Whoa, it's been a long time since I updated this! Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: Looking for non-recyclable cans to build a printer to go with the computer made of non-recyclable cans in my Cardboard Palace, but I still don't own Zelda.
Chapter 10
The dark of night was just beginning to creep over the distant hills as we finally entered the sleepy-looking village of Kakariko. The guard looked us over casually as we walked in, probably only interested in us for a change of view. Link led us to an inn, where we went directly to the manager to talk to for room and board.
"Three of you, eh?" He asked, probably thinking that our ages would make it easier to charge higher for. I tried to look as tough as possible, to discourage the idea. Link nodded.
"We just want to stay the night." The manager thought for a moment.
"Well, this inn is awfully crowded, what with the annual farming competition going on…the normal price is 100 rupees a person."
"100 rupees a person? That hardly seems reasonable. Besides, all I can afford is at the most 50 a person…" Link, obviously skilled at the process, haggled with the manager, while Malon and I watched the main room of the inn, where it looked like some sort of singing contest was going on.
"I'll let you go for 50 a person, if you win a bet.." The manager said loudly, attracting the attention of several of the customers.
"What bet?" Link asked warily.
"Well, as you can probably tell, we have a singing competition now. Let's say, if that young lady wins-" he pointed at me here "-you can stay for 50 a person. It can't be Malon, we know her singing too well." This earned a few chuckles from the audience. I grabbed Link's sleeve.
"I can't sing!" I hissed, making sure the slimy manager couldn't hear.
"I guess you're going to have to try, Evalyn. Unless you want to spend the night with some cuccos." I groaned.
"Fine, but you're gonna pay for it!" The manager had obviously figured out what we were talking about, and smiled nastily.
"In fact, if she does win, I'll raise the stakes. You can stay for free." Link and Malon looked at me, obviously waiting for me to make the decision. I sighed.
"We accept, but you must go further than just letting us stay for free. We would like free dinner and breakfast as well."
"Done. Good luck-did I mention I was on the judging board?" The manager smiled again, even nastier this time. I shivered despite myself.
"When do I go?" I asked.
"Why not now? The requirements are for you to sing your favorite farming song. Get up on the stage, girly!" Link and Malon gave me reassuring smiles. I tried to force one back, but it froze as I walked up the stairs to the platform the other performers had been standing on. I took a deep breath. What farming songs did I know? Old McDonald was out of the question. I decided my best bet was to make up new words to an old song. I was relatively good at ad-libbing.
"Hi, everybody." I said, trying not to let my voice tremble. No one in the audience said anything, but I saw Link and Malon give me the thumbs- up sign. I guess some things were universal.
"My name's Evalyn, and I'm going to be singing for you I guess." No one said anything, and Link's and Malon's smiles were beginning to look forced. Thinking quickly, my mind landed on the first song I could think of-Believer, by Smash Mouth. I started singing in a faltering voice, and at the time thought I was the biggest moron in the world.
"I only thought that-good farming-was true in…fairy tales,
Meant for another…farmer but not for me,
…Drought was out to-get me,
That was what it seemed,
dead…ground…haunted all my dreams.
But then I saw the crop,
Now I'm a…good farmer,
Without a weed,
or…gopher in my field,
I can…grow, ooooh, aaaaaah,
I'm a good farmer, I couldn't stop it, if I tried.
Gophers and weeds were the only thing
I was able to grow or…raise,
What was the use of tryin',
All I got was…pain,
When I wanted Sunshine I got rain.
But then I saw the crop,
Now I'm a good farmer,
Without a weed,
or gopher in my field,
I can grow, ooooh, aaaaaah,
I'm a good farmer, I couldn't stop it if I tried!"
By the second verse, I decided I had won the audience over. I could tell pretty much by the wild cheering and applause. By the time I had finished, people were practically out of their seats. I saw the slimy manager sitting at a table with two other creatures and another Hylian. I assumed that the one sitting on the right side of the table was a goron, but I wasn't sure about the fourth person, if you could call it that. The goron, Hylian, and the other creature were smiling and looked as excited as the crowd, but the slimy manager looked as if he had just bitten into a rotting vegetable. I made my way to the table Link and Malon were sitting at, who slapped my back in congratulations. I waited through the other four songs, although the singers looked a bit downcast, as if they knew they couldn't beat me. Then the whole inn practically held it's breath as the winners were announced. I crossed my fingers. The manager was announcing the winners.
"All right, here are the runner ups. In fourth place, we have Lerith, the Goron…the prize is a free glass of Chateau Romani." The crowd politely applauded, and the another Goron stood up and accepted the bottle offered.
"In third place, we have Eklin, the Zora…the prize is a Cucco egg!" Another smattering of applause. Malon leaned over to me.
"There's no way you didn't win, Evalyn. There are three other judges, and mot much can threaten a goron into submission." She whispered. I started to reply, but the manager started to speak again.
"In second place, we have Dorna, the Dekuscrub, and the prize is a potted Deku Baba!" There were ooh's and ah's as a small creature covered with fur that looked like rags hopped up and took a tiny version of the creature that had attacked Link and I earlier.
"Who would want something like that?" I asked under my breath. I heard an appreciative chuckle from Malon and Link. I started chewing my thumbnail from nervousness.
"And finally, in First place, with the prize of free board, dinner, and breakfast, we have…"
* * *
"I don't care what you say! It was rigged!" I snapped, trying to become more comfortable in the pile of hay I was lying on.
"I'm not entirely disagreeing Evalyn, that manager looked like he knew his way around a Hylian's heart." I heard Link off to my right, but I couldn't be sure in the gloom of the barn we were attempting to sleep in.
"Well, at least we didn't have to pay anything." Malon pointed out, trying to sound optimistic. The shiver in her voice nullified any attempt at making us feel better. I decided to try to go to sleep, but I had too many ideas of how to kill the manager without getting caught.
Disclaimer: Looking for non-recyclable cans to build a printer to go with the computer made of non-recyclable cans in my Cardboard Palace, but I still don't own Zelda.
Chapter 10
The dark of night was just beginning to creep over the distant hills as we finally entered the sleepy-looking village of Kakariko. The guard looked us over casually as we walked in, probably only interested in us for a change of view. Link led us to an inn, where we went directly to the manager to talk to for room and board.
"Three of you, eh?" He asked, probably thinking that our ages would make it easier to charge higher for. I tried to look as tough as possible, to discourage the idea. Link nodded.
"We just want to stay the night." The manager thought for a moment.
"Well, this inn is awfully crowded, what with the annual farming competition going on…the normal price is 100 rupees a person."
"100 rupees a person? That hardly seems reasonable. Besides, all I can afford is at the most 50 a person…" Link, obviously skilled at the process, haggled with the manager, while Malon and I watched the main room of the inn, where it looked like some sort of singing contest was going on.
"I'll let you go for 50 a person, if you win a bet.." The manager said loudly, attracting the attention of several of the customers.
"What bet?" Link asked warily.
"Well, as you can probably tell, we have a singing competition now. Let's say, if that young lady wins-" he pointed at me here "-you can stay for 50 a person. It can't be Malon, we know her singing too well." This earned a few chuckles from the audience. I grabbed Link's sleeve.
"I can't sing!" I hissed, making sure the slimy manager couldn't hear.
"I guess you're going to have to try, Evalyn. Unless you want to spend the night with some cuccos." I groaned.
"Fine, but you're gonna pay for it!" The manager had obviously figured out what we were talking about, and smiled nastily.
"In fact, if she does win, I'll raise the stakes. You can stay for free." Link and Malon looked at me, obviously waiting for me to make the decision. I sighed.
"We accept, but you must go further than just letting us stay for free. We would like free dinner and breakfast as well."
"Done. Good luck-did I mention I was on the judging board?" The manager smiled again, even nastier this time. I shivered despite myself.
"When do I go?" I asked.
"Why not now? The requirements are for you to sing your favorite farming song. Get up on the stage, girly!" Link and Malon gave me reassuring smiles. I tried to force one back, but it froze as I walked up the stairs to the platform the other performers had been standing on. I took a deep breath. What farming songs did I know? Old McDonald was out of the question. I decided my best bet was to make up new words to an old song. I was relatively good at ad-libbing.
"Hi, everybody." I said, trying not to let my voice tremble. No one in the audience said anything, but I saw Link and Malon give me the thumbs- up sign. I guess some things were universal.
"My name's Evalyn, and I'm going to be singing for you I guess." No one said anything, and Link's and Malon's smiles were beginning to look forced. Thinking quickly, my mind landed on the first song I could think of-Believer, by Smash Mouth. I started singing in a faltering voice, and at the time thought I was the biggest moron in the world.
"I only thought that-good farming-was true in…fairy tales,
Meant for another…farmer but not for me,
…Drought was out to-get me,
That was what it seemed,
dead…ground…haunted all my dreams.
But then I saw the crop,
Now I'm a…good farmer,
Without a weed,
or…gopher in my field,
I can…grow, ooooh, aaaaaah,
I'm a good farmer, I couldn't stop it, if I tried.
Gophers and weeds were the only thing
I was able to grow or…raise,
What was the use of tryin',
All I got was…pain,
When I wanted Sunshine I got rain.
But then I saw the crop,
Now I'm a good farmer,
Without a weed,
or gopher in my field,
I can grow, ooooh, aaaaaah,
I'm a good farmer, I couldn't stop it if I tried!"
By the second verse, I decided I had won the audience over. I could tell pretty much by the wild cheering and applause. By the time I had finished, people were practically out of their seats. I saw the slimy manager sitting at a table with two other creatures and another Hylian. I assumed that the one sitting on the right side of the table was a goron, but I wasn't sure about the fourth person, if you could call it that. The goron, Hylian, and the other creature were smiling and looked as excited as the crowd, but the slimy manager looked as if he had just bitten into a rotting vegetable. I made my way to the table Link and Malon were sitting at, who slapped my back in congratulations. I waited through the other four songs, although the singers looked a bit downcast, as if they knew they couldn't beat me. Then the whole inn practically held it's breath as the winners were announced. I crossed my fingers. The manager was announcing the winners.
"All right, here are the runner ups. In fourth place, we have Lerith, the Goron…the prize is a free glass of Chateau Romani." The crowd politely applauded, and the another Goron stood up and accepted the bottle offered.
"In third place, we have Eklin, the Zora…the prize is a Cucco egg!" Another smattering of applause. Malon leaned over to me.
"There's no way you didn't win, Evalyn. There are three other judges, and mot much can threaten a goron into submission." She whispered. I started to reply, but the manager started to speak again.
"In second place, we have Dorna, the Dekuscrub, and the prize is a potted Deku Baba!" There were ooh's and ah's as a small creature covered with fur that looked like rags hopped up and took a tiny version of the creature that had attacked Link and I earlier.
"Who would want something like that?" I asked under my breath. I heard an appreciative chuckle from Malon and Link. I started chewing my thumbnail from nervousness.
"And finally, in First place, with the prize of free board, dinner, and breakfast, we have…"
* * *
"I don't care what you say! It was rigged!" I snapped, trying to become more comfortable in the pile of hay I was lying on.
"I'm not entirely disagreeing Evalyn, that manager looked like he knew his way around a Hylian's heart." I heard Link off to my right, but I couldn't be sure in the gloom of the barn we were attempting to sleep in.
"Well, at least we didn't have to pay anything." Malon pointed out, trying to sound optimistic. The shiver in her voice nullified any attempt at making us feel better. I decided to try to go to sleep, but I had too many ideas of how to kill the manager without getting caught.
