The Legend of Zelda- Ocarina of Time

Minuet of the Forest

Chapter 21

Minuet of the Forest

Night of the previous day...

It had been a horrible day. Cold and miserable, Saria curled herself tightly into a ball within her cot, listening to the soft breathing of the other Kokiri in the crowded tent. She could still hear the muffled sounds of Gerudo outside as they spoke in their native tongue.

The Gerudo were camped on the southern edge of the Lost Woods, bordered by the Faron River.

So close to home, Saria thought, a familiar ache gnawing at her chest.

She hadn't been this close to the Great Deku Tree's grove in seven years. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander amidst the forest beyond the camp. Touching the consciousness of another living creature in the woods, or even a spirit, should have been easy. But Saria felt nothing beyond the confusing tangle of thoughts of the Gerudo camp's many occupants. She should have felt something.

She concentrated harder, searching for some sign of life, but there was just an endless silence. It was as if the woods were now completely devoid of life. Nothing stirred, and the great tall sentinels stood leafless, clutched within the depths of winter.

Saria opened her eyes, gathering her thoughts. Something was terribly wrong. Either that or the Gerudo had put something in her food to stop her from using her telepathy.

No, she thought. That couldn't be right.

They had no way of knowing she could do that. Not unless she accidentally used her skill on them.

Cold, Saria huddled in her blankets and tried to get warm. Her body still ached from the beating she'd received several days earlier, the winter chill making the painful welts seem worse.

Shinju, the Gerudo placed in charge of the Kokiri slaves, had believed Saria was responsible for Forenz's recent escape. It wasn't the first time he'd tried to escape. On his last attempt, he'd received ten lashes. Thinking about the harsh crack of the whip as it struck bloodied flesh still made Saria feel ill.

Where are you, Forenz? Saria thought. His absence was partly why she was trying to let her mind reach out to the creatures in the woods. She desperately wanted to know if Forenz was alive. She hadn't wanted him to try and escape, knowing that it was foolish. She'd warned him.

Do not dwell upon what you cannot change, child. Focus on what you can do. The words of the Great Deku Tree seemed to echo in her mind from long ago. She felt the weight of Great Father's loss more now than she had in years.

That memory of his death made her think of that night seven years ago when she and the other Kokiri had been torn from their homes. Wood smoke. It had been their only warning. The woods surrounding the village had been set alight, with only a narrow corridor of the forest left untouched. Deku trees could withstand fire, but the thick smoke would have meant death to the Kokiri. As Saria, Mido, Forenz, and the other Elders evacuated the village, they realised too late what was happening. Some of the more experienced hunters saw it, recognising the similarity between what was happening and the tactics used to capture wild game, something Saria had never cared for. By the time Mido warned her, it had been too late, and she wasn't certain knowing what was about to happen would have changed the outcome. Too late, Saria sensed other creatures rapidly approaching, creatures she'd only ever encountered once.

Flushed out of their homes, the Kokiri hadn't made it far before a horde of Bulblins had descended on them. Saria was certain that the outcome would have been far worse if the Gerudo hadn't ordered the Blin to capture and not kill, but even that hadn't been enough to prevent any bloodshed.