Chapter 3: Though Fire and Ice
The swamp cottage was very dimly lit, and the smell of potion ingredients filled the air. Kotake, a witch with a blue gem in her forehead, was behind the counter.
"Welcome, dearie," she said. "How may I help you today?"
"I'm looking for a way out of Termina," Link answered. "Do you know of one?" After he said this, Kotake began cackling in a way that made Link wonder if this visit was really worth it.
"I know of many ways," she replied, "Some of them even let you keep your soul while you go through."
"I would like to be left in one piece when this is finished," Link specified. "Do you know of any that lead to Hyrule?"
"Never heard of it," Kotake told him, "but the Swamp Path is reasonably safe"
"As long as you don't mind a bit of fire," a voice from behind added. Startled, Link spun around to find himself face to face with Kotake's sister, Koume. Unlike Kotake, Koume wore a red gem on her forehead.
"Don't go scaring the poor mortal, Koume," Kotake scolded. "The fire isn't quite nearly so terrifying as the ice. At any rate, we might as well get started." The two witches exited the building with Link and, after calling Epona, they set off into the Woods of Mystery. Although Link would have surely gotten lost if he had tried to navigate the woods on his own, Kotake and Koume followed some unseen path, never showing any signs of misdirection. After they had traveled for about an hour, Link began to wonder if the witches really knew what they were doing when they arrived at a dead end.
"Now what do we do?" Link asked, irritated.
"Poor little moral, thinking that we are lost," Koume remarked. "Watch closely, and you might learn something." With that comment, she pointed at the tangled mass of vines in front of them. A bright blast of flames nearly blinded Link, and he was forced to shield his eyes. When the light faded, a smoldering tunnel had been formed in the dense foliage. After following the tunnel for perhaps a half mile, they came to a cave. Inside, a narrow rock bridge spanned a river of lava.
"It's okay, girl," he reassured Epona, although he wondered if it wasn't really himself that he was trying to calm down. He got off of the horse's back and led her over the treacherous-looking bridge. The next cavern contained a majestic waterfall, but had no other discernable exits. Link wondered what they were going to do when Koume motioned for him to come behind the waterfall. Using her flames as a guide, Link and Epona walked up the winding tunnel to a ledge at the top of the waterfall. From there, Link saw that the river ran through a passageway big enough to fit though above the water. Farther upstream, light was shining through an opening in the tunnel wall. Wondering if the witches intended for him to walk across the top of the water, Link was caught by surprise when a blast of frigid air shot up the tunnel. The surface of the river had turned to ice, and Link had begun to walk upstream with Epona when he realized that neither Kotake nor Koume were anywhere to be found. Although their company made him nervous, he was more frightened by the possibility that the witches were nearby but hidden. Pushing his fears aside, Link and Epona went alone though the opening and into the light.
