Chapter one: A Stranger in the Stables
Malon stood there in the stables, and remembered the good times back when her father owned the ranch. The iron bucket in her hands was supposed to be filled with milk by now. Since Mr. Ingo took over the ranch and kicked out her father, she couldn't find a reason to work harder than possible... She thought that if she delayed long enough with her duties, maybe he would hire her father to help with the duties... But In her heart she knew that he would only punish her by punishing the horses. She loved those horses, and Mr. Ingo knew it all to well. To see them suffer because of her wasn't what she had in mind, so she decided to milk the cows before he saw her daydreaming when she had work to do.
She got the stool that stood in the corner, and went back to the cow that had grewn anxious of waiting for her. She brushed off some hay and chicken dung before she sat down and started to milk the cow. Her thoughts slipped away again, and before she knew it, the milk was pouring over the edge of the bucket, making her curse and knocking the bucket over, spilling even more milk on the floor. She cursed some more before she went for something to use for the cleaning. The proper gear was in the house, but if Mr. Ingo ever found out that she had spilled some of the milk, the horses would have a hard time.
She started to lay some hay ontop of the milk and cursed herself again. Not because she lay hay ontop of the spilled milk, but because the door behind her started to open. She quickly picked the empty milk bucket and held it infront of her, her arms streched as if the bucket was heavy. She hoped that Mr. Ingo wouldn't come too close to her, and see that it was infact empty. Maybe he would just take a quick glance into the stable to make sure that she was doing what he had told her.
But to her supirse it wasn't Mr. Ingo. It was a handsome young man, with blond hair and green clothes. If she wasn't so occipied with beeing suprised, she would have screamed. His face was a bitter one, wich confused her. Surely he wasn't that much older than her, in fact, he looked as if they were the same age, but his face seemed so old already, as if he had seen to much sorrow and terror in his young life. He stood there looking at her, his expressionless eyes fixed at her. That's when she started to think that maybe she should be frightened. The man might be after her horses, and he was armed. In his hand he held a great sword, and on his back he had a shield, and she wondered what sign was on the other side. But a closer look at his face revealed that he wouldn't harm her, nor her beloved horses.
She felt herself redden as his eyes was still fixed at her face. She started to feel uneasy, but still she couldn't help feeling that she liked to have him watching her. But she wouldn't admit that by letting him see her blush, so she fixed her gaze at the floor.
"What do you want?" she asked the floor carefully. "You're not after the horses, are you?"
"I'm not after your beloved horses." the man said. His voice was deep and wise, and she found herself wondering how the man could be som mature at his age.
"Then why are you here? We haven't hade any visitors for a long time, except that vile man... Ganondorf. I hate him! Look at his poor horse! I bet he..." she suddenly realised that she didn't know where this man's loyalty lay, but she decided that he didn't look like one of ganondorf's men. But one can't be to carefull in times like this, she reminded herself. However, the man didn't show any signs of hostility when he heard that she didn't like Ganondorf, but then she couldn't read any emotions what so ever from his face. She decided that she trusted this man, though she hardly knew him, and started to tell him her story.
He listened all the way through the story, he even sat down at one time and took an ocrania from one of his pockets. She saw him idly touching it and at one point she could se a expression of deep sorrow on his face, but it passed so quick she doubted she ever saw it. At that time she stoped her story to try and figure him out. He had come here just to sit down with a girl that was dirty from top til toe, and probably stinkin with sweat, just to hear her story. Now she started to feel uneasy again. She knew she was beautiful, and she thought of another reason for his visit. She bit her lip, and the man looked up from his ocrania, and this time she could see his sorrow clearly. His face looked at her, yet his eyes seemed to be elsewere, someplace in his mind that she could not visit. She knew then that this man was no rapist. She knew then why he seemed so old. He had lost someone he loved, someone who had probably own that ocrania. She felt bad for ever suspecting him for such a vile crime, and in her mind, she cursed herself again.
"I must go." The man said suddenly, and rushed towards the door.
"No, wait, I didn't mean to..." The man was already gone, and she wondered if he had read her mind. She went after him, and as she put her head outside the door, she saw him turn the corner and run down the path that lead to the ranch. The shield reflected the sun light, making it impossible to see which family crest it wore. She went back to her duties, and wondered if she would ever see that man again. She took a deep breath and hoped she had just imagined the strange feeling of loss she had felt when she watched him go.
Malon stood there in the stables, and remembered the good times back when her father owned the ranch. The iron bucket in her hands was supposed to be filled with milk by now. Since Mr. Ingo took over the ranch and kicked out her father, she couldn't find a reason to work harder than possible... She thought that if she delayed long enough with her duties, maybe he would hire her father to help with the duties... But In her heart she knew that he would only punish her by punishing the horses. She loved those horses, and Mr. Ingo knew it all to well. To see them suffer because of her wasn't what she had in mind, so she decided to milk the cows before he saw her daydreaming when she had work to do.
She got the stool that stood in the corner, and went back to the cow that had grewn anxious of waiting for her. She brushed off some hay and chicken dung before she sat down and started to milk the cow. Her thoughts slipped away again, and before she knew it, the milk was pouring over the edge of the bucket, making her curse and knocking the bucket over, spilling even more milk on the floor. She cursed some more before she went for something to use for the cleaning. The proper gear was in the house, but if Mr. Ingo ever found out that she had spilled some of the milk, the horses would have a hard time.
She started to lay some hay ontop of the milk and cursed herself again. Not because she lay hay ontop of the spilled milk, but because the door behind her started to open. She quickly picked the empty milk bucket and held it infront of her, her arms streched as if the bucket was heavy. She hoped that Mr. Ingo wouldn't come too close to her, and see that it was infact empty. Maybe he would just take a quick glance into the stable to make sure that she was doing what he had told her.
But to her supirse it wasn't Mr. Ingo. It was a handsome young man, with blond hair and green clothes. If she wasn't so occipied with beeing suprised, she would have screamed. His face was a bitter one, wich confused her. Surely he wasn't that much older than her, in fact, he looked as if they were the same age, but his face seemed so old already, as if he had seen to much sorrow and terror in his young life. He stood there looking at her, his expressionless eyes fixed at her. That's when she started to think that maybe she should be frightened. The man might be after her horses, and he was armed. In his hand he held a great sword, and on his back he had a shield, and she wondered what sign was on the other side. But a closer look at his face revealed that he wouldn't harm her, nor her beloved horses.
She felt herself redden as his eyes was still fixed at her face. She started to feel uneasy, but still she couldn't help feeling that she liked to have him watching her. But she wouldn't admit that by letting him see her blush, so she fixed her gaze at the floor.
"What do you want?" she asked the floor carefully. "You're not after the horses, are you?"
"I'm not after your beloved horses." the man said. His voice was deep and wise, and she found herself wondering how the man could be som mature at his age.
"Then why are you here? We haven't hade any visitors for a long time, except that vile man... Ganondorf. I hate him! Look at his poor horse! I bet he..." she suddenly realised that she didn't know where this man's loyalty lay, but she decided that he didn't look like one of ganondorf's men. But one can't be to carefull in times like this, she reminded herself. However, the man didn't show any signs of hostility when he heard that she didn't like Ganondorf, but then she couldn't read any emotions what so ever from his face. She decided that she trusted this man, though she hardly knew him, and started to tell him her story.
He listened all the way through the story, he even sat down at one time and took an ocrania from one of his pockets. She saw him idly touching it and at one point she could se a expression of deep sorrow on his face, but it passed so quick she doubted she ever saw it. At that time she stoped her story to try and figure him out. He had come here just to sit down with a girl that was dirty from top til toe, and probably stinkin with sweat, just to hear her story. Now she started to feel uneasy again. She knew she was beautiful, and she thought of another reason for his visit. She bit her lip, and the man looked up from his ocrania, and this time she could see his sorrow clearly. His face looked at her, yet his eyes seemed to be elsewere, someplace in his mind that she could not visit. She knew then that this man was no rapist. She knew then why he seemed so old. He had lost someone he loved, someone who had probably own that ocrania. She felt bad for ever suspecting him for such a vile crime, and in her mind, she cursed herself again.
"I must go." The man said suddenly, and rushed towards the door.
"No, wait, I didn't mean to..." The man was already gone, and she wondered if he had read her mind. She went after him, and as she put her head outside the door, she saw him turn the corner and run down the path that lead to the ranch. The shield reflected the sun light, making it impossible to see which family crest it wore. She went back to her duties, and wondered if she would ever see that man again. She took a deep breath and hoped she had just imagined the strange feeling of loss she had felt when she watched him go.