A Couple of Trials (ZeLink)

Chapter 4: Late Night Insecurities

The house on the side of the mountain stood peaceful and quiet as the twilight began to shroud the land. Inside the house, standing in the corner facing a counter filled with ingredients, was Link. Humming a simple tune, he organized and inspected each of the foods in front of him. Setting aside what he didn't need, he opened a drawer and scanned the contents before his eyes landed on his desired utensil. He reached in and pulled out a chopping knife. He brought the blade to eye level, inspecting its edge before nodding and setting it down on the counter. He crouched down and opened one of the cabinets, looking around before grabbing two large bowls to set on the counter.

Pushing the bowls aside, he took the knife back in his hand. Spinning it skillfully between his fingers, with his free hand, he slid one of the ingredients—a pumpkin—in front of him before quickly chopping off the top. Instantly, the sweet, earthy aroma filled the home as he placed the knife down and removed the thin top layer he had sliced. He looked up at the wall shelf above the counter and took a large spoon hanging from the bottom off a hook. He scooped out the seeds before the orange flesh he needed from the inside of the pumpkin and placed it into one of the bowls. Setting aside the pumpkin shell and the bowl of pumpkin, he grabbed a bundle of wheat.

Using the knife he had set aside, in a matter of seconds, he chopped the wheat up as best as it could have been. Using the second bowl, he filled it with the wheat before using another spoon to grind it up even further. Taking a large bottle of fresh milk he had gotten from one of the village cows, he poured it into the wheat-filled bowl and began to stir. Once stirred to his liking, he reached over and took a stick of goat butter in hand. After cutting it into multiple pieces, he added that to the broth. After stirring even more, he took a few other small ingredients and minced them up, such as carrots, spices, and a few small pieces of meat. After adding it all to the bowl, he took a step back to admire the two sets of bowls he had. With a nod, he reached out to take both bowls in hand before stopping. He looked up at the top shelf and eyed the bottles that sat in a row. With a raised eyebrow, he reached up and took one of them in hand before reading its label.

Is this...wine? He asked himself as he pulled out the cork and sniffed the top of the bottle, wincing ever so slightly at the scent. Yup, that's wine. When did we get this? In fact, it's been here since Bolson added all the furniture... Did he place these here, and I never noticed?

With a shrug, Link replaced the cork on the bottle and placed it under his armpit. Taking the two bowls in hand, he walked towards the door.

"I'll be right outside!" Link called out as he pressed his shoulder against the door.

He heard a grunt come from under the stairs before he nodded and pushed his way into the snowy outdoors. Near the bridge stood another large tree, different from the one near the pond or the one behind the house. This was the eldest tree, which had a cooking pot stationed at its base. The fire under the pot had already been lit from an earlier cooking attempt that evening. Setting down the two bowls of food and the bottle of wine gently onto the snow-covered ground. He held his hand out over the pot, ensuring it was warm enough before taking the two bowls back in hand and dumping their contents. For a few minutes, he watched as the broth, vegetables, and pumpkin pieces sloshed around before beginning to heat up. Once at a simmer, Link bent down, took the bottle of wine in hand, and poured a bit into the stew.

That'll enhance some of the flavor, Link said to himself, watching the stew come to a boil. And now we wait.

With a stretch, he walked back into the house. He looked over at the staircase where the grunt from earlier had come from. Curious, he made his way over before peeking his head into the space under the stairs. Before, this area had been filled with nothing but crates and barrels. Now, a desk was in place, filled with papers, books, and a different set of considerably grotesque ingredients and plant life. Seeing what looked to be failed potion ingredients made Link grateful that he had built a desk under the stairs specifically for research purposes instead of simply using the writing desk near the bed on the loft. And sitting at this desk, currently experimenting with potions, was Zelda. Link raised an eyebrow.