Couple of the Wild (ZeLink)

Chapter 51: The Death of Revali

Revali and Zelda continued to fly above the village, spiraling upwards towards Vah Medoh. The air became increasingly more frigid the higher they rose as the winds grew stronger Zelda began to feel her cheeks freeze as they grew closer to the Divine Beast. Despite her face burning from the cold winds, she kept her eyes steady on the upcoming edge of the natural, stone tower. However, Revali tilted before they could reach the top, diverting their flight. To Zelda's confusion, the two began to soar away from the Divine Beast and now headed towards the mountains of Hebra.

"Revali, what's going on?" Zelda called out over the winds, looking back at the winged beast now growing smaller in the distance. "Why are we heading away from Link?"

"Haven't you been with that little knight for a few months now?" Revali asked, glancing back at her with his sharp green eyes. "Have you learned anything about combat?"

"I have!" Zelda called back. "It's just that my actual experience in battle is... well... limited."

Revali rolled his eyes as he faced forward.

"If you were to post yourself right next to him, one of two things could happen," he explained as he continued to flap his wings. "The enemy would either refuse to come out and strike at another free opportunity, or he would simply kill you before finishing off your little boyfriend."

"So then what do we do?" Zelda asked. "What other option is there? When you put it like that, it feels as though the situation is hopeless!"

"You know, not all warriors simply stand guard next to their protectee with a blank face," Revali said. Just as they began to cross into the snowy borders of Hebra, he gave a powerful flap of his wings, Zelda felt herself slipping off Revali's leather armored back as he began to once again fly upwards. She closed her eyes, unable to keep them open against the winds slamming against her face as they soared higher. She felt the powerful flapping of Revali's wings beneath her as they soared higher into the freezing air.

"Hold on!" she heard Revali call out, barely audible against the deafening winds of the sky. Revali leaned back even further, causing Zelda to wrap her arms around his neck in order to stay on. She felt the blood rushing to her head, it felt as though they were upside down. However, before she could adjust she felt a violent jerk as if they were twirling in the air, swinging around in the dancing winds. Zelda kept her grip strong, even after the twirling had finally ceased and it seemed as though the flight would remain steady.

"You can loosen your grip now!" Revali coughed, clearly frustrated at the evergrowing death grip Zelda had his neck in. Opening her eyes, she jerked back in realization, releasing Revali's neck from her grasp. He coughed a few times before giving a disgruntled growl.

"I'm sorry!' she called out, still having trouble keeping her eyes open against the harsh winds. "I just wasn't prepared-"

"Well be prepared," he shot back before she could finish. "You may have been a princess before, but right now you're a warrior. And not just that, but someone's life is on the line. You need to be on guard at all times; ready at all times, otherwise, you'll fail, and those you care most about will fall. The sword and bow on your back are no longer just for your own protection, but for those, you care about as well."

Zelda was taken aback by the weight of Revali's sudden rant. She glanced over her shoulder, looking at the Moonlit Scimitar and bow that rattled away due to the high winds. Link was always the one protecting her. From before his appointment with the Guardian laser, to the night before when he tried to fend off the Yiga; everything was to protect her. Even when he had fallen a hundred years ago, his life was left in the hands of the Sheikah. This was the first time ever that his life was truly in her hands, it was no longer her life that was needing to be protected. Revali glanced over as well, inspecting the girl's now nervous face, however, the uneasiness in her features vanished, and was quickly replaced with that of confidence. She looked forward, catching Revali's eye.