One week later, Link lay on his bed, hands crossed behind his head. The curtains to his window were drawn back and he could see the velvety night sky sprinkled with stars. It was a quiet night; the low humming of the insects outside keeping a steady rhythm. Link was grateful for the light breeze that wafted in through his open window, cooling his sweaty skin. It was a hot night, and though he had already tossed his dirty, old shirt aside, the heat was still making him uncomfortable. He wondered when his father would come home... he missed him; he also wanted to know if he had brought him the bow he had asked for. He wanted to practice so he could become the best archer ever. Link heard hooves in the distance. Bolting out of bed, he ran across the wooden floor and peered outside. Yes! Horses and carriages were making their way home. Link climbed down the ladder in seconds.
"Uncle Mac! I think dad's home!" he said loudly as he ran across the small kitchen.
"Whoa there, Link, hold your horses, boy!" Uncle Mac chuckled, getting out of the wooden chair he had been occupying for the last half hour. "And good timing too. I have good news to share with the both of you."
Link opened the door and eagerly waited for his father. But his father wasn't on a horse. Link scanned the party again, but nothing. His heart raced.
"Where is he?" Link whispered to his uncle.
"Ah, Maco, there you are" one of the men said cheerfully as they came closer. "Don't worry, young Link, I brought your father back safely."
"Where is that buffoon?" Uncle Mac asked laughingly. Link sighed with relief. The women came bustling out of their houses to greet the returning men, followed by the children who laughed and squealed with delight that their fathers were home. The good mood was almost palpable in the air.
"I'm in here... and I heard that" Gaelin said. The men laughed. It seemed like they were all in good spirits and that made Link feel good. Things had turned out ok at the castle after all. Link peered into the carriage and saw his father who was lying in a make-shift bed, covered in bandages.
"What happened to you?" Link asked.
"Ah, son," Gaelin began, "the roof on the north side of the castle's entrance was too burnt. It collapsed and some of it landed on me and other men too. Don't worry though, the pieces weren't on fire, but they still caused damage… mainly to my legs." Gaelin grinned at his son, but Link didn't find it funny at all. "Broken left leg... sprained right ankle... couple of cuts and bruises on my back. Thank the goddesses nobody died though, just got a little roughed up" he continued.
"Will you be ok?" Uncle Mac asked as he joined them.
"Yeah, the Castle Town doctor said I should heal just fine as long as I keep these planks in place" Gaelin answered, removing the thin blanket from his legs. The bones were being set straight by pieces of wood strapped against them, wrapped in place by thick bandages. "I'm afraid I'm going to be useless until I heal though... the burden of helping with the cattle and other work will rest on you two for a while."
"Yeah, I think you planned this on purpose" Uncle Mac said jokingly. He and young Link helped Gaelin off the carriage and into their small house. Once settled in his bed, Gaelin smiled at Link as Maco went outside to speak to the other men.
"Link, go back to the carriage and fetch my bags please" he grinned. Link did as he was told and came back moments later, his father's heavy bags on his arms and around his shoulders. His father took the largest one and opened it. "Look..." he said, as he pulled out a large, wooden bow. It was the most beautiful bow Link had ever seen. It was mahogany and looked sleek and polished. It had strange markings on it, too. It was almost too big for Link to carry.
"Castle soldiers told us we could take whatever we found in the debris... and I was lucky enough to find it. It was half buried under piles of burnt junk, inside an elaborate-looking chest. The chest was half burnt itself so I decided to take it. It is yours now, son" he said proudly.
"Wow! Thanks dad!" Link said, smiling from ear to ear, pulling back the taught cord. He swore he felt a slight tingling in his fingers.
"That's a nice-looking bow, to be sure" Maco said, entering his brother's room. "And I have something to share with both of you." He looked at his brother and grinned. "Malony and I are getting married" he said finally. There was stunned silence for a moment.
"Wow! You finally got the balls to ask her, did you?" Gaelin asked laughing.
"Actually she asked me" Maco answered sheepishly.
"When?" Link asked his uncle. If Malony came to live with them, it meant he wouldn't have to eat any more of his uncle's bland cooking, and that was alright with him.
"She wants to do it as soon as possible. Thing is, she wants to wear a fancy dress, and the material her mamma needs to sew it is found only in Hyrule Castle's town market... I offered to go, but now I can't. I can't leave Link to do the hard work" Uncle Mac said, scratching his beard.
"What if I go?" Link asked hopefully.
"Absolutely not" Gaelin answered.
"But dad! I'm almost thirteen! I can do things too!" Link protested.
"The road to Hyrule Castle is long and dangerous. It's half a day's ride. You're too young" his father said.
"How old were you when you first went out on your own?!" Link huffed.
"That's different. Me and your Uncle were fourteen and times were safer back then" Gaelin replied.
"I can do this... please?" Link begged.
"Link... it's very late. Go to bed now" his uncle said, surprising the young boy.
"But Uncle—" Link began but his uncle cut him off
"Go" he said. Grumbling, Link left his father's room, but instead of heading to his own room, he stayed to listen. Eavesdropping was bad, he knew... but he had to know.
"...the road from Gaeboran to Hyrule Castle is one of the safest. We were eleven when we first set out to Hyrule Field, not fourteen, remember? He's a strong, intelligent boy. Give him a chance...you can't be afraid forever" Link heard his uncle say.
"I just couldn't bear it if something happened to him" his father replied.
"He is a good swordsman. Even at his young age he is already showing promising signs. Show him how to shoot his bow. Make him some arrows. That road is deserted; nobody but Ordon villagers and our own people use it. He'll be fine" Maco said. Link heard his father sigh.
"Fine, I'll talk to him in the morning" he finally said, and Link struggled to keep himself from whooping with joy. He quietly climbed the ladder to his room and crawled into bed. He couldn't wait for morning.
As soon as the sun had risen, Link jumped out of bed and headed for the small kitchen. His uncle was already awake and rummaging through a woven basket Link suspected came from Malony.
"Morning, Link" he said cheerfully.
"Morning Uncle Mac" Link replied, washing his face with water from a bucket at the basin.
"Malony brought breakfast just now. Blueberry porridge and banana muffins" his uncle said, pushing a bowl full of porridge towards Link who now sat at the table. Link helped himself to a muffin. Yes, he could get used to food like this.
"I have to go tend the cattle now. Your father already had breakfast, so if you could just clean out the horses' stalls and feed them... give them fresh water... I think that should be it for today" Uncle Mac instructed. Link nodded as he wolfed down his breakfast.
"Alright, I expect I'll be back in time for lunch" Maco said, grabbing his thick working gloves before exiting the house. Downing the rest of his porridge with a glass of milk, Link left the table to put on his dirty work boots. His father had made them for him and he liked them very much. He was ready to finish his chores, but his father stopped him before he reached the door.
"Link, come here for a minute" he called out from his bedroom. Link's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that he was going to have his father's permission to go to Hyrule Town? He stopped at the door, peering in.
"Come in, son. We have things to discuss before you go" Gaelin said calmly. Link entered the room and sat at the edge of the bed. "I've decided to let you ride into Hyrule Castle" he began. Link grinned. "But," his father said, raising a hand as if to stop Link from cheering, "you must first learn how to use your bow, and demonstrate that you are good with a sword."
"I can do it!" Link said excitedly. His father smiled.
"Very well. Go finish your chores, and then we can begin teaching you how to use a bow. Be a good lad and help me out of this wretched bed, will you? I want to sit outside and enjoy the sun" Gaelin said.
And so Link and his father went outside, enjoying the clear, blue sky and light breeze. Gaelin began to carve out small, thin branches and, using Maco's tools, began to make arrows. Link was busy tending the horses, but his blood pumped through his veins with adrenaline. Finally he was going to get out of here on his own. Just thinking about it made him want to laugh with excitement. He grabbed a handful of oats and walked to the stall with two horses: a mother and her foal. He ran his hand down the young foal's neck, giving her a few pats. He fed them the oats, smiling at the way they nuzzled his palm.
"Just think, Epona… maybe one day you can come with me to the castle!" he said to the small filly who whinnied as if she understood him.
Finishing in half the time he normally would have, Link ran to wash his hands and scrubbed the grime off his face. Grabbing his new bow, he eagerly awaited for his father's instructions. The morning went by faster than ever as soon as they started practice. Link was having trouble using his new bow, but he didn't give up. Even after the sun was beginning to set and his father and uncle were eating dinner with Malony, Link persisted. The moon was high in the sky when he finally hit all targets, dead center.
"Link, that's enough for today. Tomorrow you can practice... some more..." his father trailed off as he saw what Link had achieved. "Well I'll be damned! You hit all the targets!" he said. "Maco, get your ass over here, look at what Link accomplished!"
His uncle came out and laughed heartily. "I knew this kid had it in him. I wouldn't be surprised if he mastered archery by the end of the week" Uncle Maco said, patting Link's back. Malony smiled and served Link dinner.
"You're truly amazing, Link" she said, ruffling his blond hair as she set a soup-laden bowl in front him. Link grinned at her and began to wolf his food down.
And Uncle Mac had been right. By the end of the week, while Link couldn't be called an expert archer, he could hold his own. That, coupled with the fact that he was good with a sword, assured his father that he would be ok to go to Hyrule Castle on his own. Besides, the roads were almost always empty... and if he took their fastest horse he would make it in a few hours.
The next morning, Link was geared up with more things than he thought he would need. His father had made him a quiver and his uncle had made him actual arrows. He carried his small sword (a gift from his Uncle for his twelfth birthday) at his side and a small wooden shield he had crafted himself. His bags were full of other trinkets he was sure his father had packed just in case.
"Be safe, son" his father said, leaning against the door frame.
"I will" Link replied.
"Here Link, this is the list of materials Malony needs for her dress. Don't forget!" his Uncle grinned. Link grinned back.
"I won't, Uncle Mac, I promise" he said, mounting the black stallion, Fury. And with that, he set off down the dirt road.
"He'll be fine" Maco said, turning to his brother. He helped him inside.
"I know" Gaelin answered, stumbling onto a chair. But he still felt uneasy. There was a growing feeling of foreboding in his stomach, like the day his wife had died. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he bowed his head and prayed to the goddesses that Link would be alright.
A/N: I want to point out that you pronounce Malony like Malon-ee, not bologna lol. Please comment and review! See you next time! xoxo