The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time

Lon Lon Ranch

So, it seemed Link was going to accept Malon's invitation immediately. Though he had just seen her that morning, the idea of a visit lifted his spirits. He and his fairy took the road back out of the city, and after a couple of leagues of walking, they reached a turnoff that was parallel to the ranch. A long pathway stemmed from it to the ranch, eventually meeting a modest gate introducing the property. It was nestled in some surrounding knolls, consisting of a pattern of farmlands, a farmhouse, a barn, a silo, a stable, and, to Link's delight, a pasture of grazing horses.

Link walked past the farmhouse to his left, the stable and barn to his right. The house was a grotto-style residence made of distressed brick and deteriorating stucco, with accents of exposed timber bays and window shutters. The barn and stable were both far less aesthetic, built from a functional loggia construction. Outside the stable, a man Link had never seen jabbed at a haystack with a pitchfork. He was tall and thin, his parted brown hair dripping in laborious sweat. His eyes appeared to look down the bridge of his bulbous nose, between his bushy eyebrows and his handlebar mustache. Like Talon, he had hair peeking from underneath his tattered shirt and overalls. The man glared bitterly at Link as he passed him, stirring an uncomfortable feeling in him.

The pasture was the nearest of the open land, just beyond the back of the stable. In the middle of it was a spacious, oblong corral, where the horses were congregated. As Link entered the fenced area, he started to pick up a melody... a gorgeous melody in a gentle tone, a female voice humming in oohs. Link identified the source of the music to be Malon, feeding carrots to a light brown filly in the middle of the large grazing pen.

When she noticed his arrival, her dimples raced to her ears with a smile. "It's the fairy boy again!"

"Malon," Link greeted, "it's nice to see you again so soon."

Malon released a carrot from her hand into the small horse's mouth. "I never got to ask about your visit to the castle. Did you see Princess Zelda?" Malon asked with a buoyant curiosity.

"I did... she said she knew I was coming. She had a dream about me," Link answered, Navi fluttering about him.

Malon's tone darkened a bit. "Did you get what you needed, then?" She was not too knowledgeable on the events at hand, but she did not expect to be.

"I did," Link repeated, this time matching her somberness.

He eyed the young filly as Malon petted her luscious white mane. "Her name is Epona," she told him. "Isn't she cute?"

"She looks like a fine horse," Link said. He noticed this horse was the only one present that was even small enough for him to ride. "Is she the only small one here?"

"Yes, but Ingo, our ranch hand, says she has the potential to be a magnificent steed. He says she's fit for the greatest of champions to ride."

Link assumed Ingo was the man at the stable. He shook the creepy image of him from his mind. "I need to travel to Kakariko Village, way into the Death Mountain Range. I was hoping to buy a horse from you to make the journey faster. I can pay fifty rupees for Epona. She looks like the only one I can saddle."

Malon laughed. "Do you know the first thing about riding horseback?"

Link felt embarrassed at his misplaced confidence and lack of experience. "I..."

"It doesn't matter." She cut him off with a hand gesture, bringing herself once again to a more serious tone. "Ingo says Epona is not for sale. Besides, Epona's my friend." She looked at her horse's long face. They stood nearly eye to eye.