“Yes,” she said a little too quickly. “Mama instilled a good work ethic.” It wasn’t just that. Three days. She could manage three days. It would be difficult to part with her friend but necessary. If Zohara treated him kindly then that’s all she could ask. She nodded. “I promise, I wont’ say nothin’,” she crossed her heart in an innocuous and childish way.
The bow caught her off guard and she did her best not to appear nervous. Truthfully, she had no ownership in the ranch since it had been taken over. She wasn’t meant to do business with anyone but she was sure Mister Ingo would understand. She bowed her head respectfully. “I’ll, I’ll walk you out,” she was sure that he could leave on his own but she needed to lock up the gate anyway and shut everything in for the night. A quick glance was cast back towards her horses. Pip would be difficult to part with but she couldn’t let him take Epona. Not because he was the Demon King but because she was dear to her.
She disliked picking favorites but the mare was her very best friend. She couldn’t let him take her and even if she hadn’t been what he was looking for the threat loomed. He was king and he cold take whatever he wished. Hopefully, the spitfire attitude the mare displayed would be enough to dissuade him from ever wanting her.
She kept a few paces behind him attempting to piece together the transaction that just took place between them. It was easy to paint him as an unfeeling tyrant but he was in her ranch talking to her with more dignity than she deserved and spoke with a fondness towards his daughters. Malon stopped at the sight of the massive horse. It only made sense that a big guy like him needed a big horse.
“Oh,” she breathed. Epona was one of the biggest horses her ranch housed but his horse trumped all of hers in size alone. She stopped short and the redhead hung back. “He’s beautiful.”
Ganondorf looked back at Malon when she had paused so he gently grabbed Akatar’s reins and led him over towards the little Hylian. “He was a gift from the Elders once I had, unfortunately, been unable to ride normal horses any longer. I’m unsure how he came into existence but I’m glad for it.” The Gerudo King watched as Akatar pulled down his head to nose at Malon.
“He is war horse but he’s gentle as a lamb otherwise.” The wars... they were hazy at best but he didn’t want to know the pure details. Perhaps that was a blessing; the Madness would take hold and do unspeakable things and then... well he was left with the consequence but with little memory of the events conspired. It had always been like that, even the night of the Coup was like a horrible nightmare in his mind.
He hated it but it was small moments like this where he was lucid and back to his old self, at least partly. His new reputation certainly made him a monster.
Ganondorf watched as Akatar nosed lightly as the small woman, as if he were sniffing around for some kind of treat, and rolled his eyes. “My girls spoiled him rotten with apples and sugar every now and again, when he’s calm and there’s someone smaller then myself around he sniffs around for it. You’ll have to forgive him.”
