Chapter 50: Isolation and Friendship
Link wiped the juice that dribbled down his chin and tossed away the apple's core. He leaned his head back onto the tree trunk and sighed. It was well past time he got moving. One of the problems with traveling alone was that he had to time everything himself. No one told him to get up with the sunrise, no one told him when to get moving, no one kept him on a steady pace. Ordering him to not go too fast lest he weary himself out, nor too slow that he risked the army overtaking him.
It was all just on him.
Malon would have loved not having someone telling her what to do. But Link...
"No point delaying," he said to no one. He rolled onto his feet and opened his bag. The Ruby gleamed red as a ray of light struck it. Still there, resting beside his ocarina. Link reached up into the tree and plucked several more apples and dropped them into his bag. They were good, a bit late in the season for them, but mostly still ripe. And if he was careful as he walked, they wouldn't be too bruised when he stopped to eat further on down the road.
He tied up his bag and slung it over his shoulder, feeling its reassuring weight as it smacked against his back. He had his duty. Everyone else could abandon him, so long as he focused on fulfilling his tasks.
He still made good time, though his hours had definitely changed. Now he walked well into the night, and only awoke late in the morning. The sun already sat high above the trees.
"Well past time we got moving."
And still no one answered. Just as she hadn't the last weeks of travel.
Link let out another sigh, and started down the path. When was the last time he actually had a conversation with people? He tried to avoid those travelers he happened along the road. Oft times, he went well away from the stones to avoid particularly large or rowdy looking groups completely.
That weird Gerudo merchant. That must have been it. The last person he said more than a grunting hello to. "She'd better have seen to Buck's hoof. He'd get hurt for certain if she didn't."
And so he walked for hours. Ambling along until the boredom consumed him, and his thoughts drifted into airy nothing. So long as his feet kept moving the right direction what did it matter?
That was the trick with it. If he actually tried to think about things the entire trip the journey would take forever. He'd feel every excruciating step. Mich better to think about nothing but breathing for as long as he could get away with it. Usually when his stomach growled or the sun set.
He did not truly know how many hours he walked that day or even how many days he'd been walking. He hadn't thought to count the sunsets any more than he counted the endless rolling hills he passed. But as he crested another, he stopped.
It took a moment for his mind to wake up and pay attention to what he was seeing.
There were trees before him, not far from the road.
Not cultivated trees planted in rows on someone's farm, nor the small clumps of them he passed beneath for shade. These trees were dense, and large, and dark. And so deeply familiar.
Home. He made it home.
For the first time in weeks a smile spread across his lips. Somewhere in that tangle of roots and branches Mido was bossing his friends around. Fido was caring for her mushrooms. Or perhaps Junmi and Yulyu were trying to teach everyone their lessons.
And Saria.
Saria would be there, too. Dancing, and playing, and making plants grow with her magic. His legs moved without thinking, and before he realized what he was doing he ran over the last of the hills, laughing as he went. Until he reached the first of the trees. He pressed his hand to the trunk, and still giggled as he felt the rough bark press into his palm. It felt like life and joy and comfort. The air smelled like the dust of a fairy's wings and sweet morning dew on moss.
And beside that tree another, even bigger, with a bird chirping away somewhere in its branches. There was a rustling of feet, perhaps a squirrel? Maybe something else. There were wolves and skulltulas in the woods, he knew. But he felt too happy to worry about them now.
He was home.
And yet I'm still so far. Only a few feet behind the first few trees and the gray fog began. Consuming all light, leaving no clear path through the Lost Woods.
Even if he wished to return home, how could he without Navi?
How many times had he listened to the fairies lecture to avoid the fog? He could recite most their lessons from memory. Only those who knew the path and followed it perfectly could reach the Kokiri.
He'd never be able to see any of them again. Something he knew for over a month, but to stand before the trees unable to enter the shadows.
"That's not fair." His hand dropped from the rough bark and clenched into a fist. Was he forever going to be alone?
"No, that's not fair!" His fist swung out and struck the tree. "Gahh!" He reeled back and clutched his hand tight as pain bloomed from his knuckled and up his wrist.
With a shout his sword came to his hand. And he struck the tree as though it were his greatest enemy. He slashed and hacked until splinters flew through the air. But swords were not made for chopping down trees. When he lowered his blade, Link's hand still stung, and the tree still stood.
He tried to sheath his sword, but it caught upon the scabbard. "No!" he groaned as he looked down. The edge of the blade had turned, rippled where it must have struck a particularly thick knot of the wood. It would take hours of sharpening and reshaping to fix it, if it even could be fixed. "Stupid! Why am I always so stupid!"
Thankfully he'd only ruined one side. But if he ever held the warped edge forward, or even held it right but performed a cut with the false edge, he'd do little more than bruise someone. He managed to fumble it back into its sheath before he turned once more to the tree. "I'm sorry, that wasn't your fault."
The tree didn't respond, of course, only his father had ever done that. But it still felt wrong to just hurt them for nothing. And yet even as he apologized, he could not help but look at the cuts he had made. He was getting better. Were he facing a warrior he would have taken their arm, their neck, and torn their chest to shreds. His bladework was strong, and the cuts were clean. At least they were until he damaged his sword. He could make out which blow had done it, by the way the cut grew wide and uneven midway through. And all the strikes he made after, which left great divots in the bark rather than clean lines as the blade failed to align properly.
"It won't happen again," his face was hot with embarrassment. Even if no one saw, father would have been so disappointed. He needed to do better. Setting his jaw, he kept moving around the treeline. Never wandering deep inside, staying vigilant not to enter the mists.
"I don't need her," he muttered. "I could go back, if I had to." The trees were familiar. He had traveled through the fog once. Sure, Navi had led him. But he had still done it. The path through the forest started to spin through his mind. It hadn't been simple, there had been no clear signs of the way to go. But if he concentrated, perhaps he could remember.
He would need to return to where he first left the forest. Then maybe he'd have a chance. He could see his friends again. He could go back to the tree with his too small bed, he could enjoy the food and music of his family. Saria would be there, and even if he grew old and big wouldn't it be better to at least be with his family when that happened?
I've already done everything I could. The Emerald is safe with Navi. She found a new home. And Zelda got what she wanted as well, didn't she? I might not have brought the stones back to her, but Ganondorf won't be able to find them.
That would have to be enough. Who could ask more from him?
For the first time in weeks he actually planned and dreamed as he traveled. Instead of making the journey stretch out endlessly, it made the time move fast. Visions of singing and dancing filled his mind. Fairies and friends he had thought he'd never get to see again. All he had to do, was reach them.
Father had been right, it was best to leave these people and their problems alone.
It took half a day walking around the edge of the forest to reach a place that looked familiar. Or, at least, one of the trees had a branch that stuck out in way Link thought he ducked under when he left the forest. Hadn't he? He must have.
He stared into the swirling dark. If he entered, he could make it. Throw the Ruby somewhere deep into the fog where no one could find it ever again. Then he'd find his way home. Where he never should have left, where he had friends and family. Until he grew old while everyone around him stayed the same, wielding magic he could never make sense of. Would they still accept him then?
"It doesn't matter," he said, "it's still better than here."
He grabbed onto the branch and stepped into the shadows. Darkness surrounded him so deep he could not see more than a few paces ahead. The branches of the trees seemed to reach toward his neck, while the fog whispered for him to let go and move forward. But where to? Which direction had he come from? Had he passed the bush with a hole in the leaves, or under those vines? Why couldn't he remember? Did it matter? He could just let go, run inside and figure it out himself. It had to be one or the other.
Or around that oak, that also looked familiar. That was it, definitely around the oak. All he had to do was let go and check. He'd find the path easy enough.
Let go and step into the dark.
Search across the underbrush. No, through those two trees that grew together, hadn't he jumped over them just before he left the woods? Or that dead spruce, that was the direction he came from. It must be.
Just let go.
Enter the fog.
The path is right there, waiting.
Link pulled himself back into the light and gasped for air. His stomach tightened and twisted worse than it had in battle. He bent over and heaved. "I can do this," he muttered at his knees once he steadied himself. "It's just dark. I can find my way home. I need to." Straightening up he took another deep breath before he shook his arms and made a few quick hop. "I can do this." He stepped once more to the trees.
He stopped. "Soon." Before he left the world of Hylians and Gerudo, of the selfish and the cruel, there was one final place he needed to see.
The smell of the herds and the clopping of hooves came to him first. Though it took another quarter mile before he came to the wooden fence. He climbed it as he had months before, he slid his legs over the top and stopped. Taking a moment to marvel at the fantastic beasts that he once only knew from stories.
Several of the horses looked up from the grass, their ears perked. Some even trotted toward him, and didn't run away as he slid down the fence. Malon once told him that meant they recognized and liked him. But of all of them, one charged past the others, neighing and shaking her mane.
"Epona!" Link held his arms open, and the horse rushed into them. She pawed at the ground, she'd gotten so much bigger. "How have you been? I missed you."
He combed her fur, threading his fingers along her side and the top of her shoulders. "I have something for you." He gave her one last pet before slinging his bag to the ground and opening it. The horse gave an indignant sputter, at least until he came back up with an apple in hand. Then it became a cheerful snort, before she bit it right out of his hand.
The other horses swarmed him, nipping for treats of their own.
"I don't have enough for all of you." He took out the last of his apples and gave them to the nicest of the horses. "I'm sorry!" He held up his empty hands. "None left. I'm sorry."
"Link?"
His heart sunk into his stomach. He swallowed the lump in his throat. This was it, why he came here in the first place. Once they realized he held no more apples the horses dispersed, only Epona stayed at his side, nuzzling his hand. Granting him the strength to look at the little red-haired girl he abandoned.
"Hello, Malon," Link whispered. He found he couldn't look at her. This was a terrible idea. She wouldn't want to see him. Not after he ran away, when he accused her father of trying to bring him to Ganondorf. He'd been so stupid, worrying about some evil plan as though everyone out here knew each other as all the Kokiri did. She must hate him. "I came- I came to say, that I'm sorry, and-"
Arms encircled him and pulled him into a hug. Something sharp pressed into his chest, but he didn't care. He didn't know what to do but hold her as tight as she held him.
After far too short a time, Malon broke the embrace. "Where'd you go!" She shouted in his face. "You have any idea how worried we were? Pa and I went looking for you, for days! Ingo said all them horrible things, like you were dead and that if I kept looking I'd find you all hunched over and bloodied in an alley."
"I'm sorry, it was all-"
"You got lots of explaining to do Fairy Boy!" She took a step back, hands on her hips. It was her necklace, the one he gave her that had pressed painfully against him. Even with her face scrunched up in anger, he couldn't help but feel a little happy about it. "Well? Come on, out with it. I got lots of work to do and I can't- huh." Her eyes wandered around him. "Where's Navi?"
"Gone," was all he managed to say.
"Oh," she hugged him again, this time adjusting the necklace so it wouldn't press into either of them. "I'm still mad at you," she whispered, "but what happened?"
For the second time that day, Link finished explaining what had happened the last few months. Malon sat at his side, holding his hand. Talon and Ingo stood above them, the small table where they'd eaten their meals between them. The place looked just as he remembered it, though Talon had lost a little of his weight, and both men gained a scraggly look about them.
As he finished retelling his descent from Death Mountain he looked to Malon. Should he talk more? Was there anything else that needed explaining? But all she did was nod at him. Which was nice, but didn't help him any. "And then I found my way here."
"That's quite the story, my boy," Talon scratched at the stubble on his chin.
"Unbelievable, I'd say," Ingo muttered. "Stealing a book and a jewel right out from under the nose of the Gerudo King? Climbing the towers of Hyrule Castle? It's a farce, has to be. You tell that story to children and they wouldn't believe it."
"He came here with a fairy!" Malon said.
Ingo shrugged.
"It's true," Link said. "I can prove it." He placed his bag on the table and pulled out the Heart of the Mountain.
Malon's eyes went wide. "Hylia's ti-"
"Malon," Talon chided, though he and Ingo stared at the stone, mesmerized by it.
"By the Goddesses," Ingo muttered. "It's huge."
After a long moment, Talon held out his hand. "May I?" Link handed him the ruby. The big rancher rubbed at it with his thumbs and tested its weight. "Amazing." He held it for some time, mouth open, but saying nothing.
"Pa," Malon said. "Pa. Father!"
"Hmm?" Talon looked up, blinking a few times. "Oh, yes. Sorry, my boy. You carried this all the way from Death Mountain?"
"Yes."
"You're lucky you weren't robbed! The roads aren't safe at times of war. And -this thing- you have to understand people would kill for something like this."
"I know, I've been making certain to stay away as best I could. You're the first I've shown it to."
Talon stared at the stone for a moment longer, than gave a sigh and handed it back to Link. "Put it away, my boy. You've proven your tale. So now, what do you plan to do?"
"I'm going back home."
"What?" Malon said. "No, you should stay with us."
"I can't. Ganondorf will come looking for the Ruby. Or for me. I don't know what he knows, or if Chief Darunia tricked him or not. I can't stay here."
"We could sell it," Ingo said. "Think of it. We sell that, we're set for life. Let it become someone else's problem."
"Ingo!" Talon snapped. "This is a gift of the Goddesses. It is not something one sells."
"It's bigger than my fist! It's got to be worth more than this entire ranch and every animal on it. It's probably worth more than every rupee in Horon! We need the money."
"That stone is not ours to sell or trade. It belongs to Link."
Ingo turned to Link and frowned. "Then give it to us. You cost this ranch a lot of money, boy. Give me the ruby and I'll find you a place to live all your days and-"
"We are not swindling this poor boy!" Talon slammed his hand on the table, and Ingo went silent. "I won't hear any more of it. That's the end of the matter." Once satisfied there was no further argument he looked back to Link. "Are you certain you can get back through the Lost Woods? When people enter there, well, I've only known one to make it back out and she was never the same. Many more disappear wandering lost in the fog."
"I know the way," Link said. I think.
"Look me in the eyes, boy. Do you know, for certain, you can make it through the Woods without Lady Navi?"
Link met his gaze, big eyes half hidden under bushy eyebrows. Kind eyes, that in all the time he'd known him had never shown a hint of malice. How had he lost his trust in them those months ago?
"No," Link whispered, his head sunk low. It'd been stupid, thinking he could. Like most things he tried to do. But it was something he wanted, perhaps more than anything. To return to where the world made sense.
"Then where else can you go?"
"I don't know. I was heading toward Lanayru and the Zora. Warn them about Ganondorf. That's where the army is heading. And we think the last of the stones is there."
"Well then, there's only one thing I can think to do," Talon said. "Malon, tomorrow I want you to get up early and prepare a wagon with food for a long trip."
"Where are we going?"
"To Lanayru, where else? I don't know much about the fish people, but I've heard tell of their Lord Jabu-Jabu. They say he's wiser and older than any man. If anyone can find a place to hide this ruby of yours and stop King Dragmire it is him. And if anyone knows another way for you to return home, well, it is worth asking him that as well."
"How are we gonna pay for that!" Ingo hissed. "Taking food for weeks of travel? Leaving me here to run everything? Talon, you already took a trip to Castle Town and we didn't make back the rupees it cost us to house the cattle. You spent half the time drunk and the rest looking for that boy!"
"We'll make do. This ranch has been in my family for generations. We've weathered worse storms than this."
Ingo's gaze flickered between Talon and Link, no, not Link, his eyes went to the bag and the ruby inside it. "Can we talk about this? In private?"
"You won't change my mind. The boy needs our help, it's a miracle that he's made it this far on his own."
"We need to talk."
"Fine. Malon, go get blankets for our guest and find a spot for him."
"Come on," she said and pulled Link away from the table as the adults filled the room with talk of cost and provisions.
"Wait, Malon," Link stopped her as they got out of the kitchen. "I want to apologize, for how I left."
"You already did, Fairy Boy."
"I know, but I want to do it the right way. I mean, I - I didn't know much about how big this place is. Everything is much more simple back home. When I saw that your father brought me right to Ganondorf, I thought- I should have trusted you. I don't know, I just- I panicked, I guess. I thought that if-"
"Yap yap yap," Malon said. "Stop being silly. You were wrong, now you know better." She smiled at him. "You ain't gonna run away again, are you?"
"No."
"There, then nothing more to apologize about." Then her smile drooped, and her eyes grew serious. "But if you ever run away like that again, I'll- I'll slug you right in the nose. Got it?"
"Got it."
Link stood tall, armored in a knight's steel. In his hand he held a sword, but not the one he carried. This was a man's sword, far larger with a thick blue guard. Where he swung the blade a bright light followed, searing through the darkness.
Monsters and people so vile they may well have been monsters themselves fled before him. Behind him stood everyone he knew. All with him, all protected by him.
He'd had this dream before. A hundred times or more. The one where he could make the world right. Fixing all the problems that the Great Deku Tree taught him. But it was just a dream, he knew that now. He couldn't fix anything. He never could.
The monsters roared. Some turning to look at him, brandish steel and claw. That was new. They grew larger than him, rushing toward him. He swung about, fighting them off as best he could. But they crawled overtop him, filling his mouth and nose with their foul scent.
Hands grabbed him.
"Where is it?" A voice filled the mouths of all the creatures of the dark. "Come on, you little brat, where is it?"
His body shook.
Link's eyes opened.
A shadow stood over him, clutching at his throat. Its breath smelled foul, like vomit and that drink that Talon loved so much.
"Where is it?"
Link couldn't breathe. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His face felt hot and full of pressure. He thrashed and kicked, but he couldn't make a solid strike, and the shadow was much bigger than him.
He tried to twist his neck. Find some small space to get air. But there was nothing. His arm fell to his side, clutching about, searching for something - anything to defend himself. Pain sprouted from behind his eyes and seared through his face and skull.
"Tell me where it is. I deserve it," the voice was slurred and slow. Spittle dribbled down his chin.
Link's hand found the long leather scabbard, his fingers closed on the grip of his sword.
He slashed.
It did not illuminate the darkness. But it hit the arm that held him down.
Ingo screamed, and reeled back, clutching at his wounded arm. Link scrambled away, scooping up his scabbard and bag as he bolted out the door.
"Get back here!"
Link slammed into the wooden fence, and spun about, somehow keeping his feet.
"Got you!"
He swiped again with his sword, but this time Ingo lurched back out of his reach. Link fled, this time squinting into the dark, running around the fence and past it. Through it all Ingo pursued.
"Give me the ruby!" He cursed. "Just give it to me!"
Link screamed something back, but he didn't know what he said. Maybe it had been words, or perhaps a mindless screech. He'd hit Ingo with a sword, that should have stopped him. Why did he continue? Other people were shouting now, but they sounded far away. He spun around, slashing once more. Though his pursuer was far out of his reach. Yet, Link continued to run, weaving past one tree, then another. Dodging the roots that twisted along his path, trying to use the bramble to his advantage, to slow Ingo down. Link kept running until he no longer heard the heavy footsteps behind him, and the cursing had died down to a distant whisper.
Leaning against the closest tree, Link slid to the ground. Breathing heavy and clutching his sword close. "The blunt," he muttered. "I must've - hit him- stupid. Such an idiot." He put his bag down and felt inside, making certain he had not left the ruby or ocarina behind.
It was so dark.
Even for the night sky, certainly he should see the moon and stars.
He looked about, trying to peer through the thick branches, but he could not see more than a few paces ahead. And through the fog, leaves rustled, and something scuttled close.