Chapter 15: Revali's Flap
\-==/\==-/
The Princess requested the rest of the afternoon to herself, resting from her journey. Link didn't mind; although he knew he probably wasn't as saddle sore as she was, it had been several months since his last long journey on a horse, and his legs ached.
Besides that, of course, there was Revali. With the Princess studying in her room at the Swallow's Roost Inn, and Link standing guard by the door, the Rito Champion wouldn't have the chance to bare his hostilities to either of them - at least for this day. Link was beginning to feel the effects of two long days of travel without sleep; he didn't think he would have the energy to keep a level head in the face of Revali's taunts.
He didn't see the Princess again until the next morning, when she stepped out of her rooms dressed simply (for a princess, of course), wearing a tunic less ornate than her usual one over a pair of dark trousers. Link thought nothing of it, stifling a yawn and marching silently after her over the wooden planks winding around the mighty stone pillar housing the village. The wind whipped fiercely at his hair and clothes as they climbed higher, carrying words with it - Revali was in the middle of a training session.
"Talons, wings - you must use them both, seamlessly, if you are to master aerial archery," he was explaining, condescension uncharacteristically absent from his voice. "You'll need speed, agility, and steadiness. Who can tell me why? Hoskoli?"
Link turned his gaze upwards. Hovering not far from Rito Village over Lake Totori were several Rito wearing matching leather armor over their chests and legs, with Revali in front of them.
"If we're moving around too much while hovering, we can't aim as accurately," the Rito Hoskoli answered.
"Essentially," Revali approved. "But eliminating all motion while airborne is well beyond your skill level – we Rito aren't built for that. So instead we get the feel for moving and shooting at once, learn how we need to compensate, and progress from there. Today you'll be working from ten, fifteen, and twenty yards to the targets I've set up. Get ten consecutive arrows in the lethal regions on the targets while hovering. Questions?"
The Princess had arrived at the Brazen Beak, Rito Village's tailoring shop. Link refocused on her, mentally scolding himself. Being tired doesn't give you the right to be lax in your duties! Pay closer attention!
"Welcome, Princess," a Rito woman bowed, ushering them inside. "I am honored your father decided to send you here for your winter dress - it's honestly all I can think about!" She giggled, but Link could hear a note of strain in her voice. She's nervous.
"I was quite pleased with the winter clothing you've made before," the Princess smiled politely. "If you could use one of those designs again, I'd greatly appreciate it."
"Of course, of course!" the Rito agreed swiftly. "Except… well, your father wrote to explain that you've grown since last year." She sounded a little disappointed. "That's… really the only reason he sent you all the way here, from what I can tell. So I'll need to take your measurements again."
"That shouldn't be a problem," the Princess said, raising her fingers to the laces at the back of her tunic.
Link felt a sudden thrill of alarm, and his mouth went painfully dry. Measurements? He remembered with sudden clarity his visit to Madame Yann's shop so long ago, and his heart pounded faster with terror. Desperately he fixed his gaze anywhere but in the Princess' direction. Oh Goddesses, oh Goddesses…
A slight cough stole his attention and he found the Princess glaring at him, still fortunately very much clothed. "Do you mind?" she demanded. "I'm perfectly safe in here - wait outside. Better yet, take a break or something - you look about to fall over."
With a brief nod, he fled the shop as quickly as he could, all but running back down the wooden planks until he reached the inn and slumped against a wooden railing, his racing heart feeling weak with relief. Thank the Goddesses, he thought, forcing deep breaths of clear mountain air down his throat. He gripped his head in his hands, sweat dripping down his brow. That was… much too close for comfort. I'm such an idiot.
He moistened his lips, slowly letting his hand fall back to his side. She wanted me to take a break, he reminded himself. He couldn't deny the appeal of that idea; he was certain that if his mind had been clear and not fogged up with fatigue, he wouldn't have just made such a boorish mistake. That was stupid. And worse will probably happen if I don't get some rest, right?
He nodded decisively to himself, feeling a stab of guilt at his weakness but quickly pushing it away with a growing desire to lay down and close his eyes and not get up again for… as long as possible.
He looked around furtively. Revali was still working with the other warriors in the sky, and there were a few other Rito herding children up and down the stairs or chatting with a neighbor or doing their shopping. It was a busy little village, which he hadn't realized while spending most of the previous day waiting outside of the Princess' door.
With one last uncertain glance towards the sky, he turned and headed back up the way he'd come, passing the tailor's shop and a few other of the round, open-aired Rito buildings, following the path up and around the central pillar until he came to a bridge leading to a small stone plateau rising up from the base of the village, with a soft-looking grassy meadow and several tall pines growing at its peak. Along with the bridge, the Rito had also built one of their many flight platforms at the top of the pillar.
Link almost smiled, looking at the thick grass. As good a place as any. And there didn't seem to be anyone else around, which made it even more appealing.
Stretching his arms high above his head and yawning widely, he hopped over the fence separating the flight platform from the meadow and pushed his way behind several scratchy bushes beneath a cluster of firs before unbuckling his baldric and laying it down in the grass. With a contented groan of satisfaction he lay down on his back, dappled shadows painting his skin and tunic, sunlight filtering down in piercing shards as his eyelids slipped closed. A soft sigh escaped his throat, and he was asleep in moments.
\-==/\==-/
A pair of panting breaths ragged with fear. A soft whimper - either he was actually three years old in this dream for once, or his companion was female.
As they ran, or more accurately stumbled, through the dark tangled forest, her whimpers evolved into breathless sobs. He heard a frighteningly loud twig snap followed by a scuffle and nearly tripped over her. Quickly he sank to his knees, his heart stammering with fear and desperation.
"We need to keep moving - they're gaining on us," he told her faintly, reaching out blindly in the darkness. His hand found her shoulder and she flinched before melting under the crook of his arm, her tears quickly soaking his tunic as she clung to his chest. For a moment his heart seemed to stop as his mind tried to register that this girl, this girl that he did not know but that he held inexplicably close to his heart, was all but embracing him. Slowly he curled his arm around her, a tremor going through his body as his nose caught her sweet scent - something floral, that he couldn't quite name…
The girl didn't speak, but as he gently stroked her back, gently ran his fingers through hair as soft as silk, her sobs subsided. Then the distant screeching of monsters on the hunt sounded much closer, and Link's blood sang with alarm. "I'm so sorry," he murmured into her ear. "But we have to get going. I'll protect you, I promise."
As he pulled her with him to her feet, the small part of him aware that this was a dream remembered that he had dreamed about her before, and so far, he had never succeeded in saving her. His heart ached with a kind of agony he'd never known before, and he felt a sudden irresistible urge to pull her close to him and shield her figure until the danger passed, no matter the cost to himself.
I'll keep you safe - I'll die for you, he vowed silently, drawing the sword from his back as they ran. If only I really knew who you are… why I feel this way about you…
\-==/\==-/
He awakened confused, with a lingering wetness in his eyes and an ache in his heart. Who is she? Why am I dreaming about her? It was always dark in his dreams; he knew only what her sobs sounded like.
Quickly he sat up and fastened his baldric around his chest before surging to his feet, straightening his tunic and brushing grass from his hair. And… why does she always have to die? Why? It was agonizing every time, listening to her screams as the monsters rent her from limb to limb. Almost worse was the sight that met him when the faint flickering light of a torch drew near; instead of his parents' corpses he found hers. Always. No matter how he screamed at himself not to look, not to walk in her direction, his feet always carried him to her side.
A tremor shook his shoulders and he stiffened, slamming his eyes shut and angrily wiping the moisture from them. Din curse these nightmares - why can't I just sleep?
Judging by the sun's position, he'd been out for perhaps five hours; it looked to be an hour or so after noon. Link ground his teeth together, hurrying down the village towards the clothing shop. Surely the Princess is done by now. And if so, I've been a complete idiot in sleeping so long.
His head felt clearer, sharper; he felt stronger and more energized after resting a while, but his heart felt only more weary. The dreams were so real - so full of anguish. He wished he knew how to make them stop.
The curtains that had been pulled down around the Brazen Beak tailor shop for the Princess' privacy were now pulled to the side, letting sunlight into the room. Cautiously Link stepped inside, finding the Princess speaking animatedly with the shop owner.
"... which aren't as warm as ours, of course, but still great for travel," the Rito woman explained with a smile. "I'm sure you'd be able to have a letter sent and they'd be delivered right to the castle, and Henya is an old friend - I could arrange it, if you'd like."
"I couldn't ask that of you," the Princess chuckled. "But I would definitely enjoy seeing what they have! My father's been less hard on me as of late, I think; he let me come out here when he could have just as easily summoned you or had Madame Yann send you my measurements. I cannot help but hope that this means he'll be letting me out more often now."
"Heavens know you deserve a break," the shop owner shook her head with a rueful grin. "I couldn't dream of spending so much time in a cold, lonely cathedral. Your devotion is truly admirable, Princess."
A brief silence fell; Link, silently stepping closer, saw the Princess' shoulders stiffen almost imperceptibly. "Thank you," she said with a half-hearted laugh. "Oh! What are these designs? I don't believe I've seen anything like those before…" She hurried to a worktable buried in fabrics and sketches.
"I've been thinking of branching out," the Rito woman admitted, hurrying to the Princess' side. "Y'know, doing more than just winter clothing. Nightwear, some of it…"
"That would be fantastic!" the Princess cheered. "I can only imagine how comfortable it would be!"
They both had yet to notice Link standing uncertainly just beyond the threshold. He watched them chat for a few moments more before deciding she was probably safe. Yiga couldn't fly, after all.
A sharp stab pierced his soul. Besides, she's in such a good mood. If Urbosa's right… well, I shouldn't be here now. I should let her have this moment.
The trick would be leaving in such a way that he still maintained his watch over her.
As quietly as he had entered, he left, heading back up the wooden ramps and stairs he'd just come down. An aerial viewpoint certainly has its perks. I'd be able to see anyone coming in, coming out, or - if worse comes to worst - climbing up towards her or something.
He remembered glimpsing the largest flight platform in the village just down the path from the bridge he'd taken to the comfortable meadow he'd napped in; it would be a good place to start, he thought. A pleasant breeze wafted across his face, lifting his hair from his brow. He smoothed it back down absently, jogging past the bridge and a few houses before descending a short set of stairs to the wide wooden platform beyond. It jutted out farther from the main pillar supporting the village than any other structure there; as Link walked out towards the edge he felt painfully exposed, like a mouse on a large slab of rock, helplessly awaiting the crushing talons of a hawk. With Divine Beast Vah Medoh flying overhead, the comparison wasn't too far off.
The wind seemed to pick up in ferocity as he neared the edge; it wasn't until he noticed the swirling dust and leaves forming a whirlwind right in front of him that he realized that this wasn't a normal occurrence. The howling gale raged all the harsher, and Link took a step back, a hand flying to the Master Sword's hilt. Maybe the Yiga have learned to fly…?
Launched upwards by the powerful updraft, a familiar winged figure spiralled high above him before gracefully diving down towards the flight platform and landing on the guardrail, the furious winds abating. Link clenched his teeth. And here's the hawk.
"Impressive, I know," Revali preened, wings folded over his chest. "Very few can achieve a mastery of the sky. Yet I, Rito Champion Revali, have made an art of creating an updraft that allows me to soar. It's considered to be quite the masterpiece of aerial techniques, even among the Rito." He struck a heroic pose and paused for a moment, brow quirked, clearly expecting a response.
Link said nothing. Yes, it was impressive, but the Rito's ego was big enough as it was.
Revali's eyes narrowed. "With proper utilization of my superior skills, I see no reason why we couldn't easily dispense with Ganon." He gave an exaggerated eye-roll and hopped off of the guardrail, stalking steadily closer to his prey. "Now then, my ability to explore the firmament is certainly of note. I don't see you Hylians flying around, able to access the omniscient overhead view available to me with merely a few wingbeats."
We can't help that we don't have wings, Link nearly retorted, but he held his tongue. Revali strutted in a circle around him, watching him carefully through hostile eyes.
"But let's not forget," Revali continued, sweeping a wing over his heart. "Pardon me for being so blunt - let's not forget that I am the most skilled archer of all the Rito. Perhaps in all the kingdom - I've never met an equal." He scowled. "Yet despite these truths, it seems that I have been tapped to merely assist you. All because you happen to have that little darkness-sealing sword on your back."
He leaned in close, towering over Link, eyes burning with resentment. "I don't see it," he decided. "You're small, even for a Hylian. The Princess can't stand your presence, and from what I've seen, neither can anyone else - except that oaf Daruk and the desperate Zora Princess. But then again, the way she looks at you… like a vulture eyeing a carcass… she doesn't really care about you."
Link felt his cheeks growing warm with embarrassment; he willed himself to stay silent. No emotion. Just like the General. Don't prove him right!
Revali shook his head. "You're not a hero," he smirked. "You carry that blade, but no one believes in you. No one is inspired when they see you, and it's obvious why. The Goddesses are said to be wise, but… I just can't fathom why they would choose someone like you. So small, even for a Hylian… a boy, not a man – not an experienced warrior, but a child playing pretend. I mean, it's just… asinine."
Link's jaw trembled as emotions coursed through his soul, a painful blend of anger and hurt. The Rito's words stung. They were a brutal echo of his own thoughts, and of the conversations he hadn't meant to overhear…
Revali chuckled unkindly. "Unless… you think you can prove me wrong? Maybe we should just settle this one on one? But where…?" His voice reeked with patronizing sarcasm. "Oh, I know! How about up there?" He flung a wing outwards, gesturing to Vah Medoh circling so high above. He laughed, shaking his head. "Oh, you must pardon me. I forgot you have no way of making it up to that Divine Beast on your own!"
He spread his wings out and sank into a crouch; in an instant the swirling winds returned and Link took a step back, shielding his face from the debris thy kicked up. Revali shot upwards, with such speed that Link barely caught his parting words over the howl of the wind. "Good luck sealing the darkness!"
Link breathed in a shaky sigh of relief, looking down in surprise to find that his hands were clenched into tight fists. He inhaled again, striving to clear the Rito's biting words from his mind.
It didn't quite work. After all, the words had occupied his mind long before Revali gave them utterance.
\-==/\==-/
"Clever idea, getting an aerial view of the Princess' whereabouts," Captain Janin mused, shuffling the papers comprising Link's report of the journey to Rito Village. "Yes… I would agree with what you said here, that the Princess is likely safer in Rito Village than many other places in the kingdom. Only one path through the village, unless you can fly, which the Yiga can't - as far as our intelligence says." He set the papers down on his desk and straightened, clasping his hands together. "All in all, great work. I'll pass this along to the King and the General; they've requested to stay informed with your reports."
"Thank you, sir," Link dipped his head, his heart hammering nervously. He'd been afraid that the Captain would see the real reason he didn't stay right at the Princess' side that day.
"I have a few points of advice," Janin continued, leaning back in his chair. "First off, your sleeping arrangements. It would be best if you slept right outside the Princess' door for an hour at a time - one hour rest, one hour on watch. Not sleeping, and then taking five hours in the middle of the day for sleep… well, that's not exactly making the most of your time, especially with these reports of increased Yiga activity and monsters gathering in unusually large numbers. See that you change that."
Link nodded. "Yes, sir."
"Excellent." His eyes narrowed slightly. "I just want you to remember, always, that you are the Princess' protector only. You're not supposed to be her friend; you're not supposed to give her advice. She has others to do that. People that her father approves of. Her immediate physical safety is the only thing you should concern yourself with. Do I make myself quite clear?"
"Yes, sir." Link's pulse quickened, and he swallowed thickly. He knows - he must. He saw right through it.
Janin's eyes remained sternly fixed on his. "I expect a full report after every journey you take with the Princess, submitted no less than two days after your return. Once I read it and discuss it with you, I will submit it to the King and the General for their review, along with a few notes of my own. You cannot grow complacent; remember that neither the King nor the General was particularly happy with assigning an untested youth as the Princess' guard."
Link gulped. "Of course, sir."
Updated 7/8
