Chapter 6

I cannot tell you how much it helps me to get reviews! Just today, I check my e-mail casually and BAM! There're two reviews waiting for me. I'm like "yay." So I read them and am inspired. So, I wrote this chapter for you all.

I'd like to take the time now to recognize some of my more frequent reviewers. Thank you Maieve, Rainer Aquarias and Lizai for your reviews!!! Jumps up and down.*

Anyway… enjoy chapter 6!

Shadow of the Lord

Malon awoke sore and tired. She rubbed her hands into her face and attempted fruitlessly to make the pain go away. It had been two days since Ganondorf had come to visit the ranch and like her father had said, Malon had to start working.

Her small hands already had blisters from the overly large equipment she had to use. It was hard work and it was the first time Malon had realized how tough it really was. Things could have definitely been easier for her though. The fact that they were only given three days was only the first bit. Malons' eyes were constantly red from either her crying or trying not to. The pain of her blisters, although it was nearly unbearable, was nothing compared to how Malon felt inside.

She felt lost, as if all hope had been lost with Link. And worse, the man who had done it, the man who had caused it, was coming to their ranch that very day.

Malon got up and walked over to her mirror. She licked her fingers and wiped away the tearstains on her cheeks. Her eyes were raw and she felt like she hadn't stopped crying in days. She picked up her hairbrush and started to brush her hair but soon stopped because her arms hurt her. She was completely physically and emotionally spent. She pushed away from her mirror, knowing well that her hair wasn't brushed properly or her face totally clean, but she didn't care.

She slumped down the stairs and out the door, not bothering to eat breakfast. She wasn't hungry at all, and hadn't been for the past few days. She walked into the stables. Her father and Ingo were there already, wearing the same look that they had been doing on their faces for the past two days; completely unreadable.

"Hullo Missy." Said her father miserably. Ingo made a grunting noise.

"'Lo Daddy." She responded.

"Oh, Malon." He said looking at her gravely, "You'll have to do your hair again before our guest shows up. Make sure you wash your face too. Try to look as nice as possible."

"I will… I just didn't feel like it this morning." Said Malon. She picked up one of the last bales of hay and dragged it over to the neat pile they had created. She heaved it onto her back and threw atop the pile.

"Right then, Missy." Said her father, "I'll go get some soap and water and we'll wash this floor down, then we're finished."

Talon walked solemnly out of the stables and Malon opened up the equipment cabinet and got out some scrubbing brushes. Her father entered again, carrying two buckets filled with soapy water. Malon took one and began to mop and scrub the floor. The hot water caused her hands to hurt even more and she could she her scraggly reflection in the bucket. She mindlessly brought the bristled brush back and forth, staring blankly in front of her.

"Here, Missy." Said her father, "You go and get cleaned up, I'll finish here." He took the brush from her crude hands and smiled at her. It wasn't a real smile, it was a half smile. Malon tried to return the other half to him, but her lips cracked as she tried to move them. She turned and ran out of the stables and into the house where she splashed cool water over her face. She wiped her face over with a dishcloth and walked up the stairs to her room.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror again and found that she looked a bit more presentable. Malon grabbed her brush and combed it through her hair, making it look soft and shiny again. She then inspected her clothing and found them to be clean enough. She did a quick spin in front of the mirror and saw that she was perfectly fine to show herself again. However, she didn't feel so secure about her emotions… The last time she had felt so dissipated was when her mother had died.

What would her mother have done about this? Malon wondered. It seemed that everything in her life was falling apart and her outcome would be decided when Lord Ganondorf came and inspected the ranch.

She smoothed her hair down one last time and walked out the door, ready for what was coming. Again, she walked into the stables and found her father and Ingo in there. The floor was finished and the buckets were put away neatly in the cabinet. All the cows were in their respective stalls and all the horses were out in the freshly cut corral. Malon had never seen the ranch look so impressive and regal. True, it had been a hard few days, but the ranch was spectacular.

The three workers walked out of the stables together and took their places in between the two buildings, just in front of the corral. They stood there, waiting, as if for their sentence… Which, in some ways it really was.

Time, it seemed, passed faster when Malon was dreading something to happen. But the flow of Time could not be stopped, and too soon was the horse of the dark Lord visible in the entrance way of the ranch.

Ganondorf rode his horse into the opening between the houses and stopped just in front of the three people and looked down upon them.

"Stay here." He barked to them, "I will tour the corral without you lot babbling in my ear."

Malon cowered back a bit and let him past by her on his huge black horse. She watched as he trotted around the fence several times and waited in silence and anticipation. She was praying quietly to herself. The lines she was uttering had been taught to her as a child and she would repeat them every night before she went to bed and they had become rehearsed and soon meant nothing. This time, however, she meant them with all her heart.

"O, great Goddesses. Healers of mine people and Creators of mine land. Bless upon myself Your power of control. Let mine path be guided by Your gentle wings and whispered words. Grant me Your courage and let me release the familiar. Bestow me with Your wisdom and let myself see as You see and know as You know. O, great Divine Sovereigns. Hear mine prayers and answer. O, Heavenly Mothers of Hyrule and all it's grace, here mine prayers and answer." She whispered over and over again to herself, adding to the end, "Let the dark Lord pass us by."

Ganondorf returned shortly enough, looking almost satisfied.

"I have no parchment. Fetch me some please." He ordered. Talon bowed himself out and scampered into the house for something for the Lord to write on.

"You there," He snapped at Ingo and Malon, "Show me your stables." He descended his horse. It was the first time Malon had seen him off his steed not he looked less intimidating. He was still tall and big and the look in his eyes was not dampened.

Malon opened the door and allowed Ingo and Ganondorf to enter. She followed them into building, keeping her distance from the large man.

Ganondorf stalked around the stables and tutted loudly. "Where is that man with my paper? Do you even have any here?" He growled to Ingo, "That is unsatisfactory."

Ingo made a meeping noise and said "I'll go help him find some, my Lord." He too bowed and left to go get the parchment.

Malon, realizing that she was the only one left, tired to look occupied with the door of one of the stalls.

"There's nothing wrong with that door, young lady." Came Ganondorfs' voice smoothly. "Come. Turn and look at me." He ordered.

Malon turned around slowly and saw him sitting on a crate of milk, staring at her with his yellow eyes. She walked up to him hesitantly and stopped a few feet in front of him. She cast her eyes downwards so as not to look at his own.

"Look at me." He repeated. Malon lifted her head. He smiled at her. The same smile he always had. "That's better. I like that you listen well."

Malon didn't move. He seemed to have challenged her to a staring contest. She would not give in. She couldn't. How she wished her father to come back so she could stop with a reason, though.

His smile did not falter. "Good girl." He said. He then got up and walked over to the gate of the stables that led out to the corral.

"Which horse is yours then?" He asked casually.

Malon remained silent.

"Tell me." He commanded calmly.

Malon stepped up to the gate and looked around. She had a plan.

"That one there." She lied shortly, pointing to a white and black horse.

"You're lying." He said calmly. He turned and faced her, then whispered "I don't like liars."

Malon stared back at him.

"You know," He said thoughtfully, looking out to the corral, "you remind me a lot of a Gerudo. You think like them. Too bad for you I'm Gerudo and can think like that too. You could fool most people into thinking that you are one, really. But, that's not your horse and if you think that I was stupid enough to be tricked by some six year old then you have another thing coming."

"I'm not six." Retorted Malon, "I'm eight."

He fixed his eyes on her again. "You ought to learn how to hold your tongue, young lady."

Malon turned her head and looked out at the corral again, praying for her father to hurry up. She fiddled with her hair and twisted it around her fingers, trying desperately not to make eyes contact with this monster again.

"You've got nice, red hair too." He said quietly. Malon looked at him confused. "All the Gerudo have red hair just like yours."

Malon inched away, feeling uncomfortable and wondered why she had gone to so much trouble to make her hair look nice only for Ganondorf to comment on it. He was comparing her to one of his own race, speaking to her as though she really was a Gerudo.

"What's your name young lady?" He asked in an orderly tone.

Malon said nothing.

"Tell me your name!" He snapped. Malon tired to hide the fact that she was feeling pleased about pushing him.

"Malon, Sir. My name is Malon."

"That's a pretty name."

"And it's not Gerudo." Malon blurted out viciously. She covered her mouth, as though she wanted to push the words back in, but the damage was done.

"What did you say?" Asked Ganondorf.

"Nothing."

Ganondorf smiled, "That's what I thought." His smiled faded and he looked at her with darkly with his evil eyes. "Now, Malon, tell me which horse is yours."

Malon held up her hand weakly and pointed towards Epona. "That one, Sir."

"Good girl." All traced of his smile were now gone and his eyes had changed. They were, if possible, colder then they had ever been.

"I found some!" Said Talon, excitedly entering the ranch, waving a small tattered piece of parchment.

Ganondorf looked down at the patch of paper and scowled. "On second thought, Talon, I think I'll just take a mental note. Your daughter has done an excellent job of showing me your stables and I find them to be in satisfactory order. You may remain head of this ranch and continue to work for me. I have one request, however. I will be in need for a new horse in a few years when my own is past prime and you will be my provider."

Malon eyes widened in shock. She knew what was to come next. She knew how this monster thought.

"I will take that horse there when it reaches maturity." He demanded, pointing at Epona who was grazing happily in the corral. "I will expect it to be well trained for battle and speed when I come to collect it."

Malon stopped breathing. "No." She said so quietly that she was sure no one would hear.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Asked Ganondorf sharply.

Malon said nothing. She was in disbelief. He had made her tell him just so he could deliberately claim for the horse and hurt her.

"Well, er… My Lord," Began Talon, "That's probably not the best horse for you then. She is very stubborn and-"

"That will make it more of a chance for you to show me your abilities as a trainer… Or, shall I say, point out your weaknesses. My request stands." He turned and left the stables.

The three of them rushed out after him. He had mounted his horse and was prepared to leave. "Malon, try to think about what I told you. You'll find that my assumptions may be astoundingly accurate." With that he turned and left the ranch again.

It took awhile for Malons' young mind to make the connection between Ganondorfs' last comment and what he had meant by it. He was, of course, referring to their conversation in the stables and Malons' sudden outburst. This did indeed give Malon a lot to think about. Like why he had been so persistent about equating her to the Gerudo race. Malon, was however uninterested by this fact because her attention was drawn to some other matter. Epona had been sold off. Her horse would soon belong to someone else. And if that wasn't bad enough, it wasn't an admirable person either, but an evil, power-obsessed man.

Malon felt that whatever hope might have been left for her had been sold off with her horse. Dark times would soon be descending on their ranch and the threat of Ganondorf coming and claiming ownership of the ranch was a heavy one.

A tear ran softly down Malon cheek and she quickly wiped it away so her father wouldn't see it. She turned sharply and ran into the house and up into her room where she launched herself onto her bed and sobbed shakily into her pillow.

It's over!!!!