Chapter Four

Getting to Know You . . . .

He strode angrily down the palace steps toward his wondering steed Epona. While he had been inside, the sky had darkened, the air turned cold and it began to splatter rain onto his blonde hair, making his pesky bangs stick to his forehead. He swiped at them, pushing them aside so he could see. Quick as he could, he got on Epona's auburn back and headed for home.

The trip was long and silent, excluding the rumbling thunder that the young Hylian paid no heed to. His thoughts were a mess. Where in the world was he supposed to find this . . . girl? What did she have to do with all this? His thoughts were taking him nowhere and his head was spinning with the confusion in his mind. When they stopped at the ladder of his home, Link didn't move. Partly because he hadn't noticed and partly because he was drowned in thought. His horse was anxious to get out of the rain, even if he was not. Epona reared up and sent Link tumbling to the ground in a big mud puddle. Link fell out of his daze and looked into Epona's laughing eyes. "Sorry, Epona. I'm just having a hard week." Then, patting her with an affectionate muddy hand, he climbed up the ladder to his tree house home.

As he sat on his bed, in fresh mud-free clothes, he tried to put all the puzzle pieces together. His mind zoomed like an arrow from his bow, moving faster and faster, cutting through the air until it hit the target. His mind lit up like a light bulb. Now he actually had an idea of how to start his quest! But it was now late and even hero's need to sleep, especially ones like Link. He was probably the most lazy hero ever. At first light, he promised himself, drifting into dream land. I will start my adventure, not for the girl without a name. For the girl in the forest with green eyes. And then, he was dead to the world, dreaming of things that are unimaginable to us.

~*~*~*~*~

Sunlight fell upon the unsuspecting face of Link. He rolled over, groaning, knowing he must get up, but sleeping all the same. It had been a lovely dream. Then he remembered why he was getting up at this absurdly early time. He was going to find the girl from Zelda's vision! Link had decided to look in the Lost Woods first. For one thing, they were closest to him and in Zelda's vision they were in a forest.

As he struggled against the urge to keep sleeping, he slowly fought the battle and came out victorious. He slowly got dressed for a new day. Today, he decided to bring a weapon with him. The Lost Woods did have monsters and he needed to be prepared. Then, he began to grumble to himself again. He hated getting up early, even for a reason like this. He was going to find this girl for an unknown reason. All he knew was that he had to find her. After that, he would find the girl without a name. Maybe the forest girl -as he now referred to the green eyed girl- would know who the other girl was.

He stood up quickly and regretted it later. You see, Link had grown taller over the years and therefore, hit his head on the wood ceiling. As Link rubbed the abused spot, he went out into the Kokiri Forest. He left Epona in her stall today. She deserved a rest after this very tiresome week. Besides, how would he get a horse into the Lost Woods? She couldn't climb the vines. He chuckled to himself, envisioning Epona trying to climb up the vines in frustration.

The trip was much shorter than he remembered. He didn't go there much anymore. The only good reason he had before was to see Saria. His mind left him, thinking of the good old days with Saria, laughing and playing the ocarina, talking about things only they understood. He sighed a deep sigh of sadness. Those childhood days were but a memory now, never again to happen. Link shook his head, trying to concentrate on the task laid before him. He plunged daringly into the forest. He took a left, a hard swing to the right, a strait path, another left and right again. Soon, Link was completely lost. Just like the old days, huh? he thought, shaking his head. Link looked around at his surroundings and decided it was a safe place to rest. Just as he sat down, he heard the snap of a twig. In the silence, it was like the boom of a cannon. Quickly, he whirled around and was just in time to see a figure dashing off through the hole ahead. "Wait!" he cried out. Then he regretted it. What if this person was an enemy? He kept on running after them, his sword now unsheathed.

Then, Link heard a thud and then a groan to his left. Link found the runner on the ground. He held his blade at the back of the strangers neck, just enough to let him, or her, feel that it was there. Slowly, he said, "I wouldn't move if I were you." The person he stared at appeared to be a girl about his age, with long, flowing brown hair. She, if it was a she, was wearing breeches that were the color of the leaves in spring. Her shirt, or what he could see of it beneath her voluminous chestnut hair, was a light blue. In answer to his suggestion, she replied, her face flat against the moist earth, "I'm not scared of any boy! Now, if you will be so kind as to remove the tip of your sword from my neck, I'll be on my way." Her voice was light and airy, even though she was growling at him. Link could tell from her voice that she was a girl.

"And why should I do that?" he smiled at her, though she couldn't see it.

"To be kind? I don't know, just let me up," her voice was a bit softer this time. Link sighed to himself at this mistake and lifted his sword. The strange girl jumped up and, in one very swift motion, knocked Link's sword right out of his hand. He lunged for it, but too late. The girl had gotten it first. The girl had it pointed at his throat. Now as she stared at him, with a look a ferociousness, Link saw that she had malicious green eyes. Her face was oval and her skin was pale and delicate. Her lips were a light rosy color and her ears were pointed. She began to back away, through a hole, her eyes never leaving his face, the sword still pointed at him. Then, she was gone.

Link started after her then thought better of it. He sighed and turned to leave when he heard a piercing scream. It had floated to his ears from the opening the girl had just gone through. He sprinted towards the sound and found her. She was in the Sacred Forest Meadow and a big Wolfos was attacking her. She screamed again as the beast advanced on her, until . . . . CRASH!!!!! The boy she had "met" earlier was standing before her. He held up a shield, blocking the ferocious brute. He turned to her, still blocking the Wolfos, and said, exasperated, "Hand me my sword!" And another crash was heard. This time the attacker had held up one paw and had slashed the boys face. She saw him wince slightly. Quickly, she pulled the sword from the ground where it was stuck and handed it wistfully to the boy. The boy muttered his thanks to her, trying to concentrate as he stalked toward the beast.

The Wolfos, now interested in this new challenge, charged towards the blonde boy. Link rolled to the side, avoiding him, and stabbed at the Wolfos, cutting a long gash in his side as he passed. The beast was now angry, his eyes glinting. He leapt into the air, to jump on his attacker. As he closed in on the boy, Link stuck his long sword through the body of the creature. It howled in pain as it vanished with purple-blue smoke, showing it's defeat. The boy turned to grin at the girl, but frowned in a look of concern when he saw her.

The girl stood to leave, but was trembling so much she could hardly stand. She sat back in the grass, hugging her knees, trying to stop her shaking. Her emerald eyes were wide with fear, and she looked about ready to cry. She laid her head on her knees, trying not to cry. Don't cry in front of that boy! He will think your a weak little . . . but her thoughts were interrupted by a firm hand on her shoulder. She tilted her head to look up and saw the boy looking down at her. His face was kind and he looked at her still, his blue eyes soft with concern and one hand covering the gash on his cheek.. She turned her head away from him, trying to brush away the tears that now stained her face. This boy hadn't even known her for an hour and he knew her worst fear. The hand on her shoulder left and she missed the comfort it gave. She turned around to watch the boy leave, but found him lying down, with a piece of grass in his mouth, watching her. Didn't his parents ever teach him it was rude to stare? Now that she was in control of herself she got up to leave but the boy stopped her. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier," it seemed hard for him to say, "Are you going to be alright?" he added softly, his head coked to one side. His voice was thrilling, like the feeling you get when you taste something sweet.

"I'm just fine!" she snapped, trying not to become friends or even talk to him any longer. She ran away from him, through the opening she had come from and kept at it for a few minuets, incase he tried to pursue her. In her life, the one thing she had learned was to stay away from people. Why had she been following that boy anyway? Everyone she had ever been close to had left her. All she ever got was pain. No matter, she would forget this boy very easily and would never see him again. It was a statement true to her mind but not to her heart. As she found her cave home, she laid down on her green moss bed and curled up to sleep, not knowing of what was to come.