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"Where are we headed now?" asked Navi, trying hard to hold onto his shield and talk at the same time. Epona was galloping madly and she was finding it difficult to keep hold.
"Lon Lon Ranch," replied Link, leaning farther into the wind. He wanted to get there before darkness completely fell. He remembered Malon commenting that she heard strange noises at night. He wondered if these noises were in any way connected to what was going on with the ranch's cows. He arrived at the ranch at the end of a beautiful sunset.
"Link!" cried Malon, who had just returned to the ranch herself. "What brings you here? Have you discovered something about my cows?" she asked eagerly. She ran up to Link's horse and practically pulled him off of it. She patted Epona's head affectionately, and then turned her attention completely to Link.
"Well, I'm here to see if I can stop whatever is going on. Malon, you told me last time I was here that you sometimes here sounds at night. When exactly do you hear them?" he asked.
"Oh, later at night, close to midnight actually. Come on inside, and I'll tell you what I know," she said, grabbing Link's hand and pulling him inside.
The little cottage that Malon and her father lived in was cozy. It was small, but adequate for their needs. A fireplace stood on one side of the room, and sitting in front of it was the ranch owner himself, Talon. He was sleeping, and Link smirked. That seemed to be Talon's favorite state of being. There was a table and chairs, and he and Malon sat down there to talk.
"Last night, I heard the noises," began Malon. "It was around midnight, and I went to the window to see what was going on. I saw the strangest thing. There were these creatures, and they were heading for the barn. They were illuminated in different colored lights. They made a strange sort of cackling sound, and they carried these lanterns. I was too afraid to go out and confront them. There were three of them, and only one of me, and I didn't know what they were. I tried to wake up my father, but he is, as you know, a sound sleeper, and when I finally got him to get up, the creatures were gone. Do you know what they might be?"
Link leaned back, surprised by what he was hearing. "To tell you the truth, they sound like Poes," said Link. He found it odd that a Poe ghost would do work for anyone. But the beings that Malon was describing, sounded very much like the ghosts that he had fought all over Hyrule. "Then again," he continued, "I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time."
"Poes? But aren't those ghosts?" asked Malon, her face scrunched as she thought about what Link had just told her.
"Yes," said Link. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Well, what do ghosts want with milk? I mean, they're dead, it's not like they even need to eat and drink, let alone be healed from anything. And what would they gain from stealing the milk from others?" She leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Oh, this is all so confusing. I don't envy you at all, Link. You have to deal with this sort of stuff all the time."
Link laughed and shook his head. "No, not really. I usually don't think that much into it, I just defeat whatever needs to be defeated. But your question is a valid one. Like I said before though, I could be wrong. They might not be Poes. But we have awhile before they arrive. We should take some time to catch up! What have you been up to?" asked Link. Malon smiled widely. Her blue eyes lit up and she blushed slightly.
"Actually, Link, I've been rather busy," she replied, trying hard not to giggle.
Link leaned forward, intrigued. "Go on," he urged her.
"Well, I went into town the one day to deliver some milk and I was nearly kidnapped by some man who wanted the milk and any money that I had on me. A Hylian guard was just about to go on duty and was walking by to get to his post, and he rescued me. His name is Teague and, well, we try to see each other as often as possible. In fact, he's hoping to ask my father for my hand!" said Malon, practically bouncing up and down in her seat from excitement.
"Malon! That's incredible! Oh, how wonderful! I'm very happy for you!" cried Link. A noise from the direction of the fireplace startled both of them, and they turned to see if Talon was waking. There was a loud snort from Talon, and then a mumble, and he fell back into his normal snoring. Link sighed and turned back to Malon. "Congratulations!" he said, a little more quietly this time, not wanting to disturb the ranch owner.
"Well, it hasn't happened yet, and I don't know what my father will say."
"Oh, please! He's a Hylian Guard. That's quite an honor. Talon will be thrilled!" said Link. Malon blushed and nodded, knowing it was true. They sat and talked about everything that had happened with both of them since they had last had the chance to really talk. By the time midnight rolled around, the pair was completely caught up. Link was happy that he had had this time to reminisce with an old friend. It had only been a handful of days since he had been on this adventure, but it was nice to have a break.
Malon and he had instantly connected the first time they met, and nothing had changed. Link remembered once looking at Malon in a different light, noticing how her hair caught up in the wind, revealing her blue eyes and beautiful smile. But how he could ever see that again, he didn't know. Her friendship was too dear to him, and he could see that the feeling was the same on her end. There was a time when he would have been seething with jealousy of this Teague character. But that was not the case any longer. Link truly was happy that Malon had found someone to share the rest of her life with. He only wished that he might someday be so lucky.
A cackle broke through Link's thoughts and he turned to the window just in time to glimpse a group of three Poe ghosts heading towards the barn. "Yes, the milk thieves are indeed Poe ghosts," said Link. "I have no idea what they want with your milk, but I'll get rid of them, I promise."
Link ran out the door, and grabbed Epona. He rode out to the pasture, grabbed an arrow, and fired away. He managed to hit and kill all three ghosts fairly quickly. Poes were more annoying than anything, and he found it very easy to get rid of them. But the victory was most likely short lived. He knew that Poes could be replaced, and that they probably would be. Irnan would most likely not give up that easily. He walked back to the house and met Malon at the door.
"Thank you! You have no idea what you've done," she said, a large and grateful smile gracing her face.
"Well, I haven't done much, really. I don't think that we've seen the last of the Poes. I'm sure that more will be by, so I'm going to suggest that you get yourself a bow and plenty of arrows. No more should be by tonight, but tomorrow night they probably will be. They're not hard to destroy if you stand far enough away from them. They won't hurt you too much if they do get too close, but you should be careful just the same. If they get you enough times, they could probably do quite a bit of damage. I don't think that they would ever get anywhere near to killing you, but be on your guard when you go out there. You should be fine. Good luck, Malon," Link said before turning to leave.
"Good luck to you too, Link," she replied before shutting the door and heading upstairs to bed.
Link saddled Epona and slowly trotted away from the ranch. He had covered two places that Irnan had messed with now. He would hit the Zora Fountain tomorrow and see what needed to be done there. He hoped that Saria would put in an appearance soon so that they could discuss all that was happening. He was eager to see her again and tell her all that he had accomplished in the past day. But even more important at the moment, was sleep. Navi had awakened him earlier that morning, and it was nearly one o'clock in the morning now. He yawned in response to this thought, and then put pressure on Epona's sides to make her go faster. His bed was calling to him, and he was afraid he might fall asleep before he ever made it home.
"Where are we headed now?" asked Navi, trying hard to hold onto his shield and talk at the same time. Epona was galloping madly and she was finding it difficult to keep hold.
"Lon Lon Ranch," replied Link, leaning farther into the wind. He wanted to get there before darkness completely fell. He remembered Malon commenting that she heard strange noises at night. He wondered if these noises were in any way connected to what was going on with the ranch's cows. He arrived at the ranch at the end of a beautiful sunset.
"Link!" cried Malon, who had just returned to the ranch herself. "What brings you here? Have you discovered something about my cows?" she asked eagerly. She ran up to Link's horse and practically pulled him off of it. She patted Epona's head affectionately, and then turned her attention completely to Link.
"Well, I'm here to see if I can stop whatever is going on. Malon, you told me last time I was here that you sometimes here sounds at night. When exactly do you hear them?" he asked.
"Oh, later at night, close to midnight actually. Come on inside, and I'll tell you what I know," she said, grabbing Link's hand and pulling him inside.
The little cottage that Malon and her father lived in was cozy. It was small, but adequate for their needs. A fireplace stood on one side of the room, and sitting in front of it was the ranch owner himself, Talon. He was sleeping, and Link smirked. That seemed to be Talon's favorite state of being. There was a table and chairs, and he and Malon sat down there to talk.
"Last night, I heard the noises," began Malon. "It was around midnight, and I went to the window to see what was going on. I saw the strangest thing. There were these creatures, and they were heading for the barn. They were illuminated in different colored lights. They made a strange sort of cackling sound, and they carried these lanterns. I was too afraid to go out and confront them. There were three of them, and only one of me, and I didn't know what they were. I tried to wake up my father, but he is, as you know, a sound sleeper, and when I finally got him to get up, the creatures were gone. Do you know what they might be?"
Link leaned back, surprised by what he was hearing. "To tell you the truth, they sound like Poes," said Link. He found it odd that a Poe ghost would do work for anyone. But the beings that Malon was describing, sounded very much like the ghosts that he had fought all over Hyrule. "Then again," he continued, "I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time."
"Poes? But aren't those ghosts?" asked Malon, her face scrunched as she thought about what Link had just told her.
"Yes," said Link. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"Well, what do ghosts want with milk? I mean, they're dead, it's not like they even need to eat and drink, let alone be healed from anything. And what would they gain from stealing the milk from others?" She leaned back in her chair and sighed. "Oh, this is all so confusing. I don't envy you at all, Link. You have to deal with this sort of stuff all the time."
Link laughed and shook his head. "No, not really. I usually don't think that much into it, I just defeat whatever needs to be defeated. But your question is a valid one. Like I said before though, I could be wrong. They might not be Poes. But we have awhile before they arrive. We should take some time to catch up! What have you been up to?" asked Link. Malon smiled widely. Her blue eyes lit up and she blushed slightly.
"Actually, Link, I've been rather busy," she replied, trying hard not to giggle.
Link leaned forward, intrigued. "Go on," he urged her.
"Well, I went into town the one day to deliver some milk and I was nearly kidnapped by some man who wanted the milk and any money that I had on me. A Hylian guard was just about to go on duty and was walking by to get to his post, and he rescued me. His name is Teague and, well, we try to see each other as often as possible. In fact, he's hoping to ask my father for my hand!" said Malon, practically bouncing up and down in her seat from excitement.
"Malon! That's incredible! Oh, how wonderful! I'm very happy for you!" cried Link. A noise from the direction of the fireplace startled both of them, and they turned to see if Talon was waking. There was a loud snort from Talon, and then a mumble, and he fell back into his normal snoring. Link sighed and turned back to Malon. "Congratulations!" he said, a little more quietly this time, not wanting to disturb the ranch owner.
"Well, it hasn't happened yet, and I don't know what my father will say."
"Oh, please! He's a Hylian Guard. That's quite an honor. Talon will be thrilled!" said Link. Malon blushed and nodded, knowing it was true. They sat and talked about everything that had happened with both of them since they had last had the chance to really talk. By the time midnight rolled around, the pair was completely caught up. Link was happy that he had had this time to reminisce with an old friend. It had only been a handful of days since he had been on this adventure, but it was nice to have a break.
Malon and he had instantly connected the first time they met, and nothing had changed. Link remembered once looking at Malon in a different light, noticing how her hair caught up in the wind, revealing her blue eyes and beautiful smile. But how he could ever see that again, he didn't know. Her friendship was too dear to him, and he could see that the feeling was the same on her end. There was a time when he would have been seething with jealousy of this Teague character. But that was not the case any longer. Link truly was happy that Malon had found someone to share the rest of her life with. He only wished that he might someday be so lucky.
A cackle broke through Link's thoughts and he turned to the window just in time to glimpse a group of three Poe ghosts heading towards the barn. "Yes, the milk thieves are indeed Poe ghosts," said Link. "I have no idea what they want with your milk, but I'll get rid of them, I promise."
Link ran out the door, and grabbed Epona. He rode out to the pasture, grabbed an arrow, and fired away. He managed to hit and kill all three ghosts fairly quickly. Poes were more annoying than anything, and he found it very easy to get rid of them. But the victory was most likely short lived. He knew that Poes could be replaced, and that they probably would be. Irnan would most likely not give up that easily. He walked back to the house and met Malon at the door.
"Thank you! You have no idea what you've done," she said, a large and grateful smile gracing her face.
"Well, I haven't done much, really. I don't think that we've seen the last of the Poes. I'm sure that more will be by, so I'm going to suggest that you get yourself a bow and plenty of arrows. No more should be by tonight, but tomorrow night they probably will be. They're not hard to destroy if you stand far enough away from them. They won't hurt you too much if they do get too close, but you should be careful just the same. If they get you enough times, they could probably do quite a bit of damage. I don't think that they would ever get anywhere near to killing you, but be on your guard when you go out there. You should be fine. Good luck, Malon," Link said before turning to leave.
"Good luck to you too, Link," she replied before shutting the door and heading upstairs to bed.
Link saddled Epona and slowly trotted away from the ranch. He had covered two places that Irnan had messed with now. He would hit the Zora Fountain tomorrow and see what needed to be done there. He hoped that Saria would put in an appearance soon so that they could discuss all that was happening. He was eager to see her again and tell her all that he had accomplished in the past day. But even more important at the moment, was sleep. Navi had awakened him earlier that morning, and it was nearly one o'clock in the morning now. He yawned in response to this thought, and then put pressure on Epona's sides to make her go faster. His bed was calling to him, and he was afraid he might fall asleep before he ever made it home.