Chapter Thirty: A Tour of the Battlefield
They fluttered down from the castle window through a layer of fog that was blanketing all of Hyrule. Once they had pierced the fog layer, Link could see all of Hyrule's knights standing on the field, waiting impatiently for battle. There were not even a thousand men total, which was disappointing to Link. He did not know how they would stand a chance against Ganondorf and Astralose's army with such a small amount of men. Nevertheless, numbers did not truly matter that much. The entire fate of Hyrule would come down to a battle between two people: Link and Ganondorf. The armies' size would mean little.
Minutes later, Kaepora Gaebora had deposited the Hero of Time at the front of the knights' ranks. The knights looked up at the giant owl-carrying boy in awe. When he flew away, their attention turned to Link. It was fortunate that the king had told them that the boy was crucial to the battle; otherwise, they probably would have turned him away and forced him to go home. While the king had told them Link was important, he had not said why, so the men chose to ignore the boy and continue preparing for battle. Swords, spears, and shields were handed out in a seemingly infinite amount. Link toured the battlefield, watching as a group of men near the back of Hyrule's force was busy sharpening swords.
In the distance, barely perceptible through the dense mist, was Lon Lon Ranch. Link could scarcely make out its stone walls and red rooftops. He wondered whether Malon, Talon, and Ingo had evacuated yet. He was thinking about going over to the ranch and checking when he heard a male call out his voice. He turned around and saw Darunia with thirty other Gorons. "Brother!" he greeted.
Link ran up to him to say hello but quickly found himself in the hulking Goron's arms as he was given a big Goron hug. His back nearly crushed, Darunia finally released him and looked down at him with a smile. "Battle is imminent," the Goron chieftain said. "We have come to do our best to help Hyrule. The Zoras will be coming soon too. We have lived together all of these years. Now we are willing to die together, if that is what it takes to protect this land. A certain Kokiri girl wanted me to tell you to contact her with an ocarina. I think she wants to talk to you before the battle. Here is an ocarina that you can use." Darunia handed one of the small musical instruments to his friend.
"I've been so busy. I haven't had time to talk to Saria in ages. I'm going to play her song right now."
"I'll leave you alone then. I'm sure you would like some privacy and it's time for us to move to the front lines and prepare for battle anyway. Good day Brother." Darunia gave link one more bone-crushing hug before turning and leaving. Link saw the Zoras approach from the northeast and follow the Gorons to the front of the knights' formation. Neither Princess Ruto nor King Zora was anywhere to be seen. Having seen the Gorons and Zoras, Link turned his attention to the light brown ocarina. He put it up to his lips and played the song that Saria had taught him in the Lost Woods months before.
When the notes faded into silence, he waited for Saria's voice to echo within his ears as it always did when he played her song. A moment later he heard her say, "Hi Link."
"Hi. How are you?"
"I'm fine. I'm just sitting at my favorite spot, in the Sacred Forest Meadow. I wanted to say that I'm sorry that there's nothing I can do to help you defeat Ganondorf. I would be useless in battle and the plan that Kaepora Gaebora told me about has nothing to do with me. I just wanted you to know that I have faith in you, even without the Triforce of Courage, you are still a hero."
Link bit his lip softly. Somehow, Saria always knew what to say to make him feel better. He had been so frustrated that he had lost the Triforce of Courage and been denied the chance to be the one to defeat Ganondorf, but with Saria's words, he found peace entering into his heart for the first time in days. "Thank you Saria. That means a lot."
"And I wanted to wish you good luck. I'm sure you'll be fine, but be careful. I want to see you again after this is all said and done. You are my best friend Link. You always have been and you always will be."
"Don't worry. I'll be back. Even though right now it seems like there's a chance I won't be, I know that I will complete this task and live long enough to see you again. I can't explain how I know that, but I do."
"All right Link. I don't want to take up any more of your time. I'm sure you have lots to do. Just know that I love you and I'll be waiting for you here when the battle is done."
"Thank you. Goodbye then."
"Bye Link." The Hero of Time pulled the ocarina away from his lips and immediately the buzzing in his ears disappeared. Saria was gone. Now that that was done, Link was ready to face whatever challenges might be coming. He unsheathed the Master Sword and gazed upon its smooth, shiny surface lovingly. "I'm ready for you Ganondorf," he whispered quietly to himself.
The rest of the day had passed along with the night that followed it and still there was no sign of Ganondorf's army. The Hylian knights, Gorons, and Zoras were waiting impatiently in Hyrule Field when a battle horn resounded from the north. Link immediately woke up from the brief nap he had been taking and looked in the direction that the ominous noise had come from. He distinguished a mass of enemies numbering nearly three thousand entering the field alongside Zora River through the fog. The battle for all of Hyrule would begin in a matter of minutes.
