Chapter 2
Saria looked around the great Hyrule Castle about her. Halls that seemed to stretch forever, with bright red carpet running down the corridors. High stonewalls, and many stain glass windows, beautifully illuminated with pale moonlight, that seemed to make the floor shimmer and dance. Saria stared in awe at her very large, and new surroundings. "So you are awake, are you?" A voice said quietly behind her. Saria's heart leapt up into her throat. Surprised, she spun around so fast that she almost fell over. A young woman with long, loosely flowing, pale golden hair, and worried bright blue eyes, stood a few feet away from her. Her nightgown was elegantly made. Long sheer skirts, trailed the floor. Her pearly white sleeves came down to the tips of her thin fingers, and were laced delicately at the end. The collar was low cut, and trimmed with golden ribbon. The moonlight made her face look even paler than it already was. Saria recognized her immediately. The Princess of Hyrule.
"We were starting to worry that you might not wake." Her voice was as delicate as her features, soft and flawless. "How long have I slept?" Saria asked, forgetting to show proper respect. Princess Zelda brushed a lock of her golden hair away from her pale face. "Almost a week. Link has worried himself ill. The color has faded from his cheeks, and nothing seems to ease him. Not even sleep. Saria couldn't seem to find her own voice, when she thought of Link worrying himself over her. She didn't think that she was worth it. Saria only nodded in response. "You should get back to sleep. You are not yet well. I expect you will eat tomorrow. You must be hungry." Leaving it at that, Zelda turned, and led Saria back to her room.
When Saria woke again, Link was still in the same position, asleep in the chair. Bright sunlight now flooded the room, making it seem welcoming. Saria sat up and lowered herself gently to the floor. She pulled the heavy, wool blanket from the bed, and tiptoed soundlessly over the stone floor to Link. She wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, and let it drop around his body. He stirred, from the sudden warmth of the blanket. She set the palm of her hand, gently on his forehead. He was warm, but not too warm for worry. Her hand slid to his pale cheek. A child. She thought he looked like a child. "Zelda..." He whispered softly in his sleep. Then she realized. She could not think of him any more than just a good long time friend.
Link awoke with a terrible headache, and a cold sweat. His sleep was restless those last nights that Saria lay sleeping next to him. He kept dreaming of the young Kokiri Children. Their happy faces, and innocent lives, being destroyed in a single pass of darkness. He looked at the bed where Saria lay. She was no longer there. He stood up, stretching his aching body, and flexed his stiff bones. A blanket fell from his shoulders, and fell onto the floor. He bent over and touched the soft material with the tips of his calloused fingers. He slowly folded it, and set it onto the bed, as he thought to himself. Saria was okay. Link was very thankful for that.
He turned to the door, and walked out into the quiet hallway. Distant voices could be heard, echoing off of the walls, and through the long hallways. Link paid them no mind at that moment. He jogged down the winding hallways, toward the voices, keeping an eye out for Zelda, or Saria. He slowed his jog to a walk, as he passed a group of fairly dressed priests, who were whispering excitedly to one another.
"Have any of you seen Princess Zelda?" He asked in a hurried voice, knowing that Zelda would know where Saria was. A young female, looked up from her conversation, to look at Link, with a cold stare. She looked appalled that someone would interrupt their conversation. Her hair hung loosely down her back, and stopped just below her waist, in fiery red curls, and locks of spirals. She spoke in a soft voice, that of a young girl, although she didn't look it. "Osh aye. The last time I seen her, she be In the Castle Gardens." Link nodded and gave a hurried thanks, heading toward the gardens Zelda spent so much time in. But he stopped when an older man spoke loudly to the rest of the group, as if trying to get Link's attention. "Evil I feel coming from that one. Evil is again threatening our beautiful land of Hyrule." His voice cracked with old age. It was raspy, and shook terribly. Link didn't look back. He took off running, to find Zelda.
Zelda was in the garden, just as the young priest had said. She sat talking to Saria, both sitting on a stone bench that was engraved with Hyrule's power source. Saria's long green hair was pulled back into a loose braid, which draped gracefully, over her right shoulder. She wore velvet, forest green robes, laced with golden string from the low cut collar, down to her gently curved waist. Her sleeves were sheer, and were big around her arms, and tightened around her wrists. She had never seemed to look so beautiful.
Saria's gaze swiveled over to Link, and her whole face lit up with a smile at the sight of him. She excitedly waved him to come sit with them. Zelda turned her head to look at Link. She also waved him over to them, with a graceful spin of her delicate hand. He walked over to them, not able to keep his eyes off of Saria. He stared so long, that she gave him a funny look. He finally caught himself, shook his head, and turned his gaze away. "Are you better?" Was all he could ask, his eyes now concentrating on a small white butterfly that was fluttering around the roses. She smiled happily, and nodded. "I am very thankful to Princess Zelda, and you also Link." She laughed softly. "You did not have to worry yourself sick over me." Link had other things on his mind, least of all his well-being. A million questions flew through his mind, as he looked back at her strange adult face. "What has happened? What is going on?" Saria sighed deeply, the laughter fading from her beautiful eyes. Zelda placed a gentle hand on Saria's shoulder. "You do not have to speak it again, for you have already told me. I will tell Link, this tragic, terrifying tale." Saria nodded, and mouthed the word 'Thank you', in relief.
"A shadow of evil overcame the Kokiri Children. They are all dead, from what Saria remembers. Their hearts were ripped from their bodies. All Saria remembers of what the evil creature looks like, is a black hood, and darkness..." Tears welled up in Saria's eyes, and she broke down crying. She could not bear reliving the moment. Link knelt now from his standing position. Saria looked him in the face, and not thinking before acting, she flung her arms around him. She latched herself longingly, to his chest. She buried her face into the nape of his neck, and let herself cry. Her shoulders shook as she let the memories of the horror flow out of her through the tears. Link looked up at Zelda, who was still seated on the bench. She spoke hesitantly, and when she did, she spoke very softly. "This must be put to a stop before this darkness overcomes the rest of our land."
Saria looked around the great Hyrule Castle about her. Halls that seemed to stretch forever, with bright red carpet running down the corridors. High stonewalls, and many stain glass windows, beautifully illuminated with pale moonlight, that seemed to make the floor shimmer and dance. Saria stared in awe at her very large, and new surroundings. "So you are awake, are you?" A voice said quietly behind her. Saria's heart leapt up into her throat. Surprised, she spun around so fast that she almost fell over. A young woman with long, loosely flowing, pale golden hair, and worried bright blue eyes, stood a few feet away from her. Her nightgown was elegantly made. Long sheer skirts, trailed the floor. Her pearly white sleeves came down to the tips of her thin fingers, and were laced delicately at the end. The collar was low cut, and trimmed with golden ribbon. The moonlight made her face look even paler than it already was. Saria recognized her immediately. The Princess of Hyrule.
"We were starting to worry that you might not wake." Her voice was as delicate as her features, soft and flawless. "How long have I slept?" Saria asked, forgetting to show proper respect. Princess Zelda brushed a lock of her golden hair away from her pale face. "Almost a week. Link has worried himself ill. The color has faded from his cheeks, and nothing seems to ease him. Not even sleep. Saria couldn't seem to find her own voice, when she thought of Link worrying himself over her. She didn't think that she was worth it. Saria only nodded in response. "You should get back to sleep. You are not yet well. I expect you will eat tomorrow. You must be hungry." Leaving it at that, Zelda turned, and led Saria back to her room.
When Saria woke again, Link was still in the same position, asleep in the chair. Bright sunlight now flooded the room, making it seem welcoming. Saria sat up and lowered herself gently to the floor. She pulled the heavy, wool blanket from the bed, and tiptoed soundlessly over the stone floor to Link. She wrapped the blanket around his shoulders, and let it drop around his body. He stirred, from the sudden warmth of the blanket. She set the palm of her hand, gently on his forehead. He was warm, but not too warm for worry. Her hand slid to his pale cheek. A child. She thought he looked like a child. "Zelda..." He whispered softly in his sleep. Then she realized. She could not think of him any more than just a good long time friend.
Link awoke with a terrible headache, and a cold sweat. His sleep was restless those last nights that Saria lay sleeping next to him. He kept dreaming of the young Kokiri Children. Their happy faces, and innocent lives, being destroyed in a single pass of darkness. He looked at the bed where Saria lay. She was no longer there. He stood up, stretching his aching body, and flexed his stiff bones. A blanket fell from his shoulders, and fell onto the floor. He bent over and touched the soft material with the tips of his calloused fingers. He slowly folded it, and set it onto the bed, as he thought to himself. Saria was okay. Link was very thankful for that.
He turned to the door, and walked out into the quiet hallway. Distant voices could be heard, echoing off of the walls, and through the long hallways. Link paid them no mind at that moment. He jogged down the winding hallways, toward the voices, keeping an eye out for Zelda, or Saria. He slowed his jog to a walk, as he passed a group of fairly dressed priests, who were whispering excitedly to one another.
"Have any of you seen Princess Zelda?" He asked in a hurried voice, knowing that Zelda would know where Saria was. A young female, looked up from her conversation, to look at Link, with a cold stare. She looked appalled that someone would interrupt their conversation. Her hair hung loosely down her back, and stopped just below her waist, in fiery red curls, and locks of spirals. She spoke in a soft voice, that of a young girl, although she didn't look it. "Osh aye. The last time I seen her, she be In the Castle Gardens." Link nodded and gave a hurried thanks, heading toward the gardens Zelda spent so much time in. But he stopped when an older man spoke loudly to the rest of the group, as if trying to get Link's attention. "Evil I feel coming from that one. Evil is again threatening our beautiful land of Hyrule." His voice cracked with old age. It was raspy, and shook terribly. Link didn't look back. He took off running, to find Zelda.
Zelda was in the garden, just as the young priest had said. She sat talking to Saria, both sitting on a stone bench that was engraved with Hyrule's power source. Saria's long green hair was pulled back into a loose braid, which draped gracefully, over her right shoulder. She wore velvet, forest green robes, laced with golden string from the low cut collar, down to her gently curved waist. Her sleeves were sheer, and were big around her arms, and tightened around her wrists. She had never seemed to look so beautiful.
Saria's gaze swiveled over to Link, and her whole face lit up with a smile at the sight of him. She excitedly waved him to come sit with them. Zelda turned her head to look at Link. She also waved him over to them, with a graceful spin of her delicate hand. He walked over to them, not able to keep his eyes off of Saria. He stared so long, that she gave him a funny look. He finally caught himself, shook his head, and turned his gaze away. "Are you better?" Was all he could ask, his eyes now concentrating on a small white butterfly that was fluttering around the roses. She smiled happily, and nodded. "I am very thankful to Princess Zelda, and you also Link." She laughed softly. "You did not have to worry yourself sick over me." Link had other things on his mind, least of all his well-being. A million questions flew through his mind, as he looked back at her strange adult face. "What has happened? What is going on?" Saria sighed deeply, the laughter fading from her beautiful eyes. Zelda placed a gentle hand on Saria's shoulder. "You do not have to speak it again, for you have already told me. I will tell Link, this tragic, terrifying tale." Saria nodded, and mouthed the word 'Thank you', in relief.
"A shadow of evil overcame the Kokiri Children. They are all dead, from what Saria remembers. Their hearts were ripped from their bodies. All Saria remembers of what the evil creature looks like, is a black hood, and darkness..." Tears welled up in Saria's eyes, and she broke down crying. She could not bear reliving the moment. Link knelt now from his standing position. Saria looked him in the face, and not thinking before acting, she flung her arms around him. She latched herself longingly, to his chest. She buried her face into the nape of his neck, and let herself cry. Her shoulders shook as she let the memories of the horror flow out of her through the tears. Link looked up at Zelda, who was still seated on the bench. She spoke hesitantly, and when she did, she spoke very softly. "This must be put to a stop before this darkness overcomes the rest of our land."