Chapter 8

Adventures in the Lost Woods

Link slowly led the travelers into the Lost Woods. He motioned for his companions to stop and to be silent. He strained his ears for the sound of Saria's Song. He hit his head with his hand in embarrassment. Of course he couldn't hear it! Saria wasn't here to play it. He chuckled in nervousness.

"Well, guys, we have a little situation here." He said with a laugh.

Midna gave Link one of her glares and snarled at him.

"What's the situation?" Aragorn said as he cocked his brow.

Link chuckled yet again.

"Well, I really can't find my way to Sacred Forest Meadow without Saria's music playing." He said with a slight chuckle.

Aragorn ran a hand down his face in shame. Gandalf shook his head. Midna started cackling in evil laughter. Ilia just turned away in embarrassment. Malon however patted Link reassuringly on the shoulder. Link smiled.

"So you're telling us that we might end up lost in the Lost Woods?" Midna cackled at her own joke.

Link gave an audible sigh of exasperation.

"I don't see you offering any help!" Ilia seethed in fury.

"Here we go again!" Aragorn commented.

Link laughed. He stretched out through the Force to enhance his senses. He closed his eyes and began to shift through his memories. He just had to remember which paths he took on his earlier quests and he would be fine.

"Alright, I remember the first path I took! It's this one." He said as he led them down the northern path.

As soon as they had turned the corner, they were bombarded with deku seeds. Ilia screamed in alarm. Link immediately raised his right hand and sent the seeds flying back from the direction they came from with a flick of his wrist. The companions soon heard a shrill scream. Link led the way around the corner to find a company of business deku scrubs surrounding an innocent Kokiri girl. The young Kokiri looked frightened. Link made a mighty leap off of Epona and landed with a soft thud in the middle of the crowd. He drew the Master Sword. He eyed the chief Deku with a glare in his eye that could boil eggs.

"What have we here, gentlemen?" he said as started walking toward the chief.

The fellow Dekus began to murmur in apprehension.

"Please don't hurt us! We'll sell you deku seeds!" the chief pleaded.

Link rolled his eyes.

"Save it for the fools, pea brain!" he said as he grabbed him by the neck.

"Aragorn, toss me some rope!" he called to his friend.

Aragorn tossed Link some elven rope he had in his pack. Link caught it and began tying up the chief.

"Where are you taking me?" the Deku Chief asked in fear.

"You'll be coming with us to the Sacred Forest Meadow and then you'll be having a little meeting with the Great Deku Tree." Link said with a smile.

The chief gulped as he realized what was happening.

"Run for it, my deku!" he yelled to his compatriots.

The Deku all began jabbering in their squeaky voices and started to make a dash for the nearest path out of there. Link wasn't about to lose his prey this easily. He raised his right hand and moved a massive log in front of the only path out of the clearing. The Deku were trapped. They gulped as they slowly turned around to face him.

"What we have here was a near hit and run, folks. What I am going to do now, is put you all under arrest." He said as he got out more rope and began tying them all together in a chain.

Once he was finished, he cocked an eyebrow at Malon.

"Well, Malon, you have just seen how we break up a mob." He said with a chuckle.

The Deku grumbled in anger. Link gave them a stare.

"You have something to say?" he said as he raised his right hand.

The Deku all shut their mouths. Link turned back to Malon.

"Guess we have to pay another visit to the Deku Tree before we continue our quest." He said with a sigh of exasperation.

He finally turned to the Kokiri with a smile.

"Eleanor, is that you? It's been ages! Are you all right?" he said as he bent down to examine her for any cuts or bruises.

Eleanor smiled at Link. She chuckled.

"Link, you've returned!" she said with a laugh as she gave him a hug.

Link helped her up on Shadowfax. Gandalf turned around and introduced himself. Eleanor giggled afterwards.

"I have heard stories of you! You are rumored to have the most spectacular fireworks in all the land!" she said with a gleam in her eye.

Gandalf chuckled. Kokiri reminded him of Hobbits. Link hopped once more on Epona and led the way back to the Deku Tree with the Deku Scrubs shuffling behind them. As they neared the Deku Tree, the tree opened his eyes. He sighed in exasperation as he saw the Deku Scrubs.

"Not again!" he thought to himself.

This was the tenth time this morning that they had caused a problem. He eyed Link with a raised eyebrow.

"Have they been causing trouble again?" he asked with a sigh.

Link nodded.

"Indeed, they have. First they kidnapped young Eleanor here, and then they bombarded us with Deku seeds. Last but not least they tried to bargain with me and escape!" Link said as he eyed the deku once again with anger.

The Great Deku Tree opened his great mouth and sucked them all in.

"There they will stay for all time." He said with a roar.

He nodded his thanks to the young Hylian and closed his eyes once again.

"Well, it's back to the Lost Woods!" Link said with a smile as he started whistling Saria's Song.

His companions whistled along as well, and soon the whole forest echoed with the jubilant song. They soon reached the Lost Woods once again. Link led them through the woods at full speed, making up for lost time. They were soon hopelessly lost in the heart of the woods. Link groaned in exasperation.

"Not again!" he moaned.

At this rate, they would never reach the Forest Temple in time. All of a sudden they heard a loud yell from behind them. Unexpectedly, Link and Malon were thrown off of Epona and landed with a thud miles away. Link got up with a groan. He looked over at Malon and was shocked to see she was hanging upside down in a tree. She was wiggling with all her might causing the tree to shake violently.

"Malon, that isn't such a great idea –"he started to say but was cut off when she fell headfirst on the ground with a thud.

He rushed over to her and helped her up. She groaned as she held her head.

"That's going to hurt in the morning. What happened?" she asked as she rubbed her bruised head.

Link was about to answer but as soon as he had opened his mouth he heard Ilia scream. Link grabbed Malon's hand and dashed over to the commotion. He was startled to see a great Moblin on a giant boar with a horde of lesser Moblins on steeds of their own.

"Great Scott, Moblins!" he breathed in alarm.

The head Moblin spotted him and gave an evil grin. He then raised an arm and lowered it a second later. Malon was suddenly pierced with an arrow and fell unconscious on the ground. Link was too focused on Malon to prevent himself from being clubbed from behind. He fell on the ground unconscious as well. Ilia screamed once again. She too, was pierced by an arrow and slid off Brego to the ground. Not surprisingly, she was unconscious. Good thing they had left Eleanor behind, for she too would have been shot. Aragorn looked at Gandalf in alarm. Gandalf had had enough. He made a mighty leap off his horse and landed on the ground with his sword and staff in his hands.

"I am Gandalf!" he roared as he lifted his staff high in the air.

Blinding light came out of the tip of his staff, blinding all the Moblins. The leader shot one last arrow before, he as well was blinded. The arrow pierced Gandalf. The wizard fell with a moan to the ground and was soon unconscious. Aragorn galloped over to the leader and raised his sword. But, alas! He was too slow! He was pierced with yet another arrow and fell on the ground, unconscious as well. The horses bolted off in fear. Midna glided over to the Moblins with a wicked smile.

"Well done, my faithful minions!" she said as revealed her true form.

She was none other than Zelda! She lifted her hands in the air and created a portal to the Twilight Realm. She rose into the air and was transported into the portal along with the Moblins and the doomed prisoners.