Kagome was ecstatic about so many things, she didn't know where to begin. So she first asked what a sage was. Link told her there existed six sages. He already met one, Rauru, The sage of Light. He told Link that he must find and awaken the powers hidden within the five other sages, that are across the land of Hyrule.
She then asked Link where they were at. He seemed a little confused at her question. Did she say something wrong? Though his expression soon changed into that of a smile, and he told her she was in Hyrule Castle. He also added that he was surprised she didn't know this. It was the most known place in Hyrule, where everyone and everything gathered for all sorts of events and shops. Until Ganon came, now there is nothing marry about it.
Before she knew it, soft splashes could be heard as they crossed the broken bridge. She shivered once again as the cold water fell onto her skin. Will she ever get use to it? She shook her head, probably not.
"Kagome?" Link's voice echoed through the empty field.
"Yes?" She replied as she lifted herself out of the moat. A cool breeze blew around them, and goosebumps started to dot her legs, showing her slight discomfort. She was thankful that he had his back turned at that moment. Showing weakness was embarrassing to her...
"You said you were trying to get home?" He paused and looked over his shoulder. She just nodded and he continued. "Does that mean you live in a far away land?" She nodded again and looked away. Images of her home flooded her mind and it saddened her that she could not be with them. "Why do you need to defeat Ganon to go home?" The question startled her. Pushing the images of home in the back of her mind, she looked up at him and raised a delegate eyebrow in question. "Can't you just go back the way you came?" He turned around to face her, showing she had is full attention.
Words could not form in her mouth. She did not know how to answer this question, for even she did not know the answer. All she could do was avert her gaze from the blue eyed man, and stare at a tree that was not far off in the distance. A small sigh escaped her lips, and she closed her eyes.
A small whisper called to her, speaking in the back of her mind. She brushed it off as her imagination. "Hey!" It spoke louder, and it sounded annoyed that no one was listening.
Kagome's eyes snapped open. Her head whipped around to the direction of the noise. Once again, Blue meet Green and she stared at him questionably. All he did was shake his head and shrug as if saying 'It wasn't me'.
Just then, a small bluish light flew out from underneath his hat. It ran circles around his head, before coming to a stop a few inches in front of his handsome face. He tilted his head to look past the light, and at her once again.
"Kagome." He spoke. "This is my fairy guide, Navi. She helps me by pointing out small details that I normally don't notice on my own." He smiled, introducing her. He then bent down, so Navi could not hear, and whispered into Kagome's ear. "Sometimes she gets a little annoying but try not to let that bother you." She could feel him grin against her ear and it made her cheeks flush a rosy color. While trying to hold back a shiver, she smiled.
"I can see why." She whispered back. She felt him shift his body, then small a chuckle escaped his lips, as he stood straight once more.
She whispered back to him. Her hot breath flowing across his elongated ear, and he shifted as he tried to hold back a small trimmer. He just gave a small chuckle at her answer, before standing tall once again. It was at that moment he noticed how petite her stature was to him. He was a head taller then her. That fact made him quite pleased with himself for some strange reason, as he looked down at the young woman. A grin still plastered on his face.
"HEY!" Navi's annoyed voice bellowed out. Angry that he was ignoring her, again.
"Yes, Navi. What is it?" His voice was quite calm, as he looked at the fairy out of the corner of his eyes.
"Sheik said that you should head to Kakariko Village. Don't you think you should heed his word?" She spoke more softly this time, which he was thankful for. Her voice wasn't all too pleasant to his sensitive ears when she was screaming, trying to get his attention.
"Yes. I almost forgot. Thank you Navi." He nodded in thanks, and she flew back under his hood. "Kagome." He looked down at the small woman. "We have to head to Kakariko Village, if we want to get into the Forest Temple."
"A temple?" She looked at him questionably.
"That's where the First Sage is." He added. Seeing realization flash through her eyes he smiled.
"Ok then!" She raised her hands proudly above her head. She then proceeded to march to the right, heading towards the Gerudo Fortress
She was humming a marching song, while raising her legs high in the air before stomping them on the ground, going with the beat. Her comical antics made him chuckle. He cleared his throat to get her attention. Her movements were quite funny, but he did not wish for her to continue in that direction. She would get lost, and he did not want that.
"Kagome?" Chuckles still rumbled through his chest as he called to her. She paused in mid-step, one of her legs still hung in the air. She turned her head, showing he had her attention. "Kakariko Village--" He paused and pointed to his right. "Is that way." He smirked as her face turned red from embarrassment.
"Oops." She laughed nervously and started to bow, saying apologies.
His laughing finally subsiding, and he looked at her strangely. Again with the bowing? This act confused him greatly. Her movements were quick, as if it came natural to her. Does it not hurt her back? He questioned to himself. Was she doing this to punish herself? He shook his head. It couldn't be she bowed when she told him her name. Though it wasn't such a deep of a bow as these were.
"Link?" She called him. He pushed the questions aside for later, and he turned towards her.
She was already walking to Kakariko Village, in the right direction this time. She waved at him to hurry up, before she turned back around, already nearing the bridge. It was the first time she was walking ahead of him, and he noticed that her movements were very graceful. So smooth and fluent, as if she was gliding across water. The sword at her left side slightly bumping against her hip as she moved.
Before he knew it, his eyes were going down her hips, and across her creamy white legs. He immediately caught himself and quickly moved his gaze back up. His crystal blue orbs met her emerald green, as she stared at him over her shoulder. He blushed and looked away. Did she see him?
He turned his head back, seeing that she was waiting for him in the middle of the bridge, noticing she didn't look angry. He let a sigh of relief wash over him as he trotted up to her, smiling.
"Sorry." He whispered as he reached her.
He watched her roll her eyes, and start walking ahead of him once again. He smirked and quickly found himself running to catch up to her. Coming to a brisk walk slightly ahead of her.
"Link?" She spoke, catching his attention. He nodded, showing he was listening. "Don't you find it strange?" He slightly adjusted his head, glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes. "It's too quiet out here-- I mean, for a field. There are no bugs or birds…" Her voice slightly faded, showing her uneasiness. He nodded in agreement.
"There use to be many monsters on the field, seems they have moved elsewhere. Like everything else. Do not worry to much over it." He tried to reassure her. "We must stick to the task at hand. Awaking the Sages and defeating Ganondorf." She nodded. He's right…
They started to ascend a large flight of stairs, and at that moment, she didn't feel very good-- Her body was aching with each step she took. It didn't hurt, but it was very annoying. Her muscles, twitching and throbbing, demanding rest. She just pushed it aside and ignored it for now. She had worse aches and pains in her training days, this was nothing. She tried to reassure herself-- When they reached the top, her knees finally stopped creaking in persist and she was practically jumping for joy inside her mind. The harsh movements of walking up the steps really bothered them.
Why was her body so weak? She thought back to the Ghoul sucking out her energy. She had to stop a growl from erupting through her chest. It seems it did more damage to her then she thought. No matter. She just needed to take it easy for a few hours, and not exert herself too much. Her body will quickly replenish its energy. As it's has done so many times before. Smiling to herself glad that, for once, she was a Miko.
She shook her head from those thoughts as she passed underneath a wooden gate. She then looked at the village, and was surprised to see people everywhere. She believed no one was around, considering all the evil here. . .
Link spoke up, and interrupted her train of thought "It seems that all the people who lived in Hyrule Castle, have moved here, because all of the Re-Dead." He closed his eyes, and nodded at his conclusion.
"We have to stop Ganon before his evil spreads." She told him. It angered her that the people could not live their lives, because of fear.
"I will go on ahead and talk to some people. Try and get some clues." He paused, before looking down at her. "You should look around town." She saw he had a very serious look to his face. She had a feeling he meant it more as an order, then a request. Did he think she would get in the way?
A small growl erupted from her throat. She was NOT useless. She quickly turned on her heels and crossed her arms over her chest in a huff.
"Fine." She barked out over her shoulder. "But next time, you will be the one waiting while I have all the fun." She smirked, and he looked away from her. There was a tense silence between them as she waited for his answer.
"Fine…" He finally said. He then walked ahead of her. Where to, she didn't really care.
"Jerk." She whispered and walked off as well.
She had no Idea where she was headed, but to her it didn't matter. She soon found her shoulders slowly slumping back to there normal position, and her arms coming back down, resting to her sides. Her anger from before was already dissipating. A bored sigh escaped her lips. Maybe, she shouldn't have yelled at him?
Her knees started to groan again, sending slight pain through her legs. She looked down and found herself climbing once again on a small set of stairs. By the time she started to grunt at her discomfort she was already at the top of the steps.
She realized she was standing in front of a shop. She shrugged, before barging inside. Might as well. What else is there to do?
As she looked around the first thing she noticed were boxes stacked everywhere, making her feel very cramped. There was only one path through the mess, and it led to a desk where a man was sitting at lazily. He was tapping on the counter, in boredom.
He didn't notice her till she was standing in front of him, causing a shadow to fall onto his figure. He slowly looked up, before a smile went across his face, and he greeted her.
"Hello ma'am. How may I help you on this fine day?"
She glanced around, quickly finding a shelf of items behind him, showing what they had in stock-- and it wasn't much. Her eyes rested on some arrows that were bundled together in the bottom corner. She then realized something. Her quiver was magical, it could replenish itself, but this is a different world. Its magic might not work here.
"Arrows..." She sounded hesitant.
"Ok, we have packages of 10, 30, and 50 arrows." He smiled brightly at her, which caused her to shiver, it gave her the creeps. Now that she thought about it, everything did-- This place, the village, this world. She just wanted to go home. She found herself sighing.
"I can't carry 50, and I will need more then 10." She mumbled to herself.
"Ok, 30 it is. That will be 60 Rupees."
"60..." Her voice faded. "What?" She looked at him confused.
"60 Rupees."
"Rupees?" It must be what they use as payment. Who uses Jewels as ways of trade? Then again, this was a different world. They might think using paper to pay for things would be strange. The man's voice brought her out of her thoughts.
"You don't have any Rupees? I'm sorry Ma'am. No Rupees--" He paused, the smile leaving his features. "No arrows." He stated.
"Thank you." She turned on her heels and left. Seeing the annoyed look on his face, she figured it was best to get out of there quickly.
As she started to walk away from the shop, she got an idea. She snapped her fingers together, and had a grin on her face.
"Maybe Link has Rupees!" What a Brilliant idea!! "He's probably still mad at me." Then a frown appeared on her face. What a Horrible idea!!
Well, she could always say sorry. She huffed, her pride wouldn't allow that. She gave another un-lady like snort. Pride? Just a few minutes ago she was bowing, saying sorry over and over again for going the wrong direction! She threw her hands in the air in defeat and growled at herself. Oh well. She sighed, deciding to look for him anyway, she needed the arrows.
She soon figured out that the village was pretty small. She could see most of the town from where she stood. So, she didn't move from her spot near the store and just glanced around, looking for a familiar green blob in the mist of all the commotion.
"Small village indeed." She smirked to herself. She found him rather easily, then again, he wasn't really hiding.
Instead of walking down the stairs, she thought it would be quicker to jump from the top. Big mistake, but she soon realized it to late. Her feet hit the ground, hard, making her almost stumble and fall. To say she was surprised was an understatement. She usually lands gracefully, like a feather, no problem-- Off the top of a 20 foot tree, no less-- But here she was bracing herself against the wall, legs slightly ajar from the heavy impact on the floor, from a 6 foot jump. Shippo could have jumped that for Christ sake! What the hell is going on!?
It took her a few seconds, but she was finally able to stand strait, and not have her legs start trembling. What was wrong with her? Is there something wrong with her Miko powers? No, they worked fine on the ghoul. Maybe he just sucked out more energy then she thought? Yeah, that must be it. Day's time and she will be back, no sweat. It took a couple of steps, but before long she was able to walk normal again. See, she was going to be just fine. No need to worry.
By the time she reached Link he was walking up to a girl in front of a fence, until she cleared her throat to catch his attention. He turned around and looked at her, a surprised expression on his face. Probably from seeing her so soon. She did not see any anger in his eyes, so he wasn't mad at her, and for that she was glad. 'Cause now she doesn't have to apologize. She mentally smirked.
"Kagome?" He looked at her, slightly confused. "What are you doing here? I thought I said to look around while I searched for clues."
"You did and I was, but something happened." She turned her head away.
"What happened?" He immediately asked. She swore she heard a hint of worry lanced in his tone, but she must have been imagining it.
"Well." She started to shift her weight from one foot to the other in uneasiness. She then focused onto his blue eyes. "I need some Rupees." Hearing her words he smirked, causing her to blush in embarrassment. She lowered her head, suddenly finding the ground very interesting.
Gosh look at her, she was begging him for money. This is so embarrassing~! Her blush could only darken at her own thoughts. He heard the deep rumble of his chuckle that was once again directed at her.
"What for?" He asked. Something in his voice made her look up.
He was in an all-knowing and gloating pose. He stood there, one hand underneath his chin the other under his elbow, supporting his arm. A smirk was still on his handsome face.
"I wanted to buy some arrows…" Her voice slowly faded away, unable to look at his figure without finding herself blushing again.
His face soon changed to that of confusion, then he looked at her up and down slowly. She was slightly taken back by his stare, and fought back another blush. He walked up and went behind her, looking at her back in the same slow manner. She couldn't hold back the blush anymore, as her face went cherry red, feeling his emerald orbs examining every inch of her body.
"I don't see a bow or quiver. Why would you want arrows without a bow?" he said while coming out from behind her. He looked at her face and saw how red she was, then he too blushed, realizing what he just did. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-- I mean, umm…" He quickly turned his head away.
"Well, I do have a bow." She stated, trying to ease the tension. A soft green glow appeared around her neck, and her bow materialized in her hand. His eyes widened in surprise. "The Great fairy gave me a choker." She unconsciously reached up and started to stroke the moon charm. "It's able to hold all my weapons, so I don't have to carry them." He looked at her for a few seconds, before nodding.
"How much?" He asked, reaching to his side.
"How much what?" She didn't understand the question.
"How much do you need for the arrows?" He pulled out a small pouch with a jewel sewed onto it.
"Oh!" She said in realization, and he just chuckled at her again. Was she that funny? She turned her head to the side "I believe he said 60"
She heard small jingling as he reached into the pouch. Smiling, he soon found what he was looking for and pulled out 3 red gems. He stretched his hand out, and she instinctively put out her own hands.
"Here. 60 Rupees." He laid the three red Rubies in her open hands.
He brushed his fingers across her open palms as he gave her the jewels, his fingerless gloves allowed her to feel his gentle touch. The skin on skin contact, however short it was, made an unknown feeling go through her, and left her skin feeling hot. She just looked at her hands, the beautiful crystals glistened in the suns razes.
"Don't lose them. " He whispered into her ear.
Her eyes widened slightly, as his hot breath flowed down her neck, making it tingle with the same unknown feeling. When did he get so close? She felt him close her hands together softly, and she could see that his rough hands engulfed her tiny ones quite easily. That unknown feeling started to settle at the bottom of her stomach, before pooling out…
"D-don't worry. I won't." She stuttered. Pulling her hands out of his quickly, she retreated back to the shop.
As he watched her disappearing figure go off, and into the shop, he wondered why she looked so nervous. He shrugged, before turning around, going back to the task at hand. He smiled as he walked up to a girl standing beside a wooden fence.
"Hello Anju." He smirked as he saw her jump from his sudden voice, and turn to face him.
"Oh! Hello Link, you've grown." She stated.
"Yes. It has been a while, hasn't it?" He tried to make idle chit chat, before he asked her any questions.
"Yes, it has." She nodded in agreement. "What brings you here?" He smiled at the question.
"I was wondering if you would help me out."
"Of course Link! I would do anything for you! You helped me when my cuccos escaped the pen after all." She smiled brightly at him.
"Well, you see, I was looking for an item. I was told I could find the special item here..." He trailed off while looking at her.
"There isn't anything special like that here." She closed her eyes, trying to think. "Oh, wait!" She snapped her eyes open. "There is something." She looked at him and smiled. He grinned. Finally, some sort of clue. "Dampe', the old grave keeper." She paused and looked down sadly. "He passed away." She sighed. "But they say he found a great treasure before he died, and had it buried with him. It seems he was quite obsessed with it, I'm afraid."
"Ah! Thank you so much Auju." Overcome with joy he took her in a gentle embrace, then quickly let go and ran off while waving. "See you later!" He yelled over his shoulders.
"Oh my~…" Her cheeks were tainted red and she waved her hand in front of her flushed face, trying to cool down. "Woo…" She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "He has grown-- Such muscles…" Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red, and she fanned her self faster.
He ran to the shop, and looked through the window. Seeing Kagome was still inside, he decided to wait while leaning against the wall. He didn't have to wait long. When she exited the store she immediately saw him, and gave him a nice smile.
"I got my arrows. Thank you." She bowed-- Again with the bowing? What does that mean? He pushed the thoughts aside for now, deciding to question her about it later.
"Don't mention it. I was glad to help you. Now let's get going, I got a lead." He pushed himself away from the wall. "Seems Dampe' the old grave keeper, found some treasure. He liked it so much he took it with him to his grave. It must be the item we need to get inside the Forest Temple."
"So..." She paused and looked at him. "You're going to go into a grave and steal an old, dead man's, only treasured item?"
"Well yeah--" He stopped himself. "I mean, no--" He paused. "Maybe." He shrugged and looked away.
"Link." She shook her head. "I'm disappointed in you. I thought you were better then that. To steal from a dead man. That's very unbecoming of you." The look on his face must have been funny, for she suddenly went into fits of giggles.
He found himself closing his eyes, his ears twitching ever so often. He enjoyed the sound very much. It was soft and very pleasing to his sensitive ears. When her giggles stopped, he opened his eyes and turned around.
"Come, Kagome. Let's go." He called back to her. Soft footsteps falling behind him indicated she was following him.
He jumped down the steps, landing with a soft thud. He then turned around, waiting for her to jump as well. He was surprised to see her walking calmly down the stairs instead. Was the jump to high for her? Maybe she's afraid of heights? She was now standing in front of him with her eyebrow raised, as if saying 'What?'. He just shrugged and started heading towards the graveyard.
It was relatively quiet on the way to the site, witch made him uneasy. She seemed to enjoy talking. He turned his head and he saw she had a distance look in her eyes. Maybe she didn't enjoy talking as much as he thought? She soon spoke though, and to his delight, breaking the silence.
"This is the graveyard?" She looked around. "If you ask me it's kind of small, and a little too creepy, even for a graveyard." He looked around, and indeed, they're already at the gravesite.
"Don't worry Kagome." He said to reassure her. "The only things here are ghosts, and maybe some Re-Dead."
"Wow. That makes me feel so much better" she said, sarcasm dripping.
"Well, we should hurry and find his grave then. The faster we find it, the faster we can leave." He turned to look behind him, and she was no longer there. "Kagome?" He looked around and saw she was already at a gravestone, looking upon it. "You know, you really shouldn't wander off like that." He walked up to her, sighing.
"I found it." She stated
"What?" He said, surprised.
"I found the grave." She huffed.
"You did?" He looked at her, then down at the grave. "How?"
"Well, it might be because it says 'here lies Dampe', the grave keeper.'" She looked at him, in disappointment. "You need to pay more attention to these kind of things, Link. If you don't, life will just pass you by." She said with a kind smile. He chuckled, and with a small grunt he started to pull the gravestone, revealing a deep hole, big enough for someone to fit through.
"Well?" He looked at her. "What are you waiting for?"
She gave him a 'You're not serious' look, and he just chuckled again, and decided to jump in first. Landing on the stone floor rather softly he grinned, proud of himself. He then looked up, and the next thing he knew something fell on top of him, knocking him to the ground.
Vanilla evaded all his senses. He took a deep breath, taking in the sweet aroma. He then decided to open his eyes. All he could see was raven tresses everywhere he looked. Next thing he noticed was something lying on top of him.
"That wasn't so bad." The voice made a hum vibrate through his chest.
He gave a small cough. He then reached his hand out, and brought it down on his stomach. Firm yet smooth was the only thing that came to mind. He ran a small circle over it, and heard a small eep come from on top his chest, making another hum run through him. He chuckled, and he felt her body stiffen at the sound. She is very light, he noted to himself. All things must come to an end, it seems. He sighed, taking one last breath. Such a wonderful sent…
He easily lifted himself into sitting position, with her in tow. He looked down as she was softly sitting on his lap, her back still press against his chest. His hand was underneath her shirt, on her abdomen, holding her in place. He moved his hand over to her side, gliding his fingers across her smooth stomach, his movements made her gasp, and he had to resisted another chuckle. He raised his free hand and quickly attached it to her other empty side. He gently squeezed them, and her body stiffened again. He could practically feel the heat from her redden cheeks, and he smirked. With little effort lifted her off of his lap, and onto the floor beside him. Cold stone touched her bare legs, and small chill bumps dotted her skin. He calmly released his grip on her sides, and made sure to graze his fingers across her lower back, as his hands retreated.
He then stood up and calmly walked forward, while looking around as if nothing happened. He wondered: Why does he find enjoyment from her discomfort? She's so small and frail-- He looked, at her over his shoulders. She was still sitting there, with a dazed look on her face, thinking. Something about her. This odd feeling he gets when he's around her. A red tint appeared on her cheeks, and she put her hand over her face to hide it. Such a small act made him smile.
So pure. He licked his dry lips. Innocent. Something inside him bubbled, and a small growl rumbled through his chest. Her head snapped up at the sound, and she looked at him. Something must have surprised her, for her eyes widened. Her body trembled instinctively, and she scooted away from him. He quickly turned his head back around, not wanting to frighten her anymore. As he walked several feet away, he wondered: What scared her so?
"Dampe'." He called out. His voice was deep and husky, witch surprised him. He coughed, clearing his throat. Dampe then appeared at the end of the stone platform they were on.
"Well, if it isn't the little boy I saw seven years ago. You have grown."
"So I've heard." He replied. Glad to find his voice was back to normal.
"I can tell you are faster then you were so long ago." Link raised an eyebrow. What does that have to do with anything? "You must race me. Once you beat me in a race I will give you something that will make you very happy." He paused, looking at Kagome. "At least, happier then you already are." A perverted grin appeared on his face, and Link blushed at his comment.
"If a race is what you want…" Kagome walked up, standing beside him. "I will be your opponent." Link was about to persist when she spoke up. "You and I made a deal. Next time I will be the one having fun and you will wait, remember?" She looked at him, obviously being serious.
"You call this fun?" He questioned.
"Maybe." She shrugged. He just shook his head in defeat. Oh well.
"You can race."
"Thank you!" She smiled warmly at him.
"Get ready." Dampe's voice spoke out. A blue flame appeared in front of Link, a picture of us was displayed on it. "This will help you keep track of how your partner is doing." Link just nodded, and started to watch the blue flame, shifting his weight from one foot to the other uneasily.
All of a sudden Dampe' started to move forward, Kagome not far behind. She looks as if she isn't even trying, she was jogging more then running. Link then started to relax, feeling confident that she would win.
Dampe' suddenly shot forward. Taking that as her cue to start, she jumped off the platform and followed. She sped up, but just enough to keep in step with him. Her body was still aching, if not worse then before, and running is not helping her, not at all, but she'll show him. She growled softly. She'll sow Link that she wasn't just a useless girl who happened to be tagging along…
She dashed forward, about to pass the ghost, and her body throbbed in pain at the sudden movement. A flame darted out of his lantern, preventing her from passing him. She barely dodged, taking a quick sidestep, before moving forward once more. He continued to spit out the flames, and she growled in frustration.
The ghost dashed ahead and through a door. She heard a soft tick tock sound, as it slowly started too closed. Kagome cursed inside her head, as she went through the door and it slammed shut behind her.
This race is starting to be quite bothersome. She quickly caught up to the ghost, and he started to spit more fire at her. There were many twists and turns, she didn't know which way to go, so she decided not to try and pass the ghost till she saw the end.
She quickly went through 5 Doors, and he started to throw more flames at her in desperation. They must be close to the end. She was now sweating and breathing heavily, her body was practically begging to stop. Though she could not comply to its demands, she gave a small grunt, showing her discomfort. Suddenly, 3 ledges were upon us. They where quite high, at least 10 feet she guessed, most would have to heave themselves up, probably put there to slow normal people down. She laughed at his foolishness. She was not normal.
Dampe' quickly took a sharp turn, and floated over to the ledge on the left. She was about to follow, when a pull told her to go straight. Without a second glance, she took the one in front of her, easily concurring the towering structure in one leap. She quickly sped up, the path now in a straight line. A path came to her left, but she did not care, and continued to go straight.
A slight gasp could be heard behind her, so she turned her head, only to find the ghost following her, a shocked expression on his pale face. She couldn't help but laugh, before turning her body completely around to face him. She started running backwards, taunting him. He then had a smirk on his face, which confused her. She turned back around, just in time to see a ledge, but she had no time to stop and she flew off at full speed.
Her eyes went wide as she stared into the dark endless pit below her. She felt her body go weightless, as gravity did its job and she started to fall into the bottomless chasm. She started to tremble, but she was jarred out of her fear when a 'tick tock' sound entered her ear. She cursed inside her head, realizing the race was still going. She pulled out her staff, and jabbed it into the side of the cliff. It dragged her a few feet before it came to a stop, her body dangling. She sighed in relief. The muscles in her arm ached as she pulled herself up, standing on top the staff. She crouched low and in one mighty leap soared back up, making sure to call the staff back into the choker. Her speed slowly decreased, before it stopped completely, she dug her nails into the side of the cliff.
She cursed again. Her leap was not big enough to scale out of the pit. She slowly climbed several feet, before coming to rest on top of the accursed ledge. She would have laid down, laughing joyfully for being alive, but she could still hear the ticking. She growled and stood up, running with all her might in one quick dash to the door. Her body screaming in persist, but she roared, arguing back while pushing her legs to the limit. She slid on the ground and into the dark room, just as the door slammed closed.
She made it. She laughed joyously into the stone floor. She made it. Slowly, and with a few groans, she was able to stand up. She sighed, closing her eyes. She made it-- She felt strong arms encircle around her waist, and she immediately stiffened, snapping her eyes open.
"You're alive." Link's soft yet strong voice whispered in her ear.
"Yeah." She relaxed, nodding. "I'm sorry if I worried you." She got out of his gentle hug and turned, smiling at him.
"You have done well, and with that, I will now give you my most valued treasure. Please come by any time and race me again." Dampe's voice echoed throughout the room. She broke her gaze from his crystal blue orbs, and glanced at the chest. She then shoved Link towards it in a playful manner. He looked at her for a few seconds, before smiling and opening the chest.
There was a Hookshot inside of it. He looked at it for a minute, then put it away. She walked past him, seeing the only exit. She wanted to get out of here as quick as possible. When she got inside she noticed the room was fairly small, and was blocked by a stone wall, which had a symbol on it. As she reached up and touched the stone's surface, the door behind her closed with a loud bang. She quickly turned around and saw Link, who was staring at the closed door. She growled. That ghost locked us in here.
"Why that little- " She snarled.
"Kagome." He interrupted, trying to calm her down. For some reason her body relaxed and she sighed. They both stood there in silence while inside the very cramped room. His body being so close to her in such a narrow area made her feel uncomfortable. She could practically feel his body heat enclosing around her--
"HEY!" Navi chirped.
"Yes, Navi?" Link replied.
"The symbol on that blue block looks familiar . . ." She said before going back into his hood.
Link took a step forward, his body pressed against hers. As if they were already close enough-- She turned away from him, hoping he didn't see her blush. He reached out and put his hand on top of her, and slowly moved it away from the symbol.
"Hmm. She's right." His deep voice rumbled through her body, and she continued to blush profoundly.
He stepped back and pulled out an Ocarina. Before she could ask him what he was doing, he played a soft song. She closed her eyes at the lovely sound, but it ended very quickly and there was a gentle whoosh as air flowed into the room. She looked and she was surprised to see the stone brick was gone. She glanced at him questionably, wanting answers.
"The Ocarina and the songs that I play have magical powers." He answered.
"Works for me." She just shrugged her shoulders. As long as it got them out of this room, she didn't really care.
He chuckled softly as he walked past her, and into a door filled with light. She quickly followed, until her legs sent a sharp pain through her body-- She slowly followed, slightly limping. Soon she came into a rather large area, and was quickly overcome with wonder. It was quite strange, she has never seen anything like it.
"We are inside of the Windmill, in Kakariko Village." Link spoke up, he probably saw her confusion.
"Wow. It just keeps on going around and around and around and around. "
"I guess so." We stood there watching it for a few more seconds, and then he jumped down, landing softly on the spinning wooden platform. She frowned, looking at the floor. She couldn't jump from this distance. She was having trouble walking, let alone trying a jump like that. As Link came back around he looked at her questionably. "What are you waiting for?" He asked her. The spinning platform taking him around again.
"Will you catch me?" She yelled at him.
"What?!!" He yelled back, now on the other side of the room. The mill was quite noisy.
"WILL YOU CATCH ME?!" She screamed.
As he came back around once more, she saw a small smirk gracing his handsome face, and she blushed. She could hear his all too familiar chuckle. He heard her the first time, he was just teasing her! She growled slightly. He then raised his hands up, showing he would indeed catch her. She seemed hesitant and looked away.
"Hurry." He spoke, in a few seconds he would be below her.
She decided it was now or never, so she jumped, closing her eyes. Feeling gravity take its effect, it moved her body. She was now falling, her back facing the ground. She waited for the impact of the floor, but instead she felt strong arms. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up into crystal blue. He indeed caught her, like he said he would. He looked down at her, smiling.
"Well, well." He pulled her closer to his frame. "Seems I caught me a fine little filly." He grinned at her. He raised her up, so that her face was mere inches from his. His arm supporting her back. "Now, what am I to do with this wonderfully delicious catch?" He licked his lips, his face moved slowly toward hers.
She huffed, slapping him in the chest, and he winced, dropping her. Even with the rough release she was able to land on her feet safely. She quickly turns to him and started to poke him in the chest with her pointer finger.
"I am not a trout!" She growled at him. "I am not an item, or a thing you can flirt with any time you wish!" She pushed him. He did not fall back, he stood tall and sturdy, unmoving. This just served to make her angrier. "I am not a just woman you can talk to, or do as you please or- or-" Her face turned pink. "Or touch however you like!" She tried to push him again, and he grabbed her wrists.
"No?" He smirked, taunting her.
"No!" She growled at him, and tried to pull her hands back, but he was too strong. He slowly bent down.
"But I like talking to you." He whispered in her ear. She tried to stop the shiver that ran down her spine. Why did her body have a mind of its own? "I like…" He ran his thumbs across her palm. "Touching you." His voice changed, it was deeper, huskier. It made her gasp in surprise.
"Well I don't." Her voice was soft, calmer. "So please…" She begged, turning her head away from him. "Stop." She whispered, closing her eyes.
She felt his body stiffen underneath her hands, his grip on her wrist tightened. She winced, but then she suddenly felt him release her. She heard a small mumble of 'I'm Sorry' then the sound of hard leather, thumping across the wooden boards filled her ears. She turned around, just in time to see him close the door, as he left the large spinning room.
How could he be so thoughtless? A growl erupted in his chest once again. He was ashamed of himself. The crackle of his boots hitting the dirt road was all he could hear in the crisp night air. Without all the people running around, the town seemed quite empty. He stopped walking, coming to stand beside a tree that stood in the center of town.
Why did he do those things to her? Why did he act in such a way around her? He barely knew her! Another growl escaped his throat, and he struck the tree. His gloves creaking as he tightened his fists till his knuckles grew white. Why did it bother him? Her sad lonely voice, pleading with him to stop. His jaw clinched. He felt his chest tighten yet again, just thinking about it. She'll never forgive him. He sighed, bringing his hand over his face. Why did he want forgiveness? He didn't know the answers to any of these questions. He shoulders slumped and he sat down at the base of the tree, his back propped against it.
He was attached to this girl, yes, but it wasn't physical, yet he made it seem that way. He placed his arm on top of his knee. Was she his friend? He snorted. He wasn't sure about that either. What was she to him? He did not know. He growled, frustrated. These questions were getting him nowhere. He said he was attached to her. If it was not physical attraction, then what was it? Once again, he came up with no answer. How was he even sure he was attracted to her? He stopped and listened, as if some magical voice would come in and answer all of the questions for him. He found himself sighing and closed his eyes.
It isn't really an attraction, he finally thought, more of a pull. Like something was calling to him, telling him to stay with her. He took a deep breath. She calmed him, made him feel at peace when she was around, and that made him feel good. He couldn't describe it any other way. He grumbled, deciding it was better then nothing. He leaned his head against the tree, his eyes still closed.
"Hey." His eyes snapped open and he looked to his left. Seeing it was her, he quickly looked away, not wanting to see her sad expression again. "May I?" Her voice was soft. He just nodded. He couldn't say no to her.
She took a few steps, till her shadow loomed over his. He then heard a loud crack followed by a pop. He quickly swiveled his head around, and looked at her. She was now sitting beside him, her thigh was brushing against his, both her legs were raised, and she had her hands resting on top of her knees. Her face was slightly scrunched up, showing she had more then a little discomfort.
"You alright?" He cursed at his voice, it cracked, showing his worry for her. He reached out, and put his hand over hers. He quickly realized what he did, and pulled back as if burnt.
"You're fine." She looked away. "I-I mean, I'm fine" she corrected herself.
"You sure? That didn't sound very good." He wasn't even sure where the sound came from, but one quick glace at her hands told him, as he watched her rub her fingers in small circles. It was her knees.
"I'm Okay." She tried to reassure him. "I guess I must be getting old or something." She giggled slightly. He chuckled, and decided not to push it further. If it bothered her, she would have told him.
"About earlier." He looked at the ground. "What I did was inexcusable, and for that I am truly sorry." He felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He glanced at it, then at her.
"It's ok, really. I forgive you." She paused. "As long as you don't do it again. Alright?" She smiled kindly at him, and he couldn't help but smile back at her. He sighed in relief, she forgives him. "Come on." She stood up, and he heard her knees crack once again. He flinched. The sound was horrible. "Don't we have a temple to get to?" She asked, sounding quite cheerful. He smiled at her, standing up as well.
But he was still worried about her, the long trips from one temple to the other might bother her knees. He grinned to himself, getting an idea. He then started to walk away, going towards the village's exit. He heard soft foot falls behind him, indicating she was following him.
"So? What do we do now?" She asked.
"We're getting something that will help us move faster over long distances in the Hyrule field." He replied.
"Oh? What is it?" So curious...
"A horse." He calmly answered.
"A horse?" She sounded excited.
"Yes, her name is Epona." They where now descending the stairway, exiting the town. Heard her comment, saying the name was 'pretty'.
"So we are going to Lon Lon Ranch?" He was slightly surprised she knew where we were headed.
"Yes. How did you know?"
"When I was going to the castle, I saw the Ranch. I was just guessing." He turned his head, seeing her shrug her shoulders.
"I see."
The rest of the way was fairly quiet, she seemed off in her own world again. He didn't mind so much, he liked the quiet sometimes. He has been alone most of his life, silence was like second nature to him, he's gotten use to it. Then the loud Navi came into his life. He was happy to have a friend with him, but he still enjoyed the quiet times he got every now and then.
Having Kagome around was a slight change, she was a real person, he had real conversations with her and enjoyed it. She would stay with him, following him, talking to him. Asking any questions that popped into her head. She was a spit fire when angered, but she was very kind as well. He was glad to have her with him. With her around maybe he wouldn't feel so alone. Even with it being quiet like this, he knew she was there. He could hear her small feet tapping against the dirt path. Feel the warmth from her body as she trailed closely behind him. He sighed, closing his eyes. He will be saddened when she leaves.
They came upon Lon Lon Ranch just as the sun was peeking over the mountain range. He looked over and saw Ingo standing in front of the corral gate, Ingo's face was plastered onto it. Link's own face scrunched up. Strange.
"I don't trust him." Kagome blurted out. "And it's not because he is ugly either." Her statement surprised him. He thought she was kind, and did not think badly about anyone. But he had to admit, she did make him chuckle at her outburst.
"His name is Ingo. He works for a nice man name Talon. I trust him." He was slightly hesitant at his own words. Something seemed different about him.
"I don't." We both stopped walking. "He seems evil." She shivered. "I just don't get a good feeling from him." He looked at her strangely.
"How do you know that?" He questioned.
"Well, I can sense these things." She looked away from him. He could tell the subject was sensitive to her so he did not push it further.
"But we have to talk to him." She turned her head to look at him. "He might know where Talon is." He nodded, closing his eyes. "I need to speak with him and ask him if I can borrow Epona, It's his ranch after all."
"I suppose." She looked to her right. "Hmm?" She stared at the building and started to walk over to it. "What's this?" She questioned, pointing at the door.
"Oh. That's a door." He smirked, walking over to her. He slapped him on the chest. "Oww~." He winced slightly.
"I know that!" She huffed. "What's inside?"
"The stables." He answered.
"I would rather ask the person inside where Talon is. They have pure intentions, unlike that man over there." She quickly dragged him inside, not waiting for his answer. Once inside, he glanced around the room and his eyes fell upon a familiar face. He smiled and walked up to her.
"Hello Malon." He spoke behind her, catching her attention.
"Hmm?" She stopped humming and turned around to meet him. "Oh! Fairy boy. So nice to see you again." She smiled at him. Hearing the Nickname she gave him so long ago, made him grin.
We soon started talking about old times, and how her and Epona were doing. We found ourselves laughing at the past. Talon, that lazy, lazy man. A small cough behind him stopped him from continuing any further in the conversation. Ah, he forgot about the raven hair female who was with him. Oops…
"Kagome, this is Malon. Malon, Kagome." He introduced each other.
"Hello." Kagome greeted first. She then bent a few inches forward in a bowing manner, similar to the first time she met him. He glanced at Malon, confusion was in her eyes, she too thought this bowing motion was quite strange. He was slightly relieved by this. He thought it was just him, he was asleep for seven years after all, traditions could change, but it seems that was not the case.
"Hello Kagome. It's very nice to meet you." Malon smiled at her.
"So, Malon. Do you know where your father is?" Link quickly spoke up.
"I don't know where my father is. He was kicked off the ranch." She looked away, quite saddened.
"What for?" He asked.
"Ganondorf pay us a visit, soon after the king died. He gave Ingo the ranch. Ingo then kicked my father out." She sighed. "I haven't seen my father since." She added.
"Tell me Malon, why did he do that?" What he heard made him quite angry.
"Mr. Ingo has a good heart. He has not been himself lately, but I'm more worried about my father. I know I shouldn't, he is probably just asleep somewhere . . . " She then smiled to herself.
"Well, don't worry Malon." Kagome said. "We'll find your father." She tried to reassure her. "Ain't that right Link?" She asked him.
He stared at Malon. Such sadness. Unlike last time he saw her, when they were both children. She was so happy and joyous. He then remember her happy smile, as he helped bring her father back to the ranch. She has changed into a fine woman since then. She seems the same on the inside, but she is more mature on the outside. He examined at her womanly figure, and he saw her blush a pretty pink. What was that blush for? A sharp jab into his rib shocked him out of his thoughts.
"Ouch." He winced, and rubbed his bruised side.
"Ain't that right Link?" She repeated. Her voice showed her anger, not enjoying the fact that he ignored her.
"Yeah, right." He spoke, still rubbing his side.
"I'm happy you guys will look for my father." Malon giggled happily.
"No problem. Let's go Link." Before he had time to think she grabbed him by his shirt collar and started to drag him out of the room.
"Goodbye, Fairy Boy! It was nice seeing you again!" She waved to him.
He had a stupid grin plastered on his face and waved back. He heard Kagome whisper "Boys…" and then slammed the door behind us.
It wasn't long before we started walking back towards Ingo. Kagome started to lag behind, she seemed hesitant to go near him, but Link quickly started a conversation with him. He talked about how people were angry he kicked Talon off the ranch, saying that they thought badly of him. That he worked hard to have Ganondorf's approval and he earned the right to own the ranch.
"Well boy, so rumors don't start all of a sudden about me being a bad guy, I will let you ride one of MY great horses. For a price of course, 10 Rupees. To show you that I'm not that bad of a guy." He had a smug look on his face, and Link just smirked.
"Sure." He then proceeded to pull out his wallet, and gave the man his money.
"Ok young man, It's a deal. You keep your mouth shut, and I will let you ride my horses." Ingo then walked to the corral, and opened the gate, letting Link inside. He heard a slam behind him followed by an angry 'Hey!' being called out. "Sorry. He only gave me 10 Rupees." Ingo spoke to Kagome with a smirk.
Link had to hold back a growl that threatened to come forth. How dare he be so rude to her! He saw the angry look on her face and heard her warn Ingo to let her through. He decided to try and calm her down, and shook his head, telling her it was alright. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest while walking away, sulking. He smiled at her back, shaking his head at her child-link behavior.
"Ok boy, you got two minutes."
He just nodded his head and turned around. When he was far enough away, he played a small tune, low enough so Ingo would not hear him. After he finished he heard a familiar neigh, he smiled, and started to stroke the beautiful red horse. Like him, she too has grown, and into a very fine mare.
In a swift movement he mounted the red beauty. She shifted at the sudden weight, but quickly adjusted and he started to trot around the small corral. Soon, he found himself in a full gallop, Epona was faster then he could have imagined. He smiled, enjoying the feeling of the wind as it flew across his face. He turned, and easily scaled over the two fences that were placed in the center of the corral.
A gruff voice broke his fun and he came to a stop.
"Hey boy!" Ingo voice bellowed. Was time over already? "Come here." He ordered. Link complied and trotted over to him. "It seems you are really good with riding a horse. How about you and I have a race? It comes at a price. You have to pay me 50 Rupees. You should be lucky I'm giving you a shot to race me." He had a smug grin on his face once again.
Link saw Kagome about to persist, but he quickly raised his hand, stopping her from another outburst. He shook his head, telling her it was alright.
"I will even let you race with that horse your riding right now. How about it?" Ingo bargained.
Link didn't say anything, but chose instead to reach into his wallet once more. He got the gems and threw them at the greedy man's feet. He grumbled, but picked the money up anyway. He quickly told the rules, one lap around the corral. He then saddled up onto his own horse.
"Ready to lose boy?" Ingo gloated. His horse neighed in persist, as he pulled on the reins. Suddenly he shouted "Go!" and he ran off ahead of him. Link cursed at him and launched forward. Epona quickly got up to her full speed and ran past the shocked man. We easily won the race.
"What!" Ingo couldn't believe it. "I lost! That can't be!" He yelled. "If the great Ganondorf found out about this humiliation…" His voice faded, showing his fear. "HEY YOU!" Shouting, pointing at Link. Link just blinked at the angry man, then pointed at himself, as if saying 'Me?' "Yeah! You! How about another race!? If you win--" He paused, trying to think of something so he would not decline his offer. "You get to keep that horse!" He suddenly blurted out. Link just smirked.
"Gotcha'" He whispered. We soon found ourselves once again at the starting line, and they were off in a full gallop. Ingo quickly took the inside, and prevented him from passing. Link growled and pushed his way ahead at the last turn. He won, but only by a few inches. He smiled, glad he won, but suddenly shivered, wondering what would happen if he lost. He then led Epona to Kagome, glad to see she was smiling happily at him. A loud scream tore through the area and he turned to see Ingo holding his head in anger.
"AH! How could you beat me?! IS THAT EPONA?! I was raising that horse for Ganondorf. Now I lost that horse to a boy!" He then stopped screaming, and went calm. That act made Link feel uneasy.
"He is up to something." She whispered. He just nodded. Then Ingo spook again.
"I will give you that horse." Linked looked up at Ingo, just in time to see him shut and lock the ranch gate. "But, you will never leave this ranch!" He had that same smug grin on his face.
His grip on the reins tightened, the leather cried, as if in agony from the harsh treatment. He heard a small noise to his right. Kagome was slowly withdrawing her sword, sending a glare in the direction of the mad man. Thinking quickly, he swiveled the horse around, putting Epona between her and Ingo. She looked up at him in question, and he shook his head no.
"I have an idea." He smiled at her. She looked hesitant, the grip on her blade tightened. "Trust me…" He reached his hand out for her to take.
She looked at him for a few seconds, he then heard a small click, and soon felt her soft hand placed on top of his. He smiled, pulling the light female up and onto the saddle. A small thump sounded behind him, and he felt her wiggle for a few seconds, getting use to the seat. He smirked, and told her to hold on. He felt her grip the back of his shirt.
He clicked his tongue, and gently touched the horse's side with his heel. She neighed and snorted, but started to move forward. He quickly brought the horse into her full speed, heading towards one of the tall walls that cut off the ranch from the rest of the field.
"You're heading straight for a wall!" He heard Kagome shout from behind him.
"That's the plan." He spoke up.
"Did you even think through this 'great' plan of yours?" She asked him, the wall coming closer. He wasn't showing any signs of slowing down.
"No, not really. I'm making it up as I go along." He smirked, as he heard her shout behind him in disbelief.
She then had no room to argue, for we were soon soaring above the stone wall, and over the other side. He felt her grip on his shirt tighten in fear. He smirked at her. He rather enjoyed the feeling of flying in the air. It quickly ended as he felt Epona's hooves land on the ground and his body moved slightly forward, from the sudden landing.
He looked behind him, to see her knuckles were white and her eyes clamped shut. That image made a deep chuckle rumble through his chest. She slowly opened her eyes, and looked up at him.
"It seems you're not that good with heights. Are you afraid?" Remembering how she always seem scared when it comes to jumping off something.
Her face turned red and she stuttered. "I-I-- No!"
"Then why are you still holding on to me for dear life?" He smirked at her.
Her blush extended to her ears and down her neck, and she quickly let go. He found it quite amusing as she tried to scoot away from him, only able to move an inch or two at the most. When she figured out that she couldn't move away while still on the saddle, she chose to send a glare at him instead. He decided she looked rather cute like that…
"Alright then, I won't tease you about it anymore." He raised his hands in defeat and turned around, though he was still grinning. He then felt her eyes bore onto his back, and his grinned turned into an all-knowing smirk. He heard her whisper "Jerk" behind his back. He chuckled at her name calling. "Now Kagome, don't be mad at me because you're afraid of heights." He spoke up.
He then clicked his tongue, making Epona start trotting once again, heading for the Forest Temple. He decided not to go into a full gallop, the small package behind him was not holding on, and he did not want her to fall off, hurting herself.
"I'm not afraid of heights." She stated.
"Oh really?" He looked over his shoulder. "Do tell."
"Yes." He saw her lift her chin up in the air proudly. He smirked, hitting the horse's side, and she quickly sprinted into a gallop, before jumping over a small fence. "Ah~!" She squeaked and wrapped her arms around his waist in reflex.
He's deep laughter roared throughout the field, as he slowed the horse down to a brisk walk once more. He felt heat, from her reddened cheeks, on his back and it only fuelled his laughter even more. This would be the first time he laughed in front of her, he enjoyed deep the sound, and her reaction to it very much.
"It's NOT funny, Link!" She argued. His laugher soon died down to a familiar chuckle. His ears twitched as he heard her call his name, liking the way it sounded as well.
"Yes it is." He spoke his mind.
"You just caught me off guard, that's all." She tried to come up with an excuse.
"Sure." He wasn't buying it.
"No, really!" She said. He turned around to gloat, and saw tears in her eyes.
"Don't cry." He quickly said, not liking sight of water pooling around her eyes.
"Who said I was sad?" He looked at her strangely. "These are tears of anger!" She stated. She did not like being teased, he noted.
He better apologize for making her angry, but before he could he felt soft hands on his delegate ears. His eyes widened. Oh, crap... His voiced echoed in his head, showing his fear. She must have seen the look on his face, for she smirked.
Seeing the smirk, he thought: Did she even know what she was doing? No, she doesn't look like she does. She probably thinks this is causing him pain. Oh~ no. It's the exact opposite. Her tiny hands were on the ends of his ears, unconsciously she was rubbing her thumbs in small circles into the back of them. This sent wave after wave of small pleasure throughout his whole body. No, she could not have known what she was doing to him. He clinched his teeth together as tight as he could, trying to hold back his arousal. He looked at her pleadingly, hoping she would stop.
She did not let go, yet she was speaking to him, but he could not hear anything she was saying, he could only see her mouth move up and down. He did not answer her, and instead he closed his eyes. It was taking all of his will power not to groan. Suddenly he felt her jerk at his ears rather harshly. He snapped his eyes open and gasped. Oh god. His body shuddered. A small grunt escaped his lips. All he could do was nod in agreement with whatever she said, hoping she would let go of his sensitive ears.
He let out a sigh of relief as she let go, even though his body twitched and ached for her to continue the rough onslaught. His body felt extremely hot. Tilting his head, eyes closed, he let out a breath of hot air, trying to cool himself down. He knew his face was flushed, and he was still moaning inside his head, remembering her soft touch on his ears.
He growled. Why did she have to do that? His body now begged for her touch. Stupid hormones. Guess this was bound to happen, since he was locked up for seven years. He will not allow her to touch him anymore! He felt small arms encircle around his waist. His eyes snapped open. GRRAH! He snarled. Why does she keep touching him?!
"I'm sorry." She apologized. "If I hurt you." Whispering into his back.
Her soft voice calmed him, and he took a deep breath. His tense shoulders slowly slumped down, relaxing, and his unknown tightness on the reins released as well. He sighed, feeling slightly better.
"Don't worry." He tried to reassure her. He noticed his voice was harsh and scratchy, the sound made her flinch. She probably thought she angered him. She did, but not for the reasons she was thinking. "It didn't hurt very much." He told a little lie. "So don't worry, it's okay." He sighed when she released him. He turned around and his eyes softened at her. "It's my fault…" He told her before looking ahead once more.
He wasn't sure how much longer his body could take of this tiny woman being around him like this. He touched Epona's sides one again, a signal to hurry. He felt her grip onto his tunic. He sighed, glad it wasn't his waist. This little filly was going to be the death of him before this journey was over, he could feel it. He grumbled as they headed forward, to the Forest Temple