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The missive comes early summer, when the meltwaters from the Hebra mountains have raised Lake Totori to dangerous levels, and the changing winds make the journey to the Flight Range perilous for the little fledglings. It means Revali has put a temporary stop to any archery lessons. He could ensure their safety himself, of course, but the fledglings deserve a break and Medoh has been keeping him busy. He has been working hard on connecting with it, and with success. But there is still a long way to go and signs of the Calamity’s return are becoming more prominent with each passing day, so the very last thing he needs are inane requests from the Hylian army.
“How does this concern us?” he asks, waving a hand at the overly ornate scroll the Elder holds. The Elder, a great hawk who has held this position since before Revali hatched, sighs in a way that tells Revali she doesn’t actually disagree, but is remaining tactful for the sake of whatever treaty they now have with the Hylians.
“If the monsters become more aggressive, it could spell danger for us as well.”
The monsters in question are Lizalfos, and Revali has never met one that couldn’t be put down with a few well-placed arrows. It’s not their fault that the Hylians aren’t even competent enough to face a few annoyances.
The story, as far as he can gather, is this: a number of Hylian soldiers, traveling the far reaches of Hebra near the great canyon that only a few Rito have ever attempted to cross, were ambushed by wandering packs of Lizalfos and robbed of their weapons. Revali cannot help but wonder what the Hylians were doing there in the first place. Even the princess, in her desperate quest for more information on the shrines littering Hyrule, is not so careless as to send people into the icy tundra unprepared.
Which is what leads to him standing here, and what is going to make the next week a colossal waste of time. The Hylians will send out an expedition to rid the land of monsters and take back the lost weapons. And, in an uncharacteristic show of wisdom, they have requested a Rito escort so they don’t blunder into a crevice and freeze to death.
Any Rito would be capable of leading them through Hebra, even some of the older kids in Revali’s archery class, so of course, they have asked for Master Revali specifically. And to add insult to injury, the little chosen knight just had to come along.
At least, when the delegation arrives, he looks exactly as enthused about the prospect of the expedition as Revali feels. Naturally, that isn’t saying much, because Link’s expression is just as blank as always. Perhaps even more so, without the princess around. He makes a strange sight compared to the Hylian soldiers: five men, all significantly taller and more armored than him. Revali had expected Link to take command of the little band, but this is not the case. Command of the Hylians lies with a man whose name Revali immediately forgets, and who appears to take great pride in this matter. His eyes had narrowed upon being introduced to Revali, and Revali had decided there and then that he’d probably be the first to fall off a cliff somewhere.
For his part, Revali is accompanied by two other Rito: Muyo, a grey-feathered and stocky man, who is their usual spokesperson when visitors from outside the village arrive; and Gisa, a tall, statuesque woman several years Revali’s senior, whose keen eyesight and light feather coat makes her one of the best at ambushing hidden monsters. All three of them have privately agreed that the endeavor is pointless. Lizalfos are extremely good at hiding. For every one they see, two more will remain out of sight.
But the Hylians are dead-set on their little revenge quest and the Elder is dead-set on maintaining good relations with them, so off they go, after Muyo recommends they buy some of the warmer gear the Rito have to offer and promptly gets blown off.
Although Link did take his advice. He appears the next day at sunrise, wearing snow boots and the archers’ gloves designed specifically to shoot in freezing temperatures. Revali grudgingly has to admit that he possesses a sliver more intelligence than the soldiers accompanying him, who are still dressed in the same armor they came to Rito Village with. At least it isn’t the clunky plate armor that would have the monsters hear them coming from miles away.
Rito Village is positively balmy compared to the outskirts of Hebra, where the temperatures never rise above freezing even in summer, but if these soldiers don’t want to listen to Muyo, they’ll learn soon enough.
The first day is uneventful. When they reach the plains next to Hebra Plunge, Gisa is quick to point out a few hidden Lizalfos and Revali is just as quick to shoot them down. The whole thing is over before the Hylians have drawn their swords, although Link has brought out a bow and is halfway through nocking an arrow.
He has been walking behind the soldiers, making up the rearguard of their little group. Revali had expected him to be more talkative in the presence of other Hylians, but if anything, he’s even more stone-faced than usual. Whenever the princess comes up with some new bonding activity for the champions, he at least seems to unthaw a little in the presence of Mipha and Daruk. Now he is colder than the glaciers surrounding them.
“Is he okay?” Muyo asks, nodding at Link over his shoulder. Revali shrugs and tries to ignore the unease settling in his gut. Why should he care?
“You know him, right?” Muyo continues. Revali grimaces. ‘Knowing’ is a pretty strong word.
“Don’t mind him, he’s always like that,” one of the Hylian soldiers butts in. Revali’s hackles rise. Who does he think he is, interrupting a private conversation? “Always thinks he’s better than us.”
Considering Link was the only one not caught off-guard by the Lizalfos earlier, that doesn’t look like a terribly high bar to cross. His only claim to fame may be drawing a sword in a forest, but at least he can keep up with the other champions. This guy looks like he could be taken out by a particularly persistent Bokoblin.
Revali scoffs. The soldier’s face sours.
“Guess you’re all the same,” he says, eyes lingering on Revali’s champion’s scarf. Revali refuses to dignify that with a reply. Muyo sighs when the soldier disappears again.
“We are trying to keep them from dying, you know,” he points out.
“Let them be smarter, then,” Revali replies and Gisa smiles, leaving Muyo to shake his head.
The day passes by with no further incident, and they make good progress on their way to the edge of Hebra. Revali would have liked it a lot better if he could fly, but as long as they don’t encounter any more monsters, that is reserved for Gisa. He and Muyo are here to keep the Hylians on the right path.
When night falls, the Hylians set up their camp and Revali sticks with Gisa and Muyo. Link builds his own fire, a few meters away from the Hylian camp, with his back to a large rock formation.
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Muyo asks, frown marring his usually-upbeat features. Revali nods, but his earlier unease doesn’t dissipate. For all that Hylia’s chosen hero barely talks, he’s never actually refused to camp with them. Still, Link is probably fine. He’s smarter than the idiots they’ve been saddled with.
The next day brings with it the first signs of conflict, when Gisa announces that they cannot take the easily-accessible path and will need to detour to avoid triggering an avalanche. Summer has made the snow sheets too unstable. Revali and Muyo easily recognize the signs and Link follows their lead without any fuss, but the soldiers complain, unable to understand why the nicely cleared road might as well be a death trap right now.
“Would you rather be buried under several tons of snow? If so, be my guest,” Revali snaps, gesturing at the open path. A few of them even look like they intend to try it. But at least their commander shows some actual intelligence and directs them to follow Gisa. Link falls back to make up the rear again.
But of course it doesn’t end there. When they are trudging through the deep snow and Revali is dearly regretting that he can’t fly lest the Hylians feel left out, they start complaining.
“Don’t get why we can’t follow the map,” one of them says, brandishing the piece of paper they presented in Rito Village and which Gisa promptly dismissed. They probably think Revali can’t hear them. “They should be grateful, we’re getting rid of the monsters for them.”
The only monsters they’ve encountered so far have been shot down by Revali, Gisa, and just once by Link.
“Stuck up, the lot of them,” another claims. “Let’s see how they fare against the Calamity without—"
A snowball hits him full in the back of his head. Revali, who already had a scathing retort ready, snorts ungainly as the man stumbles and turns around furiously, in search of the culprit. Behind him, there’s only Link. He slashes at the ground until a very confused-looking Octorok pops up.
“Who did that?” the man spits, brushing at his hair to get the snow out.
Link wordlessly gestures at the Octorok, who takes the opportunity to zoom off. His hands are covered in snow. Revali narrows his eyes.
“Since when do those shoot snow?” one of the other soldiers asks suspiciously. Link stiffens ever-so-slightly, not noticeable to anyone who hasn’t already been watching him.
“Would you rather get hit with a rock?” Revali sneers. “Get moving, unless you’re too afraid of a little water.”
Link briefly looks up and meets his eyes, looking away again just as quickly. Revali turns around, unsure how to feel about the whole thing. He’s probably just trying to avoid a diplomatic conflict on the princess’ orders.
Still, at least the soldiers keep their mouths shut for the rest of the day. When night falls, Link sets up camp alone again.
“I can’t watch this,” Gisa mutters. She gets up and strides past the gathered Hylian soldiers to Link’s lonely campfire. Revali can’t make out what is probably an extremely one-sided conversation, but the gist of it is easy enough to guess. Even he has to admit that without the princess or any of the other champions around, the Chosen Hero doesn’t look arrogant; he only looks small.
Link looks up and seeks Revali’s eyes. Revali shrugs before looking away. Let him join. It will put Muyo’s and Gisa’s minds at ease.
Link gets up and follows Gisa past the Hylian camp again, shoulders stiffening under their eyes. But he sits down, nodding at Revali and accepting the roasted salmon Muyo offers him with something that almost passes for a smile.
“That was nice, what you did,” Gisa says, voice lowered so the Hylians don’t hear. Of course. If Revali spotted Link’s little game, then Gisa certainly did too.
Link shrugs uncomfortably, picking at the skin of his salmon. “It wasn’t fair,” he says softly. Revali hears him speak so rarely that his voice comes as a surprise every time. Muyo hums encouragingly.
“I imagine you don’t want to be here any more than we do,” he says. Link smiles at that, shaking his head.
“It’s no use,” he says. For once, Revali wholeheartedly agrees.
“Whose idea was this anyway?” he asks. “The princess’?”
He can’t imagine she’d send them on this ridiculous journey, and his suspicions are immediately confirmed when Link shakes his head once more.
“The king.”
Well, that explains a whole lot. The king was a man who wanted full control at all times. Normally, Revali would respect that; they need to be well-prepared when the Calamity appears. But not when it manifests in ridiculous missions like this one.
Link’s expression, for once not the blank slate he’s become accustomed to, reflects his thoughts. He tears off part of his salmon with surprising gusto and delves in. Even the spicy peppers Muyo used to season it, something most Hylians are put off by, don’t deter him.
“Thank you,” he says when he’s finished, following it up with a gesture Revali has seen him make at Mipha when she heals his wounds. It could be for the fish, but Link’s eyes are too serious for that.
“Yeah, well,” he says, shifting and folding his wings. Gisa’s gaze turns amused; he pointedly ignores her. “Think you can do that without blaming an Octorok next time?”
Link looks at him, a gleam in his eyes. He doesn’t reply, but Revali considers it a challenge accepted.
Unfortunately, Link doesn’t get the chance to show off any of his dubious prowess, because as soon as they are on the road again, the Hylians target him. Clearly, him spending the night with the Rito didn’t go over well. Revali tries not to look back, but besides him, Muyo tsks in annoyance when they start another round. He’d asked Link to join them at the front of the group when they set off, but Link had refused. Someone needed to watch their back, and it clearly wasn’t going to be the idiots insulting them.
“You should move there if you like it so much!” one of them sneers. Revali thinks it might be the same one as yesterday. “Do us all a favor. Let the real soldiers defeat the Calamity!”
Oh, the nerve. As if Link couldn’t beat all of them with his hands tied behind his back. Revali eyes the overhang they’re walking under. It’s a small outcropping, laden with snow that looks about ready to come down. Not enough to set off an avalanche, not nearly. But perhaps…
He rounds a bend, timing his steps. Muyo glances at him with amused reproach, but doesn’t stop him. The soldiers are so preoccupied with Link that they aren’t paying attention to them. He rams his shoulder where the snow looks most unstable and speeds up, hearing the snow shift as he does.
The angered shrieks behind him are all he needs to hear.
He turns around, with feigned surprise and unfeigned disdain at the group of Hylian soldiers, now covered from head to toe in rapidly-melting powder snow. Link, who was more than smart enough to avoid the collapse, looks entirely blank-faced, but the kind of blank-faced that means he’s trying very hard not to laugh.
“You said this way was safe!” one of the soldiers shouts at Gisa. Revali interferes before they can redirect their ire at her.
“If the great Hylian army can be brought down by a bit of snow, I am loath to think of your chances against the Calamity. But perhaps you will make a good distraction while the rest of us fight it. Or perhaps,” he raises his eyebrows, “you ought to spend less time gossipping and more time paying attention.”
Behind them, Link catches his eye. He sketches out the same gesture he made last night and smiles, ever so faintly. Revali turns away again, feeling shivery despite his warm feather coat.
They reach the outer edges of Hebra shortly before nightfall, too late to do anything except set up camp. The gaping chasm fills Revali with awe. Beyond, there are lands entirely unknown to him. Many Rito have set out to cross it, and of the ones who never returned, he likes to think that at least some succeeded. Even in good weather, the bottom of the chasm cannot be seen. The winds here are treacherous, eager to drag any Rito down with them. But one day, Revali thinks, he wants to try it. His Gale is reliable most of the time. He can control the winds well enough.
Medoh would make the journey easy, of course, but this is a challenge he wishes to take on by his own power.
For a moment, it looks like Link will set up camp alone again, but a stern look from Gisa has him sheepishly reconsidering. He sits down across from Revali, legs crossed, and tugs off his gloves to help Muyo with dinner. Just next to them, the great canyon looms. The weather is cloudy and the other side is barely visible, but Revali still finds himself staring longingly.
When he looks away, he finds Link also staring across, expression wistful. It reminds Revali far too much of himself for comfort.
“Why were you out here anyway?” he asks, suddenly desperate to break the silence. Link startles and tears his eyes away from the canyon. He glances at the other Hylians, making a soft, sad noise. Just when Revali thinks he’s going to ignore the question altogether, he speaks.
“The king is… worried,” he says, clearly struggling to put together his words. “He wishes for an escape route, in case— In case we fail.” He doesn’t meet Revali’s eyes, instead putting a hand on the Master Sword, lying sheathed next to him. Ah. It would be so easy to say something about Link’s capabilities now, but truth be told, the king isn’t the only one worried. He and the Rito have already drawn up contingency plans as well.
“There’s no way to cross it without flying,” he says. “It’s too wide to build a bridge and too deep to climb down. But it’s said that some Rito have made it across.”
Link looks up, a question in his eyes.
“I haven’t,” Revali continues. “Although of course, I intend to try. But as for you Hylians… I’m afraid there’s no easy way.”
“The winds are dangerous even for the best flyers,” Muyo adds. Link looks disappointed.
“If we really don’t…” Revali doesn’t like contemplating the idea of failing to defeat the Calamity, but what if, what if? “Medoh is big. It can take plenty of people across.”
He doesn’t know how much use that will be for most of Hyrule. Only the Hylians in Tabantha Village live close enough to reach Rito Village quickly, should the worst happen.
“Of course, that will not be necessary,” he adds. Falling to the Calamity is something he will not allow himself. Link nods, hand clenched around the heft of the Master Sword. Whatever Revali may think of his skills, at least he has the willpower to fight the Calamity.
Gisa and Muyo do not have the means or power to fight the Calamity, nor do any of the other Rito. The topic of the upcoming fight makes them uneasy, so Revali drops it in favor of working on their dinner. Despite being a Hylian, Link turns out to be surprisingly good at following Muyo’s instructions. He can’t have learned to cook in the army. A quick glance teaches Revali that the Hylian soldiers have resorted to dried rations.
“The Lizalfos have made camps,” Link says, entirely unprompted, after they have finished up their meal. He tugs on his gloves again and sketches a drawing into the snow covering a nearby rock. “They have platforms. They’re hard to attack.”
“So we shoot them,” Revali says, picking up his own Great Eagle Bow. Naturally, it’s in excellent state, nothing like the bows the Hylians are carrying almost as an afterthought. Link looks down at his own knees.
“I don’t know if that will work.”
“Are you actually doubting my skills?” Revali snaps. The utter nerve, after he’s already seen Revali in action. Next to him, Gisa tenses up as well. Link quickly shakes his head.
“No! Not you, but…” He swallows, face screwing up in frustration. Instead of saying anything else, he picks up the bow he’s been carrying into Hebra and holds it out. This is not the golden monstrosity Link usually carries when they are out with the princess, but instead a silver version. Link favors his sword in most fights and if these are the kinds of bows he’s carrying, Revali can see why. He reluctantly accepts the thing, still working through the embers of his anger.
Link at least tries to take care of his weapons, but it’s clear that bow maintenance isn’t his area of expertise. Revali pulls the string to test the power behind it, before letting it go slack again. It is only about the size of a Falcon Bow, but much heavier, almost comparable to his own Great Eagle Bow. He’s already figured out Link’s problem, but just to make sure…
“Shoot that,” he says, pointing at a rock up on a cliff, a decent distance away but nothing a bow of Rito make cannot handle. Link gets up, bow in hand, and accepts the arrow Gisa hands him. His form is… fine. Not the worst Revali has ever seen, and probably a lot better than the idiots sitting at the other campfire. He aims, not at the rock but several meters higher.
To his credit, the arrow does hit.
Gisa sighs, exchanging a look with Revali. Muyo grimaces as well. They’re Rito; of course they’ve all noticed the problem.
“Here, try with this,” Gisa says, handing Link her own Falcon Bow. Link accepts the bow carefully, tucking away his own bow and testing the Falcon Bow before nocking another arrow. When he aims again, Revali shakes his head.
“Lower.”
Link seems doubtful, but he obediently lowers the bow until he’s aiming almost straight at the rock. He glances at Revali, who nods. When he fires the Falcon Bow, the arrow misses, but just barely. Link immediately nocks a new arrow and adjusts his aim. This time, it hits.
“Did the brave hero forgot how to shoot?” one of the soldiers shouts. Link’s shoulders tighten as he lowers the bow. Revali suppresses a growl.
“Ignore them,” Muyo says with a sigh. Link lets out a long breath and returns the Falcon Bow to Gisa. He sits down at the fire again, looking at Revali as if awaiting his judgment.
“Those Hylian bows were made for open plains, weren’t they?” Revali asks, although it is not a question. He knows the answer perfectly well, just from holding the bow and seeing Link use it. They are powerful bows, more powerful than your average Falcon Bow, but clearly meant for large-scale battles with many opponents. There is no need to aim for a far-off target when there is always a target much closer by. Link’s answering nod is a mere formality.
“Well, I see why this is a problem for you,” he continues. Lizalfos are fast and tricky; shooting them usually involves catching them by surprise, and the easiest way to do that is from a distance. If the Hylians cannot manage that, it’s no wonder that they got overpowered in close combat.
“If we draw their attention, you could shoot them,” Link suggests. Revali thinks that over, absently running his fingers across the wood of his own Great Eagle Bow. If they were here with the other champions, it would most certainly be the best plan. Urbosa’s lightning might even make the whole thing unnecessary. The idiots they’ve been saddled with cannot be trusted to do anything according to plan, yet it might be the only way they can be useful at all.
“I suppose it would not hurt to try,” he says. It won’t hurt them, at least. The Hylians are another matter. He takes an arrow of his own and fires it without bothering to get up, hitting a Keese higher up on the mountain.
And if that sets off a swarm of Keese right on top of the soldiers’ camp, well. They should be glad he chased them out before night truly falls.
The soldiers don’t agree to the plan.
By now, Revali doesn’t even know why he’s surprised. Link tries to convince them, pointing out how much easier it would be for the Rito to shoot the monsters from up in the air. But Link has never been a good speaker, something Revali has come to understand is borne from anxiety instead of indifference. Even with Muyo’s support, he is unable to make them see reason. The Hylian soldiers were sent by the king to take out the monster camps, and they only needed the Rito to guide them through Hebra. They are dead-set on fighting the monsters alone.
Dead-set and probably also soon dead, if this is the way they intend to go about it.
Link trudges back with Muyo, looking disheartened. It’s a stark contrast from yesterday, and for some reason, that leaves Revali more annoyed than the inevitable stupidity of the Hylian soldiers.
“Just draw them out, we’ll shoot them,” he tells Link. Link nods, but his enthusiasm is nowhere to be found. Revali scrambles for a way to bring it back. The Hylian soldiers are already moving on, overly eager to prove their worth where their predecessors couldn’t, and probably just as likely to fail.
“You know,” he says, glancing at Link from the corner of his eyes, a quick dismissive look. “You still haven’t convinced me.”
Link, already tense after the failed conversation with the soldiers, only grows tenser. Muyo gives him a warning look that Revali ignores. He knows what he’s doing here.
At least, he hopes so.
“How so?” Link says, voice weary. Revali raises an eyebrow, pointing at the Hylian soldiers in the distance.
“Think you can keep yourself from blaming Octoroks this time?”
Link snorts, some of the tension flowing out of him. Revali hides a victorious grin and spreads his wings, ready to take off after the soldiers and hopefully prevent an all-out slaughter. Link unsheathes his sword and glances back at him, a half-smile playing around his lips.
“Only if you don’t blame the Keese.”
And with that, he’s off, not following the path the soldiers took, but climbing the cliff alongside it. Good call. It will give him a much better vantage point. Revali launches into his own Gale and Gisa and Muyo follow, using the Gale winds to get into the air themselves.
There are two monster camps nearby, and probably untold others that they won’t be able to find. The Hylians have already given away their positions, of course. By the time Revali gains enough height to survey the situation, the Lizalfos are already charging them. Link makes it onto the cliff next to the camp and creeps closer. Revali ignores him for the time being, confident that he won’t get himself killed the moment he looks away, and aims three arrows at the encroaching monsters. Behind him, Gisa does the same, making an annoyed noise when the Hylians make aiming hard.
Revali fires anyway, nailing one of the monsters with two of his arrows. The third one misses, embedding itself in the wood inches away from one of the soldiers. The man shouts indignantly, heedless of the now-dead Lizalfos that was seconds away from striking him. Revali is about to tell him when a snowball hits the soldier.
He turns around. Link quirks a grin at him before taking a running leap and landing onto the topmost part of the Lizalfos camp, unsheathing his sword in the same movement. Oh, it’s on.
He swoops down when Link sends a Lizalfos flying off the platform, shooting it down in mid-air. Link has the audacity to roll his eyes at him, as if he weren’t the one showing off in the first place. Revali switches his bow to his claws and skims past the rock surface, gathering up snow and throwing it in the seconds he has before he has to flap his wings again. It showers Link with powder snow, sticking to his hair and glinting in the morning sun.
Link narrows his eyes. He bends low.
Revali dodges the next snowball, letting loose another hail of arrows on the Lizalfos. He thinks he even sees a soldier kill one. Good for them. Turns out they can swing a sword.
There aren’t many monsters on the platform, and between himself, Gisa, Muyo and Link, they make quick work of them. He does one last sweep of the camp, ducking under the overhanging wooden platform — and promptly gets showered with snow. He flies up again, glaring at Link who smiles sunnily from where he’s just stomped down on the wood.
At least he’s not the only one covered. Many of the soldiers suffered the same fate.
They find two other camps and take back the weapons, in-between repeated snowball volleys. Link catches his left wing and Revali manages to hit him full in the back. Truly, it’s the Hylian soldiers who are caught in the crossfire most often. Revali is greatly enjoying their shouts to cut it out, as if they haven’t realized yet that they’re part of his and Link’s game. It confirms a great many things about their intelligence that Revali already realized before they left Rito Village.
With three camps down and the weapons retrieved, the Hylians are snow-covered and shivering, and Revali is enjoying himself more than he ever thought possible before setting out on this asinine expedition.
The soldiers, obviously, are not.
“These are the camps marked on our maps,” the commander announces after they have searched through the third camp. “Our mission has been completed.”
Gisa opens her mouth, all but ready to point out the clearly visible fourth camp in the distance. Even a Hylian with decent eyesight would be able to spot it. In fact, Link clearly has. But there are clouds coming in from across the great canyon and they know the signs of an incoming snowstorm all too well. However much Revali has been enjoying himself, he does not want to be trapped here.
And so, just about a week after leaving, they arrive back at Rito Village. Obviously it wasn’t a successful mission: there are still a great many Lizalfos out there. If it had been the other champions with them instead, they would have done a much better job of it. But the Hylians are ready to label it a success, if only to avoid losing face, and that means the Elder is happy.
The Hylians leave the moment the formalities are out of the way. Link lingers a little longer, taking the time to say goodbye to Gisa and Muyo. But with the prospect of his return to the castle looming ahead, he has become taciturn again.
When Link leaves, Revali feels uneasy. It’s not worry; Link has left alone, not in the company of the other soldiers. He’s just disgruntled, nothing more. In summer, there is no snow near Rito Village. He would have liked to get in one final shot.
It’s another few weeks before he sees Link again, at one of his meetups with the champions. This time, they’re in Faron, following the trail next to Dracozu River. Link has been just as silent as Revali has come to know him, but now that he knows the difference, it is clear to see just how much more relaxed he is in the presence of the other champions.
The princess asks to speak to them while the other champions are setting up camp.
“I have received the reports of your mission into Hebra,” she says, face troubled. “My father, the King, has asked me to address this matter with you.”
She clearly doesn’t look pleased about it. Link has frozen up again, a sight Revali has come to dislike thoroughly.
“I do believe that mission was accomplished exactly as the King demanded,” Revali says, crossing his wings. “Was there any cause for concern?”
“I’m sure your work was exemplary,” the princess says with a forced smile. Link nods quickly. “But there have been reports that relations between the Rito and our soldiers were… strained.”
Revali clicks his beak. “I have no idea what they’re talking about. They were treated with all the respect due to them.”
The princess narrows her eyes at him; of course, she is quite capable of reading between the lines. He stares her down until she turns to Link.
“Link? Is it true?”
Link glances at Revali before meeting the princess’ eyes head on, smiling slightly.
“Yes. The Rito were very welcoming.”
Revali imagines that the reports said something very different. “I am pleased to hear that,” the princess says. “I shall talk to Father. Perhaps these missions are not the best use of our time, in this moment.”
“See that you do,” Revali tells her. Whatever the princess wishes to say next is cut off when Urbosa calls for her.
“Coming!” she shouts back, hurriedly making her way back towards their camp. Link and Revali remain on the river bank. Link bends low, trailing his left hand through the water. He grins at Revali.
“What are you—?”
The splash of water catches him right in the face. Link smiles at him, entirely unrepentant.
“Afraid of a little water?”
Revali glares, already stretching out his own wings.
“Let’s just see how well you handle it.”