Prologue
Nezru lay in her tent, half-awake, half asleep. It had been a long day. A war was rumored to start any day now and her people were focused on peacekeeping.
It had been years now that a war was brewing between the two-neighbouring lands of Hyrule and Termina. It was only these past few months that it had gotten nasty. The Terminians were on the verge of an attack. They were constantly on the boarders of the Desert Wasteland, hovering.
Although the Gerudos had claimed neutrality after their king had been killed, they still had the responsibility of warding off attacks. Their new king, Ganondorf had only recently turned eighteen and was landed with taking care of an entire race by himself. Despite his age, he had already made several decisions worth remembering, like the withdrawal from the war and the construction of the gate to separate their fortress from the desert.
It was a relief to Nezru, to lay down and finally relax. She had been up for over two days now and was quickly falling asleep. She would have already been, if it had not been for a loud rumbling, coming from the ground.
She winced at the dull noise, wanting it to stop. It only became louder. And louder. Trying to make her mind work again, she forced herself to think.
Eyes still closed, she focused. It felt like an earthquake. She let this sink in. This was not a good time for an earthquake.
She snapped her eyes open. Wind wiped through her tent and a gust of sand stung her eyes. Blinking, she wondered why the sand had entered. Her question was answered however, when she realized someone was standing at her door.
"Get up!" They ordered. Nezru recognized her voice as the Captain of the Gerudo army, Kamilia. Her voice was full of fear. "Get up!" She cried again.
Nezru sat up groggily. She dragged her hands down her face and tried to blink the sand out of her eyes. She felt Kamilia's strong hand grab her arm just below her armpit. "Up." She groaned, "Come, we must evacuate the fortress."
Once on her feet, Nezru's thinking pace quickened. "Evacuate?" She asked, "Is the earthquake really that bad?"
Kamilia shot her a confused look. "Earthquake?" She snapped. "Wake up, Nazru! We're under attack!"
"A-Attack?" Nezru stuttered. "You mean…?" She let her question fade away as she thought. She ran out of her tent just outside of the newly built gate and squinted through the dark into the desert. The dim glow of hundreds of torches was just visible through the sandstorm-like winds.
"They can't make it through the Wastelands! What are they thinking?" Nezru gasped.
"Some magic guides them to us." Whispered Kamilia. She turned her head to Nezru. "We have to get out of here, Ganondorf's orders."
"Where is he?" She asked, concerned. Ganondorf and her had somewhat of friendship. They were the same age and had gone to school for some years together. Lately, he had been acting strangely, though Nezru thought it just to be stress from his role.
Kamilia nodded her head to her left. Nezru turned and saw for the first time the large Hylian army, standing at attention. Their captain was seemingly in a heated conversation with the King and his best friend Nabooru. "Kamilia. I'll follow you out to the field as soon as I finish here."
"They'll be here in about thirty minutes. Try to hurry up." She headed in the direction of the gorge that lead out to Hyrule field.
Nezru ran up to her King.
"-You can't!" he was half-yelling to the captain. Nabooru was tugging at his arm, trying to pull him away. Taking her place beside Nabooru, Nezru remained silent and listened. Nabooru glanced over at her. Her face was straight, but Nezru could read the look of fear in her eyes.
The captian of the army shifted slightly, looking uncomfortable, yet his blue eyes remained steady. "A war is a war, your Highness." He said shortly. "We must meet the Terminians here. It is unfortunate that destiny has chosen for this battle to descend on your people, but we must… Orders from the King of Hyrule."
"Since when does the King control my affairs?" Ganondorf whispered dangerously. His eyes were slits as he stared at the man.
"Gan, please-" Nabooru started.
"Quiet!" He snapped at her. He then turned back to the captain. "We claimed neutrality! There is no reason for them to come down on us. We will remain here, inside our fortress, and they will pass us by, and you can fight them on your own silly field!"
The captain looked down to the ground. "Fine." He muttered, "I could loose my position for this, but…" he paused and pulled his blond hair out of his eyes, "I understand that you want to protect your people. All I ask is that you let the women and children of my soldiers remain here, in your fortress. If we take the fight out to the field, they will not be able to make it to safety."
The King paused at this request. "Tell me, kind captain, do you have a wife here?"
The captain looked up and stood proud. He nodded. "And a son."
"Very well." Said the King, "Your women and children may stay here, but as soon as the battle ends they will be sent away." He looked over the captain. "In exchange for your understanding."
"Thank you, your Highness."
"I will put in good word for you, should you be under threat of loosing your position."
"Shall I go and stop the evacuation?" Asked Nabooru.
"No. You can come with me into the fortress and tell everyone who is left to stay there. Seal all but two doors."
"Yes Sir." She said with a bow and ran inside.
"You," Said the King looking at Nezru. "Find the people who have already started to evacuate and bring them back. They should be waiting just inside the pass."
"Yes, of course, Sir." Said Nezru. She turned and began to run in the direction of the gorge. She saw a large group of women trying to cross the little wooden bridge that crossed the river running two hundred feet below.
"Kamilia!" Screamed Nezru at the top of her lungs. "Kamilia?"
"What is it?" She heard a muffled voice call back.
"Turn back! Back to the fortress!"
A silence followed this odd command.
"Alright!" Said Kamilia's voice, full of doubt.
Trying to squeeze her way back though the now western headed crowd proved a challenge. There were hundreds of people crammed into one narrow crevasse and Nezru soon gave up and began walking at the same painstakingly slow pace as the others.
The rumbling was still shaking the earth and Nezru wondered how much time they had until the Terminians arrived. She glanced up at the sky. Only a small number of stars were out now, for dawn was fast approaching. Time was indeed short. A small glint on the top ridge of the gorge caught her eye. Squinting, she tried to see what it was. Tapping a Hylian woman on the shoulder, she asked "Did you see that?"
"See what?" She asked bewildered.
"Look up." Nezru said pointing.
The woman looked up at the ridge. "Quiet." She demanded. She tuned her ear up to the top of the gorge, listening intently. Her eyes widened with horror. "There's someone up there." She whispered. "There's someone up there!" She cried for everyone to hear.
Nezru slapped her in the back of the head. "You idiot!" she said. Panic was now rising and the women began to scream.
"Stay calm!" Nezru yelled fruitlessly among the crowd. "Stop!" She looked up to the ridge to see any sign of the glint again, but instead she felt her stomach drop.
At least one hundred men, armed with bows and arrows stood, aiming down upon the crowd. They were dressed in traditional Terminian armor, with the symbol of their side of the moon on their helmets, like a grotesque face.
The scene seemed to be in slow motion. The men let their arrows loose… on women and children. The young and old fell all around her feet. Nezru was unable to move. The sight of her people with arrows in their heads, neck and even faces was too much for her. She bent down and felt herself throw up, too dazed to really understand what she was doing. The men drew another round of arrows and let them fly down again. Nezru got to her feet only to realize that half of the crowd was already dead. She ran as fast as she could over the bodies in the direction of Hyrule's field, for the number of arrows seemed less in that direction.
Arrows were still falling as thickly as rain around her. A sharp pain stabbed her arm as an arrow connected with it. It was not a serious wound and she pulled it out and kept running.
As suddenly as they started, the arrows stopped. Nezru slowed to a stop and looked around. Ten, thirteen, twenty, twenty-two were still standing, most with heavy injuries. Nezru spotted Kamilia standing with her back facing her. She ran towards her.
"Kamilia!" Nezru yelled. "Oh, thank the goddesses you're still alive."
Kamilia turned around, clutching her stomach as she did so. Her eyes were glazed over and she had three arrows protruding from her chest.
Nezru grabbed her to prevent her falling over. "Come on, looks like they've stopped. Lets get you back to the fortress." As she began to walk back, angry voices echoed in the rift.
"Rocks! Use the rocks!" Came a voice from the top of the gorge. "Kill them all!"
Rage exploded inside Nezru. There was less than two dozen left and they still had to kill. Murderers, she thought.
Now, just like the arrows, huge rocks were falling down on them. Burdened with Kamilia she turned in the direction of the fortress but stopped when she saw the glow of the Terminians torches and the sounds of a battle. They were fighting the war on the Gerudo's soil. Nezru again headed toward the field, trying not to notice that very few were now left. She felt Kamilia's blood oozing down her side.
"Come on, come on." She whispered, they were nearly there. The field was fifty feet away. "Come on Kamilia, come-" She was cut short as a rock hit her forehead. She collapsed on the ground, dazed. The world swam before her. Blinking blood out of her eyes, she scrambled to her feet. A wave of dizziness overcame her and she stumbled to her knees.
Pulling her now bloody hair out of her face she got up again. Nezru dragged Kamilia up and staggered out into the field. Not daring to stop, she continued until she could tell they were out of arrows range.
She then collapsed again, this time on the cool grass. It was wet with dew and felt pleasant against her aching head. She lay there, eyes half-closed, staring at the horizon. It began to blur, then become black. Was this death? Thought Nezru.
A cough and a groan snapped her out of her rest. The realization that Kamilia was still there came to her. She gathered her strength… she needed to help her captain, her friend. She crawled over, not daring to test if she could stand. "Kamilia?" She said weakly. "Hey! Look at me." She asked desperately as Kamilia's eyes rolled back. "Kamilia?" Nezru asked again, feeling tears stinging her eyes. Kamilia's body went ridged and the harsh sound of her breathing stopped. "Kamilia?" She asked hopelessly. "Kami-" She broke into huge, heaving sobs trying to hold back tears.
She looked wildly around for someone to help her. She saw, only a few feet away, a Hylian woman carrying a blanket. "Help, please!" She pleaded to her.
The woman turned and said sadly, "She's dead Sweetie, I'm so sorry." Her voice was rasping and shaky. Nezru noticed the arrow she had sticking out of her own chest right next to her heart. A small whimper came from the blanket… a baby. "Shh." She cooed to it.
"I have to get out of here." She said to Nezru. "I'm dying and I can't take care of my son much longer." She paused and took a shallow breath. "Good luck." Although she had tried to sound cheerful, the good luck wish sounded hopeless. Death was coming down and she obviously thought that Nezru was going to die also.
With that, the woman and her sun stumbled off east. Nezru forced herself up and tried looking for anywhere she could get help. She would not let death take her, not now. The sun was starting to rise and the silhouette of Death Mountain cast a long shadow on the ground. Then, the sun peeked just over its slopes and lit up the sky with an intense light. Right in front of her, on top of a hill, sat a house surrounded by a stone wall. It was as though the goddesses were sending her a sign as the sun rose to illuminate the residence further.
Nezru got to her feet and staggered as quickly as she could over to the house, talking to herself to be motivated. She reached the wall and found it too high to jump. Leaning against it, she slowly made her way around the perimeter until she came to a gate. She then stumbled her way up the slope and into a clearing.
There were two buildings, a large, nice looking house and a smaller wooden building. Nezru had no interest in the smaller building because the house was the one with a light in the window.
She walked up to the door and tried to knock while swaying. The result was an uneven and broken knock.
She heard heavy footsteps behind the door, then a mans voice, "I'll get it, dad!" The door opened and a bulky young man, about in his early twenties, dressed in blue overalls stood in the doorway. He faded in and out of focus. "Er… Can I help you- Whoa! Goddesses!" He cried as he saw her wounds. "Are you okay?" He stammered.
Nezru waddled inside without being asked and, finally, after what seemed like days of walking, stopped caring. She began to fall once again on the floor but was caught half way down by the man.
"Let's get you upstairs, come on." He said. His words were somehow reassuring and he took all her weight on him. Unfazed, he began to walk up the stairs.
Now not having to support her own weight, the need to stay awake seemed pointless and Nezru felt herself slip out of consciousness.
Chapter 2
Nezru lay, utterly bewildered on where she was, what time it was and how she had hurt herself. Slowly her senses came back to her. She was soon aware of the comfortable bed she was lying in and, unfortunately, the splitting headache she had.
Memories of the night before came to her in waves of images. The warriors, the arrows, the rock to her head, Kamilia. She winced at the memory of her body lying in the wet grass.
Nezru gathered up the courage to open her eyes. She immediately regretted this as morning light flooded into them. This, at least, answered her time question. Her head began to throb as she tried to move it out of the light. Instinctively she raised her hand to the wound on her forehead only to find it covered with a bandage.
That man. He must have done this.
She smiled at his kindness.
Once again she opened her eyes, forcing them to stay open so she could find out where she was. Straining them to see in the bright light, she looked around. She was in a large, nicely decorated room with greens, reds and creams used on the sofa, bed and tapestries on the wall. There was a dresser, a wardrobe and a table all in lightly stained oak wood. A huge rug stretched across the floor. A window was letting in a large amount of light that spread itself all over the room.
Her eyes grew used to the light and all that was left was the sharp throb. Nezru tried to sit up and realized that her arm that had been shot was in a sling. Shifting her weight to her other hand, she pushed herself up. Groaning in pain, she rubbed her sore eyes and tried to blink it off. She relaxed into her overstuffed pillow and felt extremely comfortable, with the exception of her head.
Familiar heavy footsteps were making their way towards her room. The same man she had seen before opened her door. "Oh!" He said, surprised, "You're awake." He was holding a tray with a plate of bacon, eggs, sausages and fried tomatoes with a glass of milk. He set it down on her lap and smiled warmly.
Questions buzzed around in Nezru's head. Who was this guy? Where was she? Why was he helping her? Was he expecting money for this? What did this man think he was going to get?
She decided that it was probably not the most polite thing to do to ask a question as soon as she met the man who had helped her.
Finally, she managed to speak. "Thanks." She said, honestly.
"Well, you'll have to thank my dad." He said scratching his head, brushing his dark brown hair out of his face, "I can't cook at all. He made it." He gave a half smile.
"No… I mean… Thanks for this." She said pointing up at her bandages. "Giving me a place to rest."
"Oh… Well, I have to take credit for that. My dad's not a big fan of the Gerudos. They robbed him a while back, they did. I convinced him to let you stay, at least until you recover."
"I hope he won't judge me by some of my people's actions, after all, Hylians steel too, do they not?" She asked pointedly.
"Not respectable Hylians" He said defensively.
"Nor respectable Gerudos" She countered.
"Then we're even." He said smiling again. He took a seat at the end of her bed. "So then, what's your name?"
Nezru hesitated. Should she tell him the truth? There was something reassuring about this man, just like his words he had spoken to her, and Nezru had trouble believing that he was up to no good. "I'm Nezru." She answered.
He smiled once again, much bigger and more sincere than the last time. "That's a pretty name." He said, "I'm Talon."
"Pleased to meet you." Said Nezru. He held out his hand to shake hers. She lifted up her good arm and took his. "So where am I?" She asked, letting go of his hand.
"Oh, you're at my ranch… Well, my dad's ranch. But it'll be mine soon." He added quickly. "It's in the middle of Hyrule field." He gave her a puzzled look. "Can't you remember?"
"Remember what exactly?" She asked rubbing her head.
"Well, I can't really blame you." He answered, "You were in a pretty bad state when you got here. You had a really bad concussion," He gestured towards her forehead, "probably from that."
"Yeah, that rock hit me pretty hard."
"Rock?" He asked, confused. Nezru nodded her head. "How did that happen?"
"We were attacked. By the Terminians. They threw things at us when we were trying to leave." Painful images came to her again… Her people lying on the ground, arrows falling like rain, the grotesque moon of Termina. "I ran off. There were only three of us that survived." She thought about the woman with her baby who said she was dying. Her wound was bad and there was no hope for the baby on it's own. "Sorry, one of us."
"You were there?" Asked Talon, looking stunned. "You were at the battle site? The one with the Hylians and Gerudos against the Terminians?"
"How do you know about that? Has word of this slaughter gone round that fast?"
"An elderly man came up a few days ago." He said with a heavy voice, "He wanted to borrow one of the horses so he could go and bring his son back. Said his son was one of the Hylians who went there to fight."
"A few days ago? But that's impossible… just last night, I-" She stopped as a wave of horror rushed over her. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Three days now"
"Three days?" Nezru said, more to herself than to Talon, "What else did he say? What happened to the Hylians?"
"All of 'em died, didn't they?" He said matter-of-factly.
"What? All?" Asked Nezru, shocked. "There had to be some survivors!"
"Yeah, 'bout fifty." He said. "All Gerudo. "Your king and some others who were lucky enough. Apparently, and this is just what I heard, but they were in the fortress. The Terminians killed every last one of the Hylians and totally ignored your lot."
"That's not true!" Nezru blurted, "They killed hundreds of us in the gorge!"
"I'm gettin' to that bit. Your king and what was left of your people went outside and saw all of 'em in the gorge, got mad, and killed the lot of 'em."
"The Terminians?"
"Yup, every last one. You won. That's what I was told. But it still cost you. Only fifty survived. Remember?"
"Wow, Ganondorf must have been real angry to rejoin the war." Nezru sat in deep thought for a while. We won, she thought, how could this considered a win after all those people were killed. "Only fifty…"
"Hey, come on." Talon interrupted her, "I know this must be pretty hard for you, but your race is still alive, you're still alive."
His voice was full of comfort and, although Nezru was still miserable, she managed to smile.
"You look starving. Try to eat something." Suggested Talon. Nezru had completely forgotten about the tray that lay on her lap. Looking down at the food made her realize just how hungry she was. Her stomach growled noisily as she picked up her fork.
Talon couldn't help smiling at her as she shoveled the food into her mouth. Every bite was delicious and Nezru found that she had finished it very quickly.
"Oh, sorry, you must think I'm really greedy." She said apologetically.
"Not a problem, you haven't had anything to eat for days. I can understand."
Nezru then took the glass of milk and chugged it down. She had never really liked milk, but this was different. It was cool and creamy and seemed to numb her throat as it went down. Taking the now empty glass away from her lips, a strange feeling was spreading all over her. It felt just like pins and needles all the way from her insides to her fingertips.
"What's in this stuff?" Said Nezru, gapping.
Talons' face spilt into a huge grin. "That's Lon Lon milk. From our ranch. It has mild healing properties 'cause the cows have a special diet." He got up off the end of her bed and removed the sling from her arm. He then peeled of the bandage to reveal a small cut where the arrow had hit her. It had been quite a gash when she had arrived and had obviously shrunken. "See?"
"That's some good milk." Gasped Nezru.
"Alright, I'll leave you to get some sleep. When you wake up again, you're welcome to get up and have a look outside. The fresh air will do you some good." Talon got up, walked over to the wardrobe, and pulled something out. "These were my mums'," He said, putting them down at the end of the bed. "You can wear 'em 'cause your clothes are ruined." He walked out of the room to let her sleep.
Pushing the tray aside, Nezru leaned forward and grabbed the clothing. There were a pair of shinny boots that looked like they had never been worn, a old leather apron and a plain looking, cream coloured dress that had blue embroidery around the sleeves and hem. Putting them gently to one side, she made herself comfortable and tried to get some sleep.
Kamilia was lying on the ground, grasping her wounds. Nezru stood helplessly over her. "Help me." She mouthed but no words came out. Only the sound of the wind was to be heard, roaring all around them. The sand began to pile up behind Kamilia, then crept up over her body, dissolving it. Nezru screamed as she tried to dig and save her, but all that was left was a pile of sand, steadily disintegrating in the howling winds.
Nezru woke with a start and found that her arms were in the air and shaking. She sat up and looked around for Kamilia. It took her a while to remember where she was. She then realized that it had been a dream. Pushing the memories out of her mind, Nezru got up and put on the clothing Talon had given her.
The boots weren't very comfortable, but the dress was loose fitting and felt soft against her skin. She tied the apron on then walked over to the mirror on the dresser. She pulled her red hair up in a high ponytail then stopped to examine herself.
She had only ever seen herself in desert clothing and she looked strange in her new clothes. Staring at the mirror still, Nezru noted that she wouldn't look so out of place without her jewelry. She began to remove her countless rings and bracelets, earrings and necklaces. She paused to study her now bald hands and wrists and realized how much more she could feel now that her sink wasn't so blocked. Nezru then slowly raised them behind her head and removed the trademark Gerudo jewel on her forehead.
She looked so different now, just like a normal, young, Hylian girl. Moving her hands freely over her face, Nezru felt like she had removed a large burden, though she couldn't express why. True, she didn't have pointed ears like the Hylians, but she felt that now she could drop her strong Gerudo attitudes about caution and safety, and begin to relax and have fun.
Tearing her eyes away from the mirror, she got up and walked over to the door leading downstairs. She opened the door and looked around for Talon in the vast, open living room. Giving up on finding him inside, she left the house to look out in the corral.
The ranch look different in the afternoon than it had done in the early morning. Light was now shinning more freely and there were animals scattered around.
Pushing her way though a group of cuckoos, Nezru stepped out into the clearing of the corral. In the middle of a fenced-in area, stood Talon, attaching a saddle to one of the numerous horses. She walked towards him silently, not wanting to disturb him. He apparently took no notice of her, for he made no acknowledgement.
A few yards away from him, Nezru could hear him talking. However, it wasn't her name that he used. "Calm down, girl." He said gently, "Come on Dyna, I'm not going to ride you today, I just want to put the saddle on, alright?"
He was talking to the horse.
Nezru let the sheer stupidity of this sink in. He spoke to animals? They couldn't understand sentences, just commands.
Clearing her throat to show she was there, Nezru stepped into the view of Talon.
"Hi!" He said, "I'm glad to see that you're up and at it." He looked her over. "Those clothes suit you."
"You think so, do you?" Asked Nezru, astonished that she had received a compliment.
"Yeah, without all that jewelry, people can see you more clearly."
"Excuse me?" Stammered Nezru. It was seen as an honour to wear jewelry in the Gerudo culture, and to insult this was usually considered an indignity.
"Oh…" Talon said, looking away, "I'm sorry. Never meant to insult you. Just, I like how you look without of 'em, erm… accessories."
Nezru decided she'd change the subject. This conversation would end up as a vicious battle of races and she didn't feel in the mood for more violence.
"What were you doing just now?" She asked. Talons face relaxed. It seemed that he too wanted a change of subject.
"I was just starting to break Dyna." He said, gesturing towards the horse.
"A horse?" Asked Nezru, "Why were you speaking to it then?"
Talons face fell. He looked confused. "What do you mean why? Animals are like us aren't they? Why shouldn't I speak to her?"
Nezru could tell she had touched a nerve. She tried to shake off the conversation. "Well, it's just a horse, isn't it?"
"Just a horse?" Asked Talon. Nezru felt the anger in his voice. Opening his mouth again, as if to speak, he hesitated and turned his attention back to the horse.
Nezru decided not to pursue the subject any further. Instead, she stood watching quietly as Talon, now silent also, buckled the saddle.
"Haven't you ever spoken to your horse then?" He asked quietly. There was an edgy tone in his voice that made this statement sound like some sort of challenge.
"Well, of course I have." Said Nezru defensively, "How else are we supposed to give them commands?"
"Not like that. Not commands or orders or discipline. I mean like talking to a friend or a loved one. Affection… Do you give your horses that?" After this, he looked up at her. His eyes were full of pity, as if he felt sorry for her.
"Horses don't need affection, and I don't need your pity. We both have different views on how to train horses, who cares?" Said Nezru, attempting to push down her growing anger.
"Well, what do you do then? How do you break a horse?" He asked accusingly.
"Not by talking to it, I can tell you that!" Yelled Nezru, "How do you think you can show any authority by caring for the creature?"
"And what do you do? How do you expect to gain any respect or trust from your horse if you treat it like a machine!"
"I don't need my horse to trust me!"
A long silence then flooded the air. Talon sighed heavily. "You're missin' out, you know. You can enjoy having a horse a lot more if you have a connection with it." His voice was again full of pity.
Anger rose inside of her. It was all consuming, eating at her. Yet, Talon spoke about horses with such passion.
How could anyone feel this way towards an animal?
"How…?" She began. Nezru searched for words. Her pride was still strong as a Gerudos', even if she wasn't recognizable. "Can you show me how you break a horse?" Letting her guard down like that was tough for her because she hated to surrender or admit defeat.
Talon raised an eyebrow.
"So, I can see if your way's better." She added defensively.
"Oh, I see how it is then." He said, trying to repress a smile. "You can help me if you'd like."
Nezru struggled to lie back to him. She wanted to tell him that she'd love to help or that she was thankful that he forgave her for her temper. Instead, she decided to stay neutral. "Well, I guess if you need my help."
"Right then," He began, "you can start by handing me that blanket."
Nezru did.
"Now, help me tuck it under the rim of the saddle."
"Like this?"
"No. Only a little bit, like this. See?"
"Got it."
"Now pass me the reins."
"These ones?"
"No, the smaller leather ones."
"Here."
"Thank you. Now try to keep the horse calm while I put the reins on her."
"How do I do that?" She asked.
Talon turned to her. "You talk to her. Tell her that we're not going to hurt her. Look, she's afraid."
Nezru looked at the horse. She had never really examined one, and now it seemed obvious that the horse was afraid. Its eyes could show emotion… Just like peoples eyes.
"It's ok… We're not going to hurt you. It's alright, nothing's going to happen." She cooed to the horse. She felt a little stupid at first and kept checking if Talon was laughing at her, but he was focused and was putting the reins on. Words came out more easily soon enough and the horse was looking a bit more comfortable. "Good girl. Good job." She said to the horse when Talon had finished attaching the reins.
"I could say the same to you." Said Talon, grinning.
"So what do we do now?"
"Well," Said Talon thoughtfully, "I guess we should start to put the horses away, it's pretty late."
"But we haven't finished yet." Said Nezru, "We haven't broken the horse yet."
"Not yet." Talon said looking a little surprised, "We'll leave the reins on for a few days until she gets used to them, then we'll start to ride her and teach her commands."
"It takes a long time for you to break a horse."
"What do you mean, a long time?" Said Talon, "It's worth it, isn't it? Your horse'll be a lot more comfortable."
"It takes us less than a day to break a horse." Said Nezru.
"I don't want to talk about this, alright?" Said Talon quickly, "You're at my ranch and we treat our horses the way we want to." He opened the gate of the corral and stomped over to the stable doors. He whistled and all the horses set of on a slow trot towards him. Nezru tried not to look impressed by the horses loyalty… no, not loyalty, obedience. After all the horses had entered the stables, he beckoned her over.
"Yes? What do you need me to help you with now?" Nezru asked bitterly.
"Help me shut all their doors and lock them." He answered shortly. Again, his voice let out a hint of a challenge.
Nezru walked over, shut, and locked the doors as quickly as she could, to show that she was better and faster than Talon. Talon, it seemed, had the same idea, as he was moving with unusual speed. Nezru caught on to this and began to work faster. Talon did the same. When all the doors were shut, Nezru turned around viciously, and Talon did the same.
"I shut eight!" He yelled to her.
"I got nine!" She countered.
"There's only sixteen doors! How the hell did you get nine?" He yelled pointedly.
"Because you only shut seven, you liar!"
"I shut eight and so did you, and you know it!"
"Are you sure you learned how to count? 'Cause I clearly shut nine!"
"Of course I know how to count! And this being my stable, I think I would know it better than some ungrateful woman who came here and was unconscious for three days!"
"Your stable? I thought your daddy was the one who owned it… and the nine doors that I shut!"
"Eight!" He screamed.
"Well it'll be nine now!" She countered. She turned on her heel and stormed out the back door that led out to where the house was, slamming it behind her.
Outside the cool air blew across her face. The sun had now set and stars were coming out. Nezru decided that she would go back to the desert, back to her broken people. She could get the medical help there, without this guys' milk.
It was the thought of her wound that brought the pain back. A dull throb was starting up again and growing, just like the number of visible stars in the sky. Starting down the hill leading out into the field she found herself half hoping that he would come after her, turn her around, and bring her back to the house.
Any time now.
Where was he?
Who did he think he was? Did he feel any guilt about letting an injured person just walk away?
"Nezru! Hey, Nezru, wait."
Her stomach did a flip. Her back was turned to him and she couldn't help but smile.
"Come on back. You're still not well." She heard his voice say. Then silence.
Nezru took the smile off her face and turned around to see him. "What took you so long to come and get me?" She asked, not really wanting to say that, but feeling the need to pretend to him that she was still angry.
He smiled, "You shut that door pretty hard. It jammed up." His smiled faded. "I'm… I guess that I just lost it and, I- I'm…"
"Me too." Said Nezru, understanding what he was trying to say.
With that they turned around and walked back to the ranch, friends again.
The next few weeks were passed by lazily. Dyna was now broken and had become Nezru's favourite horse. She would ride Dyna around the corral for small amounts of time when she wasn't working with Talon.
Nezru had even met Talon's father, Dalton, which Talon explained was rare because he was hardly ever home. He was supposed to be going round getting orders, but was very old and forgetful. He didn't seem to mind Nezru as much now that she could do something useful, like make meals. But, after only two days he left again, claiming to be back by next month.
Nezru's wound had also healed up quickly, though she though it was only because of the milk. She now only wore a small bandage on it, instead of the head wrap. Even after all the milk and treatment she was getting for it, she still had a large pink scar from the top of her left eyebrow to her hairline.
Nezru awoke one morning and found that the cut was completely gone. She didn't bother to put a bandage on and she got dressed and went downstairs to make breakfast. Talon came down from his bedroom just as she was setting the table for them.
"You're not wearing a bandage." He said, sounding a little concerned.
"That's because my cut's all gone." She said pointing at her forehead.
"All gone?" He said, concern still in his voice.
"Yeah, don't you believe me? It's not there anymore." Said Nezru as she placed the plates on the table.
Talon continued to look uncomfortable.
"Hey, come on. I made your favourite." She said trying to cheer him up, "It's scrambled eggs." Nezru pointed to his plate. She sat down opposite his plate and began her own breakfast.
Talon sat down and mumbled, "Thanks." Then ate.
"Look, just because my cut's gone and you can't take the credit for looking after me anymore isn't a reason to get all mardy."
"That's not why…" He let his voice trail off.
Nezru rolled her eyes and picked up the dirty plates.
"Leave 'em on the side, I'll do them after I help you." He said.
"After you help me do what?" She asked, confused.
"Pack."
"Pack?"
"Well, yeah. You're better now aren't cha? You'll want to go home now, won't cha?"
The thought of getting better then leaving had never really been important to Nezru until now. She had become so used to having splitting headaches ever other day and having the bandage on that she had never really thought about leaving. But… Now that she thought about leaving, it seemed obvious that she should. Memories of the desert seemed to unearth themselves. A craving overtook her to go there again. She remembered her sandals on her feet and the way the sand would touch her toes, and how it felt to wear pants. She remembered the pride she got when she wore her jewelry and the weight of her headpiece. She smiled at her memories.
"Yes, I do want to go back to the desert." She said.
Talon got up with an unreadable look on his face. "I'll go and get you a bag then." He slumped out of the room.
Nezru sat and thought about going back, seeing what was left of her people and helping them bring back their power. Under the rule of one of their greatest Kings, this would of course be accomplished.
Talon came back in carrying a leather bag and threw it on the table. "I'm going out to feed the cows." He said, trying to sound cheerful. He shut the door behind him and walked towards the stable.
Nezru grabbed the bag and turned to go upstairs. Why was he so bitter? She was better. He didn't need to be sad about her leaving. She'd come to visit. Didn't he know that?
Throwing the bag on her bed she ran back downstairs and out to the stables to help Talon. He was throwing a corn mix into the cows food dishes and humming softly.
"Hey, can I help?" She asked.
He turned around and pointed towards another bucket of feed.
"Okay, then" She said picking up the bucket and giving some to the cows. After a few minutes of tense silence, she spoke again. "You know, I'm not just going to leave you forever. I'll come and visit you."
"It's not the same. Not like you always being here. I was left here on my own lots of times 'cause my dad, but then you came… and now you're leaving."
"I don't belong here" Said Nezru, "I come from the desert, that's where I need to go back to."
"I know, I just…" He let his voice trail off and looked away, "I'm just being selfish, I'm fine really." His voice was, however, lacking in its usual reassurance. Nezru got up and walked out of the stables feeling that she needed to ride Dyna.
The sun was just finishing to set as Nezru threw her Gerudo clothes into the bag Talon had gotten her. Something didn't feel right though. Nezru waved it away as nervousness but knew something else that she couldn't put her finger on was bothering her. She felt bad for leaving Talon, but knew that it was for the best. She was going back to the desert once again and was going to see its majestic sand dunes and her solid fortress.
She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. Walking out of the house, she stood to look for Talon. When she didn't find him outside, she entered the stables.
He was standing at one of the stalls, fiddling with the last lock. Nezru cleared her throat. He turned around and smiled at her. Nezru could see that this time it didn't look strained, but genuine.
"I guess you're off then." He said.
"I just came to say goodbye." Nezru looked away as she said this. She was being stupid. Why didn't she want to leave wholeheartedly? She was going back to the desert, where she grew up. It was her… home?
What was a home?
Tearing herself away from her thoughts she turned to face Talon. He had stopped smiling now and was staring at her, his eyes gleaming. A lop-sided grin twitched across his face.
It all came to Nezru at that moment. How could she have ever been so stupid not to see it? How could she have never noticed? How long had he felt this way about her? Ever since the beginning?
Talon walked across the stables and picked up her bag. He opened the door and let her walk out. Nezru quickly exited the stables, not knowing what she should do now. Should she leave?
Talon stopped and handed her her bag. She took it and nervously began to twist the handles.
"I've been here for weeks now," She began.
"Six." He interrupted, "You've been here six weeks."
"I guess so." She choked, thinking it odd that he had been counting.
"You'll come and visit then, like you said?" He asked.
Nezru nodded her head, feeling that if she tried to speak, it wouldn't come out. She felt her eyes prickling and forced her tears back.
"I-I have to go now," She said with difficulty, "I have to go back. Bye." This one word hurt her as she said it. She felt for the first time the harsh reality of consequences. To go back, that meant leaving, and it was hard for her to not be able to get what she wanted.
Just as she was ready to turn around and walk away, Talon stepped in and gave her a hug. Nezru didn't hug back at first. Utter realization passed through her. Her plain dress was more comfortable than those stupid pants. Her head felt less heavy, and she found she could think better without all her jewelry. The cool breeze of the ranch topped the blazing sandstorms of the desert. She liked the way the horses were treated here, even though she had never told Talon.
Talon… being in his arms, here at the ranch, just felt… Right.
With this, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged back. He was hugging her very tightly and she could hardly breathe, but she didn't care. She stood on her tiptoes so that she could rest her head on his shoulder.
"I can't leave. I can't leave this ranch, I can't leave you, I can't leave." She said, more to herself than to Talon.
"What?" He asked dumbfounded, pulling her away.
"I'm not leaving!" She said joyously. "I want to stay. Will you let me?"
Talon didn't answer, at least not verbally. He leaned down and kissed her intensely.
Nezru lost all track of time. She could have been standing there for seconds or days, but she didn't care.
Pulling away, Talon looked up at the sky. It was only just turning a deep blue because the sun had just set.
"It getting late." He said, matter-of-factly. A lop-sided grin once again spreading across his face.
Nezru looked to the sky. It wasn't late at all, and she knew it, but once again she found that she didn't care. "Yeah, it is." She agreed, smiling.
"We should get inside." He said taking her by the waist and walking towards the house. Nezru admired it for a moment. She had seen it before, but now it was different. It was home, without a shadow of a doubt.
Talon opened the door and they walked up the stairs together, both knowing what was going to happen next.
Chapter 3
Malon woke with a start as she heard her father call her once again.
"Malon, girl, come on. We have to get goin'."
She rubbed her palms into her face and moaned. She was usually a morning person, but today they had to wake up a lot earlier to go to town.
She got up out of her bed and shivered slightly in the coolness of her room. Resisting the urge she had to get back into her bed, she walked over to the window and opened the curtains. The sun wasn't up yet and didn't look like it would be doing so for hours.
"What time is it, daddy?" She asked, still peering into the darkness of the ranch.
Her father walked into the room. He was a large man and had his brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. He adjusted the strap to his dungarees and put on a puzzled look.
"I don't know…" He said, thinking, "'Bout three in the morning."
"Why so early?" She asked childishly. She of course knew that they were going into town, but wanted to make the point known that she wasn't very happy.
Her father smiled at her. "Come on, get ready or we'll be late." He walked out of her room, letting her get ready in privacy.
Malon walked over to her oak wood wardrobe and pulled out her favourite cream dress and yellow bandana. Slipping them on over her head, she walked over to her mirror to brush her hair.
Her reflection stared back at her. She was quite tall for an eight-year-old girl. She had long, thick, red hair that reached down past her waist and she had dark blue eyes. Her pointed ears were the only things that showed beneath her hair.
She passed the brush roughly through her hair, smiled at her reflection, and ran downstairs to eat breakfast. Her father was already down there, attempting to cook. He wasn't very good and Malon had become accustomed to eating toast in the mornings.
He sat down and passed her a plate, that, once again, looked to be covered with charcoal.
"Thanks daddy." She said trying not to look at her plate so she could eat her toast without losing her appetite. "What's it supposed to be today then?"
"Can't you tell?" He asked, sounding slightly offended.
"Well…" She said looking down at the black mess, "No."
Her father mumbled something that sounded like "Pancakes."
Malon snorted into her milk glass.
"Hey! I'd like to see you make them, Missy." He said defensively.
"Toast is just fine, daddy." Said Malon, although, she would have dearly loved a pancake. She hadn't had one in years, her mum used to make them, but, ever since…
Malon let out a sigh.
"What's wrong now?" Asked her dad.
"I was just… remembering pancakes." She half-lied.
Her father seemed to know what she was thinking about and decided it was best to change the subject. He looked outside the window and noted that the sun still wasn't up yet.
"We should get going now." He said. "Do you want to get the horses ready?"
Malon got up excitedly and forgot how tired she felt, "Do I get to pick the horses?"
"As long as I take Dyna as the cart carrier we'll be fine. You can pick your own horse."
With that, Malon scurried out into the yard and across to the stables. She already knew what horse she was going to ride. Bursting in through the door and successfully waking up all the animals, she ran inside.
"Epona! Epona! Let's go, let's go!" She screamed. She undid the lock of her door and let the young, red-brown and white mare out. She hugged her pony's neck and put her reins on. Although Epona was very young, Malon had wanted her broken early so she could ride her. She loved her horse dearly and she could always be cheered up by riding her.
Dragging a tired Epona behind her, Malon walked over to Dyna's stall. Dyna was an old horse now, but still was one of the strongest. This was very odd because she was stronger than most of the males. Malon's father had told her that this was because the horse had been her mother's and had taken on some of her more dominating personality traits. Dyna had always been that way, as long as Malon could remember.
Malon closed her eyes as she thought… Just like her mother… It had been three years now since her mother had died and not one day had passed that Malon didn't think about her. Her memories were growing slowly more hazy and Malon found that she had forgotten most of what had happened when she was five. That didn't stop her missing her though. She still loved her dad, but he was different. Not like a mother should be.
Her thoughts were broken as Epona nuzzled her. Giggling she walked out into the corral where her dad was. Dyna walked over obediently to her father. He attached the cart that was filled with crates of milk to her and mounted. Malon mounted Epona in an imitated manor.
"Where do we need to go then, daddy?" She asked curiously.
"Up to the castle today. Only, you can't come all the way up."
"Aw." She whined, "I wanted to see the princess."
"One day you will." He said reassuringly, "When you take over the ranch, you'll come up here and see her. I haven't even seen her yet. Only really important people get through to see her. You'll be important."
Malon smiled. She knew that he was pulling her leg. Still, she'd love to see a real, live, princess. Not the ones in pictures, but up close.
Ingo, the hired hand of the ranch, strolled out of his quarters on the opposite side of the house, looking very tired and grumpy. Malon had never really liked Ingo, but he was a hard worker and demanded little money and her father like him for that.
"Ingo," Began her father, "look after the ranch today. We'll be back before noon."
"I will indeed, Talon." Said Ingo, somewhat bitterly.
With all that said, they finally rode out into Hyrule field. The sky was beginning to become pink to the east. Malon squinted into the distance and saw, ever so slightly, the walls of Castle Town with its towering drawbridge.
It was steadily becoming closer as they rode towards it. The sun finally rose up and lit the grassy ground. The white stone of the inclosing walls shone a pinkish-red colour in the light. They approached the drawbridge just as it was being lowered. Malon left Epona just outside the Town walls because she still wasn't comfortable around anyone else. She walked behind her father across the wooden bridge. She peered into the deep waters of the moat, catching a broken, wavy image of herself. The sun was causing orange coloured ripples to scatter across the water's surface. She tore her eyes away from her reflection and walked into the market place.
It was a large, square-shaped clearing, dotted with stores and stands of all sorts. In the center was a elaborate fountain, consisting of the triforce with clear water running down it's sides. There weren't very many people about the clearing yet, as it was still fairly early in morning.
"Now, Malon, stay here while I go up to the castle and deliver this milk." Instructed her father.
Malon sat down miserably. "Yup, I will, daddy." She mumbled.
He smiled at her. "Here, I know how much you hate waiting and doing nothing, so I got you a present." He pulled out a small brown bag. Malon opened it excitedly and tipped the contents into her hand. Four blue crystals fell out.
"Twenty rupees?" She gasped, "For me?"
He nodded.
"All of it?"
Her laughed. "Have fun, okay. I'll be back in about an hour."
Malon replaced the money back inside her brown bag and watched her dad disappear up the hill to the castle. As soon as he was out of visual range, she began to wander around the market. She looked at all the jewelry stalls but found nothing that interested her. Then, she entered a clothing store but left very quickly when she spotted that most of the dresses she liked were well over one hundred rupees.
Looking for any other store to interest herself in, she glanced into the direction of a merchant who was sitting on the ground waving his hands in the air. She walked over to him curiously and noticed that the man didn't exactly look like a man entirely. It could have been a woman. Deciding to try to ignore this fact, Malon looked down at what it was selling.
Laid out on a small carpet were a few items. Malon didn't recognize most of them, but she did notice…
"An egg!" She exclaimed, pointing to the white, oval object sitting in a bed of twigs.
"Yes." Said the merchant, his voice also sounded quite unlike any man's or women's. "That's an egg alright. A cuckoos egg. " He made a clicking noise. "Be you interested?"
"Well…" She said thoughtfully, "How much is it?"
"Fifteen."
Malon thought for a little while. She took the money out of the bag, looked at it thoroughly and held out three blue stones.
The merchant took the stones and picked the egg up carefully. "It will hatch soon. I've been taking good care of it. It will be a very healthy bird." He made the clicking noise again.
"Thanks" She said. She took the small egg and slipped it into her brown bag, which was now almost empty. She wondered what had made her buy the egg, since they had cuckoos at the ranch. She could raise it, and it could be her pet, like Epona. She was suddenly filled with anticipation and wanted the egg to hatch sooner so she could take care of it. Just like a mother. She was very happy now that she had spent her money on it. Her father would be happy too, if he came back.
She now took the time to examine the market again. The sun was at its apex now and the shadows of the buildings and people were very small. It was a lot more crowded now and Malon pushed her way through the people to the fountain. There were fewer people there and she felt she could breathe. She sat down on the rim of the fountain, held her head up with her hands, and sighed. It had been well over three hours now that her dad had been gone.
She rolled her eyes at his irresponsibility. She was only eight. What if something happened to her? What happened to him?
She rolled over all the possibilities in her head. He could have been hijacked. Milk was in high demand, right? She giggled at this. Maybe he was invited into the castle for tea.
She yawned widely. Of course, she thought, they were up early that morning and he was probably tired and fell asleep. She rolled her eyes again at the immaturity of her father then got up to buy something to eat. Her stomach growled hungrily and she remembered that the last time she ate was at three something in the morning.
She walked up to a bakery stall and looked amongst the numerous cakes and breads. She picked out a few pastries and spent the rest of her money on them. Taking them over to the fountain, she sat down and ate them quickly. They didn't seem to last very long considering their price. Malon stood up to brush the crumbs off her dress.
Now slightly worried about her father, she looked around more desperately for him. She gave up waiting for him and decided to go up to the castle herself.
She was pushing her way through the crowd around a stall when something strange caught her ear. It was someone speaking, but it wasn't that that was different. The voice had a strange accent that she had never heard before. She stopped and looked around for who the voice belonged to.
On the edge of the haggling crowd, stood a boy. He looked a bit older than Malon, though not much taller. He was wearing the weirdest clothes Malon had ever seen. He was garbed in a long, pointy hat and a tunic, both of which were green. He wore a brown, leather belt and boots, and, on his back, there was what looked to be a plank of wood. He was tapping people, trying and failing to get their attention.
"Hey, hey you! Can you help me?" He said, but was pushed away from the crowd.
"Get outta here, stupid kid." Yelled someone.
He moved around to the other side of the group and began to poke people again. He was pushed away another time. Now he looked more frustrated and tried to push his way through to the stall but was thrown out by the people.
Malon let out a short, loud laugh as she saw him stagger to a halt beside her and try not to fall from being pushed.
He whirled around and glared at her and she clapped her hand to her mouth.
"Sorry," She said, "I never meant to be rude."
The boy seemed to relax a bit and smiled at her. "I can understand why you were laughing at me. I must 'ave looked funny."
Malon looked his clothes over again. "Your clothes are funny too. I've never seen clothes like that before, even in this market."
The boy scratched his head, in what would have been a casual way, if his hat hadn't responded.
"Hey!" It yelled.
Malon jumped at the hat's ability to speak. The boy quickly pulled his hand away from his head and looked upwards at it.
"Sorry Navi." He told the hat.
Malon felt her eyes widen. This boy wasn't… normal. She took a step backwards, getting ready to leave, when a white ball shot out from the boys hat. It stopped in mid-air and fluttered around his head.
Malon squinted up at it and saw that it had wings.
"Is that… a fairy?" She asked, delightedly.
The boy swelled his chest out in pride. "Yup." He said, "My very own fairy."
"Wow, that's so neat." She said, looking at the fairy.
"Got 'er this mornin'." He elaborated, looking content at the attention she was giving him and his fairy.
"You're not from around here, are you? You're from the forest, where all the fairies are, aren't you?"
"Yeah. I live there." He said. He cast his eyes down and sighed as though he was thinking about something.
Malon decided that she should change the subject. "So then, Fairy Boy, I'm Malon. What did you need help with?"
"Oh, I'm looking for the castle."
Malon raised her eyebrows and turned to look behind her. In the distance, on top of a large hill, sat, quite conspicuously, Hyrule castle.
"That castle?" She asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, that's the one." Said Fairy Boy, unfazed to her joke. "How do I get in? I need to see the princess."
"How do you get in?" Repeated Malon, dumbfounded. "You don't. There's guards and everything. You won't be able to get to see the princess." Malon laughed at his silly idea to get into the castle. Fairy Boy however, did not laugh.
"The Great Deku Tree told me to see her, so I will."
"You have a permission notice to get in?"
"Well, not exactly…"
Malon laughed again.
"Excuse me, but if you could just tell me 'ow to get up there, I'll be alrigh' by meself." He said, sounding aggravated.
"Sorry, again." Said Malon. "You go up that hill and follow the path all the way up to the gates. That's where they'll let you in."
"Thanks." said Fairy Boy. He turned around and ran quickly up the hill. Malon, feeling this was too much fun to pass up, followed him at a distance.
At the top of the hill she hid behind the rocky wall and peered round the edge to watch the boy and his fairy. She couldn't hear any words put she saw the guard laugh and point him away. Malon had just enough time to hide behind a tree before he saw that she had followed him.
"Hey," She heard the high pitched voice of his fairy call to him. "Why don't you climb those vines there, and seek around the top."
"You sure I can-?"
"Yes, yes, of course. Come on."
Fairy Boy grabbed the vines and hauled himself up onto the cliff. Then, he ran off and out of sight. Malon stepped out into the pathway and looked up in the direction he disappeared in. She wondered what had made her follow him for a moment but her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp cry of pain or anger. Seconds later a fuming Fairy Boy ran around the corner. Malon looked away and started to sing a tune to cover herself.
He looked startled to see her.
"What are you doin' 'ere?" He asked.
"I was, erm… looking for my dad." Malon half-lied.
"Your what?" Asked Fairy Boy.
"My daddy." She repeated, more slowly.
He continued to look puzzled. "Yeah, right." Said Fairy Boy sarcastically.
"I was, really. He went up to the castle to deliver milk and should have come back hours ago. He must have fallen asleep. What a thing for an adult to do."
"Were you followin' me?" He asked, rapidly changing the subject.
"No." Malon lied.
"Alrigh' then." He said in a tone that sounded final. He walked over to the vines again.
"Wait a second!" Cried Malon, as her thoughts clicked. "Can you help me out?"
"And do what?" He asked, sounding a little annoyed now at this interruption.
"If you see my dad, will you wake him up for me? Tell him to hurry up."
"Well, I guess it's on my way."
"Oh, here, take this too." He said, pulling the egg out from her pocket.
"Why would I want this?"
"Because my dad's a real heavy sleeper. You'll have to use this to wake him up?" Explained Malon.
"What do I do? Throw it at 'im?"
Malon laughed. "No. Wait until it hatches then make it crow to him."
"Crow?"
"Yes." Said Malon, nodding.
"Alrigh' then. Thanks for the present." He turned to go up the vines.
"If you don't feel like keeping him, bring him back to me, alright?" Called up to him.
"Bring him back to you? Where do you live?"
"At the ranch, in the middle of Hyrule field, you can't miss it."
"See you later then, Malon." He then climbed the vines and disappeared out of sight again.
Malon turned around and walked back down to the market again. It was getting hotter now and most of the morning rush people were gone. The sun beat down on the cobble stone plaza and reflected a small haze. Malon took her seat at the rim of the fountain and waited.
She saw a dot approaching her, coming down the hill from the castle. It soon became bigger and Malon could just make out her father's structure on Dyna, the milk cart dragging behind them. She ran towards him and he stopped so that so could scramble up onto the horse.
"What took you so long then?" She demanded.
"I'm sorry Missy, but I fell asleep, and if it wasn't for that kid I wouldn't have woken up for a while."
"Fairy Boy woke you up then, did he?" She asked, impressed.
"Fairy Boy? Was that his name then?" Her father joked, "He knew you though, and told me you weren't happy with me."
Malon giggled slightly.
"So what did you spend all your money on then?" He asked her.
"Well, some food and…" She paused for a moment and thought about how she had given her egg away. "A friend." She said, knowing that Fairy Boy would be back to return her pet to her soon.
Chapter Four.
Yeah! Reviews! I love 'em. Now, to answer some more questions. Well, not really questions, but things I feel the need I should explain.
I've been asked about the Termina issue again. I picked it because I don't believe that the Gerudos became angry at nothing, or for an unknown reason. Since the participants of the war were never labeled, I thought I could use this opportunity to use another land, (Termina), to attack. This war will come up later in the story (Stories possibly) as one of the reasons Ganondorf started to become angry. No one's born evil, and I wanted to give some background to him.
Now, on to Link. I can't exactly explain why I though of him as Irish. I suppose it's because that the race of the Kokiri remind me of the Celtics (The ancient ones, not the sports team) somewhat. They seem connected with nature. The Celtic's Tree of Life reminded me of the Deku Tree too. Also, in Windwaker, when Makar and the Kokiri spirit play the song on the violin, I think it sounds kind of Irish folk-song like (At least what I've heard of Irish folk music.) Besides, Link never speaks in the games or anything and I thought, "Well, he has to talk in some way or another, why not Irish?"
It's either all those reasons or the stereotype of the colour green associated with Ireland. And I would choose a Irish accent over a British one any day.
Meh, he's not a main character in this story… so it won't make that much of a difference.
Now, I do realize that there is some confusion about the timeline. The first two chapters are set in the past. Anyone who realized or suspected that the woman and the baby in the first chapter were Link and his mother, good for you. In the third chapter, the jump from the past to the timeline of OoT is made. Malon becomes the main character from that point on. The first two chapters were just to give Malon, and her family, some background. Most of the story will take place while Link is asleep for seven years.
Now, on with the next chapter!
Malon walked down the stairs to eat breakfast with her father. She took her seat on a wooden stool and began to absent mindedly pick at it's cracked surface. She drew her finger away quickly as a splinter of wood was sent into it. Tearing the tiny piece of wood from her finger, she looked up to see what her dad had made her for breakfast.
"Daddy, you'd think after all these years of cooking you'd be able to make something." She stated, looking down at her plate of charcoal.
"Don't you cheek at me." He laughed, "If you don't want any, get yourself some toast."
Malon stood up and spitted a piece of bread on a stick and placed it by the fireplace. She returned to her seat and sighed.
"What are you thinkin' about then?" Asked Talon.
"Nothing." Malon lied. Her father was of course right by suspecting she was thinking about something. Well, someone really.
She had told Link, the Fairy Boy, to come to the ranch and bring her back her cucco. He was supposed to be coming today and Malon was looking forward to seeing him and her pet.
"Keep your secrets then. I'll only find out later." Said Talon.
"Alright then dad."
"Your toast, Missy."
"Pardon?"
"Your toast, it's burning." He said, pointing.
Malon ran over to her toast and blew the flaming thing out. She was now holding what looked exactly like her father's cooking.
"I wasn't hungry anyway." She said, throwing what was left of her toast back into the fireplace.
"Alright. Why don't you go and let the horses out then. You can go and play after that."
"I will, daddy." Said Malon.
She walked out the door of her house and into the stables. Ingo was in there already, mumbling to himself.
"Hello, Mr. Ingo." Said Malon, "I've been sent to let the horses out into the corral."
Ingo didn't respond. He was shoveling the cow stalls and mumbling still.
"Alright then, I'll just go and do that…" Said Malon slowly. She undid the locks on the horse's stalls and opened the gate to the corral with some difficulty. She led them into the fenced in area and sat down in the middle.
Epona walked over and stood next to her, kicking the soft, grassy ground with her hoof. Malon reached up from the ground and stroked her shoulder. Epona nuzzled her back.
Malon picked at the grass slowly. She rested her head in one hand and began to form a pile of picked grass with the other. She stood up and looked down at the now bare spot where the grass had been. The wind picked up and blew the pile of grass across the corral. Malon's red hair flew about her face and her dress ruffled with the wind.
Malon brushed her hair out of her eyes and turned to Epona. She patted her long white mane and stroked her neck. Malon decided that she would sing to her. Malon loved to sing to her horses. She remembered the song her mother used to sing to her and the horses. She would never forget it. Her mother would sing it everywhere she went. It was the only thing she had left Malon with because she didn't have anything else to give.
Malon opened her mouth and began to sing. Every time she sang the song, memories of her mother came to her. They were more vivid and Malon could almost hear her voice singing to her. She smiled as she sang and remembered.
The song itself was a beautiful song. It could relax the animals and had a special way of reassuring them.
Malon closed her eyes and sang as loud as she could. She had a beautiful singing voice and it made the song sound angelic. She sang until she felt that her lungs would burst if she sung any longer. Malon stopped and petted Epona, who was lazily walking around her. The wind was calmer now and the only thing that was affected by it now was the shimmering grass. The blades moved in such a way that they looked more like a green ocean than a field.
Malon looked around the corral, taking in the ocean-like grass. However, her eyes were directed over to a figure on the other side of the corral's fence. Malon recognized him as Fairy Boy and waved her hand in the air to get his attention. He walked over to her and reached for something behind his back.
"Here's your cucco." He said, holding out the bird.
Malon took it in her hands.
"Thank you. I only wish I could have been there to see it hatch." She said. She placed the bird down onto the grass and let it run off. Malon turned around and saw that Epona had run of.
"I don't think your horse likes me very much." He said.
"She doesn't like any strangers. It's not only you." She said. "Listen, I wanted to thank you for getting up dad up yesterday."
Link waved his hand. "It was nothin'."
Epona came in a little closer and Malon put out her hand to pet her. She hummed her song softly to calm Epona down. Link looked on inquisitively.
"Was that you singing earlier? Was that you singing that song?" He asked, looking impressed.
Malon flushed. She was very modest and didn't want him to think she was showing off.
"Yeah. Do you like it? My mother taught it to me." She said. "I could teach it to you if you'd like. Epona loves this song and if you can play it, I'm sure she'll like you."
Link looked at her, quite puzzled.
"Alrigh' then. You can teach me your song if you'd like." He reached into his pocket and pulled out an ivory-pink ocarina.
"Cute ocarina! Are you going to play my song on it?" Said Malon.
"I'll try."
"Alright then," Said Malon, "It goes like this; D, B, A, D, B, A. Got it?"
Link fiddled around with his fingers and begun to play the tune.
"Perfect." Said Malon, "Look! I think Epona's taken quite a liking to you Fairy Boy!"
It was true now that Epona had become comfortable around Link. She had even let him reach out and pat her head.
"That makes two songs that I can play now." Said Link proudly.
"Two? What's the other one then?" Asked Malon curiously.
"Princess Zelda taught it to me… Well, not directly, but she told someone to."
"You saw her? The Princess?" Asked Malon dumbfounded.
"Yeah, 'course I did. I said I was going to." He said casualy.
"Yeah but… You saw her?"
"Yup."
"What's she like? Did she say anything to you?"
"What's she like?" He repeated, "I dunno, she's definitely something though. Bossy, is what I think the word is." His eyes wandered off as he thought.
"Why was she bossy? What'd she tell you to do?"
"I don't know if I can tell you." He said, rubbing the back of his head.
"Hey, I told you my secret. I taught you my song. It's only fair that you tell me your secret." Malon said pointedly.
Link looked strained. "Do you promise you won't tell? You won't tell anyone?"
Malon shook her head.
"I'm on a special mission to save Hyrule." He whispered with his chest puffed out in pride.
Malon raised an eyebrow. Link, who spotted this, decided to elaborate.
"It's true. Zelda sent me to get some stone thingys so she could get the triforce."
Malon let out a small laugh. She found this slightly hard to believe. This boy had just waltzed into her castle and she magically asked him to go run errands for her? It had to be some kind of joke.
"You don't believe me?" Said Link, sounding hurt.
"Well, Fairy Boy, I don't see how she could just ask you to do something important, like getting the triforce, when she just met you." Explained Malon.
"I thought that too." Said Link with his brow furrowed, "But she said she had a dream about me, and my fairy, and my emerald. She said that she felt like she already knew me and she could trust me."
Malon's thoughts clicked. Princess Zelda had been rumored to have prophetic dreams. She had most likely seen Link. Malon realized then that he wasn't lying to her. She let her mouth drop.
"Wow." She said, amazed, "You really aren't joking."
Link shook his head.
"That's wonderful how she actually trusted you. I mean, you just met her and all of the sudden she likes you." Said Malon in awe.
"I know." He said, looking excited, "Now I get to travel around all over Hyrule."
"So…" Said Malon, "did she tell you why you had to get the stones?"
Link smiled almost evilly. He leaned in closer. "Yup. We're doin' it behind this evil guy's back. Zelda say's he's out to get the triforce too. But we won't let him 'cause we're goin' to get it first."
"Amazing." Said Malon, "It's like all the legends and stories that you hear about. Like a real adventure!"
"I'm glad I could tell someone else my secret. I think I would have gone mad if I didn't tell anyone."
"Shouldn't you go and get the stones now?" Said Malon, "I mean what would the Princess say if she knew you were here and not out doing what she told you to?" She laughed.
"I guess I should get going." He turned to leave but stopped and turned around, "Don't tell anyone… Promise?"
"I promise." She said smiling. He turned and began to walk away. Then she called after him, "As long as you come back when you give all the stones to the Princess, Fairy Boy!"
"It's a deal." He called back.
Malon watched him walk away into the distance and out of the ranch gate. She then turned her attention back to Epona and began to hum to her.
That chapter was pretty short… Oh well. The plot thickens! This is when the story starts to get good. I hope you liked this chappy. Send me your reviews. Waves flag.