After a couple of days of careful preparation, the two Hylians were making steady progress through Eastern Hyrule. The main road that led out of Sovec would take them to Castle Town after a few days, with more than a few stops at smaller towns along the way. The well-trodden stone path twisted through a seemingly endless expanse of grassy meadows and meandered through the occasional forest. Given the remoteness of their hometown, the small company knew that they would not reach the next town until the next evening at the earliest. The small fishing village ahead would be just as unremarkable as Sovec, but a roof over their heads would be welcome after hours of travel.
Malon took considerable interest in the surrounding countryside. It had been years since she had traveled this far west, and it was difficult to disregard the serenity of the rolling hills and the calm breeze in her hair. In many ways, it reminded her of her own ranch, but everything this far out was more open, and just a bit more untamed. When she wasn't in the saddle, she shouldered her pack and moved along eagerly, often having to stop and wait for her friend to catch up.
Link had brought his own horse along for the journey as well, but neither would be able to stay in the saddle for the entire journey. Their horses would instead carry some of their extra gear, though certainly not to the point of hurting or encumbering them. The warrior sported a light set of brigandine, foregoing the heavier plate armor that Hylian soldiers commonly wore. In his experience, even the heaviest armor could eventually be pierced, and he preferred having the extra flexibility and speed. If they can't hit you in the first place, they can't win, he supposed. On his back, he kept a shield for defensive purposes, and for the occasional surprise attack.
He walked at a more measured pace down the familiar path, often conversing with his friend or simply listening to her beautiful singing voice. While he looked over the scenery just as closely as she did, he mostly did so out of caution, rather than awe. He regularly thought of his impending meeting with Zelda, and could only hope that she could tell him more of the threat. Other questions weighed on his mind, but he was reluctant to speak of them aloud.
Along the way, the two would periodically cross paths with a traveler or merchant, and he had made it a point to ask each of them if they had seen or heard of anything dangerous nearby. To his relief, they could report nothing out of the ordinary. Still, he could not let down his guard, and he offered them a warning about the attack on their village. At all times, he kept one hand close to the sword on his hip. If any beasts happened to be in the area, he would be ready.
Around late morning on the second day, they decided to stop for lunch after finding a tall, shady tree just off the road and not far from a dry creek bed. Their meal was simple, consisting of some bread, fruits, and a few other things that they had preserved. Not particularly hardy, especially not for a long day of traveling, but it would sustain them until their arrival in the next village where they could likely find a decent selection of fish and meat.
They took a short break after their meal and reclined against the stout oak tree. Though the sun was far from harsh, Link enjoyed every minute in the shade. For a few minutes, he relaxed in silence, only to slowly open his eyes upon hearing his friend quietly turn the page of a book.
"Whatcha reading?" he asked, now half-awake and suppressing a yawn.
"It's one of your books, actually," she replied, still intently studying the book's contents. "Basic Swordsmanship."
The hunter looked at the page she had stopped on. A few sketches depicted warriors demonstrating some of the more fundamental movements and strikes, along with some explanations here and there. "Hmm. Almost forgot I lent it to you."
Malon looked up and rubbed the back of her neck. She was a bit embarrassed to admit that she had been holding onto it for far longer than she had intended to. At some point it had found an almost permanent spot in her room, and on the few occasions that she had noticed it among her other belongings, she mentally noted that she would get around to reading it eventually.
"Oh... sorry 'bout that. Didn't have much time to read it before. I was gonna return it soon. Promise."
"Don't worry about it, keep it," he replied. "If you want, you can help yourself to the rest of my collection when you get back home." He briefly thought of how many other manuals he must have had lying around his house. The one she held had its share of valuable knowledge, but he had mastered most of the techniques in that particular book quite a while ago. "How do you like it so far?"
"Pretty fascinating. I'm almost half-way through it already. Wish I had started readin' about this kind of stuff years ago."
"Never too late to start," Link replied. "If you think you're ready, I can teach you a few things. Practical training is better than a book anyway."
Malon quickly hopped up from her spot on the ground with a wide smile on her face. "Oh, I'd love to! Show me whatever you can." She had wanted to try her hand at swordsmanship for years, and she knew of no better potential teacher than Link.
Link chuckled and slowly returned to his feet before he removed a spare sword from his belongings and gave it to his friend. Malon studied it carefully, mentally noting the anatomy of the blade and hilt. It had been a few years since she had hefted a blade, and she took a few practice swings into the air, doing her best to emulate the maneuvers she had learned from the book. Link stretched and casually observed for the moment.
"Ready when you are."
"Ready," she replied, planting herself into a standard fighting stance in front of him. "Don't go too easy now," she added with a bit of a smirk.
"Maybe in a little while," he replied with a chuckle. "For now, let's just go over the basics."
Link proceeded to demonstrate several essential attacks by slicing his blade through the air. Initially he moved slowly and emphasized the more subtle muscle movements. Malon mirrored his attacks and kept pace with him as his attacks became faster. All the while, his movements remained crisp and precise.
After a few minutes, Link would move on to another maneuver, often showing how one attack could flow into a follow-up. Perhaps more importantly, he spoke of how a clumsy attack could leave one open for a counterattack.
"Mind your footwork," he gently advised. "Stability is everything."
She nodded and adjusted her posture, delivering a stronger motion with her next swing.
The lessons continued into the afternoon, long past the point that they had originally intended. Malon wiped some sweat from her brow as she lifted the blade once more and prepared for another attack. Link quietly observed her as she repeated a short series of maneuvers. As with any new student, Malon had more than a few areas for improvement, but Link could certainly not fault her eagerness or determination. With a shout, she performed another combination. Her power was impressive, despite her obvious fatigue. For a moment, she placed her hands on her knees and breathed deeply before slowly returning to her fighting position. Normally, Link would have been content to train with her for as long as she wanted, but the mid afternoon sun was a constant reminder of their urgency of their trip.
"I think you've earned a break," he stated, offering her a bottle of water.
"Ahh, thanks," she replied. She sheathed her weapon and quickly downed the contents of the bottle. "Still have a long way to go." Her mind was largely preoccupied with the more difficult maneuvers that she hadn't quite mastered yet. Once or twice, she had fallen to the ground after losing balance. Worse still were the occasions where she had dropped her weapon. She hoped to soon forget about such embarrassments. "Sorry if I got kinda clumsy after a while."
"Don't sweat it. You did great," he said sincerely. "You've already got a lot of the basics down."
"Well, I am learnin' from the best," she said with a bit of a laugh as they resumed their walk down the road.
"Ha, if you say so. A few more lessons, and I think you'll be ready for the next step. You've got a lot of potential, Malon."
"Thank you," she returned with a warm smile. "I'm lookin' forward to it already!" She knew that most combat teachers wouldn't be nearly as patient as he was.
"It's the least I can do after all of those horsemanship lessons you gave me," he said with a bit of a laugh.
A look of mild surprise crossed her face and she began to laugh along with him. "Link, that must've been over ten years ago. You don't need to repay me for something like that."
"Well, I'm still using your lessons today, aren't I? Besides, you had to put up with me falling out of the saddle. Over and over..." A few less than pleasant memories began to return to him.
They quickened their pace as they continued on, hoping to make up for some of the time that they had spent. The path before them stretched further into the rolling hills, at times leading them over an old stone bridge or past the ruins of a long-abandoned settlement. Malon continued to sing and even tried to encourage her friend to join her, but never found him willing to do so. It always amused her that a confident fighter like him was so terrified of something as harmless as singing.
They briefly considered continuing on for a few hours after nightfall. However, the more Link thought of the idea, the more disquieted he became. Although the area was not known for highwaymen or aggressive animals, Link knew that traveling so late was ill-advised, even without the threat of Ganon's creatures. After several hours, they agreed to stop for the night among the remains of a centuries-old fortification. Very little of the architecture remained standing, and most of the large stone bricks had since been weathered by time and left half-buried in the ground. The structure no longer had a roof for them, but it seemed as good a place as any to stay. It would be distant enough from the road not to attract the attention of passersby, yet not so far as to leave them isolated.
The warm orange sun began to dip below the far horizon, turning the day to dusk. The duo huddled near their campfire and made themselves ready for a night under the stars. Malon quietly finished a modest supper as she gazed into the warm fire, the flames reflecting in her deep red hair. At the same time, a feeling of unease crept over Link's mind. He spoke less and less as the evening went on, instead listening carefully to his surroundings. Although he saw and heard nothing, he dreaded what might be lurking in the approaching night.
He looked across the fire to his friend and smiled a bit. Malon's company had made his trip far more bearable thus far. Typically, he traveled only with his horse, and his days would consist of long periods of silence, interrupted only by a brief nod or greeting to the few passersby that he happened to meet. Having his best friend at his side was a great change of pace.
An uncharacteristic frown slowly appeared on her face and it became clear that something was troubling her. "Something wrong?" he asked. "You've been kind of quiet."
She looked up from the fire and shifted around a bit. She hadn't expected him to notice her concern. "Hmm? Oh, it's nothing. Just thinking."
"About those monsters, right?"
She nodded slightly. She had avoided mentioning them at all during the day and would've been content not to bring them up at all. Just mentioning or thinking about Ganon seemed to chill the air around them.
"I still can't believe what I saw," she said in a hushed tone. "Those eyes - it was like starin' into... nothing. They were just... haunting." The sound of the creature's hideous roar echoed in her mind.
Link couldn't stand to see her like this. He shifted around the campfire and sat next to her, offering her an extra blanket as some form of comfort.
Malon suppressed a lump in her throat. A thought weighed heavily on her mind, and she tried to keep her composure. "I just wish I could've..." she began before trailing off. "I feel terrible for abandoning you like that." She could still feel a sense of guilt stinging her.
Link stared at her in confusion. "Abandoning me? What do you mean?"
"During the attack on the village, I... I just ran away like a frightened child. I left you all by yourself." The sorrow on her face became more apparent, and she felt like concealing it from him. "I know you wanted me to run, but I shouldn't have. That's why I wanted to come with you. I'm so sorry."
He hadn't expected to hear such a thing from her. For a moment he sat in silence. "Malon, you have nothing to be sorry for. You're not a coward."
His words brought some measure of comfort to her, but she could still feel the sting of running away. "But you stood and fought that thing... practically by yourself."
"Doesn't mean I wasn't scared too." Malon said nothing as he went on. Link had rarely admitted to such things, even to her.
"I wish I didn't have to leave like this... I'd much rather be back in Sovec. But, I know what's expected of me. I've had to learn to control my fear for years." A small smile appeared on his face as he looked her in the eyes. "You're far braver than you give yourself credit for. I could never think less of you."
Malon pulled him into a large hug, which he returned happily. "Thank you, Link," she said quietly. "You have no idea how happy that makes me."
She rested her head on his shoulder as they continued to watch the fire and talk quietly. The night grew cold and still, interrupted only by the crackling of the flames. As time dragged on and the moon rose higher into the cloudless sky, Malon could feel her eyelids begin to grow heavy. The long day on the road and the rigorous training session had been draining, and she supposed that she probably would've been able to sleep soundly for hours, even on one of the large stone slabs. In time, she bid her friend goodnight and found a cozy spot next to the fire before slowly drifting off to sleep.
However, Link stayed awake for several more hours. At first, it was unintentional. He lied down on his makeshift bedroll and struggled to find rest, tossing and turning for some time before he gave up around midnight. He occupied himself with tasks that he normally did on restless traveling nights, namely by tending to the fire and sharpening his weapons a bit more, not that they really needed it.
As the moon drifted across the deep, starlit sky, Link could feel an eerie wind begin to move through the otherwise silent landscape. An unnatural chill ran through his body as he came to a realization. He had not heard the call of a bird, the chirping of cicadas, or much of anything else in hours. The quiet, subtle sounds of nature had somehow disappeared, and in his weariness he had almost failed to notice. He couldn't explain how, but something about the breeze that now swept through the ruins filled him with a sense of dread.
Link slowly sat up straight and moved his hand for his sword, quietly unsheathing it upon locating it in the dwindling light of the campfire. Cautiously, he stood up and turned from the fire, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness beyond the ruins. All that he could see was an endless expanse of dark meadows before him. They were empty, but this did nothing to allay his worry. Everything about this night seemed to echo the night of the attack.
"Please... please let me be wrong."
Link looked to his friend, who was still fast asleep. He hoped desperately that the fear welling up inside him was nothing more than the product of sleeplessness, but he knew better. He gently nudged her awake with his hand.
"Malon... wake up..." he whispered, just barely above the threshold of hearing.
The redhead stirred awake and rubbed her eyelids, at first a bit confused. After noticing the sword in her friend's hand and the late hour, she knew that nothing good was happening. A thousand thoughts and fears began to race through her mind.
"Did you see something?" she returned quietly, rising to her feet. "Is something out there?"
As much as he wanted to say no, he wasn't the least bit sure. "I-I don't know. Keep your eyes open."
Malon nodded and retrieved the sword she had practiced with earlier. She gripped the handle of her blade as tight as she could, now feeling the same unsettling wind that had froze Link moments earlier. Link also handed her his shield – it was the only one he had, but he wasn't about to let her go undefended if he could help it. Their horses had also grown more restless as well. Though they both were normally well-behaved and even-tempered, they had started to move about nervously. The two Hylians stood back to back so that they could see as much of the area as possible.
Minutes passed by without a word between them, though it seemed like far longer. Malon could feel her heart begin to race as she imagined those terrible creatures leaping out from the shadows.
Link froze as he felt the ground begin to shift slightly beneath him. "No... no, please..."
The quake subsided for a few moments, only to abruptly resume with greater intensity. Malon and Link exchanged a look of horror, though Link tried to mask it.
"We need to get out of here," he stated, moving towards their horses with Malon at his side. "If we hurry we should be able to outrun-"
His sentence was cut short as the unthinkable happened. The ground between him and the horses exploded, sending a column of soil and stones into the air. An ear-piercing roar tore through the air, momentarily causing them to recoil in pain. They fought the instinct to drop their weapons and plug their ears, instead backing away from the eruption as quickly as they could. Before they could move far, another explosion ripped through the night air behind them.
Malon began to shake with fear, almost freezing in place. Her body felt simultaneously weak and heavy. The steps she took felt as though she was walking through waist-deep water. Internally, Link was just as terrified as his friend, but his fear was eclipsed by raw anger. He didn't know nor particularly care whether they had found him by chance or by tracking him. At this point, he cared less about his own well-being and far more about the safety of his friend. He thought of distracting the beasts long enough for Malon to escape by horseback, but he quickly discarded it. It would only divide the two of them, and one of the monsters would surely give chase.
"Stay close to me," he whispered. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."
Malon squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, desperately wishing that she'd somehow wake up and find that she had merely experienced a very lucid nightmare. Every self-preservation instinct within her commanded her to run, but she knew that would accomplish nothing. "T-thank you," she stammered, peering above the edge of the shield in front of her.
The two lizard-like creatures began to emerge from the chasms they had created, each of them growling and hissing with unnatural tones. As they made heavy steps across the ground, the very grass beneath them began to wither into dust.
"Their neck and joints are lightly armored," Link advised. "Don't attack unless you're absolutely sure you have an opening. Just do whatever you can to defend."
Malon nodded and forced herself to stare at the terrible beast as it appeared in front of her. A familiar red glow shined through the cloud of dust that had been created. She was much closer to it than last time, and she could now see it far more clearly – everything about it was grotesque.
Without warning, the creature lunged at her with a large swipe of its claws. She narrowly raised her shield in time to absorb the brunt of the strike, but the force behind it was enough to send both Link and herself to the ground. Link recovered and helped his friend back to her feet just in time to avoid another attack.
The ranch girl backed away with uncertain strides as Link parried another attack and struck at the beast with a loud yell. The blow harmlessly glanced off of the creature's scaled hide at a bad angle, but it was enough to irritate the beast even more.
Malon dove over a fallen column as one of the beasts lunged at her once more. She landed awkwardly but managed to hold onto her weapon and quickly returned to her feet, frantically looking around not only for the beast that was pursuing her, but also for her friend.
"Link! Link!" she called out.
"Over here!" he responded, not removing his attention from his enemy.
She spotted him seconds later, but not before the beast leaped at her once more, narrowly missing and instead slashing the shield, leaving deep gashes on the surface. The raw energy from the impact was enough to send a shockwave of pain through her arm. Adrenaline began to kick in, and she had no idea how long she could keep avoiding the attacks before she collapsed from exhaustion.
She backed towards Link, being sure to keep her attention focused on the creature. Every so often, she dared to take measured defensive swings at the beast. They were intended less as attempts at wounding the scaled fiend and more as efforts to keep distance between them. The monster did not flinch at these attempts, but for the moment, it was enough to buy her some time.
One of the monsters circled away from Link and snarled, staring at the Hylian with empty yet furious white eyes that pierced the night air. Link studied its every movement, anticipating another attack at any moment. At the same time, he shot a glare directly into the creature's eyes, daring it to move. He wasn't sure how mindless his foe was, but he hoped that he could goad it into an attack on his own terms.
"Come on!" he spat. "I'm right here!"
As he had hoped, the creature let out a blood-chilling roar before it charged at him, shaking the ground with each heavy step. Link kept his footing and held his ground, jumping out of the way just in time to counterattack with a well-placed stab. The creature yelled in pain as it recoiled backwards. Link shouted and pressed the attack while he had the advantage, driving his blade into the beast's nearest weak points. With each subsequent blow, the fight left the beast until it stopped moving.
Link backed away from it as soon as he was certain that it was no more. He quickly reunited with his friend, exchanging looks of greater confidence.
"Good job," said Malon, still keeping a close watch on the monster that circled them carefully.
"Thanks," he replied. He briefly considered their position among the ruins and found that they had little room to move around. "I think I can lure this one away. Just get ready to -"
He cut himself off as a horrifying shriek emanated from the beast. It reared up on its hind legs before breaking into a charge, this one even faster than the last. Although it was heading towards the both of them, it had clearly shifted its attention from Link to Malon. A harrowing roar sounded from its maw, causing them both to freeze in place. Time seemed to slow as the creature drew closer by the second. A terrible realization flashed in Link's mind in less than a second – there wasn't enough time for him to draw the beast away from her, nor was there enough time or space for her to leap away cleanly. He had to make a split-second decision or risk certain death for her.
"Look out!" he shouted, throwing himself in front of his friend just in time to absorb the impact of the beast's charge.
The creature became tangled with him until they were practically face to face, furiously attacking Link at close range as he countered with everything he had. In the intense fray, he couldn't hope to dodge or parry as he lied beneath its weight, instead sacrificing his defenses to hack away at whatever he could. With his sword, he hewed and stabbed at the enormous creature's underside, desperately searching for any kind of opening. With his free hand, he attempted to grab the monster by the throat and restrain it. For every time he successfully struck the beast, he was wounded by the beast's claws. His light armor was failing. He yelled out in pain but continued his attacks for as long as he was able.
At the same time, Malon had been knocked to the ground by the force of the diverted charge, striking her head on a stone slab in the process. As she attempted to stand, her vision became hazy and her balance failed her. After a few moments, she started to regain her bearings and saw the unimaginable before her.
"NO! LINK!" She charged at the creature, no longer caring about her own survival.
"Hold on, Link!" she shouted. She reached for the beast's throat with one hand and began to furiously strike its head with her blade. With malice in its eyes, it turned its attention towards her and prepared to attack with its massive claws. With every ounce of energy she had, she yelled and drove her blade into the beast's maw before it could land a blow. Within moments, it fell motionless and she shoved it off of her friend.
"Link! Link!" Her eyes widened and teared up as she knelt down and helped her friend back up. At first, he could only sit, suppressing painful grunts with every movement. Malon looked him over in terror. The beast's attacks had left severe wounds all over his body and she had to look away after only a second or two. Seeing her best friend in such a state shattered her to her core.
"No... no, this isn't happening..."
"Come on, Link stay with me!" she cried. The hunter kept his eyes opened and clutched his hand gently around her shoulder.
"I'm... I'm here..." he managed to say in a weak tone. The world before him had become a blur of nearly unrecognizable shapes and colors, and he could barely muster the strength to form words.
"I'm gonna get you out of here," Malon stated. "I promise." She frantically looked around for their supply bag, finding that its contents had been scattered during the fight. To her horror, she saw that their horses had not survived the chaos. As painful as it was to see, there was nothing that she could do for them now.
She carefully helped Link sit upright against a collapsed stone wall. His skin felt cold and it was growing more pale. She continued to speak to him as she gathered as many of the medical supplies as she could. A few bottles had been strewn about in the grass, which she quickly scooped up.
"S-stay with me, Link, don't close your eyes," she said with a shaking voice. She had to wipe away the tears that were now streaming down her face, all the while ignoring the growing pain surging in her head.
"M-Malon..." he began.
"That's it, keep talking, you're gonna be fine," she encouraged him.
She laid out some of the bandages and medicine in front of her before discarding his ruined armor and his tattered shirt. His torso and arms had been slashed in multiple places. The sight was almost impossible to bear. Her heart sank and her stomach churned as it became more evident that their meager supplies wouldn't be enough. She had no serious experience with major injuries, and instead would have to act on instinct. A bizarre smell wafted through the air as she uncorked a particularly potent potion. Without sparing a single drop, she carefully applied the entire bottle to his wounds.
Link grimaced in pain but remained conscious. The pain was overwhelming and seemed to be radiating from everywhere at once. "Malon, are you... are you alright?"
She looked him in the eyes and fought back more tears. Even as he was fighting off unimaginable pain, he was still worried about her.
"I-I'm fine," she stuttered. Her answer was enough to make him smile a bit more. She continued her triage with trembling hands, applying pressure to the larger wounds and trying to bandage them as much as she could. Link also tried to apply pressure to his wounds, but it was clear that he was barely managing to stay conscious.
"Link..." Malon began. "Thank you... You saved my life." The last few minutes played in her mind over and over and a terrible regret stung her. "I'm-I'm so sorry. I-I never should have come here, I..."
"You don't have to apologize," he replied quietly. With every moment, his vision grew more and more blurry, but he could still manage to focus on her and listen to her voice. Though he didn't want to admit it, and he did everything he could to stay awake, he wasn't certain that he'd be able to hang on for very long.
A minute or two later, Malon realized that she had exhausted everything she had. Every drop of medicine was gone, and every bandage had been used. As she had done before, she had even torn her apron to make extra bandages, but it still wasn't enough.
"Link, I've done everything I can," she said, desperation evident in her tone. "I've gotta get you out of here. We've gotta find help."
Link nodded slowly, his breaths steadily becoming weaker. She didn't even bother asking if he could stand up, as she already knew the answer. Even if he somehow was able to return to his feet, she wasn't about to make him expend any more energy. Instead, she knelt down and carefully lifted him onto her back. Searing pain raced through her back and legs after taking only a few steps, but she ignored the agony and pushed on. She didn't care if she had to walk all night and throughout the next day with him like this. She didn't care if she exhausted all of her adrenaline and destroyed every muscle in her body – it would be a small price to pay to save him.
"This is all my fault..." she scolded herself, tears welling up in her eyes. "This is happening because of me."
As she neared the stone road, she saw the endless path stretching towards the opposing horizons. It would take well over a day to reach the next village on foot, and the only other nearby town was their own. She fought back against a growing shadow of hopelessness. Her only chance was to head towards the nearest town and happen across a traveler that could help them.
"It's alright Link," she grunted between strained breaths. "You're gonna- you're gonna be fine."
Link shifted slightly, keeping his arms wrapped loosely around her shoulders. His awareness and strength were fading quickly.
"Malon... it's okay," he murmured. "Don't worry about me... just... stay safe." His voice was weak and almost inaudible, but each utterance clearly required a massive effort on his part. As welcome as it was to hear his voice, she didn't like the tone he had.
"No!" she shouted, taking several more deliberate steps towards home. "Stay with me! Stay with me!"
Her mind was a maelstrom of fear and memories. Images from their childhood came flooding back to her as she pressed onward down the dark road. Days spent running and laughing together in the vast fields, the games they played on warm summer afternoons, quiet nights under the stars – it was all so vivid in her thoughts, and yet impossibly distant.
Only a few minutes had passed, but the searing pain had made it feel like an eternity. Each step was more agonizing than the last. She commanded her muscles to comply even as they felt like they were on fire. Her lungs struggled desperately for air, but she summoned the energy to speak every so often. "Hang on, Link! It's only a little farther. We're almost there." It was obviously untrue, but she had to keep the both of them hopeful. On more than one occasion, she collapsed to one knee in exhaustion and had to force herself back up through sheer willpower.
"I don't care what it takes... he has to survive. The world needs him – I need him."After what seemed like miles of slow walking, it appeared that chance had finally turned their way. A trader approached from the horizon in front of them, and Malon stopped to wave him down. To her utter relief, he had a large horse-drawn cart of supplies in tow, and he was more than willing to turn around and give them a ride. He even discarded as much of the extra weight from his cargo as he could – anything that might slow them down even a little bit.
Malon remained in the back of the cart with Link as the trader encouraged his horses to gallop faster than they had ever gone before. Even as her body commanded her to lie down and seek rest, she stayed awake and kept pressure on Link's wounds with her own hands. But, to her horror, it clearly wasn't doing enough. Link began to move even less, and his responses were growing weaker.
"Link! Link! Open your eyes!" she shouted, trying desperately to pull him away from death.
Link had nothing left in reserve and could feel himself slipping away. In the fog of his vision, he was just barely able to see his friend. A faint smile appeared on the young swordsman's face as he gently placed his hand on top of Malon's. The symbol of the Triforce glowed faintly on the back of it, like the last ember of a dying fire. He realized that while he may have failed his mission, he could take solace in knowing that she was okay.
"Malon... you're the best friend anyone could ever have. I'm so glad I got to know you." She froze as he heard these words.
"No! We're almost there! Please just hang on, Link! Don't give up!" she pleaded with tears streaming down her face.
"Goodbye, Malon," he whispered. "Thank you... for everything."
Before she could reply, his hand fell away, and his eyes had closed.
"LINK!" she cried. "NO! Don't leave me!" She did everything she could think of to pull him back. But it was too late. Link was gone.
