After traveling for about twenty minutes, even Zelda's untried sense
of direction figured out that they were not heading in the direction of
Kokiri Forest. In fact they seemed to be going to Lon Lon Ranch. Zelda
questioned Link about this.
"I just wanted to visit Malon. I might not be coming back for a while, and I don't want her to worry," came the simple response.
"Malon?"
"Yeah." He smiled. "She's my fiancée."
"Oh? When's the wedding?"
"Come spring," he said, looking off mistily.
"Congratulations," Zelda said, trying to shake him out of his daze.
"Thanks. We'll get right to the forest after this, I promise."
"I don't mind," she assured him. So Link was marrying Malon…how nice. Zelda didn't really know the girl very well, but she remembered her as the one who used to bring the milk from the ranch to the palace. It was good milk, Zelda reflected. She wondered what the ranch would be like.
They rested for a little bit outside the ranch's walls. (After all, they had both been awake since early that morning.) At sunrise, when Zelda awoke, Link was already awake. He appeared to be in the process of sneaking into the ranch. The princess smiled a bit to herself.
Smiled as if ranchers (or at least the ones she'd dealt with) didn't know everything that went on on their farm.
The reality was as bad as the princess's thoughts. Link was barely within the gate when Zelda spied the ranch girl, who had been feeding the chickens, drop what she was doing and run towards her husband-to-be, obviously quite excited. Link and Malon embraced warmly. Zelda suddenly felt a little bit like the third wheel.
"I am so glad to see you've come back safely," Malon was saying as she let go of Link. Zelda was finally able to get a good look at the woman. She was pretty, there was no denying that; strikingly so. Zelda, who supposedly had fabled beauty, the dream of a handsome prince, as they said, found herself quite jealous of Malon's shimmering blue eyes, and felt that she would have even traded her own sheaf of golden hair for Malon's flowing strawberry-blonde tresses. Besides her face, Malon was dressed simply, but was clearly comfortable. She was slender, and not very tall, maybe 5'3", on Zelda's estimation. The princess, who was now beginning to feel rather ignored, sat down improperly on a crate and watched them speak. She couldn't make out most of what they were saying, but then again, she really wasn't trying. After a while, Malon seemed to be inviting Link in for some breakfast, and in her turn to the door she finally saw the princess.
Malon's first impression of Zelda (not that she got a very good one as she sunk into a hurried curtsey) was that she most definitely looked regal. She sat up very straight, even as she was obviously a little bored, and her hair set perfectly around her shoulders. The princess's clothes, even though these were (obviously) traveling clothes, were of the finest make. But there was nothing about her that struck Malon as conceited; on the contrary, there was kindness behind Zelda's eyes, and the princess looked at the ranch girl as a human being instead of as a subject. "Your Highness!" Malon breathed. "Excuse me, but I didn't see you!"
"Rise," Zelda said calmly, shaking her head. "It's all right. Don't think of it."
"About breakfast….?" Link asked rather sheepishly.
"Of course," Malon said. "Will you be joining us, highness?"
"Please, it's Zelda, and I'd be glad to," the princess accepted.
Malon nodded. "I'll go wake Father."
The rancher disappeared into the door of the house. "So," Link asked, assuming the crate that Zelda had just risen from, "what do you think of Malon?"
"She's nice," Zelda said honestly. "She's quite pretty."
"Yeah, isn't she?" He said, resting his hands behind his head. "And she's a wonderful cook. Her food tastes like, well, like you're home. Not like the food at the palace." The last sentence sort of slipped out before Link realized what he was saying.
"What's wrong with the food at the palace?" Zelda asked slowly.
"There's nothing wrong with it. It just seems kind of…prepared."
"Those are my mother's recipes."
"Well, your mother's recipes taste prepared. It's not like it's your fault. And it's not like they taste bad! It's just that personally, I prefer the food here." He waited for her to say something. She didn't. "Look, I didn't mean to hurt you or anything!"
"Was I mad?"
"Yeah," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"No," she corrected.
"Of course you were mad. If you're the Zelda I know."
"And who exactly is the Zelda you know?"
"The type that sticks to tradition, and would get very mad if someone insulted her mother's roast turkey recipe. Which I didn't," he added.
"I didn't say you did!" She said exasperatedly.
"No, but you implied it!"
"How did I imply it?"
"By not saying anything!"
"What did you want me to say after you got through insulting my mother's turkey?!"
"So you DID take it as an insult!" Link said triumphantly.
"No, I—"
"Um, guys?" Came a calm voice from the door. Link and Zelda left off their bickering to see Malon had returned. "Father's already up, and breakfast is almost ready, if you want to come inside," she said.
"Of course," Link replied. He stepped to the door, offering Malon an arm. She smiled warmly and took it, leaving Zelda, the third wheel again, to traipse along behind.
Link, though Zelda would never admit it directly, had been right. Malon's cooking was very good, but Zelda thought it paled in comparison to the palace's dishes, though it may have been more pride speaking than anything else. Breakfast was eggs (farm-fresh, the princess thought smugly) and buttermilk pancakes. Zelda left off at two pancakes, but Link made his way through six or seven before he was done. Malon and Talon, her father, had invited them to stay and rest at the ranch for a day, and leave early the following morning. Link happily complied, and it wasn't like Zelda could go on alone. After breakfast was done, she decided to go out and explore the ranch.
She went to the stables first. Zelda had always loved horses, and the grooms had told her time and again that she had a way with animals, and grooms never lied. The long, low log building had about ten stalls lining the walls. Most of the horses were out in the pasture this time of morning, but there were a few in here. Zelda let them lip hay off her hands, not really caring what Malon would say. They were very docile creatures.
On the left end, all the way down in the last stall, was the most beautiful horse Zelda had ever seen. He was a black paint stallion with a two-toned tail and the most remarkable eyes (blue) that the princess had ever seen on a horse. She approached him, slowly, calmly, ever speaking softly, and after a few minutes, he settled down enough to let her stroke his nose.
"Remarkable," came Malon's soft voice from behind Zelda. The princess jumped slightly, and the stallion felt it, and jerked his head back. "Oh, I'm sorry!" The ranch girl apologized. Zelda turned to face her. "I was just coming in to get a bale of hay for the corral outside. I didn't mean to startle you. But…how did you do that?" Malon asked.
"Do what?" Zelda wondered.
"Odin—that stallion?—he's the most skittish horse I've ever met. Even worse than Epona when she was Ingo's. He tolerates me, but…." Malon smiled. "He seems to really have taken a shine to you."
"Oh…thanks," Zelda said. "He's beautiful. Who was the sire?"
"Same as Epona's. Except a different dam, and another year. She's seven? He's only two. I'm not quite finished training him….you wanna come along today?"
"I've never—" the princess began.
"You don't have to do anything. You can help if you want to, but if you feel uncomfortable, then you can just watch," Malon offered.
"Sure, why not," Zelda accepted. Then she smiled. "Sounds fun!"
Malon smiled too. "I'll let you halter him. I'll see you outside!" Malon turned to leave. On her way out the door, she added as an afterthought, "Link's already waiting."
Zelda groaned after Malon was gone. That comment alone brought her whole morning to a definite downturn. Well, then again, maybe it wouldn't be so awful. She distracted Odin with carrots long enough to put a halter over his broad head. Maybe it would even be fun. Zelda kept telling herself things like that as she opened Odin's stall door and led him out into the morning sun, the same morning sun that Zelda usually found such comfort in when it was streaming through her window at the dawn.
The stable's horse-door opened out on the corral. Link was sitting high on the fence, and he appeared to be teasing Malon, who stood near the corral entrance. They were both laughing. Zelda sighed inwardly. Third wheel, again. She held herself a little straighter, more confidently, and proceeded to where they were.
"Oh, here you are!" Malon said when she saw Zelda. "I see you've gotten him to take the halter. That's good. Here, I'll saddle him." Malon picked up a pad and training saddle that had been sitting on the ground, and shook them out before setting them gently onto Odin's back. She cinched it up, and turned away as if she was finished, but then turned right back around again and cinched it a little tighter. "Horse trick," she explained. "They'll hold their breath to make their stomachs bigger, and then the saddle's too loose, so you'll fall off."
Zelda nodded.
"So, he's already been trained with bags on his back…do you want to be the first real human to ride Odin, Your—um, I mean—Zelda?" Malon asked.
"All right, I'll give it a shot."
"Great. First you put your foot into this stirrup, like this—"
"I know," Zelda said, standing beside Odin and swinging up gracefully, twisting the horse's ear with her free hand enough to be painless but still to distract him from noticing her. She let go of his ear when she felt like she was secure in the saddle. Odin quickly realized that there was someone on his back that wasn't there before, but didn't react with anything but a warning snort.
Zelda admired the horse's spirit, and patted his neck a bit. Odin wasn't expecting that. He still stood steady. Only then did she turn to look at her companions. Link was awestruck, and Malon was smiling knowingly. Once again, Zelda sighed inwardly. Did these people really doubt her experience with horses that much?
"You want to try to take him through his paces?" Malon asked.
"I'd be happy to take him through his paces," the princess responded, purposely ignoring the "try." Odin walked with little urging. Soon after, Zelda quickened his pace to a smooth trot, to a canter, and finally a full gallop. Odin's gallop was fantastic. He ran smoothly, all of his hooves in perfect rhythm, and he was fast. Zelda had him do an entire lap around the corral before she allowed him to slow, and then finally stop. Malon and Link were staring at her again.
"That was a 45-second lap," Malon explained.
"It's impressive," Link agreed. He got a mischievous glint in his eyes. "How about a race?" he said, climbing down from his perch on the fence to stand before Zelda.
"Link, that might not be the best idea—" Malon said, but her husband- to-be didn't notice.
"Me on Epona, and you on—Odin, is it?—and the first one back here wins," the hero explained, without looking back at Malon. "You up to it?"
It was more the daring look in Link's eye, like I-bet-you-won't, that made Zelda do it. "Absolutely," she agreed. "Once around the corral."
"All right," Link confirmed, and despite Malon's attempts to interrupt, they were soon on the starting line, Link on Epona and Zelda on Odin. Abora was in the corral chewing grass happily. Malon, against her better judgment, stood just beside the two racers. "On your mark," she said nervously. "Get set." Link gritted his teeth. "Go," she finally said, dispiritedly.
They were both off right away. Link had the inside, so she started out with a bit of a lead. About a third of the way through, however, Odin had found a way around, and Zelda grinned. They were approaching a straightaway. She let her long blonde hair down to whip around in the wind that Odin created. By the time they hit the far corner, Link on Epona had only caught up a few feet. Zelda and Odin crossed the finish line an entire length ahead.
"Congratulations," Link admitted once they were dismounted. "You rode a great race."
"Thanks," Zelda said honestly.
"Your time was 42.6!" Malon exclaimed, running over. She faced Odin. "You've already shattered our records twice, boy," she told him. He snorted again. Zelda laughed and stroked his neck.
Link left to take Epona into the stable for some water. Zelda was about to follow when Malon stopped her.
"Look, princess, I didn't want to embarrass you before, but that was an amazing race," the girl said.
"Thanks," Zelda said again.
"No, seriously." Malon paused. "Would you want to…I don't know…take him with you?" Malon looked at Zelda earnestly.
"Take him? But…what about Abora?" The princess asked, very surprised.
"She'll be fine here," Malon assured her. "Look, you don't have to if you don't want to, but I really think you'd be great for him. I'm no good with him, you've seen it."
Zelda thought for a minute. "All right," she decided finally. "He's definitely got more energy than Abora, which could be good for our journey."
"That's great," Malon grinned. "Go ahead," she remembered, gesturing towards the stable.
"Thanks," the princess said. Malon went off towards the house. Zelda took Odin by the halter and went back towards the stable. Link had already left by the time she got there. She took the saddle and pad off of Odin's back, brushed him off, and put him into the same stall she'd met him in that morning. She latched the door shut, and leaned up on the crossbar. "Looks like you're mine now, boy," Zelda told the big horse. He nickered in response. "Rest up, we're riding in the morning." She smiled at the big stallion again before leaving the stable.
The following morning, sunrise found Zelda and Link outside the gates of Lon Lon Ranch after another hearty breakfast collecting their things. Zelda was busy brushing and saddling her new mount, and Link was talking to Malon.
"Where did he come from?" Link asked, gesturing at Odin.
"Me," Malon smiled. "Look, I couldn't train him. Consider it a gift."
"I understand," Link assured her.
"Link! Odin's ready when you are!" Zelda called from where she and the horses were waiting.
"Goodbye," he bade Malon. Link leaned in and kissed her gently, then said goodbye again before turning around back towards where his departure party was waiting.
"So, are we finally going to Kokiri Forest now?" Zelda asked when they were back on the dusty dirt path that headed to the forest.
"Yeah, we'll get there," he said. Then he grinned evilly. "The moblins are waiting!"
"I still can't believe you plan to take on an entire army of moblins by yourself."
"Are you doubting me?"
"No, I just think it's a little big of a job for one person."
"Well, I'm not just any person, now am I? And it's not just one person, I've got you too. Right?" He looked at her expectantly.
Zelda smiled in spite of herself. "Yeah, you do."
"Then let's go!" He yelled, and urged Epona into a gallop, and Zelda had no choice but to follow.
"I just wanted to visit Malon. I might not be coming back for a while, and I don't want her to worry," came the simple response.
"Malon?"
"Yeah." He smiled. "She's my fiancée."
"Oh? When's the wedding?"
"Come spring," he said, looking off mistily.
"Congratulations," Zelda said, trying to shake him out of his daze.
"Thanks. We'll get right to the forest after this, I promise."
"I don't mind," she assured him. So Link was marrying Malon…how nice. Zelda didn't really know the girl very well, but she remembered her as the one who used to bring the milk from the ranch to the palace. It was good milk, Zelda reflected. She wondered what the ranch would be like.
They rested for a little bit outside the ranch's walls. (After all, they had both been awake since early that morning.) At sunrise, when Zelda awoke, Link was already awake. He appeared to be in the process of sneaking into the ranch. The princess smiled a bit to herself.
Smiled as if ranchers (or at least the ones she'd dealt with) didn't know everything that went on on their farm.
The reality was as bad as the princess's thoughts. Link was barely within the gate when Zelda spied the ranch girl, who had been feeding the chickens, drop what she was doing and run towards her husband-to-be, obviously quite excited. Link and Malon embraced warmly. Zelda suddenly felt a little bit like the third wheel.
"I am so glad to see you've come back safely," Malon was saying as she let go of Link. Zelda was finally able to get a good look at the woman. She was pretty, there was no denying that; strikingly so. Zelda, who supposedly had fabled beauty, the dream of a handsome prince, as they said, found herself quite jealous of Malon's shimmering blue eyes, and felt that she would have even traded her own sheaf of golden hair for Malon's flowing strawberry-blonde tresses. Besides her face, Malon was dressed simply, but was clearly comfortable. She was slender, and not very tall, maybe 5'3", on Zelda's estimation. The princess, who was now beginning to feel rather ignored, sat down improperly on a crate and watched them speak. She couldn't make out most of what they were saying, but then again, she really wasn't trying. After a while, Malon seemed to be inviting Link in for some breakfast, and in her turn to the door she finally saw the princess.
Malon's first impression of Zelda (not that she got a very good one as she sunk into a hurried curtsey) was that she most definitely looked regal. She sat up very straight, even as she was obviously a little bored, and her hair set perfectly around her shoulders. The princess's clothes, even though these were (obviously) traveling clothes, were of the finest make. But there was nothing about her that struck Malon as conceited; on the contrary, there was kindness behind Zelda's eyes, and the princess looked at the ranch girl as a human being instead of as a subject. "Your Highness!" Malon breathed. "Excuse me, but I didn't see you!"
"Rise," Zelda said calmly, shaking her head. "It's all right. Don't think of it."
"About breakfast….?" Link asked rather sheepishly.
"Of course," Malon said. "Will you be joining us, highness?"
"Please, it's Zelda, and I'd be glad to," the princess accepted.
Malon nodded. "I'll go wake Father."
The rancher disappeared into the door of the house. "So," Link asked, assuming the crate that Zelda had just risen from, "what do you think of Malon?"
"She's nice," Zelda said honestly. "She's quite pretty."
"Yeah, isn't she?" He said, resting his hands behind his head. "And she's a wonderful cook. Her food tastes like, well, like you're home. Not like the food at the palace." The last sentence sort of slipped out before Link realized what he was saying.
"What's wrong with the food at the palace?" Zelda asked slowly.
"There's nothing wrong with it. It just seems kind of…prepared."
"Those are my mother's recipes."
"Well, your mother's recipes taste prepared. It's not like it's your fault. And it's not like they taste bad! It's just that personally, I prefer the food here." He waited for her to say something. She didn't. "Look, I didn't mean to hurt you or anything!"
"Was I mad?"
"Yeah," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"No," she corrected.
"Of course you were mad. If you're the Zelda I know."
"And who exactly is the Zelda you know?"
"The type that sticks to tradition, and would get very mad if someone insulted her mother's roast turkey recipe. Which I didn't," he added.
"I didn't say you did!" She said exasperatedly.
"No, but you implied it!"
"How did I imply it?"
"By not saying anything!"
"What did you want me to say after you got through insulting my mother's turkey?!"
"So you DID take it as an insult!" Link said triumphantly.
"No, I—"
"Um, guys?" Came a calm voice from the door. Link and Zelda left off their bickering to see Malon had returned. "Father's already up, and breakfast is almost ready, if you want to come inside," she said.
"Of course," Link replied. He stepped to the door, offering Malon an arm. She smiled warmly and took it, leaving Zelda, the third wheel again, to traipse along behind.
Link, though Zelda would never admit it directly, had been right. Malon's cooking was very good, but Zelda thought it paled in comparison to the palace's dishes, though it may have been more pride speaking than anything else. Breakfast was eggs (farm-fresh, the princess thought smugly) and buttermilk pancakes. Zelda left off at two pancakes, but Link made his way through six or seven before he was done. Malon and Talon, her father, had invited them to stay and rest at the ranch for a day, and leave early the following morning. Link happily complied, and it wasn't like Zelda could go on alone. After breakfast was done, she decided to go out and explore the ranch.
She went to the stables first. Zelda had always loved horses, and the grooms had told her time and again that she had a way with animals, and grooms never lied. The long, low log building had about ten stalls lining the walls. Most of the horses were out in the pasture this time of morning, but there were a few in here. Zelda let them lip hay off her hands, not really caring what Malon would say. They were very docile creatures.
On the left end, all the way down in the last stall, was the most beautiful horse Zelda had ever seen. He was a black paint stallion with a two-toned tail and the most remarkable eyes (blue) that the princess had ever seen on a horse. She approached him, slowly, calmly, ever speaking softly, and after a few minutes, he settled down enough to let her stroke his nose.
"Remarkable," came Malon's soft voice from behind Zelda. The princess jumped slightly, and the stallion felt it, and jerked his head back. "Oh, I'm sorry!" The ranch girl apologized. Zelda turned to face her. "I was just coming in to get a bale of hay for the corral outside. I didn't mean to startle you. But…how did you do that?" Malon asked.
"Do what?" Zelda wondered.
"Odin—that stallion?—he's the most skittish horse I've ever met. Even worse than Epona when she was Ingo's. He tolerates me, but…." Malon smiled. "He seems to really have taken a shine to you."
"Oh…thanks," Zelda said. "He's beautiful. Who was the sire?"
"Same as Epona's. Except a different dam, and another year. She's seven? He's only two. I'm not quite finished training him….you wanna come along today?"
"I've never—" the princess began.
"You don't have to do anything. You can help if you want to, but if you feel uncomfortable, then you can just watch," Malon offered.
"Sure, why not," Zelda accepted. Then she smiled. "Sounds fun!"
Malon smiled too. "I'll let you halter him. I'll see you outside!" Malon turned to leave. On her way out the door, she added as an afterthought, "Link's already waiting."
Zelda groaned after Malon was gone. That comment alone brought her whole morning to a definite downturn. Well, then again, maybe it wouldn't be so awful. She distracted Odin with carrots long enough to put a halter over his broad head. Maybe it would even be fun. Zelda kept telling herself things like that as she opened Odin's stall door and led him out into the morning sun, the same morning sun that Zelda usually found such comfort in when it was streaming through her window at the dawn.
The stable's horse-door opened out on the corral. Link was sitting high on the fence, and he appeared to be teasing Malon, who stood near the corral entrance. They were both laughing. Zelda sighed inwardly. Third wheel, again. She held herself a little straighter, more confidently, and proceeded to where they were.
"Oh, here you are!" Malon said when she saw Zelda. "I see you've gotten him to take the halter. That's good. Here, I'll saddle him." Malon picked up a pad and training saddle that had been sitting on the ground, and shook them out before setting them gently onto Odin's back. She cinched it up, and turned away as if she was finished, but then turned right back around again and cinched it a little tighter. "Horse trick," she explained. "They'll hold their breath to make their stomachs bigger, and then the saddle's too loose, so you'll fall off."
Zelda nodded.
"So, he's already been trained with bags on his back…do you want to be the first real human to ride Odin, Your—um, I mean—Zelda?" Malon asked.
"All right, I'll give it a shot."
"Great. First you put your foot into this stirrup, like this—"
"I know," Zelda said, standing beside Odin and swinging up gracefully, twisting the horse's ear with her free hand enough to be painless but still to distract him from noticing her. She let go of his ear when she felt like she was secure in the saddle. Odin quickly realized that there was someone on his back that wasn't there before, but didn't react with anything but a warning snort.
Zelda admired the horse's spirit, and patted his neck a bit. Odin wasn't expecting that. He still stood steady. Only then did she turn to look at her companions. Link was awestruck, and Malon was smiling knowingly. Once again, Zelda sighed inwardly. Did these people really doubt her experience with horses that much?
"You want to try to take him through his paces?" Malon asked.
"I'd be happy to take him through his paces," the princess responded, purposely ignoring the "try." Odin walked with little urging. Soon after, Zelda quickened his pace to a smooth trot, to a canter, and finally a full gallop. Odin's gallop was fantastic. He ran smoothly, all of his hooves in perfect rhythm, and he was fast. Zelda had him do an entire lap around the corral before she allowed him to slow, and then finally stop. Malon and Link were staring at her again.
"That was a 45-second lap," Malon explained.
"It's impressive," Link agreed. He got a mischievous glint in his eyes. "How about a race?" he said, climbing down from his perch on the fence to stand before Zelda.
"Link, that might not be the best idea—" Malon said, but her husband- to-be didn't notice.
"Me on Epona, and you on—Odin, is it?—and the first one back here wins," the hero explained, without looking back at Malon. "You up to it?"
It was more the daring look in Link's eye, like I-bet-you-won't, that made Zelda do it. "Absolutely," she agreed. "Once around the corral."
"All right," Link confirmed, and despite Malon's attempts to interrupt, they were soon on the starting line, Link on Epona and Zelda on Odin. Abora was in the corral chewing grass happily. Malon, against her better judgment, stood just beside the two racers. "On your mark," she said nervously. "Get set." Link gritted his teeth. "Go," she finally said, dispiritedly.
They were both off right away. Link had the inside, so she started out with a bit of a lead. About a third of the way through, however, Odin had found a way around, and Zelda grinned. They were approaching a straightaway. She let her long blonde hair down to whip around in the wind that Odin created. By the time they hit the far corner, Link on Epona had only caught up a few feet. Zelda and Odin crossed the finish line an entire length ahead.
"Congratulations," Link admitted once they were dismounted. "You rode a great race."
"Thanks," Zelda said honestly.
"Your time was 42.6!" Malon exclaimed, running over. She faced Odin. "You've already shattered our records twice, boy," she told him. He snorted again. Zelda laughed and stroked his neck.
Link left to take Epona into the stable for some water. Zelda was about to follow when Malon stopped her.
"Look, princess, I didn't want to embarrass you before, but that was an amazing race," the girl said.
"Thanks," Zelda said again.
"No, seriously." Malon paused. "Would you want to…I don't know…take him with you?" Malon looked at Zelda earnestly.
"Take him? But…what about Abora?" The princess asked, very surprised.
"She'll be fine here," Malon assured her. "Look, you don't have to if you don't want to, but I really think you'd be great for him. I'm no good with him, you've seen it."
Zelda thought for a minute. "All right," she decided finally. "He's definitely got more energy than Abora, which could be good for our journey."
"That's great," Malon grinned. "Go ahead," she remembered, gesturing towards the stable.
"Thanks," the princess said. Malon went off towards the house. Zelda took Odin by the halter and went back towards the stable. Link had already left by the time she got there. She took the saddle and pad off of Odin's back, brushed him off, and put him into the same stall she'd met him in that morning. She latched the door shut, and leaned up on the crossbar. "Looks like you're mine now, boy," Zelda told the big horse. He nickered in response. "Rest up, we're riding in the morning." She smiled at the big stallion again before leaving the stable.
The following morning, sunrise found Zelda and Link outside the gates of Lon Lon Ranch after another hearty breakfast collecting their things. Zelda was busy brushing and saddling her new mount, and Link was talking to Malon.
"Where did he come from?" Link asked, gesturing at Odin.
"Me," Malon smiled. "Look, I couldn't train him. Consider it a gift."
"I understand," Link assured her.
"Link! Odin's ready when you are!" Zelda called from where she and the horses were waiting.
"Goodbye," he bade Malon. Link leaned in and kissed her gently, then said goodbye again before turning around back towards where his departure party was waiting.
"So, are we finally going to Kokiri Forest now?" Zelda asked when they were back on the dusty dirt path that headed to the forest.
"Yeah, we'll get there," he said. Then he grinned evilly. "The moblins are waiting!"
"I still can't believe you plan to take on an entire army of moblins by yourself."
"Are you doubting me?"
"No, I just think it's a little big of a job for one person."
"Well, I'm not just any person, now am I? And it's not just one person, I've got you too. Right?" He looked at her expectantly.
Zelda smiled in spite of herself. "Yeah, you do."
"Then let's go!" He yelled, and urged Epona into a gallop, and Zelda had no choice but to follow.