The Hero's Path

by LuxDragon

A retelling and reimagining of Breath of the Wild with Age of Calamity elements added. Will be AU eventually. Pre-Calamity.

3. First Steps and First Flights

Lanayru Province – Zora's Domain

Revan frowned after Link finished his tale. Children were wont to embellish their stories, this was true, but the haunted look on Link's face and his bloodstained clothes told the tale as loudly as any words could. "No one saw you come back in?"

Link shook his head. "I dropped Sidon off at his room, then snuck back to ours. Oh, wait. I left to take a bath and change my clothes. I-I was covered in… you know… um…"

Revan noted the way Link was rubbing his hands on his pants, as if trying to wipe something away. "I understand, Link. I truly do. No need to explain."

Link swallowed and nodded.

"Okay, Link. Here's what we're going to do. We'll simply say something or someone else chased off the Lynel and saved Prince Sidon. The lad can't speak yet and won't for another five years or so. Perhaps he'll remember the details of what happened, or he might forget in time. For now, we'll keep our silence about this. Do you understand?"

Link hesitantly nodded. "Okay, Papa—Father. But why do we need to keep it a secret?"

Revan grunted. "Because your mother would kill me and never let you leave the house until you're seventeen, that's why."

Link almost laughed, until he saw the serious look on his father's face. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, nothing at all, boy," Revan said. "In fact, I need time to process this… are you really five years old?"

Link blinked. He started counting on his fingers until he reached five, looked back up, and nodded.

"To fight a Lynel at five…" Revan muttered. "Extraordinary. Truly extraordinary."

He stayed with Link for a time, until the boy was able to fall asleep. He had no idea if his words were understood, but Revan ordered Ammy to stay by Link's side. The wolf didn't appreciate the water mattress, but she did sleep against the bedframe as close to Link as she could.

Putting out the candles except for one, Revan left their quarters. Again, his head was spinning. Link, his son, fighting a Lynel. By himself. It had taken a squad of knights, led by Revan himself, to slay one; though it had been the more dangerous silver breed, rather than a common brown Lynel. The fact that Link had driven the monster off was wondrous news, but that wasn't really what drew concern.

It was the fact that Link had been in such a perilous situation to begin with.

Upon arriving at the main hall, he spotted both Princess Mipha and King Dorephan talking amongst some other Zora. They all wore relieved smiles on their faces. Sortiliena was there, too, idly chatting with them.

"Sir Revan," Mipha called out when she spotted him. "Join us, please."

Revan approached and bowed deeply. "Your Majesty, Your Highness."

"We are relieved and delighted that Sidon has returned to us unharmed. However, we are unsure how it happened," King Dorephan said. "Would you happen to be able to shed any light on this mystery?"

Revan steeled himself. "Yes, Your Majesty. During our search, Sortiliena and I split up to cover more ground. I must of have been in Farore's favor, because I caught Prince Sidon's tracks."

"You did?" Sortiliena asked, shocked.

"I did," Revan said. He felt guilt and self-loathing rise up from the depths of his soul, but thinking of Link made it surprisingly bearable. "It appears the young prince found himself at Ploymus Mountain… that was unfortunate, because of the Lynel that had taken residence there."

Mipha gasped. "We tolerated its presence because it hasn't harmed any Zoras, but we also can't get rid of it, because it was armed with lightning arrows."

"Then perhaps the Goddesses saw fit to watch over me, because it didn't use any such weaponry this time," Revan said, recounting Link's tale and keeping to it. "We fought, I wounded the beast, and it ran away. I escorted the prince back home after that."

"Then, Sir Revan, on behalf of my family, I would like to thank you for the great service you have done for us," Mipha said, smiling gently.

How Revan was able to maintain a straight face, when a part of him felt like it had shriveled and died, he would never know. He bowed once more to the royals standing before him to avoid eye contact, lest they see through his duplicity. "Think nothing of it. It was simply my duty as a Knight of Hyrule."

A fraud, a taunting voice within said.

No, a father, another voice countered, sounding suspiciously like Marin.

Revan took a deep breath and straightened up. "How is Prince Sidon?"

"Asleep," Mipha said. "The ordeal must have been frightening."

"He's a strong one," Revan said. "I'm sure he'll bounce back in no time."

"I hope so," Mipha replied. "But where is Link? I would like to extend our gratitude to him as well for his assistance in locating Sidon. Without his efforts, precious time would have been lost before we realized where Sidon had gone to."

"Ah, the day's events tired him out… or it could have been Ammy," Revan said. "He fell asleep as well."

"Then our appreciation may wait till the morrow," King Dorephan said. "Rest assured, Sir Revan, King Bosphoramus will hear of your deeds. You have the gratitude of Zora's Domain."

Revan had never felt so unclean and unworthy. "My deepest thanks, Your Majesty."

Now I need a bath.

~o~O~o~

The next evening, Revan waited pensively in the sitting room of his apartment. It wasn't long before Link and Ammy entered.

"Father?" Link called out. "You summoned me?"

Revan smiled, though he knew it didn't reach his eyes. A torrent of conflicting emotions were welling up inside him. He had experienced much as a Knight of Hyrule, but the direction his life had taken now seemed like something out of his grasp. "Link, come. I need to speak to you about something."

"Something wrong?" Link asked.

"Yes, I do believe so," Revan murmured. He gestured to the chair next to him. "Sit down. Do not worry yourself, you are not in trouble. However, this conversation will be hard for both of us, and you might not even understand what I am trying to say today. Perhaps one day, but not today."

Link gingerly took the offered seat and waited patiently.

Revan scratched the side of his cheek. He wondered where to begin before shaking his head. He knew where to begin, he just didn't want to have this conversation with a five-year-old boy.

Reclaiming his courage, he looked his son in the eyes. "Before we left for Zora's Domain, I made a promise to your mother. I promised that I would not let you undertake anything dangerous whilst we are here. She wanted you safe—we both wanted you safe. It was an easy promise to make. However, recent events have forced me to re-evaluate myself."

"Father, you did nothing wrong," Link said.

"That's where you're wrong, boy. That's where you are wrong," Revan gravely said. "What happened to you and Sidon reminded me of the oaths I took."

"What oaths, Father?" Link asked quietly when Revan didn't speak immediately.

"The oath I had taken as a Knight of Hyrule, to be there for her and her allies," Revan said. "And the oath I made to your mother, to love her and cherish her always along with the children we would have together. I had thought I could keep both in my heart, without compromise. I was wrong."

Link's expression was that of confusion. Revan sighed and clasped his hands on his child's shoulders.

"Link, today I followed my oath as a knight. Prince Sidon was in danger, and I rode out with the rest of the Zoras in search of him. In doing so, I left you alone, and danger sought you out. I upheld my oath as a knight and failed my oath as husband and father," Revan said quietly.

Vehemently, Link shook his head. "No, you didn't! I ran off on my own!"

"You ran because it was the right thing to do, and perhaps the only thing to do," Revan corrected, "because any other choice would burden you with the guilt that, had you done nothing, Prince Sidon would be lost and fault would lie with you; your inaction, your cowardice… I've seen men break from such choices. No, there was no choice to be made, and I am proud that you acted upon your instincts to help. I was scared, angry, and worried for you before, but now that I have taken the time to think about the situation, I can firmly say that I am deeply, immensely, and thoroughly proud of your actions. It is mine that I had to reflect upon."

"I don't understand, Father," Link said pleadingly.

Revan released his son but maintained eye contact. "I made an oath to Hyrule to always be there in her times of need. I made the same oath to your mother and to you… the lesson I learned today is that I cannot make the same oath twice. I can be a knight, or I can be a father. But I don't think I can be both at the same time. Bringing you here was a mistake."

"What? No!"

"Link, I'm sorry," Revan said, gently but firmly, "but this must be done. I've penned a note for you to take to your mother. By week's end, you will go home, and I will finish my task here. Ammy, too."

Link hopped out of the chair. "But why?!"

"I told you why," Revan said as patiently as he could. "You are five and my son. Your safety is my responsibility. The failure is mine. You lived… this time. But if something did happen to you… I do not know what I would do."

Link looked like he wanted to argue further, but the words never came out. Eventually, he turned and ran off, Ammy hot on his heels.

Revan remained seated. He didn't have any words to offer that would make the feelings better for either of them, and he knew that despite how hurt Link was, he wouldn't do something foolhardy.

There was no way Revan had failed that miserably as a father… or so he hoped.

The week passed slowly, ever so slowly. Link did not show up for practice with Mipha or lessons in school. Both Mipha and Sortiliena asked if there was something wrong, and Revan rebuffed them both. All he would say was that Link was being sent home and that the reasons were quite personal.

Cowan returned to escort Link back to Mabe Village. He blinked at the sullen attitude Link expressed in waves as the young child morosely trudged past him, bag packed and set. Ammy was obediently following alongside, whining, and trying to cheer him up.

"Hey now, boy. Why the long face, eh? Didn't like Zora's Domain?" Cowan asked.

"It's a family matter," Revan quietly answered for him. They shook hands. "Thank you for this, Cowan."

The tracker nodded. "Sure, sure. Uh… will he be like that the entire trip?"

"He's been like that the entire week," Revan muttered. "I don't blame him. Please, let him have his space?"

"Sure, sure," Cowan said. "Guess the trip back is going to be a bit depressing. I get it, though. He probably made some friends, but now he has to say goodbye. Always rough."

"Yes, that too," Revan said. He didn't bother to elaborate further.

~o~O~o~

Central Hyrule – Mabe Village

Link was sullen ever since coming back from Zora's Domain, Marin noticed. Just as Revan was reticent when his task was complete and he returned home, some months later. She had thought that their time together would strengthen their bonds, not jeopardize it. She spoke to Link at length, but nothing seemed to cheer him up. Still, eventually Link did regain some of his natural good cheer. He helped around the house, continued to train his new pet—Marin was certainly shocked, but the bond the two had was undeniable, and she knew she would feel like a monster if she didn't allow Ammy to stay—and raised his filly, which he finally dubbed Epona.

Revan's task was completed many months later. When he finally returned home, they made love, and though it was passionate, there was a certain desperation behind it this time around. Days later, Revan confessed to his sins; how he had lied to the Zora royal family, how he had taken credit for acts that weren't his, and how he had failed to be a father to Link and the danger he had been in because of his responsibility as a knight. She tried to assuage his guilt, but like Link, Revan was stubborn in his mindset.

Marin let her husband carry on for a time before deciding enough was enough. Especially with how she felt lately. Over a month had passed, and she felt that her patience during this trying time had been exemplary. Neither father nor son had spoken to each other since returning home, not even at mealtimes. With her exasperation at its breaking point, she sought her husband out first. He was in his study, governing the lands as part of his responsibilities.

"We must talk."

Revan paused, sighed, and stacked his papers neatly on the table. He stood up and walked to the fireplace, where two comfortable chairs were arranged. He seemed to have expected it and resigned himself to his fate.

She sat down and took a deep breath. "I think you're both being stupid."

"Very blunt, Marin."

"It's been over a month since you've returned, and you and Link have barely said one complete sentence to each other," Marin said. "Now, I've let you both have your space, but since both of you are too mule-headed to figure this out on your own, it's time to be direct."

"What am I supposed to say?" Revan asked.

Exasperated, Marin yelled, "Anything! Do you think nothing is actually an option? Link just turned six. You believe he will make the first move?"

"I'm worried I'll make another mistake," Revan muttered.

Marin rolled her eyes. "You see this as a failure, love. Don't. Mistake is the right word, not failure. And we'll make mistakes, it will happen. Revan, I know you feel responsible for what happened with Link, and I understand that. But avoiding the problem isn't something you do, and I've never known you to shy away from a challenge."

Revan frowned at the reminder.

"Link loves you and looks up to you. That's why I agreed to let him go to Zora's Domain with you," Marin said. "As painful as the ordeal has been, do you really think it's enough to shatter your relationship with him?"

"No, of course not."

"Then talk to him."

"It's just… I've never thought that my responsibilities would impact my ability to be a father," Revan said.

"And now you know," Marin said. "Lesson learned."

"I'm being serious."

"At what point did you think I wasn't?" Marin asked. Her voice had a slight edge to it.

"Um… none."

Marin sighed. "You have responsibilities that go beyond our family. It was inevitable that worlds would collide. It didn't mean life ended. It just means we have to adapt. In no way does that impact your ability to do your duty and still be a father at the same time. That's why I'm here. It's why children should have both parents."

"And how will I get Link to understand this?"

"You don't," Marin said. "He'll figure it out himself. He's a child. Let him be one."

Revan scratched his head. "I wonder if I ever gave my parents this kind of grief…"

"No doubt," Marin said immediately. "I know I did. Revan, I think you're too focused on Link's talent with… well, with everything you've told me about. Why don't we let him choose? If he wishes to change his mind, let him. There's no reason to believe his path is fixed. None of that is an indication of failure, yours or mine. It's a reflection of himself, and the kind of man he'll grow into. We can't make him; we can only help him."

Finally, Revan nodded. "I can see your point, love. Clearly, I have much to learn."

"We're both learning, dear," Marin said. "And don't sell yourself short. I admit, I was shocked when you sent Link home with a pet wolf of all things, but having her around has been good for him. It was a fine decision."

"Well, I have my moments."

There was lull in their conversation before Marin decided to continue to be direct. Her voice was small, but she spoke with quiet clarity when she confessed, "I'm pregnant."

Revan's eyes lit up before clouding over immediately in light of the recent conversation they'd had. "Damn, now I don't know what I should say."

"You could try, 'I love you,' and still mean it," Marin said.

Revan finally broke into a smile, left his chair to kneel before his wife, and wrapped his arms around her waist so that his head was nestled against her abdomen. "I love you, always and forever. That, I know, will not change, as a knight or a husband."

"Then you've finally found some middle ground, love," Marin said. "Your responsibilities force you to make such choices on where you must be. But your love? You can be capable of such a thing. To spread to others without compromise."

Revan pulled away to look up at her, relief on his face.

"Go on, tell Link that you still love him, regardless of your title. Knight, father, it doesn't matter. Your love for us will not diminish regardless."

Revan's melancholy mood seemed to melt away. Standing up swiftly, he marched towards the door with new purpose, but after three strides, he paused at the doorway and turned back to his wife. "Should we tell Link?"

"But of course," Marin said.

"And… is it a boy or girl?" Revan asked.

Marin had guessed Link's sex before, which prompted Revan's question at her attempt at divination. She smiled, leaned back in her chair, and placed one hand on her belly and the other on her head.

"Hmm… it is too soon to tell…" she said theatrically. She closed her eyes. "But… wait… hmm… perhaps… no, that can't be right… ah, yes. She's a girl."

Revan laughed. "Then we shall dispense with the boys' names and consider girls' names, then?"

"Do not mock my powers," Marin said in indignation. "A mother simply knows."

"Well, Link was my choice," Revan said thoughtfully. "It seems only fitting that I defer to you on this."

Marin smiled and closed her eyes again. After a moment's thought, she smiled. "Aryll."

Revan smiled. "A fine name. I'll break the news to Link."

~o~O~o~

Link was quiet for a while, quieter than he'd ever been to Revan's knowledge. Finally, the boy looked up and asked, "Don't I have a say in this?"

Revan blinked at first as he processed what Link said. After a few silent moments, he couldn't help it; he broke out into a full-fledged laugh, which only got more raucous when Link pouted.

"Sorry, boy, but the Goddesses have decided. You're getting a sister… or a brother, if your mother is wrong," Revan said. He leaned in conspiratorially. "Don't tell her I said that."

Again, Link pouted. "Will I have to share stuff with her?"

"Yes."

"Will she be dumb like other girls?"

"What? No. She'll be a Faron," Revan said with mild indignation. "And what about Ilia? She's a girl."

"No, she's my friend. That means she's not dumb. Beth is a girl, and she's dumb."

Again, Revan couldn't help but laugh. "Ah, Link, if only the world was as simple as children see it."

"Father… will we ever go back to Zora's Domain?" Link suddenly asked.

"I can't answer that," Revan said. "But even if I don't get reassigned there, there's no reason to think that you could make the journey there when you're older. I'm sure the children will remember you. You left a big impression on them."

"You think so?"

"Of course."

Again, Link fell quiet. He absently started scratching Ammy's flanks, causing the cub to roll over and present her belly for more rubs.

"Father, will you be teaching me how to fight?" Link asked.

"It's not 'fighting'," Revan corrected quickly. "Combat training, in the event you may need to defend yourself or others, such as your mother and little sister. And… if you so choose, defend Hyrule."

Link's head furrowed. "I don't get it."

"Fighting is for common thugs and brigands—thieves," Revan said. "You and I must be better than that. We do not exert physical strength over others. We help, never threaten."

Link nodded. "Father, will you teach me, though?"

"I-I don't know," Revan confessed. "Perhaps. There's plenty of time. For now, though, you and I will be making regular trips to the garrison. I'll have you watch and learn. Maybe a bit of sparring, but under my direct supervision only."

Link perked up a bit. "Really?"

"Yes, though when your mother starts showing, you'll have to stay home with her, in case she needs help," Revan said.

Link tilted his head. "Showing?"

Revan blinked before paling a bit. "Ah, um… your mother will explain."

At least, I hope she can…

"Okay…" Link still looked uncertain, but he accepted the answer, much to Revan's private relief.

"Now, then, why don't you show me how your filly is doing? Epona, wasn't it?" Revan asked.

Link grinned widely and hopped to his feet. Enthused by the sudden activity, Ammy scrambled to get back upright.

"Wait till you see her! The saddle we bought doesn't fit her yet, but I know it'll look great on her!" Link said. He grabbed Revan's hand and started tugging. "Let's go!"

Revan grinned and allowed himself to be pulled along.

~o~O~o~

Hyrule Castle – Knights' Garrison

"Isn't that the queen?"

Revan stopped what he was doing and turned to the ramparts. Indeed, Her Majesty was standing there. Rumors of ill health had circulated through Castle Town. Public appearances were rare. Revan couldn't even remember the last time he had seen her in the open.

"Father?"

Blinking out of his reverie, Revan looked down at his son. "Yes, Link?"

"Who is that?"

"That is the queen of the realm," Revan answered. "Though why she is out is something I do not know."

"Why?" Link asked.

Revan shook his head. "Never mind that, boy. It's not our concern… yet."

"Oh," Link said.

Revan turned his gaze on the sparring arena. Link's last opponent was one of the few that had beaten him soundly almost two years earlier. This time, Link looked no worse for wear, while the knight groaned piteously as he was helped to his feet by his fellow knights.

"Doing better, I see," Revan said approvingly.

Link grinned. "Sir Malcolm told me that I could beat you now and that I should."

Revan glanced at the offending knight standing nearby.

Malcolm put his face in his hands. "Curses!"

"Trying to trick him?" Rusl, one of the older knights, asked before scoffing. "An underhanded move, Malcolm."

"Good use of integrity, boy. Don't let anyone take advantage of you, just because you're being honest," Revan said.

"Was he right, though?" Link asked. "We've never sparred yet."

Revan smiled at Link. "So, you think you can take me, then?"

Link vigorously nodded.

"Well, I admire your confidence, lad," Revan said proudly. He leaned in and whispered, "But besting a Lynel doesn't mean you can best your old man!"

Link took the challenge on excitedly. "What weapons?"

"Hmm… spears might be too unfair… short swords," Revan said. He wasn't a bad swordsman by any stretch of the imagination, but he was more confident with a spear in his hands. Still, he was sure he could teach Link a thing or two.

Link ran off to the practice weapons rack and picked up two wooden short swords, blunted further by a coating of wax to avoid serious injury.

"You sure about this?" an amused voice asked from behind.

Revan looked over his shoulder before snapping to attention. He was about to salute, but Knight-Commander Taggart waved him off.

"Been watching your boy all morning," Taggart said. "He seems to prefer swords. You might want to stick to spears."

Revan scoffed. "I think I know my son."

"Fine, fine, it's your funeral," Taggart said. "Just do yourself a favor and don't tell Marin. If you win, you'll catch hell. If you lose, she'll never take you seriously again."

Revan laughed as Link scampered up to them and handed over a practice sword.

They entered the ring and saluted to one another.

Taggart took it upon himself to be the judge of the match. He raised his hand in the air and brought it down swiftly. "Hoi!"

Revan predicted that Link would fight conservatively and exercise more caution, so he was shocked when the boy darted forward, sword low and set for an upward slash as an opening gambit.

Revan brought his blade down to parry, but Link side-stepped at the last moment, and their blades only barely made contact before Link completed his arc with a solid whack against his thigh.

Revan bit back a yelp. He jumped away, but the motion did warrant a grunt. He was tempted to rub his leg, but Link was on him again.

Fast!

Revan had an inkling of the agility Link possessed, but he was still caught flat-footed like a trainee instead of a veteran knight. Another missed parry, and Link managed to strike the same place a second time. This earned a louder grunt of pain.

Revan wanted to kick himself. Despite having been watching Link since the beginning, he was underestimating the boy and overestimating himself. Little wonder why some of his fellow knights were taking Link seriously nowadays.

Had their swords been steel, the first strike would've resulted in a deep laceration. The second would have been a crippling blow.

Revan went on the offensive, favoring his hurt leg, but resolving not to give in. He maintained awareness of his change of tactics. If Link could fight a Lynel and not be intimidated by its size, Revan could hardly use his larger frame to his advantage.

Link was able to parry Revan's heavier strikes by tilting his blade at an angle at the very last moment, letting Revan's sword slide rather than be absorbed. It was a clever move, allowing Link to block without putting his tiny arms at risk, but required incredible precision and timing. The maneuver allowed him to fight head-on, though, forcing Revan to pull his sword back to recover every time their blades met, lest he overextend himself by accident.

Not that it helped.

One of his recoveries was far too slow, and the way Link maneuvered around him…

Damn, that's why he struck that spot twice!

He put too much weight on his bruised leg, and it buckled slightly. Link capitalized on the opportunity without hesitation. Link's sword came up faster than Revan could track. The blunted sword tip struck the older man solidly in his gut. He felt the air rush out of his lungs, causing the grip on his sword to go involuntarily slack.

Like a whip, Link was on him immediately once his weakness was revealed. A strike on his forearm caused him to drop his sword, another strike on his chest impaired his ability to catch his breath, and the final blow came from a solid whack on the head.

Revan saw stars and toppled over. Link cheered, dropped his sword, and jumped on top of his downed father, crawling all over him like an excited puppy.

To add insult to injury, Ammy thought what was happening was fun, too, and she immediately bounded over to clamber all over the defeated knight.

The laughter that resounded over the sparring arena was loud and boisterous.

"All right, boy, up you go," Taggart ordered. "Let your old man catch his breath. Clean up this area."

Link hopped up and nodded. "Yes, sir!" he said before picking up the practice swords and running off.

"Are you all right?" Taggart asked with a grin.

Revan groaned and managed to pull himself up to a sitting position. Ammy continuously nudged him with her nose, as if asking if he was okay. He rubbed his forehead and winced at the welt he knew was going to be there in the morning. Still, he grinned back. "My pride hurts more than my bum, and even that doesn't compare to the pride I feel for my boy."

Taggart offered a hand. "The hell are you feeding him, anyway? Mad lad fights like he can tear apart a Moblin and strike down a Hinox if he had the inkling to do so."

Or a Lynel.

Keeping his opinion to himself, Revan seized Taggart's arm and allowed himself to be pulled back to his feet, though his abdomen protested against the idea. Bed seemed like the more prudent option. "No secret ingredients, I'm afraid. Surprised the hell out of me, too."

Both men looked to see another brave knight try her luck against Link. The boy was set and ready with a spear this time and was easily keeping her at bay.

"You're going to train him, aren't you?" Taggart asked. When no answer came forthwith, he turned to his subordinate. "Aren't you?"

Revan shook his head. "I don't know. He needs to be trained, but I want to do it the right way."

"What's the wrong way?"

"The way that turns him into an arrogant and reckless berk."

Taggart nodded. Both men had seen their fair share of knights with those traits; people that had thought themselves blessed by Din herself and untouchable. Their lives tended to be short.

"I could get in touch with some people," Taggard offered. "Set up some interviews, see which one could be a good match for your boy. Like it or not, that kind of potential can't go to waste. He needs training, and people are noticing."

At the reminder, Revan looked back up to where the queen was standing. Her gaze was locked on Link, observing him, studying him, measuring him.

"I've noticed," Revan murmured. "One wonders why Her Majesty is interested."

"Ours is not to question," Taggart warned. "So, what say you?"

"Thank you, sir," Revan said. "I'll meet with your potential candidates, and I'll try to come up with ideas of my own."

Taggart nodded and started to walk off. He stopped and faced Revan once more. "Oh, I got your recommendation. Are you sure Serlut is ready?"

Revan nodded. "She's ready."

"All right, I'll set up the trials for her, and we'll see how it goes. She's to report to the coliseum in one week," Taggart said.

"I'll let her know," Revan replied.

After Taggart left, there was a shriek of surprise and Dame Ashei crashed to the ground. Her rapier was several feet away and well out of reach.

Revan rubbed his chest, wincing as he did so, and grinned again. "That's my boy."

~o~O~o~

Despite Revan's intent to see that Link would be trained properly, the candidates that he met seemed… lackluster. None of them felt worthy enough to try to train his son.

Maybe he was being overbearing, but when he approached Marin with his thoughts, she was in agreement.

"It's obvious this is important," Marin said. She was showing significantly now, and Revan felt that she looked as beautiful as ever. "Whomever you choose, it has to be right. For all of us, but especially for Link."

"I'm glad you think so," Revan said. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, with his hands gently placed on their soon-to-be-born daughter(?).

"Besides, the more you dally, the more time I get to have with Link," Marin said airily. "Once he becomes a squire, he'll be leaving us quite a bit, won't he?"

Revan placed his chin on her shoulder. "It has to be done. He won't grow staying here."

"I know," Marin quietly said.

For now, Link simply underwent general training, but it was clear that the rank-and-file couldn't teach him anything he didn't already know. Still, he was having fun and word of his prowess was spreading, inviting all manner of challengers to test their luck against him. Link loved meeting new people, since it gave him a chance to either learn something new or try out something on a whim.

Unbeknownst to Link, the idea that he wasn't taking challenges seriously anymore was worrisome to Revan.

A year passed by in a blink. The passage of time was marked by only a few notable events.

First was the queen's sudden passing. Link was still six, nearly seven, when Her Majesty left the mortal realm. Everyone in Hyrule turned up in attendance to pay their respects in mourning that lasted a month for a beloved ruler.

Some months later, Aryll was born. A daughter, just as Marin had predicted. She shared all the physical characters as Link did: fair hair and skin with blue eyes. Link stopped going to the garrison to help take care of Aryll and marvel over his little sister. Even Ammy was interested with the baby and kept watch over the newest addition to the family, faithfully and loyally. Marin was a bit apprehensive at first; Ammy had grown significantly in size and muscle, but the wolf was gentle and Aryll loved the attention. It was a common sight to see the little one touch Ammy's fur in fascination or for the wolf to nudge the child with her nose before allowing herself to be manhandled.

Revan was glad Link had taken a break from going to the garrison. There was probably nothing left there to help him. The only choice now was to unleash him upon Hyrule and learn at the feet of other masters…

But who would be the one to oversee his education?

It wasn't until Revan caught wind of a report regarding the exploits of his former protégé that an inspired idea formed in his mind.

~o~O~o~

Hyrule Castle – Knights' Garrison

"Link, you remember Dame Sortiliena Serlut," Revan said. He gestured to his former squire. "She was with us at Zora's Domain three years ago."

Link vividly remembered her and noticed that she had become prettier than when they'd last met, causing him to blink and subtly swallow the sudden lump that formed in his throat.

"It hasn't been so long that he would forget me," Sortiliena said to Revan. Turning to Link kindly, she added, "It's just Liena."

"No, it will be Dame Sortiliena, at the very minimum," Revan said sternly. "I'm not introducing him to you because he's my son. I'm introducing you because I'm assigning him as your squire."

Liena's eyes widened a bit. "Me?"

"I trust you," Revan said. "He needs this."

"But, Father, why aren't you going to train me?" Link asked, a point Liena concurred with.

"I don't trust myself to push you accordingly," Revan gruffly said. "Either I'll go too easy on you, which would be a disservice to you and your potential. Or I'll go too hard, and I might catch hell for it from your mother, which would equally impact your training, if not more so. No, I'll monitor your progress, but Liena will have total control over how your training goes."

"Link, would you give us a moment?" Sortiliena asked. "I need a word with your father."

Link obediently nodded and walked off. He rounded the doorway… and unabashedly eavesdropped.

"You're giving me a child as a squire?" Sortiliena asked. "It'll be years, maybe more than a decade before he's made a knight! What is this, some kind of favor you're hoping to curry out of me just because I was your squire?!"

"It isn't like that—" Revan tried to say.

"And I'm too young for a squire! Why would you choose me of all people?!"

"I have my reasons—"

"And do I have any say in who I choose as my squire?! Is this preferential treatment because he's your son?!"

"Enough."

Link winced. It was the kind of voice his father would use when Link was particularly misbehaving. Thankfully, it wasn't something he heard often, but it was enough to make him stand straight and pay attention.

"I will not tolerate insubordination, Dame Serlut," Revan said in that voice. "You will train him, and you will assess him. There will be no discussion about this."

"Yes, Sir Faron," Sortiliena said through gritted teeth.

Revan heaved an exasperated sigh. "I understand that it's likely you'll be training him for a long time, longer than any other knight would train a squire, but believe me, he's worth it. Go on, give it a try. You won't be disappointed."

"Is that a promise?"

"You haven't been back here in over a year," Revan said confidently. "You'll see."

Realizing the conversation was over, Link quietly trotted further down the hall and pretended to look innocent.

That was what the both of them saw when they emerged. Ammy was sitting peacefully, with Link leaning against the wall next to her.

"I'll leave you to it, then," Revan said. "Link, you behave now, understood?"

Link nodded. "Yes, sir!"

"Let's go, Link," Dame Sortiliena said. She walked down the hall without checking to see if he was following.

Link tapped his leg to signal Ammy to follow and jogged to keep up with Dame Sortiliena's longer strides.

Once they were out of earshot, she turned back to Link. "Cast off what he said. I'm not one for titles or formalities. You'll need to learn etiquette eventually, especially when dealing with highborn nobles, but until then, I would prefer to be casual. It's Liena—just Liena, understand?"

Link blinked before hesitantly nodding. "Okay… Liena."

"Right, let's get to work. Get us some practice swords. I need to see what you're made of."

Grinning excitedly, Link did as he was told and came back with a pair of wooden swords. Liena had picked up a small wooden shield and was testing its weight and balance when he returned.

"In the ring," Liena ordered brusquely.

Link ordered Ammy to stay put before entering the ring. Currently, it was only the two of them this time, in some far corner of the garrison.

"All right, Link, show me what you can do," Liena said. "And don't hold back. I have to assess you accurately, understood?"

Link winced a little. He was confident of the outcome but had little choice. He merely nodded and prepared himself.

~o~O~o~

A week later, Liena found herself back in Revan's office, with the atmosphere as tense as the last time.

"And? Your thoughts?" Revan prompted.

Liena shook her head, her long ponytail swaying gracefully with the motion. "I've never seen anything like it, Revan."

"None of us have, Sortiliena," Revan said. "I'm not sure if I should be proud or alarmed. It's a shame you haven't been around. You might have been more prepared if you'd learned of the stories surrounding him."

"You knew this was going to happen."

"Of course I did. That wasn't the point. The point is, what are your thoughts? What do you have to report?" Revan asked.

"In a word? He's a natural," Liena said bluntly. "And that's how I would understate it. Your son is a warrior god, plain and simple. Mark my words, he'll be a downright terror when he's grown. I can already see him fighting entire armies single-handedly one day."

"You believe his skill to be that good, then?"

Liena scoffed. "It's not just skill. It's everything about him. His reflexes, his speed, his instincts—it's as if he was born for it. And don't get me started on his capacity to learn. He just watches others practice—watches—then he starts mimicking the movements, testing the advantages and disadvantages, learning the timing, and the ebb and flow of the weapon in hand. It isn't limited to spears and swords, either. I've seen him pick up the basics on axes, claymores, knives, whatever he can get his hands on. Give him a minute, he's capable. Give him an hour, he's probably better than most soldiers. Give him a day, and he's damn near unbeatable."

"What else have you been teaching him?"

"Teaching? Revan, I'm still trying to get a handle on what he can do. He learned everything about my family's sword style in a week. A week," Liena said with a hint of awe. "It was like he took all my years of training, internalized it, and made it his own. His spear techniques? Flawless, likely better than yours. He's outside, learning archery as we speak. Progress there isn't as fast, thank Farore. He's not absolute perfection. However, I did catch him trying a few trick shots. He claimed it was to 'broaden his horizons'."

"Cheeky brat," Revan said. His fatherly smile offset the bite of his words. "I said that to him to convince his mother to let him come with me to Zora's Domain."

Liena crossed her arms. "Speaking of which, I couldn't get a straight answer out of him, so maybe you'll indulge me. That time we were in Zora's Domain together…?"

Revan sighed. "Yes, Sortiliena. He did, in fact, beat a Lynel when he was only five years old."

"You're kidding."

"I'm really not. In his defense, he said he drove off a Lynel, not killed it. We don't make a big deal of it, because I didn't want word reaching Marin's ears before I had the chance to tell her myself," Revan said. "But to take credit for it, though… it was one of the lowest points in my life."

"Forget about that," Liena said with an impatient wave of her hand. "Whatever your reasons were, they were yours. This is about Link. Listen, I don't think I'm qualified to be his trainer any longer. I was never qualified to begin with. You need to call in specialists, masters of their craft to instruct the boy. People with decades of experience, not a fledgling knight like me. Perhaps throw in some Sheikah training for good measure. I'm telling you, Revan, that potential he has? It's the stuff of legends. I know my limits. I'm not cut out for this."

Revan gave her a stony stare.

"Unless… you've already considered that and you still choose me?" Liena mumbled.

"When I planned how to approach his training, I was sorely tempted to do as you suggested. Very much so. Having him train under the best masters in the land would no doubt bear one of the greatest warriors Hyrule has not seen in centuries," Revan said. "However, skill alone won't breed greatness. I'm more concerned about the content of his character. And Marin agrees with me on this."

Revan stood up and stood next to his former protégé. "You're one of the best knights I've ever trained, Sortiliena. What set you apart from others wasn't your skill, though. It was your determination, your resilience, and your sheer force of will."

"You want me to… what? Make him a better man?" Liena asked skeptically. "As his parents, isn't that your job?"

"I want you to do the best you can. Let him make his mistakes and correct them. Let him stumble, fall, pick himself up, dust himself off, and keep running," Revan said seriously. "Marin, Aryll, and I are a large part of his growth. Family is important, true, but not the only part. He cannot simply remain in the safety of home if we are to explore the depths of his potential. The rest of his development must come from everywhere else, anything Hyrule can offer. Having the right people will only help him, not hinder him. And that can only come from people I trust."

Liena frowned. "Are you sure?"

"You're not a mother yet, Sortiliena, so you wouldn't understand," Revan said in his lecturing tone that he used when she was his squire, only two short years prior. "Tell me, do you really think you would be the knight you are today if you had stayed home, under the guidance of your parents over that of mine?"

Her frown deepened, but she didn't refute him. "No, definitely not."

"We both agree that his potential is unmatched," Revan said. "But we can also agree that this is exactly the kind of thing that can go to a boy's head, make him think he's invincible. Arrogance, stupidity, reckless behavior, these aren't traits I want Link to have."

"What makes you think I can help with that?" Liena asked.

"Because you're noble-born and raised in noble courts, yet reject their doctrines," Revan said. "It takes a lot of internal fortitude to go against everything you're taught to embrace a better—an honorable attitude."

Liena paced a bit before sighing. "I concede to your logic. I still don't know if I'm the right person for the job, but I'll do my best."

"That's all I can ask of you, Sortiliena," Revan said confidently. "Between you and me? As a father, all I can ever say, day in and day out, is that I can only do my best as well."

"I still think he should be introduced to other masters, though," Liena said.

"If that's your judgement," Revan said. "You're his primary trainer, not I. As long as we're clear on this, I'm only observing and advising on his progress. I'm doing all I can not to hover over your shoulders as is."

"Fine, but do you have any recommendations?" Liena asked.

"You are the recommendation," Revan dryly said. "It's as you said, he's a fast learner. He was training here for over a year before you returned. There's no one left that can help him… at least when it comes to swords and spears. I was waiting for some muscle to grow on the boy before he handles larger weapons."

Liena nodded. "That was my thought as well, but I can see he's dying to try new things. The stuff we've been doing seems to bore him. Learning new sword techniques offset that a bit, but I can tell he wants more."

Revan eyed her shrewdly. "It seems your mind has changed regarding Link."

Liena huffed. "I admit, training him hasn't been boring. I just don't think I'm good enough to do it. I meant what I said earlier… it's like I'm trying to train a legend in the making."

"I don't think you're the only one to think so," Revan cryptically replied. He didn't elaborate further, however. Instead, he walked to the nearby balcony, with Liena dutifully falling in step behind him.

The view overlooked the archery grounds. Already, there was a small crowd, all gathered on the outskirts. They could guess that was where Link was.

Sure enough, Liena's newest squire was there. In his hands was a drawn bow, but the arrow he had nocked had an apple fixed on the tip already, curiously enough. Link aimed at the sky, casually loosed the arrow, then swiftly drew another and aimed it properly downrange.

He held his position for almost half a minute before shooting.

It was only then, at the periphery of Liena's field of view, did she catch a falling red blur in front of the target, moments before Link's second arrow made contact.

Revan's mouth dropped when he saw that the apple from the first arrow was struck true, now embedded into the straw target downrange. In the bullseye. Cheers went off among the spectators, and rupees started exchanging hands.

"Huh. He's off a bit," Liena said. "Not a perfect bullseye yet."

"Sortiliena, I understand that there will be a series of diplomatic envoys taking place soon," Revan said, shaking off what he just saw and trying not to let pride swell overly much. "I'll ask Taggart if you can be attached to it. You can take Link with you and let him learn what he can at the places you visit."

"Where are they going?" Liena asked.

"I'm not sure," Revan admitted. "I believe it has something to do with those Divine Beasts, if the rumors are to be believed."

Liena thought about it for a moment. "If it's about those machines, then the delegations will be going to the Zora, Rito, Goron, and Gerudo realms."

"Delegation. Just the one. It'll be a year or more of travel," Revan said.

"And you're okay with that?"

Revan nodded. "Tack on some survival training to go with his combat lessons. Hunting, scouting, foraging… he should learn to live off the wild."

She nodded. "I can do that."

"This journey should be good for both of you, I should think."

"Do you know who else will be with the delegation?"

Revan shrugged. "No clue. I'll probably have to curry favor to get you both attached, but I see no reason why it can't happen."

Liena shook her head and turned to leave. "Promises, promises. Let me know what the final word is. If we can't get on the delegation, maybe we can find a temporary posting, then."

~o~O~o~

It became clear how serious Revan was about Link's training. Only a few days had gone by when Liena was summoned back into Revan's office once more.

"Okay, Sortiliena. You're a part of the security for the delegation," Revan said without preamble when she entered. "You and some others will be escorting a team of Sheikah researchers to Tabantha while the weather holds. The team leaders whom you answer to are Purah and Robbie. Sir Aiden will be the knight in charge of security."

"Purah and Robbie," Liena repeated. She didn't know them, but she had worked with Sir Aiden a few times before. "Anything I should know about them?"

"They're not Sheikah warriors, so don't expect them to take care of themselves if trouble occurs," Revan said. "Worse yet, Purah is the older sister to one of the royal advisors, so if something were to happen to her…"

"We'd catch hell for it," Liena finished. "Seeing the Rito will be good. Link could stand to hone his archery skills."

"How is he doing?" Revan asked.

"Better, but I know there's more room for improvement," Liena answered. "Unfortunately, Link has already bested the top archery instructors in the Hylian army, much to their chagrin."

"Well, they should consider it character-building, then," Revan said.

"I should also point out that Link's talents are getting noticed," Liena warned. "His Majesty, in particular, looked like he had a keen interest while we were practicing this morning."

"The king? Did he say something?"

"No… we didn't exchange words. He was watching Link from a distance," Liena said. She tilted her head and tried to recollect the details. "He just… he looked like he was studying him, as if he could see something about him."

"Well, that much was already obvious, even to us plebeians," Revan said. His brow furrowed as a distant memory rang within him. "You know, a little while before the queen passed, she was observing Link with interest, too."

"Well, it is unusual for a fledgling boy to best grown men and hardly look like there's any effort in it. I just had a feeling, that's all," Liena said. "Okay, I'll report to the Knight-Commander for my marching orders."

"And I must break the news to Marin and Aryll," Revan said before heaving a sigh. "Believe me, you have it easy."

Liena grimaced. Usually, the knight in charge of training would inform the squire's family that their son or daughter would be taken on a mission and would be gone for some time. Revan had done so when he took her to Zora's Domain. Her father had understood, but her mother had been distraught and worried, demanding that Liena should stay home where it was safe.

She was rather glad that Revan was volunteering to take the responsibility.

"I appreciate that," Liena said gratefully.

"Dismissed," Revan said.

Liena snapped off a salute, turned on her heel, and made her way to Taggart's office next.

"Come in," came a muffled voice when she knocked. "Ah, Serlut. I suppose Revan told you already?"

"I was given the broad details," Liena said. "I suppose he wanted you to have all the fun."

Taggart scoffed. He picked up a piece of paper and started reading off it. "Two Sheikah senior researchers and twenty junior researchers are intending to head to the Tabantha region, to study one of the Divine Beasts. Their goal is to revive the thing and get it running. Unknown time of completion. At minimum, you're spending the entirety of Farore's season there. The snow will make it impossible for you to come back."

Liena nodded. That much was expected. "And after?"

"Depends on the status of the research team," Taggart said, "and what they find or accomplish. If they're still feeling up to it, then they'll move to the desert and continue their work. If they're burnt out, orders end, and you return here during Nayru's Season."

"How many attached to security?"

"Seven, including you and Link," Taggart said. "Sir Aiden is in charge."

Liena raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

Taggart nodded. "The Rito will assist with security once you enter their borders, so your only concern is from here to there. Three knights of the team will ride out the evening before to begin a preliminary sweep. You, Link, and two others will travel with the delegation. Don't worry, there shouldn't be much call for diplomacy. However, if the Rito, and pardon the pun, puff out their feathers, Sir Aiden will send word and we'll task a diplomatic envoy to your location."

"Understood, sir."

Taggart handed her a sheet of parchment. "Your orders. Farore bless your journey."

Liena took the paper and tucked it into a pouch. She snapped off a salute. "Thank you, sir."

~o~O~o~

Hebra – Tabantha Frontier

"Are you okay, Link? How are you doing?" Liena asked. She pulled her coat tighter and tried to suppress her shiver. Winter was bearing down on them, evidenced by the dark clouds and rapidly dropping temperature.

She'd never cared for the cold, but she knew she could tough it out.

"I'm fine!" Link chirped. He looked quite comfortable in his coat, which was a size too big for him, but he would grow into it. He was riding next to her on a filly he called Epona. It was the horse's first time going such a distance, and Liena had feared the young mare couldn't handle the rough and long travel, but she seemed to enjoy it, easily keeping pace with the full-grown horses that surrounded them. She even pranced around occasionally, as if she was showing off.

Liena laughed to herself. Guess Link isn't the only youngest one here…

Ammy was frolicking around them as well, occasionally bounding after the stray butterfly or sniffing something interesting.

"How about you? Are you okay?" Link asked.

"I'm fine," Liena answered. She kept her gaze forward so that Link couldn't see that she was clenching her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering.

"Would you like my earmuffs? Or a hat? I have extra," Link said with a grin.

"Smartass," Liena retorted quietly.

"Hmm… yes, we seem to be on track to arrive at our destination before the first snow reaches us," a masculine voice said thoughtfully.

Liena and Link both turned to the speaker. Robbie was sitting on the driver's side of a carriage, loosely holding the reins while scribbling something in a notebook. He looked up at the skies through a pair of thick spectacles, licked his finger, gauged the wind, and returned to his notebook.

Robbie was broad-shouldered, wildly eccentric, and cared little about personal appearances, evidenced by his unkempt coat, a pair of outrageous goggles he constantly wore, and a wild mane of white hair; the hair color was something the Sheikah all seemed to share. Liena observed he was prone to bouts of personal mutterings to wild gestures in the blink of an eye. All of it was born from a place of passion, as he excitedly scribbled about the ancient Guardians… though it did give him the attention span and exuberance of a child in a man's body.

"I should hope so; this equipment is too valuable to be caught in the open!"

Purah, seated on the passenger side, had gotten up to check their cargo for the umpteenth time. She poked and prodded various things to ensure they were still secured and safe from the occasional jostling as the carriage rumbled onward.

Despite her prestigious position as the Head Researcher of the Royal Ancient Lab, she was quite young, younger than Robbie, but a bit older than Liena. Purah was attractive in an unconventional way, different from traditional intellectuals. In fact, if Purah hadn't introduced herself as an ancient Sheikah artifacts researcher, Liena would have thought Purah was a trendsetter for hairstyles, or clothes, or something along those occupations. As it stood, Purah was more chic than all of the researchers in the king's employ, though at the moment, she was in full-on scholar attitude as she tried to override Robbie's opinion with her own. Like all Sheikah, she had pale hair and rust-colored eyes.

Liena sighed. She really hoped that the Rito would take them off her hands. The researchers were stuck in their own little world, and there was little room for knights, though they seemed to allow knights-in-training to intrude upon them.

At least Link is enjoying himself.

While Liena held a neutral opinion regarding the Sheikah, Link's curiosity charmed them, especially Purah and Robbie. They ended up arguing with one another, often trying to vie for Link's attention as they explained what the Divine Beasts were, the function of the Guardians, and how many were scattered across Hyrule.

"I'm telling you, there's more than four Divine Beasts! The tapestry isn't the only record out there!" Purah screeched at Robbie. She immediately turned to Link, who was riding next to their carriage. "It's suggested that there was a Divine Beast created specifically for the hero, but it wasn't completed in time."

"What kind of—?" Link started to ask.

"Ha! As if such second-rate accounts could be taken seriously!" Robbie said.

"Better than your crazy theory about Guardians that can fly!" Purah snapped back.

"Wow! There are Guardians that can fly?" Link asked.

"Indeed!" Robbie said, puffing out his chest. "I recently found schematics that showed Guardians with blades for hands. I theorize that those blades rotate at high velocity, creating a downdraft that would allow for flight."

Purah scoffed. "Utterly preposterous! Don't listen to him, Link. He's just a senior researcher."

"Ha, pulling rank? How low can one go?" Robbie dramatically asked. "Don't listen to her, Link. Her position is largely theatrical. My research has shown incredible progress, which has been used to reactivate a few Guardians buried around Hyrule Castle—"

"—from the safety of your own backyard, practically," Purah snarkily said. "That's why we're going to Tabantha. Once you see the Divine Beasts, you'll see that my research will be vindicated, mark my words!"

"What's the Divine Beast here like?" Link asked.

Privately, Liena groaned. Though she was mildly curious, it didn't make up for enduring the chattering scientists.

"Records call this one Vah Medoh," Purah said. "According to my sister, it was named after an ancient and revered sage of the Rito. Unlike Robbie's harebrained—"

"Excuse me?! Leave my hair out of this!"

"—theories of flying Guardians, we know that Vah Medoh flies, as befitting of the Rito," Purah said. "Given that advantage, its maneuverability will be paramount to strike—I mean, in the defense of Hyrule. That's why the king ordered us to work on this Divine Beast first."

"And if a Divine Beast can fly, then surely a Guardian can as well!" Robbie said.

Purah rolled her eyes. "Oh, give it a rest."

"How do we control them?" Link asked innocently.

"Ah, well, the Guardians are completely autonomous—" Robbie said.

"—while the Divine Beasts require a pilot," Purah added. "Much safer than emotionless machines."

"I beg your pardon! Our ancestors created them to be autonomous to avoid casualties. Such a decision saved hundreds of lives and countless rupees to train individual or even multiple pilots for a single Guardian!" Robbie argued.

Liena cast her gaze heavenward and prayed to any of the Goddesses that might be listening—or any Goddesses that could hear through all the fighting—to make the trip end quickly with her sanity intact.

~o~O~o~

Some divine being must have taken pity on Liena, because a few hours in, a contingent of Rito warriors flew in to greet them.

Link was entranced by their appearance, and Liena couldn't blame him. With bright feathers, sharp eyes, and colorful garb, they seemed majestic and noble.

The captain—Teboh—greeted them diplomatically and offered to leave a pair of his archers to maintain a flight pattern overhead. He offered assurances that the rest of his team would scout ahead and ensure that the roads ahead would remain clear of monsters. The other knights that were a part of the protective detail had already reached the Rito Stable without trouble.

Taking their leave, Captain Teboh led his squad through the forest towards a large rock outcropping. It supplied just enough elevation for them to take off from and begin their patrols in the sky.

Knowing that they had eyes in the sky, Sir Aiden called for a faster pace, since the possibility of threats was minimal. Their speed picked up slightly, though Purah—the de facto expedition leader—insisted they not go too fast to ensure her precious cargo would reach their destination intact.

It wasn't long before they rendezvoused with the other knights and housed their mounts at the Rito Stable. Temporary housing was set up for Purah and her team in Rito Village, but they were more eager to get to work rather than rest.

Under the Rito's watchful eyes, the Research Team were well cared for, and the knights took the opportunity to relax and explore the village.

Liena sought out the Rito captain that escorted them and inquired who the village's best archer was.

Captain Teboh's reply came immediately. "That would be Master Revali. He's been undefeated in our tournaments. The margin between him and the other competitors isn't even close."

"Sounds promising," Liena said happily. "Is it possible for me to speak to him?"

Teboh eyed her. "May I ask why?"

Link was standing slightly behind Liena, so she pulled him up to the fore. "This one is becoming quite the archer. I was hoping that he could learn archery from the best, and the Rito are among the best."

"And you seek the best of the best?" Teboh asked.

Both Hylians nodded.

This time, Teboh hesitated, something Liena noted with a bit of wariness. "I don't know if Master Revali is taking any apprentices…"

"He won't be disappointed in Link, that much I can assure you," Liena said.

"Ah, well, I'm sure the boy is talented…" Teboh said before sighing. "Well, if you would like to meet him, it can certainly be arranged. Master Revali trains at the Flight Range, found north of our village."

"Flight Range?" Liena asked. "I don't recall something like that when I was last here."

"It was constructed recently, at Master Revali's request," Teboh said. "The boon he requested at his last tourney victory was a place where he could train and hone his skills further."

"What's it like?" Link asked, speaking up for the first time.

"It was constructed in a small canyon, round in shape, with powerful updrafts within for Rito archers to practice our mid-air archery skills," Teboh answered with a friendly smile towards Link. "Many of us are grateful for it. It is a splendid place to learn… at least for a Rito, anyway."

"Can someone take us there?" Liena asked. "I would like to meet Master Revali."

"Yes, please!" Link said

"Certainly," Teboh said. "However, the hour grows late and tonight promises snowfall. For a Rito, getting to the Flight Range is easy, but unfortunately for you, the only easy path there will require mounts and some travel. Perhaps tomorrow morning would be best?"

"That will be fine," Liena said. "I guess we'll get an early supper."

"Yes, please!" Link repeated, his eyes growing wide at the prospect of food. Next to him, Ammy spun around in place and uttered a small whine in agreement.

Liena couldn't help but laugh.

~o~O~o~

They spent the late afternoon and evening wandering around the village. Rito Village was situated in the middle of a lake known as Lake Totori. Several enormous rock formations dotted the lake, and the Rito had constructed their village around it. Wooden structures spiraled upward, where the Rito took advantage of the winds to take off and fly with ease.

While Link was taking in the sights and the people, Liena made a few discrete inquiries about the archers' skill. The response was unanimous: Master Revali was their best, bar none.

Well, I suppose that makes things easier.

Dinner was an organized affair. The Chief of the Rito invited his Hyrule guests to dine with the village in a show of hospitality. While Link enthusiastically partook in Rito cuisine, Liena looked around for the Rito master archer, but was told that he had declined to come. With no other options but to wait for the morning, she supped, washed off the grime of travel, and fell asleep.

As promised, early morning, Teboh arranged for a guide to take them to the Flight Range. Sir Aiden gave them permission to head out. Only a couple of knights would stay with the researchers while they excavated Vah Medoh in a snowfield further north of the village. The Rito were primarily handling security, since they were invested in seeing the Divine Beast for themselves.

As Teboh had said, the path to the Flight Range was perhaps longer than it should have been. The only functional path led south, meaning they would have to circle three fourths of Lake Totori, going past Warbler's Nest and towards Dronoc's Pass before finally reaching the Flight Range. To further complicate the trip, the previous night saw quite of a bit of snowfall. Their horses had to trudge through ankle-deep snow. At a couple of points, they had to dismount to lead their horses through some possibly treacherous terrain—the snow was still ankle-deep for Liena, while it was above the knees for Link—so progress was slow.

After two hours, their guide, who was polite enough to fly just above them to keep an eye out for any dangers, landed next to them and pointed at the Flight Range ahead. "Over there. You can see Master Revali training now."

Liena studied the Rito flying around the archery course and folded her arms. "He's the best you have?"

Their Rito guide nodded, barely aware of the question. He was too enraptured by the display of aerial skill.

"Link, stay here," Liena ordered. "I shall have a word with him."

Link nodded absently, his eyes tracking the Rito and his movements. It was a sign that he was already taking in the master archer's skill like a dry sponge in a rainy day. She smiled to herself.

Tromping through the snow-covered path, Liena was often buffeted with the occasional gusts of wind coming from the small canyon. She could see why the Rito favored this location as a training ground. The winds would certainly allow for rapid ascent and flight. Often, when Rito would land, it would take some effort to take to the skies once more, either by taking a long running start, a high elevation to leap off of, or in this case, a rapid updraft to carry them to the skies. It was considered impossible for them to take flight from a standstill position on the ground.

The winds in the canyon were a double-edged blade, though. Without full mastery of their wings, the winds could very easily throw a careless Rito into the canyon walls.

There was little doubt that Revali was impressive. Just watching from a distance was thrilling as Liena made her approach. She found herself wondering if she should practice her archery more, which was a good sign. Inspiring others to emulate greatness was one of the hallmarks of extraordinary talent.

She wandered into the small building that served as shelter for those that needed to rest after training. A platform that led into the Flight Range was on her left. She waited patiently for the lone occupant to finish. She knew he spotted her climbing the snowy path. Curiosity would play itself out.

In a few minutes, a blue-feathered figure appeared from the doorway. In his hands was a well-crafted bow, its make so fine that even Liena could appreciate the craftsmanship that had gone into it.

"Good morning," Liena said. "Are you Master Revali?"

"I am," the Rito said with supreme confidence… and maybe something more.

For some reason, Revali reminded her of some of the more obnoxious nobles Liena had met in her life.

"I am Dame Serlut, Knight of Hyrule," Liena said. "It's been universally declared in the village that you are the best archer among the Rito, Master Revali."

"Ha!" Revali scoffed. "I am the best archer the Rito have ever produced. Period."

Now Liena was leaning towards arrogance over confidence, even if his boasts were true. She found her opinion of the Rito dropping, even if his skill was something to behold.

"Quite the claim," she replied evenly. "Perhaps you could honor me with a demonstration? I understand the range here is exceedingly difficult."

"I doubt there's any Hylian alive that can handle it," Revali said dismissively. "It was constructed for me, you know. Even among the Rito, there are none that can handle my personal training regimen here, so it's impossible for a mere Hylian to handle it."

"I'm sure your talents are extraordinary," Liena said with a wide smile, inwardly hating herself for playing the enamored maiden, but resigned to the role. "Perhaps one could even say… legendary?"

Revali ate it all up as he puffed out his chest as any birdkind would do. "Bear witness, then!"

Revali leapt off the platform, circled around the range to gain height and momentum before diving straight into the ravine.

Liena was indeed impressed with Revali's speed and accuracy as he alternated between regular and explosive arrows to destroy his targets, all while keeping a tight flight pattern that allowed him to circle the massive stone column in the center but avoid smashing his beak against the stone walls.

In truth, the demonstration was only a few short seconds, but without looking, Liena knew Revali had hit all the targets with barely any time to sight and aim. To further punctuate his skills, it was all done in motion with the barest hint of effort. When he landed, she gave him some polite applause.

"Bravo, Master Revali, bravo!" Liena obligingly said.

Revali bowed and eyed her. "Now, perhaps you can tell me what brought you here?"

"Inspiration," Liena simply said. "And you, Master Revali, are simply inspiring."

Revali idly brushed some snow off his shoulder. "Well, naturally. I suppose it was inevitable that the Knights of Hyrule would be in awe of my prowess."

"Indeed. Thank you," Liena said, wanting nothing more than to leave. "Please accept my sincere apologies for interrupting you. I shall let you return to your personal training. Good day, Master Revali."

He said his goodbye in a distracted manner as well before taking flight.

Liena started back down the path again. Link and Ammy had relocated to the edge of the forest tree line, to better observe Revali's archery. She changed course and tromped through the snow to meet up with him. Their guide had disappeared elsewhere, leaving them alone.

"Seen enough?" she asked.

"Not nearly," Link breathed out. "Will I be training under him?"

"Not if I can help it," Liena muttered. "No, definitely not him. Come along. We'll see who the second best is."

"Why?"

"Because I don't like him and I doubt I would like what else he would teach you besides archery," Liena said staunchly. She started walking to where their mounts were tethered, prompting Link to comically hop through the deep snow to keep up with her. "Listen to me, there is strength in humility. Call it a… a 'quiet confidence'."

"Quiet confidence?"

"It doesn't matter how good, talented, or powerful you are," Liena explained. "Rest assured, there's going to be someone or something out there better than you. But that should never diminish you. Victory is not guaranteed by who is strongest, more powerful, or most skilled."

Link nodded.

"It's important to know how good you are, but not really important for others know," Liena continued. "Confidence is one thing. Arrogance is something else. Often, arrogance is the sign of a weak mind and weak spirit. Those are not lessons I want you to learn, am I clear?"

Again, Link nodded, more emphatically this time.

She stopped and turned to face him fully. She placed her gloved hands on his cold cheeks and held direct eye contact. "I need you to say it, Link. This is important to me."

Link's wide eyes stared back at her. "I understand, Liena."

Liena smiled, her first genuine smile since meeting Revali. She let him go and smiled inwardly at the twin spots of red on his cheeks. "You know, when your father assigned you to me, it wasn't because I was the best swordswoman. It was because he trusted me to make you a better man, and therefore an honorable man—an honorable knight."

"I think you're doing fine!" Link said. "You're an incredible swordswoman!"

"Except you've been putting me on my ass for weeks," Liena said with a laugh.

They untied Epona and Zephyria, Liena's filly, and proceeded to ride back to Rito Village.

"Thank you for your words," Liena suddenly said. "What you said earlier? That's humility. Next, I should teach you the difference between true and false humility."

Link scratched his head. "This is hard."

She reached over and ruffled his hair. "I think you'll get it, though. You're awfully smart."

"Didn't you call me a smartass yesterday?"

"That, too."

~o~O~o~

The second-best archer, as it turned out, was Captain Teboh. And in all honesty, Liena liked him the moment they had met, so it was good fortune all around.

"You want me to each him?" Teboh asked.

Liena nodded. "And I think you know why. I caught that look you had when I asked about the best archer. It wasn't the look of someone who lost, it was the look of someone uncomfortable."

Teboh sighed. "To be second best behind Master Revali is nothing to be ashamed of. You weren't here when the tournament was hosted. His skill… it's supernatural. He must have been gifted by the Goddesses. None of us could compare."

"But as for the Rito himself…?"

"Ah, yes… his attitude does leave a lot to be desired," Teboh muttered. "It was perhaps fortunate that he did not join us for dinner last evening."

"Precisely why I want you to teach my squire," Liena said. "Trust me, you won't be disappointed."

Teboh eyed her before turning his gaze upon Link. "He's but a hatchling. Are you sure?"

"Test him and see for yourself," Liena said confidently.

Link looked back innocently, but with barely held excitement.

Teboh considered the request for a few quiet moments, a trait Liena appreciated, before nodding. "This is not a yes or a no. First, let me see what the hatchling can do, then I will give my answer."

"That will be fine," Liena said.

Teboh beckoned Link closer. "We'll get you a training bow. I'm afraid a full-sized bow would be too strong for you to handle at your size. The draw needed to shoot an arrow is heavy on our bows."

"I understand," Link said immediately.

"Polite," Teboh said approvingly. "Follow me."

There was a smaller archery range near the stable, the one the Rito had used before Revali's request for the Flight Range. It was more traditional, ground-based, though there was an elevated platform from which to leap from and take to the skies to allow the Rito to try their hand at mid-air archery.

Teboh led Link to one of the easier targets. It was closer to the line, bigger, and generally reserved for novices.

He handed Link a small bow, child-sized, and a quiver of arrows. "Take your time."

Link took both, strapped the quiver to his belt, and stepped up to the line with an arrow already nocked. A quick draw, and the arrow struck solidly in the bullseye.

Teboh nodded and pointed to the next target, further downrange, with a smaller bullseye.

Again, Link casually hit the target.

It wasn't until the expert ranges that Link had to slow down, line up his shot, and deliberately take a moment to control his breathing and his draw. He still managed to accomplish a perfect shot.

Teboh was impressed and eyed Link with new appreciation. "I can see why you wanted this one trained. Has he had other teachers?"

Liena nodded. "The best in the Hylian army, but Link already outperformed them."

"Hmph, there's still room for improvement," Teboh said. "But I have a rough idea of his skills. Don't worry, we'll get to a point where you'll feel challenged, but I want to build you up to it, not throw you off the precipice."

"So you'll train him?" Liena asked.

"I'll train him," Teboh said.

"Yay!" Link cheered.

"Thank you," Liena said.

Teboh grasped Link's arm and ran a feather along the limb. Link couldn't help but giggle at the sensation.

"You might have talent, but that means nothing without the physicality to endure," Teboh said. "I think I shall focus on your physical training first. Once you are able to handle heavier bows, we should see a marked improvement in your archery."

Link nodded. "Okay!"

Teboh chuckled humorlessly. "You say that now, but a week later, you may wish you never met me."

Instead of childlike exuberance, Link's eyes grew hard. Even Liena had never seen such eyes like that.

"I can take it," Link said staunchly.

Blinking uncertainly, Teboh dropped Link's arm. "We shall see. When would you like—?"

"Right now," Link said at once. He doffed his oversized winter coat and waited for instructions.

"I like this one," Teboh said to Liena.

"So do I," Liena said. "Shall we?"

"This way," Teboh said.

There was an open-walled hut nearby with some machines nestled within. Teboh led them to a vertical rope, attached to some pulleys, which was weighed down with a wooden bucket.

"Grasp this rope," Teboh said. "With the hand that you would use to nock an arrow."

Link grabbed the rope with his right hand uncertainly.

"Place your left arm against this post here."

Link did as he was told.

"Now draw your arm back as you would a bow."

Again, Link did as he was told.

"You'll be doing those twenty times, rest, and then another set, three times total," Teboh said. "And you'll be doing it with this."

He picked up some thick metal chains on the ground and unceremoniously dropped them into the bucket. Link, who still had the rope pulled back, yelled when he could barely hold on and was pulled forward slightly. It was only because of his left arm braced against the post that he was prevented from losing his grip.

"Start pulling," Teboh said.

Link nodded and started pulling again, relaxing, pulling, relaxing…

It didn't take long before he was grunting with effort and only halfway done with his first set when a fine sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead despite the Hebra chill.

"There's no substitute for hard work," Teboh said as Link struggled to get through the first set. "No divine being to magically enhance your stamina. You have to work and work hard to build yourself up."

Link could only nod. He was breathing a bit heavier now and was unable to articulate an answer, simple, snarky, or otherwise. At last, he finished the first set and released the rope. He rubbed his arm and tried to regain his composure.

While Link had spunk, Liena knew that the type of training he would undertake would be the worst he would ever feel; he'd never had to do anything like this in his life before.

With that in mind, she marched next to Link with a bucket of her own and placed a few rocks in it.

Teboh glanced at her.

"Just motivating him," Liena said as she attached her bucket to another pulley system. "I need to show that I'm willing to go through these trials as well, if only to keep him on the path."

"He's lucky to have you," Teboh said.

Liena smiled before she grasped the cable and started her exercises next to Link. "Well, it's for my benefit, too. I have to work twice as hard to keep up with some of the other knights. I'm not about to get lazy just because I passed my trials and earned my title."

Together, they continued their exercises: pulling back, dropping the bucket, pulling back, dropping the bucket…

After three sets, Link balefully glared at the rope. "I'm guessing we're doing this every day?"

"Fast learner indeed," Teboh said. "Every day, with one day off entirely to recover. You'll be expected to eat your fill and sleep early. You're a hatchling, and it's best to take care of yourself so that you'll grow accordingly."

Link nodded. "Both arms?"

Teboh nodded and turned to Liena. "He's a sharp one."

Liena grimaced and massaged her sore sword arm. "I almost wish he wasn't."

"Break time is over," Teboh said. "To maintain balance, it's time to exercise that other arm."

Link nodded, sighed, and gripped the rope with his left arm while bracing against the post with his right. Liena groaned, pulled herself to her station, and readied herself as well.

This is going to be painful…

~o~O~o~

The weeks passed by in a haze. Some days felt longer than others, while some days passed by in a blink. It wasn't as if Liena felt that her task as part of the Hyrule Research Expedition would be undemanding or easy, but taking on extra training was something she had not counted on.

Still, she appreciated how Teboh carried himself. He was gruff when he had to be, but kind when the moment warranted it.

True to his word, Link did not complain… overly much. Any grumblings he had were either made in jest, as mental self-defense mechanisms, or self-motivation. More than once, Liena wondered if her participation was helpful or if it was Link that was helping her get through the training, but she decided that they were helping each other.

Teboh varied his lessons and accommodated Link's Hylian background—in other words, he had to teach archery from the ground rather than flying through the air.

"You've no doubt learned that standing still presents a target for your opponent," Teboh said. "In combat, we must always be on the move, because we expect our opponents to be on the move, either towards us, away from us, flanking maneuvers, whatever it takes to win."

Link nodded.

"It's the same with archery. To stand on a line and shoot arrows downrange at a standing target is something anyone can do with some practice. If you wish to make these lessons practical, then you'll need to learn how to use your bow on the move," Teboh sternly said. "We Rito learned how to maintain accuracy while fighting in the air. You must learn accuracy while fighting on the ground. Your exercises will involve shooting your bow in motion, striking at targets at different ranges."

And so, it wasn't an uncommon sight to see Link and Liena running back and forth along plotted routes, shooting arrows at targets that would pop up from behind trees, bushes, rocks, or even the snow without stopping.

As expected, Link was adapting quickly to the unique lessons and was having enormous amounts of fun. Liena resigned herself to try her best, if only to round out her repertoire as a knight. While by no means a bad archer, she had never put so much effort into archery over that of the sword.

Time to broaden my skillset, I suppose.

Teboh was beginning to understand why Liena was insistent on training Link, considering his capabilities and the speed at which he learned. The Rito had to find new ways to push Link to whatever his limits might be. Teboh got so excited that Liena had to step in once or twice, reminding Teboh that Link's current limits were his age and size, and reined in some of the more hazardous ideas, such as trying to use paragliders to emulate mid-air combat at the Flight Range. Far from disappointed, Teboh started teaching Link smaller tricks, such as how to reload faster, which muscles were best for rapid draw versus careful draw, and leading targets under a variety of conditions, including during particularly harsh snowstorms, rainstorms, and winds—in each case, Liena made sure Link was bundled up in extra layers. Link complained that it made archery harder because it too bulky, thus hindering his movement. Teboh had laughed and called it extra training for Link.

In between training sessions, Link was able to continue to domesticate Ammy and Epona. The wolf had grown significantly, now dwarfing the seven-year-old. Link wondered if it was okay to ride Ammy, but Liena put a stop to that, telling him that wolves didn't have the right musculature to hold that kind of weight on their backs. Link dropped the idea on the spot, having no desire to hurt Ammy.

Likewise, Epona was growing to be hale and hearty, much to Link's delight. While the environment wasn't ideal, Liena resolved to give Link equestrian lessons to better round out his education. Epona did not seem to mind the snow and cold, so they took a couple of hours each day to practice riding, whilst making sure the horses were not harmed by the winter chill.

Two more months had passed. Liena groaned in protest as she was roused from sleep from the full morning sun. It was their one break out of the week, and she wanted to make the most of it. She was used to the muscle aches and constant instruction from her own time as a squire, but it hardly meant she would use up her one rest day to get up early. Sadly, sleep would not return, and she reluctantly got up. After using the privy and cleaning herself up, she sought Link out but couldn't find him in the village. Having a hunch where he was, she put on her winter coat and trekked to the stables.

The stablemaster confirmed that Link had taken Epona out and headed for the archery range. Curious as to why Link would take Epona there, she walked to the familiar location and scoffed to herself when she saw what was happening.

Link was taking Epona at full gallop and letting the horse ride independently. Link was precariously sitting on the saddle, a drawn bow in his hands. He shot an arrow, struck the target dead in the bullseye, quickly nocked a new arrow, and repeated the action.

Liena found it mesmerizing. Mounted archery was hardly a new concept, but to see it done so well was rare. Link was smiling widely the entire time as he timed his shots with the rise and fall of Epona's gallop as well as the lateral motion of the targets when they approached and flew by.

"Incoming, Link!"

Liena turned her head to see Teboh throw something into the air.

Link quickly readjusted his aim and shot the moving target out of the air.

"Well done!" Teboh crowed.

Link reseated himself and reined Epona in. The filly nickered and cantered back to Teboh. Liena shook her head and casually walked over to join them.

"Morning, Liena!" Link called out when she got within earshot.

"Aren't you at all sore?" Liena asked.

"Definitely," Link said with a shy smile. "But Teboh had a great new idea for me to try, and I didn't want to wait until tomorrow."

Liena nodded. "It certainly looked like you were having fun. What was that last thing you shot at?"

"An apple," Teboh said. "The boy shot an apple out of midair, at full gallop on a horse, while distracted and recovering from his previous shot, and with only a moment's warning. Reflexes like that… It's like I'm teaching a Hylian version of Master Revali."

"Do you think I'm as good as him?" Link asked.

Teboh shrugged. "It's hard to say. He flies, you don't, but it just means you have to produce more imaginative ways to push your skills."

"It doesn't matter anyway," Liena said. "The only one you need to compare yourself to is yourself."

Link tilted his head. "I don't get it."

Teboh smiled. "She means, are you better today than you were yesterday?"

"I-I guess so?"

"How about when you first started, Link?" Liena asked patiently.

"Oh yeah. I'm doing much better now," Link answered instantly before understanding dawned on him. "Oooohhh… that's what you mean."

Liena ruffled his hair. "Glad you understand. Did you already eat breakfast?"

Link nodded. "A little, but I'm feeling hungry again…"

"A little, you say," Liena muttered, knowing exactly what kind of portions Link was used to consuming. "Well, I'm famished. Let's go. Afterwards, we should check on the researchers. Purah and Robbie might have done some more work on the Divine Beasts."

"We should probably do our jobs then and check to make sure they're okay," Link said.

"Oh-ho, what is this, then?" someone asked.

Link and Liena turned to the new arrival. Revali quietly landed in the archery range and observed the work that had been done so far. "What is all this?"

"Just some morning exercises, Master Revali," Teboh answered.

Revali spared a glance at the Hylians before turning to his fellow Rito. "You did this?"

"Ah, no. It was—"

"Me," Liena quickly said.

Revali turned to face Liena. From behind, Teboh shot Liena a quizzical look. She maintained eye contact with Revali.

Revali's eyes widened and observed the range again. "I see. I must say, this work? Extremely impressive… for a Hylian, anyway."

Revali made a show of walking up to the stationary targets and tapping the arrows. When he returned, he eyed Liena for several moments before shrugging. "Not a perfect bullseye, though. You're off by a few centimeters, but you have potential."

"That's very kind of you to say, Master Revali," Liena said.

"So, is this why you sought me out?" he asked.

"As I said, you were inspiring," Liena said with a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Link looked at the both of them but wisely kept silent.

"Well, naturally," Revali said. He glanced at Teboh. "Well, you've selected a competent instructor. If your skills progress enough, perhaps I can deign to further your talent."

"I shall endeavor to try," Liena said. "My apologies, Master Revali, but we were about to go to breakfast."

Revali nodded in a distracted way as he turned back to the archery range. "It's been some time since I've been back."

"Well, the Flight Range is far superior," Teboh said genially.

"Let's go, Link," Liena whispered.

Link nodded and guided Epona by the reins.

They walked to the tree line before Liena pulled Link back.

"Wait a sec," she said. "Let's watch."

"Okay…" Link said.

"I'll explain later," she whispered.

Nostalgia finally gripped Revali. He took the effort to climb up to the raised platform and took off. He circled the range, building more and more speed before diving and shooting several arrows.

Grudgingly, Liena had to admit that Revali was a tad more accurate than Link. The arrows not only hit the mark dead center, but they also dislodged some of Link's arrows.

She turned to observe Link. She smiled inwardly when she saw the intense gaze Link adopted when he was particularly focused on something.

Revali's impromptu demonstration was short, but it was enough for Link to glance at the bow in his hands and make minor adjustments to his grip. Already, he started miming some of Revali's spectacular moves as he assimilated what he had just witnessed.

"Breakfast time," Liena said.

Broken out of whatever trance he was in, Link's face lit up. "Okay!"

Liena grinned and led the way back to Rito Village.

~o~O~o~

"Hello, Dame Serlut."

Liena looked up from her dinner to see Purah approaching. "Good morning, Purah. I haven't seen you in some time."

"I was looking for Link, actually," Purah said. She sat down at the table without waiting for an invitation. "He seemed interested in the Divine Beasts… was it yesterday that you checked in on us? Last week? Ugh, I'm losing track of time… Anyway, we're about to activate Vah Medoh, and I thought he might want to see it. In fact, he didn't even see us dig it out, did he?"

"We've been a bit busy," Liena said. "With little for us to do, we had to make do with entertaining ourselves."

"So I've seen," Purah said. "Archery, was it?"

Liena nodded.

"How old is he, anyway?"

"Seven," Liena answered. "Eight in a few months."

"Quite young for a squire, isn't he?"

"He's a special case."

Purah munched on a bit of bacon and nodded. "His skill was impressive."

"I didn't know we had an audience," Liena said.

"Only when we needed to take a quick break," Purah said. "We might be researchers, but we're Sheikahs, too. We can appreciate martial skill, and Link was a joy to watch."

"Well, it's more than that," Liena said. "Link's been only training in archery for… what, three months? Four?"

Purah blinked. "That's it?"

Liena nodded.

"But… he's so good…" Purah said.

"I know," Liena said. "He's gotten a bit bored with swords and spears."

"And… how good is he with those?"

"He's beaten the best in the Hylian Army and all the knights," Liena bluntly said. "I brought him here to try his hand at archery."

"I see… so that's why you've come," Purah said thoughtfully.

Liena nodded. "Our plan is to journey around Hyrule to have some of the best teach him new things. This expedition was good fortune for us, really."

"Sadly, I don't think our next expedition is for you," Purah said contritely.

"Why not?" Liena asked.

"We're going to the Gerudo Desert next, to unearth and repair Vah Naboris," Purah said. "This is at Princess Zelda's request. In fact, she's going with us, since she and Chief Urbosa are close friends. A contingent of Royal Guard is coming with us."

Liena groaned. "And men, even boys, aren't allowed into Gerudo Town."

"Tradition," Purah replied. "Robbie is staying at the Royal Ancient Lab to keep working on the Guardians. We're trying to get some female knights and soldiers to look after us. Likely, you would've been tapped to come, but with Link as your squire, well…"

"Are you sure?" Liena asked. She resolved to check in with Knight-Commander Taggart once they returned to Hyrule Castle. She was not one to shirk her responsibilities.

"It's only for the trip there," Purah assured. "Gerudo warriors will meet us and take us the rest of the way. After all, we have the princess coming with us. They're taking this seriously. Consider it both an archeological dig and a diplomatic mission."

"The princess is only seven, isn't she?" Liena asked.

Purah nodded. "She is, but Chief Urbosa was a close friend of the late queen. Urbosa has been visiting Hyrule often these last few years. I believe an invitation was extended for the princess to come to Gerudo Town at some point, and now the princess is taking it. It's fortuitous for all of us, because it'll make our work going forward easier."

Liena nodded. "Guess I need to figure out our next move, then."

Purah tapped her chin and turned her eyes skyward. "Well…"

"You have an idea?" Liena asked.

"Hmm… well, it's lucky for you that I happen to like you and Link…" Purah said theatrically, with a hint of mischievousness. "Or, really, I like Link. You're not bad, though. Anyway, what was I—oh, right. As it turns out, my gram is the Kakariko Village Elder and a Sheikah master."

Liena's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yep! Tell you what, I'll pen a letter of introduction, and you and little Linky can go meet her," Purah said. "If she's impressed with him, and she will be, she'll train him up in our arts!"

"That would be wonderful," Liena said gratefully. She mentally took back every negative thought she'd had of Purah. And Robbie, too. Probably.

Purah grinned. She whipped out an invention she called a pen—some sort of hollow metal tube that held ink inside, since she despised quills and inkwells, something to do with an accident involving ink all over some important research papers—a spare sheaf of parchment from one of her many pockets, and scribbled something on it. "And… snap! Here you go!"

"That's it?" Liena asked. She blew on the paper a few times to dry out the ink.

"Yep! Any longer, and Gram will think it came from my younger sister," Purah said before making a face. "My little sis was always too serious for her own good."

Liena giggled before carefully tucking the parchment into a pouch.

"You're not going to read it?" Purah asked.

"I trust you."

"Smart, since it's encoded anyway," Purah said with another impish grin. "Trust me, that trip will be worth it. Be sure to say hi to Gram for me."

~o~O~o~

Hebra – Tabantha Tundra

"Oh, wow… it's huge!" Link said.

"Right?!" Purah said enthusiastically. "I mean, I knew it was big, but only from old records. To actually dig it out… the scale feels bigger."

Link nodded. "And you said this can fly?"

"Indeed it can," Robbie said. He pointed at something at the sides. "And if you notice the blades on the wings? Similar to the flying Guardians we're excavating back in Hyrule."

Purah pursed her lips. "I'll believe it when I see it, but I concede that they share similar mechanisms. Visually, at least."

"I'll make you eat your words yet!"

Link giggled, while Liena tried to hide her smirk.

It was early morning, and they were standing on a rise overlooking the dig site. Vah Medoh had been buried in a snowfield far to the northeast of Rito Village. Thankfully, the Snowfield Stable was nearby the dig site, just south of their current position, so the team had shelter and provisions if they worked long hours and couldn't make it back to the village. This Divine Beast was modeled after the Rito; it had all the major hallmarks of a bird, with legs, wings, and a beak. The wings were fixed, so Link couldn't imagine it beating its wings to fly like a real bird, and the legs were too small, so there was no way it could walk.

In attendance to see Vah Medoh's activation was… everyone. The entirety of Rito Village was there, even the children. The knights that had accompanied the researchers. Some of the stable staff. And, of course, Purah and her entire team as well.

"How high does it fly?" Link asked.

Purah wore a manic grin. "No idea! Probably high, but we're going to go slow. A small and short hover for now. Vah Medoh is still undergoing repairs, but I just have to see it in action!"

"Repairs? Probably?" Liena repeated with a slight hint of concern.

"Oh, no need to worry, we're confident that she'll turn on," Purah said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "As for flight, well, at the very least, she has to be able to fly above the forest. And to fight effectively, it needs to fly out past the Hebra Mountains, so…"

"It needs a pilot, too, right?" Link asked.

"You remembered! You're absolutely right, so let's go," Purah said. She started down the stairs.

"Wow! We get to get on it?!" Link excitedly asked. Then he remembered something and turned to his canine companion. "Oh… stay, Ammy!"

The wolf whined a bit but did as was she was told.

Purah almost skipped with giddiness as she led the way onto Vah Medoh. Robbie was brimming with anticipation, making him hardly any better. Link was almost as excited as the Sheikah, while Liena was a bit apprehensive but unwilling to let the chance to see a Divine Beast up close pass her by.

"Who is the pilot?" Liena asked. She gripped the rope guidelines of the gangplank as they climbed aboard single file.

"I am, for now," Purah said. "However, a Rito will need to be carefully chosen to pilot Vah Medoh."

"Why?" Link asked.

"Because of the difficulty to master all the abilities Vah Medoh is capable of," Purah said. Once aboard, she looked around surreptitiously and knelt to Link's height and whispered, "Also, we have to bear in mind that at the end of the day, this is a weapon. Whomever is selected will be responsible for everything Vah Medoh does. We need someone we can trust to accept the burden of responsibility without… um… corruption."

With wide eyes, Link slowly nodded.

Purah smiled brightly and hopped back to her feet. "Let's go!"

The inside of Vah Medoh was more spacious than they had thought. Sheikah researchers were everywhere, doing this and that. Liena didn't even pretend to know what was going on. She followed Purah as she climbed a ramp that led to the top of Vah Medoh.

"And here we are!" Purah said.

In the middle of the vessel, nestled neatly between the wings was a giant blue machine in the shape of an elegant, closed flower bulb.

"And here's where the pilot communes with the Divine Beast," Purah said. "I just have to register myself, and we should be ready."

"What are those things?" Link asked.

"The Main Control Unit," Purah answered. "And at the base? You see it? That's the Guidance Stone, a very important and common interface that Sheikah technology often uses. That's where I activate Vah Medoh. Stay here, okay?"

Link and Liena stayed back as Purah walked up to the stone structure—the Guidance Stone—next to the Main Control Unit and started doing something to it. It took several minutes, during which Liena and Link walked the perimeter of Vah Medoh, admiring the machine and the snowy landscape. When they finished a circuit, Purah hopped to her feet and performed what Liena assumed was a victory pose. It was a salute that Liena had never seen before; Purah bent forward, with her right hand on her hip and her left hand at the side of her face, with only her thumb, index, and pinky fingers extended while the middle and ring fingers remained curled.

"Aww yeah! Check it!" Purah triumphantly said. "And now it's time to wake Vah Medoh!"

"Where should we be?" Liena asked. Her earlier apprehension was climbing, but she ruthlessly pushed it back down.

"Where you are is fine, just don't go standing next to the edges, m'kay?"

Liena placed her hands on Link's shoulders. "Got it."

"Here we go!" Purah said. She placed her palm on the Guidance Stone. "And SNAP!"

Nothing happened. Liena looked around, expecting something big and grand to occur, but the only thing they could hear was the wind blowing and little else.

"Huh?" Purah said.

Robbie rushed to the Main Control Module and leaned in, adjusting his strange goggles as he did so. "Did you break it?!"

"Of course not!" Purah screeched.

"Well, what did you do, then?!"

"Nothing that would do this," Purah snapped back. She stomped back to the stone and started touching it in various places. Link and Liena shared an uncertain look when Purah started slamming her fist on the console.

"Don't. Argue. With. Me!" she shouted.

"Um… is she supposed to do that?" Link whispered.

"Percussive maintenance," Liena whispered back. "Best not get in her way."

Link nodded and watched as Purah and Robbie continued whispering furiously amongst themselves. Eventually, Purah gave the Guidance Stone one last spiteful kick, not enough to hurt herself, but enough to show her displeasure.

"Ugh, I need to go below and check something," Purah muttered.

Robbie nodded. "Yes, yes. One of the Guidance Stones might still be offline, you think?"

"Possible," Purah said impatiently.

Lost in their own worlds, they walked off, having forgotten entirely about their non-Sheikah researcher guests.

"Um…" Link said before falling silent. He looked at Liena for direction.

Liena shrugged helplessly and walked over to the Main Control Unit. Honestly, she had no idea what she was looking at, and she wasn't sure if Robbie could see anything, either.

Or maybe he can with those goggles he wears.

All of a sudden, the deck below her feet started shaking heavily.

Shrieking in surprise, Liena whirled around until her gaze locked onto the Guidance Stone, which Link was standing next to. "Link! What did you do?!"

"I-I don't know! I just touched it a little!" Link wailed. "I'm sorry! W-what's happening?!"

"I have no idea!" Liena shouted. There was a tremendous noise coming from the sides of the Divine Beast, nothing she had ever heard before.

"Look! The wings!" Link yelled.

The blades at the wings were spinning rapidly, creating winds the likes of which Liena had never felt before.

"Hit the deck, Link! We don't want to get blown off!" Liena ordered.

She planted herself flat on the ground, with Link following a moment later. The shaking Liena had felt earlier increased in intensity.

"Liena, look!"

She didn't want to. She really didn't want to. But against her will, her eyes traced from where Link was pointing to the open sky…

Open sky?

"Oh, shit," Liena whispered. Cursing was a habit she never exercised, but the situation called for it.

On all fours, she crawled closer to the edge of Vah Medoh, though she made sure to keep a healthy distance from the precipice.

"Oh, Goddesses help us," Liena said. "We're going up…"

"Really?!" Link asked. Recklessly, he stood up and scampered to Liena's side, where he got down on all fours to see. "Wow! We really are! Look how high we are! We're almost at the peaks of those mountains!"

"Link, that's not good thing!" Liena screamed over the winds and noise. "We're Hylians, not Rito! We don't have wings! We have to get back to the ground without breaking every bone in our bodies!"

"What's going on here?!"

Both of them turned to see Purah and Robbie, as well as several other researchers, all crawling on the ground towards them.

"What happened?!" Purah shouted.

Link hesitantly raised his hand. "I, um… I touched something."

"Y-you?! What did you touch?!"

"The Guidance Stone…"

"Aha, so you're registered with the Divine Beast!" Robbie said excitedly. Far from being angry, he appeared ecstatic. "That means you're in control!"

Link's eyes widened. "M-me?"

"Okay, Link, just level us out," Purah ordered in a calm voice. She pointed at the Rito that were flying around them but had stayed at a significant distance for their own safety. "Tell Vah Medoh to float, not stop. Just float, just like how you see those Rito over there."

"O-okay, I'll try," Link said. "Um… Vah Medoh, can we just float here, please?"

"I don't mean literal—oh, we're floating!" Purah said.

Liena looked at the wings and noticed the blades that had been spinning rapidly just a moment before had slowed down but thankfully had not stopped. "H-he did it…"

The deck beneath them was vibrating ever so lightly, but it was far better than the wild shaking earlier and the noise the wings were making was much quieter.

With stability restored, Robbie sprung to his feet, planted himself, turned to one side, and placed his left hand on his hip, while his right hand pointed at the sky at nothing in particular. "Huzzah! We're flying! Now all that's left is the Recon Guardians and the skies will be ours!"

"By Hylia, Vah Medoh works!" Purah cried out. She hugged Link and started hopping around joyously. "That means we can definitely get the other Divine Beasts working! We did it!"

The other researchers grasped the implications and started cheering and congratulating themselves.

After recovering from Purah's bout of enthusiasm, Link carefully walked closer to the edge and looked around.

"Careful, Link," Liena said worriedly.

"WOW!" Link cried out in glee. "We're so high!"

"Still not exactly a good thing," Liena muttered. Still, she joined him and looked around. "Oh, wow… there's no way any other Hylian has ever seen this before… it's like we're seeing the world how a Rito does."

"Exciting, right?" Purah asked.

"It is, which is why I hate to be the voice of reason, but how do we get down?" Liena asked.

"Ah, no need to worry, we came prepared for this kind of scenario," Robbie said.

Purah produced some paragliders, but a kind that Liena had never seen before. "We took precautions, just in case Vah Medoh did this."

Liena sighed in relief. "Fantastic. Well done, you two."

"What are those?" Link asked.

"Paragliders," Purah said proudly. "Latest model."

Liena picked one up and looked at it. "These aren't the same kind I've trained with… How do we deploy it?"

Purah took the wood and canvas bundle that was deceptively small, barely the size of her forearm. "Take both sides of the handles and pull apart, like so…"

She demonstrated by yanking hard. Immediately, the wood snapped into place, pulled the canvas chute open, and revealed the paraglider in its full shape and glory.

"Wow!" Link said again. "Umm… how does it work?"

This time, Liena showed him after unfolding her paraglider. "Oh, very nice. Standard knight training, Link. You hold onto the handles on the underside. See here? Good. Keep a solid grip… and jump. We float down, like a leaf on the wind."

"Oh, that sounds like fun!" Link said enthusiastically.

Liena grinned. She turned back to Purah. "Right, so we can get down… but how are you going to get back up? And, just as importantly, is it a good idea to leave Vah Medoh floating here like this if we do jump?"

"I have no idea. We may have to rely on the Rito to get us back up here," Purah answered. She gave a half-shrug. "I mean, unless Link can land Vah Medoh without crashing into a mountain."

When all eyes turned to Link, he blinked. "Um… I mean, I don't want us to crash… if I keep thinking that, will we be okay?"

Again, Purah shrugged. "No idea."

Liena was tempted, very tempted, to take the paragliders and have her and Link abandon ship. However, she was a knight, and part of her duty was the safety of the Sheikah researchers as well as to maintain positive diplomatic relations with the other races of Hyrule as a representative of His Majesty.

Having a runaway Divine Beast slamming into Rito Village would no doubt jeopardize all of her mandates and several others she couldn't think of.

"Okay, Link. Just try to bring us back to the ground, gently. You can do it," Liena said. She rubbed his back encouragingly before turning to everyone else present. "All of you, not a peep. Let him concentrate. Clear?"

Everyone murmured their assent and understanding.

"Right, for any that want to abandon ship, do so now," Liena ordered. "Everyone else that chooses to stay, brace for impact."

The assembled researchers shared uncertain looks, in stark contrast to their joyous cheers just moment earlier. However, all of them remained in place.

"Okay, Link," Liena said as everyone settled in. "Take your time, take us down, nice and easy."

Purah herded her staff near the Main Control Unit, and they seated themselves. Liena wanted to join them, but she felt that her presence was better served next to Link.

"Okay," Link said. He took a deep breath. "Vah Medoh, let's float down, back to the ground, really softly, okay?"

Liena cast a look at Purah, who could only shake her head in exasperation. Still, any comment she wanted to make was kept to herself for now.

There was a lurch, followed by a change in gravity as Vah Medoh started descending. Liena had a mild panic attack when it felt as if her feet would leave the deck and her stomach would find its way up in her chest to rest next to her heart. Thankfully, the feeling only lasted a moment. Liena took a look at the vista around them and noted the change in perspective as the mountains they had been flying above were now looming over them, and the snowy fields, which had looked so minuscule, were now gaining definition and detail as they approached. Unlike their ascent, their descent was quieter, less dramatic.

Link had a look of intense concentration about him and was observing the approaching ground with single-minded focus.

Finally, after a few tense minutes, there was a thump, followed by a massive forward lurch that would've toppled everyone had they not already braced themselves, before everything finally settled down.

Standing up slowly, Purah walked up to the Guidance Stone and tapped a few things. The Main Control Unit, which had been glowing a bright serene blue, dimmed until it was black.

Robbie walked to the edge of the deck and looked down. He tilted his head and adjusted his goggles before turning to Link. "Did you land on its feet?"

"Um… I guess so. I was thinking that it looked like a bird, so it should land on its—uh… her? Feet."

Purah scampered to where Robbie was standing and looked over the edge. "Oh, I knew it! The feet weren't decorative! Ha! So that could mean that Vah Medoh could perch on different surfaces in order to be utilized effectively!"

"Glad you're so excited," Liena dryly said. "As fun as this was, I'm just glad that we've landed safely. But I guess I should point out that not only did Vah Medoh take off, but it had a successful flight above the Hebra Mountains. That's newsworthy, yes?"

Purah's eyes widened. Liena could swear she saw stars in them.

"Oh, snap! You're right! We just had a successful test flight of Vah Medoh! Way ahead of schedule!" Purah gushed. "His Majesty will be so pleased!"

"That was incredible!" a voice cried out from above them.

Everyone turned to see Captain Teboh, as well as a squad of Rito and Revali all landing nearby.

"You actually flew in this giant machine!" Teboh said excitedly. "So many of us doubted such a feat could ever happen. I've never seen anything like it!"

"That was certainly a spectacle," Revali said. He looked at Robbie and Purah. "I believe congratulations are in order, then."

"We couldn't have done it without your help," Robbie said amicably.

"The chief will need to hear of this," Revali said. "Although… I was under the impression that a full flight test wouldn't be for some weeks."

"Ah, a minor hiccup in the controls," Purah said. "We still have a lot of work to do to make sure Vah Medoh is safe to use."

"Well, one can see Vah Medoh's advantages," Revali said. "Who was the pilot? I'd like to congratulate whoever it is. That was quite a showing, simple as it was."

"That would be Link, over there," one of the researchers answered.

"Link?" Revali repeated. He followed to whomever the Sheikah was pointing to, and his sharp eyes landed on the young boy, who waved at him uncertainly. "Him? He's a hatchling."

"He's my squire," Liena said.

"Why would someone like him be the first to pilot Vah Medoh?" Revali rhetorically asked. "Utterly asinine. And reckless."

Liena wanted to retort but held her tongue. She had seen puffed-up figures like Revali before among noble courts, and she didn't trust herself to respond civilly. Instead, she turned to Link. "Well, it was an exciting day for all, but we should let Purah and Robbie get back to work, okay?"

Link nodded. "Okay!"

"Thanks for this, Link!" Purah said. "I mean, I would've liked to pilot Vah Medoh myself, but as long as she's working, it means we're on the right track! Let's go, team! More modifications need to be done!"

"Oh, Purah, mind if we keep these paragliders?" Liena asked.

"Oh, sure! Consider it a gift!"

Put out that he was being ignored, Revali scoffed, sauntered up to the edge of Vah Medoh, and used the height to take off.

"Um, Liena?" Link asked.

"Yes, Link?"

Link was looking at Revali's rapidly shrinking figure in the sky. "Is that why you didn't want me to learn under him?"

"You noticed too, huh?" Liena asked. "Part of the reason, but reason enough. Let's go; you've caused enough trouble for one day, and right now, you have to learn how to paraglide, since the gangplank won't reach us up here."

~o~O~o~

And there are four of these things? Incredible.

Liena was sitting on a rock on top of a rise, observing the Rito and Sheikah construction efforts to erect a new wooden tower from which the Sheikah researchers could regain access to Vah Medoh from its new elevated height.

It had been about a week since Vah Medoh's dramatic flight, and the research team were diligently continuing their work, bolstered by the sudden success of the Divine Beast's reactivation.

Tomorrow, Liena and Link would be heading back to Hyrule Castle to deliver a missive from Purah to His Majesty, detailing the work done and a tentative schedule for Vah Medoh as well as plans regarding future projects on the other Divine Beasts.

Voices from the hillside broke through her musings, and she turned to the approaching visitors.

"… and Gram has a bite as bad as her bark. Do not get on her bad side, okay?" Purah said.

"Okay," Link said. "Hi, Liena!"

"Afternoon, Liena," Purah added.

"Hey, you two," Liena said. "All packed, Link?"

"Yep!" Link answered.

Purah pulled a heavy envelope out of her bag, sealed with wax with the Sheikah Eye proudly displayed. "Here you go."

Liena took the envelope, and after a moment's consideration, she handed it to Link. "Take good care of it, or we'll have to come back and you'll have to do the walk of shame of procuring another."

Link nodded seriously and took the envelope. He carefully tucked it away in one of his pockets.

"Purah, can you answer me something? Do you know why the king is interested in these machines?" Liena asked. "He's been putting a lot of effort and rupees into all this ancient tech these last few years."

At her question, Purah looked uncomfortable and shifted her weight. "I'm sorry, I'm not at liberty to say. Royal decree."

"Well, that's intriguing, but ours isn't to question," Liena said. She stood up and dusted the snow off herself. "Thank you for everything, Purah."

"Oh, my pleasure," Purah replied. She smiled at the both of them, gave a jaunty wave, and trekked toward Vah Medoh.

Next stop was Rito Village, where they shared one last dinner with Teboh. Link profusely thanked him for everything, which the Rito modestly accepted.

"You were a joy to teach, Link," Teboh said. "And to watch your growth as an archer was a sight to see. You might be a match for Master Revali one day."

"I hope so," Link said before continuing to shovel as much food into himself as he could.

Liena shared a look with Teboh and smiled. She mouthed, "Thank you," to him before tucking in, herself.

~o~O~o~

Author's Notes:

A tiny scene taken from Lyxie's fic, Here We Go!

Also, a line taken from Serenity.