A/N: I see some newbies are joining in! As you may have noticed, I am my
character, in many more ways than one. And about the guns (this is for
anyone curious); my province on the Mainland, Boulviddar, is slightly more
up to date than the rest of the (known) Great Sea. The citizens have many
sorts of things because they are the descendants of the inventive Sheikah
tribes- in fact, you'll see some more of them in this chapter! I thank Dan
(and Ari) for the inspiring compliments; I obviously do appreciate reviews,
so write away- it helps me know what the readers like and dislike and helps
me improve the overall plotline. (By the way, there WILL for sure be a
sequel, but that may be thinking too far ahead...)~ My heart bursts with
pride as I see the looks on my newfound friends' faces. They already seem
to love the home I adore.
"Wow, Anni. How old did you say your aunt was?" Tetra said, an impressed sort of frown forming on her lips. "A place like this seems like it'd be too difficult to manage."
I smiled, and found my face was going hot. "She's on the brim of one hundred- but she has some help, of course." I brushed a lock of black hair from my face; something I often did when I was somewhat nervous. Link let out a low whistle. "And part of it's the house and the kitchen."
"Still, though," murmured Tetra. She started to walk forward, and then we all did- except Komali, who still hovered in the air along with us, casting down an awful churning wind that made everyone's hair (if it was long enough) fly randomly about their faces like horses' tails during a mosquito- filled summer. This was especially true with Medli's long mahogany ponytail.
Link nudged the captain teasingly, obviously speaking to her again. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," He grinned. She nudged him back.
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm so hungry I could eat that huge bird that kidnapped your sister! Beat that, kid!" She laughed. Link thought for a minute- perhaps there weren't very many things larger than that bird.
"Help yourself. I bashed his head in ages ago, and he would've done the same to you, if it weren't for your pirates' stupid catapult!" He shoved her again. "I'm so hungry I could eat Valoo!"
"Link!" Medli groaned. "You want to eat him after all he's done for you?"
"...Seagull-feathers, Med, I guess you're right... How about the pirate ship?" He said after a moment. Tetra snickered.
"If you're into high fiber," she smirked. "Besides, I think Valoo would find it much easier to eat you than have you eat him."
"Aww, shut up," He said it, but one could tell he didn't mean it, judging by the slightly lopsided smile on his lips and the seagull-like laugh that accompanied it.
Soon, my hand rested on the old, tarnished brass doorknob; it was not cold under my fingers, but warm from the stoves and steamy food within. Beaming to myself, I threw the door open. "Auntie, I'm home, and I've got lots of company!" I yelled, the heat spilling over us like water in a hot bath, the smell of the kitchen putting everyone into a trance. In a whisking motion, I took off my hat and hung it by its hook on the door, the swinging bottles making a tinkling sound as they bumped together. It was hard to see through the steam at first, and then two of the ranch hands, Lonà and My'chel, stirring soup and a dessert of some sort appeared as mere silhouettes, not even looking up as they worked. "C'mon, guys," I said, nodding and beckoning to my friends, who stood hesitantly at the door. I grabbed Link by the wrist and drug him in, and I realized that he was hypnotized by the scent. "Link? Hey, are you all right?" His eyes opened in a flash.
"Erm, yeah. Of course! What made you so sure I wasn't?" I rolled my eyes and led them rather quickly down the hall, which was lined with all sorts of boiling and baking things.
"Anni, what's your aunt like?" I heard Medli ask several feet back; she was easier to see now- the steam was beginning to thin because I'd left the door open a crack, and the redwood cabinets filled with jars and jugs of all sorts of things to make food taste better began to appear. Some of the items inside were magical, many of which hung from my hat, and others as simple as salt, things such as nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, curry powder, unicorn cream, and powdered dragon scales (meant to be used sparingly; their magic was quite strong and could make a dish warmed slightly without cooking with just a pinch) to name a few.
"Auntie Siagon? She's very kind and wise. You'll like her. Oh, and you'll want to remember- she's as blind as a keese." I replied, turning a corner and dragging Link up the stairs.
"Um... Anni?" Link said, trying to get me to slow down. I stopped, and a very eager Tetra bumped right into him. He shook free of my grip, rolled up his left sleeve, looked at his forearm for a moment, and then showed me a very ugly scar. "I've fought keese- and I'll tell you, those things aren't blind." I bit my lip. That blemish wasn't the only one there on his slender arm; it wasn't the worst or the newest, either. There was evidence of burns there, too. I touched it gently with a slender finger. He turned his face away and looked toward a dusty window on the wall. "They don't hurt any more."
"Boy, what have you done to yourself?" I murmured. He blinked. His eyes- the glowing color of light through emeralds- fogged over again with thought and memory. A slight lopsided smile appeared on his face.
"They don't hurt any more," he repeated. With this, he turned, brushed off my finger, and rolled his sleeve down again.
I escorted the gang down another hall; this was the "inn part" of the building, and each of the doors had a number carved (nearly illegibly) on it. When I hadn't heard an answer from Saigon, I knew she'd be up here, behind the door that didn't have a number; a pictograph of a yellow keaton fox hung from a rusty nail in its digit's stead. The three-tailed creature was often used as a symbol in Boulviddar, an image of all things intelligent and crafty; that was probably why it was depicted on the door to the library.
Upon the opening of this door came the lovely, faint scent of dusty literature, each cover holding something new and different inside. I heard everyone, even the proud pirates that had no place in a realm of books, let out short gasps as they entered the room. It was no larger than your average bedroom, with hard pine floors and an occasional faded scarlet rug beneath the dusty red velvet chairs, the couch, and bookshelves of various woods. On the pieces of wall that weren't obscured by shelves, there were several large paintings, curling at the corners because they were unframed; they depicted several heroes of Boulviddar's often-told legend.
The painting on the right wall, a swarthy young man with spiked, fingerless gloves, was a depiction of the famous "Long Claws" Louie, the only man ever to kill a dozen sea monsters without injury. He was eventually slain and devoured while trying to dispose of the Chichimara, a great shape shifting beast in legend- but perhaps it wasn't quite all folklore. On the left wall, there was another painting, this one of a man with an enormous, heavy- looking sword slung over his shoulder. He was McMiylan of the Gargantuan Blade, who in myth created the famed Gerudo Canyon with one earth-shaking lunge; he too was killed by that creature of darkness. Now, you may be wondering if the beast was ever slain; I am sorry to say it wasn't, and if you must know, I believed it was as real as the tips of Link's ears were pointed.
I noticed that straight ahead, on the wall above the cluttered desk where Auntie worked, there was a new picture, ripped at one edge as if torn from a book. It was beautiful. There was a boy in it, of pale skin that was definitely not Boulviddarian, and ears that were much like those of my company. His fierce green eyes were hard with pain, fear, and determination... and love. In his scarred and bleeding arms, he held a girl close to his chest clad in torn and bloodied pink and gold, and she looked up in fear at the young man's noble scratched face. Darkness curled like smoke around his midsection. In the background stood many landmarks that seemed to mean something- but didn't, at least to me. There was a towering mountain, an enormous tree, a simple well, an imposing statue of the goddesses, and a lake, peaceful and serene.
"Auntie? I'm home, and I brought some friends." I said, peering around bookshelves, trying to find her.
"As if you can call us friends," mumbled Tetra, going red at the ears.
"I know, Anni, dear. Do you think that I can't hear extra sets of feet?" I heard her reply from behind the next bookshelf. "The air whistles a bit differently around their ears, and I hear feathers rustling; yes, and what a variety of sizes!" I smiled to myself. If Saigon was impaired in sight, she could see nearly twice as well with her ears.
Rounding the corner, we came upon my shriveled old aunt and the spicy tang of the perfume that always hung about her. Her eyes were open, yet they were pupil-less and opal-like, and she sat in the old wheelchair that a ranch hand had made for her- her legs hadn't worked in years. A multi- colored bandanna covered most of her long white hair. She would've looked quite frightening if there hadn't been a sense of kindness and comfort floating around her. At the moment we came upon her, she was running her fingers over the spines of the books. "Now, Anni, you're early! You're usually around at five, not three!" She clasped her worn hands and frowned slightly.
"I'm sorry, Sai-sai, but my friends had an urgent problem- well, several, actually- and I suggested they asked you." I bowed my head slightly even though I knew she couldn't see me do it.
"Well, then, dear, why don't you introduce me?" I nodded to Link, who stepped forward and bowed respectfully, although not that formally, for he kept his eyes on Saigon mid-bend. "Ahh, yes. Dear, you're the swordsman, am I right?"
"Yes, ma'am. May I ask how you can tell, if you cannot see the sheath on my back?" He'd evidently been taught proper manners toward his elders- and good ones if I was any judge. She asked for his hand, which he gave to her with some puzzlement. Her fingers ran delicately along the inside of his palm, over callus and scar, and she didn't look at what she felt, for she couldn't, but straight into space.
Auntie smiled. "Well, my boy, your sheath makes a little scraping sound on your shield- you must hear it so often that you don't notice it anymore- and now that I feel your hand... you haven't used a sword all that long, have you?"
"It's been a couple months... since my twelfth birthday." He shifted his weight uneasily.
"Tell me," she said, concerned. "Was it a happy one?"
Link took a glance at Tetra, then at Medli and Komali, who responded with shrugs. He sighed. "No, no, it wasn't. Y'see, that was probably the all time worst day of my life." He laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
"What made it so bad?" Saigon croaked when Link hesitated. She was as worried about him as she was with one of her blood- or one of her workers, like Daystar or My'chel. He tucked his thumbs beneath his belt.
"Everything?" Saigon nodded. "Holy Din.... My sister had to wake me up, I got clothes for a present- they're actually not that bad now, though, and it was tradition," He paused and looked down at himself. "I met Tetra," Tetra smirked. "And she was very ungrateful when I rescued her," the pirate's ears turned scarlet and she folded her arms across her chest. "And, well, I don't want to get into it, but it went downhill from then. My sister was kidnapped by the same giant bird that got the captain, and I decided to go get her, and the pirates offered to... hem... 'help'." He turned and flashed his tongue at Tetra, who returned it smugly.
"Humph. That was the best day of my life," she grumbled, tugging on the hem of her violet vest.
"Now, what's your name, boy?" Saigon frowned.
"My name's Link, ma'am."
Auntie's frown turned into a strange smile. Nodding, she continued: "Of course. Now, Anni tells me you have a problem. Would you like to explain it to me? I'll do all I can to help." She spread her arms invitingly and Link hesitated.
"Yes, of course, ma'am." Link bowed slightly. "I lost my sword." Tetra smacked herself on the forehead.
"If I may butt in, it was the Master Sword." The sea-dog interrupted harshly and nearly accusingly. "And your Anni told us that it was stolen." Saigon paused.
"Now, pirate girl, by the Master Sword... do you mean the blade that is not quite... steel?"
The Outset Islander glared at Tetra, though she softened up little. "I suppose. There's not another one out there, is there?" Saigon shook her head slowly.
"No," She closed her un-seeing eyes for a moment. "Now, this is an interesting case. If your Master Sword is the one I think of... It would seem that it would be impossible to steal."
"So, it wasn't stolen, then?" Medli piped up hopefully in the background.
My great aunt scowled.
"Oh, I wouldn't underestimate Anni's powers that far... From what I see, it was." Her hairless brow furrowed. "There are only two hands in the world worthy enough to touch that sword, and the one who has stolen it has neither hands nor worthiness. I believe it was a great beast of darkness who resides on an island in the sea."
My eyes widened. "B-but Auntie! Surely not him- I was sure his lair and existence were but m-myth!"
"Oh, dearest, you'll have to start believing in legend. It was, I am sure, the dreaded Chichimara that haunts our folklore."
Link, having not a scrap of knowledge of this beast, began to speak; one could tell by the look in his eyes that what he would say would be a vow to destroy it- or be destroyed trying, and I interrupted in the middle of his first word by breaking into tears.
All eyes turned on me, be them hawkish, emerald, ice cold, opal- like or non-existent.
I felt a hand, cold and delicate brush my back, and I heard the sweet voice of Medli over my shoulder. "Oh, Anni. What's wrong?"
I wiped a tear off of my cheek, feeling embarrassed. "I've seen Link swordfight before- and he's plenty good- but he hasn't heard a thing of the Chichimara, and he wishes to defeat him."
Tetra attempted and failed at using a comforting tone of voice; it was more of what she said than how she said it. "Yeah, but he's always pulled through before. Leave it to me to prove it. Banished the Dark Lord himself with only a little bit of my help." She winked. "Green's a lucky color." Link eyed me- there was a mixture of curiosity and sadness on his face.
"Anni..." He hesitated, letting his eyes get foggy. "I-I don't have to go find him right this minute... I... I just need to get the sword back... People entrusted me to keep it safe... and- and if I don't... who knows what will happen?"
I sighed and looked deep into the green of his eyes. It was cool and empowering like a dip in a cold lake, and he blinked and let himself smile faintly and lopsidedly. "I-I'm just so worried... I have a friend named Daystar who fought him. He came back alive- but he was turned into a dog... And I don't want anything like that- or worse- to happen to you."
"I-I didn't know you cared that much." Link looked somewhat guilty. I smiled weakly.
"Neither did I."
"Uh, guys?" Tetra broke in.
"What?" we said together.
"If you keep doing that, I'm gonna lose my appetite." She made a retching sound and the pirates laughed behind her. Link smiled goofily, and, his ears turning pink, he looked away from me. "C'mon, guys." Tetra continued. "Saigon, we don't mean to be a bother, but Din, could we get something to eat?"
Saigon smiled. "Of course. Help yourself to whatever we have down there, and Anni'll keep track of it for your bill."
"I thought you said we could eat free," Tetra hissed at me through her teeth. "We lost almost all of our Rupees during the storm." Aunt Saigon heard and thought a moment.
"Well... If you're that desperate, we could arrange a keaton hunt tonight to work it off; we're a bit short of tail hairs anyway." Keaton hair, if used right, could make a bland dish have a bittersweet sort of taste. I smiled.
"Oh, a keaton hunt! Saigon, you're a genius!" I bent and hugged her delicately, then rushed to follow the eager group back down the stairs to the steamy kitchen.
"Wow, Anni. How old did you say your aunt was?" Tetra said, an impressed sort of frown forming on her lips. "A place like this seems like it'd be too difficult to manage."
I smiled, and found my face was going hot. "She's on the brim of one hundred- but she has some help, of course." I brushed a lock of black hair from my face; something I often did when I was somewhat nervous. Link let out a low whistle. "And part of it's the house and the kitchen."
"Still, though," murmured Tetra. She started to walk forward, and then we all did- except Komali, who still hovered in the air along with us, casting down an awful churning wind that made everyone's hair (if it was long enough) fly randomly about their faces like horses' tails during a mosquito- filled summer. This was especially true with Medli's long mahogany ponytail.
Link nudged the captain teasingly, obviously speaking to her again. "I'm so hungry I could eat a horse," He grinned. She nudged him back.
"Oh yeah? Well, I'm so hungry I could eat that huge bird that kidnapped your sister! Beat that, kid!" She laughed. Link thought for a minute- perhaps there weren't very many things larger than that bird.
"Help yourself. I bashed his head in ages ago, and he would've done the same to you, if it weren't for your pirates' stupid catapult!" He shoved her again. "I'm so hungry I could eat Valoo!"
"Link!" Medli groaned. "You want to eat him after all he's done for you?"
"...Seagull-feathers, Med, I guess you're right... How about the pirate ship?" He said after a moment. Tetra snickered.
"If you're into high fiber," she smirked. "Besides, I think Valoo would find it much easier to eat you than have you eat him."
"Aww, shut up," He said it, but one could tell he didn't mean it, judging by the slightly lopsided smile on his lips and the seagull-like laugh that accompanied it.
Soon, my hand rested on the old, tarnished brass doorknob; it was not cold under my fingers, but warm from the stoves and steamy food within. Beaming to myself, I threw the door open. "Auntie, I'm home, and I've got lots of company!" I yelled, the heat spilling over us like water in a hot bath, the smell of the kitchen putting everyone into a trance. In a whisking motion, I took off my hat and hung it by its hook on the door, the swinging bottles making a tinkling sound as they bumped together. It was hard to see through the steam at first, and then two of the ranch hands, Lonà and My'chel, stirring soup and a dessert of some sort appeared as mere silhouettes, not even looking up as they worked. "C'mon, guys," I said, nodding and beckoning to my friends, who stood hesitantly at the door. I grabbed Link by the wrist and drug him in, and I realized that he was hypnotized by the scent. "Link? Hey, are you all right?" His eyes opened in a flash.
"Erm, yeah. Of course! What made you so sure I wasn't?" I rolled my eyes and led them rather quickly down the hall, which was lined with all sorts of boiling and baking things.
"Anni, what's your aunt like?" I heard Medli ask several feet back; she was easier to see now- the steam was beginning to thin because I'd left the door open a crack, and the redwood cabinets filled with jars and jugs of all sorts of things to make food taste better began to appear. Some of the items inside were magical, many of which hung from my hat, and others as simple as salt, things such as nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, curry powder, unicorn cream, and powdered dragon scales (meant to be used sparingly; their magic was quite strong and could make a dish warmed slightly without cooking with just a pinch) to name a few.
"Auntie Siagon? She's very kind and wise. You'll like her. Oh, and you'll want to remember- she's as blind as a keese." I replied, turning a corner and dragging Link up the stairs.
"Um... Anni?" Link said, trying to get me to slow down. I stopped, and a very eager Tetra bumped right into him. He shook free of my grip, rolled up his left sleeve, looked at his forearm for a moment, and then showed me a very ugly scar. "I've fought keese- and I'll tell you, those things aren't blind." I bit my lip. That blemish wasn't the only one there on his slender arm; it wasn't the worst or the newest, either. There was evidence of burns there, too. I touched it gently with a slender finger. He turned his face away and looked toward a dusty window on the wall. "They don't hurt any more."
"Boy, what have you done to yourself?" I murmured. He blinked. His eyes- the glowing color of light through emeralds- fogged over again with thought and memory. A slight lopsided smile appeared on his face.
"They don't hurt any more," he repeated. With this, he turned, brushed off my finger, and rolled his sleeve down again.
I escorted the gang down another hall; this was the "inn part" of the building, and each of the doors had a number carved (nearly illegibly) on it. When I hadn't heard an answer from Saigon, I knew she'd be up here, behind the door that didn't have a number; a pictograph of a yellow keaton fox hung from a rusty nail in its digit's stead. The three-tailed creature was often used as a symbol in Boulviddar, an image of all things intelligent and crafty; that was probably why it was depicted on the door to the library.
Upon the opening of this door came the lovely, faint scent of dusty literature, each cover holding something new and different inside. I heard everyone, even the proud pirates that had no place in a realm of books, let out short gasps as they entered the room. It was no larger than your average bedroom, with hard pine floors and an occasional faded scarlet rug beneath the dusty red velvet chairs, the couch, and bookshelves of various woods. On the pieces of wall that weren't obscured by shelves, there were several large paintings, curling at the corners because they were unframed; they depicted several heroes of Boulviddar's often-told legend.
The painting on the right wall, a swarthy young man with spiked, fingerless gloves, was a depiction of the famous "Long Claws" Louie, the only man ever to kill a dozen sea monsters without injury. He was eventually slain and devoured while trying to dispose of the Chichimara, a great shape shifting beast in legend- but perhaps it wasn't quite all folklore. On the left wall, there was another painting, this one of a man with an enormous, heavy- looking sword slung over his shoulder. He was McMiylan of the Gargantuan Blade, who in myth created the famed Gerudo Canyon with one earth-shaking lunge; he too was killed by that creature of darkness. Now, you may be wondering if the beast was ever slain; I am sorry to say it wasn't, and if you must know, I believed it was as real as the tips of Link's ears were pointed.
I noticed that straight ahead, on the wall above the cluttered desk where Auntie worked, there was a new picture, ripped at one edge as if torn from a book. It was beautiful. There was a boy in it, of pale skin that was definitely not Boulviddarian, and ears that were much like those of my company. His fierce green eyes were hard with pain, fear, and determination... and love. In his scarred and bleeding arms, he held a girl close to his chest clad in torn and bloodied pink and gold, and she looked up in fear at the young man's noble scratched face. Darkness curled like smoke around his midsection. In the background stood many landmarks that seemed to mean something- but didn't, at least to me. There was a towering mountain, an enormous tree, a simple well, an imposing statue of the goddesses, and a lake, peaceful and serene.
"Auntie? I'm home, and I brought some friends." I said, peering around bookshelves, trying to find her.
"As if you can call us friends," mumbled Tetra, going red at the ears.
"I know, Anni, dear. Do you think that I can't hear extra sets of feet?" I heard her reply from behind the next bookshelf. "The air whistles a bit differently around their ears, and I hear feathers rustling; yes, and what a variety of sizes!" I smiled to myself. If Saigon was impaired in sight, she could see nearly twice as well with her ears.
Rounding the corner, we came upon my shriveled old aunt and the spicy tang of the perfume that always hung about her. Her eyes were open, yet they were pupil-less and opal-like, and she sat in the old wheelchair that a ranch hand had made for her- her legs hadn't worked in years. A multi- colored bandanna covered most of her long white hair. She would've looked quite frightening if there hadn't been a sense of kindness and comfort floating around her. At the moment we came upon her, she was running her fingers over the spines of the books. "Now, Anni, you're early! You're usually around at five, not three!" She clasped her worn hands and frowned slightly.
"I'm sorry, Sai-sai, but my friends had an urgent problem- well, several, actually- and I suggested they asked you." I bowed my head slightly even though I knew she couldn't see me do it.
"Well, then, dear, why don't you introduce me?" I nodded to Link, who stepped forward and bowed respectfully, although not that formally, for he kept his eyes on Saigon mid-bend. "Ahh, yes. Dear, you're the swordsman, am I right?"
"Yes, ma'am. May I ask how you can tell, if you cannot see the sheath on my back?" He'd evidently been taught proper manners toward his elders- and good ones if I was any judge. She asked for his hand, which he gave to her with some puzzlement. Her fingers ran delicately along the inside of his palm, over callus and scar, and she didn't look at what she felt, for she couldn't, but straight into space.
Auntie smiled. "Well, my boy, your sheath makes a little scraping sound on your shield- you must hear it so often that you don't notice it anymore- and now that I feel your hand... you haven't used a sword all that long, have you?"
"It's been a couple months... since my twelfth birthday." He shifted his weight uneasily.
"Tell me," she said, concerned. "Was it a happy one?"
Link took a glance at Tetra, then at Medli and Komali, who responded with shrugs. He sighed. "No, no, it wasn't. Y'see, that was probably the all time worst day of my life." He laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.
"What made it so bad?" Saigon croaked when Link hesitated. She was as worried about him as she was with one of her blood- or one of her workers, like Daystar or My'chel. He tucked his thumbs beneath his belt.
"Everything?" Saigon nodded. "Holy Din.... My sister had to wake me up, I got clothes for a present- they're actually not that bad now, though, and it was tradition," He paused and looked down at himself. "I met Tetra," Tetra smirked. "And she was very ungrateful when I rescued her," the pirate's ears turned scarlet and she folded her arms across her chest. "And, well, I don't want to get into it, but it went downhill from then. My sister was kidnapped by the same giant bird that got the captain, and I decided to go get her, and the pirates offered to... hem... 'help'." He turned and flashed his tongue at Tetra, who returned it smugly.
"Humph. That was the best day of my life," she grumbled, tugging on the hem of her violet vest.
"Now, what's your name, boy?" Saigon frowned.
"My name's Link, ma'am."
Auntie's frown turned into a strange smile. Nodding, she continued: "Of course. Now, Anni tells me you have a problem. Would you like to explain it to me? I'll do all I can to help." She spread her arms invitingly and Link hesitated.
"Yes, of course, ma'am." Link bowed slightly. "I lost my sword." Tetra smacked herself on the forehead.
"If I may butt in, it was the Master Sword." The sea-dog interrupted harshly and nearly accusingly. "And your Anni told us that it was stolen." Saigon paused.
"Now, pirate girl, by the Master Sword... do you mean the blade that is not quite... steel?"
The Outset Islander glared at Tetra, though she softened up little. "I suppose. There's not another one out there, is there?" Saigon shook her head slowly.
"No," She closed her un-seeing eyes for a moment. "Now, this is an interesting case. If your Master Sword is the one I think of... It would seem that it would be impossible to steal."
"So, it wasn't stolen, then?" Medli piped up hopefully in the background.
My great aunt scowled.
"Oh, I wouldn't underestimate Anni's powers that far... From what I see, it was." Her hairless brow furrowed. "There are only two hands in the world worthy enough to touch that sword, and the one who has stolen it has neither hands nor worthiness. I believe it was a great beast of darkness who resides on an island in the sea."
My eyes widened. "B-but Auntie! Surely not him- I was sure his lair and existence were but m-myth!"
"Oh, dearest, you'll have to start believing in legend. It was, I am sure, the dreaded Chichimara that haunts our folklore."
Link, having not a scrap of knowledge of this beast, began to speak; one could tell by the look in his eyes that what he would say would be a vow to destroy it- or be destroyed trying, and I interrupted in the middle of his first word by breaking into tears.
All eyes turned on me, be them hawkish, emerald, ice cold, opal- like or non-existent.
I felt a hand, cold and delicate brush my back, and I heard the sweet voice of Medli over my shoulder. "Oh, Anni. What's wrong?"
I wiped a tear off of my cheek, feeling embarrassed. "I've seen Link swordfight before- and he's plenty good- but he hasn't heard a thing of the Chichimara, and he wishes to defeat him."
Tetra attempted and failed at using a comforting tone of voice; it was more of what she said than how she said it. "Yeah, but he's always pulled through before. Leave it to me to prove it. Banished the Dark Lord himself with only a little bit of my help." She winked. "Green's a lucky color." Link eyed me- there was a mixture of curiosity and sadness on his face.
"Anni..." He hesitated, letting his eyes get foggy. "I-I don't have to go find him right this minute... I... I just need to get the sword back... People entrusted me to keep it safe... and- and if I don't... who knows what will happen?"
I sighed and looked deep into the green of his eyes. It was cool and empowering like a dip in a cold lake, and he blinked and let himself smile faintly and lopsidedly. "I-I'm just so worried... I have a friend named Daystar who fought him. He came back alive- but he was turned into a dog... And I don't want anything like that- or worse- to happen to you."
"I-I didn't know you cared that much." Link looked somewhat guilty. I smiled weakly.
"Neither did I."
"Uh, guys?" Tetra broke in.
"What?" we said together.
"If you keep doing that, I'm gonna lose my appetite." She made a retching sound and the pirates laughed behind her. Link smiled goofily, and, his ears turning pink, he looked away from me. "C'mon, guys." Tetra continued. "Saigon, we don't mean to be a bother, but Din, could we get something to eat?"
Saigon smiled. "Of course. Help yourself to whatever we have down there, and Anni'll keep track of it for your bill."
"I thought you said we could eat free," Tetra hissed at me through her teeth. "We lost almost all of our Rupees during the storm." Aunt Saigon heard and thought a moment.
"Well... If you're that desperate, we could arrange a keaton hunt tonight to work it off; we're a bit short of tail hairs anyway." Keaton hair, if used right, could make a bland dish have a bittersweet sort of taste. I smiled.
"Oh, a keaton hunt! Saigon, you're a genius!" I bent and hugged her delicately, then rushed to follow the eager group back down the stairs to the steamy kitchen.