The sound of Zelda's stomach shot her awake in her bed at the Riverside Stable inn. It was late morning; she had slept longer than usual. She felt a pain and emptiness well up from within, making her glad that the kind woman had offered to serve her breakfast.
The woman noticed her stir and soon brought out a warm plate full of foods that Zelda didn't recognize. A little embarrassed, she quietly whispered to the woman. "This smells delicious! What is it? I'm…not a very good cook."
The woman kindly told her she made her some fried Cuckoo eggs with Hylian herbs and goat butter with wild greens on the side, which included more Hylian herbs, hearty radishes, and an Endura carrot. She had placed a bottle of fresh cold goat milk on the table beside her. She went on to explain how every ingredient they use is grown and raised at the stable, to Zelda's astonishment.
"Oh, that's wonderful! You are such a blessing! Thank you very much…I don't think I ever got your name!"
The woman blushed. "Oh goodness, I didn't even think to introduce myself. My name is Nyla, and my husband you already met is Ember. What's your name?"
"I'm Z-sorry I never introduced myself either! I'm Ari. Really, thank you for all you've done for me, for this amazing breakfast and all of your kindness when I came storming in here yesterday."
"It is our pleasure. We don't get a lot of people staying here. Most people just board their horses. When we do get people sleeping here overnight, we always try to make it a pleasant experience."
"Well, you've certainly done that, and much more," Zelda said, smiling.
The woman smiled back at her and got up to leave Zelda to finish her breakfast. "Please let me know if I can get you anything else, Ari."
Zelda hungrily ate every last bite of the breakfast the woman had prepared, savoring the flavors that seemed to complement each other perfectly. I really want to learn how to do that.
As soon as she finished, Zelda began planning out her day. She needed to lighten her load in her travel bag by using up a lot of the supplies she had collected. She was planning to make several balms, including Bruise Balm, Blood Balm, Burn Balm, Bone Balm, and Pain Balm, along with a few bottles of disinfectant and more cloth bandages. If she had time, she also wanted to make some more bars of soap and some fragrant essential oils. She asked Ember for her things behind the counter, and she was soon sitting outside, removing ingredients and supplies to start making her balms and personal products near the still-lit cooking pot.
"Hey Nyla, do you mind if I use your cooking pot out here to make some medicines?" The woman was outside, brushing one of the horses.
"Of course! Feel free to use it whenever you'd like."
Zelda set to work with her tools and ingredients in the hopes of combining them together to create effective treatments for a variety of ailments. This had been one of her favorite hobbies since she was a child, and even though she hadn't done it for a century, it all came back to her easily. This was one of the things she liked to do in her study, away from her father's prying eyes. She always had a passion for researching ingredients, collecting them, and finding out what they could do. As she got older and more confident, she began making various balms and medicines that she would hand out to anyone who would accept them.
She pulled a wrapped Tireless Frog out of a pocket of her bag, and she laughed at the memory of herself once daring a horrified Link to lick the same type of creature for its medicinal properties. She smiled at the memory of when her feelings toward Link began to change from resentment to genuine friendship, before the incident with the Yiga Clan.
Several hours later, Zelda had all of her materials made and neatly packed away in her much lighter and less bulky travel bag. Her balms were organized neatly in two of the outside pockets, and another pocket held three bottles of disinfectant and a large collection of cloth bandages. She was able to make a few bars of soap and a few bottles of varying essential oils, some of which she added to her soaps. She felt much more prepared for emergencies, which eased her anxious mind about traveling both alone and with Link when the time came.
After cleaning up and taking a short, mostly clothed bath in the cool waters of the river with the fragrant soap she had made, she realized she still had time to tame a horse before sundown. She could travel much faster on horseback, not to mention run away from enemies and better defend herself.
She set out from the building, heading toward the small group of horses gathered in a field near Riverside Stable. She only brought her bow and arrows with her in case she needed them; she wanted to remain as silent as she possibly could while creeping through the grass. She came to the clearing where the horses were gathered, planted herself behind a tree, and watched. She studied each one as they ran and played with each other in the tall grass, and soon her eyes drifted to a solid-colored, beautifully sculpted light caramel-brown horse. He seemed to be faster than all the others, and she wanted a fast horse to get around with quickly. That just means it will be more difficult to catch if it runs away. Ah, well. I always love a challenge.
Creeping silently through the grassy overgrowth, she forged a path leading directly behind her targeted horse. Ever patient, she moved slowly and only deviated from her path as the horse would move, taking care not to be seen at its sides and always staying directly behind it. She followed silently behind the unaware animal, creeping ever closer. She felt like a predator stalking its prey as she patiently waited for the exact right moment to mount the unsuspecting creature. Finally, she was within kicking range of the horse. She took care not to alert it to her presence before she was ready to jump onto his back. She didn't particularly want to open a new tube of Bruise Balm.
With a great leap, Zelda sprang up from the tall grass and grabbed on, jumping effortlessly onto the startled, bucking, whinnying animal. She held on for dear life as she frantically soothed the startled creature, and right before she was going to lose her grip and fly off its back, the horse suddenly stopped bucking and kicking. With a soft snort, he resigned himself to his fate. Zelda ran her hands down the horse's soft white mane and long neck, speaking soothing words to her new friend. Once he was completely calm, she dismounted and stood to face him.
"Hello. I'm Zelda. It's so nice to meet you." She gave a few pats to the horse's nose. It nuzzled her slightly, still a little unsure, and he snorted and turned away. He immediately turned back to her, placing his nose at the level of the pocket of her jacket that contained a single small apple. She had brought it with her to entice a horse, and it seemed to be working. She brought the apple out from her pocket and held it flat in her hands. He eagerly took the brightly-colored red fruit from her palm, his flapping lips tickling her skin. She raised it to pat the side of his face as he happily ate the apple, and he leaned his head into her hand.
Zelda looked him in the eyes and asked, "What shall I name you?" She stepped back to take a better look at him, and the beautiful light brown shade of his coat matched the color the toffee candy from Gerudo Town Urbosa would often buy for the young princess.
"I think I'll name you Toffa. How does that sound?"
The horse let out a satisfied whinny.
Riding bareback on him, Zelda made her way back to the counter at Riverside Stable and jumped off.. Ember greeted her, grinning from ear to ear. "Hello, Miss! I see you've caught yourself a noble steed!"
"That I have, kind sir! My name is Ari by the way. May I register him?"
"Of course! It's my pleasure to meet you, Ari. I'm Ember. I'll get that paperwork for you."
Zelda dismounted, filling out the necessary paperwork and printing his name "Toffa" at the top. Ember glanced at the paperwork and stamped it, reading his name aloud.
"Toffa! A fitting name for a handsome stallion!"
Zelda grinned as he handed her a brand new saddle and bridle, and she had to see how they looked on him.
It wasn't nearly as fancy as the Royal Saddle and Royal Bridle that belonged to her royal white horse in her day, but she hardly cared. It seemed to suit both her and Toffa, and it would have to do for now. She admitted she missed her old Royal Saddle and Royal Bridle set, but she had no idea what had ever become of them. She last saw them a century ago, after all.
She took Toffa along the main road around the stable, getting to know her new friend and speaking soothing words with gentle pats as they trotted along the path. She was happy to have someone to talk to and a living being to love and care for. He would sometimes veer off the path, and she would gently guide him back to it, soothing him with more gentle, patient pats and rubs along his mane and neck as she rode.
Eventually she made her way back to the stable near sundown, taking care not to be caught outside in the dark. She wanted to get an early start in the morning. It would be close to a full day's ride to the Dueling Peaks Stable, and she wanted to make it there by nightfall.
After she boarded Toffa for the night and enjoyed a light dinner from Nyla, Zelda climbed into the soft bed. She felt accomplished for creating so many balms, lightening her load, and making her new friend. She drifted in and out of sleep for a couple of hours, and she was briefly awakened by the sound of another patron shouting loudly.
"Blood Moon!"