Chapter 1
Frankly, I was bored. I decided to ride Epona to Lon Lon Ranch so she could have some friendship time. The ride was without any event, just like the past few years. Once we had arrived, I released Epona, and she happily trotted over to the other horses in the corral.
Walking into the house, I found Talon where I usually found him, asleep on the floor, surrounded by cuccos. I lightly nudged his boot with my own, and then shook him violently. "What in tarnation?!" he yelled, and then saw me. "Oh, hello Link. Need somethin'?
"Yes, I was wondering if I could get a fill-up on milk?"
"Why, shore." Talon took the bottles, and filled them from the jug next to him. "I wish I could say it's on the house, but times have been slow, an."
I smiled and took out my wallet. "And you could use a little financial help. Keep the change," I said, placing a gold rupee into his hand.
"B-but, you just paid more 'n DOUBLE th' price! You can't give me THIS much!"
"Please, it's nothing. I find plenty of rupees just when I explore."
"Why thanks, Link. You truly are a good friend."
My ears were starting to turn red, so I changed the subject. "Is Malon around?"
"She's deliverin' some milk to Hyrule castle. I'm getting' a bit old to be runnin' around, and Malon's got this new horse she just done trained. It's a good 'un, too. Strong palomino male." He glanced out the window. "She should be back soon, though, if ya don't mind waitin'."
"Thank you," I said, and Talon almost immediately dozed off again.
I walked out the door, and I already heard the measured steps of a galloping horse coming up the road. Malon appeared around the bend, on the back of her horse, and when she saw me, she skidded to a halt in front of me, sideways. "Whoa, Royalty. Good boy," she said patting the horse's flank.
"What brings you here, Link?" she asked, dismounting and letting the horse go. "I haven't seen you around lately."
"I was in the area, so I thought I might as well fill-up on milk. What's up?"
"Well, I just work around the ranch everyday, delivering milk, feeding the cows, mucking the stables."
"You need any help?"
Malon laughed, and poked me in the chest. "I don't NEED your help, fairy boy, but I'll accept it. Let's get to work."
So we worked. It was a little harder than I thought it would be, so we chatted while we worked.
"So where are you living? Are you still with the Kokiri?" Malon asked.
"Well, actually, I'll be leaving them tomorrow. I'm too big for my own bed now."
"Do you know where you'll be living?"
"Actually, I don't," I admitted. This had been bothering me for a little while.
"Naturally, there's Kakariko -"
"No, it's too crowded. Too many people around."
You could build a house at Lake Hylia. That's not crowded at all." Suggested Malon.
"But that's sort of the opposite. It's TOO isolated. If something happens anywhere else, it would take a while to get there."
We walked into the house and stopped talking until we were upstairs, where we wouldn't wake Talon.
Malon perked up again. "Gerudo Valley -"
I stopped her there, laughing. "No, no, that's way too scary. Only people around for miles are females."
Malon laughed as she sat down on her bed. I sat down at the table. She looked at me sidelong and said "You don't know how to act around women, do you?"
Indignant, I defended myself with, "Hey, I spent my whole life with the Kokiri, and they all stay kids."
Malon looked thoughtful for a moment. "I could teach you."
"Teach me what?" I said quickly.
"Manners! You interrupted my thoughts!" She looked around for a weapon, and decided upon her pillow, which she grabbed and threw at me. "Hey!" I grabbed Talon's pillow and threw it back at her without even thinking. My reckless action started a grand pillow fight. Cucco feathers flew everywhere, and we attacked each other relentlessly.
After a while, we both flopped onto her bed. She looked at me, and our eyes met. I stared into her eyes; twin pools of clear blue water, and felt myself being drawn in. I had never really noticed her eyes before. She broke away, embarrassed, and said: "You know, you're always welcome here. You could stay in the little barn on the other side of the corral."
I sincerely wanted to, but it somehow didn't seem right. I blurted out the first excuse I came up with. "I think the cuccos would wake me up too early."
Malon laughed, but it was a strangely forced laugh. I could tell she was sad. "I just need someplace quiet," I explained.
She thought, and then snapped her fingers. "I've got it! Dampe's hut in the graveyard! He sleeps during the day, so you can rent it out at night!"
"You know, I think that'll work. I better go make the arrangements. I'll see you later, Malon." We stared at each other for maybe a moment too long, and then I left.
Frankly, I was bored. I decided to ride Epona to Lon Lon Ranch so she could have some friendship time. The ride was without any event, just like the past few years. Once we had arrived, I released Epona, and she happily trotted over to the other horses in the corral.
Walking into the house, I found Talon where I usually found him, asleep on the floor, surrounded by cuccos. I lightly nudged his boot with my own, and then shook him violently. "What in tarnation?!" he yelled, and then saw me. "Oh, hello Link. Need somethin'?
"Yes, I was wondering if I could get a fill-up on milk?"
"Why, shore." Talon took the bottles, and filled them from the jug next to him. "I wish I could say it's on the house, but times have been slow, an."
I smiled and took out my wallet. "And you could use a little financial help. Keep the change," I said, placing a gold rupee into his hand.
"B-but, you just paid more 'n DOUBLE th' price! You can't give me THIS much!"
"Please, it's nothing. I find plenty of rupees just when I explore."
"Why thanks, Link. You truly are a good friend."
My ears were starting to turn red, so I changed the subject. "Is Malon around?"
"She's deliverin' some milk to Hyrule castle. I'm getting' a bit old to be runnin' around, and Malon's got this new horse she just done trained. It's a good 'un, too. Strong palomino male." He glanced out the window. "She should be back soon, though, if ya don't mind waitin'."
"Thank you," I said, and Talon almost immediately dozed off again.
I walked out the door, and I already heard the measured steps of a galloping horse coming up the road. Malon appeared around the bend, on the back of her horse, and when she saw me, she skidded to a halt in front of me, sideways. "Whoa, Royalty. Good boy," she said patting the horse's flank.
"What brings you here, Link?" she asked, dismounting and letting the horse go. "I haven't seen you around lately."
"I was in the area, so I thought I might as well fill-up on milk. What's up?"
"Well, I just work around the ranch everyday, delivering milk, feeding the cows, mucking the stables."
"You need any help?"
Malon laughed, and poked me in the chest. "I don't NEED your help, fairy boy, but I'll accept it. Let's get to work."
So we worked. It was a little harder than I thought it would be, so we chatted while we worked.
"So where are you living? Are you still with the Kokiri?" Malon asked.
"Well, actually, I'll be leaving them tomorrow. I'm too big for my own bed now."
"Do you know where you'll be living?"
"Actually, I don't," I admitted. This had been bothering me for a little while.
"Naturally, there's Kakariko -"
"No, it's too crowded. Too many people around."
You could build a house at Lake Hylia. That's not crowded at all." Suggested Malon.
"But that's sort of the opposite. It's TOO isolated. If something happens anywhere else, it would take a while to get there."
We walked into the house and stopped talking until we were upstairs, where we wouldn't wake Talon.
Malon perked up again. "Gerudo Valley -"
I stopped her there, laughing. "No, no, that's way too scary. Only people around for miles are females."
Malon laughed as she sat down on her bed. I sat down at the table. She looked at me sidelong and said "You don't know how to act around women, do you?"
Indignant, I defended myself with, "Hey, I spent my whole life with the Kokiri, and they all stay kids."
Malon looked thoughtful for a moment. "I could teach you."
"Teach me what?" I said quickly.
"Manners! You interrupted my thoughts!" She looked around for a weapon, and decided upon her pillow, which she grabbed and threw at me. "Hey!" I grabbed Talon's pillow and threw it back at her without even thinking. My reckless action started a grand pillow fight. Cucco feathers flew everywhere, and we attacked each other relentlessly.
After a while, we both flopped onto her bed. She looked at me, and our eyes met. I stared into her eyes; twin pools of clear blue water, and felt myself being drawn in. I had never really noticed her eyes before. She broke away, embarrassed, and said: "You know, you're always welcome here. You could stay in the little barn on the other side of the corral."
I sincerely wanted to, but it somehow didn't seem right. I blurted out the first excuse I came up with. "I think the cuccos would wake me up too early."
Malon laughed, but it was a strangely forced laugh. I could tell she was sad. "I just need someplace quiet," I explained.
She thought, and then snapped her fingers. "I've got it! Dampe's hut in the graveyard! He sleeps during the day, so you can rent it out at night!"
"You know, I think that'll work. I better go make the arrangements. I'll see you later, Malon." We stared at each other for maybe a moment too long, and then I left.