The Gerudo boy carried his new companion as both screamed loudly in fear. The peahat chased them away for what felt like hours. The Gerudo snarled.
"We should be out of it's territory! Why's it still after us!? Huh?"
As he looked back, he saw a rock bounce harmlessly off of the bark. He looked down at Link in his arm, throwing rocks with a fearless face.
"YOU! WHAT'RE YOU DOING?! ARE YOU INSANE!?"
"Bgawk!"
"What in the-"
"Bawk, bawk, bawk! Bgawk!"
Link mimicked a Cucco and pointed at the Gerudo boy with a smug smile.
"You... Little... Are you calling me, chicken!?"
Link shrugged. That did it. The Gerudo boy threw Link high in the air.
"Gragh! I'll show you from up there!"
He turned and leapt at the monster, above the blades and struck the body. It let out a number of clicks and an odd screeched as it convulsed. Slowly moving back, the Gerudo boy laughed as he landed.
"The desert heat alone would fry you to ash, you're nothing to me yo- Uhf!"
He was caught by a blade and swept up into the rotation. It lowered itself at an angle and spun furiously. With the Gerudo caught against the leaf blade, he was repeatedly slammed and dragged through the ground.
"Agh! Oof! Guh! Eugh! Snarf!"
Link fell down with a loud cry, sword raised, and brought down on the blade that caught his friend. It flew off of the monster and freed the Gerudo boy, who fell to the ground. The monster reeled back which allowed Link to run under it. Both ran in circles, one trying to slice the other, Link was trapped. The monster stopped its rotation due to the Gerudo. He caught a blade and held it in place with great effort.
"H-Hey! That thing dangling there, right under it, it's probably the weak spot! Slice it!"
Link didn't hesitate, and swung at the part as hard as he could. Purple blood flew from the part, yet it thrashed around, and knocked Link into the Gerudo.
"What're you doing!? It's still alive! C'mon, do something! Wh-"
The blade fell away from him and began to rotate the opposite direction. This had caught them both off guard.
"It can switch which way it turns!? What?! That's so not fair! Ah!"
He saw a blade coming at him, fast. Link was too short to be hit, but that was fine, he had to get them both to Hyrule. However, Link leapt up, and held his blade out. The Gerudo grabbed him.
"What is your damage!? Now we're both gonna get-"
The leaf blade was cut cleanly by Link's short sword. The Gerudo blinked, then grin as he saw the other coming.
"Kid, you're pretty stupid, but you're also pretty brave, I like it!"
Link shouted as they both held the sword and cut the remaining leaf blades away. The monster fell down and rolled around helplessly. The taller boy dropped Link, and punted the beast off into the distance. He smiled and let out a boisterous laugh.
"Haw! Haw! Haw! Haw! We're the greatest! You were actually of some use, kid! That sword is amazing!
Link held up his blade and gave a tired bow, then fell on his chin as the sword broke in two. The Gerudo rolled his eyes.
"... I guess fairy kids aren't used to action like this. Now then, where are we?"
He pulled the map out from his tattered cloak.
"According to the position of the sun, that hill, and this landmark rock formation. The map tells us we are... FURTHER FROM HYRULE CASTLE! WHAT? BUT, HOW!? I DON'T...! RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"
He tore the map to shreds with a roar and stomped onto the pieces that fell. Link pulled on his pants for his attention.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT!?"
"Ahn!"
Link pointed to a distant, but nearing, caravan. The Gerudo blinked before he rustled Link's hair.
"Good, fairy boy. Good. Let's see if these people are feeling generous."
They ran up to the caravan and waved it down, the driver raised a brow at them both.
"Hrm? And just who are you two young'uns?"
The Gerudo boy and Link glanced at each other before shrugging at the driver.
"We're just kids looking to get to Hyrule Castle. He can't even talk but, maybe we can find what we're looking for there."
"These kids got names?"
"He's Link, and I'm Ganon."
"Well, Ganon, Link. You two are in luck! I'm on my way directly to Hyrule Castle. Just hop on aboard."
"Whoa, wait! Just like that?"
The man nodded and motioned his head to the back.
"Yep. You can't get anywhere without a little trust, and it never hurts to help, especially for what you did for me."
"Did for you?"
Talon laughed.
"I saw the two of you running from that peahat in nothing but a circle for sometime! I hadn't laughed so hard in months!"
"In circles...? So, we were still in it's..."
Both of the boys glared at the man, which only had him laugh harder.
"However, I've never seen anyone take out a peahat either! Or take a mean beating, then come out smiling so brightly! You may be kids, but I'd feel real safe with you two around. Think of that as your payment. Keep me and my wares safe, and we'll be good to go!"
Ganon and Link looked at each other.
"Whaddya think?"
Link looked back at Talon. He didn't know the man at all, but liked him for some reason. Maybe it was his eagerness to help, or maybe it was his moustache that reminded him of the Great Deku Tree.
"Mhn!"
He nodded. Ganon rubbed his neck.
"I did tear up the only map I had, so why not?"
Talon grinned and nodded.
"Then get in! These parts are mostly peaceful, but if we don't make it before nightfall, well it gets a little hectic."
They climbed inside the caravan. Ganon looked out back and thought to himself. Everything was so, colorful. Though the lands of his people were bright, there was only so many shades brown he could tolerate. Even after his encounter with the Peahat, it was a far cry from his home. Such lush, such prosperity, such beauty... It was unfair. However, he knew life was unfair, but he was on this journey to fix that. Then he heard a new voice.
"Who're you two!"
A girl, with bright hair and blue eyes gave them both a serious look.
"Well? Spit it out! I'll scream if you're stowaways or bandits!"
Ganon scoffed and waved her off.
"That's profiling! I mean, you're only half right!"
"DAAAAAAAAAAAD!"
Talon shouted from outside.
"It's okay, Malon! They're bodyguards for free!"
She groaned and sat on a crate of bottled milk.
"Great, we're scraping the bottom of the banana barrel here."
She looked at Link and pointed at his sword.
"Your thing is even broken! How can you be a bodyguard without a weapon!?"
Ganon flexed his arm.
"Well I have these, and he's pretty smart for his size, even if he is infuriating."
Malon shook her head.
"You can't be a nerd and do adult stuff! And you're a kid too!"
"Eh, according to your dad, no one's ever beaten a peahat before us~"
"Liar! Peahats are crazy mean! That's why the new roads go all around them!"
"New roads? That'd mean there'd be old ones."
"Yeah! Dad and I used to get to Hyrule Castle in one day, but during this past season, we've taken two or four days! It's so crazy! Wolfos here, Stalfos there, and of course you have Peahats."
Ganon nodded as he listened.
"Really now? It sounds a bit like what's going on at home... Random violent beasts across the land."
He looked at Link and scowled. The boy fell asleep.
"Lazy brat. At least wait til sunset."
Malon groaned at the sight.
"Well, there's not really much to do around here, so he's not wrong for that."
"Well, you can keep talking. I don't know a lot about Hyrule, so it'd be nice if you could help."
She sneered and flipped her hair.
"Well, I DO know more than most! I'm kinda like an eternal Shieka Stone! Anyways, what do you wanna know?"
The hours passed like kidney stone, Ganon did well to put up a neutral front, but this girl blathered on and on about nonsense.
"And that's why my name rhymes with bacon!"
"... Interesting."
"What about you? Do you have anything cool?"
He glanced around. He knew Gerudo culture had a bad reputation in Hyrule, to some it was heretical, but he had an idea.
"You like music?"
"Duh! I told you, I sing! Ooh! I know a song too!"
"About your horse. One of your many horses. I know."
"Well, Mr. Know-It-All, can you sing it?"
"No, but I got these."
From his cloak he pulled out an Oud.
"It's not really common around here, but I think it sounds nice."
"Well, try to play along with me! Ready? Oh, good morning, fairy boy!"
Ganon looked to a fully awake Link. He lifted his ocarina up to his mouth and winked at him. Ganon grinded his teeth. Link was awake the whole time, but let Malon run his ear off alone. He'd make the green punk suffer later. Malon began to sing. Both of the boys were taken aback by the quality. Ganon was conflicted, he hated her voice as she rambled, but felt as if he could listen to her sing for days. Link simply blinked and began to play after her. Ganon had to wait and find the right melody, he received small glares and growled back.
"Shut up, I had to actually learn how to do this! Not everyone can just jump into music!"
He started to play, which to his own surprise, complimented the two nicely. Talon listened and smiled.
"How nice of Malon... She's always been a sweet girl. Hm?"
He heard a faint howl to the side. A thick forest laid there.
"Wolfos? Well, the sun has set, and the moon is starting to rise..."
He had the horses turn away from the forest.
"As long as we stay out of their hunting area, we should be sa-"
His eyes widened as a loud howl clearly sounded next to him. A small pack of the man-beasts ran by his horses.
"Ha! But! How!?"
One licked it's lips and hopped onto a horse. The made threw it of it's back in fear, but that was the plan, it had launched the Wolfos right at Talon. It landed right in front of him. Arms and claws prevented him from escaping, and he had already seen the pack move to the back. With slathering jaws, a filthy hot breath and a low growl, the Wolfos snapped its maw down on Talon's head. Link leapt from behind tarp over the caravan and shoved his sword in the mouth of the man-beast. The broken blade stabbed through the roof of the mouth. It howled in pain, but was launched by a Wolfos that was thrown from within. Talon looked back and saw Ganon fighting the Wolfos. Rather, annoyed by them. He had one in a headlock, was in the midst of headbutting another, and held another under his foot by its throat. Malon hit the down one with an empty bottle.
"Geez, these things are pretty smart."
"Take that! Get out of here! None of this is for you!"
Talon saw the monsters claw away at Ganon's body, yet not even small scratches appeared on his skin.
"Ahn! Ah! Hya!"
Talon looked over at Link.
"What is it boy, spit it out!"
He pointed ahead. Talon followed and screamed. The last of the Wolfos ripped apart the harness and let the horses run wild. The caravan ran on it's own. Ganon threw the Wolfos out and ran to Talon's side.
"What! What is it!?"
"The horses! They were after the horses the whole time! T-There's nothing to control the caravan now! We're headed right for a tree!"
"Do you still have the reigns!?"
"Y-Yes! Though their torn, they'd be long enough for a single horse! But it took five just to-"
Ganon jumped ahead, grabbed the reigns, and wrapped them around his shoulders.
"I'm more than enough. Just tell me when to turn!"
Talon pulled at the reigns as Malon looked out.
"TURN LEFT!"
"T-TREE! THERE'S A TREE IN THE-"
Ganon, lowered his hand to the base of the trunk, and lifted the trunk out of the ground and tossed it to the left.
"How'd he...?"
"Way...?"
Ganon smiled as he pulled the caravan.
"Glad you told me where to turn and throw that, it'll make a great distraction."
Link ran to the back and saw the tree land on the Wolfos that chased them. The others chased down and hunted the horses. Talon gulped and thought to himself. Just who were these two?