Once again, we return to 100 A.C. (After Calamity.) Link continues to travel and learn new words.
It was afternoon when Link reached the bridge. He was displeased. He was only just barely starting to grasp the cadence of modern Hyrulean language when the old man was like, 'Hey, I'm actually a ghost. Here's your quest. Bye.' He'd stuck around the plateau for a hundred years, you think he'd be able to stay long enough to make sure Link could avoid serious social faux pas. King Rhoam had spent so much time learning Link's language and then decided to cut the lesson short to tell Link to quest.
At least some things remained the same, like trees. Link wasn't sure if apples are supposed to be so big and red and sweet. It was a distinct probability that farmers had made crops even better over the millenia. This was one thing which Link liked about this whole endeavor to help a girl he's never met.
Darn that Rhoam guy, Link thought as he examined the crumbling rail and found a spot that looked sound. He tested it. It looked stable enough for a thinking spot. He came up with a really good joke on the way there, but no one alive would be able to understand enough of Link's words to properly appreciate the genius. It was a good joke that poked fun at the absurdities of government and human folly. It was a masterwork of friendly satirical wit that did not rely on a pun. It also had a cucco because that makes every joke better.
As he climbed up to face the landscape and relax, he heard a frantic yell. "Wai tam inute!" Link spun back around to face the yelling man. "Ple aseth inkabo ut whaty ouar edo ing!" He sounded frantic.
"Wha tisw rong?" Link asked. The guy seemed to relax ever so slightly when Link turned around, but his agitated speaking only slowed when Link stepped back onto the ground from the wall.
Finally the words started to separate enough for Link to start making out individual words. Brigo said, "I'my oung, butyou're evenyounger. I'mtrying my bestout here, butI get thefeeling you'regoing toen duptryingeven harder in thisworld. That'sthe feeling I getwhen Ilook at yourface... But maybeI'mnuts. Nowcalm downand climb off that rail. And don'tclimbdown THATway. Climbdown THIS way"
Link wonders if he'd been getting the gist of the conversation completely wrong. "I swa llda nger ous? Shou ldis itont heo therwall?"
Brigo finally realized Link was unfamiliar with the language from the accent and butchery of grammar. "Arey ouat raveler?" Link nodded in response to the man.
Link stayed for a while to take advantage of having a new impromptu language teacher. He also came to the decision that Brigo was a really great guy and if Hyrule had more people like Brigo, then Link would like this unfamiliar country.
Link didn't understand much of what the sad child was saying, but he knew he was going to make this kid happy or die trying. He hadn't meant to make the kid sad and hoped it wasn't his fault. He does understand cooking and cooking has not changed since his time if instinct is anything to go by. It is more difficult to understand a little kid than the clear-speaking Impa or Cado.
"Koko pro mis edtoma ke Cottla so me has tyveg giecr eams oup..." Link kept pulling various ingredients out of his bag, hoping one would be the the right one and waving them in front of the kid. She didn't seem to notice. "Koko pro mis edto mak e Cottla som eha styveg giecre ams oup..." It wasn't working, so Link tried a new communication tactic.
"Draw swift carrot?" Link asked. The kid was not paying attention and kept moping. Link looked at the building nearby that looked like a shop. He didn't want to leave the little girl alone, but scampered over there. He returned triumphant with the carrot and presented it to the kid.
Link said as the little girl cooked, "You are a good sister!" He was rewarded with a joyful smile which was more than enough reward for the effort. After the soup was cooked, he happily chowed as he listened to the little girl chatter. He was not paying much attention, but he picked up on the tone easily enough and realized the problem returned. He sighed inwardly.
"OH, NO! Koko isou tofg oat but ter... Koko isab adda ught erwh o can'td oany th ingrig ht... " Koko was still lamenting the lack of butter as Link made another trip to the store. The hot buttered apple almost made up for the next problem but Link at least has raw meat on hand. He was confounded by the next request and heads to the store.
Trissa looked at the door again with a smile. She could forgive ignorance in a polite, paying customer.
"What is courser bee honey?" Trissa puzzled over how to describe this before making a buzzing sound and mimicking eating something. She also tried to draw a honeycomb in the air and the light of comprehension dawned in Link's eyes.
"...So what did the cucco have to do with the teacher going for a walk?" Cotera asked Link. Link had begun with a massive smile when he realized the Great Fairy knew the old language. She was trying to make sense of the joke and Link's expression got more annoyed with each question the Great Fairy asked.
Cotera was a born story interrupter, and explaining the joke was not working.
After this last interruption Link said, "Never mind Ma'am. You have a good day." He muttered under his breath about uncultured heathens and fairies being as bad as monks as he stalked back into town.
Later that afternoon, Link came back to ask Dorian a new word. "What word attitude?" Dorian was dreading abstract concept words. Link is intelligent, but defining the abstract stuff was starting to annoy Dorian. He did his best until both men gave up. Link walked off to the pond and looked at the torches for a while. From his expression, he was obviously in disbelief about something. He went back to the arrow shop and came back to the pond. He shrugged, jumped into the pond, then spent some time splashing around the base of a torch. The two guards appointed by Impa knew they should be watching for danger, but they wondered if they are supposed to be doing something to help Link. It would help if they knew what Link was trying to accomplish.
Eventually a torch base came loose and was disconnected from its pedestal. Link pulled himself out of the water and picked up the torch. He then held the thing into the camp fire to light it, and took it with him to the Curious Quiver.
Things clicked in Dorian's mind."Cado, do you think he misunderstood a request to light the torches?," Dorian asked. Cado was still baffled for a moment before he caught on. Cado felt embarrassed for Link as the hero returned with a sheepish slump to his shoulders. After putting the torch back in its proper place and lighting the torches, Link came over to chat with the two guards.
Link asked, "You have Cuccos?" He had zero trouble with that vocabulary word. It was probably exactly the same back in Link's day. He also seemed to have no trouble with 'fireflies.' Cuccos have not changed one bit over the millennia.
Link was leaving Kakariko to return to a blessed lack of unfamiliar syntax when he was approached by a fellow traveler. He decided to just smile and nod politely when the traveler's tone of voice seemed to indicate a sales pitch. He could resort to speaking gibberish until the person abandoned the sale, if needed.
The traveler said, "...youar efa milia rwith bot hswor dandb ow, cor rect?"
Link thought, People really don't change do they? Of course he wanted something. Link mentally puzzled over what the words were as Traveler repeated the sentence again more slowly. Oh wait, she asked me a question. Something about being good with swords and bows? Link nodded. He didn't feel like sticking around right now and there was evil to thwart.
"Idon tkno wthela ngua geher e," Link said with an internal wince at how weird he probably sounded even with that simple statement.
"Itso kay," Traveler said with a smile, "Youa rego odwit hbow ands word?" Link nodded after a moment of thinking, "Thatsa goodskillset. Whydo n tyoujo int he Yiga Clan?" the woman stared at him expectantly.
The word 'Yiga' was unfamiliar to Link but he'd heard it in a negative connotation just recently, he was sure. Did it mean injury? Disease? Political candidate? "Skull set?"
"...Skill set. Skill." After a few more words repeated back and forth the Traveler put in some gestures with her hands which seemed to confuse Link further. She then resorted to slowly speaking and having Link repeat each part back to her while she used a crude estimation of sign language. Link knew for a certainty that he was not understanding Traveler today. He figured the woman was being so accommodating towards a fellow traveler, he shouldn't make her feel unappreciated by stopping her. Also he was still puzzling over the word 'Yiga'.
He finally asked. "Wha tword Yiga?"
Traveler seemed to give up on making Link understand and, as far as Link could tell, was ranting in annoyance. "H owcan y ounotkn ow?! Itsapowerful, bra vegro u pofwa rrio rsfo unde dby Master Kohga andded ic atedt odef eat ingah ero loooo- th isiss tupid! Die!"
Oh wait, Link realized. I know that last word. Link won the fight with the disturbing realization that he would rather face armed combatants right now than figure out any more vocabulary words today. He walked back in to the village to ask what the word 'Yiga' meant and was stared at for a good fifteen seconds of disbelief.
"...Now please return this heirloom to its pedestal." Dorian said. Link nodded. He wasn't doing anything and Dorian facepalmed at his own thoughtlessness.
"You don't understand a word I'm saying, do you?"
This time Link nodded with certainty.
Link realized rather quickly that his ability to process what people are saying is directly proportional to his mental exhaustion. Luckily he is somewhat rested by the time he gets to a bridge to chat with a friendly red Zora. Link also realized that accents are a whole new pack of Lizalfos to deal with.
As far as his brain worked, it sounded like, "I am that Zora prince, Sidon. Myself take an eye of talent this is unparalleled..." Link got lost in the middle as he was translating mentally and tuned back in partway through. "Our needed yours strength, warrior! Win't you are a pleasure enter to Zora domain taking my?"
Link thought about it. Um, was that a rhetorical question or... Yeah, it's probably rhetorical and small talk stuff. Idiomatic sayings. Link said, "Sure thing." The Zora is so happy, Link wondered if he made a huge mistake or agreed to something. Oh well. Link adopted the strategy of smiling and nodding and trying to mentally translate as Prince Sidon talked. Link assumed he was speaking about the geography.
"Ohh! this right! I take one thing this will appreciation to given to you are! ..."
Oh no, I lost track, what is that bottle?
"...Prevent its effects will don't seem to worked of Zora. Perhaps due make specifically of Hylians. It should work wonders of you are, though! Me shall went with in ahead and create sure this is don't anything strange moving in where you are am headed. I'm counting in you are!"
Link didn't quite catch that and he ended up holding a bottle as Sidon swam off. Link opened the bottle and took an experimental sniff. It was a gift and, if meant to poison him, it would be less obviously foul smelling. Maybe Prince Sidon is really bad at cooking, but that doesn't make sense. Prince is a royal title. The guy seemed to be asking for help and Link just agreed to help him.
Link tried to take a swig and gagged on the mixture. He hoped whatever he just agreed to help with isn't anything major. Also whoever cooked this needs lessons. Maybe that was what he agreed to?