Just as a head's up, this chapter has not been proof-read since my beta reader is stuck with assignments and upcoming exams. So any criticisms about spelling, grammar, structure and logic are welcome.
Chapter 7: Dependence
It seemed ironic that the twilight was brighter than in the moonlit world outside, given its nature. The cursed realm made Link feel uncomfortable, but at least he could see clearly. Leaves on the pine trees swayed gently in the breeze as twilight particles floated among them, making the forest appear to be dancing. Link struggled to believe that this was the same Faron Woods that he had spent much of his teenage years foraging in. It was like a close friend had suddenly transformed into a complete stranger.
The golden forest would have been beautiful if it weren't so eerily quiet. Link couldn't see or hear any animals nearby, spirit or monster. Midna, however, was unbothered by the sombre atmosphere. As they journeyed deeper into the woods, she occupied herself by humming an unfamiliar tune.
Link knew that they weren't too far from the spirit spring now. By his guess, they should be there in a few minutes if he maintained his steady pace. There they would meet the light spirit, Faron, as surreal as the thought was to Link. Then again, what part of his life wasn't surreal at the moment?
Link then ground to a halt, for the earth shook as black shapes crashed down before him, exactly like the one from the Spring of Ordona. Midna tightened her grip on his chain and cursed in annoyance. The masses rose before the backtracking wolf with writhing tendrils and merciless stares. Shadow beasts. One; two; three of them! And Link was meant to fight the entire lot!
The middle beast lunged almost immediately. Its claws brushed against Link's fur as he barely managed to dodge. Twisting around, Link gave in to his instincts and jumped at the monster's throat, sinking his teeth in deep. The wolf inside began thrashing his head, tearing more flesh from his shrieking victim with each sharp motion.
Another shadow beast struck Link from the first, inadvertently tearing its brother's windpipe out. Link slammed painfully into the side of a tree then the ground with a thud. Link heaved himself up to face the remaining two beasts as his side flared in pain.
Midna regained her seat after being knocked off. Nursing a bruised shoulder with gritted teeth, she leaned closer to Link's ear. "Okay, to end this, you're going to have-"
One of the beasts attacked before she could finish, and her instruction was cut short as Link lunged again, shoving the shadow beast onto its back. Midna's cries were ignored as the wolf killed his enemy. He jumped off the corpse and turned to the last monster, baring his teeth.
The shadow beast threw its head back and roared its demonic call, sending daggers into Link's eardrums. A dark shockwave then expanded from the creature. The energy passed through the Link with no ill effect, but when the scream died, so did his hopes.
The beasts that were supposed to be dead rose from the ground, their bodies crackling with black lightning. Rapidly, their wounds sewed themselves closed with no scar left visible. Link backed away from the three living shadow beasts, trembling. How was he supposed to fight something that won't die?
"I tried to warn you, dumbass!" Midna scolded. "If you leave one alive, it'll bring back the others! You have to kill them all at the same time!" Fleeing from a swipe, Link gave her a questioning glance. "Wait for my signal then attack them in succession. Do it quickly unless you want to go for round three!"
She left his back and flew over the monsters. Their blank gazes followed the smaller, approaching prey, ignoring Link. Curling into a foetal position, Midna's body began to pulse with power. Thrusting her limbs outward, a pool of darkness expanded from her until it consumed the pack. Orange sparks then danced across the beasts as they ceased moving.
"Now!" Midna barked. Link ran up at the closest beast. It failed to defend itself as he slew it again with his fangs. Targeting the next one, he dealt it the same fate as its sibling. The final creature stayed silent as Link closed his teeth around its neck. The only sound it made was a dying shriek that faded with its life force.
Link collapsed to his haunches, becoming more aware of the pain in his side as the battle frenzy faded from his mind. Meanwhile, Midna floated down to the monsters. Her lips moved in a silent chant before she burst the bodies into flames, exactly as before. Link followed her gaze upward where they spotted another black hole. She performed another series of strange gestures before the crimson glyphs turned green.
When she returned to his back, Midna's breathing was long and laboured. He craned his neck to see her one eye shut and her small hand rubbing at her exposed temple. When her lid opened, he received a hard glare.
"What the hell are you looking at? Quit lazing around and go find that spirit." Her scolding had less energy behind it than usual, Link noticed. In spite of the order, however, he turned his head to the shadow beasts and stood in fixated silence.
The fire devoured the creatures' flesh ravenously. A foul stench wrinkled Link's nose, making him snort. Within a minute, nothing but misshapen skeletons remained, the bones as charred black as the monsters they had been. The hard tissue creaked and cracked as the fire continued to burn. Soon, all that was left were ashes sprinkling the earth when, finally, the cremation came to an end.
Earlier, Link had wondered why Midna had burned the first monster. Most people frowned upon burning the dead, since they considered it as disrespectful to the departed souls. But after seeing the shadow beasts' revival ability in action, he understood why Midna had done it. By destroying the bodies, hopefully that prevented them from coming back to life.
Link shook his head. He didn't want to think about the freakish creatures or other dead things anymore. Returning his focus to finding the light spirit, Link stood and tested his latest injuries. The pain had dulled enough for him to move without trouble but it was still noticeable. Keeping to a moderate walk, he continued further into the forest. The spring was not much further now.
The Spring of Faron was very similar to its southern counterpart; small body of water; a slow stream feeding into it; a sandy shore; and several carved boulders dotting the sacred pool. Although here, the water appeared lifeless; lacking the lustre that Link was accustomed to from the frequent treks with his father. At the back of the spring stood a wooden statuette of a solemn-faced monkey watching the road before it. The sternness in its expression was so unlike the cheeky grins of the primates that dwelled within the forest.
Above the statue floated a golden sphere, like the one that Link had seen between Ordona's horns; only this one was a faint wisp compared to the brilliance of the goat spirit. A sorrowful melody rang from the apparition, conveying grief for its lost form that the wolf could emphasis with. Slowly, Link approached the weakened spirit. The lamentation never ceased as Faron addressed him in a shuddering whisper.
"You... Blue-eyed beast... I am the spirit... assigned to protect this forest... My power... has been stolen by... the beings that dwell in twilight... Please... recover my lost light... Store it in this vessel..."
A flash then blinded Link, stinging his eyes after having adjusted to the dim twilight. Blinking several times, his gaze then fell upon a tear-shaped jewel suspended in front of him. Its surface was clear and flawless like a glass seed. It drifted slowly towards Midna, who received it with her outstretched arms. She and the wolf studied it with interest.
"My light is in the possession... of an insect born from evil magic..." the spirit wheezed. "Like those transformed into spirits... this insect is invisible to the naked eye... The vessel I have bestowed upon you... will lead to this menace... Destroy it... and return with my light... so I may dispel the twilight from the forest..."
Quiet then descended as the wisp's light grew weaker. Midna gave the jewel-seed a curious wave. As she moved it left to right, the clear interior of the vessel began to glow and fade faintly.
"This shouldn't be too difficult," she stated. "Let's track down that bug and squash it."
At last, Link had something that they both agreed on; locating one enemy didn't sound that daunting of a task, especially since they had a guide. He also felt a bit better now that his ally was contributing more. There was no way he would have been able to carry the vessel by himself, lacking hands as he was, and the seed looked far too smooth for him to hold in his teeth. Slowly, Link was beginning to feel like he could rely on the imp.
Link started to walk away when his paws splashed in the spring water. He then realised just how uncomfortable and dry his throat was. Link lowered his head to the water, breaking the surface with his nose. Sucking proved ineffective with his elongated mouth, so Link tried lapping the water with his tongue like how a dog would do. It worked easier than he had expected as he swallowed the beautiful liquid.
In the corner of his eye, Midna kneelt beside him. She cupped the water in her tiny hands and brought them to her mouth, closing her eyes as she drank. The imp wasn't completely different from him, he thought. She still needed food and water like any other living creature. Maybe there were other similarities that he just didn't know of yet.
Once they had had their fill, the companions set off on the search for the lost light. Not long after leaving the spring, the vessel led them to a fork in the road; one path headed north towards the edge of the forest, the other going deeper to the west. Near the crossroad stood a wooden shack belonging to a man named Coro. He was an odd sort man in Link's opinion; preferring to live in isolation over the safety of the village less than half an hour away. The man made a profit selling lantern oil to travellers and Rusl was a regular customer.
Coro, however, was not in his usual spot by the cook fire outside his house. The pot itself had been knocked from the coals and now rested on its side forgotten. Propping himself on a low window pane, Link peeked through the dusty glass to see a spirit locked inside. He had to squint, but he identified the poor soul as Coro shivering in a corner.
The man looked petrified with his hands clutching his temples. Link thought he could hear Coro talking to himself, but couldn't make anything other than a faint mumble. He was scared, alone and confused, and Link felt sorry for the merchant. He'd be safe so long as he remained where he was, though. Since there was nothing that he could do for the time being, Link retreated from the house and continued on his way.
The gate to the western road was locked tight and, unfortunately, that was where the vessel wanted to go. Coro would have the key, but he was as likely to leave his home as Link was to speak Hylian, so unlocking the gate was futile. Link didn't bother to try squeezing through; the bars were much too narrow. They reminded him of the prison cell he had woken up in. He huffed at the irony. First he had broken out of the dungeon, now he breaking into other places.
Thinking of his escape, Link wondered if they could use the same thing here. He twisted his head towards Midna, hoping she would take the hint. She frowned at him for a minute before she deciphered what it was he wanted.
"Oh, alright," she grumbled, rolling her eyes, and began charging her magic. After feeling his body break down and reconstruct itself again, the gate was behind them. Link nearly collapsed from it, but his companion's power got them both to the other side. Once his head had cleared, he heard Midna panting with exertion and looked at her again in concern, receiving another harsh rebuke for his trouble.
It became impossibly dark when the road fed into a tunnel. Thankfully, the vessel's gentle flashing provided some illumination, though Link could still only see a foot ahead of him. The cave was infested with smaller monsters; more mutant rats and ones resembling bats, yet they were easily taken care of with a few well-timed pounces. After surviving a pack of large shadow beasts, these vermin no longer seemed as threatening as they once were. That interested Link.
After navigating the twists and turns in the dimness for who knew how long, they reached the end of the tunnel. There, the forest was vastly different to the previous area. The ancient oaks of these parts were thicker and far taller; their branches intertwining to block out the orange sky. Normally Link could see the massive roots stretching across the ground like wooden veins, but now the trunks were bathed in a dense purple mist.
The violet fumes snaked lazily throughout the grove; coiling themselves around any surface they could. Its sharp stench made Link's eyes water. By the edge of the fog, a twilight rat sat on its side dead. Its flesh looked as though bits had been eaten away by something without teeth.
Link wasn't really sure what the fog was or if it was connected to the rat's death. At his best guess, it was some kind of poison. He scanned the area and saw that it was everywhere with no safe path visible. Yet the vessel pointed straight through the deadly cloud. It was glowing more brightly that before, possibly indicating that the spirit's light was near.
"I don't fancy taking a walk in that," Midna muttered after observing the corroded rat. She frowned as she looked around. Her eyes fell upon a high ridge to their right then shifted towards a low branch. The imp's gaze travelled across the scene, calculating sizes and distances.
"Over there!" she said after several minutes, pointing at the outcropping. Curious, Link padded over until he stood over the fog. Thin vapours curled less than half a meter below. If he slipped, he wouldn't come out again.
Midna flew over to the thick branch and beckoned to Link She saw the look in his eyes as he realised her intentions. "This is the only way across. I don't like it either, but there's no other choice."
A low whine formed in Link's throat as he stared at the mist once more.
"Come on!" she growled. "Do you really want these woods to stay like this forever?"
Link thought back to Coro and how terrified he was. The merchant was merely one among many suffering in the twilight, including the light spirit. He was the only one what could help them, and to do that Link would have to get past this infernal fog. Grumbling, he crouched at the edge of the rock and jumped.
The tree limb was too narrow for him to land safely on his paws, so the best Link could do was to bellyflop. The landing winded him and his gut ached as though he'd been punched by Mayor Bo. Refilling his lungs with sour air, Link scrambled up with some assistance from Midna. Once his footing was secure, the imp moved to the next branch, higher this time. Link did all he could to follow without falling to his death.
There were points where the landing spots were too small to stand on. This meant that Midna had to mark several places and wait for Link to cross them all in nerve-wrecking sequence. Once, he slipped from the top of a tree and found himself dangling by his front paws. He whined for help as his claws raked desperately against the mossy bark. With shock on her face, Midna's hair quickly grew and snaked itself around Link's body before he fell, and helped him up again.
Thankfully, there had been no similar mishaps during the rest of the way. When his feet touched solid ground again on the other side of the grove, Link fell to his stomach like a stone, feeling his heart's beating throughout his body.
On his back, Midna knew she was reaching her limit. She could hardly sit straight, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open. She called for a break and the wolf groaned in response. He was as tired as she felt, that was as plain as twilight, and they would both need their strength for when they caught up to the shadow insect. Midna repositioned herself so that her back leaned against the wolf's side. She then closed her eyes; just for a little while to rest them.
Her servant started to snore and Midna's brows creased. The stupid light dweller had fallen asleep. She wanted to wake him, but she couldn't muster up the will to move or speak; and she was too comfortable. His fur was so warm and soft, and the steady rhythm of the animal's breathing felt relaxing. He still reeked from their time in the sewers, but Midna was too exhausted to care. Unconsciously, she snuggled deeper into the wolf's side as sleep took her as well.
"Wake up, damn it!" A firm kick in the ribs jolted Link from the faded dream he'd been having. Grumbling, he looked up to see Midna leering at him.
"Naptime's over," she growled. "We've wasted enough time here."
Link released a wide yawn. Dully, he wondered how long they had slept for. Based on the cramps in his body, it had probably been only a few hours. He stretched out his back and legs, feeling the joints pop as he moved.
As he gave another yawn, Midna pulled out the vessel and waved it around. "The light's still strong, so the bug is still close by," she stated tersely. "A good thing, too; it could have flown off somewhere while we were asleep."
She floated onto Link's back and took hold of his chain. He began walking before Midna could kick her heels, to her surprise, and soon built towards a run. Link was eager to get this task done so he could see the sun again. He was tired of never-ending twilight.
The trees thinned out further on. Above a clearing, another vortex opened and Link ran into another ambush. He stopped as another three shadow beasts appeared in front of him. Earlier he had been afraid of the demons, but this time was different. He had an easy way to defeat them, and after a good few hours of sleep, he was ready for this fight. Link exchanged a glance with Midna, and she quickly nodded before flying towards the horde. As soon as her magic entrapped every single beast, Link did his part and ended the battle in seconds.
Once Midna completed her ritual and the monsters were reduced to ashes, the pair continued onward. Faron's vessel became a beacon glowing so brightly that Midna held it far with her magic. The glare she gave it led Link to believe she had no love for light. It made sense since she was from the twilight. It made him wonder why she was helping him like this, though. He would ask her later, once he could speak again.
The terrain eventually became rocky as sheer cliffs surrounded them. Link could see that the trail was leading towards a massive tree, taller and wider than anything imaginable. He had never been this far into the forest before, but Link had heard about the tree. Legend told it was the remains of a great deku tree, and inside its hollow trunk was a temple. It was sacred ground, so few people ever dared to venture in and find out what was inside. Link was worried about trespassing, but since the vessel was pointing that way, he guessed that it was probably alight.
Near the entrance of the temple, Midna yanked on Link's collar to stop. The vessel was now pulsing like a heart, almost alive on its own. They both scanned the area; the shadow insect was there, yet neither could see it. A ghostly monkey was cowering in a small hole in the wall by the temple entrance. Other than that, though, there was nothing.
A loud buzzing filled Link's ears. The monkey screamed as it heard the sound as well. Link turned in a full circle, but still he couldn't see anything. The buzzing was growing louder, reaching the point where it started to drill into his skull. A thought then clicked in his head and Link looked upwards, yelping as he spotted the gigantic hornet hovering over him. It was twice the size of a horse!
The pale insect appeared ghostly, crackling with stolen light. Link could see the background through its body the same way as with a normal spirit. It stared at him with menacing red eyes.
Like a hornet, the creature's abdomen ended with a long stinger, poised for killing. It opened its mandibles to hiss harshly then swooped in to attack. Link bolted away to avoid being skewered, then he pounced. His teeth snapped at empty air as the bug flew upwards. Cursing silently, Link glanced back at Midna. She tried to ensnare the horror with her magic, only for the black veil to shatter a second later.
"Its light is too strong," she shook her head furiously. "I can't hold it. Keep your eye on it and wait for an opening."
With nothing else he could do, Link stared at his foe, his body tensed to move. The hornet tried to sting him several times, though Link was too quick for it. The same was also true, as the bug always retreated before he could counter. Meanwhile, Midna lobbed balls of magic at the bug, but they didn't seem to be inflicting any damage. She swore at her lack of success as Link learned a few new words.
Although no attacks were having an effect on either side, the hornet clearly had the upper hand. It forced Link further back with each stab, until his tail touched the wall. Sensing victory, the hornet hissed and thrust its stinger with greater power. Link dove quickly to the side, and with nothing to resist the force of the attack, the hornet's barb drove itself deep into the wood. The monster yanked back to free itself but was stuck fast. Link watched as its shrieks grew louder and its tugging became more desperate.
Realising that his enemy was vulnerable, Link lunged at the hornet's back. He caught its wings in his teeth and tore them away as the bug screamed. Now wingless, the creature slammed onto the ground, leaving its head open for the wolf's fangs. One twist of its neck, and the insect became silent. Seconds later, its body vanished in a bright explosion. Light congregated above the companions to form a large orb.
"That monster just died," said an unfamiliar voice. Link turned to the monkey crawling out of its hole. He spotted the red flower in its hair. It was the same one that had helped him fight the bokoblins.
The monkey shook her head hopelessly. "First the boss loses his nut, and now giant bugs are roaming around. What's happening to the forest?"
Link tried to answer her, wondering if she could understand him, but his reply fell on deaf ears. She couldn't see or hear him, he remembered. No one could except for Midna, Zelda, and the many monsters in the twilight. That was going to change very soon, though.
Midna was floating as near to Faron's light as she dared with the vessel raised between them. The divine power merged with the gleaming jewel. Then everything turned white.
Link could hear the splashing of water and the rustling of leaves. He tried to open his eyes, but closed them again they stung from the harsh light. Waiting a few moments, he tried again more slowly. He could make out a few colours and shapes but not much else. The sun was too bright for him to see. His body jerked. 'The sun?'
Willing his lids wider bit by bit, Link was able to take in more of his surroundsing. He was back at the Spring of Faron, with its waters crystal blue and the vegetation a lush mix of greens. A grin broke onto his face as he gazed up at the sky. Sporadic white clouds dotted the blue canopy overhead. It hurt to look at the sun beaming down at him but Link didn't care. Its warm light was so beautiful that he laughed.
A wordless voice called out and grabbed his attention. Turning towards the spring's altar, he watched as a ball of light rose from the pool. A pair of hands emerged from orb, then a body followed by a long tail. The shape swung out until a great golden monkey clung to the central sphere. The light spirit looked down at Link and held its stern gaze on him.
"My power has returned to me and light shines upon the forest once again. Thank you, noble youth. I am one of the four light spirits who serve the gods and protect this land. I am Faron.
"Under the cloak of twilight, where people roam as spirits, you were transformed into a beast. That was a sign... a sign that you were blessed with the power of the gods. Once dormant within you, it now begins to stir. Look at your awakened form."
Link obeyed and lowered his gaze. No longer could he see the paws of a wolf, for instead there was his natural human body. A frown crossed his face as he noticed that his clothes were different. He raised his left hand to view the leather bracer that now covered his arm, along with the fingerless glove on his hand. The other arm was similarly garbed, with Jaggle's shield fastened along its length.
On Link's torso he wore a long-sleeved white shirt under a green tunic, fastened by a belt around his waist. Feeling a strange, heavy weight between the layers, he peeled the tunic away to find a shirt of glistening chainmail. Strapped to his back was the tribute sword, with the straps of its scabbard fixed around his chest. Loose, beige trousers hung down his legs, tucked into a pair of knee-high boots. Link then saw his reflection in the pool. His fingers probed at an odd, pointed hat on his head, dyed the same brilliant green as the tunic.
Link found it hard to believe that the image in the water was him. He looked like a warrior wearing the setup, absolutely nothing like how he usually dressed. What amazed him most was how well the new clothes fitted his form, as though they had been tailored for him specifically. They were a far better quality than what he was used to wearing.
"The garments you wear once belonged to the ancient heroes," Faron explained. "In times of old, the goddesses chose a hero to protect this realm from evil. Now, a dark force has fallen upon the land and that duty has been passed down to you. You are the new hero who has been chosen to fight this evil."
"Wait, what?" Link interrupted with a start. "No... No, no, no, no, no! There has to have been a mistake! I'm not a hero, I'm just a goatherd! You've got the wrong guy!"
Faron stared at him in silence. Link took a nervous step back and bowed his head, ashamed for speaking out against the light spirit. "There is no mistake," the deity responded evenly."Those that are chosen are marked by the gods' divine touch, as the symbol on your hand proves certain. However, you have yet to fully understand your capabilities. If you are to defeat the king of the shadows and fulfil your destiny, you must match his power.
"There is a temple deep within the forest. Inside lies a dark power that was sealed away by the order of the gods. It is a dangerous artefact; one that none who dwell in the light should ever come into contact with. Alas, we face desperate times and our options are few. You must go to the temple and retrieve the dark power. I wish you luck and farewell, young hero."
"No! You've got it all wrong!" Link shouted frantically. "I told you I'm not a hero!" But already the spirit had vanished, leaving him alone in the quiet spring.
Link sank to his knees, too stunned to care about the water leaking into his boots and soaking his pants. His thoughts became empty as he tried to deny everything that the spirit had told him.
"That was interesting," Midna's voice chimed in his ear. She hovered beside him, now back in the form of a shadow. "So the gods chose you to save the world, huh? Could have fooled me."
Link didn't reply. It was the first time he was able to but he couldn't work up the energy to.
Zelda had said that he was the only person who could save Hyrule from the twilight. They were the only ones not affected by it, so he could understand that much; but that didn't mean that he was a legendary hero. Link had heard the stories of mighty warriors who had saved Hyrule from a terrible evil, all without fear. That wasn't him. It never could be. He wasn't a mighty warrior and he sure as hell wasn't fearless, just ask anyone who knew him. He didn't want to fight this king of the shadows, nor did he want to go look for something that was extremely dangerous. He couldn't do it. It just wasn't possible.
"Alright, let's get to that temple and find that dark power the monkey mentioned," Midna stated, unbothered by the boy's silence. She floated away and stopped, noticing that the he hadn't moved a muscle. "Hey! Did you hear me? I said let's go!"
Link remained like a statue, irritating her greatly. "What's the point?" he said suddenly. The anger left Midna as confusion set in.
"What?"
"What's the point?" he repeated in the same flat tone. "I'm not cut out for this. How can you defeat someone who could beat the light spirits and take over a kingdom in a day? I couldn't do it, so what's the point in trying?"
Midna couldn't believe her ears. Her anger returned in a flood as her lips curled into a snarl. "Listen here, you! I don't give a flying shit whether you think you're some amazing hero or not. All I care about is getting that power, and the light spirit said you can do that for me. Unfortunately, I've got no one else who can do the job, so I'm stuck with you. Now get up, dumbass, and get to work!"
Another infuriating pause came. "It's Link..."
"Excuse me?"
He turned to the imp. "My name is Link," he said with a heavy frown. The sudden hardness in his tone threw Midna off for a second, but she recovered her scowl quickly and planted her hands of her hips.
"Well, Link, if you want to hang around feeling sorry for yourself then fine. But remember that those friends of yours are still out there, probably in another region covered in twilight."
Colin. Ilia. Yes, Link did remember. He heaved himself onto his feet. "Then I can't waste any more time. I have to find them."
He started walking towards the path when Midna darted in front of him with her palm in his face. "Hold it," she ordered. Link stopped mid-step and stared. "Don't think you can just run off and rescue those kids, because you can't. Remember that you can't enter the twilight without help. My help. You're still my servant, so that means we're doing what I say; and I say that we are going to that temple."
His friends' lives were at stake and she didn't seem to care. Link's teeth clenched tightly. "If they're in danger then I have to go find them now!" he yelled.
"All the more reason for you to hurry up and get that dark power!" she argued in kind. Midna then took a deep breath and held his gaze more levelly. "Look, we both have something we want urgently, but neither of us can do it alone. So how about this? If you be quick and get that item from the temple, I'll help you into the twilight again. Does that sound fair?"
Link still didn't like the idea of wasting precious time looking for something he knew absolutely nothing about. But Midna was right about him needing her. She was his best chance of locating his brother and friends.
"Lay off with the kicking and it's a deal," he finally said. He offered his hand and she automatically moved to shake it. Instead of making contact, though, she phased right through him.
"Deal then," she agreed, ignoring the awkward moment.
Link turned towards the south road. "Before we go, I want to go back home first. Everyone's worried about me and I should let them know I'm alright."
Midna shook her head. "There's no time. The longer you stall, the more danger you're putting those kids in. You need to make this little quest of ours your top priority, got it?"
He didn't like it one bit, but again her argument made sense. He gave only another simple nod in response. Satisfied, Midna returned to the shadows, leaving Link alone.
Link ran a final check on himself, making sure that all the buckles of his gear were secure. He then pulled out his weapons and tested their weight. Link had practiced with a shield a few times before and was somewhat familiar with using one.
He was more concerned about the sword, though. When he swung it, he realised it was heavier than his old wooden version. Link had never used a live blade in his life and its sharp edges made him uneasy. He felt he was more likely to cut his own hand off than kill an enemy with it. Regardless, it was the only sword he had, so it would have to do. Returning both items to their original positions, Link set of back towards the forest temple. It was going to be a long walk.
I'm reading all of these chapters again and I still find little things I feel like changing. Story writing is always a working progress, I guess.
