Link waited far, far into the night. He lay awake in his bed, trying
to come up with something, trying to think of what to say. It wasn't that
he wanted to break her heart. Not at all. It wasn't that he didn't like
her. He just didn't love her.
After an all-too-short period of time, the guards outside blew a horn. It was 1:00 a.m. Now or never.
Link rose from bed. Quietly, so as not to disturb anyone, he crept out the stone door to the roof. Catlike, he leapt across several rooftops, running all the way to the wall before he stopped. He climbed down the vines on the far side and got onto the dirt path. Glad for the muffling of footsteps the earth provided, he made his way up the trail to the Archery Range.
Hidden behind a low bluff on one side was a small but well-kempt barn. He went in and looked among the stalls. They were filled with swift mounts as beautiful as their owners. So Lenetu had been right; all of the Gerudo's desert horses were dun or darker. They never would have seen a palomino like Epona. Finally, he got all the way down to the end of the barn. In the very last stall, his mare stood, dozing. When she saw him, she whinnied hello.
"Shh," Link said, placing a gentle hand on her muzzle. The horse nickered in apology. "We've got to hurry, there isn't much time. Now where did they put your saddle?"
As if she understood (which she very well may have), Epona flicked her tail towards a door in the wall that Link hadn't seen earlier due to the dark. He opened it, wincing as it creaked, to find himself in a small tack room. It was filled mostly with the work of Gerudo craftsmanship; finely made, tassel-adorned costumes in rich colors. Among all of these, Epona's bulky Hylian-style saddle stuck out like a sore thumb. Link hefted it off the rack it was on and back to Epona's stall. She was patient as he placed it on her back and buckled the girth. Hylians did not use bridles, so he led her out with the sole use of a guiding hand on her neck. In the night, he mounted carefully and rode down the dirt trail into the valley.
The guards took no notice of him as he passed; or, if they did, they said nothing. Link was glad. His mind was full as it was.
He entered the field under the cover of dark. Zelda did not know he was out here. He would tell her in the morning, maybe; if all went well, and if he got back in time. Neither thing was for certain. He felt terrible about what he was doing, but he knew that if he didn't he would only feel worse later. There would be no other chance. Tonight was the night.
On top of the hill in the center of Hyrule Field, the lights of Lon Lon Ranch shone out into the night. They never went off; instead, they had gotten a sort of reputation as being the guiding lights of travelers who were lost in the middle of the night. This evening, Link felt like they were two eyes, watching him evilly, checking his every move.
Three times he thought about going back. Three times he did not. The sooner it was done, the sooner it would be over with. Link slowed Epona to a walk as they entered the yard of Lon Lon Ranch.
One of Malon's clear blue eyes snapped open. Her lovely head lifted from the pillow. Those hoof beats... They sounded just like Epona's uneasy gait. She looked at the moon through her outside window. It couldn't be before 2:00. What on earth would Link be doing here? Perhaps she was hearing things.
Even so, the ranch girl drew a blanket around her shoulders, pulled on her boots, and made her way down the stairs. The cuccos clucked at her for food, but she hushed them. Once she had gotten through them, she opened the door out into the dark.
"Malon..." A familiar voice said.
"Link?" She asked, squinting up at him. Yes, Link was most certainly there in the middle of the night. "What is it? Shall I make some tea or something?"
Link hesitated. "Maybe it's best that you do," he answered finally. "...I have to talk to you."
"All right," Malon said, leading him into the house. They went into the kitchen. Link sat down at the table while Malon set a kettle on to boil. They both said nothing as the tea brewed.
When it was finished, Malon poured a cup for herself, and a cup for Link, and took them to the table. Link took a drink right away, not immediately registering the fact that it was steaming-hot. Malon looked at him from across the table. She did not like the tension in the air. "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" She said.
"Yes...yes," he answered. He took a long drink of tea. "You can't have any idea how hard this is for me-"
"What-what is it?" Malon asked. Her bright eyes had grown concerned.
"Malon..." He sat for a moment before answering. He drew a deep breath. He might as well just come out and say it. "I...don't love you."
Any cheer that had remained in Malon's face left it. She could not have heard that correctly. "What?"
"I came here to break off the engagement-"
"No! Wait!" She interrupted. "This has to be a dream-this-this can't be real-"
"It is," he said quietly. "And I am truly, terribly sorry."
Malon drew in her breath sharply. She was silent for a moment. "It's all right."
"Really?" Link asked, relieved.
Malon forced a smile. "It'll be okay. I-I'll be okay. Just as long as you're happy."
"Is there any way we could still be friends?"
"Of course," Malon answered, still pretending to smile. "Of course."
"I guess I should be on my way, then," Link said, rising from the table.
"Bye," Malon said.
Outside, Link mounted Epona. "She's upset," he told the horse in an undertone. They rode off into the night.
Malon did not move from her place at the table for a long time. She could feel it; she was falling apart. Again. This wasn't the first time she'd had to pretend she was tough. And based on how her life had gone before this, it wouldn't be the last.
She rose slowly from the table, set the dishes in the sink, and went outside. The moon and the stars shone bright tonight. She walked across the wide expanse of the corral to the shed on the far side, and sat down on a bale of hay. From where she was sitting, she could see the sky very well. It really was a lovely night. What a way for it to be wasted.
This was the place where she sat. Her little roof over her own head. It was the place where she thought, the place where she cried, the place where she laughed, and now, it was the place where she loved Link too much. The place where she dreamed of a world where he'd understand her. She leaned back against the wall. She dreamed too much.
Malon wondered briefly why Link had decided to...leave her. She hated that phrase. As for the reason, well...she supposed it was Zelda. Who or what else could have had that impact on him? How was she, little old Malon the rancher, supposed to compare with a princess? But she couldn't be angry at Zelda. It wasn't her fault. Zelda couldn't have known that Link had found her when she was falling apart. And now, he left her falling apart. He came and was gone again. Just like everything else. But this one...she really had wished that she could have been enough to him. But instead, she was crystal and see-through.
The tint of the sky turned paler. The sun would be up soon, maybe in an hour. There would be work to do. Malon stood up. She was a little shaky on her feet, but soon she found her balance. A new day was coming. And by Din, she was going to make the most of it.
After an all-too-short period of time, the guards outside blew a horn. It was 1:00 a.m. Now or never.
Link rose from bed. Quietly, so as not to disturb anyone, he crept out the stone door to the roof. Catlike, he leapt across several rooftops, running all the way to the wall before he stopped. He climbed down the vines on the far side and got onto the dirt path. Glad for the muffling of footsteps the earth provided, he made his way up the trail to the Archery Range.
Hidden behind a low bluff on one side was a small but well-kempt barn. He went in and looked among the stalls. They were filled with swift mounts as beautiful as their owners. So Lenetu had been right; all of the Gerudo's desert horses were dun or darker. They never would have seen a palomino like Epona. Finally, he got all the way down to the end of the barn. In the very last stall, his mare stood, dozing. When she saw him, she whinnied hello.
"Shh," Link said, placing a gentle hand on her muzzle. The horse nickered in apology. "We've got to hurry, there isn't much time. Now where did they put your saddle?"
As if she understood (which she very well may have), Epona flicked her tail towards a door in the wall that Link hadn't seen earlier due to the dark. He opened it, wincing as it creaked, to find himself in a small tack room. It was filled mostly with the work of Gerudo craftsmanship; finely made, tassel-adorned costumes in rich colors. Among all of these, Epona's bulky Hylian-style saddle stuck out like a sore thumb. Link hefted it off the rack it was on and back to Epona's stall. She was patient as he placed it on her back and buckled the girth. Hylians did not use bridles, so he led her out with the sole use of a guiding hand on her neck. In the night, he mounted carefully and rode down the dirt trail into the valley.
The guards took no notice of him as he passed; or, if they did, they said nothing. Link was glad. His mind was full as it was.
He entered the field under the cover of dark. Zelda did not know he was out here. He would tell her in the morning, maybe; if all went well, and if he got back in time. Neither thing was for certain. He felt terrible about what he was doing, but he knew that if he didn't he would only feel worse later. There would be no other chance. Tonight was the night.
On top of the hill in the center of Hyrule Field, the lights of Lon Lon Ranch shone out into the night. They never went off; instead, they had gotten a sort of reputation as being the guiding lights of travelers who were lost in the middle of the night. This evening, Link felt like they were two eyes, watching him evilly, checking his every move.
Three times he thought about going back. Three times he did not. The sooner it was done, the sooner it would be over with. Link slowed Epona to a walk as they entered the yard of Lon Lon Ranch.
One of Malon's clear blue eyes snapped open. Her lovely head lifted from the pillow. Those hoof beats... They sounded just like Epona's uneasy gait. She looked at the moon through her outside window. It couldn't be before 2:00. What on earth would Link be doing here? Perhaps she was hearing things.
Even so, the ranch girl drew a blanket around her shoulders, pulled on her boots, and made her way down the stairs. The cuccos clucked at her for food, but she hushed them. Once she had gotten through them, she opened the door out into the dark.
"Malon..." A familiar voice said.
"Link?" She asked, squinting up at him. Yes, Link was most certainly there in the middle of the night. "What is it? Shall I make some tea or something?"
Link hesitated. "Maybe it's best that you do," he answered finally. "...I have to talk to you."
"All right," Malon said, leading him into the house. They went into the kitchen. Link sat down at the table while Malon set a kettle on to boil. They both said nothing as the tea brewed.
When it was finished, Malon poured a cup for herself, and a cup for Link, and took them to the table. Link took a drink right away, not immediately registering the fact that it was steaming-hot. Malon looked at him from across the table. She did not like the tension in the air. "Is there something you wanted to talk to me about?" She said.
"Yes...yes," he answered. He took a long drink of tea. "You can't have any idea how hard this is for me-"
"What-what is it?" Malon asked. Her bright eyes had grown concerned.
"Malon..." He sat for a moment before answering. He drew a deep breath. He might as well just come out and say it. "I...don't love you."
Any cheer that had remained in Malon's face left it. She could not have heard that correctly. "What?"
"I came here to break off the engagement-"
"No! Wait!" She interrupted. "This has to be a dream-this-this can't be real-"
"It is," he said quietly. "And I am truly, terribly sorry."
Malon drew in her breath sharply. She was silent for a moment. "It's all right."
"Really?" Link asked, relieved.
Malon forced a smile. "It'll be okay. I-I'll be okay. Just as long as you're happy."
"Is there any way we could still be friends?"
"Of course," Malon answered, still pretending to smile. "Of course."
"I guess I should be on my way, then," Link said, rising from the table.
"Bye," Malon said.
Outside, Link mounted Epona. "She's upset," he told the horse in an undertone. They rode off into the night.
Malon did not move from her place at the table for a long time. She could feel it; she was falling apart. Again. This wasn't the first time she'd had to pretend she was tough. And based on how her life had gone before this, it wouldn't be the last.
She rose slowly from the table, set the dishes in the sink, and went outside. The moon and the stars shone bright tonight. She walked across the wide expanse of the corral to the shed on the far side, and sat down on a bale of hay. From where she was sitting, she could see the sky very well. It really was a lovely night. What a way for it to be wasted.
This was the place where she sat. Her little roof over her own head. It was the place where she thought, the place where she cried, the place where she laughed, and now, it was the place where she loved Link too much. The place where she dreamed of a world where he'd understand her. She leaned back against the wall. She dreamed too much.
Malon wondered briefly why Link had decided to...leave her. She hated that phrase. As for the reason, well...she supposed it was Zelda. Who or what else could have had that impact on him? How was she, little old Malon the rancher, supposed to compare with a princess? But she couldn't be angry at Zelda. It wasn't her fault. Zelda couldn't have known that Link had found her when she was falling apart. And now, he left her falling apart. He came and was gone again. Just like everything else. But this one...she really had wished that she could have been enough to him. But instead, she was crystal and see-through.
The tint of the sky turned paler. The sun would be up soon, maybe in an hour. There would be work to do. Malon stood up. She was a little shaky on her feet, but soon she found her balance. A new day was coming. And by Din, she was going to make the most of it.