Chapter 2 done in a month isn't bad, all things considering!

Hello again all, SquiddlyDiddly here. I'm pretty happy that this niche crossover got a bit of attention already, really makes me want to keep things going as long as I can. I'm enjoying how things are coming out so far!

This chapter's a bit longer than the first, just over 7k words this time. It's been a minute since I've written things of this magnitude, so it's taking a bit for me to get used to it, but I think I'm finding a nice groove.

Thanks for the nice reviews on the first chapter, by the way! Rest assured, more is on the way.

So without further ado, I hope you enjoy!

On Wings of Silver

Chapter 2

"Mmm… ugh…"

Robin groaned softly as her eyes blearily opened, blinking as the morning light gently washed over her prone form. For a moment, the tactician idly wondered just where she was, her sleep-addled mind still trying to register that she was awake, before a dull, aching pain on her side reminded her of what happened last night.

With a soft groan, Robin slowly blinked the sleep out of her vision as she glanced down, right at the cast that was still fitted snugly around her wing and the brace around her torso as she rested in the medical hammock. She couldn't suppress a soft sigh that escaped her beak, eyes closing as she dropped her head back. 'I was still kind of hoping that it had all been a very vivid dream or something…'

Of course, she knew such wishful thinking was nothing more than a pipe dream with everything that had happened. Honestly, her mind was still reeling a bit, trying to make heads or tails of her current situation. Those skeleton monsters (Stalkoblins and a Stalmoblin, as Revali had called them), being brought here to this strange village, being transformed into one of these 'Rito' (Or at least, that's what Revali had called himself while he was boasting last night)... It was quite a lot for one person to handle in one night.

'At least I'm in no danger of dying anymore,' She idly thought to herself, inwardly rather enjoying the feeling of the soft breeze in the apothecary gently ruffling her bare feathers.

As Robin lay there, her mind began to wander, mostly wondering just where in Naga's name she had even ended up. She had thought that the snowy tundra that she had woken up in yesterday was somewhere in Regna Ferox, but from what Revali had said while she was getting her wounds dressed yesterday, it was actually a place called Hebra. She thought of the unfamiliar name for a moment before frowning. 'I've never heard of any place called Hebra in Ylisse…' Not to mention that the landscape she saw from Revali's back was completely unfamiliar.

Just another day in the life as the tactician of Ylisse, she supposes.

'Revali…' Her thoughts turned to the navy-feathered Rito who had come to her rescue. She was extremely grateful to him for showing up when he did, otherwise… well, it wouldn't have been pretty. 'He's definitely a colorful character, that's for sure,' She mused, thinking that he would probably fit in well with the Shepherds back home.

A soft sigh escaped her beak, a wave of homesickness overtaking her. 'The Shepherds… I hope they're doing okay.' Her heart ached as she imagined Chrom's broken face staring down at her as she dissolved into nothingness.

She knows that she should be grateful that she's even alive in the first place after everything, but she couldn't help but wish that she had woken up to Chrom welcoming her back, instead of that strange snowy sky.

But still, Robin mentally shakes herself with a huff. 'I can't keep moping about what could have been… What's important is that I'm alive and kicking, despite all the odds.'

So with that in mind, Robin decided her first order of business was getting out of this hammock.

With a soft grunt, the human-turned-Rito slowly rose into a seated position on the hammock, wincing just a bit as her still-healing wounds stung from the movement. Even though they hurt, however, Robin couldn't help but marvel at the fact that even after those fairly severe injuries from last night, she was able to move without much difficulty. 'That tonic's definitely stronger than your standard Elixir from back home…'

"Oh, good morning, Robin! Glad you're awake," A familiar voice called out suddenly, making Robin look up as Tayla, the pink and white feathered Rito, walked over. She held a glass bottle filled with what looked like another tonic of some kind. "How are you feeling?"

Robin lightly smiled as the apothecary sat down on a stool next to her, opening her beak with a cough to reply, "Still in pain but, a lot better… that elixir worked wonders." Honestly, she was pretty impressed with how well she had dressed her wounds. Once Tayla had gently removed her coat and hung it up, she had gone to work on cutting through her undertunic so she could clean the gash on her torso and inspect her ribs. Thankfully, they were only cracked, her coat preventing a full break.

There was a reason she wore that thing into every battle!

"Never had a Fairy Tonic before, eh?" Tayla responded with a smile while she gently swished the bottle around before uncorking it. She breathed in the scent, most likely checking if it was alright to consume, before handing it over to Robin. "They sure are miracle workers, but they're a bit hard to come by, so I'll be giving you some standard Hearty Elixirs for your recovery starting today."

Robin took the offered bottle with a nod, though the name Fairy Tonic did pique her interest. 'Wonder how they got that name for it… coloration, maybe?' She idly thought to herself as she awkwardly tilted the bottle up to her beak and started to drink, trying not to let too much of it drip down herself. The taste of the elixir hit her tongue and she nearly gagged, draining the bottle in a few gulps with a gasp. She handed the bottle back to Tayla with a grimace. "Still just as unpleasant…"

Tayla nodded sympathetically as she took the bottle. "Sorry about that, can't do much about the taste considering the parts I use. But that aside…" She leaned over to take a look at the bandages wrapped around Robin's wing and under her brace, noting how bloodied they had become overnight. "I'll have to get you some fresh bandages before you leave today… you're gonna need plenty of rest while this all heals, so try not to do anything strenuous, alright?"

"Right," Robin replied with a huff as she wiped her beak with her good wing. "So how long will I be out of commission, then? A couple of months?"

Tayla seems a bit surprised by her estimate, her brow raising as she glances up at her. "Oh, not that long, no! I'd say two weeks, three weeks maximum before you're able to fly small distances and build up stamina again."

Robin can't stop herself from looking a bit surprised at that, glancing down at the cast. 'Only two weeks for a break like this? Do the Rito have faster healing properties like a Taguel or Manakete..?' She wondered to herself, knowing that Panne and Nowi were massive helps on the battlefield from that fact alone.

That's when Tayla's last words hit her. She was now a bird, which meant that she was capable of flight… except she didn't have the foggiest idea on how to do that. 'That… might be a bit problematic.'

"You know," Tayla's voice drags her out of her own musings, looking up at the apothecary as she grabs a bundle of fresh bandages. "It's been quite some time since a Rito not from the village wound up in Tabantha… Where are you from?"

Robin froze, clamming up immediately at that question. The prospect of people asking about her past hadn't exactly crossed her mind with everything that had happened since waking up in Hebra, so she was a bit unsure of what to say.

"Well…" She started, idly tapping her fingers (feathers?) on her lap. "I hail from the halidom of Ylisse." Tayla had only asked where she was from, so there was no issue in telling that, Robin supposed.

"The halidom of… Ee-leese…?" Tayla sounded out the name of Robin's home slowly, as if getting a feel for how the word felt coming out of her beak. Her brow was furrowed in confusion as she looked over to her patient. "I don't think I've ever heard of such a place."

Now that definitely caught Robin's attention. How could she have never heard of Ylisse at all? It was such a well known place that even Valm, a continent clear across the ocean, had heard many things about it. She wanted to believe that maybe Tayla just wasn't educated on Ylisse's existence, but she was a doctor, and quite a good one at that. This, combined with the unfamiliar landscape she saw while she had flown in on Revali's back…

Just where in the world was she?

A soft sigh escaped her beak before she replied. "It's… a kingdom far from here, I doubt you've heard of it."

"Hmm…" She felt Tayla's eyes on her, looking over her troubled expression. "Well, I won't pry. Let's just get these bandages off so I can make sure your wounds are clean."

"Right… thank you."

It didn't take Tayla long to clean up the blood around Robin's wounds and rewrap them with some fresh bandages, readjusting the sling around her shoulder as a finishing touch. "There, that should last you for a little while!"

Robin looked down at her fresh bandages with a light smile, nodding gratefully to the apothecary. She was quite thankful that wherever she had ended up still had good medical care. "Thank you again for everything, Tayla. You're quite good at your craft."

"I'd hope I'm good, considering how reckless some of the men around here can be!"

Robin couldn't help but laugh in agreement, Chrom and Vaike's antics coming to mind. "I'm assuming Revali is a frequent visitor, then?" She replied, remembering the light teasing between the two of them last night.

Tayla playfully rolled her eyes. "Wouldn't you believe it… He's almost always coming back to Rito all bruised up from practicing this special move of his, or so he calls it. It's gotten to the point where I usually keep an extra heart elixir on wing just for him!"

'Sounds like a certain someone I know…' She inwardly mused, remembering just how hard Chrom pushed himself during the last leg of the war against Grima. Honestly, it was a miracle he was able to fight in any of their battles with how hard he rode himself into the ground.

Another pang of homesickness flowed through her as she thought of her best friend. 'Chrom… I miss you. I'm sorry.' It hadn't even been a day since she woke up here and she was already missing everyone… Hell, she was even missing Frederick's nagging!

"… Robin? You okay?"

She was abruptly pulled back to reality by Tayla's voice, gaze refocusing. "A-Ah, sorry… Zoned out for a bit there."

The pink feathered Rito gave her a quizzical glance, looking like she wanted to say something more.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Whatever it was she wanted to reply with, however, was interrupted by Revali suddenly making his entrance into the apothecary, the two of them looking over to the doorway as he sauntered through the doorway.

Robin couldn't help but look him over as he entered, as if just now seeing him for the first time now that she wasn't so disoriented from pain. He stood with his wings behind his back, his navy blue feathers ruffling lightly in the breeze behind him before the curtain of fabric over the entrance dropped back in place. His clothes looked good as new, though she thought that might be because they were new, considering how impossible a bloodstain was to clean. He looked over the two of them with his beak curved into a light smirk, his hair (feathers?) styled into four braids that swished lightly behind him, tied together with a few green beads.

The thing she was most taken aback by, however, was how stunningly green his eyes were… She could almost liken them to emeralds, in a sense.

'… Naga above, I must be going crazy if I'm thinking a bird is handsome,' She shook herself before she could catch herself staring.

"Oh, Revali," Tayla gave Robin a look before turning her gaze back to the other Rito. "Good to see you! Come to check in on things?"

If he had noticed her staring he didn't mention it, stepping forward with a wave of his wing. "I was just finishing up my morning rounds and thought I'd stop by. You certainly look a lot better than the mess you were last night," He said to Robin, looking over her condition.

The tactician gave him a nod in response, it certainly hadn't been pretty. "I'm feeling much better, thanks to you two. Still some pain, of course, but I've dealt with worse." With the amount of battles she had been in, it would be impossible for her not to sustain some major injuries at some point.

"... Right," Revali said, his haughty smirk turning into a light frown. "If that's true then I'm surprised you're still alive, though it might explain why you would do something as idiotic as being up at Hebra during a storm. Do you have a death wish?"

Tayla looked like she wanted to quickly say something, likely to tell him off for his attitude after she just recovered, but she quickly clammed up when Robin started laughing. "Well, I've been told that I don't have the best self-preservation instincts!"

That definitely wasn't the response that Revali was expecting from her, if his confused stare told her anything. He let out a sigh and shook his head, braids swinging while he pinched the bridge of his beak. "Asinine, simply asinine… I suppose I must, then."

Now it was Tayla and Robin's turn to look confused at his words. "... Suppose you must what?" The apothecary repeated before Robin could ask the same thing.

In a flash that smirk was plastered back onto his beak, slowly turning away from the two of them with his wings behind his back. "You were just about to release her from your care, correct, Tayla? Well, someone has to make sure that she doesn't run off and get herself killed…" He paused before glancing back at them. "And who better than the greatest warrior in the village?"

Robin's brow shot upward.

'What?'

Was Revali… saying that he would look after her while she recovered?

It seemed like Tayla had asked what she thought, because Revali scoffed. "Is it so hard to believe that I'm trying to be hospitable? Besides, she's partly my responsibility since I brought her here." He said as he turned to face them again.

Tayla looked at him for a moment before breathing out a short laugh. "Well, if the 'Great Revali, Master of the Skies' says so, then who am I to say no, hm?"

"Wh– I, you–" Revali sputtered, his feathers ruffling as he glared at her. "It's been years since I've referred to myself as that, thank you very much!"

Robin couldn't help but stifle a chuckle at his antics, finding how flustered he got oddly endearing. It really did remind her of some of the Shepherds back home.

"Besides, this works out pretty perfectly," Tayla said, ignoring Revali's complaining. "You're right, I was about to discharge her, since her condition seems stable now, and maybe you could show her around the village!"

Revali huffed as his feathers smoothed themselves out again, crossing his wings over his chest. "Normally being a tour guide for wide-eyed travelers is beneath me… but I suppose for you," He turned to Robin. "I could make an exception."

'Huh… Maybe he's more considerate than I took him for,' Robin thought to herself, idly wondering why he would even do such a thing for someone he just met a day ago. "Are you sure I wouldn't be intruding..?"

The navy feathered Rito simply waved her off, however. "Perish the thought. I have a spare hammock collecting dust in one of my drawers, and it's not like I get company often. Besides, you should be jumping at the opportunity, considering it's the pride of the Rito who's offering."

Robin couldn't help but roll her eyes a bit while smiling. He did seem like he meant well, but his attitude really reminded her of Virion (Just without the womanizing). "I can't really jump all too well at the moment, but I'll accept your offer either way. Thank you, Revali."

His smirk almost seemed to soften a bit at her words, though it only lasted a moment. "Gather anything you need so we can get started, I'd like to be done by sunset today. I'll be outside," He said with a wave before ducking under the cover of the roost.

Robin let out a soft chuckle as she slowly got to her talons, still unused to having talons in the first place. "He's really something, isn't he…"

"That's one way to put it…" Tayla replied as she walked over with Robin's coat in wing. "Let's get your coat on, and then I'll put your wing in a sling so you'll be good to go."

"Right," She replied, remembering when Lissa had to do the same for Vaike when he took an arm wrestling competition just a bit too far once.

Soon Robin had slung her infamous tactician's coat over her shoulders once more, and a few minutes later Tayla had wrapped up her broken wing with a piece of fabric into a makeshift sling.

"There you go… and you're all set!" Tayla said with a smile as she stepped back, as if admiring her handiwork.

Robin smiled warmly back. If it hadn't been for Revali saving her and Tayla's medical expertise, she was certain she'd be dead. "Thank you again, for everything. I'm in your debt."

"I was just doing my job," The apothecary replied, though it was clear she appreciated the heartfelt thanks if her slightly ruffled feathers were any indication. "I'll have some more hearty elixirs sent over to Revali's roost so you can keep up the smooth recovery, alright?"

As Robin nodded in thanks, saying goodbye to her newest acquaintance, the tactician-turned-Rito took in a deep breath of air as she turned to the doorway, trying to ignore the light sting from her side as her chest swelled. She may be somewhere completely and utterly unknown to her, in a body she was completely unfamiliar with, bandaged up from a multitude of injuries already… but something made her feel like things were going to turn out okay.

She wasn't one to normally believe in strange hunches like these, but it gave her a swell of hope in her chest.

As soon as Robin stepped outside she was forced to wince, as the sunlight above beat down on her after being inside for so long. It took a few moments of blinking for her eyesight to finally adjust, letting her slowly lower her wing away from her face. "Ahh…" She breathed, enjoying the feeling of the slight breeze flowing through her feathers. "It's good to be up and walking again…"

"-ice to see you around, Revali," An unfamiliar voice said not too far away. "I thought you'd be down at the Flight Range by now!"

Robin glanced over, seeing that Revali was in the middle of a chat with another Rito a few feet away, this one with a green and white colored plumage, the feathers behind their head styled into a similar pair of braids. They were quite a bit taller and more burly than Revali, standing over him by about a foot while he chuckled and held a wing to his chest. She didn't want to interrupt their conversation, so she simply decided to hang back near the doorway until they were done.

"Contrary to popular belief, my life does not revolve around constant training. I simply had some more… pressing matters to attend to this morning," He replied. "Though it is nice to see you as well, Frei."

The green feathered Rito, now identified as Frei, cracked a smile at Revali's words. "Coulda fooled me, nobody's even come close to your twenty target run yet! You really should take up Kyrth's offer sometime, the new recruits'd learn a lot from a few lessons."

Revali sighed, crossing his wings over his chest. "I… I will consider it. All of my time is usually spent perfecting my skills down there, today is just a special case. I suppose that my training could serve as a demonstration of what the pride of the Rito looks like, however."

Frei laughed heartily in response, shaking his head a bit. "I had a feeling you'd say something like that. Well, if you ever change your mind, you know where to find him. See you at the next competition!" He finished with a light wave before turning around and walking up the stairs, further into the village.

Revali stood there for a moment, watching Frei as he left before huffing softly with a shake of his head. "Me, a teacher?" He muttered to himself as he pinched the bridge of his beak.

Robin eyed the Rito curiously for a moment. He seemed almost… unsure of himself when he said that. For someone who had been constantly boasting about his talents since he had saved her, it was a bit strange to see him like this.

"Er… Revali?"

"Wh—" He almost immediately spun around at Robin's voice, his eyes widening for a fraction before they narrowed sharply upon seeing her standing in front of the Apothecary. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not too long," Robin replied with a one-winged shrug, trying not to jostle her sling too much. "I just got all my bandages replaced and Tayla was saying she would have some more elixirs sent to your roost while I'm there. I heard you chatting to someone but, didn't catch much of it."

'Yup,' She thought with a repressed sigh. 'Still don't like lying.'

It was pretty clear that Revali didn't believe her, either, squinting even more while he crossed his arms over his chest again. "Hm. Right," he said, scowling. "If you're going to be staying with me, try to keep the eavesdropping to a minimum. Now let's go, I don't have all day. You're already lucky that I'm taking a day off from my regular training to show you around."

It was quite hard to suppress the eye twitch that almost came up.

"… Right, sorry. Lead the way then, Revali," She said, nodding slowly at him and smiling.

If there was one word that Robin would use to describe Rito Village, it would be fascinating. This place truly was unlike anything she had ever seen or anywhere she had ever been. She had been to some fantastical places during her campaign as the Shepherd's tactician, the Mila Tree definitely comes to mind, but this place was incredible.

The center of the village was constructed around this massive stone pillar that pierced high into the sky, using a spiral staircase to connect most of the roosts and walkways together and using huge iron chains that hook up to the underside of the pillar to hold up the heavy homes of the Rito, leading down onto the forested base of the stone pillar. Of course, not all of the roosts or shops were situated on the main stairway. Long bridges connected the central village with a slew of other stone pillars that rose up out of a massive lake, huge wooden platforms constructed on top of them to serve as the bases for more roosts. This wasn't even mentioning the scenery that she was able to get glimpses of while Revali showed her around, hills and mountains rolling over the horizon, and she could even get a good view of the mountain she woke up on yesterday, that snow covered mass still towering over the village despite it being situated high up already.

It truly was like she was in a different world… and that's what was worrying her so much. There had always been the nagging possibility since she woke up that she wasn't anywhere near Ylisse anymore, but it was like she didn't want to believe that she could very well be in an entirely different world, similar to the Outrealms. If so, then…

How was she going to get back home?

At the very least, Revali's prideful rambling of his own home made it very easy to distract herself from the dread of her situation.

"Rito is quite popular among tourists from across Hyrule, and it doesn't take a genius to see why," Revali explained as he led Robin across a long bridge connecting to what looked like a shopping district, the dark wood creaking silently under their talons. "With our superior attention to detail when it comes to architecture, combined with the natural beauty of Tabantha, it really is quite clear that nothing else in the entire land comes close."

Honestly, Robin was inclined to believe his words no matter how biased they may seem, looking over the edge of the bridge at the mountain ranges abroad. "I can't exactly disagree with you… this place really is beautiful. Though, what else is there to compare to in… Hyrule?" That was another term that she wasn't familiar with at all… was it the name of the continent?

Revali briefly glanced over to her, his brow slightly furrowed as if in thought. "... Well, the only place that really compares is Zora's Domain, although their views pale in comparison to the ones atop Rito. I've never been to Gerudo, so I can't make a fair comparison, but their climate is horrible for us. The Gorons, though, are even worse! No Rito, even one as skilled in the air as I, would ever dare to get close to Death Mountain. And then of course, the Hylians have their castle, which… is fine, if a bit stuffy."

As Robin listened, her mind took all of this info in like a steel trap, nodding along with his words as they walked. 'Zora, Gerudo, Goron, Hylian… if I had to guess, these must be the different races in Hyrule, kind of like the Taguel and Manakete back in Ylisse, with Hylians being the predominant one named after the continent… Just how diverse was this place?' She really needed to ask Revali if Rito Village had a decent library. If she was going to be stuck here for an indeterminate amount of time, she needed to learn as much as she could about Hyrule.

"So, Robin… Let me ask you a question now."

She was abruptly forced to stop her mind from running a mile a minute, glancing over to Revali as he looked at her inquisitively. "Where are you from, exactly? It's plainly obvious you're not native to anywhere in Hyrule."

"Ah, well… I hail from Ylisse. I… doubt that you've heard of it."

That definitely seemed to confuse him a bit, before he slowly shook his head. "No, I've… never heard of such a place."

"... I figured as much," Robin said with a light sigh, trying to keep herself from looking downcast. "It's a continent far, far away from here, somewhere across the sea. So far that I've never even heard of Hyrule before I arrived here."

Revali's eyes widened at that, disbelief apparent in his stance and gaze. "I… What? A continent across the sea? How have I not heard of this…?" He muttered, before turning back to her. "If that's the case, then how did you manage to arrive here? Deep in the Hebra Mountains, of all places! That isn't exactly a place you stumble into by accident."

"I–" Robin's breath caught in her throat as memories of the final battle with Grima overflowed her thoughts. Images of the Fell Dragon's terrifying visage staring her and the Shepherds down, Chrom watching helplessly as she faded into nothingness in his arms… She forced herself to breathe before she could respond, letting out a deep sigh. "I–I… I'm sorry, but… It's a long story. One I'm not exactly… comfortable, talking about yet."

If she could go the rest of her life without thinking about that damned dragon and what it had done to her and the ones she loved… she could die a happy woman. Just the thought of some of the 'what ifs', and the fact that she was supposed to be a perfect vessel for that monster… it made her sick.

"... Alright." It was Revali that pulled her out of her thoughts once again, his tone and expression looking much softer than it was a second ago. "Let's just continue the tour then, shall we?"

Robin was quick to nod in agreement, grateful that he wasn't going to push her more to answer. "R–Right. Thank you, Revali."

He waved her off. "Don't mention it."

It wasn't long before they had reached the other side of the bridge, the sound of hustle and bustle growing louder as they got closer to what appeared to be a market area. All sorts of different stalls and roosts were set up around a central plaza constructed out of the same dark wood the rest of the village was made of, Ritos milling about as they did their business. As Robin looked around, she could see shops for cooking supplies, what looked like some sort of armor made out of feathers, a shop for–

She suddenly paused, her eyes locking onto a person with a large backpack and some distinctly pointy ears. 'Is… Is that a Manakete?' She recalled Nowi and Tiki having very similar ears, distinct from a normal human. The more she looked, however, the more that she was starting to see differences. Most Manakete that she had researched had very distinct hair colors, and also this strange aura that most magic users could feel around them, usually connected to their dragonstone. This person had neither.

It seemed that Revali noticed where she was looking, one of his eyebrows raising a bit. "Hm. It's not often we get Hylian travelers this late into the year. Usually it's a bit too cold for them, but, like I said…" He smirked once again. "Rito is very popular with tourists."

"Huh…" Robin glanced down at her good wing, watching her feathers ruffle slightly in the wind. 'So humans actually do exist here… and I still got turned into a Rito?' She was really starting to wonder if her theory that Naga turned her into a bird as a joke was starting to hold water.

"Nevertheless, this is Rito's main shopping district." Revali explained as he slowly guided her further into the heart of the plaza. "Everything that Rito Village is famous for across Hyrule can be found here. Locally harvested Tabantha wheat, wildberries straight from Hebra, and of course… Archery supplies."

Revali reached over and plucked an arrow or two from one of the stands, looking over them with a keen eye as if appraising them. "Some Hylians think that they can just take a piece of ore, tie it to a stick, and call it a day like the barbarians they are… but us Rito know how to get the absolute most out of every arrow we fire." He gave an approving nod once he was satisfied with whatever he was scrutinizing on the arrows, setting them back down carefully.

Robin couldn't help but listen to him speak. It was clear that he's extremely passionate about archery, likening it to her own passion towards tactics or magic. "I'm assuming they sell bows here as well?"

"They are for sale here, yes, but they're mostly for travelers." He said, sniffing as he looked at a couple of bows set up on the other end of the stall. "Most warriors have the local bowsmith make them a more custom-fitted falcon bow."

Robin hummed in response. "... You said 'most'. I'm assuming you didn't do that?"

His almost eternal smirk seemed to widen at that. "I'm glad you asked! I am one of the few Rito that made their own bow from scratch. For someone of my skill, I needed a bow that was perfectly fitted for me… and so I created the Great Eagle bow."

Revali pulled the bow that was slung across his back into his waiting wings with one smooth motion, gently handling it as if it were an ancient artifact of some kind. "It took me many nights to get everything perfect… the string, the stabilizer, the axles… I don't show it off to just about anyone, so be grateful."

As she laid eyes on it, Robin couldn't help but think that he was right to boast about it. It looked like the bow was modeled after Revali himself, with the navy blue coloration and the white patterns on it. "It's beautiful, truly. I've barely laid ha- wings, on a bow in my life, and even I can see that much." She suppressed a slight cringe at her slip up.

Revali slowly looked up at her, his previous smirk replaced with a slight frown. "... You've never received archery training before?" He asked slowly, an eyebrow raised.

"Well…" Robin started, a bit confused by his reaction. The last time she had a bow in her hands was when Virion had his knocked out of his grip on the battlefield. "No… I never got the chance to learn, I suppose."

For some strange reason, Revali's expression softened at her words. He was silent for a moment before slinging the Great Eagle bow back into its usual resting place. "I… Nevermind. Let's just move onto the rest of the village." He said, waving her along back to the bridge.

The tactician stood frozen in place for a moment, perplexed at Revali's sudden change in attitude. What had she said that would make him react like that? Did her admitting to not having any archery training have some sort of hidden meaning in Rito culture?

'Gods, this place is giving me too many questions and not enough answers…' She thought with a sigh, walking after Revali so she wouldn't get left behind.

Revali had met many interesting characters in his life over the years. A pair of Zoras that had somehow made it all the way to Rito for a visit, members of the Hyrulian Royal Guard (who were absolutely abysmal with a bow), even the Princess of Hyrule herself!

And yet, for some Goddess-forsaken reason, this… this strange Rito, had captured his attention like no one else had before.

Ever since he had rescued her from a certain death up on Hebra and brought her back into the village, Revali could not get her out of his head no matter how hard he tried. Everything about her was just so strange… He had never seen her in the village before yesterday, so where had she come from? And how did she make it all the way up to the Hebra Mountains alone?

This curiosity burning inside of him was part of the reason why he came up with the idea to let her stay in his roost. When he told Tayla and Robin that he was making his morning rounds before he stopped by, that wasn't… entirely the truth. He had taken the time to set up his spare hammock, hanging it next to his, and to tidy up his roost a bit so it was more presentable.

Of course, taking her on a tour wasn't part of his original plan, but he couldn't find a reason to say no to Tayla's suggestion. He had thought, at the time, that maybe he could find some insight into who Robin exactly was.

Unfortunately, by the time the sun was beginning its descent into the horizon, bathing Tabantha and the village in a warm orange light, it seemed like the amount of questions he had about her had only multiplied! By ten, at least! Claims of being from a far off continent that he had never heard of, her lack of knowledge surrounding Hyrule in general… it truly did make her an enigma of sorts.

The other part of why he was letting Robin recover in his roost was, well… He felt kind of bad for her. She nearly died up in Hebra, was clearly lost and out of her element, and the admittance that she never had any sort of archery training didn't help. It was part of Rito culture, not just in the village, that once a fledgling reached a certain age they were taught how to shoot a bow. It was like a right of passage, usually taught by the young fledgling's parents or guardian.

Saying that you didn't know how to shoot a bow at this age was the same as admitting you had no one to look after you growing up. But, it wasn't his place to pry into her personal life, so he let the matter go.

The rest of the tour went smoothly, showing her where the communal kitchen was and the library upon her request (her eyes had really lit up at the sight of the books stacked neatly into the shelves). Honestly, even though she was… strange, he had enjoyed their time together so far.

"This was the last thing you wanted to show me, right?"

Robin's voice broke Revali out of his thoughts, glancing back to her while he led her up the winding staircase of the village. "Just a couple more flights and we'll be there, yes." He said, looking back up to where he was taking her. It was late in the afternoon, which meant the sky was swirling with all sorts of different oranges and purples… and that it was the perfect time to look out over Rito Landing.

Ever since he had been a fledgling, Rito Landing had always been one of his favorite places to visit in the village. Sitting over the edge and letting his talons dangle over, looking over the horizon and imagining himself flying higher and higher, reaching heights that no other Rito could even dream of… He wondered how his younger self would react to him being so close to achieving his dream.

Revali led Robin down the stairs leading onto the Landing, a soft smile worming its way onto his beak as he felt that familiar breeze softly caressing his feathers. He never got tired of coming up here. "This," He started, turning over to face Robin as she looked around. "Is Rito Landing."

"Wow…" Robin breathed out in obvious awe as she gazed over the landscape of Tabantha, her deep gray eyes shining with wonder. "Revali, this is… wonderful,"

He couldn't stop his smile from becoming a bit more genuine as he watched her eyes scan the horizon. He always loved seeing travelers' reactions to the natural beauty of the Tabantha region. "It's quite impressive, right?" He said with a wave of his wing. "Rito is known for having some of the best sights in all of Hyrule, and for good reason."

Revali watched as Robin silently walked over to the railing on the side of the landing, leaning against it as she gazed outward. For some reason, he couldn't help but stare as she stood there, watching as the wind gently blew her feathers around, the light bouncing off of them and making them almost shine with an otherworldly glow. The soft smile on her beak only accentuated–

"Revali? Are… you alright?"

That's when he realized that she was looking right at him. And he was still staring.

"Your, uh, sling is loose. Thought I'd let you know." He sputtered out, desperately trying to keep his feathers from ruffling too much. Of course, the sling wrapped around her arm was not loose at all, but she didn't need to know that.

"Oh." She said, looking down at her broken wing. "I'll see if I can fix it later then."

"Right, that would be best." He said, inwardly sighing a bit with relief that his brief moment of embarrassment had passed.

He walked over to join her against the railing, letting a brief moment of silence wash over the two of them as he enjoyed the sights of Hebra and Tabantha. For how busy his life could be sometimes, it really was nice to just relax and take everything in for a moment.

"Revali?"

He blinked, looking over to Robin again. "Yes, what is it?"

"I just wanted to say… Thank you for today." She said while she smiled warmly at him, eyes glowing with gratefulness. "Despite everything that's happened to me so far, you've helped me feel welcome here. So… Thank you. This place really is beautiful."

For a brief moment, Revali couldn't look away from her eyes, those silvery orbs beaming at him. It was only when he felt his feathers fluffing up that he quickly cleared his throat and nodded, looking away. "Yes, you're… welcome. It's the least I can do for you, as the pride of the Rito."

What was the matter with him right now? He'd never lost control of his own emotions like this around anyone before! At this rate, he was going to start fiddling with his braids as if he were a fledgling again! He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, letting his feathers smooth themselves out. It was just another question to add to the growing pile of them.

Unaware of Revali's inner turmoil, Robin chuckled softly as she leaned back over the railing. "Even so… I am in your debt. If there's any way I can repay you, I will gladly do so."

Revali couldn't help but lightly scoff. "Not running off and getting yourself killed after all the work I went through to keep you alive would be a great start."

Robin's chuckles quickly burst into a full on laugh at that. "I'll try my best, Revali, you have my word."

Thanks again for reading, I really do appreciate it! I absolutely love writing both of these characters, and I hope that I'm doing them justice.

Let me know what you think with a review! Any feedback, comments, praise, criticism is welcome. Hopefully the next chapter will be out in a similar timeframe!