Link felt dizzy.
"This is Hyrule?" he gazed in awe at the rivers, the plains, the castle...
Navi nodded. "Well," she said finally, "I suppose we better go meet the "Princess of Destiny"."
They started walking when they heard a voice.
"Thy journey has started, hasn't it, Link?"
Link drew his sword and glared at the owl sitting on top of the branch. "Who are you, and how do you know my name?"
The owl chuckled. "No need for the sword, now, Link. My name is Kaepora Gaebora, and I will guide you the best I can through your journey."
Link let out a small choking sound, and then it developed into a full outburst of laughter.
Navi mouthed to the owl, "he's just like that sometimes", and then gently hit Link. "What are you laughing about??"
"Kaepora…Gaebora," he said, struggling to breathe as he giggled without showing any signs of stopping. "What kind of name is that?"
Navi flushed. "Link!"
But now that she thought about it, Kaepora Gaebora was a pretty weird name.
And then she started to snigger as well, and before long, they were both rolling around, roaring with laughter. The owl looked quite miffed, and she cleared her throat coldly.
"I'm sorry for alarming you, but it's the manner I do think best. I'm here right now to give you a map of Hyrule. I have no doubt it will aid you in your perilous quest."
Navi noticed the ragged parchment rolled up and clutched tightly in the owl's talons. Now she knew the owl meant no harm. (although a part of her had already figured this out from her name)
"Ah, I see you brought a companion." Kaepora scrutinized Navi. "A clever fairy, if not…slightly…outlandish."
Navi blushed.
"I have also come to tell you information about the castle." Kaepora continued. "It will be dangerous for you if you are caught by the guards. Do the best you can, and I give you a valuable piece of advice: run at night, and sneak in the light. If you succeed, the princess shall give you some information about what you should do next in your quest. Best of luck. Now, did you get all that?"
Link shook his head, still looking a bit tipsy from the laughter. Kaepora looked irritated, but repeated the information again.
"I'm sorry, I missed that part about the princess. What is she going to do again?" Link asked.
Kaepora seemed like she wanted nothing more than rip him to shreds with her talons, but repeated the information.
"Wait, I didn't catch all that. Can you say it again?"
The owl was beginning to flex her talons almost with relish.
"Forget it," Kaepora snapped. "Just go and talk to the princess, okay?"
The owl flew off. Navi resisted the urge to fly off with Kaepora and instead yelled at Link.
"Look, you lost us our guide! She could've led us to Hyrule Castle!"
"Oh, she was a girl?" Link said, dumbfounded, "how did you know?"
Navi was extremely dismayed by the incompetence of her partner. "Let's just go," she spat out, flying way ahead. Link ran after Navi as she flew to the castle. Just as they were outside the drawbridge, the wolf howled, signaling night. The drawbridge started to raise.
"Oh...no! Wait!" Navi cried out. "Wait..."
The drawbridge closed, and Link sat down on the grass, preparing for sleep, completely unperturbed by this obstacle in their journey.
"You dummy, how can you sleep? Stalchilds roam the plains at night! It is their playroom!" Navi hissed at Link. Link got up and stared disbelievingly at Navi.
"Fine," he yawned. Link reluctantly took out his sword and shield and waited, shooting "um, sure" looks at Navi from time to time. Soon, a Stalchild rose out of the ground. The Stalchild dragged itself over to Link, knocked down his shield, and managed to scratch Link.
"Ow!" Link yelped in pain as he slashed the Stalchild with the Kokiri sword. The Stalchild snickered softly, its dry laugh haunting. Soon, another Stalchild rose. Link was now slashing his sword randomly, swinging it in all directions. Link started panting. It was tiring.
"Navi..." he gasped, "I don't think I can keep on slashing for long. I wish I had gone to sleep."
"Jump in the water, Link! Jump! The Stalchilds can't stand bathin-water!" Navi screamed urgently. "Go, you fool!"
Link panted, and exhausted, collapsed into a heap on the ground. He crawled pitifully towards the water. A few more pulls...
A Stalchild scratched Link on the foot.
"Owww!!!" Link yelped. "Navi! Distract them!"
Navi zipped up to the approaching Stalchilds and tried to mimick an annoying fly by going near their ears. Her plan worked. They groaned in anger and started to swipe at Navi. She understood what the Stalchilds were saying.
"Go for the boy!" one of them moaned.
"He is tastier," the others whispered.
"Yes, let us feast on him! We will deal with the fairy later."
The Stalchilds changed direction and dragged themselves over towards Link.
Navi started to panic. It was a risk, but it was either that, or certain death. All fairies are blessed with the gift of all tongues.
"My brothers," she started in squeaky Stalchildian language, "-you must help me. I am actually a Stalchild, but am cursed with a pathetic, weak, fairy body."
The Stalchilds stopped in their tracks. Luckily, this wasn't a very clever group.
"No kidding?" they replied in Stalchildian. "Well, tell us then, who is the greatest evil mastermind?"
Navi gulped. She had to take a wild guess. "Ganondorf?"
The Stalchilds smiled, and bonked Navi on the head. "We'll help you, fellow. What's your name?"
Navi risked a glance at Link before answering. Link was on the edge and was giving the thumbs-up at Navi.
"Navi!" the fairy answered before dodging the various Stalchilds' hands and flying beside Link. Link grinned, and hopped in.
"After them!" the leader Stalchild roared, going as fast as he could into the moat. All the Stalchilds leapt in, only to break into bones. The Stalchilds disappeared in wisps of smoke as they touched the water. Dozens of rupees littered the bottom of the water. Link was desperately diving for them, bringing up two or three at a time.
When he resurfaced for the last time, he frowned. "Man, I've never seen anyone who hates taking a bath so much that they'd die if they touched water!"
Navi glared furiously at Link. "We could've gotten killed back there! I hope this teaches you a lesson not to underestimate your enemies!"
Link laughed cockily. "But the point is, Navi. We didn't get killed."
Navi waited angrily for the sun to rise. After eight hours the horizon steadily became brighter, an explosion of beautiful colours. A Cucco crowed, and Navi yelled at Link to get out of the water.
"Get out! Link, the drawbridge will lower!"
Link's head bobbed up. "What? Oh, the draw-"
Link's sentence was cut short by the drawbridge lowering.
"Ouch!" Link cried out. The drawbridge had bonked him on the head, and for a moment, it stopped in mid-air. Navi heard some guards crying out.
"Hey, what's going on?" one of the guards asked another, confused.
"I don't know! Go check it out!" the other guard ordered. A guard walked over to the drawbridge and stomped his feet on it a few good times. The chains creaked a little, and started to lower again.
"Ok!" the guard cried out. "It's fixed. I don't know what caused it, but it seems to be gone. Probrably an Octorok, or something."
Link swam out from under the drawbridge when the guard was fully out of sight. He was rubbing his head, annoyed and sore.
"Ow...that really hurt..." he moaned.
"It'll heal," Navi assured him, "-otherwise the bumps on the head the Great Deku Tree gave me would show nicely in public."
They walked across the drawbridge.