Chapter 2
After walking for a good hour or so, he came to a large oak tree. He looked up at it, in all its ancient-looking sense of beauty. He imagined it in the dead of winter, frozen and cold… and then imagined it in October, with flaming red and orange leaves… and he thought about it for a moment, and then set out to find something to draw it with.
Despite the fact that he was no artist, he sat down to draw this beautiful tree. Between glances at the tree and drawing, he did not notice that he was being watched. He had no idea that just 200 feet away was someone who'd been watching him.
He finished the crude drawing he'd begun 25 minutes earlier and looked at it with a small sense of pride. He held it out in front of him for a moment, studying it and trying to see what errors he had made. He looked from his drawing to the tree.
Out of nowhere, the leaves rustled and he heard a high-pitched laugh. He turned around in a split second and looked around, searching for what had made the noise. His eyes darted from the tree to the bushes and the flowers he was surrounded by, not even sure which direction the laugh had come from. He looked confused for a moment, decided it was his imagination taking over, as he had not seen another Hylian since he'd left, and took out what he had to add color to his drawing.
He sat again on a lonely rock beside the tree and began to fill in the drawing with some color, making the drawing almost as beautiful as the tree would have looked. He used a brilliant orange for the leaves, and again stopped a moment to admire his work, holding it out in front of him. Again, a muffled laugh and a rustle came from somewhere, yet he could not figure out where.
Again he searched, in vain, trying to even figure out where the sound had come from. His efforts were useless; he still had no idea where the sound came from. Again, he tried to put it out of mind, going back to his work, feeling paranoid for imagining the sound.
After another few moments, he heard that sound a third time. He had not imagined it… it WAS real. It was not something of his imagination… and he turned to see a shadow underneath a bush.
"…Who are you?" he asked, with an uneven voice.
The girl stood up. He was pale with dark hair and eyes, wearing what a Hylian girl would wear… a nice dress. It was green, and it nicely brought out her features. He thought for a moment, "She looks like a pixie!" and as he looked at her, he smiled slightly, glad that no one was out to get him.
She saw the smile come to his face and smiled in return, and held out her hand in greeting. He took it without a word. After shaking hands, he looked at her, puzzled as to why she had not spoken. She recognized the look and immediately began to speak.
"My name is Nina," she said calmly. "And yes, I am a Hylian. I can tell you've been traveling by what you're wearing… and it seems that I know who you are, somehow…" she trailed off for a moment, and her eyes darkened further, and the smile left her face.
His eyes met hers and he looked puzzled again. After a moment, she spoke again.
"Forgive me for asking, but… honestly now, are you Link?"
"Yes."
Her eyes brightened, and she smiled again.
After walking for a good hour or so, he came to a large oak tree. He looked up at it, in all its ancient-looking sense of beauty. He imagined it in the dead of winter, frozen and cold… and then imagined it in October, with flaming red and orange leaves… and he thought about it for a moment, and then set out to find something to draw it with.
Despite the fact that he was no artist, he sat down to draw this beautiful tree. Between glances at the tree and drawing, he did not notice that he was being watched. He had no idea that just 200 feet away was someone who'd been watching him.
He finished the crude drawing he'd begun 25 minutes earlier and looked at it with a small sense of pride. He held it out in front of him for a moment, studying it and trying to see what errors he had made. He looked from his drawing to the tree.
Out of nowhere, the leaves rustled and he heard a high-pitched laugh. He turned around in a split second and looked around, searching for what had made the noise. His eyes darted from the tree to the bushes and the flowers he was surrounded by, not even sure which direction the laugh had come from. He looked confused for a moment, decided it was his imagination taking over, as he had not seen another Hylian since he'd left, and took out what he had to add color to his drawing.
He sat again on a lonely rock beside the tree and began to fill in the drawing with some color, making the drawing almost as beautiful as the tree would have looked. He used a brilliant orange for the leaves, and again stopped a moment to admire his work, holding it out in front of him. Again, a muffled laugh and a rustle came from somewhere, yet he could not figure out where.
Again he searched, in vain, trying to even figure out where the sound had come from. His efforts were useless; he still had no idea where the sound came from. Again, he tried to put it out of mind, going back to his work, feeling paranoid for imagining the sound.
After another few moments, he heard that sound a third time. He had not imagined it… it WAS real. It was not something of his imagination… and he turned to see a shadow underneath a bush.
"…Who are you?" he asked, with an uneven voice.
The girl stood up. He was pale with dark hair and eyes, wearing what a Hylian girl would wear… a nice dress. It was green, and it nicely brought out her features. He thought for a moment, "She looks like a pixie!" and as he looked at her, he smiled slightly, glad that no one was out to get him.
She saw the smile come to his face and smiled in return, and held out her hand in greeting. He took it without a word. After shaking hands, he looked at her, puzzled as to why she had not spoken. She recognized the look and immediately began to speak.
"My name is Nina," she said calmly. "And yes, I am a Hylian. I can tell you've been traveling by what you're wearing… and it seems that I know who you are, somehow…" she trailed off for a moment, and her eyes darkened further, and the smile left her face.
His eyes met hers and he looked puzzled again. After a moment, she spoke again.
"Forgive me for asking, but… honestly now, are you Link?"
"Yes."
Her eyes brightened, and she smiled again.