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.

Rising with the sun a few hours later, Airas shared her concern with Malon, asking if she could remain in the market while Malon delivered the goods to the castle.

Understanding Airas's fear, though she would not call it that aloud, she shook her head and pointed out the castle was still a ways from the market, Malon needing Airas's help.

"Usually I would depend on Keihs to fetch some guards to aid me, but he takes a good hour to do so. At least than I can come back and tend to the livestock with aid right my by side."

"Right," Airas said, nodding.

"The best way to conquer this is to just face it, Airas. I do put the blame on myself for you not wanting to meet your mother. After all, I told you nothing pleasant of her."

"Better to know the truth than live in ignorance," Airas remarked blandly. Realizing what she had just said, she waved her hands frantically. "I am sorry! I did not mean that toward you, Malon."

The red-haired woman forced a smile and laughed softly. "If only you had told me that advice seventeen years ago…no matter. Sometimes fate cannot be altered."

There was that word again. Fate. By the Deku, what did it mean?

She thought of asking, but it was one of those things she remembered Saria saying she would have to create her own meaning of.

"Now than," Malon said, putting her mind elsewhere. "Time to address one more matter before we go."

"What is that?"

"Your outfit. I'm afraid we will never reach the castle with people asking why you dress as a Kokiri."

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Not that Airas would have really minded being detained by curious folk, keeping her from the castle. There was the matter of Malon being a head shorter than Airas, resulting in all her dresses coming down just barely past Airas's knees. Looking down at herself, the girl shook her head. "Are you telling me this would not create attention from the market folk?"

There was also the fact the top of the dress was rather snug on her chest and arms, barely giving her enough room to twist them about.

"Oh dear, I believe your right," Malon said, unable to hold a giggle in. It did not help Airas to feel any more comfortable. An idea came to mind as Malon's face brightened, returning back to the cabinet as she rummaged through until she pulled out a green shirt and white breeches that went clearly above the chest with straps that went over the shoulders to the back. "This is what our secondhand, Ingo, wore. My father's clothes would be much too big on you."

"You mean to dress me up as a man?" Airas asked in shock.

"It is either that, which fits, or wearing a dress that looks like you outgrew it ten years ago," Malon said, giggling again.

"Is there no other option?"

"Let me see…"

Malon went looking through the cabinet once more that seemed to be able to hold much more clothes than Airas had first guessed, looking at it from the outside. "Ah ha!" Malon cried out than, pulling out a queer looking outfit. It looked to be like white silk pants with a slim waistband yet excessive leg room, enough to fit two legs in each sleeve. Malon pulled out a separate piece, a simple white shirt just a hand's width long with straps.

"What, may I ask, is that?" Airas ventured, afraid she would regret knowing the answer.

"It's a Gerudo's outfit," Malon explained, stretching the clothes over her bed. "They wear baggy pants with less-than-appropriate tops, I admit, but you can wear this with one of my aprons over it. I actually think it will look charming on you."

"Charming and scandalous," Airas shot.

Malon laughed. "You have the figure for it. Show off what you have while you're young! You will regret it later."

"I'll take my chances."

With much fuss and assurance Airas would not be laughed at, the girl finally agreed to wear it, only if a few modifications could be made. Malon left Airas to do her own mending while she loaded the goods onto a wagon.

With a wooden box Malon pulled out before she left, Airas found the tools she needed, skilled with the needle as she had learned to make her own clothes since she had outgrown the average Kokiri size. First the leggings of the pants were cut and sewn together in the middle on both front and back to create a dress, cutting out a slit on one side so that the dress would spread out more evenly, giving the wearer a slim figure with a veil following behind her. Airas moaned however when she found she had cut the slit up much to high, almost up to where her hips would rest.

"Scandalous," she murmured.

Malon had already shown the apron Airas could wear along with the outfit to make her look more homely. It would be more of a mockery than anything. The apron went only as high as the waist, yet Airas was surprised to see the end drag along the floor. She remembered than the aprons were folded in half, tucked inward inside the dress. An idea came to mind, and she quickly made the alterations.

Malon had just finished loading the last crate, bringing out two of the yellow-brown horses to hitch up to the front. She stopped and stared as Airas exited the house in her new "modified" attire.

"Adorable!" she cried out, startling the horses on either side of her.

Wearing the new white silk skirt down to her ankles, her brown boots underneath, she wore a purple apron over it with complex yellow designs of leaves and vines that went all the way up to just barely cover the hollow of her breasts, tied around both her neck and waist, wearing the white top that no longer seemed inappropriate with the apron to hide her exposed stomach in the front. Luckily for Airas, her hair was long enough to cover her exposed skin in the back as well.

"You think it will do?" Airas asked, feeling more confident in her appearance as she walked over to help with the horses.

"Oh, most defiantly. Every man will be wooing over you while the women turn green with envy!"

That was not what Airas had been going for.

Sighing in defeat, knowing it would be futile to ask for more time to make more changes, she finished helping setting up the horses, than joined Malon on the wagon as she snapped the reins, ushering the horses forward.

It was not even an hour's ride to the castle, being so close, yet with a cart weighed down with crates weighing half a horse, it took a good while at the two horse speed walking with steady footing.

"How often do you do this?" Airas asked, stretching her arms above her head as if reaching up for the rising sun.

"There is no pattern to when I will receive orders," Malon said, keeping her eyes straight on the horses. "Hyrule's royal chef has as many recipes as there are stars in the sky, trying different dishes with ingredients far from consisting of what I offer."

Airas blinked, folding one leg over the other, trying to make herself comfortable on a wooden bench. "There cannot be that many," she said.

"Not in Hyrule alone. Its known he's traveled the world before he came a chef."

"The world…beyond Hyrule? Not even I have dreamed that far."

"I doubt that," Malon said kindly, casting a side-glance.

"Well, mayhap," Airas replied.

Nearing the lowered bridge of Hyrule Castle, Airas dared herself a glance to the east, making sure Malon was not looking as if she would be caught breaking an oath. The first thing she saw was a mountain with a ring of smoke hovering around it in the horizon, high above ground level. No, that was not was she was looking for. Making sure Malon's eyes were averted still, she looked further over her shoulder to see an opening that would have been well hidden were not for her trained eyes, observing and watching everything. She was unsure of where that path led, than remembered Malon speaking of her neighbors from yesterday. Zora's Domain mayhap?

Still not what she was looking for.

"The entrance to the forest is over the hill behind us," Malon said, her eyes never shifting.

Airas whipped her head forward and looked down at her hands in her lap. "Is it now?" she asked casually, a tone of little interest hiding her eagerness. She missed it dearly.

Malon had already guessed this; it being an already given fact with the matter Airas had lived there all her life. Who would not miss their homeland?

Once the wagon had trailed through over the bridge, Malon pulled back on the reins as a guard halted them. He came up to her side and inspected the wagon with a quick glance, smiling quickly at Malon.

"Good day, Malon," he said politely, nodding his head.

"Good day, Dendil," Malon said, returning the gesture. "Bearing well?"

"Unfortunately, yes," he said ruefully. "My only excuse from post is if I'm caught ill."

"Count your blessings your not."

"Aye, I will." He than turned to Airas, the girl noticing a repeated notion of blinks over his eyes, as if he were not seeing right.

"Something wrong?" Malon asked, a wry smile crossing her lips, knowing something that was only to her knowledge.

"Who's your new companion?" he asked.

"This is Airas. Daughter of…a close friend of mine," she said after a moment's hesitation. She shot a warning glance at Airas when the girl began to open her mouth.

"Ah. First visit to Hyrule Market?" Dendil asked. "I would remember a pretty face like yours if it were not."

"It is," Airas said, looking at Malon in question.

"If you will excuse us now," the ranch woman cut in smoothly, keeping her shoulders and head straight, her eyes forward. "We've business to attend to."

Dendil repressed a snicker. "Oh indeed. Hyrule cannot go on without some of Lon Lon Ranch's milk."

"No, it cannot," Malon remarked, smirking. She snapped the reins and the horses took off at a trot this time, their hornless hooves clattering against the stone floor with a sharp click on every step. Airas could not help to contain herself at the marvel she saw, everywhere and all at once. The roads were made completely of stone, aligned correctly against one another, the wagon riding along smoothly. There were many houses now, some three stories tall, and dozens of Hylians! Men, women, and children all going about their business, talking and laughing with one another. One by one, they all quieted down as the wagon passed by them. Soon the only sound that could be heard was the hooves of the horses as they clattered by, the wagon creaking with planks of wood moaning together.

"Malon," Airas whispered uneasily. "They are staring."

"Why would they not?" Malon asked casually, nodding to those she knew.

Airas glanced uneasily at her friend and met the eyes of the market people, gazes filled with awe and curiosity. She settled down a bit in her seat when none seemed hostile.

Looking down at her clothing, she saw other women wore clothing more exposing than her own. "I do not understand," she said. "I seem no different."

"You're beautiful," Malon remarked, passing by the guards who stood post to the entrance of the trail that led to Hyrule Castle. "Why would they not look? Other women's beauty dull in comparison."

"Comparison to what?"

Malon only laughed, leaving Airas highly confused and lost beside her.