Getting back across the river proved slightly easier. Zelda took the
risk of jumping as well as Link, and was actually very good it. As
expected, Epona had hardly moved a hoof, and neighed welcome when she saw
her people coming back.
Link swung into the saddle first. "My lady," he said with a mock- proper tone, holding a hand for Zelda to climb up behind him. She laughed and did so, and he turned Epona around and urged her into a walk down the road that would take them to Gerudo Valley.
"So you really are one of the Gerudo," Zelda said as they were riding.
"Yes, I really am one of the Gerudo," Link replied.
"When did you join?"
"Not too long ago. Couple months back, maybe. It was before Ganon was defeated."
"So there were two male Gerudo?"
Link cocked his head in thought. "I guess that's right, isn't it? Wow. I made history!"
Zelda smiled. "Link, you're the Hero of Time. You made history before you were born!"
"This is true," he said. "Not that I wanted to, of course."
"One can never tell what the goddesses might have in store for them."
"I know. But why did they choose me? I'm just a peasant from the forest. And I'm not even from the forest! Goddess, I don't really fit in anywhere."
"You could fit in with me," Zelda said. Link turned, interested, but the princess caught herself. "With us, at the palace."
Link turned back around, a little bit deflated. "I guess."
"You would make a great king. My father thinks so, and I agree."
He smiled at her. "Thanks."
"I really mean that, you know. You're great with people. I mean, you managed to get the Gerudo to like you!"
Link laughed. "Actually, I nearly killed four of them. Then they shut up."
"I guess that's one way in. . ." Zelda said thoughtfully.
"Best way I know," Link said. Then he stopped Epona, looking over to his right. "Whoa, what's this?"
Zelda followed his gaze to a wall in the Field. There were many such walls around, bearing testament to the ancient wars that once raged in Hyrule. At the foot of this one, however, a man was sitting, waiting, looking weary. Zelda climbed slowly down from Epona's back and walked slowly over to him and knelt down by his side. The man raised his head slowly to look up at the beautiful face of the princess. Recognition burst into his eyes, and he stood hurriedly and bowed. "M'lady!" he exclaimed with a thick accent. "How can I serve you?"
"Never mind serving me," Zelda said. "Is anything wrong? Why are you just sitting here?"
The man raised from his bow slowly. "It's just me horse," he said. "We were restin' up here, but a Keese showed up and spooked him. He's just a mite little colt, really. But I ain't got no idea where he could be."
Link slid down off of Epona as well and came over. "Can we help you look?"
The man's eyes widened again. "Great Nayru. . .if it ain't the Hero of Time himself! Mayhap this really is all just a dream. . .but then I'd have to be asleep a-saddle, and that's near impossible."
"I'm sorry, sir, but I believe you're awake," Zelda said kindly. "You rest here. We'll go look for your horse. What's his name, so we can call him?"
"Tidus," the man said. "Tidus is his name. He likes people, so you shouldn't have a lot o' trouble."
"Thank you," Link said.
"Why, great goddesses, lad, not at all! Thank you!"
Link smiled, and he and Zelda went back to Epona. "Where do you think he could be?" Link asked.
"I don't know. . .the road forks up there, so you take the left, and I'll take the right. We'll find him."
Link grew concerned. "You're going to go alone? The sun will set soon. It's dangerous after dark! And with you being the princess-"
Zelda was touched, but she held up a hand to stop him. "Look, I'll be fine. I can defend myself. I'm Sheik, remember?"
"I guess that's true, but-well, at least take Epona," he insisted.
She smiled and took the palomino's reins. "All right. But what about you?"
"I don't mind walking."
Zelda sighed, but it ended in a chuckle. "You are completely ridiculous. Well, come on then, Tidus is waiting."
She mounted up onto Epona, and walked with Link until the fork in the road, where she turned right towards Lon Lon Ranch as he went left in the direction of Lake Hylia. I forgot to ask that man what color Tidus is, Link reflected. I guess he'll just have to respond to his name. And anyway, how many loose horses are roaming freely around Hyrule Field?
Zelda, meanwhile, rode down the dusty dirt road towards Lon Lon Ranch. She looked around her. No sign of loose horses anywhere yet. Wait, here was something! Zelda bent in the saddle to examine U-shaped marks in the grass. Hoofprints! There was a trail going off to the left. It was barely visible, but it was there. Watching the ground carefully, she urged Epona off down the trail.
The hoofprints led down to the river west of Hyrule Castle. By the wall of the city, a young blue roan horse, not possibly older than one, was standing and looking very scared-on the far side of the river. He was apparently too frightened to cross back, so all he could do was stand their and whinny helplessly in hopes of someone coming to find him. Well, Zelda had found him.
She dismounted Epona near the bank of the river and approached slowly. The small horse backed a step. Zelda smiled and spoke to it softly: "You must be Tidus. Your owner is very worried about you," she told him. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." She walked up further. "How did you come to be on that side of the river anyway? I suppose you must have just jumped from pure panic. You poor thing. Keese are spooky." Zelda had reached the bank now. She stretched a hand across. Tidus sniffed at it warily, then, slowly, allowed the princess to stroke his muzzle. She laughed softly. "I'm so glad you're cooperating."
Link hugged the wall of Lon Lon Ranch, knowing that horses were drawn to it sometimes. He got all the way around, but nothing developed. With a sigh, he reached the top of the hill to the west of the ranch, where he had a good view of most everything. Oh, he thought, watching as Zelda spoke to the horse on the bank of the river. There he is. Zelda was laughing and stroking the horse's muzzle, then crossing the river and taking his reins. She certainly does have a way with animals, he thought. And...with people.
Link was still watching. Zelda said something to Tidus and dropped his reins. Slowly, as if following directions, the colt walked back a few lengths, then burst into full gallop and hastily jumped the river. His hoofs firmly planted in the earth on the other side, he turned back towards Zelda and whinnied and reared triumphantly. Zelda laughed with joy. How in the world did she do that? Link wondered, puzzled.
Zelda crossed the river back to where the two horses were standing. She climbed into Epona's saddle and took Tidus by the reins. "It's okay, I don't like to jump either," she said to the colt with a smile. "Come on, let's go find Link and get you back where you belong." Suddenly, Epona neighed in the direction of the hill where Link had been watching. "Oh! There he is," she said, waving for Link to come down, which he did, applauding her.
"Simply amazing," he said to her as he approached. "You're simply amazing."
"Why, thank you," she said, bowing in the saddle.
"Seriously," Link said. "You should be a horse trainer."
Zelda thought for a moment. "I would, if I wasn't going to be a queen. Come on, we should get going back to that man."
Link, Zelda, Epona, and Tidus all four set off down the road that Zelda had taken in the first place.
"Epona was a great help," Zelda told Link as they walked. "I think she reassured him. Maybe you should be the horse trainer."
"Naw. Epona was just following your lead."
"You think so?" They had reached the wall.
"I do," he said, holding out a hand for Zelda to dismount, gazing into her eyes. "I really do." He was at a loss for other words.
Just then the man came up behind Link. "Tidus!" He exclaimed, walking up to his horse. The colt muzzled his master's shoulder. "Where have ye been?"
"We found him by the river," Zelda told the man over her shoulder.
"How can I thank ye?" The man asked, shaking their hands incessantly. "What can I possibly do for the Princess Zelda and the Hero of Time?"
"Don't think of it," Link said. "We're happy to be of service to you. I'll only ask you one thing: what's your name? I don't believe we know it."
"Ay, I don't really use my name. Never liked it much," the man told them. "But, if ye ever need a favor, people call me KG. Don't be hesitant to look me up; this here colt means the world to me." He patted Tidus's neck.
"Well, if that's all," Link said, "we should probably be going."
Zelda's eyes widened. "Oh! Gerudo Valley! Come on, we should hurry!" She grabbed Link's hand and ran back towards Epona. "Farewell, sir-KG!" She said with a grin, mounting only after Link did. They followed the road to the west.
"Fare thee well, princess and hero," the man said, mounting Tidus and going down the road in the opposite direction.
Link swung into the saddle first. "My lady," he said with a mock- proper tone, holding a hand for Zelda to climb up behind him. She laughed and did so, and he turned Epona around and urged her into a walk down the road that would take them to Gerudo Valley.
"So you really are one of the Gerudo," Zelda said as they were riding.
"Yes, I really am one of the Gerudo," Link replied.
"When did you join?"
"Not too long ago. Couple months back, maybe. It was before Ganon was defeated."
"So there were two male Gerudo?"
Link cocked his head in thought. "I guess that's right, isn't it? Wow. I made history!"
Zelda smiled. "Link, you're the Hero of Time. You made history before you were born!"
"This is true," he said. "Not that I wanted to, of course."
"One can never tell what the goddesses might have in store for them."
"I know. But why did they choose me? I'm just a peasant from the forest. And I'm not even from the forest! Goddess, I don't really fit in anywhere."
"You could fit in with me," Zelda said. Link turned, interested, but the princess caught herself. "With us, at the palace."
Link turned back around, a little bit deflated. "I guess."
"You would make a great king. My father thinks so, and I agree."
He smiled at her. "Thanks."
"I really mean that, you know. You're great with people. I mean, you managed to get the Gerudo to like you!"
Link laughed. "Actually, I nearly killed four of them. Then they shut up."
"I guess that's one way in. . ." Zelda said thoughtfully.
"Best way I know," Link said. Then he stopped Epona, looking over to his right. "Whoa, what's this?"
Zelda followed his gaze to a wall in the Field. There were many such walls around, bearing testament to the ancient wars that once raged in Hyrule. At the foot of this one, however, a man was sitting, waiting, looking weary. Zelda climbed slowly down from Epona's back and walked slowly over to him and knelt down by his side. The man raised his head slowly to look up at the beautiful face of the princess. Recognition burst into his eyes, and he stood hurriedly and bowed. "M'lady!" he exclaimed with a thick accent. "How can I serve you?"
"Never mind serving me," Zelda said. "Is anything wrong? Why are you just sitting here?"
The man raised from his bow slowly. "It's just me horse," he said. "We were restin' up here, but a Keese showed up and spooked him. He's just a mite little colt, really. But I ain't got no idea where he could be."
Link slid down off of Epona as well and came over. "Can we help you look?"
The man's eyes widened again. "Great Nayru. . .if it ain't the Hero of Time himself! Mayhap this really is all just a dream. . .but then I'd have to be asleep a-saddle, and that's near impossible."
"I'm sorry, sir, but I believe you're awake," Zelda said kindly. "You rest here. We'll go look for your horse. What's his name, so we can call him?"
"Tidus," the man said. "Tidus is his name. He likes people, so you shouldn't have a lot o' trouble."
"Thank you," Link said.
"Why, great goddesses, lad, not at all! Thank you!"
Link smiled, and he and Zelda went back to Epona. "Where do you think he could be?" Link asked.
"I don't know. . .the road forks up there, so you take the left, and I'll take the right. We'll find him."
Link grew concerned. "You're going to go alone? The sun will set soon. It's dangerous after dark! And with you being the princess-"
Zelda was touched, but she held up a hand to stop him. "Look, I'll be fine. I can defend myself. I'm Sheik, remember?"
"I guess that's true, but-well, at least take Epona," he insisted.
She smiled and took the palomino's reins. "All right. But what about you?"
"I don't mind walking."
Zelda sighed, but it ended in a chuckle. "You are completely ridiculous. Well, come on then, Tidus is waiting."
She mounted up onto Epona, and walked with Link until the fork in the road, where she turned right towards Lon Lon Ranch as he went left in the direction of Lake Hylia. I forgot to ask that man what color Tidus is, Link reflected. I guess he'll just have to respond to his name. And anyway, how many loose horses are roaming freely around Hyrule Field?
Zelda, meanwhile, rode down the dusty dirt road towards Lon Lon Ranch. She looked around her. No sign of loose horses anywhere yet. Wait, here was something! Zelda bent in the saddle to examine U-shaped marks in the grass. Hoofprints! There was a trail going off to the left. It was barely visible, but it was there. Watching the ground carefully, she urged Epona off down the trail.
The hoofprints led down to the river west of Hyrule Castle. By the wall of the city, a young blue roan horse, not possibly older than one, was standing and looking very scared-on the far side of the river. He was apparently too frightened to cross back, so all he could do was stand their and whinny helplessly in hopes of someone coming to find him. Well, Zelda had found him.
She dismounted Epona near the bank of the river and approached slowly. The small horse backed a step. Zelda smiled and spoke to it softly: "You must be Tidus. Your owner is very worried about you," she told him. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." She walked up further. "How did you come to be on that side of the river anyway? I suppose you must have just jumped from pure panic. You poor thing. Keese are spooky." Zelda had reached the bank now. She stretched a hand across. Tidus sniffed at it warily, then, slowly, allowed the princess to stroke his muzzle. She laughed softly. "I'm so glad you're cooperating."
Link hugged the wall of Lon Lon Ranch, knowing that horses were drawn to it sometimes. He got all the way around, but nothing developed. With a sigh, he reached the top of the hill to the west of the ranch, where he had a good view of most everything. Oh, he thought, watching as Zelda spoke to the horse on the bank of the river. There he is. Zelda was laughing and stroking the horse's muzzle, then crossing the river and taking his reins. She certainly does have a way with animals, he thought. And...with people.
Link was still watching. Zelda said something to Tidus and dropped his reins. Slowly, as if following directions, the colt walked back a few lengths, then burst into full gallop and hastily jumped the river. His hoofs firmly planted in the earth on the other side, he turned back towards Zelda and whinnied and reared triumphantly. Zelda laughed with joy. How in the world did she do that? Link wondered, puzzled.
Zelda crossed the river back to where the two horses were standing. She climbed into Epona's saddle and took Tidus by the reins. "It's okay, I don't like to jump either," she said to the colt with a smile. "Come on, let's go find Link and get you back where you belong." Suddenly, Epona neighed in the direction of the hill where Link had been watching. "Oh! There he is," she said, waving for Link to come down, which he did, applauding her.
"Simply amazing," he said to her as he approached. "You're simply amazing."
"Why, thank you," she said, bowing in the saddle.
"Seriously," Link said. "You should be a horse trainer."
Zelda thought for a moment. "I would, if I wasn't going to be a queen. Come on, we should get going back to that man."
Link, Zelda, Epona, and Tidus all four set off down the road that Zelda had taken in the first place.
"Epona was a great help," Zelda told Link as they walked. "I think she reassured him. Maybe you should be the horse trainer."
"Naw. Epona was just following your lead."
"You think so?" They had reached the wall.
"I do," he said, holding out a hand for Zelda to dismount, gazing into her eyes. "I really do." He was at a loss for other words.
Just then the man came up behind Link. "Tidus!" He exclaimed, walking up to his horse. The colt muzzled his master's shoulder. "Where have ye been?"
"We found him by the river," Zelda told the man over her shoulder.
"How can I thank ye?" The man asked, shaking their hands incessantly. "What can I possibly do for the Princess Zelda and the Hero of Time?"
"Don't think of it," Link said. "We're happy to be of service to you. I'll only ask you one thing: what's your name? I don't believe we know it."
"Ay, I don't really use my name. Never liked it much," the man told them. "But, if ye ever need a favor, people call me KG. Don't be hesitant to look me up; this here colt means the world to me." He patted Tidus's neck.
"Well, if that's all," Link said, "we should probably be going."
Zelda's eyes widened. "Oh! Gerudo Valley! Come on, we should hurry!" She grabbed Link's hand and ran back towards Epona. "Farewell, sir-KG!" She said with a grin, mounting only after Link did. They followed the road to the west.
"Fare thee well, princess and hero," the man said, mounting Tidus and going down the road in the opposite direction.