The First Kokiri: Tome I
Chapter II: The Quest Begins
Link muttered dejectedly to himself as he left the Temple. Kitoran had read the book alright…..but Link didn't like what he heard.
*FLASHBACK*
Navi opened the book and flipped to the first page. Kitoran thanked her then turned to the book and read out loud.
Last moon of the 2nd Spring Bloom in the 3rd year of Din:
I've been summoned by The Great Deku Tree to carry out a task in the Lost Woods. He seemed to be worried about something…but I guess everyone is seeing as the Hylians and the Gerudo seem to be on the verge of war. Anyway he's asked me to go into the Korok Region of the Lost Woods to find a cave with some ore he called 'Moon Steel' then use it to make a sword, when I asked him how I was supposed to do that he told me I would know once I arrived.
I was told not to tell anyone where and why I'm going so I decided to make this journal to keep track of what I do should something happen to me. This way should I not complete this task whoever finds this, I ask of you to finish what I started. That being said I'm leaving on the morrow to the Korok Region. It pains me that I cannot say goodbye to my friends here in the Kokiri Woods but I trust The Great Deku Trees words to keep silent.
Signed, Kitoran Jarreth
*END OF FLASHBACK*
Link walked into the Kokiri Woods several minutes later and headed for The Great Deku Sprout's Grotto when he was stopped by a small green haired Kokiri in a green turtleneck sweater and matching green shorts. It was none other than his old friend Saria. Since his defeat of Gannondorf several months ago the Sages were allowed by the Goddesses to return to their previous lives as a reward for saving Hyrule from Gannon's evil. Saria walked up to Link and smiled at him before speaking.
"So what were ya doing in my Temple?" She grinned at him and he replied.
"I was going though that library in there" Link told her but when her face went from her usual grin to a worried one Link said matter-of-factly.
"I guess you know of Kitoran too" At the mention of the name she shushed him hurriedly as several others looked over to see what was going on. She nearly dragged him into her hut and turn around to face him.
"Don't say that name around the others Link!" Saria spoke with a very serious but motherly tone. Link was confused and asked.
"What's wrong with saying him name? Is he evil?" Link grew troubled thinking about what he might have done if Kitoran was evil. Saria just shook her head and explained.
"No he's not evil…..listen….Kitoran is kind of a legend for us Kokiri….one we don't usually talk about so I understand why you haven't heard about him…." She frowned but continued. "He's been around for a long time…..if the stories are true he's actually the first of us Kokiri to be born…." Link crossed his arms before he spoke.
"So he's old, so what?" But he immediately regretted his words as Saria huffed and wacked him with a Deku Stick leaned on the wall. "OW! What was that for?"
Saria gave him a death glare and lectured him. "Now listen here Link didn't you remember ANYTHING I taught you when you lived here? We Kokiri consider age a very important thing in our lives. When a Kokiri reaches a certain age we are granted the ability to both leave the forest whenever we please but we also from that point on gain more and more power from Farore for every century we live. So him being older than any of us makes him very powerful! That's what!"
Link nodded. "Ok I get it. But I doubt that's why you dragged me here is it?" Saria sighed and sat on a chair motioning to one beside her. Not wanting to be rude Link sat down and turned to her hoping for some insight. They sat in silence for a minute before Saria spoke again.
"Ok….Kitoran left us around twenty years ago in the middle of the night….but he came to me and told me The Great Deku Tree was sending him on a journey into the Korok Region to make a weapon of some sort…but he never came back….then the Great Civil War began and you showed up in your mother's arms…..after you left the forest and pulled The Master Sword from The Pedestal of Time and after Gannondorf rose to power and several days before you went to face the Water Temple Kitoran returned" Her voice started to tremble as tears formed in her eyes. "But when I told him I was a Sage and had to help you he flew into a rage and ran off….Then…..then a week later I was in the library and I saw him…but he was a Wraith…..and I knew he had been killed…*sob*…but I don't know how…and he can't remember either…."
Link reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her and she gave him a weak smile. He thought. 'So he got killed…..was he coming after me?'
He spoke out loud "Do you know why he was so angry?"
She shook her head and Link gave her a reassuring smile. "Well he asked me to use his journal to find out what happened….but if what you told me is true and he came back from the Korok Region then I shouldn't have to go there to search."
Saria "That's what I thought when I read it when he wasn't around…but the book is missing pages from his first entry…like he didn't want someone to know what happened…I think he hid the pages in the cave he mentioned in the journal."
Link nodded that seem likely; after all they also discovered the missing pages. At that point Navi decided to pipe in. "Hey Saria…..would you like to come along? You seem to have known Kitoran before he…well….before what happened."
Saria looked at her then to Link with wide hopeful eyes. Link sighed, he could never say no to Saria especially when she used her 'puppy eyes'. He gave a nod and Saria gave a skwee and hugged Link tightly around his neck.
"Oh thank you Link! You have no idea how much this means to me. Navi was right; he was a good friend of mine before you came. Thank you again!" She let him go and moved to pack a bag of various traveling supplies. Link smiled at her eagerness to help and also a bit surprised that she knew exactly what to take: A sleeping bag, a Fairy Slingshot, several red potions, a bunch of nuts and berries and of course her Ocarina.
She turned back to him with her now full pack. "Ok I got everything I need let's go!" Link nodded as they left her house and into the Lost Woods heading for the deeper Korok Region.
*End of Chapter II*