The sun was high, though it looked like it was already starting to set. It was getting to the end of the day in the small village of Ordon. Usually peaceful, even with the shouts and screams of the children playing around. They were quite boisterous. Well, it was usually the one that was like that. Though, this was how people liked it. Good place to raise their kids and most of them lived off the goat farm. There were a few families here, the small number of others were young, only just old enough to live on their own.
Sat sprawled on the large branches of a home inside a tree, was one of these. A dark-haired female. She found it hard to get a job around the village since she was a woman. The most she could do was craft or work shifts in the village shop whenever the owner was busy. If she asked, she was allowed to do things around the ranch, but it was never a real job. She did have a horse, yes, and horses were useful if you wanted to work with the goats. The beasts were a lot easier to round up if you used something bigger than them. If one tried to when you were on foot, they would be more likely to charge. And that could end one's life if there was a well-aimed horn or hoof.
Though peace was soon shattered for the young woman. One of the rancher's stood at the bottom of the tree, looking up at the top window of the home.
"Hey! Link! You there, buddy?!" He shouted up, though his eyes soon caught sight of the woman.
She sighed and shrugged. "He's asleep… I think. Though keep shouting like that, Fado, and you'll wake up the dead too…" She grumbled.
Working her way down to the porch of the treehouse, she heavily knocked on the door. She could have just walked in since she did occasionally end up passing out in said house. The man below scratched the back of his head, giving the woman a sheepish look. One to which she just rolled her eyes at.
"Ah, sorry about that. I forget you're there sometimes… But since you're already here, why don't you help Link out with the goats?" Fado asked, a hopeful look in his eyes. It was obvious he was just trying to get out of some work.
She just shrugged, favouring to keep knocking on the door instead of answering the older male. Though it wasn't long before there were footsteps on the other side and the door swung open. It was a blond male with pointed ears and blue eyes. He didn't look so happy about the rude awakening, but the look was soon wiped from his face when he took notice of Fado stood below.
Link sighed, giving the man an apologetic look. "Sorry, Fado. I didn't mean to sleep in." He said before he made a move to climb down the ladder. Once on the ground, he looked up at the woman. "You coming, Charna? It'll be easier with two."
Charna nodded, soon down the ladder and on the ground. "Yeah, Fado already asked. But you need to get Epona. Your admirer took her to the spring." She said with a sigh. Everyone thought Ilia and Link should have been a couple, even if the girl was younger and Link had no idea she had feelings for him.
Link blinked, looking around for a moment as he seemed to finally acknowledge his best friend wasn't by the tree in her usual spot. "Oh… I guess I should. You go ahead then."
The woman sighed before she gave another nod, moving past both males and into the village. The ranch wasn't far, a straight walk down a single path. Though when a young boy caught sight of the woman, he wandered over, a large fishing rod in his hands. He was roughly the same age as the other kids in the village. About 10? If not older. Either way, the small blond always had a nervous look about him and he was a rather shy lad. Also, one of Charna's favourites of the kids, since he was the quietest.
"Um… Charna? Does this look alright to you? I'm making this for Link… But I don't know if he would like it…" The young boy looked down at the floor, seeming unsure with his decision.
Charna smiled at the boy, reaching out to pat his head. "It's Link. He'd love anything you'd make, Colin. But, yes, he's been meaning to get a rod for a while now so I think you'd make him happy."
These words made the boy smile, looking up at the woman before he made his way back to his home. Charna gave a soft chuckle before going back on her way to the ranch, which was only a few feet away.
Walking through the gate, Charna headed straight inside to get her horse. She had nowhere to house the beast at her own home so Fado was nice enough to loan out one of the goat stalls if she moved the horse during busy seasons and helped whenever she could.
The large horse stood waiting for his owner, grey in colour and spotted with white around his rear and face and long black hair much like her own. Like Epona to Link, Charna considered this horse as a best friend. Her parents had given him to her as sort of a parting gift when they had decided to go travelling. He had hated her at first, always knocking her off and trying to catch her with his hooves. Though one thing he still did was bite at her clothes and hair, now they weren't meant to hurt, and she knew that. Charna had a scar from one of the beast's bites when she had put her guard down, thinking he had warmed to her. Turned out he was smart, waiting for her to think that before he struck. He liked to make sure that the woman knew who was the strongest in the relationship, even now when he tried to tug her over.
"Hey, old boy… Today we're herding the goats, so no funny business, ok?" She asked as she lead the horse out of his stall and out into the field behind her. She made sure to keep her eyes on the horse at all times.
The beast replied with a snort, which either meant an agreement… or no promises. She hadn't quite worked it out yet. Even if she did consider him her best friend, he was unpredictable.
Fado was already out in the field, awaiting both Link and herself. He gave her a wave when he saw her, she gave a small one back before mounting her steed and making her way over. Though, she could tell the goats were a little more skittish than usual. Just passing by them made the whole herd scatter. This, she had to admit, made her concerned. Animals were always good at telling that something bad was going to happen. Then again, it could have just meant that predators were prowling around again.
"Have there been any signs of wolves or bears in the area? The goats look scared of something…" She said with a sigh, watching the goats regroup in the middle of the field.
Fado shrugged, watching the same group. "No. Not that we've picked up on. But, yeah, they have been. I was just tellin' Link about it and how that's the reason they don't seem to be listenin' to me."
Charna gave a nod, falling silent. She knew others would think it rude to speak to someone from on top of a mount, but she knew Fado didn't care. None of the villagers cared here. They were all too laid back to care about something so trivial. That was what she loved, but also hated, about this place.
But she didn't have long to think about these things as Epona came charging in with everyone's favourite pointy eared villager. Literally everyone in the village seemed to love the guy.
"Hey! Sorry about the wait! But you know what Ilia's like, liking to chat all the time." Link chuckled, stopping next to Charna.
"Link… I think that's only with you…" Charna sighed before looking around the field. "Either way, you take left and I'll take right and we'll work them into the middle to make things a lot easier."
Link nodded, he and Epona taking off again before Charna headed off on her own leaving Fado to stand there and move out of the way of any incoming goats that had gotten a little too confident. Not only did they seem more skittish, but they also seemed more likely to charge. That's what she thought anyway. A charging goat could easily knock one off their horse, doing damage if they managed to catch you after that.
Charna made her way around the edge of the right side of the field, herding the goats into the middle of the field and near to the entrance of the barn. Though she had to go back a few times to get any stragglers. She even had to grab the horn of one since it refused to go anywhere. But a firm grip and shove in the right direction and it was gone. Every now and then she glanced over to Link, seeing how he was getting on and he seemed to be at the same stage as her. This meant that they could slowly lead the goats inside as long as they kept to the edge of the group. It was easier that way, things went a lot smoother. Though after the goats had gone through the entrance of the barn, Charna had to get down off her horse to lock a small number of goats into each stall. A few tried to act difficult, refusing to listen to her, but she still eventually managed to get them in and make sure all had access to food for the night. All the while Link was talking to Fado, but soon he was at the entrance of the barn still on his trusty horse.
"Once you're done here, we'll head off to get something to eat. Why don't you take your horse with you and leave him with Epona for the night? He'd probably love to have company that isn't goats for once." Link suggested, watching Charna walk over.
She just shrugged, looking at her horse for a moment. "I guess I could do that. Probably why he's so stubborn… Too much time with the goats."
Link chuckled, though her horse didn't look as impressed. He gave a snort and threatened to bite her clothes as she mounted the beast again to head back to the treehouse. It was a short walk, but an even shorter ride. Though through the whole ride, Charna held one question. Only when they finally reached Link's home did she ask it.
"I'm guessing you have nothing planned for food. Did you just invite me so I would cook for you?" She asked, climbing down from her horse and looking over to the male.
"Haha, no. Of course not! Why would you ever think such a thing?" Link said, obviously lying and not even trying to hide it.
As she had guessed, Link had nothing prepared to eat. He didn't even have anything he could have had a quick meal with. No crackers or anything. It was clear Charna would either have to force him to get in food or buy it for him. Though whenever she tried to talk to him about anything of the sort, he just grinned and shrugged it off. They both knew that she didn't really care as it gave her something to do. Half the time Charna thought Link did it just as an excuse to keep her around.
Either way, Charna soon managed to make something for the both of them to eat from what little Link had left. It wasn't long after they had eaten that the both of them fell asleep, as things usually turned out. Link in his own bed while Charna slept on the bottom floor, since she usually left before he even stirred.
But no matter how peaceful things were now, she couldn't help the feeling that something was going to go down soon. Something big.
A/N: Hey guys! I've started a Zelda fic before but that was a pokemon crossover and I only wrote the first chapter before I forgot what I was doing with it XD
If you're reading this and thinking 'why hasn't she updated her other fics?!' it's because I've not had either internet or my memory stick that contains all my fanfics. The only backups I have are out of date or on my other computer. So sorry guys, I'll get to those once I get everything back.
Now, this wont be updated regularly, so don't get your hopes up. I'm not good with keeping up with things. Though hopefully this wont go dead like a few other of my fics. Also, I start college again next week (I also have a line of videogames to buy and play over the next few days)