Chapter 2: An Improbable Aide
Link looked around and saw nothing but forest. He must have somehow ventured into the Lost Woods. He didn't remember entering the Woods, and yet he found himself there. His memory was still cloudy after the fight with Phantom Ganon, who had come back to signal the return of Ganon himself. Of course! He had fought Phantom Ganon in the Forest Temple in the Lost Woods! But knowing how he got in wasn't going to help him get out. He could find his way out if he found his way to the Forest Temple. All he would have to do to get there would be to play the Minuet of Forest on the Ocarina of Time.
He played the tune and had the feeling of being warped somewhere, like he normally does when he plays that tune. But he soon realised something was wrong. He would have normally been transported to the Sacred Forest Meadow, but Ganon must have put a curse on the Woods, preventing the effects of his Ocarina playing. He now seemed more lost than he was before.
Anywhere in the Lost Woods you would be able to hear a tune that signified content and peace. The sort of song you could relax to. You only had to listen hard enough to hear it. Link was worried. The spirit of Saria always played the tune in the Woods. If the real Saria, who was sealed away with the other six sages in the Temple of Time, was happy, the song would be loud. On these occasions Saria could be heard at the far corners of the Woods. Link couldn't hear anything, and he was sure he was somewhere in the Wood's centre. Ganon must be behind this. If he had returned then he must have breached the Temple of Time and done something to the seven sages. Link only hoped that Saria was still alive.
Link decided that it was hopeless wandering round this boundless forest. If he was lost, then he would always be lost. Then he came to his senses. He got out his hookshot and grappled to the top of a nearby tree. He looked around and could just see Death Mountain on the horizon, in the other direction to the way he would have gone otherwise. He climbed down and started walking in the direction he was sure Death Mountain was in.
"Your lost, aren't you," said a small voice behind him. Link turned round and immediately took out his sword. There was a wolfos in front of him. Link assumed that it was this wolfos that spoke to him. He ran at the canine beast, wielding his sword in front of him. "Don't bother, I've seen that fail so many times," the wolfos said as it dodged the attack. "Anyway, I wasn't going to hurt you. I need you as much as you need me." Link struggled to understand how he could possibly be dependant on a savage creature. "Why do I need you?" He said to complement his confusion. "Well for a start you don't know which way to go to get out of here." Said the wolfos, "I however have a better sense of smell than some of the royal hunting dogs, so I know exactly which way to go if I wanted to leave here." "But why do you need me?" asked Link "Well if any of my pals knew I was leaving the Woods they would kill me." "Well you know that if you attack me you won't live to tell the tale." And with that he signalled for the wolfos to show him the way.
For the next half an hour the two didn't talk to each other. They had no need, and the wolfos had to concentrate on getting them out. Not that Link particularly wanted to talk to it anyway. He insisted on walking behind, he still didn't trust the creature that was posing as his guide. They were coming to a clearing in the forest, there were two tree stumps in the middle of it, one big one small. Link recognised it as the place where the lone skull kid gave him 200 rupees two years ago. Link knew his way out from here. Without thinking he ran to the exit of the Lost Woods, there was only one way in and out to Hyrule.
Suddenly, he felt a great pain in his lower right leg. He looked at it and there was a deep cut down the length of his leg. In fact there were three parallel cuts down his leg, the sort of cuts that are made by claws. He turned round and saw the wolfos in a defensive position. Link was filled with rage and charged at the wolfos and slashed at its head. But the wolfos was too fast for him; it had dodged the attack and was behind him ready for another attack. Link realised that he would not be able to attack the creature directly unless it was distracted somehow. He looked around for something to use as a distraction, but there was nothing. He tried to remember how he fought these two years ago, but his memory was still hazy. In all the time he was thinking he had been attacked again, this time in the side.
Link remembered waiting to be attacked, and then attacking while the wolfos unleashed a slash that would have hit him. But that was two years ago, with a wolfos that couldn't speak to him. The wolfos once again interrupted his thoughts with a potentially deadly slash, but Link was alert this time. He pulled out his shield and dodged the attack, stepping round behind the beast, and plunged his sword straight into the creatures back.
The wolfos turned round to face Link, the sword still in its back. "I fought well but failed," panted the dying creature. "You must be Link, Hero of Time. If I'd have known, I wouldn't have dared attack you." And with that it fell on the floor, its body limp and dead.
Link pulled his bloodstained sword out of the wolfos' back and left the Lost Woods.
Link looked around and saw nothing but forest. He must have somehow ventured into the Lost Woods. He didn't remember entering the Woods, and yet he found himself there. His memory was still cloudy after the fight with Phantom Ganon, who had come back to signal the return of Ganon himself. Of course! He had fought Phantom Ganon in the Forest Temple in the Lost Woods! But knowing how he got in wasn't going to help him get out. He could find his way out if he found his way to the Forest Temple. All he would have to do to get there would be to play the Minuet of Forest on the Ocarina of Time.
He played the tune and had the feeling of being warped somewhere, like he normally does when he plays that tune. But he soon realised something was wrong. He would have normally been transported to the Sacred Forest Meadow, but Ganon must have put a curse on the Woods, preventing the effects of his Ocarina playing. He now seemed more lost than he was before.
Anywhere in the Lost Woods you would be able to hear a tune that signified content and peace. The sort of song you could relax to. You only had to listen hard enough to hear it. Link was worried. The spirit of Saria always played the tune in the Woods. If the real Saria, who was sealed away with the other six sages in the Temple of Time, was happy, the song would be loud. On these occasions Saria could be heard at the far corners of the Woods. Link couldn't hear anything, and he was sure he was somewhere in the Wood's centre. Ganon must be behind this. If he had returned then he must have breached the Temple of Time and done something to the seven sages. Link only hoped that Saria was still alive.
Link decided that it was hopeless wandering round this boundless forest. If he was lost, then he would always be lost. Then he came to his senses. He got out his hookshot and grappled to the top of a nearby tree. He looked around and could just see Death Mountain on the horizon, in the other direction to the way he would have gone otherwise. He climbed down and started walking in the direction he was sure Death Mountain was in.
"Your lost, aren't you," said a small voice behind him. Link turned round and immediately took out his sword. There was a wolfos in front of him. Link assumed that it was this wolfos that spoke to him. He ran at the canine beast, wielding his sword in front of him. "Don't bother, I've seen that fail so many times," the wolfos said as it dodged the attack. "Anyway, I wasn't going to hurt you. I need you as much as you need me." Link struggled to understand how he could possibly be dependant on a savage creature. "Why do I need you?" He said to complement his confusion. "Well for a start you don't know which way to go to get out of here." Said the wolfos, "I however have a better sense of smell than some of the royal hunting dogs, so I know exactly which way to go if I wanted to leave here." "But why do you need me?" asked Link "Well if any of my pals knew I was leaving the Woods they would kill me." "Well you know that if you attack me you won't live to tell the tale." And with that he signalled for the wolfos to show him the way.
For the next half an hour the two didn't talk to each other. They had no need, and the wolfos had to concentrate on getting them out. Not that Link particularly wanted to talk to it anyway. He insisted on walking behind, he still didn't trust the creature that was posing as his guide. They were coming to a clearing in the forest, there were two tree stumps in the middle of it, one big one small. Link recognised it as the place where the lone skull kid gave him 200 rupees two years ago. Link knew his way out from here. Without thinking he ran to the exit of the Lost Woods, there was only one way in and out to Hyrule.
Suddenly, he felt a great pain in his lower right leg. He looked at it and there was a deep cut down the length of his leg. In fact there were three parallel cuts down his leg, the sort of cuts that are made by claws. He turned round and saw the wolfos in a defensive position. Link was filled with rage and charged at the wolfos and slashed at its head. But the wolfos was too fast for him; it had dodged the attack and was behind him ready for another attack. Link realised that he would not be able to attack the creature directly unless it was distracted somehow. He looked around for something to use as a distraction, but there was nothing. He tried to remember how he fought these two years ago, but his memory was still hazy. In all the time he was thinking he had been attacked again, this time in the side.
Link remembered waiting to be attacked, and then attacking while the wolfos unleashed a slash that would have hit him. But that was two years ago, with a wolfos that couldn't speak to him. The wolfos once again interrupted his thoughts with a potentially deadly slash, but Link was alert this time. He pulled out his shield and dodged the attack, stepping round behind the beast, and plunged his sword straight into the creatures back.
The wolfos turned round to face Link, the sword still in its back. "I fought well but failed," panted the dying creature. "You must be Link, Hero of Time. If I'd have known, I wouldn't have dared attack you." And with that it fell on the floor, its body limp and dead.
Link pulled his bloodstained sword out of the wolfos' back and left the Lost Woods.