Chapter 2

"Hey, with good reason. I look up to the man," Zelda defended.

"When she was twelve, she had found an old copy of a print from his days in the royal guard and had it posted in her room," Mido said with a smile.

"It's funny to think of Grandfather having fans," Oto said, taking a glance towards Link.

Link smiled back at Oto. He had already heard about Zelda's obsession when she was younger about his great-grandfather, as well as having seen the old print she still had rolled up and tucked out of the way. He looked back the way they were riding, already have found the woods but were now keeping an eye out for a clearing. Glancing upwards, Link could see the sun was almost directly atop them but no one had claimed to be all that hungry yet. Letting Zelda take the lead in finding the place to eat, he pulled out the book Oto had gotten from Grandfather and rested it against the back of Epona's head. He flipped through the book, seeing it was mostly about a great battle of monsters and humans. He found a picture of a man dressed in green, holding up a sword with little mice-like creatures with feather tails descending from the Tri-force in the sky. Looking to the adjacent page, he read 'The Hero of Men is the title given to the Hylian who used the Picori Blade during the plague of monsters during the years of Moneo's rein. During the Land of Hylia's early development, the day came when many powerful beasts appeared and began to lay siege to the kingdom. Just when the land was on the verge of destruction, the Picori came from the sky and gave the Hero of Men a magical sword. Using the sword now named the Picori Blade, the Hero of Men successfully defeated the monsters and drove darkness away from the land.'

"How come all the heroes of the past only get remembered by their title," Link mumbled aloud only to realize he had interrupted Mido. He looked up at the three, seeing them staring at him, and mumbled, "Sorry."

"Well, since you're already in the book, maybe you can read to us something about these Minish," Mido said. "What to look for while tracking? Are they more animal or human? That type of thing."

Link looked back at the book and flipped back to a page he first saw earlier that showed a picture in detail of a Minish holding a four leafed clover. "Oto described them pretty well, according to this picture the author drew," Link said, looking at the words below the picture. He quickly scanned the chapter, reading about city and mountain Minish and said, "They seem more human like in their actions, having villages of Minish spread all through-out the land of Hylia." He flipped a few pages only to see a drawing of a tree stump that held a star like hole in it. Skimming through the words, he quickly stopped on the word for shrinking, letting out a sound of amazement.

"What is it?" Oto asked.

"Apparently there's a way to shrink down to their size," Link said, reading through the page. "While standing on a stump, as pictured here," Link read aloud, translating making his words slow, "say these words in the Picori's own language." He leaned closer to the book, trying to read the characters the writer used as they weren't in an order he was used to. "Ngishise phansi, nginciphise usayizi1?" Link tried his best, unsure if he was pronouncing it right. He looked at the letters again, unused to seeing ni and gi next to each other with the character in between showing they were supposed to be one.

"That sure is a strange sounding language," Mido commented.

"No stranger than ours probably sounds to them," Zelda pointed out.

"Aride me!" a young male voice called out as the sound of someone moving fast through the brush could be heard off to the group's left.

Link quickly stowed the book back in the pouch on Epona's saddle, switching it for the sword he had brought along. Movement of a tree branch caught his eye, Link quickly pulling Epona's reins in that direction. "Here, just behind this bush," Link said to his friends coming up behind him. Epona stepped over the bush only to rear back in surprise as a large red monster burred past. Link fought to keep his balance as he called out, "Whoa girl!"

"It's an octorok!" Zelda exclaimed, quickly knocking an arrow on her bow and taking out the monster.

Epona stopped bucking as the monster disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke, letting Link have control again. He turned towards his friends and asked, "Where in Hylia's name did an octorok appear from. I thought we finally got rid of those stupid things."

"Where's that kid that was being attacked?" Mido asked, hoping off his horse.

Link sheathed his sword as Zelda called out, "Over here!" He dismounted and walked over to where Zelda crouched, standing beside Mido and Oto as Zelda tried, "Hey, we won't hurt you. It's safe now."

"You sur'?" the young voice asked.

"We'll defeat anymore if they show up," Mido promised.

Zelda took a step back as the bush moved only for Link to freeze at what stood before them.

A mouse looking bi-pedal walked out from around the bush it hid in, standing only as tall as a ten year old as it held a red cap in its hands. A red feathery tail brushed passed the bush as it stepped out and gave the four a smile. "T'ank you," it said, giving each a bow in turn.

"You're a Minish!" Oto exclaimed.

Link gave his friend a look, the teen wide eyed and a large grin plastered on his face.

The Minish let out a laugh, covering his mouth with a paw as he put his hat back on his head. "An' you be 'ylian, right?"

"Right," Zelda said, nodding her head. She opened her mouth to say something more when a growl interrupted her.

A sheepish grin appeared on the Minish's face as he looked down. "So'ie, tiz noo-meal," he offered.

"Speaking of noon-meal, you want to join us for lunch?" Link offered, starting to feel hungry himself.

"I'm s'posed ta help you, as t'anks," the Minish said, shaking his head.

"Count your conversation as thanks," Oto said.

Mido jumped back on Caphrin and pulled the reins to turn his horse around. "Come on, I noticed a clearing just over this way," he said, looking through the trees.

"You can ride with me," Link offered, throwing his thumb towards Epona.

"T'ank you," the Minish said with a nod of his head.

Link grabbed hold of the Minish, him weighing nothing more than Talon or Trina, and swung him up to the saddle. Making sure he was sitting on the saddle rise, Link put his foot in the stirrup and swung himself up to sit behind the creature. He glanced over at Zelda and Oto, seeing they were now on their horses, and pulled Epona to follow Mido along the path. "My name's Link," he said as they road along to where Mido led them. Pointing out his friends he continued, "That's Oto, Zelda, and the grump in the front is Mido."

"Don't introduce me as a grump," Mido called over his shoulder.

"Well, he's not most of the time," Zelda said, riding at Epona's flank.

"My name Tizari."

"Well, glad to make your acquaintance, Tizari," Zelda said, politely nodding towards the Minish.

Link turned his attention forwards as Mido led them around a large redwood and into an even larger clearing where the tree's leaves blocked out most of the sun. The coverage prevented the grass from growing too tall, leaving the clearing look almost like someone was taking care of it. Link road Epona to a side of the clearing, following behind Mido still, and pulled her to a stop. He dismounted before helping Tizari off and asked, "How'd you learn Hylian? You speak it well for our people to not be in communication for so long."

"I 'ead lots," Tizari offered.

"Oh, read," Link said, the Minish's Hylian a little hard to understand. The creature gave Link a nod of his head, getting Link to add, "If you want, we could help you get better."

"P'ease," Tizari said with a greater nod of his head.

"Get over here and help me get this stuff put out," Oto ordered grabbing Link's attention to his friends.

Link let out a laugh at the sight before him. Zelda had dropped to lay in the grass and Mido sneaking up on some unseen bug while Oto struggled to balance the picnic basket in his arms as he found the blanket stuck in his saddle. "I'm coming," Link offered. He stepped over to Chigari's side as Oto stepped back and looked at how the blanket was stuck. He untied a rope holding it onto the saddle and found a lose thread had tangled itself into a rough edge of Oto's old saddle. After fighting with it for a few moments, Link finally freed the blanket and pulled it off the saddle. He turned around with it in his arms and asked, "Okay, where you want this?"

"Here's fine," Zelda said, still laying on the grass.

Link stepped over to her and looked down to see her laying with her eyes closed and her braid snaking above her in the grass. "I'm not gonna put it over you," Link retorted. He flicked out the blanket and let it fall to the ground beside her, kneeling down to straighten out the edges.

Oto sat the basket in the center of the blanket and started emptying it of sandwiches and other items unidentified by their napkin wrappings. He looked up and just passed Link to ask, "What do… I mean, what would you like to eat?"

"Do you have any nuts or berries?" Tizari asked.

Oto pulled out a used cracker box and smiled, "Will do."

Link went ahead and sat down beside where Zelda still laid and looked back at Tizari, patting the space on his right side for him to sit there. The Minish took a seat as Oto started passing out wood plates and tin cups. Noticing there were enough even with the added party, Link commented, "Glad you're always prepared, Oto."

"A few good things to learn working in a café," Oto said, pulling out a water pouch from the bottom of the basket. He looked over at Link and continued, "always be prepared. Though," he turned his attention to the pouch as he untied the knot around its neck and pulled out the cork, "if we had found two more people instead of just one, there wouldn't be enough."

"Mido, have you caught that rhino beetle yet?" Zelda asked as she sat up, her braid flinging up and resting in front of her shoulder.

What sounded like an impact against wood turned the four to look over to where the horses were grazing, noticing Mido holding his head as a bug flew past him. With a scowl on his face, he pushed himself to his feet and walked over. "I almost had it," he grumbled as he sat down beside Oto with his arms crossed over his chest.

"There's plenty others," Oto offered, pouring lemonade into each of the tin cups.

"Why da you cole't 'ugs?" Tizari asked.

Mido dropped his arms, reaching forward to take a sandwich triangle still wrapped in paper only to receive a smack on the hand by Oto. Nursing his hand, Mido explained, "It's just fun. It's a small hunt and if I happen upon a rare bug, there's people who will pay for them."

"Oh, like leaf p'essin'," Tizan offered.

"Well, there's no hunt in catching a leaf," Mido said.

"There's Minish who'll pay for certain leaves?" Zelda asked.

Tizari nodded his head. "'Ust t'e ot'er day, my inkosi2 got wor' o'a beau'iful patterned Cyprus leaf. It ta be sol' for a…" Tizari pulled a face, trying to come up with the word for it. He turned to Link and asked, "How'd you say fro' sprin' ta t'e next sprin'?"

"Year?" Link offered.

"For a year wages," Tizari said, finishing his story.

"I wish I could find someone to pay that much for a bug I find," Mido said as Oto let out a whistle.

"What's an inkosi?" Zelda asked.

Link watched Oto finished unwrapping the sandwiches and place them in the center of the blanket, tossing the paper aside as his hunger started getting the better of him.

"He's t'e one who'll be mad at me ounce I return," Tizari admitted.

"Oh, so you're not supposed to be out here?" Zelda asked.

"You can eat now," Oto said, motioning his hands towards the sandwiches and box of mixed fruit as he pointedly looked at Mido.

"Finally," Mido let out, reaching for the top sandwich wedge.

Zelda leaned in front of Link to spoon out a few raspberries from the box as Tizari said, "No, no one's sup'osed ta leave t'e village on t'eir own an' no one's eve' sup'osed ta make visible ta any o' t'e large word." Zelda leaned back, letting Tizari carefully take hold of the spoon in his paw and shovel the berries onto his plate.

"I hope we don't get you in trouble," Link said, grabbing a sandwich for himself.

"I knew wha' I was ge'ing' inta when I 'ead t'at ol' book," Tizari said with a shrug. He let out a sigh, putting the spoon back and sat back as he admitted, "I'll beh lucky ta eve' leave ma room again."

"We could talk to your inkosi," Zelda offered. "It wasn't your fault that octorok attacked."

"T'at'd be kind o' you, bu' sayin' t'e incantation 'ould be difficoult for you," Tizari said, shaking his head.

Link quickly swallowed the bite he had taken before saying, "Ngishise phansi, nginciphise usayizi1." He looked down at the Minish and asked, "How was that?"

Tizari stared up at Link, his beady black eyes wide as his mouth hung open in surprise. "How'd you…"

"I read lots too," Link offered with a laugh.

"Let us finish our food and we'll go and talk to him," Mido offered.

"To think, I'll get to see a Minish village," Oto let out as a large smile pulled at his cheeks once more.

"Don't let him scare you," Zelda tried, pointing her tin cup towards her friend. "He just gets a little excited about other cultures."

Tizari looked over at Oto and gave him a smile before popping a blueberry in his mouth.

1: I used google's zulu as the language of the Minish. "Ngishise phansi, nginciphise usayizi" is supposed to mean "shrink me down, reduce in size".

2: inkosi= master/sir/lord