Chapter V
The couple emerged into the half-light that flooded through the dense canopy of trees, and Malon gazed at the vista. A wide, rickety rope bridge lay at their feet, elongating over a narrow glade that seemed to be in the heart of a vast forest. As the two set foot upon it and sound came to her ears. It was a mysterious, melodic sound- the same tune, in fact, that Link had played on his ocarina to summon Saria. The melody was jubilant, but. sort of poignant in a way. Haunting. However, it fit the woods ideally. This was no ordinary forest- the whole scene seemed alive.
They stood transfixed for another moment, and miniscule particles gathered in the air not two feet from their noses and began to swirl hypnotically. They were like pixies, or like the faerie-folk that picketed these woods. they were almost alive.
Malon, who could resist temptation not longer, lifted her arm to touch the thing, to feel it, proclaim it's solid reality to her doubtful eyes. But not a moment after she moved, the swirling dust dispersed into the surrounding air. She apologetically raised her face to Link, but he only grinned.
"Haha, it's alright Mal. They aren't real. It's just an enchantment on these woods cast long ago by the Great Deku Tree. I'm not certain how the tale goes, but apparently, the air in these woods holds a spell that conjures up dust to swirl on it's own like that. The air must be very calm and very still for it to work. I don't even notice them anymore, but I guess they're kind of odd to someone from outside of the forest. anyway, shall we move on?"
The two continued across the old bridge, and Malon looked up. "Oh, Link!" She gasped. He followed her eyes.
"Ah yes, what'd I tell you? Beautiful, huh?" The boughs of the trees blazed in luminous shades of autumn, the color palette multiplied and magnified due to the temperate sunrays that shone through them.
"Link. they are beautiful." Malon's eyes broke from the site above and focused on Link's face. "Thank you, Link. Thank you for taking me here. this forest is so mysterious, so full of ancient secrets. it's enchanting!" Malon looked all around her. How nice it must've been to grow up within such a magnificent place. Link was lucky. Malon looked to the man's face again- what? Link was gazing off into the foliage, brow furrowed, apparently deep in thought.
"Link. what's wrong?" The woman's girlish face creased with worry.
"Oh, it's nothing. Nothing that can be helped anyway. it's just that. well, whenever I enter the forest, I remember my. my mother. I've told you the story. she died in these woods to save me, to deliver me to the Deku Tree's protection. I feel her soul with me whenever I smell this enchanted air. but," he looked down to Malon's sweet, innocent face. "Fortunately, I've found a way to remove my sorrow. By finding another woman to think about, to care for." he reached down and took Malon's hands. "To love."
Malon's eyes searched Link's for a moment, and for a second she held a confused look. then she broke out into her famous, ranch girl grin, pulled Link close, and kissed him passionately. When they finally finished, she met his eye again.
"I'm. I'm guessing that your reply is. positive?" Link's eyebrows rose.
"Oh, I dunno, was my hint that questionable? Well, I'll have to prove my answer to you *later*. but for now you'll have to deal with just some words. cause I love you, too." She winked at him, then reached up and embraced him. "My hero."
The lovers soon left the forest for home, and as usual, as they approached the gate Talon stood watching from his window. He chuckled, turning to his cuckoos.
"HAW! I do declare, I believe I 'ere weddin' bells a'ringin'! What a happy day on our fine ranch it is, that two young-uns fall so deeply in love with one another. Takes meh back to my youth.ah." The old man clucked to his hens, leaning an elbow on the windowsill to reminisce.
Over the following weeks, Link and Malon grew inseparable. He accompanied her on all of her milk runs and made sure to work long and hard all day to catch the eye of the girl's father. He wanted to make the best impression he could, which would be strenuous- Talon had known the boy for years and was well aware of some of Link's lethargic habits. He wasn't a lazy person, but at the same time, he wasn't as cut for ranch labor as Talon and Malon were. He planned to marry the ranch girl, though he told no one, save maybe Epona, of his plans. He had no ring yet, but with all the saved rupees he had, planned to purchase the biggest, most stunning emerald ring available in one of the castle market jewel shops. An emerald to match Malon's eyes, and to match The Hero of Time's Lincoln-green tunic. An emerald. for the color of the forest, that which held all of Link's memories. The jewel was a perfect choice for many reasons.
One afternoon in early October, Link decided that he'd go to pick out the ring. He had finished his chores for the day, and figured that if he was serious about his decision, then he should obtain the ring as soon as possible, to leave room for possible proposal situations. He emerged from the stables and strolled out into the corral. Malon stood in the center, lightly brushing a young foal, humming jovially. Link snuck up behind her, wrapped his arms around her and breathed into her ear.
"Hey. I'm gonna be gone for a while today- I need to go converse with the Princess about some things. I'll be back before dark, alright?"
Malon craned her neck around and kissed him briefly. "Okay, but don't be long. and don't let Zelda steal you away from me, huh?"
Link chuckled softly. "Don't worry. I know where my heart lies." With that he let her go and sprinted back across the corral, calling Epona to him as he fled.
Half an hour later, Link reached the threshold of the castle, and dismounted Epona. "Go home, girl. I'll call for you later." He then crossed into the castle and made his way into town.
"Maybe I'd better get Zelda first. for one, I won't be mendacious to Malon, and for another. I might need some help finding a ring." So Link trekked up the walkway to the castle.
********
"And that's the story," Link sighed and leaned back in his cushioned chair, waiting for the princess to respond. The two sat in the castle courtyard, relaying all that had occurred leading up to his choice to ask Malon to be his bride.
Zelda sat quietly for a moment, pondering all that he had acquainted with her. Then she too leaned back into her armchair and giggled.
"Link, the Hero of Time, slayer of the Evil King Ganondorf.is nervous? About a girl? Heehee. How very anomalous."
"Come on, Zelda. This is important to me. Can you at least help me pick out a ring? You're a princess- you should know where to get the best jewelry, right? I need an emerald." Link looked at her with pleading in his eyes.
"Alright, alright. I'll help you out. I can take you to the royal jeweler. that's where I get most of my possessions. But what's the fun in that?" Zelda leaned in closer and whispered. "I happen to know of a place where you can get the best jewelry in Hyrule. Run by an old family friend, a Goron by the name of Munendria. My father doesn't know it, but I sometimes sneak out to his shop to buy necklaces for the banquets. If you want, we could go there." She grinned.
"Well, if it's the best around. yeah, let's do it!" Link trailed the princess out the back entrance to the castle and down to the market.
Presently, the two entered a small, dank alleyway that led back behind the many main shops of the marketplace. Undersized dogs ran around their heels and yapped at them eagerly, begging for food. Zelda wore an old satin shawl over her head lest someone spot her and cause dilemma. Link walked in the princess's tracks, surveying the scene around them. Some of the residents of Hyrule castle town lived back here- on one occasion when Link was younger, he had been obliged to return a lost dog to one of the mistresses that dwelled within these shadowed houses. They soon approached a tarnished wooden door and, aided by a small shaft of light issuing from above the darkened lane, Link read the plaque suspended precariously above the opening:
Specialty Jewelers Limited- Rings, Necklaces, earrings, more.
"This the place?" Link looked back at Zelda.
"Yeah, this is it." The princess stepped past Link and took hold of the weighty brass knocker bolted to the door, knocked it twice, and waited patiently.
Presently there was a sound from behind the door- someone was fumbling with the locks on the opposite door surface. There was a miniscule click and the wooden structure creaked open, revealing two wide-set, suspicious opal eyes, which contracted in the half-light. They seemed to catch sight of Zelda, then the whole door swung open, to reveal the owner of the infinitesimal shop.
Link stumbled back and locked eyes with the most prevalent Goron he had ever chanced a look upon, next to Biggoron himself, of course. The creature's frame was colossal- it could not have fit through the doorframe if it were cut to half its present dimension. 'There must be a back door for him,' Link thought to himself. But before he chanced another look at the notion, the creature spoke.
"Ah. princess. Always nice to see you. Have you any need of my wares? A banquet, perhaps?" Munendria spoke in a deep, throaty tone, which reverberated through the cobbled street and up into Link's knees.
"Actually, dear Munendria, 'tis my friend here in need of your gracious aid. You see, he plans to be wed, and-"
"AH! A RING!" The Goron boomed, nearly giving the two Hyrulians heart attacks. "But of course! Well, you've come to the right place, my good friend! Any sort of gem in particular?" His colossal mouth split into a huge grin as he eyed Link.
"Well." Link started meekly. "I- I was thinking of an Emerald. I need a-"
"Emerald?" The creature interrupted for the second time. "I carry quite a few. Mined straight from Dodongo's Cavern itself, though I'm sure a lad like you has never chanced a trek up into a place as that, eh?" Munendria chuckled, but Link just slowly shook his head.
"You'd be daftly surprised, my friend," Link murmured, but the Goron had moved to another subject. The habit was beginning to annoy Link.
"This emerald you speak of. I have one in mind already, of course. The best I can offer, which is much to say. But- it will not come cheap. I'd say-"
"Money is not a problem, sir." It was Link's turn to interrupt as he hefted his massive Giant's Wallet from a concealed pocket. Munendria gaped at the bag for a moment, then moved back and opened the door copiously.
"Please, please! Come inside, my friend, and shop to your heart's desire!"
The two followed the immense Goron into the darkened room. A lamp was lit, and Link peered through the gloom.
They were standing in a building, of course- Link was quite sure he had noticed the walls outside- but now. now he was tentative about the fact. All around, at the base of each of the walls, were mounds and mounds of debris. It all seemed earth-based, but there was enough of it to actually create the illusion of walking into a cave. The mounds were piled high up against the walls, nearly to the ceiling, and the ground was all but lost in a dense layer of grunge and sand. In the center of the floor stood a long, low wooden table, warped with age. There was a gigantic bundle of tattered blankets and rags in the corner, obviously for sleeping occupations. A doorway on the opposite wall led to another room that gave off strong heat waves and cast scarlet silhouettes across the floor, writhing and dancing this way and that. The furnace room, perceptibly. The whole place had a greased, oily smell, and if one walked to swiftly, clouds of soot from the floor drifted up in lazy tendrils and stained one's boots. The place was undoubtedly ancient, and well used for its part.
Munendria shuffled off to the opposite door, muttering to himself. Link followed in his footsteps, but Zelda tugged him back.
"Just wait. He went to get the gem he was talking about. Meanwhile, look at these." She gestured to the low table. Link noticed for the first time that it was actually a display case- he had carelessly mistaken it for a table. But the glass was so scratched and dirty he hadn't even noticed the treasures within. Zelda carefully lifted the glass ("he always keeps it unlocked- his rarities are all in the back," she told him) and examined the sight.
There were jewels all shapes, sizes, hue, and clarity. There were rubies and sapphires and opal and pearl and diamond- all different gems. Link was taken aback- if this assortment was the dealer's "over the counter" array, Link eagerly anticipated what would present itself from within the Goron's back room. Just then, there was a rumbling, muffled sound as Munendria re-entered the area, a small, oblique-shaped charcoal box in his possession. He gently sited the container onto the countertop and glanced down towards the man.
"I've waited quite a long time to be selling this piece off; no one's ever made an offer on it and kept true to their word, and truth be told, I've grown quite attached to the beauty. But woe is me, my day's are numbered, and when I see you I know that you're much better off using it for such a wonderful occasion than ol' me keeping it safely tucked away in this tiny hole of a shop. So here's the deal," he lifted the box and placed a massive hand on the top in preparation to unfasten it. "I show it to ya, you look it over and tell me if you like it, and I'll clue you in on its colorful history. Eh?"
Link nodded in endorsement. "Deal." With that the Goron lifted the lid and brought it into the dimmed light.
Link gasped. There, within the unadorned old ring box, embed onto a flawless golden ring, sat an emerald. The glare of the tarnished lamp suspended overhead hit the surface of the precious stone and shattered into a hundred singular speckles of radiance, each issuing from an individual microscopic surface delicately carved into the stone. It glittered with such luminosity, such fluid motion, that Link felt tempted to touch it, just to make sure it wasn't, in fact, an orb of shimmering green liquid. It was truly exquisite, but. it was not one of its kind. No, Link felt sure that he had experienced this feeling before, that he had glimpsed this same splendor once before. But where, where had it been? 'Farore, help me remember,' Link thought out of habit. But then- WAIT! Farore. Goddess of courage. Green. Green, like the forest- green, like the garbs of the ageless children that dwelled within it. The Kokiri. The-
Munendria broke Link's trance yet again before the man could officially pronounce his thoughts. "Familiar to you, boy? I see it in your eyes. Mayhap you've glimpsed this beauty's sister, the heart of the forest, the revered-
"Kokiri's Emerald." Link finished for him. He had known, from the moment the light had hit it and shattered like glass, like a crystal reality. The heart of the forest. This stone was of the same make, hewed and forged by the goddesses themselves as fables and folklore went, from the same rock as the gem bestowed upon Link long ago by the Deku Tree Himself. It's sister stone.
"Name your price, sir. It means naught to me." Link said, still recuperating from his initial shock. The Goron grinned and beamed down at the jewel.
"Its name is The Eye of Farore, and I've had it within my possession as long as I can remember. My father bartered it of an old merchant long ago. It's yours now though, kid. 'Tis odd- I feel as if it was fated to fall to your hands. Either way, I may have to retire off of this purchase- my days are spent, and with this kind of money, you've made me a gracious old soul. the Eye is yours for 50,000 rupees."
Link and the princess left shortly after that, and after escorting Zelda back to the castle, the man rode swiftly back to the ranch, the Eye of Farore concealed safely, secretly. Away from the eyes of all, until the right moment showed itself. "Yes, until then," Link said aloud to the whistling wind as Epona clip-clopped up the incline and into the ranch. "Until then."
The couple emerged into the half-light that flooded through the dense canopy of trees, and Malon gazed at the vista. A wide, rickety rope bridge lay at their feet, elongating over a narrow glade that seemed to be in the heart of a vast forest. As the two set foot upon it and sound came to her ears. It was a mysterious, melodic sound- the same tune, in fact, that Link had played on his ocarina to summon Saria. The melody was jubilant, but. sort of poignant in a way. Haunting. However, it fit the woods ideally. This was no ordinary forest- the whole scene seemed alive.
They stood transfixed for another moment, and miniscule particles gathered in the air not two feet from their noses and began to swirl hypnotically. They were like pixies, or like the faerie-folk that picketed these woods. they were almost alive.
Malon, who could resist temptation not longer, lifted her arm to touch the thing, to feel it, proclaim it's solid reality to her doubtful eyes. But not a moment after she moved, the swirling dust dispersed into the surrounding air. She apologetically raised her face to Link, but he only grinned.
"Haha, it's alright Mal. They aren't real. It's just an enchantment on these woods cast long ago by the Great Deku Tree. I'm not certain how the tale goes, but apparently, the air in these woods holds a spell that conjures up dust to swirl on it's own like that. The air must be very calm and very still for it to work. I don't even notice them anymore, but I guess they're kind of odd to someone from outside of the forest. anyway, shall we move on?"
The two continued across the old bridge, and Malon looked up. "Oh, Link!" She gasped. He followed her eyes.
"Ah yes, what'd I tell you? Beautiful, huh?" The boughs of the trees blazed in luminous shades of autumn, the color palette multiplied and magnified due to the temperate sunrays that shone through them.
"Link. they are beautiful." Malon's eyes broke from the site above and focused on Link's face. "Thank you, Link. Thank you for taking me here. this forest is so mysterious, so full of ancient secrets. it's enchanting!" Malon looked all around her. How nice it must've been to grow up within such a magnificent place. Link was lucky. Malon looked to the man's face again- what? Link was gazing off into the foliage, brow furrowed, apparently deep in thought.
"Link. what's wrong?" The woman's girlish face creased with worry.
"Oh, it's nothing. Nothing that can be helped anyway. it's just that. well, whenever I enter the forest, I remember my. my mother. I've told you the story. she died in these woods to save me, to deliver me to the Deku Tree's protection. I feel her soul with me whenever I smell this enchanted air. but," he looked down to Malon's sweet, innocent face. "Fortunately, I've found a way to remove my sorrow. By finding another woman to think about, to care for." he reached down and took Malon's hands. "To love."
Malon's eyes searched Link's for a moment, and for a second she held a confused look. then she broke out into her famous, ranch girl grin, pulled Link close, and kissed him passionately. When they finally finished, she met his eye again.
"I'm. I'm guessing that your reply is. positive?" Link's eyebrows rose.
"Oh, I dunno, was my hint that questionable? Well, I'll have to prove my answer to you *later*. but for now you'll have to deal with just some words. cause I love you, too." She winked at him, then reached up and embraced him. "My hero."
The lovers soon left the forest for home, and as usual, as they approached the gate Talon stood watching from his window. He chuckled, turning to his cuckoos.
"HAW! I do declare, I believe I 'ere weddin' bells a'ringin'! What a happy day on our fine ranch it is, that two young-uns fall so deeply in love with one another. Takes meh back to my youth.ah." The old man clucked to his hens, leaning an elbow on the windowsill to reminisce.
Over the following weeks, Link and Malon grew inseparable. He accompanied her on all of her milk runs and made sure to work long and hard all day to catch the eye of the girl's father. He wanted to make the best impression he could, which would be strenuous- Talon had known the boy for years and was well aware of some of Link's lethargic habits. He wasn't a lazy person, but at the same time, he wasn't as cut for ranch labor as Talon and Malon were. He planned to marry the ranch girl, though he told no one, save maybe Epona, of his plans. He had no ring yet, but with all the saved rupees he had, planned to purchase the biggest, most stunning emerald ring available in one of the castle market jewel shops. An emerald to match Malon's eyes, and to match The Hero of Time's Lincoln-green tunic. An emerald. for the color of the forest, that which held all of Link's memories. The jewel was a perfect choice for many reasons.
One afternoon in early October, Link decided that he'd go to pick out the ring. He had finished his chores for the day, and figured that if he was serious about his decision, then he should obtain the ring as soon as possible, to leave room for possible proposal situations. He emerged from the stables and strolled out into the corral. Malon stood in the center, lightly brushing a young foal, humming jovially. Link snuck up behind her, wrapped his arms around her and breathed into her ear.
"Hey. I'm gonna be gone for a while today- I need to go converse with the Princess about some things. I'll be back before dark, alright?"
Malon craned her neck around and kissed him briefly. "Okay, but don't be long. and don't let Zelda steal you away from me, huh?"
Link chuckled softly. "Don't worry. I know where my heart lies." With that he let her go and sprinted back across the corral, calling Epona to him as he fled.
Half an hour later, Link reached the threshold of the castle, and dismounted Epona. "Go home, girl. I'll call for you later." He then crossed into the castle and made his way into town.
"Maybe I'd better get Zelda first. for one, I won't be mendacious to Malon, and for another. I might need some help finding a ring." So Link trekked up the walkway to the castle.
********
"And that's the story," Link sighed and leaned back in his cushioned chair, waiting for the princess to respond. The two sat in the castle courtyard, relaying all that had occurred leading up to his choice to ask Malon to be his bride.
Zelda sat quietly for a moment, pondering all that he had acquainted with her. Then she too leaned back into her armchair and giggled.
"Link, the Hero of Time, slayer of the Evil King Ganondorf.is nervous? About a girl? Heehee. How very anomalous."
"Come on, Zelda. This is important to me. Can you at least help me pick out a ring? You're a princess- you should know where to get the best jewelry, right? I need an emerald." Link looked at her with pleading in his eyes.
"Alright, alright. I'll help you out. I can take you to the royal jeweler. that's where I get most of my possessions. But what's the fun in that?" Zelda leaned in closer and whispered. "I happen to know of a place where you can get the best jewelry in Hyrule. Run by an old family friend, a Goron by the name of Munendria. My father doesn't know it, but I sometimes sneak out to his shop to buy necklaces for the banquets. If you want, we could go there." She grinned.
"Well, if it's the best around. yeah, let's do it!" Link trailed the princess out the back entrance to the castle and down to the market.
Presently, the two entered a small, dank alleyway that led back behind the many main shops of the marketplace. Undersized dogs ran around their heels and yapped at them eagerly, begging for food. Zelda wore an old satin shawl over her head lest someone spot her and cause dilemma. Link walked in the princess's tracks, surveying the scene around them. Some of the residents of Hyrule castle town lived back here- on one occasion when Link was younger, he had been obliged to return a lost dog to one of the mistresses that dwelled within these shadowed houses. They soon approached a tarnished wooden door and, aided by a small shaft of light issuing from above the darkened lane, Link read the plaque suspended precariously above the opening:
Specialty Jewelers Limited- Rings, Necklaces, earrings, more.
"This the place?" Link looked back at Zelda.
"Yeah, this is it." The princess stepped past Link and took hold of the weighty brass knocker bolted to the door, knocked it twice, and waited patiently.
Presently there was a sound from behind the door- someone was fumbling with the locks on the opposite door surface. There was a miniscule click and the wooden structure creaked open, revealing two wide-set, suspicious opal eyes, which contracted in the half-light. They seemed to catch sight of Zelda, then the whole door swung open, to reveal the owner of the infinitesimal shop.
Link stumbled back and locked eyes with the most prevalent Goron he had ever chanced a look upon, next to Biggoron himself, of course. The creature's frame was colossal- it could not have fit through the doorframe if it were cut to half its present dimension. 'There must be a back door for him,' Link thought to himself. But before he chanced another look at the notion, the creature spoke.
"Ah. princess. Always nice to see you. Have you any need of my wares? A banquet, perhaps?" Munendria spoke in a deep, throaty tone, which reverberated through the cobbled street and up into Link's knees.
"Actually, dear Munendria, 'tis my friend here in need of your gracious aid. You see, he plans to be wed, and-"
"AH! A RING!" The Goron boomed, nearly giving the two Hyrulians heart attacks. "But of course! Well, you've come to the right place, my good friend! Any sort of gem in particular?" His colossal mouth split into a huge grin as he eyed Link.
"Well." Link started meekly. "I- I was thinking of an Emerald. I need a-"
"Emerald?" The creature interrupted for the second time. "I carry quite a few. Mined straight from Dodongo's Cavern itself, though I'm sure a lad like you has never chanced a trek up into a place as that, eh?" Munendria chuckled, but Link just slowly shook his head.
"You'd be daftly surprised, my friend," Link murmured, but the Goron had moved to another subject. The habit was beginning to annoy Link.
"This emerald you speak of. I have one in mind already, of course. The best I can offer, which is much to say. But- it will not come cheap. I'd say-"
"Money is not a problem, sir." It was Link's turn to interrupt as he hefted his massive Giant's Wallet from a concealed pocket. Munendria gaped at the bag for a moment, then moved back and opened the door copiously.
"Please, please! Come inside, my friend, and shop to your heart's desire!"
The two followed the immense Goron into the darkened room. A lamp was lit, and Link peered through the gloom.
They were standing in a building, of course- Link was quite sure he had noticed the walls outside- but now. now he was tentative about the fact. All around, at the base of each of the walls, were mounds and mounds of debris. It all seemed earth-based, but there was enough of it to actually create the illusion of walking into a cave. The mounds were piled high up against the walls, nearly to the ceiling, and the ground was all but lost in a dense layer of grunge and sand. In the center of the floor stood a long, low wooden table, warped with age. There was a gigantic bundle of tattered blankets and rags in the corner, obviously for sleeping occupations. A doorway on the opposite wall led to another room that gave off strong heat waves and cast scarlet silhouettes across the floor, writhing and dancing this way and that. The furnace room, perceptibly. The whole place had a greased, oily smell, and if one walked to swiftly, clouds of soot from the floor drifted up in lazy tendrils and stained one's boots. The place was undoubtedly ancient, and well used for its part.
Munendria shuffled off to the opposite door, muttering to himself. Link followed in his footsteps, but Zelda tugged him back.
"Just wait. He went to get the gem he was talking about. Meanwhile, look at these." She gestured to the low table. Link noticed for the first time that it was actually a display case- he had carelessly mistaken it for a table. But the glass was so scratched and dirty he hadn't even noticed the treasures within. Zelda carefully lifted the glass ("he always keeps it unlocked- his rarities are all in the back," she told him) and examined the sight.
There were jewels all shapes, sizes, hue, and clarity. There were rubies and sapphires and opal and pearl and diamond- all different gems. Link was taken aback- if this assortment was the dealer's "over the counter" array, Link eagerly anticipated what would present itself from within the Goron's back room. Just then, there was a rumbling, muffled sound as Munendria re-entered the area, a small, oblique-shaped charcoal box in his possession. He gently sited the container onto the countertop and glanced down towards the man.
"I've waited quite a long time to be selling this piece off; no one's ever made an offer on it and kept true to their word, and truth be told, I've grown quite attached to the beauty. But woe is me, my day's are numbered, and when I see you I know that you're much better off using it for such a wonderful occasion than ol' me keeping it safely tucked away in this tiny hole of a shop. So here's the deal," he lifted the box and placed a massive hand on the top in preparation to unfasten it. "I show it to ya, you look it over and tell me if you like it, and I'll clue you in on its colorful history. Eh?"
Link nodded in endorsement. "Deal." With that the Goron lifted the lid and brought it into the dimmed light.
Link gasped. There, within the unadorned old ring box, embed onto a flawless golden ring, sat an emerald. The glare of the tarnished lamp suspended overhead hit the surface of the precious stone and shattered into a hundred singular speckles of radiance, each issuing from an individual microscopic surface delicately carved into the stone. It glittered with such luminosity, such fluid motion, that Link felt tempted to touch it, just to make sure it wasn't, in fact, an orb of shimmering green liquid. It was truly exquisite, but. it was not one of its kind. No, Link felt sure that he had experienced this feeling before, that he had glimpsed this same splendor once before. But where, where had it been? 'Farore, help me remember,' Link thought out of habit. But then- WAIT! Farore. Goddess of courage. Green. Green, like the forest- green, like the garbs of the ageless children that dwelled within it. The Kokiri. The-
Munendria broke Link's trance yet again before the man could officially pronounce his thoughts. "Familiar to you, boy? I see it in your eyes. Mayhap you've glimpsed this beauty's sister, the heart of the forest, the revered-
"Kokiri's Emerald." Link finished for him. He had known, from the moment the light had hit it and shattered like glass, like a crystal reality. The heart of the forest. This stone was of the same make, hewed and forged by the goddesses themselves as fables and folklore went, from the same rock as the gem bestowed upon Link long ago by the Deku Tree Himself. It's sister stone.
"Name your price, sir. It means naught to me." Link said, still recuperating from his initial shock. The Goron grinned and beamed down at the jewel.
"Its name is The Eye of Farore, and I've had it within my possession as long as I can remember. My father bartered it of an old merchant long ago. It's yours now though, kid. 'Tis odd- I feel as if it was fated to fall to your hands. Either way, I may have to retire off of this purchase- my days are spent, and with this kind of money, you've made me a gracious old soul. the Eye is yours for 50,000 rupees."
Link and the princess left shortly after that, and after escorting Zelda back to the castle, the man rode swiftly back to the ranch, the Eye of Farore concealed safely, secretly. Away from the eyes of all, until the right moment showed itself. "Yes, until then," Link said aloud to the whistling wind as Epona clip-clopped up the incline and into the ranch. "Until then."