He turned left when he entered the clearing. He ran down the path to the shortcut to Zora's Domain. He turned left, and ran down the path. He went straight at the next clearing, then left again. He came into the next clearing, to find Mido blocking the path.
And indeed, it was Mido. But it was a Mido he did not know. This was not the child of privilege, who resented an orphan the only thing he had of value. This was not the petty bully, who seemed to revel in being mean and hurtful to Link when both were young, claiming that he was "toughening up the Great Warlord, ha ha." Nor was this the Mido he had started to know right after he and Saria were married, the one who had lost all resentment when he finally saw that what he envied could be taken from its rightful owner, but never be his. This was not the kindly older brother, who had found himself passed up, and humbly asked the younger brother for help to do his duty, for the time had come that it was truly his. This was the War Chieftain of the Kokiri, in a time when there was no shortage of war, or of suffering.
Link could see that Mido had aged at least twenty-one years in the last seven! Link could see the weight of all the Kokiri, even his own, pressing down on Mido's shoulders. He could see the battles won, and the many battles lost. He could see the death of each Kokiri who died at the hands of Ganondorf's evil. He could see the consoling of each widow, each orphan, each grieving parent, yet no one to console him. He saw the seven years of blood, toil, sweat, and tears. He saw the defiance, the mastery of fear, the true courage of the man. He even caught a small glance of fear of him. No, not fear of him, for this Mido feared nothing! It was fear for him!
"What does this War Chieftain know? Why does he not recognize me, after pledging himself as my brother?" Link asked.
Navi answered, "I don't know. I'm not sure I could say, if I did know." They approached Mido.
Mido challenged Link. "Stop there, traveller! You wear Kokirish dress. Your mannerisms are Kokirish. You try to read the mind like a Kokiri, and you even have a guardian fairy. Yet you are clearly living in the body of a Hylean. You are dressed for battle in a time where outsiders dressed for battle are ill omens indeed! I am Mido the Diligent, War Chieftain of all the Kokiri! If you are Kokiri, your sword is needed here, and was already missed by far too many of your countrymen! If you are not Kokiri, your insult to us will cost you your life! Answer for yourself, traveller!"
Mido then drew his sword. The Mido of old only carried a sword for ceremony, and then only when he had to. He was a fair swordsman at best, and didn't like to carry one. This Mido's sword and shield were in good order, but showed obvious signs of heavy use, by someone who had become a master while carrying them. Link took the Ocarina of Time, and played the song of his wedding. As he played, Mido's demeanour changed dramatically.
Link knew now that Mido recognized him now with an absolute certainty. Yet Mido still hid this. Mido was relieved to see him. And he caught another glimpse of that fear, hidden away even more forcefully than before. Link had never seen Mido like this, and would never have thought it possible!
Mido put away his sword and shield. He stepped to the side, no longer blocking Link's path. He spoke to Link with sincerity, but forced himself not to look Link directly in the eye! "Stop, friend! You know… him! You are his friend; else you could never have played that song! You will always travel in peace with the Kokiri through these woods! When you see… him again, tell him three things for me. She waited for him as long as she could. She loved him with all her heart, and always will. And, tell him… that I'm… sorry… I was ever mean to him!" With that, Mido drew his sword, put it point down on the ground, and genuflected behind it! The "old" Mido was naturally evasive. This Mido would rather die than avoid anything, yet was forcing himself to be evasive here. The Mido he knew before was arrogant to a fault, and naturally disrespectful. This Mido refused to admit knowing him. But he had just affirmed a continuing allegiance to him, with more perfection than the King's best courtiers could ever muster! Link did not question Mido about any of this. Should he free the Forest Temple, he would have time enough to find all the answers he wanted. Should he fail, not knowing why Mido acted as he did would be the least of his worries.
Link spoke to Mido. "Arise, noble War Chieftain. For I travel to the Forest Temple, to cleanse it of the evil that dwells within its walls! If I'm successful, the day of deliverance for our people is at hand! If I fail, than times may become even worse! You must prepare our people, but for what, I do not know! The beast is sure to lash out at the Kokiri in its death throes, and it may celebrate my death by seeking yours!"
Mido stood up and replied, "Go with fortune! Go quickly! As you ask, it shall be done… my lord!" Mido bowed his head. Link pondered this no further, but did as Mido asked. He ran down the path without looking back.
Mido watched as Link ran down the path. He thought about the last seven years. The fighting, the victories, and the defeats. He thought about his people, who were hiding within the Lost Woods, now that the village was overrun. He hoped that Link would win, Link had to. He also thought about what Link would find once he did prevail over Ganondorf's shadow. This time, he was unable to contain himself. He cried inconsolably for a full five minutes for his brother. A brother, who had suffered indescribable loss, yet didn't yet know, who couldn't yet know, for the sake of the entire realm! He then picked himself up. He had to gather his warriors about him. Whether Link prevailed or not, the coming attack was sure to be a bad one.
Link and Navi entered the field at the mouth of the Meadow Maze. Link started to run to the mouth of the Maze, so intent was he on freeing the Temple. Navi stopped him quickly. "Link! Stop! These paths are much narrower than you remember them! You don't know what you will find around the next corner! Advance slowly, and look before you go around a corner." Link answered, "Right, Navi. If I had remembered what I do know I'll find, I should have advanced more cautiously yet! Can you sense moblins? If you can, do you?"
"I can sense moblins, and close! I can't tell how many, or where, though. Let me rise up a moment, and see what I can…" Navi rose up quietly, then settled back down. "The first one is around the corner, approaching slowly. If you move quickly, you should be able to send a bombchu his way without being speared."
Link quietly and quickly advanced to the opening of the maze path itself. He got down low, and took a quick look to the left and right. The moblin was to his right, two thirds of the way down the path. And being big made one difference to him. He had grown, but the path had not. The paths were shorter and narrower. But, there was enough room and time to send the bombchu on its way. As he released the bombchu, the moblin saw him and charged! He got lucky with the bombchu. As the moblin started to charge him, the bombchu climbed one of its legs, and exploded, killing the moblin instantly! The moblin had moved quickly enough, though, that the tip of the spear just missed Link's head!
"Close call, Link!" Navi said.
Link answered "Very! Are the other moblins rallying to attack?"
Navi rose up, then down to make sure. She then told Link "There's two good things about moblins. First, they're stupid! Second, they are almost anti-social. A moblin will watch you kill its neighbour, and not care at all, until you trespass on the territory it claims! It will also make the exact same mistake that allowed you to kill its neighbour. I was able to get a better look. There are four more moblins in the maze. Two patrol the next two long paths. The other two are patrolling the square path surrounding the hedge with the fairy fountain in the middle."
Link advanced over where the moblin fell. It had already disintegrated, leaving rupees in its place. He collected the rupees, and continued on. "Navi, can the moblins get into the shorter paths?" Navi answered Link "Yes. The one you killed patrolled the path you are about to turn on. The next moblin patrols the second long path and the second short path. You should be safe for a short time on the first short path." Link went down the second short path, almost to where it joined the second long path. Navi rose up, then settled down again. She told Link "Get down and against the left wall now!" He did, and none too soon. The moblin was at the corner. It sniffed the air, looked around, then turned and started walking slowly back down the long path. Link waited a few seconds, then got up. He took a bombchu, armed it, and sent it down the path. The moblin never knew what hit it. Link advanced down the second long path, to where it joined the second short path. Navi rose up for a look. "Ok, Link! The third moblin has just turned to walk away from the second short path. Be ready to launch the bombchu, and you should kill it easily!" Link moved quickly down the second short path. He took out a bombchu, armed it, and launched it down the third long path. The moblin had stopped, realizing that something had intruded on its territory. The bombchu climbed up its leg, and blew it into oblivion! Navi rose up for another look. She told Link "The last two moblins can't get into this part of the maze, even if they wanted to.
The first patrols the base of the square path, and the right side. The other one patrols the top and left sides. The first one has just turned around, and is walking towards the connecting path." Link moved into the connecting path, got down low, and took a bombchu out of his pack. He waited. He first saw the spear pass. He then saw more of the spear pass. Finally, the moblin itself passed the path where he crouched. It didn't even look his way. He armed the bombchu and launched it down the path at the moblin. The moblin was blown to pieces. Navi rose up for a look. She told Link. The last moblin is by the stairs to the Meadow itself. Move quickly, and you should get to the water safely." Link moved quickly to the right, then up the right leg of the box. He got quietly into the water. He looked down the path of the square's top. The moblin was about to turn to its left. He got out of the water, and took out a bombchu, intending to wait for the moblin to come back. But Link had moved too soon! The moblin charged with a wild roar, spear lowered! Link launched the bombchu, and rolled backwards into the water! He dove to the bottom of the pool. As he did, the moblin's spear grazed the sole of his left boot, and anchored itself firmly in the hedge just above water level! Link came to the surface. He looked; the moblin was dead. He exclaimed, "That was close! It threw its spear at me!" Navi answered, "Next time be more patient! But the moblin didn't throw the spear at you. Look!" Link looked at the shaft of the spear that almost impaled him. Both of the moblin's hands, and part of one arm were locked in a death grip on the shaft of the spear!
Link asked Navi "Was the moblin going that fast, or did the bomb do that?"
Navi replied, "That was the moblin! They may be stupid, but never lose respect for their strength or tenacity!"
Link got out of the water. He climbed up the ladder to the top of the maze. He dropped down into the centre of the box, and into the fairy fountain. He captured a healing fairy to make up for the one he freed to carry the blue fire. He allowed the fairies to swarm around him for a moment. One had found a wound he didn't realize he had, and healed him. He left the fountain, and climbed back on top of the maze hedge.
He was shocked for a moment to find that all five moblins had come back to life. Then, he remembered that they were part of the curse. He would have to kill them again after he had defeated Ganondorf's shadow, then they would be gone for good. He looked toward the top of the stairway. He could just see the top of the great moblin's head. He waited until the moblin had completely turned to walk down the left leg of the square. He jumped over the path, landing on the stairs, rolling to partially break the fall. He continued up the stairs on all fours, just approaching the top.
Navi rose up for a look. "Link, the monster is just standing there right now. It's shackled, so it will approach no closer. But its war club is almost forty feet long! And I'll bet the shock wave from that club would do some damage!"
Link replied, "It's a good thing I bought those bombchus! I'm down to fifteen, though. I'll need to get three hits!" With that, Link peeked up above the stairs. The great moblin saw him, and started pounding the ground furiously with its war club. The shock waves from the club broke up just a foot away from the top step! Link didn't have much room to work. If the bombchus couldn't make it through the shock waves, he had no idea how he would get past the great moblin.
He launched the bombchu. It traveled through the shock waves, almost got flattened by the moblin's war club, crawled up the moblin's leg and exploded. The moblin let out a loud grunt, and settled to its knees for a moment. It then got up and started pounding the ground again with its club. Link launched a second bombchu, and a third in rapid succession. Both bombchus ran through the shock waves, and were missed by the club. One at a time, they ran up the moblin's leg and exploded! This time, the moblin fell face down, dead! Link ran up the path, past the dead moblin, and into the Sacred Forest Meadow.
Link didn't know what to expect when he reached the meadow. The last time he had been the afternoon of his first coupling with Saria. That seemed like only yesterday, not seven years ago. Up to this point, all his memories here had been happy ones. For he had never been there alone! He saw a shadow by the tree stump where she had always liked to sit, where she was sitting when last he left her. Was it…?
"Saria!" he cried as he ran towards the stump. But it was only a shadow. Link started to cry, feeling more alone her than he had ever felt in his whole lifetime. But there was the presence of a woman in that meadow. A woman who cared for him, but he could not tell why. He looked up to find Sheik standing in front of him.
"The flow of time is always cruel… Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it… A thing that doesn't change with time is a memory of younger days. To return here again, play the 'Minuet of Forest.' Sheik took out not an ocarina, but a lyre. Link wondered about this, but said nothing. She played the 'Minuet of Forest' twice, and motioned for him to play it once, to show that he had learned it. Link played the song once to Sheik's satisfaction. Sheik played the song back to him, and he played it to her again. She said, "Link… I'll see you again. Sheik started to back away from him.
Link drew the Sword of Ages. He said, "Woman, STOP! You have followed me around in stealth, and show every intention of continuing to do so. You tell me things that seem to be helpful. But you sneak about, acting not at all like a friend.
"You will NOT tell me who you really are. I already know that knowing your true identity will be dangerous for both of us. But you will tell me the REAL reason you strive to help me. If I am to trust you, you MUST trust me, and give me reason to trust you." Link could see that Sheik was almost paralysed with fear. Though she knew the ways of the Sheikah Warriors, she had not quite mastered fears of the unknown and unexpected. She truly had not expected this! Link continued. "Fear me not, unless you are a minion of Ganondorf! I drew my sword only to gain your attention! Though my body is Hylean, I am a Kokiri, and either married or a widower. Either way, the secret of your sex and your virtue are safe with me."
Sheik spoke. "My father was killed by Ganondorf about the same time that the King was murdered. I was an only child, so I was obliged to swear vengeance, even though that is the place of a son, not a daughter. I took the clothes and tried to take the mannerisms of a boy, then a man to make my quest easier. Shortly after my father died, Rauru the Sage took me in. He told me that to claim vengeance for my father, I had to help you!"
Link put away his sword. He answered, "I can accept this. You may call me friend, as I hope I may call you. You are still frightened. If you want, you may throw down your deku nut and vanish. I would like to talk to you longer when next we meet, though."
Link turned, to let Sheik leave. But instead, she asked, "Who made your clothes, Link?"
Now Link was the one surprised by the unknown. Although he was not afraid, Sheik still had his full attention. She continued. "Who bathed you these past seven years? Who made your boots? Who maintained your weapons and shields? Who fed you, when you needed feeding? Do you really think Rauru could be bothered with such trivial details? I did these things, Link! At first, Rauru forced me to. But after only a week, he could not have stopped me if he had tried!
For the first two weeks, until you had finally relaxed, you were holding the Sword of Time with two hands, as you held your sword just now. The fury written on your face was so fierce that it could have melted rock! Yet I also saw the fear behind that rage! I saw a fear that would have killed a grown giant! I saw this and thought on it for days. Then, I finally saw what was hidden behind the fear. I saw the love of a man for someone. It was a love so strong, that it could cause a boy to take a sword so heavy that he had trouble lifting it, and send him charging into battle as if carrying a reed! So strong, that had it been necessary, it would have driven the man joyfully into the jaws of death itself! I saw you believed it was necessary, and you had been caught in mid charge when Rauru cast the spell that drew you into the Chamber of the Sages. I didn't know who that someone was. But at first, I fantasized that it was me! As the years went by, I hoped and I prayed to the goddesses that it would be me!
"I had to feed you twice a month, for even with the spell Rauru cast, you still needed some nourishment! You didn't void your bowels or bladder, but you still needed to be bathed no less than once per week! And you grew! The clothes of a Sheikah or Hylean irritated your skin, so I had to get cloth, yarn, thread and leather from the Kokiri. I then had to learn to sew, knit, and last boots as the Kokiri do. As the years passed, I began to hope that you would… that you would reject the Princess for a wife. For it is written in the legends that you were promised to marry the Princess after defeating Ganondorf. But it was I who cared for you, and who fell in love with you! Now, I find I cannot have you! For I could never wish you misfortune! And, if your "life-mate" lives yet, I could never take you from her! If you are the man I know you to be, you could never be taken!" Sheik started to cry.
Link held her to his chest, as a brother holds a sister. He said, "Sheik, you have touched my heart! For that, you will always be my friend! I still pine for my life-mate, and hope to rescue her soon. But she may already be dead. Or she may be killed while I try to free her. I don't know what the future holds. But I know this. A Kokiri can never marry falsely or by arrangement! I have only met the Princess once. But, knowing the truth of what you've said, you have known at least part of me for years. I beg you not to raise your hopes falsely, but were my bond with Saria truly broken, I would not seek comfort from the Princess! I would seek it from you. I must go into the Temple now. If you are as good with the sword you carry as you are with a needle, I would be honoured if you would join me. I'm sure Saria wouldn't mind, either."
"I wish I could, Link. But I am not allowed in any of the Temples. The only help you may receive fighting these monsters is from the Sages themselves. The only Sages I know are Rauru, and Princess Zelda, who is the Sage of Wisdom. I am to teach you the magic songs of the ocarina, as you need them. You will meet me at the warp platforms near each Temple, but only in this time. I can tell you that you will travel back to the past at least twice in your quest. When you do this, I will not be able to join or help you. In this time, I might be able to join you during some of your travels between the Temples.
"After you finish here, I will be at the Temple of Time. You must come see me there. For there is a song of movement I must teach you to reach the Temple of Time. But I can only teach these songs to you when you are at those places. I hope things go well here, Link! I will see you at the Temple of Time." Sheik threw down the deku nut, and vanished behind the flash.
Navi said "Link, keep your distance from that woman! Your father hinted at it, I shall say it plainly. Most Kokiri do not have room in their hearts for more than one life-mate. You are no different. But your heart is large enough that you could be tempted to try, anyway! This would be disaster!"
Link asked, "But Navi, shouldn't I at least maintain a friendship with Sheik? And was I really in danger with her?"
Navi answered, "You aren't in danger yet. But, in this short span of minutes, she almost started to bond with you! If Saria lives, see this woman only to learn what she must teach you. Better yet, if Saria can, have her learn the songs from Sheik and teach them to you. Sheik will surely understand."
"Once we free Saria from whatever bondage holds her, she will not let me get that close, Navi!" Link answered. "How do we get in to this Temple?"
Navi replied, "Look above the part of the porch that remains. That tree limb is right above it, and you should be able to hit it with your hookshot." Link took out his hookshot, and fired it at the tree limb. The hookshot quickly pulled him up on top of the tree limb. Link quickly jumped down to what remained of the outer entrance of the Temple.
Mido returned to the clearing where the Kokiri had gathered. He looked out over the clearing. There were just short of two hundred souls there. He had lost over two thirds of his people in the last seven years, many of them in the last six months, when the village itself finally became so overrun with deku baba and mad scrubs that it couldn't be inhabited. Before then, when the Stalfos came through, they were able to hide the women and children in their homes and shops, and leave the warriors free to fight. But now, some warriors had to guard the women and children. And warriors have always been scarce in these times! The day he returned from seeing Link disappear in the Temple of Time, he called all the able bodied men together to draw swords and prepare for war. That day, he had two hundred ten men able to bear swords. He wasn't sure he could find shields for all of them, and only had swords for one hundred eighty-five. Today, he had usable swords for one hundred ninety. But only forty-five men answered the call this morning. And one of those men was only a child!
But this child had snuck into his first battle last winter, and killed three stalfos, including the one that was about to kill Mido himself. He had his mother's green hair and gently pointed ears. He also had his mother's recklessness and some of her temper when he got angry. But he had his father's face, eyes, and heart. He was even more of a natural swordsman than his father was. And he had his grandfather's size. For though he was not quite seven years old, he was already almost the size of a Kokiri adult. But unlike his father, no one could call this child anything but Kokiri, size be damned! For this child was born with a guardian fairy! None of the other children of his age and younger had fairies. The Great Deku Tree had given out fairies. But the Tree had been dead seven years and two weeks. This child also had a Kokiri heart that could someday rival his father's.
He was not a perfect child. He was occasionally disrespectful. He had to be reminded to wash his hands before coming to supper. He had to be reminded to wash behind his ears. But he would share his fairy with the other children! The other children wouldn't tease him, but not out of fear. He refused to fight them. At first, they even thought it fun to tease him for being big. But when he accidentally told his teacher why he let them tease him, why he would cry at their taunting, yet forgive them the next minute, no matter how cruel, it broke the hearts of the adults. And, while he was still welcome to play with the kids as a kid, they treated him like an adult from then on. "Miss Agnes, they are all my friends. They are my brothers and sisters. A lot of them have lost their fathers. Some of them are orphans. My father may be dead, but I feel his presence every day! My mother has been around until these past months. My uncle loves me as if I were his own son. And my parents loved me so much I was born with a fairy! These are scary times to be a kid, and they don't have parents to turn to. If they can forget being scared while they tease me, then I must be brave, and let them!"
This warrior child walked up to Mido. "Uncle Mido, have you seen a ghost? I've never seen you show fear before, even when the stalfos was about to strike you down. But you look how I feel at the height of battle!"
Mido answered. "Darunia, I saw your father! Even now, he is starting to lift the curse from us. But we cannot enter the Temple to help him. He also told us to expect a big attack right before he wins. Can you help protect the women and children today, warrior?"
"Uncle, I'll do what you tell me to. But I feel better with the other warriors. A warrior can get out of the way if his brother is clumsy with a sword. But the children and women aren't as nimble, and get hurt easily. I can pull a man's share with my sword. But I am still clumsy at times, and there is so much I still need to learn!" Darunia did not add, but both knew "My friends know me, and they know who my father is. They know you would rather die a thousand deaths than see me killed before he returns. They know that even though I saved your life in battle, you always send me back when things are really bad! They know when I don't go to battle, more of their fathers fail to return, or return unable to fight again! If this is the last battle, don't scare them! We lost a young child to fright the last time I guarded them."
Mido replied "Fair enough, warrior! You will learn at my side, and that of the mighty Helfdane twins, whose skill helped both your father and I become Master Warriors!" But Mido's fear for Link and Saria's son was not limited the next battle alone. He hesitated, then spoke again.
"Darunia, your father may lose his battle. Though he is strong, and he now carries the Master Sword, and the Sword of Ages, Ganondorf's evil, even in his shadow, is powerful! And, your mother is still somewhere in the Temple! If she should fall, it will wound your father to the point of death, even if he wins. I'm sure he will win. But you must be ready, in case he doesn't. Also, remember that while your father fights Ganondorf, he does not live time like we do. Though he will be grown to the full size of his Hylean body, in his mind he is younger than when you last saw him! This will be the first time, in his time, that he's ever seen you! He will not know you by the name he gave you. At first, he might not even recognize you! And you must be careful about what you say to him. You have already lived times with your father that he will not know of yet, that he must not know of yet, when you see him next! But some of what you tell him will help him continue to fight, and to live! These things must be shared with him as generously as you know how! Be careful, and trust your heart when you talk to him. His journey is beyond our minds' experience to fathom. At least with our hearts there is a small chance we may guess right."
"You are right again, Uncle" Darunia replied. "I hope he returns soon, though!"
Mido said, "So do I, nephew! So do I." Mido walked away from Darunia, and approached the Helfdanes, who had been watching.
"Our Liege-Lord has returned?" asked one.
"He has, indeed!" answered Mido.
"Does he know yet of his son?" asked the other.
"Not from me, he doesn't. Do you have healing fairies ready, brothers?" asked Mido.
One said, "We have five clay pots, with two fairies each."
The other said, "We had trouble with the moblins last night, else we would have had more."
One said "The other warriors are all in agreement. We have all known the favour of Darunia's blade, and that of his father. We will all protect the Child Warrior with our very lives!"
"And he will never know! But we must be well led, and attack with full fury to win the battle" the Other finished.
Mido concluded, "I will do this. With your counsel, I can do no other! Seeing we know nothing else of the coming battle, our council is ended. I do not want to speak to our band until right before the battle. Are your senses still sharp, friends?"
One answered "As the edge of a virgin blade!"
The Other continued "Either of us will know and give warning at least ten minutes before the stalfo hordes mass to attack. Either my Brother or I will be awake from now until then. We already have the rest of the band keeping one of eight alert, and the others resting as best they can."
One finished, "When we heard the ocarina, we knew, he was here, and that we would be attacked to distract him, or to gain the last drop of evil satisfaction for the murderous beast!"
"Well done, my brothers! I shall walk among our people. After that, I will rest plainly. You shall see me easily." With that, Mido walked among his fellow Kokiri. He clasped the hands of the warriors. He clasped the hands of those who were crippled, too old, or too lacking in courage to carry a blade. For among the Kokiri, cowardice was an illness, not dishonour.
Those who never found courage for war were not killed, for courage enough to fight and win was enjoyed by almost all. Those who did not have this courage were only expected to help where they could, and their help was never late in coming.
Mido visited with the women and children. He reassured wives, even where husbands couldn't. He comforted widows, who had barely survived the normally fatal grief of bereavement. He talked to some of the children, distracting their fears. He noticed Darunia playing with the other children. This was odd at first, because Darunia should have been on watch. But then, he noticed Darunia's eyes. They were not the eyes of a young boy then, not even the eyes of a boy in troubled times. They were the cold, fiery twins of Link's eyes now. And the game! He had them play it out of love for them, not malice. Though it helped the other children be children, and didn't put them in any danger, it was also cold, almost to the point of being cruel.
Darunia had the children watching into the woods, describing to him in their minds what they saw. Mido had played this game as a kid, but in times of peace. Darunia not only watched the woods through his own eyes, but through the eyes and hearts of the other children! The kids couldn't tell, but Darunia was ready to pull all the kids back, sound the alarm, and lead the attack himself if need be.
Darunia sensed Mido, and spoke into his mind "They don't know what they're really playing, and it distracts them from their fear. If you wish, I'll have them play something else."
Mido answered likewise "Please do, nephew! I know you mean no harm, and your heart is pure. You gave up most of your childhood in these times because of who you are. I would like to have the other children keep theirs, until their appointed times. I'll watch in your place." Darunia called the children back. After making sure all returned, they went to play another game, one whose innocence had not been polluted by the fog of war.
As Mido stood watch for the son of his Sworn Brother and Liege-Lord, he prayed to himself "Please, let this be the time of our deliverance! I don't know how much more we can stand."