The rise of a Hero

Chapter 28

"And there, I drew my bow, aimed at that darn Moblin, and shot an arrow right between its eyes!" boasted Revali, puffing out his chest. "Dead on the spot."

It had been an hour and a half since the five Champions, along with the Princess, had left the castle to head towards Mount Lanayru. They had covered only half the distance, and the western Lanayru road would soon be before them. All six of them were traveling on foot and engaged in occasional conversations to pass the time. The Rito warrior had ended up talking only about himself, as no one else seemed inclined to speak, strangely enough. Zelda, dressed in her priestess attire, silently led the way to show them the path.

"I even saved a certain Hero in the last battle. Isn't that right, Link?" 

The blond turned his head towards him, looking weary. Indeed, Revali had pulled him from the clutches of a Lynel, and he had already thanked him for it. So what? If everyone had to list their feats, they would be at it until nightfall.

"Should we applaud you for doing your duty?" the young man retorted in a tone that sounded provocative to his interlocutor.

The Rito shot him a disdainful look. 

"You won't make me believe you act out of selflessness. Knights fight for glory and honor, that's what everyone says."

"Well, that's not the case for Link!" Mipha defended him with a little too much enthusiasm.

All eyes turned to her, making the Zora feel so uncomfortable that she shrank back.

"Mipha is right," Urbosa chimed in, her heels tapping the ground at a steady rhythm. "Revali, I have a feeling you're jealous."

The proud Rito chuckled, crossing his wings behind his back. Him, jealous? Of whom? It's the others who should envy him, not the other way around. Daruk decided to change the subject for everyone's sake.

"The rocks around here are nowhere near as appetizing as on my beautiful Death Mountain," he lamented in front of the few rocks sticking out of the ground. "I advise against eating them; I can't guarantee their quality."

"How can you tell the difference, Daruk?" Zelda asked with interest. "Besides their appearance."

The Goron scratched his beard, thinking about his answer. 

"There are more minerals in these pebbles. Din be my witness, they taste better! Especially when steamed. Isn't that right, little guy?"

He gave Link a strong pat on the shoulder, causing the young man to stagger to the side with a plaintive groan. Revali would have loved to see him crash to the ground, but it didn't happen. Link nodded without admitting that he had never managed to bite into that special dish according to his companion. When he noticed Zelda looking at him with a smile on her lips, the knight tensed up and immediately fixed his eyes on the earthy ground.

For the rest of the journey, Urbosa and Daruk dominated the conversation with their anecdotes, sometimes supported by Revali if he felt like it. The small group arrived in front of the arch marking the entrance to Mount Lanayru. From there, they had to split up for the rest of the day. Zelda gave some instructions to the Champions to make sure they wouldn't get bored, and then she left with her knight after he had checked all of his belongings. At this time of year, there was little snow on the summit of the mountain, so the path leading up would be clear and not too arduous to climb. Just in case, to protect against the cold, Link carried a warm blanket to cover the princess once her meditation was done. The chosen ones of the goddesses walked through a small forest and found the only path leading to the spring. Without wasting a moment, they followed it without a word and began their ascent towards the source of all hopes.