Two weeks had passed since that day.
It was sunrise before the dark clouds started to roll. Seeing the sky, Bato wished he had some rubber boots and a raincoat to continue working. Alas, the Middle Ages didn't have those luxuries. Stretching and enjoying what was left of the sun's rays before the rain fell, Bato saw something in the distance. A peasant man was riding a horse that was pulling a wagon. It was full of crates. He was headed right for the farm.
"I wonder what this could be about?" He waited as the wagon pulled slowly in. Hopping off, the man fixed his satchel and walked towards the farmer. He had a white T-shirt, white shorts, abrown cap and sandals. "Running man," Bato mumbled as the Running Man greeted him.
"Good morning, sir! I'm here to deliver some mail. Three. As well, as a crate."
Bato looked at the wagon. There was acrate with a cow's face on it. "Let me guess. The crate's from Lon Lon?"
"Who else would have a crate like that?" The Running Man took a document, an ink pot and a quill. "If you can confirm that you are accepting the contents of this delivery, please sign on the scroll."
"I wasn't expecting anything." Bato signed, and the Running Man took out three letters and handed themover to him. He was about to go get the crate when Bato offered to help him carry it over.
"I cannot sir. Although I appreciate the thought, I take my job very seriously." He started to move the cart off the wagon. Upon closer inspection, the wooden crate was a square; sizeable enough for one person to carry it. Once down on the ground, he carried it over near Bato's house.
"For a scrawny guy, he sure is strong." The Running Man stretched his back. "Best be on your way quickly, friend. Storm clouds are approaching, and I would hate for your wagon to be stuck in the mud."
"I'll keep that in mind, sir." He got on his horse and, with the wagon, made a U-turn towards Castle Town." Once alone again, Bato started to open the first letter. It was in a fancy parchment, sealed with the sign of the royal family.
Bato of Termina,
An investigation into the bandit attack on your farm has concluded.
Evidence suggests that the bandits were part of a bigger organization, operating in the slums of Castle Town. Bobsa, the leader you captured, became cooperative after his 'questioning' at the Royal Castle. As I mentioned before, many of Hyrule's institutions have been compromised, and we are starting to root out anyone involved in said organization. That includes merchants, nobles and, to my deepest regret, guardsmen.
Your actions in apprehending the bandits were the first step into uncovering the corruption that has been plaguing Castle Town after its inception. The Hyrulian Guard thanks you sincerely for the opportunity to regain our lost honour. Further, your actions have garnered attention from the King and members of the Royal Court. Expect an official summons to the castle soon.
Lord Jofary Cobn, Hyrulian Captain
"Dammit." But Bato shouldn't be surprised by this development. Jofary did tell him that actions tend to attract all kinds of people. To salvage any sort of discreetness of his life, he had to write back; thanking the Lord for his help and decline the summons. "As if I can decline a royal summons." Bato then opened another letter. Some fancy parchment, with the seal of the commerce guild.
Bato
After considering your offer, and conferring with the rest of the guild members, we have decided to move forward with your proposition. As the wolfos pelts have already been appraised and transported, we will accept this as an initial investment towards the community kitchen. We have also informed the Church of this development, and they seem more than eager to help.
I've also written to the council of the guild's proposition, and they assured me that this plan will be relayed to His Majesty, the king. We will start holding consultations on where the community kitchen will be. Further, members of the guild have decided to support this kitchen through financial and physical needs. Just don't expect everything to be done quickly. There's a lot of bureaucracy to deal with before we can start.
Maybe the guild members or the nobility needed a kick in the ass to get this project moving. Like you said, some are looking this way to see where this is all going. All I know is that, like it or not, you'll be an integral part of this. It was your idea, after all.
Baza, Hyrulian Guild Master, Commerce Guild
This made Bato smile a little. The community kitchen was going ahead. It'll be a slow start, but that's like everything in this world. In any world, for that matter. He was able to read the third letter when he felt a raindrop on his face. It had started to rain. Running towards the house, he spotted the wooden crate, picked it up and ran inside. Placing it on a table, he was thankful he got inside in time. Soon, a torrent of water started to come down from the sky, soaking everything.
The patter on the roof made Bato hope that it wasn't going to leak. Opening the crate, he saw milk. Two dozen bottles of milk. He opened the third letter. It was a simple parchment.
Mr Bato.
I cannot thank you enough for saving my little girl from those bastards. I'm sorry I couldn't send this sooner.
Malon has always had a knack of exploring Castle Town on her own. She found my job of delivering to the Royal Castle boring. I thought nothing of it; she usually got back when I was done. That night, she didn't. When my little girl was brought to me that night, I hugged her so tightly never wanting to let go. That night, she slept with me. She was shivering and crying. She's always been a strong girl. Kind-hearted and strong. But now, she's changed. She's scared of everyone who comes in. She stays close to me — now.
If I had paid attention to her more. Made sure that she was safe. Worked hard instead of sleeping on the ground like I always do! I let her down. She's paying for my mistake. I swear, I'll do right by her. From now on, whenever she needs me, I'll be there for her!
I don't understand why I'm writing to you about this. Maybe because I feel the need to confess to someone about what happened. It takes my mind off knowing that there are kind and courageous people like yourself in this mess of a world. I owe you a life debt. If you need anything, anything at all, my door is always open to you.
Talon, Lon Lon Ranch
"Well, maybe if you didn't sleep your ass down all the time this wouldn't have happened." Bato thinks this but relents. Talon was making efforts to change himself and to be a better father to Malon. "It's just unfortunate that you decided to turn over a new leaf when after the fact." He would have to reply to all these letters. It wasn't a good idea to keep a Lord, a guild master and a potential partner waiting. He reached for the milk when a flash of lightning lit up the parchment windows. Seconds later, there was a crashing noise.
"Shit." Running out of the house, he looked around. He could barely see anything. Squinting and soaked, he made his way to the field where he saw his field starting to flood. With this, Bato made the realization that he failed to put dikes in when making the fields. Running frantically towards the tool hut, he grabbed a shovel and started to dig. It was a good fifteen minutes before he realized it was no use. There was no way that he could create a dike in this storm now. The crops were already ruined. All that was left was to salvage whatever was left when the storm let up.
Slumped in defeat, he turned to put the shovel back when a force knocked him back. His face was covered in mud. Aggravated by his failure on top of his crops being destroyed, he couldn't help but scream out. "DICK! WHAT THE FUCK!" He wiped the mud off his face and stamped angrily into the ground. It was then, he saw.
It was a brown horse, almost waist high. Black and white hooves with a white mane. The rain was so loud that the horse's neighs were covered by the patter of the water. Bato looked on, struggling to see the horse in front of him.
"You look…Familiar…" The horse looked visibly agitated and continued to buck. Wiping his face again, Bato looked closer until he realized: this wasn't just any horse, "E-Epona?" Epona bucked wildly, got close to him and bit his tunic. He was trying to drag him off somewhere. The rupee dropped at that moment. "Where is your rider? Where's Link?" He suddenly released Bato, turned around and headed towards the Lost Woods with the man hot on his heels.
The forest canopy was covering the floor, so there was little rain coming through. Epona was bolting through the woods, Bato barely keeping ten feet away. He couldn't think about that now. For all he knew, Link could be in danger and was about to die. "That's impossible. He can easily fight off whatever this forest can throw at him. He's got equipment, masks, items to deal with any threat." And yet, Epona was running faster like the wind. They continued, avoiding the fallen trees, the deep odour of underearth, and the sounds of water crashing onto the leaves.
Just as his lungs were about to burst from all the running, Epona stopped. In front of them: a pack of wolfos surrounding a dead tree log. There were about ten of them.
"In there?" Bato asked. Epona neighed in response. Summoning his bound sword, he conjured a fireball. He hit a wolfos that had its head in the hole. Immediately, all the other wolfos started to growl and snap at him. "Ten against one, that's hardly fair."
The entire pack descended upon him. Epona starting to buck some other wolfos. Bato took up his blade and sliced two of them. "Chain Lighting!" An electric bolt shot out from his free hand and targeted three wolfos in proximity. They fell to the ground, a smoking mess. Once again, he used Chain Lighting to attack three more wolfos before Epona was able to stomp the living daylights out of his prey. The two remaining wolfos started to back away, snapping defensively. Bato flung a fireball between the two, knocking them unbalanced.
A loud howl erupted from the forest's darkness. A wolfos with brown fur and red eyes charged towards Bato. The brown wolfos was so fast and attempted to slash at Bato, who blocked with his sword. There was great power behind every blow the wolfos made with his claws. Then, he circled and tried to attack again. Bato rolled out of the way; sword held in defence.
"You're not like the others, are you?" As if to answer, the brown wolfos growled and lunged right at him. Blocking once again, the force of the strike knocked Bato into a nearby tree. The man shook it off, in frustration. "I don't have time to play with you." Once again, the brown wolfos lunged at him, but Bato sidestepped out of the way. He raised his blade and struck the beast down, gore rushing out from its unfortunate body. The gore was washed away by an opening of the forest canopy and the rain. The remaining two wolfos started to back away, snapping and growling. They turned away and ran deeper into the forest.
As Bato ran deeper toward the log, he saw a satchel and its contents littered on the forest floor. "The Hook shot. The Lens of Truth. Deku Nuts. Yeah, it's him, alright." Grabbing what he could find, he stuffed everything unceremoniously back into the satchel. It was like a bottomless pit; eating everything that he put in. Finally, he came across a blue ocarina. Bato inspected it in fascination. "Huh. Don't want to leave this here." Stuffing the ocarina back, he went towards the log.
Epona was already there, neighing and nudging against the hole. A small hand gripped the edge of the hole. Slowly, an arm started to appear. Then the body. Then the legs. He was breathing heavily. He was caked in mud and blood. As he reaches into the log for his iconic green hat, Link finally notices Bato walking towards them. He grimaces, then faints. The farmer rushes to him, and he has a closer look at the young hero.
Green tunic with shorts. Green hat. Back scabbard with a gilded sword. A belt around his waist with brown boots. Surprising simple. He also noted scratches, big and small, on his arms and torso. His left ankle was swollen; barely fitting in the boot. On his chest was a deep claw mark, ripping through the tunic and showing his small frame. His chest raised and down, with difficulty. Scooping him up, Bato wasted no time in taking him back to his home, with Epona close behind. The horse was too small. There was no way he was going to be able to ride the mare, anyway. Epona was a temperamental horse and all.
It was still raining by the time Bato returned from the forest, carrying Link in his arms. The hard water splashed them both, and he regretted not taking a cover for the rain. Dashing through the door and throwing the satchel on the table, he got Link on a sofa. Grabbing a blanket, medicinal herbs, wrappings and a wrapped loincloth, he had to move quickly before the hypothermia set in.
He unbuckled his back scabbard and laid the glided sword on the ground. He undid his belt and slowly removed each boot. The right foot was okay, if not a little dirty. The left foot was a different story. It was twice its size, with black/ blue colourization in the middle and warm to the touch. Removing the one-piece tunic, Link was down to his shorts. He quickly grabbed a wooden bucket full of almost boiled water; salt, some vinegar, and a cloth. Laying him down again, he began to dip the cloth in the water/vinegar mixture.
"I'm going to wash your body and clean the wounds. There will be some pain. Grit your teeth and bear it."
He started to wipe him down, Link's face contorting uncomfortably in the firelight. While he made gentle noises, he didn't move. Bato tried to move slowly, but his shaking hands were making things difficult. Taking the wet shorts, drying the area, and replacing it (he had to tighten a linen cloth; it was twice his size), he began to prepare the medicinal herbs and wrappings.
"I'm going to apply some medicinal herbs to deal with the wounds and bleeding," Bato said, softly. "Again, this will hurt a little." Thankful that he grabbed some medicinal herbs and a book about wound care at the market, he started to rub them on the wounds. Link again started to make sounds of discomfort but didn't move. Afterwards, he gently bandaged his arms, chest, and leg. Carrying him upstairs, he set him on the bed and put a blanket on him.
"The book says to expect a fever in a couple of days. And pain. Soft foods to eat. Clean and bandage again the wounds each day." Bato read the book out loud to instill some confidence. But regardless of what he thought, there was a nagging sensation of his best not being enough. He was a farmer, not a doctor. "Luckily, there weren't any broken bones, or I would be in trouble." Bato gazed upon the young boy, now sleeping on his bed. Looking at his foot, Bato took some more linens and elevated the foot. "Now, you can rest."
Not once did Link make any faces. He was calm.
Bato didn't feel comfortable about having Link in linens, but all his clothing was too big. His tunic and shorts were now drying off at the fireplace. He looked at the satchel. Reaching in, he noticed the bag was completely black inside. A space. Hesitating for only a moment, he reached in there and pulled out the Ocarina of Time. Taking a closer look at it, he noted its simplistic beauty. Who would imagine that an instrument like this would be the key to unlimited power? Putting it back in, he fished around and pulled out a Deku Mask. Looking at it the same way, he put the mask away and took out an empty bottle.
"So long as I think about what item I want, I can bring it out." Bato put the satchel back on the table and went out the door. Epona was hanging out at the workstation area when he approached him.
"He's alright now. He just needs food and rest. It might take a while, though." Bato took some big carrots out and began feeding the horse. "You're a good friend. That means something in this world." The rain was starting to let up. Tomorrow, he would have to look at his field and salvage whatever he could. Then, he had to make dikes to avoid something like this happening again. After feeding Epona, he entered the house again. He grabbed some thread, and a needle, and looked at the tunic. There were claw marks right at the front. "I'm not a tailor, but I'll try my best."
It was evening now. Holding the tunic, Bato had not made any progress. His stitches were terrible, and it looked like he was going to rip the fabric. Sighing, he thought for a moment before the green stone, that he wore around his neck, started to glow. Holding it out, the stone glowed brightly towards the Lost Woods. "She might know how to sow. But this is her friend we're talking about. She'll want to know what happened. If she didn't already." It was strange, but the forest was Saria's domain. Would she know what had happened to her friend?
Taking a bundle of string, a needle, and the tunic, Bato began to walk towards the bench. He saw Saria already there. She had a troubled look on her, but when she saw the tunic, her face turned white as a ghost. "Where did you get that?" she asked, shakily.
"A young boy was attacked by a pack of wolfos. His horse led him to me."
Saria's voice began to panic. "Where is he? Is he okay?!"
Bato held his hands up. "He's resting now. I tended to his wounds and bruised ankle. So long as he keeps off that, he'll recover in a couple of weeks."
The Kokiri held her hands to her heart, nodded weakly, and sat down. Bato sat right beside her. "You wouldn't happen to know how to sow, do you?"
"Do you have a thread and a needle?"
Nodding, he took out the thread and needle. Saria took it gingerly. "Let me see the tunic." Handing it over to her, she began to work. Her work with the needle and thread was expertly done. Stitch after stitch, she threaded the needle through the garment. The holes started to disappear. In no time, the tunic was made whole again. She gave back the needle, thread, and tunic quietly.
"Thank you." Bato saw that Saria was still troubled. He decided to throw her a line. "It seems that you're very familiar with that tunic. Following that logic, I must ask. Do you know the boy?"
"He's a good friend of mine," Saria said, quietly. "His name is Link."
"Link? That's an unusual name. I thought the Kokiri were hiding. I wonder what he was doing out here?"
"I couldn't say." Saria had her hands on her lap. "Link disappeared a year ago. I had always wondered what happened to him. I mean, I knew he was safe, it was just one day he vanished." She gave a small laugh, "He was always adventurous. Always getting into trouble, working very hard around our forest. Even though he was bullied for being different."
"Different how?" Bato asked in feigned ignorance.
Saria was quiet for a while. "Link's not a Kokiri like me. He's a Hyrulian. He was left here as a child. The Great Deku Tree took him in, and we raised him as one of our own. But because of his origins, he could never truly be one of us. Especially, when he didn't have a fairy."
"A fairy?"
"Kokiri have fairies for partners. Every Kokiri. But not Link. It wasn't until a few years ago that he was able to get one. Navi."
"Ah. Well, at least he got a companion. But I didn't see any fairy around him."
"I don't know about that either. They must have gotten separated." Saria quietly said this. "Or something happened to Navi."
"Perhaps he was looking for Navi," Bato said reassuringly, and made a Majora's Mask reference to himself. He felt happy about that.
"I don't know." The two were silent once again. Forest noises started to make their way over to them. The ground was still wet, and muddy by the rain. Soon, fireflies started to dance all over the sky. An earthy aroma filled the air. The tranquility of the forest was interrupted by a restrained sob. Bato looked as he saw Saria, shaking. Tears streaming down her face. "I'm a good friend, aren't I, Bato? He disappears one day, and I don't even give him a second thought. I didn't even know that he was attacked."
"How could you have known?" He knew the truth, though. Saria was attuned to the forest itself. There would be no reason she wouldn't be keeping an eye on it. Unless looking after the other Kokiri interfered with that.
"How can I call myself a friend? He probably thinks I abandoned him!" Saria closed her eyes, shut. Suddenly, Bato knelt before her and held her shoulders.
He looked at her; tear-filled eyes staring back. "From what you've described about your friend, there's no way he would ever think that. Just because you're a Kokiri doesn't make you all-knowing. Don't blame yourself for things that you have no control over. If you could talk to him-"
"I can't talk to him," Saria said, firmly. She was starting to fade away.
But Bato wouldn't let things end here. "I don't know what happened between the two of you. So, this is not much coming from me. But true friends understand one another. They are connected by a bond – a bond that transcends time and space. If you truly wish to be his friend, then don't assume that you're not. Hold out on the hope that the two of you will speak to one another again."
Saria continued to fade away. "And if somehow he hears something that reminds him of the forest, and you, I'm sure you'll be able to talk to him." Bato couldn't hear her answer, and she disappeared at night. Bato got up and started to head back to the house. "The problem isn't that she can't talk to him. The problem is that she won't."
Bato brought a tray full of soup and chilled water. He went up the stairs slowly. Each step creaked under his weight. When he got up to the door, it was already opened. He saw Link, still on the bed. Putting the tray down on a table, he got up to the bed.
The supposedly sleeping boy was staring him in the face. He started to move, wincing in pain, as he struggled to move his body.
Bato held him back, pushing him gently down on the bed again. "There's no need to get up. The last thing you want is to reopen those wounds with movement." Link looked at him with his wide blue eyes, nodded, and lay down again. "My name is Bato. I'm a farmer in Hyrule; recently moved here, in fact. My home is on the outskirts of the Lost Woods. I was working on my farm when your horse appeared and led me to you."
Link's looked at Bato with a confused expression. "You were surrounded by a pack of wolfos. Your horse and I were able to drive them back. You were pretty banged up when I brought you here." Link looked under his sheets and saw the wrappings and the linen. "I don't have anything in your size, so I had to make do."
Link didn't say anything as he continued. "Your clothes are drying off at the fireplace and your belongings are safe. There were a couple of things lying around, but I made sure to pick them up." There was a hint of fear in Link's eyes, for a moment. "Your horse is hanging out right beside the house. I'm going to keep him fed until you're back up on your feet."
Bato stopped talking for a moment. Link was just looking at him. "Is this guy mute in this timeline? You're going to need bed rest; soft foods and your wrappings will need to be changed daily. Or, as needed. If you need anything, just let me know." As he grabbed the tray and headed towards him, Link was looking at his bandaged arms. He tried to lift them but failed. "No, you're not feeding yourself. I'll do that for you."
The young boy had a pointed glare. "How exactly are you going to lift your arms and feed yourself?" His glare softened. "It won't be for long. You'll be feeding yourself in no time." Suddenly, Link winced in pain and looked towards his ankle. "Oh, right. Your ankle's in rough shape, so you won't be going anywhere for a while. Recovery is important after all that. Please be patient." Bato sat down, took a spoonful of soup, and held it up toward the boy's mouth. After a few moments, he took a bite.
The farmer's interactions with the boy were mostly yes or no questions. It was clear to Bato that Link wanted to take care of himself. But, as his body was mostly incapacitated, he had to rely on the help of a stranger. Especially when it came to the necessities of life. He had a chamber pot in the room, so Link could use it (with assistance). When it was time for bed, he laid Link down on the bed and tucked him in.
Link continued to stare at him.
"Does he hate me or what?" Bato couldn't help but think that as he turned down the lights. He walked out of the door. "I'm going to sleep downstairs. Holler if you need anything. I'll see you in the morning." Closing the door, Bato walked wearily towards the sofa. He prepared the wrappings and a knife in preparation to redress them tomorrow. He also took a red potion and put it on the tray. Procuring a blanket from the wardrobe, he lay himself down on the sofa. "Playing caregiver to the Hero of Time. It'll only be a few weeks. But it could be shorter." Bato now considered, as he was one of the Goddesses' chosen, his body would have been blessed by them in some way.
Because no ordinary boy would have been able to survive a pack of wolfos with claw marks and a bruised ankle. It was no doubt an extraordinary day. He had no problems getting to sleep. The crackling of the fireplace and fading light made his eyes heavy. He began to sleep.