Disclaimer: I, the author, do not owe Legend of Zelda®: Ocarina of Time™ or any of the game characters used in this story. Original characters are owned by the author of this story. All Rights are reserved.

Once it was made clear Airas had never seen a horse before—much less ridden one—Malon made arrangements for Airas to stay at the ranch until she had become a master at horse back-riding. She would sleep in the same room with Malon on a cot made with hay and a feathered pillow. After Airas had dropped off her belongings, the two began right away as the sun had fully risen.

"Now," Malon started, the two standing in the middle of what Airas learned was the corral. "Seeing that you were able to approach Epyon without startling him, I think you have a knack for calming animals, therefore mounting one should not be a problem."

"Mounting?" Airas asked.

"Getting on top of one."

"You get on top of them?" Airas asked, startled.

Malon smiled patiently and nodded. "Of course. What else did you think you would do?"

"I'm not sure…" Airas replied. A grin crossed her lips. "Sounds fun."

"Oh, it is. But it takes much practice to get use to it. Go ahead a pick a horse you want to ride."

Without a moment's thought or hesitation, Airas already had picked. "Epyon."

Wide-eyed, Malon sternly shook her head. "You did the first part well of approaching him without him running away, but riding him is a totally different matter."

"How so?"

"Not even I have broken him in." Seeing Airas's horrified face at the word "broken," she quickly added, "meaning he is not use to having riders on top of him. He is not quite tamed."

"Oh," Airas let out in a breath of relief. "Well, I suppose we can both learn than at the same time."

Malon looked from both girl to horse to girl again, a thought crossing her mind. "I suppose so. It's been done before."

"Really? By who?"

"Er…I'll tell you later," Malon said uneasily. "Let's get you the equipment you'll need."

Airas learned much that day with what was needed before even riding a horse. A blanket was placed on the horse's back first before what was called a saddle—where the rider placed his or her rump in—to help soften rough leather scraping against fur. Airas worked up a bit of a sweat just buckling the straddle underneath Epyon's belly, Malon standing beside making sure it was secure enough.

"Wow, that's real tight," Airas said, wiping her forehead. "You sure he can still breathe?"

"Trust me, they still can. It's to make sure the saddle does not move around and the rider falls off. It can leave a few bruises being that high up."

Airas stood beside Epyon and saw she was right. She could just barely look over the horse's back with her eye level.

"Is that all than?"

Not at all, she soon found out.

Now that Airas knew how to put on a blanket and saddle, she had to learn how to properly take it off. Than more equipment was given to her. A brush for grooming the entire horse's body, followed by a comb for the tangles in the mane and tail, and than a tack to clan out the dirt from the hooves.

Though Airas found it all long and straining—especially the last part—Malon was impressed with the girl's quick progress.

"You seem to have a talent for this. It usually takes a few times just to run your hand down the leg and get them to lift it up for you."

"Thank Deku," Airas mumbled.

After Epyon had been groomed, again Airas was to put on the blanket and saddle, able to finish the task much quicker this time.

"Now the hard part," Malon said, holding up a strange contraption with many different thin ropes connected to a metal hook. Handing it to Airas, Malon giggled watching the girl trying to untangle it.

"What is this?" she asked, frustrated.

"It's called a bridle. The metal bit goes into the horse's mouth, the rest of it over his head." Reaching over, she took hold of the longest piece of rope. "This is the rein. You use this to hold onto when on top of the horse and control him."

"I suppose that means it's necessary than," Airas sighed, about to make a suggestion if they could skip that part.

After a few times, Airas found it was not so bad putting it on, given Epyon would hold his head still long enough and not jerk away all the time. Then it was another matter prying his mouth open to accept the bit. Malon laughed as Airas looked Epyon square in the eye and tried to convince him this could go much faster with his cooperation.

"Sometimes it's a matter of being a bit forceful and letting him know who is master and who is beast," Malon advised.

Walking over, she demonstrated by grabbing part of the bridle already around Epyon's head and jerking it down forcefully, bringing his head down. Epyon did not seem pleased as he stomped his foot several times, his nostrils flaring.

Still, the job got done as Malon finished putting the rest of the bridle over his ears. When he refused to open his mouth for the bit, Malon grabbed him by the nostrils and pulled them upwards, causing Epyon to open his mouth, the bit slipping in. He pulled away afterwards, apparently in a foul mood.

"Maybe that's why he does not like riders," Airas suggested, seeing Epyon scamp and stomp his foot continuously. "He does not like the method of how you get the bridle on."

"Sometimes it's the only way. Ready to mount?"

Second thoughts were beginning to cross her mind, but she knew it would never get done with delaying. "Sure."

Walking up to Epyon's side, she patted the horse's neck, trying to comfort him. He only snorted and flicked his tail annoyingly.

Pulling down the stirrups the way she had been taught, she placed her left foot in first, grabbed hold of the saddle's horn and in one swift movement, pulled herself up. Her bottom fit snuggly inside the saddle's comfortable curve, pointing her heels down with her toes up.

She only had a moment's time to grab the reins and hold on as Epyon lifted both of them up onto his haunches, than came back down with an audible "thud" and took off light lighting, running around the corral in sharp circles.

"Wow!" Airas cried out, barely holding on with her whole upper body leaning back from the speed. Each time Epyon turned, she leaned so far over the other way, she feared she would fall.

"Hold on to him, Airas!" Malon called out. "Lean forward and pull as hard as you can back on the reins!"

For a moment, Airas completely forgot everything as an adrenaline rush overwhelmed her. Looking for the reins when she was already holding onto them, she called back on her sense instantly and pulled back, using Epyon's restraint for her to be able to pull herself forward. Leaning all the way down, she could no longer feel the impact of Epyon's speed pushing her back.

"Don't dig your heels into him! That's how you tell him to go faster. Just hold on with your thighs."

Obeying Malon's orders, she lessened the pressure of her heel in Epyon's ribs, using only the knee and up to hold on. Epyon still refused to yield.

His head whipped in every direction, each galloping stride he took causing Airas to be thrown around. She decided to play his hard game than.

Whenever Epyon's head turned left, she would pull on the reins right. She would pull them the opposite way as soon as he tried to turn right to lessen the pressure. Soon Epyon began bucking wildly with his hind legs, Airas having to move quickly to lean as far back as she could to prevent from falling off forward. The beast even went so much as to fall and roll on his side, crushing Airas's leg.

Malon continued shouting, but Airas could no longer hear her entire focus and concentration on the horse and his movements.

"You most certainly are his daughter," she said to no one.

Both horse and rider continued this wild chase, one trying to hold on, the other trying to break off. Soon Airas's whole body was sore with her muscles constantly being tensed, and she became dizzy with Epyon's endless circles and lunges. Yet she was far from quitting.

Lather began to build up on Epyon's neck and chest, foam building at his mouth. With each hoarse breath he let out a roar of anger and fury, soon running straight to the barred fence and slammed his side into it, Airas letting out a yell of pain.

"Let go, Airas!" Malon called out, shocked at what she had just seen. "Let go of the reins and stirrups and roll off!"

Her shouts were in vein as Airas continued to hold on steadfast. Pulling the reins opposite of Epyon's head, she knew the only way than she could win was to tire Epyon out first. Digging her heels into his sides, she commanded him to go faster, as fast as his legs could take them.

Airas realized than, with the wind blowing against her so strong, that she was enjoying this. Not once had she felt fear ever since Epyon's first lunge, the feeling of such speed making her feel power and invulnerable.

Go faster, Epyon. Go faster than the wind itself.

Epyon's ears suddenly flicked back, as if hearing her. He stopped roaring with each breath, only panting heavily now and ran straight past Malon out the corral, and ran around on the outside for a while.

Faster! I know you can go faster!

Suddenly Epyon let out a burst of speed and was running straight toward the wall, yet fear struck neither the horse nor rider's heart. With a grace a swan would be envious of, Epyon easily leapt over the wall, over the spikes that threatened to cut his gut and onto Hyrule Field.

"Woo!" Airas let out, throwing a fist up in the air in triumph. She was on the other side of Lon Lon Ranch now, down a steep hill that held the castle from view, running by an area of red rocks, below an over-hang and again into the open field. With just enough pressure, she pulled on the reins to the left to begin to turn around. Her eyes caught for a moment when she saw another opening with two fences in front of it, wondering where it led.

She was brought back to reality when Epyon began running through an area of trees, laughing as she easily guided Epyon through them without trouble. Going up a hill, Epyon's speed never faltering, she barely even noticed the fence until they had jumped over it. Again she let out a cry in cheer. Nearing Lon Lon Ranch, she slowly pulled back on the reins, releasing her heels from Epyon's sides, bringing them to a slow halt.

Both stood in front of the entrance, gasping for air. As soon as all tension from Airas's body was released, she trembled violently, laughing at the same time.

Malon came running out seconds later, skirts bundled up in her hands. She stopped as soon as she saw Airas and Epyon, her hand over her heart in relief.

"Oh, by the Triforce…thank heavens."

Airas looked up after her heart and calmed down somewhat, leaning down to pat Epyon's neck, running her hands through his hair, full of tangles again.

"What else is there to this riding business?"