In the last chapter, our dynamic duo discovered that there was a lot more to the Lord than they thought – in fact, an even greater and more terrible power has been unleashed. Not only that, but they have returned to the beach only to find that the King of Red Lions is gone, and they have no way to continue their journey without him! Both of our adventurers are exhausted, and Gods only know what's going to be thrown at them next…will they ever see Red again, or is he gone for good?
Together: Quite a Predicament
"Red!" I tried again, bringing the stone close to my face, and willing it to spark to life. "Red, can you hear me?" Silence… "Red?" I shook the stone, wondering why the connection wouldn't work. "Red? If you can hear me, please answer!" Silence.
Well, that wasn't entirely true…the sound of the waves lapping against the shore had changed. Where before the water had swished softly across the sand, now they thudded dully against wood, giving a hollow sound. :Like the hull of a boat: "Red?" I tried again, ignoring the desperately worried and confused look that Rufus gave me, as I started down towards the beach with new determination. :Perhaps he left to do some errand of other, and cut the rope himself.: However, the boat that was quickly growing upon the horizon was not the scarlet one that I'd hoped for.
"Marie!" Rufus exclaimed, having managed to follow my mad dash down the hill. He pulled the hat from his head – exposing a mass of hair that was even more unruly than it had been the last time I'd seen it – and waved it above his head as the pirate began lowering the sail. A few moments later, she'd flung the landing rope towards us, and I was surprised when Rufus deftly managed to catch it out of the air. I stood stock-still, the stone clasped tightly in my sweaty palm, and watched the other two bring the boat in with a sense of detached disbelief.
Surely…surely it couldn't be coincidence that she'd appear just as we'd lost our guide and transport… I narrowed my eyes suspiciously at the pirate woman and wondered again whether Red had been right to trust her. :Not that it looks like I'll be able to question him on it.:
"Shadow?" Rufus pulled me out of my reverie, handing me a rope, "help us pull Flo up a little?" I nodded, and obediently tugged on the rope, shuffling backwards through the sand, taking advantage of the wash as it moved the boat up the beach, and bracing against the swash when it tried to snatch the rope from my hands. Rufus and Marie were working with another rope, coiling the excess around the very same tree that still had the remains of Red's landing rope around its trunk.
When it was done, I flexed my fingers, wincing as the numbness left my body, and I felt the rope-burns on my palms. Marie flopped heavily onto the sand, not seeming to care as it stuck to her sodden clothes and skin. "So," she began, slightly out of breath, "where's Red?" The inflection of her question forced me to relinquish my doubts about the pirate: it was obvious that she honestly had no idea. /How can you be sure? Surely someone who has hidden a piece of the Tri-Force for so long cannot be trustworthy…and you know the wench's track record well… Indeed, so do I/Dragmire added, sounding a little amused. However, all his sudden return into my mind did was enforce my belief that my suspicions of the pirate had been unfounded.
/What, you don't trust your instincts/
:I don't trust any advice given to me by the likes of you:I replied curtly, even as I gave the pirate woman a proper welcoming smile, and then went over as Rufus shrugged and replied,
"We have no idea." He gestured to the remaining frayed strands of the mooring rope. "We came back, and that was all that was left."
"By the Gods," she breathed, shaking her head, "it'd have to be someone powerful to take the King of Red Lions." She held the end of the rope between the thumb and forefinger of her left hand, and prodded it with the forefinger of her right. "See, whoever it was had to use magic to cut him loose." At the mention of magic, my brain kicked into overdrive.
"Magic?" I repeated, peering at the blackened twine in the pirate's hands. She obligingly handed it to me – the telltale tingle in my fingertips told me that she was right.
/I could have told you that./
:I thought you were adamant that I wasn't to trust her.:
/She may not be trustworthy, but that doesn't mean she's an idiot… Though I must say, I'm surprised it's taking you so long to figure this out./
:Shut up: I snapped, narrowing my eyes and wondering what on earth the Gerudo was on about. What was I missing?
/Besides a brain/ he offered slyly. I darkly thought a few choice swearwords that he himself had succeeded in teaching me. /Tut, tut, no need to be rude./
:From the one who took control of my body and tried to get me to work as a field agent by force? I don't think you can make any comment about rudeness, Dragmire.:
/Apologies. Perhaps we could find a more pleasant way to cooperate next time/ he purred, lewd insinuation lacing every syllable. I flushed, and forced my ever-wandering attention back to the question at hand. /Would you like a hint, or shall I just tell you and put you out of your misery now/ he taunted.
"Who would want to take the King of Red Lions anyway?" Rufus asked, obviously thinking aloud. I saw Marie shake her head out of the corner of my eye, smiling slightly at the Hylian.
"Any thief would want to steal him… But only someone extremely good would be able to… They'd have to have some basic knowledge of magic at the very least." As soon as this was out of the pirate's mouth, I saw Rufus' gaze shift onto me, and quickly away again.
:Oh, that's all I need, is the boy not trusting me again: I thought exasperatedly, cursing Dragmire as he chuckled softly in my head. :And you can just be quiet:
/And miss the fun? I think not somehow… You still haven't solved this riddle…/
:Either tell me, or be quiet:
/But it's so much more enjoyable watching you get riled – I wonder what the flush of anger looks like on your cheeks…/ Before his comments could get into the realms in impropriety, I turned to the other two, letting the rope drop back to the sand.
"How do you know that any old miscreant hasn't taken Red?" I asked, managing to keep the vague hostility I felt towards the pirate out of my voice. "Surely, it can't be as hard as you suggest to sever the rope?"
"You'd be surprised," Marie murmured, eyes shifting to the sand underfoot. I raised my eyebrow at this – Rufus looked between the two of us, and understanding slowly dawned on his face as he saw the guiltily slumped shoulders of the pirate.
"You tried to steal him, didn't you?" he gasped, his face one of shocked amusement. "Is that how you met?" Marie mumbled something indistinguishable. "It is how you met, isn't it!" Rufus crowed, a broad grin cracking his face.
"…yeah, it is…" the pirate confessed, a guilty grin crossing her own face as well as she looked at Rufus. I shook my head disbelievingly. "And I'll admit, I damn near wet myself when the boat I was trying to steal started shouting at me, before sending me flying ten feet in the air, and dropping me into the sea." The Hylian snorted, and even I had to smile at her graphic description. "Trust me, someone without magic wouldn't have a chance."
"And someone with magic would easily be able to stop him from answering us," I added, thoughtfully closing my fist over the green gem. "Which begs the question – what are we to do next?" Strangely, as soon as I voiced the question, Dragmire vacated my mind with speed. I frowned suspiciously, before brushing it aside. I wasn't about to worry about the strategy of the enemy. Though…just before he'd gone… Well, I thought I'd detected fear…
:It doesn't matter.: I decided. It would be nice to have a few quiet minutes in my own mind after all.
"Any thief would want to steal him," Marie said with a slight grin, and then with a shrug, she continued, "But, only someone extremely good would be able to. They'd have to have some basic knowledge of magic at the very least." I looked over at Shadow for a moment, and then put the idea right out of my mind. :She was with me the whole time anyway, there's no way she could have done anything… And that Dragmire person… Maybe it was something to do with him: That seemed to be the most likely thing after all.
Seeing that she had dropped her rope, I moved over to pick it up, but stopped when she turned around to face Marie fully. "How do you know that any old miscreant hasn't taken Red? Surely, it can't be as hard as you suggest to sever the rope?" I stepped around the Sheikah and picked up the rope, which was almost immediately tugged from my hands as a large wave picked Flo up. Listening hard, I began wrapping the excess around the sturdy looking trunk of a low shrub.
"You'd be surprised," Marie muttered guiltily, and I looked up from the knot. :Surely not: But the look on her face told me everything I needed to know. Biting back laughter, I said,
"You tried to steal him, didn't you?" She looked away guiltily, sifting sand between her fingers. "Is that how you met?" She grunted, and I pushed, "It is how you met, isn't it?" I snorted, finishing the knot and standing up straight. I took up the stance that Grandma always used when she was angry – hands on hips and with a face like thunder…though I couldn't keep my face straight for long!
"Yeah, it is," she admitted, flushing and looking guilty. Shadow shook her head, and I could tell by her crinkled eyes that she was smiling as well. "And I'll admit," Marie began in a confiding tone, "I damn near wet myself when the boat I was trying to steal started shouting at me, before sending me flying ten feet in the air, and dropping me into the sea!" I couldn't contain my laughter at this, and chuckled at the mental image the pirate had given me. Now grinning broadly herself, she added surely, "Trust me, someone without magic wouldn't have a chance."
Shadow grasped the green gem in her hand tightly. "And someone with magic would easily be able to stop him from answering us." I saw her shoulders slump, and she looked out over the water, "Which begs the question…what are we to do next?" My mind jumped at her question, and something important immediately ran out of reach. I knew that I had the answer, but I couldn't for the life of me remember what it was. :Drat… It's just like when Aryll asked me what sort of fish we were eating for dinner one night, and I couldn't remember what it was… They were kippers I think…: I shook my head – now wasn't the time to be thinking about home. I needed to concentrate!
After a few seconds silence, Marie tentatively ventured, "Didn't Red say something about Greatfish?" Immediately, I remembered that that was the last island the King of Red Lions had marked onto my sea-chart.
"That's it!" I nodded, immediately shedding my pack, and dropping to my knees on the sand in front of it. After rifling through (and shoving away a small crab that tried to climb up my boot), I pulled out the slightly damp map. "I remember him marking where we had to go on this chart," I explained as the other two settled on the ground either side of me.
"Well, I suppose that makes sense – that's where the Great Jabun is believed to live…at least, I think so," Shadow said, trailing her finger across the slightly smudged lines of the map. "The Great Jabun would be the last of the three Great Spirits…it'd be likely he'd have the last Pearl, wouldn't it?" It took me a moment to realise that she'd directed the question to me. I blinked down at the map, and then nodded,
"Yeah, I guess that would make sense." The Great Spirit she'd mentioned niggled at my memory; I had the feeling that I'd probably heard the name before, though I couldn't remember where or when. :Maybe in some old fairytales from when I was little: It didn't seem to matter all that much. All that really mattered was that we know had some course of action to follow.
Shadow rose from her seat, dusting herself off as she did so: on my left, Marie copied her actions, though the pirate's attempts to dislodge all the sand clinging to her weren't at all successful. Grumbling, she gave up, and then looked down at me expectantly. "What?" I asked, grabbing the map before a strong gust of ocean-breeze tried to snatch it away.
"There's nothing else to do here," Shadow answered simply, shrugging slightly and moving to untie the rope I'd just fastened. "And you said that the King of Red Lions seemed keen to get going." I hoisted myself up, clutching the sea-chart tightly in my hand.
"Yeah, he did."
"In that case, I'll come along with you," Marie announced, "seeing as it's my boat and all." I saw her and Shadow exchange a look, before the pirate looked away, cheeks slightly pink.
"Aye, that seems fair," Shadow agreed, handing the untied rope to her, and then walking to get the other one. I looked between the two of them, and tried to figure out what the look had been about. No ideas came to me, :I'm tired after all: so I just waded out into the gentle surf. Marie had already clambered aboard, and she reached down to give me a hand up: I accepted it gratefully.
As soon as I was on board, she waved Shadow forwards, indicating that we were ready to go. Taking the initiative, I decided to start making Flo ready to sail again. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Marie was reaching down to pull Shadow into the boat, along with the second mooring rope.
The sail was already half-tacked up to the mast, and all it took was a strong tug on the sail rope, and it filled immediately with the wind. The material cracked and bulged, and we began to move.
When the boat began to scud across the waves in completely the wrong direction, I realised that I had neglected to change the direction of the wind. Frowning, I quickly untied the sail rope, allowing it to run back through the pulley system, so that the sail fell to the deck with a thud. Marie cursed loudly, and I heard a loud splash from the side of the boat. Turning around, I saw Shadow standing waist-deep in the water, fingers white where they clenched the side of the boat. Guilt welled up inside of me as Marie got to her feet, having been thrown to the floor when Flo had started to move. The pirate rubbed her backside with a grunt, and glared at me.
"Sorry," I murmured, quickly gathering up the folds of sail cloth, and carefully folding them at the bottom of the mast. She just shook her head, and her face erupted in a grin.
"Don't worry about it lad," she returned, walking over to haul the soaked Sheikah over the railing. "Up you come." She was soaked through, and a puddle of water quickly collected around where she sat. I chewed my lip, wondering how angry she must be…
"I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking!" I blurted out, letting the sailcloth slide out of my hands in my agitation. "I just forgot about the-" I stopped mid-sentence, to find both of my companions laughing. I flushed and looked down at the planks underfoot, feeling a complete fool.
Finally, when they'd managed to calm themselves, Shadow looked up at me with eyes crinkled at the corners. "That you weren't thinking is obvious," she said, though jestingly. "But there's no harm done – just change the wind direction, and we can be on our way." She looked down again, and proceeded to unlace her boots.
"Yeah – OK – sorry," I immediately copied her actions and sat down, only unlacing my bag rather than my shoes. It didn't take much rummaging to find the telltale outline of the Wind Waker, and it only took a few seconds more to untangle it from all the other things stashed in my bag. As soon as I had it free, I looked expectantly at Shadow to tell me which direction the wind needed to go in. She was obviously distracted however, as, as that very moment, she was emptying water out of her boots over the side. Marie instead stepped in, and instructed me with a simple,
"North west lad."
"Right," I nodded, bringing the silvery baton up. The wind died away almost immediately, and I couldn't help but to smile as I exerted such power. For a few seconds, the whole world was still and silent: the other two had paused their conversation, and I could feel the prickle of their gazes. Suddenly feeling a little foolish just standing there with my arms in the air, I quickly went through the motions, wanting to have it over with as soon as possible. :Anticlockwise circle, two downbeats, an upbeat, clockwise circle.: With that done, I called out "North west!" and the moment of stillness ended.
"Now to get this sail back up," Marie bustled past me, and started to slowly feed the rope through the pulley. I reached out to help, but one look from the pirate's remaining eye made me think again. "No, that's all right lad," she smiled, using her head to signal over to Shadow, "go and sit down. You'll need to save your strength."
"Huh?"
"Well, you did promise to tell me all about it when we next met," her smile widened, and I returned it with one of my own.
"Of course!"
"Well, go on then – just make sure you don't go and do something foolish, like losing your voice," she chuckled, and I hurried off to Shadow, who was just now removing her socks, and laying them out next to her boots. Her feet were covered in skin just as pale as that on her face and hands, which wasn't surprising. But the sight of her wriggling toes did draw attention to the fact that my own feet were just as wet as hers. So, I plonked down next to her (carefully avoiding the pool of sea-water), and began to remove my own footwear.
"I really am sorry about that," I said, putting my boots down next to hers. I had wanted to remove my tights as well – the water was starting to seep upwards through the material – but decided that it was probably more trouble than it was worth. Instead, I just stretched out my legs, and inspected the damage that had been done to them in the course of our latest adventure.
She just waved her hand in a dismissive gesture, "I needed a bath anyway," she muttered, giving me a sidelong look.
"Well, in that case, maybe I should have jumped in to rescue you…I definitely need a bath," I joked, and was glad when she chuckled appreciatively.
"I thought I was supposed to be the one who did the rescuing," she said, nudging me gently in the ribs. I shifted uncomfortably at this, which she immediately noticed, "Oh, no, I didn't…" She sighed loudly, and drew her feet up underneath her, so that she turned to face me. "Rufus, I know that you dislike the idea that Red sent me to look after you," I tried to protest, but she cut across me, "But he only did it because he didn't know just how able you are to look after yourself… And me," she added, patting me gently on the shoulder, "which I thank you for. Had you not given me that potion, then…well… I certainly wouldn't be able to go around throwing myself into the sea like I did earlier!" She patted my shoulder one last time, and then dropped her hand to her lap.
I blinked, and licked my lips, not quite knowing what to say in return. She'd just thanked me for probably saving her life, and told me that she thought I was perfectly capable of looking after myself. Casting a glance at her, I saw that the respect in her voice was reflected in her eyes, and I nodded minutely. "You're welcome. And thank you for agreeing to help in the first place… I…well…it's nice that I don't have to do this alone."
"Glad to be of service," she said, mock-saluting. I just grinned and shook my head. We both leant against the side, watching Marie masterfully managing the boat in companionable silence. For the first time in a while, and despite the current situation, I felt relaxed. And I realised that a major factor in making me feel that way was my Sheikah travelling companion.
Though I was initially a little annoyed at having been compelled to take a quick dunk in the sea, Rufus' obvious heartfelt apologies quickly made the annoyance melt away. The guilt was obvious on his face, and I felt glad when he came over to sit down next to me – it would give me a chance to reassure the boy that I wasn't going to hold a grudge. "I really am sorry about that," he said, pulling off his own boots, which were as waterlogged as mine. He momentarily took hold of the excess material over the toes of his left foot, but then seemed to think better of it, and stuck his legs out to dry in the fast-sinking sun.
I just brushed off the apology with a casual, "I needed a bath anyway," which immediately called to mind many hours spent on the beach at home with Firen and Delia. I smiled at the memories of my childhood :which seems a very long time ago now…: and saw that Rufus' face had lightened considerably.
"Well, in that case, maybe I should have jumped in to rescue you – I definitely need a bath!" he joked back, making a show of sniffing his boots. I laughed at this, yet again sorely reminded of Firen: on personality alone, the two of them could have been brothers. I just nudged him teasingly in the ribs,
"I thought I was supposed to be the one who did the rescuing!" Immediately, his face fell, and I realised that taunting Rufus in the same way I taunted Firen probably wasn't the right thing to do. "Oh, no…I didn't…" Sighing, I turned around so that I was fully facing the Hylian, and set about trying to repair the damage. "Rufus, I know you dislike the idea that Red sent me to look after you," he tried to object, but I ignored him, "but he only did it because he didn't know just how able you are to look after yourself." Tentatively, I reached out to pat him on the shoulder, and then added, "And me, which I thank you for." I could see the tension leaving his features, replaced by a slightly confused look. "Had you not given me that potion, then – well – I certainly wouldn't be able to go around throwing myself into the sea like I did earlier!"
He looked slightly stunned, and I silently hoped that I'd managed to get my message across. He looked me full in the eyes, and I met his gaze, trying to convey without words just how serious I was. "You're welcome," he said finally, with a small nod. "And thank you for agreeing to help in the first place… I – well – it's nice that I don't have to do this alone." Sensing that I had indeed managed to say what he needed to hear, I just mock-saluted him, again echoing the playful teasing between myself and Firen,
"Glad to be of service." He grinned and shook his head at my actions, before settling himself against the rail and watching Marie's skilled management of the boat. A line had just been crossed between merely being travelling companions, and being friends, and I felt content for the first time in a while. :Perhaps acting a little more like a Hylian isn't such a bad thing after all: I mused, flexing my bare fingers. In fact, I was really just acting like I normally would as it was… And it seemed to be working a lot better than acting like a 'Sheikah warrior' had been.
I clenched my fist, and tore my eyes away from my fingers to look at the pirate, who had successfully got us on our way. :Maybe I'm right to leave the bandages off after all: I thought. Briefly, I wondered what my teachers would think of that…surprisingly, I found that I didn't care as much as I thought I would. :I've protected the lad, and we've been successful so far. Surely that's enough…: I took a furtive look at the ocean rushing past all around us, somehow feeling as though what I'd just thought would draw Sheikah to us like a magnet. :Well, we've re-evaluated our ways before, so…why shouldn't I do a little re-thinking of my own: I reasoned to myself.
/Surely, if you're going to re-evaluate your ways, perhaps you should think about your allegiances as well pet./ I only just managed to prevent myself from jumping at the sudden return of the Gerudo in my mind. /Sorry, didn't mean to startle you./ There was something in his tone that immediately put me on edge. I was vaguely aware of Rufus getting up to talk to Marie, and must have voiced a farewell, because the boy waved at me with a smile. The Hylian and the pirate settled down at the prow of the boat, and I made a show of yawning as I stood up, saying something about going down below to bed (to which Dragmire made a very vulgar suggestion indeed).
I collapsed against the cool, solid wood of the door as soon as I'd closed it, and closed my eyes, letting a frustrated, "drat!" out into the still air of the cabin.
/Really pet, is that any way to greet a friend/ the Gerudo feigned offence.
:You're no friend of mine: I answered coolly, sliding down the door so that I sat on the top-most step down into the cabin below. I could just about hear the murmur of voices through the door, and felt comforted to know that my allies were so near.
/Lovely allies you have, that go around throwing you into the sea./ I flushed slightly at this, knowing that he'd seen me looking like a complete fool. Of course, immediately afterwards, I admonished myself, because I shouldn't really care what the Gerudo thought of me anyway. /Ah, but you already know full well what I think of you/ he murmured seductively. I blushed once more, and pulled down my facemask to let the cool air of the cabin rush against my burning skin. /Though my estimation of your intelligence is fast reducing./
:What exactly are you on about: I questioned wearily, resigning myself to the fact that he would probably be bothering me for a while.
/You didn't say the magic word/ he said, and I could tell that my indifference seemed to affront him.
:I didn't realise that I required one – would any spell do, or is there something specifi-: I winced as an invisible force seemed to backhand my left cheek – hard.
/Don't be impudent./
:Don't think I won't retaliate: I countered, screwing up what little magic I'd regained from the potion Rufus had given me to return the blow. He winced, and I braced myself for another attack. It didn't come… Instead, he chuckled, and made a mental bow.
/I do apologise – I keep forgetting what I'm up against, pet. Though/ he sighed, /I am disappointed that you haven't yet figured it out./ I frowned, and rubbed my aching jaw with one hand, using the other to steady myself as I plodded down the stairs. If this continued, it would probably be best if I at least appeared asleep when the other two came down below. I sank down on the edge of the bed, and cradled my head in my hands. Dragmire silently waited.
I pulled my legs up onto the bed, and lay down, head resting on the soft pillow. The ceiling above me was full of knots, and I began to count them. Still Dragmire waited, though I could sense that he was beginning to get agitated. I started saying the numbers to him as I went. :Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four – no, wait, that's a stain – twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-:
/You are a most infuriating creature/ the Gerudo finally conceded, sounding irritated.
:I could say the same of you. Either tell me what you're babbling on about, or leave me be.:
/Now, you know I would never do the latter…and as for the first, perhaps you should ask me a little more nicely./ I just snorted, and rolled over so that I faced the wall. I started counting knots again. /Surely my monster didn't injure you so badly that your brain has been addled/ I rolled over and sat bolt upright, cracking my head on the low ceiling. /And I think she has it/ he observed dryly as I clutched my throbbing forehead.
:You – you're mad! You told the Shade to take the-:
/I did nothing of the sort! You just so happened to release the mad-man./ I blinked at this, frowning. /The Shade long ago ceased to be one of mine: which is why I sealed the damned creature all those years ago./
:So that was why you fled before: I asked, though I already knew the answer. He didn't bother to answer. :Why are you telling me this:
/Perhaps because I would rather have you in one piece/ he said simply, before vacating my mind.
I flopped back onto the bed, rubbing my forehead, and looked up at the ceiling without even seeing it at all. Again I saw in my mind just how easily the Shade had spilled the blood of the four Hylian guards in the forest. I heard the icy hatred in his hissing voice, and shivered, wondering where the creature had gone. With a boat, he could easily make his way to the more populous islands… I dreaded to think what would happen then.
:Oh Gods, what have we done:
When Shadow went down below, Marie and I sat down together in the prow, taking full advantage of the last rays of the setting sun.The pirate immediately reminded me of my promise to tell her all about our trip, and I was happy to sit there and talk away. It was somehow calming to go over it all again, though, when I came to the actual fight against the Lord, I couldn't quite bring myself to describe it in as much detail as I had everything else. Marie, seeing that it upset me, instead offered to tell me what she'd been up to.
"Did you manage to do all the errands you needed to?" I queried, shuffling slightly to try and get comfortable. The seawater had almost dried, and I could feel my clothes starting to go stiff with salt again. As soon as I got the opportunity, I needed to find a stream or pond to wash them in. :Or I suppose I could always try and get some new clothes…I'm not sure how much longer these will last.: There were already quite a large amount of rips in my tights already, and my tunic was filthy.
"Most of them…though I did run into a little bit of trouble, which is why I was late coming back…" She balled her fists, "And to think, if I'd been back a few hours earlier…a few minutes even…they could have hidden behind the rocks between the islands for all I know…" I reached out and grabbed her raised hands,
"Don't think about it like that… And anyway, the person had magic – strong magic – you could have been hurt!" She relaxed slightly, and held my hands in hers.
"It's nice of you to worry lad, but I would have been all right – I have a fair few tricks up my sleeve for every situation." She grinned impishly, and I laughed. "I just wish I could have caught the blighter at it," a murderous look flitted across her face, but was soon replaced by a smile again. "No matter…besides, I did manage to give a good few blighters a piece of my mind as I was doing Red's errands!"
"I feel sorry for them," I laughed, and she reached out to ruffle my hair.
"So do I. But at least they know not to meddle in my affairs again!" And with that, she launched into her account of her adventures whilst away from us.
"Well, most of the things I needed were easy enough to get – food, rope, potions, sail material, some more clothes for you – general supplies you know."
"Clothes for me?" I echoed.
"Aye lad – he felt that you might be needing some, and seeing the state of you, I'd agree. I'm not sure whether I've got the right size…they may be a little big for you, but that just leaves growing room."
"Thanks!"
"No need – and you should thank me after seeing them…I couldn't find anything like what you're wearing, so I hope you're all right with that." Inwardly, I rejoiced that I probably wouldn't be wearing tights very much longer, but felt a bit guilty when I remembered how proud Grandma had been of my birthday outfit… However, outwardly, I just nodded, and provided a serious,
"That's quite all right. As long as they're clean and dry, I think I'll love them." At this, she smiled again, showing relief. "Sorry for interrupting; carry on, I want to hear all about it!"
"All right, all right! Well, we'll skim over the boring bits shall we? I got the supplies, loaded them onto Flo, and then looked at the list again…and there were a few things that I'd definitely not get in the street-markets."
"What sort of things?" I asked breathlessly, leaning forward as if to share a secret.
"Weapons mostly," she answered casually, and I leant back self-consciously. "Bombs, knives, bows and arrows, cross bows, swords, shields – anything I could get my hands on really. I think Red wanted to make sure you have a good range of things to choose from."
"What did you manage to get in the end?"
"Ah, ah!" she waved a finger admonishingly. "I can't tell you that yet, it would ruin the story!" I crossed my arms and hmphed, pretending to be annoyed. She just laughed one of her infectious laughs. "I like you boy – makes me wonder how you would have done if you were a pirate."
"Do you reckon I would have made a good one?" I asked eagerly, suddenly imagining myself as the captain of some ship, just like Tetra. :After all, if she can do it, then I reckon I'd be able to as well.:
"I'm not sure…I think you might be just a tad too honest to get away with it. Though you'd certainly be able to fight any buccaneer or brigand with ease." She suddenly laughed: I raised my eyebrow at her. "Oh, sorry – I've just remembered some of the clothes I picked up. You might very well get to at least play at being a pirate." My eyes widened at this, and suddenly my dreams of being a pirate felt a little bit silly. For some reason, I didn't think that the puffy trousers and stripy shirts would look that much better than what I was wearing at the moment…
"But let's not worry about that for now: you need to stop distracting me, or I'll never finish the story!"
"Sorry."
"Don't worry about it. Now, where was I? Ah, I remember! So, there I was, trying to figure out where I could go to find weapons, when the answer was all but thrust in my face. Another ship was pulling into port overnight, and I immediately recognized it as the ship of one Miss Tetra-"
"Tetra?" I started, knocking my head against the side in my shock.
"You know her?" Marie seemed surprised at my reaction.
"Yeah…she was the one who took me to the Forsaken Fortress." At this, Marie gasped, and then whistled long and low.
"I knew she was a mad one, but I never thought the rumours could be true… But you say she gave you passage?" I nodded. "Good Gods, she's as mad as her mother ever was…" the pirate breathed, seemingly lost in her thoughts. I coughed quietly to get her attention. She looked up at me, and then shook her head, "Well, you're certainly the well-travelled young man, aren't you lad?"
"You could say that," I nodded with a small grin, looking out over the water, which reflected the sunset, so that it looked like there were two skies, one resting on top of another. "How do you know her then?"
"Oh, her mother and I were good friends years back," Marie shrugged, though her tone was guarded. It was obvious that this was a closed topic, and I decided not to press it any further.
"So, what happened?"
"Hmm?"
"With the ship I mean?"
"Oh, the ship. Yes…" A small grin crept onto her face. "Well, Tetra is notorious for always keeping her armoury well-stocked…" I gasped,
"You didn't!"
"I'm afraid I did lad – and I very nearly got the hiding of my life when the little Miss saw me disembarking with a sack-load of goods. Of course, she didn't realise it was weapons I was carrying – she thought I was after her bullion. So there's me, caught on the gangplank, with no way down, and the newly awakened guard standing on the ship behind me."
"What did you do?"
"I pulled out a bomb and threatened to light it of course!" she laughed. "Tetra loves that ship almost as much as life itself – she wouldn't want a hole blown in the side, so she stepped out of the way immediately."
"But what about when you were off the gangplank?"
"Ah yes, well, that was when it got a little bit tricky you see…" She looked down at her feet, and then muttered guiltily, "I didn't actually mean to set off a real bomb – I'd picked up one or two bombs that just make a lot of smoke, and…well…I thought I had one of those…so I lit it, and then rolled it along the floor towards the rest of her crew, but…it turned out to be a real one after all." She looked up and added, "It's all right, I know for a fact none of them were hurt too badly – they hopped onto the ship as soon as I cast off, set to start chasing me… But…well… I just felt a little bad about it – plus I dread to think what's going to happen next time we cross one another," she added, a little more lightly.
"Well, what would they have done if they'd caught you?"
"Oh, they'd have taken the stuff back, given me a hiding, and then sent me on my way." At my stunned look, she said, "That's getting off lightly lad. I'm a friend of the girl's mother, so she's not going to hurt me too badly…and pirates will rarely kill one another, despite all the stories." I nodded to show that I'd taken this bit of information in. Marie shifted, and looked up at the sky, which was now quickly turning from dusky lavender to a velvety blue.
I yawned, looking up at the few stars that had already appeared. Marie got to her feet, and then reached down a hand to help me up. "Come on lad, I think it's time you got some sleep." We went over to the door into the cabin, but she reached out and caught my shoulder on the thresh-hold. "Quietly now, just in case Shadow's already asleep." I nodded, opened the door, and tiptoed down the steps into the cabin. Immediately, I caught sight of Shadow already lying on the bed, facing the wall. She had blankets pulled over her, and seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
Marie appeared behind me a few moments later, two pairs of boots and some socks in her hand. "Thanks," I whispered, taking them and laying them at the bottom of a very large pile of supplies in the back of the cabin. Then, I looked around, and wondered how we were going to fit. I needn't have worried however, because Marie was fiddling with something underneath the steps, and, suddenly, they flipped upwards to reveal a great deal more floor-space. "That's handy," I commented, nodding towards the stairs, and she grinned.
"Designed it myself," she announced proudly, already pulling out some blankets from one of the many cupboards in the cabin. "Here you are – you go down there between the bed and the range – nice and warm – and I'll lie across this way. That way I can get out easily to check if I need to." I nodded,
"Sounds like a good idea!" I took the bedding she handed me, and started on making myself a comfortable place to sleep for the night. The sea was thankfully rather calm, and by folding one of the blankets in half, I made a sort of mattress, so that I wasn't sleeping directly on the hard floor. "How long will it take us to get there?" I asked.
"Not too long – should be there by midday at the latest," Marie answered, already snuggling down underneath her own blanket. "Now, go to sleep: you need it!" she mock-commanded.
"All right, all right! Good night then."
"Good night lad," she returned. I folded my arms behind my head as a pillow, and looked up at the dark ceiling. It wasn't soon until I drifted off altogether…
It was some time later that Rufus and Marie came down below. I still hadn't managed to get to sleep, even though I was exhausted. I just couldn't put the deadly Shade out of my mind: I would even have welcomed Dragmire's annoyances to take my mind away from it, but he remained absent.
When the two Hylians came into the cabin, I decided that the bad news could at least wait until tomorrow – there was no point spoiling their sleep as well as my own. So, I rolled over to face the wall, and quickly pulled up both my facemask and the blankets. I heard the two of them trying to tiptoe around, whispering to one another as they got ready to sleep. Absently, I thought that there was really no point, considering just how acute Sheikah hearing is, but even so, I felt grateful that they'd go to so much trouble for me.
I saw Rufus' shadow waver on the wall as he knelt down only a few inches away from me to prepare his bed. If I turned around now, we would be on the same eye-level. :Don't, he needs sleep: I admonished myself, and clutched the blanket more tightly.
Soon enough, the two of them fell silent, and not soon after, their level breathing told me that they were sound asleep. I closed my eyes, and tried to copy their breathing, but to no avail: after a few moments of blackness, the image of the Shade appeared on the inside of my eyelids, and I had to open them again. Everything was still black, but at least the Shade was no longer haunting my vision.
…
Somehow, I must have managed to fall asleep, because I knew that what I was seeing was definitely a vision.
Red was tied up on a beach, the moon high in the sky above him. Tall rocks overshadowed the sand, so that Red was half in, and half out of shadow. Slowly, one of the rocks began to move, and I realised that it was the Shade himself. The creature ambled lazily across the sand, head thrown back to look at the stars. His eyes blazed like red coals, but with none of the warmth. As if sensing that he was being watched, he dropped his head and spun around, trying to spy his enemy.
Finding nothing, his shoulders relaxed slightly, but he didn't drop the large sword that seemed to be his only weapon. After another scan of the area, he shrugged, and then set off purposefully up the beach, clambering over the rocks at the top until he came to a great lake in the centre of the island. It stretched further than I could see in the dim light, though the water looked vibrant blue at the lake's edge, even without the sun.
The Shade walked – no, prowled – to the water's edge, moving with intent now. However, he didn't stop at the shore: he continued until he was up to his chest in the bright water. He called out something that sounded like Old Hylian, though it was a word that I didn't know.
The water around him bulged upwards, like a gigantic wave – he didn't so much as flinch. And as soon as the spray cleared, I realised that he had made a summons. "No!" I yelled, and was surprised when my voice echoed around the shallow valley. The Shade faltered and lost his footing, dropping with a curse and a splash into the water. The gigantic fish was startled, and sank back beneath the waves. The water changed from blue to black, and I sighed in relief.
The Shade dragged himself back to the surface, sword still in hand, and turned around. He looked directly at me. I looked down, and found that I could almost see through myself to the ground underneath my feet. A slight glow surrounded me, and I wondered whether I had somehow managed to take some part of myself into the reality of this vision.
At that thought, I snapped my head back up, and panicked when I could no longer see the shadowy monster. I took a few steps backwards, away from the lake, before turning around, ready to run down to the beach and rescue Red.
I didn't even have the chance to take my first step before an arm grabbed me around the neck, and cold metal was pressed against my throat. "Well met, Sheikah devil. Now I shall return your favour." I felt his arm squeeze tighter, and tried to reach down for some last tendril of magic that could help me. I found nothing.
The blade hissed as it cut through the material of my facemask, and I closed my eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
Only to wake up in a cold sweat, the blankets twisted around my legs. I reached up to my neck to feel for damage, and my facemask fell off as I rolled over. :Oh Gods.: I felt sick, and in less than ten seconds, I had picked my way over my sleeping comrades, grabbed hold of my pack, and rushed outside to be sick over the railing. When there was no more to come up, I leant against the side of the cabin, hyperventilating. The cold night air rushing against my face managed to wake me up, and in seconds, I'd formed a haphazard sort of plan.
I concentrated on getting my breathing back under control as I rummaged through my pack for the green gemstone that the King of Red Lions had given me at the beginning of the journey. As soon as I found it, I pulled it out, and shoved the rest of my bag back through the small gap left in the cabin door, and then shut the door so that I wouldn't wake the other two. Hoping that Red would be able to hear me, I began trying to hail him once more.
"Red? Can you hear me? If you can hear me, please answer me – I know who's taken you, and we're going to try and rescue you. Please, please answer. Red? Please, if you can hear me, give me some sort of answer." The stone suddenly flared to life in my hand, but it wasn't the voice I wanted to hear.
"Not only a devil, but a witch also. Tell me, of what importance is this boat to you?" the Shade's voice was low, calculating…dangerous.
"He's a friend," I answered guardedly.
"Then you choose your friends poorly, Sheikah. What are you bargaining for his safe return?" My heart fluttered – perhaps we would be able to use some of the cargo to barter with.
"Name your price," I said, just managing to keep my voice steady.
"I very much doubt you have anything of value on that ridiculous pirate's schooner."
"Then what would guarantee his safety?" I asked, feeling as though my stomach was full of lead.
"Your magic would suffice, Sheikah witch." I blinked, and stared at the stone, before realising that he would be unable to see my disbelief.
"My…magic…?"
"It would be of great use to me. My own is exhausted, and no potion will replenish it… But yours is strong, Sheikah, and that is my price."
"If I refuse?"
"Then I burn the ship, and then I kill you, the boy, and the pirate man."
I gulped. "If my magic doesn't suffice?"
"I will kill you, and the ship will burn. But I will let your companions live." I gulped again, and tightened my grip on the gem.
"Do I have your word on that?"
"Do we have a deal?" I closed my eyes.
"Yes."
"Then I will keep my word."
With that, the gem dulled. I let it fall out of my hand, and opened my eyes to stare over the prow to the black water beyond.
"I'm coming with you." I jumped, and turned to find Rufus sitting on the other side of the door, wrapped in a blanket. "I don't trust him." I stared at him, and wondered just how long he'd been there: I'd been so engrossed in the conversation with the Shade that I hadn't even heard him come up.
"You can't," I shook my head defiantly, "he'll kill you as soon as he sees you."
"How do you know he won't do the same to you?" the Hylian hissed back, eyes narrowed. I tried to think of a sensible retort to this, but I was so tired that nothing leapt to mind. In the end, I just shrugged and admitted defeat.
"I don't."
"Exactly," he nodded at me. "We've faced him once before…and we can do it again." I knew from the tone of his voice that he didn't even believe it himself, but I smiled all the same.
"Thank you Rufus," I nodded, carefully picking up the stone and putting it into my pocket. It clinked against something else, and I immediately remembered the Tri-Force shard still nestling in the pocket, after all this time. I pulled out the small golden triangle, and Rufus' eyes widened.
"I'd almost forgotten about that," he whispered, shuffling closer to look at it properly. "We should give it back to Marie when she wakes up in the morning." The very idea seemed appalling, but I nodded,
"Yeah, sounds like a good idea," realising that it wasn't mine to keep as it was.
"For now, we need to try and make a plan." I resigned myself to the fact that there was no way I'd be able to talk the Hylian out of it.
"You can't come ashore with me – don't argue," he closed his mouth and frowned. "Red may not be with us, but he'd still want me to make sure that you're as far away from danger as possible. Besides, if I…if I don't come back," he flinched at the words, "then there needs to be at least one of us left behind, who will carry on with the quest."
"I… You're right," he murmured, shoulders slumping. "What was it you had in mind?"
Tears up her story plan and throws it out of the window. Well, looks like I'm just going to have to give up on trying to stick to my plans altogether. Nasty, evil, horrible Shade with his nasty…urm…nastiness. Shivers. Even I don't like him, and I write the man!
Thanks to everyone who still follows this story: I know how annoying it gets when you're waiting for an update for so long… (especial apologies to Al, I only actually read your reviews a few days ago, because I've been out of the country for a bit!) But all of you who write too will understand that sometimes, the words just refuse to come. Plus, I've had a rather busy time of it the past few months, what with exams, moving house, getting ready for university, going to China, and then going to Scotland, I haven't really had the time. But, look, I updated!