Chapter 3


Link threw open the door and in walked Adam, still carrying the still bawling Saria. The only light in the cottage was that from candles. The windows were covered to minimize the risk of detection Several Kokiri children were in the room. Apparently Zelda explained to the about Adam still being alive and how he and Saria are older now. The children were still shocked to see Adam, though. He set Saria on a bed and did his best to comfort her despite the terrible pain she must have still been feeling. Zelda did her best to try to clean the wounds. Link bandaged them. The whole time all three were trying to psychologically comfort her. Adam seemed best suited to this task because he was the one to rescue her from her abuse.
The Kokiri just stood back and watched. When the wounds were finally properly addressed they put a tunic on her. She just lied on the bed she was on and quickly went to sleep, exhausted from her ordeal and feeling safe and secure. Dusk had fallen and it started to rain.

Adam turned and faced Link, Zelda and the few Kokiri kids that made it to the cottage. Five in total. “Well as you know, Adam, The forest was invaded.” They moved to the table. Only the light of the few candles provided illumination. Link found a map of the Kokiri Forest and Lost Woods and spread it out on the table. “The invasion seems to have carried out, the grunt work at least, by stalfos, skeleton warriors. It appears that several humans are in command of this whole operation.” One of the Kokiri spoke up. It was Mido. “I barely managed to escape. They were questioning some others about the where Zelda is.” “My guess is they were looking for Zelda to extort a ransom from the castle.” Link explained. Adam was surveying the map. “How many more Kokiri escaped?” Mido shook his head. “I just don’t know.” “I know there’s more than just us, a bunch scattered towards other directions in the forest.” Kari, Kira’s sister commented. Adam could feel all their eyes trained on him rather than the map. “Look, I may have been a shadow to you for five years but we can settle that later, we have more pressing issues at hand. If were here,” Adam said, pointing to a spot on the map, “we have a pretty good chance of keeping hidden. Just no one do anything to draw attention to this area. If they find us, were screwed.” “Zelda gravely agreed. “If they have twenty stalfos, its going to be a hell of a long shot for three of us to fight them off.” Adam looked puzzled. “Whose the third.” He asked. Zelda pulled the side of her dress up a little, revealing a sword. She drew it. Link looked at Adam and smiled in a proud manner. Adam shook his head, obviously impressed. “And that’s not all.” Link announced to Adam. “Mido.” Mido walked up carrying three machetes. The Kokiri used them for cutting trees. Adam picked on up and ran his finger along the edge. “We’ll need to sharpen these.” Adam said. Link and Adam went looking through the drawers in the cottage. Link found large flint used for lighting campfires. “This’ll work, I think.” Mido and the two other male Kokiri in the room, Yara and Hoki began striking their machetes against the rock, still listening for any ideas from Link, Zelda or Adam. “Adam, I think we should do a little sweep of some of the forest.” “I agree but who will watch the cabin.” “I’ll watch over it and the kids.” Zelda offered. “Don’t worry Link, I can use a sword.” “Let’s go. Adam” Link said. They both left the cabin, swords in hand.

Kirsten was completely exhausted. He friend Mary came up behind her and nearly collapsed in the underbrush. Two stalfos and a human were close behind them. “Follow me.” Kirsten whispered to her friend. She crawled out from the bush to another one. Mary followed. “I think we’re clear” she told Kirsten. She stood up to face a stalfos’ blade. “I think not” The man declared, “I am Miranu, I will be taking you captive today.” He said to the girls. “Now come with me back to the forest, and don’t try anything funny. There are two stalfos right behind you.” He started leading them back to the occupied Kokiri Forest.

Link and Adam were silently moving through the forest when they heard a noise followed by voices. Link ran then slid down into a bush and motioned for Adam to follow him. Adam did the same. He ran foreword and waved Link to come quick. He pointed to two Kokiri girls walking through the forest, two stalfos behind them and a man in front. Adam pulled a hood over his head that seemed sown into his tunic. A mesh covered his face. He drew his sword. “I’ll hold off the stalfos, you take the human.” Link instructed Adam. “I’ll draw the stalfos away.” Link said and he crept away. Adam ran forward to some brush ahead of Miranu and the two Kokiri girls. Link walked into plain view behind the stalfos and yelled. The stalfos turned around and faced him, swords drawn. “Take him down.” Zachit commanded, instantly realizing it was Link. “You two, keep walking.” He said to the girls, walking behind them and drawing his sword. He prodded the two girls foreword as Link tried to keep the stalfos occupied. Adam walked out in front of them, his face hidden. Adam started speaking in a loud whispering voice “Out of the forest, get out of the forest.” He started walking to Miranu with his sword held vertically, directly in front of him, holding it with both hands. Miranu, obviously now fearful for not knowing what was in front of him, despite it being smaller the he was, held his sword with shaking hands, ready to try to defend against this strange challenger. He tried to take the offensive, striking his sword against Adam’s. Adam parried his move and with a blow of his own, struck Miranu’s arm, causing him to yell in pain and drop his sword. Adam continued to advance towards Miranu, pointing his sword in the direction of the man’s chest. Miranu, who was holding his wounded arm, kept backing up as Adam pressed on. Finally the man couldn’t take it anymore and turned and fled towards the forest, alone. Adam let him go, knowing that his tale would inspire terror in the invaders. He ran to the girls, standing almost petrified from terror. “Go to the cottage.” He instructed them, still keeping his voice to a whispering hiss and his face masked. The girls nodded and ran towards the direction of the cabin, deep in the Lost Woods. Adam picked up Miranu’s dropped sword and ran to help Link. Link popped out behind a tree parried the nearest stalfos. The skeleton swing his sword, barely missing the ever moving Link. Adam ran at it at full speed and slammed his sword into the monster’s spine. It fell and disintegrated into the ground with the same kind of green light it appeared into the world with. The other stalfos tried to sneak behind Link, but Link was ready for him. He spun 180 degrees and hit his sword against the stalfos’. Adam came up and stood next to Link, ready to help. The stalfos tried his wide swing again. Adam parried and Link came from the side and hit the skeleton in the neck bone, killing it. It decomposed the same way the first one did. Adam pulled back his hood. “Thanks a lot, the thing almost had me.” Link thanked Adam. “That guy got away. I couldn’t outrun him.” It was starting to get really dark out. Adam was very hard to see in his shadowy tunic. “We’d better get back to the cottage. Can you tell the way in the dark.” Adam nodded. They started back to the cabin deep in the Lost Woods.


Saria stirred in her bed and then sat up. She saw Zelda pacing back and forth in front of the door, sword in hand. Several of the Kokiri were sleeping sitting down on the floor against the wooded walls. One was crying while the other tried to comfort her. Saria was still in some pain from her torture. She remembered what that man did to her, and Adam, the look on his face when he saw what was happening. At first she thought she was dreaming or in delirium. But when he picked her up, she knew it was real. That man probably is still there. She thought to herself. She pulled back the sheets covering her and stood up. She was wearing her old tunic, now with rips and tears all over her clothes from her attacker. She could still feel the deep wound in her stomach and the chemical burns. She could feel the lashes, the punches. She sat back down on the bed and started to quietly cry to herself. Zelda, who witnessed this walked over and sat down on the bed next to Saria, putting her arm around her shoulder. Saria wept on. Zelda understood her emotional pain. “It’s okay, were her for you. Kirsten and Mary came through the door. Quick as lightening Zelda was on her feet, sword aimed at the two walking in the door. Zelda eased from her sword-fighting stance.” Kirsten, Mary. Where have you been?” Zelda inquired as she closed the door. “We managed to escape from the forest but we got caught by some man and two stalfos.” Mary began “He tried to bring us back from the forest when Link showed up. The two skeletons chased Link back into the forest.” This news worried Zelda. “When the man, his name was Miranu, I think, was alone with us, something in dark clothes appeared.” Kirsten said. “It looked like a ghost. You couldn’t see its face.” Zelda drew the mental connection between the “ghost” and Adam. “It talked in this high whisper. Scared the heck out of Miranu. The thing knocked the sword clear out of his hand and put a nice size cut in his arm. The guy turned and ran for his life. Then the thing came to us and told is to come here.” Zelda wondered how they could talk so calmly after such a thing happened, but then again, she thought to herself, if she could treat Adam the way she did and not care about how he felt, then she probably could talk about anything without much emotion. She couldn’t figure out what Adam saw in her. “Zelda are you listening to me.” “Yes, I am, a ghost or something came and saved you. ”
“What are we going to do, our homes were invaded.” Kirsten started sobbing about the situation. Mary hung her head sadly and slumped to the floor, head in her hands. Kirsten slowly sat down, still sobbing. “Don’t fret. Link will be back soon. You did see him right before you saw this “ghost” didn’t you?” Zelda asked, not yet giving away Adam. Mary answered yes. “And this “ghost” told you to come back here to us, didn’t it?” Mary picked up her head and saw Saria, bruised and cut. “What’s happening to us? Why is this happening to us? What did we do to deserve this?” Mary was getting hysterical. Zelda tried to give her hope “We’ll pull through. You survived the Deku Tree dying. Don’t worry, were safe here.” The crying girl nodded her head, still tearing and sniffling. Zelda got back on her feet and walked over to another group of Kokiri. She knew she had to give them hope. Without it, they couldn’t win. She also had her doubts though. Part of being a princess was being able to put on a good public face. Inside, she was truly scared for her life and the lives of those she loved. I have to keep strong, she kept thinking to herself. More than anything though, she just wanted Link to hold her in his arms until it was all over. Link once again burst through the door. Adam was close behind. Kirsten and Mary looked at him, half in fear and half in curiosity. The “ghost” pulled back his hood, revealing Adam’s face. They barely recognized him. Some of the children busied themselves by making spears out of pieces of wood that they found in the cabin and pieces of the flint that they broke off and sharply cut.

Tare waved one of his men over to him. “We have to leave soon. If we cannot find the princess then we have to just take our prisoners and get the hell out of here. How goes the pillaging?” The man, Igzadra replied to him. “We took all the valuables out of the houses. They’re all bare.” “Good, soon we leave. Remind me to personally torch the houses.” “I nearly forgot. The house over there built into the tree is where Zelda was staying with that hero type person.” “Damn it we couldn’t find Zelda, but we did find some things of value.” A loud moan caught both their attentions. Tare unsheathed his sword and ran to the source, followed by Igzadra. They found Miranu, holding his bloody hand, barely conscious from loss of blood. “What the f-, wha, What happened? Your supposed to be one of our best swordsmen.” “A, a boy in green, I think it was Link. He popped up out of the forest, He drew away the stalfos. Then , something in this deep shadowy color, seemed to walk right up in from of me. It, it , demanded we leave. I challenged it with my sword but, it knock the sword right out of my hand and cut me. I managed to outrun it but I was wounded and collapsed here.” Tare shook his head. “Dammit your supposed to be able to handle these things. Did you see what this “thing” you speak of was?” “It’s head was, ma, masked. It had gloves. No sign of skin. About five feet, I thi- think it may be a wraith of some sort.” “You idiot, it was probably one of the Kokiri.” Miranu was shaking his head. “It would be too tall, and don’t Kokiri wear green.” At hearing this Tare paused. “Then it was probably the princess. You said it spoke to you?” Miranu nodded. “It was a cross between a whisper and a hiss. You couldn’t tell if it was male or female.” Tare was clearly growing angry. “I cannot believe you let it get the best of you.” “Help me, I need a bandage for the wound.” Miranu begged. Tare was about to slice Miranu’s head off for his incompetence but Igzadra held him back. “Right, get up” Tare and Igzadra helped Miranu to his feet and helped him back to the occupied forest. “Find Zachit and bring him back here.” He ordered Igzadra

Adam looked around him at all the despairing Kokiri. He handed put down the sword he took from Miranu on the table with the map. Saria picked it up, anger on her usually peaceful face. But a lot had happened, and peace was the last thing to describe the recent events. “We have to do something.” Saria whispered to Link. It was obvious that Saria was talking about taking back the forest. Link subtly waved Adam over to him. “Get ready, were going to fight back.” “I’ve been ready, what were we waiting for?” Zelda walked up and study the looks on their faces “Your going to try to take back the forest?” The three solemnly nodded. “We strike at dawn, riding the first rays of the sun.” Adam said quietly to them.

“Oh great, just friggin great.” Igzadra thought aloud when he found Zachit. “What happened to you?” Zachit looked at Igzadra. “About bloody time someone got here.” “Bloody seems to fit the look of things.” Said Igzadra, looking at Zachit’s condition. He was cover in blood, lying on the floor. “I found some green haired girl, she was just walking down the forest. So I drugged her and brought her back here. I was interrogating her, trying to find out where Zelda was, you know, and some kid came and beat me up. He stabbed me and cut her loose. Then some kid in green, I think it was Link, came up. He didn’t do anything but he looked surprised at what happened. And now, for about seven hours now, I’ve been lying here on the ground.” Igzadra pulled the wounded man up and put his arm around his shoulder, trying to help him walk. “Let’s get back to the forest.”


Zigadar, the fourth human lieutenant, was combing through the bridge to the Kokiri Forest and the surrounding area with five stalfos to try to find any Kokiri escapees. At their base camp in the Forest there were the other thirteen along with the rest of the human contingent. Igzadra came to the camp where Tare greeted him. Tare took a look at Zachit’s injuries. “I know this is the question of the day. But what happened?” Zachit explained to Tare how he was attacked. Go over by Miranu and try to clean those wounds. Damn, what the hell is happening here?” Tare asked himself.

“Link, what’s going on?” Mido asked. “Simple, were going to take back the forest.” Two other Kokiri heard him say this. The rest were sleeping on the floor or in chairs. Link, Zelda, Saria, and Adam had taken turns resting on a bed. “It’s going to be light soon. In about another hour or so.” “Will they fight with us?” Zelda asked. “This is where Adam and Saria come in. They’ll try to encourage them. We can do this, its going to be one hell of a shot be were going to do it.” Zelda nodded. She knew that they couldn’t do nothing. They couldn’t sneak out the forest because it was definitely going to be watched. If they did nothing they would be found and. What preceding and scared Zelda. If they were looking for her, she shuddered to think what would happen if she was caught. She sat on the bed next to Link and laid her head on his chest and hugged him tight. “You can stay here, Zelda. You don’t have to fight.” “NO! If something happens to you… No I want to go with you. If I stay here I might get found.” Link knew it was pointless to argue with her. Link and Zelda loved each other with their souls. Link knew that she would follow him into battle, no matter the risk to her own life, as long as she was with him. Dawn was approaching quickly. Adam had made his decision; he was going to tell Saria how he felt. “Saria, can I talk to you for a second.” Adam felt the same way about Saria that Link felt about Zelda. Unbeknownst to Adam, however, a something inside Saria drew her to him. She was feeling love for Adam, since she met that desperate soul that day. When her rescued her, she felt the bond grow stronger. She could almost sense too, how Adam felt, at least that was how she hoped he felt. She sat on the bed next to him. “Saria, I-I-I um, I. I love you, Saria.” There he said it. Saria smiled and embraced him. “I love you too, Adam.” They sat there in embrace. Link tapped Zelda on the shoulder. She looked up lovingly into his face. “Look, over there.” He whispered into her ear. She saw Adam and Saria. Link and Zelda smiled at each other. “I knew it.” She whispered back. “Come on Zelda, we’ve got a forest to recover.” She sat up and nodded. Link shot a glance to Adam. He knew what he meant. Action must soon be taken. “Saria, sweetie, I have to go fight.” “Of course, and I am fighting with you.” “But what if if, if, something happens?” Link shot him another glance, telling him without words not to start that argument. They let go of each other. Link began going around and waking the sleeping Kokiri. Adam stood in front of the seven Kokiri. “I guess you know what I’m going to say, we are going to fight. You have those weapons. You have your homes at stake. We’re going to fight dammit.” “What if they beat us?” Kira asked him. “Then we’re going to drag them down with us.” This obviously got their attention. He watched as one by one, the Kokiri got their weapons and stood in front of him. Saria took Miranu’s sword. Zelda and Link stood ready. Adam opened the door and they walked out, ready to strike. An ember floated by them, the turned towards the forest and saw fires. Liberation was at hand.
They began a slow, somber, march to the forest, knowing well some of them may not return.



“Miranu, they got you too?” Zachit asked. “I do not believe this.” “Some kid in black came up stabbed me.” “In black? I saw on too, it damn near took off my hand.” Miranu said. “Doesn’t matter, the scouts are all ready on their way back. Zigs out on final patrol, they are starting the burnings, we’ll leave really soon.” Zachit shook his head. “Let’s hope so, this place is giving me the creeps. It’s like there’s hostile forces at work here.” “You worry to much, Zach.”

They were standing at the edge of the forest, on the crest of the hill overlooking the forest, under cover of darkness, watching their homes being destroyed. “I count thirteen stalfos there, Link.” Zelda said. He nodded and turned to the Kokiri behind him. “If you want to turn back, do it now.” “Do you think we’re going to stand bye and watch our homes and lives be destroyed?” Mido said back. Murmurs of support emanated from came from behind him. They all looked at each other grimly. Zelda took Link’s hand and kissed him. “If something happens, remember, I’ll always love you.” He put his hand on the side of her face, “I love you too.” Adam and Saria said nothing to each other, only looking into each other’s faces, letting their eyes speak for them. “Ready, Adam, Zelda, Saria?” The three nodded in unison. Adam waved forward the waiting Kokiri. On three, charge. Take out the stalfos first.
They outline of the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon.

“One”

“Two”

“Three”

“GO!!”

The group charged down the crest of the hill, weapons forward. “What the? Stop them!” Tare yelled. The stalfos mobilized to confront them. Igzadra drew his sword and got ready to fight off anyone that made it past the stalfos. Zachit couldn’t move; he was too weak. Miranu managed to stand up and take a sword. The Kokiri slammed into the stalfos in a whirl of metal. The small, quick Kokiri almost seemed to have an advantage against the simple minded, less maneuverable stalfos. They held them at bay and Link slammed into one trying to flank them, killing it. The stalfos line seemed to give way as Zelda slashed one of them across the neck. One of the skeleton warriors managed to push Kira back, almost hitting her in the neck with the blade, but for Adam’s quick block and Saria’s stab. Standing back watching the battle was Tare. In his right hand he had his sword, in his left, the stone. Adam and Saria ran towards the back lines. In between two of the burning buildings they found Zachit and Miranu. Zachit instantly recognized the green haired girl. Adam charged Miranu, who was holding his sword in his weaker hand due to the wound in the other. Adam took on swing and knocked the sword clear out of his hands, again. Adam placed an uppercut onto the man’s chin, and a right hook into his nose. The man doubled over. Saria was running to help when she saw Zachit lying on the ground, defenseless. With out missing a beat she yelled “You bastard!” and connected her left fist with the side of his head, knocking him out. Miranu too, was totally incapacitated. They kept going, trying to find the leader of this little operation.

“Watch out! Hoki!” The blade came down on his chest, piercing the skin and cutting deep. She fell back, in shock. Yara, enraged by seeing friend being hurt, charged up in and stuck his blade into the bottom of the monsters skull. “Hoki!” Yara came up to his fallen friend. He was already dead. The monster’s blade had cut through his heart. He stood up and grabbed his fallen friends blade. He charged one of the nearest stalfos, killing it. Another one came up and tried to hit him. He parried with one blade and jabbed with his other.

Adam found him. He was standing back, watching the battle unfold. Saria and Adam split up momentarily, trying to find the ringleader. Adam ran up to him and tried to strike with his sword. But Tare blocked it with his own sword, whipped it around and struck Adam in the side. As Adam recoiled he kicked him in the chest, knocking him to the ground.

Zigadar’s patrol had returned, putting more pressure on the already embattled Kokiri. They did their best to hold them back. The stalfos were now on the offensive.

Saria just saw what happened to Adam. She didn’t know what to do. Link and Zelda were trying to hold off Igzadra and some of his stalfos guarding the captured Kokiri. Things weren’t looking good for them.

Saria saw what happened to Adam and he jaw fell. “Adam!” She screamed. At lightening speed, in a single fluid movement she ran up, grabbed the dagger from his belt and slashed upward at Tare, severing his hand holding the stone. He yelled in pain and recoiled as he looked at the girl who did this to him. The stone and his severed hand hit the ground. The stone shattered.

All the stalfos stood still for a moment, and then collapsed. Zigadar and Igzadra looked in horror as their skeleton soldiers fell to the ground, useless. They both ran towards the forest entrance where their horses were. They knew they were defeated.

“Damn you!” Tare shouted at Saria as he turned to run, holding where his left hand once was. Saria didn’t give chase. She knelt down next to Adam. “Adam? Are you okay?” Saria took a look at the cut in his side. It wasn’t too deep. “I think.” Link and Zelda ran up. “How is he?” Zelda asked Saria. “It’s bleeding a little but its not that deep. He should be fine.” Link helped Adam up. He clutched his wound and red blood flowed over his hand. “We have to clean that.” Zelda said. Adam asked her. “Shouldn’t we put out those fires first? And what about the captives?” “Don’t worry.” A third voice responded. They turned to Mido. “I already took care of freeing the Kokiri, but we cannot really do much about some of the fires. They’ll have to burn themselves out.” All the houses save for Links and the Kokiri’s meeting center, where the captive Kokiri were, were on fire. Few of the Kokiri’s possessions were managed to have been saved.

Tears flowed from the Kokiri. They mourned over the loss of their homes, and the loss of two of their own. Hoki and Kira were killed in the forest’s liberation. As Saria and Zelda were helping Adam bandage his wound, Link dug graves for the two fallen. Adam got up and walked over to Link to give him a hand. Almost in unison, the liberated Kokiri gasped at the sight. “Adam!?” Adam almost collapsed under the wide eyes of the shocked Kokiri. Saria walked to his side. “Saria, Adam? What happened, why are you all big now?” “It’ll be kind of long to explain.” “We have work to do.” Adam said to the crowd. “We have to rebuild our homes.”