As the group entered the Lost Woods, Blade told the Sages to wait in the first room of the gate. After a minute of persuasion ("There's nothing you can do, you'd be in danger for no reason, you might get hurt or even killed") they did.
Phoenix did something extraordinary. He became a phoenix.
This wasn't anything like Link's transformation to dragon. This was a smooth transition, and it affected every part of Phoenix's body at once. His tunic didn't shred, either—it just sort of became Phoenix's feathers.
Phoenix was now a large bird, with something like a six-foot wingspan, maybe two feet long. His feathers were a dull red. He was magnificent, but Link was sure he was even more magnificent in combat.
Just then, something fell and landed silently behind him. The only reason Link knew he was there was because of the air hitting him.
Link spun on his heel and brought his sword up to parry the attack he knew was coming. Steel met claw, and steel won. The Odentian's right hand claws were gone.
Link brought his foot around, to kick the Odentian off his feet. He jumped and delivered a clawed slash with his feet to Link's chest area, but Link had turned his kick into a backflip. As he came around, he brought the Master Sword up and sliced a thin line from the warrior's left hip up to his heart. Link's backflip had stopped there, and he stabbed. The warrior fell to the ground. As Link turned around, he saw Blade nodding approval.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. But you could be better, and that one was a weakling."
Link shook his head, but stared as he saw Snipe whip out his bow and pierce an unsuspecting Odentian in the back of the head. These people were good.
It took about two hours, but the scouting proceeded without any more fighting. The five of them made their way back through the Lost Woods to the gate—
It wasn't there.
At first, they thought they had just made a wrong step. They retraced their way, trying three, four, five times. But it wasn't there.
They were trapped.
Even more, they wouldn't be able to hide for long. They would have to fight eventually.
Five on who knows how many.
They were dead.
It was Blade who noticed them first. While the other four were standing there in shock, he had noticed three Odentians sneaking up on them.
Blade knew, also, that these weren't the weaklings they had been fighting. These were elite fighters. These three were the real thing.
The three pulled out etinabols, strange sword-like weapons. One attacked Link, too far away for Blade to block. Link brought his sword up to do it himself, but the etinabol became flexible and wrapped around the sword. A sharp tug brought the Master Sword out of Link's hand and into a tree.
Lin didn't falter but drew another sword. This one was black, with some kind of design etched into it. Link stabbed with it, but the Odentian dodged and swept him off his feet.
Link landed hard, and lay stunned for a second. Blade rushed in to block the etinabol, but he was too late. Blade watched in horror as the etinabol claimed a life.
While the Odentian was distracted, Blade turned his failed block into an attack. His sword found its way into the Odentian's back. The warrior fell forward, onto Link's body.
Blade forced himself to drive away the images. Lightning, Phoenix, and Snipe dealt with the other two easily enough, but there was no rest—instantly, six more jumped from the trees.
It took several minutes for them to fall. There was only one left, but this one was good.
She ran for a second, to get back to the trees. Her path took her near Link's body—
And a sword.
The warrior ran straight into the sword, severing her at the knees. She fell forward, and went to meet her maker.
The dead Odentian body fell as Link stood. He seemed fine, like the last battle had never happened. The Gyrdians stared.
Link explained, quickly, about the Triforce of Courage and its healing properties, then retrieved his sword.
Blade still looked, though. Something was different about Link…
By the next morning, the five had decided there was no way to get back to Termina, and since there were no other dimensional gates known in Hyrule, they decided to go somewhere they could and not be in danger: another country.
Link told the Gyrdians that the area beyond Death Mountain held a small country called Acimera. As far as everyone present knew, the Odentians conquered one country at a time, then settled it. They didn't conquer another country until they needed to, for living space. No one thought they could fill Hyrule to overcrowding in a year, and this seemed like their first entrance into Hyrule's world.
So, of course, they set out for Acimera. And they were right—there would be no Odentians.
But there would be something worse.