After demonstrating proficiency with the Deku Leaf glider, Link heads out of the Deku Tree’s cave to the sea, facing the Forbidden Woods. To get there, he’ll need to make two glides, one to an intermediate island, and then the rest of the way, catching a updraft to lift him. Also, when he’s outside, the wind can help or hinder him on the Deku Leaf glider, so he needs to use the Wind Waker to adjust the wind to a favorable one before each jump. Finally, because there’s not enough to worry about already, there are three Peahats hovering around the entrance to the Forbidden Woods, and if they hit Link, it doesn’t end well for him. On the other hand, once Link finally does make the jump, he can use the grappling hook to steal golden feathers from them.
There are Peahats inside, too, along with a bunch of other plant enemies: Boko Babas, Dexivines (similar to the dexihands from Majora’s Mask), huge vines that are mostly meant to signal to the player that Link can’t progress a certain way (sometimes popping out of the ground en masse to create a maze, sometimes singly poking out from walls in case Link tries a forbidden jump), and Morths, entirely new critters that stick to Link and slow his movement but get dizzy if he does a spin attack and let go (and usually get caught in the spin attack and die). A key feature of navigation is plant critters that block doors with a bunch of vines; cutting the vines does no good since they grow right back, but there’s always something nearby that can kill the critter and open the door. Other navigation tricks involve Boko Bud jumping and soaring with the Deku Leaf, and using the Leaf on the ground to create wind to manipulate carts.
The dungeon’s treasure is guarded by a bunch of Mothulas, which have two variants, one with wings and one without. Like the bosses with the same name, they’re annoying to fight – this time because they summon a bunch of Morths, who are not dangerous but a nuisance. Link needs to knock the winged mothulas’ wings off with the Deku Leaf before he can kill them. The treasure is the boomerang, which is a lot easier to use than Ocarina of Time’s attempt to bring it into 3D. It’ll lock onto targets, and can even lock onto multiple targets and bounce between them before returning to Link.
At the end of the dungeon, Link finally finds Makar, just before Makar is eaten by the boss, Kalle Demos. Kalle Demos then attaches itself to the ceiling with vines, which Link needs to knock down, then charge its exposed weak point and whack it a couple times and get back away before it closes on him. I didn’t do very well at this part (although unlike getting away from Gyorg in Majora’s Mask, I’m pretty sure I could have if I weren’t so focused on getting every last hit I could in), but thankfully there are a bunch of hearts hidden under grass throughout the boss room. After enough hits, Kalle Demos dies and Makar is free, and the portal takes him and Link back to the Deku Tree.
Makar is apologetic when he returns, but the Deku Tree is just happy that he’s safe. The Tree thanks Link and gives him Farore’s Pearl, as promised, and asks Makar to play his music for the ritual. Makar plays a fiddle while the other Koroks sing, and the Tree sprouts a bunch of seeds that the Koroks fly up to collect. Most of the Koroks take the seeds and leave to spread them across the Great Sea. Two stay behind: Makar, still playing his fiddle, and Hollo, who runs a potion shop and would sell Link a potion in exchange for Boko Baba seeds, except that both of Link’s bottles are filled with fairies (the graphic for which has changed from “little ball of light in the bottle” to “little fairy looking sad at being imprisoned”), so no deal there.
Before Link heads back to sea, there are a couple other islands off Forest Haven that need exploring. One has a treasure map in a chest. The other has the Nintendo Gallery, but to access it, Link needs to hit a switch that’s beyond boomerang range. I’ll come back here for this. Link heads back to the King of Red Lions; the mailbox is bouncing around again, this time with a letter from the Rito chieftain thanking Link for everything he did for his people, explaining how the mailboxes work, and including another heart piece. The King of Red Lions is concerned that the Forest Haven was also attacked, and marks the spot for Nayru’s Pearl on the map. Since there’s no one direct path there, the Great Sea has finally opened up, and Link can do some exploring on his way.
Next: And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying, / And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
