The owl perched high in the trees, looking down on the Gerudo Tribe. The normally resplendent Gerudo vests, armor and pants were tattered and muddy. Coming from the desert, they were not used to the damp chill of the forest in the cold season. It showed on their faces, in their demeanor, in the way they held their shoulders and heads cowed.
"My owl kin tells me that you harmed living trees to make your fire, and threatened one of my Kokiri children," the Great Deku Tree intoned solemnly.
The Gerudo guard who had pushed the Kokiri woman stepped forward. "I take responsibility for my actions, I was merely defending myself from her, and it got out of control. I had asked for directions, and she offered none, saying that if she left the forest she would die. I lost my temper and I am sorry. In the Valley, we always offer support to strangers so I was not prepared for someone to withhold help."
"Nonsense! I saw her push Saria away after she came to the defense of the trees! They took live wood you know! Ever since the drought, growth has slowed even in the heart of the Kokiri forest. If we have outsiders taking wood, there surely won't be enough for us Kokiri to light our own fires! Plus they didn't follow the rule of the land to only take downed wood with permission from the trees themselves" the owl exclaimed.
"Kaepora, you know they are not from here. We can tell that by looking at them. They are soaked and cold. I guess life in the desert never taught you how to live in the forest! We Kokiri value honesty, so thank you for coming to us to explain your side. However, my Kokiri children grow angry at the presence of you all. Saria is the foremost guardian of the forest, and others are now looking for ways to avenge her. I believe you met one of these, a boy named Link. Though he is a Hylian, we have adopted him. He now feels extremely protective of the Kokiri, and even believes he is one of us. I feel it is best if you keep your time here short." The Deku Tree sighed deeply, looking worn and a bit rotten. The wood on the lips had taken a dark brown hue, and small mushrooms had begun to sprout at the base of the roots. No matter how many times she removed the fruiting bodies, they would come back within a weeks time.
Ganondorf noticed this with curiosity. "Forgive me Great Deku Tree, we surely will be traveling back soon. Well, we must first stop at the lands of the Goron and Zora to establish the entirety of our plan to terraform the Valley. As you know, a Gerudo male heir is born but once every 100 years, and I have only recently been crowned King. I come to discuss how the Gerudo and Kokiri could work together for mutual benefit. I am but a figurehead for the Gerudo, and it is my duty to interact with the other races of Hyrule on behalf of the Matriarchs while they attend to domestic affairs. On another note, I can't help but notice the hue of your lips and the mushrooms. Are you feeling ok, Great Deku Tree?"
The Great Deku Tree sighed deeply again. "How odd that even a Gerudo can tell of my sickness in this state. Yes, I am reaching the end of my life. Fortunately, sprouts have begun to come up around me. I don't have the heart to tell all of the Kokiri that my time is coming to an end. Of course Saria knows, as the main forest guardian, but Link has no idea yet. But anyway, that is not why you come here. What kind of relations do you wish to establish between the Kokiri and the Gerudo? Even in my long lifetime, I cannot recall a time when the Kokiri and Gerudo have had proper interactions. Easily three or four of your male ancestors ago."
Ganondorf paused, coughed, and took a deep breath. "Well, first, I would like to present the Kokiri Matriarch with a gift. You may know that the Gerudo are also a matriarchal society, so we recognize the importance of honoring our elders, both living and deceased. This is an emerald of the finest quality that reflects the verdant green of your forest and its people. May it remind you of the care the Gerudo have for our neighbors to the east."
The Great Deku Tree smiled. "Yes, this is indeed a fine emerald. I know exactly who to give it to. For now, I will keep it within myself until the time is right. Your gift is exquisite: let us then see what kind of request comes with such a precious gift."
Ganondorf couldn't stop from blushing slightly. His dark skin became clammy. The first necessary step, with many more contiguous ones to go. "We notice the beautiful plant life within the forest. Having spent my years learning Gerudo history, I know that a beautiful green once also graced our land. It was a time of great abundance for the Gerudo, several generations of Kings back." He paused, to emphasize the words he was about to say. "But the climate has changed. We overharvested what was available to us, expecting the rains to return to drench the higher elevations and trickle down all the way to the Valley floor where our most prized farmland lies. As even you know in the Forest, the rains have not come. All we have left is the river at the bottom of the valley." He paused again, preparing for the final position. "However, there is hope for the valley floor given abundant water and careful irrigation. I wish to reseed food and fiber plants that are hardy and drought resistant. I know that Kokiri forest is a diverse biome, carrying many plants that could be adapted to the Valley. Could you spare some fruit trees, some medicinal plants, anything that could help us begin to recreate the bountiful harvests we once had in Gerudo Valley? I trust you to know what plant life could thrive in the harsh desert conditions."
The owl chimed in quickly, cutting off the Great Deku Tree. "My queen, you know you don't have the energy for this. If they extract life energy from the forest, it will surely come out of your aging body. As they say in other lands, energy is not created or destroyed, it only changes form. If they take energy from the Forest to seed the Valley floor, it must come from within or around us. What will the Kokiri say, knowing that the Gerudo were given the very lifeblood that sustains them? We are not immune from the drought ourselves."
The Great Deku Tree frowned lightly. "You raise a good point, I don't have much life energy left to give, as this Gerudo King has already intuited. But what they ask for is minimal. Or really, what we might offer them is minimal. It is not a quick fix; the plants we must offer will grow slowly, but they are hardy to the drought. But they cannot tolerate it as dry as your land. You will need much more than simply an irrigation project."
"I figured as much," Ganondorf mused. "I have an idea. We will visit the Gorons and ask for the rich black volcanic ash along with dodongo fertilizer to amend the soil and trap moisture while requesting a water irrigation allowance from the Zora. We have to be careful not to drain too much from what enters Lake Hylia. The plan you so quickly understood requires much coordination, but we have more gifts to show our sincerity to the Gorons and Zora."
The Great Deku Tree nodded. "It is a good start. But I see it requires more work. Once you have the water and volcanic ash and dodongo fertilizer in place on the Valley floor, come back to us and we will find the plants you requested. I hope that by sharing with you, we can spread the influence of the forest and help the Kokiri too. Imagine, one day when Gerudo and Kokiri cohabitate in the Gerudo valley, green and lush with the woodland species from Kokiri forest!"
At this, the Gerudo nodded and departed. The owl watched with a suspicious eye, and flew off to share the gossip with two choice Hylians out of earshot of the Great Deku Tree.