…that they figured was the owner’s house. The door already hung ajar, so Link pushed the door just enough open to be able to stick his head through, and rapped on the door. A warm, welcoming smell filled his nostrils. There was a lot of hooting and hollering from further back in the house. Link heard a woman’s voice as Endeavor came into the house call up over the din, “Now, y’all settle down. There’s someone at the door.”
With a cloth in her hands, a woman walked into the main room, her red hair bouncing as she walked up. Link glanced back, a bit of red coming to his face as he said, “Sorry if we’re bothering you…the door was open.”
“Nah, you boys are fine,” the woman replied. Endeavor’s eyes narrowed at the comment. The woman jumped back at step at the look, before chuckling. “Oh, pardon me dear. Oh, that’s mighty embarrassing that. But with your hair so short, you had me mighty confused.
“But that’s no excuse. I should know a lady when I see one,” the woman said. “Why, my own daughter cut her hair so short and ran off to join the army. Why…that Rixa, bless her. Got her first letter from the Academy yesterday. Said she wouldn’t have gotten in if it hadn’t been for a grasshopper dressed lad she met on the road.”
She stopped, noticing Link’s clothing. “Why…I’ll be, I don’t think there’d be but one feller dressed like such, so you must me him, mustn’t you?” Link nodded. “Well then, why are you still standing here? You ought to be back here in the dining hall. I’ll treat you proper for helping my daughter so.” With that, she gripped Link by the wrist, and pulled him along into the back of the house to the dining hall.
As they came into the dining hall, one of the other men looked up. “Mattaline, who could be at the door at this hour?”
Mattaline replied, “Why, the nice young fellow who got Rixa into the Academy. I invited him and his friend in for dinner, Horace, and he’s going to stay for dinner.”
“There’s no dinner for him, Mattaline,” Horace answered. “Or for any of us, for that matter.”
“Set yourself down, and I’ll get it,” Mattaline said. “Colette, come help me with it, doll.” A red-brown haired girl got up and followed Mattaline off into another room. Link guessed by the hair that Mattaline and Horace were married, and that Colette was their daughter. It was a fairly reasonable guess.
“Quit standing there, boy.” Horace’s voice snapped Link back to reality. “Set down, son, the both of you. You’re making me uncomfortable.” Link pulled his sword and shield off his shoulder, and sat down on the long wooden benches that spanned along the table, Endeavor sitting next to him.
Horace asked, “What’s your name, son?”
“Link, sir,” he answered.
“I’m not a knight,” Horace replied. “You don’t need to call me sir.”
Link rubbed the back of his neck as Mattaline and Colette came in with food. “Well, neither am I, actually.”
Endeavor gave Link a sideways look as Horace looked him the eyes. A few ranch hands looked down the table at Link as Horace asked, “Then what are you?”
Rubbing his hands together, Link answered, “Techincally speaking, I’m nameless. I haven’t rights to much of anything…your daughter confused me for a knight because my outfit, I suppose, but she never out right asked me if I was, so I never brought it up.”
Horace asked, “Then what are you doing here? And not back where you came from?”
Link opened his mouth to answer, but Endeavor jumped in. “I hired him. He is my escort. Whether or not your country is willing to accept him for the skill he has, I will. What is a name but a word one goes by? It has no importance to his character, and therefore he has every right to be here.
“As for the question you are about to ask, I am the Royal Embassy of Queen Justice, ruler of the Drex. I doubt you have any interest, but for all you know we are the Lost People you speak so fondly of in your children’s tales,” Endeavor finished. "I thank you kindly for the dark and wicked tales you tell of my noble people who have never brought you any harm."
The entire table was silent for a moment. Horace leaned in over the table as Endeavor began fixing a plate from the food the two ladies had brought in. He asked, “And what is your kind doing here? What do you want with us?”
Endeavor answered evenly as she began eating, “Whether or not Link is of any standard socially, he did help your daughter, and she promised him a horse. We are heading north to visit the zoras, and we do not have the time to walk there. So we have come to collect.”
“What says I’m giving a nameless a horse?” Horace asked.
“But a moment ago you were greatly indebted to him,” Endeavor said. “Suddenly he has no name and he has turned into a demon.” Horace opened his mouth to answer, but Endeavor cut him off, “No, that would not be wise to say. We have the King’s favor with us, with him.” She pointed to Link with her knife, her grip of the blade deathly tight. Link knew it was Endeavor's first sign that Horace needed to listen to her.
Horace glowered across the table at Endeavor. There was a chuckle down the table. The rancher looked down the table at it, and suddenly chuckled as well. He nodded. “Fine…I’ve got a horse for you. Come with me.”
The ranch hands raced out of the building, pulling Link and Endeavor along with them. Link’s stomach growled, making him wish he had taken something from the table. They were herded out into the cold night air, out to a corral. The ranch hands leapt up on the fence as Horace came riding up with another ranch hand, the two of them pulling a red-chestnut horse between them.
From on top of his mount, Horace said, “There’s your horse, that mad mare there.”
Link asked, “She’s mine?”
“If you can catch her,” Horace answered. “And if you can, son…hm…well…” He chuckled.
Turning back to the mare, Link swallowed. The enjoyment that the ranchers seemed to be having suggested that this was going to be far from easy. Link walked through the gate into the corral. The gate swung shut behind him, latching as it closed. Link didn’t looked back though. It wouldn’t help his case.
The mare sensed him, and looked up. Her white mane tossed a little as she moved towards him. For a moment, Link thought he had overestimated this horse. But when they were less than ten feet apart, she suddenly broke into a canter, and began dancing around him. She whinnied in amusement at Link’s confused face as he turned to watch her.
This pattern went on for hours. Link would approach, the mare would near him, and then dance away. Eventually, the ranch hands gave up in watching the chase. Horace just left the two of them in the corral, more than likely on account of Endeavor.
A cock crowed as dawn came up over Hyrule. Link blinked awake, not remembering going to sleep the night before. He was leaning against the fence of the corral.
“Hey.”
Link looked behind him. It was Colette. She leaned through the fence. She passed a bundle through to Link, followed by his sword and shield, which he had left in the dining hall. As Link took it, she said, “I don’t care what my father said. You helped my sister, and I’m going to help you.” The bundle was food; good bread, Lon Lon Ranch cheese, a few fruits and a small flask of water.
“Thanks,” Link said, before beginning with the meal.
Colette shrugged, saying, “Of course. Your friend is right. Your name shouldn’t define you.” Link laughed as he took another bite. Colette said, “Don’t take my father to heart. He’s got to deal with knights all the time, and he probably would agree with your friend as well if it weren’t for that. It may not be right, but it’s business. He can’t just be giving his prize horses away to nameless, after all. And it's not like he could hide it. The hands would talk sooner or later. The King might take the ranch away from him for that.
“Or so we thought until your friend pulled out that paper from the King,” Colette went on. “He was going to just give you another horse, but she said to leave you as you were. She thinks you can tame Epona.”
“Epona?” Link asked, the name sounding familiar.
“That’s what we call her,” Colette replied. “It’s ancient for something like wild soul. And it’s true. No one has been able to tame her, not even that dark fellow who came through a few weeks ago.”
A shiver ran down Link’s spine as he thought about who that dark fellow had been. Finishing the small breakfast, Link pulled himself to his feet. Colette said, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I can just unlatch the gate.”
Link answered, “Trust me, I’ve seen worse.” He walked out into the middle of the corral again. Epona looked at him from where she was grazing, and lifted her head to watch him. Link kept his eyes on her. Again, Epona walked up towards him, an eager look in her eyes to dupe Link again.
As she began to dance away, Link reached out and grabbed the rope halter around her head. Epona raced forward, yanking Link off his feet. Quickly, Link got his other hand on Epona’s back. With his feet dangling over the side, he had nothing to do but try and pull himself up.
Epona wasn’t going to give up so easily though. She changed her path towards the fence of the corral. Link saw the wall coming, and braced himself as the horse slammed him into it. She raced away, preparing to slam again.
Leaning down a bit, Link managed to hit the ground with his feet. He quickly pushed off the ground, launching himself up on top of the racing mare. He twisted around until he had her straddled, and twisted his fingers tightly through her mane.
But mounting a horse is only half the battle.
The mare began to toss and buck and rear, trying to throw Link from her back. Link pushed his knees in on her sides, his finger still clutching her mane. It was an uphill battle though, and eventually, Epona managed to throw him off.
Link tumbled over the ground as he landed, not trying to stop himself so he wouldn’t bend anything out of place. Colette gasped, and began to run off towards the ranch house. “Mother! Mother! Quick! Mother!” She was out of range by the time Link was able to get to his feet.
It was the hollering that brought the ranch hands. Link could barely hear them as he stood back up, but they were snickering to each other and talking about how Link was going to give up.
That’s why it was such a big shock when Link started walking towards Epona again. The ranch hands climbed up on the fence to get a better look at the scene. Link heard Horace come out behind Mattaline and Colette, and he figured Endeavor was probably with them.
Epona snorted and looked down at Link. She had figured she had thrown him as well. Link whispered to the horse, keeping his voice level and calm like he always did with the knights’ horses, “Easy, girl, easy. I’m not going to hurt you.”
The mare snorted, and began to start their little cycle again. Link went on, “I need your help, girl. There’s someone who’s in danger, and I can’t get there on my own. That black man-”
Link stared up as Epona threw her legs in the air, rearing over his head. He knew she wouldn’t land on him, but it was still frightening to see a Hylian work horse when it rears, especially when you’re beneath one when it does. But Link didn’t step back from her threat.
“Epona,” Link said, calmly. The horse’s ears swiveled forward at the name, and she set her hooves down. That was a good sign, but Link didn’t assume that meant he had tamed her. After a moment, Epona dipped her head and began to walk passed Link again.
Reaching out once more, Link gripped Epona by the halter. Epona didn’t dart. She lurked, but remained where she was. Link vaulted up onto Epona’s back, and twisted his fingers back through her mane. Epona began to canter, but she refrained from tossing Link from her back. She let Link steer a bit by pulling on her mane, but Link knew he couldn’t tug on her hair forever. He needed proper riding gear.
Link pulled gently on Epona’s mane to stop her by the gate of the corral. The ranch hands were dumbfounded. Horace had his jaw a little slacked as he saw them ride up. He muttered, “Well I never…”
Endeavor said, “Horace, I believe that this was our deal. He keeps the horse, yes?”
Horace nodded, still fairly baffled. Endeavor went on, “Then all your hands can keep their wagers in exchange for the horse and her gear. Including those you placed.”
The rancher looked down at Endeavor with a faint grin, before turning back to his ranch hands. He whistled. “Back to work, the lot of you. Bring me her tack and then turn out the animals.” When they didn’t move, he ordered again, “Get on, ya slackers!”
With that, they leapt off the fence and began racing towards work. Horace shook his head, before jumping off the fence himself. Endeavor unlatched the gate to let Link and Epona out. Link slid off, and led Epona by her halter until he found a lead, which he switched to. As he led Epona away from the corral, he asked, “How did you know I would be able to do it?”
Endeavor shrugged, saying, “You have seen worse already. Besides, you had the need. For as long as I have known you, if you have the drive to do something, you have not failed to do it.”
“Thanks for that…,” Link muttered.
“Now, you need to think of a tune to call her with,” Endeavor said. “Horses like that will only come to their rider. They have a special bond with their rider, and will come at the sound of their call. Have you something in mind?”
Link replied, “I wasn’t thinking of anything, but I suppose I could come up with something.” He bent down and plucked a blade of grass. He put it to his lips, trying to think of a tune.
Suddenly, it came to him. He blew the tune, memorizing it for when he might need it next. Epona leaned over his shoulder, her ears tilted forward as he played the melody. Link patted her on the neck. She was much calmer now. Link could still sense the restless spirit in her, but she trusted Link and wouldn't toss around as long as he was near.
Horace came out with the tack. It was a large dark, dark green saddle with several saddle bags with a large saddle pad and bridle the same color. As he threw the blanket over Epona’s back, he said, “She takes the bit fine, and the rest of it for that matter. We’ve been trying for ages to break her, so she’s used to the tack. Good luck teaching her her gates though.”
Patting Epona’s side, Link answered, “I think we’ll be fine.”
“We have to get to Zora’s Domain in a matter of days,” Endeavor said as Quicksilver trotted up next to her. “I think you can figure out how to control your horse by then.” She mounted her black stallion, and began to ride away from them.
Link synched Epona’s girth, before mounting her. She glanced back up at him as he gripped the reins. He patted her side, and asked her into a fast trot to catch up with Endeavor…