Chapter 57 - Echolocation
Summary: Kendal's long absence takes a toll on Mila. Link reminisces about some past events.
The sun was setting in Zora's Domain as Midon spoke with his sister Mila by the shore of Mikau Lake.
"You just wandering about here all by yourself, Mi?" Midon inquired.
"Um, yes, kind of waiting for a message," said Mila.
"Fine, I'll be right back," said Midon as he dove into the lake and ascended the nearby waterfall. A few moments later, he returned.
"Just to show you what a good sport I am, here are three Hyrule Bass for dinner. These are for everyone even though I'm not staying," said Midon as he presented the fish to his sister.
"Good sport? It was your turn anyway, Midon," said Mila. "But why aren't you eating dinner with us?"
"My friend, Logan, is having a small get-together with some of us guys," said Midon. "He just returned from a trip to Lurelin Village and brought back a bunch of porgies. And you know it's best to eat while they're fresh."
"Have fun then," said Mila.
"You okay, Mi? You seem unusually quiet today."
"I guess it must be pretty obvious if even you noticed," said Mila.
"Very funny," said Midon. "But seriously, Mi, is something bothering you?"
"It's Kendal," Mila sighed. "He was supposed to finish his training today, but I haven't heard from him yet. I'm getting worried."
"Well, maybe he'll surprise you later," Midon reassured her.
"I hope so. Anyway, Mom and Dad are inside, so let me bring in the fish while they're fresh. Enjoy the porgies!" said Mila.
Midon nodded and waved while Mila entered the house.
"Mom! Dad! Midon caught dinner for us!" Mila called out, her voice echoing through the unusually quiet house.
Earlier in the day, Linky and his family had returned to North Hyrule, and Lapha was immersed in her work at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab near Hyrule Castle. A moment later, Mipha and Link joined her at the table. Link retrieved three dishes, and they all sat down to eat as Mila took out her Tab and laid it beside her on the table.
"Where is Midon, by the way?" asked Mipha.
"He's off enjoying porgies with his friend Logan," said Mila.
"Great! I think it's good for him to spend time with friends," said Link. "Hopefully, it will help him move on from his breakup."
"Thanks to the captivating Tiray of North Hyrule, I think my dear brother is already moving on from his breakup," laughed Mila. "But we'll see."
As they ate, Mila's eyes darted repeatedly to her Tab, prompting a knowing smile from Mipha.
"You're hoping for a message from Kendal, aren't you, sweetheart?"
"It's that obvious, Mom?" Mila responded, blushing slightly and with a hint of embarrassment in her voice. "But yes, you're right. I find I keep looking at my Tab, even though I know I can connect to it mentally. And I also know that constantly checking it won't make Kendal message me any sooner."
"Has there been no word from Kendal lately?" inquired Link.
"He's been unable to communicate, Dad," Mila explained. "It's been a month now, and his unit's Captain has imposed a no-distractions policy during training, so Tabs are off-limits. He thought perhaps his training would be finished by today, but so far, it seems not."
"Being out of touch like that must be hard, sweetheart," Mipha said softly, her voice sympathetic.
"It is, and I'm not used to it. Even when we're apart, we message each other almost every day. When I escorted Midon to North Hyrule to help him find some peace and diversion after his split with Larena, I was also seeking some distraction for myself," admitted Mila.
"What is Kendal's month-long training all about?" inquired Link.
"His unit is undergoing deep-water exploration and combat training, relying on echolocation in the pitch-black depths," Mila explained. "It culminates in a test to demonstrate their skills. It's a step toward his next promotion, and I dearly hope he doesn't grow careless and fail. Otherwise, he has to start all over, and we'll be apart and out of communication for another month!"
"Stay positive, sweetheart," said Mipha.
"Ah, echolocation," Link reminisced. "That reminds me of the over five months of grueling training your Mom put me through before we battled Underwaterblight Ganon in the depths of Lake Hylia."
"Five months?!" exclaimed Mila. "That long?"
"You have to understand that a good part of that time was spent getting your father acclimated to being a Zora, sweetheart," said Mipha. "He didn't grow up in his new body, and so many things that would come naturally to us were completely foreign to him. I insisted on a lengthy training period to ensure he was ready for combat."
"It was pretty intense," Link agreed. "I was completely exhausted by the end of each day."
"My insistence on his thorough training caused some friction with Zelda, who was anxious to rid Lake Hylia of our enemy. But I wanted your father to be completely capable of deep water echolocation combat before I was willing to let him battle that loathsome creature."
"You were definitely pretty strict with me, though I know it was for my own good," Link agreed. "For example, I remember one day we were returning home together after one of my endless days of training. I can still picture it."
"You need to keep working on echolocation," said Mipha, without a word of greeting as they walked home together. "You're going to have to catch your dinner later tonight blindfolded to practice. Let's go."
"Sorry," said Link. "I know you're doing everything for me because you care. It's just that I get cranky when I'm hungry."
"And I get cranky when we have no time to be together as a couple, and you have to spend all your energy training," said Mipha. "But I want you prepared and confident when the time comes."
When they reached home, they sat together outside silently for a few moments. Then Mipha turned to him, and her tone became much softer.
"You know, sweetheart, I would be so lovingly grateful if you would master echolocation so we can enjoy our time together at night. Wouldn't you like that?"
Then she gave him that look he found irresistible with her eyes open wide and her pretty smile.
"Is this the 'carrot and stick' approach?" laughed Link. "You know very well I'd like that. I'll keep trying to do better tomorrow."
"Good attitude," said Mipha. "But we call it the 'bait and click' approach. Now, let's head to the lake. Three times up and down all three waterfalls here, then catch your fish, and we can call it a day."
"It was exhausting," said Link after finishing the recollection. "But as Mom said, I was getting the feel of a completely new me in the water. Practicing combat, as well as navigating tunnels blindfolded at high speed, was no easy feat. I'm grateful your mother was there to heal the inevitable bumps and bruises I sustained every day when I ran into things."
"Thank you for adding to our daughter's worries, dear," sighed Mipha. "But I'm confident Kendal will manage just fine."
"I have confidence in him too," said Mila. "But I'd simply like to know how he is. I don't know how you and Dad coped with being apart without Tabs to communicate with, Mom."
"It had its disadvantages," Mipha agreed. "But perhaps it made the times we saw each other more special and precious. Love finds a way."
"And I heard your Mom express the concern that my messaging her about all I did every day with Zelda might only make her worry more," said Link. "So, maybe it was for the best at the time. I know young people call those times the old days now."
"Even though we can't message each other, I wish I could at least visit the training area to see how Kendal is doing," Mila sighed. "But I know that's impossible. He has always been firm about not wanting any special attention because of my royal position."
"And you should respect his wishes, sweetheart," Link advised her. "Otherwise, he'll lose his standing among his colleagues… just like I did."
Mila was taken aback, "That happened to you, Dad?"
"It's not something I talk about often," Link admitted. "But yes, it did happen. I lost some friends because of it, which is probably another reason why I grew more reserved."
"To think of you becoming even more introverted is quite something to imagine, sweetheart," Mipha joked lightly.
"Ha, very amusing, darling," Link chuckled.
"Now you have to tell us the story, Dad," Mila urged him.
"Okay, okay," said Link. "It happened after I was promoted to Captain and appointed as Princess Zelda's knight. Some of my friends were supportive, but others I knew were resentful. I remember one incident.
As I said, King Rhoam had promoted me to Captain and assigned me to guard his daughter. I was young to make Captain - the youngest ever, in fact. I still hold that honor. Anyway, I suspect one reason for my sudden promotion was that the King wanted to avoid any argument from his daughter about having someone of lower rank as her knight. At that time, Princess Zelda didn't like me very much and would have been happy to find any excuse to rule me out as her guard. Anyway, I was returning to the officer barracks one evening after another frustrating day with the Princess in which she hardly spoke to me and asked me to follow ten paces behind her.
"Look who decided to join us, the famous Captain Link," an officer named Morgan sneered when I arrived. "Haven't they found better accommodations for you at the castle? Maybe right next to the Princess's room since you and she must be so close now?"
"Watch your words, Morgan," another officer chuckled. "At the rate Link is advancing, he'll be a General before we know it, and we'll all be taking orders from him. It must be nice to have the Princess's support for your career, eh Link?"
"I admit my promotion was quite sudden, but I believe my actions speak for themselves, and I would have become a Captain eventually," I replied. "The King simply accelerated the process. And contrary to what you may think, the Princess hasn't helped my career at all. In fact, she'd prefer if I kept out of her sight. My duty as her guard is already challenging enough, so please, don't make it harder."
"Maybe she's just playing hard to get, Link, or hiding her favoritism," Morgan suggested. "Don't expect any sympathy here."
"Anyway, that was just one example," Link added. "So Mila, please don't interfere. It will only make things more difficult for Kendal."
"Understood," Mila replied with a nod. "Though searching for him might give me a chance to improve my own echolocation skills. Once, when I was playing tag with Linky's family at the North Hyrule shore, and the water was murky, Tara and Tila were so good at echolocation that I didn't have a chance. Growing up with ready access to deep water must have given them more experience. They could click faster and with higher frequency than me."
"They do have a fondness for Akkala Angler in the North, which is a very deep water fish," said Link. "Searching for Anglers might be one way they get more practice."
"It's fascinating how you managed to steer the conversation to food, sweetheart," teased Mipha. "Are you still hungry?"
"You're such a tease, dearest," laughed Link. "And no, I'm not hungry. The Hyrule Bass was quite filling - at least for now. But on a more serious note, no pun intended, Sopha of North Hyrule was also quite skilled at echolocation. Though we didn't know it was her then, Sopha's high-intensity ping shortened our thirtieth-anniversary trip to Lurelin Village. Remember sweetheart?"
"Of course," said Mipha. "How could I forget? That was creepy."
"I don't think either of you told me about that back then," said Mila. "Though I do recall reading something about it in your journal, Dad."
"You were wrapped up in your North Hyrule history book at that time, and we didn't want to distract you with worry," said Link.
"But now that you brought it up, can you remind me what happened?" Mila asked.
"Let me get my journal, and I can read it from there," said Link as he rose from the table. "Even my excellent memory isn't good enough to remember all the details."
"Very funny, sweetheart," laughed Mipha. "But go ahead."
"Yes, Dad, please go and consult your journal. You know, the work you wanted to scuttle so prematurely," Mila teased.
"You never give up reminding me, do you, sweetheart?" Link laughed as he went to retrieve his journal.
Link returned a moment later with one of the volumes.
"It's in the chapter titled 'Overworked,'" said Link. "Let me read that part. It begins with your mom and me enjoying our time together by Lurelin Village. I was still a Hylian back then. And before you level more criticism my way about my preoccupation with meals, it does begin with us having lunch."
The next day dawned sunny, and they strolled along the beach, had a fresh crab and fish lunch, and then decided to swim. The saltwater was crisp and refreshing as they swam together.
"I like swimming here but still prefer freshwater," said Mipha. "But thank you for arranging our trip. I love you so very much! You're a wonderful husband!"
"And you're a wonderful wife and will always be my dream come true," said Link.
They reached out, embraced, and kissed.
"Happy Anniversary," said Link.
"Happy Anniversary," said Mipha.
They swam for another hour and then kissed once more as they held each other. Then Link noticed Mipha's expression change, and she suddenly looked serious. A moment later, Link felt a vibration.
"Ouch!" said Mipha.
And suddenly, Mipha's whole demeanor changed. Without another word, she took Link by the hand and pulled him to shore as fast as she could, not stopping until they were entirely out of the water. She turned to look back at the sea, still holding Link's hand. Link also turned to watch, following her gaze, but there was nothing to see. The waves were unbroken by anything on the surface and rolled to shore precisely as before.
"What is it, Mipha? What's the matter?" said Link.
"Let's go," said Mipha. "I'll tell you back at our hut when we have our weapons."
They walked quickly back to the hut they were staying in, then sat on the bed beside each other.
"Now, tell me what's wrong," said Link.
"You didn't feel anything?" said Mipha.
"I felt a vibration just before you grabbed my hand," said Link.
"Well, you wouldn't feel the other two, being a Hylian," said Mipha. "I felt three Zora echolocation clicks. The first was a typical Zora I'm just checking my surroundings kind of click. We feel those all the time when other Zoras are nearby, especially when swimming in deep or dark water. That didn't bother me. It was the second and especially the third click that did."
"What about them?" said Link.
"The second click was, how shall I try to explain it? It is like I just sensed something interesting, a tasty fish perhaps, and I want a better picture of it to make sure. That click is longer, more focused, and has a different pitch. It's typically what we might use if we were hungry and had detected a fish we might like, and now we want to know what kind it is and where it's going. And if that had been the last click, I would have been curious why a fellow Zora was so interested in us, but I would not be alarmed. It was the third click that concerned me."
"What was the third click?" said Link.
"That was our hunter-killer click," said Mipha. "That's the click we might use when we've decided upon our prey. Often, we prefer not to use it since the prey can feel it, and it alerts them. It's quite potent and can stun some smaller fish outright. But it gives us the most detailed image of our target, and it's typically followed up by capture."
"But how do you know it's not just another nearby Zora hunting fish?" said Link.
"Because I can tell the click was directed at us, and that's what is confusing and concerning to me," said Mipha.
"How do you mean?" said Link.
"Because the first, and certainly the second click, would have already identified us as a Hylian and a Zora swimming together. And knowing I was a Zora, they would know I could sense their clicks. So, hitting us with the third click is hard to understand. It's as if they needed to identify us in detail and were so excited by what they sensed in their second click that they had to make absolutely sure who we were. It's considered rude - hostile even - to direct a click like that at another Zora. We would swim over to them if we wanted to find out who another Zora was. So, I wanted to get you out of the water at that point."
"You didn't click back at them?" said Link.
"No, I already knew enough," said Mipha.
"Which is?" said Link.
"That there is, or more likely was, a Zora in the water here who was very, very interested in one or both of us," said Mipha.
"Was?" said Link.
"Yes, because they know I know about them now," said Mipha. "I could request a squad of Zoras come here to search the area, and I may well still do that. But I suspect this person does not want to be found and has already swum away. Let's go home now."
"I agree," said Link. "This incident gives me the creeps. The only Zora I could imagine who might once have wished us ill is Sopha. But she seems rehabilitated now and is back in North Hyrule."
Mipha thought for a moment.
"I take this seriously, Link, and I don't want you swimming alone. Do you understand me?" said Mipha.
"Yes, of course," said Link. "And perhaps you shouldn't either."
"I can take care of myself in the water," said Mipha. "But I will discuss increasing domain security with my brother."
Link nodded. Then, they gathered up their belongings and prepared to return home.
Link's voice trembled as he recounted the events. "We later discovered that it was Sopha who was free while her clone remained in North Hyrule, masquerading as her. She was driven by a thirst for revenge, and upon detecting a Zora and Hylian swimming together, she couldn't resist confirming it was us."
"That's why we felt such a strong click," said Mipha.
Suddenly, Mila's Tab began to buzz urgently, signaling an incoming call.
"It's Kendal," Mila exclaimed, rising from the table in a hurry. "Excuse me, I'll take this in my room."
The room fell silent as Mila rushed to her room and closed the door behind her.
"I hope it's good news," Link said, breaking the tension.
"I'm sure it is," Mipha replied calmly. "Kendal wouldn't want to deliver bad news by Tab."
In her room, Mila answered the call with bated breath.
"Kendal? Please tell me you passed!"
A deep sigh of relief escaped her lips as Kendal's voice came through the speaker. "Yes, sweetheart, I passed."
Tears of joy welled up in Mila's eyes. "Thank Nayru! I've been worried sick waiting to hear from you. Are you coming back now?"
Kendal's voice softened. "I wish I could see you tonight, but all of us who passed have to attend a mandatory celebration. But I promise I'll be back first thing in the morning."
"Don't drink too much at the celebration. And yes, we can finally be together tomorrow. You owe me a month of being apart, and I expect payment to begin first thing tomorrow morning."
Kendal laughed.
"I can't wait to start repaying you, Princess. I have to go now, but I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."
"I love you too," Mila said, her heart overflowing with love and relief. "Goodnight."
As the call ended, Mila returned to the kitchen where Mipha and Link were still seated, and her face lit up as she announced, "Kendal passed! He'll be back tomorrow. They're celebrating tonight!"
"That's fantastic," exclaimed Mipha. "I always knew he would do well."
"Such great news," added Link.
"I'm so relieved," Mila sighed. "I've missed him terribly!"
"It just goes to show the truth of the Hylian expression that absence makes the heart grow fonder," said Link.
"We have a Zora saying that goes, 'Being lakes apart warms the heart,'" said Mipha. "But I know very well that it's true, my love because you didn't visit me enough."
"Somehow, everything always ends up being my fault," laughed Link. "But I'm genuinely happy for you, Mila."
"Why don't we all go for a swim after dinner?" suggested Mipha.
"Great idea, Mom. I can't focus on anything else right now. I'll meet you at the lake," said Mila before leaving.
"Let's go, sweetheart," said Link. "Swimming is an excellent form of exercise, and all this talk about intense past training is making me hungry."
"Alright then, let's go, dearest," laughed Mipha as she took his hand. "All this talk about lovers reuniting has made me quite hungry, too. You'll need energy for later."