Chapter 12: It Is A Big And Beautiful World
"Almost there," Navi said, just a pace before him. Link squinted to make out her faint blue light from the fog. A struggle he faced every step through the forest. Several times he feared he'd lost her, only to have her voice lead him along the path.
He took another step, and for a moment the grey fog turned bright. So bright it burned, even when he clenched his eyes shut. Wrapping his arm over his eyes, he reached forward. "Navi?"
"Link, open your eyes."
"It hurts."
"I know, but you'll need to see this."
Link took a deep breath and lowered his arm. His eyes flickered open, only a moment, before he shut them again. Just enough to get the flash of colors brighter than anything he'd ever seen before. He peaked open one eye.
Blues and greens and yellows filled his eye. He blinked open the other eye. The colors condensed, formed an image of his surroundings.
No fog. No fog at all.
"We made it," Navi said in a tired voice as she landed atop the ocarina that hung at his hip.
Before them lay a great plain of short green and yellow grass. Rolling hills that spread about the countryside, lifting some grass bright and high toward the sky and others cast in shadows. Only ending at the far edge of the horizon, where rigid stone jutted from the ground. It looked so far away, it must be huge.
Everything out here must be huge.
"It's beautiful," he whispered.
He did not know what he expected. From the stories the fairies told him, the lands outside the forest would be filled with foul-smelling, tightly packed people in great stone buildings. All of them preying upon each other with their weapons. Bandits extorting each other for whatever they pleased. Monsters that killed just for the fun of it, in a strange game they called war.
But none of that appeared. All he saw were empty plains.
Was this what the Great Deku Tree hid from all of them? Mountains and gorges, flowers and grass. All the strange, wonderful things the fairies mentioned that he feared he'd never get to see.
Did he just not want Link to see all this? No, that can't be true. Father loved him, he'd never deceive him like that.
"Is that the sun?" Link squinted at the great yellow ball in the sky.
"It is, and best not to look at it directly. Not until the moments before it sets."
Link averted his eyes. Just the moments glance made them sting anyway. Everything was so much brighter and more vivid without the shield of the fog around him. "What happens then?"
"It's not so bright, and it's beautiful. It paints the sky in many colors." She sighed. "Long ago, before you came to us and I was a young fairy. I used to fly out here to find news of the outside world. And I always did my duties first, of course. But when I had time, I'd sit somewhere safe and just watch the sunrise or set. I missed the sunrise most of all, I think." She gave a tired laugh. "You know, I was hoping that there would be a sunrise just as we left the woods. A perfect little memory coming back to life. But it seems we missed it. I'll just have to stay awake long enough for the sunset."
But Navi didn't stay awake. No sooner had they picked a direction to head toward, did she flutter to lay atop Saria's ocarina. After half a mile she fell silent, and not long after that her light dimmed.
Link did not dare wake her. She had flown the entire way through the woods. Despite her wing not yet healing all the way from the fight with the cursed insect. She must be so tired, the least he could do for her was let her rest. Careful not to jostle his instrument, he strolled through the green fields.
Hills and valleys rolled before him, offering him plenty of company while Navi slept. And not a single Hylian soldier, or Gerudo raider, or thief, or bandit. Instead birds of red and brown soared overhead, and within the grass little furry rodent creatures scurried about. Always disappearing when Link drew close. Until he chased after one to find they dived into little burrows hidden underneath layers of grass and leaves. Once he chased away the rodent he saw a little red mammal with thin snouts and long bushy tails stared at him. It looked like the wolves that prowled within the woods but much smaller. And when Link approached it ran away even faster than the rodent.
And the flowers! Patches of wildflowers all yellows and oranges sprouted at the tops of the hills. Some had purples hidden amongst the others. He scooped some up and smelled them and laughed with delight. Father would have loved them, and Saria too. She'd braid them into headdresses or tuck them behind her ears.
He wasn't going to see her again. Not in person. Nor Dori, Helvia, Junmi, even Mido. Link's laughter strangled in his throat. Dropping the flowers, he continued over the fields in silence.
The sun began its descent before he found anything unnatural. A great fence built by the men of the outside world, he assumed. It looked like a cucco coup back home. Only far, far bigger. The topmost plank of wood stood well above his height and it stretched out far, cutting across the grass and rising and falling with the hills. No cuccos stood inside it, nor birds of any kind. Only a few massive creatures with four legs that ended in hooves.
There seemed to be two different kinds, one fat with their guts hanging low and ending in strange pink little nubs. He smiled at one of them, and it did nothing but look dimly at him while continuing to chew on grass. The other type of creature looked far more interesting, with a thick neck and a proud demeanor to them. These creatures pawed at the ground and ran, seemingly for the joy of it alone.
Link looked back to the wooden coup that held these animals and tried to figure all the ways it could be used. In general, walls worked to either to keep things in, or to keep others out. And if this fence kept the animals in, was it for their protection or his? The cuccos back home had a bad habit of running off into the fog when left out. Perhaps whoever owned these meant for the fence to keep them safe and together. But then, perhaps they were dangerous. They didn't look it though. By size alone they could probably crush Link if they fell on him. But they didn't have the features the fairies taught him indicated a predator on the hunt. No claws, no fangs, it didn't stay low to the ground. And of course, they grazed upon the grass.
That said, prey animals could be just as dangerous as predators if they felt threatened. So, he'd just have to be as non-threatening as he possibly could.
When he reached the fence, he climbed over the top of it to get a closer look at the strange and majestic animals.
"Link" Navi said, with a yawn. The jostling from the climb must have woken her up. "Link where- ? What are you doing?"
"I'm going to get close to one of those things," Link whispered back. "But be quiet I'm trying not to scare them."
"The horse?" Navi said, her voice still quiet and groggy from her rest. "Or the cow?"
"That's a horse?" Link said as he swung his leg over the top of the fence. It did not take much guesswork to figure which animal was which. The fairies had mentioned horses a few times. Great brutes, they had called them. Poor animals, forced by Hylian and Gerudo to carry them into battle. Link had always envisioned riding one. His sword in his hand as he broke apart the armies of evil. But in his mind a horse was a monstrous creature, bred for war and violence. He'd always thought they must have sharp teeth and armored scales.
These horses didn't look like beasts of war. They looked like simple animals, nothing more. They seemed proud and confident as they trotted around their coup, but there was nothing terrifying about them.
Link dropped the last few feet to the ground, the sound didn't startle the animals other than making one of the cows move over a bit before it continued grazing. Link took slow, quiet steps toward the nearest horse. His hands out, empty and gentle.
The big animal didn't seem to mind as Link went to pet him. He had to stretch to reach up to the animal's shoulder, but he could get a good pat on the side of its stomach and ribs much easier. The horse seemed to like that very much. It looked at Link, gave a happy little snort and shake of its head, before it went back to eating.
"This might not be the best idea," Navi said. "These animals belong to someone, and they probably won't take kindly to people entering their ranch and messing with their animals."
"I'm not messing with them," Link said. "I'm just making sure they're happy. You like that, don't you boy?"
The horse did not respond. But neither did it pull away, which Link took as a good sign to continue. Once he felt that the horse had been thoroughly satisfied, he moved to the next one. That horse didn't seem to like Link's rubs nearly as much and went scampering off. Link went to as many of the horses and a few of the cows as he could, giving them comfort where he could and avoiding those that seemed a bit aggressive.
Eventually he found that he had been traveling steadily up a long but shallow hill, and he got a chance to look down on the rest of this ranch. The fence went quite a ways, easily passing out eyesight at points, though they converged towards one massive building with wide doors left open.
"I think it's about time we go," Navi said again. "You had your fun, but if we keep standing here, we'll get seen. And I don't want to have to get away from some angry Hylians."
Link couldn't disagree. But he caught sight of something closer to the building. There were two shapes. No. Three. One of them just a bunch of lumps on the ground. Another small one kneeling beside it, and a massive shape peering over them both. From them came a slow and sad song. The singer constantly had her voice cut off between unclear words and what may have been the quivering sound of a sob.
"That doesn't sound evil," Link said. He took a step down the hill toward the figures.
"Link! What are you doing? Those people are dangerous."
"They're not looking for us, I think I can get close. Besides," he patted the sword on his hip. "If they cause any trouble I can deal with them."
"But you shouldn't!"
Link made his way toward the shapes, keeping low, following a serpentine path that let him hide behind horses and cows for as long as possible. He stopped when he found a large cow lying down thirty or so paces from the shapes.
Now close enough, he saw that they were two Hylians over a small horse. It was lying on its side and breathing heavily. The bigger of the Hylians was a man, with a lot of brown hair about his face in big bushy mustache and eyebrows. He tapped his foot, and had his hands crossed as the other, a little girl about Link's age with red-brown hair knelt beside the horse and sang, while rubbing the beast's neck.
"Please eat," she said once she finished a verse of her song. "Come on, you need to eat."
"No use to it," the man said. "This one'll be dead in the morning. Like I said. We've wasted enough time on it. We've got work to do."
"She's not that sick," the little girl said. "We just need to get her to the stables and get her eating and warm."
"You're just wasting your time. I've seen this a dozen times, no matter what you do, she'll be dead by morning. Just leave her there."
"If you're not going to help, at least get my father." Her voice rose to a sharp snap, and every hint of sorrow gone.
The man scoffed. "He's probably in his cups already. If you're not going to do anything useful, I need to go do the actual work around here." The man turned away from them, his hands in his pockets, muttering to himself.
"At least bring me some carrots! Ingo!"
"Get them yourself," the man said over his shoulder. "It's almost dark, and I ain't staying late because of a dead foal."
"Useless!" the little girl shouted, before she turned back to the horse and began petting it again.
Without the singing or the bickering, Link could hear the labored breathing of the little horse. Each exhale made its thin little ribs shudder in pain. The poor little creature. And the girl as well. She didn't look like a brutal Hylian ready to attack anything on sight. She just wanted to save the horse. She couldn't be that bad, could she?
"Can I help?" Link asked as he stepped out from behind the cow.
"What are you doing?" Navi hissed, but Link ignored her as he approached the girl.
She sprang to her feet. Her hands clenching into fists as she held them in front of her, ready to throw a punch. "What? Who are you? What are you doing here? Horse thief!"
"I'm not a thief! I just want to help." Link held up his hands, but the girl's eyes found the blade at his side.
"What are you planning on doing with that knife?"
"It's my sword," Link insisted, and he put his hand over the pommel, as if that would protect it from the girl's words.
She gave a little burst of a laugh. "No it ain't. You didn't cut your way through the fence did you? No-" She held up her hand as Link approached. "Don't come any closer. If you do I'll – I'll – I'll make a big shout and then… and then all the horses will come running here and they'll trample you!"
Link stopped. "Can she do that?"
"I don't think so," Navi said. "But I told you, these Hylians are dangerous. Let's just get out of here."
"What is that!" The girl pointed at Navi, before her eyes went wide. "You're a Kokiri. I've heard about the Children of the Tree. You step back. If you use any of your magic on me, I'll- I'll-" She seemed to be trying to think of a new threat and coming up empty. Then her eyes hardened. "I'll hit you so hard your Tree will feel it." And she raised her fists to show she meant it. "Knife or no."
"I don't have magic," Link said. "I'm not a Kokiri, I'm Hylian, like you. And if I thought you hitting me would let the Great Deku Tree feel anything I'd let you."
She gave him an incredulous look but didn't move until the horse at her feet gave another gasping cough and kicked at the dirt. Then her hands dropped to her side. She frowned as she met Link's eyes. "You really want to help?"
"Yes."
"We need to bring her to the barn. I'm not strong enough to carry her myself, but maybe together we can lift her."
Link nodded and moved by the girl's side.
"How strong are you?"
"I was the strongest in my village," Link said with a note of pride.
A rush of air burst out of her nose, almost like she didn't believe him. Or perhaps she didn't think much of being the strongest amongst a bunch of children. "You go in the middle there, we're going to try and roll her up and then onto your shoulders. Once you're standing, I'm going to try and take some of the weight from the front. You understand?"
"I think so," Link looked down on the horse. "I'm just going to be under her belly then?"
"Right." She went to the horse and started to pull at her neck. "Come on, Epona. We just need you to stand for a little bit. Come on."
The horse grunted and gave a weak thrash of her legs as Link tried to help her roll to her belly. Once she did, the horse groaned a few times. Several of the other animals from around the ranch came closer, sniffing and stomping around them as they looked after the horse.
"Almost done, girl," she said. "I need you to stand. Not too long. Only a moment. You can do it." Then she pulled around the horse's neck, while Link grabbed as much around its waist as he could and pulled up. The sick horse groaned but got its legs beneath it. Trembling, snorting, the horse stood, though it shook so hard Link feared it'd collapse if he let go.
"Now!" the girl said.
He ducked beneath the animal and stood up. The weight of the horse pressed around his shoulders and his breath was forced out of his lungs. "Ooouuff," came out of his mouth as he stumbled forward a step. But his legs held strong, at least long enough for the girl to duck underneath and put her own shoulders right into the horse's chest.
"Now," she said through gritted teeth. "Toward the barn, slowly." Looking toward the massive building.
Link did not want to do any of this slowly. In fact, he wished to get the horse off his shoulders as fast as he could. Apparently even the horse agreed as its limp head grunted with pain with every few steps. But the girl insisted. One of her arms wrapped around the front legs of the horse, the other she wrapped around Link. Making certain they moved at a steady pace, together.
When they reached the barn, the girl directed them to a small stall in the back. "There," she said once they reached it. "Lower her on three. One. Two."
Link started to bend his legs before she got the last word out. But her words followed him, as did her own lean. As soon as they lowered Epona enough for her hooves to touch the ground, her weight fell off Link's shoulders and he breathed deep enough to relieve his soreness. He back away from the horse. As soon as both children stepped free, Epona neighed and folded her legs beneath herself and laid down.
"Food," the girl panted. "I need to get her something to eat. Can you keep her calm until I get back?"
"Got it," Link said as the girl rushed off. He knelt beside the horse and pet her. But the horse snapped her teeth at him, making him pull his hand away. "Fine. No touching, understood."
"She's probably afraid you are trying to pull her up again," Navi said. The fairy flew to the horse and landed on its back. "Hmm, this one is sick. I can feel it."
"Can you heal her?"
"I'm trying to save my magic to heal you, when you need it."
"Why? I'm going to be fine."
"Really?" Navi said as she flew back to him. "While I was asleep you tried to enter a Hylian's lands, to get close to a bunch of creatures you did not know, but were big enough to crush you. And you don't think you'll need to be healed at some point?"
"It worked out," Link said.
"That's luck, you have to be more careful Link. You don't know what it's like out here."
As Navi chastised him, Epona began to shake. The horse rolled over onto her side and laid her head on the ground. She made a wet hacking sound as her head brushed up and down on the straw and dried grass scattered about the floor.
"No, no," Link said. "You have to stay calm." But the horse continued to spit and tremble. He couldn't pet her, and she didn't seem to respond to his words. What was that song the girl had been singing? That seemed to work a little.
Link tried to sing it, but his voice wasn't exactly pleasing. Nor were the notes anywhere close to what the Hylian sang. Epona seemed not to like it either. As Link struggled to find the tune, she glanced at him with a look he could only call disdainful, before resting her head back on the ground and squeezing her eyes shut.
Why'd I even bother to try that? Link pulled out his ocarina. He focused on the horse's song. A simple melody, but with a quiet longing to it. As if it held the horse's desire to run across green fields, and memories of health and happiness. The girl's pleasant voice rang through his ears and his fingers found the notes. As he played Epona stopped coughing and stared at him. She still shivered, but held her gaze as long as he played.
"Not bad, Fairy Boy," the girl returned dragging two sacks behind her. She grinned at him. "Keep playing."
"My name's Link," he muttered as he took a breath and replayed the melody. After years of being called No Fairy by Mido it felt strange to instead be seen as someone tied to the fairies. He disliked name calling, but this felt different. Mido mocked him, this felt like a joke shared between them.
"Malon," she said as she dragged the sacks before Epona. She unfurled the top of one of the larger, and wet hay spilled from it. She placed the opened bag down before the horse so Epona could eat from it. Then she went to the smaller sack, pulled out a carrot and held it before the horse's mouth.
Epona ignored the food, instead continued to stare at Link. He brought the ocarina back to his lips and played. Only then did the horse eat.
"Good girl," Malon said, gently scratching her neck. "Good girl." She fed Epona two more carrots before she switched to hay. Making certain Epona kept eating until Link finished the song five times over. Only then did Epona shut her eyes, swallowed one last mouthful and laid her head on the ground.
In moments the horse was asleep. Link stopped playing and Malon picked up the now much lighter bags of carrots and hay.
"Here," Link said. "I can help." He reattached the ocarina to his belt and then took the bag of carrots from Malon's hands.
"Thanks, Link." She led him out of pen. Taking a moment to close it and lowering a small wooden lock to secure Epona inside before leading him near the front of the barn to a small section filled with sacks. "The carrots go over there," she pointed to one pile that looked much the same as the one she dropped the sack of hay into. "So," she said once they were finished. "Why are you here, Fairy Boy?"
"I just wanted to see the horses."
"Really?" she frowned, squinting at him. "Ain't you ever seen a horse before?"
"No."
"Well, how'd you like them?"
"They're amazing. I always wanted to ride one, but I never thought I'd ever get to see one up close for real. They're beautiful."
Malon's smile spread wide. "They are," she agreed. "So, where are you staying?"
"Staying?"
"Well, it's about dark. You might be able to make it Horon Village before the inn closes. But it'd be close. Do you have enough rupees?"
"Rupees?" Link said again. He must've sounded so stupid just repeating her words over and over.
"You know, rupees. Money. You know what rupees are, don't you Fairy Boy?"
"Of course," Link lied. "I just didn't hear you right."
"Sure, you didn't. So, what are they then?" She had a mischievous smile about her that Link wasn't certain he liked.
"I-" Link tried to think up something, but his mind was blank. "You know. What you said. Money."
Navi flew to his ear. "It's a gem, the Hylians use it for trade."
"And they're trading gems," Link said.
"Well," Malon stifled a laugh before looking to Navi. "Clearly you know about everything around here. Come on, Fairy Boy." She turned and headed out of the barn.
"Where are we going?" Link said as he moved to her side. "Uhh… Horse… Girl?"
"Haha!" Malon burst into a fit of laughter. Link could feel his ears and the back of his neck get hot. "Keep trying, Fairy Boy."
"Cow Girl?"
She laughed again, then waved her hands at Link. "No. No. I changed my mind, just stop." She continued laughing until she led him to another building, much smaller than barn. He had not even noticed it when he had been on the hill.
When they reached the door, Malon turned to him. "So, just let me do the talking."
"To who?"
Before he got an answer Malon opened the door and went inside. Link followed her, and found a man was standing over a cooking pot, stirring. There was a tankard on the table at his side, frothing with some brown liquid Link had never seen.
"Before dinner, father?" Malon said to the man's back.
"Hmm? Oh, it's just something to steady me a bit," the man put down his ladle and turned to them. "Oh? We have guests?" He had a mustache near as big as the other man Link had seen. But his was brown, and he was bald and heavyset. His eyes looked to Link and then caught sight of Navi and widened in fear. "Malon come to me. Stay back!"
"Father this is Link. He helped me bring Epona to the barn. She's sick, and Ingo wouldn't help. He said that it was pointless that she was going to die anyway. You should give him a good talking to."
"Malon, that's a fairy."
"Hello," Navi flew from Link's shoulder before the mustached man and bobbed before him. "My name is Navi. Your daughter has been very kind. We do not mean to impose. If you are uncomfortable we will leave."
You haven't made a deal with my daughter, have you?" The man had fear clear in his wide eyes. "You're not going to take her into the Woods."
"No," Navi sounded offended by the suggestion. "Of course not."
"You've not bewitched her?"
"Father, she's done nothing but help."
The big man stroked at his mustache, his eyes shifting between Link and Navi. "I've heard you shouldn't make deals with fae. They do all sorts of strangeness upon a person if you do. But refusing a fae your hospitality is just as bad. Perhaps worse."
"I'm not a fae," Link said. "I'm just a Hylian."
"I am," Navi said. "But whatever you've heard is wrong. I don't make magic deals. And I have no desire to do anything to you."
"I'm sorry if I offended you. I'm Talon, owner of Lon Lon Ranch. I see you've already met my daughter. You must excuse my poor manners, it's not every day one meets a fairy. And stories told to me as a child cause worry."
"What stories?" Link asked. It was hard to think that there was anything bad to say about fairies at all. Except being too strict when enforcing the rules and giving boring lessons on occasion.
"Perhaps it's best not to say."
"I won't get offended. I've heard some terrible things about Hylians."
"I thought you said you were Hylian," Malon said.
"I am."
"Well father used to tell me to stay away from the Lost Woods because the fairies would show pretty lights and whisper false promises to draw me in. They'd lead me deeper and deeper into the dark. And then they'd disappear, and I'd be lost in the woods forever."
"Fairies would never do that. They're good, they and the Great Deku Tree taught me to always help each other and be kind. He wanted everyone to be nice."
"Perhaps we should speak of something else," Navi flew back to land on Link's cap.
"Of course, Malon, let's not insult our guests any more than we already have."
"I didn't mean nothing by it."
"What have I told you? You didn't mean anything by it."
The girl sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I was not offended, Goodman Talon," Navi said. "But perhaps it is best if we leave."
"No," he said. "No you've been insulted in my house, it would be dishonorable to let you leave on such a note. Fae or no, I won't let it be said Talon has lost his good manners. Tonight my roof will keep you safe, and we shall share a meal. Malon, set the table for our guests."
The little girl moved past her father, toward a small cupboard where she took some hand-carved wooden bowls and spoons. She brought them to Talon who ladled out a good portion of some kind of stew into each of them.
"None for me, thanks," Navi said from her perch nestled in Link's cap.
"Is there something else your kind eats?" Talon said as he sat down next to his daughter. "I don't have much that isn't feed for the animals, but I might be able to scrounge something up."
"No," Navi said. "We don't really need food like you."
"A fairy is sustained by the magic around them," Link said as he took his first big spoonful of the stew. "That's why there were so many in the wood," he said as he chewed. "The Great Deku Tree and his children have powerful magic in them."
"And you?" Malon said. "You said you don't have magic."
"I don't," Link swallowed. "This is pretty good. What is it?" It had an interesting flavor, with chunks of some kind of meat in it. It wasn't cucco nor fish.
"Just a beef stew," Talon said. "One of our cows passed a few days back. Waste not."
"I like it," Link said and took another big bite.
"Thank you," Talon smiled. "But I find myself curious now. If you don't mind telling, to what do I owe the pleasure of the company of a fairy, and a child of the tree armed with a large knife?"
"It's a sword," Link said.
"Of course, my apologies."
"We're traveling," Navi said.
"I'm trying to find a good spot to hide something," Link said, speaking about the bit of carrot and meat in his mouth. "There's an evil man trying to take my father's stone. And we can't let him have it."
"Link!" Navi flew off his cap and flashed bright before his eyes. "They don't need to know that."
"These aren't the evil men that father warned us about," Link said. "They're nice. We can trust them."
"How do you know that? We've only been talking to them for a few moments. Who knows what they might be planning?"
"I can assure you," Talon said. "I'm planning nothing."
"He never plans nothing," Malon said. "Even when he probably should."
"He never plans anything," Talon said. "You just told them that I am always planning something."
"But you just used nothing!"
"Because I used it correctly."
Malon made a harumphing noise before taking a big spoonful of the stew.
"I like them," Link said. "There has to be some people we can trust out here."
"Perhaps, but what are the chances that the first two people we meet outside the woods are as kind as they seem? You have to be more careful, Link."
"Now you're being insulting," Link put down his spoon.
"Link, these are Hylians. People of war. Killers."
"So am I!"
"Don't say that, you know that's not what I mean."
"My lady fairy," Talon said, "or, hmm, Lady Navi, I can assure you, I am no killer, or soldier of any kind. I'm a rancher, that's all. I've had the good fortune of never needing to pick up a spear in my life."
"Father," Malon said. "We should help them. They don't know their way around out here. And the roads aren't always safe."
"Hmm," Talon said, again twisting the ends of his mustache. "My daughter does have the truth of things. The roads aren't always safe for children wandering alone, or with only a fairy with them."
"We can handle ourselves," Link said as he patted his sword. Realizing that there was no way Talon could see it under the table he took the grip and pulled it up for the man to see.
"I've no doubt your skills, you can put that away. If you're looking to store something, Hyrule Castle is the safest place in the realm. Guarded by many knights of unparalleled skill and loyalty and overseen by our great king."
Link resheathed his blade. He nodded but he'd heard tales of kings and knights often from the fairies. They seemed even more war-hungry than most. Would the Great Deku Tree have approved of bringing his stone to them?
"The king will know what to do," Malon smiled. "He's the one that brought us peace. There was this great big war that happened for, well, it was basically always happening."
"One-hundred years," Talon added.
"A hundred years! And our king was the one who stopped it. He even made a friend of his old enemy."
"So the newscriers claim. A fine thing to live in a time of peace."
Link looked to Navi to see if she knew anything about it. But the fairy seemed just as surprised as he. A king and knights trying to end wars? Now that was something Link wished to see.
"Then why are the roads not safe?" Navi asked.
"Bandits and moblins and the like," Malon said. "They don't get to the villages, but they hide along the side of roads and attack stragglers. The bandits will just take what you have, but the moblins will smash you up and eat you!"
"They can try."
"Link, that's not something to be excited by."
"I'm not," he said. "We'll have to travel the road eventually. How do I get to Hyrule Castle?"
"The main road out of Horon Village leads there," Talon said. "But I'd hold if I were you, boy. I would not feel comfortable sending you two traveling alone. How about this? The Sky Festival is in three weeks. I've been meaning to bring Malon to visit Castle Town and see the celebration one of these years, now is as good a time as any. Why don't you two stay with us until then? We can go together."
Malon's eyes went wide, and she smiled to her father. "Yes, do it!"
"I can even try to make some introductions, a few years back I sold a horse to one of the king's advisors. Perhaps he remembers me well enough to aid you in seeing the king."
"What will I do for three weeks?"
"What you've done tonight. Help my daughter with the cattle and horses. I'll pay you a fair wage for a hard day's work. I don't have a spare bed, but I have blankets and we can find room for you to sleep. You share our meals and we'll head to Castle Town together."
"What do you think, Navi?"
"I can't think of a better idea," she admitted after a pause.
Link picked his spoon back up and took another bite of the stew. Then saw Malon smiling and nodding to him. As if hearing him accept was the best thing in the world. "Agreed."
The sun had already gone down as Link crept out of the house. Navi flew ahead of him, lighting the way toward the barn. In his hand, Link clutched Saria's gift, and prayed to the Goddesses that it would work.
The large doors were locked tight for the night. But the windows up high in the barn did not shut. Link climbed up to them and dropped inside, almost landing on a sleeping cow. He tip-toed through the animals until he reached the far corner, opened the latch to Epona's pen and saw her shivering in her sleep.
Link sat beside the horse. "Please, hear me Saria," he whispered before he put the ocarina to his lips. He played the song Saria taught him, the one that would summon her.
But when he finished the song nothing happened. He played it again, and still she did not appear.
Was something wrong? Did the magic not work? No. Saria made it. She was the best with magic among all the Kokiri. It couldn't be her fault.
He played once more. Making certain that he played every note as close to perfect as he could.
When the last note rang out he looked around the pen, hoping that she would be dancing to the song just out of sight. But there was nothing. Water welled up in his eyes. It couldn't be Saria's fault. It was him. It was always him. He didn't have any magic to power the song, that had to be it.
He'd lost the one last connection to his home. He would never see Saria again.
Stupid magic. It wasn't fair!
He raised the ocarina high over his head. Ready to smash it against the ground.
"Link!" Navi flew in front of him. "What are you doing? Stop it."
"I can't use it!" Link said. "I'm useless."
"No you are not. Listen to me, it's late. Saria's probably already asleep. Don't do something you're just going to regret a second later."
Link looked at his hand. Had he truly been about to smash it? Was he really that violent? The gift his best friend had given him, and he was just going to destroy it?
Link groaned and lay flat on his back, resting the ocarina beside him. He did not even try to control the tears that flowed down the sides of his face.
"You'll be fine," Navi said to him as he put his arm over his eyes. "I'm here, everything will be better in the morning."
Link did not remember falling asleep, or any dream he had that night. He felt nothing until something nudged at his face. Big wet lips pressed against him, almost as if something was trying to kiss his entire face at once.
He opened his eyes to see Epona, standing over him. Her big eyes peering over his face. She ducked her head and nudged his cheek with her nose. She didn't shake, she didn't seem sick at all.
Link jumped to his feet. "How?"
Epona just gave a friendly whinny and trotted beside him, letting him pet her back and mane. It did not take him long to figure out what must have happened. He rubbed and scratched the horse for a few minutes before he went looking for Navi. He found the fairy asleep within the ocarina, her light far too dim.
"Thank you," Link whispered, before he tucked the ocarina safe where she wouldn't be disturbed. He would let her sleep as long as she needed. Giving Epona one last pat, he left the pen and made the climb back up out of the barn.
As he reached the ledge of the window and pulled himself up. Throwing one leg over until he straddling the wood half in and half out of the barn. Then he stopped. On the horizon far off to the east, the sky shown bright with many colors over the rolling fields he had traveled just the day before.
Oranges and yellows spread over the once dark canvas of the sky. Turning black to blue and the night clouds shimmering with light. The sun started to peak its way over the land, shining rays out across the sky.
Link stared, vowing the next morning he would wake Navi up. And together they would watch the sunrise.