1Saya woke up a few hours after sunrise. She pulled on a clean tunic, combed out her hair, and adjusted the cap she had also gotten from her father. With that and a smile, she raced to the kitchen.
As she ate, she watched her father's face for any danger. Navi had told on her, so it was possible he would be angry. Instead, he was wearing a half-smile as he watched his daughter. Navi floated in from a window.
"Father and child!" she said, "Have you ever noticed how much she looks like you?"
Link nodded. "She may look like me, but her attitude is all Saria's. And by the way, Saya, I have something for you once you're done."
Saya nodded and quickly rinsed off her plate. She walked back to her chair and watched her father pull a few leaf-wrapped things from under the table.
"It's not really anything special, but I figured there were a couple more pieces of equipment you should inherit if you're going to get anywhere," Link said, placing them on the table.
Saya chose one and unwrapped it carefully. She gasped as a small sword tumbled out onto the table. Saya had seen in her father's room before.
"The Kokiri Sword!" she whispered.
"Now, I can't seem to hold it properly any more..."
"It's too small for you," Navi grumbled.
"But I might be able to show you a few things. Keep going, Saya."
Saya reached for the second. It was big and heavy; unliftable. She reached across the table and opened it that way. The red bird on the surface of the Hylian shield stared up at her.
"Trust me," Link assured her, "It won't be half as heavy when you put it on. I don't think you'll be able to hold it out just yet, but you could probably hide under it."
Saya nodded, wondering why her father was doing this. Didn't he say he didn't want to lose her? He was looking curiously at her. She reached for the last gift.
It was a sword belt.
"Here, let me help you with that," Link said. He buckled the belt around her waist, then moved the strap up his daughter's shoulder. Sheathing the sword across her back, he asked Saya, "Can you reach it? Draw it?"
It felt awkward, but after practice, Saya found she could draw it with ease. Link nodded.
"Good," he said, half-smiling again, "Your grip needs some work, but we have plenty of time to practice it. Now, I'm going to put on the shield, all right? Tell me if it's too heavy."
The shield was pretty heavy, and it tapped the backs of Saya's legs when she ran, but it was bearable. She turned to her father.
"Now what, dad?" she asked.
Her father shouldered his shield, and Saya heard the sing of metal as the Master Sword slid into its sheath.
"We'll go down to the Lost Woods. That's where I used to practice all the time," he replied.
"Am I staying, or going?" Navi asked Link.
"Someone has to correct me if I show her the wrong stance," he answered, "Going, in other words."
Saya felt light-headed with happiness. She couldn't help thinking back to her father's real reason for staying silent about his traveling days. He hadn't wanted to excite her about adventuring so that she would stay with him longer. Saya shrugged and followed her father and Navi out the door.