Chapter 9

On Bad Footing

After camp, Link and Navi set forth. This time, however, Navi decided to scout on ahead:

"Don't worry, I'll be back," she said without giving Link a chance to speak. With a wild flutter of her wings, a tingling ring emanated and increased in volume, and then fwoosh the fairy darted through the air like a shooting star, leaving the boy aimlessly in the middle of the grassland. Within seconds she became a small orb of flickering light and then vanished.

Link stood, with his heavy pack, waiting. Not much to do except wait. He took a gander at the overhead sky which had cleared up. His attention turned to the great orb that was called the sun, or how Navi called it Calar.

As much as his experience with words for describing terrain was few if not scarce, he figured by his own personal opinion that the area was still flat until so far away where Navi had gone, at which point the terrain bulged and raised into small hillocks.

Then, a flicker appeared on the horizon, and vweeeeeeeeEEEEEINNNgg the fairy had returned, panting. "Well… well… there's a town… oh gods, I'm old… you shut it, boy, I'm just outta prac… outta practice… whew, okay… just over those hills a mile away is the road. Yes, then we turn east and carry on from there."

So onward Navi led him. As they passed over the hills, Link asked her about Calar.

"What do you want to know? What it means? Well, 'sun.' Yes, that simply. Well, okay, then you should have asked that. If you want to be that literal, it stands for 'that which emanates from Hai.'"

..."Oh gods, Deku told you noth—? Okay, 'Hai' is an old term used by the ancients to describe something descendent from the god Haidel, who is ruler of the stars in the sky. According to leg— ahh! There's the road."

They crested the hill and gazed down its slope which then flattened out just a dozen yards from where they stood. At its base, Link saw a long stretch of dirt extending far left and far right, at the latter's extent he could see some shapes and structures. The land was less bulging on this side of the hillside and remained flat for the extent of some miles, but now tree groups infested the area in some places, mostly thin and solitary and not huge and crowded like at the Lost Woods.

"I didn't take the chance to go ahead and find out what that town's about," said Navi; "but I figure I'll do that while you're traveling. Yes, alone."

Link gazed down the road to his right to where the 'town' sat, and, wouldn't you know, he saw shapes approaching from that direction. At once his mind rushed at the excitement. He was going to meet Outsiders.

"Okay, calm down, boy. Just act like you're going by, don't give 'em a reason to stop and inquire. Time's not a collectable and we gotta save as much of it as we can. I'll go scout the town, you just… keep walking and just go on by. Well, if strangers stop to talk, politely refuse. How? I don't know, tell them to maj off if that's what it takes!" and then darted atop the hillside towards the village.

Link was, again, by himself. Well, at least I know she'll come back. Yeah, I got this. And then he took a step down. But just as he did, his other foot slipped on a dislodging piece of earth which then caused him to fall and roll down the hill. Down and down, and then rebounded in the air for a few seconds—he swore it was feet—before plummeting right down at the side of the road.

And all he could think was: Darn, I'm glad the pack broke my fall. But, his body ached and hurt all over, and he felt a discomforting pain in his right ankle that, as he tried to get up, it hurt just to try and get on his feet, and was made worse by his pack. Flipping his locks and releasing the pack helped, but after finally getting on his feet he was still in torrid pain with his right ankle. Any pressure was almost unbearable, except that the pain in the back of his head seemed to dull it.

"Wooooah there Gabby; 'ey boy!" cried a thick voice.

Just then he looked up, and he saw the shapes now coming towards him at a faster pace. As it drew near, Link realized that it was a wheeled structure with fences around the edges and drawn by a big, four-legged, brown-furred creature with a long maw and pointed ears. To Link's recollection from stories, this was a 'horse' that the Outsiders used to pull 'carts,' which were used to carry objects of many sizes and numbers.

Now, at the front of the cart was a seat, and seated was a tall kokiri with a flat wool cap and a piece of wood sticking out of his mouth— not, not a kokiri, this person had to have been twice a kokiri's height. He wore little clothing, covered only by a set of trousers that went from his chest and down to his boots, and was held up by a pair of suspenders that wrapped over the person's shoulders. Out of both the wooden thing and the man's mouth puffed billows of thick smoke. The person's face resembled that of a gnarled tree, wrinkled and twisted. This was an 'old man.'

"You good?" the old man asked. "I saw ya tumbled and I figured ye kud use some assissence."

Link's mind stopped tracking after tumbled, and did not know what to say.

The old man then took his pipe out of his mouth and puffed, eying the boy up and down. "Well? You good? You dun look like ya walkin' down the road wit dat foot, boy, lest ye go elsewherr."

Link simply nodded, his foot raised from the ground tensely.

"Shucks, I'm s'posed to be gone to Bilton… oy! Come— hop up 'ere and I take ye wid me, you and yer pack— …'scuse me? Lokey, no, I ain't goin' back to Ordon, you comin' wid me to Bilton, I get the local doc to see ye."

Link glanced at the town that Navi had gone to, the town of Ordon, and then down the road to his left. The road just seemed to keep on going that way, and yet Ordon was just right there to his right. Link begged to be taken to Ordon.

"If ye wanna make m'late for supper just 'cuz you dun' wanna ride with a stranger like me, then I tell ye to go to darkspawnnin' holes!" and then he shook his reigns and got the cart moving. Link could hear him mutter under his breath, "Dumb hont."

Link, hopping on one foot, tried calling after the old man to turn back, but the man persisted down the road without even acknowledging him. The afternoon was now turning into evening.

Unable to carry the pack with his foot as it was, Link regretted his decision. At least he'd be moving. However, he wondered how Navi would find him. I got the emerald, and maybe Navi can sense it. Can she? I don't know. He tried lifting the pack, but it was still so heavy and his foot hurt, that he kept dropping it in frustration. He even mindlessly kicked it and received a jolt of horrible, evil sensations up his entire leg. After the pain finally dumbed down, he wiped his face of tears from crying and he carefully sat down next to his ruck. There was nothing he could do.

It was now evening. And then Navi returned.

"The lokey you doing here? I've been waiting—… you what?" Link told her what happened, but then explained that he tried to move and he couldn't carry his ruck.

"Yes you can, buddy."

An awkward silence occurred and neither did anything. Link did not know if she was joking or not. Then the fairy started slamming herself into his face repeatedly.

"Move it, kiddo! We're not wasting anymore time. Yes you can carry your ruck: use your creativity and pick the darn thing up!"

Finally Link started moving. He rolled his ruck back over so that the straps were accessible, and then he slid his arms in so that he was lying on top of it with the straps over his shoulders. Then he rolled onto his stomach, carefully to avoid using his bad foot, and then, using what strength he had, pushed himself up onto his hands and foot. Then, grunting tiredly and feeling his arms lose strength, he quickly set his good foot down in front of him, and then with one quick effort he pushed himself up and onto his foot. His ruck swayed him sideways as he got up, but he was able to hop himself into balance again, and so was standing on one foot with his ruck on.

"Well done!" Navi said, happily. "Now move."

The evening drew on as Link hobbled his way down to the town of Ordon. Navi decided to rest on his shoulder, saying she has spent a lot of energy flying.


On the outskirts of the town Link saw long fields of organized rows of vegetation and crops where farmers presently worked. Farmers were mainly men, although Link saw a woman working amongst them. The men weren't as gnarly as the old man, and some had hair growing on their faces.

As Link approached the outskirts, he could see people oogling him from afar. He figured if he saw an Outsider enter Kokiri Village one day, hobbling on a foot, he would also inquire. These people simply stared, giving Link an unwelcomed feeling.

Now nearing the first buildings, he got to examine how different they were from Kokiri treehouses. Instead of being built into trees, these looked like they were made right out of white, dry dirt. Somehow, they seemed incredibly solid, standing firm and not melting under the sun at all. These structures were mostly one-storied, but few had another level on top. Doorways were made out of wood planks and set above raised platforms which were also made of wood, with a wooden overhang built overhead with columns supporting them.

Aside from the farmers in the fields, not much was going on within town, aside from some people on the porch, sweeping them or seated on a rocking chair sucking on a wooden pipe that billowed smoke. They also stared at Link in curiosity.

Midway into town the road forked in the midst of a circular area in the town. To Link's left stood a tall, stone building with a golden triangle emblazed on the side of the tower, just below an encasement wherein a square object hung.

Just then, Navi, underneath his cap, whispered: "Ask someone for directions."

Looking about, the only people he saw were on their porches— then he saw someone step out of a house to his left. Immediately he called his attention.

The stranger turned around. This man wore a full jacket, long trousers and brown hair upon his face. All around his arm he wore a knotted, bright-blue chord that had offshoots which twirled and carried small, shiny ringlets. He generally looked displeased with something. "Nyeh?" he asked. "Watcha want?"

Navi whispered: "Ask for Flaba."

Link blinked. He's in Fairyn, he thought. So instead he asked which road led to that town.

"Lookin' for your parents?" he asked. Link shook his head. "So where are they?" then then man took a look up and down. "Ya either not from here, or your parents don't care what you wear. Say, are you a forest kid?" Link nodded. "What ya doin' all the way here, boy? Are you even allowed to leave, uhhh… where are you from?"

"Don't tell him the Lost Woods!" Navi said, just as Link told him.

"Okay, that's funny," the man said grinning. "But seriously, where?" Link drew a blank. And Navi couldn't think of anything to say.

"Well?" the man said, impatiently. "Holoak? Tarm?"

Link nodded.

"…so which is it?" Link told him Holoak. "You are a long way from home…"

To Link's left, out of the building the man came out of, he saw another, smaller and younger man watching on. He, too, wore a similar chord but with less ringlets. The man looked curious, but seemed anxiously unsure about what to do. His friend nearby seemed to be distracting him a little with conversation.

"By the looks of that pack and the lack of company, seem to be hightailin' somewhere," the man said; "and it's about near dark, and the world outside ain't safe. Well? Got any friends?"

Link told him a man named Flaba was supposed to meet him here.

"Flaba? That blacksmith from Fairyn? I didn't think he had any business in this town, or I'd'uh known such." Link made a nod to confirm it was so. The man glared at him. "Either way, I'm takin' you in for your protection," and then he grabbed Link by the arm and started pulling him away.

"Kick him 'tween the legs, Link!" whispered Navi. Link asked, "What?" Navi said: "Hard!" But when he looked at the man and considered it, Link felt afraid. He had been led some ways down the road that forked left, towards a building with barred windows.

"Oh for…!" he heard Navi say, and then swishSMACK! Navi flew out of Link's cap and slammed herself right into the man's face, who then doubled over backwards and fell.

"Go, Link!" she yelled at him.

"The Lokey is that?" gasped the man, wiping blood off his face.

"Just go!" the fairy said, smacking herself into the man's face again.

All around Link, townsfolk were watching on in surprise, their eyes wide open and jaws hanging. Then the young fellow at the building made a run towards him.

Link started hobbling very vigorously down the road, but the young man seemed to be gaining headway. Then Navi intercepted and repeatedly smacked him before the man fell back. Just as the previous man began to get up, Navi zipped across his face and propelled him back to the ground.

"Go, darnit!" she said, rebounding back to beat down the younger man.

Link then proceeded to hobble even further. Some men tried to stop him on his way out, but Navi came and smacked them in the face. Then, a young boy his age came at him from the side, tackling him to the ground. As they struggled, Link ran his hurt foot into the boy's knee (intending to go between the legs), thereby creating more harm towards himself than intended. The boys then wrestled, Link trying to escape while the other kept grabbing at him and pulling him back.

"Sheriff! Sheriff! I got him!" the boy exclaimed.

Navi arrived, but was already tired and panting for breath. Link could see the other men running up from behind her.

"Hold your breath, Link!" she said between breaths. Even while wrestling, Link shut his mouth tight, for then Navi threw a strange, sparkling dust right at the boy wrestling with Link, who then started sneezing uncontrollably and loosened his control over the lad. Link broke free and stumbled back onto his feet.

"What about them?" Link yelped as he hobbled, looking back to the men chasing.

"Quit letting that flutterby play with you!" the sheriff yelled, blood running down his chin, running towards Link and Navi.

"Just keep running! I'll catch up!" she said. Navi then darted towards the men. They started grabbing at her and missing, often going to great extent to try and catch her while she danced all over them. Here and there she tossed more dust at them which had the varied effects of causing sneezing, coughing, and pained convulsions. She kept causing so much trouble that they were more determined to catch her than anything else in the world.

She got them so worked up that they completed forgot about Link, who hobbled his way out of town. It seemed the whole town was more interested in Navi.


Night approached when Link finally started to walk. He was so tired and beat. His leg had a great cramp from being the only support for walking, and the pain in his foot still annoyed him. The road led him closer to more hills and forested areas. He felt more secure here than in the flat grasslands, even when so alone. The stars came out after a while, and the moon shone with only a quarter of her face to the earth. Otherwise, Link could not see much else.

He took a seat in the woodline off to the side of the road. The trees were tall and thin and their canopy covered the majority of the skyline from Link's view. The ground was mainly dirt and laden with leaves and kindling. Link staved off of making a fire and cooking supper. He was hungry, but he did not want anything other than Navi finding him in the dark. Fairies have the ability to find their wards by some magic. As Deku put it, Even beyond the Veil, your fairy will find you.

In honesty, all that happened caused Link to sit in meditation. He hurt his foot, his first Outsider was an ornery old man, he visited his first Outsider town, saw Outsiders, and then got chased out of a town down a road he was unsure was the right road. It wasn't a stroll of a day.

An owl hooted in the dark, and Link's ears perked at the hopes of it being that Kaepora Gaebora. "Kaepora?" he called out, but got no reply. He called out louder (feeling somewhat scared doing so), and still got no reply. It was just an owl. At least not a wolf.

Then he saw Navi's aura fluttering as she came by. She came into the woodline and found Link almost as if she knew where he sat. As she found him, though, she was panting heavily and she fell down in Link's lap.

Right then and there, they both fell asleep without supper.