Chapter 26: Our Desires Form Our Cages
Link sat, with his arms wrapped around his legs and his head pressed against his knees. The first day he had cried atop the mound. But despite his begging sobs the grass did not open up for him, even when the sun set and the rain began.
By the time the rain ended, Link vowed he would not shed another tear. If Navi did not wish to stay with him any more so be it. He did not need her. He never needed her. What had she ever done but nag at him?
But he did not move, not until the sun had started to rise. That finally got him to stand up. He was not going to look at the lights coming over the horizon. Not again. He averted his eyes and all there was to look at was the mound he stood upon.
What had he done to make her not want to be with him anymore? How had he disappointed her?
What a stupid question. He disappointed her from the beginning. Before they even left Kokiri Village she chided him for being reckless when he was going to wander into the fog alone. And it wasn't as if he got any better after that.
And it was his fault she was wasting away. He was the one that wanted to heal Epona when he knew she was still weak. He was the one that kept throwing himself into danger. Of course she couldn't handle it any more. Of course she decided to live where she could heal and be happy. She had been so miserable the entire journey, she deserved to be someplace special. She deserved to be with her own people.
But why had she decided that she needed to send him away, too? Had he really been that cruel to her?
Of course he had.
"Stupid," Link said as he kicked at the dirt. "Why am I always so stupid?" He kicked it again, and again. He screamed as he smashed a divot into the ground, until a chunk of loose grass flopped over and rolled down the mound.
This wasn't doing anything. He wrapped his arms around himself and he walked down the small hill, not quite certain where he was heading.
He wanted to go back to Lon Lon Ranch. He wanted to go back to the Kokiri. But one he could not trust and the other he was just as likely to wander forever if he entered the Lost Woods. He wanted to be with the Great Deku Tree. Not just from that weird dream.
But most of all he wanted to see Navi resting on his shoulder. And that just made him angrier. He glared at his feet as he walked away from the mound, the fairies, and Navi.
After some time, he passed over a ridge. Below him lay the broken cart where he had fought and been wounded. I'm still heading forward then. No longer staring at his feet he looked up to the mountain. It would be a hard climb that.
But where else could he go? What else was there for him to do? He told the princess that he would, and you were always supposed to keep your word. Navi and the Great Deku Tree taught him that.
Did he really care about keeping his word anymore? Or was there just nowhere else for him to go? Dark thoughts spread their icy fingers through his mind, but he continued walking down the steep side of the ridge, returning to the road. Toward Death Mountain and the Ruby it held. What else was he supposed to do?
There's nothing else that matters.
He made his way to the cart and looked over it. The cart was picked over and destroyed. Whatever the Goron had been carrying was gone. The wheels had been taken as well, or at least the two of them that weren't destroyed. What remained was splintered with axe and claw.
How long did it take me to heal?
The dead Lizalfos were also gone. He wiped his eyes dry and really started to look around him. Were those claw marks at the front of the cart there when he fought the monsters? He shut his eyes and envisioned the fight as best he could. The Lizalfos had mostly used weapons, hadn't they? They didn't try to claw at the Goron with their talons.
And when he had his back to the cart they had still used their weapons. No, he was certain. Those claw marks were new.
Lizalfos, or something else just as dangerous had been here after he left.
Why was he even here on the road? Navi had been right, as she always was. The road was dangerous. He needed to get off it. He made his way toward the ridge, but stopped. Why was he still listening to Navi? He should keep walking down the road anyway. She couldn't tell him what to do anymore.
No, I'm being stupid again. He shook his head. It was faster if he went by the road. But he knew the road was dangerous. He had barely survived fighting the monsters before. How would he do it now, alone?
He scurried back up the ridge and headed down the other side. So that no one from the road would be able to see him at all.
See Navi? I can learn. He half expected Navi to fly out of a bush and congratulate him for passing a test or proving he wasn't a complete fool.
But of course that didn't happen. He would have to be his own. As he should have been when he first left the Lost Woods. Perhaps if he had first refused her then, then he wouldn't feel so lost now?
No, more likely he would never have made it out of the Woods before madness took him and he withered away with the creatures that lurked in the dark. He never would have made it anywhere without Navi. How could he possibly keep going now?
No! He couldn't think about that. He had to keep moving. He had to.
It rained again that night. He hid under one of the few trees that had any branches full enough to cover him. The next day was better, for the most part. At least as far as the whether was concerned. It was still raining when the sun would rise, so he missed it.
Which for some reason made him cry. Stupid of him, he knew. Always stupid with terrible decisions and a tangled weight in his gut that made every step harder.
About midday he heard some strange rumbling from behind him off in the distance. Whatever made the noise he didn't like the sound of it. He kept ahead of the noise until it stopped just before nightfall. But the sound of the rumbling returning woke him up and kept him moving.
By the second day, the rumbling had definitely gotten closer, and he could see a cloud of dust rise up from the road. Occasionally he'd hear voices as well. It must be a large group of people traveling down the road. How far behind him he did not know, but it was a good thing he was well out of their way. He did not wish to be trampled by such a crowd.
Turning away from the cloud of dust, Link looked ahead up the mountain. He was making good progress. The land had turned jagged and more of a reddish-brown. There were still patches of grass and trees, but far from the greenery he had traveled through just a day before. And the more he peered forward, the more he could see the steady slope of the land. Rising up higher and higher until it would become an actual climb. Maybe the climb would take his mind off his problems. It was hard to be sad when he was busy thinking on where to position his hands and legs.
Something clicked and hissed. Link immediately stopped. "Navi what-?" but of course Navi was not there to answer him. He dropped down to the ground and scrambled behind the nearest rock.
Had he imagined the noise? Perhaps it was just an echo from that massive group on the road?
Something hissed again. He was certain of it this time. Peering around the rock, he squinted, as his eyes wandered up a nearby ridge. It took him a bit for his brain to make sense of what he saw. The lizards stayed so completely still, and their scales mixed perfectly with their rocky surroundings.
Lizalfos, dozens of them by the look of it. All of them facing toward the main road. One of them hissed and snapped its jaws at another. The lizard was missing a hand. Its arm ended in a stump wrapped up in a torn red cloth.
It snipped again, and one of the lizards crawled down the cliff toward the road. Link stayed low, his hand on his sword his body still down. It was by luck they hadn't seen him thus far. But where did the other lizard go? He was too high to really see the road. But he could see the hills on the other side.
It took a few moments, but something scurried up the cliffs on the other side. The Lizalfos stepped to the top, and stopped. One of the stones of the cliff shifted to make room for it, then another and another.
The entire other cliff was covered in more Lizalfos. They were laying in wait. They were going to attack whoever was coming up the road!
Link's fingers grasped the hilt of his sword. He could rush forward and start attacking them. They didn't see him, he would be able to get a few of them before anyone even realized he was there.
But then what? He'd be alone against dozens of Lizalfos. Even if this worked and it made it so they wouldn't be able to attack the riders on the road what then? They would surround and rip him to pieces. How could he ever deal with so many now? He needed to think. What would Navi want him to do?
No. He couldn't keep thinking about her. He needed to focus. If he could not deal with the monsters himself, he still couldn't let whoever was riding into it just go.
He crawled away as fast as he could. Once there was some of the rocky hills between him and the Lizalfos he stood up and ran. He headed straight to the road. The sounds of horses and riders was louder now. The hooves stomping over the road a clear pattern.
A cloud of dust rose before him, and he could see the shapes of horse and rider moving within it. They were coming closer. Link waved his arms. "Wait! Wait! Don't go any further! Stop!"
From the cloud of dust several riders appeared. Four of them, all armored in bright colors with ribbons and jewelry hanging from their arms and necks.
"Stop!" Link shouted to them. "It's a trap! It's a trap!"
The leader of the riders stopped, towering over Link. "Trap? What trap?"
"Up ahead," Link turned and pointed toward the cliffs. "Lizalfos are laying in wait. They're hiding on both sides. When you go in they're going to attack. They've been trying to attack people on the road, and there are even more now."
One of the other riders turned to the first. "Are they supposed to be here?"
The leader spat off the side of her horse. "Not a chance, these are deserters and bandits. Send a messenger back to the main force. Tell them we have an ambush to deal with." Then the leader turned back to Link as one of the riders headed back into the dust past even more figures that appeared. "How many did you see?"
"I couldn't count them all. But dozens, maybe fifty or more."
"And you're the one who found them?"
"Yes," Link said. "What are you going to do? We can still avoid them if you want."
The leader snorted then shook her head. "There's only one thing you do with deserters, especially the ones that have turned to banditry. Even when they aren't monsters." She looked Link up and down and noticed his sword. "You a warrior there?"
"I've fought some of these Lizalfos before. There's one with only one arm, I think he might be their leader. I fought him before, when he was attacking some Goron."
"You drove them off by yourself?"
"Yes," he said. It wasn't true, but they didn't need to know about Navi.
"Brave little voe aren't you? What's your name?"
"Uh, Link. What's a voe?"
The woman laughed. "You are, voe. Where's your people?"
"My people? They're away. Uhh, I'm traveling alone."
"You don't have any people?"
"I guess not."
The woman spat on the other side of her horse then turned to look to the warriors around her. "Thanks for the warning, voe. Mulli go see a place for this kid at the back. See him fed and give him some clothes that don't look like they've been used for target practice."
"On it, Nabs," one of the woman held her hand out to Link. He took it and she pulled him up, helping him onto her horse.
"Oh, thank you," Link said to the woman. "But I don't really need-"
"Hush," the one called Mulli said as she nudged her horse back down the road. More riders came out of the storm of dust. All of them women, most in armor. Some held banners, others rode on wagons of carts, with younger women some barely older than Link scurrying between them offering water and food. "It's safer with us, you don't want to stumble into a Dodongo do you?"
"I suppose not. Is this an army?"
"Hah!" the woman said. "Yes it is, though we're just the vanguard. The rest of the army is a day's ride behind us."
Behind them a horn sounded and the warriors they passed moved forward, readying spears and stringing arrows as they prepared for battle. It had been difficult to tell at first with all of them wearing armor, but now he was certain. All of them were women.
"Oh no," Link whispered.
"No need to worry," Mulli said. "You're aren't going to be fighting today. You're safe. Now you're under the protection of King Ganondorf. Who knows? Maybe he'll want to thank the boy who risked his life to warn us in person."
"How much longer do you think it will be?" Navi asked Telti.
"Not much longer," the other fairy said with a smile. "The Great Mother thinks probably tomorrow."
"Good," Navi nodded. It had already taken far longer than Navi would have thought, but still she was just glad it would be over soon. "So what do you have planned today?"
"Ahh today is going to be an important one. The Great Mother has called to all her brothers and sisters, all the Great Fairies remaining in Hyrule and without. And they have all sent attendants to come speak with you about it."
"With me?" Navi said. "What? No, I'm-"
"You were the highest attendant of the Great Deku Tree were you not?" Telti smiled and held out her hand. Navi took it and together they flew up away from the pool and down the various entangled tunnels of the Great Fairy Shrine. "That's what you said to me."
"I was," Navi said. "But you have to understand, the Great Deku Tree cut his home off from the world. My predecessors might have been great important fairies, but I was little more than a glorified schoolteacher. I'm not someone you want to speak in front of representatives of all the Great Fairies."
"On the contrary," Telti said. "I can think of no one I or the Great Mother would wish to speak more." She gave Navi a sincere warm smile and led her through the tunnels.
As they flew, Navi had to silently thank the Goddesses for Telti. After their first meeting, the fairy had been nothing but accommodating to her. A sister in her duties as she seemed to be the right hand of the Great Fairy as she had been to the Great Tree. But more than that, Telti shared in her woes, listened to her stories about what she had been through, and kept her busy for most the day after she had been healed.
By the Goddesses it felt good to fly again. To truly soar! No aches, no sores that grew whether her wings moved or not. Her cracked wing was fixed and what's more she was no longer tired. All the countless small scratches and weariness that occurred from the months of travel were simply gone.
"Telti," Navi said as they flew. "How long did it take to heal me?"
"When you came to us, you slept for four days. It was the longest I'd ever seen it take the Great Mother to heal anyone. Well, except for that boy you brought."
"Right," Navi said. "Thank you, for looking after me."
"Oh it was no trouble at all. We're here, by the way."
The tunnel opened up into a new pool of water. Around the pool numerous fairies flew in a circle all of different colors. Some bore ribbons, others leaves, some had their glow shift into patterns that almost mirrored clothing. Fairies from around the world all silently turned to look at her.
Navi stopped moving forward. There were so many. Were there truly this many Great Fairies still left? Did each of the dozens of fairies all come from their own individual colony, or were they in some groups that she didn't know?
She needed to say something. They were all staring at her.
"My fellow fairies," Telti came to her rescue, flying to the center of the congregation. "I thank you all for arriving here so quickly. I know the news of the passing of our truest friend, the Lord of Leaf and Root, has devastated us all."
The crowd gave their mournful agreement. Some of them even openly weeping. Which Navi found a little strange. The Great Fairies themselves were all old enough to have met with the Great Fairy. Their magic and spirit were almost as old as the Great Deku Tree himself. But these were not Great Fairies, they were normal like her. None of them had ever met the Great Deku Tree themselves.
But perhaps they had all heard of him in tales and legends. Maybe the Great Fairies spoke of him far more than he talked about the Great Fairies to his own servants. Which was another question that bothered her, if she ever stopped to really think about it. The Great Deku Tree had told her of the Great Fairies, but never went into any real detail about them.
"But we cannot mourn forever. For there are many dangers and duties that need to be addressed. And for this, I have the tainted pleasure of introducing a very special fairy to you all. Pleasure, for my Great Mother has found her as intelligent and caring a fairy as any could hope to meet. But tainted, for the terrible news she has to give us. Please Navi, fly forward."
Ok. This needed to happen. She needed to act like Link in a way. Just keep your head up and do what needed to be done. Don't let anything get in your way. She took a deep breath and flew to the center of the crowd. If she thought there were many fairies before, seeing them now all arranged around her was almost too much.
Just think of them as Kokiri children. I'm not some ambassador for the Lost Woods, all I am is a teacher before some students. Admittedly, those she taught did not have the fate of the world in their hands depending on whether or not they understood her lesson. But then again, perhaps they did, and she just never realized it.
"It is true," Navi began. Good start. She didn't sound anxious at least. "I did bring news of the Great Deku Tree's death. But I must also bring you news of the one who killed him. A man named Ganondorf Dragmire, the King of the Gerudo. I am certain that some of you know of them."
A few fairies nodded their head. "A violent people," said one fairy, who wore his hair so long he wrapped it around himself like a cloak. "All they do is fight and kill."
"Precisely, and it at a great worry to all of us that such a people have brought forth someone as dangerous as this Ganondorf. He casts powerful spells. He was able to taint the very magic of the Great Deku- the Lord of Leaf and Root and I can confirm his magic was neither simple nor weak."
"So what are you saying?" said the fairy that wore blazing changing colors instead of usual clothing.
"I am saying that he has the power to corrupt and destroy whatever is in his sight. He is an existential threat to not just the Great Deku Tree, but all that he remotely considers in opposition to him. He killed the Great Deku Tree because he wanted a single stone."
That got grasps from the crowd. And it wasn't even untrue, though the importance of the stone was a bit understated.
"Now, my Great Mother has gathered you all here today," Telti said, "because she wishes to make a stand against this threat."
Navi nodded, exactly as she had hoped. It had taken days of talking to her, convincing her over and over of the importance. And in truth she was a little surprised when the Great Fairy did eventually agree to take Ganondorf seriously as a threat. Talking to her, Navi always got the distinct impression that she did not truly hear what was being said to her. If she listened at all it was simply to confirm what she already thought.
But it clearly had been a mistake to think so little of her. After all, she organized this meeting.
"How can we stand against someone so powerful?" the fairy wearing his own hair said.
"Thankfully, we have an expert on hand." Telti looked back at Navi.
"Expert might be an overstatement."
"Don't think so little of yourself, darling," said a new fairy, one so portly he looked as round as the glow of his light.
"Yes, please, tell us what you know," came another voice from behind Navi, and when she turned to look at them she could not make out which fairy had spoken.
"Well, we have allies trying to defeat him. Several Hylians who we can rely on to face him."
"Use the Hylians as fodder! Brilliant." The fae all applauded and cheered for her.
"No, that's not what I mean! They're not fodder we need to coordinate. As we are doing with each other right now. We cannot stand against Ganondorf with magic alone, and they cannot face him with only strength of arms. But together I think we have a chance."
"So," came another fairy who flew a bit closer to Navi, though not quite entering the center of the circle. "The Hylians will do the fighting, and we can use our spells to make certain they defeat Ganondorf?"
"Yes."
"That still sounds like fodder to me." Again the fairies gave their words of agreement.
Navi sighed, it truly was like teaching the children. "Let me try to explain again."
The discussion lasted hours, and by the end of it, Navi felt exhausted. But Telti could only sing her praises when they called the council finished for the night. The other fairies must have agreed, for they all gave great whooping cheers, and congratulated her bravery and cunning.
But Navi did not feel particularly cunning. All she had managed to really do is give them some details on what spells she knew Ganondorf for certain could cast. She wasn't even certain the fairies really grasped the concept of being allies with the Hylians.
But they were going to help. She could find a way to smooth out the jagged edges of the alliance when they came up. For now, she let herself relax knowing that she had gained not just one of the Great Fairies, but all of them. Pride was an ugly thing when one let it control them, she had given that lesson to the Kokiri many times. But she let herself feel just the note of pride at her accomplishments for the day.
Telti led her into the winding tunnels of the Fairy Shrine and Navi blinked. Before her she thought she saw only a stone wall, dark and empty. But when her eyes opened again she was surrounded by the white tiles of the tunnels and had no idea where she was supposed to go.
"Telti, can you take me back?"
"Really?" the fairy sighed. "I thought you would like to celebrate, go flying through the night sky or something. Let's see the moon and stars, sit on night-flowers and let the morning dew pool around our feet. It will be fun."
"Thank you," Navi said. "That sounds, well, it sounds lovely. But I have been away for too long."
"Very well," Telti took Navi's hand again. "Let's bring you back. Maybe tomorrow you'll take the offer."
"Maybe," Navi said, but she knew she never would.
Together they flew through the tangled tunnels until they reached the central pool of the Great Fairy Shrine. Navi let go of Telti's hand and flew down to the water. Landing just beside the boy who lay in the pool, his eyes still closed, with only the top of his face poking out of the water.
Still unconscious, but he looked so much better than he had when they first arrived. That's what kept her going day after day. Link continued to improve. The magic of the Great Fairy was working. She wished she could spend the entire day by his side, watching over him to make certain everything was working smoothly. But, as the day had proved sometimes there were things that needed her attention. Link would understand, even if he woke up alone he was safe. She would explain where she was and he'd understand. He was so brave.
She fluttered closer to him and gave him a kiss on his forehead and placed a hand against his temple. "You're so close. When you open your eyes I'll tell you everything I've done to help. I hope I'll make you as proud of me as I always am of you. We'll get out of here. We'll find that Ruby and I'll be able to fly at your side. With an army of fairies all over the world to aid us. We'll be unstoppable." She kissed him again before she flew to the shore and rested there as close to him as she could.
She woke up to the regular sound of fairies going about their business. The endless chatter and flutter of wings.
"Morning Navi," Telti said as she landed beside her. "I hope you're well rested, we have a lot to do today. The Great Mother called all her brothers and sisters, all the Great Fairies remaining in Hyrule and without. And they have all sent attendants to come speak with you about it."
"With me?" Navi said. "What? No. I'm not important enough for something like that."
Telti sighed, she must find Navi's insecurities so trying. She had been such a help throughout this entire ordeal.
"Listen, I'll go speak with them of course. But, about Link. How much longer do you think it will be?"
"Not much longer," the other fairy said with a smile. "The Great Mother thinks probably tomorrow."