6 - Of Tides and Wind


After a couple days of sailing up the Zora River, Reiner's vessel had finally switched over to the River Hylia. They were barely an hour away from the lake, and by extension, from Central. The mountains began to disappear, replaced instead by forests and fields. Furthermore, the days were much warmer than when they were downriver. They were getting so close that Link could practically smell Central.

That is, until a putrid odour started to fill his nostrils.

He had been lazing about on the top deck, taking a break from his sword training with Mira, lying down with his arms behind his head on top of some crates. The smell pulled him from his lull, sputtering as he was jolted upright.

His cerulean eyes met the crimson of his temporary travelling partner, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Ugh, the hell is that smell?!" Link cried, pinching his nose shut.

In her hands, Mira held a strange yellow-green fruit, seemingly covered in thick thorns and was the size of a pumpkin. It was sliced open, the soft pale flesh exposed underneath the rind - the flesh that was evidently emanating the smell of what Link could only liken to his old ranch socks that sat out in the sun to dry.

"Nasty right? Hahaha!" Mira said with a barking laugh that exposed her sharp canines. She stuck the spoon she was holding into the fruit and scooped out a glob, popping it into her mouth. "Tastes great though. Mmmm." She closed her eyes, savouring the flavour.

"What, seriously?" The young swordsman leaned over and observed the strange foodstuff.

"Yeah, wanna try?" She offered him the spoon. Link reached over apprehensively - if she had already eaten some then it was probably edible. Probably.

Shrugging, he took the spoon. "Okay…" He released the pinch on his nose, the offensive scent once again causing him to recoil in disgust. "You better not be lying to me." He said, cringing. Sticking the spoon into the fruit, he was surprised at the texture. It felt like scooping up a spoonful of butter. Here goes… He popped the spoon into his mouth, squeezing his eyes at what could have potentially been the worst thing he'd ever eaten.

"Hmm…?" Link felt the delicate custardy texture of the fruit in his mouth; while there was a hint of the smell in the flavour, it was definitely much sweeter than he'd anticipated. His mouth was filled with its smooth richness, and it was hard for him to describe the sensation he was getting.

"Well? Whaddya think?" Mira asked, expectant of his answer.

He put a hand to his chin as he began swallowing; now that he had tasted the fruit, the smell wasn't as bad as it was before. In fact, it was starting to be rather pleasant. "It's… Good. Really good! But in a complicated way."

"It's like that for everyone's first time trying it." She let him hold the oversized fruit, a nostalgic look washing over her face. "That's called a durian. There used to be a forest back in Necluda on the other side of the mountains filled with durian trees."

"Ah, so it's from your hometown."

She propped herself up onto the crates next to his and nodded, "Something like that. Mom used to say that warriors would eat these before battle - said that it gave invigorating energy or whatever. Never really believed her, though."

"How'd you find one on the ship?" Link asked, though he probably knew what the answer was.

"One of the merchants had a dozen sitting in one of the crates. Apparently they keep pretty well if you store 'em right." She took the fruit back from Link, taking another spoonful for herself, "This one cost me thirty rupees, y'know."

"Thirty rupees?!" He repeated, his eyes widening, "For one?!"

"Right? Guess exotic stuff always comes at a premium." She gave a longing look at the water as she ate the durian. It was strange; it was the first time he'd seen her so mellow since they began travelling.

I guess being away from home that long does that to you. Link had left Ordon just over two weeks ago; while he was starting to feel homesick, seeing Mira and her situation only motivated him to continue his journey even further. He could not forget what he'd set out here to do - to get stronger, and to prevent any harm from coming to the village.

"We'll find that master you're looking for." He said suddenly, his gaze unmoving from the water as well.

She smirked, "Who's 'we'? I never asked for your help."

"What was his name again? The master's." He asked, ignoring her cheeky comment.

"Impa." Mira replied through a mouthful of fruit. "And she's a woman."

"A woman, huh…" Link echoed. "She must be really strong to have someone like you chasing after her for lessons"

"You don't even know the half of it," She remarked, hopping off the crate. "Alright, break time's over. Let's get back to it!"

Link picked up his sword off the deck and nodded, "Okay. You're on!"

Unbeknownst to him, Mira was not joking; he definitely did not know the half of it.


Zelda redirected the wicked edge of the sickle blade that was swung at her, her rapier deflecting it effortlessly as she booted the Yiga assailant in the chest, throwing him across the deck with surprising strength. Another one lunged at her, his precise slash just barely being ducked under, Zelda weaving through his attack. In a blur, she delivered a flurry of swipes with the tip of her sword, causing the man to cry in agony as blood sprayed from the gashes opening up in his chest.

"Go back to where you came from!" She cried, giving the man a roundhouse kick that sent him careening over the rails and into the lake.

While the party was more or else dealing with their foes handily, the sheer numbers that the Yiga had on the ship was beginning to take its toll. It seems that they cast an illusion over the area as it didn't seem like anyone back on the docks had noticed the rumble happening on the deck.

"Princess, watch out!" Zelda's momentary lapse of focus was saved as Impa had swooped in front of her, her nodachi cleaving through a trio of Yiga that had tried to get the jump on the princess as she dealt with her assailant.

"Thank you, Impa!" She called out, meeting another set of Yiga to deal with. Holding a hand out, she triggered a burst of mana, "Lumin!" A blinding flash of light blasted the area in front of her, causing her opponents to stumble back in a daze as they were robbed of their vision. There was the sound of her footsteps and she was already in front of them, furiously slashing away with her rapier.

"You guys just don't know when to quit, do ya?!" Eliza roared on the other side of the ship, dancing through the crowd with her saber, blood and limbs being tossed into the air as she moved across the deck. One Yiga almost had the jump on her, lunging for her exposed back. Instead of cutting the captain open, he was met with the sharp point of her elbow to his stomach, the wind being knocked out of him as he sent flying back with the force of a cannonball, crashing into a set of crates.

After another few minutes of intense fighting, the party found themselves backing into each other, the Yiga forming a circle that seemed to be closing in.

"Where do all of you keep coming from?!" Eliza called out, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek as she twirled her sabre.

"Brace yourselves." Impa commanded, stepping ahead of the party. She readied her blade, the black metal becoming enveloped in an almost invisible film of mana. "And do not leave my side!"

The Yiga were not gonna let her finish charging up whatever attack she had about to rip. Unfortunately for them, they were far too late. Impa gave the air a swift diagonal slash, unleashing the energy she had stored in her blade. There was a deep boom, and a resounding shockwave of energy burst in all directions, blades of razor sharp wind being flung from the shockwave. The Yiga were simultaneously thrown off the ship and assaulted by the rending wind in a terrifying display of force, the floorboards of the ship's deck being torn off and sent into the air. Dust and debris filled the air as the attack did its work, toppling the ship's sails and masts.

When the dust had settled, she held the scabbard of her nodachi to her side, the steel ringing as she returned the blade to its sheath. There was a satisfying click, and she let go of the breath she was holding. There was nobody left standing on the top of the ship except for their party.

Eliza took a look at the destruction she had caused and whistled, "Still as scary as ever, huh Impa?" The top deck of the ship had been absolutely mangled by Impa's Windcleaver, the boards around them torn to shreds, and the main masts of the ship having fallen over like timber.

The sheikah scoffed, "As if these Yiga foot soldiers were any match for us."

As soon as she finished her sentence, the barrier that was casted over the ship shattered like glass. There was another shockwave and suddenly the group was brought to their knees by an overwhelming force. "S-spoke… Too s-soon!" Zelda managed to make out, her body being forced to the ground as if a boulder was trying to flatten her. As she grit her teeth trying to fight back what was evidently some kind of gravity spell, she could see little wisps of dark mana flowing off their bodies.

"The hell is this?!" The captain cried, her efforts to stand proving futile.

There was the sound of footsteps in front of them, revealing a Yiga spellcaster. He was cloaked in maroon robes, his face shrouded by the shadow of his hood. In his hand he held a staff, a red orb sitting on the top of it - not unlike the red jewel hanging from Zelda's neck.

There was a deep chuckle as he approached the princess, clasping her face in his hand. "You are the real thing." His voice was deep and distorted, possibly due to the magic. His pale hand traced down her face and to her neck, then past her collarbone and into her shirt. Zelda's eyes widened when she realized she was about to get violated, until he clasped the pendant around her neck and ripped it from her.

"P-princess!" Impa called, trying to crawl over to her liege.

Zelda shook her head. "Not yet!" She ordered in a harsh whisper, so as to not draw attention from the wizard who was pacing back and forth, observing the jewel he now held in his hand.

"Now that I have gotten this back…" The wizard began, "What shall I do with you four, hmm?" He first stopped in front of the captain, bending over to get a good look at her face. "You are the daughter of the admiral, are you not?"

"Go fuck yourself." Eliza sneered, spitting at the wizard's face.

The wizard wiped his face off before giving a sinister, barking laugh. He pointed his staff at the captain's informant, blasting the man with purple magic spear right through the chest. Blood spilled onto the ruined deck of the ship as the informant's eyes rolled to the back of his head.

"N-NOOOO!" The captain tried to reach for her sabre, once again doing so in vain, the spell keeping them locked in place. "I'll fucking kill you, you bastard!"

Her defiance was met with a swift strike to the face by the orb end of his staff, flecks of spit coming out of her mouth as her head snapped to the side. Her furious visage did not change, and she glared at him as blood began trickling from the corners of her mouth.

"And you…" His voice came again, this time addressing Impa. "The sheikah master. We are beneath you; that is what you believe is it not?" A deep garbled chuckle echoed from under his hood as he pointed his staff at her, "I should just end you as well."

Impa closed her eyes and smirked, "I'd like to see you try."

On cue, a blinding flash burst from Zelda's body. "Luminra!" The flash was coupled with an ear splitting crack, and it not only robbed the wizard of his sight, but his hearing as well.

"What?!" The wizard stumbled backward, momentarily releasing the gravity spell he held on the party.

Through the ringing in her ears, Impa exploded from her spot on the ground, delivering a gut wrenching punch to the wizard's stomach, throwing him across the deck. Still disoriented, the man flailed on the floor, trying to stand up. Zelda quickly confiscated the staff lying on the floor as the other two approached his defenseless body.

With a snarl, Eliza brought her sabre up, just about ready to decapitate the wizard before Impa stopped her. "I know what you're about to say and I don't care!" She made out through gritted teeth.

"He's much more valuable to us alive, Eliza!" The major said, trying to reason with her, "We can interrogate him and figure out where their hideout is!"

"He killed one of my men! And kidnapped a whole fucking village of people!" The wizard began to regain his senses, the blurry image of a sabre inches away from his eyeballs causing him to whimper in fear. "Death would be too kind of a punishment for you." The vein in her forehead was on the verge of bursting, pure rage enveloping her face as she looked down on the man. She slowly inserted her sabre in the wizard's shoulder, the squelching of his flesh causing him to cry in agony. She then gave it a few tormenting twists, causing him to writhe on the floor with his mouth agape. With one final grunt, she pushed the sabre all the way through and out the other side, foam frothing from his mouth as he passed out from the pain.

"... Are you satisfied?" Impa asked, crossing her arms.

"Not in the slightest." Eliza quickly pulled her blade out of the man's body, wiping the blood on his cloak. She sheathed her blade before turning to the remaining two of them. "We'll tie this scumbag up and squeeze every last drop of information out of him we can. For now, let's get to work finding the villagers."

Zelda and Impa had no objections and, after tying the wizard up, the trio descended into the bottom decks of the ship.

"I'm sorry I couldn't save your informant..." The princess said remorsefully as they made their way down the stairs. "I needed some time to gather up the mana for my spell."

"Don't apologize, your highness." The captain shook her head, "He knew what he signed up for. Working undercover for anything, especially when dealing with smugglers and contraband, is always gonna be a dangerous job."

"He must have been an excellent soldier."

Eliza nodded, "He was. The navy will give him a proper memorial service once we've finished up here."

Impa, who was already in the bowels of the ship, called out to the pair, "You guys should take a look at this."

From the light provided by the windows of the ship's lower decks, they were greeted by the sight of a wholly terrified crowd of civilians, shackled to the support beams. Their chains rattled as they instinctively began to crawl away from the trio. "Please don't hurt us!" One of the women cried.

Zelda had to scrunch up her face as her nose was assaulted by the stench of drying urine and bodily waste. It was a repulsive scene; the people down there were absolutely filthy, their faces gaunt, and their lips were pruning from dehydration.

"There's certainly more than a village worth of people." Eliza remarked as she began breaking the shackles on the captives closest to her, ignoring the terrified screams she was receiving. "Wouldn't be surprised if they abducted some of them right off the road."

"They did," Zelda affirmed, "It would explain the emptiness of the road on the way here."

"The Yiga were probably keen on selling them as slaves." Impa replied, doing the same as the captain. "Even a cult like them would have no need with this many sacrifices."

"How can you be so sure?" The princess asked, kneeling down to undo the chains on a little girl's ankle. She noted that the girl bore resemblance to the portrait she had seen in the house before. "Powerful dark magic is known to be fuelled by the raw lifeforce of a person."

"Yes, but they also need to make money somehow," her retainer said, "Slaves can cost a hefty amount on the black market."

"As tight as our security on the harbour is, the hard truth is that even slavers can sneak their merchandise through if they are experienced enough." Eliza sighed, shaking her head. She helped up a woman, giving her support, "Easy now, you're alright."

Letting the girl drink from her water sack, Zelda burned the image of the ship's lower deck into her mind. From her safe, luxurious spot at the top of Hyrule's castle, she would never have had to worry about this sort of misfortune befalling her. Going even a day without food was something she would never have even imagined, and she had access to as much clean water as she could possibly drink.

The girl began to cough as she had drank too fast. Zelda gently gave her a pat on the back, and when she was done with her fit, she looked up at the princess with half-lidded, almost lifeless eyes. "Did you… Come to s-save us?" The girl managed to make out.

The princess felt her heart wrench. "We did." She said, nodding.

A small, fragile hand made its way to her face. It was as cold as ice. "T-thank you…"

Now more than ever was the princess grateful for setting off on her journey. She admitted in her mind that it was originally a selfish decision, ignoring her father's wishes to find the hero to fight in the war against the dark one. But as she clasped the hand struggling to reach her face, Zelda realized that the subjects she ruled over had their own wars that they fought every day.


"How's it lookin' up there, boy?" Reiner called from the captain's wheel.

Link was scanning the horizon of the lake from his perch in the crow's nest, using a hand to block out the sun. He had a wide grin on his face; it was the first time he'd seen such a vast body of water. The wind bit at his cheeks and made the corners of his eyes tear up, but he was so excited to be sailing that he ignored it, taking in the sights. "It's great, captain! I can see everything from up here!"

"That's great bumpkin, but he's asking if you see any pirates!" Mira laughed from the bottom of the mast.

He looked back at his temporary travelling partner with a blank look on his face, "How do I know if they're pirates?!" Ships of all sizes dotted the lake, some were larger ships like theirs, while others were small schooners anchored in the open water with their fishing nets out.

"The flags, boy, the flags!" The captain pointed to the flag that was fluttering next to Link on the crow's perch. Indeed, their vessel was sailing the flag of the province of Central; it was white, with the gold royal insignia of triangles and a red phoenix underneath it. "Pirates usually have black flags on their masts!"

Extending the telescope that Reiner gave him, he took a hard look at the water. He saw green flags of Faron and the blue flags of Lanayru, but nothing that looked pirate-y. "Looks like we're clear!"

Mira turned to the captain, "Are pirates common on Lake Hylia?"

Reiner nodded, "The navy does a pretty good job keeping the waters safe, but pirates are less uncommon than we would like."

"That's where me and the bumpkin come in, right?"

"For the most part," The captain gave the wheel a rub, "We've got four twelve-pounders on each of our broadsides, so battlin' while we're sailing hasn't really been the issue. Our guys aren't all that great in a sword fight, as tough as they look."

"Kinda like Link, huh?" She sniggered, mostly to herself.

"I heard that." The swordsman in question muttered, not peeling his eyes from the telescope.

After finally making it into Lake Hylia, they were less than a half-day of sailing away from the port. Mira and Link would part ways with Reiner's crew there; once they'd unloaded some of their cargo and passengers, it was back into the lake and up towards Lanayru for them. If the winds were gracious enough, Reiner predicted that they'd be docking by nightfall. From then on, the pair were planning on staying the night in Port Hylia before making their way to the capital.

The sail over the next hour was largely uneventful, much like it'd been for most of the trip. Link was entertained by spotting the different kinds of ships on the lake and seeing the awe-inspiring displays of schools of fish jumping out of the water. Every so often he would see an octorok patrolling the surface, but never did they get close enough to cause their ship any trouble. It wasn't until Link was just about ready to head back down onto the main deck that he saw a strange figure waving at them in the water.

"That's… A zora?" He muttered to himself, looking through the telescope. Indeed, there was a lightly coloured zora, their shiny skin a pale rose, waving with both arms in the ship's direction. "Captain! There's a zora in the lake waving at us!"

There was a hiss followed by the thunk of a hookshot into the crossbar of the sail next to him, Mira swiftly appearing at his side in a low crouch. He would never be unimpressed by her superhuman coordination and agility. She held a hand out expectantly, "Gimme the telescope." He quickly obliged, placing it in her hand. Balancing herself on the sail, she took a long gaze at the figure Link mentioned before nodding, "That's a zora, alright."

His face scrunched up in confusion, "What, you thought I was lying?"

"No, I thought you wouldn't know what a zora looked like." Before he could retort, she turned to the captain, "I think they need our help! Could be a trap, though!"

"Aye, we'll get closer before we decide to bring them on board!" Reiner replied, swiftly turning the wheel in the direction of the seemingly helpless individual.

"Are there zora pirates too?" Link asked.

Mira nodded, "Yes. Anyone could be a pirate, just like how anyone could be a bandit." She brought a hand to her chin and hummed, "Doesn't really look like there's anything out there waiting for us. Maybe they really need help."

After they'd made their way down from the crow's nest, they quickly consulted with Reiner and the rest of the crew.

"We definitely have some extra space on board," The captain said, scratching the scruff of his beard, "But we can't really ignore the fact that the zora could be leading us into some kinda trap."

"I think we'd be able to defend ourselves against a couple of pirates." Link reasoned.

"Not unless it was a ship or two armed to the gills with cannons." Mira retorted, crossing her arms, "We'd be as good as dead."

"Out here?" The young swordsman shook his head, "We'd see them from a mile away!"

"Aye, the lad's got a point." Reiner hummed, "Nothing but the open water out here."

The taguel shrugged, "It's up to you, cap'n."

"Aw, what the hell." The captain turned to the crew and bellowed, "We've got a man overboard, get those goddamn ropes in the water for the zora!"

The crew replied with a resounding choral cheer, and they were off to the rails throwing whatever objects capable of floating into the water. There was some commotion but it did not take long until they pulled the zora onto the deck.

The zora climbed over the rails, a puddle forming underneath their body as the lake's water ran off of them. While the zora was surrounded by the helpful attention of the crew, Link managed to get a good enough look to confirm that they were indeed a female. It was his first time seeing one in person; he was fascinated by the rose, almost pink hue of her skin. It was shiny, giving off the impression it was perpetually moist, but he knew enough about the zora to know that this was not the case, rather it being a natural phenomena that helped their bodies cut through the water while swimming. They had gills on their necks, and their fingers and toes were webbed. The long tail-like extension from the back of her resembled that of a dolphin or shark. While there was little in the way of clothing, she was adorned in jewellery around her neck and waist, with a white sash draped over her waist that acted almost like a skirt.

He could not help but stare; the zora were so far from being human but at the same time, they bore many of the same features that humans did. He concluded there was a certain type of elegance to the zora form.

"Welcome aboard, lass." Reiner greeted, making his way through the crowd of sailors to address the zora. "I'm Reiner, captain of the Swiftwind!"

Swiftwind? Link scoffed lightly through his nose, taking amusement from the fact that it was the first time he'd actually heard mention of the vessel's name. This did not escape his companion's attention as she gave him a firm nudge with her elbow.

The zora had trouble standing to greet the captain, propping herself on the rails for support. She did not seem to be visibly injured, so Link could only assume that she had twisted or broken one of her ankles. Mira stepped in front of the sailors to offer the zora her support, being the only other woman on board, to which the zora gratefully took.

"I am in your debt, captain of the Swiftwind." The zora said gracefully, bowing as much as she could with one of her arms draped around Mira's shoulders.

"There's no need for thanks," Reiner shook his head, "Rather, how badly are you hurt? What happened?"

The zora looked down at the planks of the deck, sighing.

"Take your time." Mira assured.

"We… Were on our way to Port Hylia," she began, her brow scrunching up, "Our ship was carrying an envoy bound for Central. Due to certain… Circumstances, I cannot reveal what their purpose was for."

A zora ship? Link repeated in his head. For some reason he just assumed that the zora had no need for boats as they could just swim everywhere, but the more he tried to think about the feasibility of a group of zora pulling cargo through the water, the less sense it made. Looks like he still had a lot to learn about the world.

"Unfortunately," she continued, "The pirates of the north coast caught wind of us moving with a high value individual, and we were immediately caught in a barrage of cannon as soon as our ship left the River Nayru." She motioned to her leg, "Hylia has blessed me for I've managed to make it out with my life. I cannot say the same for my comrades."

"You're the only one left?" Mira asked, eliciting a plethora of surprised reactions from the crew.

The zora nodded, "After our ship was boarded, they were either killed or taken as prisoners. Thanks to their sacrifice, I was able to escape. But with such a severe injury, I was not able to swim very far due to how much pain it caused me. I ended up losing consciousness, and I awoke in the waters here." She blinked, looking around, "Where are we exactly?"

"The south coast." Reiner answered, "You must've been out a while to end up down here."

She hung her head in defeat, squeezing her eyes in frustration, "My comrades… Those damn pirates!" She punched the rail with her free hand, growling as tears began to drop from the corners of her eyes.

"Hey, take it easy!" The taguel said, doing her best to support the zora, "You need to rest and get healed up before you can even think of going back up there."

"I'm sorry." The zora brought a hand to her face, wiping the tears as best as she could, "Perhaps I do need some rest."

Reiner immediately clapped, "You heard the girl, someone get her a cot set up!" Once again, a cheer came from the crew as they dispersed into the lower decks. Mira and the zora then hobbled to the now-open hatch, until they were stopped by him calling out, "What do we call you, lass?"

The zora turned around to face the captain and Link, apprehension washing over her face. For a second, her emerald eyes locked with Link's cerulean blue. He could not tell what she was thinking and before he could say anything, she nodded, "I am Mipha."

"Aye, get some rest, Miss Mipha."

Link watched as they retreated into the lower decks. There was something strange; when she looked at him he felt a sense of connection. There was an odd sensation of familiarity, as if maybe he had seen her before. It was confusing because up until now, he'd never even seen a zora in his life.

He was deep in thought until the captain gave him a swift slap on the back, "Enough daydreamin', boy. We've got a ship to run."

"Right away, captain." With that, Link made his way up the main mast and back to the crow's nest, resuming his watch. Mipha, huh? He thought, peering out at the water, Beautiful name.


"These guys should be able to take you down the river." Eliza said, gesturing at the mid-sized cargo ship they stood in front of, "They're pretty trusted regulars of the port so you don't need to worry about getting ambushed by any more of those Yiga creeps."

After their battle on top of the ship, the city guard clamoured to clean up the mess they had left behind. With Eliza directing control, soldiers and sailors were working tirelessly to clear the harbour of debris. The merchant ship belonged to one of the prisoners they'd found on the lower decks, with the ship's crew being among the hostages as well. For the moment, the prisoners were being treated at the barracks, being given food and shelter as they were being helped to sort everything out.

While the pair felt themselves largely responsible for thousands of rupees worth of damages to the ship, Eliza insisted that they were faultless, going so far as to graciously offer them passage down river with another one of her acquaintances.

Impa and Zelda looked at each other before nodding, "This will more than suffice," said the princess.

"Suffice, you say…" The captain shook her head, "I know you're against it, but you're really sure you don't want a navy ship? We would be more than happy to escort you down the Zora."

"We would like to be as discreet as possible," Zelda replied, "Ignoring what happened earlier, we feel it is best to use as little resources as we can. I don't think my father would be very happy allocating a military ship for our search."

Eliza shrugged, "If you insist, your highness."

"Don't worry," Impa said, resting a hand on the captain's shoulder, "We can take care of ourselves."

"I'm well aware, major. But anything can happen out there."

"We'll be careful, captain," Zelda reassured, "Rather, are you not going to have a mess to clean up after all of this?"

"Don't get me started," the captain replied with a sigh, "On top of getting a crew to salvage the ship and to figure out where all the hostages are from, I need to fill out the paperwork for my informant. Poor guy has a wife and kid waiting to hear the news."

"We send our condolences," said the princess with a bow, "as well as our deepest apologies."

"I am sure they're appreciated." Eliza nodded gratefully. She looked up at the sky before motioning towards the ship, "Now, you two better get going. The ship's primed to leave within the hour; if there's anything you need to get done, now's the time to do it."

Impa held out a hand, "It was good seeing you, Eliza."

The captain wore a wry grin as she gave the major a firm handshake, "You as well, major."

"Thank you for the hospitality," Zelda said, bowing once more.

"It was my pleasure, your highness," Eliza replied, returning the bow.

After saying their goodbyes, the pair gathered their stuff before heading back into town to stock up on supplies. They were running low on sustenance, not to mention food for their horses. It was going to be a fairly lengthy trip downriver of a couple of days and, with their horses cooped up in the ship, they wanted to make sure their steeds were ready to get back on the road as soon as they made it to Faron.

Once they were on the ship, they introduced themselves to the crew and captain. There weren't a whole lot of sailors onboard, maybe fifteen or so, with a majority of the space in the hold being packed with crates and sacks full of wares. There was space for a few horses, complete with beds of hay as the captain often needed horses for prolonged trips into town. The ship itself was lightly armed, with a trio of twelve-pounders on the broadsides to keep pirates and bandits at bay.

"We'll be able to outsail any pirate in Lake Hylia or the seven seas for that matter," The captain, Thedron, assured the two, "Haven't had any problems so far." He was a gruff man of typical sailor cloth, a hand rolled cigarette smoldering between his lips.

Zelda, hiding her identity under the shadow of her cloak, nodded, "We're in your care."

"Aye, the captain's countin' on us to make sure you two make it to Faron safe and sound." He grinned, exposing a set of well-worn teeth, "Don't you worry 'bout a thing."

While there was something to be said about this crew sailing under-armed, the rivers in the mainland of Hyrule were generally safe. It was because of Lake Hylia's vastness that allowed the bandits of the open water to roam for as long as they have; should the ship stick close to the coast, they would be fine. In theory, at the very least.

They set out in the afternoon, the sun on its way down towards the horizon. They would be sailing the River Hylia by the evening, and from there it was a day or two on the Zora with their trip being expedited by the downward current. With any luck, they could quickly conduct their investigation by speaking to the guard of Faron, as they'd done with Eliza.

With her sights on the open water, Zelda leaned over the rail and took in a breath of the fresh, moving air. The crew seemed to take shifts doing the work on the deck, so there were a handful idly drinking and singing merry shanties to pass the time. It was a strange atmosphere; she'd been on a ship once or twice as a little girl, but this was her first time actually being out on the open water. While her mission was to find the hero, her journey had begun to unfold into quite the adventure.

"Still, I hope we find him soon," the princess said longingly.

"We will," Impa remarked, joining Zelda in partaking in the breathtaking view of the lake, "Perhaps sooner than you think."

The princess did not notice the faint glowing of the Triforce on the back of her hand.


"Link!"

The young man in question blinked as he was pulled from his lull. He'd managed to begin dozing off in the crow's nest and the captain was quick to notice. "Yeah?" He called back, leaning over.

"Don't 'yeah' me, boy! Get down here!" It took a couple minutes of climbing down the ropes, but soon Link was in front of the captain. "You've been up for a while. Go get some shut-eye."

"You sure?" Link was definitely feeling drowsy but he wanted to enjoy the sights a bit more.

"Yes, I'm sure. One of the guys'll take over for ya, don't worry." Reiner patted the swordsman on the shoulder, "We'll wake you up once we're at port."

"Got it, captain."

With a yawn, Link swung the doors open to the lower decks, making his way down the stairs. Being a fairly sizeable ship, the Swiftwind had two lower decks: a hold for storage and for horses, and another for the crews quarters and cannons. The crew deck was sparsely populated, with a couple of sailors scrubbing the floors and running maintenance on the twelve-pounders.

They greeted Link as he weaved around barrels of supplies before he ducked into the crew's quarters. It consisted merely of a bunch of cots and hammocks with benches in the middle for eating and socializing. In the corner, Mira was sitting next to a cot where the zora was lying with her eyes open.

Unlatching his cloak, he set it down next to a hammock on the opposite corner from the pair, his satchel and sword being placed on the deck next to it. Wordlessly, he climbed into the hammock, throwing his arms behind his head as he closed his eyes to rest. A moment passed and he couldn't help but raise his brow as he felt the sensation of someone watching him. Opening an eye, he was immediately met with the gaze of both his companion and the zora.

The zora, Mipha, rolled out of the cot with Mira's help. She hobbled over to Link, who sat up to meet the pair. "Sir… Link." She said slowly, making sure she got his name right.

"Miss Mipha." He returned, nodding.

"I would like to ask the two of you a favour." She played with her fingers and looked at the floorboards. "Rather, Miss Mira has already agreed, but as she is your travelling partner I felt it prudent to ask for your permission as well."

"Permission for what exactly..?"

Mira nodded, "Mipha wants us to escort her to Central."

He paused for a moment before returning the gesture, "I don't see why not since we're all going the same way." Mipha's eyes lit up as she smiled. "But we only have two horses."

"She can ride with me," the taguel replied, "My horse can handle the both of us."

Without hesitating, Link nodded. "Okay, then it's settled." He held out a hand, "Welcome to the team."

Mipha bowed before enthusiastically shaking his hand, "I'll be in your care, Sir Link!"

He shook his head, "Just Link's fine. Actually, I would kinda prefer it."

"Ah, then I'll be in your care, Link!"

An earnest girl she was. Perhaps she wanted to fulfill the duty of her compatriots by completing the envoy's mission on her own. Of course he was more than happy to accommodate her, seeing as they had the same destination and all. Although, there was a strange feeling about her that he couldn't quite shake off. Maybe it was just the excitement of having another member added to their party, one that was literally pulled out of the lake no less. He was fully expecting to head to Central on his own, so having some people to travel with was a pleasant surprise.

"I don't suppose you could tell us why you need to go to Central?" Mira asked.

Mipha seemed thoughtful as she looked at the floorboards, bringing up a webbed finger to her chin, "I… Don't think I can say exactly the reason. But we needed to meet with the royal family, that I know."

Both Mira and Link widened their eyes. "You mean, like, with the king?"

She nodded, "That's right. A dreadful circumstance has befallen the Domain, and we must let them know. However, should knowledge of exactly what be known to the public," She paused, looking pensive, "then it would not only put the Domain at risk, but also our people."

They looked at each other before shrugging. "It's not our place to pry, but it sounds important," said Mira.

"Uh, sorry," Link interjected, putting up hand, "What's the Domain?"

Mipha gave him a blank look, "You don't know?"

"I'm from Ordona, please forgive my ignorance." He replied, bowing his head.

She looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, "It is the home of the Zora; a beautiful city at the base of Mount Lanayru where the water flows freely as we live as one with spirits of nature."

"So it's like an underwater city?"

The zora giggled, "Some of it, yes, but for the most part it is similar to a place like Port Hylia, only with our own architecture. It wouldn't be very welcoming for the other races of Hyrule if it were entirely underwater now, would it?"

"Officially, it's called the Zora's Domain, but it isn't just Zoras that live there," Mira explained, "I've heard it's a pretty desirable place to live in general, so you've got people from all over Hyrule that settle down there."

"Then your mission is more important than I thought." Link said. He stood up and crossed his arms, "We'll get you to Central."

"Thank y-!"

Just as Mipha could finish, the ship swayed back and forth, a deep boom resounding in the distance.

The bell on the top deck began ringing furiously, "Contact! Pirates in the open!"

Mira and Link looked at each other before nodding, "Let's go." They grabbed their equipment off the floor and began making their way up to the open air. Sailors began flooding the lower deck, getting to work on loading the twelve pounders. Weaving their way through between the men clamouring down the stairs, they emerged onto the top deck, greeted by the Captain shouting orders to the sailors.

"You two!" He waved over to the pair, "Get over here!"

They obliged, quickly making their way to the poop deck behind the captain's wheel. Reiner gave Link his telescope and pointed out to the water. There were two ships and for most standards were fairly close, maybe nine or ten kilometers out. What was peculiar was that they were sailing the blue flags of Lanayru. Mira took a quick look herself before clicking her tongue, "Sneaky bastards."

"False flags?" Link suggested.

"Aye…" Reiner said gravely, "They fired off a warning shot to try an' get us to stop."

"And…?"

"And…" He closed his eyes and crossed his arms, "We ain't stopping."

Reiner placed a hand on Link's shoulder before bellowing to the ship, "Get your goddamn swords ready! These scumbags aren't letting us off without a fight!" The crew gave a raucous cheer in response, everybody scrambling to their battle stations.

"What should we do, captain?" Mira asked, swinging her katana onto her back.

"Just stay alive. If they get close, then we're gonna need you guys to hold them off if we get boarded."

"Got it." The two made their way back down to the main deck, leaning over the railings as they watched the two pirate ships rapidly approach the Swiftwind. For now, all they could do was wait. Neither of them had any experience in naval combat, so until the fight was brought to them, they were forced to be observers.

From the looks of things, they were severely outmatched. The Swiftwind had in total eight guns - four on each side. The two ships approaching them were about the same size, except they had an entire deck dedicated to cannon, with a total of sixteen - double their own. It was not looking good, and Link was surprised that Reiner didn't up and wave the white flag then and there.

For now, there was nothing the two of them could do. All they could do was pray that they wouldn't get sunk or, at worst, killed. The pirates, who'd replaced their Lanayru flags with ominous black flags, were now bearing down on them at full speed. The winds were not in their favour, and regardless of what evasive maneuvers they could try, they were either going to be pinned up against the coast or chased down like deer.

They sailed against the wind trying to create space, to no avail. Mira and Link, who were holding onto the rails of the ship, were soon staring down the guns of one of the pirate ships.

"Get down!" Link shouted, clutching onto Mira's shoulder as they hit the deck.

"FIRE!" Reiner roared at the top of his lungs.

BA-BA-BA-BA-BA-BOOM!

Both ships loosed their cannons, the deafening blasts of the guns unloading rippling through the air. Mira, whose primal hearing multiplied the sounds tenfold, clutched her ears in agony as she did her best to bite back the pain. Cannon balls whizzed across the water, some flying dangerously close past the tops of their head, most tearing through the ship's hull. They were violently showered in all manner of splinters, debris, and sprays of lake water. The pair held on for dear life, hoping to Hylia that they wouldn't get torn apart by a stray cannonball.

Then, after the festival of explosions was over and the crews began to reload, there was a brief moment of serenity. Clouds of dark soot began to rise from the gun deck, along with the metallic smell of burning black powder. Through the ringing in his ears, Link could hear the shuffling of the sailors in the deck below them. He peeked over the railing and was taken aback by how close the pirates had come. Boarding was inevitable at this rate; all it would take was one more cannon exchange and the Swiftwind would be at the mercy of an army of pirates clamouring over their gang planks.

"Link! Mira!" Reiner called out, addressing the pair who were shakily getting back onto their feet. Miraculously he was still manning the ship's helm, completely unscathed and steering the ship. "Get ready to give 'em hell when they get over here!" He gave them a reassuring smile and a thumbs up.

It wasn't looking good for them and the crew, but if Mira and Link were good for something at this point, it was swinging their swords around. They looked at each other before grinning, the energy coming back to their bodies.

"Here comes another volley, gentlemen! LET 'EM HAVE IT!" The captain roared at the top of his lungs. The crew gave a passionate cry and the ships once again exchanged cannon fire.

The ship rocked as it loosed its cannon, the crew on the top deck once again holding onto the ship for dear life as cannonballs burst through the Swiftwind's hull. The pirates had adjusted their aim as there were several projectiles that blasted through the top deck. There was a spray of wood as one of the ship's masts was taken out, crashing onto the front of the deck as ropes snapped apart and sails fluttered into the water. Link, still clinging onto the rails, turned around just in time to witness a poor sailor getting nailed right in the chest, his torso getting eviscerated as his upper body exploded into a bloody red mist, his arms, flesh, and bone being flung across the deck.

He barely had time to register the gruesome sight as he had to jump back from the railing, harpoons suddenly embedding themselves into the ship. They could feel both of the ships getting closer together, and the pirates across the water began getting their gangplanks ready to close the distance.

"They're boarding! Get ready, Link!" Mira called, unsheathing her katana.

Link pulled out his bow, quickly taking aim at the pirates. One swift shot and his arrow whistled through the air, on target as it got one of the pirates holding onto one of the gangplanks, right in the forehead. His body fell limp, causing the crowd of pirates to flail as the giant board of wood crashed back onto the deck. This was but a minor inconvenience, as there were several other gangplanks getting ready. He continued to try and pick them off, but it was almost a fruitless effort as there were just so many of them.

With a ferocious battle cry, the pirates finally dropped their planks, creating a bridge between the two ships. Pouring onto the boards, they rushed at the Swiftwind with reckless abandon, paying no heed to their comrades that were struck by projectiles or thrown into the water below them.

The Swiftwind's crew was ready with all manner of weaponry that they scrounge up. Link, who had decided to stop wasting his arrows, had drawn his sword and was more than ready to face what was coming. In unison, their crew also gave a battle cry as the pirates stepped onto the Swiftwind's deck.

The pirates were a rowdy mix of thugs and thieves of all races; there were Hylians, Gerudo, Zora, even a few humans as well. Link knew it didn't matter what race they were - they were bandits only concerned with looting and killing.

With his mind set, he had no qualms sinking his sword into the chest of the pirate that had lunged at him, swiftly pulling it out as he kicked the body off. He parried a saber from another foe, twirling around effortlessly as he lopped off both of the man's arms, leaving the pirate momentarily gobsmacked as he was staring down at the trunks of meat that used to be his arms. Link could already feel the massive improvement in his swordsmanship as he cut his way through the pirate gang. His training seemed to be paying off; the sloppy movements of these ruffians made it seem like they moved in slow motion, far cry from the swift and deliberate swordplay of his partner.

Mira was having even less trouble than he, a sinister grin etched across her face as she manically tore through the pirates. Her canines made her look even more feral, and the pirates were almost too scared to even swing at her when she approached them. "That all you got?!" she taunted, mercilessly cleaving off one of the pirates' heads, "Thought you guys had more balls than this!" Her feline agility had her literally dancing around the pirates, and thanks to the efforts of both her and Link, the crowd of enemies seemed to rapidly thin out, bodies beginning to pile themselves on the deck.

"I don't wanna jinx it or anything," Link called out over his shoulder as he locked swords with his opponent, "But I think we can do this!"

On cue, another wave of pirates began scrambling over the gangplanks, this one looking hungrier than the last. Mira rolled her eyes as she kicked a bandit over the railing, "You just had to open your fuckin' mouth, didn't ya?!"

The fierce fighting continued, the much smaller crew of the Swiftwind holding their own surprisingly well, thanks in no small part to their hired hands Link and Mira. Even Reiner, who was quite a number of years older than everyone else on the ship, was trying to do his best to contribute to the melee, helping the sailors fend off the pirates. But after what seemed like an eternity of brawling and the deck was littered with all orders of blood and bodies, the pirates still had more people to send over. In particular, a large and intimidating individual brandishing two sabers.

Wiping the sweat off his brow, Link turned to face the menace that was making his way across the gang plank, "That's gotta be their captain right?"

"If it is, it's one of them anyway." Mira replied, taking a momentary breather herself.

The newcomer sauntered onto the deck; he was considerably taller than everyone else on the ship. He had a long black captain's coat, tattered and ripped. He sported a dark beard, his rough face exemplified by a cigarette that hung from his lips. His tricorne was in equal shape as his coat, and altogether, he was probably the most intimidating man that Link had seen at this point.

One of the sailors tried to get the jump on the pirate captain, swinging his sword wildly. The pirate captain knocked the sword out of the sailor's hands easily, picking the man up by the face as he tilted his head to get a better look at him, "Nice try." There was the cracking of bone as the captain squeezed the man's head like a grapefruit, discarding the body like trash as he threw him into the lake.

The pirate captain cleared his throat as he addressed the circle of sailors growing around him, "Who's the captain 'round here?" His voice was deep, surprisingly smooth, belying his intimidating appearance.

Reiner stepped forth from the poop deck, "That would be me."

"Let's stop this unnecessary bloodshed, shall we?" The pirate said, using one of his sabers to gesture at the bodies on the deck. "My people are getting killed, your people are getting killed. Just give us what we're looking for."

"And what would that be?"

"The girl, of course." The pirate's mouth curled into a wry smile.

So they are looking for Mipha! Link grimaced, tightening the grip on his sword.

"Well, if that's what you're lookin' for," Reiner shrugged, "Then I'm afraid I have no idea what yer talkin' bout."

The pirate captain gave a deep, bellowing chuckle, "So that's how it is. What's your name?"

"Reiner. And yours?"

"The name's Donovan." The pirate captain, Donovan, began tapping his saber on the deck, "I gotta say, Reiner, you and your crew's got guts." He motioned to Link and Mira, "These two have really given my guys a hard time. But," He turned around, pointing to the ship that was currently connected to the Swiftwind, as well as the other pirate ship loitering a ways away, "You guys really think you can fend off both our ships? Full of the hungriest motherfuckers sailing the Hylia?" He chuckled again, "It ain't likely."

"Unfortunately, our girl's got somewhere to go," Link spoke up this time, holding his ground under the man's intense gaze, "So you guys can't have her."

"Bwahahaha!" Donovan gave a raucous laugh, immediately joined in by the rest of his crew. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he shook his head, "Ooohhh boy! You kids have got no idea, do ya?"

"About what?!" snarled Mira.

"Well, if she didn't tell you, then you definitely wouldn't understand anyway." He waved her off, still smiling.

Link could see the rage in his partner's crimson eyes from being dismissed. Uh oh. "Mira don't - !" He held out a hand but it was way too late.

Mira exploded from her spot, closing the distance between her and the pirate captain in what seemed like a blink of an eye. Sparks flew as Donovan handily blocked her upward swing with both of his sabers, throwing her off balance as he overpowered her in the clash. She immediately repositioned, going for his flank, but there was already one of his swords waiting to block her strike, "Nu-uh." Link's eyes widened as Donovan delivered her a blinding strike to the stomach with the pommel of his other sword, flecks of spit coming out of Mira's mouth as she took the entirety of the hit. He gave her a brutal kick to the chin, the shockwave of the impact almost visible as she was sent flying into the crowd of the Swiftwind's crew.

"I'll ask you guys one more time," The pirate captain announced, "Give us the girl and we can all be on our merry way."

A bead of sweat rolled down Link's forehead as he was once again faced with another overwhelming foe. He'd taken care of Mira in a near-instant; just how were Link and the rest of the crew supposed to deal with this ferocious man?

Steeling himself, he stepped forward, sword at the ready, "I'm afraid we can't do that."

"You kids really have a death wish, don't ya?" Donovan shook his head, laughing again, "Suit yourself."

Link felt alarm bells go off in his head as the pirate captain rushed at him, just barely bringing up his sword up to block a swift slice from one of Donovan's sabers. The force was absolutely massive, akin to the claymore of the bandit he'd fought in Faron, and it was enough to throw him off balance. His instincts willed him to backpedal, and he saved himself from getting sliced open, his chainmail taking a brunt of the slash.

As he looked down at the tear in his tunic, he felt that familiar sensation as he realized that this man was truly trying to kill him and that his life was on the line.

The challenge excited him to no end.


Author's Notes/Rambles:

I'm by no means an expert on ships or naval combat so please excuse me if any of the terminology was wrong, and feel free to correct me if you know. Regardless, pirates are cool and pirate ships are cool so I wanted to continue with the swashbuckling theme that I'd introduced with Eliza. It never occurred to me until I started writing the scenes out, but mob fights are harder to write than I thought, not to mention fights that happen on top of ships. I will say, at this point in the story, Zelda and Impa are definitely the strongest characters in the main cast so far, mirroring their Hyrule Warriors counterparts.

Also, Mipha makes her appearance! I'm sure you could probably guess what she's all about, but I've got something a little different planned from her role in the games. She's one of my favourite Zelda characters so expect her to get represented well in the upcoming chapters.

As always, please feel free to leave any comments or criticism!

Thanks for reading! :)

- K