Note: Howdy, everyone. I wanted to offer a quick heads-up: there may be spoilers in the reviews, so please keep that in mind if you intend to read this story. That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day.
The late afternoon sun bathed the vast fields of Hyrule in a warm orange light. A lazy wind stirred the leaves of a single towering tree as a lone man rested against its sturdy trunk. He was clad in a simple, light green tunic and brown trousers, both of which were quite common in these parts. Not quite asleep, and not fully awake, he found himself almost entranced by the calm sounds around him. Far removed from the rest of his small village, it had proven to be a great napping spot – one of many for him. An afternoon in the shade was always a nice counterbalance to the long hours of hunting or patrolling the town with the rest of the guards.
The young man squirmed slightly as a ray of light peeked through the tree leaves and shined on his closed eyes. In the distance, he could begin to hear a soft rustling in the tall grass. Whatever it was, it was approaching rather quickly, and he could tell that it was more than just a curious rabbit or a stray dog. Others may have immediately anticipated a threat, but he didn't bother to open his eyes or reach for the sword next to him. There was no need to. There was only one other person who knew about this spot of his. He smiled as the figure stood above him, her form eclipsing the sun from his vision.
"Finally, I've been lookin' all over for you," said the voice of a young lady. Her tone was not one of impatience or irritation, but relief. "You weren't plannin' to sleep here all day, were you?" she asked with a laugh, resting her hands on her hips.
The resting hunter had immediately recognized her voice. Even when she was profoundly upset, there was a definite gentleness in her words. Her voice was cheerful as usual, with a rather noticeable accent. The accent was common among people from the more rural areas of Eastern Hyrule, and was typically described as "charming" by non-easterners, or "odd" by less charitable individuals. Somehow, that same inflection had not rubbed off on him.
"Maybe?" he replied with a casual shrug. "That last hunting trip took a lot out of me. Nearly ran out of water, too."
"That was almost three days ago, Link," she reminded him with a grin.
"It was a tough trip," he said defensively, finally opening his blue eyes.
He was immediately struck by the sight of his friend's long, Autumn red hair glowing in the setting sun. The young lady sported a simple white shirt and a yellow neckerchief, which had been fastened by a curious looking brooch. The badge appeared to resemble the face of a dragon, but nobody was quite sure what to make of it, including its wearer. She also wore a light purple skirt which draped down to some well-worn boots, along with a patterned brown apron. It was hard to mistake her for anyone else.
She shook her head slightly and helped him to his feet. "I'm sure it was, but you did promise you'd show up at the Harvest Festival this evenin', remember? It's already started, and everyone's gonna wonder where you've been."
"I did promise, didn't I?" he conceded, dusting off his tunic and picking a few leaves out of his dirty blonde hair. He had nearly forgotten about his promise from a few days ago, and he wasn't about to go back on his word, especially not with her. "Sorry, Malon. Guess time just kinda slipped away from me."
"Happens to the best of us."
Link gazed up at the late afternoon sky. The clouds had been blanketed in a breathtaking arrangement of orange and purple, and a handful of stars could be seen across the darker areas of the endless void. Dusk had always been one of his favorite times of day precisely because of times like this.
"You sure you wouldn't rather just sit around here for a while?" he asked, not removing his attention from the sky.
Malon considered the offer. The sunset was particularly captivating today, and she had always enjoyed quiet evenings together under the oak tree, doing nothing in particular. On any other day, she wouldn't have hesitated to say yes.
"You know I'd love to, but you know the Festival only comes 'round once a year. Come on, we still have some time before the rodeo competition." Before he could even reply, she was already leading him by the hand.
Link chuckled as they started walking through the gently rolling meadows. "Of course you'd be excited for that. Twenty-three years old and you're already the best in town. Nobody else has a chance. Maybe I should just forfeit now and save myself some embarrassment."
She turned back and momentarily met his blue eyes with her own. "I see what you're tryin' to do. You're tryin' to make me overconfident," she said with a giggle. "Not gonna work."
"It's worth a shot," he replied with a smile as they continued toward town.
For most of the people of Hyrule, the village of Sovec was a hospitable, if otherwise unremarkable farming town of a few hundred people. Lost in a seemingly endless sea of plains to the far east of the capital, Sovec was not often thought of elsewhere, other than perhaps a passing mention when speaking of a few of its more famous residents from years long past. Beyond that, it was a brief resting point for the occasional traveler, and a great place to purchase milk, but not much more. The few villages that might be considered neighbors to Sovec were a few days away and were not particularly noteworthy either.
After a few minutes, the two Hylians found the dirt road that served as the main road for the town and began to follow it through the pastures. The dusty path was flanked by wide fields of various crops, and a handful of farmers could be seen tending to their fields. A crumbling stone wall carved through a portion of the grass, sometimes just barely rising above knee level. Link supposed that it may have once been part of a stout fortification many years ago, but it had since been forgotten. In the distance, they could also spot the occasional stable, watermill, or farmhouse. After so many years of living here, the two of them could name most of the families in town.
The two caught sight of a farmhouse sitting atop a particularly large hill. At the distance, the brown clay walls were just barely visible weathered by age and capped with a gently sloping red roof. To most people, the architecture was indistinguishable from the others nearby, but to them, it was impossible to miss. Everyone in the village agreed that Lon Lon Ranch had both the finest milk and the most incredible horses.
"Oh drat, go on without me," Malon said, abruptly heading down the path towards her ranch. "I'll catch up later."
"Where are you going?"
"I'm supposed to bring some stuff to the festival today. Almost forgot all about it."
"No worries," he replied, following her down the familiar road. "I can give you a hand with that."
"Thanks. Shouldn't take but a few minutes."
The ranch consisted primarily of a few fenced-in pastures for horses and livestock. A ring of buildings surrounded these fields, including a large stable, several supply sheds, and the main farmhouse. As they neared the center of the ranch, they passed by a pasture full of roaming horses. Nearby, a group of cows wandered aimlessly in their own enclosure, lowing at nothing in particular. Although they could not see them, the two Hylians could also hear the clucking of the ever-noisy cuccos.
"So how's the place treating you?" Link asked, spotting some familiar horses not far from the path.
"Pretty good. Just finished mendin' one of the fences yesterday," Malon stated, adjusting her neckerchief a bit. "Been meanin' to get to that for days, but didn't have time until recently."
Link thought back to the previous day and felt more than a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I would've helped if I'd known. Wouldn't have spent the day napping, that's for sure."
"Don't worry about it, nothin' I can't handle," she replied, a reassuring smile appearing on her freckled face.
With that, they had reached one of the many supply sheds on the farm. Malon produced a small key from her belt, unlocked a bulky padlock, and swung open the heavy door with little effort. Inside the building, stacks of wooden crates and farming implements were pressed against the walls. The smell of hay wafted through the air and struck Link's nose, not that he minded. As far as ranches went, this one was very well-kept, and the barn was no exception. Malon took great care to make sure of that.
"Besides," the redhead continued, "you did a great job when we had to fix up the stable last week. Woulda taken me twice as long if you hadn't volunteered."
"Anytime," Link replied. They made their way to a corner of the building and began to load some crates onto a large cart. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask about your dad. Haven't seen him around here much lately."
"Still enjoyin' retirement. Mostly just spends the days fishing out at Lake Hylia... when he's not asleep, of course," she added, hefting another large crate onto their wagon and pushing it in place.
"And Ingo?"
"Quit a few days ago, actually. He's lookin' to open his own ranch closer to Castle Town. Seemed really excited about it."
"Of course he is, he won't have to worry about us playing pranks on him anymore."
Malon chuckled as she thought back to all the times they played some kind of joke on him. They were always harmless, but Ingo's reactions were always priceless. Perhaps their greatest trick was managing to get a dozen cuccos in his room while he wasn't looking.
"We haven't done anything like that since we were, what, ten?" she asked.
"Guess we're long overdue then!"
Malon loaded the last crate onto the wagon and covered her face with her hand, feigning frustration. "Do I always have to be the responsible one?"
"Looks like it," he joked before pausing briefly. "It's good to see your dad left the ranch in good hands," he added sincerely. "I don't think I'd be cut out for that kind of work all the time."
"You're too nice," Malon said, trying to conceal her embarrassment. "You're not jus' sayin' that to get some extra milk, are you?"
"Of course not, but now that you mention it..."
Malon nudged him with her elbow as they both laughed.
The conversation carried on as they departed the ranch and resumed their trip. Eventually, they passed beyond a sturdy palisade wall which separated the center of town from the rest of the fields. A collection of houses, shops, supply buildings, and animal pens encircled a large red barn which had been repurposed into the local gathering place many years ago.
Banners, streamers, and posters of all shapes and colors adorned the various buildings. A group of musicians had been brought in just for this event, filling the normally quiet air with a joyous tune. Children scampered about as the adults began to partake of the delectable foods offered for the occasion. This was one of the few times of year in which the majority of the town was gathered together, which made it the perfect chance for busy friends to reacquaint and celebrate together. Various cooking and dancing competitions were already underway.
"They really went all-out this year, didn't they?" Malon remarked with a wide smile.
"I'll say. Looks like everyone's already here. Hope we're not too late for the food," he added, rubbing his stomach in anticipation.
The two unloaded their cart in the large barn with the help of a few others. Several townspeople noticed the young hunter at a distance and began to wave to Link enthusiastically, which he returned with less excitement.
"Look! There's Link!" a voice in the crowd exclaimed.
"Told ya he'd show up!" another stated proudly.
"Looks like some of your fans are already here too," Malon said with a giggle. "Aren't you gonna go greet 'em?" She asked, poking her friend in the side gently.
Link let out a chuckle as they finished their task and moved on to a nearby booth, which had been stocked with all sorts of meat, vegetables, and freshly baked breads. "Nah, I think I'll pass this time. In fact, I kinda wish they wouldn't do that. Not really fair to the other guards. They work really hard too, you know?"
Malon considered his statement for a moment. "That's true. But nobody's seen the world like you have. That counts for a lot 'round here."
Link nodded as they finished filling their plates with delicious food. "Yeah, you've got a point."
There were only a handful of people in the entire town that had the chance to travel on a regular basis. The stories they brought back – even some of the more mundane ones – could become the talk of the town practically overnight. Even fewer people made it as far away as the capital, Castle Town. Link's meeting with Queen Zelda a few months ago was still a source of pride for the village.
The two took some seats at a nearby table, slightly removed from most of the crowds. Malon looked at the back of her friend's hand. "There's also, well, you know."
Link followed her blue eyes down to the faded symbol of the Triforce on his hand, where he studied it momentarily. It was a constant reminder of what was expected of him.
"The Triforce of Courage..." he said quietly, a small smile appearing on his face. "Queen Zelda told me so much about it. History, destiny, heroism... kinda hard to believe a commoner like me has anything in common with her."
"Don't sell yourself so short, Link. If anyone's deserving of it, it's you."
"Thank you." He smiled slightly and became silent for a few moments. "I just have so many questions. Hopefully she'll have some answers when I see her next month." The hunter finished a bite of his bread. "Didn't you say you wanted to go out there sometime?"
"Yeah, I'd love to, but I couldn't. I mean, I wouldn't want to get in the way or anything." A look of mild disappointment crossed her face.
"Wouldn't be a problem at all. You're more than welcome to come anytime."
Her freckled face lit up at the sound of his words. "You mean it? Oh, thank you, Link! I can't wait to see what it's like!"
Without warning, she threw her arms around her friend and gave him the strongest hug she could manage. Her natural strength was enough to catch Link off guard, but after a moment of surprise, he returned her hug.
"Anytime, Malon."
A few hours passed, and the conversation continued well into the evening as the duo finished off what remained of their delicious food. On more than a few occasions, an enthusiastic individual would approach Link to offer him some sort of acclamation, but the pair were more than content to sit together and enjoy the relaxing music and gorgeous evening sky. Not long after sunset, an older lady approached them, her complexion wrinkled but cheerful.
"There you are, Link! My grandson's been lookin' all over for you! He has so many questions to ask you. He's your biggest fan, you know." Malon tried not to chuckle at Link's expression.
Link paused for a second to consider his next words. He wasn't terribly interested in the extra attention, but he didn't want to risk saying something that would disappoint the child. Before Link could properly respond, the older lady called out to the crowd, prompting a young boy to run out of it. She turned back to the two and immediately began to evaluate the farm girl.
"Oh, I'm afraid we haven't met before. I'm Ilsha. My, your neckerchief is just lovely. Reminds me of one I used to own."
"Thank you, ma'am. My name's Malon," she replied with a smile, still trying to contain her laughter. Link wasn't nearly as amused.
"A pleasure to meet you. If you don't mind me saying, you two just make a lovely couple!"
Malon's eyes widened and her face turned bright red as she looked across the table to the young hunter. Link returned a look of surprise and opened his mouth to say something but could only stammer instead. "Malon's not..." he began, quickly exchanging glances between his friend and their visitor. He knew he had to be extra careful about this. "She and I..." he paused and looked to the redhead, silently waiting for some kind of clue. "We're not..."
"He's not... I mean, we're not a couple, ma'am," Malon concluded.
It certainly wasn't the first time that someone had incorrectly assumed as much, not that she blamed them. Given how much time they spent together and how long they had known each other, it was easy for people to believe so, even if they had already been told otherwise.
A small frown of embarrassment crossed the older lady's face. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I hope I didn't..." she began to trail off as her grandson arrived.
"No, it's alright," Malon stated. "We get that a lot." She glanced across the table to her friend. Still a bit flustered, he offered a nod of appreciation for getting them out of that one without making them look even more silly. At the very least, they were united by their shared embarrassment. Malon let out a quiet exhale. The thought of the two of them being together had occurred to her from time to time, but she had never dwelled on it very much.
A young boy enthusiastically jumped into the seat next to Link. A small group of children had followed him and began to crowd around him as well. Their greetings and laughter began to overlap with each other as they stared at him in awe. For some of them, this was the first time they had ever seen him.
"Hey Link!" one called out, waving his arms for attention.
"Can you come to my birthday party next week?" another asked.
"Can I have your shield?" asked the first boy.
Link put up his hands, hoping that they might calm down a bit. "One at a time, everyone," he said with a smile.
"Would you tell us a story?" asked a young girl. This particular question quickly earned the enthusiastic approval from the others.
"A story?"
"Yeah! Like from one of your trips!"
"I suppose I can," he replied as they cheered once more. "But only one, alright?" This suited them fine.
Link thought about it for a moment. A lot of his trips had been either quite uneventful, like the numerous occasions where he was just meeting leaders from other towns or trading for supplies. Other trips had been quite dangerous and perhaps too violent for young ears. He knew it would be unwise to recount the tale of him having to fight his way out of a cave full of hungry wolves and mend some nasty bite wounds on his own. After a few moments, he settled on a tale.
"Well, a few years back, I was heading east into the mountains. Don't know if you've heard, but it's mighty cold up there."
Malon smiled and leaned back in her seat. She had already heard this story before, but she was interested all the same.
"How bad was it?" a child interrupted enthusiastically.
"So cold I had to use four jackets and five blankets at night," he replied. "And at one point, the snow went all the way up to my waist!" The children gasped in amazement. Sovec was normally a temperate place, and it was rare for temperatures to even approach the freezing point. Some of the children had never seen snow at all.
Link continued. "I was all by myself. I had just made camp for the night and I could barely get a fire going. There's no way I would've made it without one." The children kept quiet and listened closely to every word he said.
"I tried to hunker down and sleep next to a large rock, but the wind was hitting me from every side. Went right through my blankets, too. I was shivering constantly, like I had just jumped in ice water." Malon chuckled quietly. Based on what Link had told her before, she knew that he was exaggerating a bit, though she wasn't about to spoil it for the kids.
"Maybe the altitude was doing something to my senses, but sometime around midnight I looked up and saw -"
Link's sentence was interrupted by a deep, booming sound in the distance. It seemed faint, but it was guttural, almost a roar. Before he could explain it, the harsh sound boomed through the air once again. Whatever it was, it seemed to be drawing closer.
"No, please..." Link thought to himself. "Not here..."
He stood and immediately began to look for the source of the noise, trying to hide the worry from his face. That noise was strange – one that he had never encountered before, but he knew that it couldn't possibly be good.
The children began to look around in confusion as well. Link and Malon looked out into the dark crop fields as the nearby crowd became nearly silent. Try as they might, it was difficult to see much of anything beyond the lanterns of the village. The sound filled the air once more, and it was measurably louder this time. The older lady began to gather the young ones to move them somewhere else and several guards emerged from the festival's crowd, calmly advising them to get indoors.
Link and Malon exchanged uncertain looks and cautiously approached the entrance to the town. The farm girl could feel her pulse begin to race as she peered into the stifling darkness of the fields. Link tried to quiet his breathing, and his hand had instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword. They both froze in their tracks as they felt the ground begin to shift abruptly beneath their feet. They braced themselves against the side of a nearby building, hoping that it might stop soon. The quake subsided momentarily, but quickly resumed with increased force.
Another sound struck their ears, though this one was instantly recognizable. A chill ran down Link's spine and Malon covered her mouth to stifle a gasp. The town's large bell had been rung, filling the air with an eerie, metallic sound for the first time in decades. They were under attack.