wait, my grandfather was called Karak then? Like you?"
"Yes...your grandfather's name was Karak. Karak al'Syak to be precise."
"How do you know all this?" Said Link, afraid that he knew the answer.
"Link, Karak al'Syak had two sons, not one."
"But I thought my father was an only child."
"No. That's what everybody thought, but your father and grandfather knew the truth. Karak kept it secret. But Ryak only remained silent for fear of his father."
"Why?"
"I will tell you soon. What I need to tell you is that your grandfather's second son was Tyak. Tyak is my father."
"So we're..."
"Cousins."
Link leaned back on his hands. He had not been expecting this from Karak at all. "So that's why we..."
"Look the same, yes."
"Wow...I just. Wow, I didn't see this coming." Link was utterly dumbfounded. "There's just so much I need to ask you."
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, I was afraid."
Link laughed. "Afraid of what?"
"I was afraid that you might reject me, the way that...the way that Karak the first rejected my father."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Our grandmother died giving birth to my father, and Karak never forgave him for it, he was despised as a child. When my father Tyak was just six years old he ran away from his home in Hylia. He was adopted by an elderly couple and raised in the east. When he was fifteen his adoptive parents died, but he managed to get by on his own. He married my mother at the age of twenty, and some years later, she gave birth to me."
"Are they still..."
"Yes, they both still live in the east."
Link bowed his head sadly. "My father and mother both died in the civil war, when I was just a baby. I was raised by the Kokiri."
"I'm sorry."
"Its alright. But all this means I have family, an aunt and uncle."
"I suppose you do, yes."
"But...how did you find out about me?"
"You're famous. You're the Hero. It was only a matter of time before I heard your name 'al'Ryak'. My father had told be about his history and his older brother. I was named after my grandfather because my father thought it would help please his dead father. He had only ever wanted to be loved, and he thought he could make his peace that way."
"I see."
"Link, I don't want to go home yet. I want to stay with you and Zelda, and I've spoken to Jerra and Yerra and they feel the same way. They want to go with you all the way."
Link smiled. "That's wonderful. But I don't want to put anybody in harms way."
"You're safer with all of us with you."
"He's right." Said Vuto, leaping down to their side. "You're going to need all of us."
"Thanks." Said Link. "That means a lot to me. He stood and called to the girls who were sitting high up on a mountain ledge. "Hey, we're ready to leave!" Zelda nodded. Link turned and ran up onto the high rocky outcrop again. "To the north!"
Vuto awoke the following morning with a sharp jab in his side. He jerked up and grabbed the stick and thrust it towards the one who had held it. Yerra stood unmoving, the sharp point of the stick under her chin, "Its time to get up." She said.
"Foolish girl." Said Vuto standing up, and dropping the stick.
He crossed over the other side of the area they had slept in, to where Link was sitting sharpening a sword with a stone. Link saw him approach and stood up, handing the sword over. "Here, have it back. You may go now." Link turned aside and wandered over to where Zelda still lay sleeping, presumably to wake her up.
"Link!" Called Vuto.
Link turned around and came back to Vuto. "What? Do you need something else?"
"I was wondering...would you mind if I came with you?" Vuto looked at him hopefully.
"Do whatever you want. But me and Zelda are going to the Northern Waste, the others are going to turn east soon."
"Oh. Well still, would you mind if I came?"
"Why?"
"I just want to explore. I have heard there is a great lake in the north."
"Yes, there is." Confirmed Link. "Look, I really don't mind what you do. If you want to follow us into the darkest most evil place in the world, then be my guest. But don't blame me if harm befalls you."
"I won't, don't worry."
Within the hour, they were packed up and travelling again under the morning sun. They were walking downhill most of the time, something that all six of them were incredibly grateful for. They entered a low valley between two steep walls, with a gap only wide enough for one at once to walk through. As they emerged at the other side, the sudden increase in light was incredible. They had left the shadow of the mountain and walked out onto an immense grassy plain.
"The Great Northern Plain..." Zelda whispered in awe. Link ran over to a rocky overhang, which was the end of the mountain and the beginning of the plain. He clambered up to the top of some large rocks and let the wind blow through his hair; he pulled out his sword and held it up to the sun, it was so exhilarating. The others walked up beneath him, and looked in wonder to the north. It was so far, so free. A long way in the distance they saw mountains, and the glimmer of water in the sunlight. That was the Great North Lake, that was where they were heading first.
They all sat down for a while and had a rest, and took in the view. Jerra, Yerra and Zelda climbed a little way back up the mountain to get a better view. Vuto sat alone on the rock where Link had been standing; he needed time alone. This left Karak and Link together, and Karak seized this opportunity, "Link, I'm ready to talk to you now. I have to, if I am to head east soon."
"Okay." Link turned to face him.
"I grew up in the east," he began, "in a town by the sea. My full name is Karak al'Tyak."
"So your family has the same tradition as mine? Taking one father's name as one's title name? Or indeed the mothers name if you were a girl."
"Yes, your name is Link al'Ryak isn't it?"
"Yes. My father's name was Ryak."
Karak was clearly not sure how to put this. "Link, do you know what your father's full name was?"
Link thought for a second and then realized he didn't know. "Know, I'm afraid I don't. Why?"
"Because I do." He took a deep breath. "His name was Ryak al'Karak."
"How do you know that? Wait, my grandfather was called Karak then? Like you?"
"Yes...your grandfather's name was Karak. Karak al'Syak to be precise."
"How do you know all this?" Said Link, afraid that he knew the answer.
"Link, Karak al'Syak had two sons, not one."
"But I thought my father was an only child."
"No. That's what everybody thought, but your father and grandfather knew the truth. Karak kept it secret. But Ryak only remained silent for fear of his father."
"Why?"
"I will tell you soon. What I need to tell you is that your grandfather's second son was Tyak. Tyak is my father."
"So we're..."
"Cousins."
Link leaned back on his hands. He had not been expecting this from Karak at all. "So that's why we..."
"Look the same, yes."
"Wow...I just. Wow, I didn't see this coming." Link was utterly dumbfounded. "There's just so much I need to ask you."
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, I was afraid."
Link laughed. "Afraid of what?"
"I was afraid that you might reject me, the way that...the way that Karak the first rejected my father."
"What? What do you mean?"
"Our grandmother died giving birth to my father, and Karak never forgave him for it, he was despised as a child. When my father Tyak was just six years old he ran away from his home in Hylia. He was adopted by an elderly couple and raised in the east. When he was fifteen his adoptive parents died, but he managed to get by on his own. He married my mother at the age of twenty, and some years later, she gave birth to me."
"Are they still..."
"Yes, they both still live in the east."
Link bowed his head sadly. "My father and mother both died in the civil war, when I was just a baby. I was raised by the Kokiri."
"I'm sorry."
"Its alright. But all this means I have family, an aunt and uncle."
"I suppose you do, yes."
"But...how did you find out about me?"
"You're famous. You're the Hero. It was only a matter of time before I heard your name 'al'Ryak'. My father had told be about his history and his older brother. I was named after my grandfather because my father thought it would help please his dead father. He had only ever wanted to be loved, and he thought he could make his peace that way."
"I see."
"Link, I don't want to go home yet. I want to stay with you and Zelda, and I've spoken to Jerra and Yerra and they feel the same way. They want to go with you all the way."
Link smiled. "That's wonderful. But I don't want to put anybody in harms way."
"You're safer with all of us with you."
"He's right." Said Vuto, leaping down to their side. "You're going to need all of us."
"Thanks." Said Link. "That means a lot to me. He stood and called to the girls who were sitting high up on a mountain ledge. "Hey, we're ready to leave!" Zelda nodded. Link turned and ran up onto the high rocky outcrop again. "To the north!"