The Wind Waker

XVI

HE WEPT for the better part of his journey to Windfall. The island was mercifully close. To his utmost gratitude, his talking boat kept its mouth shut.

When he finally came to the dock on the shore of Windfall, he anchored the boat and grabbed up his sodden cap and his satchel.

"Where are you going?" the King said as Link climbed onto the dock.

Link didn't answer. He just wanted to be alone.

The streets of the island were vacant. The people here had the sense, unlike him, not to stay out in the rain. He plodded up the main street of the island, the street having become slick, and full of puddles.

Link accidentally stepped in a deceptively deep pool of water, and grumbled at getting even more soaked.

He saw a building with light flooding out its unshuttered windows, and he could hear the sound of people enjoying themselves. It was the cafe that was built on top of Zunafari's street stall.

It annoyed him, and hurt him deeply, to see other people have so much fun, when he had been completely broken since the moment those fletching pirates landed on the shore of his home.

Link had nothing better to do, so he walked up the stairs and out of the rain. He dropped several green rupees on a small meal of fried fish, and walked to a table. Link could see the eyes of many people in the restaurant resting on him. He was sure he heard some of them snickering about his clothing.

He still had a good amount of rupees left. Maybe he'd buy something more normal to wear. His food arrived, and he reveled in being able to have a proper meal for the first time in weeks.

It wasn't the best skippyjack he'd had, but the meal was certainly better than having to drink water out of a tiny island spring.

Link laid back when he finished. He was tired. Very tired. Not tired physically - he hadn't done much more than sailing today. No, he was tired at a deep, mental, and emotional level.

He'd given his all, and had his hope leveled multiple times since Aryll was kidnapped. Now, he grappled with what he knew was true. He'd never see her again. And after his failure, he didn't want to see his family again either.

The complete and utter disappointment they would have waiting for him was worth enduring the crippling loneliness that he felt inside.

He didn't know what to do. Maybe he'd hire himself out as a deckhand on a ship. Whatever he did, he knew that he couldn't muster up hope in himself to try to save Aryll again though. It was just too much.

To have something built up, and then have it utterly razed to the ground... his dreams had been burned like useless kindling in a fire.

He did not deserve to wear the clothes he was wearing. He was not a hero. He was just a fourteen year old boy, who was obsessed with pointless knowledge about stars that benefitted no one.

He bowed his head down onto his folded arms, fighting the tears that kept threatening to flow once more.

"...we're goin' to this place called Outset Island ya' see, interestin' place..."

Link raised his head. He listened carefully for the sound of the voice.

"...an' we been there before, but now we know there's quite a pretty sum of rupees hidden on the island."

He turned towards the sound. It was a bearded man, talking to someone at another table. It was one of Tetra's pirates. And they were going back to Outset. They were going to rob his family and friends.