Urbosa still was not entirely certain how it happened. She remembered finding the small, clear pool of water, and everyone agreeing that it was the perfect place to stop for a noon-day meal. She also remembered Mipha taking the opportunity to go for a nice swim, and somehow coaxing both Zelda and Impa into joining her.
That had clearly not been enough to satisfy the Zora, who had subsequently somehow managed to convince Link, Hyrule's Champion, a man silent and somber and serious, to join them as well. He and Mipha had raced across the pond several times, Mipha winning easily each time, before the competition abruptly dissolved into a battle wherein each seem intent on dunking the other as many times as possible.
Urbosa watched them from the shore, surprised by the sight of a less-serious-than-usual Link, but not displeased. No one could be serious all the time, after all. Daruk also watched from the shore, grinning as their companions splashed about happily.
Revali stood beside Urbosa, disgust written plainly across his features. Urbosa shook her head at his expression.
"Is it the water?" she teased, "Or is it the fact that they're having fun?"
Revali rolled his eyes at her, turning his attention away from her and focusing on the Zora as she broke off from whispering with Zelda and made her way back to the shore.
Zelda giggled and rejoined Impa, whispering in her ear. The sight made Urbosa vaguely uneasy.
Mipha reached Gerudo and Rito and grinned at them both as she reached out and took Urbosa by the arm. "I want to show you something."
The woman was interested right up until they reached the water and Zelda started giggling again. Something shoved Urbosa from behind, and the Gerudo stumbled into the water. She turned just in time to realize Mipha was responsible before she reached a hidden drop off and suddenly found herself underwater.
Sputtering, she came up to realize the water was only up to her shoulders. That did nothing to stop her from glaring at the Zora princess as she joined her.
"Very funny," Urbosa grumbled halfheartedly as she turned to glare at a certain Hylian Princess. She knew full well whose idea this had been.
Zelda and Impa both dissolved into a fit of giggles. Not too far away, Link actually smiled.
Urbosa allowed herself a chuckle before turning back to Mipha. "You know I can't swim," she said softly. The Zora considered her carefully.
"You know I wouldn't let you drown," she replied. Urbosa splashed at the girl, causing Mipha to grin and duck beneath the water.
Urbosa turned and waved at Daruk, who was watching carefully from the shore, and then to Revali, who immediately took a step back, as if afraid of being dragged in after her.
The Gerudo shook her head. She wasn't going to tease him, not about something like this.
Tired but happy, they finally dragged themselves ashore several hours later. Urbosa plopped down on a rock next to Daruk as the Goron lazed in the sun. Not too far away, Revali stood with his back to the water, watching the trees, still agitated. He turned quickly as Zelda approached, the girl grinning as she chattered at him, but did not move away from the still slightly soaked princess.
Abruptly he turned and shoved her, hard, and the girl went sprawling backwards with a yelp. A second later a large club came crashing down right where the girl had been standing. Urbosa sprang forward, only to realize she was unarmed.
Most of them were. Daruk charged the Hinox as it emerged from the woods anyway, while others scrambled for previously discarded weapons. Revali, predictably, still had his bow, and took to the sky.
His flight was brief, as he dove back toward the ground almost immediately, landing beside the Princess Zelda and pulling her roughly to her feet. The girl stumbled; Revali caught her before she could fall and began dragging her away from the monster.
The hinox smashed his club again, and Zelda screamed as Revali jerked the two of them out of the way just in time. Shoving her roughly towards a tree and hopefully out of sight, he flew up and straight toward the creature, letting loose a flurry of arrows before turning and diving into the trees behind the hinox.
Daruk managed a blow to the creature's foot; The hinox threw its club and howled in pain, searching for its attacker as it whirled around.
By that time Link had joined the battle, sword in hand. Impa, Mipha, and Urbosa followed close behind, and that quickly the battle was over.
With the hinox defeated, Urbosa's focus shifted immediately to other matters-namely the well-being of a certain Hylian princess. Heading to the last place she remembered seeing the girl, she called her name.
"Zelda!"
"Princess!" Impa was right behind her, sounding every bit as frightened as the Gerudo currently felt.
They found her on the ground, clutching her ankle, her clothes muddy and torn, with scratches on her face and arms, likely where Revali had shoved her out of harm's way. The girl stared up at them, eyes wide in a pale face.
Urbosa breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you hurt, little bird?"
Zelda grimaced. "My ankle. I can't walk on it. When I fell earlier-when Revali-where is Revali?" she looked around and tried to get up.
"Link is looking for our missing companion." Mipha assured her as he came up behind them. "I'm sure he's all right. In the meantime, let's see what we can do about that ankle."
The Zora looked the injury over briskly. "It's just a sprain, thankfully. I can heal that in no time." She smiled at Zelda. "Scratches and bruises are easily mended as well."
"Revali saved my life." Zelda admitted, her voice trembling just a little at the realization. "That thing would have crushed me."
"But it didn't." Urbosa pointed out. "And because of that-"
"Mipha!"
The sharp cry carried clearly through the forest. Eyes wide, Mipha stood and spun around. "That was Link," she murmured.
"He's not hurt," Urbosa was no longer certain, but the Zora shook her head.
Zelda's eyes widened. "You said he was looking for Revali."
Mipha paled. Urbosa felt her heart skip a beat.
Zelda took a deep breath. "I can wait. You said yourself it's just a sprain. It must be serious, if..."
Mipha hesitated for only a moment before plunging into the trees.
Zelda turned to Urbosa, pleading in her gaze. The older woman pushed aside her fear and turned her attention to what was in front of her. "I can carry you back to camp," she offered.
Zelda nodded, and Urbosa bent down, carefully gathering the girl in her arms. Zelda bit her lip as her ankle was jostled but did not cry out, though she did lay her head on Urbosa's shoulder as the made their way back to camp, Impa not far behind.
Once there Urbosa set the princess down gently, trying not to cause her any more pain than necessary. Looking around, she noticed Daruk was missing, and wondered if he too had gone looking for Revali.
"I can stay with her," Impa offered, crouching down beside Zelda. Urbosa considered her options. Worried as she was about Revali, with Zelda injured she knew where her responsibilities lie. First and foremost, she had promised to look after the girl.
Zelda met her eyes. "Mipha said it's just a sprain. Impa is more than capable of protecting me. I'll be fine."
Zelda was worried too.
Urbosa reached her fellow champions just in time to see Mipha all but collapse over Revali's prone form. Link caught her just in time to keep her from landing on him and pulled her away, scowling deeply as he did so. Daruk stood helplessly to the side, watching.
"What happened?" She asked, and he startled. His eyes, when he turned to face her, were frightened. "Daruk?"
"Hinox's club knocked me out of the air." It was Revali, still very much lying on the ground, who answered, his words clipped but quiet. Urbosa turned and knelt beside him, looking the Rito up and down for injury.
It was hard to tell, under all those feathers, how badly he was injured, but the stained feathers on his shoulders and the trickle of blood coming from the side of his beak was downright frightening.
Revali, for his part, lay still, watching Mipha and Link out of the corner of one eye. "She okay?" he managed.
Link frowned. "She needs rest," he replied. "She's overdone it." Urbosa hoped the Hylian did not mean to sound accusatory.
"And I'm grateful," Revali drawled. Closing his eyes, he added with far less sarcasm, "I'd be dead if she hadn't." His breath caught, but he continued anyway. "Pretty sure Urbosa and I can manage, if you wanna have Daruk help you with her."
Link nodded, then realized the Rito Champion had closed his eyes. Daruk stepped forward. "I've got her, brother."
"Good. Get out of here." Revali did not open his eyes as Daruk gathered Mipha into his arms just as Urbosa had done with Zelda only moments earlier.
"It feels like you were trying to get rid of Daruk." Urbosa commented idly as she watched the three head back in the direction toward camp, leaving her with a still-prone Rito who appeared to have no desire to move from his current position.
"Can't deal with him panicking. Nothing ever bothers him, and now he can't keep it together? It makes me nervous." The words came out forced, belying any attempt at sounding careless. Urbosa took a deep breath and took the plunge.
"So how badly were you hurt?" she asked. She was alarmed when the question elicited a laugh that quickly turned into a strangled cough.
"Club hit me, slammed me into that tree." Revali looked up and tilted his head ever so slightly. Fell fifteen, maybe twenty feet. Not a good height, even for a Rito." He paused briefly before continuing. "Broken bones, bruising, scratches. Impaled my shoulder on a tree branch. Pretty sure Mipha said something about internal damage..." he trailed off uncomfortably. "She healed as much as she could..."
"She fainted." Urbosa realized.
"Yeah."
Urbosa looked down at the Rito lying on the ground before her. "So that was before she healed you. I take it, since you're still on the ground, and knowing your distaste for letting others see you vulnerable, that there's still some damage."
"Yeah."
"Care to elaborate?" Revali sighed.
"Broken bones, bruising, scratches. Shoulder's still throbbing. She took care of the life-threatening injuries, but not much beyond that..."
"You should be dead." The realization hit hard, leaving Urbosa more than a little bit dizzy. No wonder Daruk had been panicking.
Revali grimaced.
"Very," he agreed.
"I assume the plan is not to just lie here and wait for her to come back." The dryness in her voice was an admittedly poor attempt to cover its sudden shakiness.
"It's-not what I would prefer," he admitted wearily.
Urbosa looked him over. "I can probably carry you, but if we're talking multiple broken bones it's gonna hurt like hell."
Revali managed an entirely humorless smile. "We're way past that point already. Not sure it can get much worse."
Urbosa was pretty sure it could, but leaving him here was not a viable option. "I'll try to be gentle."
A groan forced its way out as she placed one arm under his back and the other under his legs, though she did her best not to jostle him any more than necessary. The Rito stiffened as she lifted him, his body going rigid. Eyes wide and unfocused, he was not entirely successful at holding back a strangled cry. A second later his entire body went limp as his eyes rolled back in his head.
It was probably better if he wasn't awake for this next part, she admitted, though the sudden loss of consciousness worried her.
Turning, she started back towards camp.
Disclaimer: Breath of the Wild is not mine, unfortunately.
