I woke up on a bright, sunny summer morning. I sat up on my small, straw-tick mattress and yawned. Stretching my arms and legs, I stood up in my bare feet and nightgown and walked to my window. I saw a beautiful scene before me--a cloudless azure sky, a soft warm breeze rustling the tops of the trees. The horses in the corral whinnied playfully.
Lon Lon Ranch was my home, and I loved every inch of it. My father had started the ranch before he met my mother. Back then the farm held only cuckoos and cows--cows that gave the legendary Lon Lon milk, which is known for its strengthening power. When my father Talon married my mother, whose name was Roucha, she convinced him to add a corral. Horses were my mother's passion. She trained them, cared for them and loved them. My father says that I inherited my love for horses from Roucha, as well as just about my every other trait. I walked away from the window to my mirror. Another thing I had inherited from Roucha was my fiery red hair. Dad used to pretend that he burned his fingers when he touched it. Even with his jokes, I think it makes him sad, too.
Roucha had died when I was a very small girl. She and my father Talon were two soulmates, and having him gone was unthinkable for him. I grew up the spitting image of Roucha," so to speak, and my father says that every move I make was one that she herself might have made. I sighed, looking at Roucha's face in the mirror. I couldn't remember anything about my mother, except for one thing. She always used to sing me to sleep with the same comforting lullaby--and since then I have never forgotten the sad, beautiful notes.
I changed my clothes quickly and ran down the steps from my room and out into the yard. There were chores to be done, especially on a big ranch like Lon Lon. Some of the chores weren't too glamorous, like cleaning out the stables. Some were just plain boring, such as milking the cows and labeling bottles of milk. But, they all needed to be done. I always saved my favorite job for last--working with the horses in the corral. That morning Dad had already let them out of the stables and into the corral, where they were trotting, grazing and neighing.
But where was Dad? He was usually in the shed fiddling with something or in the coop tending to his Super Cuckoos. I looked everywhere for him, but he was nowhere to be found. I was just beginning to worry when I remembered. Dad had gone to Hyrule Market Square for supplies early this morning, and I also remembered him telling me that he needed to drop off some crates of milk at Hyrule Castle.
Of course, if my father were a normal person he would have been back by now. But he is one of the laziest people...actually, he's not lazy; he works very hard at the ranch. But if he sits down for even a minute, he'll be asleep before you know it.
So, at least I knew where he was. Probably sound asleep and snoring in the middle of bustling Hyrule Market Square. I'd have to go and get him. It was not the first time I'd had to do this; in fact it was getting to be a routine. This might seem a little strange--I was only ten years old, after all--but I was used to it. However, I'd only picked Dad up in Kakariko Village, never the Castle Town. This made me a bit nervous.
I set about doing my list of daily chores, and then I prepared to walk to the Market. I was sort of excited; after all it was my first time going there on my own. I gulped some milk down for a quick lunch and packed a basket. I brought some rupees with me--might as well do the shopping while I was there--and maybe I could get a little treat for myself. Also in the basket I placed a small cuckoo egg. This one was due to hatch soon, and nothing works quite as well the wake my dad as a young cuckoo's call.
The sun was already past the center of the sky by the time I finished my work at Lon Lon Ranch and set out onto the wide, green expanses of Hyrule Field. the summer sun was warm, and I could hear birds singing. The walk to the drawbridge was pleasant, and I dreamed about someday riding Epona all around the field. I was imagining the rush of wind in my hair and the sound of Epona's hooves beating, when I was interrupted by the distant sounds of the marketplace. I had come to the drawbridge.
With a jolt I remembered why I had come in the first place and, in spite of myself, I felt worry creeping over me. What if I couldn't find Dad, and it got to be dark? Once the sun sets, you aren't allowed to leave Hyrule Castle Town. I would have to spend the night by myself somewhere in the empty market. The thought made me shudder, but I convinced myself that this was a silly worry and walked across the empty courtyard and into the market square.
It was a very cheery place. Happy music was being played, and I could hear the calliope tunes coming from inside the game-shops. There were all sorts of interesting people, most either buying or selling goods. I looked around the square for a while, partly looking for my father and partly listening for his snoring. I searched everywhere, even the back alleys. Not having any luck, I decided to ask some people. I went into the Happy Mask Shop, the Potions shop, the Bazaar, the Bombchu Bowling Alley and even the Shooting Gallery. I found no luck, not even a clue.
It had now been about two hours. I was tired, hungry, and by now quite worried. It had never taken me this long to find Dad at Kakariko Village! He could, however, be up at Hyrule Castle where he was supposed to have dropped off the crates of milk. Being only a little girl, I could not go there alone and without special permission.
I was standing by the well in the middle of Hyrule Market Square, staring at my reflection and wondering what I should do next. when suddenly I saw another face reflected on the water. I looked up, and had to smile. Standing in front of me was a little boy, no older than me, dressed in peculiar clothes--a green tunic and boots. He had a Hylian Shield which was so big on him that he looked like a turtle with a shell. He also had a little sword in a scabbard which was attached to a leather shoulder belt. I noticed that his little green hat showed pointy ears. But the thing I will always remember about this boy...he had a fairy with him. It fluttered around his head, sometimes coming to rest on his shoulder of hiding under his hat. It seemed to be his companion.
I felt sort of silly just standing and staring at him, so I said, "Hi! I'm Malon. What's your name?"
There was a pause. I figured that this blond-haired, blue-eyed boy with pointy ears and a fairy must be one of those "children of the forest" I had heard about.
"I'm Link," answered the boy finally. He seemed shy.
I kept talking--at lest now I had someone really to talk to. "Well hi, Link. My father Talon owns Lon Lon Ranch." I couldn't think of anything else to say.
Link said nothing at all. Maybe he hadn't heard of Lon Lon. It looked like this might be his first trip to town. "So..." I said, "How come you're here?" Oops. Quickly I added, "I mean, are you doing anything special?"
Link looked up at his fairy, then back to me. "I--I'm supposed to go see Princess Zelda," he said.
"Wow, the princess? You must be a very special person to get to see her." Then I got an idea. "Um...Link?" I asked. "If you're going up to the castle, could you maybe look for my father? He's probably up there. I've been looking for him all afternoon."
Link looked a little puzzled and asked, "Why is he up there, and you're here?" We both looked up at the towering Hyrule Castle. Its white stone walls were glimmering the light of late day.
"Well, he went to deliver some crates of milk and must have fallen asleep. My dad's the biggest sleeper in all of Hyrule," I explained. "Oh, could you find him, please?" I must have sounded pretty desperate--the sky was starting to turn colors and the sun would set soon.
"I'll find your father for you...Malon," he said.
When I heard him say this, I squealed and actually jumped for joy. Link's fairy flew around my head and as I watched it, I felt a new sensation come over me. I felt...very happy, content. Like there would never be any more problems, that my life was always going to be perfect. "Oh, thank you, Link..." I said. He smiled at me and took a few steps away.
"I have to get going," he said. Then he started on his way.
"Goodbye, Link!" I called after him. "Have fun seeing Princess Zelda--Oh! You'll have to come visit me at Lon Lon Ranch sometime and tell me all about it!" He turned around and waved to me. I waved back, gazing after him until his figure became too small to see.
I sat down beside the well, imagining the place where he had come from and where he got his fairy. I thought of a peaceful, green forest, with birds singing and flowers growing everywhere. There was a small waterfall, and a stream. I imagined lots of little children, who all lived in the trees, and did nothing but play games all day long. I wasn't sure how long I'd been sitting there with my eyes closed, but suddenly they snapped open as I remembered something. Something very important. I leaped up immediately and ran up the hill--the route to the castle I had taken with Dad once. I guessed it was some kind of shortcut. I ran as fast as I could go until I was sure I was ahead of Link. I stopped just a few yards away from the gate leading to the castle grounds, next to some vines growing on a cliffside. The sun was setting, making the castle look dark against the orange sky. Soon the sun disappeared behind the hills, a wolf howled in the distance and the moon rose. Link had not come yet, and I started singing my mother's lullaby. It never sounded so beautiful, or so sad, as when I sang it under the stars, in the quiet of night.
By and by, I heard footsteps, and I saw Link heading towards me. When he saw me, he quickened his pace. "Malon, how did you get here so fast?" he asked when he got to me.
"I remembered a shortcut my Dad took--Link?"
"Yes?"
"I forgot to give this to you at the market. It's a cuckoo egg. It's about to hatch, and when it does you'll probably need to use the cuckoo to wake up Dad," I said. Link looked confused. They probably didn't have cuckoos in the forest. "See," I explained, "My dad gets into such a deep sleep that a cuckoo's call is practically the only thing that will wake him."
"Oh," said Link. "Well, thanks!" I handed him the egg. "I'll be careful with it. I promise," he said. There was a long silence then. He looked like he wanted to ask me something, but he didn't. Finally he said, " I've got to get up to the castle, Malon. I promise I'll find your dad for you." He smiled, his fairy circling between he and I.
"Thank you so much, Link. I really want you to come to Lon Lon Ranch sometime."
"Okay, Malon," he replied. Then he turned and started climbing the vines to reach the top of the small cliff. As I watched him, I began to sing again.
~*~