Chapter Ten: Sanctuary

The sun was beginning to set. Salydia brushed her matted hair away from her eyes and held Link closer. The widow didn't like to think about what would happen once the Stalchildren appeared again. Though she had been traveling for hours, Salydia couldn't find a suitable place to stay for the night. Perhaps she should have taken up Yalon's offer...

No, that would have been a terrible mistake. Lon Lon Ranch was too closely connected to Hyrule Castle. Zelda would have found her there eventually. On the bright side, at least it wasn't raining like the day before. Salydia limped across the field resignedly, looking for a cave or hole to spend the night in. She sighed when there was none to be found.

Leaning against a tree, Salydia began to breast-feed little Link. He hadn't eaten since they'd started traveling again. She felt terrible for neglecting him so, but this was for his sake. She had to protect him from the treason he was prophesized to commit.

Your son will overthrow a mighty king…

Salydia tried to shut the owl's voice from her mind. She had to concentrate on the problems at hand. Like what she was going to do about nightfall. If she encountered the Stalchildren, Salydia knew she wouldn't be as lucky as last time.

They could very well kill her.

Salydia shivered at the thought and turned once again to her son. Link finished his milk and giggled, playing with his mother's long hair. Salydia smiled at his behavior. How could someone so innocent have such a terrible future?

Her thoughts were interrupted by an unusual sound. Salydia strained her ears to listen, and recognized the source of the music. It was an ocarina. Salydia had heard them in Hyrule, but this one had a breezy quality to it that she had never encountered before. Standing up, Salydia followed the sound of the melody.

She wandered about, stopping when the music got louder and then following it carefully. Salydia soon found herself by a wall of mountainous rock. She clung to it as she went, hoping for a lead of some kind. Hobbling along, Salydia could swear the volume of the ocarina's song was increasing.

And then, it happened. The sun set.

The widow moved as fast as she could with her leg injury, waiting for the Stalchildren to appear. And just as suddenly as night had come, she found it: a tunnel. For a moment, Salydia paused, gazing nervously at the cave leading to the unknown.

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.

There was no time for caution.

Salydia breathed in relief as she entered the tunnel. Looking about, she realized she was on a wooden bridge that led to yet another tunnel. Before her was a child playing an ocarina. At least, Salydia assumed she was a child. The girl looked to be young, yet it was hard to tell her age. The wind whipped back her short, green hair as a fairy danced above her head. From her ocarina came the sweet music that Salydia had been following the whole time. The girl looked up at Salydia suddenly and stopped playing, fear written on her features.

"Don't stop," Salydia spoke quietly. "It's beautiful."

The girl backed away, a sharp gasp emitting from her throat. Then, without a word, she took off running into the tunnel that was ahead of Salydia.

"Wait!" Salydia called, running after her. The tunnel led, to Salydia's surprise, a small village. She had known of Kakariko and Death Mountain as well as Zora's Fountain, but this forest village seemed almost out of a fairy tale. All around her she could see more children like the one with the ocarina, with fairies flying around them. In fact, Salydia couldn't see anyone but children. There were no adults to speak of. Her blue eyes glanced over them quickly until they caught sight of the ocarina girl and she took off after her in pursuit.

"Please, slow down!" Salydia begged.

The children whispered among themselves, saying, "Who is the strange lady? She looks like a pale shadow. And why is she chasing after Saria?"

The green-haired girl panted heavily as she swerved to a path that went over a small stream. Salydia continued after her, all the while holding onto Link. And as she crossed the path, Salydia stopped. Before her was the largest tree she'd ever seen.

The girl was hugging the tree in fear, shivering from head to toe.

"Great Deku Tree," she sobbed, "this ghost is haunting me!"

"Ghost?" Salydia exclaimed in surprise. "I'm no ghost. I simply need…"--her voice broke off as hunger and lack of energy caught up with her-- "…need….a place…to stay."

One of the tree's immense boughs bent down and caught her and her baby as she collapsed.

"Welcome, outsider," the tree's deep voice boomed.

"You can speak?" Salydia managed, her head suddenly dizzy.

"Indeed. I am the Great Deku Tree, Guardian of the Kokiri Forest."

"Kokiri…Forest?" Salydia asked. "What are Kokiri?"

"Eternal children. They are born of the forest as children with no parent but me and shall be children until the day they die. Many live hundreds of years and never age a tear. Their hearts remain innocent and untainted by evil, unlike your race."

"Please, do not mock me, spirit. I have had enough of prophecies and oracles," Salydia sighed. "Do not make me more miserable than I am already."

"Outsider… I sense much despair hanging over you," the Great Deku Tree stated, sending little Saria away. "The scent of death lays thick upon you."

Salydia stiffened and held Link tighter in her arms.

"You are a guardian, are you not?" she asked him.

"I am."

"Can you protect against Fate?" Salydia demanded urgently.

A loud rustling that sounded like a chuckle sounded from the tree.

"Even a guardian is no match for Destiny and Fate."

"That's a lie!" Salydia shouted, shaking. "There must be a way to defeat Fate!"

"You are seeking for answers that do not exist."

"There has to be a way!" she cried. "There has to be a way to stop this from happening! There had to be a way to stop what happened to him back then… There had to be a way to save him…"

"Do not blame yourself for whatever misfortunes you have experienced," the Great Deku Tree urged.

"There has to be an answer! There has to be hope!" Salydia pleaded hoarsely. "If there isn't, then I won't believe in anything!"

Link began to cry in Salydia's arms.

"You are frightening your child."

"Why won't you help me?!?" she begged. "Give me sanctuary!"

The Great Deku Tree was silent.

"Don't you have a shred of pity in your heart? Do you even have a heart?" Salydia accused.

"You are badly hurt."

Salydia barely glanced at the gruesome wound on her thigh from the night before.

"It's but a scratch. Will you help me?"

"You were in no condition to travel today."

"I asked if you would help me!"

"That cut has made you lose vast amounts of blood."

"What concern is my health to you! Will you protect my child?"

"It's a wonder you're still standing."

"I'm asking you to help me, dammit!" she shouted. Her breathing had become rapid and hoarse, her heart beating furiously. Salydia's legs shook, and sweat was upon her brow.

"Do not expect too much of beings like me," the Great Deku Tree warned. "I have no wish to doom your child."

"Then help him…Oh, heaven, why can't you help him? Please save him! Please, he's all I have left…" Salydia's eyes fluttered as the images before her began to blur. "He's all I have left…My little Link…Oh, my poor, little Link…"

The Great Deku Tree watched sadly as the widow collapsed in his braches.

"Save him," he could hear her say as she cried one final time. "Please, let my son live!"