Link walked to the courtyard gate. There he found a striking woman, six feet tall, looking to be in her early thirties except for her hair being iron grey. The woman introduced herself. "I am Impa of the Sheikahs. I am responsible for protecting Princess Zelda. Everything is exactly as the Princess foretold. You are a courageous boy… You are heading out on a big, new adventure, aren't you? My role in the Princess's dream was to teach a melody to the one from the forest. This is an ancient melody passed down by the Royal Family. I have played this song for Princess Zelda as a lullaby ever since she was a baby… There is mysterious power in these notes. Now listen carefully…" She motioned for Link to play his ocarina, and whistled a short tune. It was indeed like a lullaby, but different. After he played it several times, Impa was satisfied that he had learned it.
Impa continued, "If the castle soldiers find you, there will be trouble. Let me lead you out of the castle." They travelled quietly through an underground passageway. The passageway opened on the far side of the moat, just outside of Hyrule Castle Town. They looked toward a volcano off in the distance.
"You brave lad…" Impa finally said, "We must protect this beautiful land of Hyrule! Take a good look at that mountain. That is Death Mountain, home of the Gorons. They hold the Spiritual Stone of Fire. At the foot of Death Mountain you will find my village, Kakariko. That is where I was born and raised. You should talk to some of the villagers there before you go up Death Mountain.
"The song I just taught you has some mysterious power. Only Royal Family members are allowed to learn this song. Remember, it will help to prove your connection with the Royal Family. The princess is waiting for you to return to the castle with the stones. All right. We're counting on you!" Impa threw down a deku nut and vanished as it exploded.
Link stood and thought for a minute. Were they in that much danger from Ganondorf? If so, was the castle the best place to have met, with Ganondorf not more than fifty feet away having an audience with the King? But if not, what kind of circumstances caused one to habitually leave like a travelling magician anytime you left someone's company? For it was obvious that except for members of the Royal Family, Impa left everyone like that, not just Kokiri boys.
"Makes you glad you don't live like that," Navi said as they started walking back to the Kokiri Forest, "doesn't it?"
"How did you know what I was thinking", asked Link.
"Fairies and their partners get to know each other to the point of reading each other's thoughts," said Navi. "It's just like our talking to each other in our minds, not in the open. It's the same way that I'm always with you, but not everyone knows I'm there. I can hide in your thoughts, or ride in your thoughts if I'm tired or frightened. As we get to know each other better, you will also know my thoughts as well. You want to become life-mates with Saria, right? And you know how close that relationship is. Your relationship with your guardian fairy is much closer still. This is why Kokiri never leave their life-mates. They are already born with a relationship so much closer, and absolutely unbreakable, that they are used to settling differences without grudges or resentment. This is also why you get along as well with the other Kokiri as you do. They joked about you not having a fairy, but never to be mean or hurtful.
"Mido, on the other hand, was already hurt by you many years ago, without your even knowing. Mido wanted to be life-mates with Saria when she got old enough. But even then, she had decided on you, and told Mido just that! You were probably the only Kokiri who DIDN'T know that if Saria took a life-mate at all, that it would be you.
"Mido doesn't really dislike you, either. But he is only sixteen, and in spite of having the making of a truly great Chieftain, is immature. He loves Saria, and always will. He hasn't given up on winning her over, but knows that he hasn't got a chance. He would never think of taking his frustrations out on her. You, though, are a convenient target, even if you are busy saving the world."
"What will Saria say when she finds out that we are going to save Hyrule?" Navi asked.
"I know already," answered Link. "She will be afraid that something will happen to me, and that I might not come back. She will fret and worry, but in the end she will help me as much as she can. Navi, is it true what they say about life-mates, that when one plays the other's song on the ocarina that they can talk to each other anywhere?"
"Sometimes. It depends on how long they've been together, how strong their bond is, many things. It is inconsistent, really. I've heard of bonds that were strong where the life-mates couldn't talk with ocarinas, even with their fairies helping, from one house to the next. I've heard of others where they could be on opposite ends of the Lost Woods, play a couple notes, and talk like they were looking into each other's eyes."
Link and Navi had an earlier start leaving Hyrule Castle Town than they did leaving for it. Knowing that he was returning to Saria made Link's steps that much lighter, his stride that much longer, his road that much shorter. He returned to the Kokiri village just after sunset.