#herds of epona

[elbdot]

Little Dipper

New illustration for my horse card series!! I renamed the project "Herds of Epona" and am working on a new card layout for it right now ;w;

This here is my first adopted design, I bought this little cutie from RiekaSpirit on the Bella Sara community server:

I only did a few adjustment and changed the constellation on its body to that of Ursa minor, also known as the little Dipper!

I have 11 horse illustrations now, so enough for a first test set to be printed. If you want to support this project and the production of a first set of cards, please consider joining my Patreon! Every bit helps to create new merch and to buy me time for new illustrations and my ongoing webcomic. Thank you!

Print | Patreon

[wolfsong6913]

I've been meaning to finish this for months and I finally did! A herd of Eponas, out to save the world with their trusty steed Link!

[rosehipandroots]

if the links had YouTube channels what kind of content would they make

oh i can so get behind this

time: he’s too cryptid lol he appears in the background of Malon’s ranch vlogs. he makes his appearances stranger and stranger to mess with people bc he’s Like That 

warriors: all the beauty. makeup, skin routine, fashion, etiquette. this is however staggered by him and artemis’ impromptu sparring matches bc she likes to ambush him while he’s streaming 

twi: he’s just a little guy doin his farm things. he mostly talks about fishing and his goats and posts tutorials on how to properly herd and wrestle em. his audience is routinely shocked that he can haul 300 pound rams around. his most popular video is of illia roasting the shit out of him while talo and malo cheer her on (he left epona out overnight at the ranch on accident) 

sky: he knows all the birds. all of em. he’s like the rainbow macaw guy that was just walkin his birds lol. he does volunteer work at a zoo and vlogs about days in the life of a zoology student. he also skydives with his girlfriend all the time and he and wind happily talk about seagulls, and he often introduces his sword at the beginning of his videos. he’s got all the sunshine energy 

wild: he’s just Insane on social media. just a total gremlin. wind shows up in his videos a lot & they do crazy shit followed by a cooking tutorial from wild like nothing even happened 

legend: he’s a nerd. such a nerd lol. he didn’t post often but when he does it’s always an infodump on the most random of topics, esp things he shouldn’t really have the right to know/vaguely concerning bc he knows Everything (with an occasional jewelry interlude with wars) 

four: you never know what he’s going to post. smithing, pranking, breaking and entering; he gets away with the weirdest shit and no one knows how. wildcard fr

hyrule: he does those lil soft aesthetic videos with a lot of travelling, landscapes and rain. throughout the course of his videos he somehow becomes friends with increasingly more concerning animals until he’s just taking innocent selfies with a wolf pack in the middle of nowhere (which may or may not include twi) 

wind: had to think about this one for a minute! i think he’d do a lot of out-to-sea videos and chaotic boat manning stuff with tetra. plus bombs! aryll often steals the show bc of how cute she is and often steals the actual camera itself. she talks about seagulls and fencing. wind also does cartography occasionally with legend bc they’re all about maps 

this was really fun!! i think the tl;dr is that they're simply all too chaotic to not be entertaining XD twi and sky are the only vaguely normal ones

[nancyheart11]

The Wolf can what now?

This snippet but from the boys side of things.

The Wolf was growing tired, Link could see. Though he suspected part of it was carrying both him and Scars for hours with no water or breaks. Link licked his cracked lips and winced at the pain. He hopped off the Wolf and was concerned with how long it took his friend to stop and lift his head quizzically at Link. “I’m thirsty, and I bet Scars could use water too.” The Mother cucoo immediately put his nose to the ground and went searching. Link had learned the fastest way to get him to agree to anything was to make it about him or Scars with how much of a bleeding heart the Wolf was. Shortly after that they were having their fill by a river while Link dripped water into Scars mouth from a clean cloth. He felt a little better that Scars was reacting to the water at least. After he filled the (smelling horribly of banana) water skin stolen during the current escape he maneuvered scars body and himself back on top of the Wolf and they were off again, towards the setting sun and a rumor of a town called Kakariko. 43 and half minutes later the sun had set and they could see a herd of horses in the distance. Link felt his heart clench at the sight of a chestnut mare, hoping that Epona was doing fine wherever she was. Apparently the wolf underneath him had a similar idea, for he stopped gently lowered the Hylians to the ground and with what Link could only describe as a Wolfish grin, began to howl. At first he was confused but then he realized just what order the howled notes were in. It was Epona’s song!  Link felt his jaw drop, how in the world had his friend learned that song? His fingers itched to join on his ocarina but it was still somewhere in the Yiga base, probably getting filled with rotten banana juice or some other crime against foods worth eating. The mare nearest to them stopped grazing and instead trotted in their direction. As she got nearer Link felt his throat tighten in painful familiarity. The horse was a beautiful silver bay, less red than the Epona he had come to know yet still eerily similar enough to make his eyes burn with unshed tears. The horse spooked a little once she caught sight of the wolf howling the melody, But he continued the song and Link watched on fascination as eventually the horse crept closer to the predator, clearly following the song. Eventually the horse was nearly leaning on the wolf in clear contentment, so Wolf stopped howling, and instead faced the horse with a wagging tail and some near excited yips? Link watched as it seemed the horse and his wolf friend had a conversation? He was pulled from his thoughts when Wolf boofed in his direction, waiting for Link to walk over before nudging Scars with his snout and then pointing to the mare’s back. Link felt himself light up at the message! He got scars balanced on the mare well enough, but encountered a problem when it came to getting on her himself. She was a full grown mare and he was nowhere near as tall as the adult version of himself yet. After a couple failed attempts, Wolf came over and used himself as a step stool for Link, somehow looking faintly amused as he did so. (He had no idea Wolves could look so smug) With the group resituated, they moved in the direction with Wolf in the lead, Link trusting that he had some idea where they were going, though now that he had seen Wolf talk to the mare he started to suspect that the times Wolf would disappear from camp were more than a chance to stretch his legs.

@skyloftian-nutcase @smilesrobotlover finally some fluff for the boys!!

[sparrowsworkshop]

"Don't You Worry" by OneWingedSparrow

Main Tags: Twilight Princess, Post-Canon, Zelink, Link & Epona, Fluff, POV Epona, Trust Issues, Retrospective

Summary: Epona notes Zelda's nervousness around Link, and thinks it is undeserved. Read on AO3 Reblogs are appreciated! Hey listen, have a TP Zelda song rec since you're here :) ~

Epona knew her master’s hands. Link’s pull on the reins was never harsh, never hasty. She could not say the same for Fado; that man meant well, but, while occupied with counting the goats they were herding, he always clutched the reins too tightly, putting too much pressure on the bit. Nor would she say the same for the children she loved; whether nervous about being up too high on her back, or simply so confident to be up so high, they would cling to her mane with fervor. Talo especially held a habit of jerking.

When the Bulbins had taken her, they roughhoused her more than even Talo could have. She did not appreciate the rough talons that cut into her skin while they wrestled a coarsely woven bridle over her head and clamped their harshest bit, perhaps better fit for a boar, over her tongue. She did not like the feel of their hands on her reins, as they yanked her hither and yon with no care for her own sense of direction. To them, she was only a vehicle that carried them from one point to the next. She had been glad to break free of their stiff, demanding control.

When her master found her again, his touch was as welcome as a summer breeze from Farore. Gentle, and soothing, and steady, and sure. He guided her, but did not force her; he let her go her own way, but tugged her away from distractions as necessary, ensuring they arrived at their required destination.

Epona knew her master’s hands. She had spent countless years of her life helping Link plow the fields, tote the crops, haul the firewood. She knew the firm kindness by which he brushed her coat, the quiet strength by which he mucked the barn, the fond tenderness by which he patted the goats. Even when the herd got ornery, and he had to wrestle a wayward, bleating fugitive back to the ranch, Link’s might never lost its meekness. Epona knew her master’s hands, and she knew they were trustworthy.

Why was it, then, that the princess of Hyrule seemed nervous of the hand offered unto her?

Glancing back over her withers, Epona shook her mane and waited. For how long the princess had hesitated to receive the gift, it was as if Link had offered a writhing snake instead of a shimmering tiger lily.

The forest whispered a patient breeze to pass the time, while the ever traipsing brook muffled any conversation between the two. Epona swished her tail in warning as a fly droned by. Thankfully, it did not land.

Movement at last caught Epona’s eye. The princess finally accepted the gift, though she received it not in her hands, but in her hair, as the giver—her Hero—carefully reached upwards and tucked the flower behind her ear. No, Epona thought, the princess’ hands were meant to receive something greater than that lovely gift. After all, Link was reaching out once again, and this time, there was no hesitation; the princess let her hand rest in his.

Epona’s ears flicked forward. While she watched in excitement, the two began to wander, their footsteps drifting towards the water that danced with dappled sunlight.

Yes, anyone skittish could discover the truth, even the very princess of Hyrule.

Her master’s gentle hands could always be trusted. ~

[cloudninetonine]

Take this cringe before I regret it LIFUGFIUPG

Warnings: Bad language and maybe flirting?? If you count that as a warning

Castle Town felt like a wasteland.

The lack of people was disturbing, and the many that did trek the streets looked so rugged. This new Link- The Hero of the Crypt, he had introduced himself and Crypt you had decided to name him- had spoken about the after affects of the curse, the following falling public and the epidemic of fear that had befallen the surviving few had left what was left of his country a mess. He had explained it as you walked, through that desolate, cold snow that blanketed the land as you approached civilization.

“Please, I understand that it differs from your lands but I ask of you not to look upon my people with pity,” The guards lowered the hulking gate that lead into the settlement. “They are strong, they had survived many hardships and they are used to the cold by now- we all are.”

The public looked upon you all with interest, people peeking from homes, children peering from behind their parents and more as they watched you all pass.

“Curious bunch.” Warriors muttered off handedly, watching another couple pause in surprise at your appearance. “Not many visitors, I assume?”

“The winter only brings death.” The words held such an ominous attachment it only made you feel more nervous about this Hyrule. “To see travellers just wander in with not much protective gear from the cursed tundra is something unheard of in itself- especially with a horse.”

“What does a horse have anything to do with this?”

“Unfortunately, many had to be…rationed when the winters first came- they have dwindled in population ever since. You can only find the rare herd nowadays.”

…Twilight stood a little closer to Epona.

The steed merely huffed.

Hyrule Castle, no matter the era, always stood so proudly. It’s intimidating towers, molded with hard work and stone, a beacon within miles in the surrounding Hyrule fields that people so easily hiked. Sure, with each timeline came differs but no matter what it still looked just as magnificent as the last, standing in the forefront against the Hylian skies. Yet now it looked…void. Dulled of it’s significance and scarred with the tragedies that doomed the nation.

Scary.

It looked scary.

You didn’t reach the interior of the castle for about 10 more minutes, the soldiers also gazing at your group with a morbid curiosity that only made you sink further into Wild’s side, his arm around you protective as you continued on. Torches lined the walls, the abundance of colour compared to the shades of monochrome that was a constant right outside was almost a headache: the blood rest of the carpet, the orange glow of the embers, the blue of the guard’s uniforms- exhaustion was quick to hit you from the overload and suddenly the urge to sleep was almost too great.

The heat did not help.

It felt like a furnace once those shouldering doors slammed shut behind you. Happy to welcome it but not happy for the experience as you moved to take off the enchanted scarf that Legend had thrown at your earlier.

“It’s boiling in here!” Wind exclaimed, in a rush to tear off his own extra layers- everyone seemed to be. “I feel like I’m on fire!”

“The magic is just combatting the cold, you will feel better in a few moments.” 

God you hoped so.

“Sir,” A soldier approached Crypt, dawrfing in comparison to the giant man- he really was a giant, wasn’t he? “Queen Zelda and your, uh, brothers are currently within the throne room discussing plans.”

Queen? Not surprising the the least. Many of the Hyrules you had visited, the once title of Princess had now become the title of Queen. Whether their parent had gone through abdication or much more solem means, the throne laid bare and welcoming for the following sovereignty to take. They’d grown into their roles well. Their Hyrules had prospered with their attention and care.

You hadn’t missed the soldiers others words though.

“You have brothers.” Time stated, walking side by side with the dirty blonde. It was odd to hear of a Link with brothers, Koridai and Courage were the only known ones. Most had sisters.

“No.” His said with such a calmness it almost made you shiver. “They are only more men to introduce.”

The throne room held a majority of the heat. Enough to make sweat decorate you brow and pant from the strain, the urge to rip your remaining clothes from your body strong as you entered the main hall. Pillars of carved stone, lining lushious red carpet with accents of gold, held a vaulted ceiling hanging chandeliers of silver. Windows of stained glass brightened the room with an abundance of colour detailing the histories of the Hyrule- you noticed a hero of green on each, a familiar ruby crusted sword in the hand of one, another with hair of pink and blonde and lastly another blonde with a familiar looking instrument.

“Looks like he’s your successor, Rulie.” Your whisper was soft and Hyrule perked up at the words, glancing over to Crypt who approached the occupied throne. “Funny how you dwarf him in comparison.”

His blank look made you giggle- a first since stumbling into their Hyrule of frost.

The one in the throne sat tall, eyes like hardened emeralds that stared at you all with a stare colder than the snow. Her long brown hair braided brushed over her shoulder and falling to her feet, beautiful olive skin marred by the three jagged claw marks on the left side of her face. Dressed in robes of red, her dress a deep maroon with more accents of gold with red crusted jewels sewn into the fabric, she brough an air of authority around her, one that demanded respect. The crown on her head only added to it.

“Your majesty,” Crypt’s body moved to kneel, his hand grabbed hers and he pressed it against his forehead in respect. 

Crypt’s Zelda smiled slightly, turning to look at you all who wordlessly moved to follow his act of respect. After a moment you followed, roughly knocking Mecha’s side who huffed and dropped down with a mutter of “Kiss arse.” that you punch him for.

“Please, rise, you are amongst friends.” Her voice was smooth and strong, “I know you all bare the mark of the hero- I can feel it in your presence.”

A small squawk came from above and your eyes raised, catching the sight of the bird on it’s perch right above. It was giant, the size of a average dog with feathers of red, orange and yellows and eyes of gold, staring down on you all with a curious look as it tilted it’s head.

A furnix? No, it’s tail was too short- but it certainly resembled one. Maybe an actual Phoenix?

“You needn’t worry.” You looked back down, tensing when you noticed her eyes on you. “This bird is safe, she is the one who heats the castle.”

“It resembles a monster from my time.” Sky spoke, looking at the bird with a similar worry. “You were able to tame the beast?”

“It was said in the texts that she was born from the flames of our people’s perseverance to keep us safe with this almost eternal cold, more than five centuries ago.” The bird leaned down, Zelda’s hand coming to stroke her feathers. “I wouldn’t say she was tamed, a beast as great as her has no need to be tamed.” 

“What’s her name?” You found yourself asking and the Queen smiled. 

“Vesta.”

Vesta shook her tail feathers happily.

Crypt glanced around, “I was told the others were here.”

“Yes, they just went for a perimeter check-”

The side door to the throne was thrown open, all eyes turning with surprised hands falling to swords hilts as three people walked in.

Each blondes, hair all varying in length. 

The first was tall with short curls, fair skin with a few scars on his face- the most eyecatching being the one over his lips to his chin, a clean swipe and another running from his cheek to his nose, jagged and rough. Eyes of sky blue sparkling with kindness along with a great toothy grin as he laughed.

The following had was a similar height with the longest hair, pulled in a messy ponytail to free his face- covered in an intimidating mask of metal. Quite plain with the excepts of blotches of gold, brown straps securing it to his head. You were able to spot mossy green eyes through the mask’s eyeholes.

And finally came the last, the smallest of the other two. A wavy bob with the lightest hair of them all, darker skin with a scarred left cheek. Greyish blue eyes that glared at everything around him with a scowl to rival that of the Veteran’s.

“You’re insufferable.” The last spat, the first bursting into laughter.

“Oh, alchemist, you’re such a charmer.” ‘Alchemist’ threw his hands in defeat, an angered huff flying from his lips when the trio paused, “Oh, brother of ours, you’ve returned!”

The first blonde marched over, his hand coming to clap Crypt on the back with the same toothy grin he seemed to support. “And with a gaggle of guest! I would have fetched my finest suit with a fair warning.”

The shortest huffed once again, “You bubbling oaf- must you make a spectacle of yourself always?”

The masked man stayed silent.

“Alchemist, you won’t make friends by being such a brood.” He approached the nearest of your group, Time watching the exchange in interest when the blonde lent out his gloved hand. “My good sir, another brother in spirit I presume?”

Time’s hand carefully to grasp the others, relaxing just the slightest. “You catch on quite fast.”

“My own little magic!” He winked.

What a jolly man, smiling to freely and so easy to dismiss the other’s rude jabs. He was bright, almost blinding in your eyes and you felt the urge to cover your eyes to protect them from his shine.

“Your title? They call me The Hero of the Truce.”

“The Hero of Time.”

“Ah, what a wondrous title- you must be a great hero indeed!”

Truce went through all the heroes with introductions, that beaming smile still stuck to his face with words of honey falling from his lips. Uplifting each man, making friendly conversation while the other three men stood awkwardly in the background, Zelda’s amused smile in your eyeline.

“And who is this?” You stood taller, the blue eyes of the newest Link catching your own. “You don’t seem to share a spirit with us-”

“Back off.” Mecha’s hand caught his shoulder, Truce catching his eyes. “You don’t need to concern yourself-”

“Ah look at you! More of a giant than our resident knight!” Truce took Mecha’s hand instead, giving it a vigorously shake that even made the animatronic’s arm wobble. “With an armour more impressive than most! How fascinating!”

“I- it’s not-”

“Come now, lad, how is it not?” Eyes sparkled in fascination, Mecha seemingly shrinking in surprise. “I can feel it in your spirit, you’re an amazing hero and an even better man.”

Releasing his hand to approach you, Mecha stood still. Eyes blank, form frozen as he let the weight of those words fall heavy on his soul.

“Once again- who might you be?”

Who flushed at the attention, his smile and eyes kind as he held out his hand with invitation for you to do the same. You did, slowly with a quick few words “I’m (Name).” falling from your lips when he brought your hand to his lips, gently laying a kiss on the back of your palm.

“A pleasure.” He winked, more flirtatious compared to the other introductions. “Truly.”

You bumbled as he laughed.

A gag echoed through the group and Truce rolled his eyes. “Come now, alchemist, you’re almost like a child.”

“Keep you disgusting lips to yourself, who knows what arses you’ve been kissing.” 

Truce chuckled at that, looking over to the’ alchemist’ who had his arms crossed like an angsty teen. “Hero of Memory, you seem to forget you kiss many arses back in your own era- you did become the royal alchemist somehow, did you not?”

Memory- no, that seemed to lengthy- Mory’s mouth dropped before his hands flew out in a strangling emotion. “I hope you choke on your sickening words, you degenerate heathen!”

“Ah, don’t mind him, dear (Name).” He patted your shoulder gently, “The alchemist lacks outside perspective- being a shut in and all.”

“I’m gonna-”

“Enough.” Mory’s face tightened in anger but his mouth clamped shut at the masked man’s words, the other blonde sighing in defeat. “Must you babble like children?”

There was humour mixed with his exasperation.

“I mean to entertain- the alchemist means to insult, jeweler.”

“And yet, you both sound like infants fighting.”

Truce shrugged his shoulders.

‘Jeweler’ huffed and shook his head before slightly nodding his head in greeting. “I apologise for my silence- I am The Hero of Gilt, I have been given the nickname jeweler.”

Crypt, Truce, Mory and Gilt- so many new Links in one day, your head almost spun from the lot of it.

“I’m sorry to interrupt this lovely introduction sequence.” Legend sassed, near copying Mory’s attitude instead resting his hands on his hips. “But would I be correct to assume that the Shadow is the one that brought you here?”

“If that is what made those portals of darkness then your assumption would stand correct- Peony.” You could almost hear Legend’s eye twitching as a veined pulsed in his forehead at Mory’s snide jest. “What a lovely colour you have to your hair, like a flower in spring.”

The tension spiked.

“Cat fight…” You muttered, Truce snickering by your side.

First’s hand rested on the Veteran’s shoulder and the man relaxed, deflating with his unyielding glare towards the blonde as the older hero spoke. “If it was the Shadow that brought you here, then it is fate that we meet.”

“Agreed,” Spoke Gilt, stepping forward, “And as the heroes, we are to stop it.”

“So there’s no argument then?”

“Not from me!” Truce called, now leaned on your shoulder gently before sending you a wink. “If you’d be happy to have me?”

“I’m not arguing.”

Koridai and Courage grumbled from their spots.

“...if there’s no other option.” Mory puffed, “Larger numbers to fight these monsters seems best.”

Crypt paused, sending a look to his Zelda who nodded in understanding. “We’ll be okay, Link, the bugge are not what they once were- this could affect us more if not dealt with.”

He nodded his head again. “Thank you, old friend.”

“Then we are all in agreement.”

Zelda stood, “You are all welcome to stay in the castle until then- any rations you may need are yours.”

And with that it was settled, your once small group growing bigger once more.

[sword-is-bored]

Save a Horse…

(Link x Reader)

(Twilight Princess)

(Part 2 here!)

Inspired by @EmilyE_draws on Twitter/ @emily.e.draws on Instagram’s art

(Give her a follow! Commission her! Her art is beautiful)

There was something about this silent man in Orodon. He had saved Hyrule and came back to the sleepy town. Ilia expressed finding him good looking, and (Y/n) knew her sister often interacted with him. She never saw it, until she watched this man ride past on his horse. The lovely Epona, saddled on top was a lean and muscular hero of Hyrule. (Y/n)‘s mouth all but dropped open at the sight. Now she understood.

It was a humid day out, and he worked at the ranch. He had his shirt off, and she could see the tan lines against his figure. (Y/n) found herself silently trailing behind him, staring at his form. His hair was stuck to his neck with sweat, and he looked so slightly tanned on his arms. His chest was getting pink from the hot sun, but hadn’t been tanned up. The tan on his arms made them bulge and look so, so delectable. She hid behind the fence and watched as Link herded goats.

She saw how his thighs and hips worked together to hold on to Epona. (Y/n) found herself wanting to be in between them, feeling the strength herself. His stomach was taught as well, working to keep upright on Epona. He was sweating even more now, and jumped off of Epona to deal with a rather stubborn goat. Said goat began to charge, and (Y/n) watched those arms in action. He flawlessly grabbed the goat by the horns and pushed it off to the side. Glistening in sweat, but still had the worlds greatest poker face. He wiped it away, and (Y/n) had half the mind to help him dry off.

“What’re you up to?” A soft familiar voice asked. (Y/n) turned to see her sister smirking mischievously at her. “I, uh, nothing.” (Y/n) sputtered, her face turning red. She realized she was missing the show and turned back. Link was helping the goat back up and into the barn. Shirtless, sweaty and dirty? Sign her up to be a goat. She can bleat. “This sure looks like nothing.” Ilia said, scooting next to her and staring. “And after all these years of telling you he’s cute, you finally listen.” She mused. (Y/n)’s face turned even redder. “Shut up, you’re ruining the show.” She whispered. “Maybe if you throw him rupees he’ll take his pants off.” Ilia joked. (Y/n) smacked her sister.

The cry from Ilia caused Link to look up and over at the two girls staring. He tilted his head and quickly put the goat away. Link walked over, (Y/n) suddenly feeling incredibly nervous. Ilia and him interacted all the time, she’s never talked to the hero. “Wow, look at you go.” Ilia smiled as Link got closer to the fence. “We were having fun watching.” Link blushed and laughed softly. “Oh, I see.” His voice surprised (Y/n). She blushed and looked away, finding her eyes landing on Epona. Ilia and Link began to chat away and (Y/n) couldn’t help but laugh at her thought. “Save a horse, ride a cowboy. Huh?” She said to herself.

However…

It wasn’t really herself.

Link and Ilia chose that moment to ask (Y/n) an answer, and listen to her opinion. As that left her mouth Link’s face turned a brilliant shade of red. “(Y/n)!” Ilia gasped, laughing as she pushed her sister. (Y/n) wished she could melt into the ground and covered her face. Of course he heard that.

[doomed-era]

..gaffen and zeldas horses pre and post cal (including hylia brainworms)? names + personalities perhabs

hehe oh this might be long. because I . uh

drew all of them.

gaffen has five horses so. full slots in-game yea. non-"special" horses are sneaky, cheese, and epona! the giant horse is named pumpkin, and the white horse is named cloud, however he does not really consider cloud his horse. he also did the epona thing </3 i am taking a little artistic license with the horses because I want there to be different heights + builds for them uh yea. i used to be really into horses growing up so its my right. horse isle 2 babeeyyyy

sneaky -- mare, skewbald, 14.5 hh. I would say she's probably descended from horses that were already running wild around hyrule from before the calamity. I'd say her build is similar to that of an american mustang for that reason (short, very hardy. tho tbf I really dont think a lot of feral horses WOULDNT be like this. im just. messing around) she's gaffen's first horse, and his favorite one.

she's about seven years old now? gaffen caught her when she was fairly young and very soon after he left the great plateau so she took to him very well. shes very gentle and intelligent, generally speaking doesn't know what to do around monsters. gaffen had to train her to not shy around them because she is not a fan and is kind of a coward </3 she knows a bunch of tricks like shaking hands and standing up on her hind legs, retrieving objects, and other stuff. she's very treat-oriented and will listen to anyone who gives her food. this actually led to a yiga kidnapping? once? yeah the yiga tried to steal her oops. her name is sneaky bc gaffen had to sneak up on her to catch her. very creative

epona -- mare, flaxen chestnut, 13.9 hh, about six years old. also descended from already-feral horses, though she may have a little farm horse that got free in there. she's the second horse gaffen registered!

epona started just. following gaffen one day. this is presumably because she was bored and smelled food on him. she's a very bold horse, and not afraid of a fight. she also gets bored really easily, so gaffen has taught her several tricks as well. she really likes people, and is the most vocal of gaffen's horses. gaffen named her after a story he heard about chosen heroes naming their horses epona, as he didn't know the story when he found sneaky.

cheese-- stallion, 15hh blue roan. he's descended from horses used by the hyrulean military. he's got a very long, pretty mane and is very well-built, similar to an andalusian.

cheese was named after his coat color and markings. he's around seven, and is gaffen's fourth horse. gaffen thought he looked like mold but the stable owner he tried to register him at (it was tasseren) said he wouldnt let gaffen name a horse mold. so he settled on cheese. cheese is generally a very sweet horse who loves attacking monsters. he's kind of annoying around people he doesn't know and will nibble on your clothes. but! he is a great jumper and people have asked gaffen if they could breed cheese with their mares once or twice. his favorite treat is apple horse treats that some stables will sell

pumpkin -- 23 hh mare, technically this coloration I dont THINK exists irl but the closest is probably a liver chestnut. she has the build of a shire more or less, and her bloodline is believed to be the result of an abandoned breeding project in the gerudo highlands.

pumpkin is AGGRESSIVE. towards horses, people, what have you. the problem is she's very attached to gaffen and gaffen as far as hes concerned thinks pumpkin can do no wrong. she runs over things with no remorse. its not like she wants to she just doesnt care. gaffen thinks she was the matriarch of her old herd. she's a very proud horse and refuses to do tricks but she is very affectionate towards gaffen and generally listens to him. her favorite treat is endura carrots. she is the fourth horse gaffen has registered and is around fourteen years old.

cloud-- 14.2 hh white stallion, around nine years old. my god I did not want to make him white I wanted to make him a grey or ivory or perlino but nooo. canonical pink nose which means he's probably white ew ew ew. anyway he is based on an arabian horse, however I gave him feathering, he's kinda fuzzier than an arabian and he probably has a mane more like an andalusian. i love andalusians. but he descended from a special breed of horses called the hyrulean imperial breed! they're a hotblooded breed known for their intelligence and grace.

cloud is the last horse gaffen registered, probably because it was so frustrating to catch him. unfortunately toffa was a LITTLE bit more picky in this au lets say. and didnt just look for a white horse but something with the breed characteristics of a a hyrulean imperial. so gaffen ended up catching several horses either sired by cloud or part of his herd that were a similar color. cloud, uh, well he hates everyone. he is wild as they come, very difficult to train, even for someone who likes training horses and had quite a bit of experience like gaffen did at the time. this was only exacerbated by hylia having recently popped into gaffen's head and insisting he give the horse to widget and train him properly, which only made him more angry at the horse. gaffen just. didnt really treat him well. to him, that is not his horse. cloud is a big fan of apples but he also likes sugar cubes-- basically anything sweet.

ok pre-calamity horses now

chestnut-- 15 hh mahogany bay gelding, 15 at the time of the calamity.

chestnut is a horse that gaffen got from his parents when he was thirteen. it took him a bit to get used to riding but once he understood it and began to bond with chestnut he fell in love with horses. they're better than dogs, obviously. chestnut was basically the perfect companion-- he was trained very well for his job before gaffen got him and had a gentle disposition. chestnut, unlike gaffen, seemed to enjoy the company of just about everyone, and most stables gaffen went to complimented him on how well-kept and good-natured chestnut was. when the calamity hit gaffen ordered the boy under him who was responsible for the horses to set chestnut and the other horses free. it's unknown if the horse survived.

lily -- 14.2 hh white mare, around 5 years old at the time of the calamity. I DO NOT KNOW WHY WE CAME UP WITH THE SAME NAME </3 she is a hyrulean imperial

widget did not like lily at first, and lily did not like her. though she was trained to be ridden without complaint by the royal family specifically the horse had a way of being annoying without technically going outside of the rules she was trained to follow. though some stablehands suggested she take some time to learn better riding habits widget didn't really care to do it as she had made up her mind that she didn't like horses and didn't want to put any effort into learning how to bond with hers. eventually, with some help from gaffen the Horse Obsessed Freak, widget does learn to like and work with lily and they get along fairly well.

[aspiring-writer-hidden-voice]

BOTW Link X F!Reader ~ Pt. 2

Restless crickets filled the night air with their song as flickering campfire light dancing across your being. The pads of your fingers were so blistered and sore that they threatened to bleed as medicated cloth was clumsily wrapped around each digit. They each stung with white hot pain when coming into contact with the special ointment, threatening to make your eyes water with tears, until a knot secured each to the best of your ability with the aid of your teeth’s tug. Nickering drew your attention to the nearby herd of wild horses who had wandered close out of curiosity to the scents of warmed apples you had cooking atop of sticks. They were such beautiful animals, with their glistening coats and powerful muscles rippling with each movement. Their leader, a mighty black stallion with a piercing gaze, wearily watched as you plucked one of the now darkened apples and tossed it in his herd’s direction. It was he who first approached to ensure it was not a threat and much to your surprise he took the offering to one of the very pregnant mares who was slow to stand. It would not be long before her foal would enter the world it seemed.

A twig snapping turned your head to the right. Whatever it may be, wild animal or traveler, you prepared for the worst possible encounter…only to be met by the wide set eyes of a wobbly foal that looked to be just a few hours old. It’s coat was still damp, making it shiver in the cold night air, its nostrils flaring when you offered a mushy overcooked apple. Large ears that it would eventually grow into swiveled as a tune rose up your throat in a series of hums. You kept your volume low when spotting its mother slowly come up behind it, as if she were curious to what her child was being fed, her ears also tilting every which way in response to your song.

Using a grass whistle would be alarming to them at such close range. It had been a near bizarre concept but watching as the blue eyed Hylian played song after song was enchanting as each note echoed across whatever landscape was before him. A few of the songs had names, such as the one you currently hummed he’d made for Epona, while others remained nameless.

Pain flared within your bandaged fingertips when the foal suckled them, earning several alarmed snorts from the large animals when you hissed softly.

Immediately the stallion was shoving his offspring towards its mother with a warning stomp. His eyes bore into yours, promising that if you repeated the noise punishment would be severe, ears flattening against his skull when you began humming once more. He would not so easily be fooled as the many members of his herd had been. In the campfire, his coat shone brighter than precious obsidian stone that twitched in response to him nearing a point of action if you didn’t do something quick.

What the two of you noticed in unison was the herd of wolves that had slowly appeared from the tall shrubs and grass.

Screaming filled the air as you twirled, hands and fingers exclaiming profusely at the familiar actions when notching an arrow within your bow, the horses shrill panic nearly rendering you deaf as they were joined by hunger filled howls. They scattered when you loosed the arrow, which landed too far to be of any use thanks to a surge of pain up your arm that affected your aim, making you reach back for another when the glowing amber eyes appeared ahead.

This wolf must be the alpha. It was nearly twice the size of the others with dark midnight fur appearing so thick that arrows might be useless against it. Saliva glistened as it dripped from its parted jaws, showcasing sharp teeth that could easily tear away flesh until all that was left was bone and even then they looked capable of rendering a stalhorse to dust. A few wolves that had been following his flank fanned out as if to pursue the horses but they were summoned back courtesy of their leader’s snout rising to the sky with a hair raising howl.

With the campfire to your right and the wolves surrounding all around, there was nowhere to run.

It was time to fight.

A good time as any to test your current skill.

Whistling, the arrow you notched then released vanished from sight was following by a high pitched yelp. You’d taken aim between a pair of amber eyes that were the closest but still too far for the campfire to illuminate. Looks like you still missed. They were still there, however now they were filled with anger as their owner ignored the alpha’s command to stay back. Teeth flashed with a dangerously glint as they made to bury themselves within your forearm if not for your swift dodge. Its speed suddenly seemed sluggish as you readied a different weapon, this one a short sword, and delivered a single strike to its side that sent it rolling out of sight to where the pack’s leader watched with narrowed eyes. Would it attack as a form of revenge for you hurting its comrade?

Almost too far within your peripheral vision to clearly see appeared a wolf that made to attack the foal and pregnant mare. In unison, the stallion and you released battle cries which intermixed as the two of you took action; his deadly hooves taking aim at the wolf’s flank, causing the wild canine to dodge to the side and right into your arrow’s path that had been carefully aimed then fired. An audible crack sounded, signifying that it had pierced through the soft spot of the wolf’s skull, and it fell into an unmoving heap. The pain returned to your now throbbing fingers as you lowered the bow, meeting the gaze of the pack’s alpha. Nature had a law above all else, survival of the fittest and smartest, which it seemed to regard you with now a cautious gaze rather than one of hunger. You weren’t the helpless prey they had thought you were.

Then the wolves were gone with faint bark-like growls as they disappeared completely into the night.

From the herd came a series of nickers before the mare and foal made their way to where you stood. It was the foal who first reached you, giving you a solid head butt to the chest before its chin rose to tap against your shoulder. Then the mare took her turn to bestow her thanks by means of tucking you against her side as if you were her child then dragging a wet tongue across your cheek.

Through the night air a shrill whiny pierced the air closely followed by the sound of thundering hooves against the earth.

And the herd, with its leader casting you one last glance, vanished as if they had been nothing more than smoke.

Only the remaining traces of moisture upon your skin and the faintest of hoof prints within the grass were testimony that the herd had been here at all.

The thundering footfalls slid to a halt, followed by a whiny and familiar sounds of boots hitting the earth, hands turning you around by the shoulders so that your gaze met azure. His and Epona’s quick breathing told of their haste in returning from hunting for dinner meaning that they must have seen everything unfold just now. You held perfectly still as Link looked over you from head to toe, lightly touching with calloused fingers anywhere there could be injury until coming to a halt when you flinched when they found your dominate wrist. Within its inside fold was a steadily growing bruise that bloomed like a flower the more his fingers worked. Blue eyes glanced back towards the fire where they spotted torn cloth and a small bottle containing the same herbal medicine that he himself had made before they fell to your fingers. He’d offered both once training had been done for the day however the magnitude of bandages surprised even him.

With strain, you forced each finger to curl until they loosely enclosed around his much larger ones to the best of their ability, giving the lightest of squeezes. It was your fault for not being a better student. Though the concepts had been simple there were still a few aspects which caused you struggle. Close combat in particular was going to take some getting used to.

The Hylian Champion returned the squeeze then allowed your fingers to slip from his grasp. Though you turned to gather the fallen sword you could feel his gaze watching your motions. He had suspected that you were pushing farther today than usual. Had you honestly thought he missed how your limbs trembled when sheathing the weapon or the grimaces while moving? Without explanation, his hands quickly removed both sword and bow from your possession to place them upon Epona’s saddle where the spares were then slung the heavy saddle off her back with a huff. It was placed within the campfire circle’s light followed by him tossing you a bottle filled with leather polish then he walked off to where the fallen wolf lay.

No farther instruction was needed and you set to work.

Even from this distance he was unable to keep his gaze upon the work at hand. Through the darkness his azure gaze committed every graceful movement you made while focusing upon making the saddle practically shine as Epona settled behind you. The flickering campfire threw dancing shadows across your features as the breeze played with your hair. It’s been a while since the two of you had begun traveling together; nearly a month now if memory served right. He’d seen you make many faces from wonderment of seeing a dragon to the disgust when a recipe didn’t turn out the greatest. Link wasn’t sure which was his favorite but it was the fleeting glances you shared while riding together that made that little seed within his chest warm a little more. That wasn’t entirely true, he inwardly admitted, the expression of determination and focus you wore when protecting the wild horses was photo worthy. Pelt cleaned and portions of meat in hand, he returned to the circle where Epona kept you within and sat across from you with a huff. Of course the swordsman felt you curious gaze as he began wrapping the meat within proper storage cloths or containers for them to be used later. Deep within him rose something carnal the longer his fingers remained upon the pelt. Phantom memories rose of paws instead of his feet sprinting across the ground, growls rising up his throat when an unknown creature made to lash out. Something brushed his cheek, making the blood pound faster within his ears as he growled lowly from the brief flare of pain—

“Link!”

Adrenaline lacing through his system like belladonna froze at your shout. The memories that weren’t his faded until he found himself hovering over you, one hand high above as if preparing to strike while the other pinned you to the ground, his knees on either side of your hips which prevented you from kicking. Firelight illuminated your expression of shock, along with the faint tint of pink within your cheeks and disheveled clothing, almost as if you had been physically wrestling someone. Both of your hands were grasping desperately at his clothing, as if you were trying to shake him awake. One rose to rest its palm against his cheek when his eyes finally met your own. It was the glint of concern within your gaze that tore at his being and caused the gravity of your positions to hit him harder than a Goron’s blow. Anyone else would have been fearful of such a display yet here you were uncaring of another attack while attempting to comfort his racing heart with repetitive circles your thumb traced beneath his eye. Bitter tasting guilt plagued his tongue as the moon above your heads came out from beneath a cloud to expose your flushed skin and a mark that looked an awful lot like human teeth upon your exposed shoulder.

The moment he released you was the instant your arms wrapped tightly around his neck, as if attempting to prevent him from backing away completely as he sat backward with a tremor. You were holding onto him as tight as possible despite him attempting to remove himself. If you let go now, it felt as though he was going to slip away to somewhere you couldn’t reach. Again and again you softly whispered his name while rocking slightly until he relaxed against your form. Though you were smaller it was not so much that he had to bend down completely so that your gazes could meet.

His seemed to beg for forgiveness, maybe even understanding of what had just happened, but above those they seemed to be fighting back tears. This clearly wasn’t the sole time it had happened to him. However this was the only one you’ve witnessed to your knowledge.

You shifted so that your back rested against Epona and carefully maneuvered the doll-rendered warrior until his head rested against your chest as comfortably as possible. The band holding back his hair was removed courtesy of your careful fingers which began to gently comb through his golden locks as his eyes drifted closed when you’d begun to hum softly. Even now you could still see the faint glyphs of twilight lingering within his aura along with the echoes of a hair raising howl. That must have been another hero who had passed in ancient times. Eventually, once his breathing had leveled into the rhythm that suggested he was asleep, your gaze wandered towards the pelt.

….

Rain hammered against your beings, lightning forking across the darkened sky to briefly blind you as Epona neighed with worry when the swordsman stood motionless upon the cliff head. A stable wasn’t too far away which meant that it was the halfway point to Tarrey Town, that’s where you’d been going until a storm swept the three of you up within a vortex of wind and rain. The shared steed rose up onto hind legs when a bolt of lightning struck too close and disappeared into the distance with a shrill scream of terror. Alarm filled you when something akin to elation filled his features when his head rose upwards so the rain fell upon his face, strange cloud shapes appearing within his aura that weren’t supposed to be there.

No matter how many times you called his name, he still acted as though your calls never reached him despite your struggling through rain and wind to get closer. It’s been a little over a week since the last emergence of a past persona, and he had confided in you that they occasionally happen while traveling. What did prove in his growing trust of you was the confession relating to their frequency.

For some reason they were happening more often since you’ve been traveling with the Champion.

But why?

From within the bag upon your back appeared the pelt you’d tucked away, quickly drawing it over your frame and lowering to the ground so that your height better resembled an actual wolf. He’d had a reaction to the pelt before so it would stand to good reason he would have another. Taking the deepest inhale you could, your head lifted high with a howl that instantly earned the gaze of the blue eyed Hylian. They grew wide when finding your form, familiar phantoms appearing within their depths that spoke of rivaling personas. Another howl rose up your throat when he slowly unsheathed the sword upon his back.

Somehow you had to get the Link you knew back.

He rushed forward with a quick step, the blade glistening with rain as it was raised. You knew this stance; he was going for a downward sweep. Meaning that you only had one true option to escape: dodging forward.

Tucking your head lowly, you used the momentum from the dodge to collide against his figure, sending the two of you barreling until empty air met your back. The pelt disappeared from your hold to be replaced by his face momentarily cupped between your hands as the paraglider appeared from his pack. Those azure eyes of his widened, pupils shrinking as they cleared from the haze that had been obscuring them, as you continued to fall despite him remaining within the air. “Come back.”

Even to you, the whisper was lost to the wind and rain.

Yet he somehow heard.

It was enough to make those two presences completely withdraw from him, leaving the golden haired Hylian to stare down at your falling form. “(Y/n)!” The paraglider folded, allowing him to dive at a near neck breaking speed until your form met his own. His arms wrapped so tightly around you as the awaiting ocean rushed to greet the two of you and pivoted so that he took the brunt force from the salty water instead of you. Last he remembered the Lakeside Stable had just come into view when the first few droplets of rain met his being. What had possibly triggered this rise of a foreign persona was beyond his speculation as your unconscious being floated above his own. Your hair was splayed like a halo around you, as were your clothing, bubbles tickling your bare skin as the two of you lay suspended within the water.

A swift kick sent him forward, allowing his arms to cradle your being against his own, just before a current tossed you both to shore.

Sand buried itself into places that would take weeks to remove as he drug you upon the beach, internally making note to apologize for it later, ignoring how his muscles and bones screamed from strain as he hiking up the nearby trail that would lead to where a village lay. He would gladly carry you across Hyrule to make up for the trouble and danger he’d put you through. Brief flickers of memory revealed your lacking of hesitation to bring him back, how you had used the pelt to force another consciousness to rise and battle the one which had taken hold of him, allowing the swordsman a chance to surface and reclaim control.

It was all thanks to you.

His gaze drifted down to rest upon your form. Salt residue had already begun to appear across your skin but it was the heat coming off your form that earned his alarm. Pausing, the back of his hand met your cheek, finding it burning hot. There was a flush across your face as well. It was as he quickened his pace that you groggily woke, finding the Hylian Champion’s face full of worry and concern along with guilt, impulsing you to reach up a shaking hand to brush bandaged fingertips against his skin. The motion earned you his full attention as he still went faster, those azure eyes falling to meet your glazed own as his arms gave you a squeeze. I’ve got you, they said, I will fix this.

A smile raised your lips as the world spun, flesh of his cheek becoming pinched between your fingers. Maybe it was the fever making you a bit loopy but for some reason you found the stretch of his skin entertaining as he raised an eyebrow at your giggle. His soaked hair made him look less like a Hylian and more like an oversized canine as his features morphed for a moment. “Good…boy…”

And darkness rose to claim you as the raised blonde eyebrow twitched. That had to be the goofiest expression he’d ever seen. Bizarre, considering the circumstance, but it still coaxed his own lips to twitch with a suppressed smirk when you woofed softly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Previous: Blood Moon Encounter

Pt. 3: Identities Unknown

[artemistorm]

Stew Pot Plot pt 4

Alternate Whumptober prompt #9: Drugging -- Time, Everyone

TW -- drugging, unconsciousness

733 words

Read it here or on AO3!

******

Time brought the ocarina to his lips and played the Sonata of Awakening.

“THAT ONE’S AWAKE!” One of the Yiga yelled shrilly. “STOP HIM!”

As Time let the ocarina fall away from his lips and come to rest on his chest, the magic of the song swirled around the camp repeating and echoing in the wind, rousing the sleeping heroes.

“Uh oh, what’s going on? What kind of magic is that?!” The other Yiga exclaimed as all around them, the heroes stirred and opened their eyes.

Time himself felt his strength return in a wave and his mind cleared. He pushed himself up as the last of the tiredness vanished. He swiftly lit a lantern and illuminated the sleepy camp and the red-clad invaders.

“What’s going on?” Hyrule asked stretching.

“Who are you?” Wind asked the stranger in red backing away from the camp.

“That’s a Yiga!” Wild exclaimed, suddenly very alert. “Asssassins!”

“Everyone up on your feet!” Time ordered. Legend was on his feet firing off an arrow before Time even finished his sentence. One of the Yiga grunted and clutched at the arrow protruding from their shoulder.

“Abort! Abort! Mission abort!” The Yiga yelled.

“I told you this wouldn’t work!” The other shouted in reply and fired an arrow back at Legend. Warriors lifted his shield just in time to save Legend from getting skewered and the arrow thudded embedded into it.

Thunder rumbled louder and louder and had the heroes and Yiga alike looking up into the sky above and the dark cliffsides searching for whatever storm or landslide or earthquake was the source of the noise.

A fierce and angry neighing and the pounding of hooves startled the heroes and Yiga and Epona charged into the camp leading a herd of wild horses, galloped straight at the Yiga with righteous fury.

“You haven’t seen the last of us! We’ll get you, Hero!” The Yiga screamed and vanished into the cloud of kicked-up dust and stampeding horses. The horses continued to circle and stamp and make angry horse noises for another minute as the rest of the heroes got to their feet, weapons in hand, searching for the enemy looking confused.

“What just happened?” Sky asked when the dust and the horses settled.

“I found a packet of sleeping herbs in the stew: we were unknowingly drugged and the Yiga tried to capture us,” Time explained and motioned to the herd of horses that now encircled the camp. “I told Epona to go get help, and she did.”

“If we were drugged unconscious, how are we awake now?” Warriors asked.

“I played the Sonata of Awakening” Time said holding up his ocarina. “You can stand down now, the danger has passed.”

“That explains why I fell asleep in the middle of cooking last night,” Wild said. “I kept tasting the stew as I went along to make sure everything was cooking alright.”

“You must have tasted a LOT of it to get knocked out like you did,” Hyrule said.

“Uhh maybe??” Wild grinned sheepishly. “What? I was hungry.”

“I don’t feel sleepy anymore, not even a little bit,” Wind said. “Which is weird because I was suuuuper tired earlier and it’s still the middle of the night.”

“That’s a side effect of the song; no one is going to get any more sleep tonight,” Time admitted.

“Strangely, I’m not even upset about it,” Sky said. “I’m completely wide awake… you should play that song more often.”

“What do you guys think about leaving and heading on to the stable now?” Four asked.

“Thanks to Epona, we now have enough horses for all of us to ride,” Twilight said rubbing Epona’s nose and slipping her a little treat from his pocket.

“We can make it to Gerudo Canyon Stable in no time at all on horseback,” Wild said. “As long as you guys can tame the wild horses.”

“Shouldn’t be any trouble at all,” Twilight said, already trying to pet and befriend the blue spotted horse, much to Epona’s annoyance.

“Breakfast at the stable?” Wind suggested. “A biiig breakfast? I’m hungry again.”

“Again? Already?” Legend said.

“Yep, growth spurt for sure,” Warriors laughed.

“I’m just glad we didn’t get captured and no one got hurt,” Sky said. “Thank you, Time.”

“Don’t thank me, thank Epona,” Time said. “Shall we get ready to go?”

“Breakfast! Breakfast! Breakfast!” Wind chanted and everyone laughed.

The End.

[nooby-banana]

i love epona but i hope there are still other horses to tame and ride in TotK. i enjoyed checking out each new herd for different horses and i loved finding the ✨special✨ horsies and giving them haircuts and fancy saddles.

gonna love this game no matter what, but pls don’t take away my fantasy horse girl simulator

[bluarabian]

Getting Jasper comfy cozy. Anxiety points for him is intentional mount/dismount and first about 10 steps. Lots of getting half on, fully on, off, jump around, and then walking forward and not getting that 'I am stuck feeling'.

Once he is pass those anxiety points, he is actually very fluid in walk, trot, canter, and nice smooth breaks. He is still learning to follow my leg and hand. 99% focused on forward fluid motion. Good steering always comes later.

He really responds to a lot of praise and knowing he is doing a good job. Strong desire to please. More than any horse I've ever worked with. Very little play drive still with people, barely starting to show with his herd mates. Has become very close to Epona.

[rrain-writes]

Lassoed for Twilight? If you’re still doing the prompts.

Hey @butter-and-too-much-bread!

Of course! Here is Twi for the @badthingshappenbingo prompt 'lassoed'. I got inspiration from one of the scenes in the TP manga! (Also, I will be doing these prompts until the bingo card is done!)

It’s a bit shorter than normal because I have no clue what I’m doing, (contrary to popular belief I have never herded angry goats), but I hope you like it.

Characters: Twilight, Fado, Wind, Hyrule, Wild

Warnings: Not being able to breathe

Twilight loved Ordon. The people, the animals, being able to take a breath without getting a faceful of monsters… yeah, he loved this place.

Wind ran beside him as they headed towards Fado, who had asked for assistance in rouding up the goats (again). Hyrule and Wild had also been eager to help, laughing loudly as they raced eachother to their destination.

The group was quick to mount the horses, Twilight with Epona, and Twilight quickly showed them how they would catch the goats. More specifically, one which had been acting out and stirring up the rest of the herd.

“There!” One of the others shouted as they spotted the unussualy aggresive one. Twilight lifted his lariat rope, aiming for the large horns of the Ordonian goat. Unfortunately for him, so did someone else.

Before he could throw the rope, something looped itself around his neck. A voice shouted as Twilight was yanked back, the sudden movement throwing him off Epona. It felt like a punch to his throat, cutting off his air supply.

Twilight hit the ground hard, hands stuck between breaking his fall and trying to keep himself breathing. He let out a choked gasp as the rope around his neck went slack, which resulted in sending him into a coughing fit. Twilight hacked and wheezed as he tried to suck in oxygen through his injured throat.

Someone had their hands on him, trying to help him breathe, while another voice off to the side continued to apologise tearfully.

Twilight raised a hand to his tender throat, trying to blink away the pain. “Good shot.” He rasped. “But you might wanna aim for the goats next time.”

[skyward-floored]

Incredibles AU: Can we see some of Malon using her powers? I don't recall us having actually seen it, unless I missed a fic?

Does the ever growing super household have a pet that narks on the boys being naughty?

TYTY love your writing

The only fic where Malon has ~vaguely~ used her powers is Lost Time, but other than that it hasn’t really been shown. Mostly because for the longest time I wasn’t quite sure what exactly it was lol

And sadly no, the boys don’t really have any pets since they move fairly often. Wild caught a frog once though, and kept it for a bit... but this story isn’t about that XD

———

“Do you see her Twilight? This is Epona, she’s my horse,” Malon said gently, holding her son up to the chestnut mare. “Epona, this is Twilight, my son.”

Twilight blinked up at the horse, then Malon guided his hand to pet her soft muzzle, Twilight giggling a little when Epona blew out a soft puff of air. He gently patted her nose, and Epona looked at him with the beginnings of adoration in her eyes.

He’s absolutely adorable, Epona snorted, and Twilight smiled at her, despite not being able to understand.

“I knew you’d be friends,” Malon said with a smile, and Epona snorted again.

How couldn’t we be? I can already tell he’ll be a natural with us. Are you sure he can’t understand?

“Well if he can, he’s shown no signs of it yet,” Malon shrugged, “I wouldn’t get your hopes up girl. It’s rare the same exact power gets passed down through families you know.”

Then she showed Twilight how to hold a carrot out to Epona without getting nibbled. He quickly got the hang of it, and Epona whinnied eagerly as he held out several more carrots towards her.

Yep. He’s my new best friend.

“Malon!”

She looked up at the shout, and saw her father running out across the yard towards her, a harried look on his face.

And her father never ran.

“Malon, something spooked the cows and the fence by the cliff is down!” her father panted as he reached her side, resting his hands on his knees. “I just checked that section yesterday too, it was fine then—”

“Don’t worry about a thing father, I’ll handle it,” she soothed, then handed Twilight over to him. “I’ll have them back before you can even miss ‘em.”

She gave a whistle, and Epona turned herself around, offering her back to her. Malon jumped on without hesitation, and giving Twilight a little wave, kicked Epona into a canter, off towards the cow pasture. It wasn’t long before the panicked cows came into view, and Malon watched as the last few disappeared through the broken fence.

“Alright girl, lets round ‘em up,” she said to Epona, and she whinnied eagerly in response.

It’s been ages since there was a good stampede around here!

“Epona, really. We stopped a robbery just yesterday.”

Yes but he wasn’t stampeding.

They quickly caught up to the main group of cows, their eyes wild and panicked as they charged across the grass. Malon drew up next to them and gave a piercing whistle, watching as the cows’ pricked their ears, but continued to bolt across the grass. Malon frowned, but had expected the response. She could only reliably communicate with horses; other hoofed animals tended to be more difficult to get through to.

Especially when they were in a large, panicked group.

“Let’s try and cut them off,” she said, and Epona sped up into a gallop, running steadily until she was ahead of the herd of cows.

Malon began to urge them to turn, occasionally letting out more sharp whistles, and the frightened cows started to change course. Malon and Epona managed to get them to turn all the way back around, and she began to speak more soothingly, but still loud enough to be heard.

The cows in the front began to slow the longer she spoke to them, and the ones behind began slowing as well. By the time Malon had guided them back towards the pasture, they were merely trotting steadily along, the panic from whatever had spooked them gone.

Talon and Twilight watched her from a safe distance away, and Epona trotted over to them once all the cows were back in the fence, a smile on Malon’s face.

“There you go, all rounded up,” she said as she dismounted, and took Twilight back with a small spin. “Strange about the fence though, I wonder what happened to it?”

“I don’t rightly know...” Talon said with a suspicious hum. “...it might be nothing. Anyways, thank you Malon, it’s a good thing you were here.”

Epona let out a small huff of air.

“...and you as well, Epona,” Talon amended, and Epona looked content as Malon shook her head and Twilight reached out to give the mare another pat on the nose, along with a carrot.

That’s more like it.

[flame-of-brigid]

Over on reddit several days ago, someone lost their beloved pet and were looking for some sort of ritual/prayer. Their personal practice was Celtic.

I cobbled something together and thought I might as well go into more detail here on Tumblr in case it's of use to anyone else.

Now, there are a few psychopomps in the various Celtic mythologies. I lean towards using Cernunnos and Epona myself, but other options include Manannán mac Lir and Donn. Ultimately, it would depend on your personal pantheons and comfort.

As inspiration, I turned towards some of the prayers the ADF often uses when involving Cernunnos as a gatekeeper. After all, that's effectively what we're doing!

Lord Cernunnos, opener of the door, guide to the ways between, my prayer goes to you to open the passage, To clear the threshold, To make the way clear.

Please guide our honored companion (pet name) to the Otherworld. (Feel free to sing your pet's praises here. If you need an example, here's a brief one for my late snake, Natasha: She was bright and curious, a delight to all who knew her. Oh Cernunnos, let her grace your antlers as you walk her home, for climbing was one of her favorite things.) Keep the door open for us to find peace and healing with the passage of time.

You can close with "may it be so" or whatever closing as you like, or: Close the way Close the way Lord Cernunnos Close the way.

(Prayers by Ceisiwr Serrith/ADF, with some slight modifications and additions by myself.) Since I've had more time on my hands, I've also written an Epona version. To provide a more beefy example, I've written it as if for my late horse Beau. Oh Epona, Sacred Mother, come and guide our child home. Great Mare, sovereign Queen, Safeguard the journey of Beau Justice to the Otherworld. Know that he was steadfast and clever, mischievous but kind. I weep for the loss of him, but to you, he will be a joy. Make him welcome in your herd. Epona Regina, draw the roads closed behind you. Close the way, Close the way, Let the hoofbeats fade, Close the way.

[cloudninetonine]

*walks on in tiredly, downs coffee like a shot, waves* 'Sup, has existence been treating you well? Hopefully so.

So uh, while working on that Lora one shot I mentioned, I may or may not have done a thing- *drops this here and runs away, throws a basket of apple pie at you* It's just a snippet of a draft that I'll expand on later (maybe) and wholly unpolished, plus English ain't my first language, but thank you for inspiring me and listening to me ramble! Regularly scheduled content at another day!

-Just a Tired Summertime Musician.

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These past few months just couldn't get easier, could they?

Of course not, clearly that was too much to ask that fucking Shadow.

You never thought you could hate anyone as much as you hated it, yet here we are.

You're on a dark, deep cave system, far underground, farther than you've ever went back in your world, sure, it wasn't that uncommon for you to camp out on caves now ever since you started traveling with the chain, but none of them could compare to the deep chasm you found yourself lost in ever since the Shadow separated you all again. It had been a miracle you didn't crack your head on a rock after it had herded you into one of it's portals, it had been cornering you and Wild, losing your heads was not an option as you quite like living so you've jumped out of the way, not expecting to be pushed in, not expecting to see the horror in Wild's face as he reached for you, only to be tackled out of the way by a monochrome Lizalfo with red eyes.

Although, give the dark spots in your vision you weren't quite sure were just the luminous stones dotting the walls, and the weakness in your hand carrying a torch you'd set alight to carry with you and the twisting in your stomach you weren't quite sure was just worry for The Chain or hunger, maybe it wasn't going to matter anyway. There wasn't a single opening down below in the cavernous ceiling, so you couldn't be quite sure how long you've been trying to find your way in the twisting, oddly barren and silent tunnels like a restless ghost without at least a sign of water, and the silence of the tomb set your hair on edge.

You remember the first time the Shadow had separated you from the group quite vividly, you had no wish for a repeat performance in a place practically tailored for it to thrive in. You're getting really sick of this "Princess in another castle" routine.

"Come on now, (Player)... Just a little more, either you'll find a way out, or they'll find you." You muttered to yourself, leaning against the wall of the cavern. You had found an open space, dimly lit by the stones and fatigue was starting to overwhelm you, the rest was necessary even if you really, really, didn't want to, "You just need to press on, get out of here, see your boys, obliterate that edgy fucking, dollar store budget unversed knock off bastard's knee rights and move on to find a way home." You sigh, closing your eyes for a single moment, even if it was unwise, you'd just need to be prepared to move, allowing yourself respite for a small nap.

It wasn't as simple as that, not by a long shot. But you were really livid by now, nobody ever said you were fully rational anyway, you deserved to be angry over your circumstances, didn't you? You were tore from your home, from your world and the life and people you cherished, from your new home in the Chain, with Hyrule, Wild, Wind, Time, Twilight, Sky, Four, Warriors, yes even Legend for all he got on your nerves on a daily. You missed laying with Hyrule in the sun, missed cooking and peaceful walks with Wild, missed getting up to all sorts of shenanigans with Wild and Wind, missed late night talks with Time and caring for Epona with Twilight and cuddled with Wolfie, impromptu duets with Sky that always left your voice hoarse but you both smiling like fools before going to nap, how Warriors could always put you at ease and make you smile or laugh, how you'd help Four with smithing as you learned from him and his calm, if somewhat snarky sense of humor, you'd even take arguing with Legend right now, for all his accusations and sassy, almost cruel words grated against your skin you knew it came from a place of concern, that he cared.

... You didn't want to be alone. And for all you knew they'd be fine, you didn't want to leave them alone either.

Suddenly, something caught your ears, faint at first, but steadily louder, footsteps on cold, unforgiving stone and the faint swish of a cloak, so light one would think it a trick of your tired mind, and faint humming. You couldn't tell if the voice was male or female, but some part of you could tell you were safe. It makes the part of you that had been terrified of falling asleep for fear of getting attacked again relax, your eyelids were getting heavy, you think you feel something brush through your hair, but maybe it was a breeze? It wouldn't be unplausible, the tunnels were ascending rather than descending, after all.

You couldn't identify anything more than that, you were barely there as is, the last of your provisions and a handful of underground plants you'd scavenged hardly enough to convince your body to stay awake much longer. But you could tell the voice was bittersweet, it's tone just slightly sad but comforting.

"Hello my old heart, how have you been? Are you still beating in my chest?

I've been so worried, you've been so still... Barely beating at all...

Oh, don't leave me here alone

Don't tell me that we've grown

For having loved a little while

Oh, I don't wanna be alone

I wanna find a home

And I wanna share it with you."

'Is that...?', that was a song from your world, you were sure of it, but before you could think upon it longer, your tired mind had already taken you to dreamland, were you dreamt of soft, gentle voices, fingers gently carding through your hair, and forest green on the corner of your vision under the view of a lovely, Hylian sky on a hill.

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"There, there... Now that's a good fledgling." The person's smile was soft, as they watched over their reflections sleeping form, silently cursing Hylia for her half baked plans, and lamenting for those who must succumb to her whims, it felt like a bad joke as they chuckled, "... You're very far from your nest, little bird, sleep. I'll keep watch until help comes."

After all, birds of a feather must watch over one another, until the other is fully ready to take to the skies.

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"... H-!"

What...?

"Hey th-"

'What is it?', you though to yourself, annoyed beyond measure as you grumbled. You were having such a good rest...

"There are better places to sleep than on the ground, you know."

Yes, but also consider this, mysterious voice currently interrupting your well deserved sleep: you're tired and have no interest in those other places, so take your sales pitch and shove it-

Wait.

A voice?

A person?!

Snapping your eyes open like you've been shocked, you shoot up, the person leans back as if to avoid getting headbutted, though that doesn't matter as you grab a sharp chunk of luminous stone by your side and lobs it at their head with all the strength your fatigued body could recover.

The man shifts to the side, the rock clatters uselessy against the stone wall, damnit.

You both stare at one another for a few seconds, before the man snorts, shoulders shaking lightly, before evolving into a full laugh, warm like the flames of the campfire you use to sleep nearby with Wolfie as it echoed through the walls, his long, red-gold hair gleamed against the faint green of the stones, and when his eyes settle on you your breath is stolen from your lungs by their beautiful, cerulean shade with just the barest hints of green, reminding you painfully of your Champion but just a tad looser, wolf eyes, closer to Twilight's, he's crouched by your side on the ground, his tone amused, "That is certainly one way to greet someone upon just waking up, seems like you're my kind of company."

You flush, embarrassed, sitting up with a faint wince, sleeping against bare rocks is not good for someone's back or neck, but you'd be damned if you let yourself be open, "I am so sorry! You just startled me badly." You pause, studying his green and white tunic held together by several brown beads the shade is different from all the other's and dark brown sandals in the place of boots, and the style certainly doesn't match any of your boys, even Wild's and Legend's extensive wardrobes didn't have any similar clothing like that, for some reason, the style nags at you, like you've seen it before back in your world, but you cannot remember from where. Until your eyes catch from his chest to his arm; his clearly artificial arm. Dark against the his lightly tanned skin and stark against the pale light of the Luminous Stones, with many golden ornaments with intricate, circular design that for some reason always struck you as being reminiscent of Celtic, even before you had seen it on Wild in that trailer and could only see it through a pixelated tapestry, with clawed tips that a part of you was certain could likely cut through bone.

It hits you like a lightning bolt, even as he raises an eyebrow at you, it's not done out of irritation, like he expected a reaction like that. He's waiting, patient like a predator studying a human, deciding whether it should regard it as prey or leave it be, after you finally gather your thoughts and your voice works again you ask what's been on your mind, slightly relieved disbelief coloring your voice, because if you were right-

"Is your name Link, perchance, sir?"

He smiles, it sends a tingle down your spine, it's Wild's smile, the same unrepentant barring of teeth that on anyone else it could likely make them flinch back, but on him it just looked warm as he gets up, tilting his head lightly, "None of that, formalities give me hives. But you'd be correct, I can clearly tell, you reacted like a spooked deer, but it's understandable, it's not the strangest way I've met someone before so don't worry, alright?" His ear twitches, and he cocks his head to the side, with a frown that borders on troubled, but turns into firm determination as he glances back at you, offering his hand (not his artificial one, it seems he'd caught how you reacted to it, part of you was grateful, while the other one twisted a bit, in worry or shock you couldn't say), "You shouldn't be here, or at least linger here for much longer. Come on, you look exhausted, I know somewhere you'll be safe to at least drink and eat, then I'll get you out of here once you've recovered your strength, it's not safe."

It's the Hero from the tapestry, Wild's predecessor, the Hero from 10.000 years ago. Your mind whispers to you, as you numbly take his hand, trembling a bit from lingering exhaustion, then it hits you again once he's grasped it, gentle but firm as he pulls you to your feet, holy shit I've just tried to yeet a rock at Wild's predecessor's head, talk about fucking up a first impression, "W-wait! Wouldn't you at least like my name? And I am so sorry again for throwing a rock at you, just because it's hardly the weirdest way you've been greeted, doesn't mean it's okay for you to brush it off!"

He pauses, tilting his head to the side again (listening?) Before turning to you, amused even if still serious, "Introductions can wait, besides, I'd recognize you even blind and deaf, Guiding Light. So that's unnecessary for now, and I mean it, it's alright, no need for apologies." He gently grasps your hand, squeezing it lightly to get your attention, tilting his head to one of the tunnels, "Come on, everything else can wait. Trust me."

You study him, the words die on your throat, you can see his urgency, even if he kept his voice steady for your sake. You questioned how he could recognize you, when it usually took longer for any of the other Links to believe you, you had so many questions, how was he here? What happened? How is he still alive after so long?

But his eyes were warm, his smile like the sun, even if tired. It made you miss your Champion, but overall, it reminded you of the certainty you always had when you joined the Chain.

This was Link, still Link, your hero even if not quite the same, so even if you had questions, you'd be safe with him, he'd make sure you'd be okay.

So you squeezed his hand back and nodded silently, the man with fiery hair sending you a smile, warm and relieved and familiar, before turning and walking hand in hand with you through the dimly lit tunnels, guiding you away from danger as you've once guided him.

... You haven't noticed the green flames at his steps, or the faint scraping of metal against stone just yet, but maybe that was for the best.

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Not pictured:

Dink, rolling up of whatever dark hole he crawled out of: Aww, scared, little Guide? We both know I probably don't bite-

Craein, keeping watch over their sucessor with bared teeth, READY to shank him with a sharp rock if possible: But I do, should have know it was you when I smelt something nasty skittering up this way. Heya Killer. Missed me?~

Dink, peacing out because he remembers what happened in the Ancient Au: Oh fuck not this crazy bitch again-

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA SUM I FUCKING LOVED THIS AND THAT LITTLE PLOT TWIST AT THE END, I WOULD SCREAM IF IT WASN'T 20 TO 11