Leaning against the tree felt noticeably more comfortable that evening for Link, though he didn’t notice until he almost feel asleep. He guessed it was because he had gotten rid of that annoying root that had been protruding from the ground and digging into his hip – the hookshot really had countless uses – but he shrugged it off and took advantage of the relaxing position he was in. Who knows? Maybe another root would bother him tomorrow…
Using his hands as a pillow behind his head, Link sighed softly as he watched Din’s Eye set over the distant horizon. The hill on which the tree grew provided not only a magnificent view of the sunset, but also a fantastic view of the land surrounding Lon Lon Ranch. Sure, about the only things he could see were vast plains and maybe the distant silhouette of a village where Talon liked to do business, but it was a splendid view, nevertheless. The sunset only made it more stunning.
He could watch this view all day, every day, if only for the fact that it reminded him of better days…
Just then, he heard soft, rustling footsteps behind him. Footsteps he already knew all too well…
“Hey, Malon,” Link unhurriedly uttered before the farm girl even had a chance to draw up next to him. “Work finish early today?”
Malon positioned herself directly beside Link, her hands clasped together, before she answered his question. “Actually, I’ve still got some hay bales to finish tying, but dad said I deserved a little break after fixing some of the roof tiles from last night’s winds.”
“I see…” Link nodded, not looking up at Malon. “You know, I could easily help you with stuff like that. It’s not like I have anything else to do around here…”
“Yeah, I know,” Malon sighed, “and I think my dad is starting to realize that as well. Maybe if you ask him, you can help me finish the job tomorrow.”
“Hmmm…sure, why not?”
Link’ flat response was followed by an almost uncomfortable silence. Then Malon scratched the back of her neck before timidly looking down and asking, “So, um…how are you feeling this evening?”
Malon’s seemingly innocent question to Link actually held another meaning. It had only been three weeks since Link accepted Malon’s invitation to live on the ranch with her, but already he had developed a sort of habit. Whenever he was alone and Malon approached him, her question was really asking whether Link was in the mood for her company. Sometimes Link was, sometimes he wasn’t, and Malon graciously respected his wishes whatever they may be…
Link blinked slowly a couple times before he gently nodded. “You may join me, if you wish.”
A faint smile crept upon Malon’s lips, though she didn’t say anything in reply. Instead she calmly shuffled her way beside him, pushed the back of her white dress against her legs, and sat down next to the silent Link. Link had somewhat grown used to Malon sitting so close next to him, but when he felt a familiar item brush against his neck he grimaced.
“Could you take your hat off?”
“What…oh, sorry,” Malon apologized before quickly removing the offending straw bonnet and placing it in her lap. “I forgot I had it on.”
Link shakes her head with a sigh. “Don’t worry about it…”
Another silence followed as both Link and Malon quietly watched the sunset, Malon occasionally glancing at Link while Link refused to take one glimpse at the girl sitting next to him. Even though Malon had sat with him like this several times now, he still felt a little uncomfortable being this close to her, especially after he snapped at her during that stormy night.
But something inside him told him to trust his instincts on this one and not the Voice, who had made several attempts to get him to leave the ranch. Normally Link would listen to the Voice’s advice and seriously consider it, but he noticed that the Voice was recently in the habit of trying to force its advice on Link.
All this after the Voice taught Link how to think for himself and get rid of that horrible burden of being the Hero of Time…
“What are you thinking about?” Malon suddenly asked softly, her hands playing with the edges of her straw hat.
Link looked down at his own lap for a moment before looking up again. “Just…stuff, I suppose.”
“About your better days before you became the Hero of Time?”
Link’s hesitation came about only because he felt a little drowsy. “That’s one thing, yes.”
“And how your friends betrayed you?”
This time Link nodded before replying, “That’s another.”
Malon sighed as she placed her straw hat to the side and tucked her hands into her lap. “Do you ever think about the days we spent together when we were younger?”
Malon’s question almost caused Link to look at her this time. It wasn’t the first time he had been caught off guard by her desire not to ask him anything that might offend him. Whenever she was around, he had expected her to say something relating to Sheik or Navi or the Hero of Time in an attempt to make him at least consider returning to those wretched aspects of his past.
But she never did. Not once did she ever make such an attempt, and he didn’t know why. He could only guess that she was trying her best to be the friend everyone else couldn’t be…and after her crying in the rainy fields, that wasn’t too difficult an idea to swallow. And although he found it unusual, Link also found it welcoming. Malon’s apparent attempts not to betray him made him feel more relaxed than he had ever felt since he lost Saria…
Forcing a smile, Link nodded. “Yeah…I think about them sometimes. They do make me feel relaxed.”
Link heard a soft sigh from Malon before feeling her body weight gently lean against his shoulder. Unable to stop her, Link was forced to allow Malon’s head to rest upon his shoulder. The only reaction Link made was to keep his body deadly still so as to allow her to make herself comfortable…
“Just relaxed?” Malon asked with a girlish giggle as she closed her eyes.
Link glanced down, not quite sure what she meant. So he answered the best way he could at that moment. “That and…more?” He then cleared he throat before adding, “By the way, how long is your break?”
Another girlish giggle was heard from the farm girl. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Fairy Boy.”
Link finally briefly looked at Malon, his eyes blinking several times upon hearing that. Fairy Boy…it had been a while since she had called him that name. Maybe it was because she was growing more comfortable around him. If only he could feel the same way…
“No, that’s not what I mean, I…I just, I…” stammered almost nervously.
“I’m just teasing you, silly,” Malon sniggered, her weight slackening more noticeably on Link’s shoulder. “It’s not like I can do that very often anymore.”
Link opened his mouth to protest…but then shut it. She was right. Ever since he had awoken from his seven-year slumber, everything he had encountered was either dangerous or depressing. He never had a chance to experience what he had lost from his earlier years when he still believed he was a Kokiri – the simple things in life that make one feel…needed…and content…
A weak smile formed on Link’s lips as he relaxed his back completely against the tree, dragging the almost limp farm girl with him. He looked out at the sunset again for one moment before he started to say something…and then stopped himself when he noticed Malon’s breathing had grown deep and rhythmic. He carefully glanced to the side and saw that the red-haired girl had already fallen into a deep sleep.
Strangely enough, Link felt a soft chuckle emerge from his smile. “Silly girl…” he whispered softly before returning his gaze to the sunset.
“Still…” he added in his thoughts, “…thank you…for sticking by me...”
The next thing that crossed his mind was wondering how long it would be before Malon woke up…
“Hey, Link!”
At first Link didn’t hear Malon’s voice – he was too busy hammering furiously into the roof beams, his eyes filled with sweat and his teeth clamping down hard on several metal pins intended to hold the tiles in place. It was only when he ceased pounding a nail into the wood in order to wipe some sweat from his brow when he heard a second shout out from the farm girl.
“Link! Hey, Link!”
Carefully standing up on the sloped roof, Link peered as cautiously as he could over the edge and saw Malon standing on the ground a short distance away. “Yeah?” he called down with the nails still in his mouth.
“You’ve been up there for two hours. Fancy a break?” A wry smile formed on her lips. “I’ve got water.”
“Water…” Link repeated with several rapid breaths. He turned around and spat the pins between his teeth into a nearby bucket filled with tacks. “Sounds good. I’ll be right there.”
Wiping his brow one more time, Link placed the hammer inside the pin bucket before making his way to the ladder leaning against the edge of the roof. Sure, he could’ve easily jumped down from the roof and landed on the ground with ease…but not today. He wasn’t in the mood. Still, that didn’t prevent him from using the ladder as a sort of slide, placing his hands and feet against the edges and skating along them without setting one foot on the rungs.
Upon landing of the ground, Link took one final series of rapid breaths before he made his way to Malon, who was waiting patiently for him with a bucket of water and a handled cup. She smiled cutely as she placed the bucket on the ground and drew some water from it using the cup. “Here you go,” she grinned, offering Link the cup.
Link accepted the cup with a nod. “Thank you,” he uttered before partially turning around, taking a sip of the water. “Ahhh, that hit’s the spot…huh? What’s this?”
As he lowered the cup from his lips, he felt something soft drape across his shoulders. He looked behind him to see Malon wrapping a towel behind his neck. The girl looked up at him and gave him her recognizable, cutesy grin. “Thought you’d might like to wipe yourself off.”
A faint smile formed on Link’s lips. “Again, thank you…”
Link then proceeded to sink his free hand into the towel and use it to wipe off the sweat under his chin and around the base of his neck. He immediately felt cooler than before, but he didn’t stop there. Though he had taken his shirt off, he could still feel sweat dripping inside every crevasse of his muscular chest and along his burly arms. He dabbed across his torso and along his pecks, trying to cleanse as much sweat off his skin as possible, before he took the cup and splashed the remaining water across his face to soak out the sweat in his hair. Without his hat, his golden locks fluttered in the gentle breeze as he combed his hair back with his fingers, feeling the water drip down his bare skin…
Just then, he caught sight of Malon out of the corner of his eye. Her gaze was fixed firmly on him, watching him closely and quietly. Her mouth gaped slightly open…and she was blushing…
“Are you all right, Malon?” Link inquired.
Malon instantly snapped out of her stupor, her eyes widening in surprise and realization. She looked around frantically, her flush growing redder as she tried covering her cheeks with her hands.
“You’re looking a little red there,” Link continued. “Are you feeling okay…?”
“I’m fine!” Malon suddenly squealed, her voice filled with embarrassment. “I just…need to…find my hat…yes, that’s it…this heat must be getting to me…I need to go find my hat…”
Link cocked his head a little to the side, one of his eyebrows raised in puzzlement. “It’s on your head.”
Malon’s eyes somehow got even wider as one of her hands reached up to her scalp. Sure enough, her straw sunhat was resting upon her brow, protecting her from the sun. She remained silent and still for an entire minute after that, frozen as if being caught for something she didn’t want anyone else to know about.
But before Link could say something, Malon abruptly laughed. It was a noticeably forced laugh, but a laugh nevertheless. “Ah, ha, ha! So it is! Yes, you’re right! It is on my head! Thank you for finding it for me, Link! Now I must go and attend to the Cukoos! Work hard and…stuff! Good bye!”
Without another word, Malon swiveled around and started marching rigidly away towards the Cuckoo coops, still giving off that same uneasy laugh. Link watched her strut away for a couple moments…before grinning ear to ear with a snicker.
“Silly girl…” he mumbled to himself before wiping some water from his eyes with the towel.
As he lowered the towel from his eyes, he caught sight of moment again out of the corner of his eye, this time in the direction of the horse barn. He turned his head to see Ingo entering the barn through the large double doors, carrying a bucket and a pitchfork. The farmhand didn’t seem to notice Link, but he did appear to be in some kind of a hurry.
As he watched Ingo disappear into the barn, Link’s eyes narrowed…
********************
“There’s a good girl. You really like these things, don’t you?”
Ingo’s mustache twitched as he smiled; he even emitted a soft giggle as the tongue of the brown mare Lana tickled his palm to lap up the food in his hand. Once his hand had been completely cleaned out, Ingo used the same hand to pet Lana’s snout; the mare responded with an approving snort.
“You’ve got to keep up your strength,” Ingo added as he reached down to pick up his bucket of feed. “You never know when Talon might need you.”
The farmhand then looked around for the next horse to feed. Twilight had set in several hours ago, and the only light available was that of a few candles perched on candlesticks in the middle of the barn, away from any possible flammable material like straw. Only now was he even remotely close to finishing his chores for the day, but he didn’t mind. After all, he appreciated the extra time as a way to bond with the horses.
Funny, isn’t it, he thought. Almost all his life he considered horses to be mindless beasts whose only redeeming value was their high prices to potential sellers. It was only after that green-clad boy came close to killing him and when Malon took pity on him did he realize what he had been missing out on. Sure, he was still terrified of that boy – why was he still here, anyway? – but it was because of him that he felt more at peace than before…
“Hmm, who’s next?” Ingo wondered aloud as he shuffled his way towards another stall…
“Nice to see you’re doing your job, Ingo.”
“That voice…” Ingo felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end when he recognized the owner of that voice. He turned around, expecting to see the owner standing behind him with a sword ready to sink into his back…but he didn’t. There was nobody there.
“Wh-where are y-you…?” Ingo called out, trying to sound as brave as he could.
“You’re scared of me, aren’t you?” the owner of the voice called out, refusing Ingo’s request to show himself. “That’s good. You should be afraid of me, because I can kill you where you stand if I so desire.”
Blood drained from Ingo’s face when he heard that, and his feet glued themselves to the floor as if they were lead. But he somehow found the courage to call out again, “Where…are you…?”
“I’m right here, to your left.”
Ingo’s head twisted itself in the indicated direction, his eyes wide with anticipated horror. At first he didn’t see anything but shadows hiding from the candlelight, but he soon saw something hiding in the shadows just a stone’s throw away. The outline of a tall boy cloaked in shade was visible, and twinkling in the faint torch light was a pair of narrowed, piercing eyes glaring in Ingo’s direction.
“You…you…” Ingo uttered, his voice completely hoarse as he looked into those cold, uncaring eyes…
“My name is Link, for your information,” the green-clad boy interrupted as he stepped forward into the candlelight, allowing his entire body to be seen clearly. Unlike earlier in the afternoon, Link was wearing all of his clothes, even his trademark long hat. However, Ingo noticed something curious about the boy: he wasn’t wearing any of his weapons…but not that that made much of a difference. As Ingo knew all too well, the boy could kill someone with just his bare hands…
“Go ahead, say my name,” Link stated as he crossed his arms. “It won’t hurt you.”
Still frozen in fear in his place, Ingo forced himself to say the boy’s name. “L-L….Liiii…Linnnnnnn…L-L-Liiiinnnnnkkkkkk…Link…”
A grin formed on the boy’s lips. “There, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?”
Ingo could feel his throat grow numb as he nodded in agreement. “What…what do you want…Link…?”
“What do I want?” Link asked as he rolled his eyes upward to glance at the ceiling. “Why, I wanted to talk, that’s all.”
Ingo blinked his eyes several times. “T-t-t-t-talk…?”
“That’s right,” Link nodded as he took a step closer to Ingo, almost startling the frightened farmhand. “I’ve been thinking, Ingo…don’t you think it’s time we buried the hatchet?”
At first Ingo thought Link was going to produce an actual hatchet and bury its blade into his back…but when he realized Link wasn’t using the phrase literally, he had to shake his head a little before he could say anything. “W-what…?”
“I can still remember that day…the day you hit Malon after getting angry with her. I can still remember you pinning her to the ground and punching her face with your fists…over…and over…and over…so you can understand why I wanted very much to kill you, right?”
Though a little confused, Ingo forced himself to nod at Link’s question.
“And then I saw you again upon returning to the ranch. Boy, you have no idea how much I just wanted to wring your filthy little neck and squeeze your windpipe until you dropped dead at my feet.”
As he revealed this bit of information, Link held out his hand and clutched his fingers together, as if demonstrating to Ingo how he would’ve done so. Into could feel the fear returning inside him, and he half-expected Link to leap forward and complete the deed right there and then…
“However…”
Link’s hand drooped to his side as he relaxed his shoulders and released a soft sigh. Ingo felt his jaw drop in confusion.
“…it seems that Malon doesn’t see you worthy of such a fate. According to her, you’ve changed from that ugly little man who liked to beat up little girls into a hard worker who loves what he does…as well as the horses he takes care of.” Link then stole a glance towards the mare Lana. “And from what I’ve seen lately…there is no reason not to believe it.”
A little bit of courage returned to Ingo, but he still felt glued to the floor with the towering figure of Link over him. “What…what are you saying?” the farmhand asked nervously.
“What I’m saying,” Link uttered with a grin as he faced Ingo again, “is that I see no reason to hold any animosity towards you any longer. Therefore, I think it’s time we became friends. I’m going to be staying at this ranch for quite a while, so it probably wouldn’t be a good idea for one of us to harbor any bad feelings about each other, right?”
Ingo couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was this boy really trying to be…friends with him?
“Are you…serious…?” Ingo asked, almost flabbergasted.
“Why would I not be?” Link asked. “As you can see, I carry no weapons with me. This is a goodwill offering, my dear Ingo. I want to end all this tension between us and get to know each other. Who knows, maybe we can actually eat with one another at the same table?”
Ingo was still too astounded to really grasp what he was hearing. “Well, I…that does sound…sound rather nice…”
“Then it’s settled!” Link cried as he slammed one of his hands on Ingo’s shoulder. “Glad to hear it!”
Ingo nearly leapt into the air in panic when Link placed a hand on his shoulder, but the farmhand somehow forced himself to relax. He could still feel himself shaking rather nervously, but when he looked up into Link’s eyes he noticed they were no longer cold and hostile. They actually looked…sincere…and inviting…
“So how about we shake on it?” Link proposed with a grin as he stretched out his hand.
Ingo glanced at Link’s hand warily before slowly raising a noticeably quivering hand and slipping it into Link’s. Link’s smile widened even further as he firmly gripped Ingo’s stubby hand and shook it firmly. As he did, Ingo could feel his worries starting to melt away. Maybe Link really did want to be his friend and bury all the negative feelings between them. Maybe he really did want a fresh start.
Even though it sounded corny, Ingo almost wanted to cry…
“Thank you…very much, Master Link…” Ingo muttered happily.
“Please, just call me Link,” the boy insisted as he slowed down the shaking of their hands.
For the first time since seeing Link in the barn, Ingo finally smiled. “Very well…thank you very much, Link. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it,” Link stated.
Feeling much better, Ingo nodded in Link’s direction. He then shook Link’s hand himself before trying to pull it out of Link’s grip…but was unable to do so…
“Um, excuse me…?” Ingo politely asked as he looked down at his hand caught in Link’s firm grasp. “Could you please…?”
“Oh, there’s one more thing I need to tell you, Ingo,” Link calmly pointed out.
Ingo again looked up at Link, who was still grinning from ear to ear. “One more thing? What’s tha….eeeeeeaaaaaaaah…”
“Just this,” Link asserted coolly, ignoring Ingo’s cry. “Even though we’re friends now, don’t think for a second I’m not keeping an eye on you. You changing into who you are now does not mean you can’t change back into what you were before.”
“But…I….eeeeeooooooaaaaaaa….” Ingo moaned, his arm quivering as he grit his teeth together.
“Just remember, Ingo. I have no patience for people I don’t trust. You were lucky that Malon was there to save your hide, and you’re lucky again that you are who she claims you are. I’m willing to put aside my desire to kill you and get along with you. But if I see you step out of line, if I see you harm even one hair on Malon’s head, don’t think for a second I won’t cut off your head and use it for a ball. Do we understand one another?”
“Aaaaaaaarrrrrrreeeeeiiiiiii…” Ingo grunted. “Aaaaaaiiiiiiii…I understand…eeeeerrg…!”
Link nodded. “Wonderful. In that case, why don’t you come up to the farmhouse once you’re finished with your work? Talon made some delicious ham sandwiches tonight, and I’m sure you’d love some, right?”
“Eeeeeerrrrr…yes…I’d love some…”
“Excellent. I’ll see you later then, Ingo.”
“Yes…see you…eeeeeeeeee…later…”
With a final nod, Link released Ingo’s hand, turned around, and disappeared into the darkness of the barn, leaving Ingo to kneel the ground and tend to the throbbing pain in his crushed hand…
********************
The study was quiet. So quiet that Malon could swear she could hear the heartbeat of a field mouse outside the chamber window. But Malon was grateful for the silence, as it allowed her to hear anyone approach the room. The door was closed and the only light source came from a single candle resting on the tabletop. That was all Malon needed as she silently sat in the chair at the table, reading the letter in her hands.
She scanned the letter thoroughly, reading every word carefully. Not that she needed to: the letter’s intent was clear from the very first line. She knew very well that if Link read this letter, he would be furious. Therefore, she had to make sure Link never did read this. After reading through the letter a final time, Malon folded the letter and reached for an envelope resting on the table…
“Malon? Malon, are you in there?”
“Link…oh, no!”
Malon didn’t even need to hear Link’s voice to know that he was approaching the room, his footsteps growing louder with every step. Wasting no time, Malon quickly stuffed the letter inside the envelope and held it over the candle flame. The paper envelope instantly caught alight, the fires beginning to eat away at the packet and the documents contained inside. The farm girl then looked behind her and tossed the burning package into the fireplace; the envelope landed among the charred coals with barely a fuss, the only sound heard being the flames eating away at the paper…
Just then, the door to the study opened, the flame from the candle giving off enough light to illuminate the framework of Link standing in the doorway.
“Oh, hi, Link,” Malon said with a wide smile.
Link looked around the room for a moment before looking back at the farm girl. “What are you doing in here? It’s too dark to do anything…”
“I was just taking a brief nap, that’s all,” Malon calmly revealed. “I was reading a good book earlier but my eyes felt heavy after the long day’s work, so I decided rather than walk all the way to my bed I’d just sleep inside this cozy chair.”
A look of misgiving crept into Link’s eyes. “All right, but…are you sure you’re all right?”
“Positive,” Malon insisted with a girlish grin. “In any case, what did you want me for?”
Link suddenly shook his head in remembrance. “Oh, yeah…Ingo coming in later to join me for a bite to eat. I was wondering if you were interested in joining us.”
Malon’s eyes lit up as she clasped her hands. “Ingo…you mean you and Ingo are actually…?”
“Yeah,” Link admitted sheepishly. “You were right about him. He has changed. I guess there’s no harm in getting to know him.”
Without another word, Malon threw herself to her feet and danced her way towards Link. “In that case, I’d love to join you two, if only to see you two get along.”
A gentle smile emerged from Link’s lips…before it disappeared as he scanned the dark room one more time. “Good to hear…but are you sure everything’s all right in here?”
“Of course it is, silly,” Malon giggled as she stepped her way next to Link and slipped her arm around Link’s, leaning her head partially on his shoulder. “So come on, how about being a gentleman and leading a poor, defenseless girl through this dark and dangerous house to the kitchen?”
Link wanted to open his mouth to protest, but the look in Malon’s eyes – that look all girls had perfected to bewitch any and all guys they saw – made him close his mouth. “Very well…mi’lady. Right this way.”
With a final glance inside the room, Link led Malon out of the study and down the passageway toward the kitchen, where Ingo would be waiting for them soon enough. Malon, clinging to his arm like a Barinade, hummed a tune softly to herself; Link smiled a little as he listened to the tune, but he couldn’t get something out of his mind…
—She’s hiding something from you—
The Voice…
—That little wench clinging to your arm is hiding something from you. You saw it. I know you did. Something was burning inside the fireplace—
“Yes, I did,” Link admitted to the voice in his mind. “So what?”
—So what? She’s deceiving you! Can’t you see that? She’s plotting something against you! I warned you not to stay here, and look what’s going on! When will you open your eyes and see her lies…?—
“I trust Malon! Malon will not betray me! Unless I see solid proof that says otherwise, it’s your lies that I refuse to believe!”
Link could swear he felt something snap inside him when he said that.
—You…you…how dare you tell me something like that after all I’ve done for you!—
“You’ve been very useful to me, and I have followed your advice more times than I can count. However, when you slander the only person who actually understands how I feel, then you’re pushing your limits.”
Link’s skull almost became an echoing chamber when the Voice responded.
—Pushing my limits? Are you mocking me now?—
“Maybe I am,” Link responded with an irritated sneer. “You’ve been trying to convince me to leave this ranch every other day since I got here…and my patience is wearing thin. I am not your slave. You were born from an accident, and you should be damn-well grateful that I’ve allowed you to stay a part of me as long as I have!”
The rage building up inside Link was so powerful that Link had to grit his own teeth to hold it back.
—You…ungrateful…little…bastard…you’ve insulted me before, but now you’ve gone too far! I said you would regret not leaving this ranch and that little witch behind…but what I wouldn’t give to personally make that come about…—
“Are you threatening me?” Link demanded.
The Voice’s answer itself was a question.
—What do you think, you son of a…?—
“Link…are you all right?”
Link snapped his attention back to Malon, who was looking up at him as they passed by a torch in the hallway.
“What…do you mean, Malon?” Link asked.
“Your face…it looks tight, almost as if you’re…angry with something. Did I do something to upset you?”
Upon hearing that question, Link quickly countered with a sincere smile and a shake of his head. “No…of course not. Forget about it. It’s nothing important.”
Neither Link nor Malon – nor the Voice, for that matter – said another word as they headed for the kitchen.
********************
“Hey, Ingo! Ingo!”
As the farmhand scuttled his way towards the chicken coop with a bucket of feed in his hand, he heard Link’s cry behind him and stopped, turning around to see the green-clad boy slowly heading his way from the farmhouse.
“Yes, Link?” Ingo called out.
“Have you seen Malon anywhere?” Link asked, twisting his head around in every direction. “I can’t find her.”
“Miss Malon? Oh, I believe she’s currently in the milk storage barn at the other end of the farm.”
“What’s she doing there?” Link inquired with a curious look.
“We’ve managed to store enough milk to begin making milk products again,” Ingo answered. “She wanted to test the churning equipment with some excess milk.”
Link turned his direction to the milk storage barn, standing quietly at the far end of the ranch on the other side of the horse field. He smiled a little before looking at Ingo again. “Much obliged,” he uttered with a twist of his hand.
“You’re welcome,” Ingo nodded with a grin of his own before turning back around and continuing on his way to the chicken coop.
Link could’ve paused for a moment to watch Ingo leave, could’ve paused to think how the farmhand no longer feared Link as he once did. It was about a month ago when Link had given Ingo his offer of conditional friendship, and Ingo had naturally been very cautious of accepting the offer. However, after looking past Link’s understandable suspicions, Ingo saw that Link really was sincere in establishing a friendship with him, if only for convenience. Of course, Ingo had to get past several days of jitters for just standing within ten steps of Link, but within about two weeks both Link and Ingo were waving to one another with smiles on their faces.
But Link didn’t pause to reminisce – in fact, he didn’t pause at all. Instead, he wiped some hair from his eyes before marching his way towards the milk house.
He reached the milk house after a fifteen-minute walk, the mighty Din’s Eye in the sky indicating it was a little past noon. The door to the house was slightly ajar, and inside Link could hear soft squelching sounds, following by several huffs that definitely belonged to a certain farm girl – she was apparently doing something that required manual labor.
Without bothering to knock, Link pushed the door open and stepped inside the barn. “Hello? Malon?”
He spotted her instantly as he entered the dimly lit shed, the only light coming from sunlight shining through several windows dotted around the room. Standing at the far end of the chamber with her back to Link, she was hovering over a large vertical tub. In her hands she held a thick, wooden staff with an enormous, knotty head at one end, the other plunged inside the tub. And even from where he was standing, Link could see a milky substance swirling around the container…
“Oh…Link,” Malon called out in surprise as she turned her head, her hands still holding the rod. “What are you doing here?”
“I was waiting for you to come to lunch, but you never came,” Link answered as he stepped into the room calmly. “So I went looking for you. What are you doing, exactly?”
A smirk formed on Malon’s lips. “Isn’t it obvious, Fairy Boy?” she asked. “I’m churning butter.”
Link scratched his head as he moved up next to the farm girl. “Butter? I’ve never heard of butter. What is it…?”
“You know that gooey, yellow stuff dad likes to put on our bread?” Malon giggled softly before she took the staff in her hands and thrust it several times firmly inside the milky soup, creating more of the squelch sounds Link had heard earlier. “That’s butter. We’ve had a good supply for a while now, but we’re beginning to run out, so I decided to try out some of the equipment again.”
Link took a brief stroll around the butter churner, tilting his hear curiously at the tub as he watched Malon give several more firm pitches into the broth. “It looks tiring,” he commented.
“Yes, it is,” Malon admitted as she paused for a breather. “This used to be done by some of the stronger farmhands on the ranch before Ingo…I mean, before Ganondorf ruined everything, but since they’re all gone…”
Link looked up to stare Malon in the eyes. “So you do this all by yourself?”
“Sadly, yes…but my dad says he is hoping to hire more hands within the upcoming weeks. This’ll be one of the first jobs he’ll be looking for. But until then…” Malon then hammered her point home with another thrust of the butter staff.
With a grin and a soft chuckle, Link shifted his eyes to the staff. “Mind if I…give it a shot?”
Malon, who had been focusing more on the butter than Link the whole time, looked up. “You want to? It’s nothing glamorous, I can assure you…”
“Sure, why not?” Link insisted. “I fixed your roof, so this should be no trouble at all.”
Malon couldn’t help but chuckle a little herself. “Well, if you’re so dead-set on trying this out, then okay. I see no harm in it.” She then shifted her weight a little to the side before using her eyes to point towards a portion of the staff above her hands. “Grab that, would you?”
Link wasted no time in wrapping his hands around the rod, gripping it tightly.
“Good,” Malon said with a smile. “Now, then…churning butter is actually a delicate process. You might think you can just pound away at it as hard as you can, but you mustn’t. You have to be firm but gentle, and move at a very leisurely pace. Got it?”
Link replied with a nod.
“All right, then…on my count, begin churning as slowly as you can. One…two…three…”
On the last count, both Link and Malon yanked the staff upward in a firm but slow tug. The two of them then initiated a downward pull, dragging the sunken end of the rod into the murky mixture sitting in the tub and creating another soft squelch. A soft thud was heard as the end of the rod struck the bottom of the barrel, and Link and Malon began the cycle again with another upward pull.
They performed this cycle several times before Link started to get the hang of it. “Hmm, this is pretty fun, actually.”
Malon gave Link a raised eyebrow. “You do, do you? After several straight hours of doing this, you’d probably beg me to take over for you.”
“No, I’m serious,” Link asserted. “It’s a good way to get some exercise. My arms are already burning with all the movement.”
Malon’s face twisted into a typical, girlish “oh, really?” type of look. “Oh, really? So you’re really growing stronger because of this, Fairy Boy?”
“Naturally,” Link uttered with a confident look in his eyes. “My muscles are already feeling stronger, and my grip is growing tighter…”
Just as he said that, Link’s hand suddenly slipped free from his grip across the staff as he attempted to pull the rod downward too fast.
“Oh, cripes!” he mumbled loudly as he attempted to grab the shaft again. But instead of grasping the long, hard wooden bar, Link’s hands instead wrapped around something far more softer: Malon’s own hands.
“Oh, bugger, I’m sorry about that, I…” Link muttered apologetically as he looked up…before he fell silent upon seeing Malon’s face.
The farm girl’s cheeks were flushed all over, and her mouth was hanging slightly open in gentle surprise. Her eyes gazed quietly into Link’s, her voice unable to say a single word. Link himself was a bit surprised by how Malon looked, and he waited for her to do something to move her hands away from his.
But the movement didn’t come. He could feel her hands quivering underneath his, but they weren’t shivering out of fear – there was a look in her eyes that instead hinted at something else. The quickening pulse in her wrist indicated her heartbeat was racing, and he could hear her breath grow short. And yet despite her obvious tenseness, Link couldn’t help but think that Malon was liking this uncomfortable moment.
In a delayed reflex, Link’s hands carefully wrapped around Malon’s trembling palms. “Malon…”
“You want to continue churning the butter while I go get us a drink?” the farm girl abruptly interjected, her anxiety vanishing as she beamed the largest grin Link had ever seen from her. “That’s wonderful! You seem to have a hang of this.”
Before Link could even respond, Malon jerked her hands out from beneath Link’s, leaving his palms wrapped around the churning staff. Malon seemed to giggle as she clasped her hands behind her back and staggered backwards away from the butter barrel, still grinning like an idiot.
“I’ll be right back, okay? You just continue churning like I showed you. See you in a bit!”
Without another word, Malon turned and started skipping – yes, skipping! – her way outside the milk barn, her arms waving around gracelessly and her voice singing a bizarre “la-la-la” version of Epona’s Song. Within a matter of moments she was gone, leaving Link all alone in the shed, dumbfounded and still grasping the churning stick.
It took him a moment to snap out of the stupor. He wanted to shrug off the incident and once again label Malon as a “silly girl”, but he couldn’t this time. Something was going on with Malon…heck, something was going on with him. There was something about that girl that was having an effect on him. He thought he could ignore it, but apparently even that was starting to become difficult. Not just five minutes ago he had her hands in his, and he was about to say…to say…what was he about say to her, anyway?
He really needed to talk to her about this. He wanted to set things straight with her…sometime…some…day…
But for now, he had butter to churn…
********************
The day was a bright and cheerful one, Ingo thought. There was supposed to be rain coming sometime within the next couple weeks, but that didn’t detract from the beautiful day it was this day. As he paused his shoveling of horse manure into a cart outside the barn to wipe some sweat from his brow, Ingo couldn’t help but grin to himself as he thought for the millionth time how lucky he was to work for this ranch.
Even Link was no longer an issue for him. Three days ago Link had casually asked him where Malon was, and only yesterday he had talked with Link over a friendly bottle of wine. Sure, he knew that Link was still “keeping an eye on him”, but Ingo was sure that even Link realized that such a precaution was no longer necessary. In fact, Link was actually a decent fellow, and until Talon hired new hands for the ranch, Link was basically the only real friend Ingo had while doing his chores. The boy even volunteered to shovel the manure tomorrow!
Giggling softly to himself, Ingo released a contented sigh before returning to his work…
Just then, a large shadow fell over him. The farmhand instinctively looked up, expecting to see a cloud blocking the sun…but to his surprise he saw Din’s Eye’s face staring back at him unhindered.
“That’s odd…” Ingo started when he heard a loud and scratchy voice behind him.
“’ello, Ingo. Fancy seein’ you ’ere doin’ the muck work.”
Ingo instantly froze in alarm. “No…it can’t be…”
Before he could turn around to confirm it, Ingo felt a sharp blow against his chest…
********************
“You coming outside to help feed the horses?” Malon asked Link at the doorway of the ranch house, her straw hat partially blocking her eyes.
“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute,” Link answered, his right foot resting on the lowest step of the staircase to the second floor. “There’s just something I need to pick up first.”
Malon smiled. “All right, but don’t keep me waiting. I’ll scold you if you make me impatient.”
Link snickered. “Don’t worry. Just go on. I’ll be out quick, I promise.”
Malon giggled. “You’d better, Fairy Boy.” With those words, Malon turned and disappeared outside.
When the last trace of the farm girl was gone, Link hurried up the stairs to the top floor. He then made a dash for his room, entered it, and quickly began searching his chamber for one of his pouches. He found the pouch rather quickly lying on his dresser, and he fished his hand inside to dig out something from within. When he pulled the object out, he smiled, satisfied.
The Ocarina of Time seemed to glisten in his hands against the light peering through the window. Link hadn’t used the instrument in a long time, but he decided that now was a perfect time to use it. He had been using Saria’s fairy ocarina to practice Epona’s Song for the past couple days now, and he felt now was a good time to play it for Malon. And what better instrument to play the song on than the Ocarina of Time? Sure, he still loathed what the instrument stood for, but that didn’t diminish the fact that the sounds it produced were utterly gorgeous.
Still smiling, Link returned the ocarina to its pouch and clipped the pouch to his belt…
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!”
********************
Malon could feel her legs grow numb as her face drained of blood, growing a shade of ghostly white. She had only taken a few steps out of the farmhouse when she noticed Ingo lying on the ground, clutching his side while moaning in agonizing pain. Horrified, she had attempted to rush to his side…before seeing what had knocked him to the ground in the first place.
And it was the sight of Ingo’s attackers that sent an icy chill up Malon’s spine.
She had only seen Moblins once in her lifetime, and that was seven years ago. When Ingo had sworn allegiance to Ganondorf, the King of Evil had sent some of his vicious animal-like troops to clear the farm of everyone Ingo wanted gone, including Talon. Malon could still vividly remember watching a Moblin grab her father and carry him away from the ranch, never to been again for seven long years. It was that image that sometimes haunted Malon in her dreams, and standing before her were not one but three incarnations of that image.
All three Moblins were dressed in a thick, protective armor decorated with intricate joints and markings, suggesting they were part of Ganondorf’s more personal army. The lead Moblin carried a deadly-looking sword while the other two wielded a pair of blade-tipped pikes. Every inch of their bodies were hidden save their faces, which boasted the same ugly mugs that Malon could still see in her nightmares: rot-colored skin, dangerous jaws, and emotionless and cruel eyes. They carried an air of unusual intelligence, but it was obvious they could kill whenever they chose.
Perches on the head Moblin’s shoulder was a giant vulture-like bird. Covered from tail to beak in pitch-black feathers, the bird seemed to twist its neck around into bizarre contortions every few seconds. Its beak was red with disease, but it snapped furiously as it released a series of ear-splitting squawks. But the most commanding feature of the bird was its eyes…those sinister eyes…
Just then, the head Moblin saw Malon. “’ello…and ’oo do we ’ave ’ere? Isn’t this the li’l brat Ingo wanted ’o keep when we threw out ’er ol’ man?”
Neither Ingo, Malon, or the two accompanying Moblins responded to the question, so the head Moblin spat to the side. “What’s goin’ on ’ere? Somethin’ ain’t right ’ere…”
Suddenly, before the head Moblin could finish, an exhausted-looking Talon ran into view. “Malon! Malon! What’s going on? I heard you scream…by the Three Goddesses!”
As Talon caught sight of the Moblins, the Moblins caught sight of the ranch owner. The head Moblins sneered as he watched Talon quickly make his way next to his daughter, who was still terrified to move.
“Well, well, well,” the head Moblin grunted. “If it ain’t Talon, the former ’ead owner of this ’ere ranch. What are you doin’ back ’ere? I though’ we threw you ou’ when I las’ saw you.”
Despite the obvious fear in his eyes, Talon wasn’t about to let the Moblins stare him down. “What are you doing on my ranch, you blaggers?” he demanded.
The head Moblin jerked his head back in surprise. “You’ ranch, is it?” He then returned his attention to Ingo, who was still sprawled on the ground. “I though’ this was ’is ranch. Since when di’ it become yours again?”
Talon’s face curled up in anger. “That doesn’t matter! It’s my ranch again, and you are not welcome here! So either state your business or just get out!”
The head Moblin remained silent for a moment…before breaking out into a cruel snicker. “State our business, ey? Su’ah, why not?” The head Moblin then lifted his sword and used it to point to the squirming Ingo. “This ’ere li’l man promised our lord Ganondorf that should we e’er need ’orses, we could al’ays come by and buy some. Well, we need ’orses, so we’re ’ere to buy ’em. And since you’re now ’ead of this ’ere ranch…” The direction of the sword shifted, now pointing towards Talon and a frightened Malon. “…you’ll ’ave to supply us wi’h wha’ we need.”
The head Moblin’s voice was powerful and threatening, but Talon didn’t seem swayed by it in the lead. “I’ll do no such thing!” he bellowed as bravely as he could. “I do not serve the wretched man you call your king, and I don’t aim to start.”
Talon’s defiant speech could’ve easily angered the Moblins, but the head Moblin only laughed. “Oh, really? An’ I suppose you’a goin’ to jus’ defy the great lord Ganondorf the res’ of you’ natural life?”
Talon hesitated for a moment, but only for a moment. “You bet I am!”
The ranch owner’s answer made the head Moblin laugh even more. “This ’s too rich, I tell ya! You really amuse me. An’ I suppose there’s nothin’ I can do ta change you’ answer?”
Talon’s stern look in his face was all the answer the head Moblin needed.
“’ery well. Then I ’ave no choice but to make you eat those words you jus’ spoke.” The head Moblin’s cold eyes then shifted from Talon to his terrified daughter standing next to him. “’ow’s about I get a li’l frien’ly with the dame standin’ next ta you?”
Talon’s rebellious look instantly changed to one of horror. He glanced at Malon, who was on the verge of fainting, before looking back at the head Moblin. “No! I’d rather die before letting you do that to my Malon!”
“Malon…is ’at ’er name, is it? Marv’lous. I’d ’ate to do what I’m a’out ta do to ’er wi’out knowin’ ’er name.”
Then, with an evil sneer on its piggish lips, the head Moblin took a step forward, the vulture on its shoulder squawking loudly…
“You will not harm Miss Malon!”
Without warning, Ingo darted from behind the head Moblin and in front of Talon and Malon, his eyes full of determination. The farmhand glared angrily at the Moblin as he stood between the ranch owner and his daughter, his body shaking in fear but resolved not to let the evil brute past.
“What’s h’is, ey?” the head Moblin inquired, perplexed. “I ‘ought I knocked you ou’…”
“You thought wrong!” Ingo snarled, his hands held up in protection of the two people standing behind him. “And I will not let you pass! These people mean everything to me! To get past me, you’ll have to kill me first!”
The head Moblin took less than a second to consider Ingo’s challenge. He grinned with a ominous snarl and nodded. “All ’ight! If ’at’s what you want…”
The head Moblin then raised his powerful sword into the air, ready to bring it down on the foolishly brave farmhand standing at his feet. Ingo’s eyes widened in terror as he watched the blade rise, while Talon and Malon could feel their hearts skip a beat…
EEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW…TUK…
A loud squelch sound brought everyone’s attention to behind the head Moblin, where the two other Moblins were patiently waiting for their leader to finish his business. At first they wondered what had just happened, but it didn’t take long for them to see: the face of one of the Moblins had a new decoration located deep within its right eye.
An arrow.
Without even moving so much as a muscle in response, the pierced Moblin took several seconds before his limp body collapsed to the ground, a loud clang erupting across the ranch as the armor buckled in on itself. The remaining Moblin squealed in shock as he finally noticed what had happened to his comrade, and everyone else’s minds quickly wondered who had fired that projectile…
“Well, done, Ingo. I’m very proud of you.”
Malon, Talon, Ingo, and the two Moblins looked up, their gazes fixing on an open window on the second floor of the farmhouse. There, peering through the window with an empty bow in his right hand, was a smiling young boy clad in green.
“Link…” Malon whispered.
“”oo are you!” the head Moblin demanded.
Link didn’t respond, but instead he threw the bow aside back inside the window and leapt out, his feet landing on the roof with a firm crunch. The boy then proceeded to slide his way down the sloped roof, his feet kicking up tiles on his way down. Just as Link reached the edge of the roof, he dived into the air, twisting his body around a couple times before landing firmly on the ground. As he looked up, he grinned wryly in the direction of the head Moblin.
“’oo are you, you li’l bugger!” the head Moblin screamed. “Tell me or I’ll…!”
But Link again refused to respond. Instead he darted forward, running past his farm friends and the head Moblin towards the other Moblin soldier. As he did, everyone thought they could hear a soft hissing sound…
“Get ’him!” the head Moblin ordered the other Moblin, the vulture on his shoulder screeching uncontrollably. “Get ’im an’…!”
But his cries were too little, too late. Before the other Moblin even had a chance to raise his pike in defense, Link reached the Moblin and made his move. With a powerful lunge, he thrust his left arm into the Moblin’s face, pressing something into the Moblin’s gaping, gnashing mouth. The Moblin, caught off guard by the attack, stumbled backwards and landed on his back with a loud bang.
Link could’ve easily made another move on the Moblin, but he didn’t. Instead he turned around and started walking towards the head Moblin his friends. The head Moblin, confused, blurted out, “What’s goin’ on ’ere…?”
But he had little time to ask when the other Moblin started screaming uncontrollably, thrashing his arms and legs around feverishly. Everyone but Link took a closer look at the sprawled Moblin, and finally managed to catch a glimpse of why the Moblin was acting so frantically. Yes, Link had forced something into the Moblin’s mouth, all right.
A lit bomb.
“Wha’ the…?” the head Moblin stammered before he was again interrupted…
FUUUUUUMMMM…
The bomb exploded with a violent brilliance, creating a tall plume of smoke just seconds after it detonated, destroying everything around it…including the Moblin “holding” it. The Moblin’s hysterical squeals were instantaneously silenced by the deafening sonic boom, and then a deafening stillness washed over the ranch.
And there, framed by the luminous blast and standing perfectly still with his back turned to the flash, was Link. His entire figure was silhouetted by the cloud for just a moment before the head Moblin could make out Link’s features again, and when he could it was his turn to freeze in horror.
Link was still smiling, but now his smile was just like the Moblin’s: cold, cruel, and threatening. His eyes were glaring directly at the remaining Moblin with a vicious look, one that wasn’t satisfied with just killing two of the three Moblins in the immediate vicinity…
“You asked who I was?” Link stated loudly but calmly. “I’ll tell you who I am. I’m your path to Hael.”
Those words were enough to make the head Moblin tense up for a moment…and that moment was all Link needed. Without warning the boy charged forward, making a beeline straight for the Moblin. The head Moblin tried to fend off the attack by swinging its sword at its attacker, but the swing missed its target by a mile.
Link snickered loudly as he approached the Moblin and, with a powerful blow using his shoulder, collided with the Moblin and forced the beast to the ground. The vulture screeched angrily as the head Moblin fell, and the bird spread its wings and flew off its perch as the head Moblin landed on the ground with a soft thud.
The head Moblin tried to get up, but Link was too quick. Without giving the creature a chance to even think, Link thrust something into the Moblin’s mouth. This time, however, instead of a bomb, Link pushed in the tipped end of his hookshot.
The head Moblin’s eyes widened with terror as Link’s eyes grew wide with anticipation. A laugh forming on Link’s lips, he squeezed the trigger…
“Link…!”
SKLIIIIIIISH…
Malon’s last-second cry did nothing. With a sickening squelch, the hookshot’s arrowhead buried into the back of the head Moblin’s throat, coming out the other end and sinking into the ground. The Moblin managed only a half-hearted squeal that was instantly gagged by its own blood before it fell silent, its arms not even getting the chance to flail about helplessly.
His own face, covered with the spatter of the Moblin’s blood, Link maintained his sneer as he stood up, leaving the hookshot buried in the monster’s mouth. His eyes were filled with sadistic satisfaction, and his smile was twisted into a laugh of inhuman amusement. He didn’t look at the people he had just saved, but from where Malon was standing she was forced to realize that Link was possibly even more scary than the Moblins…
Aaaaarrrrrk!
At that moment, everyone looked up in the sky in time to see the vulture that had been perched on the head Moblin’s shoulder attempt to fly away from the scene.
“That bird’s getting away…” Ingo muttered without thinking.
“Like Hael it is,” Link asserted as he took a couple steps forward and pulled something from his belt.
As Ingo, Malon, and Talon watched, Link pulled his arm back, aimed carefully, and with a loud grunt threw his boomerang in his hand as hard as he can. The bladed weapon sailed through the air like a spinning banshee, whistling its way towards its prey with deadly accuracy…
CARAAAAAAK…
The vulture didn’t even have a chance to cry out in pain as the boomerang’s bladed side sliced through its left wing, severing it from its body. When it finally did scream, the vulture was already plummeting back to the ground, followed closely by its detached appendage. Everyone watched as the bird landed with a loud plop just a stone’s throw away from the blast area of the bomb used to slay the second Moblin.
Of course, the bird wasn’t about to just lay down and die. It attempted to stand on its crooked legs and make a break for it, but without its wing it was horribly off balanced and couldn’t even get a couple steps ahead without tripping over itself.
Not that it mattered. Before it even take two steps away from its crash spot, Link walked up to the crippled bird and grabbed it by the neck, pulling it into the air.
“Link!” Malon called out for no reason as she watched Link hold the bird roughly by the neck and force it to look at him straight in the eye.
“You thought you could get away from me, did you?” Link sneered at the bird, which couldn’t even screech because Link’s hand was clamping its beak shut. “Well, you thought wrong. But don’t worry. You’ll get to see your friends soon enough.”
Then, as his lips curled up into a brutal smirk, Link’s hand started to squeeze the bird’s head…
********************
“…get to see your friends soon enough.”
After that, the vision from the crystal mirror started to grow hazy, almost as if the eyes of the bird were being squeezed. Confirmation was soon made when a loud crack erupted, and blood splattered in front of the buzzard’s eyes. Seconds later, the crystal mirror’s vision faded away, indicating the bird had been killed.
As he replayed the final moments through his mind of his Moblin soldiers and the bird he had used to “watch” over them using the vision mirror, Ganondorf growled to himself. He slammed his hand onto his throne’s armrest, angry that some of his best soldiers couldn’t take care of a little pest like that. But then again, look at what that boy had already done…
“My lord Ganondorf?”
Ganondorf looked to the side to see one of his Moblin generals standing a short distance away. “What do you want?”
“You look angry, my lord. Is something the matter?”
“You could say that,” Ganondorf snarled. “You know that boy I’ve been trying to find these past couple months?”
“Yes, my lord?”
Ganondorf’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the empty mirror again. “I finally found him.”
“That’s wonderful, my lord,” the general uttered. “Where has he been hiding?”
“At that accursed ranch,” the King of Evil answered. “Of all the places he could hide, he’s been hiding somewhere I never thought to look.” Ganondorf again slammed his fist against the armrest. “I knew I should’ve visited that place earlier!”
“Yes, my lord,” the general acknowledged. “Shall I send some troops out to take care of him?”
A brief silence followed before Ganondorf finally answered. “No.”
The general gaped in surprise. “But…my lord…this boy is the one who awakened the Sages of the Fire and Forest Temples, and killed the dragon Volvagia. Why not get him now when we know where he is?”
“Because there’s something about him…”
The Moblin general scratched his head in puzzlement. “Something…about him, my lord?”
Ganondorf rested his head on his hand before continued. “This boy has been a major thorn in my side ever since he defeated my phantom at the Forest Temple. I’ll admit that seeing his rotting carcass hanging outside my tower window would be something I’d almost give the Triforce to see…
“However, when that boy killed my men just now, I noticed something…something in that boy’s eyes.”
“You saw something in his eyes?” the general asked. “What did you see?”
“A deep, unrelenting hatred. A dark, sinister power waiting to be awakened. This boy is no ordinary boy…he proved that by pulling out that damn sword. But now I see something really special about him. I see an untapped power affixed to his soul, just waiting to be released. When I looked into his eyes as he killed that bird, I saw…darkness itself.”
A ominous, toothy grin emerged on Ganondorf’s lips. “That power…I must have it.”
The Moblin general started to grow more confused. “Have it, my lord? But how can you have something like that?”
The King of Evil turned to face his general. “I have ways…” He then looked back at the mirror. “…and I already know of the perfect lure…”
********************
Malon cautiously made her way towards Link, who had dropped the now headless corpse of the vulture and was staring quietly at the sky. She stopped a short distance away from him, cleared her throat, and called out nervously,
“Um…Link…?”
“Malon?”
Link turned around to face the farm girl. He was smiling blissfully and his eyes were filled with eagerness, as if he hadn’t killed three Moblins and a giant bird only moments ago.
“Link…?”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to fix your roof again. Sorry about that.”
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