Morning
Heat liked to trap itself in the stables, and Malon found no refuge here from the last burning days of summer. Nevertheless, the shade was an improvement to the glaring sun. Malon wiped her hands on her apron and donned an old pair of gloves. Feeding time for the horses. Most were out to pasture- only Epona was in the stables. She had a bit of a limp and needed rest. She'd been snappy to the other horses and might have been rough-housing. Malon knew Epona was restless. Too bad she refused to be ridden, or she would be glad to take her out.
Two flakes of hay went to Epona, and Malon grabbed an armful to bring to the others. She stepped back out into the midmorning sun.
Time had been good to Lon Lon Ranch. Profits coming in from the milk were used to expand the ranch- now there was an extensive garden that grew specialty herbs and vegetables. They sold on market days in the castle town and Kakariko. Even the Zoras bought from Lon Lon Ranch. Talon had fired Ingo long ago- he was always skulking and didn't seem to take any joy in the work. Malon was glad to see him go. She suspected he wasn't treating the horses right. Talon hired two young boys from Kakariko and they did just fine.
The horses had been expecting Malon and the trotted over when she opened the wide creaking gate to the pastures. She tossed flakes of hay on the ground, making sure they had enough space to eat. Scents of basil and spicy arugula wafted in from the gardens- and roses too, which Malon had planted in front of the house. She breathed the scents in as the breeze lifted. Perhaps later, when the evening cool set in, she'd walk along the fields and collect wildflowers. Brushing hay off her dress, Malon left the pastures and came back to the wall, climbing a ladder to a makeshift lookout platform her old friend Link had made for her. From here, she could see the gates of Hyrule Castle Town, and even the castle towering off in the faded distance. Death Mountain, too, loomed not far behind.
The ranch girl's eyes turned toward the forest farther south. The forest where her friend Link said he grew up. Fairy Boy, she called him. Link always laughed when she called him that.
"Where I'm from, I was made fun of for not having a fairy," Link once told her, "So the nickname is fitting." He was a strange kid, to be sure. She missed him, whenever he went away on his odd adventures. He'd been away all summer now. He was fun to have around, and he always worked hard, trading a day's labor for a good meal, some lon lon milk and, on occasion, a bale of hay to sleep on for the night. He was also good with Epona- he could calm her down in an instant. The nicest thing, though, was that they shared a love of music. He'd pull out his ocarina and play harmony to her singing. They could make music together for hours.
She wondered where Link was, how he was faring out in the wide world.
The mid-morning sun blazed on unforgivingly. Enough daydreams, Malon thought. There was plenty of work to be done. She had a long day ahead of her.