II: Rauru Village
Shortly after leaving the clearing with Nairoo, James got his first opportunity to gather some rupees. No sooner had they traveled a few hundred yards when James saw a red octorok snuffling around near a shrub. Its tentacles slithered this way and that as it moved around, raising dust as it did. James figured this was a good opportunity to see how he faired against a creature and drew the sword.
He approached the octorok carefully, not wanting to give away his position or intention too soon. However, a step on a stray twig made a sharp "crack" and the dry land octopus took notice. James could see the tentacles stir for a moment as it readied itself to charge the interloper. James took a stance and waited for the beast to move in closer, knowing the best way to deal with this from experience in the games.
When the octorok charged, it built a huge plume of dust around it. This obscured its body for a bit, which made it harder for James to see the creature as it approached. This doesn't happen in the game, he thought. Nevertheless, James made a solid swing at the beast as it approached. The sword glanced off the beast and James was thrown to the ground, out of the path. A tentacle swept across his leg and scratched it with the sharp spikes that made the mollusk able to move in a dry environment. James let out a shout and rolled to safety. Nairoo flew close to James.
"It's not all like in the games," she said. "You need to strike at his tentacles or hit it in the eye. The mantle is too hard to cut through."
James quickly looked at his leg. Though it burned, it appeared to be more scratched than cut. He stood up and repositioned himself for another charge. The beast obliged quickly enough. James watched it coming and decided the tentacles made better targets than the eye. As it approached, he hacked down with a hard swing and cleaved at least two of them off with one blow. The octorok cried out in pain and literally evaporated in front of his eyes. Lying on the ground where the creature had been were two blue gemstones and a small Deku nut. James picked them up and slid them into the pocket of his jeans. He made a mental note to try to get a side satchel while in the village to make collecting and transporting items a little easier.
He also looked more closely at his leg. The scratches had a red tinge to them, not caused by blood.
"What is this, Nairoo?" he asked.
"The underside of the tentacle has many sharp talons for gripping the ground. These are also slightly poisonous to ensure easy pretty for the octorok. It is not deadly, but it will get infected if not treated. We can get it looked at in Rauru Village."
"I have a feeling I'm going to need more rupees," James muttered.
"Do not forget," Nairoo began, "that rupees lay in interesting places in this world."
James immediately remembered that in the games, you could get some rupees for cutting grass and breaking pots you found around the world. He stood up - wincing from the leg wound - and walked over to a large clump of grass. He swung the sword at the grass, cutting most of the clump away. There, lying on the ground were two green rupees. He picked them up and looked back at Nairoo.
"Why are these lying around anyway?" he asked.
"Sometimes creatures like the octorok have stolen them, but lose them. Other times, villagers have lost them."
After a few more encounters with octoroks and one with a moblin, James had about 50 rupees. He found another 25 or so in bushes along the way. He hoped he had enough to purchase the items he'd need and get some medicine for his leg. He had no idea how to tell time in Hyrule, but he imagined he'd been walking with Nairoo for a few hours by the time Rauru Village came into view. They had been walking along something like a path and James was surprised by how many monsters frequented the area. He'd mentioned it to Nairoo and she said that monsters were a constant source of frustration for Hyrulians, but that they had were always worse when someone was threatening the serenity of the realm. They seemed to have a sixth sense that some wizard or dark force was gaining power or acting out.
"They really come out of the woodwork then," she said.
There was a small wall surrounding the village and a guardhouse. As James and Nairoo approached the gate, a guard stood up. He was a squat fellow with a sour, bored expression on his face.
"Who goes there?" he asked.
Before James could answer, Nairoo flew close to him and whispered in his ear.
"This will go more smoothly if you say your name is Link. No one knows who James is here."
James though this sounded reasonable and agreed.
"My name is Link. My fairy and I are here for supplies and medicine," he said.
At the name of Link, the guardsman's expression turned around and he seemed to light up some.
"Link?" he nearly shouted. "Well you are certainly welcome here."
"Yes sir," James replied. "I have need of some medicine for my leg and some supplies for my quest."
"Oh, I'm sure the merchants will be glad to see you come around," the guard said. "Not much business around these parts with Agrim running amok."
"I did notice more monsters than normal," James said.
"That's for sure. They keep most travelers off the roads running from village to village."
"No doubt about that," the guardsman said. "But there's no sense in you standing out here all day. Come inside."
The guard opened the gate fully and stood aside as James walked through into the town. Nairoo glided gently through the opening as well. James gazed at the simplicity of the town. Small huts were scattered around the space inside the walls. They had wooden frames and grass roofs, with little windows and doors opening to the world. He could immediately recognize a tavern and inn at the center of the town from the sign that hung from the door frame. It had a stein of ale stenciled on. It was also the only building in the village that stood two stories high.
Nearby, though, James saw a blacksmith hammering on some metal under a thatched roof. A cauldron of fiery coals stood nearby and the man twisted and turned the metal in his hands and struck it with a hammer. Every so often, he would dip the red hot steel into a bucket of water near his feet. The hissing sound created by the hot metal being dipped into the water was spectacular.
Just past the blacksmith sat a small building that had an open book stenciled onto the sign hanging from its roof. James guessed this to be a book dealer, a library, or a magic shop. He made a mental note to visit here before leaving the town. Across the path from this there was fountain, which sat just in front of the tavern he'd seen first. Some children were playing around the fountain, chasing chickens who were there picking at the soil for grubs or other bugs for food.
"Where should I go?" James asked Nairoo.
"You'll want to see to your leg first and get the shield," the fairy said. "I'd think a trip to the healer would be in order."
"Right," James said. "Uh, which one is the healer?"
"Well, it's the building on the other side of the inn, of course," Nairoo said as though James should know this town like the back of his hand.
"This isn't exactly Karkariko or someplace well-known, you know," James retorted.
Nairoo looked to be in thought for a moment and then replied, "Point taken."
James walked across the center of the town and past the fountain. He didn't speak to any of the children and they didn't speak to him either, but they did look at him quizzically as he walked by. After a moment it occurred to James that these children weren't wearing jeans and a T-shirt like he was, they were dressed in short tunics with pants and a rope belt tied at the waist. They were probably pretty curious about his clothing.
"Do I need to change clothes?" he asked Nairoo.
"It will not be necessary. Your mission will not require trips to other towns or villages," she replied.
"OK"
The duo approached the small shop on the other side of the inn and James saw a bottle of liquid adorning the hanging sign near the door. There was no door, so James walked in and Nairoo fluttered alongside him. Inside was much darker than the sunny world outside. A small counter separated the building into two areas. On his side there was a small stool, but nothing else. On the other side there were a few shelves with glass bottles filled with a variety of colored liquids. A few chests lay scattered on the floor and a few clay pots sat in the forgotten spaces between. From another room, a small woman entered. She ambled up to the counter.
"How may I help you?" she asked.
"I need some medicine for my leg," James said.
"I have blue, red, and green potions," she said, gesturing to some bottles on a shelf behind her.
"How much for one of each?"
"It would cost you 25 rupees each."
"Seventy-five for one of each, huh?"
James remembered that he had to buy a sling shot, boomerang, or some other ranged weapon as well as a side satchel. He had only managed to get seventy-five in total from his rummaging in the bushes and slaying of monsters on the way.
"I'd better just take a red potion for now," he said, thinking if he had enough later, he'd come back for a green potion in case he needed it on the road.
The old lady handed him a red potion and he counted out twenty-five rupees on the counter. She smiled as she took the gems from him and he held the bottle.
"For small injuries, you can consume a portion of the bottle, but it will lessen the impact of later drinks," she offered. "You can also use the bottle for other things later."
"Thank you," James responded as he turned to leave.
Outside the shop, he asked Nairoo where they should go next, feeling a little like Harry Potter on his first trip to Diagon Alley. The fairy told him the next spot would be a general shop, where he could look at a variety of things, including a sling shot, bow, or boomerang. James followed Nairoo's lead and entered the next shop they came to. It was laid out pretty much like the healer shop, except the inventory was very different. A variety of items littered the shelves and hung from the walls. James saw bows and arrows, sling shots with bags of Deku nuts, a couple of boomerangs or various colors, and on a small shelf at the back of the store, round blue objects James could only assume were bombs.
A tall man with medium build approached the counter. He had a full, bushy mustache that obscured his upper lip, making his mouth seem small. He wore an apron that was covered with black smudges, but had a hint of blue underneath all the mess.
"What can I do for you, young master?" the man asked.
"How much would a boomerang cost and do you have either a backpack or side satchel?"
"Packs I've got plenty of," the man said. "They are two rupees each. I've got blue boomerangs that can be thrown about ten feet, or I've got red one's that can travel up to 30 feet. The blue one's are fifteen rupees and the red one's are thirty rupees."
James pondered his choices. He also asked about the sling shot with a bag of Deku nuts. The man told him the sling shot and nuts would run him 20 rupees together. He decided, as much as he wanted the boomerang – it being his favorite range weapon in the game – he felt he would be more accurate and able with the sing shot. He purchased the sling shot and a bag of Deku nuts as well as a small side satchel for the items he was collecting.
James did a quick calculation in his head, thankful that his Mom had required him to study Math – if only for a moment – and figured that with the twenty-five rupees for the potion, twenty rupees for the slingshot and nuts, and two rupees for the satchel, he still had twenty-eight rupees. That was enough to return to the potion shop for a green potion, but now that he knew he had multiple uses out of the red potion, he felt he should hold on to his remaining rupees. They might come in handy later.
After leaving the shop he went into the inn, near the fountain and purchased some dried meat and a water skin for drinking water. Then he returned to the fountain in the center of the village and sat on the side of it and looked at his leg again. It had stopped hurting as bad now and he though a small sip of the red potion would probably be sufficient for his situation. He wrapped the side satchel strap over his shoulder and let it hang to his right side. He then lifted the flap and inserted his newly purchased items. He held onto the red potion bottle and pulled the small stopper out. He lifted the bottle to his lips and took a small sip of the red liquid.
"Man, that tastes just like fruit punch," James said as he put the stopper back in the bottle.
"Others have said the same," Nairoo said.
"How many others have you assisted, Nairoo?"
"You are the first Link I have brought through from your side," she replied.
"Wow! I would have thought you'd done this more than that," James said.
"Thank you, young Link."
"So, where do we go now?" James asked.
"Now, young Link, we must visit Barin, the forger. He will give you a shield. Then we go to the Kokiri forest where the Forest Temple is found. There you will seek the Chalice of Orin. You must hurry, we have spent too much time here."
James and Nairoo headed back to the blacksmith's shop he had noticed upon entering the village. The man working the forge was still there, hammering on some chunk of metal and dipping it in the water bucket. James was unsure of what he was supposed to do. He knew the man was supposed to give him a shield, but he didn't know if the man was already aware of that or if James was supposed to ask him for it.
The man stopped hammering and looked up at the boy and the fairy floating near his shoulder. He said nothing. An uncomfortable silence followed for about a minute before Nairoo spoke up.
"Barin, warrior of Hyrule, I present to you Link, hero of Hyrule."
The man, Barin, said nothing.
"The hero of Hyrule has been summoned by the Master Sword to retrieve the Chalice of Orin," Nairoo continued. "He is in need of your skills. He needs a shield worthy of the hero of Hyrule."
"Let him present the sword," Barin finally said in a deep voice.
Nairoo floated aside and James stepped closer. He drew the sword from the scabbard and held it in both hands for Barin to see. The blacksmith looked at the sword and examined the etched Triforce emblem on the blade.
"So … this is the hero of Hyrule?" Barin said questioningly.
James was unsure whether the man believed he was the hero or not. Heck, he wasn't sure whether he believed it or not. James was beginning to think that Barin might not give him a shield.
"Then he will need the best shield I have made," the blacksmith stated.
James was relieved. He looked at Nairoo, who honestly looked a little relieved herself. Barin turned and retreated into his hut and was gone for a few minutes. When he returned he was carrying a large hunk of metal.
"Here, this is for you, hero of Hyrule," Barin said.
James still wasn't sure if there was sarcasm in Barin's voice, but decided to thing the best of the blacksmith and accept his gift. He took it in his hand with a "thank you, sir" and studied it carefully. It was wide across the top but tapered to a point at the bottom. It was large enough to cover a man from waist to shoulder, but was made of the lightest metal he'd ever felt. To look at it you would have sworn it was twenty pounds or more, but to hold it, it felt more like five pounds. It was a burnished silver on the inside, with a thick leather strap attached where one would grip the shield. On the face of the shield, it was a brilliant metallic blue in color with decorative gold and red inlaid throughout in patterns James immediately recognized. The golden triforce and the Hylian Crest of the Crimson Loftwing were both present. James felt as amazed by the shield as he had by seeing the Master Sword in the cave. He couldn't believe he was holding either, but to hold both put him at a loss for words.
After a moment, he couldn't bear it any longer.
"What is this made of? It's amazing."
"That, my young hero, is the finest in Hylian metalwork you will ever find. I forged it from ore gathered in the Gerudo Valley. I would normally charge up to 200 rupees for such an item. For you, it is a gift."
"I don't know what to say," James managed, still staring at the shield.
"Thank you will suffice," Nairoo interjected.
"Of course," James blushed a little. "Thank you Barin, warrior of Hyrule."
"The only thanks you owe to me, my young hero, is to find the Chalice and vanquish the wizard Agrim from Hyrule forever."
"I'll certainly try, sir," James said as he returned the Master Sword to its scabbard and slung the shield on his shoulder.
"I'm quite sure you shall succeed," Barin said.
They two travelers took their leave of Barin shortly after that and returned to the gate from which they had entered Rauru.
"Where do we go from her, Nairoo?" James asked.
"Now, young Link, we head for the Lost Woods, Kokiri Forest, for the Forest Temple is there. And there you must retrieve the Chalice for the sakes of everyone in Hyrule."
"Okay," James said, "Let's go."