Chapter 17: Coker Acres
The BASE
Pisces stood at the fence, waving bye to Link and Tetra as they headed off. As soon as they were out of sight his bright grin vanished and he dropped his arm, swerving back into the base. It was empty.
"Already? Lora!" Pisces called, looking around as if there was a point to it. "Dang!"
"Yes?"
Pisces almost fell to his face; she was standing behind him. "Annie, tell me what's going on. What's the matter? And what's with that kid?"
"Which one?"
"You know the one! Where'd he come from?"
"Kita found him. What about him?"
"You're kidding, right?"
She held her steady expression. Pisces scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he began to pace.
"Lora, c'mon," he asked calmly. "I don't want to hold you up any longer."
"What are you upset about?"
"Forget being upset! I'm disturbed!"
"Go on…"
"He has your disposition! Your face! Lora, he has your eyes! Are you trying to skive off the fact he's your son?"
"He's not really my son."
Pisces dropped his hand, looking at her in disbelief. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I can't believe that."
"You don't think I'm lying, do you?"
"Whuh, I—uhhhhh…"
"All of what you described is a coincidence. And I would remember if I'd borne a child."
The Zora sputtered for a moment, flinging his arms out. "Oh, Nayru. It sounds bad when you put it like that…"
"I've not even allowed myself to be courted, Pisces. You should especially know it'd be impossible for me to conceive all those years ago," Lora said. "You heard how old they both are."
"Where were you ten years ago, then?"
Lora hesitated.
"Can you remember?" Pisces asked carefully.
"I was training with Master Mai. And that was before the two of us met and I gave you that eye patch."
The Zora fidgeted with his fins. "Right…that does line up. But heh, hey! I betcha ol' Roxy knows some—"
"Don't ask her anything."
Pisces almost choked on his remaining words. Her tone had gotten treacherously calmer for a moment.
"Okay. I won't," Pisces said, glancing down and rubbing behind his head fin. "But…you and I, we're good friends, right?"
"Yes."
"I just want to know what's going on. That's all."
The corner of her mouth furrowed. "About what, now? We're done talking about the little blonde whelp."
Pisces let a grin loose. "But aren't you…ahh, yeah, but something is bothering you, Lora. Something else. You know…since you've been out of Noh's service, it's gotten easier to read you."
"I know. I've caught myself slipping up more lately," Lora almost growled the words out. "What a pathetic shame on my part..."
"Lora, come on. Talk to me. You know you can. Didn't I tell you I wouldn't say a word to anyone else if that's what you wanted? I still mean that. It's not gonna change."
"I'm sorry, Pisces…now isn't the time. The truth is, I don't even know what's wrong with myself."
He looked at her closely, frowning. "Wait, what do you mean?"
"I've just been off. I can't focus the way I'm supposed to and all of the distractions don't help. It also has to do with Lionel…whatever he's feeling usually rubs off of me."
"What? Don't tell me the big guy isn't his usual happy self? Hey—you'd think he'd be happier with Luna gone for so long."
"Well, he isn't…he showed his teeth to King Hearth this morning, and it wasn't in a smile…"
"Oof…"
"Maybe…" Lora began thoughtfully. "Things will settle more over the coming weeks. Especially when the Ball is over. It's best to take days one at a time."
They were both quiet for a moment.
"You're not still thinking that boy is my son, are you?" Lora asked.
"I can't help my intrusive thoughts. I can only manage 'em!" Pisces said defensively, crossing his arms. "And yeah."
"Well, think of it this way. If I really were his mother, wouldn't he remember my face?"
Pisces almost looked like he wanted to accept defeat. Then another unexpected, miraculous thought crossed his mind. "I'm just thinking—has he had trouble with amnesia, too?"
"Yes," Lora admitted, lowering her voice. "His appears to be short-term, thankfully…"
"Whoa, no way."
"There's something about his case that's very peculiar. He is unable to remember the events of what occurred before he arrived in this realm. At first, I had thought Kita may've done something to tamper with his mind. But Kita has admitted he can only manipulate memories that are made within the realm."
"Really? Why's that?"
She shrugged. "It's just the limit of his power, I suppose."
"Really…and he admitted that, huh?" Pisces said suspciously, "He never admits anything. Wait, so…ah, I see what you're saying. So forget Kita for now—something else happened to that little guy before he got here?"
"That has to be it. Since he can't recall, only Tetra would know what happened. She refuses to talk about it."
"Oh, shoot. Wait, wait, wait."
Pisces looked off to the side, suddenly seeming far more disturbed than before.
"The…kids are…Outsiders," he said.
"Yes? You already knew that."
"But...argh, wait."
Oh, goddesses, what is this?! Pisces thought furiously. There was a nagging at the back of his head, the kind that happened when he knew he'd forgotten something.
What am I stuck on? Was it something Lora just said, or…someone else who said it a different time?
"Lora, can you tell me if…ah."
She was gone.
"Got impatient. Shoot."
Pisces sighed. He knew that by the time he came face-to-face with her again, he wouldn't remember what he had to ask.
Meanwhile...
Hearthstone - Main Street
"It's my hope I don't get any bad reports," Tetra was repeating, turning the corners of her mouth down into a mocking scowl. "Unnngh…I'm so boring I don't even know how to smile…"
Link giggled nervously, glancing up to make sure they were still on track. They stayed shoulder-to-shoulder with each other in traffic, which had calmed a little by then.
You're something else, aren't you?" Tetra asked him. "Didn't you hear what Lora said about following us? You're fine with that?"
"She specifically said she wouldn't be the one to do it. She's only making sure we stay focused."
"Ugh, whatever…"
Twenty minutes later they left the main road to take the exit at the north-eastern gate. The guard there singled them out right away. "Heading to the fields?" she asked them.
Tetra sighed. "Yes. We are allowed to leave, right?"
"Uhhh…" the guard said, darting her eyes to Link, who likewise thought she looked familiar. "Yeah, you're good to go. Wait, is that the Executioner's firearm?"
"Yeah, not that I can do anything with it," Tetra muttered. "The only thing it's good for is getting reactions out of people…"
In disbelief, the guard watched them leave. She faced the street, glanced around, then took out her communicator.
"…Elias? Are you there? Look, I need answers. See if you can get ahold of Lora for me today, alright?"
Sundo Meadows
The grass of the land was silken and dark-ochre in color, perfectly cut to a modest height. If the children were to step off the dirt road the grass would only brush up to their knees. Although the meadows were expansive, sloping hills of all sizes and contours made it hard to see the more than a half mile in any direction.
Just north was the farm, presently the only landmark in sight. The hazy, monolithic shape of Mt. Hearth could be seen looming quietly on the skyline.
Sela stuck her head out. "Left at the fork," she said, since Link and Tetra were still walking forward in a daze. "Wrong way, children. Wrong way!"
"Huh? What?" Tetra asked, shaking her head. "Oh, right…"
The path to the farm was hoof-beaten and well traveled. The gently blowing wind, as well as the noises and restless calls of farm animals, made for a nice change in ambience. The rumblings of the capital were mostly contained within its walls.
"Wait, hold up," Tetra blurted, realizing that there were three of them there. "Where'd you come from? Are you going to be hanging around us now or something?"
"Yes," Sela said, now perched on Link's shoulder. "Do you think I should tell her a secret, Link?"
"Only if you're comfortable," he said.
Sela took several moments to check their surroundings then quickly lifted into the air and changed in a blur of motion. Tetra's eyes almost flew out of her head as the squirrel turned into a scarf, wrapping itself snugly around Link's neck.
"I'm a shapeshifter," Sela said.
Link added, "You can't tell anyone."
"Okay…if that's what you want. Who am I to blab to someone else about it?" Tetra asked, glancing away. She was clearly casing her surroundings and her pace had gotten a little hesitant.
"You're not thinking of running, are you?" Link asked.
"Of course I am. It doesn't mean I'll do it. How about you worry more about yourself? Nice day, right? Nice enough for you to fall out for several hours too, I bet."
Link grunted in displeasure since she was right.
"I guess you're lucky. I can't complain about you wanting nappy-bye since we're not on my ship anymore. Bozo." Tetra sulked quietly for a few moments before looking closer at his neck. "So…Sela, don't tell me that's what you really look like, right? I feel kinda bad for you. What's your thread count?"
Sela's eyes popped into view and Tetra leaped away with a yelp. Once Link and Sela had gotten done laughing, they slowed down to explain it to her in brief since they were approaching the farm's edge.
"Hey!" Tetra said, noticing a tool propped up on the side of the barn. "Have you ever tried turning into a pitchfork just to jab someone you didn't like in the back?"
"Well, I can turn into a butcher knife, not a pitchfork. I won't answer the last part of the question," Sela said, relaxing on Link's shoulders. "Now, shhhh…I don't know where this woman is yet. Watch for her…she's very lively."
She closed her eyes and they vanished completely. An amber house with white trimming was the first thing within distance. There was a barn, several outside stables, and a training arena offset a hundred feet east of the main grounds. To the immediate north were acres of several hundred well-tended to cherry trees, whose leaves were the color of the meadow's grass.
They first knocked on the door of the house, but when there was no answer they went to look in the barn. One of the stalls was occupied by a massive sow with muddy-red fur. Her eyes were almost hidden under the folds of her heavy forehead and glinted like shards of obsidian. She also had an underbite, giving her a very grumpy expression as she watched them in silence.
"Looks like Edna with a makeover, right? Oh wait, that's an insult to pigs," Tetra said.
As Link broke down in laughter, someone began yelling at them.
"Heeeeeeey!"
Tck-tck-tok! Tck-tck-tok!
In the distance a horse was loping down from the arena. Its rider was a young red-haired woman in overalls, and she was coming in very fast.
"Link, shield me!"
Tetra yanked him in front of her. The bay horse screeched to a sharp halt in front of them, touching its nose to Link's forehead. The farmer dismounted, then seized one of their hands each in her own.
"Hey now, good morning, I'm AJ! Ya'll two must be who I'm looking for. You're Tetra, right…lookee you, with Dracnoir on you hip. I see you. And you, Link? I'll be darned, you have a head just like your mama's. C'mon, now."
She took off, dragging them both behind her. "Busy day today. I'mma bout to get ya'll set up, then I gotta get back to my own work."
"Yes ma'am," Link said, stumbling. "Um, Pisces said—"
"Pisces says alotta things, he happen to tell you you're doing deliveries today?"
"Yes, he did."
"Ohhh, well good for him! Looks like he remembered our entire talk. Bless his heart…"
Behind the house was a wagon hitched up to an old donkey, which was asleep on its feet. The mountain of parcels in the back of the wagon made them double check to make sure their eyes were working right.
"…all of that?" Link wondered, craning his head.
"Sure thang," AJ said frankly. "And that's less than usual for the average week. Pisces needed something to keep ya'll busy for the rest of the day. Perfect, ain't it?"
She tossed them an address book, a ledger, a satchel, and a quill.
"Ink's underneath your seat, Link. Now ya'll just get to the right address and hand off the goods." AJ told them, already looking impatient. "Make sure to track every delivery in the ledger book and don't forget to collect payments. Simple as that. If you can get them all delivered today, then great. If not, then try to get as much knocked out as possible. Don't feel like you have to rush 'cause that's how mistakes are made. Alright? Now, either of ya'll got questions?"
"Nope," Tetra said flatly; Link was yawning, rubbing at his eyes.
"Good!"
AJ practically shoved them into the wagon. "This is Heather," she said, patting the donkey on the flank to rouse her. "She's a little old, but she knows the route. I'd say even without a map she'd be good enough for ya."
"She won't act funny, will she?" Tetra asked, taking the reins.
"Naw, she won't. Not if you act right first. Ey—Link!" AJ snapped, making him jerk awake. "Son, if you don't wake up and stay up!"
"Seriously! I swear you have narcolepsy or something," Tetra said, irritated. "Keep track of the stuff, will you?"
She lowered her voice and added, "Did they ever teach you math back on that dinky little island of yours?"
"I know how to count," Link said plainly.
"Pfft okay, give me an estimate of how many more times you'll gape your mouth open today."
"Tetra, give'er a flick of the reins," AJ told her. "Tell her whoa to stop her whenever. C'mon, now, get going."
Tetra did as she was told. Heather took one aggressive step forward, then eased into a lumbering walk. As they neared the edge of the property, AJ caught up with them on her horse.
"Thank you both kindly. I'd better not have a dehydrated donkey when ya'll are done, so hit up one of them watering holes in the pavilion…it's gonna be a warm day today." AJ said. "I'll ask one more time…do either of you have questions?"
The both of them shook their heads. AJ set her hat back on her head, pulling her riding gloves on.
"'right, then…I' countin' on ya'll. Take your time and be careful." AJ turned and loped away on her horse. Link watched the rider and horse take off, amazed. It almost looked like they were flying.
"Is it me, or is this like an ocean?" Tetra asked out of nowhere. "I know it sounds stupid, but with the hills and the grass looking the way it is, it sorta reminds you of a sea of water with waves. Right? Are you awake over there?"
"Oh…for now," Link answered truthfully, facing front.
"Go ahead and give me the first address on the list, then."
He opened the correct book. "The first stop is...178 Auburn Circle. It's a wine delivery for Ms. Clair."
Hearthstone - Main Street
They got into town and Heather took over, acting more of her own accord than Tetra's as she steered them towards the main street and casually merged with traffic. Just like AJ said, she knew where to go. Link glanced at the map on occasion to make sure they were still going the right way, but didn't have to say a single word.
"We're good, right?" Tetra asked uncertainly. "She's not listening at all anymore."
"Yes, we're going the right way. She's starting to get annoyed, Tetra. You're putting too much pressure on the reins."
Tetra hesitantly gave Heather more slack. Within five minutes the donkey left the main street and trickled through a mile of side roads and alleys, tossing her head as she finally turned down dreary Auburn Circle.
Link saw a few shapes stalking them though the thick shadows. The eyes gleaming at him were very similar to his.
"What were those?" he wondered. Sela anxiously wound herself tighter to his neck.
"…absolute, complete—I don't know," Tetra snapped. "Even if they're demons, who cares? As long as whatever they are don't get in our way."
They stopped in front of a residence and she started to get out. "Not here," Link said airily, rifling through the mountain of packages. "The next one."
Tetra grumbled in annoyance, flicking the reins. Heather didn't react at first and only took half a dozen small steps forward, almost as if she was moving as little and slowly as possible.
"This is close enough! Give me it, what I need," Tetra said. Link passed her a bottle wrapped in cowhide.
As Tetra came up to the porch, she got a bit of a shock when a cat suddenly leaped into the front window, narrowing its eyes at her.
"Yeah, hi," she said wearily, knocking on the door. Seconds passed but no one answered. Tetra knocked harder and put her ear to the door. The cat opened its mouth into a silent hiss.
"…hey, country boy," Tetra called over her shoulder. "You come try knocking. This cat's starting to creep me—"
The door flung open, making her stumble a little over the threshold. An older woman had answered, but her eyes were glazed over and she seemed a little unsteady on her feet. She also held an empty bottle in hand.
"Oh, hi," Tetra said flatly. "I have something for you."
"What do you want from me?" Ms. Clair asked.
"I don't want anything from you. I have your delivery."
"You're not Anne Jane!"
"No idea who that is."
The woman contorted her face into an ugly glare. "You brats won't trick me again!" she screamed. "Get out of my face!"
In a rage she flung the bottle and it hurtled all the way towards Link, careening off his head and knocking him out the wagon.
"Oh!" Tetra cried. While she wasn't looking, Ms. Clair snatched the new bottle of wine out of her hand. By the time Tetra whirled to curse the woman out, the door was slamming in her face. The cat in the window sneered at her then leapt out of sight.
"They—oh whatever!" Tetra left the porch in disgust, shaking her head. "That was just great. You're okay, right?"
Dazed, Link climbed up into the wagon with a nice new knot on his head. "I deserved that…I was falling asleep. What happened?"
"I don't know! She got mad for no reason. Mark the delivery as being completed, I guess."
Sela glanced around before muttering, "Hmph, well, it's not the best start but at least we're done with the old drunkard…"
They all paused for a moment.
"…but are…we forgetting something?" Sela wondered. None of them could think of what it was, so they opted to continue.
But now, Heather refused to move. They tried pushing and pulling her, but she only stood there with a dreary look in her eyes, idly licking her lips. Link patted her on the forehead.
"We might have to lure her with something," he said.
Tetra waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, get in. I've got an idea."
Once they were settled Tetra leaned forward and slapped the donkey on the rear. Heather went completely still for a few seconds before she started walking.
"Oh," Link said, impressed.
"Yeah, see? She just needed a little get up and—"
"Hee-haaaaaaw!" Heather raged. The old jenny bolted off with terrifying speed and fire in her eyes.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tetra cried, getting the reins tangled in a panic. "STOOOP!"
Heather raced through the alley and swerved into the outside corridor, barreling right for the pavilion. One of the Goron construction workers going on lunch break immediately found himself in Heather's warpath. He dropped everything and took off screaming, "Donkey on the loose!"
One of the back wheels hit a pickaxe he dropped and the wagon pitched violently to one side. Link, who was trying to keep the deliveries secure, almost ended up out of the wagon again. "Oh—Tetra!" he cried.
"I didn't do that!"
"What did you run over—?!"
"I didn't do it, she did!"
People were already running away in all directions. Apparently, this may not have been the first time Heather went on a rampage. Tetra couldn't control or stop her no matter what she did.
"Come! On!" the pirate snapped, pulling back on the reins. "Stop being an ass!"
Heather snorted steam. One could've mistaken her for a cutting horse for how sharp she turned—the wagon tilted violently and both children and all the packages went flying, crashing onto the pavement.
Groaning, Tetra peeled her face from the ground. "Really…what was that about her knowing what to do?"
She gasped and flinched, bristling when a large shadow soared overhead. A brass pipe cawed loudly through the air. Ta-tata-ta-tata!
Link squinted up at the winged silhouette descending from the bright noon sky. "Sela...is that Major Bellows?"
"No, thankfully not," Sela whispered. "But get ready to have another mouthy little girl in your face. That's the Major's daughter."
