Chapter Two: The Green Wanderer

A cheerful tune wound through the leaves in the forest. A green-garbed figure glided through the trees on a brown mare, a blue and silver ocarina set to his lips. He expertly guided the mare through the trees with his legs while keeping his fingers occupied with his instrument.

The locals called him "The Green Wanderer", "Elf", "The Traveling Musician", or "The Outlander." People also called him "Fairy Boy", "Grasshopper", and "Hero." He was all of these things, to one degree or another, but to those who truly knew his nature, he was Link, the Hero of Time.

The man was on a quest to find a lost friend whom he had known since his adventures first began at the age of seven. During this journey, he had passed through other lands similar to his native home, Hyrule. These places had all been troubled by one crisis or another, and he had helped out whenever it was within his power. The ability to manipulate the flow of time had come in handy, not to mention the vast array of other skills he had picked up over the course of his young life.

He ended his song and put the instrument away in a pocket on his tunic. Then, he took a swig of water and sighed with contentment. A small ball of light, a fairy, flew from its spot on his shoulder and commented, "That was a good song. Are you going to play it at your next performance?"

"That and several others," the young man replied. "Now, Tatl, do remember to stay out of sight. You don't want to repeat last time's incident."

The fairy shuddered at the memory. During one occasion where the pair had stopped in a village, Tatl had decided she had had enough with hiding on Link's person all day and had left his side to explore a bit. After a time, she had attracted the attention of a small girl, who thinking she was a bug, had snatched her up and put her in a bottle. Fortunately, she only had to endure the little girl's presence for a short while since Link, who had noticed she was missing, had distracted the girl with some fancy trick and then released Tatl from the bottle. From then on, she had vowed she would listen to Link better than she had.

Tatl bobbed in the air vigorously. "Just to clarify things up, I have to softly shout 'Hey!' if I sense your friend. Right?"

Link thought it over quick and replied confidently, "Yeah, that's the plan." Then, he sighed and stared off into the distance. "Navi, where are you?" he softly murmured.

The trees shadowed the sun's fading light as the group moved onwards. Beautiful flowers dotted the sides of the road. Birds chirped in the trees and sang a goodbye song to the sun as it moved slowly downwards.

The sun sank below the trees as Link and Navi left the forest and entered a village. Trees encircled the village on all sides except the north, where the rear of the small hamlet nestled against the base of the forest. Link guided his horse along the road that went straight through the center of town until they reached an inn called The Silver Lining. He stopped the horse near the front, jumped off, and tied the reins to a post. Tatl zoomed inside his floppy hat and stayed there.

Link walked confidently through the door to find a sizable crowd gathered there. He found the innkeeper standing behind a counter and walked to him. He flashed a charming smile and stood before him.

The innkeeper, a slightly chubby man, smiled kindly at Link and asked, "What may I do for you, Sir?"

"I'd like a room for tonight, if you please," Link replied.

The man nodded. "That'll be twenty rupees." After he took the money from Link and put it in a cloth bag on his belt, he inquired, "You travelin' somewhere?"

Link smiled, and with a wistful look in his eye said, "Yeah, I need to get home. Been away for far too long."

The innkeeper slowly nodded and replied, "Alright. Your room be number fifteen. To get there, take the stairs to the right and take a left. You should eventually find it. Supper will be served in a short while, and breakfast will be served at seven o'clock 'til nine. Here's your key and have a good day."

Link took the key from the innkeeper and put it in a pocket. Link was about to go back outside to get his bags when he heard, "Young master, just to let ya know, there'll be the town's semiannual Talent Show held here if you're interested and you can still enter for a slight fee of 5 rupees."

Link considered it; a talent show might be fun. He turned around and grabbed a blue rupee from his money pouch. The innkeeper smiled and pulled out a list. As the young traveler wrote down his name and act, the man commented, "So you be a musician." His grin widened. "The town always fancy's a good song. What do you play then?"

"You'll see," Link winked as he went out to get his bags. He watched the innkeeper frown and lightly shake his head before he went out the door to which Link softly chuckled.

Link took his bags off Epona and then led her around to a stable that was adjacent to the inn. Once Epona was settled inside one of the stalls, he brushed her down and fed her a carrot. "That's a good girl. You did a nice job today, Epona," he murmured softly as he patted her side.

His work completed, Link gathered what belongings he needed and made his way back into the inn. Then he went up to his room and opened the door. He dropped them on a space on the floor. The room was modestly sized with a wooden framed bed, a desk, a chair, a medium-sized chest, and a washbasin. A window revealed the towering mountains and trees outside.

Link put his sword and shield off his back and put them on the chair. Then, he removed a beautifully carved harp, one with gentle curves and whorls, completely smooth to the touch. It smelled of the forest and reminded him of home.

He gently plucked a note and it sang like birds in springtime. He played a scale that eventually became a song. The notes spoke of towering trees and undulating waves. Swirling sands and rolling hills, even of a love that had been lost. He lowered it, sighed, slung it on his back, and straightening his back headed downstairs.

When he emerged downstairs, he heard a small band play on a small stage area. There was a fiddler, a guitarist, and a harmonica player. They were playing a lively, upbeat tune and the many gathered were clapping and stomping their feet. Soon enough, in a cleared out area, a small group of people were dancing and twirling. The joy was so contagious Link almost felt like joining in the festivity.

Link sat down at a table and, in a minute, a serving girl came over and asked for his drink order. He ordered water and waited for his drink.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of someone land on a seat at his table. He looked up with surprise at a smiling man's face framed by short brown hair streaked with grey. "Hello, there. Mind if I sit with you?"

Link, for once at a loss for words, replied, "Um…Ah…Sure." He blushed with embarrassment.

The man laughed and held out a strong, callused hand, which Link shook and released. "The name's Damon. What's yours?"

"Link," he replied with a smile.

Damon smiled and said, "Well, Link, welcome to Ordon. How long do you plan to stay here?"

"I just plan to stay the night. I need to get home. I've been journeying around the country lately and want to head back."

"Oh, where are you from?"

"Hyrule. Have you been there or heard of it before?" Link inquired.

"Hyrule, huh? My wife's been there. In fact, she lived there before she came to live here, met and married me," Damon declared.

Link's reply was enthusiastic. Someone from Hyrule might have information on stray fairies, or even perhaps know of Navi herself. "I should meet her then. We could compare notes on our experiences."

Damon nodded and said, "Sure. She and our daughter, Arya, should be here soon because of the Talent Show. Arya is in the Talent Show, but I'm not exactly sure what she's doing. She wouldn't tell me. Are you in it?"

"Yeah, I decided to play a couple songs on my harp and ocarina."

"Really! Arya plays the harp too. Her mother taught her and both of them do real well with it. How long have you been playing?"

"Not too long ago. I started several years ago," Link declared.

Damon nodded his head. He appeared distracted by something, and Link followed his gaze to a nicely dressed man with a small medal on his chest. He had appeared on stage after the band had finished its performance. The serving girl arrived with Link's order, and the young man grabbed a morsel off the plate immediately.

After a few bites, Link nodded towards the stage. "Who is that?"

"Oh, that is the mayor, Michael Delving. You see that medal he's wearing there? That's the medal of office that every mayor receives. He's about to give his opening speech before the big event," Damon replied.

Right after he said this, the mayor cleared his throat. "Welcome, one and all to Ordon's semiannual Talent Show. I see some familiar and unfamiliar faces in this crowd, but that is okay. Everyone is welcome to this great event. The Talent Show is a celebration of our town's many talents and the talents of those who decide to join that are not of here. I thank you all for coming and I hope you all will enjoy the show! Please welcome our first act, one who frequents these events, Al Larkin."

The mayor stepped down off the stage and allowed a young man to step on the stage. He brought out some colored balls and started to juggle gradually adding balls increasingly. When the act was close to its finish, a pair of women stepped through the inn door. They went unnoticed by the crowd, but Damon waved them over to Link's table."

As the two got closer, Link noticed something interesting. Both of the women, young and old, had pointed ears like his, but the younger of the two had not as defined points as him and the woman. Strangely, Damon had rounded ears and so did all the other townspeople. Link deduced that the two women were Damon's wife and daughter.

The younger woman had long brown hair and eyes that shone as emeralds. She wore a fine dress of woven green cloth that accentuated her eyes well, and her manner was so unlike a simple villager that Link had to blink away the memory of the princess he had left behind. A finely crafted harp made of shiny metal hung from her back.

Oddly, though, it was the older woman that captured his interest. She had a dignity about her person, as if she were a noble at court. There was a mixture of compassion and confidence in her eyes, a strong combination, and blonde hair fell down her back in a nicely woven braid. The simple dress she wore, made of white cloth, appeared as fine as an elegant dress on her person, such was the presence she was able to exude. Though many cares had worn down her face, the beauty of her countenance seemed enhanced, rather than diminished by the path time had wrought across it.

XxXxXx

Rhia looked with surprise at the young man who sat with her husband. He looked familiar, as if she should know him, but looked like a stranger to her. He looked Hylian in look with his pointed ears and slightly angled eyes. The youth wore the traditional blue earring of a Hylian adolescent who had come of age. He was tall, but not overly so, and had shaggy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. He wore a floppy green hat, matching green tunic, white long-sleeved undershirt, white leggings, brown knee-high boots, and brown gloves. A wooden harp was slung on his back.

The man's appearance reminded Rhia of her first husband, Peter, but she chose not to dwell on those memories. To linger in that place was to invite thoughts of her first child, Link, something she could not afford to do. Not if she wished to have peace of mind.

Suddenly, a voice intruded on her thoughts, "The Talent Show will like to call Link to the stage." She spun to look at the stage and wondered if the name was just her imagination and that there wasn't a person, here, who had the same name as her beloved son, Link.

She turned back to her husband and watched as the stranger said something to Damon and got up. She followed him with her eyes and almost fainted as he went up to the stage. She swayed and put her hand to her heart as her beautiful Arya sat her down next to her husband and the young man, who appeared as if in a dream, walked up to the stage.

The Hylian sat down on a stool, got out a blue and silver ocarina, and put it to his lips. At first, it seemed like nothing was going to happen, but then a single note blew into the air and became a whole string of notes. The string of notes became a joyful song. It filled the air and soon the townsfolk who were talking before were struck speechless by this young man's gift. It seemed like the air was dancing with energy before them.

Rhia recognized the song. It was playing before she reached the Kokiri village and when she got there, Saria, the Kokiri girl who had helped her out so much, was playing that tune. She stopped it when she noticed Rhia coming into their sanctuary bleeding and cradling a bundle of cloths.

Rhia's eyes filled with tears as she watched this miracle. She silently thanked the goddesses as her boy, her Link, played Saria's Song before her. Suddenly, the song ended and the audience was so amazed they forgot to clap. He put the ocarina away and brought out the harp on his back.

He closed his eyes and released a melody that was so beautiful and calming. It reminded Rhia of a lullaby that lulled little kids to sleep, and then she figured out what it was. It was Zelda'sLullaby. The Royal Family of Hyrule's lullaby that was composed by one of the many queens named Zelda. Rhia wondered how he came across the song and wondered if he had encounters with the Royal Family before he came here.

Rhia felt her husband put a hand around her shoulder and turned to look at him. Damon gestured to Link with his head as if in silent question and she nodded with a small smile on her lips. She watched Arya look at them with a curious look on her face and Rhia slowly shook her head as if to answer it. Arya nodded, then looked to face her unknown half-brother.

Rhia smiled as she realized she had all her family under one roof and suddenly wished her former husband, Peter, had been here to see this, but she knew he would be watching up in the Sacred Realm with the rest of her family. She laid her head on Damon's shoulder and listened to her eldest child play his song. She watched his fingers glide effortlessly over the strings with a peaceful look upon his handsome features.

The song ended and his eyes slowly opened. After a few long minutes, his audience clapped and cheered. Rhia and her family stood up and joined the crowd too. Link smiled widely and bowed. Then, he swung his harp onto his back. He exited the still cheering crowd and took his original place by Damon.

Link gave a sheepish smile and waved a hand at his audience. He walked back over to where Damon and the others sat and settled into his chair with a sigh of relief. His hands crossed behind his head, the young man leaned back in his chair and decided it was safe to relax.

"How long have you been playing?" Damon's wife asked. There was more than a bit of interest in her eyes. Link wondered at this. Another thing he couldn't shake was the familiarity of her voice. It struck a part of him that he was unable to identify, as if the warmth he detected in her words stirred a forgotten place in his heart.

"Um…about a couple years or so before now. I was taught by a friend of mine that I made on my travels and also by memory."

"By memory! Not many people can do that."

Link blushed in embarrassment. "Yeah, I'm not like other people. I'm a fast learner since I've self taught myself a lot of things."

"I can tell. You're from Hyrule right?"

"Isn't it obvious? Are you from Hyrule originally?"

Damon's wife smiled sweetly and said, "Yes, it's obvious to a native Hyrulian, which I am."

Link nodded in interest. "I see. So how long have you been away from Hyrule?"

She sighed sadly; and said, "Twenty years. You?"

"Ten," Link admitted.

"Really? So why did you leave Hyrule?" Damon's wife kindly asked.

Link looked up into her kind green eyes and said, "I left on a search for a lost friend. She was the only companion I had during my darkest hours and she aided me in ways that saved my life many times over." Suddenly, he brightened slightly and smiled, "But enough about me. You know my name's Link, since it was announced, but what's yours?"

"Rhia, Rhia Galen. Now, I'm curious. How long are you staying here?" she responded.

"Just today. Why?"

"I've been thinking. Would you like to come over to my place and discuss things since we both are former Hyrulians? I would certainly like to know how my old homeland is doing. I also want you to come over about a personal matter. When I left Hyrule, I left some family behind and I'm wondering how they are," she inquired.

Link thought this over. He wanted to talk to her too since she was from Hyrule. He was curious if anyone had seen or heard something about a fairy in their area. He was also wondering if she knew anything about what happened to Navi. Link said excitedly, "I think I will accept your offer. Where is your house by the way?"

"It's at the edge of the village over by the forest. It is wooden with a stone chimney. There's a horse pen over by the house and there should be a grey horse in there when you arrive," Rhia informed him.

Link nodded thoughtfully. "So will I be able to put my horse with your horse in the pen? Because than I don't have to tie her to a post."

Rhia smiled and nodded her head. "That'll be alright. Aurelius is usually friendly with other horses, but especially with the mares, if you get my meaning."

"Yeah, I'm sure Epona will be fine," he said.

Just as Rhia was about to say something in reply, a loud voice cried out, "Would Arya please come to the stage?" In reply, the young woman that sat at his table rose up and walked up to the stage. Her long brown hair swayed down her back and her harp moved slightly as she walked. She glided up the steps and gently sat down on the stool on the stage.

He watched as she removed her harp from her back and got it settled against her in the proper position. She looked up at the crowd with her beautiful emerald eyes and opened her delicate mouth. The most stunning sound sang as her voice as she sang a song that moved everyone there. Everyone sat speechless as her voice weaved a song full of emotion and beauty. The tune moved around them and through them as she sang. All of her audience felt the emotions she sang of in her song and many of them cried at the magnificence of her voice and of her song.

Link sat as if a spell had captured him and watched this enchanting young woman sing her song. He felt as if Arya's song had taken him and wound a string around them so they were attached. He watched her attentively while trying to discern why he felt close to her.

Eventually, the song slowed down to its end and, like before with Link, the crowd took their time reacting to the end with applause and cheering. Arya stood up and curtsied, and made her way down the stage with her harp back on her back. When this mysterious and beautiful woman made it to her family, Link watched her be embraced by her family and couldn't help but feel jealous.

Jealousy was an unusual emotion for a hero. Most times it was easy to forget his status as an orphan. He had Saria and Kayne, the Kokiri who had watched out for him since he had arrived in the forest so long ago. Both they and the Great Deku Tree had kindly taken care of him when his mother had apparently been unable to do so. He was grateful to them, but it wasn't exactly what one could call a normal family.

The strange experiences of his life, coupled with the fact that his only constant companions were fairies and animals, served only to enhance his loneliness. It was as if a perpetual shroud of solitude had settled over his person. That was why Link had sought out Navi; she had been the one individual who had fully comprehended the changes that had occurred in his life, the one who had seen all that happened during his first adventure.

The only one who came close to understanding his plight had been Zelda, but the need to seek out his friend had forced Link to leave the princess. And finally, his heart simply craved such normalcy; he desired the world of sibling rivalry and parental guidance. He wanted to know what it was like to have an evening meal filled with a father's stories and a mother's tender care.

He needed it.

The absence of such things caused an ache to fill his spirit during the bleaker moments of the night. Those were also the times when the young man wondered if this quest would ever find its completion. He felt such emotions were unbefitting the man who had vanquished Ganondorf and was the bearer of Courage, but in spite of what some would call miraculous gifts, the feelings remained.

Eventually, he decided to congratulate the young singer and harpist on her performance. Link got up and made his way to them with no sign on his face of his earlier jealousy. The young hero watched her turn to look his way when he came and he couldn't help but think how beautiful she was. It looked like to him that she had all her parents' good traits and none of the bad, but who was he to know if she did or not. He was a stranger in this land after all.

Link smiled and held out a hand, which she took. "Congratulations on your performance. You did a great job."

Arya smiled and politely replied, "Thank you. You did a great job too. How long have you been playing?"

"I've been playing the harp for a couple of years and the ocarina for ten. You?"

"Three years."

Link nodded interestedly in return and then decided to change the subject. "So, have you been anywhere besides Ordon?"

Arya sighed; and replied, "I've only been to the villages close by here and nowhere else. I heard you're from Hyrule. What's it like? My mother never talks much about where she came from. I think she left some bad memories behind she doesn't want to talk about."

Link started to tell her about Hyrule. They sat down and he told her about all the places he had traveled while living there. He also told of the people he knew and a few of the adventures he had though not the ones that have been forgotten to all that live there at the time. Eventually, he informed her of Termina, Avalon, Caspetia, and Lorsial.

In turn, he heard some about Ordon and the nearby villages. He heard of the myths and superstitions that some of the villagers had. He learned that Rhia was a healer and Arya was her apprentice.

Eventually, they heard Rhia's voice break through their conversation, "Arya, it's time to leave. The show's over. Remember you must be rested up for tomorrow. A healer's job is never over you know."

Arya looked at her mother, sighed, and said, "Alright, Mother." She smiled at Link and said, "I must not have realized the time. Well, I hope to see you again. It was nice talking to you."

"You too." Link smiled as she got up and left. He saw Arya wave back at him as she went with her family and he waved back.

The young traveler got up and stretched his sore muscles from sitting from so long. He trudged up the stairs to his room and entered it. After he closed the door, Tatl quickly zoomed out from under his hat and landed on his bedpost.

"Do…you…know…how…suffocating...it…can…be…in that hat of yours?" the fairy's small voice breathlessly shouted.

Link chuckled and replied, "I obviously don't since I'm not a fairy."

"Arrgh! You humans are so frustrating! Do you know that!"

"Nope, but I've been told." Link shook his head while he silently laughed in amusement at the small fairy's tantrum. He could imagine if she were human she would be crossing her arms and looking away from him right now. Link sighed; and sat down on the chair. "I'm sorry, Tatl. But it's so funny when you're angry. Actually, it's funny when all fairies are angry." His mind wandered to the times Navi got angry at him for doing things he did or didn't do. Back at Lon Lon Ranch, he tripped over a milk bucket as a young kid and Navi yelled at him for being clumsy.

"Goddesses, Link! Why do you have to be so clumsy?"

Another time, when he was older, she yelled at him for attacking one of Ganondorf's minions the wrong way.

"Link, you don't attack it that way! Use the hammer!"

Navi was a frustrating, but helpful partner. She could be annoying at times and a good person to talk to too. She could give one much needed advice when one needed it and information one already knew when one didn't need it. She could get repetitive at times, but it helped when Link had moments of forgetfulness.

Link shook his mind free of the memories and asked eagerly, "Did you sense her?"

"No, I'm afraid she wasn't there, but I did sense some fairy dust on that girl, Arya, you had such fun talking with," Tatl informed.

Link put an elbow on his knee and placed his head on his open palm. "That's interesting. Maybe when I go to their house, The Mystery of the Lingering Fairy Dust can be solved."

Tatl laughed and said, "That's a neat name for it. You're a great friend, Link. Now, if only Tael was here, we would have great fun."

When Link thought of having two fairies around him, the thought shocked him. Would the yelling, worthless information, and annoying voices ever end? He shivered at the thought while Tatl chuckled at his reaction.

Suddenly, Link yawned, got up and stretched. "I think it's time for bed. See you in the morning, Tatl." He padded over to his bed and sat down. He removed his boots and socks, and all his clothes, but his undershirt and his breeches. He slid under the bed's covers and fell asleep to the sound of Tatl's voice telling him goodnight.