Link pulled out his Ocarina and played a familiar tune... It was the tune that called Epona to him. Within about a minute, Link could hear the pounding of hooves growing louder. She slowed to a canter, then a trot, and then stopped when she was right in front of Link. He smiled, happy to see his loyal mare.
Link stood on Epona's left and mounted her bare red back. Together, they trotted to the ranch. Link wanted to go check if the expected foal (or filly) had arrived yet - their horse, Tenshi, was due any day now.
He slowed to a halt and dismounted Epona near the entrance of the barn. He led her inside and tied her to a post. Malon was kneeling, milking one of the cows. She turned her head when she heard Link coming in.
"Hey!" she exclaimed, excitedly.
Link's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Has it arrived...?"
Malon nodded her head, smiling. "Follow me, I'll show you her." She stood up straight from her kneeling position and walked out the gate, Link trailing close behind.
She walked across the dirt road to the horses' barn. The 'unique' smell of horse manure flew by with a cooling breeze. Upon entrance to the barn, Malon started to hum with her sweet voice. Link loved the sound she made when she sang. It was like his ocarina, in a way - it was her 'instrument'.
About 10 stalls lined each side of the wall. At the end, a large gate opened to the corral. Malon continued down to that end, stopped at a rather large stall and grabbed a carrot from her pocket. She looked back at Link, smiling, as she opened the stall door. She returned her gaze to the stall, gleaming with pride as she watched the young white filly wobble around on her legs, which were too long for her little body.
"We don't know what to name her, yet."
Link chuckled. "She looks like a... Hmm..." He paused, in thought. "Oh, I know! 'Hoshi'!"
Malon grinned. "That's wonderful! Believe it or not, it seems to go with her... It means Star, doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does..." Link replied.
"Hah, well she is quite the star around here. Once the news got out this morning that we had a new filly, everyone in town has stopped by to see her. We aren't sure if we are going to sell her, but if we did she'd be pretty expensive. She's got good blood lines, and her mother is the fastest horse on the whole ranch."
"I thought Epona was..." Link challenged, unaware that this horse was even race-worthy. He had raced all the others on the barn that were supposedly 'fast' compared to Epona.
"Nope, this mare is. She's Epona's mother..." Malon looked up at Link again, "Didn't you know that...?" Link looked back down at Tenshi.
"No, I didn't..." Link was disappointed. He liked having the title of owning the fastest horse of Lon Lon Ranch. "I never knew that Tenshi was Epona's mother, either..." he stopped, looked at Tenshi, and back at Malon. "They don't look alike at all."
And truthfully, they didn't. Tenshi was long-legged and thin, with tan and white blotches all over her black body. She was beautiful; but Epona was stocky and muscular with a red coat and white mane and tail. She must resemble her father... Link thought. This made him wonder.
"Who is Epona's father?" Link asked.
"His name was Apollo. He was sold months ago..." she paused, and looked at her beat-up boots. "I loved that horse. He was wonderful - a working horse. He looked like Epona, but he was a lot slower then her." Link nodded, signaling he understood what Malon was telling him. He couldn't believe he never wondered about this before (Who Epona's parents were). It just slipped his mind.
Link walked over to the newly named Hoshi and stroked her white back. Her mane and tail were both grayer than his fur. Link also noticed her eyes were a deep blue.
"She is beautiful..." Link whispered.
"Oh, I know. You have to come visit us later to watch them training her. I have a feeling she's going to be a great horse someday..." Said Malon.
"I wouldn't doubt it." Link replied. He started to turn away and added, "I have to go to town and sharpen my sword. I almost forgot..." Link reminded himself.
"You'd better be quick, the shop closes near sundown. And it's almost dinner. I'll see you soon, you'd better visit." She said with a smile.
"Okay, see you later!" He ran out of the barn and untied Epona. He led her out of the cow's barn, and mounted her as he waved good-bye to Malon. He nudged Epona's sides and she was off, galloping towards town.
Link stood on Epona's left and mounted her bare red back. Together, they trotted to the ranch. Link wanted to go check if the expected foal (or filly) had arrived yet - their horse, Tenshi, was due any day now.
He slowed to a halt and dismounted Epona near the entrance of the barn. He led her inside and tied her to a post. Malon was kneeling, milking one of the cows. She turned her head when she heard Link coming in.
"Hey!" she exclaimed, excitedly.
Link's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Has it arrived...?"
Malon nodded her head, smiling. "Follow me, I'll show you her." She stood up straight from her kneeling position and walked out the gate, Link trailing close behind.
She walked across the dirt road to the horses' barn. The 'unique' smell of horse manure flew by with a cooling breeze. Upon entrance to the barn, Malon started to hum with her sweet voice. Link loved the sound she made when she sang. It was like his ocarina, in a way - it was her 'instrument'.
About 10 stalls lined each side of the wall. At the end, a large gate opened to the corral. Malon continued down to that end, stopped at a rather large stall and grabbed a carrot from her pocket. She looked back at Link, smiling, as she opened the stall door. She returned her gaze to the stall, gleaming with pride as she watched the young white filly wobble around on her legs, which were too long for her little body.
"We don't know what to name her, yet."
Link chuckled. "She looks like a... Hmm..." He paused, in thought. "Oh, I know! 'Hoshi'!"
Malon grinned. "That's wonderful! Believe it or not, it seems to go with her... It means Star, doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does..." Link replied.
"Hah, well she is quite the star around here. Once the news got out this morning that we had a new filly, everyone in town has stopped by to see her. We aren't sure if we are going to sell her, but if we did she'd be pretty expensive. She's got good blood lines, and her mother is the fastest horse on the whole ranch."
"I thought Epona was..." Link challenged, unaware that this horse was even race-worthy. He had raced all the others on the barn that were supposedly 'fast' compared to Epona.
"Nope, this mare is. She's Epona's mother..." Malon looked up at Link again, "Didn't you know that...?" Link looked back down at Tenshi.
"No, I didn't..." Link was disappointed. He liked having the title of owning the fastest horse of Lon Lon Ranch. "I never knew that Tenshi was Epona's mother, either..." he stopped, looked at Tenshi, and back at Malon. "They don't look alike at all."
And truthfully, they didn't. Tenshi was long-legged and thin, with tan and white blotches all over her black body. She was beautiful; but Epona was stocky and muscular with a red coat and white mane and tail. She must resemble her father... Link thought. This made him wonder.
"Who is Epona's father?" Link asked.
"His name was Apollo. He was sold months ago..." she paused, and looked at her beat-up boots. "I loved that horse. He was wonderful - a working horse. He looked like Epona, but he was a lot slower then her." Link nodded, signaling he understood what Malon was telling him. He couldn't believe he never wondered about this before (Who Epona's parents were). It just slipped his mind.
Link walked over to the newly named Hoshi and stroked her white back. Her mane and tail were both grayer than his fur. Link also noticed her eyes were a deep blue.
"She is beautiful..." Link whispered.
"Oh, I know. You have to come visit us later to watch them training her. I have a feeling she's going to be a great horse someday..." Said Malon.
"I wouldn't doubt it." Link replied. He started to turn away and added, "I have to go to town and sharpen my sword. I almost forgot..." Link reminded himself.
"You'd better be quick, the shop closes near sundown. And it's almost dinner. I'll see you soon, you'd better visit." She said with a smile.
"Okay, see you later!" He ran out of the barn and untied Epona. He led her out of the cow's barn, and mounted her as he waved good-bye to Malon. He nudged Epona's sides and she was off, galloping towards town.