Chapter 4

Hyrule Field

Mido approached the Great Deku Tree, his eyes wide. The tree stood there, gray and lifeless. It was no more than lumber now, the wooden guardian of a cursed dungeon. Mido reached out and touched the bark, pulling his hand back immediately as though he had been burned.

"He's dead… He's really dead!" Mido cried, rounding on Link. "What have you done?"

Link turned and ran out of the clearing, his fairy bobbing along behind him. Mido ran a few steps forward and shouted after them.

"The Great One was wrong about you! We should have left you somewhere for the beasts to deal with! We should have never hidden or protected you! I'll tell them all about you now! I'll tell them all what you've done!"

"For once in your life, Mido, shut your mouth. You'll do no such thing."

Mido turned but saw no one. A moment later, Saria emerged from behind the late Deku Tree's trunk. Mido stared at her incredulously.

"You mean even now, even after what he has done, you still defend him?" He asked.

"He hasn't done anything." Saria replied, evenly.

"He killed the Great One! He has dispelled the barrier protecting us!" Mido cried.

"Liar. The Great One has been dying for some time. Haven't you sensed it?" Saria asked coldly. Mido lowered his head. "Anything to blame him. You'll use any excuse, no matter how ridiculous. You call yourself a leader, but what have you ever done to lead us? The Great One charged you with a task and you spent seven years doing the opposite of what he asked. Then, you wonder why I avoid your company. You wonder why I prefer his. He will restore our world one day. I know you can sense that too. Maybe you should keep that in mind, leader." Saria turned to go.

"Saria, what about the children? The Great One is gone. His protection is dispelled. There will be no more fairies… Where will they go? Who will answer the praying mothers?"

Saria looked back at Mido with a sad smile. "Now you understand how a leader should feel. Maybe there's hope for you after all."

Link wanted to close his eyes and cover his ears as he ran through Kokiri Forest, but he couldn't. All around him, the Kokiri children were emerging from their homes and abandoning their games to approach him. They were shivering and staring at him like wide-eyed specters, calling out to him with hollowed-out voices. Link continued to run despite their cries, tears beginning to leak from his eyes.

"Link, it's so cold… What happened?"

"Link, something's wrong… I'm scared… Did the Great One tell you anything about what's going on?"

"Link, the forest has gone cold… It's like it's become foreign to us!"

"The Great One likes you, right Link? Ask him! Tell him to make the trees friendly again. They'll listen to him!"

The forest exit loomed before him, and Link dashed through it without looking back. It would be only a matter of minutes before the forest was buzzing with word of his crimes. Link would no longer be welcome, and there was something unsettling in the fact that he no longer had a home to return to. A few moments later, Link found himself staring at the edge of a log bridge. At the other end of the bridge was the entrance to Hyrule Field. Navi bobbed nervously next to Link's ear.

"Remember, you're not a Kokiri. It's perfectly safe for you to leave." She said.

Link looked back towards the forest. "I didn't say goodbye… How can I just leave them like… like… that?"

"It's for the best, Link. They won't understand. They aren't meant to understand. Didn't you know? Don't you see? They aren't meant to be touched by the outside world You don't know what a great taboo it was for the Great One to accept you into this realm. He paid for it with his life."

Link bowed his head. For a few moments, he contemplated the other side of the log bridge. Then, all at once, he began to run across it.

"Wait!" A voice called. Link turned to find Saria standing at the beginning of the log bridge. She took a few hesitant steps forward and stopped a short distance from the center of the bridge. "I… I can't come any further."

Link ran back to her. It was a few moments before Saria could speak. She stood there, watching Link. Her eyes moved from the sword slung across his back to the scratches and dust on his face and arms. A shiver ran through her body. Then she noticed the fear in Link's eyes. Her heart sank.

"What is it?" Saria asked.

"Saria, I didn't… I didn't kill…" He began.

Saria smiled despite herself. He wasn't afraid, and though part of her was relieved to know that, another part of her shuddered all the more. "We know, Link. Don't worry about Mido." She replied.

Link nodded and smiled. The smile had gone from Saria's face, however.

"Link… I always knew that this day would come. I knew that you would leave us. It… it doesn't seem fair that we are sending you off into so much danger. You're just a boy… but you won't always be. Mido has always been jealous of you, you know. You will leave and see the rest of the world… I can't blame him, however. I feel a little envy myself. These past seven years, I've struggled with myself, and now the time is here, and I still can't bring myself to… to ask you to find my… my…"

"Your what?" Link asked.

Saria gave a small chuckle. "It's nothing important. Just because the Great One is gone doesn't mean that I can go against the laws of the forest. You are free from those laws… and their protection." Saria shook her head and a few tears fell from her eyes.

"Protection?" Link asked. "Saria, are the others still… They said it was cold…"

Saria smiled. "The forest is in mourning, Link, and soon the forest children will all know why. It will be rough for a while, but things will stabilize. We're not your concern. You have a mission, don't you? Focus on that. I'll see to things here. You trust me, don't you?" Link nodded. "Good. I made you a gift." Saria handed Link a wooden ocarina. "You can use it to contact me. Let me teach you a song."

A short while later, Link had learned the song and he stood shuffling his feet, knowing that it was time to go. Saria smiled at Link, her eyes watery.

"Take care, Link. I don't know when we'll see each other again, but I know you won't fail. Goodbye Link."

"Goodbye, Saria." Navi muttered quietly.

Link, however, merely started at the Kokiri girl, his eyes full of childish innocence. Saria's eyes had a much deeper wisdom in them. She watched as Link backed away and then full-out ran to the other side of the bridge. By the time Link had disappeared, her eyes had dried, and she had also vanished into the trees.

Link shuddered as he emerged into a winding pathway bounded by gnarled tree trunks. This area was much less sheltered, and the setting sun blinding him as he looked up at the sky. Link could hear his own breathing, and the sound of fluttering wings in the branches above him made a chill run down his spine. It seemed as though he was being watched. This place was new to him, and the calm, peaceful atmosphere that he had grown used to was no longer present. The air was thick here. He had left the world of children and had emerged into the adult world. Part of Link wanted to run. The sun was setting, and the thought of traveling at night was almost unbearable. On the other hand, he didn't know where to go. Running blindly seemed foolish. Finally, Link emerged from the winding pathway into an open field. To his left he could just make out the outline of some form of building, or at least a wooden wall of some sort. In front of him Link saw the battlements of a castle. It was there that he had to go. Link also noticed a well-trodden path at his feet. Did it lead to Hyrule Castle?

As he went to step forward, Link was assaulted by a great fluttering of wings. He jumped back and drew his sword. Before him, sitting on a previously unnoticed sign post, was the biggest owl that Link had ever seen. Link sheathed his sword.

"Are… are you one of the owls from the forest?" Link asked timidly.

"My name is Kaepora Gaebora. I am pleased to meet you, little hero." The owl replied in a slow, deep voice.

"Kaep… Gaeb… kapeageb… Mr. Owl?" Link said.

Navi scoffed. "Show a little more respect! Do you know who this is? He is the king of the owls, and he may be the last of his kind!" She hissed in Link's ear.

"What is it, my boy?" The owl replied.

"Why don't the owls come to visit us anymore?" Link asked.

The owl chuckled. "We owls have a very special job here in this realm. The details are unimportant. The really important thing to know is that this job relies on faith and hope. In such times… Well, faith and hope are in short supply. There are very few people who believe these days… Some fear us, others think we are no more than dumb beasts. Our numbers have dwindled, but there is no reason to worry, little one. Despite what many think, there is hope. It lies in you. That's why I'm here."

"For me?" Link asked in awe.

The owl chuckled once more. "For you, little hero. You have a mission, yes? The castle lies yonder. You can see it from here, and this path at your feet will lead you to it. You must be careful, though. Night has fallen, and the stalhounds will be on the prowl. They're nasty little demons that pop out of the ground and will gang up on you if you let them. Take my advice and only attack them if you need to. If you stop for too long, they'll overwhelm you. The best thing to do is to stay on the move and take a swipe at anything that gets in your way. You understand me, little one?" Link nodded. "Good. If you time it right, you'll get there by morning. They close up the drawbridge at night. I'll be watching over you. Take care, and until we meet again!"

The owl spread his enormous wings, and took off. Great gusts of wind hit link and nearly pushed him backwards with each mighty flap. Link watched him go until he was no more than a speck on the full moon. A bone-chilling howl brought the boy back to reality. He set off down the path at a brisk pace. After only a few steps, however, the ground began to shake at Link's feet. Link stopped, frozen with fear as a skull with glowing red eyes began to emerge from the ground to his left with hideous clawing and ripping sounds. The creature looked like a four-legged skeleton with claws and fangs. When it was only half-way out of the ground, it lunged at Link, and he screamed and took its head off with a wild swing of his sword. The next instant, Link cried out as a second beast took a swipe at him from behind. He turned and stabbed the creature in the chest shuddering as the creature still lumbered towards him despite the fact that its chest cavity now hung from the edge of Link's sword. Link hastily shook the bones off of his sword and beheaded the monster. The ground shook even more and Link watched in horror as four more beasts began to rise out of the ground.

"Stalhounds! You remember what Kaepora Gaebora said! Run!" Navi cried.

Link didn't need telling twice. He set off at a sprint, using his roll technique to move even faster. It was exhausting to keep moving as the night wore on, but the constant attacks of the stalhounds were enough encouragement to keep Link going. When he finally reached Castle Town, Link was ready to collapse. The sight of the drawbridge pulled up made him fall to his knees. He was in no condition to fight off any more beasts.

"Link! Link, I know you're tired, but get up! You have to fight them off until they lower the bridge!" Navi cried desperately.

"I can't…" Link breathed. He shuddered as the ground began to rumble again. Eight stalhounds began to emerge in a perfect circle surrounding him. Link closed his eyes in anticipation of the attack. It was a loud, clear sound that made him open them again – the sound of a rooster crowing. Dawn!

The stalhounds stopped in their tracks and began to retreat back into their holes, the ground closing up around them as though it had never been disturbed in the first place. There was a loud metallic clanking as the drawbridge began to lower itself to the ground. Link jumped to his feet.

"I don't know how you made it through that one, but you did it." Navi said as they made their way across the bridge. "You pick funny times to take a nap."