Chapter 2 Lost Sailor
It is said that neither Rain nor snow nor Sleet not hail can stop the mail, and this thing goes over the internet, so is even harder to stop the Hammermaster. So here I go on the road again, another chapter. You can tell by reading this that I just watched Master and Commander the Far Side of the World a couple of days ago, and it inspired me. Have not seen it, then you should see it. Is a good movie.
It was a cold morning aboard the Nereid, the mist rising from the ocean seemed to merge with the sky at just the right point to form a layer above the sea which was not wholly water and not wholly air either. Jesse looked out across the waters, wondering if he could float above that layer of air and sea if he were to jump in. He was your typical ambitious youth, always striving for the best, even when he wasn't ready for it. All the other crew members aboard the ship loved him, for he reminded them of when they were his age. He looked out across the brine, hoping to catch a glimpse of a Mermaid, a harmless sea serpent, or some legendary sea creature. Jesse shook his brown locks and looked further across the horizon. His blue eyes scanned the waters slowly. He was new aboard this ship, and hadn't quite adapted to the sea life. But he was fascinated with sea life, and loved to listen to the older crew members tell him stories about strange creatures they had seen in the ocean.
Over on the starboard side of the boat stood Rohan, looking out across the sea through his telescope. Rohan was a heavily built seaman with many years of experience under his belt. He had sort of taken Jesse under his wing when he came aboard the boat, as a master takes on an apprentice. His hair was black and was very short and straight. Jesse walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. Rohan turned away from the spy glass and looked at Jesse.
"Its my shift now," Jesse said, "you can go take a break."
"Thank you," Rohan said, handing Jesse the telescope.
Rohan walked down to the cabin, and Jesse lifted up the telescope and began surveying the waters before them. Hyrule was at war with the nation of Theseus, and by order of the King of Hyrule any Thesian war vessel sighted within this region was to be sunk immediately. Jesse was nervous, because the Thesian navy was mighty, and their warships were very advanced in the ways of sea warfare. If he were to see a Thesian vessel that night, the entire crew would be awakened, and they would pursue it through the waters.
Jesse scanned the waters with his telescope, but saw no ship. But then he suddenly saw a shape materialize out of the fog. Jesse drew the telescope back around, and focused on the shape again. It appeared to be some wooden wreckage which floated down towards their ship.
Should I report this?
Jesse kept watching as the piece of wreckage got even closer. Then he saw a crumpled figure, holding tightly to the wooden remains shivering in the cold morning air. He looked as if he were half dead.
"Man overboard!" Jesse shouted.
The crew was immediately roused, and they all ran to the starboard side to get a glimpse of the wreckage.
"I don't see a man."
"Look through the telescope at the ruble over there."
"Are you sure that's a man?"
"Of course its a man!"
"Actually it could be a woman."
"Oh shut up!"
Suddenly the door to the captains courters opened, and Captain Sarim stepped out onto the deck. The seamen turned and watched him walk over to the side, saluting him as he passed. He stepped to the side, and turned to Jesse.
"What is it that you saw?"
"A bunch of ruble," Jesse said. "I'd say about... fifty feet away on our starboard side."
The Captain grabbed the telescope and looked out at the ruined wood. He saw a man clutching the wood dressed in green forest like clothing.
"Bring us up right along side him!" the captain ordered. "Get some lines ready. We're going to haul him up!"
"Aye sir!" several crew members shouted before dashing off to carry out his orders.
"Well done Jesse," the Captain said.
"Thank you sir," Jesse said.
The Nereid turned starboard and gently flowed through the sea until the ruble was right next to it. Jesse watched the man on the ruble stir slightly, awakened by the sounds of the men on board the Nereid. The man lifted his head up and looked at the boat which had seemingly appeared right next to him. His face held a look of sorrow, and his eyes were gray with unhappiness. Or perhaps it was just the cold of the sea. The crew threw a line down to the man, and began shouting down, telling him to grab a hold of it. The man regarded the rope for a second, as if deciding whether or whether not to take the rope. Jesse was amazed. Didn't this man want to save his life? Finally the man grabbed the rope, and the crew began to haul him aboard. When they pulled him on deck the man collapsed on the wooden floor before them. For a second the men on board just looked at the unconscious man, eying his strange clothing and his unusual blond hair. Then the Captain took charge.
"Take him down into the cabin," the Captain ordered. "Dry him off. Dress him in dry clothes, put him to bed. Make certain he is warm. He is not a Thesian. He is a Hylian. Look at his ears and his skin."
"Aye sir," the crew members said, before lifting the unconscious man to his feet and carrying him down into the cabin.
Rohan walked up to Jesse.
"Who do you suppose he is?" he asked.
"The captain's right," Jesse said. "He is definitely a Hylian. I would guess that he is some sailor from some ship which sunk somewhere around here. Maybe the Thesians sunk her."
"Perhaps," Rohan said. "They may have just overloaded the ship and she sunk. Or maybe she was blown down in a storm.
"The weather is too nice for their to have been a storm around here," Jesse said.
"Yeah, but how did the ship sink then? Did it hit a reef? If it did I would much like to know, since his ship must have sunk somewhere around our area."
"Hopefully he will wake up soon," Jesse replied. "Then all our questions can be answered."
"Did you see the look in his eyes?" Rohan asked.
"I recall that he didn't look very happy," Jesse said.
"Heck, he was filled with Melancholy," Rohan said. "I thought he was dead until he looked up at us."
"It probably was because he'd lost all his friends when the ship sunk," Jesse suggested.
"Or maybe he misses his family back in Hyrule," Rohan suggested. "Or wherever he comes from at least."
Captain Sarim stepped out onto the deck, brushing his salty brown hair out of his eyes. Jesse and Rohan saluted him. His hardened face surveyed the deck slowly as if assessing the situation.
"Aren't you guys going to go back below deck to bed?" the Captain asked Jesse and Rohan.
Rohan and Jesse looked at each other, before turning and walking down the stairs into the deck below. The Captain remained on board, looking out across the sea.
"A Thesian Vessel no doubt," he said to himself. "Got to search around and find her. As soon as that boy wakes up..."
"Sir," a crew member said, walking up to the Captain. "The blond haired boy has been dried, dressed, and put to bed."
"Good work," Captain Sarim said. "Did he wake up while you were doing all this?"
"Yes he did actually," the seaman said. "He was sort of hazy, but he woke up right as we were putting him to bed. He said something like: 'Zelda, I have lost so much. Marin. Marin... speak to me Marin... Where are you?' I don't think he was all there in the head at the time, if you know what I mean. After he said this he immediately fell back asleep again."
"Hmm," the Captain mused. "I wonder who Zelda and Marin are."
"Do you suppose he speaks of Princess Zelda?" the seaman asked.
"That seems incredibly unlikely," the Captains said, "but you could be right. The Royal Family lives on the East side of Hyrule. Many people have blond hair in that region. Even the Princess herself. And isn't it a tradition that every Princess will be named Zelda? Its so great a tradition that few others name their child Zelda, because it is looked down upon."
"What about Marin?" the seaman asked. "You ever heard of a Marin?"
"No," the Captain said. "Must be someone's name though. Anyways, when he awakes, please send him to speak with me."
Hey, I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with this story later on. Any suggestions would be quite welcome. Don't worry, there will BE a happy ending in the end. You will all want to give me hugs. And I'll have to ask the guys to just take high fives.