Chapter Twenty – Horses, Foundations, and Oatmeal
Link leaned back against the stable, Epona standing next to him, chowing down on brown sugar oatmeal, a special concoction from the cursed world.
"Then you heat it up. Add the brown sugar and there you go, a ready-to-eat meal for humans and horses!" Link finished.
"Still, humans eating oats?" the girl beside him asked.
"Oatmeal is an amazing food. You can add everything from sugar to strawberries for flavor. I think Sarah even knows a recipe for oatmeal cream pies."
"Sarah?"
"Saria, I meant. Gotta get used to that."
"But will the horses eat this flavored oatmeal?"
"Malon, look at Epona. She's ate almost all of it."
"Good thing, too. She's not been eating much lately."
"Why not?"
"Well, she was eating just fine before the curse, but after the curse, she'd just eat enough to stay alive and no more."
"She seems to beeating pretty goodnow."
"I know, but since no one knows what happened during the curse, it worries me."
Link, however, knew exactly what happened during the cursed years, or at least could take a good guess. It also seemed that Epona remembered it too. He stood up and walked over to her, taking off the saddle and bridle that Malon had placed on her earlier. Placing it on the stand where Malon had taken it from, he turned.
"Well, well, well, lookie who we have here. The Hero of Time decided to pay our humble abode a visit," a burly man said as he exited the stables.
"Ah, Talon. Before I forget, here." Link tossed him a bag.
"And this is for?"
"Anything and everything Epona needs."
"Aw, Link, you know good and well you don't owe us nothin' for taking care of her. Besides, you're the only one who can ride her, besides Malon, o' course."
"Still, she takes up room and eats, yes?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Talon, are you planning on giving the Rupees back?"
"Um, well, if you insist, I can hold on to 'em for ya."
"That's settled now." Link walked back over to Epona. "You be good now, okay?"
Link walked to the gate, but Malon stood up.
"Sure ya don't wanna take her for a gallop?"
"No thanks. I have some business I have to attend to first. Definitely later, though," Link replied. Nodding his farewell, he decided that he would risk going back to the house. Yeah...
-
Link had barely made it through the door before being slammed into a squealing Sarah.
"I knew it! I knew it would happen someday!"
"Knew what would happen?" Link asked, regretting his decision to not ride Epona.
"You and Zelda! You two are together now!"
Link just stood there. Of course, he was happy that Sarah was happy for them, but she could have at least let him in the door. And for that matter, Link wasn't sure of Zelda's reaction to all this.
Then Zelda walked into the room. Link walked over to her, momentarily forgetting about Sarah. He knew that, no matter what Sarah might think, they weren't truly together. However, the groundwork had been laid, and there was nothing left than to fill in the cracks. He had a good feeling about the next few days… Yeah, a good feeling...
