Urbosa set her empty plate aside with a sigh of contentment. Link was an excellent cook-not even a certain Rito had been able to find fault with the Hylian's cooking. A well cooked meal after a day of traveling was always welcome, and Link's skill with a cooking pot was unrivaled.
She considered her companions: Link was still intent on his dinner, and Mipha was just finishing hers. Zelda and Impa had finished a few minutes ago and were speaking in hushed tones. Revali was doing something with his bow; Rito Warrior was an accurate title-the Champion seemed to constantly be going through and fidgeting with his arsenal of bows and arrows. Daruk was seated not to far from the Gerudo herself, staring absently into the fire.
"So you sing, do you?" She asked, nudging the Goron Champion with her foot. Daruk looked up, surprised.
"I do?" he asked, momentarily thrown. "I mean, all us Gorons do, I suppose. Nothing fancy, just songs about old heroes and adventures and legends and stuff," he paused, considering. "And for special celebrations. And to pass an evening. But everybody sings a little bit. I'm not any better at it than anyone else, really."
Urbosa chuckled at the Goron's antics. "That is a really long and overly complicated way of saying 'yes'," she told him, winking.
Daruk grinned and shrugged. "I suppose it is," he conceded. "Do you sing?"
Urbosa shook her head. "I do not. I've always been more of a dancer myself."
"We dance too," the Goron said. "To celebrate, to spend an evening..."
"So everyone dances a little bit?"
"Exactly." Daruk beamed at her. Urbosa grinned back; sometimes his enthusiasm for even small things could be catching.
"So are you going to sing for us, or not?" She wanted to know. Out of the corner of her eye Zelda looked up, interested. Revali shifted, but did not complain. The Gerudo figured he'd probably leave soon; the Rito tended to wander off after dinner only to return shortly after dark. The first time he'd done it she'd been worried, but by now she figured he just needed time to himself. Revali was not particularly sociable on a good day.
Daruk actually blushed. "Are you sure you really want me to?" he asked. "Goron singing can be a bit...gravelly, I've been told."
Urbosa shrugged. "It's either that or ask for more fairy stories from our Rito Champion," she said. "I think he's getting tired of humoring us."
Revali scoffed, but did not dispute the assertion. Zelda had been asking for stories regularly since the day he had told them about Medli, the Rito Sage, excited at the prospect of learning more of Rito history and culture. While the Champion had been surprisingly accommodating so far, Urbosa figured Revali might appreciate a break, and she certainly did not want to have to deal with the fallout when the Rito eventually snapped at the Princess and said something awful before storming off.
Daruk cleared his throat. "Well, here goes nothing." He scratched his head. "Hard to think of one, now that you've asked for it. Hmm..." The Goron was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Okay, here goes! This one is a lullaby, used for putting our children to sleep. I used to sing it to my own son, when he was just a baby."
The Goron began to sing. Though his voice was in fact, somewhat gravelly, it was also deep and rich, with a soothing effect. Urbosa could feel herself relaxing, the stress and worries of the day seeming to roll off her back and shoulders, leaving her feeling calm and, truth be told, a little bit drowsy.
The Gerudo woman looked around the camp idly, taking in her companions' reactions. Zelda tried to discretely hide yawn behind her hand, but the Princess looked more relaxed than Urbosa could remember seeing her in weeks, which in turn allowed her Sheikah assistant to relax as well. Mipha leaned against a tree, her body swaying slightly in time with Daruk's voice. Link lay sprawled out on his back, staring up at the stars. Not too far away from him, Revali unknowingly mirrored the action, his own eyes closed.
The lullaby was followed by a rousing chorus that made Urbosa think of deep forests and green, living things. It also made her want to dance. All her previous drowsiness was now gone-the Gerudo felt alive and awake and full of energy.
The next tune was a ballad of sorts, telling of a Goron brother that had fought a giant dodongo as a child only to return as an adult and save their people from being eaten by a giant dragon. Urbosa suspected that the Goron "brother" was actually a Hylian, but was not completely certain. She knew that Daruk occasionally called Link 'brother', Revali less frequently. The Goron had even called Zelda and Mipha 'little sister' once or twice. Urbosa made a note to ask him about it later.
There was another song, a chant that seemed to be largely about rocks and eating them, but it was fun, and Urbosa could, now and again, appreciate such simplicity. The other Champions and the Princess and her assistant seemed to be enjoying themselves as well-Urbosa was somewhat surprised to see Revali was still with them.
All too soon the fire began to die down, and Daruk reluctantly stopped. "It's getting late," he pointed out.
"So it is," Urbosa agreed, "and we have a long day ahead of us. Thank you, Daruk. I, for one, really enjoyed your singing."
"It was wonderful!" Zelda, Impa, and Mipha rushed to add, nearly in chorus. Urbosa chuckled when the three girls immediately blushed.
Link did not comment, but the Gerudo hardly expected him to. Revali remained silent as well as he headed for his bedroll.
Urbosa shrugged at the Goron who grinned. "I suppose I should take it as a complement that he stayed," he said, unbothered. The Rito's normally sharp observations never seemed to bother Daruk, instead seeming to roll right off his shoulders unnoticed.
"I suppose so," Urbosa agreed. She waited a moment before continuing on a different track. "I didn't know you had a son."
Daruk pounded his chest proudly. "He was just starting to roll around on his own before I left," he told her. "He keeps trying to eat parts of the cave, but apparently they're like that when they're small."
"Do you regret leaving him?" she asked, though really it was none of her business.
Daruk shrugged. "I miss him. And he'll be much bigger by the time I return. But I don't regret leaving. He has a papa he can be proud of, you know? And by leaving, I'm helping to keep him safe, and make sure there's a Hyrule for him to grow up in." He grew silent for a moment before asking, "What about you? Any Gerudo little ones running around back home?"
Urbosa shook her head. "I never had children of my own, though..." she hesitated, wondering how much of her personal life she wanted to share with him, but she had, after all, been the one to start the conversation. "The Queen was a dear friend," she finally offered. "She asked me to look after her daughter after she was gone." She nodded towards Zelda's bedroll, where the young princess was settling in. "I've tried to be there for her. Tried to step in when she needs motherly advice."
Daruk nodded in understanding. "She seems to think very highly of you," he said. "And it's obvious how much you two care for each other." He grinned at the Gerudo. "Family comes in all shapes and sizes, they say."
"Do they?" she asked, bemused. "That reminds me. The hero that fought a dodongo. Was he a Goron? I kind of got the feeling he was actually Hylian. And I know you call Link 'little brother' sometimes."
"He was a Hylian." Daruk confirmed. "He would have been adopted by the tribe after defeating the dodongo, making him a brother-a Goron."
"So you consider Link to be a brother Goron?" she asked. Daruk nodded.
"I consider my fellow Champions to be my brother and sister Gorons," he told her. "Link, you-everyone! How much closer to family can you get than defeating Calamity Ganon together?"
"Fair enough," the Gerudo said, warmed by the thought of this Goron considering her his 'sister.' Less warming was the reminder of what they would soon face. Her mood turned somber. "Sometimes I worry that we won't be ready," she confided.
Daruk shrugged. "We have to be ready," he said. "We'll be ready because there's no other choice."
Urbosa wished it were really that simple.
Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda Universe, Breath of the Wild in particular, does not belong to me.
