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.

Airas did not trust herself to dismount the horse just yet, her legs visibly shaken with nerves still trying to relax. Malon understood and took hold of the reins, leading the two back in. Once between the houses, she stopped and waited for Airas to calm down a bit more, the racing pulse in neck vivid enough to see just how fast her heart was still going.

"I would be arrogant to say I am not impressed, but I am also horrified at the risk you took," Malon said after a few moments.

"Risk?" Airas asked. In all her ignorance and state of childish naïve, she honestly could not understand what risk she had taken.

"You jest," Malon said in disbelief. "Epyon could have killed you. That was clear when he began ramming you into the fence."

"He did worse damage rolling onto his side, but I believe my leg is still in usage."

Ignoring the mockery, Malon shook her head. "That's when you should have let go. Jumping over the side of the ranch's wall did not help matters either!"

"If I had fallen off at any time, I would have gone after him."

This time a stiff finger was pointed at her. "That is not what I was afraid of. Oh, you're as reckless as he was!"

Reckless, yes. Deaf, no. Airas shot her head up. "Who?"

Malon covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes wide as if she was afraid she would be lashed. "F-forget it. Someone from long ago."

Airas took into account how Malon had been looking at her since the moment they met earlier that day. Her eyes had spoken of hurt and betrayal, like Airas was the one responsible for it. It was someone Malon had known—long ago as she said—and Airas had reminded her of that person. Could it be…

Smiling sympathetically, the last thing Airas wished to do was bring up hurtful memories, but she had to know. This was the time to explore. Explore the past.

"Do I look a lot like him?" she asked softly.

Malon looked up, tears yet to spill glistening in her eyes.

Dismounting carefully, Airas hung onto the saddle's horn before she tested her weight on her legs. Able to stand, she let go and walked up to the woman.

"If you know anything about my father, please…tell me. I know nothing save his name."

"Your father," Malon began, her voice choked.

Airas waited patiently, her eyes soft and understanding, even though she knew nothing that had passed between this woman and her father.

"No!" she burst out, throwing her arms around in disgust. Epyon, too exhausted to jerk away, only flicked his ears back. "It took me years to forget about him, and I'll not bring the memory of him back into my life. Not after what he did!"

Startled, Airas knew not what to say, only able to watch as Malon turned away, tears running down her face. She ran into the house and slammed the door behind her, leaving Airas and Epyon alone.

Sighing, Airas thought it best to leave her be for a while. She took Epyon's saddle, bridle, and blanket off before returning him to the corral, once again bringing the comb to undo the tangles. There was still much lather on his fur, deciding to let him cool off before she groomed him. As soon as she was done, she patted his back leg, gesturing for him to go and do as he pleased. Letting out a soft whine, he trotted over to the small open shed and drank to his heart's content of water from the trough.

Not sure what else to do with her time and not wanting to bother Malon, she went and groomed every horse there was out in the corral. Each one was given equal care, combing their manes and tails, tacking to make sure their hooves were clean and brushing their fur until they shined. All the other horses seemed the same, Epyon being the only one standing out. Their bodies were a light yellow like the sun, their legs suddenly shading into a dark brown. The same color was on the tip of their muzzles, mane, and tail.

The sun was beginning to set when she was done. With nothing but the soft whine of a horse here and there, Airas heard the door to the house open, Malon emerging with a tray of food.

Not saying a word, Airas watched as Malon walked up and placed the food down on the ground, sitting. She motioned for Airas to sit with her, sipping a glass of white liquid.

Airas never took her eyes off her as she kneeled down and helped herself to bread and a slice of meat.

"What is that you're drinking?" she asked after a moment of awkward silence, wishing to break it.

Malon looked up surprised. It seemed there was no end to her wonder of how this girl would survive in the world.

"Milk. Have you never had any?"

"No."

Malon handed her another glass she had brought, offering it with a half a soft smile. "Try it."

Airas took a sip and licked her lips. "It's good. I've only had water my whole life."

"It comes from cows," Malon explained. "Another animal you probably have not seen."

Airas shook her head.

"I thought so. I have a few in the stable."

"The stable?" Airas asked.

Malon turned halfway and pointed to the smaller house. "That's a stable. It's where you keep animals."

"Oh, so they have a house of their own," Airas said, grinning.

Malon giggled. "It's amazing. You rode Epyon today like you had been riding all your life, yet there is so much you do not know."

"It's a disadvantage I grew up with living only in the forest."

Malon started. "You mean you never have been out in Hyrule until today?"

"That's right," Airas answered, nodding. "I suppose Saria was waiting for the right time to let me go."

Malon lowered the sandwich she had been eating and nodded her eyes downcast. "I can understand. It's not easy to let go."

Arias nodded in agreement. The two finished eating and drinking in silence, only the tip of the sun now visible to the west.

It was nice, Airas thought, eating out here with a new friend, Epyon and the other horses nearby, dining on their own with the grass. The air was cool, but not to a discomfort, the air smelling sweet of hay and…horse hide? Somehow it was pleasant on its own.

"Airas," Malon said suddenly. "I apologize for earlier, for my outburst. It was wrong to speak of your father that way."

Finishing the last bit of her sandwich, Airas waited until it was fully chewed and swallowed before she began to talk, as she had been taught. "It's all right. I do not know what he did, but if its too disheartening to talk about, please do not force yourself."

"You're as gentle and understanding as he was," Malon said, watching Airas as she wiped her mouth clean with a napkin. "Is it true you know nothing of him but his name?"

"Yes, it's true," Airas replied, sighing heavily.

"Did Saria tell you nothing?"

"She said some things should be heard from others. I did not even know his name until a couple of days ago. I believe she would have said nothing about him if I had not accidentally overheard it from someone else."

Malon looked away, her face showing she was in heavy thought with a frown. "Why in the world would she keep him hidden from you? More importantly, why would Link leave you in the forest with her?"

Something else must have struck her, Airas able to see Malon's face bright up like the rising moon.

"Airas…in the forest. Was there another? Like you?"

"Like me?" Airas asked, finishing her glass of milk. It had been her only meal all day and she had been disputing whether to ask for more or not. "No. Everyone else was Kokirian, if that's what you mean."

"Oh," Malon said the brightness in her face diminishing. "Perhaps Saria kept that from you as well. Do you even know who your mother is?"

Airas could only shake her head.

It was a time before Malon spoke again, passing the next few minutes pondering over a matter Airas could only imagine.

The howl of the wolf to greet the night broke her stream of thoughts. "Ah, it's late. Come, Airas. We should retire."

"So early?" Airas asked. "In the forest we spend the night telling stories."

"And here on the ranch," Malon cut in sternly, "we rise with the sun to tend to the livestock."

All hope of Malon speaking of Airas's father that night shattered and relentlessly was replaced with unwanted sleep. The two stood and gathered the dishes back onto the tray; Airas being swift to silently volunteer carrying it back. Malon smiled in thanks and ushered two horses into the stable. Airas helped bring in Epyon and two more with him, the task being done much more quickly with her help, Malon commented.

Inside the house, up in Malon's room, all the candles were blown out as Airas wrapped herself with a hand-made quilt, sighing as she rested her head on her pillow. Malon joined beside her in a cot lifted up with wooden planks, the bed slightly creaking with her lightweight.

Lying wide-awake, it was only a matter of moments, Airas counted, before Malon's breathing deepened, sleeping soundly.

Moonlight lit up the room as it shone through the window, covering Airas in a sheen of white brilliance, her eyes reflecting the heavy glow with an inhuman sight even she was not aware of.

Passing the time, she looked over the furnishings and simple accommodations, finding a table by her cot with a dresser and cabinet, things even the Kokiri had, being craftsman with wood and steel…when they wanted to be.

Her first night outside the Kokiri Forest. It was still hard to believe. Malon had been similar to what Airas imagined would be her first encounter with a Hylian. True, she was much taller than the Kokirians, but still much shorter than herself. She began to wonder over the hidden truths the woman concealed from her, about her father and possibly even her mother. It would be amazing if she could meet both.

The vision of her father suddenly came back to her and she shuddered, hugging herself tightly under the covers. Trying to distract herself of the morbid sight that plagued the back of her mind, she thought of other related things she maybe not just wanted, but needed to find out. The triangles, for example. She saw them everywhere now and wanted to know what they meant. Her journey, and where it would take her, what she would learn.

And Hyrule Castle. It was the one place she desired to visit ever since she had heard of it from the Deku Tree. Her lessons with him consisted of history and philosophy. The former would include all that there was in the world, and the philosophy concluded why they existed, for what purpose.

She had been given only ten years of this training, and apparently, as Malon had said, there was still so much more to learn.

She believed she was not off to a bad start, however. Smiling to herself, she recollected the fact that she had practically mastered horse back-riding in a single day, with a horse claimed to be untamable, no less.

It was not long before Airas began to slowly drift into an easy sleep, dreaming of riding through the Hyrule Field with Epyon, who danced with every step he took, his white mane and tail at the mercy of the wind. Airas sat upon him with ease, hardly affected by the same invisible force, her arms flailing out like a bird's wings, feeling herself flying. Free and full of any sense of restraint or fatigue, the two continued on for what seemed like forever, never tiring.

Than, not far in the horizon, came another horse and rider, and Airas thought she was seeing her double. She blinked and her eyes watered to see her father, Link, in all his grand and prime youth riding up to her in a horse that looked almost exactly like Epyon. They were the same size; yet his horse's mane was just shorter of a hand's reach, fur brighter with a burning orange rather than red.

And her father smiled at her, his hair a golden-yellow rather than the dull white she had seen in the vision, his skin peach rather than ice. And his bright, luminous sapphire eyes sparkled at her, holding out a hand.

She took it without thought, without question of knowing who he was, feeling his strength radiate through hers. They held on for a moment more before letting go, still continuing to ride side-by-side over vast hills and endless plains, deserts wide like oceans and through majestic mountains.

Her father's smile never lessened, as he looked at her, young and handsome with his green tunic rippling over him in the wind. She watched him wave, his horse flailing its head out to give a cry, Epyon answering with his own, and both rider and horse was gone in a blink of an eye.

Airas's eyes opened moments after, looking over to see Malon was up making her bed, the peak of the sun just beginning to rise from the east.

"Oh, morning," she said, smiling. "I was going to let you sleep a bit more before I woke you. Have sweet dreams?"

Airas returned her smile with that as heartfelt as her father had in her dream. "The best," she said.

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Author's Comment:

I just wanted to take this time to say thank you so much to the two who have given me wonderful reviews thus far and given me such praise and confidence to continue on with my work. I also appreciate the comment on I deserving more reviews. I am also flattered by such words. I believe, however, that this story is more appealing to the patient, indulgent people who actually take the time to read and get into a story. I thank you again so much on taking your time to read through this story of mine, especially Selah and your kind words. Truly I would have given up by Chapter 4 if not for you and Twisted. I thank ye.

(bows)

P.S. Also, I am sorry I do not go through all the chapters and edit them, reading through some of them again myself and finding multiple errors. I'll try to be more careful in the future.