Link had ridden halfway to the Gerudo Valley when he realized that he
might ride right into a trap. He had no way of knowing whether or not
Irnan had completely taken over, or if just a few Gerudos had deserted. He
decided to call on Saria and see if she had a suggestion on what he should
do. He pulled out the ocarina and played her song. It was quite a shock
when he got no answer. He tried again, and that time a wave of pain took
over his body. Never before had this happened, and he knew immediately
that something must be wrong with Saria.
Link pulled out his map and saw that her dot was in the Sacred Forest Meadow. He put the ocarina to his lips and played the Minuet of the Forest, hoping that he would be able to warp right to her and see what was going on. Nothing happened, and Link grew more worried. He tried once more and still nothing happened. Navi popped her head out from behind his shield to see what had happened.
"Why did you stop?" she asked.
"Saria is in trouble," he replied. "Get back down, I have to get to the Sacred Forest Meadow as quickly as possible." Without waiting to see if Navi had done what he had said, he rode like the wind to the Kokiri Forest. It took so long and with every inch that Epona galloped, an intense fear grew in his heart. The pain that he had felt the second time he had played her song had been immense, to the point where he couldn't see anything. He wondered if that was what Saria was experiencing right now, and he dug his heels into Epona's side until she whinnied in pain.
As soon as Link came to the entrance to the Kokiri Forest he leaped of off Epona's back and ran as fast as he could to the Lost Woods. He ran through the twists and turns, not thinking about the right direction, just letting his feet lead the way. He finally made his way to the Sacred Forest Meadow just in time to see a giant wolfo raise a paw to swipe at a limp figure on the ground. Link let out a yell and ran at the wolfo, hoping to distract it so that it would leave Saria alone.
"Damn!" said the wolfo, which caught Link off guard. These creatures did not usually speak. "I knew this would happen!" Link drew his sword and ran at the creature. The wolfo dodged him and laughed. "You think you can match the strength that Irnan herself bestowed upon me?"
Link threw an anxious glance Saria's way. "What have you done to her?" he asked, anger and alarm making him breath heavier.
"Killed her. Which is what I plan to do to you next," said the wolfo as he charged at Link. He stood his ground, and held his sword out behind him. When the wolfo came close enough, he swung his sword out and sliced open the wolfo's stomach. It howled in pain and staggered back for a moment, but quickly recovered. Link knew that he alone would be no match for the wolfo, especially if he had Irnan's power. He would need to bring out the light arrows. His magic meter was full, as was his quiver and he notched an arrow, praying for enough time.
The light arrow hit the wolfo, square on the chest and it fell to the ground, unmoving. Link ran forward and hacked at the wolfo until it howled loudly and started to get up. Link ran as far away as he could get, hoping to get enough distance between him and the creature so that he would have time to let another light arrow go. He repeated the process again until the wolfo howled in pain again and disappeared in a black beam of magic.
Link ran to Saria's fallen form, praying that she wasn't dead as the wolfo had said. There was blood everywhere and her arm was obviously broken. Bruises adorned her face and arms, and her head was face down in the grass. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew that if she was still alive, that she would need help. The scene reminded him of the one he had encountered not that long ago, on the bridge, and tears welled up in his eyes.
"Be careful, Link, you don't want to do more damage," said Navi's soft voice behind his ear. He turned her around and winced at the damage he saw on her face.
"Navi," said Link in a whisper, "can you tell if she's dead?" Navi flit forward, close to Saria's face. She turned around to face Link.
"She's alive, but just barely. This is going to take more than a healing potion. Link, she's going to need a fairy. There is a fountain not that far from here. You could run down there and grab one real quick and bring it back to her."
"I don't want to leave her," said Link, trying unsuccessfully to hold back tears.
"I'll stay here and watch over her. It won't take that long. You have to do this for her, Link, or she will die." Link sighed heavily, and got up. He ran as fast as he could to get a fairy. When he returned, he saw Navi flitting around Saria's body.
"Is she any worse?" Link asked, dreading the answer.
"Well, she's no better. Hurry up and give her the fairy." Link uncorked the bottle and set it free around Saria. He watched as her eyelids fluttered open and she took in all that was around her.
"Link?" she asked, groggily. She tried to sit up, but found it difficult.
"You were bad off, Saria. We brought you a fairy, but you're still going to be a little hurt. You took an awful beating," explained Navi. She then had the decency to hide herself behind Link's sword, knowing that the reunion would be an emotional one.
"I'm here, Saria," said Link as he took her hand. She managed to sit up and rested her head against Link's shoulder. "I was really afraid for you."
"Thank you for saving my life. I thought I was going to die. I thought that Hyrule would fall and that it would be all my fault. I thought that I would never see you again. There was so much I wanted to say to you," said Saria quietly.
"Like what?" asked Link.
"I love you, Link. I really do. And I am so sorry that I handled things the way that I did the last time that I saw you. I guess you can't really know if things will work until you try them. I think we should give this a try."
"Sounds good to me," said Link, trying to lighten the mood. He lifted his arm and draped it gently around Saria. They stayed that way, until the next morning, just talking about their past, what was going on in their lives at the moment, and making plans for the future.
Link pulled out his map and saw that her dot was in the Sacred Forest Meadow. He put the ocarina to his lips and played the Minuet of the Forest, hoping that he would be able to warp right to her and see what was going on. Nothing happened, and Link grew more worried. He tried once more and still nothing happened. Navi popped her head out from behind his shield to see what had happened.
"Why did you stop?" she asked.
"Saria is in trouble," he replied. "Get back down, I have to get to the Sacred Forest Meadow as quickly as possible." Without waiting to see if Navi had done what he had said, he rode like the wind to the Kokiri Forest. It took so long and with every inch that Epona galloped, an intense fear grew in his heart. The pain that he had felt the second time he had played her song had been immense, to the point where he couldn't see anything. He wondered if that was what Saria was experiencing right now, and he dug his heels into Epona's side until she whinnied in pain.
As soon as Link came to the entrance to the Kokiri Forest he leaped of off Epona's back and ran as fast as he could to the Lost Woods. He ran through the twists and turns, not thinking about the right direction, just letting his feet lead the way. He finally made his way to the Sacred Forest Meadow just in time to see a giant wolfo raise a paw to swipe at a limp figure on the ground. Link let out a yell and ran at the wolfo, hoping to distract it so that it would leave Saria alone.
"Damn!" said the wolfo, which caught Link off guard. These creatures did not usually speak. "I knew this would happen!" Link drew his sword and ran at the creature. The wolfo dodged him and laughed. "You think you can match the strength that Irnan herself bestowed upon me?"
Link threw an anxious glance Saria's way. "What have you done to her?" he asked, anger and alarm making him breath heavier.
"Killed her. Which is what I plan to do to you next," said the wolfo as he charged at Link. He stood his ground, and held his sword out behind him. When the wolfo came close enough, he swung his sword out and sliced open the wolfo's stomach. It howled in pain and staggered back for a moment, but quickly recovered. Link knew that he alone would be no match for the wolfo, especially if he had Irnan's power. He would need to bring out the light arrows. His magic meter was full, as was his quiver and he notched an arrow, praying for enough time.
The light arrow hit the wolfo, square on the chest and it fell to the ground, unmoving. Link ran forward and hacked at the wolfo until it howled loudly and started to get up. Link ran as far away as he could get, hoping to get enough distance between him and the creature so that he would have time to let another light arrow go. He repeated the process again until the wolfo howled in pain again and disappeared in a black beam of magic.
Link ran to Saria's fallen form, praying that she wasn't dead as the wolfo had said. There was blood everywhere and her arm was obviously broken. Bruises adorned her face and arms, and her head was face down in the grass. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew that if she was still alive, that she would need help. The scene reminded him of the one he had encountered not that long ago, on the bridge, and tears welled up in his eyes.
"Be careful, Link, you don't want to do more damage," said Navi's soft voice behind his ear. He turned her around and winced at the damage he saw on her face.
"Navi," said Link in a whisper, "can you tell if she's dead?" Navi flit forward, close to Saria's face. She turned around to face Link.
"She's alive, but just barely. This is going to take more than a healing potion. Link, she's going to need a fairy. There is a fountain not that far from here. You could run down there and grab one real quick and bring it back to her."
"I don't want to leave her," said Link, trying unsuccessfully to hold back tears.
"I'll stay here and watch over her. It won't take that long. You have to do this for her, Link, or she will die." Link sighed heavily, and got up. He ran as fast as he could to get a fairy. When he returned, he saw Navi flitting around Saria's body.
"Is she any worse?" Link asked, dreading the answer.
"Well, she's no better. Hurry up and give her the fairy." Link uncorked the bottle and set it free around Saria. He watched as her eyelids fluttered open and she took in all that was around her.
"Link?" she asked, groggily. She tried to sit up, but found it difficult.
"You were bad off, Saria. We brought you a fairy, but you're still going to be a little hurt. You took an awful beating," explained Navi. She then had the decency to hide herself behind Link's sword, knowing that the reunion would be an emotional one.
"I'm here, Saria," said Link as he took her hand. She managed to sit up and rested her head against Link's shoulder. "I was really afraid for you."
"Thank you for saving my life. I thought I was going to die. I thought that Hyrule would fall and that it would be all my fault. I thought that I would never see you again. There was so much I wanted to say to you," said Saria quietly.
"Like what?" asked Link.
"I love you, Link. I really do. And I am so sorry that I handled things the way that I did the last time that I saw you. I guess you can't really know if things will work until you try them. I think we should give this a try."
"Sounds good to me," said Link, trying to lighten the mood. He lifted his arm and draped it gently around Saria. They stayed that way, until the next morning, just talking about their past, what was going on in their lives at the moment, and making plans for the future.