Link looked back over his shoulder to make sure that Mipha was still okay. He had lost track of how many times he had done it. Though there was never any change, he continued to check on her every so often. Though there hadn't been any other occurrences that bothered him, the two that had taken place were enough.

He had found it strange how their roles had changed in an instant. She used to be the caretaker and he the one that needed caring for. He had known for a long time that she had misled him when she had implied that she was unable to heal herself. He had done his best to dress her wounds even though she didn't really need him to. It was one of the few ways that he could communicate to her that he cared.

This was altogether different. Now, she was suffering from a condition her powers couldn't heal and, ironically enough, that left him feeling more powerless than ever. If her magic couldn't solve this problem, then what good would he be? He didn't even understand what was happening to her, let alone what needed to be done about it.

"Link, are you okay?"

"I'm just worried about something right now," he muttered as he turned back towards the road. Thankfully, they had passed through the worst of the Hebra region over the last two days, meaning that they had gotten through the worst of the cold. It still wasn't the ideal temperature for a Zora; however, at least it wouldn't leave her with permanent damage.

"I'm sure that Revali will be all right," she replied, doing her best to comfort him. Though he appreciated the sentiment, he hadn't spent a great deal of thought on the Rito Champion. Though he didn't like it, Revali had already attempted to engage Medoh and had nearly died as a result, or at least, that was what the letter Kass had sent mentioned.

"Right," Link replied noncommittally.

"Is there… something else bothering you?"

"There's someone I don't know how to help right now."

"Oh…"

"Yeah…"

"… Just be yourself," Mipha advised.

"What?"

"You have a reassuring presence. Just be yourself and do what you would normally do. That will help whoever it is more than you know."

He wasn't quite sure what she meant by that, but maybe he could give it a try.

"How are you doing? Are you still sore?"

"Yes, but there is not much we can do about that right now."

Link pulled back gently on Epona's reins. The horse obediently slowed to a stop.

"Link, we need to keep moving."

"If we don't take breaks, you could be injured," he replied as he dismounted, helping her down in the process.

"You don't have to worry about me" she murmured. His eyes flicked over to the Zora Princess before returning to Epona as he removed the saddle from her back. He had become more certain that he had made the right choice when he had seen the lines under her eyes and the hints of unsteadiness in her stance.

"I also have to take care of Epona," he said as he pulled out an apple from his pouch and handed it to his horse. Epona ate it gratefully, nudging him with her nose in the process. He patted the horse's neck affectionately before crouching down to make a fire.

"Do you think you should tie her up?" Mipha asked quietly as she knelt next to him.

"She won't run," he murmured. The Hylian Champion had no qualms with allowing the horse to roam freely for a while considering how hard he had been pushing her. He could see that she had been well-trained seeing as she stuck faithfully to the roads thus far and responded quickly and obediently to the slightest touch. All things considered, he would be very surprised if she took off.

After he had started the fire, he stood up and looked around, trying to find a suitable pond.

"Where are you going?" Mipha asked

"To get some food," he replied as he pointed towards a pond he had found. "Want to come?"

"Yes," Mipha replied with a tired smile.

He knew she was tired, but he figured a swim, even though brief, would help her stretch and relax her back. Releasing the tension in her back, while not terribly significant all things considered, would at least make it easier for her to rest during their brief stop.

As they made their way silently to the pond, Link once again became lost in his thoughts. He thought he would succumb to his pointless worrying, but instead, his thoughts began dwelling on the future. He considered trying to stop such thoughts; however, he decided against it. His fight against Calamity Ganon wouldn't last forever and he couldn't help but think about what was to come after.

He wondered if he had been a fool to pursue Ganon's defeat with a single-minded focus. Without a clear plan of what was to come after, he likely would have gotten lost, a poor soul searching for some purpose beyond the next fight. The idea was unappealing, to say the least.

His first consideration was to remain at Zelda's side after all was said and done. He didn't remember much of their time together; however, he knew that she was a close friend and that was to say nothing of the fact that she would need help once Ganon had been sealed away. From what little he remembered, he had no doubt that she would try to rebuild Hyrule, regardless of how little was left of the once great kingdom.

With some hesitation, he set the idea to the side and considered other possibilities. One of his favorites was the idea of continuing his travels across Hyrule, but this time, taking every opportunity to vacate the beaten track and see everything that his homeland had to offer. For every moment that he had taken to explore the lesser known parts of Hyrule, he guessed that there were ten other locations that he had missed. He had a feeling his curiosity wouldn't leave him be until he had explored every inch of Hyrule and found every nook and cranny of the vibrant land.

His eyes wandered to his silent companion as thoughts of the future continued. He knew that she would have her own obligations when Ganon was defeated, but he wondered if she would accompany him if he did choose to continue his journey.

At the thought, his attention also began to shift. There was another option left to him that he couldn't deny the appeal of. He could accept Mipha's proposal and live out his days in Zora's Domain. He would grow old and frail while his friends and family would remain relatively untouched by time, but he couldn't quite bring himself to care the way he used to. Zora's Domain and its inhabitants were all he had left besides the other Champions. Even if some of his fellow knights had survived the Calamity, they would be long dead by now. But in the Domain, he still had friends that were alive and well. Some of them even considered him family.

However, it wasn't just that. He had known that he and Mipha shared a unique bond for a long time, and if he was to be honest, he wasn't quite sure that he could imagine what life would be like without her. Even so, he was still hesitant to entertain the thought for too long. He had few reservations, but they still held him back.

He wasn't quite sure how he could contribute to her, or the Domain for that matter. While he was by no means a poor swimmer, he wouldn't be able to keep up with any of the Zora, meaning that his contributions in terms of hunting and gathering would be next to useless except for a few rare instances where their abilities wouldn't be of any use.

He wouldn't be able to craft anything that one of the artisans couldn't do themselves, and they had spent decades perfecting that craft as well. Anything he may put together would pale in comparison.

He supposed as Mipha's husband, he probably wouldn't really have to contribute to the economy as much as he would their politics, something that made him grimace. He had never really had the talent nor the inclination to dive into the realm of politics. It required an understanding of how all the pieces moved together and how to move them to one's own ends, a talent that he could not claim as his own.

There was one role he could perform that he at least had some competence in. He could potentially become her personal knight. He knew that she was more than capable of taking care of herself; however, he was also past the point of idealizing her as he had in his childhood. He understood how weak she could be at times, and though he wasn't sure there was much he could do, he could at the very least try to support her as best he could… by being himself.

The thought was ridiculous, but he supposed that reality was really just a collection of strange, unlikely events that somehow coincided to form the reality he knew.

He shook his head as he realized just how close he was coming to sounding philosophical, or wise, or some other form of insanity that people seemed to admire.

"Um… Link… are you going to help me?" Mipha asked as she waded into the waters.

"Yeah," Link replied as he removed his boots and waded in after her.

"Are you all right?" she asked as he joined her.

"I was just thinking about something," he muttered as they continued deeper into the water.

"What were you thinking about?"

"The future," he answered simply before diving down. While his swimming abilities were no match for a Zora, he was still easily able to catch fish with his bare hands. He quickly resurfaced and set them aside.

"Here," she said as she handed over a couple more.

"Thank you." It wasn't as much as he would have normally taken, but it would do for now.

"We can catch more if we need to. I know how hungry you can be."

"I'm okay," Link muttered as he picked up their haul and began heading back to their fire. As he had predicted, Epona had only wandered a couple paces and was grazing on one of the few spots of grass on the otherwise rocky terrain.

Link prepared the fish, feeling Mipha's eyes on him the entire time. Even so, he remained silent for a long time as he took the filets he made and set them in the cooking pot. "… I haven't been as hungry the last couple of days," he finally said quietly.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but that is not like you. Neither is thinking about the future."

"I don't want to be stuck fighting the rest of my life," he replied. "I'm fine with fighting if I have to, but I don't want that to be the only thing that's left for me."

"So, what will you do?"

"I was thinking about going back across Hyrule and trying to find all of the places we missed," he answered with a smile.

"You never did lose that sense of adventure, did you?"

"Or maybe I could… go back to the Domain," he continued, watching her carefully. He wasn't certain, but he thought he caught the faintest traces of excitement, hope, and maybe even a little apprehension in her expression.

"I see."

He smiled despite the simplicity of her response. It was nice to see her face lighten a little, even if it wasn't a full smile. She had always looked much better with a smile on her face.

He handed the Zora Champion her portion when he had finished cooking, and both sat back, eating silently as Epona returned to them. Despite his earlier statement, Link regretted not catching more fish as his stomach rumbled in discontent. Mipha must have noticed as she passed him some of hers and insisted that he eat it.

When they had finished their meal, both stood up, ready to continue on their journey.

"So, what do you suppose Daruk and Urbosa are doing right now?"

"Urbosa! I could use a hand over here!"

"Give me a minute!" Urbosa snapped back as she caught a blow on her buckler. She ducked, pivoting beneath her shield as a second Bokoblin made a swing at her. She cut through her first attacker's thigh, causing it to cry out as it dropped to its knees. She came out of her spin, finishing the first off by stabbing it through the back before promptly planting the heel of her foot into the chest of the second.

With her brief respite, she quickly placed her shield on her back and snapped her now free fingers, summoning a bolt of lightning to strike the Moblin that Daruk was wrestling with.

"Thanks!" he called as he ripped the quivering creature off its feet and used it as a makeshift sword to attack a few Lizalfo that had charged him.

She didn't have time to pull her buckler back out before she was charged again. Rather than falling back, she rushed towards the closest, cutting through its side before rolling under the club of the second. She flicked her wrist, cutting through the third. As it fell, she grabbed its club and flung it at the last one standing, striking it in the face as she rushed forward and ran it through with her blade.

The Gerudo turned to dispatch of the remaining straggler, only to have Midna tackle it and clamp her jaws around its throat. It surprised her that the wolf had returned to them so quickly. She had been sprinting ahead of Urbosa and Daruk since they had found her alone at the Woodland Stable. She would disappear for hours at a time before they would find her again, laying down wherever she had grown too tired to continue. As soon as they caught up to her, she got back to her feet and charged ahead again.

She heard a sickening crunch as she turned to find that Daruk had just smashed his makeshift club into the ground. He rolled his shoulders, huffing as he bent over and picked up his Boulder Breaker.

"Usually, you carry weapons to help you win a fight," she muttered as she joined him.

"It'd help if they didn't catch my swing every time," Daruk huffed.

Despite her usual inclination to continue exchanging verbal barbs, Urbosa wasn't in the mood. There was too much at stake to waste time on teasing Daruk. There would plenty enough time for that after they found the others.

With a brief nod, they once again made their way towards the Stable that stood not far away. As little as she liked the idea of stopping, she knew it was in their best interests. They had been keeping up an unforgiving pace for over a day now, and they needed rest if they were to continue on.

Urbosa was no stranger to the cold, yet she was looking forward to the warmth that a Stable would provide. There was something else she hoped it would provide as well. As soon as she strode through the door, she went straight to the counter and ordered a drink, which she downed in one go as soon as it had been placed in front of her.

"You alright?" Daruk asked as he settled next to her.

"Those three will make a drunk of me yet," Urbosa growled as she slammed the mug down on the counter, scaring the Stablehand who had brought a drink for Daruk. "Are you going to drink that."

"What? This watered down –"

She didn't wait for him to finish as she took it and began downing it as well. She wasn't trying to lose touch with reality, a feat she thought would be difficult with such a weak drink. All she was trying to do was relax so she could think a little more clearly.

As easy as it had been to decide on the best method to find the others early on, it had become increasingly difficult as minutes turned to hours and hours to days. To say she was worried was to put it mildly. Knowing Revali, he had probably done exactly what he had implied he would do, except, rather than defeating Medoh, he had been knocked out of the sky… again.

The Rito Champion was not her only concern, however. Link and Mipha were an altogether different problem that had been plaguing her. In her haze after the Master Sword's memories, she hadn't taken the time to notice the state that Mipha had been in. Had she been more attentive, she would have noticed that the Zora Champion was far from okay, and probably should not have accompanied Link.

She could already feel the gray hairs coming in.

"If you want, the next round –"

Without missing a beat, the Gerudo Champion drew her sword and pointed it towards the oily snake that had spoken, eliciting a nervous chuckle. It wasn't until Midna started growling as Urbosa further brandished her weapon that he backed off, returning to his booth to lick his proverbial wounds.

"Now then," Urbosa muttered as she set the second mug down and stood up, "let's find a map and figure out where we should be heading to next."

Link handed Epona's reins over to the Stablehand before turning back towards the series of bridges that led to the Rito Village. As opposed to earlier, where his thoughts had been taken up by thoughts of the future and concern for the Zora Princess next to him, now his thoughts were directed towards the Rito Champion.

Mipha's focus must have been likewise focused, as she didn't stop to admire the scenery as she usually would have. Instead, she stepped towards the village purposefully, her pace only stymied when she stumbled over her own feet.

"Here," Link said as he caught her and helped her steady herself, holding onto her arm even as she tried to wave him away.

"I don't want to hold you back," she murmured as they crossed the bridge.

"You aren't holding me back," he replied with a frown. With the number of times he needed to be healed, he wasn't quite sure where she had gotten the idea that she was holding him back. If anything, she was probably one of the reasons he was still alive.

"You could have already arrived if it was not for me."

"What good would that have done?" Link asked quietly. At best, he could craft an elixir; however, even that would have been useless as he didn't know what an elixir would require to be specifically tailored to a Rito. "There's not much I can do to help."

"I'm not sure I can either," she said worriedly. He didn't miss the glance she sent down towards her palm. She had tried healing him again earlier that day, with only a modicum more success than she had the previous time.

"We'll figure it out together." He motioned towards her hand when she gave him a questioning look.

"I hope so…"

The rest of their journey into the Village was made in the presence of an uneasy silence. They were greeted by a guard that kept watch at the entrance but were paid no more mind after they returned the greeting.

They wandered through the Village, looking for any sign of their lost companion, but they were unable to find any. Link cringed internally as he looked through the homes of several families with a nearly unobstructed view. He valued his own privacy and felt bad for infringing on the privacy of others, but he supposed that they likely wouldn't mind considering that they had few if any walls.

He stopped, motioning for Mipha to stay quiet as he strained his ears, listening for the sound he had just heard. "Excuse me!" he heard someone call. He looked around, for the source when he felt something hit the ground behind him. He turned quickly as his hand reached for his sword.

He relaxed when he saw a snow white Rito picking herself up off the ground. "Ow," she groaned as she massaged a wing.

"Can we help you?" Mipha asked quietly.

"Oh! Right!" the Rito said excitedly her eyes found the duo. "Are you Link and Mipha?"

"We are."

"Oh good!" she replied excitedly. "Kass told me you two were coming! Your friend is this way, follow me!"

The Hylian and Zora Champion exchanged a glance before quickly following their guide.

"So, may we ask your name?" Mipha asked as she and Link struggled to keep up.

"I'm Medli, Kass' younger sister."

"Oh. How is Kass? He did not say much else other –"

"Here we are!" Medli announced as she showed them into a cluttered house. "Sorry about the mess, but I'm not used to having visitors," she murmured abashedly.

Neither Mipha or Link replied as they quickly crossed the room towards the occupied hammock. In it, bruised and broken almost beyond recognition, lay Revali.

"Oh my," Mipha gasped as she immediately bent over the Rito Champion.

Link stepped back as Mipha's hands moved over Revali's injuries. He began analyzing the room he was in while he waited for Mipha to finish her work. Looking at his fallen companion would stress him out, which would do more harm than good, especially when he took Mipha's fragile state of mind into consideration.

Books, clothes, harps, and even another hammock littered the room in a haphazard mess. He smiled grimly as he realized how lucky Medli was that she hadn't tripped and fallen out of her house.

"I'm going to go get Elder Kaneli," Medli murmured before leaving the room quietly.

Link's eyes wandered back through the various possessions that were strewn across the room. He found some of the trinkets interesting as a Rito would have no reason for having them. There were baubles from Zora's Domain, special stones from Death Mountain, even some items that he could only imagine came from the Gerudo Desert. As enthralled as he was, he couldn't help but tense up as he continued looking through the room's contents.

It took him a minute, but he finally realized what was causing the discomfort. Mipha, still hunched over Revali, was hyperventilating as she held a hand over one of the Rito Champion's injuries.

"Mipha?"

She didn't respond.

"Mipha?" he said louder.

There was still no answer.

"Mipha." He grabbed her shoulders and tried to haul her away as she resisted.

"Link needs my help! Let me help him!"

"I'm right here!" he said loudly as he finally managed to drag her away. Mipha was still fighting to get back to Revali, even as he wrapped an arm around her midsection and pulled her away. He spun her around, so she was facing away from Revali. "Breathe," he said as he set his hands on her shoulders again.

"He stil –"

"Breathe," he ordered gently.

The Zora Champion gulped air down as her breathing began to settle after a long moment. "He still needs my help," she said shakily.

"Not right now," Link replied firmly.

"But –"

"Not right now. You need to get some sleep, and maybe we can try again tomorrow."

"He's dying."

"Revali will be okay."

"Revali? I thought… I thought it was you."

"I'm fine," he whispered as he wrapped her in a hug.

"Oh…"

Link stepped back and gave her a worried look. While she didn't appear to be in as bad a shape as she had been in the days before, but she looked more drained than she had been a few meager minutes before.

"Come on," he said as he took her hand and led her out of Medli's home. He led her back through the Village until they made it back to the inn he had spotted on their way in. He led her inside and paid for a bed for her. He stood close by as she climbed into the bed and got settled. "I'm going to go train," he said, figuring that not telling her where he was going would cause her distress. "I won't leave the Village."

She nodded absently as she stared at the ceiling above her.

He stayed where he was, watching her for a time even as she lay motionless. With a silent sigh, he left, knowing that standing there would do no good. To sit there and watch her suffer in silence would cause him to work himself up, and he was hesitant to introduce any new stressors to her. He was even considering putting off visiting Revali for another day or two before trying again.

He wandered the Village, looking for a spot with ample space for him to train. As he searched, he vaguely wondered why he was so stressed. He had seen his friends injured before, yet Mipha's condition was fraying his nerves more than any of the other past occasions. He knew the answer, but regardless of his feelings, there was nothing he could do for her right now.

He happened across what looked to be a landing pad. He supposed it could be considered rude to take up one for his training, but he wasn't terribly concerned about that right now. Taking his place at the center of the platform, he drew the Master Sword and held it before him again. Taking a step forward, he swung it, feeling comforted by the Blade's song.

On and on he practiced, his body flowing through forms with practiced ease as his thoughts lingered on Mipha. It had taken him time, something that he had been bountiful over the last few days, to figure out his complicated feelings towards the Zora Princess. Ironically, it was his own fault that it had taken so long as he had been overcomplicating everything.

Though there were still aspects that were murky, he had found some clarity in his reflections. The first was the easiest to figure out. He enjoyed her company more than anyone else's. He found her quiet nature to be a welcome change from the typical chaos that had defined his life and actions. He also enjoyed her excitability when it happened. The way her eyes shone and how she stumbled over her words in her rush to say whatever was on her mind were both endearing traits as far as he was concerned.

From there, things began to make less sense, but what he did know was that he enjoyed making her smile. It wasn't just seeing her smile, though he did like the way her face lit up when she was happy. No, it was the knowledge that he had been the one to bring it about that brought him the most joy, even if it was doing something simple, like preparing her favorite meal.

He noticed distantly that he was drawing an audience. Nearly every color imaginable was represented in the feathers that adorned the bird-like race. Adults and children both watched as he unconsciously sped up the pace his swings, but he barely noticed them.

Perhaps the most important aspect of Mipha's presence in his life was that she made him want to be better. Not just in the general sense, but for her specifically. In retrospect, he had noticed that he had a habit of becoming complacent in all parts of his life that were not devoted to the mastery of battle. When he considered her though, whether or not he could swing a sword suitably became a secondary concern. Instead, he worried about whether or not he could do right by her. Oddly enough, once he had realized that, he had wanted to grow closer so that he could continue to better himself.

He continued to his practice, flowing from one form to the next as his thoughts continued on. Though he didn't think there was anything more he could glean right now, he still allowed his mind to wander aimlessly through such thoughts. If he had learned anything it was that subduing his thoughts would only be a detriment and doing so had hurt his closest friend already.

He slowed, coming to a rest exactly in the spot that he had started. He sheathed the Sword and turned back, surprised to see his audience still there. They all started clapping and calling out their praises, making him shift uncomfortably as he waited for them to forget about him.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the crowd eventually dispersed, save a few children who had grabbed twigs and were swinging them in a vain attempt to match his skill and a white Rito who eyed him in an all too familiar way. Before Link could leave the platform, the Rito stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

"The name's Teba. And you are?"

"Link."

"Link? Are you as good with a bow as you are with a sword?"

"No."

He wasn't sure why Teba reminded him so much of Revali. Maybe it was the way that he folded his wings and cocked his head to run a single eye over him. Maybe it was the confidence that he displayed in his stance. Whatever it was, it was like looking at a strange reflection of the Rito Champion.

"How fast do you think you could pick it up?"

"How good of a teacher are you?"

"Meet me back here tomorrow morning."

"I'll have to check on Revali first."

"Revali?!" Teba snapped, jutting his head towards Link. "What joke is this? The Rito Champion died ove- "

"We all survived, slept for a hundred years, he came to reclaim Medoh and nearly died. He's in Medli's house ri- "

Teba didn't wait for Link to finish as he took off, soaring to the upper levels of the Village. Link stood there, caught between his relief at not having to explain how they had survived again, while also wishing Teba had stayed long enough to confirm whether or not they would be meeting in the morning.

He sighed before making his way back to the inn to check on Mipha. When he got there, he found that the Zora Princess had disappeared. After questioning the innkeeper, he found that she knew nothing of Mipha's whereabouts. And so, he retook to the Village, keeping an eye out for the scarlet shade of her scales.

He became increasingly worried as he failed to find her quickly. He looked through various stores, homes, and pathways, failing to find her anywhere. He was about to give up when he rounded a bend and finally found her sitting on the last set of stairs.

"Hello," she said sheepishly as he frowned at her.

He sat down next to her, relieved to find her, and even more relieved that she had snapped out of whatever stupor she had been caught in earlier.

"You should be resting."

"I know," she replied quietly.

As he gave her a reproaching look, he wondered if that was what it had felt like when she would scold him for being reckless. It was still a bit of shock to have their roles flipped on their heads, but he supposed it was bound to happen eventually. It couldn't always be him that had to sit through a lecture.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better, I think."

"Do you know what happened?"

"When I saw Revali… he… turned into you. I wasn't able to -"

"I know," he said, cutting her off before it happened again. He still wasn't entirely sure what would set her off, and so he was determined to step as lightly on such subjects as possible. They sat quietly for a time, neither sure what to say to the other, eventually, Link remembered a story he was sure she didn't know. "Did I ever tell you about how I met Daruk?"

"No," Mipha replied, her interest clearly piqued.

"He came to visit Ordon one day, I guess to check in on my mother and I since he was friends with my father. When he showed up, Owen and I were terrified, because he looked like a stone giant."

"I have a hard time believing that," Mipha giggled with a small smile. He rolled his eyes at her words. She never seemed to acknowledge the fact that he was far from fearless.

"Well, we were. After he introduced himself, though, Owen immediately decided that we should pull a prank on him."

"What prank?"

"He wanted to pour water on his head."

"I still want to know how you two managed to get away with doing that to Muzu."

"We did that to Muzu?!" He was willing to admit that he was a fool, but not foolish enough to pursue every battle that came his way.

"You did," Mipha mumbled tiredly. "That was all I heard about for weeks, even after you both left again."

"Sorry…"

"It was funny. Now, what were you saying?"

"So, we climbed to the roof of my house and had a bucket of water all ready, and my mother was leading him back to our house when a dog got loose and started chasing him. So, Owen and I…" It wasn't until that point that he realized the story involved doing something that Mipha wouldn't have approved of.

"Well, we –" he stopped as Mipha's head suddenly slumped onto his shoulder. He quickly set a finger on her neck, checking her pulse. Her breathing and pulse had slowed, meaning that she had fallen asleep. He let out a deep breath he hadn't known he'd been holding as he looked down at her. He smiled as she mumbled something incomprehensible and shifted. She settled down again as he continued watching.

As he stared down at his favored companion, he once again thought back to all of the times they had shared together. Times spent in the Domain in their younger years as they played with Sidon and the other children. Times spent stealing away from the rest of the world just to escape momentarily from the mounting pressures they both felt.

Even immediately after they had awakened in the Shrine of Resurrection, he had still felt a closeness to her that couldn't be rivaled by any of the others. Even in his memories of Zelda, there was still something missing from that friendship, something that he could only ever find with Mipha. A sense of peace, that in the end, everything would work out. He found that peace to be almost near overwhelming in that brief period of time.

"I love you." He frowned as the words left his mouth. It wasn't the words themselves, the meaning behind them, or even the fact that they had been unintentionally said. No, the words didn't sound as they should. It was almost as though he rasped them rather than spoke them. The words were not smooth and comforting. They had grated so terribly that he was glad that she had not been awake to hear them. He'd have to find some other way to tell her.

He carefully hooked his arms behind her knees and cradled her head as he stood up slowly. As he carried her back to the inn, he couldn't help but think of how little he had to offer in the end. All he had was a blade and few talents, none of which would serve her well in the end. It would be difficult, but he would have to learn to accept that he had his limits and would only be able to do so much for her.

He set her down on the bed and pulled the covers up over her, leaving one hand uncovered as he grabbed a nearby chair and brought it to her bedside. He sat down and took her hand in his, holding it gingerly as she slept on.

He knew it wasn't much, but she had told him that his presence was comforting, so he decided to sit there with her. It was a small action, but he remained steadfast.

After all, right then and there, that was all he could do.

A/N: This is what happens when you hand me the wheel of the Lipha ship.

The next chapter will be the second half of Revali's memories.

By the way, I even mentioned the heel.

Guest Reviews:

Guest(1): Nothing is wrong with you, I just like making you guys do 180s with your feelings.

E.A.T: I felt like I should give him an understandable reason for being a jerk.

Guest(2): Revali is actually remembering the incident incorrectly. That's just how he tries to cope with what happened, which keeps him from ever actually dealing with it.