Tetra sat as her legs dangled from the rail as she watched the workers on the docks. As they loaded supplies on the ship she spotted a boy who sat dejected atop some crates. He looked very upset about something, in fact she was sure he was crying, "What a baby," she said. A familiar shadow made her look up. She scrambled to her feet and schooled her features and said with a slight bow, "Hoy Captain."
"Well Miss, once again I find you shirking."
"No Captain."
"No?"
"No Captain, I finished in the galley, and Nudge told me I was free for the rest of the afternoon until dinner of course."
"Of course," the Captain gave her a calculating look and said, "Very well then, carry on. But after you finish with your dinner duties I expect you to finish your lessons before you bed down."
"Yes Ma'am," Tetra turned to leave but stopped when the Captain said, "One other thing," she sighed and turned back around. "We will be having some special guests with us for dinner tonight, dress will be formal and," leaning toward her she said, "I expect you to be on you very best behavior Miss."
"Yes Captain." she didn't move this time.
"You're free to go."
Of course she knew she wasn't so stayed put with her eyes straight ahead until the Captain had gone below and sat back down. She scanned the dock for the boy but he was nowhere to be seen."Crap." With nothing new to look at she got up and wandered over to the bow and sat up on the thick railing. She watched the water and groaned, special guests? Best behavior? Formal dress? Of course it would only last until after dinner, cause there was no way she was scrubbing pots in a dress. In the galley nobody cared if you swore, or got messy and that was just the way she liked it. She had spent so much time with Nudge lately she felt like he was that older sister she never had. He always listened to her complaints without telling her the Captain was always right.
She still had a few hours to kill so went below and opened her lesson. Blech, she thought more Hylian language lessons. What was the point of learning that dead language anyway? Nobody she knew of spoke it or even remembered it for that matter. Well at least the pictures were interesting this time. Translation was so boring.
Long ago, it was said that there was a country chosen by the god's flour… "God's flour?" she laughed, "That can't be right, she studied it for a minute. Ah, she thought "God's Power." ….
The people who lived in this blessed rich land were called the Hylians, and were said to be able to hear the voices of the gods….
"Yes, to better make bread," she intoned, "with the God's Flour." and giggled…..
They, together with the people of the plains, the people of the mountains, the Gorons, the people of the water the, Zora,…
"Water people? No way." ….
The people of the desert, the Gerudo, and the people of the forest, the Kokiri, all carried out unique lives…
She yawned and stretched as she leaned back in her chair. This was taking forever, bleh. Only one line left to go….
Even in this rich land, the footsteps of destruction began to creep in….
She wondered where this land of Hylians could be for she had never been anywhere that had vast plains, and what could have happened to all the others? And why was she being forced to care!!! Zora, Goron, Gerudo and Kokiri, that seemed like a lot of peoples to misplace. Her mother had never once mentioned any of these names to her before. She leaned back and tipped the chair on its two back legs and wondered. She was still lost in her imaginings when her cabin door opened and her mother came in.
"Tetra!" Startled she lost her balance and toppled over and bumped her head on to the floor, "Oh my," her mother said and came over to help her up. "I am sorry I startled you, but if you don't get a move on you're going to be late for dinner."
"Ow, ow, ow," she said as she rubbed her head. She looked up at her and was astounded, "Wow! Captain, you clean up nice."
"Very funny Little Miss," she said as she helped her up, "but I think its time you started getting ready for this evening."
Tetra rolled her eyes, "Do I have to? Cant I just skip it?"
"No, you cant," she said as she pulled out one of the few dresses Tetra owned, "It's time to get ready."
"For what?" she said as she started changing, "Who are these people anyway?"
"Friends of the family."
"Whose family?"
"Ours."
"Fine, but why do I have to meet them."
"You know if this conversation keeps going like this, you'll find yourself knee deep in the laundry."
"Alright," she said sullenly.
"I'll be back in a few minutes to help you with your hair."
"What's wrong with my hair?"
Her mother smiled and walked out of the room. Tetra lifted the dress off her bed and put it on. It was itchy. When she heard the door open again, she figured it was her mother back to torment her with that damn brush. So when she turned to see a boy in her doorway she immediately threw the first thing within reach.
"WAIT!"
Too late… the still open inkwell bonked him on the head, he fell over and it bounced on to the floor. That kid looked familiar and she realized it was the same boy she'd seen earlier on the dock, "Crap, now I'm in for it," she muttered she rushed over to him and helped him up "Are you alright?"
"Uh, yeah," he shook his head, "Wow, you really tossed that thing."
"Thanks,: she said with a grin which immediately turned sour whe she remembered why she threw it start with, "Who the hell are you anyway?" she said as she dabbed some of the ink that ran down his forehead, "Don't you know how to knock?!"
"His name is Gonzo, he is the son of good friend of mine," she heard her mothers voice say. Turning toward the sound she groaned inwardly when she noticed there was another person with the Captain, "and he'll be sailing with us from now on."
"Great." she said, as she stood and smiled at him weakly. She looked back at her mother and said, "This isn't as bad as it looks."
The Captain only sighed while the other laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes. "Thank the Goddesses," he said between fits, "you never gave her any knives… "
