Ocarina of Time Chapter 20

Chapter 20
Broken Mirror

Warmth. Pure bliss beneath a layer of soft blankets. As Link slowly returned to consciousness, the blissfulness did not last. His limbs were sore, and he did not want to open his eyes, afraid of what would greet him when he did.

He clung to the safety of the blankets, pulling it over him as he often did when troubled by nightmares.

Nightmares.

If only the last few days had been nothing more than that.

Link smelt the scents of a forest, and for a flicker of a moment, he could almost convince himself that he was back in the Kokiri Forest. Only there was no musky scent, no familiar fragrance of the Deku trees, and no birds singing from the leafy bowers.

Slowly, his memory stirred and reality sunk in. He recalled the arrow striking his arm and the searing pain of the poison as it spread through him.

"Navi?" he groaned. His throat was dry, and his voice was a hoarse whisper.

There was no reply.

Where is she?

Maybe she was just asleep.

His head was throbbing, as though someone had taken to it with a hammer, and it was an effort to sit up. He slumped against the wall behind him, one hand clutched to his forehead.

"Navi?" he called.

Only silence answered him. He cast his eyes about the small room and found no sign of the fairy. There was a nightstand beside him with a pitcher of water on a tray. His gear was neatly piled against the wall, and his eyes fell upon the sapphire hilt of the Master Sword.

What happened? Where am I?

He remembered fleeing from an army of stalfos. A woman named Sheik had thrown him onto a horse and fled the desolate ruins of Castletown. There had been other people there too, but he couldn't remember if he'd heard their names or seen their faces.

Deciding that trying to remember anything that had happened after that was a lost cause, he strode over to the window opposite his bed and drew back the shutters. A cold wind gusted through the window as he gazed out onto an empty glade. The air seemed as quiet as the grave and just as cold. It was as though the earth itself held its breath, awaiting the coming of warmer months.

Winter.

The sensation of tranquil contentment Link first experienced upon waking up faded, and he gazed out the window with growing nostalgia.

Maybe Navi just went to get some fresh air.

He left the window open a fraction, enough for a fairy to get back in.

Returning to the bed, he glanced down at himself. It was still unsettling to see how much had changed.

His right arm was heavily bandaged and smelt of healing herbs. Moving it resulted in a spasm of pain that made him wince. At least it wasn't his sword arm. An injury to that would have left him unable to use a sword properly for days.

As he clutched his injured limb, Link noticed a new oddly shaped scar on his left hand. It was prickling uncomfortably. At a closer inspection, he realized it was the same shape as the Triforce.

Odd.

How could he have possibly ended up with a Triforce-shaped scar? He picked up a mirror off the nightstand and gazed at his reflection.

He looked quite the worse for wear- his face was pale with the long thin scars from the wolfos down one gaunt cheek. The scars did not bother Link as much as his changed appearance. Was he really a Hylian? His tall and broad stature certainly resembled one.

He could picture Mido's face taunting him in his mind.

"You're not even a real Kokiri. You don't even have a fairy..."

Link took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He knew these thoughts wouldn't help him. He needed something to distract him, but his muddled recollections of everything that happened kept bubbling to the surface of his mind like a pot left too long to boil. He recalled Rauru saying Ganondorf followed him into the Sacred Realm. Link dreaded finding out what had happened in Hyrule. The memory of the ruins of Hyrule's capital was still fresh in his mind, and he feared the rest of Hyrule would be like those ruins- a tomb forsaken by the living.

Has it really been seven years?

Link was still struggling to come to terms with the fact he had just lost seven years of his life. He didn't even know if anyone he knew was still alive. Saria. Forenz. Malon. What of Saria? He could picture her wandering beneath the boughs of the forest, waiting for him to return. Waiting until she thought he was never coming back.

She probably thinks you're dead by now, whispered a small voice in his head.

He tried to push the voice away, but it was in vain. He shut his eyes desperate to think of something else. Maybe Navi fled because she doesn't believe you're a Kokiri anymore.

She wouldn't do that, Link thought, curling his hands into fists and rubbing his forehead. Not now.

As he stared back at his reflection, Link found it harder and harder to ignore that small voice. He scowled at the mirror which made his face look even more disfigured with the scars. Had Navi abandoned him?

He grasped the mirror tightly around the edge with his left hand. The same anger that he experienced upon waking up in the Sacred Realm surged through him again, and he threw the mirror against the wall with a snarl.

It shattered, the tiny fragments bursting from the frame and falling to the floor with a loud tinkering crash. Link buried his face in his hands. No tears came now. He was not sure if he could ever cry again. Not after the devastation he had seen in Castletown. The bodies, the scent of ash, the deafening chorus of screams, the body of the young girl...

"They say it's bad luck to break a mirror."

The sound of a woman's voice tore Link's mind back to reality.

Sheik was standing in the doorway, carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming hot soup on it. The sight of the food made Link ill; he didn't think he could stomach anything at the moment.

"Is this a bad time?" Sheik asked.

It probably was, but Link did not want to be left alone to the company of his thoughts right now.

"No," he lied. He brought his hands away from his face. "No, of course not. I just wasn't sleeping well."

"I see," Sheik cocked her head to the side, eyes darting from the broken shards of the mirror and Link. She didn't believe him for an instant, knowing that a bad night's sleep was unlikely to cause someone to smash a mirror. She strode forward without another word and placed the tray of soup on the nightstand.

"I'm not hungry," Link muttered, looking away from the food. He felt sick.

"You need to eat. You haven't had anything in days... or seven years in your case."

"How long was I out this time?"

"Four days," Sheik replied, turning away from the window and looking back at him. "You are at the inn in Ordon now."

Link recalled hearing about Ordon once, remembering Talon saying he had family there. The thought of the ranch owner made Link wonder what had become of him and Malon. Sheik meanwhile strode forward to check the wound on his arm. There was little sign of it now, except for yet another scar on the side of his arm.

"It's healed," she murmured, unraveling the rest of the bandage from his arm. "It might be a bit sore for a few days."

"Have you seen Navi? The fairy that was with me." Link asked. Worry gnawed at him as he waited for Sheik to reply.

"She came with you," Sheik said, not looking up as she examined his arm. "Once I assured her you would make a full recovery, she left without saying where she was going. She said she would be back in a few days."

Link frowned wondering where Navi would go so abruptly. He guessed she had gone to find one of the Great Fairies or returned to the forest to find the Kokiri. Worry gnawed at his insides as he wondered how they had fared in the last seven years. Had something happened to them? Was that why Navi went off on her own?

"Sheik..." Link swallowed, dreading the question he was about to ask. "The Kokiri... are they alright?"

A brief flicker of emotion flashed across Sheik's face.

"There has been no news from the woods," she said evenly. Something about the way she said those words chilled him.

Her words unsettled him, and he lapsed into silence. The woods had been so isolated from the rest of Hyrule that the lack of news would not have bothered him ordinarily, but there was something about Sheik's voice that disturbed him.

"I left the forest to protect them... The Great Deku Tree wanted that. I'm not sure I could live with myself if something happened to them," Link murmured, not caring that he was divulging himself to a woman that he'd just met. How was he to know, despite Rauru's assurances, that she could be trusted?

"You must care about them a lot," Sheik said. There was no surprise in her voice, no question as to how he could even be connected to the Kokiri or have his own fairy. Either Navi had carelessly divulged all his secrets, which Link doubted, or Rauru had told her. That Rauru would have done just a thing, and not let Link reveal his own secrets, was irritating beyond words. His life was officially a secret to nobody.

"I grew up amongst the Kokiri, they were my family," Link said, feeling his throat tighten. "Not that it matters to them anymore."

"Why do you say that?" There was a small trace of shock in Sheik's voice. "If they are your family then of course they matter."

"But I'm not a Kokiri... I don't know what I am," his voice cracked as a painful lump formed in his throat.

He felt the mattress at the end of the bed sag as Sheik sat next to him. He turned and met her gaze. There was something odd in her expression that he couldn't quite make out.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Sorry. What for?"

"That you have been through this."

She sounded sincere, but Link didn't want sympathy. He just wanted to know why he no longer resembled a Kokiri. His earlier yearning to be able to return to the peaceful, secluded existence of the forest dwellers was long gone, and there was no going back. They would not accept him anymore and he knew it.

They never accepted you. That irritating voice in the back of his mind persisted again.

"Are you in pain?"

Link realized that he'd scrunched his eyes shut and opened them.

"No, I was just thinking..." Link sighed. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to face just how much has changed."

Sheik's brow fell in a brief flicker of sympathy. "You can't hide in here, forever. I am sorry, but sooner or later you will have to face what has happened. Hyrule is dying. You are the Hero of Time-"

Link's temper flared at those words until his blood was pounding in his ears.

"Don't call me that," Link was surprised when his voice came out as a growl.

"It is who you are, Link," Sheik said, relentless. "That sword chose you for that reason." She gestured to the Master Sword; Link did not follow her gaze. "That scar on your hand is the symbol of those marked by the Goddesses themselves."

Despite his earlier wish for Sheik to remain in the room, he no longer wanted the woman near him. He did not want to feel like some puppet whose strings the Goddesses pulled.

But that is what you are. A puppet. Link's mind told him. You were a puppet dancing upon the strings of fate. From the moment you met Zelda, you were a piece to be played.

No, Link gritted his teeth as he tried to think of something else. He was going mad, having a conversation with a voice in his head. The last thing he wanted right now was for Sheik to think he was insane.

She was regarding him with a small frown, "Perhaps I should give you some time to rest. We can continue this conversation later. Try and have some soup before it gets cold."

She got up and headed for the door. Link was not sorry to see her leaving, but one question nagged him as she went to depart.

"Wait!" he called. Sheik paused, her hand on the doorknob. "What happened to Zelda? Rauru told me Impa was alive, and I guessed Zelda was as well. She is still alive, isn't she?"

Sheik turned back to him, her expression unreadable. Those bandages and the cowl obscuring most of her face were unnerving. He wondered why she was even wearing them. The Sheikah emblem on her tabard told anyone who she was: a sorceress of shadow.

"She is," Sheik answered. "To my knowledge, Zelda fled to Mithira, and she now remains there under the protection of their king."

With that, she opened the door and slipped out into the corridor beyond.

~ 0 ~

It was dusk when Link awoke again. After his conversation with Sheik, he had wanted to get up, but fatigue drove him back into the bed where he returned to a fitful sleep. The soup went untouched and was soon stone cold. He vaguely recalled Sheik knocking on the door and entering without waiting for an answer. He had retreated beneath the covers, pretending to be asleep. She'd paused for a moment beside the bed after trying to rouse him. He didn't stir.

"I know you're awake," Sheik said.

He didn't answer, hoping she would give up and leave the room.

"Alright. I will let you sulk for now, but rest assured I will find a way to get you out of that bed. You may not like what I have in mind." He heard her grab the tray as the cutlery clattered noisily upon it. Then she retreated while Link felt a stab of irritation. How dare she think he was sulking.

Before he could wonder just what Sheik had in mind, or how unpleasant it was likely to be, sleep pulled him into its embrace.

In his dreams, Saria was calling him. Her voice was lost in an endless veil of thick fog. Link ran amongst tall trees; their canopies little more than dark shadows in the thick gray soup that swallowed his surroundings. The trees whispered to him, cursing his name and accusing him of abandoning the Kokiri.

It wasn't my fault... Link wanted to scream. Leave me alone!

Still, he ran. Unable to see far, he did not spot a dark four-legged shape lunging at him until it was on top of him. He caught a blur of bright amber eyes, and the creature's jaw snapped shut on his neck. Link awoke with a gasp.

As his pounding heart settled, he became aware of a noise coming from elsewhere in his room. Someone was crying.

Frowning, he looked over to the nightstand and was relieved to see Navi sitting upon the edge of it. His relief lasted less than a heartbeat. Navi was facing away from him, her hands cupped her face as sobs rocked her entire body. Link had seen Navi upset before, but never as much as she was now. He sat up, not sure whether he should interrupt her. He was sure she would not have wanted him to see her in this state. Then he felt a pang of guilt. He had been so absorbed in his own shock that he hadn't given a thought to how difficult this change must have been for her.

"Navi?" he asked uncertainly. "What's wrong?"

Navi did not face him, nor did she give any indication she knew he was awake until Link spoke a second time. She lifted her head, staring out the window, the last rays of light yielding to the night's cold embrace. Navi wiped a hand across her face, not turning to face Link.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice so soft that Link could barely hear her.

"Why are you sorry?" he asked, bewildered and more than a little concerned. "You have done nothing wrong."

"I didn't mean to wake you," Navi replied. "It's just..."

She stopped abruptly, taking a shuddering breath.

"What?" Link asked, almost getting up to take Navi into his hands.

"I... I went back to the woods... to check on everyone-" Navi's voice was shaking, and she barely got the words out. Link was halfway off the bed. At those words, he sank back down onto the mattress, an icy lance of pain piercing his heart. He did not like where this was going.

No... please... no more.

"And?" Link asked, his fear only increasing as he waited for Navi to respond.

Navi opened her mouth. At first, no words came out. Link's throat clenched tightly as he waited for what Navi was about to say.

"Saria and the others are okay, right?"

He stared at the floor, waiting for the blow he knew was coming.

Navi spoke again, sounding as though each word was causing her immense pain."They're gone. The Kokiri are gone."

~ 0 ~

"Another pint... please," Link groaned as he lifted his head from the bar counter. His head was buzzing as he eyed the shelves behind the counter. He spotted a bottle labeled Goron Fire Ale and opted to try that.

"You've had a drink already! The bartender said incredulously. "Look, kid, do you realize how rare this stuff is nowadays?"

"Let him be. He's been through a rough time of things," said the man beside Link; it was Talon. "I'll pay."

Link made a protest, but Talon ignored him.

The bartender muttered something under her breath. She retrieved the Goron fire ale and set it on the counter beside Link. She waved over one of the serving women who brought over a loaf of bread.

"You'll need it," the innkeeper said, pushing the plate towards Link, and nodding toward the bottle of ale.

Had he been more attentive, Link might have read the entire label on the bottle.

Goron Fire Ale- Guaranteed to make you breathe fire!

"Link, I'm not sure you should be drinking that," Navi warned him. " It's not meant for Hylians."

Link ignored her. The last ale making him feel a little brazen. He opened the bottle and took a gulp of ale. This turned out to be a terrible idea.

He coughed and spluttered as the liquid sent tendrils of fire down his throat. He didn't breathe fire, though it certainly felt like his throat was ablaze. Downing some more, as though hoping this might quench the burning sensation, he inhaled his drink. He choked, coughing some more which sent some of the liquid up his nose. His eyes streamed at the unpleasant sensation, while Talon slapped him painfully across the back.

"Th-Thanks," he spluttered.

"First time, lad?"

"Yeah," Link rasped, coughing some more.

"I was surprised you wanted the Goron ale, that stuff's nasty."

Link's stomach was burning now, and he found himself agreeing with Talon. Eyes drooping wearily, he almost slipped from his stool before Talon caught him.

"Have some bread," Talon said, gesturing towards the loaf. "It'll do you some good."

Link did so, tearing off a chunk of bread from the still-warm loaf. The bread looked good, studded with nuts and raisins, but Link didn't taste any of it.

"That'll make you feel a bit better," Talon said.

Link had been surprised to see the owner of Lon Lon Ranch. He had welcomed the sight of a friendly and familiar face, It seemed a small comfort after his recent experiences. Neither Link nor Navi had spoken much since her revelation about the Kokiri's fate. He wanted to believe they had just fled, but he felt a horrible certainty that they hadn't. Where would they go and how could they hope to outrun an army as thorough as Ganondorf's?

Afterward, he and Navi had spent some time in silence. Eventually, Link had donned his clothes on, intent on finding Sheik and demanding some answers.

When he had first walked into the common room, a man's voice had caught his attention.

"Link?" The man had called uncertainly, "Blimey. If it isn't you Link? You've grown since I last saw you, lad!"

Talon had thrown the boy into a bear hug that threatened to crush Link's lungs. Link gasped, wincing in agony as Talon let go of him.

"Sorry, lad," he said with a chuckle. "Forget my own strength sometimes."

Link tried to smile in return, achieving one feebly. It pained him not to respond in kind to Talon's obvious cheer.

"You look awful," Talon observed as he looked Link up and down. "What happened to you?"

"Bad news," Link had mumbled.

This seemed to be all Talon needed to hear. He steered Link towards a barstool and planted him on it so forcefully Link's shoulder hurt.

Now Link sat with two empty bottles of ale beside him. Navi was looking worried that he had just drunk an entire bottle of fire ale. His head was spinning, and the world seemed to sway, as though he were on a boat rather than on solid ground. It was an effort to focus on Talon.

"Malon missed you, you know. She's at Lon Lon, so far as I know," Talon said.

A noise from Navi distracted Link, and he was quite sure there were several fairies were glaring at him from the counter. Each was wearing an identical expression of irritation on its face. Navi had not approved of joining Talon, but she was feeling too miserable herself to argue about it.

"Why... Why she go back?" Link said, focusing back on Talon and slurring his words together. He really wasn't feeling well now. "I... I thought she's in Ordon."

"Was for a time. Always loved her animals, specially Epona. Couldn't bear the thought of leavin' them with Ingo I s'pose," said Talon. "He's in charge of the ranch now. As it was, Malon ran away from here. Only a note left on her bed to say where was goin' and she'd back within a few days. My guess'd be that she was hoping to steal Epona and wasn't able to make back in time. Gerudo ain't lettin' anyone cross Hyrule's border now."

"Ingo would not do anything to her would he?" Navi asked, gazing between Link and Talon.

"No idea," Talon grumbled. "Didn't even know he had it in 'em to take the ranch."

Link was feeling rather sleepy as Talon spoke. He was almost heedless of Navi still glaring at him.

Maybe I'll just have one more and go to bed.

Navi was watching him as he eyed a bottle of brandy.

"You know, Link, you are technically underage," she pointed out. "So maybe you should stop drinking now."

"Yeh... maybe I will." Link mumbled with a glance at Navi. He was still sure that he was staring at three fairies, all with their arms folded across their chest.

"Navi, why's there three of you?" he asked, his words slurring as it became more of an effort to speak.

"Just... pretend there's only one," Navi replied through gritted teeth before clasping a hand to her face.

Shrugging off the odd sight, Link turned back to the now empty bottle of ale. His eyes were drooping as his mind became increasingly foggy.

~ 0 ~

Navi stared sullenly at Link, wondering when he would stop moping. If she had been any taller, she would have slapped him back to his senses by now. She sighed, resisting the urge to bury her face in the palm of her hand again.

She stared at the two empty bottles of ale, certain that so much liquor was not good for a first-timer. She could smell the alcohol on his breath, and it nauseated her. At least he'd eaten. That had absorbed some of the alcohol.

Here she was, his guardian fairy, and she'd just let him drown himself in alcohol.

Such a responsible guardian you are, she thought to herself.

At first, she'd decided that Link could use Talon's company. Navi was not up to the challenge of cheering him up. Not given what she discovered on her journey back to the woods and not with Link's new appearance.

Everything has changed.

Her heart felt heavy with grief; she was distraught at the loss of her companions, for Mori or Saria. She knew she could help Link make things right again; at least that was what she hoped. She clung to that hope, as slim as it might have been; it was still something. At the moment, however, with Link now completely inebriated, they were going nowhere fast.

Navi was wondering if she would have to guide Link to their room or tell him how to open the door.

He probably won't make it that far, Navi sighed inwardly.

Link was barely paying attention to Talon now, and the innkeeper was doing her best to ignore them both.

Just then, the door to the inn opened, and Sheik crossed the threshold. Her eyes drifted to the counter, and she froze on the spot.

"Sheik," Navi greeted her, zipping into the air.

She was in half a mind to ask Sheik why she never told Link or herself about the Kokiri's disappearance, but the Sheikah was not looking at her. She was staring at Link with a look of pure fury in her eyes.

Uh oh.

Before Navi could react, Sheik crossed the floor so fast it was as though the space between the door and the counter was not even there.

"Sheik, this is a surprise," Talon said. "I would've thought a minstrel such as yourself would've picked a livelier establishment to..."

Talon trailed off as he noticed her icy stare.

"What-" Link lifted his head off the counter and looked up at the angry Sheikah. "Sheik... there... there's two of you. What you doing here?"

Just how drunk is he? Navi glanced back at the bottles of ale worriedly. She watched as a serving girl came towards them, passing by with a tray of dishes and cutlery she'd retrieved from a nearby table.

Link meanwhile tried to stand up. He stepped back and bumped into the serving girl. His clumsy motion upset the tray the woman was carrying, and its contents crashed to the floor as the woman shrieked like a ReDead.

Oh dear, Navi thought.

Sheik looked mortified.

"Sorry... my... brother... he hasn't been well..." She was so livid that Navi could feel her straining to keep her anger in check. If Link or Talon noticed her lie, they gave no sign of it. Talon slammed a groggy Link back onto his stool, stifling his apologies, and went to help the flustered serving girl collect the broken crockery.

The bartender rolled her eyes at the scene and smirked, "I'll put that on your tab."

"Now that you've finished making a total fool of yourself," Sheik growled, looking disgusted. "What do you think you are doing?"

Without warning, she heaved Link off the barstool. Navi was surprised by her strength as she hauled Link towards the still open door. Talon spared the boy a sympathetic expression and then gazed a question at Navi. She shook her head and hastened out the door before Sheik could shut it.

The cold night air washed over her, and she watched as Sheik dragged Link behind the stables. Once there, she propped him against the wall, fetched a pail of water and returned.

"What are you doing exactly?" Navi asked as Sheik grab the now completely inebriated youth.

Without replying, Sheik grabbed Link by the scruff of the neck and dunked his head into the icy cold water. Link shook violently at this abrupt action and gagged as Sheik brought his head back up and put the bucket to one side.

"What-" he spluttered right before he heaved, and his stomach upended its contents with a horrible retching sound. Navi eyed the puddle of sick beside the bucket with disgust.

"What... was... that... for?" Link gasped between violent coughs.

"That is for being a goat-headed fool," Sheik seethed. That was when she first appeared to notice Navi. "And you, letting him? I expected better of you, Navi!"

Navi thought this was going a bit too far. It wasn't like Sheik had offered to tell Link about the Kokiri.

"Hey, that's not fair," she protested indignantly. "Not after what you kept secret from us."

"What?" Sheik looked confused.

"You never told me about the woods," Link gasped.

Then her eyes widened, and she dropped Link.

"Ganondorf destroyed it. Didn't he?" he clutched his stomach as if he were about to throw up again. He regained his composure, slightly. "He... he killed them?"

His voice broke with those last words. Sheik looked shocked; she turned to Navi.

"You told him?" Sheik asked slowly.

"I found out for myself. There was no one there. Most of the village was burned," Navi's voice was hoarse as she remembered seeing the ruined treehouses. It was possible they had fled, but given the absence of life in the once lush woods, it didn't seem likely. There was nowhere to go.

Sheik was silent. Her expression was troubled, and she heaved a sigh. "I'm sorry. I was going to tell you once Link recovered."

Navi scowled, not entirely receptive to this apology.

Link was still kneeling, bent over double as he tried to resist the urge to throw up again.

"Did... Did any of them survive?"

His words were laced with pain, and Navi had to swallow the lump in her throat. She wanted to console him, but there was little she could say or do to ease the grief they both shared. He looked up at Sheik; the look of anguish on his face broke Navi's heart.

"They're... they're dead aren't they?" he asked, choking back a sob. "I promised the Great Deku Tree I would protect them. I promised-"

His words broke off into an unintelligible sob.

Sheik seemed to relax, her expression softening as she placed an arm around Link's shoulder and lifted him off the ground. He wept bitterly, a rush of tears descending down his cheeks. Navi flew over to land on his shoulder, trying to provide some comfort. She was at a loss as to what to do, and Sheik didn't seem so sure either; she looked uncomfortable.

Navi was sure Link was broken. She had seen him break down before. Knowing they could still keep Saria and the others safe, he kept going. Now, they had lost the very thing they had been fighting for. She wanted to tell him it would be alright, but he would likely take little comfort from those words.

"At least some of the Kokiri are still alive," Sheik murmured patiently. "There was no trace of them in the village, nor elsewhere in the woods, and I know that some have been taken captive. Rauru tells me at least one girl is not far from the forest. He can sense her, but her telepathy is not strong, and he can't reach her. It isn't enough to determine if she is safe or amongst the Kokiri who were captured."

Link stopped sobbing and looked up, a small glimmer of hope in his bloodshot eyes.

"Who?" Link and Navi asked at the same time. There were few skilled telepaths amongst the Kokiri.

"I believe you know her," said Sheik. "Her name is Saria."

Link's eyes went wide. Navi realized that if Saria was still alive. She would most likely be with the other Kokiri. She would not leave them. Not willingly.

If we can find her, then maybe we can find the others too.

She spoke up before Link could get any ideas of finding Saria without knowing what they were up against.

"Talon said there was no way into Hyrule," Navi said. "How are we supposed to find her?"

"There is an ancient dais in the woods just outside Ordon. It's a portal that can only be activated by a key. Only two keys exist, the rest long forgotten or destroyed. I have one of these keys. You have the other," Sheik explained.

Navi frowned. "We do?"

"The same one you used to open the Door of Time," Sheik answered. "It's the only way to get into Hyrule."

The Ocarina of Time, Navi realized.

"Is that how you got into Hyrule?" Link asked. His face was flushed, and Navi wondered just how much more sober he was now. She wasn't surprised that he didn't remember fleeing back to the temple or Sheik activating the dais. He'd been almost unconscious by that stage. 

"Yes, but there is a danger. Any nearby creature with the ability to touch magic will sense the portal activate."

Link got up, nearly falling onto Sheik who held him steady.

"We have to go to the forest now then," he said. He spoke with a surprising amount of conviction. It was as if he thought that donning his sword on and marching into Hyrule, despite not being able to stand properly, was a simple matter.

"You are in no condition to do so," Sheik told him firmly. "It will be several days until you are well enough and I will not leave until we have a thorough plan. One of my people will be here within a few days, and when she arrives, we will leave."

Navi was sure he was going to protest, but he didn't.

"The portal leads right to the Sacred Forest Meadow," said Sheik. "My hope is that there is still someone or something in the woods that will lead us to her."

Of course. Navi's immediate thought was the Deku Trees, but most of the tree spirits lacked the powerful telepathy of the Great Deku Tree and she wasn't strongly gifted in that ability either. There was no way to communicate with them. There might still be a wild fairy left that can tell us.

Ordinarily, the thought of returning home would have filled her with joy. Now only a hollow emptiness remained, once occupied by her friends and the Kokiri she lost so long ago. From the grim look on Link's face, Navi knew she was not the only one with misgivings about returning. If it meant saving Saria though, they would go, and Navi was sure that nothing would stop Link from doing just that.

~ 0 ~

True to her word, Sheik made Link wait while he recovered, instead of departing immediately. Link wanted desperately to leave, knowing that Saria was out there somewhere, but Sheik had other ideas. 

To his total embarrassment, she insisted on shaving his newly grown beard, claiming that he looked like a shaggy, unwashed mountain pony. Afterwards, she had him train with the Master Sword for hours on end.

At first, he'd approached the training with savage anger. It dulled the pain of knowing that his friends were out there somewhere and that he couldn't help them in his present condition. It hurt more knowing that all this had happened because he'd drawn the sword he now wielded from its pedestal.

After Sheik had thrashed him on several occasions, leaving him sore and bruised, she asked if he were trying to punish himself for what had happened. He tried to be more careful after that and failed miserably.

When Sheik wasn't busy thrashing him, Link kept to the inn. He saw Talon several times, but he didn't dare try another round of alcohol. Not that he got much of a chance with Sheik keeping an eye on him. When she wasn't doing that, she was planning, gathering supplies, and pouring over maps that Link could barely read.

Finally, a week after his arrival in Ordon, Link was able to depart. He made his way out of the inn and to the stables. Ordon was a quiet hamlet of thatched-roof houses split down the center by a stream. From the stables, there was a clear view of the ranch where Link had been training with Sheik.

He found the Sheikah waiting for him with her companion who'd arrived the night before. Rin was simply dressed in travelling clothes and a cloak. If not for the hallmark red-eyes, Link might never have guessed that she was a Sheikah.

Despite some practice over the last few days, it still took Link a while to get used to the horse shifting beneath him. His shield which, according to Sheik, once belonged to one of the royal guards was painted blue and decorated with the emblem of the royal family. It felt awkward and heavy across his back, making it difficult to sit steadily in the saddle as he guided his horse along the road. So far Link was zig-zagging, his horse proclaiming its disgust with disgruntled snorts. Malon had taught him to ride, albeit with difficulty, and he never got much of a chance to practice. The streets were almost empty. Almost everyone they saw were soldiers. Some of them stared and scoffed at Link's woeful attempt to guide his horse.

They looked similar to the Hylian guards, only they wore white sashes, and there was an odd animal on the front of their breastplates. Part of it resembled a bird while the rest appeared to be a cat.

"It's a griffin," Navi said when Link pointed it out to her. "They are found in Mithira."

He'd seen the country on one of Sheik's maps. The idea that there was an entire world beyond Hyrule was almost as mind-boggling to him as the concept of Hyrule comprising of more than just forest once was.

They had not gotten far when Rin heard something, bringing her horse to a halt and gesturing for the others to do the same.

"What is it?" Sheik asked, unslinging a large bow from her back and notching it.

"Someone's coming," Rin hissed.

Then Link heard it, soft footfalls scampering unsteadily through the leaf litter. He was certain it was something small, but with the chances of it being a bulblin or one of their unpleasant cousins, he didn't dismount to look.

Sheik kept a hand on the bow, ready to draw it at a moment's notice while Link drew his sword.

Something scampered out from behind a tree. It was not what they had been expecting. Sheik relaxed her grip on the bow and lowered it. A half-naked child, dressed only from the waist down, stumbled towards them. He was in an appalling state- beads of sweat trailed down the dirt smeared across his scrawny form and his eyes glazed over as if he were badly dehydrated. There was something familiar about him.

Rin dismounted. Sheik looked uneasily at her as the woman stepped forward towards the grubby boy.

Navi gasped, "He's a Kokiri. Link, it's Forenz."

"What?" Link's mind went blank at the sight of his old trainer.

What is he doing here and where's his fairy?

Link stared in shock for a moment, before reality set in. Forenz was staggering deliriously towards them. There was something wrong with him, and not just because he lacked any warm attire. Rin apparently realized this too for she quickened her stride until she reached the boy who collapsed into her arms.

"Goddesses!" Rin breathed.

Link was off his horse in seconds. He rushed over to help Rin, only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw Forenz's back. Deep slashes ran down his back in a grotesque crisscross pattern that marred his pale form. Some of the cuts were still bleeding, others were swollen, red and angry, while older ones had formed scars across his body. Link felt sick. He barely heard Navi's gasp of horror.

Who could have done this? Link thought, horrified. What could Forenz have possibly done to warrant a punishment such as this?

"We have to get him back to the village," Sheik said, her urgent tones breaking Link from his thoughts.

Rin nodded. Seeing Forenz's skin had turned a tinge of blue, Link unfastened his cloak, passing it to Rin who draped it around the boy. As Rin finished wrapping Link's cloak around him, Forenz murmured something, but his words were too soft to hear.

"Hush child, you're safe now," Rin said, her soothing tone surprised Link, who had not expected it from the Sheikah."It's going to be alright."

The boy stared up at them, his eyes unfocused.

Link tried speaking in Kokiri."Forenz? It's me, Link. You're going to be all right."

It had been so long since he'd spoken his native tongue; it felt strange. Even Navi had taken to speaking to him in Hylian.

Forenz seemed too dazed to notice Link's words. His eyelids fluttered and closed. Link placed a hand on his chest, relieved to feel the gentle rise and fall of the boy's chest. As he gazed at Forenz's frail body, a mixture of emotions flooded him.

With a horrible sinking feeling in his gut, Link realized his chances of finding Saria and the others unharmed were looking slim. His concern for her, Forenz, and the other Kokiri grew.

"Wait!" Navi said so abruptly that Link nearly jumped; everyone turned to her. "Where's Arden?"

"Who?" Sheik asked.

"His fairy- he's not here," Navi said. She was looking around the trees frantically. "He can't have gone far without him."

Link and Navi shared a knowing glance. If something had happened to Forenz's fairy, he would not survive long.

"Maybe they got separated," Link suggested. It was unlikely, but it was still something.

"Let's hope so," Navi replied as they spared one last look at Forenz's unconscious form. "Give me a second to look."

"Search for your friend, Navi," said Sheik. "We need to get this boy back to the village if we are going to help him. Link, I may need your help when he regains consciousness."

Nodding, and silently thanking her for not calling him a hero at that moment, Link turned back to his horse.

"Be quick, Navi," he said as Navi flew off into the trees.

"Don't worry, I will be," she called back.

Rin mounted her horse, the boy still in her arms, and they rode quickly back towards Ordon. Link just hoped they were not too late to help Forenz. He hoped for one good thing to come of the last few days. If he could just save his friend, then maybe he wouldn't feel like such a failure of a hero after all.

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Reviews

SunPraiser31 chapter 21 . Nov 26, 2016 Link certainly took that news well, didn't he? Though I suppose you can't blame him, after everything that happened. But at least there is still some hope for the Kokiri. I doubt Saria and Link's reunion will be as friendly as Link hopes, since he's changed so much and it's been 7 fucking years. Props to Link for having what resolve he has, god knows I wouldn't in that situation.

Cyan Quartz chapter 21 . Jun 22, 2015 Rin? Sounds familiar.