LoZ:TP:After The Twilight Ch 15

Chapter 15 Ordon Autumn Festival- Midday

 Link went home to finish cooking his prized meat loaf that was already in the oven and mashed potatoes on the stove.  A lot of people did not like meat loaf he knew, but once they tasted his, they usually fell in love with it.  He made it special with just the right amount spices, but what made it so delicious, was what he put on the very top as it was baking.  He mixed ketchup, mustard, brown sugar and a hint of Hyrulean Sauce, while letting it bake.  The topping really gives it a nice sweet tangy texture and never needs any extra ketchup on the side.  And his mashed potatoes... well there was no secret, they were just scrumptious!

 He mashed the potatoes and took the last of the loaf pans, of which some were borrowed, carefully from his oven, some pans being already out on the table since he had to make more than one batch due to his small oven.  He also had to get dressed for the festival.  He was going to try and look nice this year, but he would not wear his best until tonight; after the horse and goat racing, as well as the sumo match.  He had a feeling he was going to get dirty...

 Link this morning, before he even went to see Ilia, had already been to the stables to check up on Epona.  He had brushed her, fed her, checked her hooves and ridden her softly to make sure she was in tip top shape for  today's race.  He knew she would win, but he always liked to stretch her out to get her ready. Funny... Ilia had taught him that.  He had always been mindful of Epona... but Ilia, with her closeness to nature and love for all of Farore's creatures, really made him more empathetic to animals...  More so than he probably would be, even after the brief incident of him becoming a wolf himself and being able to talk with the animals... Ilia was something Special... One of a kind... the MOST Precious of gifts...

 After he got changed, he carried all the hot loaf pans and pots to the banquet tables that were stationed in front of Rusl's house, in multiple trips.  Some other entries were already set up as well, with others still to come.  There were three oblong wooden tables and at least one, if not two more tables would be needed as well.  Hanch with Sera were putting up the last of the unlit paper lanterns, while Link was helping Jaggle with another table, as both Bo and Ilia emerged from their house.  Ilia, as per usual, was looking radiant.  It had been so long since Link had had the privilege of seeing her and he had missed her dearly...  She followed her father, who was carrying a rather large tray of BBQ ribs to where the other food was at and she herself carried two pans of apple pie, which she had some how found time to bake in such short notice.

 For a few seconds he forget where he was, as a corner of the table slipped from his grasp and Jaggle cursed silently at Link as it fell on his foot.  Ilia blushed for a moment, knowing that she had caught Link's attention, but then quickly became like stone again, as she tried to merely seem to be there only to drop off her food and to grab one of the warm rolls that had already been put out.  She chewed on it delicately and walked up the slope to the ranch where the rides and the petting zoo were located.  Link gulped hard and then shook his head and apologized to Jaggle and continued with the moving of the table.

 The festivities began shortly after and it was filled with great fun and excitement.  The archery contest, which was held first and in front of Link's house, Link had come in second.  He had not missed any of his targets, but Rusl had in fact a tighter shot group.  It was the first time Rusl had ever even come close to losing.  Link had become quite proficient using the bow on his journey to save Hyrule, where as before he was merely just ok.  Jaggle had quite a few good shots as well, but he had in fact missed a few too.

 The horse race was next, which was held on the ranch.  It had temporary posts hammered into the ground with brightly coloured ribbons connecting them to create a make shift fence closer to the center, where every one else stood and watched. The center was also where the majority of the rides were located.  Between the ribbons and the actual fence was the lane for the horses to run and it was ten laps around.  Link came in first place as usual, but then again it was really all Epona.  It could have been a straw dummy tied to Epona's back and she still would have won, but Rusl with his male horse Echo, came close to being victorious as well.  It was neck and neck all the way to the finish line with Epona winning by a head.  It was the first time Epona had almost come so close to losing.  Jaggle had placed third, as well as Fado fourth.

 The third event was the goat race, which took place on the same oval track as the horses had, but was only two laps around.  Bells were tied over the backs and the head, which made a lot of noise when they moved, with colourful streamers that blew in the wind which were tied to their horns and ankles.  Colin, after some deliberation between the elders of the village, was allowed to pick his own goat this year as well.  None of the other children even tried, it was much too dangerous, although Beth was cheering him on the entire time.  Ilia herself had been cheering for Link throughout the entire day, but she had done so in secret.  Bo though, had been watching his daughter's reactions to the events and was happy to see her eyes continuing to shine on the young man.

 Both Link and Rusl had chosen unruly goats, which both crashed and burned.  It took everything in Ilia's power not to rush to Link, to make sure he was ok.  In fact, she had been on her way through the crowd and under the ribbons, when she saw Link slowly stand, brushing himself off while kicking the dirt in disappointment.  Colin on the other hand, had actually fallen, against the rail breaking his arm.  But to everyone's amazement, including to Rusl's and Link's beaming pride, Colin had not shed a tear.  Although Beth cooed and babied him the rest of the night, into the following weeks to his dismay.  Both Fado and Jaggle crossed the finish line, with Fado first, where as Mayor Bo never even left the starting line.  He contributed it due to the animals stubbornness, while others like his daughter imparted it to his weight and made it known not for the first time about it, as she stood with crossed arms and a stern look towards her father, as he just sat their on the poor creature and took it with a solemn look.

 Finally, the sumo tournament began with the sun almost down completely, inside the Mayor's house in the back room where the ring was set up.  Bo, due to his sheer size won, but to others amazement, Link had come in a distant third.  Jaggle had placed a noble second, due to his size.  With out cheating and the use of the iron boots, Link could not hope to win over such odds of strength, weight and power.  However, because of his swiftness and good teachings from Bo, as well as the Gorons on his journeys, he did in fact get in some good slaps and had gotten out of many a throw bringing him in good position to throw as well, but he just did not have the pure muscle or weight to do so.

 After this was done, it was a short time before the feast and most retired to their quarters to change, Link being one of them, washing up at the pump before he went inside.....