Link's Story
Chapter 4
Author's Note: This little series is not, by any means, read as much as my other works. This saddens me to a point, because it is some of my best writing. I find it to be certainly more decent than the rest, but hey, people will read what they want. I will continue it because I am enjoying writing it. (And of course, for the few who actually have read it and enjoyed it.) For those who have read and reviewed this little series, I thank you very much. I appreciate it to no end. -Robin Wright
I left Lon Lon in a flight of anger and confusion. The moon, that huge, yellow, mocking orb hung low in the sky. I could see it sneering at me. I had failed. Malon hated me. Hated me so much that she didn't want me in her life. I had only tried to help. Ingo, that jerk. He was probably going to beat her senseless in the morning. The thought in itself brought angry tears to my eyes. I couldn't understand how she could tell me to leave like that. Didn't she understand that she shouldn't put up with such treatment? Didn't she know that she was lovelier than the very lilies that dotted the green field before me? More precious than that of butterflies that hovered by those flowers?
Such strange thoughts racing through my mind. Where were they coming from? I had never thought of a girl like a flower before... It must have been the warp through time. Yes, the immobility of seven years had fried my brain. It was the only reasonable explanation.
"Hey, hey! Link, hey!" Navi yelled in my ear. Boy, was did she pick a great time to be irritating. I glared up at her.
"The forest, Link! We should go to the forest!" I waved a hand at her, just about knocking the faerie out of the air.
"Hey! Watch it!" I cast her a warning look. She stuck her tongue out at me. (Yes, faeries have tongues.) I walked slowly in the direction of the forest. I had no idea what I would find there. After about an hour's walk, the twin trees leading to the entrance loomed before me. I could almost hear them laughing at me, like all of the Kokiri had so many years ago. I halted.
"Well, c'mon! Let's go!" Navi urged. I shook my head furiously. "What's wrong, Link?" I simply shook my head again, and turned around. I walked over to the low wall across from the entrance. I sat down on the hard stone. I hung my head in thought.
I didn't want to go back in there. I didn't want to see them again. Even if Saria was in there. It didn't matter. I was the wrong person for the blasted quest. I was sure that Rauru had made some fatal error in his choosing. I felt a sudden tug on my collar.
"Link, let's go. It can't be that bad." I refused to look up. "That's it, I've had it!" The bright little blue light fluttered over to the side of my head. Navi grabbed hold of my ear and pulled it as hard as she could. I almost let out a grunt from the pain.
"Get up Mr. You're going into that forest whether you like it or not!" What I would have given for a can of bugspray right then. I smacked at her with my hand, and she dodged out of the way. I merely succeeded in hitting myself in the ear, which made it hurt worse. Navi grabbed onto a tuft of my hair, and set to tugging on that. I whacked at her again, and she moved. I glowered at her. She pointed in the direction of the trees.
"Get going! You heard me! You have a job to do!" I was so sick of Navi, I could have just smashed her between my two palms right then and there, but she was sort of my communication device, so it would have been a rash move. I decided not to swat her. I stood and headed toward the trees.
"That's more like it." She flew under my cap and nestled in my hair. I sighed deeply as I stepped through the entrance to the cold, damp woods.
It was dark. Terribly dark. I saw no faeries. I saw no Kokiri. If I could have called out a "hello?" I would have, but I'm not sure anyone would have answered anyway. Where was everyone? I turned my head this way and that, squinting in the dark, scouring the area with my eyes for any sign of life. I saw nothing. I took a few cautious steps forward.
Hhssshhh... It came from behind me. What was that? It sounded like a foul hissing. It came from my right. No sooner had I turned my head, than I felt something butt my leg. I jumped and drew my sword. The hissing resounded again, and something, with very sharp teeth, clamped onto my leg. I threw my head back and flung my mouth open, howling out a silent scream of pain. Whatever it was took a firm hold in my flesh and set to thrashing back and forth, attempting to rip my leg off.
I hacked at it with my sword frantically and almost hit my own leg in the process. I heard a loud shriek as my blade came in contact with some fleshy appendage. The teeth remained in my leg, but the power behind their grip dissipated. I fell back on my rear and sat there panting for a moment. I reached back and whipped off my hat. Navi popped up. "What?" I pointed angrily at my leg. She hovered over my leg, her pale blue light illuminating what had tried to eat me. Attached to my leg was the severed head of an angry deku baba. Blue plant juice covered the ground and my hose. Mixed in with it was a river of red. I was bleeding profusely. I needed immediate medical attention.
I sheathed my sword and sat there for a minute. I was starting to feel light-headed. Quickly, I pulled out a deku stick that I had on hand. I used it to stand. My right knee weakened under my weight, and I almost fell over. I hobbled slowly over to the house that used to belong to the Know-it-all Brothers. The door was locked. Wait a minute... there was a door! The Kokiri didn't have doors when I lived there. Something was amiss. I pounded frantically on the tiny entrance. "Go away!" a high pitched voice shouted. I pounded again. I wasn't about to be left out alone in a dark forest to bleed to death. Again, I was told to go away. I gave up and hobbled over to Saria's house.
Her house, too, had a door. Upon pounding on that one, I was, for the third time, denied. However, Navi took the initiative and pleaded with them through the wood. We finally succeeded. The door opened a crack, and a pair of wide, blue eyes met mine. It was a little girl. One of the ones I had known. She let me in. I entered and collapsed on the floor. I think it was then that I must have passed out, because the next thing I can remember were children's voices calling to me. They sounded quite far away.
"Hey, Mr? Are you okay?" I opened my eyes. Blurry forms hung over me. Someone was patting a damp cloth across my forehead. I opened my eyes, my lids sticking to themselves. I let out an inaudible moan. I could hear the quiet air rushing out of my throat. How I wish I had a voice...
"Look! Look, his eyes are opening!" My eyes met four sets of others. They were wide, seemingly innocent. Something tugged at my leg. I slowly sat up and looked down. They had sheared my hose off below the knee, and had cleaned off my calf. They were wrapping it in a clean strip of cloth. I felt my eyes tearing. But it wasn't from the sting of my abrasions. That was the nicest any of the Kokiri had been to me. To think, they showed more kindness to a stranger than they had shown one of their own. The irony was stabbing. A little girl, another I knew, put a hand on my shoulder. She had seen my sudden tears.
"Don't worry, mister. It won't sting much longer." So sympathetic, so clueless. I nodded.
"He says thank-you." Navi answered. The little girl looked at the others. She turned back to me.
"We've been wondering, if you're not a Kokiri, why do you have a faerie?" she asked. I had no idea what to indicate. I had no explanation for them. Only the Kokiri had faeries...
"I, I was lost, and he found me. He saved my life. Yup, that's what he did!" Navi chimed. Well, at least she was her own excuse..
"That's so wonderful! You saved a faerie? Wow!" I frowned and nodded. They bought it, why should I have said anything to contradict it? I was actually enjoying their kindness, to a point.
"So why are ya here?" I looked up at Navi.
"We're, um, going on a camping trip in the woods."
"Camping, here?"
"Yes, for what more beautiful of a place than that of the Lost Woods?"
"So you're not worried about gettin lost?"
"No, I'm a faerie, I know my way around the woods." The children started to chatter about camping.
"Well, we need to be going now."
"Are ya sure? What about his leg?" I stood up to prove that I was alright. A shooting pain ripped through my leg. I winced, but smiled in spite of myself to escape any suspicion. All I wanted was to leave as soon as possible.
"He's fine! See?" Navi looked over at me. The Kokiri stared at me for a moment.
"Well, if he feels okay, then we don't need to worry." one said. I smiled falsely again and headed for the door.
"Hey Mister?" I turned in the doorway.
"Come back and visit sometime soon. We like you!" I nodded and hobbled out as fast as I could. The forest was just ahead, and I was in a hurry to get the stupid task over with. I just wanted to be normal. Perhaps the Goddesses would award me for my good deeds someday, and give me my voice back.
With that hope in my heart, I ran into the dark forest.