A Shed of Hope

Chapter Six: Link

Princess Zelda will not stay out of my head. I find it hard not to think about her. I've felt this way before about some girls, though they always rejected me. Now, I'm not so sure that I should go for it. A part of me says ‘yes, go for it! What have you got to lose?’ But another part of me says ‘no, you'll only get your heart broken by another stuck up girl who thinks you are beneath her.’ I just can't decide which part of myself I should listen to.

It’s been about a week since I was brought here and everything has been going good. I stay out of people’s way and just do my own thing. The one place I like the best in the castle is the stables. I've always been an animal lover, and horses are my favorite animal. I find that it’s easier to connect with them than it is with humans. I guess it’s just because they don’t care what your personality is like or what you look like or whether or not you're below them or above them. All they care about is that you feed them and don’t hurt them. Other than that, they could care less about you. Maybe that’s why I like them so much more than actual humans, I can connect with them better.

I open my eyes and look up at the ceiling, watching as the sunlight comes through the curtains. I sit up, yawn, and brush my figures through my hair, which has finally been cut. I drag my boots over to me using my toe and shove them on. Pulling on a red tunic and a pair of pants, I open my bedroom door and start walking down the hall, making my way to the grand staircase and the kitchen. I pass by the kitchen in a heartbeat, only slipping in to get a pear, and make my way outside into the warm morning air.

I squint in the sunlight, waiting for my eyes to adjust fully. Even though it’s early in the morning, the hot August air already makes me sweat. I walk down to the stables and slip inside. I hear the horses’ usual neighs and pawing of hooves on the ground as I enter the stables. I walk up and down the row of stalls, merely just enjoying being around the horses. I stop in front of the stall of a light brown stallion with blond, almost white, hair for its mane and tail. He snorts softly as I stroke his nose lightly. Zelda showed me this horse when I was here for the first time. This is her horse, named Thunder. I'm sure she won't mind me bothering her horse; she knows that I find comfort here.

I spend the morning hours in the stables, petting horses and feeding them. It’s not until the stable doors open then shut that I snap to my senses and truly realize how much time I've spent in the stables. I turn around and see Zelda walk in, wearing a simple lime green dress that goes just a little past her knees. She's wearing light brown boots as well, something I haven’t seen her do yet. Next to her is a red-haired girl with bright green eyes. She wears an off-white dress with boots just like Zelda’s.

“Oh, Link,” Zelda says as she sees me. “I've been looking for you. This,” she says, gesturing to the girl next to her, “is Malon, my best friend. Her dad owns Lon Lon Ranch out in the middle of Hyrule Field and she's brought a wild mare onto the castle grounds in hopes that someone here can train her.”

“This one’s tough,” Malon adds, smiling at me. “There hasn’t been a horse in history that my dad or I couldn’t train. That is, until now. It’s nice to meet you, Link.” She extends a hand out for me to shake and I do.

“Same here,” I say, feeling the softness of Malon’s skin against mine. Though, it is nothing compared to Zelda’s.

“So, Link,” Zelda says, her voice sounding high and excited. “Can you train a horse?”