Chapter 2
Link glanced dubiously at the door. "I don't know Malon. I don't know if I want to face your father in an angry wrath. Especially if it's a hungry, angry wrath."
"You coward," Malon said. "It'll be all right. I'll cook, he'll get over his anger and your bruises will heal eventually." Link gave her a look. "Okay, that wasn't very helpful. Now, stop being a baby and get inside."
"You know what? I'm not even all that hungry," Link said, turning away from the door.
Malon pushed him inside. Link stumbled inside, glared back at Malon and stood awkwardly in the room. Ingo looked up at the two and cocked an eyebrow. Malon snatched the hat off his head and handed it to him.
"Hello Ingo. Daddy?" she called out.
Talon emerged from one of the rooms and thumped down the stairs. He smiled at the two. "Hello, you two are late. Link going to join us? Where'd you two go? I walk outside and the ranch was empty."
Link and Malon gave each other looks of relief and Malon smiled at her father as she headed towards the stove to begin cooking dinner.
"Just needed a day out," Malon commented.
"Yeah, I know how it is," Talon said, flopping down in a chair. "Sit Link, you don't have to look so rigid. You've eaten with us before."
Link gave a small smile and took a seat. Ingo sat beside him, hands cupped in his face, silent. Talon began talking about everything and anything. He talked about how his great-grandfather had opened up this ranch decades ago, how'd it been passed on down the line, how hard the work was, he rambled for a while about how to properly muck out a horse stall while Ingo rolled his eyes, then he got into how he met his wife, Malon's mother, how beautiful she was, how Malon looked just like her as Malon hid a blush, he then started in on Malon. Link grinned, catching Malon's eye as she pretended not to hear her father proudly boast about her and then in the same sentence tell about what a wild little girl she was.
"She would come back from playing in the field full of scrapes and bruises," Talon told, happy to talk. Ingo rolled his eyes. "And she'd come back with a huge grin on her face. A tomboy, she was, and still is in a way. She was never afraid of bugs and things like that. The only thing she was afraid of was toads. She'd come running back to the house, wailing as if a murderer had come to get her. I remember once, one touched her and she got into such a panic because she thought she was going to become a toad that she started ripping off all her-"
Malon straightened up suddenly and Link shot out of his chair, trying to find a stop to it.
"I'm going to help Malon. See how dinner is coming along," he suggested in a flurried tone. He walked away from the now laughing Talon.
"Ah, well. She always was a funny girl," Talon continued. He kept talking, it didn't matter that no one was listening anymore.
Link walked up to stand next to Malon and they met each other's gaze and gave little laughs.
"My dad is…" Malon started with a shake of her head.
"Toads?" Link asked, a little dubious.
Malon grimaced and slapped a hand to her face. "Oh, you were actually listening? Great."
Link laughed. "Do you need help with anything?"
Malon looked around. "Um, yes actually. I do. Here, you keep this on the heat and stir it every few seconds."
Link took the pan from her and did as instructed, watching as Malon made her way around the kitchen. She grabbed a few ingredients here and there and then a large pot. She filled it with water and began to pile the ingredients into it. She came back to stand beside Link, turning on another fire on the stove and setting her pot on it. She watched the pot, intently fixated on her task. Link just watched, absently stirring his pan. She looked up and met his gaze with a confused smile.
"What?" she asked with a shrug.
Link shook his head. "Nothing. Just… nothing."
Malon's grin grew wider and she broke out into a laugh that Link couldn't help but catch. They both went back to cooking as Talon continued to ramble on, now about how Ingo was afraid of commitment. Link helped Malon serve dinner and then they all sat down to eat.
"So Link," Talon said between forkfuls, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "When are you going to propose to my daughter?"
Link shot a glance at Malon who stiffened and gave her father a black glare. She met his gaze and shook her head in apology. He just gave her a smile, a twitch of his mouth. He looked back down at his food, buying more time as he chewed slowly.
"Well," he said finally. "I was thinking tomorrow, if it didn't rain."
Talon drew back, surprised. The fun in his game was taken away. Malon, knowing exactly what Link was doing, grinned and nodded. Talon glanced from one to the other, decided to play along and leaned forward again.
"Oh yes? Well, you know it's looking like a nice sunny day," he came back.
"Yes, I have my fingers crossed, but you never know. It might rain some yet," Link retorted easily.
"And if tomorrow is the day you propose to my daughter, when would the wedding be?"
"I was planning on a nice fall wedding," Link said. "It would be the perfect season, all wind and leaves and colors."
Talon laughed. "All right, enough. You win, I give in. Fine performance, Link, fine performance. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought you were serious."
Link smiled and gave a small bow. "Thank you, thank you. All jokes aside, your daughter is beautiful sir. Any man is luck to have her."
Malon made a face at him. "Stop kissing up."
Link laughed and ducked as she threw a piece of potato at him. Talon chuckled. Ingo merely rolled his eyes again and lowered his head nearer the table to avoid being hit.
"Perfect! Do it again," Malon called out and clasped her hands twice before crossing her arms over her chest.
The student on the horse slowed to a trot and wheeled his horse back around to run through the practice exercise again. Malon looked over at Link with a proud smile.
"What do you think?" she asked.
Link nodded. "I remember when he was just a little boy playing the graveyard, and now here he is, training for the races. He is very good on a horse."
"Yes, he is. His style reminds me of yours a bit."
"Oh yes? And what is my style?"
"It's a mixture of – once more please – wild, untamable spirit and controlled patience."
"Really? Hmm. Interesting."
"That's enough for today," Malon said, stepping out into the field. "Very good, Con. Excellent. Keep this up and you're sure to win the races."
Con dismounted and pushed his hair from his face. "That is what you tell all your students, I'm sure. Hello Link," he greeted, shaking the other man's hand.
"No, I am serious. You are a gifted rider and I have no doubt that you will win this year's races if you continue in this manner. And I've never lied. Well… except for that one time my father tried to cook dinner."
Link giggled. "He was so proud. That is, until he put some in his mouth. Then he was just… green."
Malon broke out in a set of her own giggles. Con looked from on to the other, a small, confused smile playing on his lips.
"Well, thank you," he said at last as the two sobered. "I'll be on my way now. I will see you next week Malon. Oh, Link, my mother mentioned something about a package she needed delivered. Do you think you'd be so kind as to see to that for her?"
"Glad to," Link said with a smile and a nod. "Tell her I'll finish up here and be over to take care of that in an hour or so. Is that good?"
"Prefect, thanks," Con said with an appreciative smile. "Goodbye now."
Malon gave a small wave as Con mounted his horse and rode out of the stable.
"Well, I'd better hurry and finish with the stable," Link said, walking out towards them.
"I'll help you," Malon said, following.
"You? Offering to help with the stables when you don't need to? That's odd. Why?" Link asked with a teasing grin.
Malon shrugged. "You might not come back today from your delivery."
"You'll see me tomorrow I'm sure," Link said.
"I'm sure, but I get lonely when you're not here teasing me," Malon responded.
"Lonely? You've your father and Ingo and we all know what good company Ingo is." Malon laughed. "Besides, I tease you as you said. I'd have thought you like the breaks without me."
"No. I just miss you is all."
Link glanced down at her from the corner of his eye and then laughed and slung and arm around her shoulder. "Me too, silly as is sounds. Me too, Malon."
