Chapter12: It Is A Big And Beautiful World

One last step and the fog dispersed before Link's eyes. He passed through the last trees of the Lost Woods and entered the world outside.

"There," Navi said in a tired voice as she landed on ocarina that hung on his hip. "Made it."

Before him lay a great plains, of short green and yellow grass, hills that rolled lazily along the countryside as far as the eye could see. Only at the far edge of the horizon did he see rigid stone pointing toward the sky. And it looked so far away, it must be big. Everything out here must be big.

He did not know what he expected, exactly, but from the stories told by the fairies he expected to see a bunch of foul smelling, tightly packed people in great stone buildings. All of them preying upon each other with their weapons, bandits extorting each other for whatever they pleased. Monsters that killed just for the fun of it, in that strange game they called war.

But all of this was just empty plains. Link's mind race with possibilities of finding all the things he heard about. Mountains and gorges and strange new plants.

"It's beautiful," Link said. Was this what the Great Deku Tree had been hiding from him? Did he just not want Link to see all this? No, that can't be true. Father loved him, he'd never deceive him like that.

"It is," Navi agreed. "Long ago, before you came to us, and I was just a young fairy. I used to fly out here to find news of the outside world. And I did, I always did my duties. But when I had time, I'd sit somewhere safe and just watch a sunrise or sunset. You can't get a good view of it from within the forest. The trees and fog are far too thick for it." She gave a tired laugh. "You know, I was hoping that there would be a sunrise just as we left the woods. A perfect little memory coming back to life. But, it seems we missed it. I'll just have to stay awake long enough for the sunset."

But Navi didn't stay awake, as soon as Link picked a direction and started heading toward it he noticed Navi fell silent and her light dimmed as she rested on Saria's ocarina.

Link did not dare wake her. She had flown so long and her wing had not quite healed right after the fight with the cursed insect. It must have been tiring work to lead him through the woods. And if all he could do to show how grateful he was to have her was to let her sleep, then that's exactly what he would do.

Besides it gave him some time to explore out in the wilds by himself. He trekked over hills and barrows until the Sun was high in the sky. He did not see a single Hylian soldier, or Gerudo raider, or thief, or bandit. All he saw were animals that did not live within the woods. Little rodent creatures that seemed to disappear until Link chased after one to see they dived into little tunnels underground. Little red mammals with thin snouts and long bushy tails that watched him as he passed. Which looked kind of like the wolves that hunted in the wood but much smaller. And when Link approached it ran away even faster than the rodent.

There was a patch of wild flowers all yellows and oranges, with even a small patch of purples hidden within the larger flowers. He scooped some up and smelled them, and the he found himself laughing with delight. The first time her laughed since the Great Deku Tree passed. And from his father he started thinking about Saria. She would have loved all these new flowers.

But once he started thinking about the Great Deku Tree, and Saria, his mind wandered to Dori, and Helvia, Junmi, even Mido. Link's laughter strangled in his throat. He continued over the fields in silence, still enjoying the sights and sounds and smells, but the desire to laugh and play was gone.

The sun was starting its descent when he found the first sign of anything built by man. A great fence, which looked like a cucco coup back home, but far far bigger. It was about three times his height and it stretched out far. There were no cucco's inside it, or birds of any kind. A few massive creatures with four legs that ended in hooves.

There seemed to be two different kinds, one was fat with their guts hanging low and ending in strange pink little nubs. The other was far more interesting, thick necked and proud looking. These creatures pawed at the ground and ran, seeming for the joy of it alone.

Link looked back on the coup of these animals and tried to figure all the ways it could be used. In general, Link figured, such coups could only be used for two things. To keep things out, or to keep them in. And if these creatures were kept in, it could be because they were dangerous or so that they don't run off like cuccos always tried to do.

While these creatures were certainly majestic and powerful looking, they didn't seem all that dangerous. Link knew well how to figure out if a creature was a predator on the hunt, and this creature did not look like a predator at all. No claws, no fangs, it didn't stay low to the ground, and some of them were chewing on grass.

That said, prey animals could be just as dangerous as predators if they felt threatened. So, he decided he would just have to be as non-threatening as he possibly could. He reached the oversized coup and climbed to get closer to these strange and wonderful animals.

"Link" Navi said, with a yawn. The jostling from the climb must have woken her up. "Link where- ? What are you doing?"

"I'm going to get close to one of those things," Link whispered back. "But be quiet I'm trying not to scare them."

"The horse?" Navi said, her voice going fairly low. "Or the cow?"

"That's a horse?" Link said as he reached the top of the fence and swung his legs over it. The fairy's had mentioned the animals a few times. Great brutes, they had called them. Pour animals forced by Hylian and Gerudo to carry them into battle. Link had always envisioned riding one. His sword in his hand as he broke apart the armies of evil. But in his mind a horse was a monstrous creature, bred for war and violence. He'd always thought they must have sharp teeth and armored scales.

These horses didn't look like beasts of war. They looked like simple animals, nothing more. They seemed proud and confident as they walked around their coup, but there was nothing terrifying about them.

Link dropped the last few feet to the ground, the sound didn't startle the animals other than making one of the cows move over a bit before it continued grazing. Link took slow, quiet steps toward the nearest horse. His hands out, empty and gentle.

The big animal didn't seem to mind as Link went to pet him. His hands couldn't quite reach up to the animals shoulder, but he could get a good pat on the side of its stomach and ribs, and the horse seemed to like that very much. It looked at Link, gave a little snort and shake of its head, before it went back to eating.

"Are you certain this is a good idea?" Navi asked. "I think these animals belong to someone, and they probably won't take kindly to people entering their ranch and messing with their animals."

"I'm not messing with them," Link said. "I'm just making sure they're happy. You like that, don't you boy?"

The horse did not respond. But neither did it pull away, which Link took as a good sign to continue. Once he felt that the horse had been thoroughly satisfied, he moved to the next one. That horse didn't seem to like Link's rubs nearly as much and went scampering off very quickly. Link went to as many of the horses and a few of the cows as he could, giving them comfort where he could and avoiding those that seemed a bit aggressive.

Eventually he found that he had been traveling steadily up a long but shallow hill, and he got a chance to look down on the rest of this ranch. The fence went quite a ways, easily passing out eyesight at points, though they converged towards one massive building with wide doors left open.

"I think it's about time we go," Navi said again. "You had your fun, but if we keep standing here, we'll get seen. And I don't want to have to get away from some angry Hylians."

Link didn't exactly disagree. But, his eyes caught sight of something closer to the building. There were two shapes. No. Three. One of them just a bunch of lumps on the ground. Another small one kneeling beside it, and a massive shape peering over them both. From them came a slow and sad song. The singer constantly had her voice cut off between unclear words and what may have been the quivering sound of a sob.

"That doesn't sound evil," Link said. He took a step down the hill toward the figures.

"Link! What are you doing? Those people are dangerous."

"They're not looking for us, I think I can get close. Besides," he patted the sword at his hip. "If they cause any trouble I can deal with them."

"But you shouldn't!"

Link made his way toward the shapes, keeping low, following a serpentine path that led him hide behind horses and cows for as long as possible. He stopped when he found a large cow laying down within thirty or so paces from the shapes

Now close enough, he saw that they were two Hylians over a small horse. It was lying on its side and breathing heavily. The bigger of the Hylians was a man, with a lot of brown hair about his face in big bushy mustache and eyebrows. He tapped his foot, and had his hands crossed as the other, a little girl about Link's age with red-brown hair knelt beside the horse and sang, while rubbing the beast's neck.

"Please eat," she said once she finished a verse of her song. "Come on, you need to eat."

"Malon," the man said. "This one's got sick, it'll be dead in the morning. Like I said. We've wasted enough time on it. We've got work to do."

"She's not that sick," the girl, who must be Malon, said. "We just need to get her to the stables and get her eating and warm."

"You're just wasting your time. I've seen this a dozen times, no matter what you do, she'll be dead by morning."

"If you're not going to help get my father!" the girl turned on the man, her voice raising to a sharp snap. All sounds of the sorrow gone.

"He's probably in the cups already. Look, if you're not going to be doing anything useful, I need to go do actual work around here." The man turned away from them, his hands in his pockets.

"At least bring me some carrots! Ingo!"

"Get them yourself," the man said over his shoulder. "It's almost dark, we don't have time for this."

"Useless!" the little girl shouted, before she turned back to the horse and began petting it again.

Now without the couple talking or the singing, Link could hear the labored breathing of the horse. It was in pain, each exhale making its thin little ribs shudder. Link stepped out from behind the cow.

"What are you doing?" Navi hissed. But Link ignored her.

"Can I help?" Link asked as he approached the horse and the girl.

The girl jumped to her feet. "What? Who are you? What are you doing here? Horse thief!"

"I'm not a thief! I'm just trying to help." Link held up his hands, but the girl's eyes found the blade at his side.

"What are you planning on doing with that knife?"

"It's my sword," Link insisted, and he put his hand over the handle, as if that would protect it from the girl's words.

Malon gave a little burst of a laugh. "No it isn't. You didn't cut your way through the fence did you? No-" she held up her hand as Link approached. "Don't come any closer. If you do I'll scream. I'll scream and... and... and all the horses will come around and trample you!"

Link stopped. "Can she do that?"

"I don't think so," Navi said. "But I told you, these Hylians are dangerous. Let's just get out of here."

"What is that!" Malon said and pointed at Navi, before her eyes went wide. "You're a Kokiri. I've heard about the Children of the Tree. You step back. If you use any of your magic on me, I'll- I'll-" She seemed to be trying to think of a new threat and coming up empty. Then her eyes hardened. "I'll hit you so hard your Tree will feel it." And she raised her fists to show she meant it.

"I don't have magic," Link said. "I'm not a Kokiri, I'm Hylian, like you. And if I thought you hitting me would let the Great Deku Tree feel anything I'd let you."

Malon gave him an incredulous look, but didn't move until the horse at her feet gave another gasping cough and kicked at the dirt. Then her hands dropped to her side, she gave Link one more look before she knelt back beside the horse. "You really want to help?"

"Yes."

"We need to bring her to the barn. I'm not strong enough to carry her myself, but maybe together we can lift her."

Link nodded and moved by the girl's side.

"How strong are you?"

"I was the strongest in my village," Link said with a note of pride.

A rush of air burst out of her nose. It was almost like she didn't believe him, or perhaps she didn't think being the strongest amongst a bunch of children was particularly noteworthy. "Alright, you go the middle there, we're going to try and roll her up and then onto your shoulders. Once you're standing, I'm going to try and take some of the weight from the front. You understand?"

"I think so," Link looked down on the horse. "I'm just going to be under her belly then?"

"Right." Then she went to the horse and started to pull at her neck. "Come on, Epona. We just need you to stand for a little bit. Come on."

The horse grunted and gave a weak thrash of her legs as Link tried to help her roll to her belly. Once she did, the horse groaned a few times. Several of the other animals from around the ranch came closer, sniffing and stomping around them as they looked after the horse.

"Almost done, Epona," Malon said. "It's only for a moment, just a moment. I need you to stand." Then she pulled around the horse's neck, while Link grabbed as much around it's waist as he could and pulled up. The sick horse groaned, but got it's legs beneath it. Trembling, snorting, the horse stood. It's legs shook so hard it looked like they were going to collapse.

"Now!" Malon told Link, but he was already ducking beneath the animal and stood up.

The weight of the horse fell around his shoulders and his breath was forced out of his lungs. "Ooouuff," came out of his mouth as he stumbled forward a step. But his legs held strong, at least long enough for Malon to duck underneath and put her own shoulders right into horse's chest.

"Alright," Malon said through gritted teeth. "Toward the barn, slowly." Looking toward the massive building.

Link did not want to do any of this slowly. In fact he wished to get the horse off of his shoulders as fast as he could. Apparently even the horse agreed as it's limp head grunted with pain with every few steps. But Malon insisted. One of her arms wrapped around the front legs of the horse, the other she wrapped around Link. Making certain they moved at a steady pace, together.

When they reached the barn, Malon directed them to a small stall in the back. "Alright," she said once they reached it. "Lower her on three. One. Two."

Link started to bend his legs before she could even get the last word out. But Malon's words and her own lean quickly followed him. As soon as Epona's hooves touched the ground and the weight came off Link's shoulders he breathed a huge sigh of relief. He backed up from under the horse. As soon as both of them were free, Epona neighed and folded her legs under herself and laid down.

"Food," Malon panted. "I need to get her something to eat. Can you keep her calm until I get back?"

"Got it," Link said as the girl rushed off. He knelt beside the horse, and started petting her. But the horse snapped her teeth at him, making him pull his hand away. "Ok, ok. Fine. No touching, got it."

"She's probably afraid you are trying to pull her up again," Navi said. The fairy flew to the horse and landed on its back. "Hmm, yeah. This one is sick. I can feel it."

"Can you heal her?"

"I'm trying to save my magic to heal you, when you need it."

"Why? I'm going to be fine. The horse needs it."

"Really?" Navi said as she flew back to him. "While I was asleep you tried to enter into a Hylian's lands, to get close to a bunch of creatures you had no idea about but were big enough to crush you. And you don't think you'll need to be healed at some point?"

"It worked out," Link said. "Malon's nice."

"That's luck, you have to be more careful Link. You don't know what it's like out here."

While Navi was talking the horse began to shake. She rolled over onto her side and rested her head on the ground, then started to make a wet hacking sound.

"No, no," Link said. "You have to stay calm." But the horse continued to spit and tremble. He couldn't pet her, and she didn't seem to respond to his words. What was that song Malon had been singing? That seemed to work a little.

Link tried to sing it, but his voice wasn't exactly pleasing. Nor were the notes anywhere close to what Malon had been singing. Epona's only response was to look at him as he struggled to find the tune before resting her head back on the ground and ignored him.

Giving up on singing, Link pulled out his ocarina. He closed his eyes and focused on what Malon sang. A simple song, but with a quiet longing to it. Malon's pleasant voice rang through his ears and his fingers found the notes. When he opened his eyes, he found Epona looking at him, her coughing stopped and she only occasionally shivered, as long as he played.

"That's beautiful," Malon said as she returned dragging two sacks behind her. She grinned at him. "Not bad, Fairy Boy. Keep playing."

"My name's Link." After years of being called No Fairy by Mido he wanted to get her to actually say his name. But this felt different. She hadn't said to make him angry or anything mean.

"Go on, Link. Epona likes it when you play." Malon said as she dragged the sacks before Epona. She opened the larger and it overflowed with wet looking hay then she went to the other and picked out a few carrots. She held one out in front of the horse's mouth.

Epona ignored it, and continued to look at Link. He brought the ocarina back to his lips and played. Only then did the horse start to eat.

"Good girl," Malon said, gently scratching her neck. "Good girl." She fed Epona two more carrots before she switched to the hay. Making certain Epona kept eating until Link finished the song five times over. Only then did Epona shut her eyes, swallowed one last mouthful of hay and laid her head on the ground.

In moments the horse was asleep. Link stopped playing and Malon picked up the now much lighter bags of carrots and hay.

"Here," Link said. "Let me help you with that." He reattached the ocarina to his belt and then took the bag of carrots from Malon's hands.

"Thanks, here, follow me." She led him out of pen. Taking a moment to close it and lowering a small wooden lock to secure Epona inside before she showed him where to put the bag of carrots and where she picked up the hay. "So," she said once they were finished. "Why are you here, Fairy Boy?"

"I just wanted to see the horses."

"Really?" she frowned as if trying to figure out if he was lying. "And how did you like them?"

"They're amazing. I always wanted to ride one, but I never thought I'd ever get to see one up close for real. They're beautiful."

Malon's smile spread wide. "They are," she agreed. "So, where are you staying?"

"Staying?"

"Well, it's about dark now. You might be able to make it Horon Village before the inn closes. But it'd be close. Do you have enough rupees?"

"Rupees?" Link said again. He must've sounded so stupid just repeating the last words she was saying.

Malon looked at him as though he had said the strangest thing she had ever heard. "You know, rupees. Money. You know what rupees are, don't you Fairy Boy?"

"Of course," Link lied.

"Great, then what are they?"

"I-" Link tried to think up something, but his mind was blank.

Navi flew to his ear. "It's a gem, the Hylians use it for trade."

"It's a trading gem," Link said.

"Well," Malon said, looking directly at Navi. "Clearly you know about everything around here. Come on, Fairy Boy." She turned and headed out of the barn.

"Where are we going?" Link said as he moved to her side. "Uhh… Horse… Girl?"

"Haha!" Malon burst into a fit of laughter. Link could feel his ears and the back of his neck get hot. "Keep trying, Fairy Boy."

"Cow Girl?"

She laughed again, then waved her hands at Link. "No. No. I changed my mind, just stop." She continued laughing until she led him to another building, much smaller than barn. He had not even noticed it when he had been on the hill.

When they reached the door, Malon turned to him. "So, just let me do the talking, ok?"

"To who?"

But before he got an answer Malon opened the door and went inside. Link followed her, and found a man was standing over a cooking pot, stirring. There was a tankard on the table at his side, frothing with some brown liquid Link had never seen.

"Before dinner, father?" Malon said to the man's back.

"Hmm? Oh, it's just something to steady me a bit," the man put down his ladle and turned to them. "Oh? We have guests?" He had a mustache near as big as the other man Link had seen. But his was brown, and he was bald and heavyset. His eyes looked to Link and then quickly caught sight of Navi and narrowed. "Malon, how is it you met these two?"

"Father, this is Link, he helped me bring Epona to the barn. She's sick, and Ingo wouldn't help. He said that it was pointless that she was going to die anyway. You should give him a good talking to."

"Don't change the subject, Malon. Who are they? Did you make any agreements with them?" he continued, ignoring the comments about Ingo. "Make a deal of some kind."

"No, father."

"Good," he gestured toward the table and nodded to Link. "Making dealings with the fae is never a good idea. But neither is refusing them hospitality. Please, sit, eat."

"I'm not fae," Link said as he went to the table. "I'm just a Hylian."

"I'm Navi," the fairy said as she flew to the rancher. "And I am fae. But why would you ever worry about making a deal with us?"

"Not meaning to offend you," the man said with a respectful nod. "I'm Talon, current owner of Lon Lon Ranch. And you must excuse any poor manners I have. The only meetings with fairies I have ever heard about have been those poor souls lost in the woods. And the Children of the Tree who take delight in mischief."

"We don't take delight in- I mean they don't take delight in mischief," Link said. "The Great Deku Tree raised us to be hard-working and good. He wanted us to be nice to everyone."

"I see," Talon said, though his eyes were still narrow with suspicion. Before he seemed to decide that hospitality was still his best tool, regardless of what Link or Navi were. "Then perhaps I heard wrong. Still, my home is yours. Malon, would you set the table, dear?"

The little girl moved past her father, toward a small cupboard where she took some hand-carved wooden bowls and spoons. She brought them to Talon who ladled out a good portion of some kind of stew into each of them.

"None for me, thanks," Navi said as she landed on Link's shoulder.

"Is there something else that a fae would eat?" Talon said as he sat down next to his daughter. "I don't have much that isn't feed for the animals, but I might be able to scrounge something up."

"No," Navi said. "We don't really need food like you."

"A fairy is sustained by the magic around them," Link said as he took his first big spoonful of the stew. "That's why there were so many in the wood," he said as he chewed. "The Great Deku Tree and his children have powerful magic in them."

"And you?" Malon said. "You said you don't have magic."

"I don't," Link swallowed. "This is pretty good. What is it?" It had an interesting flavor, with chunks of some kind of meat in it. It wasn't cucco nor fish.

"Just a beef stew," Talon said. "One of our cows passed a few days back. Waste not."

"I like it," Link said and took another big bite.

"Thank you," Talon smiled. "But I find myself curious, to what do I owe the pleasure of the company of a Child of the Tree who cannot use magic but carries a large knife, and a fairy?"

"It's a sword," Link said.

"Of course, my apologies."

"We're traveling," Navi said.

"I'm trying to find a good spot to hide something," Link said. "There's an evil man trying to take my father's emerald. And we can't let him have it."

"Link!" Navi flew off of his shoulder and flashed bright before his eyes. "They don't need to know that."

"What?" Link said. "These aren't the evil man. They're nice. We can trust them."

"How do you know that? We've only been talking to them for a few moments. Who knows what they might be planning?"

"I can assure you," Talon said. "I'm planning nothing."

"He never plans anything," Malon said. "Even when he probably should."

"I like them," Link said. "We have to trust some people out here."

"Some people, maybe. But what are the chances that the first two people we meet outside the woods are as kind as they seem? You have to be more careful, Link."

"Now you're being insulting," Link put down his spoon.

"Link, these are Hylians. People of war."

"So am I!"

"Don't say that, you know that's not what I mean."

"My lady," Talon said. "I can assure you, I am not a person of war. I'm a rancher, that's all. I have the good fortune of never having to pick up a spear in my life."

"Father," Malon said. "We should help them. They don't know their way around out here. And the roads aren't always safe."

"Hmm," Talon said, rubbing at his chin. Link tried to give him a friendly smile, but he could tell that the man didn't quite trust him yet. But then he looked to his daughter. "My daughter has the truth of it. The roads aren't always safe for children to wander alone. If you're looking for a safe place to store something, the safest place in the kingdom is Hyrule Castle. It is guarded by many knights of unparalleled skill and loyalty. And overseen by our great king."

Link nodded, but he'd heard tales of kings and knights often times from the fairies. They seemed even more war hungry than most. Would the Great Deku Tree really approve of bringing his stone to them?

"The king will know what to do," Malon smiled. "He's the one that brought us peace. So, I don't know if you know this, but there was this great big war that was happening, well, it was always happening."

"One-hundred years," Talon added.

"Yeah, a hundred year long war, and our king was the one who stopped it. He even made a friend of his old enemy."

"That's true. A fine thing to be in a time of peace. Where we can live without that worry hanging over our heads."

"Well there still are the moblins father."

"True, true. But I'm certain Hyrule and Gerudo together will deal with those creatures quick enough."

"The war has ended?" Link said, he looked to Navi to see if she knew anything about it. But the fairy seemed just as surprised as he. A king and knights who were trying to end wars? Now that was something Link wished to see.

"Yep, thanks to our king," Malon said. "If there's someone who can help you protect something it's him."

"And how do I get to Hyrule Castle?"

Talon scratched at his chin again. "The main road out of Horon Village heads there. But I'd hold if I were you, boy. The roads may be safer now the land is in peace, but I would still not feel comfortable sending you two traveling alone. How about this? In three weeks is the Sky Festival. I had been meaning to bring Malon to visit one of these years, now is as good a time as any. Why don't you two stay with us until then and we go together."

Malon's eyes went wide and she smiled to her father. "Yes, do it!"

"I can even try to make some introductions, a few years back I sold a horse to one of the king's advisors. Perhaps he remembers me well enough to aid you in seeing the king."

"What will I do for three weeks?"

"What you've done tonight. Stay at Lon Lon, help Malon with the horses. I'll pay you a fair wage for a hard days work. I don't have a spare bed, but I have blankets for you and you can take part in my meals. Then we'll head to Hyrule together. Sound fair?"

"What do you think, Navi?"

"I don't have any better ideas, do you?"

Link picked his spoon back up and took another bite of the stew. Then saw Malon smiling and nodding to him. As if hearing him accept was the best thing in the world. "Agreed."


The sun had already gone down as Link crept out of the house. Navi flew ahead of him, lighting the way toward the barn. In his hand, Link clutched Saria's gift, and prayed to the Goddesses that it would work.

The large doors were locked tight for the night. But there were windows up high in the barn, and so Link climbed up to them and dropped inside, almost landing on a sleeping cow. He tip-toed through the animals until he got to the very back, opened the latch to Epona's pen and saw her shivering in her sleep.

Link sat beside the horse. "Please, hear me Saria," he whispered before he put the ocarina to his lips. He played the song Saria taught him, the one that would summon her.

But when he finished the song nothing happened. He played it again, and still she did not appear.

Was something wrong? Did the magic not work? No. Saria made it. She was the best with magic among all the Kokiri. It couldn't be her fault.

He played once more. Making certain that he played every note as close to perfect as he could.

When the last note rang out he looked around the pen, hoping that she would be dancing to the song just out of sight. But there was nothing. Water welled up in his eyes. It couldn't be Saria's fault. It was him. It was always him. He didn't have any magic to power the song, that had to be it.

His one hope for a connection to his home was gone. He would never see Saria again.

Stupid magic. It wasn't fair!

He raised the ocarina high over his head. Ready to smash it against the ground.

"Link!" Navi flew in front of him. "What are you doing? Stop it."

"I can't use it!" Link said. "I'm useless."

"No you are not. Listen to me, it's late. Saria's probably already asleep. Don't do something you're just going to regret a second later."

Link looked to his hand. It seemed something alien to him now. Was he really going to smash it? Was he really that violent? The gift his best friend had given him, and he was just going to destroy it?

Link groaned and lay flat on his back, resting the ocarina beside him. He did not even try to control the tears that flowed down the sides of his face.

"It's ok," Navi said to him as he put his arm over his eyes. "It's going to be ok, Link."

Link did not remember falling asleep, or any dream he had that night. He felt nothing until something nudged at his face. Big wet lips pressed against him, almost as if something was trying to kiss his entire face at once.

He opened his eyes to see Epona, standing over him. Her big eyes focused on his face. She ducked her head and nudged his cheek with her nose. She didn't shake, she didn't seem sick at all.

Link jumped to his feet. "How?"

Epona just gave a friendly whinny and trotted beside him, letting his hand pet at her back and mane. It did not take him long to figure out what must have happened. He pet the horse for a few minutes before he went looking for Navi. He found the fairy asleep within the ocarina, her light far too dim.

"Thank you," Link whispered, before he tucked the ocarina safe where she wouldn't be disturbed. He would let her sleep as long as she needed. Giving Epona one last pat, he left the pen and made the climb back up out of the barn.

As he reached the ledge of the window, he pulled himself up, and threw one leg over until he was straddling it. Then he stopped. On the horizon far off to the east, the sky shown bright with many colors over the rolling fields he had traveled just the day before.

Oranges and yellows spread over the once dark canvas of the sky. Turning black to blue and the night clouds shimmering with light. The sun just started to peak its way over the land, shining rays out across the sky.

Link stared, vowing that on the next morning he would wake Navi up. And together they would watch the sunrise.