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第 2 章:理解 (Understanding)
We knew that once we had discovered the Forest Temple's library our work would hardly be done, yet
even then we hadn't imagined the sheer scale of the task which would lie ahead of us. The past days we
have spent exploring the library, which turned out to span the entire first floor, plus the first basement
underneath it. At the first sight of the sheer mess of tangled roots, vines, furniture and who knows what
else spread out on the floor by the light from our lanterns I felt glad I had followed Saria's advice and
not resumed exploring the library without a proper source of light.
Once we had gained an overview of the task ahead, we cleared out a section on the first floor of the
library which we are now using to store and sort any books and manuscripts we could salvage, which
turned out to be a rather impressive collection, forcing us to make more and more room on the floor.
We used a few bookshelves and tables which were still in a usable state to keep things organized. After
a few days of choking on the dust which seemed to be clinging to each and every object we lifted up
while scaring away lots of small critters, insects and spiders hiding underneath them, sometimes
scaring us at least as much, we have finally managed to sort through a sizeable collection of books and
manuscripts. Clearing away some of the growth covering a few of the large library windows and
cleaning the glass meant that with a table placed next to them we have enough light to read a book by,
saving us from using lanterns all the time. The place is beginning to look positively cozy by now, even
if it still smells like wet forest soil with a bit of mold mixed into it.
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I look up from the book I'm trying to decipher and allow my eyes to rest for a moment while staring
through the window in front of me at the trees and vegetation outside. I find myself wondering what the
last people to have looked through those windows, many years ago, would have seen. To a forest, even
a single growth season is already a long time, let alone a hundred seasons or more. In the intervening
years entire trees could have grown from seedling to fully grown tree, to have succumbed to disease or
age and been absorbed by the forest, reshaping the look of the forest all the time. What would have
been a field of carefully tended grass and flower beds would be beyond recognition in just half a
century, reclaimed by the forest. Certainly makes one consider the timescales involved in and around
this temple and admire its construction which has allowed it to survive reasonably intact for so long.
Now that we have reached this point in restoring the Forest Temple, I find myself reflecting on what we
have accomplished so far and the amount of work which still lies ahead of us. I still feel that it is worth
it; after all, the Forest Temple represents a major part of the history of the Deku Forest, our home. It
would take all of us Kokiri a few years to repair the Forest Temple and restore the grounds around it,
but in the end it would restore with it many years of history, making it a worthy investment in my eyes.
Returning my attention to the book in front of me, I try to imagine the person who wrote it, would he or
she have imagined the work being read again after so many years? The book doesn't list an author, but
it was probably written by one of the Hylians who lived in the Forest Temple back then. It details some
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After discussing the little we have learned from Hako so far, we decide that something terrible must
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We keep up a rapid pace as we make our way to the village. I have attached the scabbard to my belt so
that I don't have to carry it and the sword inside it around all the time, although it still feels weird to
have it moving on my side with every step I take. I keep the shield on my right arm, not having found a
better way to put it which wouldn't be hugely inconvenient if were to suddenly encounter an enemy.
Saria wears her morning star in her right hand, yet it seems as though she doesn't notice the weight of
it, so focused is she on the task ahead. After discussing strategy the first moments after setting out,
agreeing that our goal is to rescue as many Kokiri as possible and to make the Forest Temple our base
of operations, no further word is uttered the rest of the journey until we get near the village.
The first sign of trouble we came across was a rather unusual spider web. Not only was it unusually
large, it almost seemed to radiate darkness, an experience which is hard to properly describe. After
some scouting of the area we determine that things seem safe for now, so we set off once again for the
village. Quickening our pace, we watch and listen carefully, not in the mood to meet whatever made
that spider web we encountered earlier. Then we get our first indication of what we are up against, and
a rather vivid confirmation of Hako's story, not that we needed much of a confirmation on it.
Hanging from a tree we see a large cocoon, made from what appears to be spider silk. As we get closer,
we can make out what's inside it. A head, body, hands... an entire Kokiri is trapped inside the cocoon.
Revolted by the sight we move away from the tree, looking around us as though the same fate is about
to befall us as well. When after a few moments we still haven't seen or heard anything, we move closer
to the cocoon again. Taking my sword out of its scabbard, I attempt to cut the cocoon loose from the
strings suspending it from a branch. To my surprise the sword cuts through the centimeter-thick spider
silk as through a blade of grass. With a lot of noise which has us both on our toes in the quiet forest, the
cocoon lands on the ground, though its occupant doesn't make any sounds.
With a few more cuts using my sword, the cocoon soon falls apart, leaving the Kokiri inside freed from
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The sight of the village itself is if possible even less cheerful than we could have imagined. Completely
abandoned, with signs of violence and a rush to escape visible everywhere, such as a few overturned
chairs in front of one house with one of them seemingly ripped apart, and makeshift weapons lying
abandoned on the ground, some of them damaged or even broken in half. I imagine those weapons
being used against the exoskeleton of some monstrous spider, for it to then grab the weapon with its
mouth parts and cleanly severing it in half. I increase the grip on my sword which I have kept ready
even before we entered the village.
“Link, look there.” I see that Saria points at a few houses of which the entrances are covered by spider
webs. “Either Kokiri are being trapped inside, or the spiders don't want anyone to enter or hide in those
houses.” Looking around it seems as though every house's entrances have been sealed this way.
Cautiously moving on, we still don't see any trace of the spiders themselves. We begin to hope that
perhaps this was just a raid and the spiders are now all gone. Before we can begin to feel optimistic
about this thought, we encounter more and more cocoons of Kokiri who didn't escape, until eventually
we come across a large number of cocoons, lying on the ground, leaning against a tree or rock, or
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