Chapter 4
The Lost Woods

As the heavenly songs played by Saria faded behind, the natural tranquillity of the forest came alive.
Link jogged on past the trees, hopped over streams and navigated through marshes, all while following Navi's lead.

"Know where you are?" Navi called down to him.

"Nope!" Link replied before leaping up and over a fallen tree. "Do you know where we are?"

"Home is that way!" Navi pointed. Curiously enough, she wasn't pointing directly behind. Meaning their trail must have curved a little.

"How do you know?"

"Just a feeling~" She chimed, leading him forward with her hands casually resting behind her head. "we fairies know where our friends are the same way you know where your fingers are. And I happen to know that my know-it-all sister is in that direction!"

As Link looked where she was pointing, Navi went on to explain that Rose would also know where they are by sensing her direction.
"I can sense the Deku Tree's life force, and other spirits as well."

"That's amazing."

"It is amazing, so feel free to keep telling me." Navi didn't realise how much having a Kokiri was an ego boost. Simple everyday facts to her are so fascinating to Link. "Why did Rose never tell you these things?"

"I, never asked I suppose…" Link had always assumed Rose's clairvoyance in finding her way about was just her having a good sense of direction. "One question, if you can sense everything, why do you need me to carry you?"

"Why? Am I a burden?" Navi shot him offended looking glance by the mere suggestion, but her face couldn't keep the act up. She was only teasing him after all. "I can sense my sister, my friends, and other powerful spirits. I can't sense ordinary trees or rocks, I'll bump into everything if I'm not careful… Spider webs are a big problem, especially Skulltulas, but they don't live this close to home…"

"Sounds bad…" Link found himself at the edge of a steep slope going down tens of feet. "How would you find your way about without me?" He asked before skidding down to a tree growing out the side of the slope. The trunk acted as a stable place to stand while he planned the rest of his descent.

"Well, this morning one of my friends offered to guide me."

"She's a fairy too?" Link carefully climbed down from the trunk he was leaning against and slid on his hands and knees down to the next one.

"He." Navi clarified as she watched Link work his way down the slope. "Sekk's a boy. Just a few years older than you, I think."

"Okay, but how would he see in the dark?"

"Ah, well boy fairies don't actually glow. Their skin has colour, but no light. That's why they never get paired with Kokiri. Their job is to watch over us while we sleep at night and vice versa during the day."

Once Link reached the bottom of the slope, he clapped the dirt from his hands as Navi tried to think where to go next.
"This would be easier if we could fly…" She muttered, trying to feel her sense of direction.

"Come down a little more and I'll hop on your shoulders for once," Link suggested.

"you're so funny~" Navi giggled as she tried to picture the way out based on where they came from. "There's a million ways we could leave the forest, but we need to reach Hyrule City, so the best place to leave from is…" Closing her eyes, she tried to remember. "Enough, I'm going up top."

Link watched as Navi flew up to the forest roof until she vanished above the trees. Knowing she'd be able to find him easy enough, Link wondered about on his own.
He noticed that Deku trees were getting fewer in number the further out they walked, and the cheerful sounds of songbirds were getting replaced by the squawks of crows.
The golden rays of light he was used to seeing fall from the trees were gone. Hours must have passed since his journey through the woods started without him even noticing.

"Okay!" Navi called as she fell back down. "We've got a long ways to go. The good news is, I can just barely make out the top of the Deku Tree from here."

"Really?" Link shut his eyes and wondered about the time he and Saria got lost. Had he crossed that point yet? Is this truly the furthest he'd ever gone out? "This is some adventure..."

"If you need a rest, say so." Navi suggested with her hands sheepishly hid behind her back.

"No no, I'm fine…" Between his daily chores and playing in the woods until the late hours, plus the excitement of coming out so far on an actual adventure, Link was still bursting with energy.

"Okay… good…"
Link watched the way Navi hovered. She used to be able to stay floating in one spot, but now she was bobbing up and down.

"Actually…" Link muttered as he took a knee. "I might eat something before we carry on."

"I thought as much, don't be afraid to say when you need a break!" Navi plopped herself down on a branch, trying her best not to look as tired as she felt.

Link sorted through his bag and found a few pears and apples. "Navi, what do you eat?"

"I like berries. But I can eat any soft food."

Link snapped the tip off his pear and offered it to Navi, who hopped off her branch to take it.

"Thank you!" Navi tucked in, enjoying the sweet juicy pear. By the time the small fairy was full, so little was missing from what was originally there. "Do you want to finish this?"

"Sure." Link threw the remains in his mouth, completing what was essentially his breakfast for the day. "Saria put in a water bottle too, thirsty?"

"No thanks."

Link took a quick gulp before popping his bottle back into his bag.

"Are we going already?" Navi asked.

"Yeah. But, if it's too dark for you to see, you can hop on my head."

"It's not that d…" Navi looked around. She could see fine, but her wings were a little tired. "Actually, yes." She flew up to his head.
It was a good thing that Navi couldn't see Link's smile bursting out on his lips. He couldn't believe the lengths she'd go to just to avoid saying she needs a rest.

Navi couldn't understand her tiredness either. Usually, she could fly as far they've come and back five times over.
But right now she needs to circle around Link, going at his pace and putting in more effort but getting less distance.
Navi did remember Rose talk about being tired all the time once she was paired with Saria. At least it passes quick.

As the two continued on together, Navi clung tightly as she sat in his dark blond hair. It was rather soft and cushiony as he hopped and jogged through the woods.
Although she felt like she was taking advantage of him, Link genuinely couldn't feel her weight at all. If not for her giving directions and answering his questions about fairies, Link could very easily forget she's with him.

"Hey, listen," Navi called out. "I'm starting to see white lights…"

"Where?" Link spun on the spot, looking out for lights.

"No, I mean around my eyes. How dark is it for you? Can you still see where you're going?"

Despite still feeling full of energy from the excitement of exploring the Lost Woods, Link slowed down a little.
It was getting a little darker than before, but he knew now that darkness was falling, it'll be pitch black very soon.

"I could start making a fire, or I could look for shelter…"

Now Navi did feel bad. Had she been paying attention, she might have been able to fly off on her own and look for shelter while Link collected firewood.

"So long as we don't get lost… we'll be fine…" Link assured her as he knelt to remove his bag.
He pulled out a small pot of Deku sap and dipped the very tip of a dried branch.

"What's that? Smells kinda sweet."

"You don't want to eat this," Link put the pot away and with a few strikes from his fire kit, the sap ignited into a bright ball of fire. "Can you see now?"

Navi couldn't take her eyes off the intense flame.
"it's a little better…" She climbed down to his right shoulder, where she was less troubled by the brightness from the flame in Link's left hand as they marched on, looking for a place to wait until morning.

Navi found a comfortable way to sit by leaning back against Link's neck and using the collar of his shirt as a cover that keeps her warm and secure while he takes his steps.
With her own eyes being so useless, she felt safe being carried like this.
Looking up at him, only the parts of his face in direct light were visible but she could see his determined look as he soldiered on into the unknown.

'I'm supposed to be the one watching over him…' Navi thought as she shut her eyes.

After what felt like only a minute of sleep, Navi was shaken awake when Link finally stopped his march to kneel down.

"Where are we?" She clung to his shirt as she tried to steady herself.

"I've found a place to rest." Link carefully sat Navi on the cold ground as he went inside a dead Deku tree.

It was only about twice as tall as he and a third its own height in width.
Decay and rot had made the soft inside hollow, a suitable place to sleep with some work.

Navi watched Link stab the torch he made into the ground to keep a light going as he dug out a small trench around the mouth of the opening and inlined it with dried twigs and sticks.
When he was done with that, Link left the torch burning outside but gently lifted Navi inside the dead tree.

"I'm going to make a fire," He told her before walking off to collect sticks and leaves.

By the time he'd returned and the fire was ablaze, Navi could actually start to see the ground and nearby trees. She even felt safe enough to walk out of the den and sit beside Link.

She did stumble down and into the trench he'd made but kept that to herself as she hobbled over the sticks and climbed out to reach him.
"How did you learn to do all this?"

"Watching everyone else," Link skewered a mushroom on a stick to roast over the fire. "I came up with how to dig a rain trench on my own, though."

"A what?" Navi looked back to their den. "Oh, does that keep the rain out?"

"Some of it. But that's not all it's good for," Link withdrew his skewer from the flame once it was cooked. "Mushroom?" He asked, breaking a small piece off for her.

"I don't really like them," She admitted, but the smell was rather nice as she took it in her hands. "Ouch!" She dropped it to the ground, flapping her wrists in agony.
As she tried to shake the pain from her burnt hands, she watched Link pour some water into his cupped hand for her.
It was such a relief to dip her hands in the cool water, even if it took a mere few seconds to match Link's body heat.

"That's a little better..." She hissed to herself before demanding an explanation from Link in a more accusatory tone than she meant. "What was that?"

"It was the mushroom," He said.

"Well, why are you burning them?"

"I wasn't, I was just…" Link suddenly felt like an idiot. Navi was a wild fairy until that morning, so she's probably not held cooked food before.
Navi thought he was adding fuel to the fire or making a new torch when she saw a stick hovering over the flame.

Once the initial shock had faded, Navi attempted to pick up the mushroom now that it had time to cool.

"You eat it hot?" She questioned, squinting to make out his face against the firelight. As distrustful as she was, after her first bite, she was surprised by how much better it was than when she ate fresh mushrooms off the ground.
"can, I have some more, please?"

Link broke another piece off from another mushroom he had roasted on the same skewer, but not before blowing in it first.

"Oh, I like this one more!"
After 'breakfast' he realised that the difference Navi makes from eating into his portion won't mean much to him, but she'll actually be left hungry should he eat into hers'. So as a new rule going forth, only after his fairy was full would Link eat something himself.

After their quick dinner, Link carried Navi into the den before returning to the fire.

"What are you doing now?" Navi could hardly see anything, even against the fire.

Link had left some sticks half out of the fire. Using the cool ends as handles, he brought them back to the den along the outside of the trench he made.
Once they were in place, Link hopped into the shelter with Navi.
From this close, Navi understood what he was doing.

"Is that safe?" Navi could feel the heat coming from the trench, but the flames weren't spreading too much even as Link fed in more sticks.

"It'll keep us warm," He told her as he backed up to the far side of the tree. "If it gets out of control, I'll throw this over it,"

Navi couldn't really see the loose dirt he was letting fall through his fingers, but she could feel it under her feet
"When I got up this morning, I was expecting a little kid I'd have to take care of," Navi beamed a smile at him as she felt her way around for a cosy spot to sleep herself. As she leaned back against the bark, the cool ground beneath her complemented the warm heat radiating from the fire just outside in the trench. "But you, you're a clever one~"

Link curled up with his back to the wall, watching her soothing blue glow as she shut her eyes.
The woods were quiet, and the crackle of the fire was calm.
But he had questions at the back of his mind.
"Navi…? why did it take so long for me to get a fairy?"

For so long everyone had been telling Link he was without one because he'd done something wrong.
The hurt it caused him for so many years made him want to abandon the forest at night and just keep walking. But the knowledge that children who die in the woods become the dreaded Strawkids was always a frightening notion, one that kept him home.

"Well, it might have been, because of me…" Navi crossed her arms. She couldn't see his face but could feel his eyes. "Know how you're not allowed to explore the woods on your own? Well, I'm not really supposed to leave the woods either… but Hyrule is just so amazing!"

"So you have been out there!?" Link's interest was piqued.

Navi nodded. Her reckless wondering was why her sister always got on her back about being such a kid herself. Without the Deku Tree's protection, there are many nasty creatures out there that could easily kill a tiny fairy. Being blinded by the night doesn't help her chances either, neither does being out there alone.

"Isn't that why the Deku Tree paired us?" Link suggested. "So you can show me the way?"

"Could be…" Navi laughed through her nose as she leaned forward. "Or maybe he was just trying to get rid of two pests~" She laughed on her own for a moment, then felt a little awkward. "haha, eh… Link. I can't tell if you're smiling, or if you found that insensitive. So just to be clear, I was joking."

"I know." Link answered with a smirk. The thought had crossed his mind too, But the real reason he was keeping his chuckle silent was that more so than her joke, he found her snort-laugh funny and didn't want to come off as rude.
"Why do boy fairies not have a glow?" He asked, somewhat randomly.

"I don't know, they just don't."

"Okay..." Link tried to think if he'd ever met one before. Most of the fairies he sees are guardians. "What's Hyrule like?"

"Hmmm, big?" Navi curled up. "It's a huge place. The temple ruins you saw from the Deku tree, well there are cities with buildings almost as big lined up and down stone roads!"

"wow..." Link couldn't wait to see it for himself.

"Tell me, Link. What's my sister like? As a guardian I mean." Navi was most curious about this. She was hoping Link would unknowingly give her hints on what she should be doing day by day.

"She just sort of, watches over us." Link was too shy to admit how often he and Saria could get scolded for being stupid.

The two whispered questions back and forth as the night went on until they both fell asleep.

As the cinders outside continued to crackle and burn themselves out, a cold mist poured into the trench and through the mouth of the tree.
The hollow rattles of wooden chimes and bells played throughout the wood, bringing terror to Link's slumber.

His body jolted awake, as he looked over the white mist pouring in.
His heart pounded as he climbed to his knees and looked outside, almost burning his hand on the still-warm ashes.
"n-Navi…!" He whispered, keeping an eye out as the fog drew nearer.

Navi opened her eyes, but for all the good it did her, she may as well have kept them shut.
"What's going on?" She yawned loudly, staring in the direction of Link's voice.

"I think, the Strawkids are coming…!" Link pulled himself in as far back as he could, hoping they wouldn't find him.

"Strawkids?" Navi tried to relax, sensing for spirits in the fog, but both her and Link's breath was caught when they heard a noise.
A step much heavier than they'd ever heard before in the forest, and a wet gangly voice that followed.

Navi was still blind as ever, but she could hear this sound too, and just motioned for Link to relax by holding a hand out.

"food…? food…?" The voice was intertwined with grunts and coughs, loud sniffs from a fleshy snout and heavy steps.

Link stared into the mist, watching a hunched over creature hobble its way to his bag still sitting where he built the fire.

"Food!" It lifted his bag by the strap, letting the contents spill out on the ground.

Link looked the creature over. It wasn't a Strawkid, and it certainly wasn't another Kokiri. Link leaned a little closer, but not enough to risk being spotted.
After all, he was securely hidden in the dark mouth of the tree and the fog was closing in.
But so too were the rattling bells and rustling leaves.

"Are you lost?" Whispered a whistly voice as the leaves started to circle the creature.

The creature snarled, pulling out a weapon as it looked for the voice.

The leaves picked up behind, floating in mid-air as the Strawkid pulled his trumpet to his lips.
One hard blow was enough to scare the creature into a frenzy, dropping his sword and running into the fog.
"hehehe, he'll be lost forever~" The Strawkid turned to stare directly at the boy hiding in a tree.

Link's frightened blue eyes met with the piercing yellow lights behind the straw face.

"You…" The Strawkid pointed at him, tilting his head to the side. "Are you lost too?"

Link felt an icy chill run over him as he desperately tried to find his voice as the Strawkid waddled closer.

"Kokiri die if they leave the forest, don't you know?" He giggled, and with another blow of his trumpet, the Strawkid frayed away into leaves and as the fog retreated into the trees, so too did the Strawkids chilling voice. "If we stay here, we live forever and ever and ever and ever~"

Once he was absolutely certain it was safe, Link crawled out of the den to collect his belongings and pack them back into his bag.
Just before he returned to his hiding place, Link spotted the glint of the weapon used by the creature that ran away.
Knowing he might need it, Link brought the short sword with him.

"I don't sense anything else out there, no spirits, and I don't hear any creatures…" Navi told him from her corner.

Link held his bag close to his chest as he felt his eyes get heavy. Despite the fear he felt just a moment ago, he couldn't stay awake for long and soon drifted off before Navi could even assure him things would be okay.