Can You Teach Me?

Can You Teach Me How to Ride... A Bear?

Sheikah clothes were designed to withstand the rain. Their wearers were always dry in them, and they never had soggy socks. Unfortunately, Enchanted didn't sell them, and neither Link nor Zelda felt comfortable asking to borrow someone's. Whoever they asked would have said yes, they were sure, but they felt it would be taking advantage. Besides, with all the battles they got into, there was no guarantee the clothes would even come back in one piece.

Right now, Zelda wished she had swallowed the discomfort and borrowed Sheikah clothing. She wished she hadn't left the house today. She wished her socks weren't soggy. She wished for many things. She didn't, however, wish for an umbrella. Normally she would have, but with the way the horses were acting, she would have been impaled.

"This was a mistake!" she cried, trying (and subsequently failing) to soothe Storm. Link and Epona weren't doing any better.

Link wasn't listening, but had he been, he would have agreed. Their trip to Lurelin had been going well up until now. They had left at seven in the morning and were set to arrive by eleven at night.

Until the rain. The rain was unlike any they had seen before, even in Faron and by Zora's domain. Link was planning to teach Zelda to rock climb somewhere along the way, wherever they found a good spot. It didn't seem like that was going to happen.

The icy rain lashed against their faces, soaking them to their bones. Zelda was shocked it wasn't snowing with how cold it was. She felt as if her eyelashes would soon grow icicles. The cold pain in her ears made her wonder not for the first time in her life if earwax could freeze, and if it could, what effects would that have on one's health long term. Would it cause the ear canal to expand? Was that how Hylians got such long ears?

It was bad enough before the horses started acting up. Storm, despite his name, had had enough of the storm. He was angry at his rider for subjecting him to this misery, as if she had planned the rain ahead of time specifically to make him suffer.

"Let's pull off the path! I know a cave around here. Give me a couple minutes to kill the monsters around it, then we can make a fire and everything."

"Yes, please!"

They pulled off the path and through the woods. She tied up the horses while Link got the monsters. She'd been helping him fight monsters often recently, but someone had to tie up Epona and Storm, and Zelda did not want to face silver bokoblins alone.

Link finally came out from behind the dome-shaped cave, monster dust on his sword. He waved her in. She tested the ropes, then when they were deemed sturdy, joined Link inside. The cave was bright and warm, a fire glowing in the corner. In another corner grew three clusters of gems, glinting in the light. There was water on the ground, in the middle of which stood a brownish-reddish korok. "Twee he he!" they chortled.

Zelda emptied the water from her boots and hung her socks and outer shirt by the fire. It was warm enough in the cave for her to do so without being uncomfortable. "I assume they will dry faster without me in it."

"Makes sense." Link took off his belts, then his tunic, shirt, socks, and pants. He reached down to take off his underwear, but stopped to think. "Hmmm... I should keep these on."

"No, no," she urged, "Do continue."

He considered doing so, then shook his head. "I'd feel underdressed. I'm going to go check on the horses."

The horses were calmer, though still irritated. The trees shielded them from the rain, and despite the water pooling beneath their hooves from their dripping manes, their bodies were dry. Link grabbed a brush from one of his underwear's many pockets and went to braid Epona's hair to keep it from dripping on her. He was quick, not wanting to make Storm wait long for his turn. Once he was done with their manes, he braided their tails. It took only 20 minutes or so, but he was sure it felt like forever to the horses.