Chapter 3: "Aye! And we're off!"
"Welcome back, Link," a man with a white beard and no hair said. He was holding his usual spear in his left hand. "And welcome, sister of Link."
"Hi again, Orca," Link said. "We're here to see if you could give Aryll a lesson in swordplay."
The siblings were now at Orca's home, a circular room with weapons lined on the walls and a board of wood carved to look like a fish leaning against the wall. Orca was a man who loved to exercise and specialized in fight and swordplay. Link had learned how to fight with a sword, and got his own from the man.
"Ready, Aryll?" Orca said. "Think you're agile enough to wield a sword?"
"Yes, I'm ready," Aryll, now with a shirt and pants, said. Orca then went to one of the walls in the room and took down a light wooden sword.
"This we can use for training," he explained. "If you pass the test, I will give you a real sword of your own." He handed it to Aryll and she took it in her left hand. Link took his own sword out, feeling that he could help in some way. The three took their places so that they faced each other. In unison, they bowed.
"First lesson!" Orca barked. "Horizontal slice! Link, do that to me." Link stepped forward and demonstrated the slice, hitting the wood of the spear as Orca blocked.
"Don't fear for my safety, Aryll," Orca said. "Try it now, and do this until I say 'very good'!"
Link stepped back to watch his sister use a sword for the first time. She concentrated and swung the sword out in front of her, hitting the spear.
"Good!" Orca said. "Put in a little more power, and go!"
She did this three more times until Orca was satisfied, and they continued the lesson, until she learned the parry defensive attack.
"Whew," Aryll said. "That was hard work." She and Link were now sitting on the porch of Grandma's house, taking a break before leaving. She looked down happily at the gleaming silver blade of the sword on her lap. "I'm so glad I have my own now."
"Now all you need is a shield," Link said. "I have one for myself already, the mirror one, so I think it is time that you use this one." He reached for the shield on his back and handed it to her. It was plain wood, but it had the Triforce carved into it, with the picture of a golden eagle underneath. It was the family shield. Aryll gasped in happiness.
"I used to think about how it would feel to actually touch it and hold it, ever since grandma told me the story behind the shield on the wall," she said. "And there it is! Oh, thank you sooo much-" She picked up the sword on her lap and laid it next to her, then leaned over and hugged Link. Link was surprised at first, then smiled.
"You're welcome. However, we need to stow away on the pirate ship now..."
"You're right! Let's go, I don't want to keep Tetra and the crew waiting!"
They bid their good-byes to the village and climbed aboard the ship, trying not to fall over with the sway of the deck. Tetra walked up behind them, as another two pirates picked up the boarding ramp and leaned it against the bulkhead.
"Anchors aweigh! Hold the tiller steady!" she called to the crew, and they scurried across the deck to follow her orders. The sail came down from the mast, and the gong was sounded.
"Aye! And we're off!" Tetra yelled to the islanders as the ship slowly moved away from the dock. Seagulls were cawing and the wind blew with the scent of the seas as Aryll and Link took their last look at home before their first great adventure - together.
Tetra looked at them out of the corner of her eye. They looked like they were homesick already.
"You make me sick," she said, and smiled. "Just like last year."