Homecoming
Navi’s asked a couple times about what Saria would think of Link on a save the world quest, and it finally sinks in that this is the game hinting that he should go back to Kokiri to visit her. The Kokiri who was guarding the way into the bigger world, who relayed the story that the children of the forest would die if they left said forest, is happy to see Link, although he assumes that Link didn’t leave the forest. Saria’s nowhere to be found in the village, but if it’s nighttime Link can find a gold skulltula behind the Know-It-All Brothers’ house.
Mido grudgingly tells Link that Saria is in the Lost Woods, so that’s the next destination. There’s some fun to be had near the entrance to the woods: a target dangling from a tree that awards Link an upsized seed bag. There’s a couple skull kids playing a follow-the-leader game with ocarinas, and if Link joins in and does well enough he gets a heart piece. There’s another skull kid he can befriend with the ocarina, but only seems interested in Saria’s song. Finally, there’s a Deku scrub who’ll sell Link an upgraded Deku stick capacity.
As Link starts to venture deeper into the Woods, the owl comes back and gives the hint for progressing through the woods: follow the music. The music is louder when Link’s near a correct tunnel that goes deeper, but gets quiet if he approaches one of the dead ends. At the end of the maze, Link fights a wolfos to gain access to the Sacred Forest Meadow, and after fighting through a number of Deku scrubs, finds Saria waiting. She says that they’re in her secret place, which she feels will be important to them someday. She teaches him her song for the Ocarina, and says Link can play it any time to hear her voice. Not that I mind coming back to see her, but why didn't she teach him the song when she gave him the ocarina?
As Link leaves the Meadow, the owl comes back again for more advice. Some locations where a song can be played will display a staff when Link pulls out his ocarina, but there not being a staff doesn’t necessarily mean he shouldn’t play. So, that’s a kind of useless hint. There’s a ladder leading to the top of the hedge maze, so Link’s able to run over the tops of the hedges on his way out. Before leaving the woods, he finds the one skull kid from earlier and plays Saria’s Song for him, and is rewarded with another heart piece.
Lon Lon Ranch
The next destination is Lon Lon Ranch, where Talon and Malon live and work. Talon remembers Link from the castle and thanks him for waking him up, and challenges him to a game: find three special cuccos in a herd of them within 30 seconds for a reward. After Link successfully completes the task, Talon asks if he’d like to marry Malon. He’s joking, thankfully [1], and instead gives Link a bottle filled with Lon Lon Milk.
Malon’s out in the field with the horses, and introduces Link to one of them, Epona. Epona runs away from Link, but after Malon teaches Link another new song, Epona’s Song, the two get along better. Speaking of songs, Lon Lon Ranch’s background music is beautiful, and if Link’s close enough to Malon to hear her singing, the instrument for the main melody switches from a fiddle playing to a woman vocalizing. Very nice touch.
There are a couple goodies to get around here before we move on: a gold skulltula in a tree and another one hiding on the horse corral, and then a heart piece in a shed that requires pushing crates around and crawling through a tunnel. That makes four, so Link now has another full heart!
Fun and Games at Hyrule Castle Market
Being in Hyrule Castle’s market at night requires either using the Sun’s Song or going into the approach to the castle and waiting [2]. The market square is mostly empty, although the lovey-dovey couple is still spinning each other around. There are a lot of dogs, though, and the woman who’d been cooing over hers during the day can’t find him at night. If Link leads the dog to the woman, he gets a heart piece in return. The treasure chest game is also open at night, and someone at Nintendo really likes random puzzles. To win this one, Link has to choose the right chest (out of two) five times in a row, for a one in 32 chance of winning another piece of heart. Switching back to day, the shooting gallery is more fair and a test of skill, although my controller’s really twitchy and doesn’t like it very much. Completing rewards a second seed capacity upgrade, to 50.
Next: Wrapping up in Kakariko and probably starting Death Mountain.
[1] Nothing against Malon, of course. But she and Link barely know each other, and she should have some say in it, and "catching a few chickens" is really not a great test for marriage material, even if she is a farm girl.
[2] Maybe it's possible to sit on the castle side of the drawbridge until it's raised. Haven't tested that.
