Chapter Text
A train whistle echoed through the shipyard, and the clinking of iron followed soon after. Piper craned his neck to get a glimpse at the train, he spotted it among tall stacks of crates and passerby carriages. Metal panels were missing from the sides, and the wheels did not look like they would hold up with extended travel. His heart ached at the thought, he wanted nothing more than to help design the future of long distance travel.
But no. He was going to be stuck out at sea for only the goddesses knew how long. Sometimes he wished he hadn’t done so well in his studies, surely no one would have noticed if he did below average on a few exams. It was too late to think about now, the Crown already expressed their interest in him and had him swear an oath of loyalty.
Backing out now would only bring great shame to his family, that would be a fast way to ensure no one ever hired him. All he had to do was fulfill his contract and he could go home. Besides, there was another reason his family urged him to join the Royal Navy, one he wasn’t sure he wished to be a part of. He could hardly say no to them, though, not after they took him in and raised him as their own.
Piper clutched his small bag of belongings to his chest as he stared at the regal ship ahead. He glanced back at his aunt and uncle in hopes of receiving words of encouragement. They smiled at him, and for a moment it felt genuine. He never left home unless it was to go to school, this was a big and anxiety inducing moment for him. A small bit of comfort before he disembarked would be nice.
“You’ll do us proud,” his aunt assured.
“Be sure to send a bird when you’ve captured those pirates,” his uncle said, not unkindly, but there was something cold there.
Ah. Of course.
“I will, thank you,” Piper replied, a bit discouraged.
He turned back around and made his way towards the ship. Admittingly, he didn’t know much about sailing vessels, he was not recruited to be yet another cabin boy. The warship wasn’t as large as some of the others in the port, but it was still stunning. Its cream sails contrasted vibrantly against the mahogany wood, gold trim and ropes intricately decorated the exterior. HNS ROOK was painted on the side, letting Piper know this was the correct ship.
A soldier wearing a typical red and blue trimmed military uniform was waiting for him, Piper stood in front of him and handed him some signed paperwork.
“Piper Kalani,” the soldier confirmed and looked at him with a curious expression, “glad to have you with us. We will be departing shortly, do you have any unattended business?”
“No,” Piper said with a shake of his head, “I’m ready to go.”
The soldier’s eyes fluttered past him for a second in the direction of Piper’s aunt and uncle, they returned to him and he offered a small smile.
“Very well. Follow me, I will show you around,” the soldier said and motioned for him to follow onto the ship, “sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Sky Tukri, you can just call me Sky."
"Well met," he replied politely and trailed after him.
A large, black bird flew overhead and landed on a mast. It called out ominously, that filled him with a sense of something foreboding to come.
Piper carefully watched his step on the deck, there were ropes and metal bars all along the sides. He looked up at one of the masts and paled at how tall it was, with any luck, he would never find himself up there. Instead, he focused on Sky. The man had a kindness about him, he stopped frequently to make sure Piper was following and understanding.
He was taken below deck where he’d be doing most of his work, and to his relief he was being given a private room. It was small and only had enough room for a desk with a bunk above it and a small wardrobe, but he was okay with that. After being shown the mess hall and restrooms, they stopped in front of an ornate door that could only be the captain’s room. Piper took a steady breath and put on a brave face.
During his brief training, he heard all sorts of stories and rumors about the Rook’s captain. How he’d allegedly been cursed by some mage to lose his voice. Or how he lost a leg due to a deal with an evil spirit. He was said to be immensely volatile and uncaring. Admittingly, he didn’t know how much of that was true, he would have to meet the man first. Maybe he could ask Sky about him? Now wasn’t the time though, he’d have to wait until after this meeting.
Sky opened the door and ushered him in, Piper looked at the chairs surrounding a table, but to his surprise, they were all empty.
“Won’t the captain be upset if we’re here without him?” Piper asked and made sure to not accidentally bump anything.
“I would hope not,” Sky laughed and sat in one of the chairs, “we do share this space, I’m his first mate, after all.”
Suddenly Piper was relieved he hadn’t asked about the captain. He would have sooner thrown himself overboard than deal with the embarrassment.
“I see,” he mumbled in response and sat down. He kept his hands in his lap and resisted the urge to kick his feet.
He let his eyes wander. A curtain separated the back of the room, which was likely where the beds were. The table had a beautiful map of the Great Sea embossed in it, tiny figurines of ships were scattered all around on top of it. Tapestries and paintings lined the walls, they were landscapes for the most part. A shelf had various wood carvings on it, all of them were of birds.
Aside from the statuettes and a shelf of books, there didn't seem to be many personal belongings in the room.
"Era-, I mean, Captain Hurano had to take care of some personal business," Sky explained casually, "I can answer any questions you may have in the meantime."
Sky had been rather thorough on the tour, but there were still plenty of questions left unanswered. Piper hardly knew where to start. He looked at Sky and subtly tried to get a read of him. Freckles dotted his cheeks, his dark blue eyes bore no malice. His brown hair was lightly tousled and his shirt collar was slightly crumpled, he clearly wasn’t someone who was too strict with his looks. Even sitting here alone with him, Piper did not feel a sense of unease or worry. Sky was someone he could confide in, all in due time.
“How long have you been sailing?”
“A little over ten years now, this is your first time, right?” Sky asked and continued when Piper nodded, “don’t worry, you won’t be expected to deal with the sailing aspects. We have medicine on board if you get seasick.”
“That’s a relief,” Piper sighed and decided to push his luck a bit, “have you known Captain Hurano for long?”
“I’ve only worked under him for a couple of years, but I’ve known him much longer,” he said and his smile faltered for a moment. Almost like he was suspicious of the question.
“I see. Sorry, I’m a bit nervous is all,” Piper said to detract, asking Sky about the captain likely wasn’t a good idea. “I’ve heard there’s a lot of pirates out there.”
“Pirates will be the least of our worries. If we confront any, we are well equipped to handle it.”
That was a relief. His job was not to hunt pirates, no matter how much he tried to explain that to his aunt and uncle. He was helping the Crown to find and secure lost artifacts. Yes, that meant he would likely cross paths with pirates. No, that did not mean he would single handedly find the pirates responsible for tearing their family apart.
They remained in comfortable silence for a while longer. Sky seemed kind, though he thankfully did not seem the type to partake in small talk. At one point, he pulled out a small pocket watch and looked at the door.
“Quick word of advice,” Sky spoke gently, “keep your eyes on the captain when he addresses you.”
Piper nodded and heeded his words. The door swung open and someone new walked in, he didn’t look nearly as imposing as he expected. He had long, reddish-blond hair tied back loosely with a ribbon. He didn’t look that old, in fact he looked like he was younger than Sky. Surely he wasn’t the captain, but he couldn’t imagine who else would be coming into the room now.
“You found the new recruit,” the newcomer said to Sky, his tone was far more difficult to read. He didn’t seem intimidating or rude by any means, but he wasn’t nearly as warm as Sky.
“Yes. His paperwork is cleared and we’re ready to go.”
“Perfect,” the newcomer said and switched his attention to Piper, “my name’s Cian Wild, most of the crew calls me by my surname if that’s easier. I am Captain Hurano’s interpreter.”
Before Piper could respond or think about what ‘interpreter’ meant, a third soldier entered the room. He was taller than Sky and Wild, and his uniform was far more decorated. A blue cape was clasped around his shoulders, various pins and tassels adorned the front of it.
As the soldier stepped into the room and stood in front of the table, Piper shrank back into his seat and made himself small. The captain was just as intimidating as the stories made him out to be. His eyes were fierce and his expression seemed to be stuck in a scowl.
Captain Hurano brought his hands from behind his back and raised them to his chest, he made hand motions that Piper couldn’t make sense of.
“I expect you to be in uniform before we depart,” Wild said while watching the captain’s gestures, “get dressed and return when you are presentable.”
Piper quickly caught on to what was happening, he looked at Captain Hurano as instructed and quickly got out of his chair.
“Yes, sir,” Piper said briskly and he hurried to his room.
An official soldier’s uniform was waiting for him in the wardrobe, he took great care in putting it on. The red undershirt was made of thick wool, it wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as he had expected. Next came the blue over tunic, it was made of a lighter silky material and fit nicely over his shirt.
This was a similar uniform to the one the Royal Guard wore, though thankfully the boots were black instead of white. He dreaded thinking about how awful it was to keep the white boots clean. After everything was in place, he took the time to ease out any wrinkles. He wanted to leave a good impression.
Piper returned to the Captain’s quarters and knocked on the door, he waited patiently to be let in. Sky greeted him with a smile and ushered him in. The captain and Wild were still standing, but Sky sat down so Piper followed his example. When Captain Hurano started signing, Piper made sure to maintain eye contact with him as Wild spoke.
“We will encounter fierce storms, monsters, pirates, and mages. There is no guarantee you’ll return unharmed. Are you prepared for this possibility?”
Piper looked down at the table, he wasn’t ready for that. He didn’t want to be a soldier, even though now he was starting to look awfully a lot like one. The ship was the last place he wanted to be, but he couldn’t admit that. He would have to endure and be brave.
“I’m ready,” Piper replied while looking back up at the captain.
“Good. I will call upon you when you are needed. Dismissed.”
Piper knew to not overstay his welcome, he nodded and hurried back to his room. His bag was right where he left it under the desk, he emptied the contents and placed them in their new spots. It was mostly journals, books, and various pens. There was a small, framed photo of him with his cousins, he placed it carefully in one of the drawers so it wouldn’t fall over during a storm.
A bell tolled outside and there were heavy footsteps on the decks above. That had to be a sign they were departing. With a brief sigh, Piper opened the door and walked up the wooden steps. He did his best to stay out of the crew’s way as they untied the ship from the dock and prepared the sails for departure.
The ship rocked back and forth as it drifted away from the dock. Piper held onto a railing to help keep his balance, he wasn’t used to the motions. Luckily he didn’t feel seasick as of yet, but that could easily change. He watched in silence as they slowly inched farther away from land. When his homeland became nothing more than a thin strip on the horizon, he knew there was no turning back.
An especially large wave crashed against the Rook’s side, not enough to spill over the deck, but it caused the ship to sway. Piper lost his grip and stumbled back, the sudden lurch nauseated him. Someone prevented him from falling by holding his shoulders, he looked back and was relieved to see Sky.
“Are you feeling okay?” Sky asked kindly.
Piper feared he wouldn’t be able to keep the contents of his stomach down if he replied, so he settled for shaking his head, his glasses sliding down his face as he did so. A glass vial was placed in his hand, he uncorked it and drank it without prompt knowing it would help his queasiness.
It took a few minutes for the medicine to start kicking in, Sky’s comforting grasp remained on his shoulder to keep him steady.
“Thank you,” Piper replied at last once he was sure he wouldn’t immediately hurl.
“Of course,” Sky said with a bright smile, “you know, a lot of first time sailors are a lot like you. They think our biggest worries are mages and pirates. Really, it’s sickness and dehydration.”
“That makes sense.”
“I’d recommend resting while you get accustomed to sailing. We’ll provide you with lighter foods until you can stomach proper meals.”
Sky was unbelievably kind. Piper had been worried everyone on the ship would either ignore him or look down on him. It was nice to know he had an ally looking out for him.
“I appreciate that,” Piper responded and elected to heed his superior’s advice. He returned to his quarters and rested on his bed. With any luck, he would quickly adjust to life on a ship.
Two weeks passed when Piper finally stopped feeling so sick. He could handle foods aside from soup and crackers now, and the gentle rocking was almost comforting. The crew still didn’t go out of their way to chat with him, but they at least didn’t give him strange looks when he was around them.
Rather than eat in his room, Piper decided to dine in the mess hall with the rest of the crew. Today’s meal was mashed potatoes slathered with a meat and vegetable filled sauce. It didn’t look particularly appetizing but a bite revealed that it wasn’t too bad.
As he took another bite, the chatter in the room quieted down for a moment. He turned and saw the captain along with Sky and Wild had entered to grab a plate of food, then they sat down at one of the empty tables. For some reason, Piper didn’t expect them to eat with everyone else. Before long, the hall became noisy again.
Piper finished his meal and went up to the main deck to relax for a bit. The way the sun glinted on the choppy waves was mesmerizing. He peered over the edge into the deep water below. The ocean was something he never feared before. If anything, the pirates and traitors that made their homes on the sea were more terrifying. As he looked into the clear water he couldn’t shake his sense of unease.
There were no clouds overhead to threaten rain, and the wave swells were calm. He stared at a spot in the distance where some of the waves turned white, almost like they were crashing against something. His eyes weren’t playing tricks on him, the white wave crashes drew closer. When he focused on the spot, the area seemed to shimmer. Could magic conceal an entire ship like that? He had no idea.
It was better safe than sorry. Piper hurried back to the mess hall and ran to Sky.
“I think there’s a ship approaching us,” Piper quickly explained as he reached the table.
“A ship?” Sky replied while raising a brow, “our lookout would have let us know.”
“No no, it’s not visible. I mean, I know that sounds crazy but-” Piper cut himself off when Captain Hurano and Wild abruptly stood and rushed to the upper deck.
“Come on, follow me,” Sky commanded and led him to the quarterdeck.
Most of the crew piled onto the deck upon hearing the commotion, they had their swords drawn and ready. Piper remained by Sky’s side and he kept a wide berth from the captain. He hadn’t been up on this deck before, he watched as a yellow and black checkered flag was quickly raised up the mast.
“That’s the quarterly flag,” Sky explained while he squinted at the mast, “it will let the other ship know to stop and that we’re aware of their presence.”
Piper nodded and tried to take the information in. He felt sick again. The possibility of being attacked at sea was fairly high, he knew that going in. But the idea of it happening right now grounded him to that reality. He could die.
In the blink of an eye, a ship appeared in the near distance. It was close enough to make out all the sails and flags, but far enough away that he couldn’t see the people on board. The ship was visibly smaller than the Rook, its massive purple sails billowed in the wind. It slowly diverted its course and raised a white flag as it moved in the opposite direction.
“Were those pirates?” Piper found himself asking.
“No,” Sky laughed dryly, “that was a Lorule ship. I doubt they were going to attack us, but they are not our friends.”
Piper nodded. He recalled his history lessons on the nation to the south. They weren’t at war with each other as of yet, but tensions were high. It was a place teeming with dangerous magic and beasts, plus it was no secret that traitors to Hyrule fled there.
“We’re safe now,” Sky assured comfortingly, “you should take some time for yourself and go rest a while.”
Piper had absolutely zero objections to that. He started to walk away when his exit was suddenly blocked by the captain.
“How did you know that ship was there?”
Piper hunched down and pinned his ears back, he struggled to look at the captain. Captain Hurano stared him down with a frown, Piper realized the faster he replied the sooner he could escape the man’s intense gaze.
“I don’t know,” Piper squeaked, “I could just tell? Something didn’t seem right.”
Silence followed and everyone on the quarterdeck remained still. Looks that Piper couldn’t decipher were exchanged between the three soldiers. After what seemed like an eternity, Captain Hurano raised his hands to begin signing again.
“Notify us if you sense another ship in the future. Dismissed.”
Piper nodded politely and made his way to his room. He collapsed on his bed with a loud huff. Okay, so he wouldn’t be dying today. He reached down to his desk and grabbed one of his journals and pens. The journal had a simple leather cover, it was unassuming compared to his more decorated ones. He flipped through the pages of old writings until he found a blank spot.
It seemed a bit childish to still be doing this years later. Still, it brought him great comfort to write letters when he was stressed. He wrote to his cousins about his journey so far, and about the scare with the Lorulean ship. If Link was still alive to be able to read the letter, he probably would have playfully teased Piper for being a bit of a baby about the whole ordeal. His cousin was always the more rambunctious and brave one, Link had always talked about wanting to be a skilled fighter and adventurer when he grew up.
Piper smiled to himself as he finished writing the letter that would never be sent. No, he wasn’t the bravest or strongest person around by any means. No, he didn’t want to be stuck on a ship. But he would put on a brave face in honor of Link. And maybe, just maybe, he would be able to do his cousin’s legacy proud.