Chapter 2: A Reunion Interrupted
"What do you mean?" Link asked, slightly confused, "How could you have aged?"
"When I was with the other Sages, my body grew, although I didn't notice until I returned here and suddenly had so much time alone," she said bitterly.
"Oh Saria, I'm sorry for leaving you!" Link said softly, his voice husky with emotion.
"It's okay Link, you had no choice," Saria said understandingly.
Suddenly, the two were startled by a gritty voice from behind them.
"Oh, how sweet!" the stranger said caustically.
The two turned around to see a tall, grotesque creature standing behind them. It was as black as a shadow, and its shape was constantly shifting from that of a horrible, scaled thing, to a strangely humanoid form that resembled a cross between a dragon and a man. Without warning, the thing threw a ball of black fire at Link, who whipped out his shield and only barely managed to reflect the unholy flame. The creature shriek in rage and attacked Saria with its claws. It managed to rip through Saria's shoulder before Link decapitated it with his sword.
"Saria!" Link cried out.
"Ow…" was all Saria said.
In spite of himself, Link smiled slightly at the fact that Saria refused to complain. He examined the wound and was horrified to see five long, deep, jagged gashes in her shoulder.
"I hope it doesn't hurt too bad," Link said with concern, "Just, wait a moment while I go get help."
"Ow….ow..ow..OW!" Saria said when he prodded a particularly painful wound.
"I'm sorry, I'll be right back," Link said, nearly tripping when he tried to rise.
"Wait here!" Link called over his shoulder as her ran.
"Like there's anything else I could do," Saria muttered.
With a soft sigh, Saria laid her head back on the soft grass and suddenly felt very sleepy. Saria yawned and began to close her eyes for a short nap, when she felt a piercing pain lance through her shoulder.
"Oh, that hurt," Saria mumbled, "I wonder why I'm so sleepy?"
Saria began to doze again when she suddenly felt as if she was suffocating. In one part of her mind, she thought idly that this was very similar to the effects of a very deadly poison called nightshade. The rest of her mind was struggling to force her lungs to take in air. I'm gonna die! Saria thought to herself in horror. Suddenly, she felt extraordinarily angry when she thought of dying. No! she though fiercely to herself, I can't die! Now that Link has finally come back to me, I refuse to die! To her relief, Link came running over to her. He can't have been that fast! Saria thought suddenly.
"Thank the goddesses!" Link exclaimed, "You are still okay. I'm surprised you managed to stay conscious for the half hour that I was gone!"
Saria just looked at him for a moment with a dazed expression on his face, then fell unconscious.
"My god, she's poisoned!" Link exclaimed in horror.
Link quickly gathered Saria in his arms and ran back to the Kokiri Forest.
"What do you mean?" Link asked, slightly confused, "How could you have aged?"
"When I was with the other Sages, my body grew, although I didn't notice until I returned here and suddenly had so much time alone," she said bitterly.
"Oh Saria, I'm sorry for leaving you!" Link said softly, his voice husky with emotion.
"It's okay Link, you had no choice," Saria said understandingly.
Suddenly, the two were startled by a gritty voice from behind them.
"Oh, how sweet!" the stranger said caustically.
The two turned around to see a tall, grotesque creature standing behind them. It was as black as a shadow, and its shape was constantly shifting from that of a horrible, scaled thing, to a strangely humanoid form that resembled a cross between a dragon and a man. Without warning, the thing threw a ball of black fire at Link, who whipped out his shield and only barely managed to reflect the unholy flame. The creature shriek in rage and attacked Saria with its claws. It managed to rip through Saria's shoulder before Link decapitated it with his sword.
"Saria!" Link cried out.
"Ow…" was all Saria said.
In spite of himself, Link smiled slightly at the fact that Saria refused to complain. He examined the wound and was horrified to see five long, deep, jagged gashes in her shoulder.
"I hope it doesn't hurt too bad," Link said with concern, "Just, wait a moment while I go get help."
"Ow….ow..ow..OW!" Saria said when he prodded a particularly painful wound.
"I'm sorry, I'll be right back," Link said, nearly tripping when he tried to rise.
"Wait here!" Link called over his shoulder as her ran.
"Like there's anything else I could do," Saria muttered.
With a soft sigh, Saria laid her head back on the soft grass and suddenly felt very sleepy. Saria yawned and began to close her eyes for a short nap, when she felt a piercing pain lance through her shoulder.
"Oh, that hurt," Saria mumbled, "I wonder why I'm so sleepy?"
Saria began to doze again when she suddenly felt as if she was suffocating. In one part of her mind, she thought idly that this was very similar to the effects of a very deadly poison called nightshade. The rest of her mind was struggling to force her lungs to take in air. I'm gonna die! Saria thought to herself in horror. Suddenly, she felt extraordinarily angry when she thought of dying. No! she though fiercely to herself, I can't die! Now that Link has finally come back to me, I refuse to die! To her relief, Link came running over to her. He can't have been that fast! Saria thought suddenly.
"Thank the goddesses!" Link exclaimed, "You are still okay. I'm surprised you managed to stay conscious for the half hour that I was gone!"
Saria just looked at him for a moment with a dazed expression on his face, then fell unconscious.
"My god, she's poisoned!" Link exclaimed in horror.
Link quickly gathered Saria in his arms and ran back to the Kokiri Forest.