Child Of The Forest - Judy Colella (popular e readers .TXT) 📗

from his storage chest, cramming them quickly into his pouch, and returned to the shop at top speed. He almost asked Navi if he was hurrying fast enough, but decided not to be rude.

“Here.” He swallowed hard, then took several deep, panting breaths as he removed the rupees and gave them to the shopkeeper.

“And here’s your shield. Use it wisely, Link.” Frega winked at him, his smile different in a way the boy couldn’t explain.

“Thank you.” Another few gulps of air, and he began to catch his breath. “Okay.”

“I hear you’ve been summoned by the Great Deku Tree – that’s a rare honor, my boy. Ever been in his presence before?”

“Not that I can remember.” And how did you know?!

“Ah. You’re in for quite an experience, then. It also does my heart good to see you with a fairy at last.”

Link simply nodded, unable to come up with what he thought would be an appropriate response.

“Well! Off you go, then!”

Link left the shop, but not before hearing Frega muttering something about Mido being put in his place.

Sure, Frega – like that would ever happen. “Navi, if whatever the Great Deku Tree wants to see me about involves me using a sword and shield, shouldn’t I get some lunch first? I’m getting a little hungry – it’s been a busy morning.”

“Oh! I forgot you need to eat. Sorry, Link. Of course! But hurry!”

“Of course.” With a sigh, he headed back home.

Several of the Kokiri were outside now, some of them tending their gardens, others shaking out the cloth-like rugs that covered their floors. A few gave the boy an interested look, one even waved.

A boy named Queedi was busy working in front of Mido’s house, tugging furiously at a rock. “Link! Hey! Come here for a moment, will you?”

Curious, Link approached. “What do you need, Queedi?”

“The Boss wants me to clear these out of his yard, but I can’t seem to pick them up very well. Can you give me a hand?”

“The Boss. You mean Mido.” Link snorted. “Boss, my butt.”

“Ooh, you’d better not let him hear you say that, Link!”

“Why? What’s he going to do? Punch me in the nose again?” He leaned down, grabbed the rock, and lifted it easily. “Where are you supposed to put this?”

“Wow, you’re so strong…um, I don’t – hey! Is that – do you have – I mean, that’s a shield, right? And, and a sword! Link! That’s the Kokiri Sword! How – ”

Rolling his eyes, Link confirmed everything and tossed the rock toward the side of the cottage. Unlike his, this cottage had an entrance at ground-level, and wasn’t very high.

“And you have a fairy! I heard about that, you know!”

“Seems everyone has,” murmured the boy, hefting another rock.

By the time he was done, he’d made a neat pile against the side of the cottage, had become unbearably hungry, and was on the verge of strangling Queedi. One more silly question –

“Link! We really need to get going!”

“Yes, Navi.” He turned to the over-enthusiastic orange-haired Kokiri. “Gotta go, Queedi. See you later.”

“Sure, Link! Hey, thanks for the help! I never could have done that myself, you know.”

Nodding, Link gave him a crooked smile and continued toward home, determined not to stop until he got there.

“Oooh! Link! You have a fairy! And the Great Deku Tree wants to see you, too? Wow! What an amazing thing!”

“Thanks, Dita.” I thought you hated me.

“Now that you have a fairy, I guess you can play more games with us!”

“I guess so.” Leave me alone. I’m hungry.

“See you later, then!”

Why? “Sure.”

This time, he took off at a determined trot and made it the rest of the way without further interference.

Sitting on his bed, his back against the wall next to the window, he enjoyed a bigger meal than usual. Crawling through holes, learning how to use a sword, hauling rocks, all these things had given him a massive appetite. When he was done, he drained a few cups of cool water, then leaned back and closed his eyes. It felt so nice…

“Link!”

Dang. “What is it, Navi.”

“Open your eyes, Link!”

“Why? Is there something dangerous in my house?”

“What?”

He grinned and lifted his lids halfway to find the fairy hovering perfectly still in front of his face, her glow somewhat whitish-bluish-yellow. Was that what confusion looked like? he wondered. “Never mind. You know what? I think I should bring some food with me. Something tells me my afternoon is going to be a long one.”

“You’re a very strange boy, Link.”

He almost laughed. “All right – I’m getting up now.” Shoving himself off the bed, he picked up his bowl and cup, washed them in the wooden bucket set beside the front door for that purpose, put them away, and shoved some food into his pouch.

“Are you ready to go, Link?”

“Yes…no…you know, I’m kinda tired. If I have to talk to the Great Deku Tree, shouldn’t I be wide awake and alert?”

“Yes, Link. And not lazy.”

“I’m not lazy.”

“You act like you are.”

“No, I just can’t seem to get enough sleep. I’m always having nightmares, and when I wake up, I feel like I haven’t slept at all. That’s not the same as being lazy.”

Navi seemed to consider this for a few seconds. “Well, all right. Maybe you aren’t lazy. But we’re expected to go see the Great Deku Tree as soon as possible, you know!”

“Yes. As soon as possible. What if today isn’t, er, possible? I mean, what do I need a sword and shield for, Navi? I really doubt the Great Deku Tree is going to draw my portrait and wants me to look…brave or something. I don’t know anyone who has ever really needed these things, come to think of it.” He frowned.

“But surely you’ve heard stories about great warriors and kings and battles, haven’t you?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

More silence.

Link went back to his bed and climbed up, sitting once more with his back to the wall. “Why don’t you tell me about some of that?”

“But – ”

“Wait – Navi, please don’t be annoyed with me for asking, but are you a girl or a boy?”

“I’m a girl, Link. Most fairies are. The boy fairies are usually more of a golden color, unless they’re angry. Then they turn golden-red.”

“What if they’re, um, amused?”

“Golden-yellow.”

“Excited?”

“Golden-blue.”

“Helpful?”

“Golden-green. Can we go now?”

Link put his head back and closed his eyes again. “I’m really tired, Navi. If I’m really tired, I probably won’t be very good with that sword.”

The Sword was currently leaning against the adjacent wall in its scabbard, the shield next to it.

“Oh, Link.”

“And I have to pee.” He got off the bed suddenly and went outside.

For once, Navi didn’t join him.

When he came back in, he went back to the bed, and this time he stretched out, curled up on his side, and went to sleep.

“Poor little boy,” Navi whispered. “Better go tell the Deku Tree. Or…hmm. No, I’m Link’s fairy for now, and should stay with him.” She flitted about the room, her movements more restless than purposeful.

After a while, the little creature came to rest on the window sill. “I have to remember how fragile he is,” she muttered.

A fly buzzed in and alighted next to her, giving her a quizzical look. Navi patted its head absently as she continued to ponder the sleeping boy. A short time later, the insect flew off, the world outside the window grew darker, and eventually the moon came up.

Still the fairy sat, keeping vigil over her new charge. She didn’t need sleep, so spent her time thinking about all she’d learned about Link that day. By the time the sun rose, she’d come to the conclusion that he was exactly the right choice for the destiny laid upon him.

The Hero of Time. Yes. He could – no, he would fulfill that one day, and she’d be there with him every moment until his work on behalf of the Land of Hylia and the Kingdom of Hyrule was complete.

FOUR

 

Mido was pacing. The opening to the Meadow yawned beyond his small form, making him look even less important than usual. Clearly, his behavior was not the result of boredom or restlessness. Self-importance was the actual cause, and Link often wondered how the other boy managed to maintain that attitude so consistently, even when no one seemed to be there to watch him.

Despite Mido’s absorption with how amazing he believed himself to be, he still had to follow the rules, and the rules said that if a Kokiri had a good reason and the right equipment to enter the Meadow, no one – not even little Mido – had the right to prevent that from happening. Link knew this but still didn’t look forward to the confrontation, especially not first thing in the morning.

When Link was only a few feet away, Mido suddenly stopped and spun on one foot to face him. “Ha! And where do you think you’re going?”

“Uh, to see The Great Deku Tree.”

Mido shook a finger in Link’s face. “Oh, no you don’t. Not without the proper equipment!”

“But – ”

“You need a sword!”

“But –  ”

“And a proper shield!”

“But – ”

“Now go away!”

This was crazy. “No. I have what I need. Look.” He drew the Sword from behind his back and held up the wooden shield. “See? Now please get out of the way.”

Mido crossed his arms, tapped one foot angrily, and thrust his face closer. “How is it that you get to use that Sword?! Huh? How? While I, the great Mido, don’t even own a sword yet! Answer that one!”

Because you’re a dolt. “I can’t. Please move.”

Now the “great” Mido began muttering furiously about “fairy boys” and the lack of justice in the world. While he was doing this, Navi and Mido’s own fairy twinkled at each other, and Link suspected they were finding all of this highly amusing.

“I have to get through,” said Link, not amused even a little.

“Do you! Have you got any idea how to use that Sword? There are dangerous things between here and the Meadow, you know.”

“Yes. Don’t make me use it to get past you.”

That got Mido’s attention. In fact, it actually drew a look of respect, and he stepped aside.

Well! thought Link. Who would have thought...

“Hurry!” Navi said unnecessarily.

He went past the other boy and into the tunnel-like opening. Several feet along, it turned to the left. Link was about to sheathe the Sword, when something sprang up in front of him and became a huge plant of some kind that shook in a weird, rather menacing way, its stalk twice Link’s height with a dark flower on the top. Link jumped backward quickly.

“Cut it down!” Navi shrieked.

Eyes wide, heart beating crazily, he forced himself to remember what Wado had taught him about targeting an enemy, what defensive swing to use, how to turn it into an offensive attack. Okay…he lunged, swung the Sword with all his might once, twice, then the final downward stroke – the severed stem of the nightmarish flower clattered to the ground.

“Pick it up, Link! It’s a Deku Stick!”

“Is it safe to do that?” What’s a deku stick? And where had this crazy thing come from? He’d never seen one before, not even during his forays into the Lost Woods…

“I wouldn’t tell you to pick it up otherwise, silly