The Wind Waker

XIII

"You want me... to jump."

"Of course," Linder said with terseness.

"That," Link said, looking over the vast empty space before him, "sounds difficult."

That was an understatement. The gap between the forbidden woods and the forest haven was a massive channel, big enough that a small island could've fit inside.

As he was gazing over the edge of the cliff, Linder ran past him and jumped off. Link let out a small gasp, but then Linder safely began gliding.

Linder gripped onto two large clover-like plants, the tops of them rapidly spinning.

"More difficult if you get left behind!" Linder's fading voice shouted.

Link swallowed, gripped the deku leaf in both hands, and ran off the precipice. The leaf billowed up with air, and shot up above him. He held on tight, and glided gently across the channel.

Link let out a sigh of relief. He forced himself not to look down.

"You're drifting downward a lot," Linder said over the wind, slowing down so Link would catch up with him.

"How do I go up?" he asked.
"Turn your leaf to follow me," Linder called.

Link did his best to turn the leaf, angling it to the right. He started drifting in that direction. Suddenly Link blasted up high in the air, and his stomach was grudgingly pulled along. He fought nausea, then was fine again.

"Stay following me," Linder said, "we need a great deal of height to get over the brambles."

Thankfully, the following updrafts weren't as catapulting as the first. He'd already been launched by a catapult, and that had already been enough for him before he did this.

They glided over the first swaths of thick, thorny growths, and Link began to weave back and forth just to avoid some of the taller thorns. He settled onto solid ground just after Linder.

"That was terrific!" Linder said. "I don't get to jump the gap nearly enough!"

"Easy for you to say," Link said, "if you fall, you won't sink like a stone in the water."

Linder laughed. "I think you are mistaken Link. The children of the forest do not fall."

The fanned out leaves of Linder's flying clover drooped down, and drew close against the top of the stalk. Linder leaned on it like a walking stick, watching as Link rolled up his deku leaf, and placed it in his satchel.

"You ready?" Linder asked in an almost excited tone.

"Yes," Link said, starting to walk alongside the Korok, "though I'm surprised you're so..."

"Invigorated?" Linder guessed, "I'm finally rescuing my brothers and sisters. We're striking back against the darkness of these woods - we're taking the fight to them!"

"Yes...," Link said, "fight."

"I begrudgingly shrank back from the might of these creatures," Linder said as he twirled his staff around him, "but now I walk beside a seasoned warrior!"

Their gnarled trees and plants became increasingly harder to see as they traveled deeper into the woods. Link dragged his feet slightly as they walked.

"I think -" he began in a somber tone.
Linder stopped twirling his staff, and his masked face looked to Link.

"I think this will be quite a fight," Link said, quickly changing his words.

"Oh it will be for sure!" Linder said. "These woods -"

Link's mind was suddenly jolted.
He'd planted his foot in front of him, and it had struck into empty space.