Eek! Does any one remember this fic! Heh heh, I almost took it off so many times, now if I don't get any reviews I'm just gona pull it. Its had a good run and it was fun to write so no regrets right. So read if ya want, review if you want it to continue.
Chickadee Ch 9
Link barged into Epona's stall; the horse whinnied happily, immediately recognizing him.
Orin watched in amazement as link coached the mare out of her stall, and began to strap a saddle on her. That horse was the most evil bitter creation on the face of the planet, and here he was making Epona melt in his hands.
"Come on molly, we're leaving," he said coldly as he eased the bridle into the mares mouth.
"But…" molly stared at him.
"We're leaving," he lead the horse out the barn doors and she followed. Link mounted his stead, leaned over, scooped her up, and plopped her in front of him. Molly squirmed uncomfortably on the unfamiliar saddle. She looked down at Orin and gave a little wave.
Orin looked up at the large horse that could easily dwarf him or the little girl on its back any day of the week. He didn't wave back, but wondered how some one could ride a horse like that. He finally gave a very weak wave.
Epona stamped her feet anxiously; Link taped his heels against her flanks and urged her into a trot.
Malon stood out side her door; an identifiable emotion played across her face, Link slowed for all of half a second and took off at a gallop through the gates.
Molly tried to wonder what had happened as she was bounced to death by Epona's heavy pace. They held the gallop till they crested the next hill. Link brought Epona to a stop and looked down at the little girl in front of him.
"You have to move with the horse Chickadee," he said with a bit of amusement.
Her little fist pounded into his upper thigh, "she was nice lady Link! She even gave us cookies! And then you had to get mad at her, what's wrong with you, don't you like cookies!"
He sighed exasperatedly, "its complicated," he told her.
"Its complicated," she mocked him with a high-pitched annoying voice.
He sighed again, it was always complicated. He looked out over the horizon and could clearly see the large smudge in the shadow of the foothills of a large mountain. He kicked Epona into a trot and headed for it.
It wasn't till long after nightfall that they arrived, it was nearly dawn. The high walls of the town loomed over him; the new drawbridge was raised and bared his way. With in the town the sound of church bells chimed he hour. Then with aloud creak and the sound of rattling chains the drawbridge lowered. He kept one hand around a sleeping molly as he entered the town.
As Epona clopped across the coble streets toward the market, he could see people slowly emerging from their houses to open up their businesses for the day. The shops were all rearranged and the tall tutor style houses were all pearly white and clean.
He sat there on his horse wondering, for the first time since he had entered his homeland, what he really expected to happen. He smoothed down molly's hair and thought. Thoughts of the little girl's red headed berserker sister came to mind.
She had been an amazon woman that had swept across her nation with a small rebellion force and won. He wondered briefly what would have happened if she had lived to reap her victories. Her death had not been befitting of some one such as herself, she survived the battle only to die in the night during childbirth. He remembered with a half a grin how she had yelled at every one when the whole battalion had ganged up on her and tried to convince her to stay at camp, as they had every battle for the past nine months.
He sighed again and noticed that the sun was peeking over the east wall, "hey chickadee, wake up." He shook her gently.
"Huh?" her bright eyes popped open as she saw the large buildings that surrounded her and the merchants setting up their shops.
Link swung his leg behind him and dismounted his warhorse, he grabbed molly and plopped her on the ground. She rubbed one eye sleepily as two guards strutted by to relieve the other two at the base of the castle entrance. Her eyes opened wide and wakeful as she watched them, marveling at their shiny helmets and clinking chain mail. The silhouette of a castle could be seen up on the hill, it held her gave with a fairy tale like quality. Even with all the scaffolding and construction that could be visible seen around it, it still seemed magical.
"Hey," Link said knocking her out of her revelry, "do you forgive me?" he asked.
She was quiet for a moment, "well, maybe, she did give me cookies."
He grinned at her, "Here," he stuck out one hand and she cupped hers beneath his. Three blue rupees feel into her hands. Her eyes glittered with complete mirth.
"Now, I got things to do. I'm not even going to tell you to stay out of trouble, just don't get caught and be back here by noon." He said with a sly grin.
He couldn't have made the little troublemaker happier.
She grinned and hope up and down excitedly a few times with more energy than should be possible at that time of day. She stopped suddenly, "One question?" she asked.
"What?"
"Where are we?"
He laughed, and she glared at him, "Hyrule castle town, if that's what they still call he said with a smile."
"Oh okay," she said slowly, "can I go now?"
He rolled his eyes, "hurry up and vanish," when he looked back she had disappeared. He looked over the forming crowd and could just make out the top of her chestnut head.
She was either going to have time of her life or he had made the worst mistake that he would ever regret. He hitched Epona to the hitching post and pulled his pack out of the saddlebag. He stared up at the castle and took the first of many steps towards its gate.
