Link noticed how as they left the rocky mountains of Eldin behind them and vegetation started to become increasingly more common, the mood of the group improved little by little. Though if he had to guess, it probably had less to do with the plants and more with the lower temperature, more frequent cool breezes, and the fact that the ground was softer and less steep, allowing for an easier hike.
As they left Death Mountain behind (if only temporarily), a vast, thick forest could be seen slowly rising in the horizon. Despite its unfriendly name, Link held the hope that the Haunted Forest would be friendlier than Death Mountain and its surrounding areas. The first time he heard of such a place, when he was invited by Zelda to the Royal Summer Palace at Lake Hylia what it felt like a lifetime ago, the Haunted Forest elicited a sense of fascination in young Link, a desire to go there and see what made it so special, and if it was as terrifying as it sounded.
However, after experiencing the Lost Woods, Link wasn’t so eager to walk into another ominous woodland. Especially since this one didn’t have a deity to act as its guardian and protector. He wondered if Navi would be able to guide them like she did in the Lost Woods.
“Link?” Zelda’s voice suddenly calling his name snapped him out of his thoughts.
Turning his head, he saw that the Princess was now walking beside him, while she was previously walking next to Paya.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Yesternight, when you finished your shift, you woke me up to relieve you,” Zelda began.
Link tilted his head. “Was I too abrupt when I woke you up?”
“It’s not that. I didn’t notice at first because I was kind of sleepy,” Zelda continued, her green eyes piercing his. “But then I realized that I wasn’t supposed to take your place, since Navi was the one whose shift followed yours. Which she would then be followed by Cinnamon, and then me.”
Link tried to keep a cool façade, but an uncomfortable feeling bubbled inside his stomach.
“At first I thought that you had made a mistake, but upon realizing that the hour was correct, the only possible explanation is that you took on Navi and Cinnamon’s shifts as well,” Zelda said in an accusatory tone. “Care to explain why?”
Link began to scratch the back of his neck. “Sometimes I use the time of the night watch to train a little. And, uh, I guess I got carried away?”
“Link…” she exasperatedly said.Â
