A/N: Hey guys! So continues this fanfiction. Anyone reading, in my
eyes, deserves chocolate (or, if you're allergic to that.cash)! You can't
imagine how much I enjoy reading your reviews, so keep sending your
support. I never knew that my character, which is comprised of my realities
and fantasies, would be praised by anyone in this form of writing. If you
like what you see here still, I suggest you put me on Author Alert, because
I like to get my chapters up quite quickly (we all know now, Dan). Thanks
again. ~ What is Link thinking, saying he's going to ride that rouge mare?
"Um. Link, I know you've done some stupid things before, and lived to tell the tale, but. I seriously don't think this is going to turn out the way you think it will." Tetra said, her blue eyes wide in disbelief. "I mean, I know I've said something like this before, but that's not brave! That's -that's.sort of deranged!"
Link turned to glance at the pirate. "Seagull-feathers, maybe I am sort of crazy." He smiled, closed his eyes, and nodded. Then, very confident and stretched to his full height (about four inches below my eye level), he strode toward the wayward Wildfire- or should I call her Epona?
The mare snorted, and for a moment, she wasn't just a crazy animal, but an awful demon, able to blow steam from her wide nostrils, and capable of crushing stones to sand beneath her diamond-hard hooves. But Link didn't so much as tremble, though I noticed he was walking on his tiptoes. She flattened her ears at him, and when he got in range, reared and jabbed her hooves, aiming at his chest. He ducked, and sidestepped her, with so much deft, it was evident he'd done something like this before. She was enraged, and galloped in a half-circle, this time to kick at him with her powerful rear legs, and Link evaded, rolled as a small green ball on the ground to the side and jumped. Epona looked indeed quite confused as he came down, her back breaking his fall. She was stunned for a mere split second, and in that time, Link adjusted his position on her copper, saddle-less back, leaned forward, and held on for dear life. She arched her back and went haywire, bucking and twirling; he winced, yet he wasn't thrown off.
"Hmm. That seems a fraction longer than .30." Said Tetra, obviously quite impressed.
"Too bad it's not a real competition." I said, my eyes wide and focused on the unbelievable struggle before me. Sweat began to darken the mare's coat. Maybe it actually was a sort of competition, I thought. Epona was not fond of the fact she was to be beaten at her own game, and played every trick she knew, much to her own disappointment. Link's arms were wrapped tightly around her neck, half his face pressed determinedly into her firm flesh, and his boots digging into her ribs. Moments later, she slowed down, defeated. Link very cautiously sat up straighter, not quite sure she was truly tamed yet, and that was good, because that horse never really got to be docile at all. She couldn't believe she'd been overpowered, and swung back her head suddenly to give him a nip on the tip of the ear.
"Owwww! What in Din's name did you do that for?" he growled, rubbing his ear, although there was a grin on his face warm enough to melt butter.
"She's a sore loser, I guess." I said, stunned from disbelief.
"Well, I said I was going to ride her, and I'm going to ride her." He said, satisfied. He swung his boots a few times, and Epona puffed several times to catch her breath. "That is, when I learn to ride."
I shook off any shock I may have still had. "Yeah, I suppose you all should. You guys, pick a pony. Link's already got his." I lay a hand on poor old Swiss, who had been particularly fond of Link, and vaulted my way up. Tetra immediately took Risky, who stood in her domestic way beside her.
"So you just sort of climb on?" She asked, both her hands ready across Risky's withers.
"Yeah. Just do it as quick as possible. Wouldn't wanna hurt her back. And Medli, since you have that dress on, you should sit sideways." I shifted on Swiss's back and showed her. Tetra nodded, and soon was sitting casually on her steed, while the Rito had picked the two twin horses of the herd, the greyish-brown Flax for Komali (and Makar, who resided once more in the bag), and the brownish-grey Feather for his attendant. The miscellaneous other buccaneers only took up three horses, since the three midget pirates were forced to ride with the gargantuan ones (they were too short to climb up). When everyone was seated and ready, I began my instruction.
"It's really quite easy." I began, walking Swiss between the various riders and free horses. Most of the horses knew their way home again, anyway. "To get 'em to walk, you lean towards their withers. If you want her to go faster, you should give your horse a kick- it doesn't hurt them- in the sides, rapidly. Medli, you can't kick both sides at once, so just touch ol' Feather on the neck. She's a bright one." Medli nodded, and she happily stroked Feather's mane with a delicate pale hand. "To turn, you apply your weight either left or right, depending on where you want to go. Is everyone ready?" Epona reared, and Link sheepishly grabbed her around the neck.
"Uh. I think Epona is." He said, and we all laughed, still uneasy about letting him take the rouge.
"Well, does my horse have a name?" Tetra said, raising one of her hands while looking down at the other. "I mean, I might have to know that at some point if I'm riding her." I smiled and told her quite plainly that the dappled-grey mare was called Risky, though she wasn't quite a risk to ride.
"Okay, guys, I'll take up the back, but you can go ahead. The horse'll take you there somewhat. " I assured everyone, and they nodded. Tetra, shifting her weight experimentally on her horse, figured out how to follow me to the back of the herd, and I was curious why, though I said nothing as I raced Swiss in and out of the un-ridden ponies yelling for them to move. "YA! Giddy-up, scoundrels!" The thumping of over a hundred hooves satisfied me somewhat, the breeze (which was much warmer than this morning's) lifting each horse's mane and tail like banners of grey and white and black and orange. I willed Swiss to canter free, without a clunky saddle or chafing bridle to restrain her; this was the first time I'd done this in the company of those I considered friends. "So, Tetra," I began, having to shout over the whinnies and hoof-beats of the herd, and the roar of the waves in the wide, now not so horrible sea. "Why are you back here?" She smiled across the four-foot void of blurred sand and sea grasses that separated us.
"Well, I have no idea where we're going, and you do, first off." She laughed, giving Risky a kick to keep up with me, gently for the sake of her near-bare toes. "Link and them don't seem to think before they do things, y'know? And secondly, why do you need to be back here all alone?" I smiled back at her. She was too, well, divine to be a pirate, or at least all pirate.
"I-I appreciate it."
"Bah. Don't mention it." She gave me her trademark wink and faced forward.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We rode without much more conversation due north, where the land suddenly gave open to foothills and forest, and the horses grew eager with the thought of home. Swiss whinnied and dropped down to a trot, as did Risky beside me.
"So, how much farther do we have to go?" The pirate captain sighed, somewhat bored with the prospect of riding now. "My legs ache."
I pulled the brim of my hat down slightly, the fishing lures with the bottles swinging out of the corner of my eye. "Well, you see that hill up there?"
"The one covered with trees? Yes."
"Well, we go over that, and then west a ways." I said, wiping the sweat off of my neck. The sun was just to our above- left and had nary a cloud to block it. "Should be just less than an hour."
"Hummph. Hey! Why don't we just head north-west? Nothing stopping us but a few trees." She was, indeed crafty, but it was perhaps her hunger or excitement that made her seem doubly so.
"Well, yeah. But that part of the woods is dangerous, or so they tell me. And a pack of horses can't exactly pass through with much stealth."
"Din, Nayru, Farore." She cursed, folding her forearms across her chest. Then her eyes got that sly look in them, and she gave me another wink. She kicked Risky in the ribs and had her veer off course to the northwest.
"What the- Tetra!?!" I yelled, and reluctantly turned to follow her. Swiss didn't like the fact that she had to canter again, and snorted at me, but I kept her going. Risky was fast though, and I could do no more but keep her just in sight. I stopped my horse and sighed, feeling her panting between my legs as I watched Tetra disappear into the forest.
"What in the name of seagull-feathers is she doing?" I glanced to my right, and there, right beside me stood Epona, her bronze fur glistening with sweat and her muscles ripping beneath it. She tossed her head and snorted. Link shadowed his eyes and squinted at the horizon.
"I told her it was a shortcut, and she decided to take it. But there are rumors that that forest isn't safe." I explained.
"And she calls me dumb." He shook his head. "She probably got bored. She does a bit too easily."
"Well, are you bored?" I asked.
"Naw! Horseback riding's a lot bumpier than sailing; it's kind of interesting." He grinned, looking at me. He glanced back at the forest ahead and furrowed his brow. "I suppose we have to follow her."
"But the Rito; and the pirates? Will they be all right?" I inquired. If they were to get lost it would be almost all my fault.
"Medli fell asleep because those pirates were singing like drunkards, and Feather just kept going, nice and smooth. The horses seem to know the way." He assured me. Before I could protest, Epona galloped ahead, so I shrugged and followed, not as closely as I would've liked, for when the canopy of leaves spread above us and shaded everything, all I saw of his existence was Epona's ivory- colored tail. We both slowed back to a walk, and silence was dominant there; the only thing breaking it was the soft leaves under the horses' feet.
And then a scream echoed through the brush.
"Um. Link, I know you've done some stupid things before, and lived to tell the tale, but. I seriously don't think this is going to turn out the way you think it will." Tetra said, her blue eyes wide in disbelief. "I mean, I know I've said something like this before, but that's not brave! That's -that's.sort of deranged!"
Link turned to glance at the pirate. "Seagull-feathers, maybe I am sort of crazy." He smiled, closed his eyes, and nodded. Then, very confident and stretched to his full height (about four inches below my eye level), he strode toward the wayward Wildfire- or should I call her Epona?
The mare snorted, and for a moment, she wasn't just a crazy animal, but an awful demon, able to blow steam from her wide nostrils, and capable of crushing stones to sand beneath her diamond-hard hooves. But Link didn't so much as tremble, though I noticed he was walking on his tiptoes. She flattened her ears at him, and when he got in range, reared and jabbed her hooves, aiming at his chest. He ducked, and sidestepped her, with so much deft, it was evident he'd done something like this before. She was enraged, and galloped in a half-circle, this time to kick at him with her powerful rear legs, and Link evaded, rolled as a small green ball on the ground to the side and jumped. Epona looked indeed quite confused as he came down, her back breaking his fall. She was stunned for a mere split second, and in that time, Link adjusted his position on her copper, saddle-less back, leaned forward, and held on for dear life. She arched her back and went haywire, bucking and twirling; he winced, yet he wasn't thrown off.
"Hmm. That seems a fraction longer than .30." Said Tetra, obviously quite impressed.
"Too bad it's not a real competition." I said, my eyes wide and focused on the unbelievable struggle before me. Sweat began to darken the mare's coat. Maybe it actually was a sort of competition, I thought. Epona was not fond of the fact she was to be beaten at her own game, and played every trick she knew, much to her own disappointment. Link's arms were wrapped tightly around her neck, half his face pressed determinedly into her firm flesh, and his boots digging into her ribs. Moments later, she slowed down, defeated. Link very cautiously sat up straighter, not quite sure she was truly tamed yet, and that was good, because that horse never really got to be docile at all. She couldn't believe she'd been overpowered, and swung back her head suddenly to give him a nip on the tip of the ear.
"Owwww! What in Din's name did you do that for?" he growled, rubbing his ear, although there was a grin on his face warm enough to melt butter.
"She's a sore loser, I guess." I said, stunned from disbelief.
"Well, I said I was going to ride her, and I'm going to ride her." He said, satisfied. He swung his boots a few times, and Epona puffed several times to catch her breath. "That is, when I learn to ride."
I shook off any shock I may have still had. "Yeah, I suppose you all should. You guys, pick a pony. Link's already got his." I lay a hand on poor old Swiss, who had been particularly fond of Link, and vaulted my way up. Tetra immediately took Risky, who stood in her domestic way beside her.
"So you just sort of climb on?" She asked, both her hands ready across Risky's withers.
"Yeah. Just do it as quick as possible. Wouldn't wanna hurt her back. And Medli, since you have that dress on, you should sit sideways." I shifted on Swiss's back and showed her. Tetra nodded, and soon was sitting casually on her steed, while the Rito had picked the two twin horses of the herd, the greyish-brown Flax for Komali (and Makar, who resided once more in the bag), and the brownish-grey Feather for his attendant. The miscellaneous other buccaneers only took up three horses, since the three midget pirates were forced to ride with the gargantuan ones (they were too short to climb up). When everyone was seated and ready, I began my instruction.
"It's really quite easy." I began, walking Swiss between the various riders and free horses. Most of the horses knew their way home again, anyway. "To get 'em to walk, you lean towards their withers. If you want her to go faster, you should give your horse a kick- it doesn't hurt them- in the sides, rapidly. Medli, you can't kick both sides at once, so just touch ol' Feather on the neck. She's a bright one." Medli nodded, and she happily stroked Feather's mane with a delicate pale hand. "To turn, you apply your weight either left or right, depending on where you want to go. Is everyone ready?" Epona reared, and Link sheepishly grabbed her around the neck.
"Uh. I think Epona is." He said, and we all laughed, still uneasy about letting him take the rouge.
"Well, does my horse have a name?" Tetra said, raising one of her hands while looking down at the other. "I mean, I might have to know that at some point if I'm riding her." I smiled and told her quite plainly that the dappled-grey mare was called Risky, though she wasn't quite a risk to ride.
"Okay, guys, I'll take up the back, but you can go ahead. The horse'll take you there somewhat. " I assured everyone, and they nodded. Tetra, shifting her weight experimentally on her horse, figured out how to follow me to the back of the herd, and I was curious why, though I said nothing as I raced Swiss in and out of the un-ridden ponies yelling for them to move. "YA! Giddy-up, scoundrels!" The thumping of over a hundred hooves satisfied me somewhat, the breeze (which was much warmer than this morning's) lifting each horse's mane and tail like banners of grey and white and black and orange. I willed Swiss to canter free, without a clunky saddle or chafing bridle to restrain her; this was the first time I'd done this in the company of those I considered friends. "So, Tetra," I began, having to shout over the whinnies and hoof-beats of the herd, and the roar of the waves in the wide, now not so horrible sea. "Why are you back here?" She smiled across the four-foot void of blurred sand and sea grasses that separated us.
"Well, I have no idea where we're going, and you do, first off." She laughed, giving Risky a kick to keep up with me, gently for the sake of her near-bare toes. "Link and them don't seem to think before they do things, y'know? And secondly, why do you need to be back here all alone?" I smiled back at her. She was too, well, divine to be a pirate, or at least all pirate.
"I-I appreciate it."
"Bah. Don't mention it." She gave me her trademark wink and faced forward.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We rode without much more conversation due north, where the land suddenly gave open to foothills and forest, and the horses grew eager with the thought of home. Swiss whinnied and dropped down to a trot, as did Risky beside me.
"So, how much farther do we have to go?" The pirate captain sighed, somewhat bored with the prospect of riding now. "My legs ache."
I pulled the brim of my hat down slightly, the fishing lures with the bottles swinging out of the corner of my eye. "Well, you see that hill up there?"
"The one covered with trees? Yes."
"Well, we go over that, and then west a ways." I said, wiping the sweat off of my neck. The sun was just to our above- left and had nary a cloud to block it. "Should be just less than an hour."
"Hummph. Hey! Why don't we just head north-west? Nothing stopping us but a few trees." She was, indeed crafty, but it was perhaps her hunger or excitement that made her seem doubly so.
"Well, yeah. But that part of the woods is dangerous, or so they tell me. And a pack of horses can't exactly pass through with much stealth."
"Din, Nayru, Farore." She cursed, folding her forearms across her chest. Then her eyes got that sly look in them, and she gave me another wink. She kicked Risky in the ribs and had her veer off course to the northwest.
"What the- Tetra!?!" I yelled, and reluctantly turned to follow her. Swiss didn't like the fact that she had to canter again, and snorted at me, but I kept her going. Risky was fast though, and I could do no more but keep her just in sight. I stopped my horse and sighed, feeling her panting between my legs as I watched Tetra disappear into the forest.
"What in the name of seagull-feathers is she doing?" I glanced to my right, and there, right beside me stood Epona, her bronze fur glistening with sweat and her muscles ripping beneath it. She tossed her head and snorted. Link shadowed his eyes and squinted at the horizon.
"I told her it was a shortcut, and she decided to take it. But there are rumors that that forest isn't safe." I explained.
"And she calls me dumb." He shook his head. "She probably got bored. She does a bit too easily."
"Well, are you bored?" I asked.
"Naw! Horseback riding's a lot bumpier than sailing; it's kind of interesting." He grinned, looking at me. He glanced back at the forest ahead and furrowed his brow. "I suppose we have to follow her."
"But the Rito; and the pirates? Will they be all right?" I inquired. If they were to get lost it would be almost all my fault.
"Medli fell asleep because those pirates were singing like drunkards, and Feather just kept going, nice and smooth. The horses seem to know the way." He assured me. Before I could protest, Epona galloped ahead, so I shrugged and followed, not as closely as I would've liked, for when the canopy of leaves spread above us and shaded everything, all I saw of his existence was Epona's ivory- colored tail. We both slowed back to a walk, and silence was dominant there; the only thing breaking it was the soft leaves under the horses' feet.
And then a scream echoed through the brush.