A/N: Thanks for reviewing, some of them don't seem to be showing but they all get mailed to me so no worries. Anyhoo on with chapter 7!
Link, Ruto and Mido sat at a table in the corner of the café waiting for Saria to finally catch up with them.
"Where the heck is she?" Ruto mumbled fiddling with a small vase of flowers set in the centre of the table, as she said that Saria entered through the door closely followed by a younger girl. The three at the table looked at her wondering who she was and where had she come from. Saria pulled a chair from another table since there were only four on their table then slid in next to Link while Ebony sat on the new chair at the end.
"So who's your friend?" Mido asked still staring at Ebony.
"This is Ellen, we met in the market." Saria replied not really bothering to explain anything else just yet, Ebony could see they wanted to talk about her so she offered to get in some drinks. As soon as she had gone Ruto and Mido leaned in closer.
"Are you crazy?!" Ruto snapped in a quiet voice so only their table would hear. "You can't go picking up any random kid you see on the street, you could get accused of kidnapping!" She finished.
"But she's not just some kid, there's something different about her and she seems to be all alone." Saria said pushing Ruto back out of her face. Link was the only one who didn't have anything to say on this new person on the scene, he just sat watching her carefully.
After lunch the group headed back into the market where they met Malon who had come into town to put up some posters for the horse races that would be taking place very soon, she taped a poster to a shop wall and then ran over to see them.
"I assume you're coming up to the ranch today to see the competition?" She asked turning to Link who gulped and fidgeted with his hat. Saria grabbed his arm and began dragging him out of the market.
"We're on our way right now!" She yelled grinning, Ruto and Mido trailed quickly after them leaving Malon to finish up with the posters.
The ranch was packed full of different horses all ready for racing, along with them came their trainers who were gathered in the main house chatting about the upcoming events. The group entered the house and looked around.
"Hmm this must be where you register." Saria said to no one in particular, Link stood off to the side hoping he could get out of this. Saria went over to him and took his hand.
"Are you ok?" She asked looking sincerely concerned. "You know you don't have to do anything if you don't want to, I guess I'll just enter all by myself." Link looked startled at that and pulled her outside.
"What?! You can't enter, it could be dangerous." He said with a scared expression on his face.
"Link, I didn't become Hylian just to sit around having a quiet life." Link seemed to be a little hurt at that comment.
"I thought you became Hylian to be with me." Saria thought for a moment then smiled.
"Oh yeah, that was one of the other smaller reasons." Link rolled his eyes putting his arms around her and sighing.
"I suppose we better get signed up for these races then." He said letting go of her as she went back inside, he was about to do the same when he heard a strange noise like a bottle top being taken off. Link pressed his back up against the stable wall and slid along to the end to take a look around the corner. There stood Ebony taking a sip of the potion, she had brought an extra bottle so it wouldn't wear off so fast. Link frowned but didn't have time to do anything else as Saria came back out calling him in, he wouldn't forget it though.
Talon sat at the bottom of the house stairs looking half asleep as usual and sorting out lists of entrant's names for the events. Saria made her way over to him and sat on the table.
"Ah Hello there Miss Saria, will ya be enterin' the races then?" Saria nodded so Talon passed her a piece of paper to sign her name on.
"Since ya don't have one of yer own horses ya can go and borrow one of mine." Talon said pointing out to the stables. Saria smiled and thanked Talon then went out to the stables.
"You're not really going to actually use one of those are you?" Link asked joining her in the stables. "They're as slow as a horse can get." He finished while leaning on one of the fences, Saria was about to say something when someone entered.
"He's right you know, these old things wouldn't stand a chance." Link and Saria turned to see the newcomer. He was a tall young man who looked about seventeen or eighteen, had long dark brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail that matched his soft brown eyes, he looked quite handsome and was probably a bit of a charmer. He stepped over to Saria.
"You're quite welcome to borrow one of my horses if you wish." He smiled not taking his eyes off her. Link narrowed his eyes at that and moved closer to Saria.
"Wow thank you um….-"
"Marcus, Sir Marcus." He said taking a small bow. "I have travelled from a far away country with a group of my finest horses just to enter this amazing event, now when you're ready please come out and we can pick out a horse for you." With that he took a step back then exited the stables.
"What a joke." Link mumbled, Saria laughed and put her arms around him.
"You're not jealous are you?" She asked moving a few stray strands of hair out of his face.
"No! I just don't like watching some posh guy hitting on my girlfriend, did you see the way he couldn't stop looking at you, it was-" But before he could say anymore Saria placed a finger on his lips then kissed him.
"He can flirt as much as he wants, I'm with you aren't I? Nobody else comes close, but he is letting me use one of his horses which is nice, if he thinks he'll get anything out of it though that's his problem." Link seemed satisfied with that even though he had already known it deep down it was still good to hear it.
Saria pulled the horse to a stop near the white line marked on the path then slid off.
"You're not a bad rider." Marcus said taking the reigns of the horse loosely in one hand.
"Well I had a good teacher." She replied smiling in the direction of Link who was jumping a few fences with Epona.
"Oh? So you got your riding skills from your brother?" If she had been drinking something Saria would have spat it out right about then.
"My brother!? Change that to boyfriend." She managed to say after regaining herself from the shock. Marcus looked taken aback by that news.
"I'm very sorry, it was just the way you were talking to each other in the stables seemed rather family like." He said trying to get himself out of the embarrassment.
"We've known each other for so long, I guess we're used to talking to each other in that way." Marcus slowly nodded wishing his assumption had been right anyway. Saria needed something to change the subject, then it hit her.
"Hey I think you'd get on very well with Zelda." Marcus raised a brow.
"You mean Princess Zelda?" He had heard a lot about the Princess of Hyrule but had never actually seen her, meeting her would be a great honour he thought.
"Of course, you'll have to wait until she gets back from her uh holiday." Saria lied not wanting to spread it around that Zelda was in hiding from a monster roaming the castle.
Soon the sun began to set covering the ranch in an orange glow, most of the riders had now left to get ready for the first race that would be taking place the following day. All afternoon Ebony had been sitting by the stable wall watching people riding around the ranch on many different horses, sometimes she wished she was a normal girl and could have had a go but that was impossible now.
Saria spotted Ebony and walked over to her.
"We were just about to go back to the castle but I think there's time for one last ride, what do you say?" For the first time in ages Ebony gave a genuine smile, no one had ever offered her anything unless they had gotten something in return.
"That'd be great." She smiled and jumped up following Saria over to the horse she had been riding most of the day.
"I don't think I'll be able to get on." Ebony sighed hating her new smaller body. Saria realised she was right so she carefully lifted her onto the horse.
"Too small maybe but not too heavy." Saria said taking one of the reigns and walking alongside the horse. Ebony looked down at Saria then up at the sky, this reminded her so much of the time when everything was good when she lived in a quiet village with her sister and uncle, it was all so perfect until he came along and changed their lives forever, moulding them into his pawns and turning them into his dark minions. Both her uncle and sister had changed a lot but she couldn't or maybe she wouldn't, her heart would not be consumed by darkness but here she was doing evil biddings for her sister only because Saffron was the only one she had left, without Saffron who would she have then?
After about ten minutes of going round the ranch field it was time to head back to the castle. It had only been a short walk but Ebony had really enjoyed being on the horse and hoped to one day learn to ride properly, the chances of that actually happening were very slim though. Saria helped her down and put the horse into one of the stables since Marcus had gone to wherever it was he was staying.
"Would you like to come up to the castle?" Saria asked a surprised Ebony, she had completely forgotten what she was meant to be doing, she felt a slight ache in her heart, unlike her sister she had a conscience, she didn't think she could go through with this plan anymore but agreed to go to the castle, for once she could sleep in a decent bed instead of that cave floor.
The castle was now silent, no guards were rushing about and no one was yelling. Ruto and Mido had disappeared earlier in the day, probably had gone back to Zora's domain. Link, Saria and Ebony entered through the main door and headed to one of the sitting rooms. Impa was sat by a blazing fire fiddling with some papers, she looked up as the trio came in.
"Anything happen this afternoon?" Link asked taking a seat in one of the armchairs.
"Hmm not much, oh there was a loose redead wandering about the castle courtyard. Link looked startled and wondered how a thing like a redead could get to that part of the castle.
"Maybe it wanted to try and sneak past the guards and see Zelda." He grinned, Impa just shook her head.
"This isn't funny, monsters aren't supposed to be able to enter any areas of the castle, it could get worse and put everyone here in great danger." As she finished her sentence there was a knock at the door and a flustered guard burst in.
"There's been a message from Goron City, it's under attack!" He shouted. Link jumped up taking out his sword.
"It must be the monster." He said, Saria stood up and nodded and the two hurried out of the room on their way to the Gorons, Ebony had just fallen asleep on the long couch not knowing what was going on around her because for the first time in years she had enjoyed the majority of her day.
A/N: So there was chapter 7, the next won't be up for a few weeks since I'm going away but I'll get onto it as soon as I'm back. Please review!