The pre-determined route from the Castle to Rito Village took them past the old Quarry, where the rocks and resources to extend Hyrule Castle had been mined, over Carok Bridge and then through the Breach of Demise. It was here that Zelda began to tell Link of one of the oldest legends concerning the Triforce. With the emergence of the Demon King, Demise, ruler of the demonic realm, legions of demons and monsters began to invade the Land of Hylia.

Hylia led the mortal forces to fight back against the darkness, all the while fiercely guarding the resting place of the Triforce. But, even for a Goddess, fighting back against the Demon King, a God of his own realm, was a tall order. She would need a Champion to command her forces in battle and help her save the remaining Hylians, sending them high above the clouds. Someone who valued their Kingdom and all the lives within it above their own, one who would suffer through any trial to see it saved.

"She found her Chosen Hero, a Hylian Knight, and gifted him with her own blade to strike down those born of evil. The blade was reforged by his hand for mortal use and he became the first wielder of the Master Sword."

Link was listening attentively, and was surprised to discover that the Sword he carried was actually older than the Kingdom of Hyrule itself.

"What the history books don't tell us is that she found the Knight after he had been wrongfully imprisoned for four years," Zelda explained, her eyes focused on the Sheikah Slate in her hands. There was a note of contempt in her voice, no doubt aimed at the misinformation in the official records. "According to my sources, the Goddesses had blessed him with a warning of an impending assault, but in his attempts to warn his people he was betrayed and thrown in a cell. Despite this, when he was later released and his people asked for his help against the army at their doors, he gave it. I like to imagine that there was probably some manner of 'I told you so' but I digress."

She flashed Link at her side a cheeky grin and he couldn't help but return it.

This is nice, he thought to himself, reminded of all the excursions they used to make in-between visiting the Sacred Springs one hundred years ago. Walking on foot along the paths, with the occasional stop along the way to inspect something that had caught Zelda's attention. She would then start explaining some topic or other that was on her mind to Link, not necessarily expecting a response but happy to know that someone was listening regardless. Link could listen to her for hours if he were honest, still, he had to wonder where she was getting this information if the records didn't detail any of it.

"How do you know all of this?"

"Don't you believe me?" She asked, coyly, and he gave her a bemused look as if to say, is that even a question?

"But in answer to your question, previous Princesses and Queens before me would often see moments from previous Eras where the Master Sword had been wielded, and they transcribed the events for their daughters alone. To aid them should the need arise. However, seeing as I have effectively ended the Royal line I have no guilt whatsoever in re-telling these tales to you, if you would like. Especially when these accounts go hand in hand with the lives of previous Heroes."

Link snorted, "your ancestors left you research, about past Heroes?"

She looked to him with a sirk that hinted at many more secrets, ones Link found himself keen to uncover. How many other stories did she have? How many other adventures were not recorded in the histories of Hyrule? What else had the sword been through? Did it matter?

Judging by the look she was giving him, it would be a challenge to get those stories out of her. He liked challenges.

"Hylia got her Champion, what then?"

Zelda's viridian stare became downcast and sad, glancing away to focus on a spot further up the road. "Demise found him. Even with the Goddess' Blessing, her Chosen was still just a mortal man. He was killed and Hylia sealed Demise away, but everything she was... was destroyed. Reduced to a mortal form."

The cloudy sky gave way to glimpses of sunlight that was periodically blocked by the rock formations above them. Crags of stone, like fangs, lined the ridges on either side of the road they walked, as if they were passing through a gigantic, gnarly set of jaws ready to clamp shut and swallow them.

"Supposedly, this is the very spot where Demise entered our world, but more than likely it's the sinister appearance of this place that sparked the name. Past maps of Hyrule indicate how landmarks seem to shift while others stay fixed... back when this land was still thriving with magic."

Her bitter tone was back and Link didn't even think to question his actions before he reached over and tangled her fingers with his own, giving her an encouraging smile.

The Sheikah Monks had bestowed upon her knowledge of Hyrule's declining magical influence and the weakening bridge to the Goddesses. So, naturally, when she repeated what she had learned to Link she began to make some connections of her own. Along with the shifting landscape of the Kingdom, it was said that a Hylian's pointed ears used to be much longer; a trait given to them by the Goddess Hylia herself so that they may hear celestial voices. Hylian ears now were shorter in comparison, perhaps contributing to Zelda's difficulty when reaching out to the higher powers.

They both wondered if the re-emergence of the Great Fairies and the three Sacred Dragons would spark an increase in the magical reserves that used to fuel their Kingdom. Already there was a greater abundance of augmented flora and fauna with Blupee sightings becoming more common. They were all good indicators and hopefully by the end of these Trials, Link and Zelda would have a greater understanding of Hyrule's future and how best to proceed.

But, there was still something in Hyrule's past that was bothering Link.

"I'm confused on one thing though and I don't mean to be crass but..." He hesitated, weighing up his words, "if you are the direct descendant of the Goddess then … when did she have a child?"

Bless him, he was trying to be as delicate as possible, but as soon as the question was put out there Zelda realised that she had absolutely no idea how to answer. She didn't know when, or more to the point with whom, and that was incredibly frustrating.

"That is a bloody good question. Oh .. oh no, this is going to bug me for ages," She whined, looking genuinely quite distraught and Link could only shrug at her apologetically, swinging their joined hands between them in supplication.

Their route carried on around Ridgeland Tower and past Ludfo's Bog. The ominous storm clouds that usually presided over the area were non existent, so Link took the opportunity to make a detour across the wetlands. His goal? A small, hopping, evocative amphibian. Any of the 'red-footed' variety would do but when the weather was right the rarer 'tireless' species would appear and he knew where best to find them. Now that he had acquired a good technique for stalking the little buggers from Beedle he was confident that he could nab quite a few of them for Zelda to take back to their pond at home.

It was just a matter of getting the timing right.

"The Slate says it should start raining within the hour. Link, are you really going to stay crouched like that? Your hands are going to get cold," Zelda lamented from where she sat on an upturned shield several feet away.

Link was knelt down in the reeds, partially concealed, resting his front weight on his knuckles that were slowly sinking into the silt layer of the drowned grasslands. Patience was what Beedle had told him he needed, and the fortitude to lie in wait for his prey to come to him. Frogs were erratic, so chasing them was a waste of energy and time, better to stay still and leave them unawares as they approached. He didn't move besides a barely perceptible nod in answer to Zelda, keeping his eyes forward and alert for any sign of movement, the illumination along his prosthetic now a dull glow in the daylight. A couple of Cold Darners had already alighted on his shoulder but they were not his quarry today and so they were left in peace to rest on their chosen perch.

True to the prediction, a slight drizzle started to fall on them and the Darners began to flutter away but not before Zelda managed to capture the scene with the Sheikah Slate. She saved the image and then tugged Link's Hylian Hood over her head, settling in to watch and wait.

The rain began to cascade down, the rushing sound of thousands of water droplets hitting the flooded plains increasing in volume, causing plant leaves to bend under the continued assault. It began to bead along the edges of the hood, dropping down in front of Zelda's face and yet Link remained stationary, completely unperturbed by the weather. She pushed the hood back and tilted her head up to face the sky, eyes closed.

Above the relaxing noise of pattering rain, a solitary croak was heard somewhere to her left. Ever so slowly, she opened her eyes and glanced down, trying to discern a shape among the grasses and eventually spotted the perpetrator sat two feet away from her. It wasn't even looking at her, simply staring out into the rain. She held her breath.

A plume of water was jettisoned into the sky as Link snapped forward out of his hiding place, blue lights blurring as both hands extended and grabbed two very startled bronze coloured frogs. A secondary wave of water joined the first as Zelda dived to the side and caged her own, rather airheaded, frog in both hands. She raised her prize high into the sky with a cackle, noting that it was green in colour but happy none the less, and she saw Link also looking rather gleeful with his hands full of frogs. He must have been extra conscious of his right-handed grip as he cradled the slippery creatures.

He splashed over to her, his element of surprise utterly destroyed, and he showed her why he had wanted to come here.

"Fascinating, we briefly saw one of these on that grass bank outside Kakariko, do you remember? So this variety only comes out here under specific weather conditions, and it's more common cousins become more reclusive. I could do a brilliant biodiversity study here on the changes in fauna populations under differing weather conditions." She lightly dragged a finger down the back of the Tireless Frog who gave a pathetic leg kick in a half hearted attempt to escape while it's fellow captive sat obediently in Link's palm, "you know for species called 'Tiredless' they seem a bit lazy."

The shower only lasted for a quarter of an hour, giving way to glimpses of sunshine through the cloud cover so that the Hylain pair could inspect their catches more closely. Link held onto each one carefully, but firmly, as Zelda took their measurements and recorded them into her Field Journal, noting their patterning and size before apologising under her breath as they were stored away into the Slate.

"You know," Zelda started, sitting back into a puddle and not caring about the encroaching damp one bit, "the past couple of days just haven't felt right. This isn't a research expedition, or a casual trip for more materials, this is a Quest. Like we used to … I miss my old outfit."

She twisted around for the Slate, searching it's contents until she found what she was after. The dark blue of her researchers coat faded into a lighter shade that matched Link's tunic, and her gloves morphed into the knuckle studded brown pair she had been so attached to a century prior. Goddesses bless, Impa.

Eyeing a couple of bright green frogs making a mad dash for the safety of the Thundra Plateau Ruins, Zelda gave a wry smile. "I've been trying to shun everything to do with my old Royal life that I forgot about the things I used to enjoy. It's good weather for my study now, actually, I'd like to know if the different frog species can actually co-exist before I introduce them to our pond. "

While she surveyed her surrounding with an open sort of happiness about her, Link felt the comforting warm blanket of nostalgia settle over him. Watching her squint a little against a strong breeze, dirt on her knees and grime on her hands he could almost believe that a century had not passed. This is just like how we used to be. But as he placed his hands behind him to lean back, the cold and wet sensation surrounding only one of his hands reminded him that times had changed and many years had passed. Events had occurred that could not be undone, and even if he were to try to reverse them that would mean risking the outcome they had secured in this Era. He would admit to being weak when he realised that he was unsure if he would be able to do that.

"Wonder if I can breed hybrids?" Zelda muttered, thoroughly throwing Link off of his train of thought.

"Excuse me?" He blurted out, having been caught out by her musings and she looked at him, quite taken aback by his volume, before she started to laugh.

"Frogs, Link, the frogs," she said, flicking some water at him teasingly.

"Oh," he mouthed, unable to stop the tips of his ears flushing as he coughed. "Do you want to try now?"

"What, breeding?" She responded immediately, grinning as Link practically folded in on himself, shoving his face into his knees as his ears burned red.

"Zelda, please... I just want to help you with your field study..." he moaned, voice muffled against his wet leggings.

He felt something touch the top of his head and looking up he saw that she had leaned forward to ruffle his hair in an apologetic fashion.

"I appreciate the offer, Link, and will no doubt take you up on that but sadly my studies must wait for another day. As I said, we are on an Quest after all," she beamed at him and started to pick grass and algae from the hems of her jacket.

[We should visit the Great Fairy in Tabantha] Link offered, throat still tight after his embarrassment, and Zelda made a noise of enquiry to Link's statement so he continued. [She is one of four Great Fairies. Will enhance your clothes to protect you like armour]

He gestured at her current outfit choice, reasoning that if she intended to wear it during their more intensive excursions it would be in her best interest to have her clothes become more durable. Zelda clapped her hands together.

"Oh, yes! That would be wonderful."

[I warn you, they can get … handsy] He made a grabby hands gesture in the air to emphasise his point which caused her eyes to narrow.

"What do you mean by 'handsy'."

Link response was to cough again but his ears were a dead giveaway, as was his uncomfortable fidgeting.

"Link!"

In the resulting lunge, Zelda ended up tackling Link into the water, sending a cluster of frogs scattering into the nearby reeds.


After drying themselves with a Great Flameblade they had continued on towards Tabantha Great Bridge, deciding to stop for the night at the local stables. Their plan was to head straight for Rito Village and then double back to reach the monument for Revali's Trials, but judging by the weather, they may have to adjust their plans a little. Strong winds had picked up as they walked, making them glad that they had taken the time to dry properly and they awoke the next morning to find that steadily darkening clouds had gathered over the lands on the other side of the bridge.

A couple of the stable hands were also watching the sky condense as a grey pallor began to conceal the faraway mountains of Hebra.

"Bit late for a storm, but it was a fairly easy winter. If you're planning to cross the bridge I'd do it sooner rather than later if I were you," they advised Link and Zelda, who nodded and set of to do just that.

As they crossed the Great Tabantha Bridge, Link explained how the canyon was part of the route that Dinraal travelled as it patrolled the north of Hyrule; the Dragon of Power, born of fire. Odd to find it circling a part of Hyrule that was encased in ice and snow for the majority of the year. He showed her pictures he had managed to take of the Dragon as it glided beneath the very bridge they walked on, in all it's blazing glory, and promised to bring her back her to see it at some point. Zelda knew for a fact that he always made good on his promises and she found herself looking forward to it.

Passing between two hills, Zelda spotted another Sheikah Tower glowing brightly against the swirling sky and she was once again struck by just how far away everything was. It had taken two days to go from one regional tower to the next and Link had had to reach each one either on foot or by horse to activate them before they could be used for teleportation. Plus, he had successfully located all one hundred and twenty Shrines using nothing but the Slate's sensor - which wasn't that precise – and some ancient songs shared by Kass. He had managed all of that, along with various other small jobs he did for people and clearing paths full of monsters, in under a year.

It was a miracle he hadn't burnt out before he reached her.

Eventually, the high rising spire that housed Rito Village came into view and coming in from the north was a bank of thick, dark cloud cover. It's ominous presence threatening to engulf the village if they didn't make haste and they quickly donned their winter outfits.

The wooden planks along the swaying bridges leading up to Rito Village creaked in the blustering winds that swept through the tall, rock pillars of Lake Totori. Zelda had to grip onto the side rails as she put one foot in front of the other, grinning against the gales that whipped her hair about behind her. She had to laugh as Link attempted to cross the bridges without holding onto anything, legs spread apart wide as if he were surfing the boards beneath him, ending up on his knees quite a few times when the capricious winds tipped the bridge. It was a particularly strong gale that had Zelda hastily pulling herself along the handrail as Link scrambled quickly off of the bridge.

He turned back and held a hand out for Zelda to take when a separate rush of air passed over him accompanied by a flash of feathers. Looking up he could see two Rito, both with a deep burgundy plumage, soar over them; the guards that patrolled the spire islands. One kept an eye on him and the other hovered close by Zelda.

"If you fall off we'll catch you, don't worry!" The Rito above Link called out, circling around the island again to ride the up drafts.

Link gave him a thumbs up and waited for Zelda to get within an arms length from him before he helped her lunge onto steady ground.

"I wonder how durable these bridges are, what do you think?" Zelda asked, peering over the side of the next one they had to cross before they could get into the Village.

Link shrugged and shook his head, but was saved from having to guess as the Rito that had spoken to him before alighted beside them.

"We're more concerned with you being blown off than the bridges themselves collapsing," the Rito replied, who was now recognisable as Gesane. "This storm has caught us a bit by surprise and most of us have gone back to our nests in the spires, so the village is practically empty right now. But, I've seen Gorons roll across here before, so if you're thinking of legging it to the other side, by all means."

He swept a wing out towards the bridge before taking to the sky again, patrolling his route from the air. Link and Zelda shared a look.

"I'm good for a run," she offered, even as her logical side argued that going slowly whilst holding onto the support was the much safer option. The idea of yet more physical exertion seemed to make his eyes sparkle and he nodded.

With her standing in between the two posts at the start of the bridge, and Link close behind her, she had to wonder just where he got all his energy from. Well, he does eat a lot.

After waiting for a large gale to rock past them she kicked off into a sprint. Her feet thundered over the wooden boards and she could hear Link's own footsteps covering hers as they dashed, aiming to cover the distance before another gale could pass over them. The drop into the lake below, which must be absolutely freezing, was gut clenching and she gripped the glider at the small of her back tightly as she ran. Despite the imminent danger, the adrenaline surging through her system was very enjoyable and she wondered if this was why Link was always ready to stand before ridiculous challenges.

Zelda reached the end, making contact with stable ground, and she had about a second to get her balance back before lean muscle collided with her back. Arms wrapped around her waist in an attempt to prevent her from falling over but still she had to lean forward slightly in order to accommodate the extra momentum. Clearly, Link had not been expecting her to come to a complete stop as soon as she stepped off of the bridge, and he barely had enough time to slow down before running into her.

"Is this some weird Hylian thing? Please don't tell me it's a Hylian thing, actually don't answer at all, I don't want to know."

The still joined pair looked up to see a stern looking, white feathered Rito descending the stairs and Link lifted a hand to give Teba a wave.

Placing his arm back around Zelda, she cocked her head a little, glancing down at his arms and then round at him. Upon noticing his continued hold over her Link almost detached himself from her, as he tended to when in front of people, but then thought to himself, why should I? Instead, he gave her a subtle squeeze which was rewarded by a pleased hum as she leaned her head back against his.

They could both hear the approaching Rito clack his beak as he laughed.

"Ah, so that is indeed why I found myself several rupees richer these past few weeks. I thank you," he bowed to them with a sardonic flourish of wings, "although I did think it was obvious. Then again, I do have to listen Kass practice his ballads whenever he is here, bit hard not to expect this outcome after you hear those again and again."

Link winced in sympathy, not that Kass's songs were not good, but hearing anything on repeat was bound to drive anyone mad, especially thatstory. Still wrapped in Links arms, and having absolutely no desire to move whatsoever protected by the wind as she was, Zelda was unable to greet Teba properly and had to settle for a wave.

"If I may ask, what was your bet?" She enquired, eyeing the Rito shrewdly.

"That he," a large pinion pointed directly at Link, "would just announce it casually in conversation. Reserved as he is, when he does speak subtle he is not."

Link looked offended, despite the observation being completely true, but Zelda's brows crested in confusion.

"But we – I mean you're right," Zelda admitted and Link's expression of consternation turned to the back of her head instead, "but it happened just between us with no-one else around to say that your bet was the right one, so who-"

She stiffened and then her eyes narrowed, "Purah."

"Well, we were on her roof," Link whispered to her, nudging her head with his own before he withdrew his arms. She almost reached back to pull him back around her again.

"Well, however it got out, it did and now I have the Chief of the Gerudo claiming that I somehow cheated. I said no, I just relate to Link's reserved nature and I also happen to be the only one out of the four of us who is married." The Rito rolled his eyes, dark brows furrowing, "apparently, that's not good enough reasoning but she coughed up her side of the bet, so I can't complain too much."

He fixed them with both of his predatory eyes and folded his wings over each other, but before he could ask them about their visit a rainbow wave of fledglings cascaded down the stairs behind Teba. They beelined for Link, who had braced moments before the baby Rito collided with his legs, all squawking and chirruping away, happy to see him. Zelda hid her smile behind her hand and then felt a wing drape over one shoulder.

"Come, this way. You can tell me about your visit as we go, no doubt you're here for Kass too. Let's see if we can find him, he was here just a couple of days ago."

The white feathered warrior guided her up the stairs, and as she looked back over her shoulder she caught sight of Link kneeling down to greet the youngsters individually. He didn't seem to need saving, so she allowed herself to be led up the Village and true to the guards earlier words the place seemed emptier than usual.

"Besides coming here to visit you, we're also here to investigate a newly emerged Ancient Sheikah monument," Zelda explained, waving in the general direction of where it should be according to the beacon on their map. "It pertains to Trials akin to the ones that Revali had to undertake before Vah Medoh would accept him as it's pilot. Now, we – or I should say Link – need to complete these Trials so that we may once again control Vah Medoh. Of course, it's fate will remain up to the Rito people once we have mastered it, just as Vah Rudania and Vah Ruta are now in the hands of the Gorons and Zora respectively."

"You two don't do casual visits, do you?" Teba noted, raising a solitary brow.

"We really should, given that we can teleport," Zelda muttered but she was surprised when Teba merely flapped a wing at her.

"Do what you want to do, if you're happy keeping to yourself and Link then you do that. Don't let others pressure you into things for the sake of formality and expectations."

Huh, I can see why Link respects him so much, Zelda thought as she watched Teba approach two Rito women, one pastel green and the other a bright pink. And why he thinks of him as a supportive father figure.

Teba beckoned her over and as she drew near she immediately recalled who the other two Rito were; Amali and Saki.

"Hello, Lady Zelda, it's nice to see you again but I'm sad to say that Kass isn't here," Amali greeted, folding her wing tips together. "He was here for a week, working on a new song of his. He finished it just before the storm started to come in and said he was going to take a trip to the south coast. That's where he usually goes when inspiration strikes him."

"He doesn't take you with him?" Zelda asked, knowing that Kass must be away from home for long periods of time if he was flying all over Hyrule.

"Oh! No, I much prefer keeping myself busy here in the village," Amali's feathers along her shoulders and neck puffed up a little in the short pause, "I don't enjoy travelling all that much, and the girls are too young to fly large distances. Speaking of... Girls! Leave him alone, goodness me."

The other two Rito transferred their attentions to something coming up the stairs behind Zelda, amid a clattering of talons and flapping of wings. Turning around, Zelda spotted Link being led – dragged – up the wooden staircase. There was even a new fledgling in the mix, a white feathered boy with a couple of feathers tufted on his head; Tulin. Link didn't appear to be particular bothered, however.

"Dad, Dad!" Tulin exclaimed, his wings flapping harshly as he dashed to his father's side, "can Link come with us to the Flight Range? Please?"

"Did you actually ask Link if he wants to first?" Teba asked, patiently.

"Oh … right," the young Rito responded, subdued for a moment before running back to Link to make his request.

"Kid's always action first and consideration later," Teba remarked, but his beak was curved up in a fond smile.

"Hmm, I wonder where he gets that from," Saki said and the white warrior's head whipped round to face her looking startled.

"Are you implying that I am-"

"Of course not, dear."

Amali had turned away to hide her tittering behind one wing and Zelda herself was struggling not to react too overtly to the domestic display. Thank fully a distraction reached them in the form of Link and his brightly coloured entourage, with Tulin hopping up and down in excitement.

"You're going to train with Teba?" Zelda asked Link and he confirmed with a silent nod, "going to work on your perception ability?" Another nod.

The girls clustered around his legs started to whine but we're quickly shepherded off by their mother, who wafted them away gently, while Tulin started to tug on his fathers armour.

"Ah, he agreed then," Teba stage-whispered as he was gradually moved towards Revali's Landing, "by the way, you two will need to stay in the Trailhead Lodge. With the bad weather it won't be safe for you so exposed up here."

Zelda had no idea where this 'Trailhead Lodge' was but Link was giving Teba a thumbs up and retrieving his glider, bow, and a quiver of arrows from the Sheikah Slate. As he passed by he handed her the Slate and pointed on the map to where the lodge was located at the base of the Hebra Mountains, leaving a little star marker where his finger had pressed the screen. He then gestured at her and then to himself and Teba, who was getting ready to launch himself from the landing.

"Oh, no, you go on ahead. I'm actually feeling a little tired, so I'll stay here with Amali and Saki," Zelda said, looking over at the Rito in question, "is that alright?"

"Oh, absolutely, last time you came here Teba and Kaneli hogged you all to themselves and we barely got to talk to you," Saki assured.

"Besides, Kass has been telling us some very fanciful stories, perhaps you can confirm or deny those claims?" Amali added, resting her feather tips on Zelda's shoulder.

"I'd be delighted to!" Zelda said and she found that she really did mean it. It was nice to have bursts of socialisation every once and a while.


Once the others had flown and glided off to the Flight Range, Zelda was led around the village to point out things that had been introduced over the last century and to greet other Rito before they retreated into their nests. While some Rito would rest in the village a majority of the population was housed in nests located in and around the island spires, and in times of harsh weather all of the Rito would retreat to their safer nests until the conditions were safe again. Adults could brave the storms, but the younger ones and newer fledglings could suffer serious injuries.

As they stood on the grassy ledge by the Village's shrine, Amali leaned over the edge and pointed down a little offshoot spire that was connected to the village by a short bridge.

"I live in that spire just down there."

"And my nest," Saki redirected their attention to a tall spire behind them and flung a wing out to point near the top, "is way up there."

"Any particular reasons?" Zelda asked, wondering if the nesting spots were perhaps inherited a bit like Hylian houses.

"Vantage point," Saki shrugged.

"It's close to the village," Amali said, "the girls don't have to go far."

When Zelda asked about the Trailhead Lodge, the Rito explained that a Hylian woman, by the name of Selmie, had refurbished a log cabin at the end of the official trail that led into the mountains. It was a half-way house of sorts for travellers who needed to rest before taking the path up into Hebra but very few people ever used that route any more because it hadn't been maintained in years.

"You won't have to worry about any other wayward travellers in the area as the local Stable is stopping anybody from going any further up the road due to the weather." Saki informed her, waving at the sky lazily. "Actually, now that I think about it, Hylians don't tend to come this close to the mountains until the summer. We only tend see your lot at the Stable because they stop there before going up into Tabantha Tundra."

Zelda had to admit that she had done the very same thing herself a century prior. Hebra was one of the places she had virtually no personal experience of – besides that awful day where Link nearly died of hypothermia - something she aimed to change once the next set of trials were revealed.

"Oh! Shall we get some food?" Amali suggested, "I imagine Genli is already sitting in front of the cooking pot, hoping it'll make food for her."

The trio agreed to end their walk around the village and came to sit in the kitchen area, where Genli was indeed staring at the unlit cooking pot while her sisters watched the building storm. Gently nudging her green daughter out of the way, Amali set about making some toasted snacks and began discussing ideas for the coming summer.

Amali, who was already an experienced fletcher, wanted to take up bow crafting and she also hoped that Kass would be spending more time at home, which Genli agreed with wholeheartedly. Saki was planning to introduce Tulin to things other than combat but she reasoned that the choice would ultimately be his. Zelda briefly mentioned her plans to cultivate a population of frogs in her pond. Prompted by the curious looks from both of her Rito companions, she explained how she had been developing new elixir recipes and applications for enhanced flora and fauna.

Which brought her onto a point she had nearly forgotten about with all the activity going on; Zelda had been planning to bake Link a cake.

She knew his birthday was soon as it was nearing the end of Spring and then it would be the start of Farore's Festival, where plants would fill out in a healthy, strong green and crops would flourish. It was probably a good idea if Zelda practised a little first; theoretically, baking was much like chemistry, but practically speaking it was anything but as straightforward.

Link would probably cry if she tried to claim that baking was as simple as chemistry.

She decided to experiment on a cake that should restore some of his energy, if her theory was correct. Her use of the word 'experiment' caused Saki to look at her in alarm, but Amali did not seem to be against the idea.

Despite the frequent breaks both Link and Zelda had been taking during these Trials, Link's overall exhaustion must have been accumulating, so this would be a nice little pick-me-up for him. Now that she was in Rito Village it seemed to be the prime opportunity to try her hand at baking, especially when all the ingredients could be found locally.

In addition to substituting regular carrots for the endura variety she also included a measure of Monster Extract; the augmentation catalyst. If mixing magically enhanced ingredients with monster parts could draw out the beneficial effects into an elixir, then it would stand to reason that doing so in cooking should create a similar effect. You just had to use the right catalysing derivative. So far, her experiments had been limited, with herself as the test subject, but her last few attempts had been a marginal success. The swift carrots had indeed made her faster, but it also made her talk faster, which had left Link feeling very overwhelmed in conversation. Is it still a conversation if it is completely one-sided?

Regardless, she was going to make this cake and she was going to make it work, despite the worried frown Saki was giving her as Amali relied instructions on how to bake a carrot cake. Before the curious attentions of the rooms occupants, an hour later Zelda was in possession of a perfectly respectable carrot cake. It was slightly more orange than intended but she didn't think that would put Link off. Still, she wasn't about to feed him something she hadn't first tested herself.

Taking a very fine sliver of carrot cake from the edge, she nibbled at it carefully and was delighted to find that it tasted as it should, if perhaps a little sweeter than expected. She waited for any ill effects to take her and when none did, she beamed up at her audience and gave them a thumbs up. Both adult Rito breathed a sigh of relief before giving a trill and chattering their beaks in congratulations as Zelda stored it away in the Sheikah Slate.

"I must say well done, I won't be doubting you so easily again. Unfortunately, it's about time that I took my leave," Saki said, brushing a wing against Zelda's back on her way out. "I should see you about tomorrow, and don't wait here too long. You'll need to reach that cabin in good time before night falls."

"Thank you, and I will... I'd probably be better off meeting Link at the Flight Range at this rate," Zelda concluded.

"Well, I hope he comes back soon," Amali said, looking out of the kitchen toward the setting sun, "it's getting late, speaking of which..."

At this, she turned her narrowed eyes upon her many daughters, and raised one feathered brow. This must have been a silent signal for her offspring to evacuate the immediate area and spill out into the village, leaving a multicoloured cluster of feathers in their wake.

"Every time," Amali sighed, dashing out after them, "it's well past your bedtime, girls!"

Zelda watched with amusement as the pastel green Rito skidded out onto the wooden landing with a clatter of talons before racing up the stairs. It was with a fond smile that she wondered what it would be like with a child of her own; would she be the one to round them up or would Link take that upon himself?

She jolted and hastily began to derail from that line of thought before a small voice in her head piped up; why not think about it?

While it was true that she intended to have a child at some point - her legendary powers would need to be passed down through her bloodline – she had not previously combined that notion with Link. But if not him, who else? The idea of having a child with anyone else was utterly repulsive to her, so it would be him or no-one else. If Link did not wish to have children then the Goddesses better have a back up plan.

Such an epiphany suddenly made her need to sit down so she sat, placing her chin in one hand with her elbow propped up onto her knee. Staring out into space, she decided to give this some serious thought.

Of course I'd need to actually discuss this with him first, and I'm not in any position to consider such a drastic life change just yet. Also, I'm just not a very motherly person but honestly … I don't intend to be with anyone other than Link. Regardless of the fact that he's good with children, it does not mean he wants one of his own. Plus, the continuation of the Goddess Bloodline isn't the best reason to have a child. She placed her face in both hands and groaned, for once wishing that she didn't have such an hyperactive mind. One thing at a time, Zelda. We may sleep in the same bed, but we haven't actually slept together yet.

While she would very much like to, it was clear that he wasn't ready for that yet and she wasn't about to rush him.

Concluding that this was an issue she wouldn't have to deal with for another few years, at least, she proceeded to sweep it under a mental rug and left it at that. Now, she just needed to get her cake back to the cabin safely.

Even though she enjoyed the scenery of the snowy peaks and fur tree lined mountains, with the setting sun dyeing everything a wonderful shade of pink, the contrasting cold front and racing clouds only heightened her awareness of how little time she had left to get to the cabin. They needed to get somewhere that was sheltered and secure so that Link and herself could go to sleep cozy and warm, together.

Scrutinising the map, the distance it would take on foot to circle Lake Totori and meet Link at the Flight Range was too far and would take too long. But the more time she spent dithering here, the chances of Link trying to walk back to the village grew by the second. She was loathe to go back on her self imposed limitation of not using teleportation and was about to make an amendment when she remembered her glider strapped to her back.

A grin slowly spread across her face as an idea formed and she turned her gaze up the stairs to where the landing platform by the Shrine was. She reached a hand behind her.


Training with Teba was usually pretty strenuous, repeating an action again and again, but thank fully this was just how Link liked it. After demonstrating his recently discovered, and rather peculiar, ability Link was tasked with trying to catch an arrow while in free fall.

"An arrow will be moving a lot faster than your average monster, so you'll have to actively judge the distance and the timing yourself. But you've said that it comes more easily to you while under pressure, so we'll start with this then you can later move onto to having arrows fired at you while standing still. Let's start!"

None of the shots made by Teba came from any one spot, thus, there was an additional element of pressure as he would not have a single flight path to focus on. Link didn't think Teba would purposefully aim for him directly, but if he wasn't careful with his gliding he could get snagged by one.

Half an hour in, a dull thunk and a sudden tension in his midriff signalled that Link had an arrow embedded in the thick leather armour of his abdomen as his hand snatched the air a second after it. He landed briefly to wrench it out, letting the arrow clatter onto the wooden boards, before catching the wind in his glider again. Dive after dive, Link would come close to catching some but others would sail straight past him. As he made another lunge for an arrow, that ended up being far too late, he realised something.

That wasn't the same … That didn't feel the same!

"Your reaction time just now wasn't any faster than is naturally possible," Teba announced, swooping by Link who was being held aloft by the drafts.

"It wasn't!" He yelled back, pleased despite the failure, "but I noticed a difference that time. I need to keep going!"

"I think this is enough for now, Link," Teba called, ushering the blonde Hylian back up to the archery hut. "We've made good progress but it's getting late, come."

Link headed the Rito's words, pitching the glider to one side to steer himself down and stepped onto the frosty landing, almost buckling under his weight as fatigue caught up to him. Now that he was no longer pressuring himself to focus constantly, a fog started to settle over his mind and his limbs demanded that he sit. Lurching forward he was able to drop onto the woven mats in front of the lit cooking pot and a wide yawn escaped him.

"Hehe, I guess you're tired, huh?" Tulin laughed, having watched the Hylian practice shot after shot and marvelling in child-like wonder the entire time.

"I'm sure, after concentrating that long anyone would be. If this is how intensely you train to become so proficient with all of your weapons I'm not surprised that you were named the Hylian Champion." The elder Rito came to stand by his son, absent-mindedly ruffling Tulin's head feathers, "though, I get the impression Champion Revali did not see it that way."

Link snorted, but he couldn't do much else as his arm felt like it was made of lead and he lacked the wherewithal to form verbal words. His guardium arm could be moved through sheer mechanics, but the intense glow that could previously be seen through his snowquill armour during training was now gone. I'll have to tell him about Revali's challenging nature some other time...

As if reading his mind, Teba went on to say, "according to his diary, Revali … didn't think very much of you, yet at the same time your indifference infuriated him. I imagine he probably wanted to compete against you, but I don't think your silence was a dismissal, was it? You probably just didn't see the point."

It was true, Link remembered all the jabs and verbal barbs that Revali threw his way, as well as the posturing, but none of it had really bothered him. He still wasn't sure why it had mattered so much to the Rito Champion, what would fighting him have proven? That the Rito were superior archers and that he had complete mastery over the sky? Of course he did. So Link could never quite fathom why his fellow Champion felt like he needed to goad him into a response. Had he wanted his opinion? Link would never know.

He snapped upright when he realised that he would, in fact, be able to find out and ask Revali himself once they mastered Vah Medoh. Oh, conquering his Divine Beast his going to drive him mad, he realised, wincing.

Teba mistook Link's uncomfortable expression for one of pain and insisted that they start making their way home.

So, it was a flushed and windswept Link that began to trudge up the sloping path away from the Flight Range. As he passed the Sha Warvo Shrine on his right, he suddenly heard the rapid crunching of snow as if someone were running towards him. He paused to judge an oncoming shape, concealed in the falling gloom, until the figure was close enough and Zelda came into focus, looking out of breath but elated.

"I see you're in safe hands, now, so I'll be setting off. I need to get Tulin back before Saki starts to get worried. You did well today," Teba said, patting Link on the back.

The adult Rito bid them both good bye and wished them safe travels before he spread his wings and took off into the sky, making sure that Tulin rushed up to follow him. The pair were soon out of sight, their pale plumage camouflaging them in the flecks of snow that had started to fall. The flakes drifted across the sky violently before they collected upon Zelda's hair like tiny decorations. A couple more landed on the tips of her eyelashes and she blinked them away.

[You look pleased with yourself] He signed, hand movements more sluggish than he was accustomed to and she shuffled closer to him to take his hands in her own.

"I am, I managed to glide here all by myself from the Village, and I have something to show you but not until we get to the cabin. You look about ready to drop."

As she pulled him along, he gave her a sleepy look of contentment which was then thoroughly broken by another huge yawn. His limbs turned to jelly as he followed her on autopilot, feet dragging through the snow.

"Come on, there's a fire and a bed with our names on it."

That perked him up a little.

As it turned out, getting to the cabin wasn't as hard as she had predicted. The high winds and snowfall had given them a short reprieve and the Rito had been keeping the Icy Lizalfo populations around their village down so they did not encounter any surprises. They still had to be careful with their footing though.

Once in the lodge they beelined for the fireplace; Zelda took her flamespear from the Slate and jabbed it into a bundle of wood tossed into the grate to set it alight and Link grabbed a kettle full of water to hang over the fire. With those initial tasks done, they both flumped onto the fuzzy rug beneath their feet, a patchwork of animal furs, and watched as the fire flickered and danced along the kindling. The cracks and pops of expanding and splintering wood were the only sounds to fill the cabin as their bodies wound down from the harsh climate outside. This close to the heart of Hebra, even their cold resistant clothing had trouble keeping the chill of the buffeting wind at bay.

Eventually, the cold repelling enchantments on Links magically enhanced armour started to make him huff and Zelda had to nudge him to take it off, her own overcoat having already been discarded.

"It's so soft," Link whined, but she was having none of it, tugging at the reinforced leather like a child until he swiped his hand across the Sheikah Slate to remove it all in one go.

Now he sat in nothing but his underwear, squinting into the fire as he waited for the kettle to whistle. He didn't even notice when Zelda left his side to change until his night clothes collided with his head, dropping down over his face. Peeking out from underneath them, he spotted her changing into her own sleep wear just behind him and it was only because the kettle began screaming that he was forced to look away.

Carefully unhooking the kettle, he brought it down onto the hearth and unwrapped a package of dried chamomile and tea leaves to steep in the hot water. It was nice and warm in the cabin now, and he felt comfortable and calm, watching the hot water start to turn a soft gold. Pouring some tea into two small cups, Link moved on to constructing some skewers for them to eat - chunks of meat alternating between slices of mushroom and pepper. After he had set them to lean around the edge of the cooking pot, the tea was cool enough to drink and Zelda rejoined him on the floor. She passed him some rubbing alcohol to clean off his hands and then accepted her tea with a kiss to his cheek, feeling the ache and fatigue in her body start to melt out of her. After taking a sip from her cup, she nestled into his side and he laughed as she started to dig into him excessively.

"You're doing that on purpose," he rebuked, as she finally got comfortable and opened her journal to write down some notes from their travels.

"I would never."

Waiting for the meat to cook through, occasionally rotating the sticks by the fire, Link sat still letting his hand be warmed by the tea cupped between them and listened to Zelda's pen track across paper. She had such good retention for detail and an expansive amount of observation to notice all the details in the first place. No doubt, while he could only admire the alien structures and the form of Ancient Sheikah monuments, she probably saw numerous intricacies and references within the designs which could all be linked together. He worried sometimes that she felt she couldn't express her ideas or thoughts because it would come across as annoying or nonsensical to him. While it was true, he struggled to truly grasp most of her theories, he still loved hearing them and resolved to remind her of that sometime. But, perhaps, when he was more alert and had more energy to engage.

The smell and sound of sizzling meat brought him out of his reverie, and he picked up the skewers, hissing when the heated wood bit into his skin. He switched to his prosthetic hand to divvy up the skewers onto plates and warned Zelda that she should let it cool for a little bit. He hoped that she had heard him as she was still very much involved with her research, and the absent nod she gave him was none too encouraging. It became apparent that she hadn't really heard him as a few seconds later there was a sharp 'ow!' and an expletive as Zelda waved her hand around.

"I did say they were hot," Link reminded her gently, taking her hand to put some icy chu chu jelly on it while she sulked.

As soon as her finger was no longer red and sore, he released her hand so she could dig into her food which was now a much healthier temperature. He couldn't help but recall his earlier thoughts about her powers of observation, stifling his laughter by sticking a skewer into his mouth.

While Zelda preferred to pull off pieces of meat and vegetable from her skewer individually so she could continue writing with her other hand, Link conversely tried to fit the entire skewer in his mouth to eat it in one go. Surprisingly, he was largely successful.

Once all of the skewers were gone, and a disappointed Link inspected the fireplace for any bits of food he may have missed, Zelda decided to tempt him with the cake she'd made.

"Still hungry?" She asked.

"A little," he murmured, sitting back on the rug dejected.

"Well then, it's a good thing I made you some cake earlier while you were training."

"You made me cake?!"

Now very alert, Link watched with interest as she picked up the Slate and swiped through it until she found the icon of a carrot cake. It had a small yellow symbol next to it indicating that it had stamina recovering properties and she tapped on it with a proud smile on her face. A freshly baked cake on a plate formed from particles of blue in her hands and Link could already feel his mouth watering.

"Ta-da," sung Zelda, wiggling the plate in her hands slightly.

"You made this for me?" Link asked, sounding incredulous and just a little bit touched.

"We've been taking our time but these Trials are very intensive and then there are the Shrines on top of that. Plus, you've also been teaching me hand to hand combat, how to climb, use a spear, and aiding with my archery. You must be shattered but you never complain. So, this is a cake I made that should restore your energy. It's a little something new I'm trying alongside my elixir research, introducing the magical benefits of ingredients into otherwise ordinary recipes. This is made with endura carrots and some Monster Extract. I've tried something like this before so it should be ok ..."

The cake must have been more than ok, because once Link had been supplied with a knife he cut a huge slice and took a big mouthful. He chewed happily, humming with glee as he did so, and then swallowed his mouthful to respond to Zelda's hesitant expression.

"I know you wouldn't give me anything that might hurt me. It's delicious."

He licked the crumbs off of his lips and then carried on eating the rest of his cake slice, gesturing for her to have some herself. She neglected to mention that she had already tried it and picked up the knife to take a piece for herself, biting into it carefully with a hand below her mouth to catch the crumbs. They sat quietly munching away, bouncing their knees off of each other and then tangling their legs together as twilight gave way into night and the fire became their only source of light in the house.

"So, did you like the cake?" Zelda asked, storing away the rest of the cake for them to eat another time. Even though the happy noises Link had been making were a good sign, she was prone to second guessing herself.

He nodded, eyes now very bright and eyelids lowered.

"Oh good," Zelda breathed, "I wasn't sure if using a different ingredient in tandem with- Link?"

While she had been eating, he had been getting steadily closer and he untangled his legs from her so he could swung a knee over her lap. Kneeling over her legs, she had to look up to remain focused on his face as his collarbone became level with her eyes. He brought up his hands to sign to her.

[I'd love to tell you how much I liked it but...]

Then he dipped down so that he was very close, almost nose to nose, before he tilted his head past her to whisper into her ear, "I'd much rather show you, if you'll let me."

Blushing a furious red, Zelda had begun nodding her head in earnest before he'd actually finished his sentence. Yes, yes she would absolutely let him. Completely blind sided and unable to fathom where this mood had come from, she allowed herself to be supported back against the furs beneath them, catching his lips with hers as they went down.

It took Link a lot longer to move away then he had originally intended, finding their new position very appealing. He used the arm that had guided her to the rug, that was now curled around her back, to tug her closer to him, the subsequent pressure of their bodies pressed together pleasing to them both. He knew that if he delved any deeper into her mouth he would not want to move away, so he gradually began working his way down her body. He had plans, after all, had been thinking about this for a while. Leaving a trail of open mouth kisses from her neck, over her chest, and across her clothed stomach, he slid his knees back until he lay with his head between her parted thighs.

Zelda began threading her fingers through the tufts of fur under her palms as she felt her night gown slowly drag up her legs and over her hips. The sensation of her clothing slowly being removed adding to the building anticipation that warmed her all over. As she felt his tongue run over her in a long, slow stripe, her back arched towards the ceiling and a broken gasp left her mouth.

They were going to have a very late night going to bed.


Link awoke in the early morning confused and disorientated but altogether feeling very content, his body lax and warm.

Given the events of last night, both himself and Zelda had decided not to bother relocating to the bed, instead they lay side by side getting their breath back and falling asleep to the sounds of the wind whistling through the mountains. They'd had the good sense to drag a blanket out of the Slate to cover themselves with, before the welcoming texture of the soft rug lulled them off to sleep.

Releasing a long exhale, he felt a similar puff of air against his ear and minutely tilted his head to the side to see that Zelda had curled around him, with one hand holding onto his prosthetic and the other cradling his shoulder. While most days the realisation that he could not feel it would cause a twinge of hurt, this morning he was happy to admire the way the steadily brightening lights reflected off of her skin. Due to the extended amounts of time outdoors, the freckles along her forearms had become much more pronounced and he traced them lightly with a finger.

He then moved his hand up to rub a thumb against her cheek but the sensation caused her to wrinkle her nose and turn her face away, determined to remain asleep. Unfortunately for her, Link knew they had things to do and slipped out of her grasp to go about his morning activities, retrieving his boxers from under the blankets as he went. Only once he was equipped with a steaming cup of aromatic tea, did he try to tempt her out of the blankets and start getting ready for the day.

The storm had passed, and while the sky was not bright blue with the sun shining, it was a pale grey of thin cloud cover with a light falling of snow. They crunched their way back to Rito Village, hand in hand, making predictions for what the Trials would require of them and pointing out the occasional snowcoat fox. It took them until noon to reach the first of the wooden bridges, which were mercifully still this time around.

Walking into the village the usual array of various feather colours was back as the residents had returned from their nests to undergo their daily tasks. Climbing to the top level, they had so far gone unnoticed by the rainbow children but the reason for this became apparent as they reached the landing by the village shrine.

Kass was back.

"Ah! There you are, I was hoping that I would find you here. Amali tells me that you were keeping her company yesterday, Lady Zelda. I thank you," the bard said, bowing a little as they approached.

"Any time," Zelda said, smiling over at the pastel coloured Rito but was surprised to see that the other woman was looking at them with an odd expression. She looked almost... sympathetic.

"Girls," Kass addressed his children, "would you mind letting me speak to these two alone for a moment. I promise we can all sing together once I am done."

With assorted grumbles here and there, the fledglings obediently left the landing, their mother close behind them. Oddly enough, she gave Link a brief pat on his shoulder as she passed by them before descending the stairs with her daughters.

"I must admit I was worried I might have missed you," Kass began, drumming his feathers against his accordion nervously, "I had completed my ballad to Revali but I could see no signs of you. Naturally, I reasoned it would take you longer to reach Tabantha from Eldin than it did to go from Zora's Domain to Death Mountain. I found myself restless with inspiration so I went to the coast of Lurelin Village, such a quaint little place and tucked away from everywhere else, it's the ideal spot to practice my verses."

He paused to place his accordion down gently on the floor beside him looking out over the mountains before he gave them his undivided attention.

"While I was there, I happened upon an old lady. She told me that she has lived there for the majority of her long life, but she had once lived in Castle Town, back when it still stood. She also told me of a brother she once had, who'd had a destiny that was far greater than she could have ever understood at the time. One day he left to fulfil his responsibility but he did not return, and she learnt that he had died in a place far from home."

Link had gone unnaturally still at this point but Zelda didn't dare try to touch him, and with a sinking feeling she suddenly understood Amali's gestures.

"She also spoke of the recent stories that had reached her from all over Hyrule. A young Hylian, travelling across the Kingdom that had been solving peoples problems one by one. They would walk into a nation plagued by their Divine Beasts and by the time they left again the Beast would be calm. I told her that I knew of this person and she asked me that should I meet them again, if I could give them this."

The Rito bard withdrew an envelope from where he had kept it safe in his pack on his belt and offered it out to Link.

"She said her name was-"

But Link didn't need to let Kass finish, who knew who it was.

"Aryll."


Look, it was bound to come up at some point, I just chose to do it this way. I briefly hinted at Aryll possibly still being alive in one of the earlier chapters but I haven't seen anyone bring up this idea before so let's do this.

This was a VERY beefy chapter (just over 11k) but man I had a lot of things I wanted to cover.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, it's nice to see what parts people latch onto in a chapter.
BTW all the accompanying chapter art can be found on my tumblr sarcastic-sketches under the #trial and error tag (its mostly stained glass windows but some sketch pages too)