Chapter 15: In the House of Ukhool

…

The first room that met the visitors was a sitting room with enough height that Flower could reach for the ceiling (and he actually made the attempt moments after entering) and find that he needed another hand's length to touch it. The bare wood of the floor had been stained red and polished, although most of it had been covered by a rich assortment of rugs and furniture. The room was warm, yet no visible source of heat existed. A single sphere of white light hung in a glass bulb over the central table. Filled bookshelves lined the wall across from the entrance. At either end of the long room was a doorway, the one closer to the entrance blocked by a curtain. The room smelled of cooking meals, but as with the heat, there was no sight of a warm meal to be held.

"Please make yourselves comfortable," Ukhool said as he crossed to the entrance not covered by a curtain. "I shall see when dinner will be served."

"Thank you, Elder," Zelda said as he left the room.

As soon as he left, Flower spoke up, "Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Airman?" Link replied, hands rubbing his sore thighs.

"Permission to pollute the room with my smelly feet, sir."

Link sighed, realizing how relaxing removing his own boots might feel. "Granted."

All three Hylians slipped their boots off and left them on a patch of bare floor near the entrance. Then they dispersed across the large room only to decide to collapse in the furniture.

"I have never had to walk so far before," Zelda remarked as she gently fell into an armchair. She pulled a pillow from behind her and laid it across her lap. "I feel fatigued."

"I'd break my own legs before I have to walk anywhere else tonight," Flower said as he stretched himself across a sofa. "I guess life's not so bad around here so long as you can fly."

Link fell into another arm chair. He underestimated the thickness of the upholstery and promptly sank into the seat cushion. "Whoops," Link uttered as he used the armrests to push himself up.

"Might as well just let it happen, Skipper," Flower told him.

Link, in the middle of standing up, paused to consider it. "Good point," he answered, allowing himself to fall back into the chair. He struggled for a moment to push himself against the back of the chair. Then he let out a long sigh as he finally settled down. "It's been a long day."

"Indeed," Zelda agreed. "I had underestimated the journey."

"I think we all did, Your Highness," Flower told her. He reached into the pocket of his slacks and pulled out a watch. After checking it, he informed Link and Zelda, "It's eight-thirty in the evening."

"It was only the start of the afternoon when we left Castle Island," Zelda said with an air of surprise. "Have we really spent so much time getting here?"

"The sun was just setting when we flew into the storm, Your Highness," Flower pointed out. "When you considered the amount of time we spent walking, it's plausible."

Link and Zelda nodded, and the room fell silent. The three of them had lost the need to converse; such was the degree of their exhaustion. Link's eyes scanned the room. Most of its furnishings had been colored with the idea of warmth in mind. The exposed wood of the furniture had not been stained as the floor, but their upholstery sported various decorations depicting either basic shapes or flowers on top of an orange or subdued yellow field. A lot of the books on the shelves behind Flower sported red dust jackets, although the ones without the jackets had been strategically placed so that their odd colors were suppressed by the surrounding books. Link had never seen such coordinated furnishings, and it somehow made him feel a little more comfortable. As he sat, he considered taking a nap.

Flower stood up with a hefty grunt. "Your Highness, Lieutenant, if you'll excuse me."

"Where are you going?" Link asked.

"Call of nature," Flower answered as he crossed the room. "I also thought it would be a better idea to stay with the chief; they don't know where we're at."

Link nodded. "Right."

"So you will not be joining us for dinner?" Zelda asked as Flower put his boots on.

"I'm afraid not, Your Highness. Sorry."

Zelda shook her head. "I understand. It would be best if the rest of the crew knew where we are." Flower nodded and stepped out. She then looked over at Link and commented, "Your crew is very thoughtful of each other."

Link nodded in agreement. "That's how crewmates behave. We all have to rely on each other in order to keep the whole ship alive. It's one of the things we're taught when we join the company."

"How long have you served under Captain Alfonzo?"

Link took in a deep breath while he thought. "Five years," he answered. "I was originally a cabin boy on a schooner."

"From cabin boy to skipper in five years… I do not believe I have ever had someone my own age be recognized as you have. I must admit my surprise when I saw you standing with Captain Alfonzo."

Link grinned, and his cheeks flushed. "I was surprised when he sprung the promotion on me this morning. I did not realize I was up for promotion."

Zelda pushed herself to the edge of her seat and sat up straight. "There were no indications?"

Link shook his head. "If there were, I must have missed them."

She put a hand to her mouth to suppress her amused smile. "That… that must have been quite the surprise."

Link's face grew redder, forcing him to glance away for a moment.

Ukhool appeared in the doorway. "Dinner is ready," he told them. Then his eyes narrowed. "Where is your taller companion?"

"Mister Flower is attending to the rest of the crew," Zelda answered as she and Link rose. "He will not be able to join us."

Ukhool nodded. "I see. This way please."

Ukhool led them up the stairs beyond the doorway. The first floor they passed turned out to be a large kitchen where a small collection of Sorians were eating a meal and talking with each other. The second was a hallway with a number of curtained doorways on one side.

They had to stop on the third floor because that was how high the home went. The stairway opened up into the crisp night under the great tree. As both looked up, Link and Zelda saw a great number of lanterns dangling from that tree as if to replace the missing stars. The dining room itself was a long table stretching the length of the floor. A few more Sorians were just landing while three had already taken seats. An assortment of meats and vegetables adorned the wooden table; Link could feel his mouth watering like had not eaten in days.

Ukhool strode forward and pulled out a chair on the near end. "Princess Zelda, if you please."

"Oh, of course," Zelda replied, surprised by his polite gesture. She sat, and he pushed her into the table.

Then he pulled out a chair as Link stepped towards the opposite side of the table. "Lieutenant Link?"

Link froze in place, his eyes darting between Ukhool and Zelda. He had seen a seat on this side which he would have preferred since both chairs at either side had not been taken yet. He swallowed hard and slowly stepped to the other side. He sat, and Ukhool shoved him into the table a little too hard. Link's head flipped forward and smacked the edge of the table. Fortunately, the edge was rounded.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Lieutenant Link," Ukhool said while Link rubbed the pain out of his forehead.

"No, it's okay," Link told him. He checked his hand and found it clean of blood. "I'll be fine." He glanced at Zelda. She had her head turned away from him and a hand covering her mouth, but her shivering shoulders indicated her silent laughter. On his other side, he found a young Sorian giving him a strange look. They stared at each other for a moment, and then the older Sorian seated at the child's opposite grabbed the top of the child's head and turned it away.

Link glanced at the head of the table just as Ukhool stood in front of the chair. He clapped his hands loud, catching attention from the rest of the Sorians. "My family! Today is an incredible occasion for us, for we have visitors from beyond the Storm of Purgatory to join us on this night. Now, I present Princess Zelda of the Kingdom of Hyrule and Lieutenant Link of the airship Island Sonata."

Both visitors scanned the table as the rest started issuing clicking noises from their mouths. Someone on the far side shouted, "What'd he say?"

Then, after the elder sat, people started reaching out for food and piling it onto their plates. Link picked his plate up and took samples from the closest dishes as his reach would allow. After double-checking that everyone else was eating, he picked up the larger spoon among his utensils and started shoveling heaps of food into his mouth.

"I imagine that there is much you would like to see here, Princess Zelda," Ukhool commented.

"Indeed there is," Zelda replied as she helped herself to food samples. "I regret that I can only afford so much time before I am to return to Hyrule."

"Is that so? Regrettable indeed."

"Perhaps I can ask for an escort around Kuruuk Nehai?"

Ukhool nodded. "I shall arrange it with one of my sons, if you will permit me."

"That would be nice, thank you. Afterwards, I hoped to spend some time with Rireen before my return."

"Naturally. You had mentioned that she was the last Sorians living in your realm, correct?"

"Yes, she was. She had lost her parents years ago, when I was really young. My parents took her in and treated her as if she was another daughter. To me, it felt like having an older sister. When we had heard from tales of old that the Sorians had taken residence here, I promised to bring her to be among her own people. Life is truly difficult when you have to keep your existence secret from everyone around you."

"Why would her life be such a secret among your people?"

"She explained that her parents' purpose, as well as the other Sorians who had remained in the kingdom, was to warn the rest of the Sorians of great danger returning. However, Hyrule has been thriving quite well with no signs of danger on the horizon, so we both felt that she would prefer to be among others like herself."

Ukhool nodded as he took a bite. "Of course, now that you have arrived, I find no reason that you could not send a message to us now."

Zelda shook her head. "It was not entirely my purpose to maintain contact with your people without an accord, and I find myself not in the position to make one for Hyrule."

"You would leave us in isolation?"

She nodded. "It has been in the best interests of both of our kingdoms. The Wind Waker, which I have given you, is one of only two means of coming through this storm. After it is used so that I can return, there will only be one way to return here. However, if you would prefer to open a dialogue, I can inform my parents of this journey."

"Perhaps. I would like to speak to the other Elders of this matter."

Link's mind had wandered away from the conversation at that point as he continued to put away bite after bite of some of the most delicious food he had ever had. The last fine dinner he had ever tasted was two years ago when a successful deal with a shipbuilding company had prompted a meal between the company's owner and the commanding staff of the Grand Sails. It had been a rich dinner, and it still paled to the experience of the Sorians' food. The company, on the other hand, could use a little work since the child next to him kept throwing him strange looks as he ate. After a while, he started returning them with ugly expressions which caused the child to turn away.

Towards the end of the meal, one Sorian entered the dining floor. "Elder Ukhool," he said, "guests of Captain Link have arrived and are waiting in the sitting room."

"Lieutenant?" Ukhool asked. Link glanced at him with his spoon still in his mouth. "I believe your crew is here. They are in the sitting room now. Would you like them taken to the guest quarters?"

Link took the spoon out. "Are they all here?"

"There are four, but they appear to be… intoxicated, Captain."

Link shared a worried look with Princess Zelda. "Uh oh," he commented. Then he asked, "Are they okay?" The Sorian only answered with a shrug. Link sighed and stood up. "If you will excuse me, Elder."

"Of course," Ukhool replied.

Link followed the attendant down the stairs back into the sitting room. When he stepped inside, someone shouted, "Skippy on deck!" Two forms immediately jumped to their feet; the third was already standing.

Link was already dismayed; Rireen had been the one who made that call. With her, Flower and Albert attempted to stand at attention, but their legs wobbled horribly. Line had been draped over Flower's shoulder with his lower half visible to Link. Albert was the only one saluting, which Link decided to dismiss. "You guys had a good time?" he asked them.

Albert snorted. "You got it, Skippy," he replied, trying not to laugh.

"Where's Airman Leonard?"

Looks passed between the conscious drunkards. "W-w-w-w-w-w-we-uh… we don't know, Skippy," Flower replied. He pulled off Line what Link initially thought was a blanket and held them out so Link could see that they were a pair of tan slacks. "Th-th-th-th-that's all we-we found of him." Albert snorted again and turned to hide his face.

Link pointed to Line. "Is he okay?"

"Let—Let's ask him!" Albert declared. Flower turned so that Link could see Line's face. His forehead wore a large, red lump above his left eye. Albert put a hand under Line's drooping jaw and moved it up and down as he spoke with an odd accent. "Arrr! I be drunk as a sailor, Skipper! Only a drop, and I be slack as a dropped jib!" All three of them burst out laughing.

Link frowned. "Come on, guys, that's not funny."

"I be fine, Skip," Albert continued. "The floor broke me fall. Arrr!"

"And the bump on his head?"

"Where the floor broke me fall. Arrr! Arrr-rar!"

Link threw out his arms to indicate his surprise. "What were you guys doing?!"

"Oh oh oh oh… shhhhhhh!" Rireen replied, stepping closer. She then whispered to him, "It's a secret. Don't tell the prin—"

"WE WENT DRINKING!" Albert suddenly declared.

"Albert, keep it down!" Link ordered.

"Aye, sir!" Albert replied, clobbering himself in the head with his salute. The force of the blow knocked him backwards, and he landed with a powerful thud on the floor.

Link slapped a hand over his face, partially in embarrassment and partially to keep the others from seeing the smile he could not hold back. When he had himself under control, he asked the attendant Sorian, "We have quarters here?"

The attendant nodded. "The elder asked that they be prepared during the meal. We have seven rooms available for you and your crew, Captain."

"I see," Link replied as he slid the hand down his face. "Please see to it that they are taken to their rooms."

"Yes, Captain," the Sorian answered.

"Sleep it off, guys," Link told them as the attendant ushered them towards the door. Flower reached down and picked up Albert by the back of his tunic, helping him to his feet. "We should be moving on tomorrow."

"Got it, Skippy!" Albert called back. The two conscious airmen then proceeded to sing a shanty which Rireen clumsily followed with an incoherent voice as they descended.

"Is everything all right, Link?"

Link spun around and found Zelda looking at him. "Y-yeah," he answered. "Yeah, uh… the-the airmen just… uh…"

She smiled at him. "It is all right, Link. I imagine that they enjoyed themselves."

"Smells like it," Link agreed. "But now I'm missing one."

"I would not be concerned," she assured him. "It cannot be hard to find the missing airman." Link nodded. She closed her eyes and used a hand to cover her mouth. "Oh, excuse me. I shall be turning in for the evening. I look forward to seeing you in the morning."

"Uh… yeah, sure," Link replied as she walked passed.

She paused to put her boots back on. Then she gave him another smile. "Good night, Link."

"G-good night." He stared as she disappeared down the doorway, then he sighed and glanced over at the bookshelves. Curious, he stepped over to examine the spines. None of the covered books bore labels. Those that were uncovered only showed the same Sorian writing in either ink or silver stamp.

"Ah, Lieutenant Link." Link started and spun. Ukhool, his face still unreadable, stepped into the room with his arms folded behind his back. His tone had a delightful lilt as he continued, "I had hoped to speak with you before you turned in for the night."

Link sighed with a weary smile. "Please, just call me 'Link'," he answered. "Is there something I can do for you, Elder?"

"Actually, I wondered if there was something that I could do for you."

The skipper tilted his head. "Huh?"

"Well, I noticed your reluctance during dinner."

Link tried to hold a grin back. "Actually, I think I let myself become a pig. It's been a while since I've ever had such a meal."

Ukhool's face shifted slightly, but Link could not tell if it was a smile or not; this "different" face looked almost identical. "No, no," he replied with a subtle chuckle. "I was referring to your lack of attention to the conversation at the table this evening."

"Oh. I-I wasn't ignoring anyone, was I?"

Ukhool shook his head. "Not to any particular degree. I have also noticed that you seem to be much more concerned with your crew than any kind of entertainment. You spend more time worrying for their sakes than indulging yourself as they have. Are you not pleased with your discovery?"

"No, not at all," Link answered with an exaggerated shake of his head. "I-I'm glad that we made it here!"

"Despite that, you are unhappy."

At that statement, Link sighed. "A little, I suppose," he admitted. His eyes fell. "I've never had this kind of responsibility before."

"The responsibility for keeping a very important person safe?"

"The responsibility of a ship commander. I-I thought I'd gotten over the worry when we left Castle Island this afternoon, but I guess I just… haven't."

"The others in your crew have found ways to alleviate their anxieties. Why haven't you?"

Link shrugged. "Someone has to make sure everything stays together."

"But what happens if things fall apart regardless?" Link shook his head, unsure of how to answer. For a moment, they stood in silence. "Are you a fan of literature, Link?"

Link glanced back up at the elder, finding that he had stepped closer. "I like to read in my spare time."

"Tales? Fantasies of escape?"

The Hylian shook his head. "Journals. Log books. I'm a fan of history, biography."

Ukhool nodded. "I wonder if you would like to view our library. We have a number of personal journals of Sorian explorers which you might find interesting."

Link took in a deep breath and let it out. "That's very considerate, Elder," he responded, "but I-uh… I can't read Sorian."

"Do not let that trouble you. I will make arrangements with a librarian tomorrow morning. If it will help you, I shall send the scholar right to your room."

Link thought for a second, then nodded. "Okay, I'll give it a try."