Chapter Four: A Gift For Malon
Malon knew Rook was here somewhere, she had seen his mother. She wondered why it was taking so long for her to find one tall, rowdy, accent-speaking loud young man in with the other people. He didn't exactly blend into the crowd like the others. Malon was irritated enough at herself for even wanting to look for him in the first place, but yet somehow that was the only thing she found herself doing. The day had started to cool down in the later afternoon and Malon could smell the logs of the bonfires being lit and burned all around the camp areas. As she walked Malon could not keep her feet from dancing a bit with the rhythm of the music. It was not often that she was able to hear music other than when she or her father would sing, or when Link played his ocarina for her. Rook would sing too, a loud, deep, rich voice that was not perfectly trained, but he could carry a tune when he chose too. Malon figured he got a good use out of it when he and his mates got into a round of drinking songs. She didn't like it when he drank.
"Malon!" She heard her name being called over the musical whistles of the Patoo flutes and she spun around to find that Rook was the one that had found her. He was wearing what he always did, brown slacks, dirty work shirt from the stables that smelled heavily of fresh hay, and a tattered brown jerkin made out of some sort of animal over that. Even with his rag-tag appearance though, he was a very attractive man, strong jaw line, dark eyes and hair, a sloping brow, and large, broad shoulders and neck. As he neared he swept her up and off her feet, spinning her around before setting her down again. "Aye Malon! How are ye my Firefly?" He laughed as Malon tried to struggle out of his grasp, but she was a tiny woman and he much larger than she.
"Ah! Rook, let me go!" She couldn't help laughing herself. "You're all sweaty! Let go!" Rook pulled her close and made sure to wrap his arms more tightly about her shoulders so she could get a good scent of his underarms. After he released her and she jumped back, red hair all in a tangle. "What did you do that for!?" She yelled, trying to bring her locks back to some sort of semblance.
"Just markin' me territory Firefly," he grinned and put a finger under her soft chin, "just markin' me territory." Malon was in a fluster in no time, as he knew she would be.
"What do you mean 'marking your territory? I am not yours!" She pointed a finger accusingly at him but he was still grinning. He threw his head back to laugh, a deep, good-natured laugh.
"Aye, but ye will be Malon! Make no mistake, I'll have ye when it suits me." He watched her fists clench, but he knew she wouldn't hit him, she had the guts and mind to, but she wouldn't.
"You're a jackass," she huffed and started to turn away, but Rook came up beside her and linked them arm in arm.
"Indeed I am Malon, indeed I am," he grinned again and began to walk arm in arm with her. She didn't resist. "But then ye've always thought of me tha' way so I'm no more wors' off than before eh?"
"I suppose not," she grumbled, "but you're still a jackass, and a thickheaded one at that."
Arm in arm they walked along the shop stalls looking at this and that. Malon loved to fanaticize that she had these things; scarves, a nice bag to keep her things in, but the one that caught her eye the most was a beautiful wooden hair clasp rimmed in a bronze casing. It was magnificent with the carved branches of a Dagon tree etched into the deep red colored wood. A small white bird delicately painted perched at the top of the tree. But she couldn't afford it, so with one, long, drawn out sigh, she put it back and forced herself to walk away.
"Why didna' you get it Malon?" Rook looked back at the table where Malon had just left the trinket. "Ye wanted it, did ye not?"
"It was beautiful, but I can't afford that, we need that money for food for us and the horses. They come first." She sighed again and let her shoulders droop. Rook stopped.
"Is there eva' a time when Malon comes first?" His eyes were solemn and dark hidden beneath his brown hair.
"There is when there can be," she replied breezily and put a hand on her hip.
"And how long has it been?" He kept staring at her with those dark eyes of his that made her slow to respond. In fact, she didn't respond at all and turned to keep walking. Rook watched her for a moment before running after her, wondering just how long it really had been. A month? A year? Ever? Had Malon, his wonderful, sweet Malon ever done anything for herself? The thought made him angry that no one had ever tried to pamper her before for she rightly deserved it. He made the decision then and there that before this day was through he would go back and buy that hair clasp for her using the money he had saved over the last few months. He was not the kind of man who believed in sacrificing the things you wanted in life, and what he wanted was to see his Malon's face light up when he presented his gift to her. They rode out in the late afternoon with the clasp safely and secretly wrapped in Rook's pocket.