The Legend of Zelda
Secrets of the Lost Woods
Chapter 6: A Shattered Grove
Link awoke with a really big yawn. It had been about three days since the attack upon the abandoned Kokiri Village, and, for the most part, all was silent. Link had been managing to keep himself awake for most mornings and evenings in order to ensure that none of the spiders ever caught them off guard again; for the most part, they were safe. Not a single spider other than the kinds one would find creeping around in corners, catching flies in their sticky webs, had been seen since the initial attack. Link didn't want to sleep in, but his body took over his willpower, and sleep did manage to come to him that night for the first time in days.
For their safety, Link decided that the two of them moved to the highest structure in the village. Most of the trees, surprisingly enough, were well around the size of fifty feet tall. One of the smaller trees, which happened to be at the base of the village, happened to have had one of the biggest buildings in the Kokiri Village. The house was once owned by the Elder Kokiri, who used it as a meeting place for all the others. As such, there were several floors all on the tree, and it was all conveniently high up in the air.
Link had taken the habit of sleeping on the topmost floor, which had only one room. It also had several balconies that would allow him and Saria both a chance to see the rest of the village, and whatever creatures that would try to attack them. Epona and Oakstrider both were kept stalled in a building at the base of the trunk, which guaranteed their safety and well being for the night.
"Good morning, sleepyhead!"
Link rubbed his eyes and looked up into Saria's blue eyes, which gazed down at him from above his bed.
"Morning," Link said, "What time is it?"
"Sometime between daybreak and noon," Saria replied as she moved away from his bed and dragged a chair over towards the single table in the small room, "You decided to sleep in, so I made sure to make a good breakfast this time."
Link smiled. Ever since he took watch, he gave into his old habits of waking up bright and early. As such, he took it onto himself to forage for food and make breakfast…and managed to fail miserably at it. Saria was much better at the job; she was a Kokiri, after all.
Link got up out of his bed; he didn't bother changing, because he had worn the same clothes that he had on yesterday throughout the night. He had been so tired that he forgot to take them off. Though it was negligence on his part that he managed to go to sleep early and slept in, part of it was due to the wonderful song that Saria was playing on her Ocarina.
Maybe she did that on purpose, Link thought, I suppose I needed the sleep.
Link mentally thanked the kind Kokiri for her compassion. Taking a large apple, he took a bite and chewed happily; glad that this one managed to be ripe. The last couple of apples that Link tried to pick were so sour that he felt that he could never open his mouth again. This one was nice and sweet, crunchy, and had a delicious taste that matched well with its red coloring.
Finishing his apple and grabbing some bread, he began to spread honey carefully over his slice before promptly plopping it in his mouth. Saria focused her attention on some wild grapes, lightly spitting the seeds in her hands when she was done and placing them in a small bowl on the table.
"What are you doing that for?" Link asked.
"For every gift you accept from the forest, it is only kind to give a gift in return," Saria said. She smiled as she noted Link's puzzled look. "It's an old Kokiri proverb. If you take from the forest, you must give something back. In our case, that's the seeds of the food we eat."
"Seeds?" Link asked, "I always try to eat those…and those I don't I just—"
"Spit out, I know," Saria interrupted, "Most people would think that's how it's done, but not around here. Here, the Forest is like a living, breathing, loving creature. Every tree and every bush has its place in the forest, just like every organ and every quart of blood is needed inside of our own bodies. Without a certain plant, or a certain animal, the forest can't function and will soon die out, just like any Hylian can't survive if he or she lost an organ or was deprived of blood. It's kind of complicated, but at the same time really simple."
Link stared into his second, half-eaten apple; gazing at a pair of small, black kernels that were the seeds. Sure, as a farmer, Link knew that seeds were important, but forest life was much different than farming. Maybe there was something more to it…
"So…what have the seeds got to do with it?" Link asked.
It was obvious that Saria was expecting that question. No sooner had he asked it that the Kokiri reached out and grabbed his free hand, dragging him; apple and all; out of the room and down the tree.
Link was on his guard as they entered deeper into the forest. Saria had barely allowed him to get his sword so he could defend himself, but his lack of real defense made him feel very vulnerable. He wished he had managed to grab his shield before they left, but Saria had insisted that they leave without it.
"So, where are we going again?" Link asked.
"You'll see," she said, "Just make sure you hold onto your apple for me."
Link did what he was told, though he still didn't get why he had to hold onto it. His stomach was still growling and he wanted to finish it, but he didn't have the time to do so the way that Saria kept dragging him along. Whatever it was, however, Link was sure that the Kokiri girl would explain everything when the time came.
Finally, the two of them stopped over at a clearing in the forest. Once they arrived, Saria finally slowed down. The two of them stood for a moment in the clearing, gazing about as they took note of the lack of many things that one would normally find in the forest; such as other animals or other plants. The silence was rather staggering, though Link could bet that some other creature was watching them both in the gloom.
"Give me the apple," Saria said as she held out her free hand.
Link gave her the half-eaten fruit. The Kokiri girl reached into the open part of the apple and plucked out a single seed. Holding it gently in her hand, she clutched both hands over her breast and began to whisper silently to herself.
Link didn't know what was going on, but he suddenly saw Saria's hands glow green slightly. The Kokiri girl silently began to claw at the earth with her free hand, keeping her other hand tightly closed. Link paid close attention as Saria placed the seed carefully into the hole that she had dug, whispering to it once more before covering the seed up under the soft soil.
Nothing happened at first. Link didn't exactly know what to make of it, or what was even going on. He was about to make a comment, but Saria quickly raised her hand to silence him. Link didn't move, glancing between the Kokiri and the blank spot in the ground where the seed lay.
Suddenly, Link saw a green shoot rise from the patch of dirt. Link's eyes widened as the shoot began to grow, its ends forming leaves and its stem beginning to harden quickly. The shoot suddenly became a small sapling, which kept growing until it became a tree that stood over Link's head; with branches of stout wood and with leaves that made the light above glow green through their translucent surfaces.
Link just stared in amazement at the apple tree that grew before him; in full bloom, and at least twice as tall as he was. He glanced back over to Saria, who simply smiled and stared at him with her blue eyes, none the least bit surprised of his reaction.
"It was always one of my talents," Saria said as Link kept staring at the tree, "Not even my own mom could piece how I could grow a tree so fast at my age. Even the Kokiri Elders were baffled, and they are considered experts in this kind of magic."
Link's shock was beginning to die down. As he gazed upon the plant, he took note that, already, insects of different kinds began to congregate around it. While ants began to crawl up its large trunk, bees and butterflies began to take wing near its flowers to sip its silken nectar.
"This is what it means to give back to the forest," Saria said, "Everything that the Kokiri harvests eventually returns here. What we so not eat we plant back into the soil; what is spoiled we place about to decay and join the dirt from where it came. It is our way of returning the favor to the forest, so that everything continues to breathe and have life."
As she said this, a bird suddenly began to make its perch on the tree. The bird began to sing a beautiful tune as it stood upon the branch, virtually ignoring the Hylian and Kokiri as it sang. Other birds soon came about and followed suit with the first arrival, singing their own songs in the depths of the tree.
"Robins, Jays, Farore's Hummingbirds," Saria continued, "Each of these birds are bound to the forest, though there are some amongst them that are bound to this single tree. Take that Ordona Finch, for example."
Link gazed at where Saria pointed at a brown bird that was speckled with white and yellow flecks upon its feathers. It made a deep sounding song as it sat next to one of the flowers of the apple tree, completely oblivious to the other birds around it.
"Ordona Finches cannot survive without the nectars of the apple tree," Saria said, "It thrives upon it, and it also feeds upon an apple's sweet surface once it drops. Such a bird would seem destined to die, but the apple tree that stands here goes into bloom on until late autumn; by then, the birds will have stored enough apple bits to last throughout the cold months until the tree is in bloom again."
Even as Saria spoke, Link almost jumped in shock as a rodent-like animal suddenly pounced at the Ordona Finch. The bird screeched before taking off, just away from the animal's claws. The other birds soon followed, attempting to get away from the small beast.
"Deku Weasels," Saria said, "live out their whole lives in apple trees. They know that the hunting is best there, where food is plentiful. Their success rate at a hunt is low, however, and the only reason why they haven't died out from their own misfortunes is that they know where the hunting is good, and usually make a meal once in a while. Without the trees, the birds would find some other place to live, and it is likely that the weasels would die out before long."
Saria turned to the amazed Hylian boy. "So, you see?" she asked, "The forest is alive; every plant, every animal, every single bird in the sky or the worms beneath the ground; they all have a purpose here. Even I have a purpose in this place; to watch over the forest and to safeguard its wellbeing. If Hylians could understand that, then they wouldn't cut down half as many trees to build their homes, or dig up as many stones to make their castles. They would learn to give back as much as they took, one way or another, and keep the earth moving freely as it should."
Link nodded. He was baffled at the whole scope of what Saria had explained to him. The very idea that the Forest was a living thing was kind of crazy…but, in the grand scheme of things, it did make sense…
"Can…can you teach me how to do that?" Link asked.
Saria's eyebrows rose. She didn't exactly expect Link to ask that kind of question.
"You really think that you are ready to try something new?" she asked.
Link nodded. He felt that it would be interesting to learn a bit more about the way the forest worked. Why not try it with magic?
Saria felt that this could be a bad idea. Her mother warned her that learning too much magic too early was not a good thing, and Link was barely beginning to learn the basics of the arcane. However, that didn't mean that she wasn't going to deny him a chance at something new.
"Alright," Saria said, kneeling down and digging up another hole in the soil, "Come here."
Link did as he was told. He kneeled down next to Saria. He felt the same uncomfortable feeling that he usually got when he was this close to her, though the feeling managed to die away a bit quicker than normal. He watched as she reached over to his apple and grabbed another seed, pocketing it in her hands.
"All magic," Saria said, "is influenced by emotion. Since you already know how to use anger, you know that it is able to manipulate fire. However, the forest uses a very different kind of emotion when it influences magic…"
Saria placed the seed in Link's hand. Slowly, she began to close his hand until he was holding the seed tight, her hand placed warmly around his own. Link felt himself blushing at her touch, but mentally shrugged it aside as he tried to pay attention.
"Sincerity," Saria whispered, "To be able to help something grow, one must learn to be sincere to it; to nurture it in your warmth. You must be able to give feeling into the plant; reveal to the plant exactly how you feel and what you believe in. Once you've unlocked that form of emotion and let it wave over your whole body, the plant will do the rest."
Link obeyed and did the best he could. He focused on what his feelings meant to him…about how he felt about the world. His thoughts began to dwell upon how much he missed his family, how much he longed for being home again. However, while his thoughts were rather sincere, he could tell that nothing was working.
"Well," he said, "So much for that."
He felt Saria's hands touch his. Link looked up to see that she was staring deeply into Link's blue eyes. He felt the uncomfortable feeling yet again, only this time it was laced with feelings he did recognize.
He could never really explain how or why. Somehow, he just knew that he cared for Saria. She was probably the closest friend Link had ever had in his life for the few days he had known her. He didn't know how he could explain it…it was as if a gap in his aching heart had been filled; like an old wound that was finally on the verge of healing. Her smooth skin and graceful touch felt like silk against his hands, and her eyes…they were like beautiful blue pools of crystal clear water underneath a full-moon sky.
He suddenly saw that Saria was smiling. Link couldn't help but blush, but suddenly he could see why; he felt something tickle against his hand, pushing it up from the ground. As he looked down, Link spotted a tiny sapling beginning to grow, its leaves strengthening out and caressing the light of the sun.
"Well, it's not a fully grown tree," Saria said, "but it's pretty good so far. I have not seen someone with as much magic potential as you."
"Thanks…I think," Link replied.
Saria giggled. "Come on," she said, "I think that the horses are hungry."
The two friends got up and walked, side by side, back to the Kokiri Village. Both friends had smiles on their faces as they left, parting the clearing as pupil and teacher, and leaving the two trees alone in the woods…
As they left, neither noticed a spider crawl across the small sapling, spinning a web about it and covering it up with its sticky blanket…
As Link and Saria returned to the village, Link suddenly began to get a funny feeling. He couldn't exactly explain the origins; only that it was bugging him. It was like the feeling that he usually got when something was wrong, except it was more noticeable this time; like something was trying to warn him of something.
Saria and Link gasped once they got into the village. Everything was quiet and still. A greenish-grey fog was swirling about in the gloom, covering the entire village with its spread. The fog was about waste-high, and it swirled about along the sides of the village and along the ledges of the village like a dark veil, completely smothering everything in its path. Small plants and other growth were withered as the veil continued its dark touch.
"By Farore's Wind," Link whispered, "What…what is all of this?"
"The forest," Saria said in disbelief, "I can sense it…it's crying."
Link turned to the Kokiri girl and cocked an eyebrow. He suddenly saw that there were tears in her eyes, but her gaze was pointed away from Link; towards somewhere, perhaps deep somewhere in the trees. Whatever was going on, Link could tell that her grief wasn't just because everything was being choked like this.
While Saria was distracted, Link decided that the time had come to move. Quickly moving down the path, he lightly tested the fog by placing his finger in it. When no pain came, he walked freely inside of it, glad that the fog didn't have any terrible effects on his skin.
Link opened the door to the small stable where Oakstrider and Epona were kept. Both horses, though a little agitated, were glad to see their master's timely arrival. Link opened up their makeshift stalls that he had built for them during the night after the attack and turned the horses loose, allowing them to get to safety.
As the horses got away, Link climbed up the ladder to the top of the tree and inside of the big tree house. Reaching the top floor, he grabbed his other belongings; his shield, Ocarina, and whatever else he could grab; and stuffed everything into a makeshift pouch that he managed to carry around with him. Making sure the food was still fresh, he stuffed that inside too. Afterwards, he began to make his way back down the stairs of the big building and down the ladder to the bottom of the tree.
The fog hadn't risen, but Link could see the full effects of it. Small animals once scurried freely across the area that the green fog covered; now, they were no more. The animals that didn't escape the oncoming wrath of the fog were instantly suffocated; indeed, bodies of squirrels, small rodents, and insects all covered Link's path as he made his way back up through the mire. Grabbing Epona's saddle from where it hung on an old tree branch, Link made his way back up to the upper levels of the village.
Finally, he reached Saria, who was still crying. She was standing next to Link's horses and had buried her face in her hands. As Link began to saddle Epona up, Saria uncovered her face and watched in confusion as Link packed up the saddlebags he had filled from upstairs.
"Wah…what are you doing?" the Kokiri asked.
"Moving on," Link said.
"But…you can't," Saria said, "You had promised to stay with me."
"Saria, it doesn't look like that we can stay here," Link said, "I don't know about you, but I don't think that this village is exactly considered habitable anymore, does it?"
"I don't care," Saria said defiantly, "It's my home. I'm not going to abandon it! This is all that I have left in this world."
"It's more than what I've got," Link muttered as he tightened the straps on the saddlebags.
"I'm not going to just stand by while that evil comes and tries to take it all away from us again!"
Link stopped what he was doing. What's she talking about? Link asked himself. With a sigh, he looked over at the Kokiri girl, staring into her tear-stricken face.
"Alright…what is it that you're talking about," Link said, "I don't think spiders have anything to do with this…fog, whatever it is."
"It's got nothing to do with them," Saria said angrily, "And yet…it involves them even more so, as it involves any of the other foul creatures that have sprung in the Forest in recent times."
"Saria, that's enough," Link said, "You're not making any sense—"
"Link, there is a dark power beyond this sanctum," Saria cut him off, "A dark power unlike anything the Kokiri have seen in centuries! It haunts these woods; it is what's been causing the Great Deku Tree's slumber. Before now, it had yet to touch the Kokiri Village save for the tree's grove, but I fear that the Great Deku Tree has been faltering beyond the level of being able to protect this place. Link…I need your help."
Saria began crying again. Link sighed and rubbed the back of his head behind his green cap. What could he do? He wanted to leave; that was for certain. Experiences of late have taught him that when something bad happens and devastates the place you live in, you should abandon all hope of returning.
However, Saria was his friend…the closest one he's ever had since…since…
He didn't want to dwell upon depressing thoughts. The point being; Saria was his friend, and she needed him. She had experienced losses not much different than Link's. If she was to lose anything more, it would crush her…or worse.
The world's had enough depression already, Link said to himself. He sighed. I can't believe I'm doing this.
"Alright," Link said, "I'll help."
Saria rubbed her eyes as she began to control her tears. "Really?" she asked, "You'd do that, for me?"
"Of course I would," Link said, "You are my closest friend, Saria. Right now, I'd probably do almost anything for you."
Saria sniffed. She quickly leapt up and embraced Link in a very thankful hug. Link was rather caught off guard at the sudden attention and blushed as he hugged her back. Saria cried a little more on his shoulder before lifting her head to gaze into her friend's eyes.
"Thanks, Link," she said quietly.
"This wasn't exactly what I had in mind."
Link and Saria went riding across the long path that led up to the Great Deku Grove. Saria led on top of Oakstrider; she was getting used to the idea of riding horses by now; making sure that Epona was trailing behind like she was supposed to. Link, of course, was riding on Epona, but was forced to follow Saria as she led him deeper into the grove.
"Why are we doing this again?" Link asked.
"We have to figure out where this fog is coming from," Saria said, "There is great evil in this forest, and the woods need healed."
"Yeah, but couldn't we at least wait until after we figure out where we're going to live?" Link asked, "Personally I want to make sure there's something we can come back to once this is over."
"There will be," Saria said, "When we get back, we can live in the village again."
"But suppose that the village is still covered in fog," Link asked, "or that it gets worse! We need to find someplace to stay if that happens."
"What you're saying is that you're too insecure to sleep under the stars at night," Saria said with a smile.
Link fumed, but shut up. He wasn't scared; he slept outside many times in his life. However, it was the overall dread of not being able to defend Saria that scared him. Inside of a house or a structure of some kind, maybe a cave, he could at least ensure that they could have someplace to keep their backs to. Out in the open, they were both likely to get attacked on both sides very easily.
"For the moment, we just need to get there," Saria said, "Once we do, we'll figure out how to save my homeland."
Yeah, or get us both killed, Link wanted to say. However, as much as he feared that would happen, he knew that this meant a lot to Saria. He also knew; deep down; that they had nowhere else to go. It was better to save the only home you have then to wander about in the wilds without any hope of finding shelter from the darkness.
The journey wasn't too long. The pathway was covered in dead plants that were covered in the sickly, green fog. The two friends kept their long vigil on horseback until they reached the end of a very large clearing of trees, which led straight to…
"The Great Deku Tree," Saria whispered.
Link gazed at the gigantic tree standing before them. He had to admit; it did look impressive. Huge branches spread out over its tremendous trunk, each filled to the brim with leaves as big as Link's torso. The trunk, which was covered in thick, armor-like bark, had a set of what looked like eyebrows and a mustache etched upon its surface. The appearance of a wise and gentle ruler seemed to be reflected off of its huge, green body.
Link could see how the Kokiri would respect something like this. Its size alone was staggering. However, Link could see right away that, while the tree was spectacular, it wasn't as powerful as Link had thought it would be.
He was about to ask Saria why, but saw that she had started to ride up to the giant tree. Wordlessly, Link followed, carefully guiding Epona through the fog. As they rode up, Link watched as Saria approached the tree's trunk, raising her hand in the air and focusing upon the plant.
"He's alive, but just barely," Saria said with a sigh of relief, "His magic protects him from the fog, but I don't know how long it'll last. We need to figure out where it's coming from."
Link nodded in agreement and looked around. From what he could see, the fog was everywhere. It huddled about in a layer above the ground before being absorbed into the dirt, though a continuous supply was filling up inside. From what he could see, air currents representing the travelling fog were continuing to pool in towards this spot…which meant that the fog was coming from somewhere else.
He finally found the source; at the back of the grove, behind the gigantic and silent tree, the fog appeared to be pouring out in a gap between the trees. From what he could see, a path led straight from that point towards the deeper parts of the forest, revealing that there was an external source to all of this death and destruction.
"I think we found where it's coming from, "Link said.
He pointed at the oncoming fog. Saria followed his gaze, her face forming a grave expression as she looked on into the depths of the forest.
"That's Skull Kid territory," Saria said, "We won't be welcome in there."
"At this point, I don't think we have much of a choice," Link reflected, "That is…unless you want to go back."
Saria shook her head adamantly. "Nope," she replied, "I said we wouldn't be welcome; I never said we weren't going in."
Link sighed. So much for convincing her to stay. Now it looked like there was no turning back.
"Alright," Link said, "but at the first sign of any danger, we're heading back, understand?"
"Link, if I was worried about danger, I wouldn't be living in a forest."
The two horses trotted down the path, following the green smoke as they went deeper and deeper into the forest. Link had noticed that the fog seemed to come in bursts; for a few seconds, the fog would stop moving. Then, suddenly, more fog would start to roll in and push the rest of it out of the way as it moved along. Then, as suddenly as it had come, it stopped and began to settle again.
"It's like something's breathing this stuff out," Link said nervously.
"Whatever it is, it is choking the forest," Saria said tensely, "At least the trees can still breathe."
Link looked up at the large, green-leaved trees. Before now, he had no idea that trees even needed to breathe. Being in the forest was a totally new concept for him. Pretty soon he would probably know more about the livelihoods of squirrels than he knew of the rest of the world.
Part of me wonders what's going on out there right now, Link thought. He sighed. Maybe I don't really need to know.
The two friends and their horses continued on the path towards whatever was making the strange fog. From what Link could see, the fog continued up the path like a tremendous veil. The fog could have stretched on for miles for all they knew. That didn't stop Saria from continuing up the path, and that certainly wouldn't stop Link.
The two of them continued for a while before Link spotted something rather strange. The fog seemed to billow upwards, as if coming over a bump in the road ahead. And yet, there was something strange about the way the fog was moving over that hill…
It's like the hill's breathing, Link thought.
"Saria, stop!" Link commanded.
Before Saria could protest, he got Epona to quickly trot forward. Grabbing Oakstrider's reigns, he pulled back hard, making sure that both horses came to a complete stop.
"What's going on?!" Saria asked in frustration, "Can't you see that we have to keep going?"
"I don't think there's any way we can go further," Link said nervously.
He demonstrated by reaching into his pack and grabbing one of his apples. He tossed it expertly over the rise. It landed with a thud to the ground, passing through the fog as it did.
"Okay…" Saria said, "What did you throw the apple for."
"Listen carefully," Link said. He reached into his pack and grabbed another apple. Tossing it, he made sure that, this time, he hit smack-dab in the middle of the rise, right where the side of the hill should be.
The apple passed straight through the fog layer, sending fog swirling around in its wake. No sound came from within. Link checked to see if Saria was paying close attention like he asked her to.
The Kokiri was smart. She knew very well what this could mean…
"We've hit a canyon," she said.
The two got off of their horses and walked up as close to the rise as they dared. As Link peered through the translucent layer, sure enough, the fog was dipping and rising from the bottom of the canyon. Deep inside, fountains of the fog began to jet up towards the surface, sending more and more of the stuff towards the rest of the lands beyond.
"I think we found the source," Link said, "Now…how the heck are we going to shut it off?"
Saria looked down into the depths below, putting her fingers to her chin. Looking up, she looked carefully at the currents passing through on the other side of the fog rise. It was then that she noticed what she was looking for; a fog current heading towards them, instead of away from them like they should be.
"That's not the source," Saria said, "There's still some fog coming up on the other side. I think that the geyser below was just an added effect caused by the fog. We have to get across somehow. Start looking for a bridge or something."
Link did as he was told, heading over across to the left near the canyon's edge while Saria took the right. He kept going until he found that there was no way across. Almost giving up for despair, he made his way back and attempted to see if Saria could find anything on her end.
It was then that Link saw a large, lifeless tree at the edge of the canyon. From what he could tell, the tree had been once a mighty pine at some point in time, though it managed to die after it lived for probably hundreds of years. The tree was straight, tall, obviously thick, and completely devoid of any form of life.
Just the kind of tree that would make a good bridge…
Link guessed that Saria wouldn't mind if he simple decided to…persuade the tree to fall for him. After all; it was dead, wasn't it? It's not like it was important or anything.
Hylians are all alike…
Yes…they think that what is painfully obvious is so easily taken for granted…
…but what of those who would use the trees for other purposes? The insects and the birds? What of them?
He does not care…and he does not deserve to live any more than the tree did…
Link heard the voices inside of his head. He thought he was rid of him once he was with Saria—
You aren't with the girl anymore…
Her Kokiri magic won't meddle with our control…
We shall have vengeance over all Hylians…
Link shook off the voices. He was about to go mad. Once that happened, it would only be a small amount of time before he became a Stalfos…and then who would protect Saria?
Sincerity…
Link was about to go mad with the noises in his head, but suddenly noticed that there was only one voice this time. It was a calm, gentle voice; not harsh, but commanding, as if speaking to him from some other realm beyond his own.
Sincerity…life...the Forest is life…
Link listened to the voice, but couldn't understand it. He was trying to piece together what it was saying, but it all came out in a jumble that didn't make sense at all. How was he going to solve this?
Sincerity…alive…the seed…
The seed? Link asked himself. All he got was silence, though it was in that silence that he suddenly understood what the voice was saying.
Just because it looks dead doesn't mean it's not alive, Link thought, The forest can still use it…why take it down when some other creature could have purpose for it?
Wisdom…an interesting quality…
What does it matter? He is Hylian. They must die!
Why does he not go mad like the others?!? Does he not see the inevitability of it all?!
Perhaps it is for that reason why he tries hardest to survive…
He is a fool to think that he can! The forest will break him…WE will break him!
Link ignored the voices and began to focus upon his feelings. He focused upon what he truly cared for; what he desired to have happen in his life. He focused upon his feelings for Epona, for the few friends he had before his exile, for Saria…
Suddenly, he felt it. There was a spark in his veins. He had managed to tap into the magic he needed!
What is this?!
He…he dares to command the forest?!?
Such an outrage! He will pay for this.
The forest will not stand for the likes of you!
Link kept focusing upon his power as he began to pool in his energies. His thoughts dwelled upon his feelings for Kara, for Saria, for Oakstrider, for Aryll, for his mother and father, for Saria, for all Hylians who had taken sanctuary in his home, for the day Epona was born in his arms, for Saria…
"If the forest truly is alive," Link voiced aloud, "then I ask that it gives me aid!"
Link pointed a hand to the ground. Suddenly, a once-dead sapling sprang back to life, growing quickly and spreading its roots and its stem as it sprang forth from the ground. Link began to focus his energies, moving the plant towards the end of the cliff. The fog parted for him as he commanded the growing tree to spread its roots and move its trunk horizontally across the canyon. Once reaching the other side, the end of the trunk wrapped itself around a rock before suddenly rising into the sky, its limbs growing and spreading out to take in the sunlight above in the air.
Link broke the connection, gazing at his workmanship. A bridge, made out of a living tree, erected in the middle of a deep canyon! It was an amazing sight.
Link suddenly felt very weak. Feeling his knees buckle, he felt on the verge of collapse.
Oh no, Link thought, Once I touch that fog, I'm done for!
Things began to go in slow motion as he felt his body sink into the murky depths of the poisonous fumes.
Is this really how it ends? Link said to himself.
Just as is neck was about to become submerged, Link felt a pair of hands pick him up and lift him from his doom. Link felt himself being picked up slowly from out of the fog, his torso being lifted up and his legs straightening as his right arm went around his rescuer's shoulders.
"You have a knack for saving my life, don't you?" Link asked weakly.
"At this point, I'd say you're accident-prone enough that it should become common," Saria said with a smile. She looked in amazement at the 'bridge' that had been erected across the canyon. "You did all of this?"
"Surprised?" Link asked.
"No wonder you're so weak," Saria said, "That must have taken enough mana to power up a decently learned mage!"
"M-m…mana?" Link asked.
"Never mind," Saria said, "Consider that your next lesson…if we get you out of here alive."
"I like your optimism," Link said sarcastically.
Saria smiled and giggled. She shifted Link's weight so that it was more on her shoulders before moving on to where the horses were left. As they did, Link snuck a glance at his now prickling left hand.
The lower-right of the three triangles had started to become a bit clearer.
Once they got to the horses, Link was feeling better enough to stand and walk on his own. The two of them came to the animals and began to grab their food packs from the horses' saddles. Link quickly grabbed a piece of bread from his and chewed it, letting the energy flow back into his body as best as it could.
"Alright," Saria said, "I don't think that the horses can travel across that tree trunk like that. We're walking from here."
Link nodded his head sadly. He sure hoped that the horses would be alright. He glanced over at Epona, who stared up at him with her big eyes and snorted softly.
Don't worry, she seemed to say. We'll be alright. I can take care of us.
Link petted the horse's muzzle. Epona snorted softly in gratitude, obviously happy that Link cared so much about her.
"I'll leave some apples in your guys' pouches," Link whispered, "You both have to stay together though, or you won't reach them. There's a grove with an apple tree somewhere to the north of the village."
Epona nodded her head. I understand. We'll follow your scent if we have to.
Link came up and hugged his horse around the neck. Epona nuzzled him gently, returning the gesture.
"Take care of yourself," Link said.
When Link let go of the hug, Epona backed away. Snorting to Oakstrider, the two spoke to each other in whatever language or speech that horses spoke. Once they were done, both horses whinnied their goodbyes before taking off back the way that the friends came from.
Link sighed and turned. He suddenly saw Saria smiling sweetly at him. Link cocked an eyebrow in confusion.
"What?" Link asked.
"That was sweet," Saria said warmly, "I didn't know you could speak so well with animals."
"Nah," Link said, "I can only do that with Epona. It comes with me raising her, I guess. I was always good with animals."
"Just not with the ones here," Saria said.
Link shrugged. "I guess that's just because I'm new."
Saria sighed. "Don't worry. They'll get used to you. Come on; we've got a forest to save!"
The two friends made their way over to the bridge. Link could see right away that the bridge was big enough, though it would be tricky getting across. Breathing deeply, Saria went first, holding out her arms so that she would remain balanced as she walked across the big tree trunk.
The going was slow. The bark of the tree was strong, and it wasn't slippery; however, the size of the tree's trunk ensured that the Kokiri girl had to tightrope-walk across the tree as carefully as she could. Quick as she dared, she moved across the surface of the trunk before leaping across the rest of the way, landing gracefully on her two feet.
"Come on!" Saria said, "You can do it! Just don't look down!"
That's easy for you to say, Link said to himself. He gulped, looking down slightly to make sure that his foot was on the tree trunk. Well, here goes nothing.
Link carefully put one foot after another as he made his way across the makeshift bridge. The fog layer acted like a treacherous and dangerous disguise; one mistake and Link would plummet to his doom, though the good thing was that he'd probably die of poison before he hit the ground below.
As Link made his way across, Saria anxiously tapped her fingers together and prayed silently for Link's safety. Step by step, he faced his fear of falling off the edge and hoped that the Goddesses above would smile upon him.
Finally, Link made the last jump. Landing on his feet, he carefully stood up and looked back the way they came. He breathed a sigh of relief; he was more than happy that they made it across.
"Alright," Link said to the Kokiri girl, "Let's go save a forest…"
The two friends continued their trek across small rises and dips in the forest. By now, there weren't any more deciduous trees growing in the forest; everything was evergreen, and everything was very big. It was starting to become difficult to see where they were going as the sky above them was blotted out by a tremendously large ceiling made of tree branches and dark needles. Tree trunks rose above at least hundreds of feet in the air like tall pillars in a cathedral; the eldest trees of a bygone age, probably first planted back when the forest was as young as the world.
The two friends by now had been submerged in darkness. Saria had created a magical light with her hands, but it wasn't enough to see everything. Thinking quickly, Link held his breath and closed his eyes as he saw a stick on the ground. Reaching through the fog and picking it up, he stood up straight and breathed the fresh air again.
"What are you doing?" Saria asked; Link was busy rummaging through his sack.
"Making us a light," Link replied. Grabbing what looked like a big rag; probably used as a handkerchief; he wrapped it around the end of the stick and grabbed a vial of oil from inside of his flint box. Pouring it over the rag, he quickly put the vial away and raised his free hand and pointed it towards the stick of wood.
A flash of anger was all Link needed. The oil ignited, creating a makeshift torch that spread its light throughout the forest floor. Saria felt a little nervous around the torch's flames, but controlled her fear and pressed on at Link's side as they made their way deeper and deeper into the forest.
The two of them then reached the end of a tremendous clearing in the forest. It was still dark; no doubt about that. However, the pitch-black of the darkness originated not because of the closeness of the trees, but because of how far apart they were. The light couldn't reach all the points in the darkness in the great clearing, and the silence was staggering.
As the two friends nervously walked forward, Link spotted a pile of sticks jumbled together into one big cone-shaped pile. The smell of old oil hung in the air around the pile of tree branches. Link nervously looked around to see if anyone was about; nobody could have just left this there.
Who would set up a bonfire here in the middle of a forest? Link asked himself.
"Stand back, Saria," Link commanded. His friend did as she was told. Link carefully put the torch's flaming end closer to the oil-covered branches, letting the flames lick hungrily at the pile of wood. Suddenly, the pile burst into flames, casting its light across the forest.
Link and Saria gasped at the sight standing before them. Straight ahead, there was a tremendous oak tree; big enough to dwarf the Great Deku Tree in size! The tremendous tree had great cracks in places, as if something very heavy had managed to crush it.
Sitting on the boughs of the mighty oak's branches was a tremendous wooden fortress; large enough to be mistaken for a castle and probably big enough to hold almost every animal in the forest. The building was in disrepair; worn down and rotting in places; but it was obviously the central hub of tons of activity when it was first built. In many of the cracks at the base of the tremendous structure, sickly green fog floated gently down to the base of the long-dead oak tree, the green air pouring out and making its way west towards the rest of the forest.
"I think we just found the source," Link said in awe.
Kerian: Well now, the plot thickens a wee bit more, eh? I wonder what could be the cause of all of this fog? Could this great evil be stopped, or is the Lost Woods doomed? And what have the spiders got to do with all of this?!?
Well, it's been a while, but I think I did pretty good for this chapter. Link gets a new magic ability, ticks off a group of forest spirits, and manages to find a really interesting-looking fortress (if you want to know what it is now, go read Legacy of the Sages and look up the chapter section Walls of the Skull to find out more). However, the strange mark upon his hand continues to baffle him, though it's starting to get familiar by now. I wonder what it could mean...
Well, anyway, another chapter's come and gone (happy holidays, by the way) and I am no less proud of myself for achieving it. This story is so far turning out pretty good, and I'm glad I've been working on it for so long. Hopefully people will enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it...
Darin: You know, shouldn't you be doing schoolwork?
Kerian: Shouldn't you go bother Link in LotS somewhere?
Darin: Good point. At least there I know I've got fans.
Kerian: Anyway, now that we've got that dealt with, time for some minor news. I'm continuing Legacy of the Sages, as usual, and I will be starting on the next chapter of it tommorow. The next chapter for Secrets of the Lost Woods is going to be a dungeon crawl, so I hope you all are ready for the big boss fight ahead. Also, I'm planning on starting on that legendary prequel that I've been planning on creating ever since I started LotS, so be prepared!
Now that we have that done and over with, I think it's time to sign off. Prepare yourselves for A Nature Corrupted! Until then, me out!
-Kerian (and Darin!)