A/N: Some people might hate me for the first half of this chapter, but I just had to give her a cameo in the story. Well, I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 11

Their Blessing: Saria

So we made our way towards Kokiri Forest. It was around noon, the sun had just reached its highest point, and we mounted our horses and and took off in a slow canter.

As we rode across Hyrule Field, I spotted a wagon pulled by two horses, obviously belonging to a merchant of sorts. As we came closer, I could see that there was a young woman with brown hair sitting on the coachman's seat. She stopped as soon as we were within earshot.

„Good day!", Link greeted her.

The woman stopped her wagon and just stared at Link as if she had never seen another person before; with her mouth hanging open and her eyes as wide as saucers.

„Uhm... Are you alright?", I asked after she had been staring at Link for almost two minutes without saying anything.

As if the sound of my voice startled her out of whatever place her mind had wandered to, the woman shook her head, but didn't look at me. Her eyes never left Link. Then she finally replied:„Good day. Oh and what a lovely day it is if I'm meeting someone like you."

I could see Link blush, and I felt the urge to let my eyes roll until I could examine the back of their sockets. „Oh, that's very kind of you, ...uhm..."

„Jenna", she said in a sweet voice. „My name is Jenna."

Link cleared his throat. „It's nice to meet you, Jenna. I'm Link. And this is Rebecca, my fiancée."

Her face fell, and for the first time, she looked at me. „Oh. You're engaged. That's... oh."

Despite my jealousy, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Jenna when I saw her disappointed face. And again I wondered if there was any woman who wouldn't fall in love with Link upon seeing him for the first time.

„Where are you headed? Maybe we could travel together for a while", she then offered, a determined glint appearing in her eyes.

I wanted to tell her off, but the more reasonable side of me told met not to let jealousy control my actions. Maybe Jenna was just afraid of monsters or thieves and was just asking us to accompany her for safety.

„We're headed for the forest. We have... some business to attend to there."

„I was headed for Gerudo Valley, also for some... business. So we could travel together for a while."

Link looked over to me. „Is that okay with you, Becca?"
„Of course it is. I know how scary it can be to travel through Hyrule Field on your own."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Half an hour later, I regretted saying that. Jenna was absolutely shameless in her attempts at gaining Link's attention. She made sure that her wagon was directly next to Link, so she could talk to him, and completely ignored me.

I was used to being ignored. Having someone ignore me while shamelessly flirting with my fiancé however, was a new feeling, and one I didn't particularly enjoy.

I bit my tongue, not wanting to seem like the clingy jealous girl who flies off the handle when another woman even looks at her significant other.

„Where do you come from?", Link asked politely, not showing if Jenna's flirting was bothering him or not.

„I'm from the Great Lebian Coast. But I have been a travelling merchant for eight years now. I had no choice, after my parents died. It was either that or starving."

Link hummed in sympathy. „I'm very sorry to hear that."

„And now I'm just looking for a place to settle down. I've saved up some rupees and I just want a nice little house, with a nice, strong husband and a lot of beautiful, strong children."

„Well, I'm sure you will find a husband who will treat you the way you deserve to be treated", Link replied kindly. „Maybe he will be waiting for you just around the next corner. Who knows? People fall in love under the strangest of circumstances. Just take Rebecca and me, for example..." While he explained to her how we met and fell in love, obviously leaving out the whole thing about time-travel and having killed me in an alternate future, I could see her recoil in disgust when he mentioned my name.

The sun was slowly starting to set, and we would have to find ourselves a safe spot to set up camp for the night.

„You know, you could sleep in my wagon, where it's warm and dry", Jenna offered, but made it a point to only look at Link while doing so.

„Oh, that won't be necessary. I've brought bedrolls for Rebecca and myself."

Again, Jenna recoiled when hearing my name, but then replied:„Alright, if that's what you want."

This woman was starting to creep me out.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

We quickly found a spot underneath some trees, where the bushes would give us some protection from the prying eyes of any passerby. Link started a campfire to keep us warm and keep wild animals and monsters away, and then sat down next to me. He wrapped an arm around me and let me lean on him.

Our horses stood nearby, feasting on the lush, green grass. Glory and Epona stood together, almost as if they were just as suspicious of the other two horses as I was of their owner.

Jenna sat across the fire, still staring at Link as if she was starving and he was a hot meal.

I closed my eyes, trying to doze off, but couldn't. My discomfort in the presence of Jenna was just too great.

She, however, seemed to believe that I was fast asleep, because she said to Link:„So... Your fiancée. Are you sure she's the right one for you?" She pronounced the word 'fiancée' as if it left a bad taste in her mouth.

„Of course I'm sure. I wouldn't have asked her to marry me if I wasn't", Link said softly, as if trying not to wake me. I could feel him gently stroke my cheek. „Why do you ask?"

„Well... She doesn't have a lot to say for herself. Maybe because she couldn't follow our conversation."

My hands tightened into fists. How dare this woman make it look like I was stupid when she was the one so consequently ignoring me despite me trying to take part in their conversation multiple times!

„That's strange. I could have sworn that she tried to talk to you more than once. But you ignored her." Link's voice had become hard, and I felt my heart flutter. He was defending me!

„I'm just saying... are you sure she will be able to give you strong, healthy children, like I would?"

I heard Link sputter in disbelief before he could reply. „What you are you talking about? Like you would?"

„Oh yes", Jenna said happily. „I think we would make the most beautiful children, don't you think?" I opened my eyes just wide enough to see a little bit, but not so wide that one would be able to tell that I was awake. Just then, Jenna stood up, winked at Link and said:„Think about it." And with that, she retired into her wagon.

Link was silent for a while, then he gently nudged me. „Rebecca? Get up and on Glory's back. We'll continue our journey."

Tired as I was, I still wanted to get as far away from Jenna as I could. So I got up, grabbed my bag and climbed onto Glory's back.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

It was a bit harder to ride in the dark, even with the lantern Link had brought. But according to him, Kokiri Forest wasn't far, and soon, I saw the dark silhouette of what had to be the seam of the forest.

We dismounted and left Epona and Glory in a spot where Jenna wouldn't see them if she came past the forest entrance with her wagon, and went in deeper.

After a while, Link grabbed my hand. „Whatever you do, do not let go", he instructed me. „You will get lost if you do, and then you will never find a way out."

I lightly squeezed his hand. „Alright." I could almost feel the spell on this forest. The air was thick and humid, which made it a bit difficult to breathe. From far away, I could hear the echo of a cheerful song.

„Don't worry. It's just this short bit through the Lost Woods until we reach Kokiri Village." He led me to a small bridge leading over chasm, and once we passed it, we found ourselves sorrounded by tiny houses.

I immediately noticed the change. Now, the air smelled fresh and lively, like I would expect from a forest, and I could breathe easier.

And then I noticed a child poking her head out of the door of the first house. It was a little girl with blonde, braided hair and wearing green clothes. When she saw Link, she fully emerged from her home and came running up to him. There was a fairy floating next to her head.

I had seen fairies before. They were sold in bottles to adventurers, soldiers and basically everyone who faced a lot of risk during their everyday life. But this one seemed different, though I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

„Link! You're back!" And off the girl ran, yelling:„Everyone, come out of your houses! Link has come to visit us, and he brought someone!"

From another neaby house came a little boy, wearing a green tunic very much resembling the one Link wore, with a matching cap. He told the girl:„By the Great Deku Tree, why does everyone always make such a fuss when it comes to Link? He was just here a week ago, and you're acting like you haven't seen him in years!" Then he came up to us. „And what's with him bringing a stranger here? Whatever happened to our village being secret?"

„I'm sorry, Mido", Link said. „I know that I shouldn't bring strangers to the village. But These are special circumstances. You see... Rebecca and I plan on getting married."

Mido took a step back, eyeing my warily. Then he turned to Link. „So you just replaced Saria. First, you take the Deku Tree from us, then Saria, and now you just replace Saria with someone else?"

„But Mido, we already found out that the Great Deku Tree dying wasn't Link's fault", the girl said. „And I don't think he was to blame for Saria's disappearance, either. And I'm sure he won't forget about Saria. Right, Link?"

Link nodded, but I had seen him flinch when the girl insisted that he wasn't to blame for Saria being gone.

The girl grinned. „See? Nothing to worry about." Then she turned to me. „Please don't be too mad at Mido for lashing out like this. He can be rude sometimes, but he's a good guy at heart."

I smiled at her. „I'm sure he is."

Link led me to one of the small houses. A sign in front of it said „Saria's House", and someone had placed some wild flowers in front of the sign.

Link had spoken of Saria so fondly, and appearantly he wasn't the only one who had cherished her. When we entered the home, the first thing we saw were the many flowers around the shrine.

Saria emerged from her shrine as we approached. A small girl in green clothes and with green hair. She smiled at Link and me.

„Link. It has been too long."

I could almost hear Link choking back tears when he said:„It has."

He stretched out his hand, and Saria placed hers in it. She looked so tiny compared to him. „I'm so sorry that you will have to bear the burden of the world on your shoulders again."

„I've done it once, and I can do it again", Link said confidently and then smiled at me as if he was beckoning me closer.

„Well, the other Kokiri have kept your old equipment safe while you were away. It should all be in your old house." Then she turned to me. „And you, Link's lover..."

„Wait, you know who I am?", I asked.

„No, but I could tell from the way Link looked at you." Saria smiled at me. „I hope that the two of you will be happy. And I hope that you will help Link, now that there is so little the rest of us can do."

„If there is anything I can do, I will", I replied, doubting that I would be capable of helping Link in any way.

Saria turned to Link again. „It is not morning yet, and the two of you must be tired. Why don't you go rest in your old house, Link?"

„That actually sounds like a good idea", Link agreed and took my hand again. „Thank you, Saria. For your blessing, too."

The Kokiri girl smiled at us one last time before disappearing into her shrine.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

We walked out of Saria's house, and Link led me to a small treehouse nearby. There were drawings of a little boy fighting a dragon-like creature carved into the trunk of the tree, and a ladder led up to the small abode.

„This is where I grew up", Link explained as we climbed up and went inside.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Now I knew why Link had wanted such primitive furnishings in his house in the city. Everything in his childhood home was made from rough wood, from the table, which was actually just a treestump, to his bed. And all of it was very much child-sized.

„Uhm... and how exactly should we sleep here? I mean, the bed would already be too small for just one of us", I questioned.

Link sighed. „I... I'm sure we can make this work. Somehow."

„Or we just sleep on the floor", I said resignedly.

He scratched the back of his neck. „That would probably be the best idea. Hold on, I think I kept some spare blankets underneath my basin."

The blankets were pretty small, but in good shape. We covered ourselves as well as we could with them as we came to rest on the wooden floor.

Link fell asleep pretty quickly, while I was still awake for a long time, despite my eyes burning from weariness.

Link had put out the lantern, so the room around us was enveloped in inky darkness, with only the pale light of the moon shining through the curtain covering the entrance.

It was strange to think that Link grew up in this tiny house, sorrounded by his forever-young friends. I tried to imagine a young Link running around in the village, playing with the other Kokiri. But I couldn't. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I fell into a restless slumber.