Author's notes: (Actually gonna my own picture of the hot springs once I get it from my switch but for now it's some stock thing). Hey all! School and work is a great combination that frees me up a lot of free time! Yea no, like I said it's getting more difficult to find the time to write so I'm going to try and make a chapter a week roughly. I can already tell though that these next few are gonna be interesting like I said in the last one, you'll see why :)
Also before anyone says it I promise you I don't view people as pieces of meat, but come on, I have to describe them somehow. Everyone does it and if you say you don't you're a liar. Just be mature about it and let me describe these two bros chilling in a hot spring five feet apart because they're not gay.
Notes about the song: This song has some very good hidden meaning if you look between the lines. It might even relate to the story in some way, hmmm. Kinda like most of the one's I've done recently. It's almost like i'm picking the song based on the characters or events of the chapter... might just be me, I don't know. ;)
Warnings: Mentions of Blood and gore (gore as in injury type stuff). This chapter will also contain some themes of depression and self worth. It is similar to last chapter but focuses on a different area. The idea of self care v. achieving a goal. I promise it is nothing too dark but just be wary of it. I assure you I don't throw these in for no reason. They are significant and are necessary for the development of the characters. Thank you
Just like the first flight, the second was also quite silent. When the air is cold enough to sting the lungs and winds loud enough it's quite hard to carry a conversation. Luckily with Link's guidance they were able to arrive at the hot springs in a short time. It was different since the last time Link had been there. Before it was just a small little body of water that resembled a rough triangle with a large chunk of rock near the center. It was hidden away beneath the large rock walls covering it on two sides. The third open side lead towards the edge of the mountain that it resided on. If you weren't looking for it, it was almost impossible to find. The only way one could stumble upon it was the two large flag posts that still flew the old Hylian flag. Leftovers from the old kingdom, even they however were still concealed by the large walls of stone. After finding it near a shrine, that was also hidden away, Link had relayed the information to the village. Ever the entrepreneur, Cecili immediately staked her claim on the area. Calling in a favor from a particular Bolson's Construction Company they were able to remodel most of the area. Now it was becoming a popular tourist spot for those who made trips to the village. Link personally thought they should've dropped the "secret" of Sturinda Secret Hot Springs but to each his own.
Circling the area twice Revali finally saw a decent spot to land. Noticing a small little wooden kiosk a small distance away from the two flag posts. He flew over and daintily landed in front of the small structure, trying his best not to throw Link off. The kiosk had some writing on the front of it which read: Sturinda Secret Hot Springs. Reservations only, please confirm your appointment here!
After reading it Link saw that there was no one manning the front and saw a little bell on the counter. He put his hand over the bell and hit the button; a clapper smacked against the side making a loud ding! There was some shuffling from the small back room that was connected to the kiosk. Its purpose was probably so that whoever manned it didn't have to be out in the cold and snow for their entire shift. After a moment a navy blue Rito appeared making his way to the front.
"Hello! Welcome to the Sturinda Secret Hot Spring! Do you have a reservation?" He greeted them with a sweep of his wings. He had a small book in one wing as he did the gesture so he must have been in the middle of reading before they arrived. Link quickly nodded enthusiastically. "Great! Let me get you two signed in," the navy bird continued as he brought out a large book and ink quill. In the book were a list of names and times. Link grabbed the quill and wrote both of their names, checking the slate momentarily to get the current time. He put the quill back in the ink bottle as the Rito put both it and the book back beneath the counter.
"Alright you're all good to go, enjoy! You can change in the room near the spring and you can leave your clothes in the baskets inside it. I'll have them personally washed and dried before you are done. If you have any questions please refer to me, Tyto," said Tyto as he gestured towards them and then towards a small little wooden structure about twenty feet from the spring. Link immediately flushed red and Revali fluffed up slightly, both unaware of the dress code.
"Wait, wait, what do you mean by leaving our clothes?" Revali was able to get out without betraying his nervousness. Tyto looked puzzled for a moment before realizing their plight.
"Oh, it's your first time? That's alright, let me tell you how we operate: You have an unlimited time in the hot spring but I will come by when it is recommended to step out or take a break. Sometimes it can be dangerous to stay in the heated water for long periods of time. The cold air offsets most of it but there can still be hazards. Don't worry though, no one has ever fallen ill here. Besides that, there are no clothes allowed in the hot spring. That is because I take them and wash them after you change. So they are as fresh and clean as you are after a relaxing dip in the hot spring," Tyto began explaining the rules and regulations of the spring. They were both having an internal crisis because of the policy about clothes.
"And if I don't want to remove my clothes?" Revali asked with a hint of daring in his voice. Tyto was not phased in the slightest. Simply putting his elbow on the table and putting his head in his wing.
"I'm really sorry but that's our policy. If you don't want to disrobe then you cannot enter the spring. I don't make the rules, just enforce them," he replied to Revali. Revali was still upset at the notion but didn't want to ruin their trip just because he was a tad uncomfortable. He imagined that Link must've been totally fine and wondering why he was acting so weird. It was also he who spent the money to let them come here. So, for once, he submitted.
"No it's fine, just wanted to know all of the details," he turned towards Link trying not to betray his slight blush, "come on then, let's go get changed." He gestured towards the small building and started walking towards it. Every step of the way he could feel the anxiety creeping closer and closer in his chest. It wasn't even that they were going to be completely naked. Revali had bathed with men and women soldiers before and even occasionally with Link on their travels. Those times however it was strictly business and militant in nature. This was different, they were both supposed to be relaxing and it was a casual environment. He couldn't explain why but it just made him nervous about the whole thing. He thought back to before the Calamity. He didn't want to admit it to himself back then but he stole glances at Link back then when they were bathing together. He now caught himself silently wondering what else has changed since then.
Link was behind Revali and following close behind. Trying his best to conceal his quick breaths. I didn't know about this! We have to be completely naked, what am I going to do?! He thought to himself. He never concerned himself with such matters before. He'd bathed with the soldiers and guards when he was still training. Even though they didn't know about his nature it was still never an issue. He couldn't explain why he was feeling this way. It was his friend, why is it making him flustered? Peering ahead he could only see the back of his companion as they walked. Silently happy that he couldn't see the blush that was slowly dissipating from his face. Now that Link thought about it; he did feel different around Revali, more than before. He seemed... confident. Not in his usual egotistical or narcissistic way but in a sense of self way. It was if Revali found something that he'd lost or maybe found something he did not even know he had in the first place. He walked different, talked different, and acted especially different after last night. More sure of himself and not hiding some of his feelings behind a guise of superiority. Thoughts like these plagued him on his trip to the small shack. He took another deep breath, it was just a bath. If he could handle Calamity Ganon, then he could handle some hot water.
They both arrived at the shack and Revali opened the door to the inside. It was a simple room with a few white fabric baskets on the left. There was a few wash basins and mirrors on the right side of the room. Three stalls/bathrooms occupied the rest of that side of the room. A long wooden bench was spaced in between each of the baskets. Allowing for up to around five to ten people to occupy the space. Not large in any stretch of the imagination but not completely cramped either. They carefully put their weapons in small little storage bin in the back of room. Now with nothing else to do it was time to face the music. Revali walked over to the first stall and stepped inside. Link took the one directly next to it. They both began disrobing and Revali was the first to be finished. He put his clothes in the basket closest to the door. It was an odd feeling, being completely exposed to the air; it was not something he was used to in the slightest. Luckily there were a few towels around so he was able to wrap one around his waist. Before Link could finish he quickly left the room for fear of an awkward situation. It was quite chilly and the snow motivated him to quickly get into the hot water of the spring as fast as possible. "Ahhhh," he slowly exhaled as he dipped himself into the water. It was hot but not overwhelming, just a bit surprising at first. He settled himself in after removing the towel and set it behind him on a large rock. The water was wonderful, it warmed his core and soothed his muscles. He was finally able to let his head lay back and just relax. That was until he heard the door close. His eyes opened slightly; viewing the form of Link also hurrying to get to the water. He put himself a couple of feet to Revali's right and quickly got into the water with a moderately sized splash. While he was quickly adjusting himself to the water, Revali... well Revali was staring.
Link was always on the thin side but Revali never knew how toned he was. Of course he was a royal guard and a machine in combat but actually seeing this close put it all into perspective. He had muscle built all over his upper body. He wasn't flexing but Revali could also tell that he had a toned core and abs on his abdomen. He wasn't a body builder but to the naked eye anyone could tell that he had complete physical prowess achieved. Despite the muscle he was still slender and his delicate body flowed like a wave. He followed it up to his face, still covered by his wet hair. He brushed it away and spitting some water out of his mouth from when he submerged. Even now he was still as gorgeous as ever. It made Revali's breath stop and his heart beat quickly. He thanked Hylia that Link was completely oblivious.
Link opened his eyes and rubbed the water out of them. Maybe sliding right into the water immediately wasn't the best idea. It was freezing on the way there and in all honesty he could barely keep himself from jumping right into the water after being out into the snow. After he cleared his eyes of water he looked up right into the emerald eyes of Revali. Immediately they both broke eye contact and looked anywhere else. After a few moments Link settled himself into the water and leaned back against the rock wall behind him. Very carefully looking over to his left without being obvious. Revali seemed to have closed his eyes and was now just resting his head and neck. The blonde felt bad about it but he couldn't help but look over his companion. Even when they had bathed in the same river or other baths it was always a more professional environment. Link never even had the thought to try to catch a glace at his friend. Now... not so much. Rito were odd in some ways physically but also similar in others. With the water present it forced all his feathers to flatten against his body to keep it out. He could tell now that Revali was actually quite skinny. His figure was slim from head to talon and unlike Hylians, Rito didn't really develop too much muscle. That was until Revali shifted slightly and moved his shoulders a bit, displaying a bit of his back. It was incredibly toned and Link could bet that it was rock solid when flexed. Not that he was imagining that stunning display right now in the back of his mind. Link figured that from all the flying and the strength it took to use a great bow it seemed to funnel all into his back and chest. Link did not want to admit it even to himself but he was absolutely staring in a obvious way.
Revali opened his eyes a tad, catching a glimpse of Link shuffling around over in his spot. Was he just? No, there's no way. Probably just cold, Revali thought to himself. It seemed to be going great so far. He was enjoying himself and hadn't embarrassed himself as of yet. With the nice chilly air running through the mountains and the snow slowly drifting down from above, it was quite serine. That was until he heard a splash a short distance away but distinctly farther than where Link was. Someone else had arrived. It was a large cobalt blue Rito that Revali had definitely seen before. He didn't know much but knew that he was a friend of Links. Kap, Kerry, Kim? Revali couldn't remember his name but he knew it began with a "K". Link of course shot up immediately which made Revali almost faint. While invisible most of the time now he had full view of the V muscles that were on his hips. Luckily the water was murky enough lower down or he might've just drowned from fainting right then and there. He covered his beak to keep the surprise from getting out and fortunately Link didn't notice a thing.
"Hey Kass!" Link signed and waved over to his friend who, in return, waved back. Kass stepped farther into the water and slowly waded over to their area of the rough triangle.
"Hello my good friend! I didn't know you'd be here today!" He began with a hoot escaping his beak at the sudden excitement. To Link's right side was a bit of a wall that separated two areas of water which jutted about five feet from the shore. This allowed Link to put his back up to it on one side and Kass on the other while they could both still look over and speak.
"I didn't know you were coming either, what're you doing here? Just enjoying the water?" Link asked, as Kass spread his wings out behind him. Letting himself slide deeper into the water while still having his head and shoulders above water.
"Actually it's quite necessary for my singing. I have to rest my vocal cords quite often and the hot water keeps them from straining too much. I'm usually here about once a week," He explained while enjoying the hot water. Kass didn't say anything but made a mental note of the obvious tension between the two. He wondered if it might actually develop into something significant. The champion and the hero. Why, that would make a wondrous love song! He already began thinking up the lyrics in his head. Whistling a little tune to try and make it fit.
"So what brings you two here today, Revali?" He stopped his music theory crafting to glance towards the other Rito. Kass knew that Link had planned out most of this and probably had his own prepared explanations. He wanted to hear what Revali thought of all this. If Kass could confirm his suspicions then he could start putting the effort into creating a song. Revali jerked forward, not expecting the question to be sent his way. Gotcha! Kass thought as he waited expectantly for the answer.
"Well, uh... Link thought it'd be a good idea to... relax! After all I just woke up from a hundred year nap; have to relieve these muscles somehow!" He stumbled over a few of his words but was convincing enough in his own eyes. In Kass's eyes, not so much. He pressed even further.
"Is that all? There's plenty of great ways to relieve muscle ache, I should know!" He gestured towards his throat with his wing, "It's just peculiar that you ended up here of all places. This place is also quite big; you know you can sit farther apart right?" Kass ended his sentence with a hint of triumph. Even though the hot spring was quite large and could fit at least a hundred people the two had decided to sit only five feet away from each other. A little close for "just friends."
Link sank lower into the water, his nose and head being the only visible parts of him. He was trying to hide the blush creeping up on him. Revali narrowed his eyes at the other Rito, trying to gauge his intent. Kass had quite the poker face so nothing could be discerned from it. To Revali it was just a friendly jab, not that he believed that was the only reason for the question. He just couldn't find any other motive at the moment.
"Kass, was it? I'm well aware I can move freely but it'd be quite rude to just go about my own business when I'm the guest here. Link knows I don't exhibit any poor manners; I was close to the royal family after all," he pointed his wing towards Link not realizing he was almost completely underwater. He looked down and realized where he was. "Link why are you underwater?" he asked, still pointing.
Link quickly ascended out of the water with a small splash and put his back up against the rock once again. He put up his hands, "Sorry it got a bit chilly for me, had to get warmed back up," he tried to give a straight face. Kass decided to go for the kill, he could see his prey and he just had to encircle it. He rounded the corridor and stepped towards Revali, holding out his wing.
"I'm sorry, I've not properly introduced myself. Yes, my name is Kass. I'm a traveling musician and my life's goal is to surpass the achievements of my late teacher. He was actually a good friend of the royal family so he created works of art about you and Link here. It's a pleasure to meet you, Champion," Kass awaited a response. It was just a friendly gesture, the point of it however was much more obscure. He just needed to shake his wing.
Revali was not one to turn down a friendly gesture, it was only polite. He had class and he intended to make that known to the other man. He stood up to his full height, reaching out his wing and shook Kass's firmly. "A pleasure it is, I'm sure you have plenty of wonderful tales about my exploits. I hope that you shall be able make more in the future. Nothing is quite ever boring when I'm around," he replied to Kass's greeting. It was a professional greeting befitting one of his status. It was airtight, or so he thought.
"Wonderful, I'm sorry to have intruded on your privacy. I would like to also invite you to come over to my home later. I'd love to get your input on some of the songs I have in the drafting stage," Kass retracted his hand and stepped back a few feet. He clapped his wings together and smiled. He had Revali nailed like an apple to a tree; he was going to start work on the song immediately.
"I will have to consider your offer, thank you," Revali replied with a wave of his wing. Kass then turned away and swam towards another end of the spring. He wanted to continue some observations from afar for anything interesting.
Link sat up and turned to watch him swim away. He lifted himself out of the water so he could wave goodbye to Kass. Revali almost seized up again but for a different reason. Links back was toned and smooth like the rest of him but he was covered in scars. It was a chaotic composition of long pale slashes that ran all over his back. They were in every direction and it looked like someone had taken a blade and ran it across him a thousand times. Revali had a few visible scars from encounters with Lynels but nothing like this. He couldn't imagine all the pain that he must have endured to even earn half of them. It took all the wind out of him, just the thought of someone he cared for being in so much pain.
"Link, where did you get those?" Revali said hesitantly at first, slightly louder than a whisper. Then he strengthened his voice and asked again without wavering. Link reached back and touched the largest scar that ran diagonally from his left shoulder to his right hip. Quickly shifting so he could hide the majority of his back.
"I've been in a lot of fights, it just happened over time," Link signed as casually as he could. Not wanting to meet the others eyes he cast them down towards the murky water.
"Fights happen and scars happen, that does not happen from a few fights. How many fights have you been in," Revali looked right at him. Not wanting to drop the subject. Link had been so nice to him in the last few days that he hadn't even considered how Link himself was doing himself. How much damage had he endured on his quest? Physical or otherwise.
"I said I've been in a lot of battles, it's no different than what you've been through. We're both soldiers respectably, we fight and sometimes we get hurt," He put his hands back into the water after signing. Still with a gloomy expression on his face. Desperately wanting to change the subject.
"Link, how many are there?" Revali put a little more edge in his voice for this sentence. He wasn't going to let Link wave off his own injuries. Not while he was there. He could tell that Link was the type to keep track of his defeats.
"It doesn't matter how many, that was in the past. I just move forward instead of dwelling on it," He glanced up for a moment. The cool blue meeting the fiery green. Instead of clashing he just looked towards a random spot in the distance. That was his philosophy during his travels. No matter how dire or how awful things got, tomorrow was always another day. If you kept moving forward than nothing could keep you anchored. Better to be making constant progress than to be stuck in the past on old failures.
"I said... how, many!?" Revali pushed his wing into the water with a large splash. His voice starting low and then building to a large storm of emotion. Link was shocked and his eyes widened at this outburst. Even though they were in hazy water he could tell that Revali was absolutely fuming.
"Why do you care? They're just scars! I'm sure you have them too!" Now it was Link's turn to rise to the conflict. He leaned towards Revali and put his chest out. Just because Revali was his friend didn't mean that he was going to shy away from this foolishness. Why did he care at all? They're just marks from where he's been hit before. They were all stupid little mistakes that resulted in a mark. Nothing less, nothing more. He couldn't understand why he was making such a big fuss about it.
"They're not just scars Link! How much pain did you undergo before you completed your mission? How many wounds did you weather in the name of the Hyrule? What would've happened if you had died in any one of those fights, what then?!" Revali was practically yelling now. He let his anger out at the reckless abandon that Link had accepted during his travels. To Revali it seemed like Link threw himself in harms way to save everyone but himself. Did he even care whether or not he lived or died as long as he achieved victory in defeating the Calamity?
"I told you already! I'm a soldier, it's my duty! So what if I died? If I died the world would be in complete chaos right now! I had to complete my mission no matter what!" Link growled as he signed back with wide, sweeping movements. It was obvious that he was getting just as heated as Revali. It was his job to save Hyrule. If not him then who would've been able to do it? Was he just supposed to sit idly by while monsters ran amok and the end of the world drew ever closer? He took those hits and lost those fights because if not him, then who. Why couldn't Revali just see that he was the only one who could have achieved this. Saving the world was more important than a few painful marks.
"Duty!? To Hylia with duty! What about you Link, what about you? Do you honestly think that just because everything worked out that it was worth what you suffered through?!" Revali rose out of the water and towered over him. His feathers were still wet so they couldn't puff up but they were still trying. He couldn't believe that someone would be okay with going through that much pain and to just wave it off because the results were positive. The ends didn't always justify the means.
"So you would've preferred me stay nice and safe but the world completely shrouded in Malice? Would that have been a better outcome? The reason we're having this conversation right now is because I did what had to be done to overcome overwhelming odds. It doesn't matter that I got a few scars along the way," He wasn't even angry at this point. Link just kept a dead stare on Revali throughout the exchange. How could he think that his own life was worth more than the thousands around Hyrule. He was one man, the entire world was worth more than just one of him. Because of him: families, friends, and innocent people were still alive and well and didn't have to ever worry about the Calamity ever again. That's what mattered to him. The ends justified the means.
"Do you even care yourself? About how everyone would've felt if you had seriously injured yourself or died because you tried to save Hyrule? How would've Zelda felt then? How would have anyone close to you felt? Do you even know how I would've felt if I'd lost you!" He clenched his eyes shut and threw his wings to his sides, shouting the last phrase. He froze, slowly opening his eyes. He didn't mean to say that. He wanted to say "we" not "I". It just came out of him with no warning or thought. Link stopped as well, at a loss for words, all the anger drained out of him. He tried to reach out his hand in Revali's direction. Before he could get close Revali jumped out of the water and went straight back to the shack. slamming the door shut behind him. He stood there with a wing still on the door. His face down, just panting and sweating. He'd lost control completely for the first time in years. How was he supposed to face Link now; what could he possibly say to remedy this? The thoughts swirled in his head in a dark maelstrom as he put his back to the door and just sat down with his head on his knees. He began to cry.
Link watched him run off like a flash of color. Before he could begin to go after him he heard a throat clear behind him. It was Kass, looking at him with a pained expression. The hero looked down in shame, he shouldn't have let his emotions get to him. It escalated that fight farther than it needed to. Kass walked up to him and put a wing on his shoulder.
"I... heard most of that, I'm sorry, Link. I know all you want to do right now is go comfort him but you can't do that right now. You must understand, he just let out a lot of emotion as did you. He needs space to cool off and so do you," he wasn't going to give Link time to respond, he needed to finish his piece, "I know where you are coming from Link, I really do, but you need to consider his point of view as well. He really cares about you, and from the sounds of it right now he probably feels like you don't care about your own well being. Yes, you did save Hyrule. I'm just not sure you ever thought to save the one person that you should have. Yourself," He poked a feather right at his heart. Link looked up at him, an awestruck expression. He'd never heard anything like this from his friend before. Kass may have not been the strongest or smartest of the Rito but he had a heart like no other. That was a strength few could rival in the entire world.
"You forget that I have little ones that I care for more than anything in the entire world. As far as I'm concerned, you're one of mine too. Let me go speak to him, I just want you to sit down and take some deep breaths," Kass winked at him and slowly sat him back down in the water. Link obeyed and closed his eyes. In, one...two...three...four... out, one...two...three...four. He repeated this over and over. He taught himself how to calm down like this after his first few weeks traveling alone. Everything was so cold and hostile, anything could be a danger. It helped him stay calm and stay centered in those times of insecurity. He let his mind drift away to a single blue flower flowing in the wind, alone in a vast field of green.
Kass got out of the water and walked towards the shack. Knocking a few times on the door, no answer. "Revali, I'm going to come in. We need to talk," he said as softly as he could while also sure he was able to be heard through the door. He slowly opened the door as it creaked from the action. Kass saw the small shape of Revali sitting on the bench directly to his left. He had his clothes next to him folded nicely but had yet to put them on. He flinched at the presence of the other man and put his wings over his head. Completely concealing his face.
"How wonderful it must be to see me like this. The Great Revali, naked and shaking in panic inside a worn down shack. Oh, I wonder what your mentor would say if he could see me now," he let out a few empty chuckles as he wiped his eyes. He couldn't even look at the other Rito in this state. He hadn't felt this horrible in ages. His entire chest quaked and he wanted to clutch his heart from how fast it was racing in his chest. The great warrior was now no more than a shell of his usual self. Hardened exterior completely broken away to reveal the pure emotion turmoil within.
"Revali, there is no shame in this. When people care about each other very much sometimes they fight. You only want what's best for Link even if you think that he doesn't know it himself. I may not know him as well as you but I still know him well. I will tell you this about him; that boy does care for his own well being. There was not a day that occurred where he neglected himself in favor of helping others. Of course he spent most of his time aiding those in need, that's his nature. Nevertheless, he also spent his time reading, cooking food, befriending horses, drawing, and even just listening to a few songs. It was not always combat and danger in his daily activities," Kass sat next to him a couple feet away. He could tell that Revali wasn't a touchy person so he respected his space.
"How am I supposed to even look him in the eye? I just basically told him that he was an idiot for trying to save the world and by extension, me. I shouldn't even have the gall to complain, I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him," Revali let down his wing and stared at his wingtips while he talked. Still unsure of how this was going to play out.
Kass chuckled, making Revali turn to him in confusion, "My boy, you have no idea who you're talking about. That boy couldn't stay mad at someone if he tried, he has a pure heart. He doesn't hate you and he won't hold a grudge over something as small as a little fight. From the time that I've spent with him I knew immediately that he was someone who cared for everyone before himself. He doesn't want to be the center of attention or cause worry over himself when someone else could use assistance. He's stubborn, and sometimes he needs to be confronted about it. I'm glad that this confrontation came from you in fact; you may be one of the only people in the world he'll listen to. You're his friend, he values you. Don't think that one fight is gonna make all of that fall apart," he looked over and gave him a reassuring look. Smiling as wide as he could. If there was one thing Kass could do, it was lift the spirits of those around him.
Revali sat there for a moment, just thinking. Slowly but surely he began to put the pieces together. He realized that he really had no idea how Link actually goes about his day to day life. He had made unfair assumptions based on what knowledge he did have over the small time that he knew him and this time now. While he still didn't agree with Link about his stance on his own duty and obligations, he could understand it. Now that he finally acknowledged that, he began to feel better, a little bit of weight lifted off of his chest.
"I knew he was a friend of yours but I guess I never considered how much insight you might have into the more private sides of him. I just... couldn't imagine how someone could go through so much and think it was just their "duty." It's not fair to him, not in the slightest. It just made me, not angry really but more, upset and frustrated. I couldn't picture the kind and very stubborn Link being cut into like that. It makes my stomach churn," Revali sat himself up, his breathing becoming more even. Silently thinking up ways to apologize for his admittedly rash actions. He never liked to admit his faults but in this case he didn't mind, it was Link after all.
"I've had to care for him before actually; he does have knack for getting into trouble as you may know. One day I was simply playing a nice and calm melody when I heard the galloping of a horse approaching me. I looked to greet whoever was coming but I saw it was Link slumped over the horses neck. He was covered in wounds and bleeding terribly, I dropped everything to rush him inside my home. He told me afterwards that it was an encounter with a Silver Lynel; he had defeated the beast but was greatly wounded in the process. That was the most dire situation I've ever been in, in my entire life and I almost threw up from the stress. Even with everything considered, no matter what I did or how thorough I had to be with applying aid, he had never shouted in pain once. He refused to give in, even a little bit," Kass leaned back and put his hands in his lap as he retold the memory. It was one of the darkest times in his life, he had thought he was going to lose his dear friend forever. He had a large gash that ran across in entire back and it was cut deep. He had to stitch it closed while dealing with smaller cuts and gashes that littered his body. Fortunately he was well versed in first aid and herbal medicines as he had plenty of salve and bandages. It took Link almost a week to recover fully, it was then that Kass really bonded with him.
"That sounds like him, always rushing off to the next fight. I think we were lucky that he had to stay with the princess or he would've run off after every monster that challenged us," Revali let himself have a genuine laugh at the prospect. He raised his head up to look at Kass's, "What happened after you fixed him up, I'm sure it didn't heal overnight?"
"No it did not, the gash on his back was massive and I'm sure you saw it when he had his back turned. It took an entire week to heal up completely. At that time I forced him to be on bed rest while he was in my care. He wasn't allowed to feed himself, lift anything, do any sort of strenuous activity, and I even had to bathe him. Any activity with a wound that large and it would've opened it back up in an instant and he could've bled out. That experience, I think, is why he trusts me and is so open with me. I think it might have been the first time in his life that he was in someone else's care, he was constantly protesting the whole time," Kass let out a few hoots when recalling having to baby the Hero of Hyrule. It was a serious injury and it warranted serious care; he was doing his duty as someone who wanted to help others.
Revali let himself laugh out loud at the mental image of Link sat in a tub having to be washed with a sponge. It made him think about how he felt when he found out about all the extra care that Link had provided for him. It seemed like they were both people who found it hard to be in the care of someone else. "I would've paid a fortune to see that, thank you Kass. I think... I think I'm ready to actually clothe myself now. No use sitting in a cold room in my private outfit," Revali said to Kass as he stood up off the bench. He didn't care to actually use a stall as Kass had obviously already seen him naked. He tugged on his armor and tied all the straps, looking like his usual self.
"Are you going to be okay, talking to him? I can come with you," Kass had started to say. He knew that he was probably fine but he wanted to be sure. Now he felt like the father of two additional children.
"I'll be fine, this is something I have to do alone," Revali replied as he walked over to the door and walked back out into the chilly air. The snow was still falling slowly and lightly, a little swirl of white puffs in the wind. He could still see Link who seemed to be deep in thought. He was completely still and was still sitting in the same spot. As quietly as he could he walked back over to the blonde and sat down beside him.
"H-hey Link," he tried to be as quiet as possible. Not wanting to startle him in whatever deep contemplation that must've been occurring in his mind. He saw his body flinch and he turned towards him, those startling blue eyes staring right through him.
"I-I'm sorry, truly. I didn't take the time to think things through and I came out really rash and yelled at you. I just... I just care about those close to me, especially when they're hurt. It's not often that someone actually wants to be my friend, so I appreciate those who do. Would you be able to forgive me for my rudeness?" He began to explain himself, the sapphire irises never leaving his own. Link was soaking up every word and intently listened.
Link took a moment to think through his words before he began signing, "I'm sorry too, I knew all you wanted was to make sure I was okay but I pushed you away roughly. I really didn't mean it to be as mean as it probably was. I have a hard time having others go out of their way to make sure I'm okay. I've always been more of a lone wolf type person, even more now than before. You're one of my best friends and it's not fair that I took out some of my anger on you. I'm sorry," He put his hands back down, he had let his eyes drop while he signed. He heard a sniffling noise and he jerked his head back up. He thought he was making Revali cry, it turns out he was holding in a laugh.
"Oh look at the both of us, what would Zelda say if she saw us having a heartfelt conversation with me covered in snow and you naked in the middle of an over sized bath! The Champions of Hyrule, conquers of Calamity Ganon!" He couldn't contain himself and began laughing in between his words. Building up to a full blown laughing fit and he even let out a loud squawk. He instantly clapped both of his hands over his beak. Link then almost fell into the water after beginning his own hysterical fit. Then they were both cackling, not a soul in sight. It broke any kind of tension or hard feelings between either of them. After a minute they both had their heads in the snow, smiling like idiots.
"Hey Link," Revali asked turning his head towards Link who was still in the water. Link lifted up his hands and signed.
"What?" He let his hands fall back down, hitting his chest lightly.
"Friends?" Revali said after a moment, now they were staring right at each other.
"Friends," Link blinked and signed the single word.
"You should probably get dressed, I have a feeling you've been in that water too long. You're going to shrivel up like a raisin," Revali sat himself up offering a wing to him. Link took it and pulled himself out of the water.
"Raisin? If I didn't know any better I'd say you look like a raisin yourself," he chuckled while signing. Revali rolling his eyes at the slight dig at him. He let his hand go and it dropped back to his side. It was then that Revali remembered that Link was completely nude at the moment.
"Oh! Sorry! You should grab your towel!" He immediately cocked his head to the side and closed his eyes. He put out his wing as if putting up another way to shield his sight.
Link looked down and let out a gasp, quickly grabbing his towel and sprinting towards the shack. Trying not to slip and fall like a fool while his face burned with embarrassment. He shut the door behind him putting his back up against it. Letting the breath of his chest. He opened his eyes and squeaked when he saw that Kass was standing right in front of him.
"Oh! Sorry Link, didn't mean to startle you. I was just getting my things together," Kass was dressed in his usual attire with the accordion slung over his back. He covered his eyes so Link could walk behind him and he heard the stall door shut.
"I had a talk with your friend there, I must admit he is very different to what I assumed based on my teacher's songs," no response of course. He kept talking while Link was getting dressed, "You know I think you two make a great pair. Combat may be your forte but you have a habit of forgetting to look after yourself sometimes. I think it's good that he seems to want to fill that roll, you should let him," Kass talked to the stall behind him until he heard the door open. Link was still beet red but at least he was clothed this time. Kass chided himself for using the word "pair," it probably triggered a different reaction than he anticipated.
"You think so? I've never had a partner in crime, I mean in justice, before," Link signed while trying to shake the heat out of his face. Still retaining his slightly goofy nature.
"I know so, my teacher always told me I had a knack for these things, reading people and such," Kass told the young hero. Fastening the last few straps of his various packs on his person.
"That sounds like a great idea! I'll ask him as soon as we get back to the village," Link signed in response after he had gotten his sword and other items out of the storage bin. He knew that Mipha had to stay behind because she had obligations to her family and to her people but this was different. He wasn't sure if there was actually anything that kept Revali tied down to the village. Teba was already in the role of protector and the monsters weren't even a fraction of the danger that they used to be. Maybe getting out and about was just the thing Revali needed to crack his shell open even more. Link was beginning to think that this was the beginning of a perfect idea.
"Wonderful! I think you'll find that a bit of fresh air is just what people need sometimes. I hope to see you again before you depart, goodbye!" Kass said one last farewell before leaving out the door. Leaving Link alone with his thoughts.
The hero left the shack and after meeting back up with his companion he checked them both out of the spring. Sharing a few polite words with Tyto and then promptly taking flight back towards the Rito Village. Link couldn't remember too much of the time in-between leaving the springs and arriving at the village, too many thoughts swirled in his mind. Admittedly it was also quite an exhausting day, both mentally and physically. He was quite happy for that hot spring now that he was settling back down. He asked Revali if he wanted to share a meal at the nearby tavern which he gladly accepted. They were both starving after being mostly out the entire day.
Link opened the door to the tavern and let Revali inside first. After being greeted by the same enthusiastic waitress from earlier they were settled into a table by the back of the establishment. It was bustling in its dinner rush so they had to wait a little while for their food. It did however give them some time to chat, "Busy day today, wasn't it?" Revali was the first to speak, posing the question.
"Yea, things got a little heated there for a minute. No pun intended," Link quickly added on before Revali could roll his eyes. A slight wave of his hand to emphasize, at Revali's expense.
"Yea-yea it was a bit rough there. Personally I'm just happy that I got some time to relax in some hot water. A few more days and i'll have all of my suave back; this is only day two after being out of commission for a century after all," Revali replied with slight protest having remembered their earlier conflict. It did dawn on both of them that it was still only two days after Revali had "woken up." Maybe that could've attributed to some of his impulsive behavior that he'd been displaying as of late, or so Link thought.
"Do you think that's why you've been acting differently than usual?" It almost sounded more like a statement than a question. Once it came out Link realized that it may have came out more blatantly rude than he'd meant. "I mean, from back then," he added on before Revali internalized his words.
"Different? How so?" Revali asked, genuinely curious about what Link had meant. He felt different but he wasn't every sure to what extent. Hearing it from Link made him reconsider how he's acted these last few days. Was he different? How much was he different compared to a hundred years ago? The questions began to pepper his mind.
"Well, I mean you just seem, different. You're much more vocal, and you've laughed and smiled more in these last few days than the entire time I've known you put together. I was just hoping that... I don't know, you're happier now than you were before?" Link asked, having to pause a few times. It was hard to describe what exactly was different about his friend but it was distinct for sure. Something had changed him, internally at least. Link just didn't know what it was.
"Happier. Yes, I guess that's one way to put it. Despite our earlier, scuffle, I'll call it. I don't know exactly what it is but I've just been feeling... upbeat? I'm sure there's a better word but that's all I can think of at the moment. I guess I'm just more excited for the future now that there's not a world ending Calamity hanging over our heads. I've had a lot more to think about and deal with, it's been enlightening," Revali sat back in his chair. The sentences came out in bits and pieces but eventually he got his whole thought out. He'd not thought about it but he was feeling much better lately than he had in a long time. Before it was always: train, eat, train, train, fight monsters, eat, train, fight monsters, eat, sleep, repeat. Now that he actually had the time to focus on himself he's been doing much better in a state of mind.
Before Link could respond their food arrived and that stopped both of their trains of thought. They chowed down on some delicious home made dinner. Link had a steak with rice and vegetables mixed in on the side. A nice helping of sliced potatoes to accompany the rest of his plate. The steak was medium rare and all the juices pooled as he cut large pieces out of it. The rice was always wonderful and the steamed carrots and celery added a nice change of texture to the side dish. Finally the potatoes were wonderfully crunchy and soft at the same time; kind of like the vegetable version of an apple. He ran his chunks of potato through his steak juice before finally eating it. It added a nice meaty taste to the otherwise bare potatoes. Revali on the other hand couldn't get enough of his fish. Battered and fried cod with a nice tangy tartar sauce to accompany it. With it he also had a nice helping of salty fries to go along with the fish. It was a simple dish but done well it was always a wonderful experience. He did however have to deal with Links wandering hand which kept snagging fries while he was chewing. Eventually as he slowly crept to strike at another fry Revali struck like a cobra and grabbed his hand before it could get the fry. He shook his head at Link due to his mouth still being full. The hero admitted defeat and retired back to his own meal. Both of them finishing nice and full before stepping back out into the night air. They continued talking on the way back to the village with Revali trailing behind Link.
"I'm happy to hear that you're doing better. Do you have any plans now that you're all settled in?" Link asked, turning around so that Revali could see him sign. It was dark but little lanterns illuminated the path, allowing his hands to still be visible in the dark sky.
"Plans? I guess I never thought about it really. Teba seems to be doing a fine job of defending the village and there's no more Calamity for me to annihilate with righteous fury. I guess I'm not sure," He replied, scratching his chin with his wing. Link stopped in front of him so he dug his heels in before they collided. Link turned around again with a sheepish look. Shifting his feet around.
"Well, I'm going to be checking in with Zelda and then moving on to Gerudo Town. Since you aren't busy I was wondering if you maybe wanted to come with me? The next beast on my list is Vah Naboris," He let the question finally leave his thoughts after milling it over in his head for the latter part of the day. After the final sign he put his hands behind his back, awaiting the answer.
Revali stopped as well, Link filled him in about Mipha earlier and how he was going to be traveling to the other beasts. He never mentioned possibly taking him with him. His first thought was that he couldn't because of his obligations but then he remembered that there were none left to fulfill. He was completely free to do what he pleased for the rest of his life. It would just be him and Link on the open road, just them.
"I'd love to take you up on that offer, with the both of us I doubt anything could stand in our way. What could possibly go wrong?" Revali replied while putting out his wing. Link took it and they shook on it. Before retiring to his bed that was the last thing that went through his mind. It was also the last thing Link thought of before he drifted off to sleep as well.
What could possibly go wrong?