"Link! Pay attention! Your mind is wandering! The last time I came
here, you were all eyes and ears, but today I get nothing. Is something
bothering you?" asked Saria. She had come for a progress report, and Link
was deep in thought when she had appeared suddenly in his home. It would
have been spectacular to have such an unexpected visit from such a great
friend, if it weren't for everything that was on his mind. He had hardly
noticed when Saria appeared.
"I'm sorry. I'm thinking. Saria, did Darunia bring it to your attention about the fish and the milk?" asked Link, still not hearing what Saria was trying to tell him.
"Argh!" she growled in frustration. She slumped down into a nearby chair and let her head rest in her left hand. "Yes! That's what I came to talk to you about! Have you heard a word I've been saying?"
"I think that they're all connected, and I think that they all have to do with you." Saria stared at him for a moment.
"How did you come to that conclusion?"
"Well, think about it. The fish are the Zora's livelihood. They essentially need it for survival. The Gorons eat rocks and can't live without them. The milk from Lon Lon Ranch is delivered all over the kingdom. Its healing properties are world-renowned!" cried Link.
"And what does all of that have to do with me?" asked Saria, still upset that Link had completely ignored her.
"Ever since the Great Deku Tree died, you have been the one that all of the Kokiri turn to for wisdom and knowledge. The forest children need you. Without you, the Kokiri couldn't survive." Link folded his arms, proud of the summation he'd come up with. Saria sighed loudly.
"Link, the Kokiri could survive without me. The sapling is growing stronger day by day and will soon be ready to take over the position that the Great Deku Tree left behind. I am hardly a fountain of wisdom and knowledge. I am just a sage."
"You are more than 'just a sage', Saria, you are so much more," said Link quietly. They looked at each other for a moment, before Saria broke the tense silence by sliding her chair back and standing up. "Personally," Link continued, "And you'll hate me for saying this, but I think that Ruto is behind some of it."
"I'm proud of you for coming up with such a probable theory, but it doesn't work. Darunia confronted Ruto at a meeting last night. She came forward and said, and I quote, 'The Zora are a proud race. I did not wish to disgrace my people by asking for help from the sages. We are surviving just fine with the fish that we are catching. It is a small amount, but it is an amount just the same. Do not worry about us.' Besides, Ruto, as much as I don't really like her, she is a sage, and a good leader for her people. She loves them too much. I don't think that she would ever purposefully harm them."
"I suppose not." Link fiddled with his hair and Saria sat down beside him.
"I know that you're working hard. I am so grateful to you, and all that you're doing. You are an incredible friend. Your loyalty is unsurpassed. I don't think that anyone would do for me, what you are doing for me. I know that I can count on you for anything, and I want you to know how much I appreciate what you're doing for me, Link, and I think you are the best friend that I could have ever asked for. Even better than I could have ever asked for," said Saria as she placed her arms around Link's neck and pecked him on the cheek. It surprised Link, since they were they type of friends who rarely even hugged. This was very intimate and it made him feel a little funny inside. He didn't mind the feeling, it was just not something he was used to.
"Well, um, thank you, Saria, but you know that you didn't even have to ask, I was more than willing to help you in any way I could. You're pretty incredible yourself," said Link, stammering a little.
"Well, I should probably be going. I really wasn't supposed to come here. I haven't checked up on the Forest Meadow yet today, and I should have done that a while ago. I'll see you later," said Saria as she stepped away from Link.
"All right. I'll see if I can't find anything else. Oh, by the way, the map that you gave me is cut off where Goron City would be. I was wondering if the next time you come down if you could give me one that stretches that far. I want to see if just maybe the energy takes trips up there. Just in case my theory is right." Saria smiled at him and nodded. She raised her arms and a beam of light took her away.
"That was a little strange," said Link once Saria left. Strangely, he felt that he wouldn't mind it if Saria did it again.
He shook his head to clear his mind and then fixed his eyes back on the map that he'd been studying when Saria got there. But a noise interrupted his thoughts. He heard a loud thump that was coming from the outside. He went out onto the balcony in front of his home and had to duck before his head was nearly speared by an arrow. Link got back inside his house and stood against the wall where an arrow wouldn't harm him and wondered who it was that wanted him dead now.
"I'm sorry. I'm thinking. Saria, did Darunia bring it to your attention about the fish and the milk?" asked Link, still not hearing what Saria was trying to tell him.
"Argh!" she growled in frustration. She slumped down into a nearby chair and let her head rest in her left hand. "Yes! That's what I came to talk to you about! Have you heard a word I've been saying?"
"I think that they're all connected, and I think that they all have to do with you." Saria stared at him for a moment.
"How did you come to that conclusion?"
"Well, think about it. The fish are the Zora's livelihood. They essentially need it for survival. The Gorons eat rocks and can't live without them. The milk from Lon Lon Ranch is delivered all over the kingdom. Its healing properties are world-renowned!" cried Link.
"And what does all of that have to do with me?" asked Saria, still upset that Link had completely ignored her.
"Ever since the Great Deku Tree died, you have been the one that all of the Kokiri turn to for wisdom and knowledge. The forest children need you. Without you, the Kokiri couldn't survive." Link folded his arms, proud of the summation he'd come up with. Saria sighed loudly.
"Link, the Kokiri could survive without me. The sapling is growing stronger day by day and will soon be ready to take over the position that the Great Deku Tree left behind. I am hardly a fountain of wisdom and knowledge. I am just a sage."
"You are more than 'just a sage', Saria, you are so much more," said Link quietly. They looked at each other for a moment, before Saria broke the tense silence by sliding her chair back and standing up. "Personally," Link continued, "And you'll hate me for saying this, but I think that Ruto is behind some of it."
"I'm proud of you for coming up with such a probable theory, but it doesn't work. Darunia confronted Ruto at a meeting last night. She came forward and said, and I quote, 'The Zora are a proud race. I did not wish to disgrace my people by asking for help from the sages. We are surviving just fine with the fish that we are catching. It is a small amount, but it is an amount just the same. Do not worry about us.' Besides, Ruto, as much as I don't really like her, she is a sage, and a good leader for her people. She loves them too much. I don't think that she would ever purposefully harm them."
"I suppose not." Link fiddled with his hair and Saria sat down beside him.
"I know that you're working hard. I am so grateful to you, and all that you're doing. You are an incredible friend. Your loyalty is unsurpassed. I don't think that anyone would do for me, what you are doing for me. I know that I can count on you for anything, and I want you to know how much I appreciate what you're doing for me, Link, and I think you are the best friend that I could have ever asked for. Even better than I could have ever asked for," said Saria as she placed her arms around Link's neck and pecked him on the cheek. It surprised Link, since they were they type of friends who rarely even hugged. This was very intimate and it made him feel a little funny inside. He didn't mind the feeling, it was just not something he was used to.
"Well, um, thank you, Saria, but you know that you didn't even have to ask, I was more than willing to help you in any way I could. You're pretty incredible yourself," said Link, stammering a little.
"Well, I should probably be going. I really wasn't supposed to come here. I haven't checked up on the Forest Meadow yet today, and I should have done that a while ago. I'll see you later," said Saria as she stepped away from Link.
"All right. I'll see if I can't find anything else. Oh, by the way, the map that you gave me is cut off where Goron City would be. I was wondering if the next time you come down if you could give me one that stretches that far. I want to see if just maybe the energy takes trips up there. Just in case my theory is right." Saria smiled at him and nodded. She raised her arms and a beam of light took her away.
"That was a little strange," said Link once Saria left. Strangely, he felt that he wouldn't mind it if Saria did it again.
He shook his head to clear his mind and then fixed his eyes back on the map that he'd been studying when Saria got there. But a noise interrupted his thoughts. He heard a loud thump that was coming from the outside. He went out onto the balcony in front of his home and had to duck before his head was nearly speared by an arrow. Link got back inside his house and stood against the wall where an arrow wouldn't harm him and wondered who it was that wanted him dead now.