Scars of a Caged Bird | Zelink Medieval

Chapter XIII

    "Are you OK, Link?" Marine questioned, stifling a giggle as she and Aqua watched me attempt to hobble along with everyone else while in deep pain.

Groaning, I waved her away. "Don't talk to me." My body ached from tripping in the dirt multiple times while trying to escape those stupid cuccos. They had started pecking and attacking me, and I had scrambled (pun intended) away, trying to escape those crazy birds' reach. Of course, I hadn't entirely escape unscathed. Everyone else had cracked up while watching me run around like a cucco without a head, not offering me any assistance. Even Sheik had been hiding a guffaw! – Somewhere.

"Beaten by some scrawny birds, Link?" Aqua teased good-naturedly.

I opened my mouth to respond but decided that a mere glare would suffice.

Darron punched my arm "lightly" and didn't even bother disguising his guffaw. "Your pride take a blow, eh, Link?"

"Don't talk to me," I responded, glaring daggers at everyone, causing them to burst into more fits of laughter; even Sheik and Impa cracked a smile.

My body, aching from my encounter with those cuccos, almost refused to go on as we approached a wooden bridge. Sheik slipped into my shadow as he was prone to do now; it had become a habit of his, and I stepped on the bridge first. It wobbled slightly, but I continued, keeping my eyes trained ahead. From the corner of my eye, I could see that others had begun stepping on the bridge as well, testing its sturdiness.

I made my way across the bridge and came to a small clearing. The twisting boughs of tall trees created a huge canopy that blocked out any and all light that tried to penetrate it. Shadows danced tauntingly, and I could no longer hear anyone else. Sheik squirmed in my shadow, and I turned back to where the bridge used to be.

Trees.

There were only trees where the bridge used to be. Eyes widening, I was struck by an awful epiphany. We were in the Lost Woods. I didn't have a fairy. As a child at the Fortress, we had always been taught that if we ever received the privilege of traveling outside of Gerudo territory, we would have to be diligent in avoiding the Lost Woods.

According to legend, should a child ever venture into the Lost Woods without a fairy, they would become a Skull Kid. The same would go for an adult as well, although they would turn into a Stalfos. Suddenly, this adventure of finding Saria became so much scarier – I didn't even know who Saria was.

"Link," Sheik snapped sternly, "Focus. I don't know what just happened, but we have to figure this out to get to Saria. Do you still have the hammer?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, I couldn't just get rid –" I paused, hearing something very odd.

Nothing.

Snapping to attention and holding the Megaton Hammer firmly with both hands, I heaved in a deep breath, "Did you hear that, Sheik?" I knew that if something had actually just occurred, Sheik would have heard it; because of his abilities as an honorary Sheikah, his senses were heightened, and I knew that I could depend on him to mention anything out of the ordinary.

I felt him shift uncomfortably as he nodded, not verbally responding.

"What do you think it was?" I questioned uncertainly.

A flute could be heard playing in the distance, and my brows furrowed. Why did this feel so familiar? I remained ready on my feet, scanning the area for anything that looked harmful – anything alive.