Chapter 21

Loxton

Half a week later, Ingo returned. He had been travelling to various towns and villages trying to sell several horses and advertise the quality of Lon Lon Ranch.

His first reaction to finding a stranger sleeping in his hay loft was one of fury. It was obvious Malon knew well how to placate him, though, and from the following day onwards it was obvious that he had seen the advantages of a strong young man who was willing to be an unpaid worker.

Even so, it did not make him behave warmly to Link. He never berated him as he did the other workers, but it was obvious that was because he did not want to drive him away. Instead, he simply ignored him at every opportunity.

The biggest impact of Ingo's return was how heavily Link's diet suffered. While he had been away, Link had eaten with Malon in the ranch house each night. It was clear that was no longer an option. Instead, Link ate such food as he was given in the barn.

It did not take Link long to form an opinion of Lon Lon Ranch's current owner. He was an ungracious, uncaring and often unkind man, but Link also developed a begrudging respect for him. While he was certainly rude to his hired staff, he did not treat Malon poorly, for the most part. Link was half suspicious of this, for he wondered what Ingo's true intention was. For the other half though, it was obvious the ranch owner saw how willingly she gave and how hard she worked.

It was also obvious that Ingo was not afraid of hard work. He did not let the others do everything, but was willing to exert himself in all tasks that fell to him. He treated his animals well, although it was clear he did it not for the animals themselves but because well treated beasts would serve him better than ill treated.

That begrudging respect still could not stop Link disliking such an unpleasant, bigoted man, though. It was not hard to see that Malon felt similarly. She was careful never to say it plainly or reveal it in front of Ingo himself, but it remained obvious.

The days drifted by and Link immersed himself more and more in the work on the ranch. The more time passed, the easier he found it to ignore his memories or his guilt; he repressed them and steadily found he could banish them for hours at a time.

His relationship with Malon continued to grow stronger, although there were more restraints on their time. While the constantly closing winter meant less needed to be done around the ranch, Ingo did not allow them as much time for riding or taking meals together without his presence.

On one morning, Link went to find her to suggest riding out, knowing neither of them had much to do during the day. She was not in the ranch house, though. He found Ingo milking the cows and asked where she was. Seemingly annoyed at having to talk to him directly, Ingo bluntly answered that she had left the ranch early, and no, he did not know when she would return.

Confused, Link left him and went to the paddock. Confirming what he had been told, Epona was nowhere to be found, either.

It was late evening when Malon returned, but she would not say where she had been. Link's curiosity was heavily aroused, but her cautious answers made it clear she did not want him to push the subject, and so he let it drop.

The next time this happened, Link saw her leaving. He was up before dawn, which was not uncommon, and Din's Fire was just rising in the east when he saw her saddling Epona. Again, when he asked where she was intending to go, she would not answer.

"Just going for a ride," she said, flicking her hair. "I want to be alone, though," she continued, before he could suggest joining her.

On this occasion, she did not return until the following day. Link decided it was wisest not to question her. He had learnt that Malon did not lose her temper, but instead masked any disgruntlement with a show of cheeriness. He could always tell when she was unhappy because of the way she tried to hide it, and he had no wish to make her feel worse. Nonetheless, when she continued to disappear periodically, he could not help wondering where she was going.

In the month after Ingo's return, winter bit in heavily. It took Link by surprise; he had known winter in the forest, but so far south it had not been as bitter as the weather that wrapped itself around Lon Lon Ranch. One afternoon he mentioned this to the two other ranch workers, all of them wrapped heavily in winter cloaks.

"I don't remember winter being so cold," Link said in passing.

"I think that every year," said the younger of the ranch workers, a man in his twenties. Link didn't say anything; he had been more considering the fact that the last winter he had lived through had been seven years ago.

Their companion was an older man. "Where do you come from, then?" he asked Link gruffly.

"Oh, far in the south," Link answered, averting his eyes.

"Ay, well that'd explain it. 'taint so cold down south, even in winter."

"It's true," said the younger man. "I spent a year down there, near the Hylia."

"Besides," continued the older man, "I still reckon winters have been colder the last few years, what with the changes round 'ere," and he nodded ominously to the north, and Castle Town.

A freezing rain fell the next day, forcing much of the work on the ranch to stop. Link sat in the ranch house with Malon and Ingo. The ranch owner was persisting in his policy of ignoring Link at every opportunity, and Link had little quarrel today. A man of few words at the best of times, he was cold, and the driving rain seemed to have bypassed his clothes and soaked him entirely. He pulled the blanket Malon had given him closer around himself while Ingo stoked the fire. The ranch girl came and put a mug of hot cocoa in front of him.

"Don't worry," she said, looking at his bedraggled expression. "I think this will be the last rain we see for quite a while." Her prediction was proved true two days later when it started to snow. It began in the afternoon, and Link was stood in the paddock with the horses, most of his daily tasks completed.

At first the white flakes bemused him. He looked around, confused. It was soft and made the day no colder than it already had been. The gentle snow continued and Link only pulled up the hood of his cloak and continued with his day. It was very light, and was not settling.

An hour later, though, he realised how it had hung to his clothing and that he was again soaked. When he grumbled about this to Malon, she only laughed at him. He was still shocked when he emerged from the barn the next morning and saw the white coating on all the fields. They looked picturesque, breathtaking in the freezing morning under a now clear sky. It took him quite a while to get used to walking through the ankle deep snow as he moved around the ranch.

It was a cold winter morning when Link mounted his dun stallion a few days later. Malon sat beside him on Epona. Both were wrapped up warmly against the wintry chill as they led their horses through the snow.

They did not ride across the snow laden fields, but held to the road, taking a direct route. Malon had suggested he join her on a journey to Loxton, and Link had happily agreed.

It took several hours riding to reach the nearby city. It was a busy, well populated place of the sort that were more common in the north of Hyrule than the south, but it had suffered in the seven years of Ganondorf's rule. It also had more to see than a lot of the little towns and villages nearer the ranch.

The two young people took their horses at a walk on the cobbled streets. Malon guided them to an inn, where they quickly stabled the horses. Their accommodation sorted, they walked to the market square to find lunch. Malon chattered away happily, but Link found himself unable to respond. The bustle of the city was too acute a reminder of the past, too similar to his memories of Castle Town.

After they had eaten, a similar mood seemed to creep over Malon. They sat at the edge of the market and talked quietly, but she seemed concerned with something she did not mention. Link had grown accustomed to her constant bubbliness, which she often used to cover darker moods. While she continued to talk, more than Link did, she seemed preoccupied. Eventually, a slightly strained silence fell between the two, both concerned as they were with their own thoughts.

"There are some things I need to do," said Malon, after a while. "You can explore some more of the city, if you like, or go back to the inn. I'll meet you later."

Pulled from his inner reverie, it took Link a moment to realise she had spoken. He blinked. "Where are you going?" he asked.

She smiled. "It's just something I need to sort out, it's nothing to worry about."

"Okay," Link nodded. "I'll go back to the inn, then."

They stood. Link turned and started back along the road to the inn while Malon moved away in another direction.

The young man stopped and turned at the edge of the square. His eyes scanned the crowd quickly and he spotted his friend's distinctive red hair at a stall. She had obviously waited until he had moved away before going to buy anything. Intrigued, Link watched as she paid the man behind the stall and put several things into the basket she had carried all day. He was too far away to see what she had bought as she turned away from him and walked toward another street.

A wave of curiosity swept over him. He had fully intended to return to the inn, but a wave of curiosity swept over him as he watched her disappear. He moved quickly through the crowd to the road she had taken and looked down it. Again, his sharp eyes located her quickly.

He followed her at a steady distance, unnoticed. After a few minutes, the crowds had dwindled, and she turned down a side street. Link stopped at the junction and watched her, ready to duck out of sight if he needed to. He felt suddenly guilty for following her, but was still intrigued by her secrecy. A strong suspicion had formed about the numerous times she had been absent from the ranch.

She took another turning. Link slipped quietly after her, once more stopping at the corner. It took him a moment to see her, this time. Several children were running in the street, a cucco wandered aimlessly on its own. Then he found her, her cream dress elegant against the backdrop of the dusty street.

The ranch girl went to the door of one of the houses on the road and knocked. A moment passed and Link drew further back into his hiding place. The door opened, and a man stepped out. He looked like a once large man who had fallen on hard times. Even after seven years, Link recognised him immediately; his black, wiry hair was thinner than it had been, and his once well muscled arms looked unused, but the big black moustache and large, red face made Talon instantly familiar.

The man embraced his daughter and she followed him inside the house. Link stood still for a moment after the door had closed, and then retraced his steps back to the market square before returning to the inn.

The first day he had come to Lon Lon Ranch, Malon had told him that her father had had to leave the home he loved. Link had not approached the subject since, as it was clearly a sore point. So this was part of the answer: Talon had left Lon Lon Ranch and was now living in Loxton. Malon's absences in the past months must have been visiting him.

There was one thing he still did not understand, though. He could not think why Talon would leave the ranch he adored, nor his daughter.

Eventually, Link's curiosity overcame him again. Evening was closing in when he re-entered the market square, and the crowd was dwindling. Link seated himself a good distance from the road that led to the inn, and waited.

The stall owners and traders were packing up their wares when Malon reappeared. Link watched her leave the square, and then made his way quickly through the city to the little street where he had seen her father.

He hesitated before the door, feeling guilty again for going behind his friend's back, but his curiosity made him overcome his reservation and he knocked. A few seconds passed before the door opened.

Finding this unexpected stranger on his doorstep, Talon frowned. He was dressed in a faded red shirt and old brown slacks, which had fitted him once but were now too large. Up close, Link saw even more clearly what he had thought earlier. Talon looked as if he had fallen on some very hard times. He was thinner, but he also looked in some way drained, as if something had been taken from him.

"Can I help you?" he asked, and his voice was weaker than Link remembered it.

"May I come in?" said Link, struggling to think of a way to find the answers to his questions.

Talon paused, clearly reluctant to let a stranger into his house, but then comprehension showed on his face.

"You're the guy Malon was talking about? The one staying on the ranch?"

"Yes. I've been staying there for a while."

"Yeah, that's what she said. Talamin, isn't it? She talks about you every time she comes over, now. Says you're doing a great job looking after my animals." His face fell at his inadvertent slip and he stared at the ground. "I mean the ranch's animals," he mumbled, before recovering himself. "Well, if that's who you are, you sound like a decent guy, and that's rare enough these days. Come in." He moved away from the door and beckoned his guest inside.

Link followed him into the single room that was clearly the whole of Talon's living space. There was little to notice other than a bed in one corner, a basin with some washing things, and a few homely, personal items. A table stood to one side with what was left of a meal for two, so clearly Malon had eaten here. In one wall, a fire burned in a bare hearth.

Seating himself on a chair by the table, Talon grinned broadly. "It sounds like you're doing a great job of looking after my daughter, and I've got to thank you for that," he said, brimming with enthusiasm.

"She's done her fair share of looking after me," Link replied. "She was good enough to give me a place to sleep and she's made sure I have enough to eat. I just hope I can return that kindness."

Talon smiled. "That's my little girl. She loves big, with people and animals."

"You talk very proudly, about her and Lon Lon Ranch," responded Link. "I can't understand why you're not there to look after them yourself."

The former ranch owner did not answer immediately. "I was forced to make my choices. I'm not proud of them, but I did the best I could."

"Sometimes all our choices are bad, and yet still we must choose." Link said darkly, remembering Sheik's words in the Temple of Time.

"Maybe so. I chose to leave. I thought it was for the best." There was doubt in his voice.

"Why?" Link asked, after a moment.

"Didn't Malon tell you?"

"No. She doesn't often talk about you."

"So that's why you came here, is it? To find out why I left the ranch?" There was no accusation in his tone, just a great tiredness.

"It wasn't planned," said Link hurriedly. "I wanted to know why a man who loved his home and his daughter so much could bear to leave them."

"Did she send you here to say this?"

"No," Link answered, feeling his cheeks warming with guilt. He looked away, unable to meet Talon's eye for fear of giving away the fact he had betrayed Malon's trust.

His attention was drawn to the basket he had seen her with. He noticed the things she must have bought in the market, as well as cucco eggs and two bottles of fresh Lon Lon milk.

Link smiled at this further example of Malon's kindness. As he looked, though, something else caught his eye and made him frown. He reached a hand out to pull aside some of the contents of the basket.

"What're you doing?" asked Talon, but Link ignored him for a moment. Moving the things at the top of the basket, he confirmed his suspicions. Malon had put rupees at the bottom of the basket, concealed by the other items. It was not a small amount. Link looked up at Talon, and as he did, a few other things in the little room took his attention. There were several empty bottles that had clearly never held milk, and half a mug of ale that Link shrewdly guessed Talon had not drunk in front of his daughter.

"She's giving you money?" he asked, fixing Talon with his blue eyes.

"Just a bit," mumbled Talon.

Link looked around again, his suspicions rising. "No, I think a lot. How often? Every time she comes here?" Talon did not answer. Link picked up the half drained mug. "And this is how you're spending it?"

Troubled, Talon stood angrily. "If I want a drink, I'll have one. If I'm lonely here, sometimes, it's hardly surprising. How would you feel, if you'd left the home you loved? If you had to spend every day feeling like you let down the people you care about?"

"I'd guess I know more about that than you might think," he said. Old pain made his voice shake, slightly.

Talon sagged, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You don't know what happened," he said heavily.

"Tell me," Link replied. When Talon looked again at the young man, the deep hurt was evident in his eyes.

"Ingo said I'd killed someone. A guy passed our way, stayed a night at the ranch. We found out a few weeks later that he disappeared. We were the last to see him." He put his head in his hands. "Ingo said it was me caused him going missing. No proof, but the rumour was enough. That's all it take in these parts. These days."

"Did you fight the rumour?"

Talon snorted and rubbed at his eyes, his head drooping. "I laughed at it, at first. But we rely on business from everywhere around. It went on for a year, but less and less people came to the ranch. Scared to come, in case it was true. Too likely, these days, people aren't prepared to take the risk. Eventually, I realised the ranch would do better if I wasn't in charge of it."

"I know what it's like to be accused like that," said Link distantly, staring into the fire. Visions of Mido rose before his eyes, of his last night in the forest. He pulled himself back to the present. "If it was four years ago, perhaps it's time you went back. Perhaps the rumour's subsided."

The strain was evident in Talon's voice when he replied. "I won't have people talking behind my back. Making comments. Won't let it harm Malon, neither."

Silence descended again. Link turned back to the door. He hesitated, his hand on the latch.

"Since I came to the ranch, I've heard no comments behind your back, except that the people who come to the ranch now enjoy dealing with Ingo far less than they enjoyed dealing with you. To me, it sounds as if you have given in and allowed yourself to be driven away, when you could return. You say you made your choice, I think you chose to run away. And for myself, I think you should return. Your daughter needs you."

With those final words, he opened the door and left. Turning to close it, though, he saw Talon reaching again for his mug.