A. N. Third part ahoy! As always, leave your comments. What do you think of the short songs?

The Lady of the Lost Woods: the passing of Dainuviel.

Midnight was come, and the small warmth that had been comforting the lady soon perished, and cold was the air about her. Shivering, she sat down by some lonely trees to rest after running for more than an hour. She was exhausted and the fresh memory of Lampa's passing haunted her. She wept for a long time, until she could feel the baby stir in her lap. He was now crying.

Muttering some soft words, Dyni was afraid the cries would attract the thieves. She decided to carry on with her path so that her paces would rock the baby into sleep. She painfully stood up and went on the with road. The weariness in her body was dragging her to unconsciousness, but her baby's cries would make her carry on. With her head bowed, so that she could only see the rocks and plants that lay over the winding road, she felt suddenly the wind blowing coldly all round her. Tightening her cloak, she turned her head back to the castle, of which only a small light could be seen in distance, and remembered an old song she had learned in her youth. Out of the ancient lore of her lineage she sang to herself and to the child a lighthearted and soft-worded song.

Once there was a way

To get back homewards

There in winding road,

The way back home.

Sleep little darling, do not cry,

For I shall sing a lullaby.

Golden slumbers fill your eyes.

Smiles awake you when you rise

Sleep little darling do not cry,

And I shall sing a lullaby.

Once there is a way

We shall walk homewards

Once there is a way

To get back home.

Sleep little darling let us lie,

Then I shall sing a lullaby.

Dreams of love may fill your mind.

While the long road still may wind.

Sleep little darling do not cry,

For I have sung your lullaby.

And though she sang in a quiet voice, her words long flew in the night.

Dyni could notice the grass growing thicker and taller after another hour of steady walking. She raised her head and saw many trees standing like pillars at an entrance just a few steps away. Although too tired to smile, she just went on with a great relief. The Lost Woods' entrance was near, and there would she be able to finally rest after her journey in the night. With the little strength she had left, she quickened her pace and entered the grove that stood before the blackened threshold.

The trees around the lady were tall and gloomy. Yet she felt no fear while walking beneath their hanging boughs. The temptation of lying down to rest beneath the cover of one of the trees rang in her mind. But, suddenly, the baby stirred in her arms and let out a quiet snore. Dyni sighed and forgot all thought of stopping to rest ere she arrived to the woods. To help herself keep awake she gazed at her surroundings, trying to imagine the same place during daylight. Since spring was almost over and autumn was already claiming its share, the trees should have their leaves dyed in a golden hue. The soft grass beneath her and the chanting of birds in the morning with the golden color about her would have made of the small grove a comfortable place to spend the day. These pleasant thoughts made her weariness seem to grow smaller. Along the beauty of the place, she thought, peace would be the most important matter. Peace on the realm was what she wished: for all the races to be in harmony and joy. Little did the lady know of the great and decisive battle that would soon be fought the next day.

The dark forms that had been surrounding her for a while were now drawing closer. The grass became taller and thicker but with many patches of soil scattered about, and the trees seemed to grow in stature and shade. Finally, almost hidden behind the hanging boughs and grown bushes, Dyni saw the entrance to the Forest: a huge trunk that had been felled and hollowed to shape a tunnel that rejected all brightness. What little moonlight that had not been obstructed by the almost woven branches and had been lighting her path was lost in the depths of the entrance. Dyni removed the hood of her cloak and stood before the gate to the woods. It's finally over, she thought. Suddenly, as she prepared to take the first step towards the forest, a bow twanged, an arrow flew and she felt a sharp pain on her thigh. With a cry, she fell to the ground; and as she did so, the baby awoke and started crying. Loud voices rang through the air about her.

"Ai! Ai! I got it!", one of the voices said. "I got it!"

"Shut up!", another answered. "We know you got it!"

Dyni recognized with horror the Gerudo voices. Wincing and trembling, she tried to crawl painfully towards the gate.

"It's getting away!", the thieves shouted. "Don't let it get to the woods!"

Summoning all of the strength she had left, the lady stood and tried to run. Just passing the entrance was she when a hail of arrows flew stuck on the old wood.

"Did you get it?", a Gerudo asked.

"I didn't… yet!"

The moonlight was still pale, but Dyni saw a wooden bridge at the end of the entrance. She could hear the child crying and feel him trying to grab the cloth of her dress. Do not despair! I'm almost there!, she thought.

"Feveil! Grab him!,"

Him!, she thought with horror. They want my baby!. And she quickened her pace as she could.

"Feveil! If he gets away you respond with yer life!"

Desperate thoughts flew about her mind. I must… cross… the bridge!

Suddenly, she felt another sharp pain, this time in the back of her waist. She cried out as all strength left her and she collapsed on the wooden boards of the bridge.

"Going somewhere?" Feveil jeered as she pulled her knife out of the lady.

In her last desperate effort to protect her son and feeling all dim light going away from her Dyni pulled out her knife again and lunged weakly at the woman, who jumped backwards quickly.

"So!" she said. "The little rabbit-eared wants to play! Well I got no time for games, so I'll just have to drop you!"

Taking out her steel scimitar, the thief swiftly cut the left rope of the bridge. Screaming in terror, Dyni fell from the boards and to the ground. And there, she knew no more.

"Garn! What do you know! Out o'the pan into the fire!"

All of the thieves roared in laugher at Feveil's joke. Seeming pleased with herself the Gerudo went to the edge to look at the foolish Hylian they had caught wandering in the night. The woman gazed downwards, but she could only see shadows.

"Hand over a torch!" she commanded. "I want to see if it needs finishing off."

Torch in hand, she leaped skillfully into the deep and landed near the body. The torch flickered in the darkness, and yet the thief could scarcely see more and a couple of steps before her. The Gerudo approached to the form of a Hylian lying in front of her. Drawing the torch near the face of the body, she let out a cry of surprise.

"What in the…? Hey! We ain't hit no rabbit! This one's a woman!"

Dyni's long hair was all spread about the soil. She had landed on her back while trying to soften the fall for the child. In her hand was still the knife, with its blade notched and broken, and blood was all about her back. The Gerudo was furious at the sight and called loudly for her fellows. Loud she called time and again. But her voice was lost in the wind, and her fellow thieves could not listen to her.

Instead, a strange wind blew, and it was queer indeed; for instead of a cry, the wind carried a bellow. And, Gerudo though she was, Feveil was frightened. Out of the looming darkness a voice was heard amid the wind. And the voice was not hoarse or unpleasant, the more fear to the thief.

For it was the voice of a child. And the strangeness of this was frightful. But it spoke not the kind of things one expects to hear from a child. This voice was laughing and the laugher was that of an amused girl.

And she called for the thief by her name, "Feveil! Feveil!" But the voice seemed to come from everywhere.

"Show yourself, you coward!" the Gerudo cried, but she was only answered by silence. Instead the torch began to flicker violently by the passing wind. She was afraid it might go out.

"Ai! Where are you all? Where are you?"

The laughers turned into stern voices, and the thief heard them spoke.

Anybody who comes to the forest will be lost…

Feveil unsheathed her scimitar, and it trembled in her shaking hand. The tall trees seemed all to be alive and to have ears of their own. They all bent down upon her to listen for her final doom, or so she felt, the wind ever blowing through her red hair.

Everybody will become a Stalfos…

Her hands gave her the unpleasant sensation of moist in her grip. She cowed to the ground, suddenly, as she heard a wail in the wind. Shaking violently, she tried to regain her nerve and to grab her sword, which had slipped from her grasp as if of oil.

Everyone… Stalfos…

The wind blew even more fiercely about her, carrying laugher along with it. The trees where now whispering; an endless mumble in a strange speech: soft and melodious yet long-winded and slow. But whatever it was, it was hot with wrath. And wrath was that which she felt about her. And she also felt cold, and lonely, and utterly scared.

She felt the true fear for the shadows.

So you're not here anymore…

And the wind blew once again, and her torch flickered desperately and died out.

Still days ahead, the mysterious disappearance of Feveil while checking the forest would add up to the countless tales surrounding the mysterious Lost Woods.

* * *

Saria had been walking in forest for the night, having felt sleepless and wary from the moment the day had departed. She walked towards the small pond near the Kokiri shop and sat cross-legged nearby. She dared not to take of her boots and sit with her feet swirling in the water as she used to in the warmer days. Instead, she wrapped a mantle about her and sank in deep thought, wondering about the strange wind that had begun blowing about an hour ago. The Kokiri houses were beginning to change from a plain brown to a reddish hue of it, just as they did when fall was approaching. The leaves that were carried by the wind from the Lost Woods stained the ground in a golden color that so much was liked by Saria, and the once fertile ground of the forest became hard and black, but not unpleasant. The forest was preparing for autumn and winter.

The Kokiri girl lay on a small patch of grass that had not been covered yet by the leaves and gazed at the moon. It was shining powerfully, but it was not yet full. The stars about it where diminished by the greater light and only the shiniest could be made out. All was quiet and sound, but not at peace. The girl could now feel some tension in the air. She rose and looked all about her, expecting to perceive a sound or sight. But all was silence, except for the chirp of the crickets and some occasional owl's hoot. She laid again assuring herself that nothing was happening. And for a while she closed her eyes, unable to sleep.

A scream parted the air and Saria jumped up and stood trembling. The scream had frozen her to her feet, and the quiet sounds of the night had dissipated, but everything was silent now. She then heard some voices laughing harshly and felt the wind blowing for the entrance to the forest. Some other children had been woken by the scream and stood by their houses, trembling with cold and fright. Some ran into one of the trunk-houses.

"What was that?" a voice asked above the others. A red-haired boy with freckles in his face and an arrogant look walked out of the house.

"It came from the bridge," Saria said pointing at the entrance. "It sounded like a woman screaming."

"Nonsense! There are no women in the woods!" replied the boy. "Only girls. And girls don't scream like that."

"Whatever it was you should go and check it out." Saria said. Many Kokiri nodded in approval.

The boy frowned at her and blushed. "Why should I go?" he said in an angry tone. "I'm the boss round here! Why don't you go?"

The children looked at Saria half expecting to hear a flat refuse.

"Fine," the girl said to the amazement of all. "I'll go. It's probably nothing."

The children all began to murmur among themselves as Saria gave Mido the coldest gaze she could before heading to the entrance of the forest. All the Kokiri stared at her until she was out of their sight.

After crossing the tunnel, Saria almost fell off the edge as she walked out of the entrance. Both ropes at the other end had been cut, and the long, wooden bridge was hanging from her side. The Kokiri wondered at this and decided to go back and tell the others. Just as she was turning around to return a faint moan came from the bottom of the deep. Someone is down there!, Saria thought and decided to help whoever had fallen.

Hanging from her fingertips onto the edge, she leaped and landed on the soft soil. The darkness was so absolute that not even the bright moon of moments ago could be seen at the bottom. The small traces of light that were visible at the entrance were lost and she could see nothing. Summoning her fairy, Saria used the pale light of her guardian to look about her. Lying on the grass was a torch with fumes still emerging from it, and a long scimitar besides. The girl was sure that someone had been wandering through the forest and had been caught. A woman probably. A Gerudo.

Saria let out a sigh. When will they learn? She thought, Anybody who comes to the forest will be lost.

She was about to go back when another moan came to her ears.

Turning to whence the sound had come she stood in awareness.

"Is anybody there?" she asked after a while without hearing anything. A slight sound, and the cries of a baby reached her hearing.

The Kokiri ran to the spot from where the sounds came, her guardian fairy following closely. There, lying on the ground was the body of a young woman holding a child in her arms. The woman was badly injured and her blood stained the grass about her. She had a bruise on her cheek and a broken arrow was pierced in her leg. Filled with surprise and pity, Saria bent over the woman and drew her head over her chest.

She's still breathing.

As she prepared to dart back into the dark to get help the woman opened her eyes and gazed at the Kokiri girl. Saria could see she was in great pain, and before the Hylian could mutter a word the Kokiri spoke.

"Be quiet miss," Saria said softly. "I'll get help."

The woman winced and tried to shook her head. The baby was crying in her arms and she motioned the young girl to get closer.

"Do not worry," the Hylian said. "My time is come. But his is not."

"Do not speak like that. Your wounds can be healed. And your child shall be safe here."

Dyni smiled at the Kokiri but sadness was in her gaze.

"Even if that were true, He is dead. I can feel it. He died in a war I did not understand. But it does not matter anymore. I cannot live without Him. But I still wonder, why did he had to go?"

The lady suddenly wept and continued talking as if someone else were there. Saria listened to her with keen attention.

"Why did you go? I told you not to leave me. I told you not to leave me, or him. What should I do without thee?

I don't want to live without your love

I don't want to face the night alone

I could never make it through my life

If I had to make it on my own.

I don't want to love somebody else

I could never find somebody new

I don't want to live without your love

I just want to live my life with you.

Dyni cried, but amid her grief she turned to Saria and smiled ruefully again.

"I am losing already much strength," the lady said before closing her eyes. Saria shook her gently and called for her.

"Lady! Lady! Please don't go! You have still your baby to think about! Lady!"

Dyni lay motionless, but Saria could still see her breath drawing from her mouth. The cold wind had died, and everything was silent again.

"Saria?"

The Kokiri wheeled around, startled by the sudden sound of her name. Mido approached her with fright and doubt in his face. "I wanted to see if everything was right. What happened? Who is she?"

"I don't know," the girl said. "But we must get her to the Great Deku Tree!"

* * *

O Dyni fair, upon your hair a crown of gold I set

Among the bliss, thy tomb now is and sore you may forget

O Dyni strong, your path was long but hope you did not lost

Your friend you wept, but you still kept your nerve as cold as frost!

O Dyni brave, as shadows wave you risk your life for him

But now you die, in sleep you lie and death makes beauty dim.

O Dyni dead, upon your head your hair shall not decay

Your beauty stills, like stones on hills and I shall death delay!

So sang the Deku Tree softly as the lady Dainúviel was covered under a mantle of blossomed flowers that Saria had kept for a special occasion. The grass that grew over her tomb was always green thereafter, whether autumn felled the leaves or winter whitened her mound deep within the Lost Woods. The Kokiri children stared at the lady's grave and were silent. Saria held the baby boy in her arms, and Mido sat on the ground in deep thought. The woods were silent and still as always.

The voice of the Deku Tree was heard again, flying and carried by the wind that blew quietly from his meadow. It was sad and heavy, but the words were quite clear. Thus passeth the lady Dainúviel of the House of the Hylia. Such deeds as she performed cannot be wholly forgotten, though. I shall honour my word and keep her body uncorrupted. The claws of death shall not take her beauty and loveliness away from this world.

The Deku Tree went silent for a while and then continued, As for her child, I bid ye all Kokiri to raise him and love him as one of ye. I forsee that this child shall forge the fate of many in the years to come. His name is Link of the Hylia. His ancestry and kin shall remain secret until I deem the time ripe for him to know.

He went silent again, but the wind did not die with his voice. Instead, another voice was heard in it, and it was crying. But its weeps died out quickly, and the Kokiri heard a grave woman's voice speaking to them. Please, take my child… For I cannot any longer…

The Kokiri gazed about them and wondered where could the voice have come. But Saria nodded slightly her head and looked at Mido who was standing up and returning her sight. Both of them understood.

"Do not worry, lady," Saria said softly, almost to herself. "The Forest is safe."

A. N. Yep this is it. For the record, the first song is an alteration of the original song by Lennon/McCartney, the second song is the original work of Diane Warren for Chicago, and the last one is all mine. See ya!