In the weeks that followed Lunnaei, at her grandfather's request, managed to stay out of trouble. Not only with the local law enforcement, but also with the boys who had been harassing her. On the day they were to leave, she lay face down on her bed, arm hanging askew, buried under her favorite blanket. Her traveling gear and pack were stacked neatly in the corner. She had spent a good part of the night before deciding what to bring along for the journey to Hyrule. She was completely oblivious.
It was no surprise that she did not wake when her father and grandfather came into the room for the fourth time that morning to get her up. It was however brought to her attention, when she felt herself falling out of bed. She hit the floor with a thud and yelled, "Huh? What the hell?!" Still groggy she struggled out of her blankets. When she did manage to poke her head out she was met with a pair of devilish grins as her Dad and Grandpa set the bedposts back onto the floor. She hated when they did that. "Uh...morning Dad." Her eyes flicked to her grandfather, "Morning Grandpa...sorry bout the, uh...hell thing," he hated it when she swore.
Her attention went back to her father when he said a little too cheerfully "Good Morning Lunnaei, so glad you could join the land of the living." He sighed and shook his head, looked at the neat stack of supplies in the corner, "Well, at least you're packed." He turned back to his father and said, "Good luck Pop," he said as he patted him on the shoulder. She could still hear him when he lowered his voice and added, "you're gonna need it." He chuckled to himself as he left the room and her eyes slid from the vacant doorway back to her Grandpa. "So we're leaving today?" she asked in hopes of changing the subject. His face still held that grin. The one that said, just wait til later. With a groan, Lunnaei pulled her blanket back over her head.
When she heard him leave and close the door behind him, she cautiously looked out from beneath her blanket. The coast was clear, she got up and dressed in the clothes she had set out the previous day. She shuffled into the small kitchen and immediately was handed a bowl of steaming oatmeal topped with berries and cream. Her father smiled when her eyes lit up at the site of her favorite breakfast. She took the bowl from him, gave him a peck on the cheek and sat down at the table. "Where's Grandpa?" she asked between bites.
"Out getting the rest of the supplies," he responded and he noticed she had finished every spoonful and examined her now empty bowl. He looked at her and said, "There's more if you'd like."
"Yes please!"
She got up but her father stopped her and took the bowl, "No, let me get that, you just sit and enjoy your breakfast." He went over to the pot and scooped out more, emptied the rest of the berries into it and topped it off with the cream, "I want this morning to be special," she noticed then he had not frowned once, which was good cause he seemed to do it a lot more since Mom died. She finished the second bowl almost as quickly as the first and when she was done, she smiled, "That was the best breakfast ever."
"Lunnaei," her father said as he collected her bowl, "I want you to do something for me while your gone."
"Sure Dad."
He reached up into one of the cabinets and pulled out a leather bound journal and writing kit tied together with thick string, "Take these with you and write down the things you see and do, so when you come home, I can read about your trip. I made sure there were some pencils in there so make sure you draw a few pictures. I always enjoy seeing the things you draw." She stood up, took the items from him, and gave him a big hug. "Be careful, and listen to your Grandfather. He knows a thing or two so make sure you do what he says," and he lifted her chin, "the first time Lunnaei."
"Okay."
"Good," and he hugged her again and planted a kiss on her head, "I'm gonna miss you girl, so you make sure to hurry home."
Lunnaei felt like she was going to start crying, "Okay, I will."
She heard him clear his throat, and after one more squeeze he returned to the sink and fiddled with the dishes there. Lunnaei sniffed once and returned to her bedroom with the journal and kit. She pulled out a book out of her pack that she had planned to read, she tossed it on the bed. Carefully she put the journal and kit in its place and re-did the laces of her pack. After one final look around her room, she grabbed the pack and bedroll and headed downstairs to see if her Grandfather had returned.
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Lunnaei only looked back once as they crossed the bridge that lead out of their small village. In a few minutes, she would be farther from home than she had ever been in her whole life. Her Grandpa, who was walking behind her, noticed her hesitation. "Are you worried Lunnaei?"
"A little. Mostly about Dad. Do you think he'll be alright by himself?"
"I'm sure your father will find something to fill up the day. We had several orders that needed filling. Are you sure there's nothing else?"
"Yeah...No...not really it's just, I've never been this far from home before."
He looked back, "It's the farthest I've been myself in over fifty years."
She knew her grandpa was more than fifty, so it made her wonder, just where had he been before he came to the sleepy fishing village of Durstin. It also occurred to her that she had never asked, "Grandpa?"
"Hmmm," he said as he turned back.
"Where did you live before you met Grandma?"
"A lot of places."
"Well like where?"
"Oh, here and there. I never stayed any place for long though."
"Have you ever been to Hyrule before?"
"Yes, I was born there."
Well, she thought, there's something she did not know, "Why did you leave?"
He did not answer right away. He walked on and said a little sadly, "Couldn't find a compelling enough reason to stay. Why all the sudden interest in my past?"
"Dunno, got to talk about something while we're walking all the way to Hyrule."
He chuckled and said, "How about a story then."
"About the hero?" she heaved a sigh, "Haven't you told me all those already?"
"Actually, no."
"Okay, but make it a good one."
"Hmmm, lets see. We should start at the beginning. I've never told you the how the hero came to live with the Kokiri."
"Yes you did, you said his mom brought him there."
"Yes, well you were much younger then and I didn't want to scare you with the details and left out quite a bit of that. But you're older now so you should be able to understand it."
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The hero was born the son of a Knight of the kingdom of Hyrule. It was during a time of war, so this also made him a target. When the village where he lived came under attack, his mother knew that if she stayed in that place her son would surely be killed. The stories that had preceded the enemy told of whole villages burned to the ground. The stories said they were searching for a child, a very special child. Babes were taken from their families. None were ever spared as the invaders slaughtered even the youngest of children when they were found not to be the one they sought. His father had sent them there in the hopes they would be safe, but now, the enemy was at the gates. So she did the only thing she could. She ran.
She wrapped the boy tightly in a blanket a secured him to her breast, grabbed what supplies she could and headed out into the night. They enemy were everywhere so it was not surprising that they spotted her and gave chase. She skirted the forest rather than entering it. They were called the lost woods for a good reason. For many a Hylian who entered those dark woods never came out again. The forest was said to be haunted and though she was not a superstitious woman, she knew that all stories had their start in fact and was wary. This changed as the enemy drew closer. She found herself surrounded and was forced to enter the dread wood or be captured.
As with all enchanted forests, this one too had its guardian. Known to the forest creatures as the Great Deku Tree, it watched over the forest and knew of all who entered. On the night of the attack of the hero's village, the Deku tree shuddered. For it knew, a great evil passed its wood. The tree then felt a strange and wondrous thing. The touch of the Three, it showed the forest guardian the boy and his mother. The tree understood that this child must live or the evil that now roamed the land would someday destroy it. So when the woman and her son dashed into his forest. The Deku Tree caused the ghosts of all those who had been foolish enough to enter to there, to rise up and block the enemy that gave chase.
Only a few of them entered the woods when they saw the woman run into it. She heard them behind her and heard their shrieks of terror that fell suddenly silent. No others followed though many drew their bows and began to fire into the woods, and it was by chance that an arrow grazed the woman's shoulder but she dared not cry out, lest her location be given away. As the sounds of the enemy grew more distant, she sat with her son and soothed him. He whimpered and she loosened the ties enough that she could see his small face. She brushed his blond hair from his sleepy blue eyes and sang to him quietly;
Hush now, baby
Please love, don't cry
Drift now and slumber
And we'll be together
When you dream
Rest and remember
Safe in my arms
Remember my lullaby
She sang to him softly and within it was a prayer to the Goddess's to show her the way. Her arm ached, her head felt light, and she realized the arrow that had found her must have held some kind of poison. She rose and realized she would need to find someone, anyone who could take her son. She was sure that by morning, the poison will have done its work and she would be dead. Therefore, she did not question the path the seemed to open through the dense forest before her. Nor did she pay any mind to the girl that shadowed her every step deeper into the woods. "Follow the path," she thought, "follow the path."
The trail eventually took her to a clearing. Dawn was coming and she was losing strength quickly. She leaned carefully against the large tree at the center of it and undid the bindings that had held her son to her. She sat and fed him from the supplies she had brought. She felt unsteady as she tended to him and when he was clean and dry once again. She watched him as he struggled to stand and took a few tentative steps away from her. Proud of his accomplishment the boy turned and smiled at his mother. She felt a tear slip down her face as she watched him toddle this way and that. Had the Goddesses brought her and her son here to die? Her vision blurred a little and the girl who trailed behind her stepped out into the clearing. A forest child? She always believed them to be a myth. She felt her fear drift away as the poison worked to steal her life from her. She smiled and collected her boy to her. He lay his head on her and yawned, as she held him for what she knew was for the last time, as she again sang his favorite lullaby;
Hush now, baby
Please love, don't cry
Drift now and slumber
Rest and remember
Safe in my arms
Remember my lullaby
Hush now, baby
Sleep love, don't cry
Be peaceful, be calm
Though we must part
You're here in my heart
Drift and remember
My last lullaby
And we'll be together
My little Link-kun
when you dream
Her breathing began to slow, and she lay down with her son nestled there in the soft grass. As the girl approached them cautiously, she kissed the top of the boy's head. She knew he would be safe here. The woman smiled, closed her eyes and quietly passed into her next life. The boy named Link, slept, unaware that he would never know the gentle touch of her voice again.
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The story ended, Lunnaei stopped and wiped a tear from her cheek, "Goddesses, Grandpa, that was the saddest story you've ever told me. Did she really sing that song?" He paused and looked back at her but instead of an answer, he gave her a small smile. He turned and walked away. He did not look back again and did not respond when she repeated her question. He continued down the road lost in his own thoughts and Lunnaei decided she could ask her questions later.
