"Thank GOODNESS you are both safe! Shouldn't we at least stop to recuperate and gather supplies? This desert doesn't exactly sound like it has an abundance of food..." Hermione said, level headed as ever.
"We'll stop at Lon Lon Ranch on the way." Link said, saying goodbye to Darunia and leading the way out, into the fresh air.
After a while, they had reached Kakariko again.
None of the party noticed a large black dog stalking in the shadows. He seemed to fix his eyes on Harry as a growl passed his lips. He seemed to have instinctive determination, and his eyes betrayed his starving hunger to attack.
Link led them all out into Hyrule field again. The sun was high in the sky and birds flitted around, creating a quiet chorus of twittering.
"Like I said," Link said to Harry as they walked across a small bridge, "We'll stop off at Lon Lon ranch on the way for a rest. Gerudo Desert is quite a way away, after all."
Harry watched with amused green eyes as Link adjusted the collar on his tunic, twisting his belt around a bit. Harry looked quickly away as Link looked down at him.
"What?" The Hero of Time said irritably, unable to hide a little blush.
"Nothing, nothing." Harry stifled a laugh.
"Hm." Link walked ahead, rearranging his gauntlet.
Hermione had picked up on Link's strange behaviour and couldn't stop herself from saying, "Who lives at Lon Lon ranch?"
Link was so far ahead that they could barely hear them as he shouted back, "That red haired girl we met on our way to the castle."
Harry exchanged a look with Ron and carried on.
The sun rose above their heads and the field was bathed in a bright, happy light.
Soon they had reached Lon Lon Ranch.
Hermione smiled knowingly and decided to milk it a bit more. "Would you say you and her are...GOOD friends?" She added a heap of sarcasm and nudged him slightly.
"Well yeah..." Link said as they went through the front gates and emerged onto a dirt track between a farm house and some stables. He paused, "Wait a moment... Are you suggesting that I LIKE her? No!" His face went a bright red and Harry and Ron started to snigger.
"No!" Link said again, aghast, "Not in THAT way, anyway! No! No way!"
Hermione raised her eyebrows in a slightly suggestive way. But then saw Link's expression and decided not to push it any further.
"Link!" That girl came out of the paddocks in the top half of the ranch, rushing to the visitors with a wide smile upon her face, "Are you all OK?" She looked around at all of them as she reached the group.
"Yes, we're fine, thanks." Link smiled broadly.
"Well, come inside for a bit. Father's gone to castle town to stock up on bread." She led them inside the farmhouse.
Hermione smiled graciously and Naia flittered to the girl, she giggled.
Link followed, beaconing the others in.
"Oh!" Malon exclaimed as the group settled down on seats inside, "I'll go get some milk!" She got up and went to leave and so did Link.
"I'll come with you!" He said, practically bouncing out of the house behind her.
As soon as the door snapped shut, Harry and Ron fell about laughing.
"He's so obvious!" Harry gasped.
"I know!" Ron wiped a tear of hilarity from an eye.
Hermione could not contain her laughing, "Stop laughing! It's really sweet!" After saying this she dissolved into chuckles. Naia laughed so hard she fell out the air.
"Uh..." Link said hurriedly as he watched Malon heaving up a crate of milk bottles, "Let me take that!" He rushed forwards and took the crate from the girl, jolting a bit as his hand brushed her's for a moment.
"Link!" Malon sighed, "Stop acting so weird! It's only me, for Din's sake."
Link looked up from the crate and looked at her. He then cleared his throat and kicked open the door of the cow shed, exiting again, "Uh- uh, how has life been?" He asked as they set off across the paddock towards the main house.
"Oh, just normal... Oh, yeah!" She said and the green clad boy looked up at her again, "These men in black cloaks and hoods popped round the other day! They asked me where the princess was and I told them, 'The castle, you sillybillies, where else would she be?' So they set off without another word."
"Men in black cloaks?" Link mumbled to himself, staring at a milk bottle, "And they said nothing else?"
"Not anything!"
"Could you see their faces, under their hoods?"
"Well, one of them had long, bright blond hair poking out of the hood, but that's all I know."
"Right... Well- AGH!" Link yelled in shock as he tripped over a rock and face planted onto the grass, the milk crate right next to his head where he had thrown it out of the way at the last moment.
To his dismay, he could feel himself blushing profusely.
Malon had started to giggle. She bent down and helped him up.
Link brushed dirt off his knees and tunic, an embarrassed frown on his face, "Thanks." He said in a begrudged voice.
Finally, they made it back to the house and they walked in to find the group inside laughing.
"What are you laughing at?" Malon asked politely as Link gave them the evils.
"Oh, uh, don't worry!" Ron said quickly, rearranging his expression to a serious one, "So you got the milk?"
"Yep!" Malon smiled as she sat down next to him.
Link placed down the milk on the table.
"And anything else?" Ron asked Link suggestively.
The hero clenched his fists, vowing to himself that as soon as they were out of Lon Lon Ranch, he was going to hit him hard around the face, "No." He said in false calm, "Nothing else, just the milk."
"Oh, OK." Ron said and Harry sniggered a little.