The horses became restless when we entered the woods. Mr. Hero decided it would be okay to leave them outside the forest and in Hyrule Field. The forest seemed dark and mysterious and more than a little dangerous, but the Hero of Time assured me that it was safe. A little ways in, sat an old bridge above what seemed to me like a very long drop.
"We have to go across that." I said, my voice faltering just a tad.
"Yep, it'll be okay. See.." He walked onto it and bounced up and down a few times, "Sturdy as ever."
"I don't know…" I mumbled.
"Ohhh… Don't tell me the great Guardian of the Grove has a fear of heights." He jeered. His teasing blue eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief.
"No. Of course not." I exclaimed proudly and stepped boldly onto the bridge. The old structure whined and swayed back and forth and I made the mistake of looking down, "It's just what's down there that frightens me."
"It's fine," The Hero of Time assured, "Trust me."
He held out his hand and I told myself not to take it. But his eyes… I made the mistake of looking into those as well. They held an air of concern, genuine concern, for what I was feeling. That was something I was not used to. Subconsciously I raised my hand to take his. A slight breeze played with a few loose strands of his golden hair and tousled my burgundy hair. My hand was almost in his when I felt the bridge move beneath me.
I suddenly realized what I was doing and jerked my hand away.
"Stupid Kaylee. He's an idiot, can't you see." I scolded myself in my mind.
I looked down and felt my knees weaken. It was an awful long ways down. I grabbed the rope railing to steady myself. I really didn't know what was down there. With several deep breaths and what felt like an million years' worth of time I let go of the railing and forced a smile.
"Let's go." I said, keeping a tight rein on my voice.
The Hero of Time chuckled and turned around. He didn't seem at all fazed by my strange behavior but I could see something… Something off about his face, a look of hurt or… something else. I was paying too much attention to his face, again. I pinched myself to bring myself back to reality. I crossed the bridge with forced confidence and the idiotic hero was waiting for me on the other side.
"Ah, look! What did I tell you! We're all fine!" He yelled perhaps a bit too loud.
From behind him stirred a plant-like monster. It wriggled out of its hiding spot and behind the Hero of Time stood a Deku-Baba. He stood oblivious to the creature, looking to me for a reply. The creature looked as if it was reading itself for a quick snack.
"Don't move." I whispered, reaching for my knife.
He moved. Of course he did! What did I expect when I told him not to move? He Grabbed for his sword and with a great big swoop, the Deku-Baba seized him. Trying to swallow him whole, the creature moved his head back and forth. I didn't even think about it. I hoped for the best as I moved slice the plants stem in half with one horizontal swing. The wriggling head stopped moving and Link struggled to break free. I smiled as I realized, maybe I wasn't completely useless. The creature disappeared in a cloud of that strange purple smoke.
"Thanks." Link breathed. He had his hands on his knees and looked entirely worn out. I guess almost being eaten by a Deku-Baba will do that to you.
"Be more careful, Hero. Next time I might not have time to save you." I said coolly, sheathing my knife.
We continued walking and I saw what I remembered the Grove calling 'Kokiri Village'. It was a simple place built with a certain charm that reflected the people of the forest that lived there. The houses looked like stumps and bridges where strung out from on top of them. Wild grasses grew in patches here and there and the whole place just felt like… nature. I smiled as I saw the Kokiri people walking around. The infestation of monsters in the land of Hyrule didn't seem like it dampened their spirits. The Kokiri are a small people, not that they wouldn't blend in in normal society. They just look like children. In fact, they are children. They are children forever. They wore clothes similar to the garb worn by the Hero of Time. As Link walked around the village, the Kokiri looked up at him with a smile.
We reached a tree-house with a picture of a Kokiri boy with a sword drawn on the trunk. A ladder led upwards to a platform surrounding the house. It seemed like such a cozy and inviting little place. I liked it immediately.
"This used to be my house." Link said with a tinge of sorrow in his voice. He walked over to the trunk and traced his fingers across the picture of the Kokiri boy, "I used to play here with Saria."
His hands dropped and moved to his ocarina. With a look of sadness he pulled it out. He murmured something that sounded like 'it's not wooden' and turned to face me.
"I was Kokiri, or well… I guess I just thought I was. I guess I was always Hylian, but I used to live here. These people used to be my friends." He said with another sad smile, "Or rather… peers."
"Why didn't they recognize you then?" I inquired.
"I was gone for a long time. I had to be locked up in the Temple of Time for 7 years because I was too young to be the Hero of Time." He confessed, "I guess they just don't remember. They harbor a grudge against me because I left. I left and let this place go to ruin. Did you know… Every night no one is allowed outside because monsters brood in the darkness."
"I'm sure it wasn't all your fault." I said, trying to be compassionate, "It was your destiny to leave, wasn't it? It you didn't leave, then Hyrule would be in a much worse state then it is now."
"I suppose… but I can't help but feel responsible for all of this. The first time I came back here, I ripped every monster apart with my sword and ran out. I spent a bunch of time in Kakariko Village and after a while I decided to come back. I guess that's when I found you." He placed his hand on the tree again, "They called me a hero and complained to me about how that Link guy let the place fall into ruin. Many look to me as their role model, now."
"You could just tell them who you really are. That would be…" I started, but he cut me off.
"No. I can't do that. I'm finally friends with them. They don't call me names any more, and Mido actually calls me his buddy. They like me." I saw a shimmer of happiness in his eyes.
"Mido?" I questioned.
"Oh? Just the guy who used to call me no-fairy boy." He said with a short laugh, "Let's go on up. I should have an extra big tunic up here that would fit you."
We climbed the ladder, him with ease and swiftness, me with carful footwork and slow caution. Inside was small and comfortable, it seemed to hold our weight well and it didn't seem to rock back and forth, as most tree houses do. Normally I would feel uneasy this far off the ground, but right now I felt just fine.
"Why do you have an extra big tunic anyways?" I asked, making conversation.
"We did a lot of plays here when I was little. I was always cast as a fat guy or an adult. Guess that shows how much they like fat people and old people out here." He answered with a chuckle.
He pulled out a tunic much like his but a bit smaller. I un-hinged my belt and started pulling off my robe. I didn't get past the first lace on my silver tunic before Link yelled at me to stop.
"What? I am getting dressed." I said, a bit irked.
"You can't do that here. At least let me leave first." He said, face tinged with what I believed was blush.
"I thought we were just partners, companions. It shouldn't be that big of a deal. It isn't as if I'm taking my clothing off to please you. That would be silly." I said, wondering if... perhaps the Grove forgot to mention that part of society to me.
"Yeah… um… Whatever." Link reached for words and moved for the door, "I'll just be out here."
I took off my clothes, no feeling a bit embarrassed that I tried to un-cloth myself in front of the Hero of Time. What other rules of society did the Grove leave out? Was I not supposed to hug people when I felt happy, or maybe I was supposed to punch someone when I was sad? I shook off the ideas, they were silly. Dressed in the tunic, I found it fit me just fine. The material went down almost to my knees and didn't seem to be too tight at all. I fastened my belt around my waist and was messing with the ties to the top part of the tunic when I called Link in.
"Here. You're doing it all wrong." He said, walking over to me.
He took the strings in his big lean hands and weaved them into the tunic. While he did so, I took the opportunity to study his face. I mean… He was so close. It was hard not to look. He didn't seem to have very many imperfections. In fact his skin seemed all too perfect. His sand colored blonde hair framed broad cheek bones and a strong jaw line. It seemed to me like he's have really long hair, but just his fringe stuck out of his hat. And… of course, his eyes. The almost glowed they were so blue. They were intently watching his skilled hands weave the laces of the tunic in a fashion that would be suitable. After he finished he stepped back and caught me looking at his face. I had to admit, even if he was annoying and just a companion, he was awful attractive.
"What? See something you like?" He said jokingly.
"No. Of course not!" I said quickly, "I was just wondering… If you ever… Took off your hat."
A smooth save indeed. Good job, Kaylee. He laughed and pulled off his hat and tossed it on his bed. His hair was just what I thought, long, sandy-blonde, and pulled into a neat and efficient ponytail. He pulled it out of the band holding his hair back and ruffled it. It hung, almost touching his broad shoulders. I had to admit, long hair suited him. It looked nice. I mentally slapped myself for thinking that. He was an idiot.
"I think I'm going to wash up a bit. You should too. Then we'll get some sleep and wake up early tomorrow to head to the Forest Temple." He said, breaking an uncomfortable silence.
I nodded, refusing to speak to the idiot hero. I followed him down the ladder, confused about what the feeling was that sat prominent in my heart. It felt warm and nice, but sort of unsettling. I would have asked about it, but somehow… it didn't feel right to ask about it. Sometimes you just need to feel.