Well now, let me tell ya’ll about this here… thing. It’s called “Crossing the Cold Pool”, or somethin’ like that. Sounds fancy, but it ain’t nothin’ but a bit of a chilly paddle, you hear?

So, there I was, wanderin’ around like a lost goat in them mountains. Hebra Mountains, they call ’em. Cold as a well-digger’s backside in January, I tell ya. And wouldn’t ya know it, I stumble upon this here cave. Right outside, there’s this little ol’ piece of wood. Looked like somethin’ my grandson would use to build a fort, only smaller.

Now, this ain’t just any ol’ puddle, mind you. It’s a cold pool. And I ain’t talkin’ about just a little bit chilly. I’m talkin’ bone-chillin’, teeth-chatterin’ cold. The kind that makes ya wanna curl up by the fire with a hot cup of somethin’. But no sir, not me. I gotta get across that darn pool.

So, I picks up that piece of wood. They call it a “makeshift raft,” like it’s some kinda fancy contraption. Hmph! It’s just a board, I say. Anyways, I plops it in the water. Careful like, you know? Don’t wanna tip over before I even start.

• First thing, ya gotta find that board. It ain’t hidin’, but ya gotta keep yer eyes peeled.
• Then, ya gotta get it in the water. Sounds easy, but that water’s colder than a witch’s stare.

Now, here’s the tricky part. How to move this here raft? Well, some folks say ya need a “Feathered weapon” or a “Korok Leaf.” Sounds like somethin’ outta a fairy tale, if ya ask me. But basically, ya need somethin’ to make wind. Like blowin’ on a dandelion, only harder.

I ain’t got no fancy feathers or leaves, but I got a good set of lungs. So I huffs and I puffs, and wouldn’t ya know it, that little raft starts movin’. Slow as molasses in winter, but movin’ nonetheless. It’s like tryin’ to herd chickens, only these chickens are floatin’ on icy water.

I heard tell of some folks who got a helper. A fella named Tulin, they say. He’s got this “Gust ability,” which is just a fancy way of sayin’ he can blow real hard. If ya got him, lucky you. Makes things a whole lot easier, I reckon.

But me? I ain’t got no Tulin. Just me and my breath and this here flimsy board. So I keeps on blowin’, and the raft keeps on movin’. Inch by inch, foot by foot, slow and steady wins the race, as they say.

And then, wouldn’t ya know it, I sees this woman. Verla, her name is. Standin’ right there in front of another cave. Guess I ain’t the only one wanderin’ around these cold mountains.

So, I finally gets across that darn pool. Froze my toes near solid, I did. But I made it. And that’s all that matters, ain’t it? Crossin’ the Cold Pool. Hmph! More like freezin’ yer backside off for a little bit of nothin’.

But hey, that’s just how it is sometimes. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do, even if it means battlin’ the cold and blowin’ on a piece of wood like a fool. Just remember, keep yer wits about ya, find that board, make some wind, and maybe, just maybe, ya’ll make it across that cold pool too.

And if ya see that Verla, tell her I said howdy. And maybe ask her if she’s got a spare pair of warm socks. Lord knows, I could use ’em after that chilly adventure.

So that’s the story of crossing that cold water. Not much to it, really, just a whole lotta cold and a little bit of stubbornness. But hey, that’s how we do things ’round here, ain’t it?

Tags: [Tears of the Kingdom, Cold Pool, Hebra Mountains, Raft, Puzzle, Side Quest, Verla, Tulin, Gust Ability, Nintendo Switch]