Chapter 103: We're Home

…

After Link and Leynne straightened out Line's and Flower's new duties, they took a moment to have breakfast. Then Leynne gave Link the papers he had been using to keep track of the Island Symphony's supplies. He had to take a bit of time to work his way through Leynne's curvy scrawl, but he finally managed to decipher the handwriting and spent about half an hour explaining the extent of the position of supply chief to Cale and Lilly. He mentioned that it included accompanying Leynne ashore when Leynne went for supplies (as the only man aboard who actually carried money) and that, if anyone needed anything from their supply other than rations, they had to report it to him so he could mark it off. He also pointed out that, because he was technically being promoted to a chief position, he would be getting one of the quarters beneath the berth deck so he had office space to store the ship's inventory (which, for now, would be listed on whatever spare paper they could scavenge from some of the storage crates). He told Lilly that he would allow her to be Cale's assistant since it was not expected of her to remain a permanent member of the crew. The revelation seemed to annoy her, despite Link walking away with her reassurances that she had not been offended at all. In hindsight, it was probably an indication that something was going to happen.

Instead, the trouble started on the weather deck. The Island Symphony was traveling using a Sky Line once more, and Link was glad to feel its power again. The open sails looked alive as he watched the ship from the quarterdeck. Dholit, Biluf, Layna, and Line busied themselves with examining the rigging, a job Link had given them since it had been some time since the Island Symphony traveled in a Sky Line. He had no doubt of Dubbl's abilities to maintain the rigging, but it did not hu—Wait a minute.

Line was on the main deck. And he seemed to have struck up a conversation with Dholit!

Without thinking about it, Link jumped the railing and landed light on the main deck. Then he sprinted across the deck to the port fore-mast, where Dholit had been distracted from her duties. Between his special boots and the constant burst of wind off the stern, Link overestimated his speed and completely mowed Line out of Dholit's sight. Both boys crashed to the deck, earning attention from Biluf and Layna.

Both of them lay next to each other, Line groaning at having taken the entirety of Link's tackle. Link pushed himself off the deck and grabbed Line's sleeve. "Are you…" he started before he realized that the blow had knocked his breath out. He took a moment to catch it before asking, "Are you out of your mind, Line?"

"Agh," Line groaned louder as he sat up. Then he snapped, "What the hell, Link!? You doing part-time as a battering ram!?"

"Oh, forget that!" Link said, shoving Line to no real effect. "Why aren't you on the helm!?"

"It's fine, Link," Line told him. He pointed over his shoulder at the forecastle. "That guy was just nosing around, so I asked him to take the wheel for a bit. No harm done, right?"

Link glanced up at the helm. Shock made him find his feet in the next instant. He grabbed the sides of his head and cried out, "Ack!"

Because, as revealed by his orange outfit, Sello was on the helm. As in he was resting on top of the wheel with his lower half, visible to Link, draped over the back.

"What the hell is he doing!?" Line shouted from behind Link.

"He's drunk, Line!" Link shouted before dashing to the stairs on the port side. He stepped onto the forecastle and immediately shouted, "Sello! Get off the wheel!" He moved forward until he could see Sello's head and arms dangling from the front. "Sello!"

Sello raised his head. Then he waved to Link. "Oh, hiiiiiiii!" he shouted over the wind. His movement caused the wheel to shift, and Sello only had a moment to shout out, "Whoa…" before the spin of the wheel threw him against the deck.

The Island Symphony turned to starboard, and Link fell backwards onto his rear. He was back on his feet in seconds and lunged forward to grab the wheel by the spokes to stop it. Then he used the handles to turn the wheel the other way as quickly as possible. Line joined him a few minutes later, and they both straightened the ship back in the direction of the Sky Line.

Link sighed and told Line, "Sello's our chief engineer. He's also the ship's drunk."

Line glanced down at Sello. "Well, what's he doing wandering around drunk?"

"It's the only way to keep him working." Link moved to the front of the wheel and prodded Sello's shoulder with a foot. "You okay, Sello?"

Sello chuckled. "Didn' hurt!" he declared.

Link shook his head. "You keep saying that…"

"This floor taztez strange."

Line nearly burst out laughing. "What?" he asked.

"Sello, go back to the engine room," Link told him.

Sello stood up and saluted with his hand upright against his temple and his palm exposed. "Wif biscuits," he said to Link.

Line waited for Sello to step back down to the main deck before asking, "Where'd you find this guy?"

"Inside a volcano."

Line gave Link a strange look. "What's a volcano?"

Link sighed. "It's a mountain that… that tries to kill you."

Line's eyes wandered for a bit. "Okay, I think I can understand him being in there. What were you doing in there?"

"I was looking for him."

"You… went into a mountain that tries to kill people to look for a drunk. You couldn't just go to a bar?"

"Wha—I didn't know he was gonna be a drunk!"

Line paused for a moment. "What were you doing in a volcano?"

"Agh! What do you care!? You don't even know what it is!" Link quickly raised a hand to stop Line from talking. "Ah! No more. Just… just keep us on course. Don't worry about where I found the drunk."

"I'll worry all I want!" Line shouted as Link walked away from him.

"Well get over it!" Link quickly stepped down to the main deck before Line could shout something else at him.

Dholit was waiting for him at the base of the stairs, wearing her usual smirk. "Is this how My Captain expresses jealousy?" she asked.

"N—I wouldn't have minded if he'd found someone other than Sello," Link said.

"Oh, My Captain," she told him, waving a hand, "don't make me wohk so hahd."

"Ah—Go away!" Link snapped. "Go make sure Flower didn't fall over the side!"

"Yes, oh My Captain." Dholit turned and started skipping sternward like a young girl at play.

Layna and Biluf stared after her for a moment. Then, from where they stood near the forward capstan, they looked at Link. "What!?" Link cried out defensively, arms held out to help proclaim his innocence. Layna started and immediately turned away. Biluf glanced at her and gave her a grin. Link turned away from them, pretending to be interested in something off to starboard.

What caught his attention was dark smoke escaping from the starboard stairs leading below. His first thought was that Biluf had caused another fire. This thought only lasted a moment when he realized that Biluf was on the deck with him. Then he realized that Sello had gone down those stairs just moments before.

"Lay—YIKES!" Yet again, as he turned to call Layna, he found that she had already snuck up behind him. Biluf, unaware that her friend had disappeared, waved a hand through the air where she was sure Layna had just been standing. Link shook his head. "You have got to stop doing that. Biluf!" Link waved, and Biluf started in their direction as he and Layna jogged to the stairs.

Link had to place a hand over his mouth as they passed the cargo hold into the galley deck. All three hunched low as they stepped off the stairs and huddled close to the bulkhead so they could navigate toward the stern. He thought that the source of the fire was the engine room, meaning that they would need to go down one more deck to bypass all the smoke.

"Who's there?"

Link was a little surprised to hear Lilly's voice. "Lilly?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

Link waved a hand in front of his face, trying to clear the dark smoke away. He coughed and asked, "What's going on?"

"Well, the ship jerked, and I dropped some stuff. Did you know there was a stove back here?"

"Yeah. But I thought Sello took it apart."

"Uh… he took the door off the front, but I still got it goin'. A piece of wood rolled out, but—"

Dunk. "Ow!" Link shouted. He reached down and found himself pushing an empty barrel out of his way. "Did the deck catch fire?"

"No." Link suddenly felt a breeze, and the smoke cleared for a moment. He found Lilly standing outside the alcove where the stove had been stowed, using a fire blanket to fan smoke out into the rest of the galley. "I saved the deck from catching fire, but, um… we'll need another barrel of water."

Link covered his eyes with a hand. "Is there anyone who doesn't wanna burn down my ship?"

…

Fortunately, all that was left of the fire was smoke, which was aired out by opening the cargo hatches above by just a narrow margin. Link inspected the galley after it was clear and found that little damage had been done to the deck. At worst, it had a few more scorch marks and smelled of charred wood. Lilly explained to him that she had been upset by Link simply giving her a menial job as Cale's assistant and decided to try her hand at being the ship's cook. She had thought she could run the stove even without the front door until the ship had jerked and threw a flaming board out onto the deck. Link argued that there was nothing to cook on the ship, and, while she agreed, she dared him to fetch a list of ingredients when they stopped at the next port. Then, her anger more apparent, she stormed off while declaring she was going to go make out with Cale.

After the episode, things returned to a usual day of travel. The Island Symphony reached a second junction of Sky Lines, and Leynne instructed Line to continue for another half-hour on their current Sky Line. Link questioned this, and Leynne explained that he was taking a back-route to the island. While the other Sky Line at the junction would have taken the Island Symphony directly to the port area of the island, the ship would be less likely to be spotted if they approached from the east where the docks were not, thereby avoiding being spotted by anyone until they were close.

Half an hour later, the Island Symphony dropped out of the Sky Line and sailed southwest until Skyrider Port was visible. With the duoscope, Link saw that only the island's junks were taking up the air around the island with no one waving any sort of flag to indicate the fake princess's navy. Just as Flower had said, the docks themselves were showing little activity. Only two ships were docked as far as Link could make out, and one of them was a fully-rigged galleon, the kind of ship Link expected the royal family to use. But Link could not confirm that was their vessel at this distance even with the duoscope.

So Link decided to put the Conductor to use again. His group of choice was Line, Irleen, Lutock (because the one person he could communicate with was leaving), and Layna. Link geared himself up in case they ran into trouble, carrying all but his bow since he did not have any more arrows. He piloted the boat again because Line was showing reservations about even riding it. And, Link had to admit, he still could not pilot it slow enough for even himself to be comfortable with it. Speed, however, was a little more necessary to cover the distance between the ship and the island in a reasonable amount of time. And, well… Link was beginning to enjoy the ludicrous power behind the Sello's lunatic engine.

He located a junk dock inside the western edge of the island and carefully maneuvered the Conductor next to the raised platform. He cut the engine and moved over to the boat's bulwark just as a large, round man wearing a brown docker's uniform stepped onto the platform. "Ahoy there!" Link called to him.

"Ahoy," the docker called back with a wave of his hand.

"Hey, do you mind if we tie up here? Our ship is out there…" Link pointed out to where the Island Symphony hung in the air. "… and the crew doesn't wanna get too close to the island."

"No, no," the docker told him with a carefree tone. "No, go right ahead. Just toss me your mooring lines, and I'll get you tied you off."

"Hey, Line," Link called to the cabin as he picked up the mooring line near him. "Could you get the mooring line on the bow for me?"

"Yeah, one sec," Line called back as he stepped out of the cabin. Link tossed the line, and then he turned to see Line stumble to the opposite side of the boat. He was about to call to Line, but then he heard Line retch over the side. So he shook his head and strode to the bow to send down the other mooring line. "I'm okay," Line shouted over his shoulder, although his voice sounded strained. "I'll get it here in a minute."

Link tossed the other line over the bulwark. Then he stepped back up to the cabin and said, "I already got it, Line."

"I told you I'd get it," Line attempted to snap at him. However, he found it difficult to snap at Link when he could taste vomit at the back of his throat.

Lutock stepped out of the cabin, followed by Irleen. "Link," she said, "I really think something should be done with the engine on this boat. Like, maybe… it should be murdered and set on fire and buried and blown up with bombs."

"And then placed in a metal box, burned again, and chucked overboard," Line chimed in, turning to show Link a pale face.

"Sorry, guys," Link said, trying not to smile. "I guess I went a little over the top with the speed."

"Well, the speed, and the constant steering," Line said. "Yesterday, it wasn't so bad."

"Yesterday, I wasn't fighting the wind around an island," Link pointed out. He fished into his pocket as he turned and told Irleen, "Irleen, could you tell Lutock to keep his hood on for now? We're going through town, and… well, none of these people have ever seen a Sorian before, so I… I don't know how they'll react."

"No problem, Link," she answered.

"Make sure he follows us; it's very easy to get lost here. And if he has any questions, have him hand the gem back."

"I get the gist, Link," she told him, sounding impatient.

"Just wanna make sure," Link said before handing the gem over to Lutock. Irleen began speaking to Lutock, but Link turned to look over the side instead of waiting to listen. The docker gave him a thumbs-up, so Link walked back to the pilot's station and closed off the ballast a little more. This brought the Conductor down low enough that the docker was able to see over the bulwark. "Hey, Line? Do you mind seeing if Layna's still in the cabin?"

"Yeah, sure," Line said. He stepped back over to the doorway as Lutock moved to the edge of the boat and peered inside. "Uh… she's not there, Link."

Link nodded. "Yeah, I should've known. Okay, let's get moving." Link moved over to and stepped onto the bulwark. With his next step, he dropped down to the platform. He turned to the docker and said, "Sorry about this, sir. We'll try not to take too long."

The docker shook his head. "It's all right, son," he replied. "The guys that land here already made their rounds today; they won't be back until late this evening to dock the junks. You've got it for the whole afternoon if you need."

"Oh, thanks," Link replied as Line dropped off the boat next.

"No prob. You know, you're probably the sixth launch that's tied up here so far this month."

Link frowned. "Really? Who else has been here?"

The docker shrugged as Lutock dropped to the platform behind him. "A few cargo vessels headed north from Bell Island, one even from Bold Island. We even had a passenger ship use this dock as a terminal. The airmen from her said they couldn't use the docks anymore since the Skyriders' main office closed down. I'm even willing to say some of the passengers leaving were Skyriders."

"Oh, wow," Line said, prompting the docker to look over his shoulder to glance at him.

"Heard anything else about the docks?" Link asked. The docker only offered him a helpless shrug. "Okay, thanks anyway. Um… well, all the same, we'll try to be back as soon as we can."

"Take your time, boys," the docker said as Link, Line, and Lutock started down the platform's wide stairway. "Nothing much happening at Port today."

…

The docker was not joking. While the town remained its usual, bustling self with markets still open to the residents and junks carrying cargo overhead, the docks were almost entirely devoid of life. Just as Link had seen before, there were only two ships docked on the north side of the island: a brig with yellow hull markings (an Airliner vessel) which was off-loading supplies, and that fully-rigged galleon that Link had seen from the Island Symphony. Link was considering just walking up to the ship and asking the crew if it was the vessel they were looking for, but Line quickly pointed out that, with a sword across his back, Link looked more like a mercenary and was likely to be either turned away or arrested. Instead, Line persuaded Link to check out a tavern, thinking that a member of that ship's crew would be there to chat with.

Link relented quite easily, perhaps easier than he ever had when it came to listening to any of Line's suggestions. This was mostly because he was thinking the same thing as Line. Their destination was some distance from both the docks and where they had left the Conductor, but it would be well worth it if only to just see another friendly face or two.

The Sail Tavern. A two-story building like any other tavern to be found in the sky kingdom, but a building that Link and Line would never forget. A wave of nostalgia hit them as they stepped through the door. The smell of alcohol and pipe tobacco from the various patrons. A bar on the left which Line had been slid across on a few occasions. The bar stools on the end where they would enjoy their drinks without getting in the owner's way. The tables which they had tripped over and bumped into for years. All under a roof that they had once fallen through because Line had stomped a hole through it while they had been repairing it.

The sweet scent of ponga flower hit them just as they had stopped a few steps away from the entrance. Gale, one of the bartenders, had just walked past them with a tray full of ale in his arms. Gale was a thick-set, bald man wearing a pair of rugged, worn trousers and a clean, long-sleeve shirt under a white apron permanently stained more colors than either of the boys could name. "Be with you boys in a moment," he told them as he walked away in a rush to get the drinks to an occupied table across the room. But then his rush slowed, and he glanced back at the boys. He acknowledged that they were there, but he found himself coming to a full stop and turning back around with a surprised look on his face. "Line? Link!?"

"Hi, Gale," Line greeted him while Link waved a hand, both grinning ear-to-ear.

CRASH! The noise startled everyone, and all heads turned to the middle-aged woman standing in front of the bar. She had a wide, boxum body which she clothed in a pair of white trousers and a blue, silk shirt, both of which appeared horribly wrinkled. Her wavy, blond hair was a mess as if it had not been styled for months. Her round face was a perfect picture of shock as she stared at the boys from across the floor, a tray of broken glass lying at her feet. Her boots crunched the glass further as she stepped across the tray. "Oh… my…" were the only words she could get out.

"Hi, Lady Leeta," Line called across the bar.

Leeta came to a sudden stop. "My boys!" she cried out just before she jogged across the floor.

"Oh, boy…" Link said, taking a frightened step back. Then he turned around with the intention of running. "No no no no no n—hruk!" he chanted before being cut off after Leeta grabbed his left arm, spun him, and wrapped him in her arms as tight as she could, burying his face in her ample bosom.

"Oh, my Link!" she cried out, shaking Link left and right before lifting his feet off the floor. Line broke out into hysterics, pointing and laughing at Link and Leeta hard enough to make his side hurt in seconds. "My Link!" Leeta continued. "You came back!"

"Somebody help!" Link… tried to say. Unfortunately, with his face buried, all he could say with any audibility was, "Mummumy mmm!" Naturally, this call for help went unanswered. Even if Link had managed a clear cry, Lutock was taken aback by what had just happened, Layna (who had jumped into the doorway upon perceiving Link being under attack) froze on the outside of the doorway with a confused glance around the side, and Line was too busy laughing.

"My Link, I'm never letting you go again! Never, never, never!" Leeta declared. Then, catching Line out of the corner of her eye, she reached an arm toward him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa—ack!" Line hollered up until Leeta hooked an arm around his neck. She pulled him close, and he started struggling against her thick arms. "Leeta! Leeta, I-I can't breathe!"

"You can breathe just fine!" she told him.

"Leeta," Gale, having delivered the drinks, told her as he put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I know you've been missing the boys…" He started chuckling. "But you should let them go before you suffocate them."

"I don't wanna!" Leeta replied in a childish tone.

"Leeta," Gale said. She looked over her shoulder at him. "Why don't you go sit and talk with the boys? I'll take care of the load."

"Aww…" Leeta uttered, tears forming in her eyes. She freed Line (who moved out of her reach) to wipe her eyes. "Give everyone a free round for me."

"Will do," Gale said with a grin, giving her a pat before returning to the bar.

Leeta finally released Link, who had to back off so he could breathe in the air again, and indicated the far end of the bar. "Come sit down, you two," she said as tears began to fall across her face. "You've got some explaining to do."

"Yeah, yeah," Line groaned as Link invited Lutock with a wave of his hand. "We know." Leeta, as Line stepped past her, turned and smacked the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Don't give me that tone, Line!" she snapped.

The three of them (with Irleen still hidden inside Lutock's robes somewhere) took a seat at the bar. Leeta gave them each a cup of juice, which Lutock examined for a bit before drinking. In almost an hour, Link and Line had filled her in on only some of the details of their adventures. Link knew Leeta well enough that he did not want to mention the dangers he faced on the surface or anything to do with the Sky Lines. He had never been in that kind of danger before, and he knew Leeta to overreact to every little injury he had received in the past (including a bad tendency to hug him after Line had dislocated Link's shoulder). Line had also left things out of his story, mostly transporting Cunimincus' crew to the kingdom. So the basic story she got was that Link's ship had been shot down by… something while the ship Line was on was captured by… someone. Even then, Link still found her wrapping her arms around his head from across the bar.

Line had to pry her arms loose. When Link settled back down on the stool, he was holding the sides of his head in response to the headache she was causing. "That's beginning to hurt," he told Leeta.

"Well, you know how I get, Link," she scolded him. "I love you boys; I don't like it when things happen to you. And you! You were on the surface! You were on the surface this whole time! After Alfonzo told me what happened…" She trailed off.

Line quickly asked, "You saw the captain? When?"

She looked down at the bar as she thought. "Oh, it must have been months ago," she said. "It wasn't long after you boys left, maybe a few days. He said that your ship had gone missing, and he was afraid something bad had happened. I've…" She indicated herself. "I've been worried sick about you two. You could've written."

"Ah—I tried!" Line argued.

"Line," Link told him. Then he asked Leeta, "Do you know where Captain Alfonzo went?"

"You mean… he's missing now?" she asked.

Link shrugged. "We haven't been able to find him."

She glanced down at the bar. "Oh."

The boys shared an uncomfortable look. "Um… look, we don't have a lot of time," Link said. "Uh… we noticed that galleon in the port. Is anyone here from its crew?"

Gale, who had stepped up behind Leeta, nodded his head to a table across the floor. "Those boys in green are," he said. Link and Line glanced over at the table to see a group of three men conversing among themselves. They wore green tunics, but they were also wearing small pieces of plate armor on top. It was nothing like the full suit Link had seen Sir Gilliam wearing back on Castle Island, but Link could think of no other group of people who wore armor.

"How long have they been in port?" Line asked.

"Hard to say," Gale replied. "Month or so, maybe?"

Link tapped Line's shoulder. "Let's go," he said. Line set down his drink and followed Link across the floor. They stood near the table, waiting to be noticed. When no one looked up, Link cleared his throat. This caught their attention, so Link said, "Do you mind if we talk to you guys a moment?"

The closest of the three eyed Link. "What do you want, kid?" he asked.

"We're not anyone suspicious, if that's what you're thinking," Line spoke up.

All three men shared a look. Then they rose at once, revealing that each of them was armed with a sword when they put their gauntleted hands on the handles. Link and Line backed up, and Link asked in an annoyed tone, "Seriously, Line?"

"Boys!" Leeta cried. "Get away from them!"

"Take them into custody," one of the other men said.

Link and Line backed up further. "Wait, wait!" Link immediately cried as they drew their swords. "Don't do—"

BAM! The man on the far side of the table suddenly had his head bashed into the table's surface. Link and Line only caught a flash of Layna's existence before she picked up and shoved him into his nearby fellow. The fellow caught him, which afforded Layna the time to slink out of sight. He had lost his footing from catching his partner, but his fall to the floor was abrupt, as if something grabbed him from below.

"What the—?" the remaining man said, turning to find that both of his companions had disappeared from sight.

Kink! Layna had popped up between him and the table (an amazing feat considering the lack of space between them) and, using a knife with a wicked blade which curved back over her knuckles, simply twisted her wrist and snapped the blade of his shortsword off. He only had a moment to gawk at his sword before she stabbed him in the arm with a needle hidden in her opposite fist. Backing away, he dropped his sword and removed the needle from his arm. He stared at it for a moment as if trying to comprehend what had just happened. Then he looked up at her with his eyes shifting between straight and crossed. "What the f—… Wha-whaddaf… Whad… Douuuuu…" he droned, dropping the needle so he could rest his hands on a nearby table. "Cwazy… cwazy… cwoozy 'uma. Widda… whew!" He shook his head and attempted to look up at Layna. But his stance was shaky. "Wabba wubbub…"

Layna held up the knife and used the blade to reflect light into his eyes. He closed them in surprise, and she thrust her empty hand forward to stab him in the neck with two of her fingers. The man made a choking sound, but Layna held her fingers against the side of his neck until he dropped straight to the floor. Then she turned to Link and Line with a curious look on her face.

"H-holy shit!" Line declared.

Link groaned. "Crud… Now we gotta wait for one of them to wake up."

…

The first of them to wake up was the one who had had his head bashed against the table. He was groggy, and it took him a bit of time to focus on what was around him. He and his friends were sitting back at the table, each with a fresh mug in front of him. The scene was curious to him, and he reached a hand out to make sure the mug was there.

"Excuse me." Link, standing beside him, put out a hand to stop him. He looked up at Link with unfocused eyes. "Hi. Remember me?"

He looked down at his companions. "Wha happen?" he asked.

"Uh…" Link replied, scratching the back of his head. "Well, you guys… you drew your swords, and… my bodyguard knocked the three of you out."

He looked around again. Then he looked up at Link. "Why?"

Link held up his hands. "It was an honest mistake. I'm reeeeeally sorry about that."

The man paused. "Who are you?"

"Captain Link of the Island Symphony. I just wanted to ask you a few questions. Uh… have a drink if you'd like."

He eyed the drink for a moment. "I don't think I wanna."

"It's nothing bad. I wasn't trying to start anything; I just wanted to ask you about your ship."

He put his hand around the mug, but he only lifted it a bit before letting it rest on the table. "What do you wanna know?"

"You're from that galleon in the port, right?"

"The what?"

Link held up his arms to demonstrate. "That really big ship?"

"Yeah."

"And… you're a Knight of Hyrule, aren't you?"

The man narrowed his eyes. "And what if I am?"

"Link, I…" Link managed to suppress his surprise at the sound of Princess Zelda suddenly speaking to him. But he became visibly alarmed when she asked, "Link? Why are there two unconscious knights sitting at the table before you?"

"What's wrong with you?" the man asked Link.

"L-look, we don't intend any harm," Link told him. "Sir…?"

The man, now a little more clear-headed, glared at him. "I'm not telling you my name."

"Name," Link tried to whisper as best as he could.

"Huh?" the man asked at the same time Zelda asked, "What?"

Link cleared his throat loudly and tried his best to interject the words "Name, Princess" while covering his mouth.

"N-name?" Zelda asked. "His?"

"Mm-hmm," Link replied, nodding.

"Oh, well… um, that's… that's Sir Gilbert. He attends my parents while they're out."

Link nodded again. "Listen, Sir Gilbert," he started.

The man looked shocked and made as if to rise. "How do you know my name?" he asked.

"It's-it's a long story," Link quickly replied, backing up a step with his hands raised. "But listen, okay? I know you attend the King and Queen of Hyrule while they're out of the castle. I need you to answer me: are they on this island?"

Sir Gilbert rose. "How could you—"

"No, no, don't—" Link tried to say at the same time.

"Hrk!" Gilbert suddenly uttered when Layna appeared from almost nowhere and hooked one arm around his neck. She placed a blade against his throat in the same movement, leaving Gilbert bending backwards as a slave to her shorter stature.

"Layna!" Link snapped. Layna peered around Gilbert's shoulder, her confused look a proclamation of ironic innocence. "Let him go!" He held up a hand and thrust it in her direction. "Let him go!"

Layna frowned at him as if trying to understand. Then, as quickly as she grabbed him, she released Gilbert. Gilbert rubbed his neck and turned to glance at her. "She's, uh… quite the fighter, isn't she?" he asked.

"Actually, she's an assassin," Link replied. "But she doesn't understand Hylian, so she just attacks anyone who threatens me."

When Gilbert looked back at Link, he had an eyebrow raised. "She's an assassin?"

"Look, that aside," Link said, "I need to know if the king and queen are on this island. I know the queen must be very sick; it'd be the only reason you've been on this island for so long."

"I don't understand," Gilbert said. "How do you know all this?"

"Oh, Link!" Zelda exclaimed, causing him to jump in surprise. "Say 'Long live the princess'."

Link placed a hand over his mouth and mumbled, "What?"

"Trust me," she said while Gilbert gave him another confused look. "'Long live the princess'."

Link took in a deep breath and removed his hand. "Long live the princess."

Gilbert's mouth drooped open for a moment. Then he said with an understanding tone, "Ah, so that's how it is. Okay, then. Yes, the king and queen are here. And you're right, the queen is horribly ill. But… what's happened to the princess?"

"Tell him that it is a matter for the king and queen to hear," Zelda said.

"It's a matter for the king and queen to hear," Link repeated.

"Of course," Gilbert said. "I wish you'd said so sooner; we wouldn't have tried to arrest you."

"Don't worry," Link replied. Then, in a tone meant to convey a subtle bit of irritation, he added, "I wish I'd said it sooner too."

"Sorry," Zelda told him, sounding embarrassed.

"I'll take you to them," Gilbert said as he moved away from the table.

"Hold on, wait," Link said. "You should have your drink first."

Gilbert glanced down at the mug. "What is it?"

Link glanced at… well, he glanced at where Layna had been standing. "Something for the headache."

…

The second of Gilbert's companions recovered not long after the conversation, and Gilbert took him to the other side of the bar to leave an explanation for when the third man awoke. Then Gilbert led Link, Line, and Lutock out of the Sail Tavern and back up to the northern part of the island. There, they stepped into a clinic which was guarded by knights wearing full armor.

King Lauris wore a large piece of armor which covered his upper torso. Attached to the wide shoulder pieces was a red cape bearing the Crest of Hyrule in gilt thread across his back. Atop his head sat a four-point circlet made of gold and decorated with rubies. His head and jaw were covered in copper-colored hair slowly turning grey, particularly at his temples. He turned in his chair, showing off a coat of light blue under the armor as well as white slacks and a wide belt with a triangular buckle. On the bed before him was, Link assumed, Queen Arla. She looked quite pale, and her cheeks were sunken. Her blond hair was matted against her scalp by sweat, and she was covered with a few blankets. She appeared to be sleeping now.

Which was probably why King Lauris asked in a harsh tone, "What is this interruption?"

His voice cowed Link as Gilbert used a hand to push him forward. But Zelda told Link, "Go ahead and tell him, like I said."

Link cleared his throat. "L-long live the princess."

King Lauris was on his feet immediately, causing Link to take a step backward. His thick eyebrows knitted into a frown which he used to look at the new group of people that had just entered. For a moment, Link thought that he was about to get pounded by the King of Hyrule. But King Lauris then looked around. "Out," he ordered in a level voice. "All of you. Out."

Perhaps by design, there was no one else in the recovery room of the clinic. The nurses and single doctor passed confused looks between each other before following the knights out through the door. Gilbert followed, and Link wondered if he or any of his crew needed to go as well. But not a word was said as he, Line, and Lutock remained standing in the room.

Link's breathing promptly ceased when he realized that King Lauris of Hyrule stepped close enough that the king's belly was a hair's breadth from the end of his nose. He looked up.

And he was surprised to see that the king's expression had softened. "What has become of my daughter, boy?" he asked in a gentle tone.

For a moment, Link was so taken aback that he forgot how to speak. He said, "Y-your Majesty… ah—the princess, uh… Princess Zelda, she's…" Link paused to take in a deep breath so he could steady his nerves. "She's been taken hostage by demons, Your Majesty."

"When?" the king asked, his voice sounding slightly alarmed.

"Al-almost three months ago, Your Majesty."

The king sighed and returned to his seat. "And you've taken this long to inform me?" he asked.

"We've been searching for you ever since, Your Majesty," Link answered. "We knew you were on Might Island, but we had to start there to find you here."

The king frowned at him. "You appear too young to be a knight, yet you're wearing a green tunic of service to the royal family," he observed. "Who are you?"

Link, at a lost to explain his position better, saluted the king with his left hand. "Captain Link of the Island Symphony, Your Majesty."

"At ease," King Lauris replied. Link snapped his hand back down to his side, but remained rigid with his stance. "I do not recall that I had given you that tunic, Captain."

"Well, Your Majesty…" Link said. "This… isn't my original tunic. I've… lost it in my travels to find you. Ah—but my original tunic was given to me by Princess Zelda."

"Before this incident you are about to explain to me," the king reasoned. Link nodded. "Okay then, Captain. Have a seat. Your crew as well."

Link turned around and indicated a nearby bed to Line and Lutock. Lutock took the signal, but Line remained standing stiff as a board. "Line, are you okay?" Link asked.

"No," Line managed to squeak.

"You wanna sit down?"

"Yep." But, instead of moving to take a seat, Line collapsed on the floor, unconscious. Link sighed and sat down on the bed next to the queen's bed.

"Is he going to be all right?" the king asked, pointing at Line.

"He'll be fine, Your Majesty," Link replied. "He, uh… he does that."

The king sighed. "Captain, what has happened in my absence?"

"Well…" Link began. "When I was on Castle Island to be recognized, I got a letter from Princess Zelda about taking cargo to Forelight Island."

"Inside the Undying Storm?" the king asked. Link nodded. "Then… she asked you to take Rireen home."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Both the princess and Rireen were aboard my ship. Then, while we were there… no, I-I mean, while she was returning, she sailed on a Sorian vessel that intended to take her back to Castle Island. But, partway through the storm, they were attacked by another ship crewed by demons."

"But you were not on this Sorian vessel, correct?"

"Y-yes, Your Majesty."

"So how do you know all of this?"

Link took in a deep breath. "While I was doing some research… I found out about the demon airship imprisoned in the Undying Storm. I attempted to catch up with her, but the Sorian vessel had already been boarded, and my former ship was blown out of the sky."

The king looked genuinely shocked as he asked, "You were on the surface?"

Link nodded. "Yes, for over a month, Your Majesty."

The king nodded. "Continue."

"Well, at the end of that time, Your Majesty, I had gathered some experts who built another ship for me, and I returned to the sky. I went back to Castle Island to tell Governor Lore what had happened. Then I found out that the demons used the Sorian airship to bring some of their crew into the kingdom. One of them is posing as Princess Zelda and currently sits on the throne on Castle Island."

The king looked over at the queen for a moment. "In the days following our visit to Might Island, my wife's condition has become even more grave than usual. Since then, the Sky Lines have disappeared and reappeared. But I hesitate to take her back to Castle Island. I cannot leave her side, either."

"I think I know someone that can help with that, Your Majesty," Link spoke up. He turned around and leaned closer while he held out a hand to Lutock. Lutock stared at it a moment, but a word from Irleen prompted him to put her translator gem into Link's hand. "Irleen, can Lutock use his magic to help the queen? Like when he healed my leg back on Bold Island?"

Irleen emerged from under Lutock's hood. "It's worth a shot," she replied. Link placed the gem on the bed next to him, and Irleen asked Lutock, "Lūtòka, hòt Hīlīħán nīkálpāh katūwá ahà?"

Lutock looked at the queen and sighed. "Kárà ahà," he replied as he stood up. He moved around Link's bed and stepped past the king, who looked on in curiosity.

Lutock gave the room an uncertain glance before deciding to remove his hood. The king uttered in amazement, "A Sorian."

Then, Lutock removed his ocarina from his robe. He gave a moment of hesitation before he started playing. The notes he played sounded haunted, although Link thought it might have been because he had been used to listening to the blues harp. Lutock played through the same set of notes twice before he stopped. He turned to Link and said, "Nīkci kátūwá ahà. Ħàl kìp kátūwá ahà ō." He then looked down at the king. "Hàlāl, kàtùhápà kaħál tanì."

Link picked up Irleen's gem before asking, "What'd he say?"

Irleen sighed. "He can heal wounds and pain, but illness, disease… he just can't. He expresses his apologies, Your Majesty."

The king gave a grim nod. "I appreciate the effort, Captain, young miss. It is more than the doctors here can do for her." Then King Lauris' jaw dropped open. He turned his head to Link and asked, "But perhaps there is yet to be done."

"Your Majesty?" Link asked.

"The doctors here have explained to me that, had they the correct medicine, they could put this current ailment to rest, at least long enough to remove her to the castle. However, because shipping has become scarce to this island, the medicine is not available here. Its use is so rare that it has to be requested."

"Where can we find this medicine?" Link asked immediately.

"Whoa, whoa, Link," Irleen spoke up. "Don't you think you're volunteering a little too easily? The Skyriders are still after you, and we definitely know Captain North isn't taking prisoners the next time we run into him."

"The Skyriders?" the king asked. "I thought they had disbanded. Is that not why the port was closed?"

"No, Your Majesty," Link replied. "The fake princess somehow found out about the loyalty pledge made by each Skyrider captain. She drafted them into her personal navy. They've been looking for me ever since we escaped Castle Island. The fake princess supplies them out of the castle itself."

The king sighed. "I fear that this revelation may place you in more danger than necessary. I only hope that you will still accept my request."

"We're ready to go, Your Majesty," Link answered as Line began to recover behind him. "We just need a destination."

"The doctors have informed me that this medicine is a natural plant that only grows on a few islands. But it is only refined on Autumn Island."

"Well how about that?" Irleen remarked. "Back to start."

"Wait, we're going to Autumn Island?" Line asked. "Link… that's just a few hours away from Castle Island. The Skyriders could be there."

"Well, maybe not," Link said, turning so he could see Line. "As far as anyone else knows, we're still hiding out around Bold Island or any of the nearby islands. Between putting the Sky Lines back and Captain Luke throwing off other ships searching for us, we just might get away with sailing right under their noses."

Line put on a wicked grin. "You know, I kinda like that idea."

Link smiled at him. "I thought you would."