Legends of the Hero of Time

by Ryan-Sinclair

Following the events of Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask, Link struggles to adapt to a civilian lifestyle. His obsession with his mission leads to him needing to be rescued by Malon. The bond the two develop after helps him accept his new fate. However, his destiny is still uncertain as he must deal with a conniving Ganondorf, an army of Gerudo & the consequences of Zelda's spell.

31. Chapter 31

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Happy 10th Anniversary L.O.T.H.O.T.

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Chapter 31

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[Time: 12:15 P.M. (Noon)]

[Date: Month 8 'Autumn', Day 13, 8th Era]

(Location: Hyrule, West Hyrule Field)

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"It's just as bad as the Peahat Tea." Malon stated as she ambled in between Link and the fisherman, taking a big swig out of the health potion bottle.

For the last hour, the trio had been slowly making their way back to Lon Lon Ranch, walking with only occasional breaks. They'd left Lake Hylia as well as the Great Lake Region without encountering any obstacles or running into trouble. Now, they were on the west-side of Hyrule Field; about two-thirds of the way to their destination. Although the structure was obscured due to the angle they approached at, the plateau the kids home was built on could be seen far off in the distance.

"I've drunk plenty of them." Link told her in an attempt to seem relatable.

Malon made a face as she swallowed the red liquid. "And you like them?"

"I definitely didn't say that." He chuckled. "They're pretty nasty. Fortunately, that one was brewed by a master, so it probably wasn't near as bad as some of the makeshift formulas."

The fisherman nodded in agreement with that last statement. "Dr. Mizuumi is a lot better than that quack in the City of Hyrule."

"Yeah. He's the best." Link cheerfully added. "I'm so glad he was there during our time of need."

"I can't argue with that." Malon shared her opinion.

Giving his underarm a good scratch, the fisherman proceeded to explain their history. "He's been there forever. I've been working at the Fishing Pond for twenty years now and he was there before I started."

"How come he sticks to himself?" The farmgirl inquired.

The fisherman pushed his lips to the side as he broached a sensitive topic. "He wasn't always alone. He used to have a wife and three kids."

"Oh." Link knew right away that it was a sad topic and opted to avoid it.

However, Malon wanted to know more. Her curiosity got the better of her. "Dare I ask what happened?"

Letting out a sigh, the fisherman said "It's a real shame. I've only been told stories, but from what I hear, his wife was trying to gather Lynel Hooves. They're ingredients for an expensive potion recipe." He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Apparently she failed to hear the beast when it returned to its den. It caught her snooping around and-... well… the rest is obvious."

"Goodness." Malon frowned. "That's horrible."

"How about his kids? He said he had three." Link decided to ask since his girlfriend had already broken the ice on the subject. "Are they still alive?"

The fisherman grumbled as he tried to resist the urge to scratch his dermatitis. "One of them is still alive. I believe she lives at Hateno Village and works there as a hairstylist."

"He's such a nice man." Malon stated her observations. "It's depressing to know he's had such a rough life."

"That's why he keeps helping those in need." The fisherman smiled.

A smile crept across her lips. The farmgirl wished she could do more to pay back the good doctor for his kind heart as well as all he had done for them overnight. "I'm sure I can convince daddy to send him a thank-you basket; maybe some fresh eggs, butter and milk."

"I bet he'd really appreciate that. I'm serious." The fisherman responded. "You have a good heart too, Malon. To be thinking of giving a gift basket, after all you've been through, it means you're a generous person."

"I'll never let anyone change that either." Malon insisted.

The following ten minutes were spent in silence while they continued their extensive trek toward Lon Lon Ranch. A few smaller birds squawked at one another from amongst nearby orange-leafed trees as flock of guays flew amongst the horizon. There was a chilly breeze blowing across the massive field. The crisp smell of autumn blooms emanated from flowering bushes in addition to the pollen amongst the grass. Although it was still plenty bright to see their surroundings, sunlight had started receding behind encroaching grey clouds, indicating a possibility of rain later on in the afternoon. Considering their pace, it was reasonable to assume they would be back inside the safety of the farmhouse by the time the sky darkened further for a storm.

Staying on the dirt path had so-far ensured their safety. This was paramount for the injured farmgirl and the exhausted hero as they simply didn't have much energy left to defend themselves from any further transgressions. Malon's unbalanced equilibrium made her unable to move much faster than a mere stride and Link's sore body left him at a quarter the strength he usually held. The fisherman was a healthy adult who would clearly do whatever he could to protect the two, but it was unlikely he was skilled in combat.

Aware of the potential dangers by being out in the open without transport, they remained on high alert, constantly examining the immediate vicinity to ensure they wouldn't be ambushed by monsters or highwaymen. They were fortunate though, as from the looks of it, they were by themselves. Because of this, they felt that they could continue taking their time.

"How are you feeling?" Link soon asked, wondering about her health.

Malon took one final gulp from the health potion in advance of saying "Really bad."

"What's hurting?" He kept asking questions.

She snickered sarcastically. "Everything."

He chuckled at her feeble attempt to be humorous. Once again, he tried to come off in a way that was relatable, that way she wouldn't feel alone in having her strength sapped. "I know what you mean." Rubbing his sore shoulder, he mentioned his own aches. "My left arm feels like it's going to fall off from all the fighting and my butt is super sore from being thrown against the riverbed."

"My legs feel like gelatine." She revealed as she coughed. "My head still hurts and I can feel congestion in my lungs. Most of all, I just want to sleep more. So, as soon as I get home, that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"I second that." Link chimed in with a held back yawn.

The fisherman, feeling left out of the conversation, told them his plans too. "I'm going to finish working on my idea for the Fishing Pond." Thankfully, he conveniently excluded his planned application of medicine. Instead, he opted to mention a mission of his. "Even though it's too small right now, I plan on expanding the watering hole so it's deep enough for a canoe to drift through." He reached up and took his bucket hat off, revealing his thinning small brown afro. After scratching the top of his head, he replaced the garment. "Imagine; being able to fish from a small boat. That'll be so relaxing, I'll have patrons lined up for a spot!"

"Hey, that's a neat idea." Link complimented in order to make smalltalk. "How much do you think you'll charge? I might like to give that a try when you get everything done."

The fisherman pursed his lips in thought as he rubbed his chin. "I'll probably charge people twenty rupees for three hours or fifty for the day." Glancing over at the heroic young man, he decided to be nice. "For you, I'll give you a discount the next time you stop by. I'm serious."

Link tried to wave the guy off, not really concerned with the price. "Oh, you don't have to do that."

"I insist." The fisherman replied. "After all, I'm still impressed with you. I've never seen a kid with such commitment. I mean-… It's like you're years older than you really are."

The itchy man had no clue how right he was. Link was predestined to be more mature than most kids his age because it was a requirement needed for him to be officially granted the title 'Hero of Time'. Nonetheless, the boy's stint spent as a teenager in the future timeline gave him experience far beyond that of any other pre-pubescent child. His time in Termina might not have been near as long, but it also added to his age. For all intensive purposes, he genuinely was a year or two older than his appearance represented.

Link took a moment to contemplate if that was another reason why he was so compatible with Malon. She too seemed mature for her age. On the other hand, he was unaware that it was the gerudo blood within her that was already beginning to bring her into puberty. He simply felt as if their similarities were a blessing from the goddesses.

"What's that sound?" The fisherman abruptly said as he narrowed his eyes.

All three of them stopped in place, forgoing whatever they were previously contemplating in favour of checking their surroundings.

Malon subconsciously huddled up against her boyfriend's back. Link, feeling the girl tremble, readied the rusty axe in case he needed to use it. Upon a quick listen, the kids could only hear the breeze. However, before long, they detected a faint whirring sound off in the distance. They just couldn't tell which direction it was coming from.

"No, no, no… Please, no." Malon whimpered as she clutched the back of her saviour's tunic. The trauma of yesterday's horrible events were still too fresh. Her metaphorical scar was still bleeding rather profusely. "Why is this kingdom so dangerous?! I thought it was safe!"

Link reached around and grabbed onto the upper-arm of his scared lover. "Just relax. We don't even know what it is yet."

"It's a monster." She told him before mournfully saying "It's always a monster."

"Even if it is a monster, let's just keep going." The fisherman interjected. He began walking very slowly, trying to encourage them to follow him. "It's probably better we stay on the move, better than standing around like a bunch of goofballs just waiting for it to come."

At that very moment, Link's brain registered precisely what he was hearing. By recalling his past adventures, he managed to connect the noise to its likely source. Right away, he issued a warning to the fisherman. "No, wait. Just stop. I recognize what that sound is."

"What is it?" Malon wasted no time in wondering.

"A peahat." He immediately told them.

The fisherman's face scrunched up before he began chortling. "A peahat? Well, come on then. We don't need to be afraid of a peahat." Still chuckling over the initial fear, he calmed down prior to wiping a tear from his eye. "They don't leave their spawning grounds, especially at this time of the year. We'll be safe so long as we stay on the path."

"I agree." Link confirmed what the man was saying. Then, he let his terrified girlfriend know that everything was going to be okay by delicately squeezing her shoulder. "Let's keep going."

"Okay." Malon whimpered until it made her cough.

Now that she knew she wasn't in immediate danger, she contemplated her emotions. For the time being, they were complicated. It was upsetting to her that she was acting like such a wimp because she was positive that wasn't who she was. While she certainly didn't consider herself fearless, she had demonstrated her bravery on numerous occasions; primarily during her search and rescue mission inside the Lost Woods whenever Link was missing. If it wasn't for the stress of yesterday, she wouldn't cut herself any slack. Unfortunately, since it did happen, she decided the best course of action was to distract herself instead of dwelling on her uncontrollable apprehension.

She gulped and resumed walking, wiping at the sinus fluid leaking from her nose. "How do you know it's a peahat?"

Link kept looking around, watching the horizon as he told her. "It's the sound their propellers make."

"What's a propeller?" She continued asking questions to think of something other than fear.

"It's the things on top of them that they use to fly." He replied, giving her the facts she wanted once he caught on to what she was doing. "I think somebody once told me they were made of keratin."

Malon shook her head as she sniffled. "What's that?"

The fisherman butted in with an answer. "It's what your fingernails are made of."

"How do you know?" Link asked merely to keep the conversation going.

The fisherman chuckled softly as he stayed a few steps ahead of them in case he needed to fend off a peahat. "It's gross, but I know because it's one of the ingredients Dr. Mizuumi uses."

"Ew!" Malon made a face of sheer disgust. "Fingernails?!"

"I told you, it's gross." The fisherman smirked at her reaction. "He grinds them up in a mortar and pestle until they're a powder. Apparently it's great for medicine! I'm serious!"

"Please, tell me that wasn't in anything I drank!" Malon gagged a few times.

The fisherman laughed. It was amusing to him that the girl was freaking out over such a thing. Then again, feeling as if the joke had gone on long enough, he made sure she knew she hadn't consumed any fingernails during her stay at the Lakeside Laboratory. "No, no. It's usually in cosmetic salves and topical lotions, stuff that deals with skin care."

"Thank goodness!" Malon exhaled in relief.

"You might have had a few toenails though." He poked one more time.

Catching on to the jest, Malon giggled and made a mock heaving motion. She didn't even realize that her mood had already drastically improved compared to a couple of minutes ago. "Shut up! Oh, that's so nasty!"

Even Link joined in on the chuckling. The joke lightened the tension and gave them a bit more confidence to carry onward no matter the whirring sound in the near distance. With that newfound courage, they progressed for another couple of minutes without encountering any peahats. At least they were able to source its location after passing a wooded area about a quarter of a mile to the right. Since they couldn't see the creepy flying insectoids within the foliage, they assumed the same was true for the monsters. This led them to ignore the situation as best as they could.

During their passing of the inconspicuous wooded area, they heard grinding that occasionally accompanied the incessant whirring. It resembled the distinct sound of a hard object striking wood.

In spite of being fairly sure he knew what that additional noise was too, Link kept it to himself so as to not spook the others. Telling them that it sounded like the peahats were fighting something would surely only heighten the anxiety of his fear-stricken beloved. Instead, he just watched and waited for any signs of movement as they traveled down the path. Because of that, he noticed the flock of guays from earlier, seeing them emerge from the treetops in advance of divebombing back into it. This definitely gave him a clue as to what was happening.

He wasn't the only one that saw the birds going on the attack either. The fisherman, shocked by what he witnessed, pointed at the location as he exclaimed. "Whoa! Did you see those guay?!"

"Guay?" Malon questioned.

"Look! See, right there!" The fisherman kept pointing at the treetops.

Once again, several of the birds emerged from the tops of the trees. They quickly flew up into the air in advance of spinning around and then plummeting back into the foliage. Suddenly their crowing intensified enough to be heard from the pathway. The grinding sounds got louder in response to the invading avians. At this point, it was obvious that the creatures were attacking each other; peahat vs guay. It was a common occurrence in the animal world and likely had absolutely nothing to do with the passing hylians.

"Shh…" Link held his index finger to his lips. "Don't be too loud. Maybe we can slip by them."

"I hope so." Malon responded. In an attempt to muffle the expulsion, she covered her mouth when she coughed.

The group crept onwards down the winding dirt path, trying to be as silent as possible. Of course, reality had to rear its ugly head. They weren't able to make it much further before they bore witness to movement between the trees.

'Seriously?' Link thought as he prepped the axe by holding it in a ready position. 'Has our luck run out?'

Three angry peahats came flying out of the small wooded area. The creatures' bulbous and segmented body resembled that of a fat pineapple, even having raphides for defense. Not only were they able to hover several feet off the ground through the use of the rapidly spinning keratin petals on top of their heads, they also had separate wooden propellers three-quarters of the way down their frame. These secondary blades rotated counterclockwise, were much harder than the ones meant for propulsion and their sharp serrated edging made them perfect for combat. Although they didn't have eyeballs, thus lacking vision, they did have a sensory organ underneath them that took snapshots of the surrounding area.

Flying directly behind the trio of peahats were the persistent flock of flapping guay, about fifteen in total. The black birds were slim, but large and capable of using their distinctively curved yellow beaks to viciously peck at the strange insectoid's fibrous outer-layer. Usually they were the solitary type and would never try to fight something significantly bigger than them. It was due to them being in large numbers that they felt brave enough to take on the floating fruit.

The three peahats escaped from the dense woodland, tilting until they panned in a circle. Sensing the approaching guay, they revved up their serrated blades, spinning them at a deadly speed.

Four of the guay split off from the rest of the flock in order to attack the first peahat. Three flew up and then divebombed the second, while the remaining eight frenzied on the last like crazed killers. The birds were quite relentless with their onslaught too. Whatever had them riled up, they weren't going to retreat from the fight. Instead they screeched loudly, clawed with their talons, pecked with their beaks and even bit their opponents.

The peahat combating the four guay managed to fly into a couple of them, immediately shredding the avians to bloody pieces using its deadly sharp blades. Yet, the other two birds used their claws to latch onto its body and then proceeded to peck in a rhythmic motion. In response, it wobbled back-and-forth to try and shake them off.

Even though the three furious guay tried their best to pick a fight with the second peahat, they were nonetheless annihilated rather quickly by the aggressive hovering insectoid. Without enough numbers to surround it, their attempt turned out to be hopeless for them. The first bird was crushed like a pancake against a nearby tree, the other had its head cut off by the spinning blades and the final was impaled on a thin patch of raphide spread across the animal's pineapple-like body.

On the other hand, the tables were completely turned against the last peahat. It found itself being swiftly overwhelmed by the amount of avians descending upon it. Although it desperately tried to defend itself by flying into several of them, it only managed to shred a single guay. The fruit-like insect just couldn't stop the remaining seven from dive-bombing it. One of the birds was instantly killed whenever it was stabbed by a raphide, but the other six started attacking. Their beaks and talons tore at the peahat's fibrous outsides until its acidic vital juices spilled out onto the ground.

The initial peahat that had two guay on it finally managed to shake them off. It accelerated into the first, smashing the bird into the ground. After it bounced back up, it hit the second bird from below, cutting the avian into quarters with its propellers and then essentially blending the pieces with the serrated wooden blades. Following that, it took a moment to sense the rest of the nearby threat.

However, by the time the two free peahats came to the rescue of the third, it had already been killed. The six remaining guay had torn into it, making it bleed so much that it no longer had the proper amount of fluid needed to keep its propeller lubricated. Because of that, it spiraled out-of-control to the ground, producing a thud when it impacted.

Whenever the fallen peahat's comrades finally approached the crashsite, the birds hastefully flew away from the corpse, deciding it was the correct moment to retreat. No matter that they didn't have eyes, the peahats weren't fooled by the quick getaway. Their senses picked up on the rapid movement, so they immediately gave chase. But, the voracious guay flapped their wings quickly since their survival instincts were kicking in.

Unfortunately for Link, Malon and the fisherman, the fleeing avians appeared to be heading directly for them.

"Uhh…" The fisherman started backing up whenever he spotted the situation turning south.

"Are they coming at us?" Malon said, sounding increasingly concerned. "Surely they wouldn't be. Why?" She laughed nervously while staying in denial. "Why would they? We don't have anything to do with them. Right? Right?!"

Link pushed the fisherman forward whenever the cowardly man backed into him. "Get going!" He ordered while rushing onward, trying his best to get the group away from the projected area.

"NOT AGAIN!" Malon hollered, which didn't assist in the matter at all.

"Just run!" Link demanded as he watched the incoming birds and peahats getting closer and closer to them. He didn't have his usual equipment to defend or attack, just the axe. Still, he was sure he'd be able to make due so long as his adrenaline reduced his fatigue.

Together, they tried to sprint. As expected, the fisherman did perfectly fine because he had plenty of energy to spare. Link also managed to run relatively normally, probably due to all his experience as an adventurer. But Malon was different. The farmgirl was in no condition to push her body in such a way. Her equilibrium hadn't reset and her legs were still wobbly from the recent physical trauma. She wasn't capable of dashing for her life like they were.

"I-... I can't!" Malon told them while huffing in exasperation.

Link gently grabbed her, but firmly pulled to tug her forward, keeping her traveling. Nevertheless, by this point, the persistent guays were descending upon them. He looked behind and saw the six remaining birds swooping, diving at them. There wasn't time left to try and run away. "Crap!"

"DUCK!" The fisherman yelled as he did what he said, protecting his head by shielding it with his hands.

Raising the rusty axe, Link made a mid-air chop in the direction of the birds, hoping that it would dissuade the flying feathery nuisances from attacking. It didn't work though, they weren't scared off. However, to his surprise, they didn't hurt him or the others. They merely circled the hylians in a way that they stayed just out of boy's reach. At first, it wasn't clear what was happening. Only once the pursuing peahats got close enough and the guays promptly dispersed into different directions did it become blatantly obvious.

"D-Did they just use us as a distraction?" Malon stuttered in shock.

Link grunted as he turned his attention to the incoming peahats. "Yep."

Usually avians weren't known for intellect or genuine use of strategy; after all, it's where the term 'bird brain' comes from. That particular stereotype is the exact reason why Link and the others were so stunned to see them use such an advanced tactic. Despite the surprise, they couldn't stay in awe as they were quickly forced to defend themselves against the insectoid monsters.

"WATCH OUT!" The fisherman pointed at both peahats.

"I got it!" Link continued to wait until the creature floated up above him. While it seemed strange to Malon and the fisherman that he just stood there, he was actually biding his time until the peahat's sensory organ came into view.

The organ was a strange hexagonal shaped lens similar to a pupil, except that it had red ribbon-like structures jutting out from it. Undulating every half a second, those ribbons would cross the lens, locking together like eyelashes in advance of snapping back outward. Each time the odd motion was performed, it was taking a single black-and-white stillframe, like a metaphorical pictograph of the visible area. This wasn't as reliable as a traditional eyeball, yet it provided enough information for the peahat to know what was going on around it. In fact, it excelled in night vision and determining distance. With that in mind, the only downside was that it was the least protected section, thus making the organ a weak spot.

Link aimed upward and then slung the rusty axe, watching as it spun through the air prior to hitting. The head of the old tool was still sharp enough that it wedged into the sensory organ with little effort. He was glad he nailed the mark, but to be cautious, he ensured Malon in addition to the fisherman stood back and stayed on lookout for the remaining peahat. "Everybody watch out!"

Now that it had an axe splitting its sensory organ in half, its precious yellowish juices poured out, causing the peahat to lose control. Its serrated wooden blades spun faster while the propeller on its head very quickly proceeded to stall out. The lack of constant propulsion made it rapidly spiral toward the ground. Unfortunately, in its last few moments being airborne, the pineapple-shaped insect decided to target the trio with the intent of kamikazing them. If it struck them, they'd be sliced and diced by the blades.

Thinking on his feet, the hero pushed Malon out of the way. She fell to the ground with a light tumble, forcing a wheeze from her. He didn't want to hurt her even in the slightest, but it was better than the alternative. It turned out to be a good thing he did too, as the peahat ignored the fallen farmgirl and continued after Link and the fisherman instead. Now the heat was solely on them.

Luckily, the following chase only lasted another few seconds before the injured creature violently crashed into the ground. It hit so hard that, at first it seemed to shatter into numerous pieces. In reality all of its protective plates either shattered or fell off. Once outside of its scales, the peahat resembled an amorphous blob of jiggling yellow jelly with pulsating organs suspended inside. Without a rigid structure containing it, that blob soon collapsed into a puddle. Its biological parts seemed to melt upon exposure to the air until all that was left behind was the remains of the shell, a few petals, leaves, half the propeller and a single intact serrated blade.

"Amazing!" The fisherman proudly stated upon seeing the hero's impressive skills.

Link took no time to celebrate. Instead, he immediately focused on the well-being of his girlfriend. Making an impromptu about-face, he darted over to the fallen farmgirl, helping her up as fast as he could muster. "Are you okay?!"

"Y-Yeah, I think so." She replied as she got back onto her feet with his assistance.

"INCOMING!" The fisherman shouted a warning to the kids.

Just in the knick of time, Link grabbed the farmgirl and pulled her in a circle, barely avoiding the remaining peahat's attack. The fruit-like insectoid zoomed past them at such speed that they could feel the rush of air from the propellers; which was far better than being fatally cut by the blades. Regardless, the creature was intelligent enough to adjust its course whenever it realized that it had missed. It tilted, flying around prior to coming after them again.

"I need to get the axe!" Link told them as he took off running the opposite direction with Malon in tow. Although she was slowing him, he desperately tried to reach the rusty iron tool near the crash site of the previously downed peahat.

The creepy animal made several ferocious swoops at the kids, making them duck each instance. Since it was essentially a big bug, it was debatable whether or not it was capable of advanced emotions. Nonetheless, it almost seemed to be getting frustrated at its inability to hit its target. After using its sensory organ to relocate the two, it changed tactics.

Now, it began pursuing them in a zig-zagging pattern.

Link and Malon were just about at the crash site whenever it cut them off, flying in front of them in a way that prevented them from reaching their destination. Both children came skidding to a halt. Of course, the peahat detected their presence and started coming straight at them.

"DO SOMETHING!" Malon shouted with a wavering voice.

The hero grit his teeth in response. He felt absolutely helpless without the rest of his equipment and practically useless without at least some form of weapon. Despite that, he knew he needed to protect his girl and himself. Although he didn't want to forcibly shove her away again seeing how it hurt her the first time he did, it was the only thing that he could think of during that particular moment of duress.

Same as earlier, he pushed her aside right before the frenzied peahat was about to smash into them. He managed to jump out of the way and she rolled instead of hitting hard.

"Hey! HEY!" The fisherman called out in an attempt to distract the peahat from trying to hurt the young hylians. He rapidly waved his arms in the air as he yelled. "HEY! OVER HERE, YOU FLYING PINEAPPLE! COME GET ME INSTEAD!"

While the peahat didn't have ears in the traditional sense that most animals did, it had a tympanal node on both sides of the sensory organ, allowing it to detect subtle vibrations in the air. It easily picked up on the fisherman's shout. Unfortunately for him and the kids, the creature didn't seem to care. For whatever reason, it chose to ignore the sounds and continue chasing down Link and Malon.

Even though the kids were being pursued, they were lucky that they didn't fall down from the previous dodging motion. Malon, in spite of having been pushed, was fortunate enough to have rolled. This allowed her to quickly get back up as well as to not sustain any further damage. "SOMETHING OTHER THAN THAT!" She yelled to her boyfriend, referencing her previous comment.

"I'm sorry!" Link apologized as he darted to her, dodged the peahat's attack and then proceeded to help her up for a second time.

"HEY!" The fisherman snatched up a pebble from the dirt path, lobbing it at the peahat as if he were a professional. His decades of casually skipping stones across the water gave him a decent amount of skill at targeting. "OVER HERE, YOU BASTARD!"

As soon as the pebble struck the fibrous armor plating, the insectoid finally decided to take an interest in the adult hylian. It spun around mid-air and then zoomed toward him while revving its serrated wooden blades to a deadly speed.

"Oh shit!" He yelped prior to turning around, holding his hat to the top of his head as he sprinted down the road. "RUN WHILE YOU CAN, KIDS!"

The peahat quickly gained on him. Its spinning petals propelled it much quicker than the hylian man's feet could possibly run.

In the meantime, Link used the opportunity to quickly drag Malon over to the crash site. Now that he was able to move around without being swooped upon, he finally made it there. He wasted no time in recovering the old rusty axe that was still embedded in the second peahat's mushy corpse. "Got it!"

"WHAT THE HELL DID I GET MYSELF INTO!?" The fisherman exclaimed as he kept dodging the angry flying pineapple. Whenever he felt he'd gotten far enough away from the two children, he stopped aimlessly running, deciding to try and lead the creature in a circle. He didn't know if it would work or not, but he planned to see if he could tire it out enough that it'll give up. Then again, he was slightly worried that he didn't have the stamina required to do such a thing. "DAMN THOSE GUAY!"

"I'M COMING!" Link shouted in response to the fisherman's vocal woes.

The peahat pursued the lanky man for a solid twenty seconds. At first, it seemed as if the man's plan might work, that the creature was going to get tired of trying to catch him if he kept running in a large circle. It even started slowing down. On the other hand, when it came to a stop, it didn't do so out of exhaustion, it ceased moving so that it could take a moment to examine the situation using its sensory organ. Taking numerous stills of its surroundings, it was able to realize the pattern being made by the adult hylian and adjusted accordingly. Displaying yet another strategy usually considered beyond its capacity, the peahat cut him off at the pass by zipping straight through the center of the circle.

"LINK! HELP!" The fisherman screamed now that the creature was hovering atop him.

Try as he might, the hero knew that he wasn't going to be able to reach the man before the peahat could slice him into pieces with its serrated wooden blades. He was a fast boy, but not fast enough to cross several hundred feet in under a second. Being aware that he was going to fail made his heart pump with more spurts of adrenaline. The muscular organ was stressfully thumping against his chest. Every moral fiber within him was frayed as he knew he was going to see an innocent man die while all he could do was watch and run.

Out of nowhere, an arrow came soaring through the air before smashing against the looming peahat. Although the fruit-like bug's shell easily withstood being punctured, the ammunition lodged into the fibrous plating and knocked the creature away from the fleeing fisherman.

"Contact!" An unknown voice said from the near distance.

The fisherman was too busy running away, yet Link and Malon were absolutely stunned whenever they saw a small team of six soldiers as well as a single captain, all of which belonged to the Hyrulean Army. Each rode up on horseback. The soldiers weren't as armored as knights, but they were still well-armed and well-equipped. Atop their cotton clothing were chainmail hauberks as well as coifs. Their greaves, knee-cups, bracers and even their sallet helmets were solid steel plates. Even their leather boots, gloves and belts were strengthened by having been boiled for rigidity. Most importantly, they donned off-white linen surcoats with the Hyrulean Royal Crest embroidered on it for identification.

"Offensive positions, equal fork! Now!" The captain ordered with a deep and gruff voice. He was significantly more armored than his six soldiers; a sign of his superior rank. Just like them, he had cotton garments beneath, but instead of a hauberk, he wore a haubergeon. The uniform also had steel greaves and steel kneecups, except the rest was steel as well. As an upgrade, he got a steel backplate, steel breastplate, steel gorget, steel spaulders and steel gauntlets. Instead of a sallet helmet, he wore an armet helmet. His brown leather boots were even reinforced with sabatons. These improvements were vital to his survival since it was important he be around to give his subordinates proper commands. "Deploy fire arrows! Keep at long-range unless you're standing directly under its weak spot! Make sure it doesn't get the chance to hurt the civilians!"

"Praise the goddesses!" The fisherman said upon noticing the squad of soldiers arriving. "Kill this freaky thing! Please! I beg you!" He wildly flailed his arms while running, allowing his hat to go flying off his head. At this point, he could care less about showing his thinning afro since the shame certainly did not supersede the will to live. "Any time would be great!"

The peahat had turned to the group of approaching soldiers and took the opportunity to scan them. It knew they were coming after it. Nonetheless, instead of backing down, it went haywire by choosing to fly at them head-on.

Without delay, the dutiful soldiers obeyed the orders of their worthy captain. They promptly split into two groups of three as they continued charging atop their stalwart steeds. One soldier on each side then quickly nocked an arrow, both of which lit theirs aflame by crushing a Fire Ruby against the tips. The resulting small blast ignited the wooden shafts.

Now that it was on fire, they couldn't dally. Following a moment to take aim, they pulled back their bowstring and then released.

The two flaming arrows shot across the short gap between soldiers and the target, impacting the peahat with outstanding accuracy. Like last time, the creature was pushed back a couple of feet due to the force of the ammunition. That slightly slowed it down. However, the real damage came whenever the fire swiftly spread from the shaft to the fibrous plating making up the shell. Almost immediately, the flames grew bigger until they were a considerable threat.

"We're saved!" Malon exhaled a sigh of relief.

Link momentarily fell to his knees, recuperating now that it was obvious the fisherman wasn't about to be killed in front of his eyes. "Praise Farore."

"Be careful!" The captain yelled to his subordinates. "Don't let it fall on you!"

Heeding the warning, the soldiers were quick to evade the enraged bug, especially now that it was on fire. They whipped the reins to get their horses moving faster, avoiding the creature's berserk attempts to smash into them. As they did, the same two bowmen nocked another round of arrows. Same as before, they smashed a Fire Ruby against the tips so the resulting reaction lit the ammunition's shaft ablaze. Once again, they took aim and then released.

The peahat was rather low to the ground, which was unusual, but also proved it was desperate to finish the fight. Whether or not it had plans to try and somehow extinguish itself afterwards was irrelevant. For the time being, it revved its flaming serrated wooden blades, charging at the group of soldiers closest to it. Thankfully, it wasn't able to get close to them prior to being hit by the two additional arrows. Having four sources of fire burning on it, the creature's entire carapace was soon engulfed in flames.

"Stay alert!" The captain yelled.

Within seconds, the peahat's fibrous exterior blackened to a char. In this instance, its propellers remained functional since their keratin composition made them unable to melt. However, as soon as the fire spread to its underside, scorching its sensory organs, it swiftly lost control, spiraling to the ground. Due to whatever previous strategy it was trying, it wasn't high enough in the air to hit with the force required to break it apart. Instead, it skidded, making a rut until it eventually came to a complete stop.

"Good job!" The captain praised his team for their quick response. "The bastard's not going to try anything anymore! Let it burn and regroup on me with the civilians!"

"They did it!" Malon clapped, feeling such a rush of relief at having been rescued from the dangerous wildlife. The wild emotions going through her at the current moment brought a tear to her eye. She was over the moon that they were all saved. It meant she and her boyfriend could safely get home together.

Link wasn't offended in the least by his girlfriend's admiration in regards to the Hyrulean Army's perfect arrival. In fact, he felt the same way too. As a hero, no matter the strength he held, he wasn't above having someone help him save the lives of others. He was glad they showed up when they did or else the fisherman probably wouldn't still be alive right now. Plus, he was aware it also meant that he and the farmgirl no longer had to worry about getting home since they would now be safely transported to Lon Lon Ranch by the professional soldiers. There wasn't anything he could object to. "I'm so glad."

"Are you okay?" She asked him.

He stood up and nodded prior to hugging her tightly. "I am now."

She hugged him back with a smile in advance of bursting out into tears. The overwhelming emotions became too much for her to process. "I love you!"

"I love you too." Link held her, comforting her until the soldiers and their captain arrived.

The encirling soldiers ensured there was room for their captain to enter. He slowed his horse to a light trot and then halted directly in front of the two kids. Swinging his right foot over the equine, he dismounted on the left side. "You're safe now." He made sure they knew since he believed they were regular scared children traveling with their parent. "I'm Captain Clanncie of the Hyrulean Army and this is my team of Class 2 soldiers."

"Thank you!" Link and Malon both said in unison.

"Just doing my job." Captain Clanncie replied. "It looked like you two and your father ran into some trouble there."

At that moment, the fisherman walked up to the encounter after having retrieved his hat. "Thank you!" He praised "Thank you so much! I would've died had ya'll not shown up!" He held his hands up enough to show them to the hardy soldiers. "Look, I'm trembling like a leaf! I'm serious!"

"Oh, he's not our dad." Link casually responded to the captain's statement. "He's just helping us get to Lon Lon Ranch."

"Lon Lon Ranch, Huh?" Captain Clanncie's face became dour. He lifted the visor on his helmet, revealing the face of a middle-aged hylian man with one green eye and a scar going up his left cheek to a white milky eye. "Where are you three coming from?"

"Lake Hylia." Malon told the man. "I was captured by bandits and almost taken into the Gerudo Valley. But, my boyfriend saved me and we had to jump into the Zora River in order to escape."

Captain Clanncie placed his index finger to his lips as he contemplated what he'd been told. "Are you Malon and Link?"

"Yes-..." The boy confirmed the man's suspicions. "I'm Link."

"And, I'm Malon." The farmgirl also told him.

"Stupendous!" Captain Clanncie exclaimed upon hearing their identities. "We've been looking for you two. After Mr. Talon notified the guards of what happened, King Nohansen was made aware too. He ordered several groups of troops to comb Hyrule Field for evidence of your whereabouts." Turning to the side, he pointed off into the distance, toward the Geldo Region. "My squad found a blood trail leading from Lon Lon Ranch to an encampment near the entrance of Gerudo Valley. Even though the place was abandoned, we found the burned bodies of the bandits and the fallen jundiin. It was obvious some sort of battle occurred there."

Link rubbed the back of his neck as he admitted. "That was me. I used my sword and a magic stone to fend them off."

"Great Hylia, kid." Captain Clanncie exclaimed in shock. "You killed them? You're something else."

"I am an honourary Knight of Hyrule." Link chuckled softly at the compliment.

The captain shook his head in disbelief that a mere child could be capable of such a thing or be a knight. But, since he'd already seen the evidence, he had to admit that he was incredibly impressed. "If that's true, you're definitely the strongest kid I've ever seen in my life. Maybe you should enlist with us when you're of age. We could definitely use a natural like you."

"Nah." Link wasted no time in rejecting the offer. "I have too much work to do at the ranch."

"Plus, I'd kill him if he left me to go fight in a war." Malon giggled until she coughed.

Captain Clanncie smirked. "Fair enough." Clearing his throat, he then got back to business at hand. "Well, since we're here, how about we give you three a ride? I'm sure Mr. Talon would appreciate you getting back as fast as possible."

"Yes, please!" Malon immediately accepted the offer. "I'm so tired of walking!"

"Me too." Link added.

The fisherman held up his hand to get their attention. "Me three. Running from that peahat really did me in!"

"Who are you?" Captain Clanncie enquired about the pickedevant man.

Scratching at his itchy armpit, the fisherman gave his name. "I'm Russell, owner of the Fishing Hole by Lake Hylia. Dr. Mizuumi tasked me with seeing them home."

"Understood." The captain nodded in advance of pointing to the nearest soldier. "You can ride with Swordsman Estabez." As the fisherman walked over to the guy he was assigned to, Clanncie continued by telling the children who to go with. "Malon, you're with me. Link, you're with Swordsman Durk over there."

The soldier known as Durk lifted his hand to give a quick wave.

"I take it that you three know how to ride as a passenger on a horse?" The captain asked as he gradually led Malon over to his trusted steed.

Link and Malon both laughed in unison until the hero said "We raise and sell horses. Yes, we know how to ride them."

.

[Forty-five Minutes Later]

.

"Almost there." Captain Clanncie told the kids.

Malon opened her weary blood-shot eyes after having decided to rest them. She kept her arms wrapped around the man's waist while looking around him to see how close they were to her home. It warmed her heart with comforting confidence to see that they were coming around the plateau that the ranch was built upon, nearing the gated entrance. Despite a smile forming, her lips quivered from another blast of overwhelming emotions shooting through her. A single tear welled up and slid down her rosy cheek. More than anything, she was ready to hug her father to let him know that she was okay.

Link was so glad to see the place that, even being as tired as he was, he felt as if he was so excited that he could backflip off the horse and do cartwheels. Thankfully, that silliness stayed in his head. While he was genuinely ecstatic, he also knew the reunion with Talon and Ingo was going to be a powerfully touching moment.

"How did the bandits even manage to break in here?" The fisherman pondered aloud. "The place is like a fortress."

"They used ladders and a horse pulley." Captain Clanncie revealed.

Realizing that he probably shouldn't talk about the topic since it might bring back awful memories for the young victims, the fisherman decided to nip the conversation in the bud by ending with a single remark. "That's crazy."

Coming up to the entrance of the ranch, Malon saw that the metal gate had been repaired; now back on the hinge. The chain had also been replaced, though it wasn't locked seeing how it was early afternoon. At first, the farmgirl was merely glad that everything had been fixed. However, she soon realized it was probably because her father couldn't sleep without her there, that he had stayed up all night mending the damage done by yesterday's ruffians.

"Kris, get the gate." The captain ordered a soldier.

"Affirmative." The soldier known as Kris acknowledged the order. He swiftly hopped off his horse, creating a small cloud of dust whenever he landed. Walking over to the gate, he unlatched it and after looking around to ensure there was no encroaching threat, proceeded to open it. Once he was done, he gave a thumbs up. "Objective completed!"

"Are you ready to be home?" Captain Clanncie craned his neck to ask the farmgirl riding behind him.

Malon nodded her head, sniffing as she said "More than anything!"

Captain Clanncie gave the reins a gentle whip in order to get his horse moving. Together with the rest of his loyal soldiers, his steed trotted inside the entrance, gradually ascending the short pathway which led into the depths of the ranch. All the hooves clomping at the ground in addition to the clanking of armour created a loud clamor that echoed off the plateau walls. Since they weren't being secretive, it didn't matter how much noise they made. If anything, especially because of the fact that they had good news and weren't returning reluctantly, they wanted Talon as well as Ingo to know that they were coming.

After they arrived at the top of the path, every muscle in Malon's body seemed to relax. On the other hand, her heightened emotions made her tremble while beginning to hyperventilate. She closed her eyes for a moment, just soaking in the smells and sounds of her beloved home. The farmgirl wanted to take it all in with glee, all except for one thing.

They could hear Talon yelling at someone from out of sight. His voice boomed with an unusual tone of anger. "NO! Do ya 'ear me?! N.O., NO!" Half a second passed before he resumed "I don't care if that's all the men ya think ya can allocate! Send more of em'!" Following a few more disgruntled swears, he yelled "Why cain't the Knights of Hyrule help?! Ain't this ther' job, to protect the people?

"Mr. Talon, we'll find your daughter and foster son, I promise. I have a team of great men heading toward the Great Lake Region as we speak. But, please, understand our situation-..." Another voice, this one more softspoken than the hefty farmer, said from around the corner of the farmhouse. "If this kidnapping was truly done by The Gerudo, then it's a political situation. That means the Knights of Hyrule aren't required to respond to it unless it's an immediate threat to the kingdom. Our army is stretched thin at the moment. Honestly, it's only because of Princess Zelda convincing him that The King sent as many of the soldiers that he did."

"I'm gonna lose my mind!" Talon cried aloud.

Not having the desire to eavesdrop, Captain Clanncie spoke up to alert the farmer of their presence. "HELLO!"

From the corner of the farmhouse, Talon peeked around to investigate. He looked incredibly disheveled. Clearly he hadn't changed his clothes since yesterday because they were wrinkled and still stained with dried bandit blood. Only one strap was attached to his overalls, the other hung limply. His eyes were red, weary and sad. In his hand he squeezed Malon's precious brooch.

"DADDY!" Malon screamed with an almost hoarse voice.

Almost instantly, Talon's tired eyes jolted wide open with immense jubilation. He hadn't even processed what was going on, but hearing his daughter calling to him brought out his paternal instinct. Acting on impulse, he ran aimlessly forward until he caught sight of his little girl. "MALON!"

"DADDY!" Malon called out again, this time leaping off the back of the horse. A temporary blast of energy allowed her to land on her otherwise wobbly feet and then dart straight to her dad. She moved three-times faster than she had the entire day.

Right in front of the entry door to the farmhouse, the big father and his little daughter collided in a loving embrace. Talon fell onto his right knee so that he was level with her, but as soon as they made contact with one another, he grabbed her up and spun her around. In the span of three spins, he placed nearly fifty kisses on her flushed cheeks. "My baby girl!" With it soaking in that she was really there, he said his thanks to the divine. "Bless the Goddesses, yer' back! Praise Din, Praise Farore, Praise Nayru!"

Malon let her legs swing around in the air as she tightly gripped her dad. Her heartbeat thumped through her chest into his. "I'm back!"

"I was so worried that somethin' 'ad 'appened to ya!" Talon broke down into tears, his voice quivering as he continued. "I thought them mean men took ya from me and vanished inta the desert!"

Suddenly he gasped sharply upon seeing the condition she was in. His eyes focused on the fading red handprint on her cheek, then noticed the tears in her dress and bruises all over her body. "What'd they do ta ya?!"

"It's okay, Daddy." Malon, even in her poor state, was already trying to take care of the distraught man. "Link saved me." All of a sudden, she too became a sobbing mess. Now that she was home, safe and sound, in the burly arms of her doting dad, she released the stress that had been pent up. "H-He saved me from the bandits and the gerudo." A string of snot began to drip from her nostril. "He saved my life!"

Talon jerked his head up to see Link dismounting from Durk and his horse. "Come 'ere, son."

The hero could already feel his pulse increasing. He wasn't immune to their tears and also felt it was time to release the anxiety that had been building up since yesterday afternoon. His chest heaved as he made his way over to the father/daughter duo. "Y-Yes sir."

As soon the boy approached him and his kid, the farmer grabbed him and pulled him into the hug. "I cain't thank ya 'nough." He cried as he held Link in his left arm and Malon in his right arm. "Ya done brought my girl back to me!" Following that last word, his shoulders repeatedly heaved as a multitude of tears streamed down his face. Letting out his own frustrations, he snorted and wailed until his face reddened from the overwhelming amount of emotions.

"I… I made a promise to you." Link's voice wavered as he hugged the two of them with all his might.

Talon nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Ya did."

"I love you, Daddy." Malon kissed his cheek.

"I love ya too, pum'kin." The farmer replied, returning the kiss to the cheek. However, he wasn't done there. Without an inch of hesitation, he gave Link a solid kiss on the cheek as well. "Same 'ere, boy. I love ya so much."

"T-Thank you." Link sniffled before bringing himself to say "I love you too. I… I love you both."

While they were busy hugging and crying together, they didn't notice anything around them, including the door to the farmhouse opening. They didn't even hear the hinges squeak because of their sobbing as a family. Nonetheless, Ingo emerged from the cozy home. He looked quite weak and had some fresh linen gauze wrapped around his head from where he'd been struck with a shovel. Unlike Talon, it was obvious he'd cleaned himself up by taking a bath and changing his clothes.

In spite of being as injured as he was, the farmhand spotted the unfolding situation right away. "Great Hylia, you're safe! Both of you!" He exclaimed while limping forward toward them.

As soon as Ingo met with them, he joined in by hugging Link and Malon from behind, sandwiching the kids between two amazing adults who cared greatly for their well-being. Now, there was a complete mess of four hylians weeping as if they were mourning at a funeral. They hugged each other so tightly that their faces smooshed against each other. Visible splatters formed on the ground as their hot salty tears dripped into the dirt below.

Link hadn't cried as hard as he was ever since the day Navi mysteriously left him. With the opportunity presented to him, he was bawling his eyes out over everything that had bothered him. He thought about how he had left the Kokiri Village and the kokiri who raised him, how he learned that his real parents were dead, how his fairy disappeared on him and how nobody knows of his future deeds or the true hero that he is. He also thought about never having a normal life and having to suffer more strife from the very gerudo he had previously worked so hard to defeat.

Then again, he wasn't just feeling sorry for himself. He was also shedding tears because he had successfully rescued the only person he'd dedicated his life to and was now wedged between his new family.

Malon was simply crying because she couldn't handle the massive influx of feelings; being sad about what happened, tired from the journey, sore from her injuries and mad at those who perpetrated this travesty. Although, like her lover, she was also trembling in response to the fact that she was safe. She was appreciative to be home, happy to see her father and so madly in love with Link for what he'd done for her that she wanted to kiss him all night long.

"I love all of ya more than a cow loves cud!" Talon started kissing both kids again. He was so relieved that he couldn't stop from expressing himself.

The man who the heavyset farmer had been talking to when they first arrived was now approaching them while they continued blubbering and whimpering. He was an Officer of the Hyrulean Army, looking much different than the armoured soldiers and Captain Clanncie. Instead of being dressed for battle, he was garbed in an official dress uniform consisting of black leather cuissardes, blue jodhpurs, white gloves and a white army tunic. Signifying his superior status, he had a peaked cap with an emblem of the royal crest, a blue stole, silver aiguillette and numerous pinned military decorations. He was likely in his fifties as he had crow's feet, wrinkles and graying black hair. Regardless of age though, his hazel eyes were still lively and the smile on his face was a refreshing change from the previous sternness he'd displayed.

He stood behind the group for a few more minutes prior to clearing his throat. "Ahem."

Talon sniffled as he finally pulled away from his loving embrace with the family he'd made. Seeing the officer standing there, he wiped the tears out of his eyes, removed an old handkerchief from his overall pocket and then blew his snotty nose. "Oh, I'm sorry." He apologized in advance of introducing the guy. "Kids, this's Officer Kincaide of the Hyrulean Army. He's in charge of all them soldiers that've been out lookin' for ya both."

"No need for apologies." Officer Kincaide spoke with a rather deep voice. "I'm very happy to see that this situation has resolved itself."

"Sir." While dismounting his horse, Captain Clanncie got his superior's attention. "We found the three traveling by foot in West Hyrule Field. They were being assaulted by a peahat, but we eliminated it without a scratch."

Officer Kincaide cocked his head to the side whenever he analyzed what had been said. "Three?"

The captain nodded. "Affirmative. They were being escorted here by a Mr. Russell, the owner of the Fishing Hole at Lake Hylia."

"Hmm…" Officer Kincaide rubbed his chin.

The fisherman had dismounted several minutes ago, yet only just now decided to make an approach. He wanted to let them have their family reunion, free of his pester. "Dr. Mizuumi of the Lakeside Laboratory wanted me to do it. You know, he's too old to be walking all this way. I'm serious."

"Ya 'elped git em' home?" Talon showed appreciation as she shook his head in relief over human kindness. "Ya've got my neverendin' thanks."

"Mine too." Ingo limped over to give Russell a handshake.

Adding his opinion to the situation, the Officer of the Hyrulean Army told them. "Now that we're all together, how about we go somewhere and talk about what happened?"

"A' course!" Talon sniffled as he began cheering up. Now that the shock was wearing off, he was more than happy having his daughter and foster son back with him where they belonged. "How 'bout we go inside? I can git ya'll somethin' ta drink."

"That would be great. Thanks." Officer Kincaide replied.

Captain Clanncie walked over to Talon and asked "Do you mind if my men relax outside?"

Talon merely chuckled at the question. Being as elated as he was, at this point, he didn't mind anything they did. "Yer' men can welcome themselves as'in if it were ther' home. It's the least I can do after all they've done for me an' my family; that and makin' them a drink."

"We appreciate it." Captain Clanncie gave a sloppy salute. Turning to his men, he said "You heard the generous man. Stand down; twenty minutes R or until I return."

"Yes sir." All the soldiers acknowledged in unison. They then proceeded to dismount their sturdy steeds, acting rather causally now that they had a moment of their own to relax. Four of them removed their heavy helmets and the other two rested by leaning against the barn. Several struck up conversations, mostly chatting about what they were going to do and what they wanted to eat at the tavern later after they were off-duty.

"Please, Mr. Talon-..." The officer motioned toward the farmhouse. "Lead the way."

Talon buckled his unfastened overall strap before placing his hands on both kids shoulders. "Come on, let's go on in an' I'll make ya a snack an' somethin' to drink."

Ingo piped up as they ambled toward the entrance of the farmhouse. "I can do that. I can make them something to eat. That way you can go ahead and talk to Officer Kincaide."

"No, no." Talon rejected the farmhand's idea while waving them inside. "I'll do it. Ya don't need ta be up on yer' feet any more than ya hafta' be, what with that gooseegg on yer' noggin." As Link, Malon, Russel, Captain Clanncie and Officer Kincaide passed through the threshold of the doorway, he came up with an idea of his own. "In fact, since ya was there with me when the bandit raid 'appened, why don't ya go 'head an' git started explainin' how it occurred? I'll pick up when needed."

"Alright." Ingo agreed with the plan.

Link and Malon both found themselves metaphorically washed over with another sense of relief now that they were inside the farmhouse. It was home-sweet-home. Even though the sky was overcast, there was plenty of light to see the interior. A nice warm fire was burning in the fireplace, making the downstairs pleasantly toasty as well as adding cozy crackling sounds to the atmosphere. The grass scent from outdoors mingled well with the indoor smell of carved wood, chimney smoke and freshly opened wine. Being as familiar to them as it was, especially Malon considering she was born there, they were feeling like things could go back to normal.

"Yer' welcome ta take a seat at my table." Talon waved the two Hyrulean Army officials toward his dining room table. "I'll git ya somethin' ta drink." Following that, he lightly pushed the kids into the living space by the fireplace. "an', how 'bout ya two relax on da' couch?"

Officer Kincaide stopped the farmer by saying "Actually, I'll need to speak to them as well."

For a moment, Talon seemed confused by why the children were required. Then, he realized that Link and Malon probably needed to give their account of what happened as well. "Oh, right. Sorry 'bout that kids. Go 'head an' sit at the table." He redirected them into the kitchen area. "I'll still make ya that snack. Give me a minute."

Officer Kincaide pulled out two chairs, one for Link and one for Malon. They thanked him as they sat down. Afterward, he and Captain Clanncie took a seat at the table. Seeing how they needed more chairs, Ingo grabbed two that were kept for guests and were stacked up next to the dining hutch. He placed them nearby prior to sitting with the others. The fisherman took the final seat as Talon sauntered over to the kitchen counters, beginning his search for enough cups for everyone to drink out of.

"So, let's start from the beginning." Officer Kincaide suggested, making motions with his hands as he did. "Mr. Ingo, Mr. Talon, I know you're tired of explaining, but do it one more time now that everyone is together."

"Fair enough." Ingo replied while holding onto his sore head. "Yesterday evening, around six or six-fifteen, a group of bandits broke into the ranch."

Link explained further by mentioning "I caught one trying to open the gate. Unfortunately, I didn't realize it was a bad guy. Even though I was skeptical, he convinced me he was just here to buy a horse." The hero hung his head, still disappointed with himself for failing to identify the true threat that had been right in front of his very eyes. "Since the gate was locked, he couldn't get in. But, after I came back with the keys, he was gone. Mr. Talon was busy, so I told Malon about it, except she didn't know what I was talking about. We assumed the guy was mistaken about the appointment he thought he had and merely went home."

Malon reached across so she could grab onto Link's hand, entwining their fingers and giving him gentle squeezes of support. She could tell that he was frustrated at himself in spite of the fact that he had gone above and beyond by rescuing her.

"We went back to doing our chores." The farmgirl picked up where her boyfriend left off. "Once we were done, it was time to eat. Link went inside, but I had forgotten my brooch and scarf on the corral fence. They're important to me; they were made by my mother. Because of that, I went back to retrieve it." She sniffled, trying to hold back her rollercoaster of emotions. "I was so caught up in daydreaming that I didn't notice when some creepy guy snuck up behind and grabbed me."

"Do you know how he managed to get in?" Officer Kincaide wanted to confirm what he'd already heard.

The farmgirl's bloodshot eyes lowered; her pupils were glued to the table as she recalled the kidnappers' nefarious methods. Suddenly, Link was the one who was squeezing, tightening his grip on her hand. With the given encouragement, she said "They used a ladder to get in, then they used a rope attached to a horse as a makeshift pulley to get out."

"And they knocked down the gate." The hero added.

Talon came over to the table with two glasses of freshly squeezed Holodrum Lemonade, placing them in front of the kids. "I've ain't evah seen nothin' like it. The ranch's always been so safe." Afterward, he returned to the kitchen where he proceeded to pour the adults cups of spiced red wine.

Link resumed the explanation. "As soon as we heard her scream, Mr. Talon, Mr. Ingo and I ran outside to find out what was going on."

"They was prepared for us to come out." Ingo picked up where the boy left off. "One of the bandits had a shovel and laid in wait right there by the door. Link was out first, but he was smaller than the guy expected and too quick. I was second out the door. Unfortunately, it meant I was the target of having my head whacked into the dirt."

"An', I had so much 'drenaline goin' that I took the guy out.-" Talon informed them of what he could remember as he carried the four cups of spiced wine over to the table, holding two in each hand. Whenever he returned to the table, he placed a cup in front of Officer Kincaide, Captain Clanncie, the fisherman as well as Ingo. "It's 'ard for me to recall much a' what 'appened durin' the fightin'. I was in such an enraged state of panic that I was punchin' anybody that I didn't rec'gnize."

Malon sucked in a deep breath before telling them. "The kidnappers took me to the wall of the plateau. A rope was dangling over the side, which was the one that was hooked to a horse. I tried to fight back, but the guy who had me knocked me upside the head. He grabbed the rope and-…" She stopped for a moment as the excitement came to be too much for her to handle. New tears welled up in her eyes.

"They took 'er." Talon responded in advance of returning to the kitchen counter. By now he had run out of the regular glasses that they usually drank from, so he wound up using an assortment of old goblets and wooden cups that had been kept hidden away in the back of the cupboard. He proceeded to fill each of them with a generous amount of spiced red wine. "They pulled 'er up the wall of the plateau an' took off with 'er." Just like his sensitive daughter, he struggled to keep his emotions under control. The trauma was so great that the mere memories made him shed a tear. "None a' us could git to 'er in time."

Officer Kincaide pushed his lips to one side. Taking his hat off, he placed it on the table prior to grabbing his cup of wine and having a sip. "You folks are being too hard on yourselves. This was a planned, coordinated attack. Considering the stakes, you handled it as best you could, which far exceeded my expectations." He took another sip before saying "I mean, you killed a handful of their force."

"We decimated them out of fury." Link informed the official. "They deserved it."

"I can't argue with that." Officer Kincaide agreed with the boy. "But, how did you know where the kidnappers took her?"

The hero saw Talon turn to look at him. They shared a moment as the hefty farmer realized now how glad he was that he hadn't killed the injured bandit. It was because of Link's proper interrogation that he learned where his beloved girlfriend had been taken.

Link told the officer "We got the information from a dying kidnapper."

"One that I stabbed with a kitchen knife." Ingo explained.

"The one whose body was by the front door?" Officer Kincaide enquired.

Ingo nodded in confirmation. "Yeah."

Link resumed telling them what happened. "I managed to convince him to tell me where his people took her."

For a split moment, he contemplated the methods he used to get the information. Although he did what he did because he had to and would certainly do it again, he regretted saying the nasty things he did; in regards to hunting down and killing the bandit's family if he didn't tell them where his friends took Malon. He felt it was unfortunate such words had to come from his mouth, just as unfortunate it was that he had to induce more pain in order to get the answers he needed. However, he accepted that it was something he had to do, that he did anything necessary to rescue the farmgirl.

"They took her to an encampment on the outskirts of the Geldo Region." He told them. "Just a few miles from the entrance to Gerudo Valley."

"A'course, I wanted ta go there 'mediately." Talon admitted as he put four cups held between his forearms and torso, then picked up the last two.

"But, I convinced him to seek help from the guards at Castle Town." Link butted in.

Officer Kincaide lifted an eyebrow in response to what he heard. "Why's that?"

"Easy." Link explained. "I figured the guards would listen to a trusted adult and react instantly. If I came up to them screaming, they would want to make sure I was telling the truth before sending help."

"There's 'nother reason too." Talon chuckled half-heartedly prior to sighing as he made his way over to the door with the multitude of drinks for the soldiers relaxing outdoors.

Link looked away, unsure of how to feel about weight issues. "I-… I was faster." He squeezed Malon's hand again. "I was much faster on my own, without anybody else slowing me down."

Ingo grumbled before taking a big swig out of the spiced red wine. He obviously wished that he could've done more to help out back then. But, he wasn't able to due to the injuries he had sustained. "I was too hurt to help. Dr. Euclid says the whack from the shovel done gave me a concussion."

As Talon went outside to deliver the reward of wine to the soldiers, Officer Kincaide had another question, this time for Link. "How did you know where the kidnappers took her? You said the stabbed individual told you she was in the Geldo Region, but how did you know precisely where the encampment was?"

"I found a bloodtrail around the side of the plateau, a bloodtrail that was caused by me throwing my sword at one of them." Link answered. "I followed it all the way to the encampment."

"You were the one who killed them?" Officer Kincaide enquired, having to ask about everything.

"Yes." Link wasted no time in divulging. "I had to."

Officer Kincaide nodded, understanding the boy's reasoning. Then, he turned to Malon in order to ask "Do you know how long you were there with the kidnappers?"

"I think it was nearly an hour." The farmgirl replied. "They held me there until a gerudo woman showed up."

Suddenly the Officer of the Hyrulean Army seemed to perk up upon mention of another race being involved in the matter. He placed his drink down on the table prior to leaning forward. "A gerudo woman? What was she doing there?"

"Helping them." Malon answered rather bluntly. She recollected how scared she was of the bandits, but then initially relieved to have the gerudo woman there with her. Before Eraka revealed her true colours, she made the hylian kid feel like she wasn't about to be raped and killed by a bunch of ne'er-do-wells. It was only when the farmgirl realized the emira's true intent that she understood how much danger she was still in. "She hired them to kidnap me."

"Do you know why this Eraka person would do such a thing?" He continued his questioning.

Malon didn't have a complete answer, not one that she had come to on her own terms. She didn't really know. Link's explanation lined up best with what she was told by Eraka. Considering that, she decided to divulge what the gerudo revealed to her while in the yurt. "She told me that I was going to be brought before Lord Ganondorf Dragmire so that I could answer some questions."

"Do you know what these questions were?" He kept staring at her as he waited for her to respond.

Malon shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't."

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Officer Kincaide told her as Talon returned.

She squeezed her boyfriend's hand and took a small sip of her lemonade. "Link showed up shortly after that and killed them."

"I knew he would." Talon chimed in as he partially fixed his disheveled muttonchops by combing his fingers through it. He made his way back over to the kitchen as he complimented the hero's outstanding tenacity. "The boy's a' honourary Knight a' Hyrule."

Link turned his head toward the heavyset farmer and gave a bittersweet smile, happy to hear Talon, for the first time, truly addressing the hard to believe truths in a positive manner. "It's true."

Captain Clanncie spoke up after having been quiet the entire time. "I offered him a spot under me, if it's true. Besides, we saw him take down a peahat on his own-... with nothing more than a rusty axe. If that's not a testament to his abilities, I don't know what is."

"Damn, kid. You've got some balls on you." Officer Kincaide blinked his eyes as he struggled to comprehend how a child could have killed a bunch of marauders as well as an entire squad of gerudo jundiin. "Who trained you at the Knights of Hyrule?"

After taking several gulps of his lemonade, relishing it with some lip smacks, he responded with a couple of name-drops. "Captain Osun. But, I came highly recommended by Lord Taburi."

Both Officer Kincaide's in addition to Captain Clanncie's eyes widened. They reeled back in shock at hearing two men of such renowned status. Clanncie whistled an exhale while Kincaide expressed his amazement. "Lord Taburi? He's an old legend!" Getting himself under control so he represented his official role, he resumed "Son, if you enlist right now, with Lord Taburi's approval along with mine, Captain Clanncie's and maybe even Captain Osun, I can personally see to your advancement to Class Three Swordsman and put you in-training to be a Captain."

"No way!" Malon refused the offer for him.

"Uhh…" Link blinked, looked side-to-side and then rubbed the back of his neck. "N-No thanks. Like I said earlier, I have too many chores to do around here."

Officer Kincaide held his hands up, yielding his offer. "I understand. I'm just in shock that a kid exists that's as skilled as you." Adjusting the collar of his uniform, he cleared his throat. Getting back to business, he decided to enquire more about the battle at the bandit encampment. "Let me ask you something. How did you kill the kidnappers?"

Link chuckled. "I used a bow on one, but whenever they started surrounding me, I incinerated them with Din's Fire."

"Din's Fire?" The officer prodded for a better explanation.

"Incenerated?" Talon pondered aloud as he cut an apple into bite-sized slices. He hadn't heard all the sordid details about how Link eliminated the kidnappers.

For a moment, Link was unsure if he should reveal his secret to them. The last thing he needed was for them to want to try and take it from him. On the other hand, he was fairly confident they wouldn't attempt something so foolhardy, especially after hearing about all the things he was capable of doing. Because of that, he ultimately figured it would be alright.

"Yes, Din's Fire." He reached into his pocket and then retrieved the special gemstone with magical properties. After placing it on the table for them to see, he continued "It uses magic to burn anything within a fifteen foot radius. Good thing I visited the Great Fairy when I did or else I wouldn't have had it."

Officer Kincaide scoffed in surprise, seemingly losing his composure yet again. "Great Fairy? You visited a Great Fairy?"

"Yes sir." Link responded.

"Where?" Kincaide asked as he picked up the small rhombus-shaped diamond that had a shimmering red orb inside of it. "I didn't even know there was a Fairy Fountain near here."

As the hero took a second to think about whether or not he should reveal more information on the subject, he abruptly recalled what the Great Fairy had told him; how she needed more people to come pray to her. Because of this, even though he was hesitant, he decided to tell the men a stunning fact. "There's one in Castle Town. Well, more like the outskirts of the castle."

Captain Clanncie was just as taken aback as his superior was. Yet, he wanted to know a more precise location. "Like, somewhere outside the walls?"

Link looked straight at the guy and said "No, inside the walls, there in the outer-ward of the upper bailey."

"W-What?" The captain's jaw fell ajar.

"I'm not even going to bother asking you how you got inside there." Officer Kincaide chuckled, still clearly flabbergasted by what he was hearing.

Link simply nodded, playing it cool so they wouldn't think he was lying. "Yeah, it's just past the southern gatehouse. All you have to do is keep walking until you get to the curve leading up to the Royal Meadow. Straight ahead from there, before the turn, you'll come across a small overgrown path. Travel down it until you see a ruined sign. The entrance is just beyond there."

"Hmm-..." Officer Kincaide leaned back in the chair, holding his chin with his thumb and index finger. "You know, I think I actually know where you're talking about." Snapping his finger, he summoned memories that had been buried for quite awhile. "It's been a long time since I've been there. Probably around twenty years…" He stifled a grin as he momentarily reminisced. "I snuck a date there when I was still courting." After letting a couple of chuckles slip, he stated. "From what I remember, that path just led to a big boulder."

"I removed it." The boy shrugged.

"The boulder?" The officer narrowed his eyes as he pursed his lips. "What? How?"

Link snickered at the man's bewilderment. Normally, he'd be reluctant to share his use of explosives since most adults had a tendency to freak out when he mentioned it. "With a Bomb Flower."

"A Bomb Flower?!" The officer's eyes were now bulging out of his head. "Where did you get one of those?!"

"From Gorons." Link calmly stated.

Captain Clanncie started laughing at how impressive the boy was.

Officer Kincaide grabbed his glass of spiced red wine and downed what remained. Then he exhaled a sigh of exasperation. Same as before, he was struggling to believe what he was hearing. It was tough for him to grasp the fact that a child could be so resourceful, that an adolescent could use explosives given to him by rock people, to talk to a Great Fairy nobody knew existed; not to mention killing a bunch of bandits, gerudo soldiers as well as a peahat to rescue his endangered girlfriend. Most adults would consider it nothing more than a silly imaginary game he was playing, which is why he often elected to exclude such outlandish tales. Fortunately, the military man happened to be more apt to consider these things true. "I… I think we're getting off topic here."

"Sorry about that." Link apologised with a nervous smile. "I tend to do that."

"Nothing to be sorry about." The officer gave his usual response prior to holding up Din's Fire. "You're telling me you used this to incinerate an entire group of marauders?" He sat the gemstone back down atop the table in advance of saying "I've heard of magic crystals, fire rods and such, yet you can actually harness it?"

"Yeah." The hero started getting slightly annoyed by the interrogation. However, he was also feeling a bit proud of himself. It tickled him pink to have more grownups acknowledging the skills he'd developed throughout his adventuring.

Captain Clanncie reached over and pulled Din's Fire closer so that he could examine it. In the meantime, he asked "Why didn't you use it on the gerudo soldiers?"

"I tried." Link answered as Talon sat a small bowl of apple slices in front of him. "Their shields deflected it."

Officer Kinncaide nodded in response. "I've heard of that. Radiant Shields they call them. The metal can withstand a short blast of fire." He blinked numerous times before continuing "They're usually reserved for veteran jundiin."

"They were." Link grabbed a slice of apple. His stomach grumbled at the thought of food. Without having anything to replenish the massive amount of energy he had expelled yesterday, he was feeling rather famished. Because of that, when he took a bite, it tasted like one of the sweetest fruits he'd ever had in his life.

Malon took a small sip of her lemonade. She already had some disgusting tea and several health potions that were even more vile, meaning she wasn't particularly thirsty. Then again, similar to her boyfriend, she was starving. It didn't even hit her until now, since all the stress and worry about getting back home alive was gradually fading away. Putting a slice of apple in her mouth, she crunched on it. "It's true, I saw it. Afterwards is whenever Eraka pushed me into the Zora River."

"Oh, my baby!" Talon hugged her from behind the chair she was in. "Ya don't know how ta swim!"

The farmgirl's face momentarily twitched as she had memories flicker in her head of whenever she was drowning. She could see her hands desperately grasping at the surface. She also saw a mass of bubbles around her as the last of her oxygen spewed from her lungs. These split second recollections nearly set her off again due to being so hard to accept. Were it not for her father hugging her, she likely would have lost her composure. Thankfully, since she felt safe, she was able to keep calm. "I know."

Link wasted no time in comforting the father and daughter duo. "Which is why I jumped in after her. I had to react so fast that I-... I-..." All of a sudden, his eyes widened as the realization fully set in regarding who and what was missing. "I had to throw my weapons and shield off to the side so that I'd be able to dive and swim properly. I even left Epona behind."

Closing his eyes for a moment, he grimaced while thinking about his missing equine as well as the equipment he'd lost. He'd be able to get a replacement of the Hylian Shield from a blacksmith, or likely have a chance to buy one from The Marketplace of Castle Town; plus another bow could be acquired from a fletcher. But, Epona couldn't be rebuilt or reforged. She was irreplaceable and the Kokiri Sword was an unique heirloom. The fact that he had them both since the start of his adventuring also meant they had a tremendous amount of sentimental value to him. All that combined started to convince him that he needed to recover them. "Her and my sword-… They're special to me."

"You're not setting out on another trip." Malon instantly blocked where his brain was beginning to lead him.

Link nervously blinked and was about to interject whenever he was cut off by her father.

"Ya don't need ta." Talon butted in. "Epona's 'ere an' I gots yer' stuff."

Link jerked his head in the direction of the hefty farmer. "You did?!"

"Yep." Talon confirmed.

Officer Kincaide said "We recovered your horse and equipment from the edge of Geldo Gorge. Since none of it needed to be considered evidence, we let Mr. Talon take it back here with him."

"Epona's in da' barn, an' yer' sword's up in yer' room." The farmer grinned at the boy prior to turning to his daughter. "Pum'kin, I 'ave yer' brooch too."

"Thank you, daddy." Malon smiled as she took the brooch back.

Link sniffled, feeling a rush of relief, yet also a hint of anxiety pumping outward from his heart. It was another struggle of emotions that he didn't completely understand. The tear escaping from his eye indicated sadness, then again he was certainly happy to have not lost either his beloved filly or his precious Kokiri Sword. He felt like he was going crazy, but he wasn't. He just had to accept that he too was on edge from the traumatic experience. "Thank you. That-... That means a lot to have them back."

Ingo coughed and groaned, holding his head from the ache it caused. "Don't ya worry about my old sword either. I got it back as well."

"How about we get back to recounting what happened?" Officer Kincaide tapped his finger on the table in order to get their attention. Although he was glad the boy no longer had to worry about his precious prized possessions, he knew he needed to hurry and finish being debriefed on the entirety of the incident so that he could put it all in his report. The sooner he got word to The King, the better.

"Sure. Sorry." Link replied with a soft chuckle. "I got us off track again."

Officer Kincaide shook his head. "No need to apologise." Then, he got back to business. "So, let's start again where you said you had to jump into the Zora River to help Malon because she can't swim."

"That's right." Link confirmed. He was just about to explain everything that happened. On the other hand, seeing Malon's sullen demeanor made him expedite the rest of the story to get it over with. He could tell that she didn't want to discuss how traumatic her experience with water was, especially with a bunch of strangers. Despite handling it fairly well by revisiting where it happened, talking now about her drowning only seemed to give her more anxiety. Seeing how it wasn't vital for the soldiers to know, he skipped the whole horrible event. "I held onto her and swam until we got to Lake Hylia. That's when Dr. Mizuumi found us."

"Huh?" Russell piped up, clearly about to interject in regards to the missing information.

From underneath the table, Link used his boot to gently stub the fisherman's leg.

Russell turned his head to see the boy's odd look. This made him realize what was going on. In order to spare Malon the anxiety and humiliation of recounting her near-death, he quickly adjusted what he was about to say. "Oh yeah. The good doc saw them and offered them a warm place to stay for the night."

"I see…" Officer Kincaide acknowledged as he looked back and forth between Link and the fisherman. He didn't know what just happened with the two, but was aware something did. "And, this morning is when Dr. Mizuumi contacted you to escort them home?"

Russell nodded. "Yes sir. We made it all the way to Hyrule Field before we were attacked by those peahats. You know the rest though."

Pushing just a bit, the officer asked "And nothing else happened that any of you can remember?"

"Nope." The fisherman coughed into his fist in advance of scratching under his armpit.

"Uh-uh." Malon shook her head.

Link shook his head too. "No, that was pretty much it."

Officer Kincaide was positive now that they were hiding something. However, he thankfully decided not to push further since he basically heard all he needed to hear in order to finish his official report. With that in mind, turning to the victim of the crime, he told Malon "Well, I'm very glad you survived. The Goddesses shined their light upon you."

"Amen." Talon and Ingo said together.

While standing up, Officer Kincaide grabbed his hat from off the table, placing it atop his head. Directing his attention to the hero, he chuckled softly alongside a smile. "Sir Link, you're amazing. My offer still stands about enlisting with us. Just think about it."

"Wait, you're leaving?" Link cocked his head to the side with a curious look.

Captain Clanncie drank what was left of his wine before standing up as well. "Yes sir."

Although he was slightly happy to hear them address him as they actually should considering he's an honourary Knight of Hyrule, he was more concerned with what was going to occur next. "Isn't there anything that can be done?"

Officer Kincaide stared at the kid for a second before asking "What do you mean?"

Link grabbed another slice of apple. Following a quick bite, he made an inquiry. "Isn't there anything that can be done about the gerudo who did this? She ran off. I couldn't kill her because I had to jump into the water to save Malon. But, what if she comes back? What if she tried this again on us or someone else?"

"It-..." Malon started talking before stalling out as a wave of emotions crashed into her. "It's going to be hard to sleep knowing that monster is out there."

The officer stood there for a solid thirty seconds, almost as if he was trying to think of what to say or how to say it. Eventually, he hung his head and closed his eyes. Once he opened them, he sat back down and told them "Look, I'm not supposed to tell you this because it's a matter involving the Royal Family." Pulling on his face from the pressure he felt, he decided to share with them enough to make them feel safe. "I'm only doing it because I like you folks." Leaning in, he lowered his voice. "King Nohansen has already ordered us to set up manned blockades on the roads and bridges that lead to and from the Geldo Region. Aside from seeing to your safety, my job is to verify if the gerudo were indeed responsible for this. If they are, which it looks like they are, it means they've violated the terms of their treaty with us."

"An', yer' gonna tell The King?" Talon wondered.

"Yes." Officer Kincaide replied as he stood back up again. "We found the jundiin bodies, which already confirms that they've deployed military forces on our soil. Adding your testimony to my report is going to seal the deal. Hell it'll-... well… Kidnapping a citizen to parade in front of their throne? It'll probably start a war, unless this Eraka individual is held accountable for what she's done. That's ultimately up to King Nohansen though."

"We'll make sure you stay safe from now on." Captain Clanncie threw his opinion into the mix.

Malon sniffled as she smiled. "Thank you."

Talon walked over to the Hyrulean Army officials and gave them a mighty handshake that visibly caused them both to wince. "Ya got a billion million of my thanks for bringin' 'em home ta us."

"Cheers to the army." Ingo lifted his glass of wine in a celebratory manner.

"Thank you for everything." Link made sure to give one more round of appreciation. He still knew that it was because of them showing up when they did that the fisherman was still alive to share his story. Plus, who knows how difficult it would've been to take down the peahat being as exhausted as he was and currently remains.

Instead of saying his usual response, the officer actually accepted the appreciation. "You're all welcome." He was about to start walking toward the door whenever he stopped. "Just make sure you have someone stay here for the next couple of days, in case you're called on later for more questioning."

"No problem." Ingo reached across the table to grab a slice of apple. "I'll be here. I'm basically a hermit these days."

Officer Kincaide started for the door.

Captain Clanncie did the same, but made sure to thank his host prior to leaving. "And, thanks for the drinks. Me and my men appreciate it."

"Ya deserved it." Talon smiled wide.

After that, the two military officials departed from the household.

Even though Russell was in the process of recuperating from the long trek, he could tell that he was deadwood. Now that he had successfully escorted Link and Malon here, his task was complete. Plus, since he still needed to make his way back to Lake Hylia, he decided it was time to move on and not overstay his welcome. "Well, I should probably go see if I can hitch a ride with someone. Hopefully I'll get home before it starts to rain." He grabbed his wine in advance of finishing it off. Once he returned the empty glass to the table, he stood up while scratching his armpit. "I'm super glad you both lived through that ordeal and I was able to help you get back here."

"Thank you." Link stuffed another slice of apple into his mouth before chomping on it.

Malon felt the same. "We couldn't have made it without you."

The fisherman chuckled with a smile as he playfully waved her off in advance of cracking a joke. "Yeah right. 'Sir' Link here is a one-man army. In fact, ya'll probably would've done better without me!"

"How about I give you a ride back?" Talon offered.

"No, I don't want to be a burden. I'm serious." Russell rejected the generosity.

Talon scoffed as he adjusted his outfit so he didn't look like a bumpkin. He didn't want to take no for an answer because he was giddy and excited. "Look. Ya 'elped save my little girl. I'm takin' ya whether ya want me ta or not." Wrapping one arm around the fisherman's shoulders, he shook the man like a bush in the breeze. "Now come on. The sooner I git ya there, the sooner I can git back 'ere an' be with ma' daughter."

"If you insist." Russell partially agreed. "But, how about you take me to Castle Town? It's much closer, so you'll be back sooner. Besides, I need to get some more reels of fishing lure."

"Sounds like a plan." Talon let go of the guy prior to speaking to Link and Malon. "I'll be back in an hour to an hour an' a half, 'ight? In the meantime, 'ow 'bout ya git yer'selves cleaned up and maybe catch a nap?"

Link nodded vigorously. "I need a nap badly."

"And, I need a bath." Malon stated.

The farmer made sure to give his child another hug to last her until he got back. "I love ya, baby girl."

"I love you too, Daddy." The farmgirl smiled as she looked up at him with weary eyes.

As he walked by him, Talon then gave Link a gentle squeeze of acknowledgement for all that the hero had done for him and his child. "Rest up, boy. I'll see ya soon."

"Thank you, Mr. Talon." Link smiled too.

Letting go of the kids, even though he didn't want to leave his daughter after having only just seen her return, Talon stowed those feelings in order to do what was right; rewarding Russell for his role in the rescue. It was also going to allow the farmer a chance to look for something that would be worthwhile getting for his stupendous foster son. Obviously he had to reward Link more-so since he was the one who did ninety percent of the work. Keeping that in mind, he gradually felt he was making the correct choice.

"Later, you two." The fisherman said as he and the farmer left the farmhouse.

When Talon opened the door, they all bore witness to the squad of hylian soldiers departing. They men rode off in the direction of the exit to the ranch. Seeing how their mission was complete, they were likely to head back to Hyrule Castle to give their reports and then be issued a new assignment. If what the officer said was true about a potential war brewing, they were about to have their hands full.

However, as soon as the door closed, at least for Link and Malon, the outside world temporarily ceased to exist. For a little while, they were at complete peace. Not only were they back at the ranch, in an extraordinarily warm farmhouse as well as being amongst loving family, they also felt a sense of safety they hadn't fully felt ever since the first time they were attacked by hired bandits. Knowing that King Nohansen and Princess Zelda were taking this matter seriously, the two felt content with what had been set forth into motion.

This was a big deal. It was unlikely the Hyrulean Army would ever again allow anything similar to happen.

Link drank the rest of his lemonade in advance of plopping another slice of apple in his mouth. He looked over at Malon as he chewed and saw her eyes were closed. He assumed she was trying to rest.

What he didn't realize was that she wasn't trying to sleep yet. In fact, she probably wouldn't be able to sleep for quite a bit due to all the thoughts racing around in her head.

Malon knew she was home, safe and sound; that was obvious. Except, the longer she kept her eyes closed, the more panic she had from thinking about death. It terrified her to know that she had drowned, that she genuinely died. A flood of frightening images flickering from her checkered memory, in this instance reminding her of when she was ripped out of her boyfriend's strong arms by the indomitable current. Compounding that unwanted recollection with her surging heartbeat and feeling of being so hot that she was metaphorically on fire, the young girl began to lose control of her emotions. As illogical as it was, a looming sensation of dread conquered her mind. It didn't seem to go away either.

"Hey…" Link gently placed his hand on her upper thigh. "Are you okay?" His eyes bobbed up-and-down as he analyzed her posture as well as her facial expressions. "You're shaking and frowning. What's the matter?"

Opening her eyes, the stress seemed to rapidly vanish. Her tense muscles slowly relaxed. Feeling like she had returned to reality, she looked down at Link's hand and then over at him. His truly loving concern for her was like an antidote. It warmed her heart and thawed her emotions. Because of that, she was able to smile, exhale, lean against him and then give a big yawn. "I am now."

"Come on." He told her. "Let's go get cleaned up before we fall asleep at the table."

"But, you're so warm. I don't want to move." She tenderly rubbed her head against his.

"Hey-..." Ingo grunted as he got up from the table to go for the comfy couch. "You two are cute as hell, but don't let me catch you bathing together again. Alright? For mine and your ol' dad's sake?" Stifling a snicker, he made a morbid joke while plopping down on the cotton stuffed cushions. "He already almost had a heart attack when you got abducted. Don't give him one now."

Malon giggled at the mention. Suddenly she was recollecting something funny, something that made her laugh instead of making her depressed. "We won't."

Link's face reddened at the thought. Then again, he was far too tired to care. He really wanted nothing more than to get cleaned up and then sleep for as long as allowed. "D-Don't worry. I-... Uhh… I'll let her go first while I check on Epona." He cleared his throat prior to playing off the previous topic by focusing on his beloved horse. "I'm sure she's going to be happy to see me again. I feel bad for leaving her. Hopefully she'll understand."

"I'll be right here if you need me, okay?" Ingo told them as he leaned back on the couch, laying his head on a throw pillow.

Link stood up, then kindly encouraged his girlfriend to get up from the chair by assisting her. Right after getting onto her feet, she leaned against him, like he was a wall for her to rest against. He didn't mind though, not in the least. So long as she was safe, if need be he would go as far as to give her a piggy back ride or carry her bridal-style. Fortunately, it wasn't going to come to that as she appeared to be capable of walking on her own.

"Oh, and one more thing." Ingo announced, making the kids turn to him before leaving.

Link wrapped his arm around Malon's shoulders. "Yeah?"

"It's good to have you both back." He smiled at them. "I missed you."

"Thanks, Ingo." She told him as she held onto her boyfriend.

Link walked his girl toward the exit as he replied. "We missed you too, Ingo."

Coming to the door, he swiftly opened and then held it for the farmgirl.

Malon continued to lean against him, staring at her saviour in an enamoured manner. The dark circles under her eyes proved she was still immensely weary, but there was also a glint of desire flickering within them. Instead of fretting over memories she couldn't do anything about, she focused on what was important; the deep affection she held for the blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy. Feeling the warmth of his body as well as the arm he had wrapped around her greatly added to the succor. Hearing his voice was a great comfort and unexpectedly, his sudoric scent was driving her budding libido wild.

They got outside, closed the door behind them and then started making their way around to the backside of the farmhouse. Due to the heavy grey clouds covering the threatening sky, it was getting cooler than it had been earlier in the day. A gentle breeze added to that brisk feel as well. Regardless, the boy's body heat was enough to keep her snuggly. As a matter of a fact, wrapping her arm around his waist made her utterly forget about the surrounding chill.

"Nnn… Link." She moaned with a sultry undertone.

"Yeah?" Hearing her call out his name, he looked down at her as they kept walking. Right away, he noticed the smitten gaze that was directed straight at him. Although they hadn't been together as a couple for much longer than a few months, he could tell what she was thinking, what she wanted.

"Oh." Was all he managed to say, doing so out of surprise in advance of having the collar of his tunic grabbed and yanked on.

In a brief moment of spontaneous passion, the farmgirl pulled his collar. She lowered her saviour's head enough that she could kiss him on his lips. The romantic contact added more warmth to the embrace and also allowed her to release her pent up emotions in a way more productive than by bursting into tears.

Link was taken off-guard. He didn't expect her to be in the mood for such a thing yet, not after all they had gone through. Nevertheless, he immediately obliged her by cooperating. He understood that a lot of it was about the comfort of seeking solace in one another. Besides, he certainly wasn't going to complain since it definitely felt good to him as well.

He halted by the corner of the farmhouse while making out with the frustrated redhead. Not only were her lips warm, her steamy breath tickled his chin too. The way she pressed her body against his as they kissed made them gradually scoot backward until his back was flush with the exterior wall. Once they had the proper support to do so, they really got into it. Not only were they smooching, their hands were on an exploratory mission of fervid delight. Every second they spent feeling each other up melted away hours worth of stress.

Being as close in proximity as she currently was to him, his intoxicatingly masculine odor wafted into her nostrils, sending her into lustful overdrive. Although her pupils shrunk to pinpoints, making her gorgeous blue eyes appear even more beautiful, they felt to her as if they were spinning around like pinwheels. The blush on her face intensified along with her alluring moans.

She couldn't get enough of him. Her entire muddled mind was consumed with the adoration she held for him. The way his heightened pulse vigorously pounded against her chest, she was positive he was just as hypnotized as she was at the moment.

Of course, the farmgirl was right. Link couldn't stop himself from kissing her over and over. The passion was too much for him to drift into bad thoughts. Instead, he kept repeatedly thinking how blessed he was to still have her in his life. She wasn't simply his girlfriend, she was much more to him. She was a true godsend that rescued him from the darkest depths of an unstable psyche and failing body. Without her, he would have never returned from a self-imposed state of misery. Considering those reasons, he relished the ardor.

"I love you." Malon said in-between kissing. "I love you so-so much."

"I love you too." Link replied as his eyes shone with metaphorical hearts. "I love you more than the flowers love the rain."

Malon bit her lower lip, momentarily holding back from another intimate frolic. She was so enchanted by looking at his face that she didn't want to stop staring at him. But, she should've known better than to try and hold out as she only lasted a measly five seconds before resuming the love attack in a way that gave her a better taste of him.

She gently kissed his neck a few times prior to delicately dragging her tongue down the side of it. He tasted like a mixture of river water and sweat. Although it should have been gross to taste the salt that seeped from the pores of his skin, she found that she couldn't get enough of his heroic essence. In spite of not understanding why, she desperately wanted more of the flavor. This made her lick more and the more she licked, she became too enthralled to pay attention to anything happening around her.

The person she had in her arms was the only thing she cared about. His taste even had the side-effect of making her tremble in delight.

Link sucked in a short gasp from the pleasurable sensation. Each time she dragged her tongue down his neck, his eyes widened and his jaw quivered. His hands temporarily stopped roaming her body as it took him a moment to process the intensely amazing feelings she was giving him.

Not only was his pulse as high as hers, his blush was exactly as red. Like always, it was exhilarating to get frisky with her, to feel how soft she is. However, before long, he started to sense a different reaction occurring down below, one that happened to be too embarrassing for him to want to share with her. It was certainly a natural thing for a boy to experience, but he hadn't quite matured to the point where he fully knew what to do with that part of his body, not when it was responding to the most attractive girl in his world. This wasn't ideal since she was totally pressed against him and had to have felt the change.

"M-Malon." He huffed until he nearly inhaled her fiery red hair.

The farmgirl paid no attention to the boy's incredibly weak protest. She just kissed her way up his neck in advance of nibbling on the tip of his pointed ear. Her teeth tenderly squeezed the cartilage, then she ran her tongue along the inner ridge of his ear before whispering "I'm so lucky to be alive at the same time as you."

Link's tired as well as scuffed knees wanted to buckle from the intense sensation. He still didn't want her to discover his developing arousal, but he threw caution to the wind. As long as it allowed her to let off the steam she'd built up from being traumatized, he'd let her do what she wanted for a bit longer.

"You're my everything." He told her in return. "A piece of my heart is always missing whenever you're not with me."

Without any further resistance to stop her, she resumed by leaving a trail of kisses that led directly towards his lips. Once she made contact with his mouth, she started smooching him again, losing herself in the enchantingly heated moment. In fact, she got progressively excitable. Her left leg lifted to repeatedly rub against the side of his. She pressed against him further and then slid her hands up his torso until they came to his voluminous hair. Then, while they swapped spit, her fingers combed through the silky golden blonde strands.

He savoured every moment she spent making out with him, enjoying her messing with his hair in such a seductive manner. It was so good that it gave him goosebumps. After everything that happened yesterday, he had to admit that he too needed comfort in order to relieve the stress he'd locked away. Since she was his girlfriend, she was the perfect person to help him do that. His hands already knew what they wanted, what they needed. They slid down her back prior to groping slightly lower than her waistline.

She kept brushing her fingers through his immaculate hair as they stayed passionately. Her head tilted a tad to the side so her nose wasn't smashed against his. The girl was so titillated that she couldn't help from moaning into his mouth. Of course, despite being desperately lost in lust, she felt his hands going below her back, nervously cupping both of her buttocks.

It was such a new sensation that it made her jolt in pleasure. However, the additional movement made her whole body rub up against his in a remarkably gratifying way.

Link trembled in delight as her actions sent a static shock up his spine. Everything she was doing to him felt so good that he could stop himself from moaning too. Nevertheless, it also made him increasingly bashful, especially the grinding of her hips. He knew she'd figure out his pubescent problem if he lingered in the romance too long. Considering that, no matter how pleasing it felt, he knew he had to stop her from going too far. After all, they were still outside.

"W-Wait." He began to resist. "Malon, wait."

"I can't." She breathed heavily. "You just feel so good. I want to feel all of you."

The hero's flushed face turned as red as a tomato whenever he processed what she had just said to him. Now was his turn to bite his lower lip from the overload of emotions. He barely had the willpower remaining to push through the fog of intimacy. "Not h-here."

A sudden cough echoing from amongst the interior of the farmhouse scared both of them. They were so caught up in each other that they had simply forgotten Ingo was inside trying to take a nap on the couch. Within a split second, they separated from one another in case he was coming outside instead. Although they weren't taking a bath together, the last thing either of them wanted was to get caught right after promising they'd behave.

"See?" Link softly chuckled with bashful playfulness. "Come on, we should clean up." In the meantime, he subtly clasped his hands together, letting them hang in front of his groin in order to cover his issue. "This is a sign for us to get moving."

Malon was still too aroused to stop thinking about their frolic. Instead of being relieved like he was, she was genuinely annoyed. "More like a nuisance."

Link rolled his eyes at her adorable pout. "It's not that bad; not like we won't have later on."

Beaming a smile at him as she lovingly stared, she then provocatively said "And there's definitely going to be a later on."

Hearing her say that made his toes automatically curl in his boots. While he instinctively wanted to rub the back of his neck out of shyness, he didn't dare move his hands out of fear of humiliating himself, not until the swelling went down. So, for the time being he just stood there without moving. But, in order to not seem suspicious, he decided to offer his assistance. "H-How about I pull a bucket of water from the well for you? I don't want you to push yourself beyond what you're capable of."

"Don't worry, Ingo already pulled a bucket earlier. I'll use that one." She responded while still staring longingly at the boy.

"Okay." He nodded.

When his issue finally cleared up, he was able to reach out and grab onto her hand before she could start making her way to the backside of the farmhouse. It looked as if the weather was going to make their bath times quick since it was getting cooler and cooler, so he didn't want to take up any more of her time. He just wanted her to stay as happy as she was now, which was far better than being depressed.

"I hope some warm water helps you feel better." Returning the gaze of desire, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I love you so much. Never forget that."

"I won't ever forget. I love you too." She smiled as she cupped his blushing cheek with her free hand. "Now go ahead and check on Epona. Just try not to let her bust her stall's gate down if she gets too excited. We both know how she is when it comes to you."

"Very true." Link agreed prior to letting go of her hand.

"See you soon." She giggled.

He nodded. "As soon as possible."

"But not soon enough." She teasingly stuck her tongue out at him.

Following a smirk, the hero jokingly shooed her by waving his hands. "Go, go bathe or we'll be here all night flirting."

After blowing her saviour a kiss, she waited for him to blow one in return to tide her over until they finished cleaning themselves. Then, she turned around to walk away toward the backside of the farmhouse; where their washtub was located. Regardless of the fact that she wanted to glomp him into a pile of hay, she knew she had other things to do first. She needed to light a fire to heat water, rinse the minerals from the river off her skin as well as out of her hair and then change into a different set of clothes. Her strong yearn for her boyfriend was going to serve as motivation to hurry so they could be together again.

Link stayed leaning against the exterior of the farmhouse for an additional fifteen seconds in advance of releasing a long stress-filled exhale. The strange tingles in his previously racing heart diminished, plus the butterflies in his stomach went away. On the other hand, his perfect smile from her tender presence soon faded too and he was left alone with his own thoughts again. While he wasn't nearly as mentally harsh on himself as he was last night, it still remained a befuddling struggle. He understood that he loved her and would do anything for her, but he wasn't mature enough to comprehend why he was gradually becoming obsessed with the beautiful farmgirl. All he knew was that he was glad his body had settled down.

Standing up and away from the farmhouse, he walked across the path until he came to the barn. Opposite of beforehand, he sucked in a deep breath. His pulse was still rather high as he placed his hand on the door handle. The anticipation of reuniting with his steed was so much that it caused him to shake. Fortunately, he didn't torture himself for long before opening the door.

Crossing the threshold, he immediately heard animal noises; cows mooing, pigs snorting and horses neighing. To him, it sounded like home, the place he'd been staying for half a year. He didn't even mind the usual musty smell anymore.

Within a matter of moments, he heard Epona's unique nicker. The second he stepped inside, the loyal equine was able to use her advanced sense of smell to identify his anxious sweat from across the barn. Sure enough, she started getting excited now that she knew her owner was nearby. Her loud whinnying resonated from her stall, making the others stick their heads out in order to discover what was happening.

Ambling over to her stall, Link started off trying to calm her down. "Yes, it's me. Calm down, sweetheart." His freshly kissed lips cracked a smile upon seeing the filly gnawing at the wooden stall door in an attempt to escape. "Epona, calm down. It's okay. It's okay."

She stared at him with her big expressive blue eyes.

Coming up to the happy horse, Link extended his hand so that she could smell him better. "Hey girl."

The excited filly quit chewing on the top of the stall door so that she could give his hand a smell. But, she snorted and whinnied again, barely giving him a whiff prior to repeatedly rubbing her head against his palm as a sign of affection. Obviously she didn't need the usual greeting as she was already aware of who he was. At this point, she was so glad to see him that she just wanted to feel his love.

Link delicately stroked the side of her face. He gently kissed the top of her muzzle as his other hand brushed along her gorgeous mane. "I'm really sorry I had to leave you behind. I know you must have been scared."

She snorted in his face as if to say 'It's okay'.

"I hope you understand." The hylian tried to explain to the abnormally intelligent animal. "In fact, I know you understand. You love Malon almost as much as I do. I had no choice other than to jump into that river to rescue her."

Even though he wasn't entirely sure whether or not Epona saw him leap over the cliffside and into the gorge, he continued to inform her the reason why he was forced to temporarily abandon her. "I had to leave you behind. She couldn't swim."

However, before long his simple explanation became a mournful retelling of what had terrified him so badly, what had left a long-term negative impact on his psyche. "I couldn't let her get swept away or…" His eyes gradually welled up with tears as horrible memories flashed amongst his mind. Regardless of the fact that he didn't want Malon to be sad, he couldn't stop himself from doing it; from being haunted by what happened. It didn't matter that everything turned out okay. No matter what, he felt like a disappointment for failing to prevent the lovely farmgirl from drowning in the first place.

"I-... I didn't want her to drown." His lower lip quivered as a tear rolled down his cheek. "I didn't want her to die." Seething from the mental agony, he said "I wanted to protect her from all the bad in this world."

Epona's attitude swiftly changed in response to the sorrow emanating from the boy. Although she was still definitely happy to see that her master was safe and sound, she could also tell that he was bearing a lot of weight on his shoulders. He acted strong in front of the others and was trying to do the same with his trusty steed, but she was able to sense his real mood. Because she knew he was sad, she tried to cheer him up by tenderly rubbing her head against his.

"I'm sorry…" He sniffled. "I know I'm supposed to be happy, especially since you're not lost out there. I just…" More tears fell from his eyes, dripping down and off his chin. A short whimper escaped his throat as he struggled to not sob. Although he didn't necessarily want to cry, it felt better to let it out. He even finally admitted aloud what was bothering him the most. "I failed, Epona." Wiping the salty water from his chin, he sniffled again in advance of correcting himself. "I mean, she's here and considers me her saviour, yet I still failed. I killed her kidnappers, but I couldn't stop her from drowning."

Epona pressed her head against the side of his with a bit more force, trying her best to console the despairing kid. It was almost as if she was lending her ear for him to vent.

"After all I've been through, all the training I've done and missions I've accomplished, I still wasn't fast enough or strong enough to keep her out of harm's way." He shook his head, looking down like a scolded child. "What is wrong with me, girl? I couldn't even save her from water! From water! If I couldn't do that, how in the hell am I supposed to protect her from Ganondorf, his monsters and the minions that follow him?! What am I going to do whenever he places a curse on the ranch or surrounds us with Bokoblin and Moblins?!"

Breaking down as he released his most inner-thoughts, Link hugged the filly's head. His hot tears made a wet spot in the horse's brown fur. Smashing his face into the side of her muzzle, he audibly wept. His shoulders lifted and sunk several times, heaving as he cried. "I'm sorry."

Epona sighed. She closed her eyes and kept rubbing her head against his.

Nearly five solid minutes passed with Link shedding as many salty tears as possible while hugging Epona. Eventually, he started to calm down. Nonetheless, he was sure to note how it made him feel much better to bawl about the situation. The primitive act allowed him to get rid of the massive amount of tension he had stored in his body, plus the feelings he'd shoved to the back of his mind. He stored them there in order to focus on completing his mission. But, now that it's over, he needed to let go of the regret it caused.

Sniffling, he dried his tears on Epona's fur as he sucked up his sinus fluid. After pulling away, since he could tell the horse was still deeply concerned about him, he made sure to pet her so she knew he was going to be alright. "It's okay. I'm fine. I'm just frustrated at myself and the bastard who caused all of this."

Epona opened her eyes and then blew a blast of air out of her nostrils, as if she was attempting to dry the hylian's tears. She cared about him so much that it actually pained her to see him acting miserable. Due to their deep bond, the filly felt it was her duty to comfort him. She had succeeded in that goal too. Then again, being as smart as she was, she even managed to cheer him up further by softly nibbling on the front of his tunic.

Chuckling at the feel of her nibble, Link sniffled before smiling. "I love you too, girl."

He felt a tad embarrassed that he unleashed all his problems on her less than a minute after they reconnected. Yet, she gladly listened to him and he couldn't be more proud of her for that. Because of her help, he was able to remind himself that things were going to be okay. Suddenly he recalled how Malon wanted him to teach her how to fight. While he was initially against it, after this occurred, he was feeling far more open to it. It made sense to do and if done correctly, she could potentially be a valuable ally capable of helping him during strife.

Slowly but surely, his heartbeat returned to a stable pace. Even better, he remembered that the Hyrulean Army was going to prevent another matter like this from ever happening again. This also meant the Royal Family was aware that Ganondorf wasn't abiding by the terms of his banishment, that he had broken their official treaty. Knowing that they were going to be more proactive also gave him peace of mind.

"Link?" Malon called out to him from behind.

He turned around to see the girl standing in the threshold of the doorway. She looked far more refreshed as well as cleaner than a few seconds ago. Her red hair was wet and water dripped from her, but she donned a newer cream coloured dress similar to her usual. "Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" She asked him.

"Yeah." He replied as he kissed Epona for all she'd done to encourage him to never give up. "Just got a bit emotional."

"That's so sweet." She smiled while watching him show affection to the beautiful horse he'd become so immensely attached to. Not knowing how upset he had just been, she assumed he had merely been crying over the equine. Considering that, she slowly walked over to him prior to laying her hand on his shoulder. Following an extensive yawn of pure exhaustion, she told him "I'm done taking my bath, so you can go ahead and take yours."

Link smiled as he went back to caressing Epona's white mane. "Okay. I'll pull some water in just a minute, after I finish letting her know how sorry I am for leaving her behind."