Disclamer: I do not own any of the Zelda characters...
Link found himself in the middle of a circle of advancing Gerudos. Malon held tightly to his arm, she never wanted to let go.
One of the Gerudos spoke up, "Surrender, or you both die!" Link's eyes darted from each Gerudo to the next. There was no possible way he could get out of this alive. He turned and looked down at Malon, his deep sea blue eyes piercing her nearly matching ones. She bit her lip and he shakily reached back and sheathed his sword.
Malon's hand moved down his arm, and placed it in his palm. He squeezed slightly and smiled sadly at her. A couple Gerudo's came behind them and wrestled their arms behind their backs, and tied them.
They were dragged, roughly, out to the field and thrown into a cage with wheels, pulled by a dozen horses. A large cloth was thrown over the cage, so they could not see and with a loud snap of a whip, they lurched forewords.
***
Malon crawled over to Link, on her knees, nearly falling over a few times. She leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder.
"Thank you." Malon whispered in his ear.
Link chuckled softly, "For what? We're not out of this yet!"
Malon put her hand quickly over his mouth and let out a quiet, "Shh!"
Link blushed, and doubted that Malon could see. He mumbled, "Sorry."
"You deserve a thanks for risking your life to rescue a ranch girl that has never done anything for you." Her voice whispered in his ear.
Link frowned at her through the darkness. You've done more for me than you think." He whispered, almost to himself.
Malon's stomach lurched as they came to a sudden halt. The cloth over the cage suddenly flew off, leaving the pair blinking blindly in the moonlight.
They were roughly grabbed and thrown on the ground outside the cage. Link scowled up at a strong looking woman in orange.
The woman barked at the guards, "Take the girl to the kitchens, and this fellow here..." She stopped and looked at him thoughtfully. Use this... I want to hear his scream echoing throughout the halls." She pulled out a nasty looking whip and handed it to one of the guards. She smiled wickedly at the guard and strode off.
***
Malon was forced to work in the kitchens and got insults thrown in her face constantly.
"Your doing it all wrong!", "You work like a man!", "Didn't anybody teach you to cook?" She was used to it. Ingo was worse, at least she had gone up and she knew that Link was nearby, but she didn't like the idea of him being in trouble.
She was happy to hear, that there were no screams of her beloved echoing throughout the halls. There were no screams at all.
After she had been excused cooking, she was thrown into an empty cell, with very tall large strong rock walls. She looked at the window, high above, it was open with some kind of wood covering thrown open.
Link clenched his teeth as another whip was slapped against his back. He knew the woman wouldn't stop until she heard him cry out, but he was too stubborn to give in.
He found the only thing to keep his mind of the pain was Malon. Her soft peach skin was like velvet to his fingers. He longed to just catch her in his arms and hold her forever, smelling her sweet aroma. Link sighed to himself, grunting as the whip sliced against him. He felt his clothes rip. It was disgusting how these Gerudos treated men.
Link shook his head and heard a little yawn from inside his cap. Navi... could you distract her? Link murmured under his breath to his sleeping fairy. She suddenly burst out of his hat, making it fall onto the ground.
She circled around the Gerudo's head, making the Gerudo dizzy as she weakly snapped the whip at Link for the last time. With a snarl he grabbed the leather with his boots and pulled as hard as she could, sending the Gerudo flying across the room.
Link gnawed at the ropes and spit out the extra pieces in his mouth as he landed on the ground. His shirt nearly fell off when he slumped back onto the floor.
He tugged the shirt off his shoulders and it came off easily, the whole tunic coming with it. He grabbed a pair of white baggy pants in the corner and pulled them over his legs.
Link searched through the dead Gerudo, he had snapped her neck. All he found was a key. He had to find his sword and shield... they had to be somewhere near there.
He snuck over to the door and stuck the key into the hole, with a click he quickly shoved it open and stepped out. Link didn't bother closing it, he just crept down the hallway until he came to a room where he saw two Gerudos and a chest... that they seemed to be guarding.
He crept sneakily down the steps and hid behind a table. He looked around, there was no way he could beat them as he was, they had his possessions too. His eyes lifted slightly and landed on a pot.
Link silently picked it off the table and flung it towards the way he had just come. Just as he had planned, the Gerudos rushed off to see what the noise was.
He crept as quietly as he could to the chest and moved to open it...
Locked.
He cursed quietly and brought out his key and quickly shoved it into the hole and turned it. He cried out in agony as a sword nicked his back where he had been whipped. He jumped up and kicked one in the face, but the other one grabbed his foot and threw him back upon the ground again.
He groaned and flung the chest open with his hand and grabbed his sword, slicing the Gerudo across the stomach before she could bring her sword down. He jumped up and grabbed the rest of his things, attaching his possession belt quickly around his waist and bringing his sword up again to block a blow.
With one quick flick of his wrist, the Gerudo was on her knees, clutching her throat where he had cut her. He jumped back from the other one, who had gained consciousness again.
His sword sliced through her in one quick motion. He quickly ran out of the room, he had to find Malon before they found he had escaped.
***
Malon ran through a field full of flowers, laughing happily. She fell and rolled through the bright colored flowers and watched the fluffy blue clouds float through the sky. She felt her eyes closing but they opened again as she saw a figure standing over her. It was Link. He fell next to her, giving her chance to throw her arms around him. "Oh Link!" She cried and ran her hand through his hair. She was smiling brightly, but her smile slowly faded to a look of horror. Link slowly faded, he turned into the thing, the person she dreaded and feared most. She screamed as Ganondorf laughed evilly, picking her up and squeezing her neck. He raised his sword and thrust it down at her head, and she heard a loud, THUNK!
Malon sat up and screamed, her eyes were wide and her chest was heaving from her quick gasps of breath. She pulled her knees up to her chest, trying to catch her breath.
'Just a dream, Just a dream' She tried to convince herself. Malon took a shaky breath.
"Getting a little lonely down there?" A voice called out, making her jump up and spin around. Link was standing in the open window, twirling the longshot around his fingers.
Malon beamed and cried, "Link!" She looked at him strangely as he jumped down and landed beside her.
Malon grinned at Link at his new outfit. No shirt... and his sword was now hooked around his waist.
"What? What's so funny?" He said watching her.
"Where's your tunic Fairy Boy?"
Link shrugged, "It wasn't really a tunic anymore after it got cut up."
Malon stared at him for a moment, before realization crossed her face. The image of the leather whip lying in the gerudo leader's palm made her wince.
Malon's eyes shone sadly as they gazed into Link's. She moved slowly around to his back and placed the tip of her finger onto his skin, making him shiver and wince.
He turned back towards her and said gently, a strange tone in his voice that Malon had never heard from anyone before. Was it what she imagined it to be? No... maybe.
I'll be all right, but let us get out of here, you've had enough bad treatment. He wrapped his arm around her waist and firing his longshot against the wooden window covering, zooming them up to the window sill.
Link reached into his pants (receiving an alarmed glance from Malon) and pulled out his ocarina. He smiled down at the redhead before placing his lips over the small hole on the side.
He took a short breath and played six notes that Malon recognized right away. Epona's song... that seemed so long ago...
A soft whinny was heard as the horse approached. She slowed down under the window, pawing at the ground with her fore hoof and tossing her head, flipping her long white mane over to the other side of her neck.
Link suddenly moved his right arm down against the back of Malon's thighs, sweeping her up into his arms. She let out a short shriek as he leapt from the building and landed hard on Epona's back, making her stumble backwards slightly. Malon could have sworn she saw his eyes cross as he let out a grunt.
She let out a small giggle, but her laughter was cut short and a gasp replaced it as an arrow was suddenly plummeted into her lower shoulder. She screamed and clutched onto Link's shoulders. Link's eyes snapped open wide in surprise, his face full of worry. Wasting no time, he quickly slapped his heels against Epona's thighs hard. Epona shot foreword, sprinting as fast as she could towards the bridge.
Tears formed behind her eyes, why did it feel like her heart was being torn if the arrow was in her shoulder? Link literally flung himself and Malon off Epona and into the river. Malon faintly heard Epona's trotting getting fainter and fainter. Smart horse she thought to herself, coughing slightly. Another arrow zoomed by Link's ear raising a thin slice of blood. Link couldn't help noticing the large amount of blood that was soaking Malon's dress.
They splashed into the water painfully, Malon screamed as she hit the water, though no one heard it but Link. Her breath escaped her in bubbles as they rose to the top. Link pulled her quickly out of the water and carried her in his arms, holding her close as arrows missed him by inches.
Link ran for both of their lives, he jumped over to the ladder and climbed it with one hand. Reaching the top, he lay Malon down on the ground. Malon screamed again, her back arching into the air as the tears escaped and rolled down her cheeks. Link wrapped his hand around the arrow and pulled at it softly.
She screamed again as the arrow was pushed down slightly by him, on accident. He cursed, realizing what and where the arrow was poking into.
My... my... She coughed violently, but then closed her lips together very suddenly. Link smiled sadly, I'm not squeamish... spit it out. Malon turned her head and spit out the blood that had risen to her mouth. She whispered, more tears running down her cheeks.
She coughed again, this time even more violently and rasped urgently, "Hurry." Link would never break Malon's heart, he prayed that the arrow wouldn't either.
A/N: Is this getting too gory for anybody? It might get worse if you don't say anything. Just kidding, but review anyway hehe.
