Linkguistics

Part 19: Scarfing Down Food

"The demon seems to have a sort of power over lesser creatures. I've not seen anything like it. Were abilities of this nature mentioned in any of the legends you have studied, Your Highness?"

"No, Revali, I'm afraid not." Zelda was sulking. Not only was this strange fellow picking up the Master Sword and acting as if he owned it, he was now better friends with Zelda's horse than Zelda was. This would not have been so bad if he were not also better friends with the dig site puppy, the other horses, and the castle library cat. Urbosa half-expected to walk in on Link doing a musical duet with songbirds. "Just what right does this... boy... have to just waltz in and take the Sword!?" She put in so much work and Link showed up looking all perfect. He had to gall to stand there and be stoic in the face of adversity. The seemingly-teenage Link had adopted a flat mask which only slipped around cute animals.

This whole farce that had been going on for the past two days had driven Zelda to seek some kind of refuge and a listening ear that shared her feelings. Hence why she was on a balcony with Revali. Revali's scarf had been returned today after a triple-washing. Zelda had yet to pry the story out of Revali beyond assertions that Purah was out of control. She would ask Purah the next time she saw her. Unlike Revali's scarf, Link's armor was not returned. It was kept by the dig site after a small measure of pettiness caused Zelda to sweetly give permission to Robbie to knock himself out with experiments on it. (Link had drawn a picture of the armor and pointed at it every now and then. She feigned ignorance.)

If it were not for the charade she herself had insisted on, the King and castle staff might have been far less mystified by the behavior of the Champions. Then again, they didn't know what to make of the morose Link either. He'd become an oddity, a curious subject of conversation. The public spun rumors around him that were far more believable than the public announcement. A young man who came from nowhere and which only spoke Ancient Hylian and Ancient Sheikah was taken as a sign. Not that anyone knew what the sign was supposed to mean. There were no records of him coming in across the borders by land or sea. No Rito had seen him on the roads and no port authority had greeted him at the docks. The repaired hole in the floor of the Temple of Time still had a rope around it as the tile grout finished drying.

At the castle, Link showed little interest in talking and it took a lot of coaxing from Mipha, Daruk, and Urbosa to get him learning new words. He had grasped enough of what was going on to tell when people wanted him to go stand somewhere and exist. Link kept saying things whenever hesaw the Sheikah Slate and tried to politely take it out of people's hands before being yelled at. ("Youa ren tgon nabeabl eto ac ces sallt heru neswhi lelog gedin asague st.") Repeated tests showed that no, the Master Sword still hated other people trying to pick her up. A knighting ceremony was ruled out for now since, with no real way to explain it to Link, he might react badly to a naked sword being held to his neck. The researchers had figured out rudiments of the ancient language but Link would probably still think he was being ritually executed.

Revali tried to think of how to help Princess Zelda through this new trial. Until Link showed his true colors and did something like terrorizing Rito Village, he was not allowed to shoot him. The optics would be bad. King Rhoam's words to the assembled court rang through his mind and he wondered what it would be like if he knew about the pedestal.

People of Hyrule, thanks to the efforts of Princess Zelda and her Champions, we have located the destined wielder of the Sword that Seals the Darkness. This young man standing before you know might just be Ganon, but it's all right now. Daruk threw the pedestal at him and the Master Sword, for some reason, decided to let Link carry it around without burning his hand off. According to the Champions, he looked a lot worse before being hit by the pedestal and getting a haircut... Oh, Din, just strike me down now.

Keeping bits out of the story didn't sit right with the naturally honest Rito and yet, he could see Zelda's wisdom here. Zelda and Revali started omitting details and talking in code as they walked down to the dining hall for supper with the King. Link continued to trail along behind whoever was familiar. Today, he'd picked Daruk. Much to Revali's disgust, Link was directed by a butler to be seated next to Revali. This meant Revali was between Link and Daruk.

He supposed that was better than Link being next to Zelda or the King. Revali's chief objection was that bows were long-range weapons. This seating location was a major disadvantage. Link had been around for a few days and yet still hesitated at the beginning of the meal to observe what everyone else was doing with the soup. Link kept glancing at Revali. Revali made sure to glare back in kind. He would not be intimidated.

Link finally, after a few exchanged looks, reached up a hand to his neck and drew his hand across the collar.

This was a message Revali could not ignore. Revali hissed and stood up with a wing planted firmly on the table. The thump drew even more attention but the startled stares were inconsequential. Couldn't they all see this happening? "You! You dare to threaten me with all these witnesses present?!" He didn't notice the bowl teeter.

Link leaned backwards in his chair as Revali loomed above him. It was strange to see an emotion other than an impassive and morose mask on Link after the past couple of days. "O hno wh atdidid othi stime? Ihav egotto sto ptryi ngtohel ppe oplew itht heirf ash ion."

"I SAW THAT! I'd like to see you try to choke me when you are riddled through with arrows..." He felt something on his hand and saw movement in his peripheral vision. Revali looked down to see his scarf dropping onto the soup bowl. No one at the table dared to speak.

Mipha leaned across the table and quietly said, "I think he was trying to tell you that your scarf came undone."

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Link did not actually end up terrorizing Rito Village for another 100 years. When he did, it was mostly Kass who suffered.

Kass had years of experience with children between his own flock and the students. He had forgotten a crucial fact of parenting and babysitting: Never underestimate the child. In this case he'd only turned his back for a second to speak with his wife. Link vanished and now he was reminding himself to keep a clear head and find the probable-pyromaniac. He would not panic. Link would be nearby and he'd find Link before there were flames licking at the floorboards.

Kass flew around and saw no blond hair. He checked at the store and spoke to the inn guests to confirm Link didn't make any reservations. He asked the guards at the bridge and made sure Link didn't decide to take up cliff diving out of the blue. He asked the stable visitors just in case Link had been there standing on tables to talk to people. He flew around the cliffs and saw no suicidal climbing attempts in progress.

Kass was just beginning to panic when he saw the young man materializing at the shrine in the village. Link waved cheerfully at Kass. Kass suppressed his lecture and managed to smile back. "Link, where have you been? I have been wondering where you went."

"I look for a fish. A sa-salmin? Salmon!" Link held up a Mighty Porgy. "Is this a salmon?"

"...it... um... what?" Kass' mind caught up. "...Link, that's a Porgy."

Link glared at the small scaled fish in his hand as if it had committed some grave crime. "Ith ou ghtt hisw asit si ncei twa syello wandr ed..."

"Why, may I ask, are you looking for a salmon?"

"Someone asked for salmon for salmon meuniaerere."

"Salmon Meunière? Oh, that's... I should have asked the kids. Genli asked, didn't she?"

"Genli? Oh, that's the kid? Yes, she asked. Needed food."

"Did she tell you there are some living in a pond right at the entrance?..."

Link smacked himself on the forehead with the hand that was not currently holding a fish. Kass helped find a salmon then took Link over to the Flight Range. (He had planned to take Link to Vah Medoh, but Teba's flying was vastly superior to Kass'. Objections from his significant other were an even bigger consideraton. Now if Teba's wife would ever forgive Kass, that would be nice.)