Chapter 2

Ten years later…

"Don't let him out of your sight!"
"There he is! Get him!"

Link kicked off a branch and soared through the air. He looked behind him, at a cluster of Kokiri boys in hot pursuit. What did I do to deserve this? He wondered. Ahead of him, a Kokiri boy dropped from the canopy, ready to grab him. But Link, being taught by Saria, the best Tree-jumper of the Kokiri, evaded this by grabbing the branch before him, swung with his weight, and proceeded right past the boy. It was a little maneuver Link had made up, which was found to be quite useful. Link grabbed hold of a tree trunk, swung around, and went in the opposite direction after a close encounter with another number of boys.

In the ten years Link had lived among the Kokiri, the entire village raised him. He slept in a different bed every week, and made friends with many of the Kokiri. He learned many tales from Reso. He learned the sword-lore from Tire, and the Tree-jumping from Saria. He learned to weave baskets, gather what fruit and nuts that could be eaten, and the many things Kokiri have lived and loved and learned to do for ages. But these boys, Sore and his followers, like to point out differences in things rather accept things that are like to them. And thus, the weekly pursuit through the forest became as much part of Link's life as Tire's swordplay or Saria's Tree-Jumping.

Link was finally tackled, brought roughly to the ground after one of Sore's boys managed to strike Link in the face with a branch. Link, piled under the bodies of three boys fought his way to air; finding Sore, a gaunt and sneering boy with short thick brown hair.

"You just don't know when to learn, do you?" Sore sneered. He was a bully, and like all bullies gained friends through force rather than respect.

"Neither do you, it seems," said Link, pushing a boy aside. Sore held out his left hand, one of his wingmen presenting him with a Deku stick. Sore twirled it stylishly, before taking a stance. Sore sneered and began an attack.

Of course, Link had had enough of Sore's bullying and decided to do something about it for once instead of returning to Saria's house covered in bruises. Link stepped aside as Sore's Deku stick whistled through the air. Many of the boys gasped as this happened, as Link always stood his ground as Sore punished him for his differences. Link continued his evading, bending his body out of the way as Sore assaulted again and again. Link tumbled backwards as Sore attempted a horizontal slash, jumping to his feet in time to evade a lower slash. Standing so close together, Link head-butted Sore into a tree. The boys gasped as their leader staggered backwards, holding his head, dropping his weapon and holding his head in dizzying agony. In the time it took for Sore to regain his composure, Link was already vaulting off branches back toward the village.

Link hit the ground, tumbling and rolling and leaping to his feet as he exited the heavily wooded forests outside the village. He dashed through the village, vaulting off a well-placed barrel onto the balcony of a high tree house. Jumping over the railing, he swept aside the curtain across the doorway into the small one-room hut. Across from the front door, Saria sat humming delightfully to herself working on something meticulously. Link stood there admiring her from across the small house, until she finally acknowledged his presence.

"How was your bout with Sore?" she asked. In the past Link would show off his many welts and bruises from where Sore struck him, but in this time, there were none to present. Saria turned in her seat to find Link unmarked.
"Not a single bruise," said Link, holding up his arms. "I fought back, Saria." Saria inspected Link carefully, giving off a warm and welcome smile.
"Had enough then, have you?" she asked. Link nodded, having no need to say anymore. At the front of their house, Mido's footfalls were heard, and he poked his head through the door.
"I don't know what it was you did to get him mad, Link, but Sore's calling you out," he said. "He's challenged you to a High-Bridge Showdown." Link and Saria glanced at one another, before heading to the door.

Around the foot of their tree house, were Sore and his cronies. Sore raised a fist at Link.
"I challenge you to a Last-Man-Standing Fight!" he shouted, "Tomorrow at sun-down!" Link looked down at Sore. He knew Sore rather too well. This match would be rigged in some way to humiliate him. He knew he had to make counter-measures.
"What are your wagers on the victor?" asked Link.
"The loser's rations for the next three weeks of berries and nuts to the winner," said Sore. That was quite a gamble. Link looked at the very cross Sore.

"Give me an half an hour," said Link and he marched back into the house.
"Three weeks without berries and nuts? That's a pretty big risk you're willing to take," said Mido. "Are you sure you wanna chance it, Link?" Link looked about the room, to Mido, then to Saria. He kept silent, deep in his own thoughts.

"It'll mean nonstop training for the next day with Tire," said Link. "But it's a risk I'm willing to take."
"No, Link, I don't want this," said Saria sternly. "No Kokiri should live three weeks without food, it's not fair."
"Saria," began Link, "You've always said the one rule to Tree-Jumping is Always make a risk. If I don't make this risk, what will become of us?" Link knew he had Saria at this point. Her face screwed up with an admirable fury that blazed behind her green eyes. She wasn't sure whether or not to hug him for his courage, or to swat him with a Deku stick for his stubbornness.
"Oh, Link," Saria sighed exasperated, "You're as stubborn as-as-as a Skull-kid sometimes!" Link wrapped his arms around Saria's waist, embracing her in gratitude for her support. Saria pat Link's shoulders gently.

"Your half an hour's gone by, already!" Sore's voice drifted up into their hut. Link broke away from the hug, and turned back to head out onto the balcony. Down below, Sore looked very impatient, tapping his Deku stick against his shoulder.
"I agree to your terms," said Link. "The loser's rations for the next three weeks of berries and nuts." Link jumped over the balcony's railing, falling twenty feet and landing before Sore. The two boys spit into their respective hands, and clasped firmly. In their grip, they glared at one another, knowing their spit mixed.

Tire looked up as footfalls landed at his door. He remained at his work-bench, drawing a sharp stone across the plane of wood and its shavings falling to the floor. He moved the stone along the wood's grain, shaving off unnecessary bits and roughness. He was a weapons-maker, one that clung to an old and unknown life among the peaceful and cheerful Kokiri. He didn't have to look up to know who it was at his door.

"Hello, Link," Tire said. He set the stone aside, picking up a piece of cloth-like material, and drawing it over the areas on the wood in which he just shaved. Link stood at the door, locking his bent fingers in one another, and bowing. He remained silent.
"Well?" asked Tire, continuing to smooth out the piece of wood he was working on.
"Sore has challenged me to a High-Bridge Showdown," said Link. "It begins tomorrow at sundown—"

"And you want to get in some more training," Tire finished. "I understand, Link. I heard everything Sore said. Well, I'm just about finished." Link's befuddlement didn't betray him as Tire held up his craft. It was a wooden sword, tooled and carved to the right likeness to fit Link. Tire held the sword out for Link to take. He took it by the handle, and swung it a few times.

"It's unusually light," said Link. It measured from the tip of his middle finger to the center of his chest, a right size for him.
"But it's hard and sturdy to last you for a long time," said Tire. "Now, to training." Tire clapped a hand to Link's shoulder, shook him affectionately and went out a door on the opposite side of the hut.

Tire led Link to the enclosure that was the training grounds. It was a spacious area, a ring of trees surrounding the area and leaving an opening to enter and exit. There were few decorations about so to not have distractions, as some would seek Tire to learn a little discipline before a confrontation with a fellow Kokiri.

Link and Tire faced another, wooden swords in hand. Tire took his stance; planting both feet a little more than shoulder-width, and crouched, sword-hand held close to his chest. Link took his own stance; straightening his left leg before him and putting his weight into his right. His sword pointed towards the ground, his free hand up and out behind. Their breaths steadied, each measuring the other. Link was drilled in sword combat for a few years, having grasped its finer qualities a year before.

Tire took the initiative, thrusting toward Link to push him back. Link parried, pulling his sword towards his chest and pushing Tire's strike away. Tire took a step back as Link's sword just grazed his side. From previous spars, Link could never touch Tire, let alone get in close enough to touch him. Even though it was a glancing blow, it meant Link had learned much.

Link and Tire parried each other's attacks, matching each others' footwork in offense and defense.
"You've come a long way," said Tire. "You still need to learn to keep your opponent off their center." Link parried a blow to his foot, swinging at Tire's side.
"Your control is better than it was when you first started," Tire continued. "Remember to swing with your hips and bring the rest of your body with it." Tire's sword caught Link's in a vertical slice. Link pulled his sword away and thrust at Tire's torso. Tire had just enough time to block again, before Link barraged him with another swing. Tire blocked, but lost his balance as Link forced his sword aside. Link brought his blade to Tire's shoulder. Both panted, looking at one another, Tire smiling proudly in his defeat.

"Very good, Link," he said. "You have done well. I am proud. Your training is complete. This spar is over." Link withdrew, bowing with sword in hand. Both left the training ground, Tire's arm wrapped around Link's shoulders.
"You did well. You're ready for tomorrow's duel, and I know you're going to win." Link's eyes widened and watered, as if overcome by a sudden grief at the loss of a loved pet.

"But, master Tire," said Link, "What if Sore does something that I don't expect? Couldn't you at least teach me some more advanced moves while I have the time?"

Tire looked down at Link with an expression of endearment.

"Well, I suppose I can teach you a few things," he said surrendering to Link's plea. "Very well. I will teach you advanced moves while there is still light." And so it was that Link and Tire returned to the arena and trained.

Link slipped through the hut quietly so to not wake Saria. He set his sword down beside his bed, crawled under the covers and let the exhaustion of the spars take over. Quickly and soon enough, Link fell into deep sleep.

Author's Note: I honestly didn't like this chapter for some reason. I can't pin down what I didn't like about it, but I just know that this chapter was a horrific ordeal. I liked how I started it, but near the end it feels so tacked on for some abhorrent reason. Probably just me getting old. But not to worry, it picks up in the next chapter.