Sin of Sheikari Chapter 6
6: Forest Temple
The flow of time was always cruel. Its speed seemed different for each person, but no one could change it. A thing that didn’t change with time was a memory of younger days.
The trees rustled, dancing to the rhythm gifted to them by the eternal summer breeze. The dense canopy of trees only allowed fragments of sunlight to filter through, yet the forest floor still took on the appearance of late spring.
Moss-covered, hulking wooden figures stood like ancient sentinels, their roots weaving and bowing like tiny mountains, big enough for someone even Zelda’s size to carve into a dwelling. Sound echoed tremendously in the Lost Woods, and Zelda could make out the distinct, reedy sound of an ocarina playing an ethereal tune. She had heard the Skull Kids of the Lost Woods played flutes to mislead would-be adventurers, yet she found its melody more whimsical than enticing.
In the Sheikah Village, the mornings had grown cooler, signaling the true end of summer. Yet, in places like the Lost Woods, it wouldn’t matter. The forest had its own sense of time, and Zelda pondered the fact as she stepped into the Sacred Forest Meadow’s clearing.
The fae swirled around her, and she stopped for a moment, taking in her surroundings. The Forest Temple loomed above her, its stone staircase destroyed by the passage of time. She’d heard of a device the Hero of Time could use to launch himself onto high places, but she was certain she’d never find it. She sighed. Perhaps there was another way.
“Adults don’t last very long here, you know.”
Zelda spun around, her hand already clutching her kodachi, but she relaxed as her eyes fell upon the small figure before her. The girl looked no older than ten years of age with vibrant green hair and blue eyes much too large for her face.
She could have easily been mistaken for a rambunctious child who’d wandered off, but Zelda knew what she was the moment she spotted the familiar green garments she wore.
“You…” Zelda began. “You’re one of the Kokiri, aren’t you?”
The girl giggled, twirling around in a circle. “Of course! I’m Saria. What’s your name?”
Zelda crouched down, making herself eye-level with Saria. “My name is Sheik.”
Saria eyed Zelda curiously, as if the name seemed familiar somehow. “Sheik…That’s a funny name! Why are you here?”
Zelda stood and straightened herself, gesturing towards the Forest Temple. “I need to get inside. There’s someone I must find.”
Saria smiled innocently as she folded her hands behind her back, swaying from side to side. “A Sage?”
Zelda could barely contain her surprise but managed to mask it as best as she could. “Well…yes. How do you know about them?”
Saria’s expression suddenly grew serious, and Zelda’s skin prickled at the transformation.
“I can’t explain it,” Saria gazed up towards the temple entrance as if in a daze. “It’s as if…there’s something I was supposed to remember, but it’s gone now. Ever since the Great Deku Tree passed, the forest feels…different. Like it’s waiting.”
Zelda then realized she was clenching her fists again. It had to have been Ganondorf’s doing. The Great Deku tree would have never surrendered the Kokiri Emerald to the mad sorcerer, meaning the wise spirit had likely been cursed in retaliation.
Now, the Kokiri were without their caretaker, children left to fend for themselves in the woods. Zelda exhaled, trying to diffuse the growing rage inside of her, before returning her attention to the young Kokiri. “I’m sorry. Are you all alone out here? Where are the others?”
Saria shook her head, her steely expression remaining. “Some of us are still in the village, while others are hiding in the Lost Woods. I come here because it’s…quiet.”
She seemed to get lost in thought for a moment before looking back up at Zelda. “You should leave here soon. Adults who stay here too long become Stalfos.”
Zelda nodded patiently. What a mercurial child! She’d always been told the Kokiri were ageless, mischievous forest dwellers, so it shouldn’t have surprised her. Still, to look into the face of a child who seemed to be both innocent and jaded all at once was a lot to take in.
“I don’t intend to be here any longer than I have to,” Zelda replied.
Saria pointed up towards the temple’s entrance. “You’ll have to fly to get up there, you know. I don’t think adults can do that.”
Zelda shook her head. “You’re right. I was just trying to figure that out before you came.”
Saria giggled and clapped her hands together. “Well, don’t worry! I can help you!”
She brought her hands from behind her back, revealing a small, tan-colored ocarina. Closing her eyes, she brought the instrument up to her lips, its form almost identical to the Ocarina of Time Zelda had given Link seven years ago. Saria began playing a serene, otherworldly tune that caused the fae to swirl around both of them.
Soon, their feet left the ground, hovering in place before they soared across the air towards the broken steps at the temple’s entrance. Upon landing, Saria stopped playing, gazing up at Zelda expectantly as she lowered the ocarina from her face.
“I can’t go inside,” Saria frowned. “There’s monsters and other scary things.”
Zelda paused to gaze beyond the entrance to the temple, the light appearing to fade into an endless dark void. This was it. Her journey would begin in earnest the moment she took a step forward.
Saria clapped her hands together, giggling as if she’d just been told a new joke. “You liked my ocarina? You seemed to be very fond of it.”
Zelda opened her mouth before pausing. She couldn’t give herself away. This must have been the girl who gave Link the ocarina he arrived at the castle with. Back then, she must have known he wouldn’t return. After all, he was a Hylian, not a true Kokiri.
Still, Zelda wanted to know if the young Kokiri had seen Link. Seven years ago, he’d departed on a journey through the forest to find a dear friend. Maybe he’d simply gotten lost in the woods.
“I once knew someone very special who played an ocarina,” Zelda said. “I think you would have liked him quite a bit.”
Saria smiled, studying Zelda for a moment. Zelda could hear the trees rustling once again and realized it had grown even quieter than before. Saria’s smile faltered slightly as a small, twinkling fae buzzed between them before disappearing out of sight.
“I know, Your Highness, but I haven’t seen him since he went deep into the Lost Woods seven years ago.”
