Saria

Link knelt down beside Mido. He wasn’t moving, and his open eyes seemed to drift haphazardly about the forest, as if he didn’t know what to focus on. Good grief. All he did was punch him. Was Mido really this weak? Still, as much as he disliked him, Link didn’t want to seriously hurt Mido. He wasn’t a bully—he just wanted to be left alone.
Link observed Mido for a moment longer. He wasn’t particularly sure what to do in this situation. He remembered one time when Mido had gotten very angry with another Kokiri, and he resorted to hitting him on the head with a big stick. The kid fell hard to the ground, and didn’t move at all. Mido ordered another Kokiri go up and place his ear on the fallen kid’s chest, and give a ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ sign. Link didn’t know what that meant, but after the Kokiri had stuck his thumb up, everyone carried the knocked out kid into a hut, where he slept for several days before finally emerging again. That poor kid still hadn’t managed to look Mido in the eye since that day—nor Mido into his’.
Hesitantly, Link brought his head down, resting it against Mido’s chest. He felt a sort of bumping sound, like a thudding beat. Link began to raise his hand up in a ‘thumbs up’ fashion (as was his best guess what to do), when suddenly he felt a hard jab against the back of his head.
“GET’IM!”
Mido suddenly sprung to live, twisting Link around so that he was straight under him. Link felt punch after punch rocket against his face, and resolved then and there never to show compassion for Mido again. Before he could retaliate, however, two strong arms lock around his shoulders.
“Hold that scrub still!”
A sudden nauseous sensation rushed over him as he was lifted off of the ground and suspended in the air. It was bad enough he was the shortest of everyone in the group—why couldn’t he grow tall like they did? As far as he could tell, he hadn’t grown an inch in…how long had he been here?
Link felt a knee plunge into his stomach. A gasp forced his eyes open. Mido’s gang had circled around him, and Mido was standing right in the midst of them all, cheering everyone on. He kicked him again. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Nip, Mido’s aptly named, purple-haired fairy, trying to ignore what was going on. At least she left him alone.
Mido went on and on, spurred by the cheers and jeers of his loyal cronies. With every punch, it became harder and harder to keep his eyes open—yet Mido kept coming at him.
“Idiot scrub! You think you can be one of us? You think you can waltz around in these woods like you’re worth something? You think you’re so great, but guess what I think of you! I think you’re a stupid, brainless, slimy—”
“Mido. STOP.”
Everyone turned around. A lone figure stood against the edge of the crowd, glaring at Mido. She was short and slim, but her emerald eyes betrayed a fiery temper. Her hair, a mossy green, hung down to her neck, a small wooden headband holding it in place. Despite her genteel manner, she seemed as much a part of the forest around her as the trees themselves. Wherever she stepped, the woods seemed to unfurl and bloom, as if she were a walking painting. She was a true child of the wood—tender and caring, yet forceful and severe when angered.
“Saria…this isn’t what it looks like…”
Saria ignored Mido and pushed her way through the crowd. Whether because of dull wit or mere shock, the two Kokiri that had been holding Link upward had not managed to loosen him, and seemed to only be able stare open-jawed as the green-haired girl marched forward. As she arrived, she shot one cutting glance at Mido, and gestured for the two Kokiri boys to let Link down. They complied immediately. Saria knelt down beside Link’s limp body. Mido grew very, very red in the face.
“Saria, I didn’t really mean to do it…he just hit me, and I—”
“Be quiet Mido. You are not the victim here.”
Mido blushed as Saria lowered her head next to Link’s ear, whispering softly to him.
“You know Link, there’s one thing Mido hates to see more than anything else—a smile.
With a little effort, Link let out a smug grin, prompting Mido to turn away in a huff. Saria slowly rose to her feet, and gestured to the two standing Kokiri.
“Irch, Linder, take Link to my house. I’ll tend to him there myself. And be gentle with him.”
Mido spun around in a fit of anger, his face now turning a sort of purple hue.
“YOUR house? Link can’t go there! I’m the only—I mean, I built the place! You can’t just let him barge in and—”
“Mido. Be quiet.”
Mido and Saria stared at each other for a very long moment. Finally, after what seemed a small eternity, Mido subsided, throwing his arms up in the air and trying to pretend he didn’t care.
“Fine. It’s your house Saria. ‘Not like I care what you do with that scrub anyway. I’ve got better things to do than worry all day about some stupid outsider.”
Saria’s eyes narrowed.
“Be careful Mido, or else you may end up becoming an outsider as well.”
Mido darkened, clenching his teeth as he averted his gaze. His head hung very low. Saria looked at him a moment longer, and walked away. Irch and Linder nervously glanced at each other, then at Mido, then at Link. Finally, they picked him up, and—gently as possible—began to run after Saria.
“What does she mean, “you’ll become an outsider?”
Mido turned and angrily walked away.
“Nothing Rown. Now shut up and get back to work trimming my hedges.”