Chapter 110: Where Legends Bleed
…
Link stirred and opened an eye to find a low ceiling in front of his face. His body burned, particularly his left forearm and right shoulder. He found that neither arm was easy to move, so he resorted to turning his head. In the bed on his left was Luke. However, Luke sat up in the bed with his back against the headboard, giving something across from him what appeared to be an annoyed scowl. His torso was bare, and his right forearm, sporting a fresh bandage, rested on his lap. Link groaned and attempted to prop himself up by his elbow.
The noise caught Luke's attention, and he turned his head to give Link a grin. "Hey, you're awake," he said. "Good to see you survived, too."
"Where are we?" Link asked.
"The castle sick wing," answered a graveled voice. Link glanced toward the foot of Luke's bed to find North standing there, sporting a bandage over his left brow. "This wing is dedicated to caring for the castle's staff as an area isolated from the rest of the castle in case of serious disease. It's also expected to handle massive amounts of casualties in the event of disaster."
Link turned his head and found that, to his right, was a long room with beds lining the walls. It amazed him that the castle was ready to house people for those beds, but it amazed him more that someone thought that there would be such a need in the future. "Wow…" he breathed to himself.
"We should consider ourselves lucky that only three are occupied," North commented.
"Yeah…" Link said as he lay back on the bed. Then he realized that something was off about that count. Certainly he was wounded, and Luke and North were sporting bandages, too. But he thought that there was one other person who had been hurt in the fight against Zelda's replacement. The moment he realized who, he sat up so fast that, on top of aggravating his wounds, he made himself dizzy. "Gilliam!"
"Watch it, Link!" Luke called out as Link's left hand slipped off the edge of his bed. He reached out his wounded arm, but Link quickly grabbed the opposite side of the mattress to keep from spilling over the side. "Take it easy."
"What did you say?" North asked.
Link had to wait for his head to stop spinning before he could repeat himself. "Gilliam. Sir-Sir Gilliam."
"Was he that guy who ran in after we got out?" Luke asked North.
"I believe he was," North replied with a nod. He then said to Link, "I'm sorry, Captain, we don't know at this time."
Link's voice caught in his throat as he tried to ask the next question, "Is h—hhk… Is he dead?"
"The last we heard, he was barely surviving," North replied. "He's with the surgeons right now."
Link sighed and shook his head. "Not again… not another…"
"Oh, you're up!" Irleen said as she suddenly rose from the foot of Link's bed. "How are you feeling, Link?"
Link placed a hand over his face. "Not too good…"
"What's he mean by 'not again'?" Luke asked before swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.
"What?" Irleen replied.
"We told him that his knight friend was barely surviving, and he just mumbled to himself 'not again'. What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh," Irleen replied. "Well… ever since this whole situation started, we've been… we've been finding out that people have died from different events. A couple months ago, we found out that part of the crew who were supposed to be escorting the princess back to the kingdom had been killed. One of Link's airmen was also killed in the assault. Then we found out that the Skyriders shot another vessel out of the sky. The fall killed all but one of the crew. The one who survived died just barely an hour after we found the ship."
"Oh, wow…" Luke mumbled.
"Looking at death at such a young age must be quite an experience," North said. "But we cannot afford distraction from our current task. You must understand that, Captain, or else you would have never come up here again."
Link gave a small nod. "I know," he said. "I just… wish it would stop."
"Well, if it helps, no one's told us he's dead yet," Luke said. "There's a chance he'll survive, especially since that girl who was with us in the throne room pulled him out."
"Layna?" Link asked.
"Yeah," Irleen replied. "You weren't paying attention, but after you went berserk and started beating the crap out of that glass girl, Layna dropped down to the floor and dragged that knight out of the room and into the hallway."
"She almost took my hand off when I went to take the blade out of his chest," Luke said, holding up his right arm to show a small bandage around his wrist.
"I tried to tell you to leave it in," North replied. "Fortunately, Captain Link's master assassin has no compunctions about killing an ally."
"I'm sure she was just making sure no more damage was done," Irleen said.
"What?" Luke asked defensively. He opened his arms wide in an exaggerated show of confusion. "I'm not that bad, am I?"
Irleen snorted, and Link allowed himself a small smile. "And you two are all right?" he asked.
"Weeeeell, mostly," Luke replied as he turned to show Link a large pad on his lower back. "She tried to get me just before we got out." When he saw Link give him a confused look, he clarified, "The fake, not your assassin."
Link pointedly looked at North. "This is nothing," North replied, pointing to his bandage. "I've taken bullets and blades to most of my body. A shard of glass isn't gonna kill me any faster."
"Are you kidding?" Luke asked him. "Captain North, I have it on the best of authorities that you, sir, are made of wrought iron held together with rusty nails and steel wire hammered into shape with a battleaxe."
"Clearly," North said as he used a hand to cover his face, "I need to speak with my crew about spreading these idiotic rumors again."
"Didn't hear it from your crew," Luke said as his grin became wider. "I found that written on one of the office toilets."
"Who writes that kinda crap on a toilet?" Irleen asked.
"What would that be, Miss Irleen?" Luke turned his head away to help hide his mad grin from King Lauris as he approached North from behind.
"There seems to be much debate among the Skyrider captains concerning my construction, Your Majesty," North replied, half-turning in response to the king.
"There is no mystery as far as I understood," the king said. "You were molded of the finest wrought iron in the kingdom using a massive battleaxe and fastened together with rusty nails and steel wire."
"Uh… for the record, he wasn't standing there that long," Irleen spoke up while Luke tried his best to suppress his laughter.
"I am relieved to see that you captains are in good health," the king said. "As much as I dislike the idea of interrupting your recovery, I find myself fearing for my daughter's life in light of these recent events."
"It's not a surprise, Your Majesty," Luke said. "I don't know what that thing was, but I'm glad she wasn't a better fighter."
"Someone who flies into a murderous rage like that can only ever associate themselves with those of a similar disposition," North said. "I feel that I understand, or at least vaguely comprehend your concerns, Your Majesty. We can only hope that the princess Zelda would do nothing to provoke such actions from any more of the monster crew that holds her."
"Actually," Link spoke up, "the crew holding her have left her alone. They don't talk to her, they don't even visit their brig. They just locked her up and left her."
"Madness," North replied. "Without food or water? And what of relieving herself?"
"It sounds crazy," Irleen said, "but it's true. That's how the Storm of Purgatory… uh, what you call the Undying Storm, works. Actually, the Undying Storm sounds a lot more accurate compared to what we Sorians call it."
"How come?" Luke asked.
"The storm is a prison intended to keep Cunimincus confined for eternity," Irleen explained. "And when I say 'eternity', I mean until the final ends of the world. The Undying Storm locks everything outside of itself. From what I've read, this may also include the effects of time."
"Boy," Luke commented as he scratched the back of his head. "When you say 'eternity', you really mean it."
"So, left on her own, Princess Zelda could survive whatever time it takes for us to rescue her?" North asked.
"Left on her own, yeah," Irleen said. "But if one of Cunimincus' crew gets a wild hair, it just might mean the worst for her. I don't know if anyone's noticed, but Cunimincus' crew aren't exactly sailing with all sails open." She glanced around to find the Hylians giving her confused looks. "Uh… that's… not an expression you guys use, is it?"
"Not really, no," Link replied.
"Oh. Well, I mean to say that Cunimincus' crew might be out of their minds."
Link nodded. "She's right. Although the Stalarmors didn't seem to be very wild, the Lizalfos, especially that big one, didn't exactly seem to be all that sane."
"Granted," Irleen quickly added, bobbing side to side, "anyone here would probably be pissed to take a boomerang to the head, too. And the Lizalfos, well, they live on insanity."
"This doesn't help matters," Luke said. "We're only three captains with four airships up against an insane crew of monsters and demons."
"Excuse me, Your Majesty." Attention turned to a surgeon that, sometime moments before, had come to stand behind the king. Lauris turned around and stepped to one side. Link felt nauseous at the sight of the surgeon's white surgical gown stained around the chest and belly with bright red blood. He was still wearing a surgical mask over his face, but he did not wear any gloves. "I am sorry to interrupt, but I have news concerning Sir Gilliam."
"What news have you?" King Lauris asked.
The surgeon's glance fell on Link for a moment. "Perhaps we should talk in private, Your Majesty," he suggested. "I'm afraid that what I have to say may be a touch sensitive."
"No," Link replied. With some effort, he spun so that his legs dangled over the side of the bed. "He's my friend, too. I wanna know."
"Your Majesty?" the surgeon asked after casting a concerned eye to Link.
"Please continue your report," King Lauris said.
The surgeon was hesitant, but he relented. "First, the good news is that we've treated all of the wounds we can find. For the moment, Sir Gilliam is out of danger."
"The fact that you've got good news kinda implies you got bad news, too," Luke said.
The surgeon sighed. "Well, this was something I was concerned about when I first looked at him," he explained. "The glass broke his sternum and sliced part of his aorta open along with his left lung. Uh… do… any of you know what the aorta is?" All four present shook their heads, so the surgeon indicated his chest with a finger as he explained. "It's-it's the main artery in the chest, where blood comes out of the heart and filters into the rest of the body."
"Oh, boy," Luke uttered while King Lauris grimly lowered his head.
"We've had to sew the aorta closed," the surgeon continued. "By the time we received him, his lung was nearly filled with blood. We used a hand pump to remove the blood and refill the lung with air, and then we sewed the cut closed as well. My concern, however, is how long these wounds will take to heal, if at all. And… on top of that, there's a very real possibility that Sir Gilliam may be paralyzed."
"My… word…" King Lauris uttered.
"Is there anything you can do for him?" Link asked.
"I've sent for a thoracic specialist," the surgeon said. "As a general surgeon, my expertise is to find where people bleed the most and fix it; I have no idea of the long-term effects. The fact that he made it at all is a miracle. According to literature, an open aorta is supposed to be immediately fatal. Unfortunately, that isn't to say that it won't be."
"If there were to be complications," North spoke up, "how soon would you expect his condition to worsen?"
The surgeon shook his head. "I can't say. He could've passed away the moment I stepped into the ward here, or he just might go here in a few hours. I wouldn't go as far as to say that it will never happen, though. In this case, the aorta has been injured very close to his heart. Just the pounding of his heart could tear out my stitches and open his wound again. And just breathing could also take my stitches from his lungs.
"The short of it, Your Majesty, is that, until we can determine how well Sir Gilliam heals after all of this, he cannot be allowed to continue service to you. If he were to be exposed to too much stress, he would surely die shortly after. He cannot move, he can barely speak… he could not even afford to feed himself; just the effort of lifting a spoon to his mouth could cause a wound to rip open."
"You are saying that someone as young as Gilliam could never recover from this?" the king asked.
"With time, he could probably bring himself to return to a simple life," the surgeon said. "But, quite frankly, Your Majesty, his career is over. These kinds of wounds would make any job a grave challenge. Anything could cause him to die right on the spot."
"That's too bad," Luke said. "He seemed like a decent enough guy. Shooting the fake princess notwithstanding."
"I can't believe this…" Link groaned, gripping the sides of his head and dropping his gaze to his lap.
"Link," Luke said in a somber voice. "The man's alive."
"And I may very well be wrong about his condition," the surgeon pointed out. "In fact, I hope I am. Uh…" He looked at the king. "'Shooting the fake princess', Your Majesty?"
"It has… been a strange day," King Lauris replied with a sigh. "Please keep us informed of his progress, doctor."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the surgeon said. He gave a bow, turned, and left the ward.
"Captains," the king then addressed them. "There is nothing more to be gained by taking further action today. The three of you are wounded, and Captain Link especially needs some time to recover. I will send out summons to all Skyrider ships and have them come here to be released from duty."
"I can provide a list of vessels, Your Majesty," North said.
"Thank you, Captain North," the king said. "Gentlemen." He gave them a nod and left the room with North in tow.
"Layna?" Link asked.
Luke lifted his head to look around. "Huh?"
"Wait for—" Irleen began.
"Yah!" Luke cried out when the bed suddenly jerked beneath him. He turned his head to find Layna had landed on the bed right behind him.
"Dammit!" Irleen shouted. "I thought we were gonna catch her this time!"
"Are you kidding?" Link asked as he fished into his remaining trouser pocket. "We're never gonna catch her." He pulled out Irleen's translator gem. "Irleen, I want you and Layna to go back to the ship and explain what's going on to Leynne. I don't know when we'll be able to get moving, but have him get ready to leave tomorrow morning."
"Whoa, whoa, hold on, Link," Luke spoke up. "You just got dragged out of the throne room bleeding. You should give yourself a little more time to heal up."
Link gave Layna the translator gem. "I'll be fine in the morning," he told Luke. "I don't plan on going into the storm yet, but I wanna be nearby. I wanna give Zelda good news before we go after her."
Luke raised an eyebrow. Then a humored smile came across his face. "'Zelda'?" he asked. "No title?"
"Ahp—" Link uttered before clapping his mouth shut. Then he glanced over to see Layna digging into the footlocker in front of his bed. "Layna, what are you…?"
Layna pulled out what she was looking for. She pondered over Link's hat for a moment until she carefully fit the top of her ponytail into it and pulled it down. She looked to Irleen and asked, "Nway mixiltak max, 'Afi'il Cayminnadhiyf Irliyn?"
"Wasocikwotak, 'inax?" Irleen replied, her tone sounding a little annoyed.
"'Inu nadyisocikwotak, 'Afi'il Cayminnadhiyf Irliyn," Layna replied.
"She talks?" Luke asked. Link gave a helpless shrug, unsure of what response to give.
"Nway huxwnwak," Irleen said.
"Kwal?" Layna asked, tilting her head in her usual manner.
"Nway 'olwu huxwnwak," Irleen snapped.
"Foltab 'inu amidh max?" Layna asked.
Irleen's response was a little delayed. "Na'," she said in an annoyed tone.
"'Afi'il Cayminnadhiyf Irliyn yilayximak May Kyabtin ga'na."
"Nwaki thacomak, Layna."
"Foltab zhi sanway max?"
"Na'. Taf kwal waba dijubak zagfiylw rayn Liynk safonw?"
"'Afi'il Cayminnadhiyf Irliyn nayx yimidhjak yazasmul 'inoy. Nwaki nayx xinwulak."
"'Inu nayx nadlayxomak wammu ga'na, Layna."
"'Inu nayx misinwmak."
"Na', Layna."
Layna stiffened her stance. "'Al May Kyabtin 'atnya wabnik, 'Afi'il Cayminnadhiyf Irliyn nayx yilayximak 'immu ga'na max?"
"Are you two gonna go?" Link asked, finding himself a little impatient.
Both Layna and Irleen looked at Link. This was a mistake for Irleen because, the moment she turned her back to Layna, Layna whipped Link's hat off her head and caught Irleen inside it with a single swipe. Irleen immediately released a string of muffled screams. Layna bowed to Link and then departed from the room at a run.
"What was that all about?" Luke asked.
Link shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe Layna wanted to… wear my hat?"
…
"Link, are you asleep?"
Link groaned and pulled his face out of the pillow. Despite the darkness of the recovery ward, he could see Zelda's ethereal form standing next to his bed. "Not really," he said.
"I thought as much," she replied as she looked around. "When we did not appear in a different place, I felt that this was the situation. Where are we now?"
A snort reminded Link that Luke and North were sleeping nearby. So he kept his voice low as he explained, "We're in the castle's sick wing. We arrived this morning, and we got rid of that thing that was imitating you."
"Oh, how excellent!" Zelda declared.
Link started and quickly hissed at her. "P-please keep it down," he told her.
"Oh?" she asked, glancing around. "But it appears as if you are the only person to hear me."
"Well… y-yeah…" Link muttered when he realized that she was right. "Just… please don't shout."
"Sorry," she said with a giggle, shrugging her shoulders and covering her lips with her fingers. "But it is good to hear that my double has been defeated. How did you do it? She bragged that no mortal blade could vanquish her."
"I used a hammer," Link replied as he rubbed his eyes with a hand.
"You used a… a hammer? You carry one with you?"
"Yeah, ever since we met Sello in the volcano."
"Oh." She giggled. "My, what an unexpected solution." Then she gave him a worried look. "But, if you are in the sick wing, then you must have been seriously injured."
Link grinned at her. "Yeah. About-about as much as usual."
"How bad is it?"
Link showed her the bandage on his forearm. "Just a few cuts. It was worse when we fought the Lizalfos' boss."
Someone snorted again, and then Luke asked, "Thachu, Link?"
Link slapped his hand over his mouth, and Zelda giggled at him. "Perhaps now is not the best time," she told him. "I will allow you to rest. But I would like to speak with you in the morning. I have been hearing some strange sounds from this vessel, and I fear for the Sorians on Forelight Island."
Link nodded before her image faded. Then he let his face hit the pillow.
…
"Good morning, Captains," the king said as he approached the beds used by Link and Luke.
Link groaned as he rolled over. Then he sat bolt upright when he realized who was addressing them. "G-g-good morning, Your Majesty!" he shouted.
"Oh, good morning, Your Majesty," Luke said as he pushed himself up. He glanced over the king's entourage, and this seemed to wake him further. "Uh… Captain Link, am I wrong, or did His Majesty bring us breakfast in bed."
Link blinked the sleep out of his eyes to find that five of the king's staff had filed into the room behind him, four of them pushing silver carts adorned with covered serving plates. The fifth, at the end of the line, looked to be carrying something else, although it was hard to see with the other servants standing in the way. As if on cue, Link's stomach rumbled, reminding him that he had not eaten much since yesterday afternoon due to not having an appetite after a late lunch. At the same time, however, he felt guilty for having eaten that meal when he still had his crew restricted to certain things (although, by now, he suspected that Lilly's cooking did not adhere to the same contents as rations). So when one of the attendants placed a cart next to his bed and removed the lid to reveal his plate, Link just heaved a sigh.
"Where is Captain North?" the king asked.
"I think he already took off, Your Majesty," Luke said. "I know he was awake earlier, so he probably snuck out. I just… kinda slept in."
"Hmm," the king hummed to himself. Then he told Luke, "It is only mid-morning."
"Yeah, I think that makes him cranky, Your Majesty," Luke said as he turned to sit at the cart brought to his bedside. "That's probably why he left early." He had just picked up a fork when he noticed that Link was not eating. "You okay, Link?"
"Well…" Link groaned as he examined the food on his plate. It was probably the most he had ever seen on a plate, with a few items he could not even name. He put on a hesitant look and told Luke, "My crew and I haven't had a lot of money. We've been eating dry rations this whole time."
"Really?" Luke asked. He looked down at his own plate and gave it a disappointed look. "Aw, hell. I feel kinda bad now."
"Would it be appropriate for me to send food to your ship?" the king asked.
"Actually, Your Majesty," Link said, "I was hoping for a quick breakfast before we start for the Undying Storm."
"I was told that you should rest for another day," King Lauris said.
"Your Majesty, I… I'm really anxious to reach the princess," Link said. "She visited me last night, and… I've just realized what she told me has me a little worried for her."
"What did she say?"
"I think the Smiling Gunner is up to something. She said she was hearing sounds that she didn't recognize."
"This is cause for concern?"
"It is if she doesn't recognize cannonfire, Your Majesty," Luke spoke up. He pushed his cart aside. "I don't know who these guys are, but if they're anything like that glass psycho-bitch yesterday, we might want to get moving."
"If you believe it to be prudent," the king relented with a nod. "However, I have one request before you leave, Captain Link." He signaled the fifth servant to approach. Link was about to rise from the bed when he realized that, in an effort to get comfortable last night, he was completely naked. He quickly tucked the bedsheet around his waist and under his bottom to help cover the fact that he was not wearing trousers.
The servant placed a large, wooden case decorated with gold leaf on the bed next to him. Link found himself interested in the fact that the case, although somewhat oblong, was in the shape of the Crest of Hyrule. The servant opened the latches on the front and pulled the case open on a hinge at the top of the wing-like structure, leaving the down-pointed triangle shape unaffected as the lid flipped over it. Inside, placed so that its own shape fit within the bottom piece of the crest, appeared to be some type of gold cane with a wooden handle in its midsection where the central ray should be. The servant pulled the item out by this handle, and Link realized that it was a rather hefty-looking bow, its shape apparent now that he could see the thick string mounted between both ends.
"This is the Bow of Light," the king explained as the servant offered it to Link. "No one really knows how it works; any arrow it fires never seems to be anything more than an arrow. However, I understand that this was used in the surface kingdom in times of need. My hope is that the kidnapping of my daughter is enough of a need that it would lend us its power. I would like you to take this when you leave to find her."
"Why him?" Luke asked through a cheek filled with baked apple, pointing a finger at Link. King Lauris crossed his arms and stared at Luke for a moment. Luke swallowed and added, "Your Majesty."
King Lauris stepped over to the footlocker holding Link's gear and opened it. He pulled out the Lokomo Sword and held it with the sheathed blade pointed in the air. "This sword looks to have been a gift to the Hylian people by the Spirits of Good," he explained as he indicated the hilt. "The bow is of the same origin. It is fitting that the one holding the sword should have the bow at his dispense as well."
"Wow…" Link whispered as he took the bow into his hands. It startled him how heavy the bow was at first, but he found it to be about as light as the Lokomo Sword. He used his opposite hand to strum the string a couple of times. "Are you sure?"
"When you present this bow to me once more," the king told him with a deep scowl on his face, "I expect my daughter to be at your side."
Link gulped.
…
It was not until almost noon that Link finally returned to the Island Symphony on account of meeting with Captain North, Luke, and Lieutenant Blair to discuss tactics once they arrived at the Undying Storm. Captain North quickly settled it: as the two battle-ready (and originally armed) vessels, the Grand Sails and the Moon's Shadow would lead the unarmed Island Symphony and the inexperienced Summer Breeze and take the Smiling Gunner so that the princess could be retrieved. From there, they would sink the Smiling Gunner. It was such a simple plan that Link and Luke had felt a little stupid for having dragged both of them back to the castle to discuss the situation. The rest of the time it took him to return was the long, unfamiliar walk from the castle to the northern docks, where the Island Symphony had moved in preparation for departure. By the time he had arrived, the Moon's Shadow, the Grand Sails, and the Summer Breeze were already waiting in the air above.
Link could vaguely remember how long it had taken when he and Line had figured out their trip in the Island Sonata. However, traveling in a convoy would cause them to take longer. It was nearly two hours before they reached Turtle Island, where they had to switch Sky Lines. Link's anxiety rose as they continued west toward the Undying Storm. His attempt to settle down long enough to write out a journal entry resulted in him walking circles around his desk until Irleen told him to stop because it was making her dizzy. So he escaped into the boat deck and inspected the Conductor's hull. The inspection ended when, after finding access to the area underneath the deck, he snapped his fingers between a metal section of the engine and a plank that did not seem to have any significance. After that, he just decided to visit the galley to see what Lilly had been feeding the crew. He found himself wolfing down two full plates of grilled fish and fried potatoes, never once wondering to himself where the dishes, the utensils, or the dining tables had come from. He decided against joining Sello in a drink, but he did partake of a bit of grog to complete the meal.
After the meal, he joined Leynne and Line on the forecastle. Looking at the Moon's Shadow's transom left him a little annoyed, so he paced the deck.
"Ah you suh you won't retuhn to youh cabin?" Leynne asked him after what felt like hours to all three of them. "It isn't as if Dholit won't delight in infohming you of ouh ahrival."
"I tried relaxing in my cabin," Link said, coming to a stop in the middle of the deck. "I just drove Irleen nuts."
"Then get something to eat," Line suggested.
"Did that," Link replied.
"Okay, we'll try it this way," Line told Leynne. Then he said to Link, "Stop pacing, or we're gonna nail your feet to the deck."
"I can't!" Link said as he started pacing port and starboard again. "There're too many things that can go wrong! What if we lose one of the other ships? We aren't armed!"
"I thought that was youh puhpose," Leynne joked with a straight face. Line snorted and ducked his head to hide his smile.
"Not funny, Leynne," Link said. "And what happens if they start shooting up the Smiling Gunner and hit the brig? What are we supposed to say to that? 'Sorry, Your Majesty, but we killed your daughter while we were trying to save her'?"
"It's nice to have a plan," Line commented to himself.
"If what you've told me about Captain Nohth is true," Leynne said, "I find solace in defehring to his judgment regahding tactics. Suhly he has a plan of attack that does not requih aimlessly firing into the hull."
"Yeah, Link," Line said. "He's been doing this a lot longer than us. I bet he knows right where to strike to take out a ship's mobility."
"The bridge, ostensibly," Leynne told him.
Line bared his teeth in a show of hesitation. "Eh, probably not. If you hit the control panel of a ship, it could kill the ballast and send you straight down."
"You're not helping!" Link snapped at him.
There was a moment of silence before Line complained aloud, "Great Goddesses. How long have we been in this Sky Line?"
Leynne removed a watch from his pocket and opened it. "Just a little oveh two houhs," he answered.
Line peered over to examine the pocketwatch. "Nice watch."
Leynne slapped the cover shut. "I made it myself. The mainspring has an additional mechanism which winds it as I move. It isn't pehfect, but it keeps the watch wound if I happen to fohget to do so manually."
"Cool! Can you make me one?"
"If you have the money to buy the pahts I need."
Line thought for a moment. "Let me get back to you in about five years."
"Will you guys focus!" Link snapped at them.
"Hey!" Line snapped back. "We're focused! You're the one turning into a nutcase!"
"We could be minutes away from a fight, and you guys are taking about a watch!" Link continued. "What is wrong with you!?"
"Link, we're here," Line said with a haunted voice.
"No, don't go dis—" Link started.
"No, Link," Leynne interrupted in a stern voice. "You should turn around."
Link realized that both of them were staring past him with astonishment all over their faces. This caused his stomach to churn, and he turned to look beyond the bow.
Above the horizon, just barely visible on the Moon's Shadow's port side, was an island sporting the largest tree anyone had ever seen. Link could understand why they were surprised just after immediately realizing that there was an island in their path.
"Oh, no," Link uttered to himself. "Where's the storm?"