They move sluggishly through the mountains the next morning; none of them on top form, all of them weighed down by the unspoken thoughts and fears that have snaked their way out of their brains, through their noses and around their shoulders. They are testy with each other. Most of the time they don't talk: when they do, their voices are taut and thin.
Link goes on ahead, scouting for any potential enemies that may cross their path. Even Revali doesn't contend with this, choosing to stay oddly quiet. Mipha is just grateful that she doesn't have to contend with any bickering from the two of them. At least they all know that there are much more important things to deal with right now. Even just the trudge around the west side of Rito Village has been long and arduous, and Mipha allows herself to feel the slightest pull of hope that an actual good night's rest might be around the corner.
It's only when they hit Dronoc's Pass, and snow begins to cover the ground in thick swathes, that Mipha realises she was a fool to think she knew what cold was before.
"Just wait until we get to the tundra," murmurs Revali from next to her shoulder, sensing her thoughts but doing nothing to ease her worries.
"Do I want to know?" Mipha asks, sharp teeth gritted.
"Now now, princess," he chuckles. "I won't feed you comforting lies like your minions. You'll have never felt cold like it, believe you me. It's best that you're prepared."
The look she gives him must be of a more murderous variety than she intends, because he's quick to add: "Look, we brought enough warmth elixir to last a month, so it's not like you're even going to feel the real extent of it. Just be glad we won't have to pass through the Pikida Stonegrove. Even the sturdiest of Rito don't last long out there."
The haunted tone of his voice on the last part suggests that it's best not to ask, so she doesn't. His eyes are suddenly fixed firmly ahead anyway, and it takes Mipha a second to peer through the swirling mist to realise what he's looking at.
Link is shouting something up ahead, and then there's two bokoblins mounted on horses racing straight towards them.
Mipha narrowly avoids being impaled through the brain on the sharpened end of one bokoblin's wooded spear as Revali instinctively shoves her out the way. Then he's up in the air above her, a blurred mass of blue feathers, as she lies there in the snow, head spinning. The force of his wing has knocked the breath out of her. But it only takes a moment for the survival urge to kick in, and then she's up, spear ready and teeth bared, just in time to drive her weapon deep into the meat of the horse's leg as the bokoblin circles the steed back around.
Both the monster and the beast go down with a cry, but the horse is slightly faster to recover: once it's up, it gallops up the pass at breakneck speed until out of sight. The bokoblin only has a second to flail at her before Revali treats it to an arrow in the face, knocking it towards Daruk, who is ready and waiting. With one swift, efficient blow, the Boulder Breaker delivers a sickening crunch that seems to echo from the trees to the mountains and back again. And then there was one.
The second bokoblin's horse has already abandoned it to its fate, the stallion spooked by the electric current that pulses from Urbosa's fingertips. The monster squawks and staggers. It's surrounded on all sides, but even as Link approaches, blade unsheathed and glinting menacingly against the sun, the bokoblin is undeterred. In a final act of desperation, it swings its bulky wooden club above its head and charges towards the knight.
Link raises his sword to meet its blow. The bokoblin is nothing but mere inches away from him when it drops dead with a yowl, falling flat on its face at the knight's feet. There's a moment of silent confusion, until the cloud of malice consuming its body dissipates, revealing the guilty pair of arrows.
The knight's head snaps up to the sky. "Bastard," he hisses. "That was mine."
"Actually," says Revali, gracefully making his landing, "I think you'll find that wasn't me. Shocking, I know."
"Oh, yeah? Then who - " growls Link, cutting himself off when he sees Mipha wordlessly pointing to the two strange Rito who have come to rest on some nearby rocks.
"Revali," greets the bigger of the two, cheerfully ignoring the Hylian's hunched shoulders and clenched fists. "We were wondering why we've seen neither tail nor feathers of you at the Flight Range for a while! Maybe you should come back for a session. You were looking a little slow just then."
"That's Master Revali to you," pipes up Mipha with a ferocity she didn't quite expect. The strangers swivel their heads towards her, clearly taken aback. Revali shoots her an odd, sly glance, looking quite like he's trying to suppress a chuckle.
"Relax, Princess. These are my friends: the fools known as Tito and Leo. And before you make that joke, Lady Urbosa, please be aware that Mipha has already made it."
The Gerudo chief's eyebrows are to the sky. She and Daruk exchange a loaded glance, barely bothering to try and hide their sniggers.
"Princess? Lady Urbosa?" says the smaller one cautiously, his jet black feathers slick and pigmented against the snow. "You didn't mention you were on official business."
"That's because official business is none of your business," Revali sniffs. "And I imagine that if I had told you, you would have made it your mission to attempt to humiliate me even sooner."
"So it worked?" asks the bigger one, who Mipha assumes to be Tito, because he looks like a Tito. The question earns him a swift elbow to the ribs from Leo. Revali sighs heavily.
"You stole my kill," Link cuts in, clearly still fired up.
"Apologies, tiny Hylian," Tito shrugs merrily, "but we need all the practice we can get for when it comes down to defending Rito Village. Besides, I'm sure you'll see plenty more where that came from if you plan on going further into the mountains. Steer clear of the lizalfos, if you can. Those ugly things will snap your arm straight off with one breath."
"I know what a lizalfos is," Link growls, and Tito only continues to grin at him, completely nonplussed by the animosity rising from the knight like steam.
"Khara has been asking after you, Revali," Leo says, quick to change the subject. "You should've at least told her where you were going. You know how scary that woman can be when she wants information."
Mipha doesn't think she's ever seen Revali visibly wince before. She's certainly never seen him shift uncomfortably from foot to foot like he's doing now. "Well, now you have your answer," he says, voice on the edge of a hiss. "Tell her not to fret and I'll be back in a few days. Myself and my fellow champions have some monsters to dispose of around the Sturnida basin, that's all."
"Sturnida?" Leo's eyes widen with surprise. "You're not going to Pikida Stonegrove for the frost talus?"
"Who's Khara?" Mipha interrupts before she can stop herself.
"His ladyfriend."
Urbosa snorts.
"Oh," says Mipha, dumbly.
There's an awkward beat, and then Revali clears his throat. "No, the matters at Sturnida are of greater importance. The villagers there are extremely vulnerable, and the creatures are reportedly closing in on them more with each passing day." He shoots Tito a pointed look. "Make no mistake, though - that frost talus is mine."
Tito raises his wings in mock surrender. "Whatever you say, Cap'n. We'll be off now. Try not to choke to death on any fish whilst you're out there." They both begin to flap their wings with some vigor, a gust of wind brewing where they stand. "Oh, and no need to thank us for our help."
"Good luck," adds Leo, and then they're off, soaring over the crevasse, back in the direction of Rito Village.
The champions watch the Rito depart until they're nothing but dots on the otherwise empty horizon. Daruk turns to Revali, and says without a trace of sarcasm: "Huh. I didn't know you had friends."
Urbosa shrieks with laughter. It isn't long until Link joins her, finally pulled from his angry trance. They press on. Mipha wonders - not hopes - if the word ladyfriend means something different to the Rito.
The interruption has thankfully only set them back a little: they make it to the trailhead lodge just before nightfall.
"You see anything?" Urbosa calls out to Link, who's made his way back ahead of the rest of the group.
"No light, no smoke," he replies. "Looks like we're good."
They all breathe a collective sigh of relief at this. They've brought plenty of provisions, of course - no need to rely on whatever scraps may have been left by the lodge's last charitable occupant - so they can make do just fine with camping in the wild. It's what they'll have to do once they begin to ascend the slopes of Hebra, after all. But when four walls, a roof, soft beds and a glowing hearth are available, it's preferable not to have to share them with strangers.
"I didn't realise how small this place was," Revali mutters as they make their way up the path. "Are we sure Daruk will fit through the door?"
Daruk does fit through the door, but it's a tight squeeze, and a precarious moment for both the door frame and the walls. Inside the cabin, both he and Urbosa have to bow their heads.
"Well," says Urbosa, "this is certainly cosy."
"It was built with Hylians in mind," Revali says.
"You might have warned us. Have you not stayed here before?"
"Why would I have stayed here?" He sounds exasperated. "I have wings. I live in Rito Village."
"It'll do for the night," Link acquiesces, suddenly looking and sounding very tired, and clearly wanting nothing more than everyone to shut up and go to sleep.
"There's only one bed," Mipha says.
Everyone turns to look. She's telling the truth. It's a fairly big bed, but one bed nonetheless.
"Should we draw straws?" asks Link.
"Somehow I think Daruk is already out of the running," says Revali dryly. The Goron chuckles, never one to take offense; thankfully for Revali.
"I bet Link and Mipha could both fit in there." Urbosa winks at her, unsubtle. Mipha's face burns.
"I shall be sleeping outside," Revali announces.
"Don't be silly," Mipha tells him, a little breathlessly. "It's far too cold for that, even for you."
Link yawns at him, crouching down in front of the dusty hearth and beginning to pile in the firewood. "Need help building your nest?"
"Why don't you focus on one task at a time, sir knight. We don't want to overload that little brain of yours."
"I'm so glad we have at least another five days of this," says Urbosa to Mipha, who throws her a knowing, sympathetic glance. She clears her throat as primly as possible.
"I think perhaps, in the spirit of fairness and equality, none of us should take the bed."
Revali looks incredulous. "Surely that's just a waste."
"If it stops us all from arguing, I'm all for it," Urbosa declares.
Link strikes a piece of flint and tosses it into the freshly-built fire. He rolls out his sleeping mat, and Urbosa and Daruk follow suit. They settle in together in a sort of tight semi-circle, and it's not long before Link has produced bread and salted butter from his knapsack, and the three are laughing and sharing the food accompanied by a bottle of Necluda honey-wine some kind traveller has left in the cupboard.
Mipha's eyes drift past them, falling on a wooden tub stowed in the corner next to hearth. It's huge, but empty. It gives her an idea.
Revali sighs and picks up his hammock, turning towards the door, but not before telling her: "Take the bed, princess." She must be giving him some sort of look, because then he says: "I'll build my own fire if it'll make you stop worrying. But honestly, it's barely chilly."
"Actually - that's not what I was going to say."
He raises an eyebrow. She decides to force the words out before she has chance to swallow them.
"I was wondering if you would help me with something."
Revali carries the tub outside, because it's big enough that Mipha physically cannot get her arms around it to lift it. She does the bulk of the work, though - carrying the water drenched up from the small pond next to the lodge in metal buckets, heating it on the fire he's built, and pouring it into the tub. The process is repeated until the tub is full, and the sight makes her want to sing with joy.
Revali seems doubtful, however. He watches her warily from his hammock as she works. "Are you sure you wouldn't be more comfortable inside? I don't want to wake in the morning and find you've turned into an ice cube."
"It's fine," she tells him, positively giddy with excitement. "If the water turns cold, I'll just refill it. Besides, I don't think it's a good idea for anyone to be sleeping outside on their own." She holds up a finger before he can argue. "Look, maybe this way we can sleep in shifts and keep the fire going all night. What do you think?"
If he had lips, she thinks they would probably be pursed right now. Eventually, he gives her a reluctant nod. "Have it your way."
Mipha beams. Oh, how she's longed for this the past couple of nights.
The water is scorching when she settles in, but she finds that she doesn't really care. The tub is wide and deep enough that she can submerge her entire body, and so she does, reveling in the way it feels to breathe normally again.
When she resurfaces after a few blissful moments, Revali is looking at her with something like interested bemusement. "Zora usually sleep in communal pools, correct?"
"Yes. It's very rare that I don't sleep in water." She sighs. "I suppose I'll have to get used to it now that I'm travelling more often."
"The next few nights will be difficult for you, indeed. But soon enough you'll be home again." He suddenly looks amused. "I assume that your sleeping arrangements back in the Domain are a tad more upscale than this."
"Mhm. I'm only relegated to the wooden tub when Father is cross with me."
He laughs at this. She settles back and watches as the steam from her tub drifts upwards and mingles with the smoke from the fire. It's like she's in a bubble.
They sit in comfortable silence for a few moments. Mipha lets her eyes slowly slide shut. She thinks she could fall asleep like this, right here, right now, but she wants to be conscious to enjoy the feeling of warm water wrapped around her for a little longer.
"I'll sleep first, if you don't mind," says Revali. "I'm rather tired."
"Fine by me," she murmurs, peeking through one eye to see him roll over, his back now towards her. She considers letting him go straight to sleep, but for some reason she's feeling somewhat emboldened. "So. Is she?"
"Is who what?"
"Your ladyfriend."
"Oh. Khara. I suppose so. Yes."
"Do you miss her?"
"I miss being able to sleep without being asked inane questions."
"But do you?"
"I don't know, Mipha." He sighs. "It's only been two days since I last saw her. Should I?"
She considers lying. "Yes. Yes, I think if you truly like someone, you should miss them whenever they're not around. Otherwise, what's the point in being with them?"
The night is so still that she can hear how his breaths come slow and heavy, even from across the fire pit. "The truth is, before I left, we had an argument."
Mipha says nothing, silently prompting him to continue.
"She told me that I would never live up to the standard that I set for myself. That I'm heading down a path of self-destruction if I keep pushing myself further and further. If I keep comparing myself to others."
"You don't think she has a point?"
"Ha. No, I don't." His voice is quiet. Inflamed. Deadly. "You see, Mipha, you can always be better. In fact, I'd say it's our duty to be better. If we're not the best, then who is? What hope do we have?"
She doesn't want to tell him that he's right; doesn't want to give him that satisfaction. Doesn't want to feed whatever mess she's uncovered. But at the same time, she can't bring herself to argue.
She waits underwater until he stops tossing and turning and she's sure that he's fallen asleep. It takes so long that the tub has gone cold, so she shovels it all out and fills it up afresh. Then the fire needs re-lighting. After a while, she grows hungry, so she eats some dried snails and makes salt-grilled bass for when Revali wakes up.
Eventually, the sky starts to get lighter, and Mipha knows she should probably wake him so she can get some sleep. Instead, she covers him with a blanket and giggles to herself about how furious he'll probably be.
She slips back into the tub. When she wakes a few hours later, the pale yellow dawn has broken and Revali is nowhere to be seen.
They wait, and wait. She can tell Link is getting frustrated. They should be on the road already; this time is not for wasting.
Then they search, because perhaps he's gone hunting or he went to practice somewhere and now he's injured and can't find his way back. His belonging are all gone with him; the blanket is perfectly intact. Not like an animal got him in the night.
It proves fruitless. Revali appears to be nowhere in the general vicinity.
"We need to go," Link is saying.
"We can't just leave without him! A little shit he might be, but I would never forgive myself if something's happened."
"The Chief is right, little guy," Daruk says. "We're a team here."
Link looks to the sky in disbelief, a long puff of air slowly escaping his nose. Then he turns to her. "Mipha. Are you sure you didn't hear anything? He didn't say anything to you?"
Mipha opens her mouth to tell him no, deny, deny, deny having any part in any of this; and then she closes it again, because suddenly she knows exactly where Revali is.