The next morning, the Royal Council of Hyrule collect their weapons, their foodstuffs, their warm clothes, and their lanterns in preparation for the hunt. They gather at the entrance to the Lost Woods, where an unusual chill blows through the tunnel between the trees.
Ningan turns to Dakota, who is dressed in an emerald green tunic with knee-high leather boots and a brown leather satchel to match. A brimmed hat with a sparrow feather poking out the top completes the look as she smooths the limb of her bow.
"What are you wearing?" he sneers. "You look like you're about to go fox-hunting in the forest behind Hyrule Castle."
Dakota huffs. "This is a hunt, isn't it? One should always be dressed for the occasion. Or perhaps you'd prefer to see me in one of my evening gowns?"
"We ought to return to Ordon before nightfall." Ezra recommends. "After all, nothing will be visible in the dark."
"So, say the legends are true…" Dakota asks anxiously. "If we were to get lost, how long would it be until we turned into monsters?"
"Just myths, my friend." Ezra assures her. "The only thing we have to worry about is losing our way."
"And what's to stop us from getting lost?" Laurel asks.
Ezra holds up a bottle of luminous green liquid. "We shall leave a trail of these glow-in-the-dark spores behind us. That way, we'll find our way back to Ordon with ease."
With the reassurance of Ezra's infallible plan, Laurel leads the way into the Woods. Dakota and Ningan walk either side of him, with Ezra at the back, dropping his luminous trail of spores behind him. Ordon Woods retreats into the distance, as the jaws of the forest consume them.
"Keep your eyes and ears peeled." Laurel instructs them. "This shapeshifter likely knows its way around more than we do. It could pounce at any moment."
Weaving between the trees, twisting left and right. Not a word is spoken as they walk; striding with purpose, yet simultaneously wandering aimlessly. On more than one occasion, they find themselves crossing the trail of spores, indicating their backtracking and lack of direction; yet they persist.
With the sky shielded by a thick canopy of leaves, there is no real sense of time. For all they know, the sun could have set hours ago.
"How long have we been walking?" Dakota pants. "I think we should rest soon."
As per Dakota's wishes, they settle on a mossy log. Ezra scans their surroundings for any significant landmarks which could aid their navigation. Laurel checks the ground for prints yet turns up with nothing. Ningan happens upon a trickling brook and splashes his grubby face with fresh springwater. In the reflection, he sees his weary eyes and gaunt features, gradually decaying like a skeleton. Is this truly his reflection? Or is it a trick of the light?
"This is hopeless!" Dakota wails. "It's already dusk! How are we going to get back to Ordon before nightfall?"
Ezra breathes a deep sigh. "There's no other option: we're going to have to spend the night in the Lost Woods."
"We're lost!" Dakota shrieks hysterically. "We're hopelessly lost! We're going to turn into monsters, doomed to roam the forest for eternity!"
"Get a grip, Dakota!" Ningan snaps. "We're not lost, we're just stopping for the night! We'll pick up the trail in the morning!"
"But what about the monsters?"
"There are no monsters!" Ezra yells, finally at the end of his tether.
Dakota is hushed into a stunned silence. The shrubs beside her begin to rustle. Ezra, Ningan and Laurel grasp their weapons as Dakota confronts whatever horror awaits her…
