You've just defeated Queen Gohma, but you don't want to leave Kokiri Forest yet. I know the feeling; it's a really nice place, and besides, who would want to leave so soon when a level looks this good?
The Lost Woods is a big part of the game, and it's a place you'll come back to a couple of times, both as Young and Adult Link through various shortcuts or through the main storyline. It's also where you get Saria's Song, an Ocarina tune that you can play to help you out if you get stuck on where to go next in the main story.
From Kokiri Village, head to the vines behind Mido's house, and follow the ramps up into the Lost Woods. There are multiple things you can do here, but first of all, I'm going to help you get to Saria so you can learn the song. Once we've done that, I'll go back and help you to figure out how to get some extras and upgrades from inside the Lost Woods, as well as finding out where the Secret Grottos are.
Navigating the Lost Woods
The whole thing about the Lost Woods is that you need to follow Saria's Song to find your way to her. Kaeporra Gaeborra will also tell you as much; this guy has to keep putting his beak in, huh?
The music gets louder as you go towards the right tree hole in the forest, and you'll also see some wisps of music that look like magic as you pass through. There are other areas you can go into, but here's how to get to Saria
- Go right (make a note of the gong hanging from the tree; we'll be coming back here).
- Turn left. This will bring you into a clearing with a stone entrance. This is one of the ways in and out of Goron City, though you can't get in there yet,
- Turn right. (In the next clearing, you'll see a shortcut entrance to Zora's Domain, but you can't get in there yet.
- Turn left
- Go straight forward
- Turn Left
- Then turn right. This last tree trunk hole won't show you the next clearing as you walk through it, but it will lead you into the Sacred Forest Meadow.
There's a Wolfos on the other side that you have to defeat if you want to get through into the mean heart of the meadow. Just Z-Target and hold up your shield when it attacks. It shouldn't be too hard to dispatch it, but you can always use Deku Nuts to stun it and go in for a sword slash if yuo're finding it difficult.
Once the gates open, there's a short maze that you have to navigate in order to get to a set of steps. There are a handful of Mad Scrubs who will attack you, firing three Deku Nuts out of their mouths. You can use the Deku Shield to deflect these or fire a Deku Seed from your slingshot to make them jump up out of their grassy dens. They will then run backwards, allowing you to get them with your sword. If you don't defeat them, they'll run around you back into their grass and attack you again, so it's best to take them out so that they don't cause you any problems as you're dealing with the next ones.
Eventually, you'll get to a set of stairs. Climb them and take on the other Mad Scrubs in the long passageway. If you find these difficult, then trust me - things will get a lot harder when you become Adult Link and have to head back this way to get to the Forest Temple.
This won't mean much to you right now, but it's the place that you'll come back to when you head to the first Temple as Adult Link. For now, it happens to be Saria's favourite place to hang out. She's a bit braver than the other Kokiri, and that plays a part later on in the game too.
After a brief cutscene, she'll ask you if you want to play the Ocarina with her., Say yes, and you'll learn Saria's Song. It's a short song with six notes, and it just so happens to be the song that you've heard throughout the Lost Woods thus far. She's a clever lass, Saria!
Once you've learned it, you can play it to chat to Saria at any point. She'll give you guidance on what to do next, and sometimes it's just nice to talk to someone other than Navi.
Secret Grottos
As you leave Saria and the Forest Temple behind and go back down the stairs, you'll see a ladder that you can climb up to make getting back into the lost woods easier. There's a gap that you can jump down into with a hole that you can enter to go into a grotto. You'll find a Fairy Fountain inside, giving you the option to put a fairy in a bottle or just to rejuvenate yourself,
There's a patch of earth right by the entrance to the Sacred Forest Meadow, but you can't interact with it yet until you've got the Song of Storms. The grotto houses Wolfos that you have to defeat in order to get a purple Rupee.
There is one more grotto in the Sacred Grove; one in the area with the Forest Temple warp pad (which you'll need to bomb to enter).
There are boulders that you'll pass on the way through the Lost Woods, There's a grotto underneath the rock outside the entrance to Goron City (see the path guide above) that is revealed when you blow it up. It has rupees, a fish, and a Gossip Stone inside it. The rock in the last clearing before you get to the Sacred Grove also has a grotto underneath it. Inside, you'll find business Scrubs who will try to sell you things once you've effectively deflected their attacks. One will try to sell you a Deku Nut Upgrade for 40 Rupees, and the other will sell Deku Seeds to young Link for 40 Rupees, or Arrows to Adult Link for 70 Rupees.
The last Grotto in the Lost Woods is in the area with grass, a lonely tree, and two Deku Scrubs. The Grotto is in the grass, highlighted by a gathering of butterflies. Inside, you'll find the Forest Stage, a place where you can interact with the Deku Scrubs with the various masks that you pick up from the Happy Mask Salesman to get upgrades to your Deku Stick and Deku Nut capacity, as well as picking up more rupees.
There's one more grotto in Kokiri Forest, but you'll need to play the Song of Storms to open it up. Stand next to the Gossip Stone and play the Song of Storms, and the hole opens up for you to jump down into. Inside, you'll find some Deku Scrubs who give you some advice, though it's up to you what you do with it!
If you have bugs in a bottle, you can release them so that they crawl into the soft patches of soil, releasing Golden Skulltulas.
If you have magic beans from the salesman by Zora's Domain, then you can plant the beans in the patches of soil. When you return to these areas as Adult Link, you'll be able to ride platforms that the beans have grown into, allowing you to access previously inaccessible areas that hold items and Heart Pieces. You'll need to come back to find these soft patches of soil, and I'll do another guide on these very soon.
Deku Seed Upgrade
Remember the gong that you saw when you turned right through the first tree hole on the way to find Saria? Hit it three times right in the centre to score 3x 100 points, and a little Deku Scrub will appear. To congratulate you on getting a perfect score, it'll give you a Deku Seed upgrade, allowing you to carry up to 40 Deku Seeds.
Heart Piece - Skull Kids Play Along
Drop down the ladder in front of you and head to the logs on the right. There are two Skull Kids playing with flutes who ask if you want to play with them. They'll give you a series of notes to follow, and if you complete their game, you'll get prizes.
The tunes they ask you to play get progressively harder, and the prizes get better. The first two times, you'll get rupees, but if you complete their third and final test, they'll give you a heart piece.
Heart Piece - Skull Kid Saria's Song
When you enter the Lost Woods, turn left. There's a Skull Kid on a pedestal, and a small log you can stand on. Get out your Ocarina, and the Ocarina stave will appear. Play Saria's song, and the Skull Kid will give you a piece of heart.
Deku Stick Upgrade
While in the clearing with the Single Skull Kid who has just given you a heart piece, go through the other log door and arrive in the area with the bridge that leads out into Hyrule Fields. If you drop down and go to the other side of the clearing, you'll find a Business Scrub who can give you a Deku Stick upgrade for 40 rupees.
