The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Part Three: Liberation

Chapter Three: The Hero's First Adventure, Part One - Reunion

     Link and Navi woke early the next morning, as the horizon's distant light cast the sky in gradually lighter shades of blue and grey, and in the dim light inside, not wishing to disturb anyone else, he dressed and prepared himself for the day.

     After Talon had shared his story, he had excused himself to take care of a few more things around the village, in far better spirits than he had been in before. Link had enjoyed a dinner of turned out to be a slow-cooked beef stew, which had been phenomenal. Satisfied with the meal and his reunion with an old friend, he had retired shortly after, wanting to get in some sleep to prepare for the task he had set upon himself.

     Slipping by the others sleeping quietly—Talon's snores allowed him to simply walk by without care—he exited the house, gently closed the door behind him, and breathed in the cool morning air. Navi stifled a small yawn as she sat on his shoulder as she often did, though now with considerable more space that she had admitted earlier yesterday she rather liked.

     "Are you sure you're up for this, Link?" She asked him, "Remember, we still don't know much about this world since we've been gone, and we no longer have some of the items you used as a child."

     Link nodded, remembering going through all he had had on him last night. He no longer had in his possession his slingshot or the boomerang King Zora had given him, but he had still found on him the bombs he had acquired and his bag of Deku nuts. Other than these, along with his wallet and Zelda's ocarina, he had naught else but the clothes on his back and his sword and shield. Admittedly, he wished he did still have his slingshot, despite knowing as an adult now he could hardly have used it without it breaking. It had possessed some sentimental value to him, and had been one of the few reminders left he had of his forest home. He had also discovered, and found more upsetting, that the ocarina Saria had given to him was nowhere to be found on his person. He had been quite put off learning this, sad to be missing something so meaningful to him, but there was nothing that could be done about it though. He had resigned himself to apologizing to his dear friend the next time he saw her for having lost it somehow, before finally trying to sleep.

     Even with what little he had, he was confident it would be enough for the task ahead. The last time he had started out, leaving the forest, he had possessed even less than he did now.

     "I'm sure. I owe Talon my life, this is the least I can do for him," Link responded, glancing upwards towards the peak of Death Mountain. With the sky still darkened, lightening as it was, the glow from the mountain's top was more pronounced than when he had seen it the evening before. It crossed his mind that Sheik had told him the Gorons had not been seen, and he wondered if the volcano becoming active had anything to do with it. One of the temples he had to go to was somewhere up there as well, he knew, but for now, that would have to wait.

     "I understand that. I just don't want you rushing in unprepared for other reasons too," Navi said to him, giving him a knowing look. It took a second for Link to understand what she was talking about, and he felt his cheeks warm slightly. He had to give credit to Navi for being as astute as she was. Malon had been his other, unspoken reason for taking up this task so quickly. He needed to know she was safe, as his recessive thoughts would not allow him to stop thinking of her and her plight. Learning she was alive and well had been an immense relief for him, but the threat of harm coming to her within arm's reach had stirred his heart as much as Talon's state of affairs, if not more.

     "I promise Navi, I'll be careful. I have you to help me." He flashed a smile to her, but she didn't buy it, instead she gave him a look with raised eyebrows.

     "How flattering," she replied after a moment, heavy with sarcasm, but she smiled finally after. "Let's get going then, shall we?"

     "Right, let's," Link answered, walking ahead towards the village's single entrance in or out from Hyrule Field.