Portal Three: Hyrule

Marie laughed, brushing off her contemplative, sober mood, and adopting a more festive one.

"Thanks much!" she said, as they cruised through Hyrule Field

Cat amused herself by testing Marie on various Hyrule trivia. "Okay, where does that road lead?"

"Lon Lon Ranch, but if you don't turn off, it goes right to Castle Town." she replied.

"Okay...and those mountains over there?"

"Death Mountain, and it's numerous precipices."

Cat frowned, looking for some way to stump her. "Well, shucks. I don't know what else to ask..."

Marie cackled, "I've got it down pat."

Just then, the wagon turned into the entrance to the ranch.

Cat steadied herself as she slid to one side. "So we're at the Ranch..." she gazed out at the animals. "I dare you to kick a chicken."

{{Warning: Kicking, slashing, shooting, or otherwise harassing a cucco will almost certainly result in severy injury or death.}}

Marie scoffed, "What do you take me for, a fool? I've bullied a cucco once, and barely lived to tell the tale."

She laughed, jumping off the back, "But really...this place is kinda nice, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know." She looked around, and locked onto a horse. "Ohmygosh," she cooed, jumping up and down. "Look! It's gorgeous!"

Malon giggled, "You like her?" she said, smiling at Cat, "Her name is Felicity."

[I like that name xD]

{I can tell... xf}

Cat nodded. "Oh, she's beautiful...Do you think I could...?"

"Ride her?" the elfish girl finished, "Of course you can! There's the track right over there."

She looked at Marie, "What about you?"

"Oh, um...me? I haven't always been exactly an animal person...y'know...I don't fancy the thought of being flattened like a pancake by hooves and whatnot."

"I'm sure there's a cow that you could ride, Marie," Cat joked, bouncing on her toes. "They should be placid enough."

"They still have hooves," Marie pointed out with a grimace. "I'll pass, thanks."

Cat followed Malon, steering herself around a chicken who just had to have the ground directly under her feet. "Shoo, bird...shoo!" She pushed it gently away with her toe.

It clucked indignantly, before swaggering off to join its companions.

Marie grinned sheepishly, watching the girls steer their horses.

Cat patted her mount's neck, in ecstasy.
"Come on, Marie! It's fun!"

"Eh...I'm not an animal person, really."

Cat lughed good-naturedly and clicked her tongue to her horse. The beast quickened its pace, and soon they were flying around the ranch.

Marie had to smile at her friend's pure joy...but farm animals and Marie had never mixed...and she wasn't about to try and change that now.

Mika dashed past Marie, exhilarated. She'd never gotten the chance to do this at home...
As she and her horse raced, an unfortunate cucco happened across their path.

"Oh, crap--"

Marie covered her eyes, not ready to face another episode of chicken carnage.

Cat hit the bird head-on, ducking as feathers went everywhere. She didn't want to look back, but she did anyway, knowing what she would find.

"AAAAAGH!!!"

A horde of cuccos were flapping after her, swooping over her head, pecking at her hair.

((Ever notice that you're impervious to cuccos while on Epona?))

[[One of my favorite pastimes]]

Marie ducked and covered. "OH MY GOD!"

Malon's eyes widened, "RUN FOR IT!" she shrieked