Chapter 1: Fleeing to the Forest
It was a dark night. The great plains of Hyrule had been turned into a war zone. The grass land was lined with the mangled bodies of the dead, fires burned in trees and in bushes. Soldiers ran everywhere slaying or being slain. In midst of all this chaos one small group of Hylian soldiers was beginning to weaken. In charge of this group was a man by the name of Garn Kasine. He had dirty blond hair and wore blue armor over a black tunic. Garn had earned his position because of his unmatched skill with a sword and fierce leadership spirit. Fighting by his side was the only female warrior in the Hylian army: a sassy, young archer by the name of Matillia Kasine. She was his wife and her aim with the bow could not go wrong. The two were married in the midst of the war and had been together in the same unit for sometime. Just three weeks ago Matillia had given birth to a young boy. The boy had his father's deep, blue eyes and his mother's golden, blonde hair. He was like a child from the heavens, never crying above a whisper. Before this great battle had begun Matillia had not had time to entrust her baby to anyone, so he was laid in a wooden chest near her. He cried loudly but his cries were drowned out by the fighting going on around him. "Garn," said Matillia, "They are breaking through. The others can not hold off the Gorons any longer, for each one of them has the strength of ten men." "I know. I know," Garn replied with extreme fatigue, "I am afraid we may have to prepare for the end." "But what of our son he has his entire life to live we cannot let the Gorons kill him," Matillia argued. Garn was very troubled, "I am afraid..." he was interrupted by the death cries of several of his men. "There is no escape from these monsters he will surly be slain," Matillia said forcing the issue as she shot a Goron with her bow. "Wait!" Garn yelled, "There is one way to save our son if not ourselves." "What is that, pray tell?" "The forest! It is the only place untouched by the war. If the stories of the forest children are true, there may be sanctuary for him." Matillia looked troubled. "But anyone who attempts to enter that forest never comes back. To take our son there would surely mean death for him." "Yes but we have no other choice," Garn said sadly, "We must make this gamble. Take him to the forest!"
Matillia nodded grimly, "Very well." She speared two more Gorons and then, slinging her bow over her back, rushed toward the wooden chest that her baby was hidden in. She opened it and took him into her arms. She turned to Garn. She knew that in a few moments she would never see him again. She ran to him, he gave her one last, passionate, kiss and looked into her teary eyes. "Now go my love and whatever you do... do not look back," he instructed, fighting his own sadness. Matillia turned away, tears streaming from her eyes, and ran south toward the forest. Garn turned and gasped at what he saw. From the groups of Goron soldiers stepped one who seemed to be their most powerful warrior. Most Gorons were 7 feet tall but this one was easily 10 feet tall. He wore heavy armor and wielded a massive sword. He stepped forward and with one wide swing of his blade sent several Hylians to their deaths as their bodies were cut in half. Garn and only a hand full of men were left alive. They watched as the Goron troops charged at them. Garn roared and swung at them. He struck one of them, killing him. One of the other aggressors swung downward. Garn held his blade tightly and blocked the massive swing, but soon the entire group was upon him. Matillia, who was now almost and eighth of a mile away, disobeyed her husband's last order and turned around. She began to weep as the Goron troops overran Garn and his remaining men. She could no longer see them because of the sea of Gorons. Her baby, as if he knew what had happened, began to wail. "Good bye my love the brightest star in my sky," she said through tear filled eyes, then she turned and ran as fast as she could, never looking back. She ran and ran not even her now short winded breath stopped her as she fled from the Goron troops. She had the advantage as the Gorons were extremely slow unless they rolled up in a ball, and to her fortune they were too heavily equipped to do that.
The sun began to rise in the distance. Matillia had lost the Goron troops and there wasn't an enemy in sight, because of this she slowed to a walk, stopping only for a moment to feed her baby. Then she was off again. She had only a few miles left to go. She walked weakly toward the forest. She could see the passage way leading into the forest. "Not much farther now," she thought. After more walking she soon found herself in front of the path leading into the forest. The air was getting slowly colder. She wrapped her baby up in several more blankets to keep him from getting a chill. Suddenly she heard something behind her. She whirled around to see nothing. Thinking it was just her nerves she turned back on track to find a Gerudo standing right in front of her. The Gerudo put a knife to her throat in one flash of an instant. Matillia was hardly able to utter a word. The Gerudo looked at Matillia's fear stricken eyes; a small smile came across her face. The Gerudo noticed what Matillia was carrying, but she didn't know it a baby because it was so covered in blankets. It looked like any other package. "What are you carrying, little girl?" the Gerudo asked slyly. Matillia was dumb struck. "If you won't tell me I'll see for myself," the Gerudo said with frustration as she snatched the baby from Matillia's grasp. She threw off the excess blankets. "What?! A baby, but..." the Gerudo wasn't able to finish her exclamation when Matillia drew a small dagger she had concealed in her stocking and lunged at her. The Gerudo's eyes shot up in surprise and then widened in pain as Matillia plunged her dagger into her chest. The Gerudo dropped the baby and slowly sank to the ground. Matillia let out a sigh of relief "Why couldn't she have fled to the desert like the rest of the Gerudo cowards. That would have saved us the trouble," she said to herself. She bent over to pick up her crying baby but before she could the Gerudo, who wasn't quite dead yet, pulled her scimitar from her its sheath and thrust it through Matillia's stomach.
Matillia groaned in pain, her eyes widened in surprise as she coughed up blood. She summoned her strength and pulled the blade from her wound. Blood gushed out as she rolled over her baby still in her arms. She knew she was at deaths door; NO, she couldn't die now. She had to get her baby to the forest; he would die if she didn't. Holding her baby in one arm, she began to crawl for the forest. Slowly, she crawled leaving a trail of blood behind her. She had just barely reached the entrance of the forest when she started to feel faint. She crawled into the long hallow log that led into the forest. It was by the will of the gods alone that she was able to make it so far and not die. Her determination alone was what kept her alive. She crawled across the wooden bridge surrounded by a beautiful section of woods. She didn't have time to admire them nor did she want to. She continued on. Moments later she was in the Kokiri forest. It was vast clearing with many trees everywhere; however they weren't trees. They were houses that were made of hallowed out trees. Many small children dressed in green were playing merrily until they saw her then they all stopped in fear. "Help me" Matillia muttered weakly. The children stared at her plainly. "Please help me," she pleaded further. The children just stared on. Outsiders were never seen in the forest.Finally from the group of children a brave young girl stepped forward. "What is wrong with you guys can you not see that this girl needs our help!" she yelled. She pointed to several boys, "You, you and you take her to the Great Deku Tree," She commanded. The boys stared blankly at her. "NOW!" The girl yelled. The three boys jumped and then rushed over to Matillia and with the combined effort lifted her up, and rushed down a path toward a passageway made of closely growing trees and dirt walls. The Kokiri girl followed.
Matillia watched the forest scenery pass as she was carried briskly by the Kokiri. When they reached the passage leading to the Deku Tree, one scrawny boy blocked their way. "Get out of the way, Mido!" The girl yelled. "No way," Mido replied, "I'm not going to let you bring an outsider to the Great Deku Tree." "OUT OF THE WAY!!!" the girl roared fiercely. Mido backed off in fear. They ran down the passage and came to a large clearing. In the center was a Massive Tree. It wore the face of a wise old man. The boys put Matillia down and left abruptly, but the girl remained. "Why have you come here?" The Deku tree asked in a booming voice. Matillia looked up weakly. "My baby, please care for my baby," she said weakly holding out the child. "Why should I care for an outsider?" The Deku tree replied "After all, you outsiders wish for nothing more then power to misuse. You would spread great evil in this pure place." "I am not asking for you to save my life just that of my child. Please you must... have mercy... My child is innocent of any... sin that we outsiders have committed." The Deku Tree was silent for a moment. "Very well I shall care for your child, but for his sake not yours," The Deku Tree said, "He shall be raised as one of my Kokiri and will have no knowledge of you." "Thank you," Matillia said, tears streaming down her face. She kissed her baby on the forehead. "I have one last request..." Matillia's voice weakened and only the Deku tree could hear her. "Very well," the Deku Tree replied, "It shall be done." Matillia smiled in relief. Then her eyes closed and they never reopened. "Saria," the Deku tree called to the girl who had brought Matillia to him. "Yes, Great Deku Tree," she replied. "Raise this child as your own make sure he is taught our ways." Saria nodded and picked the wailing baby up out of the Matillia's arms. "May I ask what his name is?" Saria asked. "His mother requested that he be named, Link."
It was a dark night. The great plains of Hyrule had been turned into a war zone. The grass land was lined with the mangled bodies of the dead, fires burned in trees and in bushes. Soldiers ran everywhere slaying or being slain. In midst of all this chaos one small group of Hylian soldiers was beginning to weaken. In charge of this group was a man by the name of Garn Kasine. He had dirty blond hair and wore blue armor over a black tunic. Garn had earned his position because of his unmatched skill with a sword and fierce leadership spirit. Fighting by his side was the only female warrior in the Hylian army: a sassy, young archer by the name of Matillia Kasine. She was his wife and her aim with the bow could not go wrong. The two were married in the midst of the war and had been together in the same unit for sometime. Just three weeks ago Matillia had given birth to a young boy. The boy had his father's deep, blue eyes and his mother's golden, blonde hair. He was like a child from the heavens, never crying above a whisper. Before this great battle had begun Matillia had not had time to entrust her baby to anyone, so he was laid in a wooden chest near her. He cried loudly but his cries were drowned out by the fighting going on around him. "Garn," said Matillia, "They are breaking through. The others can not hold off the Gorons any longer, for each one of them has the strength of ten men." "I know. I know," Garn replied with extreme fatigue, "I am afraid we may have to prepare for the end." "But what of our son he has his entire life to live we cannot let the Gorons kill him," Matillia argued. Garn was very troubled, "I am afraid..." he was interrupted by the death cries of several of his men. "There is no escape from these monsters he will surly be slain," Matillia said forcing the issue as she shot a Goron with her bow. "Wait!" Garn yelled, "There is one way to save our son if not ourselves." "What is that, pray tell?" "The forest! It is the only place untouched by the war. If the stories of the forest children are true, there may be sanctuary for him." Matillia looked troubled. "But anyone who attempts to enter that forest never comes back. To take our son there would surely mean death for him." "Yes but we have no other choice," Garn said sadly, "We must make this gamble. Take him to the forest!"
Matillia nodded grimly, "Very well." She speared two more Gorons and then, slinging her bow over her back, rushed toward the wooden chest that her baby was hidden in. She opened it and took him into her arms. She turned to Garn. She knew that in a few moments she would never see him again. She ran to him, he gave her one last, passionate, kiss and looked into her teary eyes. "Now go my love and whatever you do... do not look back," he instructed, fighting his own sadness. Matillia turned away, tears streaming from her eyes, and ran south toward the forest. Garn turned and gasped at what he saw. From the groups of Goron soldiers stepped one who seemed to be their most powerful warrior. Most Gorons were 7 feet tall but this one was easily 10 feet tall. He wore heavy armor and wielded a massive sword. He stepped forward and with one wide swing of his blade sent several Hylians to their deaths as their bodies were cut in half. Garn and only a hand full of men were left alive. They watched as the Goron troops charged at them. Garn roared and swung at them. He struck one of them, killing him. One of the other aggressors swung downward. Garn held his blade tightly and blocked the massive swing, but soon the entire group was upon him. Matillia, who was now almost and eighth of a mile away, disobeyed her husband's last order and turned around. She began to weep as the Goron troops overran Garn and his remaining men. She could no longer see them because of the sea of Gorons. Her baby, as if he knew what had happened, began to wail. "Good bye my love the brightest star in my sky," she said through tear filled eyes, then she turned and ran as fast as she could, never looking back. She ran and ran not even her now short winded breath stopped her as she fled from the Goron troops. She had the advantage as the Gorons were extremely slow unless they rolled up in a ball, and to her fortune they were too heavily equipped to do that.
The sun began to rise in the distance. Matillia had lost the Goron troops and there wasn't an enemy in sight, because of this she slowed to a walk, stopping only for a moment to feed her baby. Then she was off again. She had only a few miles left to go. She walked weakly toward the forest. She could see the passage way leading into the forest. "Not much farther now," she thought. After more walking she soon found herself in front of the path leading into the forest. The air was getting slowly colder. She wrapped her baby up in several more blankets to keep him from getting a chill. Suddenly she heard something behind her. She whirled around to see nothing. Thinking it was just her nerves she turned back on track to find a Gerudo standing right in front of her. The Gerudo put a knife to her throat in one flash of an instant. Matillia was hardly able to utter a word. The Gerudo looked at Matillia's fear stricken eyes; a small smile came across her face. The Gerudo noticed what Matillia was carrying, but she didn't know it a baby because it was so covered in blankets. It looked like any other package. "What are you carrying, little girl?" the Gerudo asked slyly. Matillia was dumb struck. "If you won't tell me I'll see for myself," the Gerudo said with frustration as she snatched the baby from Matillia's grasp. She threw off the excess blankets. "What?! A baby, but..." the Gerudo wasn't able to finish her exclamation when Matillia drew a small dagger she had concealed in her stocking and lunged at her. The Gerudo's eyes shot up in surprise and then widened in pain as Matillia plunged her dagger into her chest. The Gerudo dropped the baby and slowly sank to the ground. Matillia let out a sigh of relief "Why couldn't she have fled to the desert like the rest of the Gerudo cowards. That would have saved us the trouble," she said to herself. She bent over to pick up her crying baby but before she could the Gerudo, who wasn't quite dead yet, pulled her scimitar from her its sheath and thrust it through Matillia's stomach.
Matillia groaned in pain, her eyes widened in surprise as she coughed up blood. She summoned her strength and pulled the blade from her wound. Blood gushed out as she rolled over her baby still in her arms. She knew she was at deaths door; NO, she couldn't die now. She had to get her baby to the forest; he would die if she didn't. Holding her baby in one arm, she began to crawl for the forest. Slowly, she crawled leaving a trail of blood behind her. She had just barely reached the entrance of the forest when she started to feel faint. She crawled into the long hallow log that led into the forest. It was by the will of the gods alone that she was able to make it so far and not die. Her determination alone was what kept her alive. She crawled across the wooden bridge surrounded by a beautiful section of woods. She didn't have time to admire them nor did she want to. She continued on. Moments later she was in the Kokiri forest. It was vast clearing with many trees everywhere; however they weren't trees. They were houses that were made of hallowed out trees. Many small children dressed in green were playing merrily until they saw her then they all stopped in fear. "Help me" Matillia muttered weakly. The children stared at her plainly. "Please help me," she pleaded further. The children just stared on. Outsiders were never seen in the forest.Finally from the group of children a brave young girl stepped forward. "What is wrong with you guys can you not see that this girl needs our help!" she yelled. She pointed to several boys, "You, you and you take her to the Great Deku Tree," She commanded. The boys stared blankly at her. "NOW!" The girl yelled. The three boys jumped and then rushed over to Matillia and with the combined effort lifted her up, and rushed down a path toward a passageway made of closely growing trees and dirt walls. The Kokiri girl followed.
Matillia watched the forest scenery pass as she was carried briskly by the Kokiri. When they reached the passage leading to the Deku Tree, one scrawny boy blocked their way. "Get out of the way, Mido!" The girl yelled. "No way," Mido replied, "I'm not going to let you bring an outsider to the Great Deku Tree." "OUT OF THE WAY!!!" the girl roared fiercely. Mido backed off in fear. They ran down the passage and came to a large clearing. In the center was a Massive Tree. It wore the face of a wise old man. The boys put Matillia down and left abruptly, but the girl remained. "Why have you come here?" The Deku tree asked in a booming voice. Matillia looked up weakly. "My baby, please care for my baby," she said weakly holding out the child. "Why should I care for an outsider?" The Deku tree replied "After all, you outsiders wish for nothing more then power to misuse. You would spread great evil in this pure place." "I am not asking for you to save my life just that of my child. Please you must... have mercy... My child is innocent of any... sin that we outsiders have committed." The Deku Tree was silent for a moment. "Very well I shall care for your child, but for his sake not yours," The Deku Tree said, "He shall be raised as one of my Kokiri and will have no knowledge of you." "Thank you," Matillia said, tears streaming down her face. She kissed her baby on the forehead. "I have one last request..." Matillia's voice weakened and only the Deku tree could hear her. "Very well," the Deku Tree replied, "It shall be done." Matillia smiled in relief. Then her eyes closed and they never reopened. "Saria," the Deku tree called to the girl who had brought Matillia to him. "Yes, Great Deku Tree," she replied. "Raise this child as your own make sure he is taught our ways." Saria nodded and picked the wailing baby up out of the Matillia's arms. "May I ask what his name is?" Saria asked. "His mother requested that he be named, Link."