Courage Divided- Chapter 1
Training
Flowerbud Village...
Young Jack, ten years old, ran shouting down the path to the farm, while his grandfather, Old Jack, ambled along behind. He wanted to run on with his grandson, but he knew that would sap his strength, and he needed that strength for the chores. He wasn't as strong as he used to be, though he could still heft his biggest axe or hammer in one hand.
Old Jack frowned. 'Why didn't Jim or Jenny come with him? You'd think that a kid would need someone to watch after him, something better than a letter.' Unlike the other villagers, Jack had left and traveled the world. Unlike Jim, Jack had come back to run the farm, and had brought a wife with him. He sighed at the memory of his sweet little Amber; she hadn't lived to see Young Jack born. Indeed, the village legend said that she had died of disappointment in Jim, disappointment that he hadn't come back. He knew the truth, however: cancer, specifically lung cancer.
He sighed again: that was a long time ago. This was now, and right now there was someone waiting for them at the gate; a girl about Young Jack's age, with long black hair braided down her back. She had been standing there shyly and nervously, but her face lit up when she caught sight of Jack running along. "Hey, you!" "Hey, you! Wanna climb the mountain?" "Yeah! Grandpa, can I?" "Not just yet, Young Jack. Chores, remember?" "Aw, come on! I just got here!" "And the chores have been waiting for you, so come on." "Hey, maybe I can help out. That way, you can be done faster, and we can go climb the mountain!" "Hey yeah, good plan, you!" The two of them ran off into the pasture, shouting for all they were worth, and startling the sheep and cows.
"Oh, that Maria. She'll wear him out before I can get a minute's work from him!" "I'm sorry, do you want her gone?" Jack turned to see Olivia, Maria's stately mother and wife to the mayor. An important figure in village life, that she was. "No, no. They haven't seen each other in five years; let 'em run." "Alright, if you say so! I see she's volunteered to help with the chores. Make sure she's home by five." "It's only 2:00; they won't have time to run around afterward." "I know; that's the point." "You're a spoilsport, Olivia." "No, I'm a mother. Remember, she's back by 5:00, got it?" "Yes, mother." They laughed at that.
A few hours later, and they were still doing chores; weeding, watering, feeding, etc. 4:30 came around. "Maria? You have to go home now!" "Okay! I'll be back tomorrow, you!" When she left, Jack asked his grandpa something. "Grandpa, what did you say her name was?" "Huh? I'm sorry, did you say something?" "What was her name?" Old Jack thought he'd have a bit of fun. "I'm sorry, you'll have to speak up." "WHAT WAS HER NAME?!?" "Oh. Um, let me see... Sorry, what was the question?" "Never mind..." "Ha-ha! Hey, come over here. I've got something for you." "Oh boy!"
Old Jack led the way over to the bin where he kept his tools. Opening it and digging around for a second, he came up with a massive, two-edged axe; the Blessed Axe. Laying it on the ground, he jokingly asked his grandson to pick it up, and of course he couldn't. "Grandpa, this is heavy. I can't have it!" Grinning, Old Jack pulled out a much smaller, single-edged axe, rusty from disuse. "Here. Surely you can lift this." And sure enough, Young Jack picked it up and swung it around, though he couldn't use it in one hand. "Grandpa, this is cool!" 'Ha-ha, I figured he'd like it.' "You can cut wood up on the mountain now; maybe the Carpenters will pay you for it." "You mean, like a job? But I'm only ten!" "More than old enough to know how to use an axe. Follow me." This time, Old Jack went over to a stump. He had meant to cut it up, but when Jim had called with his news, he had decided to save it and let Jack try cutting it. "Alright, son. There's the stump, and you've got your axe. Think you can chop it up?" "You bet! Just watch me!" With that, Young Jack leaped forward and began hacking at the stump with large, ineffective strokes that bounced off the wood and barely nicked it. Laughing, Old Jack stopped him. "You've got it all wrong. Hold the handle straight, focus on the spot you intend to cut, and swing down. Then as your muscles settle into the routine, swing faster." The boy nodded, then he readjusted his grip and stance, took aim, and brought the axe crashing down.
This time, a sizable gap was formed. "Good job, Young Jack! But don't stop now; you still have a whole stump to cut up!" Nodding, the boy kept at it. Soon, half the stump was in pieces. "That's enough. Now, pay attention. The carpenters have told me that the animals of the forest and the mountain have begun acting strangely. I won't stop you and your friend from going there, but I will train you to use that axe properly, should one of the animals be a threat." The boy nodded, eyes wide with fear.
"Hold the axe like this, one hand down near the bottom of the shaft, the other near the axe head. Swing like this." Old Jack demonstrated a horizontal slash; Young Jack copied him fairly well. "Good! Now try this..." They trained until 10:00, when Old Jack decided it was time for bed.
Link's head...
Darkness, broken only by lightning licking the sky, covered the land. He was standing at the edge of a vast field, but he was facing towards a tall stone wall with a curious wooden slab in the middle. Suddenly the slab fell forward, held back by thick chains. It hit the ground, and a horse galloped through the opening. Two people were on the horse; one a grown-up who was concentrating on the horse and didn't spare a glance for the boy; the other a scared young girl, about his age, who stared back at him with wide, frightened eyes.
Hoof beats behind him. He turned, and beheld Evil personified. Tall black horse, dusky clothing, black armor, maniacal red gleam to the eyes... yep; it was Evil. Just like every night, Evil never said anything; he just charged up a blast and shot it at him. Also just like every night, right when the blast hit him the nightmare ended abruptly, and Link spun around in an endless black vortex. After a while of this, he usually woke up sweating, shivering, and vowing never to go to sleep, ever again. And of course, the second he said that he dropped right back off, back into a dreamless pit, till morning.
Link's house...
This time, however, something was different. Some little idiot was whamming against him and yelling in a very, very, very annoying voice. He finally lost his temper and flailed his arm out, striking something insubstantial and flimsy. It flew against the wall with a soft thud and dropped to the ground, mercifully silent. To Link's chagrin, it flew back up and proceeded to wham him harder than ever, yelling louder than ever; "Hey, lazy boy! Wake up, the Great Deku Tree has summoned you!" 'Honestly, is the fate of the forest resting on this boy's shoulders?'
'Great Deku Tree?!?' That thought made Link get up. But he didn't jump; he sat up, stretched, yawned, and then flopped back down, where he eyed the fairy warily. "What's the Great Deku Tree want with me, the boy without a fairy?" "I don't know, he said something about how the time has come, but hurry, I think he's dying!" That made Link jump up. Putting his cap on, he rushed out the door.
He didn't slow down for the ladder, but he did slow down for Saria, his friend. The other Kokiri thought he was a bit of a freak, seeing as how he had no fairy. But Saria had seen the boy behind the rumors, and they had become fast friends. Now, she saw the alarm on his face, but then she saw the fairy. "Oh, Link. You have a fairy now? That's wonderful! Mido can't pick on you anymore!" "Um... I'm not his... Hey, wait up!"
Link, after saying a hurried hello to Saria, continued running towards the Great Deku Tree. He was nearing the passage to the clearing when he slowed down, scowling; Mido stood before the entrance, with a self-important expression on his face. "So, it's the boy without a fairy! What're you doing down this way, huh, boy?" Navi got mad at this; Mido was being unfair. "He's not without a fairy anymore! And the Great Deku Tree has summoned him, so get out of the way!" Mido ogled for a moment, looking very ape-like, then he recovered. "Well... it's dangerous! You can't go in there without a sword and shield! I won't allow it!" 'Geez, how did he become the favorite of Saria and the Great Deku Tree? It's not fair; he's nothing! I'm the great Mido, leader of the Kokiri!'
Not wanting a fight with Mido, Link turned around and walked off. "Now what, Navi? Shields are expensive, and there aren't any swords around here. What do we do?" "Well, sometimes stuff will flow down out from the mountains; look in the stream!" Link ran over to the sluggish water and dived; within moments, a bright purple gleam caught his eye. Surfacing for breath, he dived again, this time kicking strongly down to the bottom. He barely managed to grab the Purple Rupee before his breath started running out. Panicking, he kicked up towards the surface and took a deep breath; air hadn't tasted this sweet in a long time. But it was worth it; even the Kokiri knew the value of the Purple Rupees. They were very rare, but not as rare as Silver Rupees, or even Huge Rupees.
Smiling broadly, he pocketed it and ran for the Forest Shop. As he neared it, a Kokiri girl hailed him from the awning. "Link! You've got a fairy! Good for you, hee-hee!" "You bet I have a fairy! Uh, right Navi?" I guess I am your fairy. Congratulations, Link!" With these words in his ears, Link walked into the shop's brightly lit interior.
The Amber Hawk Farm...
A week had passed since that night when Jack had begun to train his grandson, and already the boy was growing stronger. Maria had been coming by every day, and Old Jack was delighted to see that the girl could use a slingshot with remarkable accuracy. He gave her an old one of his, a real warrior's sling, and she was as good with that as she was with her old one. Nothing could have pleased him more. Except maybe the progress Young Jack was making.
Already big and strong for his age, Young Jack was becoming quite adept with that Rusty Axe he had given the boy. Although he wasn't very fast (and no one expected him to be; after all, axes are naturally cumbersome and slow, no matter their size), he was getting to where he could cut through the smaller stumps up in the woods with six easy strokes, quite a feat for one so young.
One thing troubled the old man's heart; Jack and Maria had gone up Moon Mountain a few days ago, and they had come back hours and hours later, Jack covered in blood with his axe notched and stained, and Maria trembling and crying, though her hands were steady. They told the story of a maddened wolf cub, obviously far from its family, starved and willing to attack anything that moved. Jack had reacted quickly, bringing his axe to bear and shouting at Maria to stand back and fire at it with stones. It was over in half an hour, and this was what troubled Old Jack's heart; wolves usually didn't stand their ground when faced with such a threat as Jack and Maria had posed. This worried him very much indeed, though it didn't shake his confidence in his grandson; rather, it raised it, proving that Young Jack could handle a hard fight.
Predictably, Maria's parents had been hysterical. Unpredictably, they hadn't grounded their daughter. Apparently the Mayor knew something of what was happening in the Mountain, and he had praised his daughter for acting as bravely as she had. Naturally, the story spread like fire, and Maria was the subject of much envy amongst the other girls in the village. And some of the adults, too, though they would never admit it.
And, for the first time, there was fear. The Inn was packed every night now, and there was less loud boasting and more whispers, nervous whispers. Also, less of the strong ales and whiskeys were being ordered, replaced with more orders for beer and weak wine. There was talk of going up into the mountains and wiping out all wild or rabid animals, in the same breath as talk of Gods' Wrath, which hadn't been felt in over four hundred years. In the daytime, the women were fearfully asking themselves what they had done to warrant Gods' Wrath.
Gods' Wrath. Also known as Wrath of the Gods. It was a terrible thing, usually meaning man had insulted the gods somehow. It usually heralded great change in the world as well. It was never the same; legends say the last Gods' Wrath had been in the form of a month-long blizzard, which was unusual for two things; its ferocity, and that it had happened at high summer. Before that, or so the oldest tall tales said, Gods' Wrath had come in the form of a meteor. This time around, the whispers said, Nature was rising up more subtly. Jack, his bloody state, and his notched axe were seen as proof; there was blood, yes, but no serious, lasting hurt.
Old Jack scoffed; Gods' Wrath was an old wives' tale, there was just some sort of famine far away that was driving the animals here. The resulting increase in the fauna caused a natural decrease in the flora; therefore, some went hungry. But there was an uneasy gleam in his eyes as he said it, and he said it a bit too loudly, as well.
Young Jack knew nothing of this; all he knew was that the animals had gone crazy and that peoples' lives were in danger. What was more, he had had a dream last night. In the dream, the Harvest Goddess had told him the village was in danger, and that he and his friend were the only ones who could stop it. "Come to the spring tomorrow, Young Jack," she had said...
That morning, after the crops were watered, Old Jack decided that a day in town would do him good. Saddling his horse, Moonshine, he told Jack the day was his, and then he rode off. The second he was out of sight, Maria came from around a tall bush by the gate and ran towards Jack. "Hey, you!" "Hey. You got your sling?" "Yeah. Why? Oh... you dreamed too?" "Uh-huh. Come on!" They ran off towards the forest.
Kokiri Forest Shop...
"Hello? Oh, hey Link! Is that a fairy you got there? Cool, you're a real Kokiri! Now, what can I get you?" This speech was punctuated by grunts as the speaker, a short Kokiri by the name of Danry, jumped up and down to see his customers. "Yes, I'd like a shield." "40 Rupees!" Link took the Purple Rupee from his bag. Gazing at it rather wistfully, he gave it to Danry, along with the words, "Keep the change." Danry was ecstatic; he had never seen a Purple Rupee before. He insisted upon gibing Link his change, and he wasn't about to take no for an argument. So, Link took his Yellow Rupee.
There was a strap on the shield with which one could tie it to one's back, so Link did. Now... "Navi? Where am I gonna get a sword?" "The training grounds, maybe?" "Perhaps..." He ran to the training grounds to find Milton jumping around and waving a thick stick in the air. "Hey Link! Whoa, a fairy! Ha-ha, took you long enough. Cool!" "Yeah, hey Milton? Do you know where I can get a sword?" Milton stopped his exercising to look at Link. "A sword? You mean a real sword, not just a stick?" "Yeah." "Well... ah! You see that hole in the cliff, there? The Kokiri Sword is supposedly on the other side of that hole. But no one has had need of it in a long time, so who knows what else you'll find back there, huh?" "Hmm..."
Link got down and crawled through the hole. As he did so, a rumbling sound became audible. He came out on the other side, and the noise was quite loud. Then it faded, as if whatever it was had moved away. Then it came back again. This process repeated itself for a while, while Link tried to figure out what it was. Finally, Link got an idea.
"Navi? You're small; you can go places without being seen, right? Go over there and see what's making that noise, okay?" "Sure thing, Link!" The little ball of light flew up and came back almost immediately. "Link! It's just a big rock! You can get past it by following right behind it!" "When?" "Um... now!" Link sprinted forward around the corner, and caught a glimpse of a huge rock before it turned a corner in the groove it was in. Link ran on, following the rock until it passed by an alcove in the cliff. Link turned into the alcove and saw a large chest.
Heart pumping wildly, Link stepped forward until he was in front of the chest. He took a deep breath, undid the latch, and flipped the lid up. A bright light blinded him for a second, then he reached into the chest. He couldn't reach all the way, so he had to jump up half in and half out of it. Finally, his hands closed over a narrow metal object covered in stiff leather. Jumping out just as the light finally faded, he found that he held the 'legendary' Kokiri Sword! Small, intended for the Children of the Forest in time of need, you were supposed to return it when you were through with it. 'Well, I guess I'll put it back when this business with the Great Deku Tree is over with.' With that thought in mind, Link went back through the small tunnel and surprised Milton, both with his return and his new sword.
"Link! You came back! And the legends are true, the Kokiri Sword really was back there!" "Yeah. Can you teach me to use it?" "Huh? Oh! Sure, hang on." Milton went and grabbed a stick, and for the next hour, the two of them sparred until Link beat Milton very soundly. Milton looked up from his position of flat on his back. "You're good, Link. You'd make a terrific Lesser Guardian." "No time. The Great Deku Tree needs me!" And Link ran off towards the tunnel through the cliff.
Mido challenged him, of course. But upon seeing Link's gear, he had no choice but to let him through, but that didn't stop him from grumbling. Link walked past him, and was ambling on all unassuming when a Deku Baba popped up and started trying to bite him. Startled, Link barely jumped back in time to avoid the snapping plant flesh. Then he recovered, and smiled; though fairly dangerous, Babas were immobile, therefore easily taken out if you were fast. Link drew his sword in anticipation of the thing's next lunge.
The lunge came; Link ducked and rolled to its side, performing a horizontal slash while he rolled. The Baba broke in half, thrashing on the ground even as it dried to a wooden husk. Link picked up the head, which had shrunk to a nut-like size; Deku nuts were volatile, producing a bright flash when thrown to the ground. This flash could blind most enemies, and if they were stupid enough they would stand perfectly still until their eyes cleared. Luckily for the Kokiri, most Forest monsters were this stupid.
Link encountered two more Deku Babas on the way, finally coming out into the huge grove where the Great Deku Tree lived, towering over all that surrounded him. He was taller even than the cliffs that surrounded him; from the rope bridges in the village, you could see his crown of leaves and branches. The Great Deku Tree was indeed great, and old. Very, very old.
"Ah, Link. Thou hast come. Thy destiny approaches, and thou must be ready. A test of thy Courage is needed. Thou must enter into me and remove the foul curse that troubleth me. Art thou ready?" "I am." "Good, very good." With that, the Great Deku Tree opened his mouth.
Moon Mountain...
Young Jack and Maria ran through the woods towards the Goddess's pool. Upon reaching it, they found her waiting for them. "Jack, you've arrived! And your friend, too? Good, good. Time is short, so I must hurry; I'm going to open a cave in the cliff, and you're going to go in and deal with what you find." "Okay." The goddess turned, raised her arms, and chanted something in a strange language. A section of the rock wall next to the pool opened wide.
Simultaneous...
The boy stepped forward, but his courage had left at the sight of that opening... it reminded him of a great cave/of a huge mouth... "Come on! We've got to hurry!" his companion said, but she sounded more afraid than he. Plus, she was cowering behind him... 'Well, nothing's getting done this way. Let's go.' So fortified, the boy walked forward, closer and closer to the great rend in the wood/in the rock... Taking a final deep breath, he and his friend plunged forward. To their destiny...
End Chapter 1