Disclaimer: I don't own Legend of Zelda or any of the characters in the Zelda series (if I did, I wouldn't waste my time here). I'm not making any money of this and if I forgot anything else in this disclaimer I did or didn't do that as well.
Chapter 18 - A new threat emerges
Malon opened the door of the barn and stepped inside. Her father had just begun collecting the Cucko's eggs so he would be busy for a while. That was time enough for Makei, the stable boy to finish his work and come join her in the barn. She really like him and the feeling was more than mutual. She sighed. A couple of years ago she really liked Link, but Link was a warrior, someone who fights for a living, no, she thought, as a way of life, and Makei was a good worker, a real rancher. She saw a real future with him. She blushed a little when she thought of the things they would do if he came. Maybe because she was too preoccupied with him, she didn't hear the shadow drawing closer to her.
The shadow grabbed her from behind and he held a dagger against her throat.
"Link leaves, or I'll destroy everything he holds dear." A voice hissed.
Malon froze. She couldn't say anything. She was terrified, she hadn't even been this scared when Ingo was in charge of the farm and he tried to rape her once. There was something about the voice that promised terroble things if it was defied.
"A reminder of the message you must give him." The voice said and slowly the dagger drew a red line across her cheeck. "Don't worry, this won't leave a scar," the voice reassured her, "the next one will."
The shadow let her go and she fell to the ground, unable to move. Seconds later the doors opened and Makei stepped inside.
"Malon!" he shouted and ran to see why she was lying on the floor.
She was still unable to speak or move as Makei helped her up and called for Talon. He saw the mark on her cheeck and looked around for a possible attacker but the barn appeared empty. Finally she could say something.
"L...Link, warn Link."
Link looked at the dagger lying in front of him on the table. It was a white blade with a fishhead on the handle. He then took the paper that Zelda had given him.
"What is this?" he asked.
"This note was left yesterday in the chambers of princess Ruto at Zora's fountain. According to the guards, no one had entered the room."
"Can you tell me anything else?"
"Just that the dagger is a Zora dagger."
Link thought for a moment. He had no problem with the Zora. So somebody had stolen the dagger, that was the only explanation. But what explained the note?
"Are you sure there isn't anything else?"
"Just that note which reads 'Link leaves'. There is nothing else."
Link looked again at the note. It was just a blank paper written on with black ink. The kind of paper and ink you could get anywhere. Could this be the great evil the Poe Collector warned him about? No, it didn't make any sense. Link got up and took his sword.
"Where are you going?" Zelda asked.
"To Zora's fountain of course. I'm going to check the chambers of the princess my self."
"You don't think we did a good job?"
Link looked slightly tired at Zelda. He had just about enough of her superiority complex.
"Don't take it personally, but I have experience in solving puzzles, and that's just what this is." He stated.
Zelda said nothing and Link took that as an apology.
"So," she broke the silence, "where's Romani?"
She said the name Romani as if she would say Ganondorf. Zelda didn't like Romani much for some reason, not after she found out Romani was engaged to Link. Link thought back at the conversation he had with Alexis after he had defeated Ganondorf. Was she mad because a simple farmgirl got the Hero of Time and he didn't beg for Zelda? Ever since he had killed the Poe Collector a few months ago the queen had come over to Link's house for all sorts of reasons, mainly to train the royal guard, but Link reclined each time. It's strange to say, but he started to dislike Zelda a bit, not really dislike her, but disliking her attitude. And Alexis had gotten colder as well, he never said more than he had to.
"Romani? She's gone to Gerudo Valley to have some girl talk with Nabooru." Link said.
Romani and Nabooru had become close ever since they started training together. Of course, Nabooru didn't like this strange girl at first, especially when she had a perfect score at the shooting range from the first time, but when she heared about the engagment she started to open up to Romani. Link smiled as he thought of Romani, like he always did, but shook his head and grabbed the dagger.
"Let's solve this puzzle." He said.
Link stepped outside his home, passed Alexis who had been waiting outside and saw the horseman coming from Lon-Lon ranch. He recognized him as Makei, Malon's boyfriend, although she wouldn't really admit it. And it didn't look good.
"Link!" Makei shouted as he got from his horse. "It's Malon, she's been attacked."
"What? Who?" Link asked.
"Just," he panted out of breath from the trip, "someone entered the barn and grabbed her."
"Is she alright?" Zelda asked.
"She's fine, her attacker just scratched her cheeck and left her with a message."
"What message?" Link asked but somehow already knew.
"For Link, she didn't say what."
Link looked at Lon-Lon ranch.
"Do you have fast horses?" Link asked without looking at Zelda.
"The finest of Lon-Lon ranch." She responded.
"Fine, I'll take the fastest one."
