Chapter 14: Mido's Run
Across the bridge Mido ran, alert to the possibility of an ambush from the skullkids. But there was nothing in that short stretch of dark forest. A dozen thoughts flooded his mind, none of them had anything to do with the task at hand: Remi and Lati would sometimes play-fight on this bridge with deku sticks, me and Domi would join in sometimes too. Saria would sometimes sit out here alone and play her ocarina. This is where she gave it to him… Through the second tunnel and Mido cleared the canopy of branches and leaves, and he saw the midnight-blue sky over Hyrule Field.
The rolling grassy hills were open and clear and highlighted in part by moonbeams which shown between the clouds. It was colder now, and Mido could see his breath turn to steam as he exhaled. He could feel goosebumps forming on his arms. He ran along the path he and his friends had taken to the celebration at the Lon Lon Ranch not two weeks ago. He pushed hard but knew that he could not maintain this pace. He slowed and tried to control his breathing. Up to the top of the hill where Mila and Rela had cartwheeled, and where Rela and Remi had raced to the bottom. His legs were weak, and now they hurt. He ran on, across the plain. And up ahead, on the left, loomed the ranch, large and dark, and Castle Town beyond, larger and darker still.
Mido reached the small stone bridge over Zora's River just as the darkness of night was giving way to the predawn grey. He slowed to a walk and took deep, heaving, breaths, and fought his way over to and up the steps to Kakariko Village.
Mido walked down the narrow passage formed by the low cliffs on either side and pass through the partial wooden wall which may have once held a gate long ago, but now held nothing but an old grey wooden sign hanging over the gap. His paced quickened as he saw the landscape begin to open into a small clearing with a single tree in the center and the village structures around and beyond. A short flight of stairs on the opposite side of the clearing led to what Mido thought was a well, and beyond that, the windmill loomed above the rooftops; its sails slowly turning against the grey-blue sky. Mido could not help but gaze upward at the sight, it was unlike anything he had seen in the past.
Before Mido could decide which house or building to approach, he heard the distinct sound of voices, two men, and they were getting closer. "I'm telling you; I'm telling you, that's what I saw," said one of the voices. The other sounded as though it was laughing. And the two men walked down the steps in front of the well and into the clearing. The two men looked very much the same and could only be practically told apart by the fact that one wore a red shirt while the other wore a blue shirt. Mido ran towards them. "Hey! Hey!" Mido called. "I'm looking for the potion shop, the one the old lady owns."
"Well, hey there, little man," The man in blue said. The man in red stopped laughing and straightened up. "Oh, you look… terrible," he said as Mido got close. "Are you hurt?"
"I just need to find the potion shop. Can you tell me where it is?" Mido said.
"Well, it's right there," the man in blue said pointing to a red-sided building on a high stone foundation. "Granny's Potion Shop."
"She's an old witch." The man in red interjected.
"Well, maybe, but she goes by Granny," said the man in blue. "Just head up the steps here," he continued, pointing as he spoke. "You'll have to go through the first shop, up there, I'm not sure if he's open yet, to get to Granny's."
"Thanks," said Mido as he dashed for the stairs. He tried the door of the front shop near the entrance of Death Mountain Trail, but it was locked; he knocked loudly.
A young man with a green vest and long brown hair opened the door: "What?! Oh, what's the matter, kid?"
"I need to get to Granny's Potion Shop."
"Okay, through there and across the yard," the man said stepping away and gesturing Mido through. "Hey kid, if you need something else…" But Mido was already through the backdoor.
Mido opened the door and stepped inside Granny's Potion Shop. Large cauldrons containing green and blue liquids steamed to his right. And two more cauldrons steamed at the back of the room too, one with red liquid and a second one with blue; they sat in front of a long crimson curtain. Red floral wallpaper wrapped the room. Mido walked across the carpeted floor to the counter behind which the old lady sat.
"I need your help!" Mido said. "My friends were poisoned… I…" In shock, Mido realized that in his haste he had forgotten to bring any rupees with which to pay. He felt the empty pockets of his breeches. And then, he remembered the ocarina. "I don't have any rupees," he said as he slowly retrieved the ocarina from his shirt, unwrapped it, and gently placed it on the counter. "But I can give you this." There was a momentary pause as Mido stared down at the ocarina, and Granny stared down at him. Then Mido quickly reached for his belt and undid the ties of the sheath and placed it with his knife next to the ocarina: "And this, too."
"Keep your things, boy," Granny said after a few seconds. "Poisoned you say? By what toxin?"
"Green mushrooms! They were struck by poisoned darts made with the green mushrooms from the Lost Woods."
"Green mushrooms from the Lost Woods," Granny said as she slowly stood up and walked over to a shelf on the wall." Very serious… very serious."
With his hands on the counter, Mido leaned forward to take some weight off his legs. He watched Granny as she looked through the organized mess of vials, jars of exotic herbs, and old papers of potion recipes. She then crouched down and began rummaging through the cupboard below, banging and clanking through the pots and ladles and cutting boards and stirring sticks.
"Well?!" said Mido anxiously. "Can you help them?"
"Don't rush me, sonny!" Granny said emerging from the cupboard and placing a small granite mortar and pestle on the counter. "If what you say is true, then there is only one thing that will save them." And she disappeared behind the crimson curtain and into the back room.
Mido stood and waited and watched the curtain. And from the other side he could hear the tinging and clinking of glassware, the grind and thud of heavy objects, and Granny's muttering: "No… no… this won't do… Where is it? Yes… no, no… hmm…"
Granny poked her head out from the curtain: "How many of your friends did you say were poisoned?"
"Two, two of them!" Mido answered. And granny disappeared into the backroom again. In half a minute or so, she was back, carrying a small glass jar which she placed on the counter.
"Sonny, poisoning from the green mushrooms of the woods is very rare, and I only have this one ingredient that can cure it," Granny said, and she produced a little yellow root from the jar. "However, this will only be enough to create one antidote potion." Mido's eyes widened, his jaw dropped a bit, and his heart sank at Granny's words. "I could split the root," Granny continued, "and make two half-strength potions. But I would not recommend it. It would then be very likely that both of your friends would die, and there would be only the slimmest of chances that one or both might be saved. I do not envy your position. What would you like me to do?"
Mido looked down at the ocarina on the counter. He stared and stared at the beautiful old instrument. "Make one," he said and looked back up at Granny.
"One it is boy," Granny said, holding eye contact with Mido for a moment while she moved away from the counter. She retrieved a ladle from the cupboard and poured a few drops of the blue liquid from the cauldron into the mortar. Then she placed in the root and began to work it with the pestle. When she had worked the ingredients into a greenish mass, she transferred it into a mixing flask and, after wiping off the ladle, poured in the red liquid from the other cauldron. She then mixed the concoction with a stirring stick, poured the warm potion into a clean glass vial, and plugged it with a light-tan cork. Mido watched Granny work and did not speak until she had finished.
"I want you to make one more potion," Mido said when Granny handed him the vial. "I mean… I can't go back with only one. I just can't. Please, give me something else… to ease the pain, maybe. And… I want the two potions to look the same." Granny did not reply, or even move, at first, she looked down with pity at the small, exhausted boy – dirty and beaten.
"I think I have something that will suit your need," Granny said, and she walked once more behind the curtain and quickly returned with a vial of a similarly colored potion, but with a dark-brown cork. "This potion will bring on sleep. And with the poison, it is likely that your friend will die before ever reawakening." Then Granny took back the antidote. "Look here," she said pointing out the difference between the corks. "Do not get them confused." She then wrapped the vials separately in bounds of cloth, placed them into a small leather pouch, and handed it to Mido. "Go now, boy. You must hurry."
"Thank you, thank you." Mido said as he gathered his items and secured the pouch and sheath to his belt. Granny nodded slowly, and Mido headed for the door.
Mido ran down the stone steps and through the clearing with the tree. The two men were still there, one trying to convince the other of some magnificent sight, the other doubling over in laughter. "Good luck, little man!" the man in blue called to Mido as he hurried past. Hyrule Field shown bright and vibrant in the morning sun. Dew droplets clung to the grass and sparkled in the movements with the wind. And Mido set his sights on the path that would lead him back to the forest. Being exhausted, weak, and painfully sore was of no consideration to him. He was going to make it back to his village by noontime; for Remi, for Fado, for everybody. They are counting on me.
Mido came through the log-tunnel and into Kokiri Forest. The midday sun showed well the damage of the night, and not far in front of him, lying in a heap, were the mangled remains of the skullkids. Lati and Timi came into view. They shuffled their way up towards him from the direction of the shop and pond. They were carrying a dead skullkid.
"Mido, Mido!" Lati called, dropping his end of the body. The two boys ran up the path. Mido, limping from the pain in his legs and feet, hurried down to meet them.
"Mido! Oh, thank Farore you made it back," Timi said.
"Are you okay?" asked Lati. "Did you do it? Did you get the medicine?"
"Yeah, I got it. I got some medicine," Mido responded, his voice somewhat hoarse. "Did anything happen? How are they?"
"Everything's okay," answered Lati as the group walked quickly towards Saria's house. "No sign of the skullkids. And Falati worked on Lado with Mifa and Domi. In here…"
Mido entered the house and, on his left, spotted Remi lying on a bedroll against the wall. Solati sat in a chair beside him. Fado was lying against the wall to his right with Mimi beside her. And Lado sat against the back wall opposite the doorway. His tunic was off, and a large cloth bounded his waist.
"Mido?" Falati said approaching with a bandage around her forehead.
"I have it," Mido said as he removed the pouch from his belt. "Give this to Fado. Make sure she drinks the entire thing," he said handing Falati one of the vials. Falati took the potion and hurried over to administer the dose to Fado. Mido took the other vial out of the pouch and knelt down next to Remi. Remi stirred and moaned as Mido lifted his shoulders and tucked a couple of pillows beneath his head.
"Remi, drink this," Mido said as he uncorked the vial. "It's medicine from the potion shop. It'll make you feel better." Remi reached a trembling hand for the vial, and Mido helped him bring it to his lips.
"Uhh, thanks boss," Remi said in a weak voice when he had drunk the contents. "I'll be alright now…" *Cough* "Fado get hers?"
"Yes," Mido said, and he turned a glance across the room to see Falati kneeling next to Fado and holding the empty vial. "Fado got hers, too."
"Good… We're all gonna be alright now…" *Cough* "You did good… Sorry I couldn't go with you…"
