Chapter two: Feeling odd
During days to come she thought alot about that strange man. She didn't ask Mr. Ingo about it, ofcourse, but she knew that he susspected something. She wondered why that man came there in the first place. What was he doing here? And the more she thought about it, the less she understood. One thing that struck her as odd, now when she had time to think about it, was the way he was dressed... She had never seen anything like it, a green shirt and a green cap, brown lether boots... But it still seemed familiar, as if she had seen it before.
One day whilst working in the stables --this time she was cleaning the whole place-- she found herself wishing that it was someone her father had sent to see if she was OK. Or, she thought --or rather hoped-- The man was acctually here to ask for my hand in marriage so I could leave this awful place... But she knew in her heart, that if she left, Mr. Ingo would misstreat the Horses, and she wouldn't want that... And, she reasoned, he's probably not ready for a new relationship... Yet. She felt bad for thinking this way, as his loved one must have died pretty recently. But that can't stop you from dreaming, right? She hit herself in the head with her broom.
At the same time, the door opened, and her heart took a leap in her chest. Maybe it was that mysterious man? When she turned around, and when she saw who was in the door way, her heart sank like a stone. It was only Mr. Ingo.
"I see you're doing well, Malon." He said with a fake smile.
She drew her mouth into a thin line. "Yes, Mr. Ingo." She knew that Mr. Ingo wasn't really an evil man... She was convinced that he had been seduced by Ganondorf's power, and couldn't be held responsible for the things he did, and said. She knew because she had lived with Mr. Ingo all her life, and this recent development was not like him. Once he was just a hardworking laborer that was always complaining about his work, allthough he acctually liked it.
"Good." He said. "And by the way, when you leave the stables, lock it up well... The horses have been acting strange recently... Mostly at night, too... I think there might be thieves on and about. Remind me to talk to lord Ganondorf about this matter..."
In your dreams. "Yes, Mr. Ingo." she said out loud.
He slammed the door as he left, and she returned to her duties. Some minutes later, she heard the door open, and she turned around. Probably it was just Mr. Ingo that had forgot to give her som extra work, but it wasn't. It was that mysterious man. She screamed in suprise, but quickly put her hands infront of her mouth and hoped that Mr. Ingo hadn't heard. She listened a while, but she couldn't hear anything. "What are you doing here, sir?" she asked, and tried to sound accusing, so that he wouldn't hear that she was acctually excited to see him again. She was quite sure that she failed, but the man didn't seem to notice.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you at this time of night, but you never finnished your story the last day." He said with a slight bow.
She felt herself redden again, and looked down at her feet. She didn't know why she reacted so childish when she was with him; maybe it was because she had never met a man at her age, maybe it was something special about him... She didn't know, all she knew was that she didn't want the man to know what she felt about him. All the time she had been thinking of him, she had also imagined how it would feel if he loved her and they were together... She could picture them out on the fields, riding the horses, her laughing at his feeble attempts at trying to ride Epona, her most beloved horse, and his smiling at her from the ground where Epona had threwn him off. At times like that, when she dreamt about those things, she felt a warmth in her heart. She woke from her dreams and realised that she had been quiet for some time, and that he had just been staring at her during that time. Not precicesly staring, just looking at her, waiting for her to say something.
"It's okay. I need a brake anyway." She sat down on the stool in the corner. He remained standing. She continued her story about the ranch from the point were he left the first time. After a half an hour, she was finnished. "...And I wish things would just go back the way they were before Mr. Ingo took over."
The man nodded. "I'll see what I can do." he said.
She was shocked, but when she opened her mouth so explain that she didn't want him to do anything stupid, he took his ocrania, and put it to this lips. Moments after, a strange, yet wonderful music filled the stable, making her feel relaxed, yet awake. It was hypnotic, and she could sense that the very air around them crackled like thunder.
Suddenly the music faded away. She looked about in the stable, but the man was gone. Had she fallen asleep whilst he played for her? She had never felt so embarrased in all her life.
During days to come she thought alot about that strange man. She didn't ask Mr. Ingo about it, ofcourse, but she knew that he susspected something. She wondered why that man came there in the first place. What was he doing here? And the more she thought about it, the less she understood. One thing that struck her as odd, now when she had time to think about it, was the way he was dressed... She had never seen anything like it, a green shirt and a green cap, brown lether boots... But it still seemed familiar, as if she had seen it before.
One day whilst working in the stables --this time she was cleaning the whole place-- she found herself wishing that it was someone her father had sent to see if she was OK. Or, she thought --or rather hoped-- The man was acctually here to ask for my hand in marriage so I could leave this awful place... But she knew in her heart, that if she left, Mr. Ingo would misstreat the Horses, and she wouldn't want that... And, she reasoned, he's probably not ready for a new relationship... Yet. She felt bad for thinking this way, as his loved one must have died pretty recently. But that can't stop you from dreaming, right? She hit herself in the head with her broom.
At the same time, the door opened, and her heart took a leap in her chest. Maybe it was that mysterious man? When she turned around, and when she saw who was in the door way, her heart sank like a stone. It was only Mr. Ingo.
"I see you're doing well, Malon." He said with a fake smile.
She drew her mouth into a thin line. "Yes, Mr. Ingo." She knew that Mr. Ingo wasn't really an evil man... She was convinced that he had been seduced by Ganondorf's power, and couldn't be held responsible for the things he did, and said. She knew because she had lived with Mr. Ingo all her life, and this recent development was not like him. Once he was just a hardworking laborer that was always complaining about his work, allthough he acctually liked it.
"Good." He said. "And by the way, when you leave the stables, lock it up well... The horses have been acting strange recently... Mostly at night, too... I think there might be thieves on and about. Remind me to talk to lord Ganondorf about this matter..."
In your dreams. "Yes, Mr. Ingo." she said out loud.
He slammed the door as he left, and she returned to her duties. Some minutes later, she heard the door open, and she turned around. Probably it was just Mr. Ingo that had forgot to give her som extra work, but it wasn't. It was that mysterious man. She screamed in suprise, but quickly put her hands infront of her mouth and hoped that Mr. Ingo hadn't heard. She listened a while, but she couldn't hear anything. "What are you doing here, sir?" she asked, and tried to sound accusing, so that he wouldn't hear that she was acctually excited to see him again. She was quite sure that she failed, but the man didn't seem to notice.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you at this time of night, but you never finnished your story the last day." He said with a slight bow.
She felt herself redden again, and looked down at her feet. She didn't know why she reacted so childish when she was with him; maybe it was because she had never met a man at her age, maybe it was something special about him... She didn't know, all she knew was that she didn't want the man to know what she felt about him. All the time she had been thinking of him, she had also imagined how it would feel if he loved her and they were together... She could picture them out on the fields, riding the horses, her laughing at his feeble attempts at trying to ride Epona, her most beloved horse, and his smiling at her from the ground where Epona had threwn him off. At times like that, when she dreamt about those things, she felt a warmth in her heart. She woke from her dreams and realised that she had been quiet for some time, and that he had just been staring at her during that time. Not precicesly staring, just looking at her, waiting for her to say something.
"It's okay. I need a brake anyway." She sat down on the stool in the corner. He remained standing. She continued her story about the ranch from the point were he left the first time. After a half an hour, she was finnished. "...And I wish things would just go back the way they were before Mr. Ingo took over."
The man nodded. "I'll see what I can do." he said.
She was shocked, but when she opened her mouth so explain that she didn't want him to do anything stupid, he took his ocrania, and put it to this lips. Moments after, a strange, yet wonderful music filled the stable, making her feel relaxed, yet awake. It was hypnotic, and she could sense that the very air around them crackled like thunder.
Suddenly the music faded away. She looked about in the stable, but the man was gone. Had she fallen asleep whilst he played for her? She had never felt so embarrased in all her life.