Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The young Rito was a picture of absolute focus, his body held with textbook perfect posture as he sighted along his arrow to the target on the far side of the field. A brightly coloured scrap of cloth fluttered on the edge of his vision, but he resolutely ignored it. The older warriors did not need to rely on the marker to judge the wind, so neither should he.

Instead he let his feathers rise to better feel the caress of the wind as it passed through his plumage. It was difficult to resist the urge to close his eyes to better focus on the sensation, but he knew he could not allow himself to do so. You did not take your eyes off the target, that was one of the most basic rules of archery.

Moments passed, he felt the wind, made the judgement call, and released the arrow. It whistled through the air and hit the target with a satisfying thud, but the archer scowled as he lowered his bow.

It was embedded on the very edge of the target, a few scant inches away from having missed it entirely.

Not good enough.

He quickly nocked the next arrow, raising his bow again-

“Revali!”

The call startled him, making his aim waver, and he clicked his beak sharply in annoyance as he lowered his bow and turned to face the now extremely sheepish looking Rito who had just landed beside him.

“What is it Alvan?”

“It’s almost time! You’re going to miss it if you don’t hurry!” The visitor replied, bouncing on his toes in a mixture of excitement and impatience.

Revali’s eyes widened at that, cursing softly under his breath as he glanced up at the sun and noted it’s position in the sky.

“I’m coming!” He said, hurrying to the practise field shed to stow his bow and quiver.

“Mom figured you’d lost track of time so sent me to fetch you.” Alvan explained as Revali rushed around.

“Thank you, both of you.” He replied distractedly as he locked the door behind himself.

“Thank me once we make it back in time!” Alvan said, already heading for edge of the field, wings raised to catch the wind.

Revali hurried after him, and soon they were both rising up into the great sky above, hurrying back towards the village. Alvan banked sharply as soon as they reached a decent altitude, moving closer so they could talk.

“Honestly Revali, who practises on the festival days?”

“I completed all my tasks to help with the preparations, so I had some free time to kill.” Revali replied defensively.

“That’s not the point! This is a holiday!”

“Some of us enjoy practising.”

“Oh, whatever” Alvan sighed, rolling his eyes in exasperation. He’d had this argument with his friend many times over the years, and never came out the winner. He decided to opt for a distraction instead, playfully pulling ahead and calling back over his shoulder.

“Come on, shake a wing or we’ll never make it!”

Revali smirked, eagerly rising to the challenge. “Hah, just try to keep up with me!”

The two adolescents raced through the sky, enjoying the gift of flight that was their privilege as Rito.

Flying at such speeds it didn’t take long for their village to come into view. The great pillar of rock in the middle of Lake Totori dominated the skyline, with the wooden stairs and huts that formed their home curling up around it like a vine. Once the village had been confined to just that central pillar, but over the years they had expanded, building more huts and walkways around the smaller surrounding pillars on the lake, linking them back to the centre with yet more rope bridges, so that from the air it looked like a giant web sprawled out beneath them.

Today it looked like their village had burst into bloom, with colourful banners waving from every window, and silk ribbons fluttering in the air where they were attached to the many windmills that were dotted all over the village. Wind chimes danced in the breeze, filling the air with sweet notes that mixed with the distant melody of musicians tuning their instruments in preparation for the display. Normally you could see at least a few Rito in the immediate airspace around the village, either patrolling or just stretching their wings, but today it was clear. A figure stood on one of the villages many landings, frantically waving them down, and they dove sharply, landing in a flurry of feathers.

“Honestly you two!” The older Rito clucked “You almost missed it!”

“Sorry Ma.” Alvan panted, tired from the flight.

“My apologies Elena” Revali nodded, looking far more composed then his friend as he smoothed his feathers down.

She clucked again, sounding amused this time. “Look at you, always acting so grown up when you’re barely out of your down feathers.”

Revali bristled at that, he was 16 years old, well out of his down feathers thank you very much, and was about to tell her as much when two baskets were shoved into his and his friend’s arms, a enticing scent wafting from within.

“Cloud buns!” Alvan cried, looking down at the fluffy buns glazed with honey and decorated with a tiny piece of soft meringue. The buns were filled with a mixture of sweetened cream and wild berry purée that turned the insides a pale blue streaked with white. A Rito speciality only made during festival time, the recipe was a closely guarded secret, and the delicious treat was the downfall of many overzealous fledglings every year.

“I made sure to grab some before the fledge’s ate them all. There’s some wildberry juice in there too, now go find a good spot and enjoy!” Elena said, patting them both of the back and hurrying them along.

“Thanks Ma!” Alvan cheered, pulling Revali after him as they raced up the stairs. They really were late, all of the good vantage spots were already filled with families, fledglings and nestlings sat on shoulders or held in their parents wings, beaks already covered in cream and feathers sticky with honey as they waited for the festivities to start.

“Revali here” Alvan motioned, pointing to an open spot, and the two of them climbed up onto the top of the ancient shrine that had stood their for ages untold, perching on it’s roof.

They were just in time.

Music filled the air as the bards lifted their instruments and the choir started to sing, and in perfect time to the rising crescendo, the dancers took to the sky. With long colourful ribbons attached to their ankles they soared through the air, performing beautiful manurers, the ribbons curling and looping behind them as they moved, representations of the wind and how the Rito moved with it. Revali had seen this countless times before, but even now he couldn’t work out how they managed to do such intricate work without tangling themselves or their fellow dancers in the ribbons.

The music rose and fell like the wind itself, the singers voices sweet and clear, and the dancers moved in perfect time. All around you could hear the oohs and aahs of the crowd, especially from the young ones.

The dancers finally flew past the village, releasing the ribbons and letting the wind take them as they landed to well deserved applause.

Then came the warriors turn.

Revali put his food down, utterly focused as he watched them soar around the village. Fruit was tossed into the sky, and the warriors twisted in the air, drawing and firing their bows in smooth fluid motions as they showed off their skills for the crowd below. Sweet fruit rained down, thudding into pre-set targets littered around the village, expertly sliced and then skewered by precise shots. Rito stood on standby to remove the fruit kabob’s and pass them to the waiting children- it was a common belief that eating the fruit that had been prepared this way would impart the warriors strength to the eater. As a child Revali had clamoured to eat that fruit, but now he held himself back, letting the younger ones have first pick, focusing on the display and learning all he could as he watched the warriors move.

The warriors finally flew down and landed to even more applause, and then the music lifted, building to a crescendo as large sacks were carried up into the sky, right into the clouds themselves.

A few minutes later they fell, and the from the cliffs two shapes soared into view. Kaeli and Benta, the strongest warriors in the village. Revali watched spell bound as Benta drew his bow, a bomb arrow sizzling as Kaeli flew past him, pulling ahead.

Benta fried towards his Wing Mate, and Kaeli twisted in mid air, expertly snatching the arrow out of the sky and twisting to fire it up into one of the descending bags in one fluid motion.

The arrow exploded on contact with a bang that echoed around the whole lake, spilling the coloured powder inside to the wind. The rest of the bags fell in the same manner, more and more powder colouring the sky, making the sacred winds visible for all to see as the sky around the village was coloured like a rainbow.

Revali watched, something fierce and hot burning in his chest that was only partially to do with the beloved wind and sky they celebrated today.

One day, that would be him up there in the sky, showing everyone exactly what he could do, bringing honour to his village. He swore it.

Benta and Kaeli landed a few minutes later, feathers dusted with powder, to thunderous applause. Lila, the Village Elder, had to step forward and raise her wings to bring order.

“Thank you everyone! It was, I’m sure you’ll all agree, an absolutely magnificent display this year! Let us thank everyone who took part in not only putting on such a marvellous display of our tribes many skills, but all those involved in the preparations as well!”

There was much more applause and cheering, the musicians, dancers and warriors bowing elegantly, and others still handing out skewers waving as well. Once the noise had died down again Lila continued.

“I’ll keep this short, I know you’re all keen to continue the festivities. Today is the Festival of the Air, where we celebrate the Sacred Sky Above, and the beloved winds that give us the greatest gift of our people, flight!”

Again, she had to pause for the cheering to die down before continuing.

“Today is a day of celebration, so let us all eat drink and be merry!”

The music started up again, and everyone began moving at once. Many rushed to talk to the performers, while some launched themselves into the sky for the thrill of flying through the coloured dyes before they settled on the ground, where they would eventually be washed away with the next rains. Others headed down the stairs where food was being served in the communal kitchen, a full banquet laid out for them all. By evening their would be dancing and the Elder would tell stories for the fledglings, ones that were passed down over the ages, documenting some of their tribes greatest accomplishments.

“Aren’t you glad you didn’t miss that?” Alvan smiled, beak covered in cream and basket empty as he turned to his friend “….You going to finish those?”

“Wings off.” Revali said, pulling his basket out of reach. “And yes, I’m glad I didn’t miss it.”

Alvan followed his friends line of sight, noticing how he was staring fixedly at the warriors, and rolled his eyes to himself, but decided to let it go. Revali was enjoying himself, that was the main thing.

“Wanna go fly with the colours?” He asked, nodding towards the sky as Revali resumed eating his bun.

“No thank you, it might be enjoyable at the time, but it takes forever to get the dye out of your feathers later.

“True.” Alvan nodded, wiping cream from his beak “I’m going to go get some food then, you coming?”

“Ah yes, because you surely haven’t had enough yet?” Revali teased, poking his belly.

“It’s a festival, overeating is almost mandatory.” Alvan grinned, jumping down. “You coming?”

Revali paused only long enough to swallow the last of his bun and empty his flask of juice. “Yes, yes, coming.”

“...You’re not going to talk to the warriors?” Alvan asked, sounding slightly sceptical as they headed to the stairs.

“…I see them regularly at training, let the children have their turn.” Revali said, very graciously in his opinion.

“All right then, lets go!”

“Yes just- just hold on a minute!”

“What is it?” Alvan asked, surprised to see his friend dragging his feet.

“...I want to get a skewer.” Revali finally replied, carefully looking anywhere other then at his friend as his feathers rose in embarrassment.

After taking a moment to process both the words and the look on his friends face, Alvan burst out laughing, before throwing his wing around Revali’s shoulders, steering them both towards the waiting fruit.

If his friend wanted a fruit skewer, he was getting a fruit skewer.

The Rito were not the only ones enjoying the festival.

While the village was closed to outsiders during the festivities, there was always a small crowd that gathered at the Rito Stables outside, eager to catch a glimpse of the performance. Visitors sat on the rolling grassy hills with their own picnics (a few even had Cloud Buns- which the the Rito sold to visitors in the week leading up to the festival), listening to the music that carried easily down to them on the wind, watching the amazing aerial displays from afar. As a token of respect for the visitors, the Rito even set up 4 targets on the ground (one to represent each of the other major tribes of Hyrule: the Hylians, Gorons, Gerudo and Zora), so that those who made the long trip to witness their festival could also partake in some of the specially prepared fruit skewers.

This year there had been a brief moment of excitement as everyone waited for things to begin, when a merchant caravan that made regular trips back and forth to trade with the Rito appeared unexpectedly out of the blue. With the bad weather over the past few weeks the family that managed the Stable had expected them to be delayed, had even commented that it was such a shame the group were going to miss the festival. Yet as they counted down the minutes to the start of the performance, the carts that made up the travelling merchant group suddenly appeared out of the mountain pass one by one, their horses hooves kicking up dust as they hurried to the stables.

The leader of the caravan, a middle aged Hylian called Heidi, waved as they rolled to a stop, calling out breathlessly.

“We haven’t missed it have we?”

“Not quite! Talk about cutting it close though.” The stable manager Aiden laughed, helping her down and calling to his team to bring water for the horses.

“Wonderful! Don’t worry about unloading now everyone!” She called back to the rest of her team who hovered nervously, caught between duty and a desire to see the display. “Hurry up and find a place to watch, we’ll unpack later!”

Enthusiastic cries of thanks echoed in response, especially from the younger members of the group who scrambled to find a place with a good vantage point, while the elders who had seen the display several times before moved at a more leisurely pace, stretching out sore limbs from travel.

“I didn’t think you’d make it through the passes with the storms we’ve had!” Aiden’s wife Flora, a lady known for her kind and motherly disposition, commented as she brought over a pitcher of cool wildberry cordial for Heidi.

“By all rights we shouldn’t have, but luckily we had some help.” She smiled, thanking Flora before taking a deep refreshing gulp, eyes glancing over the rim of her cup as someone dashed towards them.

It was a girl in her teens, her hair tousled but a wide smile on her face as she bounced from foot to foot with barely controlled excitement, a large spear that was holstered on her back swaying with her as she skidded to a halt and asked with breathless excitement;

“Heidi, Heidi! Where do I go? I don’t want to miss it!”

“Anywhere you like, just find an empty space with a good view and plonk yourself down, go on, get!” The older woman laughed, clapping her on the back to encourage her on her way.

“Okay!” She laughed, spotting the manager and his wife and giving them a hurried bow of acknowledgement before sprinting away again like a tiny whirlwind.

“Well now, I thought I knew everyone on your caravan, have you picked up someone new?” Aiden asked.

“Hah, no no, that ones just a passenger, she wanted a ride to the Rito Village.”

“She seems rather young to be travelling all alone.” Flora commented, voice laced with concern. “Isn’t someone with her?”

“No, but her Grandma paid me extra to keep an eye on her on the road and make sure she got here safely. I don’t normally take passengers but in this case I felt I had to make an exception.”

Before she could elaborate any further the music that indicated the start of the performance started, and stopped herself short.

“-Looks like that story is going to have to wait a bit, I guess we really did just make it in time!”

Any questions were soon forgotten as everyone turned to enjoy the display. When they finally reached the climax and the bags of coloured dyes exploded in mid air, the young (and young at heart) dashed off with whoops of joy before the anyone could stop them, the girl from earlier in the lead. They ran towards the area’s where the dyes seemed to be drifting towards the ground, eager to run through them and coat themselves with colour the same way the young Rito in the air were. Heidi gave up on any chance of restoring order, deciding to let the members of her caravan simply enjoy themselves, they’d certainly earned it after their long trip.

After giving the children time to play, and the adults time to catch up with old friends, Heidi surprised everyone by announcing that the caravan would provide meat for all those staying at the stables tonight in celebration of their timely return. Everyone was moved by the very generous offer, and one by one all the other visitors started offering their own contribution of dishes and ingredients, until it turned into a very large outdoor BBQ. All of the stables outside cooking stations were put to use, as well as the interior kitchen, as people bustled about chopping, preparing and marinating dishes. Others got to work outside arranging tables and chairs so that everyone could eat together, and in the end the sun was just starting to sink towards the horizon by the time the dishes started being brought out.

And what a variety of dishes there were! Various creamy vegetable soups were served as starters, seasoned with fresh rock salt that had been mined by someone who had passed through the mountains on their way to the stables. This was followed immediately by fresh cooked omelettes, golden and fluffy as clouds, after a couple of young boys had scoured the surrounding trees for eggs. Seasoned stir fried vegetables were handed out next, the ingredients gathered from the surrounding land earlier that very day, along with a large cauldron of spicy seafood curry, made by combining one families donation of fresh fish and a few bottles of rare Goron spice someone else had contributed. Finally their was the meat provided by the caravan, which after much discussion had been turned into meat skewers, some of which were just lightly seasoned, while others were marinaded in a variety of different sauces to give everyone something different to try. For desert, some clever soul gathered up the remaining fruit from the display and started preparing fresh crepes, filling them with whipped cream and different mixtures of fruit before drizzling them with honey.

Needless to say, by the time everyone had finished eating the moon was high in the sky, and half the gathering had fallen asleep at the table. Parents carried their still brightly coloured children to the baths, while others stumbled into their beds as they were, deciding to deal with the mess they would have made of the sheets in the morning. A few hardy souls stayed up to clear up the dishes and pack the tables away, but soon enough everyone was heading for their beds.

With everything going on, Flora completely forgot to ask about Heidi’s passenger, and didn’t think of the girl again until the next morning, when she saw her running around helping the others from the caravan to unpack and set up their camp. She was easy to spot with that large spear still firmly attached to her back, waving over her head like a flag as she bustled about, and she couldn’t help but think it such a sad state of affairs that nowadays a young woman had to be so armed to make a trip across Hyrule. Flora meant to ask Heidi to continue her story about her passenger, but she was so busy arranging everything that in the end she couldn’t bring herself to interrupt.

She did notice the teenager, whose name she learned was Holly, lingering by the bridge that normally led into the Rito village on more then one occasion that day. The single sturdy rope bridge was the only way into the village if you didn’t possess the power of flight, and on festival days, (or any other time when the Rito were not willing to accept visitors), they simply unhooked the bridge and folded it away to prevent access. Holly kept wandering back to the bridge, obviously checking to see if it had been lowered yet, pouting at the gap when she saw it wasn’t and looking longingly at the village beyond until Heidi called her away again. It was rather adorable, especially when other members of the caravan told her they’d already told Holly the bridge wouldn’t be open till tomorrow, but she insisted on going and checking anyway ‘just in case’.

With that in mind, she wasn’t surprised the next day when Holly was the first one to see the Rito reattaching the bridge. She came barrelling down the path that led back to the stables, smiling like a little sun as she headed for the caravan’s tents, calling at the top of her lungs-

“It’s open it’s open they’ve opened it-HEIDI WE CAN GO NOW!!”

Some people chuckled at her enthusiasm as she passed, while others tutted in disapproval at her behaviour, muttering about her acting childishly for someone her age. Flora had to push down the urge to whack those particular sourpusses with her dishcloth.

Half an hour later Holly came dancing back down the path, running excited circles around Heidi as the older woman followed at a more leisurely pace. The caravan leader was a patient woman, but she had a look on her face that suggested she was already quietly praying to the goddess for strength as she tried to corral her over-excited charge.

Flora couldn’t help but laugh at her friends predicament, and watched as the two of them finally stepped onto the wooden bridge with a smile. As they did so, she got one final clear look at Holly’s retreating back as the narrow width of the bridge forced her to stop running around and move in single file behind Heidi. What she saw made her pause in the middle of gathering empty glasses, scrunching up her nose as she strained her eyes to make sure she was seeing things right.

It wasn’t a spear, or any type of weapon at all.

Why on earth was that girl carrying a broom around with her?

“Holly-”

“Can we go straight to the Elder? Or can we look around first?”

“Holly.”

“Oh! I want to see if they have any Cloud Buns left, and maybe talk to the dancers? They looked so great in the air I want to ask how they did those moves without getting tangled up!”

“Holly”

“-And the archers were so amazing! I heard about Rito skill but I didn’t think anyone could fly and then switch to a bow and then switch back to flying all at once like that! Do you think I could learn that? I think I want to learn that-”

“Holly!”

The sharp tone finally seemed to penetrate the girl’s excited chatter and she stopped moving for a moment, glancing back innocently over her shoulder, apparently oblivious to Heidi’s ire.

“Yes?”

Not for the first time, Heidi finds herself having to mentally count down from 10 before she speaks.

She is a good girl. She reminds herself, chanting it almost like a mantra. She is a good girl, she’s just-

“Oh look at that!”

…….excitable.

“Holly focus, please.”

“Sorry, Heidi.” She said, turning back around, still smiling like a little sun and rocking back and forth on her heels as she waited for the older woman to speak her piece.

Heidi takes a breath, finds some more patience, and pulls the girl to one side so they can talk. They’re standing on one of the small pillars (or islands depending on how you look at them) of rock covered in grass and trees that you had to travel across to reach the heart of the village. No one else had reached this place yet so she uses the time to talk to Holly in private, using her best ‘this is important and you will listen to me damn you’ voice.

“Holly I know that you’re excited to finally arrive after our long trip, and now that you’re here you want to go explore and ask questions. But you need to remember that there is a reason you’re here, and it’s not to be a tourist. You came all this way to ask a very big favour of these people. A favour you don’t really have a way to repay them for.”

Holly stops her excited bouncing at that, finally looking Heidi in the eyes.

“I’m going to work to pay them back.” She says, tone just a little petulant, as though the idea she’d ask for something for nothing was insulting.

“...And do you really think that most people would consider that enough, considering what you’re asking?”

She glances away and doesn’t respond, which is really answer enough.

“You’re here to ask a favour, so you need to make a good first impression.” Heidi continues softly “Running around the way you normally do isn’t going to help you. We’re going to walk in nice and calmly, and I’m going to ask to talk to the Elder Lila and discuss your situation. You’re going to sit quietly outside her hut until I call you in to talk, and then you can explain for yourself. That’s the plan. If you go bouncing about sticking your nose into everything and creating a disturbance the way you normally do-”

She spots the look that flits briefly across Holly’s face and catches herself.

“...It would just be better if you toned it down a little, that’s all I’m trying to say.”

“...Fine.” The girl eventually replies, sounding sullen but obediently falling into step behind Heidi, no longer bouncing about like an squirrel that accidentally ate fermented stamina mushrooms.

In all honesty it hurt Heidi a little to kill her usual spirit like this. Sure she was occasionally frustrating to deal with, especially when you needed her take something seriously and focus, but she had proven herself to be a hard worker, and after a small adjustment period her energetic, free-spirited approach to life had endeared her to most of the caravan.

This however was a serious matter, and she wanted Holly to have the best chance she could, which meant she needed her to control her usual exuberance just this once.

Thinking of this she steeled her resolve as they finally made it to the heart of the village. The warrior on guard at the bottom of the long spiral staircase welcomed her by name, she was well known to the Rito after leading the caravan for so long, and she smiled and traded pleasantries with him for a while. Eventually he asked after Holly, and to her credit she introduced herself cheerfully and politely, but without her usual gusto. Heidi can practically feel her buzzing with desire to ask about 100 questions of the warrior though, so decides to move things along.

“I hate to ask, but do you think I’d be able to speak to Elder Lila today?”

“I’m sure she can make time for you Heidi, would you like me to send word?”

“Yes please.”

He let out a sharp cry, a bird-like noise only the Rito could produce, and a few moments later another warrior dropped down from one of the higher levels of the village. It was the first time Holly had seen a Rito flying close up, and Heidi gets the sinking feeling she’s just added about 50 more questions to that list. She’s starting to bounce again, eyes wide and excited.

“I’ll go tell Lila you are here.” The new warrior nods to them after a brief discussion with the guard on duty. “Please feel free to head on into the village, I’ll come get you when she’s ready to see you.”

“Thank you.” Heidi says with a polite bow, elbowing Holly until she catches up and copies her.

“Let’s go kid.” She nods as the warrior takes off, and considering her good behaviour till now, she doesn’t point out that she’s definitely bouncing again, head turning this way and that as she tries to absorb everything she’s seeing.

She’s been waiting to get here for months, I can cut her some slack. Heidi thinks to herself, and starts pointing out the various stores as they walk slowly up the steps.

“Is that Snowquill?” Holly asks as they pass the armoury, eyeing the clothes on display, dyed in a variety of colours to suit the individual tastes of the visitors they had.

Holly came from Akkala, and living so close to Death Mountain she had no real experience with freezing weather, so of course the members of the caravan had given her advice about how to prepare for it as they’d travelled. Naturally, those discussions had included the Rito speciality Snowquill, naming it as the ultimate protection from cold weather.

“Mhm, it’s not cheap, but it’s worth every rupee” Heidi nodded “You can walk up the Hebra Mountain range in one of those outfits and not feel so much as a chill.”

“The others say you have a set of Snowquill Heidi.” Holly asks in awed tones.

“...I do. It was a gift from the Elder in fact.

She realises her mistake the moment she lets that slip because of course there is no way that Holly is going to let that go.

“What? How!? Are you friends? Did you go on an adventure together? Did you-?”

Heidi sees what’s about to happen but doesn’t have enough time to do anything to stop it. She gets about as far as calling out “Watch-!” before Holly’s bouncing sends the broom on her back smacking into a young Rito who was making his way down the stairs.

The girl whirled around, eyes wide as she felt her broom connect with something.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” She asks as the Rito takes a step back and rubs his shoulder where the broom had clipped him.

He clicks his beak at her, and Heidi winces on Holly’s behalf, knowing that it’s a Rito gesture for disapproval. He fixes her with a penetrating stare as he replies in absolutely glacial tones.

“Kindly watch yourself on the stairs, visitor.”

Holly’s reply is warmth and sunshine itself.

“Okay, I will, thank you! And sorry again.”

The Rito blinks, obviously taken aback, and Heidi has to bite her lip to suppress the chuckle that tries to escape her. It’s funny now but goodness she can remember making that expression herself the first few times she dealt with Holly.

She rallies quickly, grabbing the top of Holly’s head and forcing it down in a bow.

“Sorry for my charge, she’s just a little over excited to be here after our long trip, uh...”

She struggles to think of the Rito’s name, she’s sure she’s seen him around before, the clothes he’s wearing tell her he’s a warrior in training, but for the life of her she can’t recall it.

“Well perhaps you ought to tell your charge to leave her weapon at the Inn if she cannot handle it safely.” He says coolly, folding his wings across his chest.

“Not going to happen!” Holly pipes up cheerfully, and Heidi increases the grip on her head just enough to make a point, even as the Rito stares at her like he can’t believe she had the gall to say that to him.

The damage is already done, so Heidi opts to end this as quickly as possible. She apologises again and hurries Holly along quickly, carefully pushing the girl in front of her as they go. Thankfully, because the staircase is curved they don’t have to go far before they’re out of sight, and because Hylia seems to have taken mercy on her the warrior from earlier chooses that moment to appear and tell her Lila is ready to speak to them.

Heidi marches Holly the rest of the way up the stairs, and doesn’t let her speak until they reach the hut at the very top of the village, the spot reserved exclusively for the respected Elder.

There are no seats, but there is a small railed area past the hut before the staircase abruptly ends, and Heidi makes Holly sits there, and begs her not to move until she comes out to get her.

“I don’t see why he was so mad, I apologised, it was an accident.” Holly pouts.

“I know, just please try and not have any more ‘accidents’ until I come get you, okay?”

She waits until Holly nods before continuing.

“Can I have the letter from your Grandmother please?” She asks, holding out her hand.

Holly reaches into her jacket and produces a thick envelope, a little battered and faded from being carried so long, but otherwise in once piece.

“Good. Now please just-”

“Stay here and stay out of trouble?” Holly asks with a playful smile, like it’s something she’s heard her whole life, and really it probably IS.

“Please.” Heidi repeats, and heads into Lila’s hut with Holly’s laugher ringing in her ears.

Lila was well respected by all the Rito, and had been voted unanimously into the position of Village Elder some years ago. Her once bright yellow feathers may have faded with time to a creamy grey, and she knows that by even the most conservative estimate she is well past her prime. But her mind was still sharp, and she would be the first to pick up a bow if someone made the mistake of coming to threaten her home. She’d also like to think her age and experience made her more accepting and open minded then most.

Even so, she found the news Heidi brought her a hard pill to swallow.

“A Witch.” She repeats.

“Yes.”

“Like the ones from the stories Hylian’s tell their children.”

“Yes.”

“…...Heidi Witches are not real.” She says slowly, like she’s talking to a Nestling.

“Well tell that to the one sitting outside.” Her friend says, gesturing with her arm towards the doorway, which was now blocked, like all the windows, by thick winter curtains used for privacy or for protection from cold nights. In this case they were down for the former reason, at Heidi’s request, and now Lila understands why. If anyone overheard this conversation they’d probably think her friend was playing some sort of practical joke on her.

Witches. She’d heard the stories in passing from Hylian visitors, and now she tried to recall what little she’d overheard. She remembered that they were a group of female Hylians with special powers who had supposedly existed a long time ago, passing their power on from mother to daughter. Stories said they could create potions that had miraculous effects, and had used that ability to aid the Hero of Hyrule in the distant past. But the thing that everyone talked about the most was their other unique ability, the power to fly through the air by riding on broomsticks of all things.

Many of the Rito scoffed privately at these stories, assuming they were no more then tales made up by a race that was jealous of their power of flight, and longed for what they could not have.

After all, no one in living memory had ever actually seen a Witch.

However, while Lila couldn’t completely dismiss that line of thinking, some small part of her couldn’t help but think that the stories, with all their strangely specific details, must have come from somewhere.

That didn’t mean she believed she had a Witch sitting on her landing right now though.

“Heidi” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her beak. “If I didn’t know you so well I’d ask if you were joking, or kick you out, or both.”

“I didn’t believe it at first either Lila, but she’s real, and she needs help.”

“Help.” Lila asks flatly, a hint of suspicion creeping into her tone “What kind of help?”

“Help from your tribe. There’s something only your people can help her with, and that’s why she’s come all this way.”

“...I’ll listen, but I’m promising no more then that Heidi. And I’m certainly taking no action without proof that she is what you say she is.” Friend or not, Lila was the leader of her people, and their needs, their protection, came first.

“That’s more then fair, thank you.” Heidi smiles with obvious relief, sinking down onto some cushions.

“So tell me, how did you pick up a Witch of all things?” Lila asked, eyebrow raised in amusement, because she really has to laugh at the fact she’s actually having this absurd conversation.

“That is a long story.” Heidi said, helping herself to a cup of wine to help loosen her throat as her friend settles on a hammock across from her. “It starts back in Akkala….”

Outside, Holly was bored.

Heidi and the village Elder had been talking for ages, and they’d shut the curtains so she couldn’t hear them. Well, maybe she could if she crept closer and pressed her ear to the cloth, but she was pretty certain that would be seen as rude and get her into the trouble she’d promised to keep herself out of.

Sighing, she pouted and unhooked her broom from her back, fiddling with it absent-mindedly as she waited. She just wanted to go explore! She was finally here and yet she’d barely seen anything at all! She had so many questions she wanted to ask the Rito.

Before coming here, she’d only ever seen a Rito from a distance, usually as a far away speck flying overhead, the shape too distinctive even at that height to be mistaken for a regular bird. Her brother had told her about them though, and everyone in the caravan had spoken of them on their way to the village. They had told her they were a proud and noble tribe, but also welcoming and courteous to visitors. That they were the best archers in the land, and that no one could touch them when it came to aerial combat.

That last point had seemed fairly redundant, it wasn’t like there were any other races that could fly, but having witnessed the display two days ago, Holly suddenly understood exactly what they meant.

It was magnificent, and that had just been them putting on a show. She couldn’t even imagine what they’d be like in actual serious combat-

“Are you in trouble miss?” Came a sweet little voice out of nowhere, startling her out of her thoughts. She glanced up to see….possibly the cutest living being she’d ever laid eyes on.

A tiny Rito child is stood before her, glancing up at her with big golden eyes, and she let out a small squeak of delight before she could stop herself. They were adorable. Tiny and round and covered in fluffy peach coloured feathers, it was like the living embodiment of ‘cute’ had decided to appear before her.

“You’re sat outside Elder Lila’s hut with a broom” The child continued, unaware that Holly was still reeling over their adorableness. “When I tried to eat all the apple pie we were supposed to have for dinner, Ma said Elder Lila would make me sweep all the steps from top to bottom if I didn’t stop. Are you going to sweep all the steps?”

They paused, leaning forward to ask in a hushed whisper “Did you eat a whole pie?”

Holly’s mouth splits into a grin, and then she laughs.

“Nah- well I mean yes, I have eaten a whole bunch of pies, but that’s not what I’m here for and I really hope I don’t have to sweep all your steps, cause you’ve got an awful lot of them! I will do if the Elder asks me too though.”

The child takes all this in their stride, nodding thoughtfully, and asks a logical follow up question. “If you’re not going to sweep why do you have such a big broom?”

“That’s cause I’m a Witch.” Holly says cheerfully, like she’s discussing the weather instead of declaring herself to be a being out of myth and legend.

The child cocks her head in confusion.

“What’s a Witch?”

Holly smiles.

Revali had been in high spirits after the festival, and in even better ones today at the prospect of getting back to training. In fact, he was so looking forward to resuming lessons that it had slipped his mind that the village had been re-opened to visitors today...which apparently included bumbling Hylian’s who didn’t know how to carry their own weapon safely!

Needless to say, after his brief run in with Holly, his good mood had been soured.

Honestly, the nerve of that girl! Bumping into him would have been forgiveable, she had apologised after all, but then she had the audacity to point blank refuse to stow away the weapon she’d just clocked him with! There was such a thing as common courtesy-not to mention good sense!

Hylian’s really are selfish, he thought to himself, clicking his beak as he hurried on down the steps, more eager then ever to get to the training field. If he left now perhaps he’d have time to put a few quivers worth of arrows into targets before the older warriors came to start their drills.

He had just put one foot on a landing when a voice called out to him.

“Revali?”

The voice was soft and tentative, but even then it took all of his considerable self-control to school his features and not let out a groan of annoyance as he turned to see who had spoken.

It was Kaliena, a young mother who was nervously glancing around and wringing her wings in obvious worry. Any lingering irritation instantly evaporated, she was a kind and gentle person, not someone you wanted to snap at, and obviously distressed.

“Can I help you Kaliena?” He asked courteously.

“Oh, I’m so sorry to trouble you Revali, I know you must be on the way to training. It-it’s just that- well- I can’t find Mei anywhere. I’m sure it’s fine, she’s just wandered off, but she’s just started to spread her wings and I’m worried...”

Revali’s eyes widened in understanding. It was a dangerous time when a fledgling first started learning how to take to the sky. It didn’t matter how many times you told a child not to try flying on their own until they were stronger and had more experience, once they’d had that first taste of freedom of course they’d try to sneak off to try it on their own.

“I have some time before lesson’s start, I will go look for her. If I find her I’ll send her straight home to you.” Revali nodded.

Kaliena practically sagged in relief “Thank you so much Revali.”

“Of course.” He nodded, chest swelling with pride. He was a warrior in training, helping the village like this was his duty.

Kaliena went off to go look for Mei on the lower levels, and Revali went back up the steps, quietly hoping he didn’t run into the Hylian again as he did so. He bumped into Alvan on his way, and his friend soon agreed to help him look for the errant fledgling.

As it turned out, it didn’t take long to find her at all.

Barely 10 minutes after they started their search they found her making her way down the stairs from Elder Lila’s hut.

“Mei!” Alvan called as she approached “Where have you been, your Ma’s been worried sick!”

The small peach coloured Rito smiled up at them happily, apparently unconcerned about the worry she’d caused.

“Hi Al! Hi ‘Vali!”

Revali felt his eye twitch, he knew Mei didn’t mean anything by it, she just had trouble getting her beak around his full name, but he truly detested that nickname.

“That’s Revali, Mei.” He corrected.

“Mei, where were you?” Alvan asked again, ignoring his friend’s interruption.

“I was talking to the Witch!” Mei chirped happily.

The two teenagers stared at her, blinking owlishly.

“The...what?” Alvan asks slowly.

“The Witch!” Mei babbled happily, “Her name’s Holly and she has a great big broom and she can fly on it just like us even though she doesn’t have feathers!”

“She can...fly?” Revali repeats, sharing a look with his friend.

“Uhuh! And she’s going to talk to Elder Lila!”

Both boys stiffened at that, sharing another look, this time much more alarmed.

Possibly crazy Hylian about to be alone with their Elder? Not good.

Revali spotted a familiar shape walking down the stairs, and moved into action quickly.

“Ollet! Take Mei back to her Mother for us, please!” He said, using a wing to shoo the child towards his startled classmate before hurrying past, climbing the stairs two at a time with Alvan at his side.

“Revali what the heck?” Ollet called, gathering Mei up into her wings. “You’re going to be late!”

“It’s important, we’ll tell you later!” Alvan calls back.

“You better!” She cried, both irritated and worried now. Revali might be an arrogant jerk but he was more serious about training then all of them combined. What on earth was going on?

“I met a Witch!” Mei chirped happily from within her wings, and Ollet rocked her distractedly.

“Of course you did sweetie.”

When Heidi stepped out of Lila’s hut and called to Holly, she discovered the kid had been entertaining herself by trying to balance her broom upright on the palm of her hand, the bristles waving up in the air as she tried to keep it steady.

She narrowed her eyes pointedly at her now sheepish looking charge as she scrambled to her feet, but doesn’t say anything. Mainly because of all the things Holly could have done to entertain herself, this is a lot tamer then her usual ideas, which meant she was at least trying to follow her instructions to behave.

“Holly, Elder Lila would like to talk to you now.” She said, motioning the girl over. As Holly reached her she took a moment to straighten her scarf and pet down her unruly hair into something more presentable.

“I’ll be right outside if you need me.” She said, before dropping her voice and whispering quietly in her ear as she lifted the curtain. “Best behaviour. Remember, big favour.”

Holly nodded and stepped inside.

It wasn’t as dark as she was expecting inside. The curtains are thick but it’s bright out, and the Elder has lit a lantern inside to dispel any lingering shadows.

Holly stares up at the Rito before her.

Even with her limited knowledge of Rito physiology, she can tell that the Elder is older then any other member of the tribe that she’s seen so far. Her plumage is neat and orderly, but the feathers look faded, the colours washed out and tinted with grey at the edges. There are deep lines around her eyes and the edges of her beak that speak of worries and cares and laughter carried over centuries.

Despite all that, Holly can’t help but notice that she still looks like she could pick her up with one wing and toss her out the window with very little effort. Even with the feathers in the way she can tell that she is in good shape despite her age, better then good in fact, there's tone and muscle definition there. Every movement as she turns shows both grace and poise, and when she finally faces her directly Holly can see a scar running under one eye, the feathers uneven and patchy there. As she looks she notices more and more scars, on her leg, her shoulder, the edge of her wing-

She finally looks the Rito in her pale violet eyes, and sees warmth there, even if it is tempered with a touch of suspicion.

Holly breaks into a smile, deciding impulsively, instantly, that she likes this lady.

“Hello there Holly, Heidi’s told me much about you, won’t you take a seat?” The Elder asks, speaking for the first time since she entered and gesturing to a pile of cushions nearby.

“Thank you.” She says, remembering her manners as she sits where Lila indicated, holding her broom across her lap. She doesn’t fail to notice the way violet eyes flick to her broom before rising back up to her face. That’s okay, she’s used to people staring at it.

“So...” Lila says, and after a moments pause apparently decides to get right to the point. “Heidi says you’re a Witch.”

“That’s what everyone tells me.” Holly replies cheerfully, as if this is a light-hearted conversation and not something that might determine just how her life is going to unfold. “And I think it must be true because I don’t know how else to explain how I do what I do. So yes, I’m a Witch.”

“...Was your mother a Witch?” Lila asked curiously “As I understand it the stories say the power is passed from female to female through blood.

“I don’t think so.” Holly shakes her head “I don’t remember much about her, but I think-I hope- I’d remember if she told me something that important. I definitely don’t remember her having a broom, or flying.”

“….I see.” Lila says softly “...I hope you can understand that this is hard for me to accept. Witches are...”

“Nothing more then a fairy tale?” Holly offers helpfully.

“...Yes.” Lila says, arching an eyebrow at her response.

She sighs, and then she turns, and all the cordiality from before is dropped, and those kind eyes are boring into her seriously.

“Child, let me make one thing clear. I will not have my people made into a laughing stock. Your age matters little to me, you are certainly old enough to know better then to make up tales to glorify yourself. I will throw you out of this village myself if you’ve come here to mock us, for some sort of laugh at our exp-”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

Lila is pulled up short mid rant, because the girl who had been nothing but smiles from the moment she stepped inside is suddenly looking her right in the eye and matching her tone with an unflinching one of her own.

And then a moment later it’s gone, like it never happened, and she’s smiling again. “I like you all too much.”

“….You’ve been in the village for less then an hour.” Lila finds herself replying, beak moving before her brain can quite play catch up, and it’s a little embarrassing because she’s the Elder and she’s supposed to be in control here, but goodness this slip of a child has just tripped her up.

“Why would that make a difference?” Holly asks, cocking one head to the side with guileless curiosity.

Lila opens her beak to say something, to try and bring the conversation back to where she wanted it, only she never gets the chance because there’s a loud commotion outside and suddenly Revali and Alvan are bursting in through the curtains, breaking one of the most fundamental rules of etiquette in the village.

“Boys!” She cries sharply, scarcely able to believe they’d do such a thing, especially Revali who is usually so mature for his age. However they’re busy tripping over one another to speak, faces so urgent and earnest it makes her pause, even as Heidi bursts in after them.

“Elder please you need to watch out that Hylian is crazy!”

“She thinks she’s a Witch and who knows what she might try-!”

“I’m so sorry I tried to stop them Lila but they just-”

From her seat at the back of the hut Holly can’t help but laugh as she watches this all unfold. She doesn’t take any joy in the misfortunes of others (not unless they really deserve it), but it’s just so funny watching them all bumbling about!

On the other hand, it does seem like they’re all really worried, and she feels bad since she didn’t mean to upset anyone. The main problem seems to be that no one really believes she’s a Witch, which is understandable.

It’s also an easy problem to fix.

Alvan notices it first, and his urgent calls for Lila to listen to them die on his beak as it slowly drops open in disbelief. He reaches across without breaking eye contact, tugging hard on his friend’s wing to get his attention.

“I know it’s not appropriate but she’s going to make a- Alvan what is it?!” Revali snaps, turning to his friend, who points mutely over Lila’s shoulder at-

The girl.

Sat on the broom.

Which is a clear 3 feet of the floor and steadily rising.

Revali gapes, lost for words, and Lila notices the boys gazes and spins round in concern just in time to see the girl stop her ascent and hover perfectly still above their heads.

“I’m sorry I made you all worry so much, let’s start over!”

She’s smiling again, her voice is practically ringing with laughter as she waves down at them.

“My names Holly, I’m a Witch, and I came here because I need your help! Please, can you teach me how to fly?”

Chapter Text

Lila calls for a village meeting the following morning.

When she sends out the word she makes sure to stress that there is no danger, no reason for concern, but she knows in her heart that it’s a pointless effort. By noon the whole village is buzzing with suspicions and worries- why on earth would a meeting be called so abruptly? And right after the festival no less!

Revali and Alvan are sworn to silence about what they’ve seen until the meeting has taken place, and Holly is sent back to the stables to await the Rito’s decision.

By late afternoon a crowd has already gathered gathered at the designated spot. The Elder always leads these meetings, supported by the Village Council, but anyone else is welcome to attend. Unsurprisingly more Rito then normal have turned up, curious and worried by the abrupt summons. The fact that Lila has invited Heidi, an outsider, to the meeting, only heightens their concern.

What in Hyrule was going on?

Revali and Alvan stood together in the crowd, anxious to see just how their Elder would handle this.

When the sand in the timepiece indicated that the hour was upon them, Lila wasted no time calling the meeting to order.

“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I know you’re all anxious so I’m going to get straight to the point.” She called, waiting until silence had fallen before continuing.

“What I’m about to tell you is going to sound preposterous, but I can assure you that I have verified it’s truth with my own eyes. After countless generations, it appears a Witch has once again been born amongst the Hylians.”

Everyone immediately started murmuring to their neighbours, and the Council were only able to remain composed because Lila had briefed them before the meeting started.

Someone in the crowd shyly raised a wing to ask for permission to talk, which Lila quickly granted with a nod.

“Forgive me for my ignorance Elder but...what exactly a ‘Witch’?” They asked, their question followed by several murmurs of agreement from within the crowd.

“My apologies, of course some of you may not have heard the stories. I will do my best to summarise. Hylians tell tales of how, long ago, there were a group of females among them with special powers, known as ‘Witches’. These Witches had a strong affinity for magic, which allowed them to do two things of note. The first was to create powerful potions that could heal grave injuries or strengthen the body. The second was that they could fly by riding on...on enchanted broomsticks.”

Lila had to fight to keep her expression neutral and not let her inner disbelief show at that last part. She’d seen it being done and yet it still sounded completely absurd when put into words, it went against everything the Rito knew about flight. Rising up into the Great Sky Above by sitting on a glorified tree branch? Ridiculous!

The crowd apparently agreed with her thoughts, there were several snorts of disbelief and more then a few laughs shared between friends, and she had to raise her wings again for silence.

“I know, I dismissed these stories as nothing but tall tales myself. No one in living memory has even seen a Witch and the idea seems...well, far fetched to say the least. But the fact is yesterday a Witch did arrive at our village, after travelling great distance to reach us, and she has asked for our help.”

The statement caused another round of excited talking from the crowd, and this time Kaeli, who sat on the Council to represent the Warriors, stood and sternly called for everyone to hold their beaks.

“Let our Elder finish!” He chided, until a hush fell.

“Thank you Kaeli.” Lila nodded gratefully. “I know it is a lot to ask you to accept, and I assure you I will provide proof later, but for now I ask that you hold your questions and hear me out.”

She waited until the majority of the crowd had nodded their consent before continuing.

“The Witch’s name is Holly, you may have seen her in the village yesterday with Heidi, who is the one who brought her to us. As it has been explained to me the child awakened to her powers a few years ago, to the complete surprise of both herself and her family. They had no idea that they were descended from Witches until the child instinctively managed to unlock the power of flight.”

She paused to make sure everyone was still following before continuing.

“The problem is that she has no guidance, no teacher, not even texts that might aid her in mastering her gift. Everything she has learnt so far has been instinctive, or discovered by trial and error, and she has now gone as far as she can by herself. She has come to us in the hopes that we might be able to help her, to teach her how to fly properly.”

A dozen wings went up at once, and Lila resolved herself to answering questions.

“How does she expect us to help her?” One Rito asked “Supposing all this is true, and I don’t mean to doubt your word Elder but- but flying on a stick is completely different to how we use our wings to rise into the Great Sky Above. Any techniques we have won’t apply to her!”

“I am aware of that, and so is she. She isn’t asking for assurances, she simply wants us to try, to see if we can help.”

“Supposing we do help her, are we supposed to do so out of the generosity of our hearts?” Asked a more practically minded Rito.

“Holly came with a letter from her Grandmother. Apparently the family do not have much to their name, but she has offered to send us whatever she can spare to compensate us for our troubles, and Holly is also willing to work to earn her keep.”

“Does she not have a guardian with her? Who would be responsible for her if she stays?” Someone else asked, looking searchingly at Heidi, who spoke when Lila nodded to say she could.

“I have my own duties leading my caravan, so I cannot stay with her. Holly’s Grandmother paid me to bring her here safely, as she was too infirm to make the trip herself and her older brother was away and couldn’t be reached. Holly is 16 years old, which for a Hylian is old enough to take responsibility for herself. Her brother will be informed of whatever you decide and will drop in to check on her as often as he can should you allow her to stay, but she will be here independently for the most part.”

“So what happens if we refuse her?” Someone else asked, a kind Rito who worried the child might end up stranded.

“You don’t need to concern yourself with that, her Grandmother knew you might refuse her, and paid me enough to cover her safe return should that be the case.” Heidi confirmed.

A member of the council, the one who represented the Musicians, raised her wing.

“Elder, how long would the child be staying with us, should we agree?”

“It’s difficult to know.” Lila sighed “First of all we would have to assess how she flies and see if there is anything we can do to help her. Then it depends on how the teaching goes, and how quickly she learns. If it turns out we can do nothing to help her she could be gone in a matter of weeks. I could however foresee it stretching to months if things go well.”

The crowd started muttering to one another again. Visitors sometimes stayed with them for days or weeks, taking advantage of the Swallows Roost and the Rito Stables, but it was unheard of for someone to stay for months. Their village was in a remote and isolated area, and with the dangerous cold weather that went hand in hand with living so close to the Hebra Mountain range, no one stayed over-long. What would it be like to have a Hylian living amongst them for so long?

Finally someone else raised a wing again.

“Elder, I’m sorry, I mean no disrespect but...a Hylian that flies on a broomstick? I cannot believe it. Hylians do not fly, it is our tribe’s privilege alone.”

Several people called out ‘Here, here!’ at his words, and there were a great many murmurs of agreement.

Lila sighed, their good faith in her could only take them so far, not when she was asking them to believe something that went against what was held to be fundamental truth of the world.

Rito flew, and everyone else was bound to the land or sea. Their unique affinity with the wind and skies was a matter of great pride to them, so naturally suggesting someone else had managed to obtain the power of flight was going to ruffle feathers.

“I understand. Heidi, could you call her?” She asked, turning to her friend.

If they didn’t believe her, what else could she do but give her people proof?

Heidi nodded and turned, taking a piece of glass out of her pocket and shining it in the direction of the stables, the light catching the polished surface and flashing away as a clear signal.

The sun hadn’t yet set, there was still light enough to see clearly across the lake to the stables in the distance.

The Rito, with their superior eyesight, saw her coming long before Heidi did.

Gasps of disbelief rippled through the crowd, escalating quickly to cries of dismay and alarm.

There was a Hylian girl, sat on a broomstick, flying across the lake to their village.

Some Rito tried to think of a logical explanation, tried to work out how they were being tricked-because this had to be a trick, surely, but they were all quickly shut down by cooler heads. She couldn’t be gliding, she was moving forward and not loosing any altitude. Neither could she be tied to something, she was over the middle of the lake so there was nothing for her to be tied to.

Revali watched with the rest of the crowd, eyes wide at what he saw. He had seen the girl hover before yes, but seeing her actually fly suddenly made the situation real. She really was a….a Witch. Even with so much evidence before him he could still barely wrap his mind around the idea.

When he finally tore his eyes from the girl and glanced at Heidi, his feathers rose in concern when he saw the woman had a white knuckled grip on landings wooden railing, her anxious gaze focused on the girl as she made her way towards them. Why was she so…?

A gasp from the crowd made him turn his attention back to the Witch, who had suddenly started to wobble unsteadily in the air, like she was having trouble keeping her broom on a straight path.

Several of the warriors, Benta and Kaeli included, started moving towards the nearest landing, ready to fly out and rescue her if needed. So far she hadn’t started falling, she was simply wobbling unsteadily, but who knew when that could change.

She continued to make steady progress, and when she was only a short distance away from the landing the warriors started to stand down, pulling back to make space for her to land.

It was at that moment that a strong breeze picked up suddenly, the only warning the clacking of the many pin-wheels mounted around the village.

The wind hit the girl side-on, and she blew away like a scrap of cloth on the wind, crying out in distress as she tumbled end over end towards the lake below. The crowd echoed her cries, and the warriors sprang into action moments later, leaping over the edge and flying after her. The rest of the village hurried to the edge to see what was happening.

By the time Revali found his own vantage point the girl seemed to have gotten herself under at least partial control. She had managed to stop her fall and get herself pointing back towards the village, however she was now bobbing dangerously up and down in the air like she couldn’t maintain her altitude any more. Every time she started to drop she somehow managed to catch herself at the last moment and force the broom to rise again, but it was clear that despite her valiant struggles she was loosing control, and could simply plummet at any moment.

Revali watched intently as Benta and Kaeli approached her, the warriors circling the girl and calling out to her. They were trained to rescue people (usually Hylians) who had gotten themselves stuck halfway up the mountains, or to help an injured team mate make the flight home, but this was completely new. They were going to have to improvise.

However they were the best, and they were Wing Mates, so Revali had no doubt what the outcome would be.

A few moments later Benta wrapped his feet around the front of the broom, while Kaeli grabbed the bristles at the back. The two warriors bodily lifted the broom up between them, the girl sat safely in the middle as they hauled her back up till she was over the platform, then released her a few feet from the ground.

She floated down the short remaining distance and promptly dismounted, resting her broom over one shoulder as the warriors landed beside her.

“Thank you so much!” She called breathlessly, a smile somehow on her face as she bowed to them. Revali was dumbfounded, it was as though she didn’t realise she had been in mortal peril a few short moments ago. If anything she actually looked excited by her escapade, and the young warrior found himself wondering what on earth was going through her head.

Heidi was by her side a second later, hands brushing over her as she checked to see if she was okay. The girl was still smiling, laughing and waving both hands excitedly as she said;

“Did you see that? I nearly made it the whole way!”

Revali felt himself bristle as he watched- there was a thin line between courage and stupidity, and this girl seemed to have crossed it while whistling a merry tune.

Lila and the Council members moved to the girl next, apparently confirming that she was all right for themselves, before the Elder turned and brought the meeting back to some semblance of order. Once everyone had calmed down, she gave the girl an opportunity to speak to the crowd.

“Hello! That was rather exciting wasn’t it? I’m really sorry for worrying you all.” She said cheerfully, before turning and bowing once again to Kaeli and Benta “Thank you again for rescuing me.”

The warriors accepted her thanks graciously, and she turned back to the waiting crowd.

“It’s nice to meet you all. My names Holly, and I’m a Witch!”

Her introduction was met with stony silence, so after a moment she added; “I know, it came as a surprise to me to.”

Revali rolled his eyes, but it earned a few soft chuckles from the crowd, and encouraged, she pressed on.

“I don’t know why I have these powers, but I do know that I really love flying, and I want to do it well. I’ve tried to learn by myself but, well you’ve just seen, I kinda suck at it?” She smiled again, laughing easily at her own expense, before her tone turned more sincere as she shifted her grip on her broom.

“...I’ve tried everything I can think of, but I still can’t fly properly. That’s why I’m here, asking you for help. I know it’s a big favour I’m asking, and I know I don’t really have enough to repay you, but I promise I’ll work really hard however I can to help out the village, if you decide to give me a chance.”

She finished with a deep bow, and after a pregnant pause, she glanced back at Elder Lila.

“That’s all I wanted to say, thank you for letting me speak to everyone.”

“You’re welcome Holly. Does anyone have anything they want to ask the young Witch before I send her away so we can discuss this some more?”

Surprisingly, no one raised a wing, probably because no one knew where to even start. In the end Holly gave another bow to the crowd and left, bouncing cheerfully down the steps with the broom now strapped to her back as Heidi led her back to the stables.

“Well now.” Elder Lila said, once the Witch was well out of earshot “I think we have a lot to discuss.”

“Holly for the love of Hylia sit still.” Heidi scolded for what felt like the 5^th  time. “Let me finish!”

“But, but, but-!”

“But nothing! Sit!” She said sharply, trying to hold a bunch of the girls hair with one hand while she held her down by the shoulder with the other. “I am not sending you to the Rito looking like someone who just stepped out of the wild!”

Holly settled with a pout, legs still swinging and her broom resting across her lap as the leader of the caravan tried to put her unruly hair into some sort of order.

The silence stretched, and Holly felt a smile tugging on her lips as she heard several grunts of annoyance from behind her

“...It won’t work you know, it never wants to lie flat.”

“We’ll see about that.” Heidi said with a tsk, attempting a braid which would surely...no, apparently not.

“I can’t believe I’m going to get to live there.” Holly said, voice filled with awe and wonder as she stared out the caravan window to the Rito village beyond. “It all looks so amazing! Did you see all the pin wheels?”

“Yes I did. I’m sure you’ll have adequate chance to explore, I don’t believe they’re going to ask much of you on your first day.”

“I don’t mind if they want me to work right away! I’ll show them I can work hard!”

“I’m sure you will, and I’m sure they’ll put you to work soon enough, which means you should enjoy the time while you have it.” Heidi said, narrowing her eyes as pieces of Holly’s hair slipped out of the tie she’d just fastened and immediately sprang upwards.

“I know you’re excited” She continued- Hylia how many conversations had she started with Holly with that exact same line? “-But you need to remember that while they might have agreed to this in principle, you’re still on a trial period. If you give them any grief this week you’ll be sent straight back to the caravan and we’ll be taking you home with us.”

Holly settled a little at that. “Yes Heidi.”

“And if you cause trouble after we’ve left…?” Heidi prompted, because it really was hard to tell how much of what she’d said Holly had actually heard when she’d been so busy jumping up and down and cheering at the news that the Rito had accepted her request.

“Then I’ll be sent to the Rito Stables, and have to wait there for a ride home.” Holly repeated back, quieting as she added softly “...And if I’m really bad they’ll ban me from the village entirely.”

Heidi paused and laid her hand on the top of the girls head for a moment “I’m sure it won’t come to that Holly, you’re a good girl.”

The Witch twisted to shoot her a beaming smile, and was soon happily swinging her legs again as if that moment of worry hadn’t happened.

“Well before you go, I should tell you some things I’ve learnt about the Rito during my years trading with them, to help you settle in.”

“Okay! Please tell me!”

“Well.” Heidi said, biting her lip as she continued to struggle with her hair. “First of all, the Rito think appearances are very important. You probably didn’t notice during your first visit what with everything that happened, but once you’ve been around them a bit more you’ll see how they all look very well groomed and put together, all the time.”

“...Is that why you’re trying so hard to make my hair behave?”

“Exactly. So please try to spend at least a few minutes looking at yourself in the mirror before you dash of in the morning, will you?”

Heidi had noticed during their travels that Holly didn’t really seem to care much about how she looked, beyond making sure she was clean and appropriately dressed for the weather. She was usually more interested in getting stuck into whatever adventure she had planned for the day. Or flying. Usually flying.

“Okay, I’ll try to remember Heidi, what else?”

“Hmm….well, the Rito value actions over words.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Well, you could just tell them that you’re an important warrior, but you’d get a lot more respect if you proved it by actually going out and taking down some monsters, or helping to protect the village.” Heidi tried to explain “For example, when I first started trading with them they were polite but guarded. Once I’d actually shown I made good on my deals and would get them what they asked for at the price we agreed upon, they opened up to me.”

“Makes sense.” Holly nodded..

“Which does mean that you, young miss, are going to have to work hard at whatever task they give you, especially after that little speech you made.” Heidi added, tugging her hair gently to emphasise the point.

“Hey!” She winced at the tug “I would have done that anyway! Kenta always told me ‘there’s no such thing as a free lunch!’ If you wanna get anything, you’ve got to put in the work!”

“Hmm, well your brother certainly has a good point.” Heidi nodded, vaguely amused at seeing the energetic girl attempting to take on a lecturing tone. It was like watching a 10 year old trying to act grown up.

“Mhm.” Holly nodded, making Heidi tsk as she lost part of her hair again “It’s one of the few things he and Grandma actually agreed upon, so it suck.”

“Hmm, well anyway, as I was saying. Put some effort into looking presentable, and actions over words, at least till they know you well enough to trust your word. Lastly, and this goes for anyone, be respectful, be polite, and listen to what they say. It’s a different culture, a wonderful one to be sure, but there’s going to be differences and you don’t want to upset anyone because you opened your mouth without thinking.”

“Okay Heidi, I’ll do my best!”

“Good- there, done.” Heidi said, pulling back and looking at her work. In the end she’d gathered Holly’s chestnut hair into a low ponytail at the base of her neck, the same way the girl usually styled it, since any braid she attempted seemed to start springing apart the moment she let go. She’d done her best to comb and straighten the rest of her hair, but the shorter lengths around her face were already starting to creep upright, and she had a feeling that by the time Holly had bounced outside it wouldn’t really look much different then usual.

Holly was smiling, but at least she didn’t actually say ‘I told you so’ as she stood and allowed Heidi to straighten her scarf and tug closed her warm jacket.

“There. So, are you ready?

“I am SO ready!” Holly beamed.

“All right then, lets grab your things.”

“Heidi?” Holly suddenly called, gently tugging on the caravan leader’s coat to stop her from moving away. “I know you’re not going anywhere for a week, but I just wanted to say thank you again while I had the chance. You brought me here, and you even spoke to the Rito for me when you didn’t have to. They might not have listened to me if you hadn’t vouched for me, so thank you very much!”

Heidi smiled and patted her on the head without thinking.

“You’re welcome Holly, now let’s get going.”

Holly smiled brightly as she picked up her bulging rucksack and followed Heidi outside. Members of the caravan who had grown to know her during their journey came to wish her well, and called out advice as she headed towards the bridge. Two little boys teasingly yelled out ‘good riddance!’ as she passed, and Holly laughed and stuck her tongue out at them.

Lila was waiting for them at the bottom of the steps at the centre of the village. Holly was only barely able to contain her excited bouncing as she bowed to the Elder and thanked her and the village once again for giving her this chance.

Heidi gave her one last pat on the shoulder, whispering a soft reminder that she wasn’t far if she needed her, and then Holly was following the Rito Elder up the stairs.

“You’ll be staying at the Swallows Roost, the owner Jade has agreed to keep a bed aside for you while you stay with us.” Lila told her as they climbed “In return she’ll be asking you to help out with chores, such as the laundry and cleaning, along with anything else she decides you can handle.”

“Okay, I can do that!” Holly said confidently.

“...I’m sure you can.” Lila said, mildly amused by the enthusiastic response. “We might have some other things we need you to help out with around the village, but we’ll discuss that later as and when they crop up.”

“Okay!” She agreed happily.

“Curfew is sunset to sunrise, and I expect you to be back at Swallows Roost between those times.” Lila continued. “There’s a communal kitchen Jade will show you later, that’s where you’ll get breakfast and dinner. If you end up staying with us for some time you’ll be expected to go on the rota to assist with the meals like everyone else.”

“That’s great, I love cooking!” Holly smiled as she bounced along.

“Well that will help I’m sure. Lunch is something you’ll put together yourself, as we all eat our midday meal at different times due to our different duties. For now if you see Jade she’ll make sure you have something to take with you when you’re practising your flying, or give you something herself if you’re working with her. Do you understand so far?”

“Yes Elder Lila.” Holly said, straining to pay attention to what she was saying and not look at all the really really interesting things around her.

“Good. Finally, I must ask that you do not fly within or around the village.”

That brought the girl up short, a look of hurt flashing across her face as she let out a plaintive “why?” before she could stop herself.

Lila arched an eyebrow at her.

“Because it is clear that you are not stable in the air, and have trouble dealing with strong winds. If I let you fly around the village with all the air currents that surround us you could easily crash into someone and cause a serious accident. Benta will be coming to collect you straight after breakfast tomorrow to start your lessons. He’s the best flier in the village, and will be working with you to see if we can help you. If he decides you’ve progressed to the point that you’re safe in the air then I will allow you to fly around the village. Until then, you’re only to fly when you’re training with Benta.”

The Elder didn’t miss the way the girl bit her lip and glanced away, not answering readily as she had to everything else she’d said so far.

“Holly? Is that clear? Or do I need to send you back with Heidi?”

Harsh perhaps, but she had been warned that Holly could get carried away by her own enthusiasm, and needed her to know that this was serious, and not a rule that was up for debate or negotiation.

“….Yes Elder Lila, I won’t fly unless I’m with Benta.” Holly finally nodded.

Lila softened a little at her downcast expression. The girl was like a fledgling, at least in terms of how she was just starting to find her wings. She’d seen that exact same expression on many a young face when they’d been told they couldn’t go flying off by themselves quite yet.

“If you work hard you may find you’re not grounded for long.” She said, and wished she could say something more encouraging, but she didn’t want to get her hopes up by making promises they might not be able to keep.

It seemed to work however, as the girl lifted her head and gave another ready smile, which Lila returned with one of her own, glancing up just in time to see that they had arrived at their destination.

“Here we are Holly, the Swallows Roost Inn.”

Holly recognised the large open hut filled with beds from her first visit. A rope bridge walkway led into the Inn, and standing at the end of the walkway was a female Rito with reddish brown feathers that reminded Holly of her own hair colour.

“Hello there Miss Witch.” She greeted as they crossed the bridge to her, one wing resting on her hip as she smiled welcomingly.

“Hello! Nice to meet you!” Holly replied with a smile of her own, noticing the Rito’s green eyes and smiling wider. “You must be Jade!”

“That I am.” She nodded, before turning to Lila “Do you need to talk to her any further Elder?

“No, I think you can handle things from here.” Lila nodded. “Listen to what Jade has to tell you Holly, and don’t forget Benta will be here to collect you tomorrow morning.

“I won’t, thank you Elder!” She replied, giving another bow as Lila left to go tend to her other duties.

“Well then, come along, I’ll show you what’s what.” Jade said, leading her inside with a smile.

Holly was shown a neat bed on the left hand side of the reception counter, and told that it would be hers for the duration of her stay. The young girl liked the warm looking bed, but was immediately drawn to the view out the large windows. Because of the inn’s circular design, wherever you turned you could see more and more of the landscape surrounding them, clear across the lake to the Hebra mountains beyond. It was like the outside world had been brought indoors, especially with the lovely fresh breeze that drifted through the inn.

“It’s so pretty.” She murmured out loud, imagining what it would be like to wake up to such an amazing view each morning. Dawn and dusk must look spectacular here.

“Mhm, it sure is.” Jade nodded proudly in agreement. “One of the selling points of our Inn is the view, I’m actually normally busier then this, but I guess that just means you get the place to yourself while you settle in, so it all works out. Now, let me show you where you can stow your things.”

“Oh yes.” Holly said, realising as she looked around that the inn felt very spacious because it was rather...minimalistic.

“We Rito value a lack of clutter, it lets the wind flow better.” Jade said, as though reading her thoughts “But of course visitors need space to stow their belongings so if you look over here we have some chests of draws you can use.”

Holly was shown the chests and promptly given the key to one which would be for her use during her stay. Jade also pointed out a small table which had a large jug full of fresh water, along with a few cups, plates and other utensils. Water was provided for free to anyone staying at the inn, and they could buy food at the nearby shop, borrow the communal kitchen to cook, and bring it back to the inn to eat. It was a nice system which Holly noted also encouraged trade with the other shops in the village.

Jade then left her to unpack, which didn’t really take all that long. Apart from the usual essentials such as extra clothes, wallet and toiletries, Holly just had a small letter writing set, a cloth bag which contained tools to maintain her broom, and a few personal items. Jade did blink when she saw the girl place two sheathed daggers and the belt which held them into the bottom of a draw, tucking them away under her clothes. Now she thought about it, Heidi had mentioned after the meeting, when they were arranging everything, that Holly had accompanied her older brother during his travels when she was younger, and he had taught her some basic self-defence during that time. It was one of the reason’s Heidi had allowed the girl onto her caravan in the first place, knowing she wouldn’t need to be coddled the entire trip.

“You had best keep those in that draw while your here Holly.” Jade called out warningly.

“I will!” She smiled, humming a little tune as she finished up, folding up her backpack and tucking it away inside the bottom draw.

“Okay, I’m all unpacked and ready to start work!” She announced, a cheerful but determined ring to her voice.

“Oh?” Jade laughed, amused. “Well I appreciate the enthusiasm, and believe me I’ll have plenty for you to do, but your training doesn’t start till tomorrow, so for the rest of the day you’re a guest.”

Holly glanced up at her, looking hopeful but unsure.

“Go explore! Heidi said you were desperate to look around the village.”

“Really? I can!?” Holly asked, bouncing from foot to foot.

“Just keep your feet on the ground and come back when you hear the dinner bell.”

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Holly grinned, dashing for the door.

“Hey-you can leave your broom here if you like!” Jade called, thinking running around with the large thing strapped to her back might be unwieldy “I’ll watch it for-”

“No thank you!” Holly called back, already heading up the stairs like a tiny whirlwind.

“….Well then.” Jade blinked, and then laughed. Heidi had been right about her being a bundle of energy, she was going to liven up the village for sure.

While Holly explored the village to her hearts content, Revali was firing arrow after arrow into a target, venting his frustration.

It wasn’t that he objected to the villages decision to help the Witch. He could see how sharing their knowledge with someone in such obvious need was the just and noble thing to do. It was important not only for her own safety, but for the safety of anyone else unfortunate enough to share the sky with her.

What he simply couldn’t accept was the need to assign one of their best warriors to teach her. There were any number of Rito who worked with fledglings when they were first finding their wings, and he was certain that any of them could have done an adequate job.

But no, the Council had decided that since her flying skills were so vastly different from their own, it would be best to assign her the most skilled flier in the village. If anyone had a chance of helping her, it was surely Benta. He was known for his unconventional methods, which was exactly the sort of skill a Rito would need when trying to teach someone how to fly using a stick.

Revali could understand the logic, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

He and the other warriors in training had in effect, overnight, lost one of their best teachers. Others would be stepping in so their lesson’s wouldn’t be interrupted, but Benta was the best flier. How were they supposed to become the best warriors they could be when they weren’t learning from the best?

He released another arrow to vent his ire, pulling back hard on the string so it made a loud satisfying THUD as it embedded itself in the wooden target.

At times like this he wished he was approved to use Bomb Arrows. He could only imagine how satisfying firing off a round of those would be.

He sighed, realising his quiver was empty, and had just started to collect his arrows when a voice called out to him. He turned in time to see his fellow warriors in training gliding down across the field towards him.

“Finally made it then?” He asked as he retrieved his last arrow and replaced it in his quiver.

“Oh please, you always get here ridiculously early.” Ollet replied, rolling her eyes.

“You’re going to be firing arrows in your sleep if you keep this up Revali.” Leri, another young male with deep violet plumage, added with a chuckle.

Revali stuck his beak in the air, undaunted. “That just means I’ll get extra practise.”

“’Cause Hylia knows you don’t get enough of that already.” Farell, the final member of the group said, his tone heavy with sarcasm.

“Have you been sulking here all morning because the Witch is taking our teacher?” Ollet asked, her grey and white feathers shining with a fresh coat of oil as she collected her bow and quiver from the training shed, the others following behind her.

“I do not ‘sulk’, I am not a fledgling.” Revali sniffed.

“The number of holes in that target says different.” Leri pointed out with a cheeky grin.

“Well...you have to admit it’s galling to loose one of our best teachers so suddenly, and to an outsider no less!”

“We still have Kaeli.” Leri reminded him. “And it’s not like we’re ‘loosing’ Benta, he just won’t be able to train with us every day like before.”

“...Mmm, I hate to say it but I agree with Revali.” Farell piped up as slung on his quiver. “Benta was going to start teaching us advanced aerial manoeuvres next week. Now we’re just going to be stuck practising the basics again. It’s certainly going to delay our progress.”

“Ugh that’s right.” Ollet groaned. “More flying in formation drills. Great.”

“See!” Revali said, eagerly pressing on now he had them on his side, “It’s completely unfair.”

“Well look on the bright side, maybe the whole thing with the Witch will turn out to be a lost cause and we’ll have him back in a few days.” Leri smiled.

Before anyone could reply, a loud voice boomed down from above, startling them into action.

“CADETS! Attention!”

The four adolescents scrambled to obey, falling quickly into line and snapping to attention just as Kaeli landed in front of them, Benta following just behind him.

Kaeli proceeded to march along their line with his wings folded behind his back, inspecting them sternly. After holding his silence long enough to make them start to squirm, he finally nodded in approval and allowed them to stand at ease.

“Good morning Cadets.”

“Good morning Kaeli, Benta, sir’s!” They replied in unison.

“As you know, from tomorrow Benta will be busy helping our Hylian visitor, the Witch.” Kaeli continued without further ado “Therefore today you will all be having one on one training sessions with him. Take advantage of this opportunity, it is possible you will not have another for a while. Anyone who is not training with Benta will be going over combat drills with me.”

He nodded to his Wing Mate, who stepped forward and nodded to the group. “I’ll be seeing Leri first, I’ll come and get the rest of you one at a time when I’m ready. Leri, follow me.”

Leri stepped forward, glancing quickly over his shoulder to shoot his fellow warriors in training an encouraging smile before hurrying after the Flight Master.

Well, Revali thought to himself, cheering a little at the news. One on one training with Benta? Perhaps this day wasn’t a total loss after all.

Chapter Text

Holly spent her first day in the Rito village exploring every inch of her new home. She’d climbed more stairs in one afternoon then she had in her entire life, but even her aching thighs couldn’t suppress her excitement.

The village was amazing.

Everywhere she went the gentle clack of spinning pinwheels and the soothing notes of wind chimes followed, filling the air with ever-changing music. These wind-driven instruments hung everywhere, and while the wooden ones were very beautiful with their hand carved designs, and the metal ones let out lovely notes, Holly was particularly taken with the delicate glass chimes, which caught the light and cast rainbows on the ground below.

As she moved through the village she soon noticed that even though the long colourful streamers she’d seen during the festival had been packed away, every hut was still wrapped and decorated with long cloth banners that fluttered gently in the breeze. These banners had many different colours and designs, but she soon started noticing the Rito Tribe crest, that distinctive symbol that immediately made you think of a bird in flight, woven subtly into all of them. Once she noticed it on the banners she started to see it scattered inconspicuously throughout the whole village, painted onto wooden floors and over archways, a quiet reminder of just whose home this was.

Moving on, she soon realised that while the shops, the inn, and large communal kitchen were all located in the centre of the village, very few Rito actually lived there. It seemed that the majority of the tribe was housed on the smaller surrounding rock pillars that were connected to the centre via rope-ways.

While exploring these areas, which she dubbed ‘residential pillars’, Holly discovered that each one had it’s own small communal kitchen, (for use when the main one was busy), as well as personal huts for the Rito. All of these huts were fitted with hammocks rather then beds, which made a lot of sense when she thought about it. A bed suspended in the air, where the wind literally rocked you to sleep at night, was the obvious choice for a people whose world revolved around flying and the sky. They looked very comfortable, and it made her want to try one herself, but Holly decided not to ask Jade about it as she didn’t want to seem ungrateful for the bed she had been given.

She had just about decided that all the external pillars were residential areas, when she discovered one that was different from anything she’d seen so far. Flying sky blue flags decorated with stylised white wings, a passing Rito quickly explained that this area, the ‘Healing Roost’, was dedicated entirely to healing the sick and injured. Holly didn’t wander in very far, not wanting to intrude, but she noticed many of the Rito walking around the area were wearing tunics bearing the same design as the flags, and assumed they must be the village Healers.

She left quickly so as not to disturb any of the patients, and wandered on until the sound of distant singing made her pause. She altered her course to follow the sound, and eventually found another distinct pillar, this one decorated with crimson flags bearing a golden harp. Although the Rito were mainly known for their impressive aerial combat skills and archery, they were also talented musicians, and it seemed the villages bards and singers gathered at this pillar to practice their craft. Holly poked her head in curiously, and was immediately mesmerized by a small group of singers rehearsing together. She listened avidly to their song, which recounted a famous aerial battle of the past, and burst into spontaneous applause when they finished, startling the poor musician’s who hadn’t noticed her arriving. After an apology and some brief explanations, they were rather flattered by her honest praise and enthusiasm, and she ended up leaving with an open invitation to come back and visit any time.

Curious to see if there were any more specialised areas, Holly pressed on, eventually discovering one last pillar which wasn’t used for housing. It didn’t bear any flags, but was filled with all manner of books, and Holly laughed when she realised she’d stumbled across the Rito library and school. A class was even in session as she arrived, 10 adorable Rito children sat busily taking notes as their teacher wrote on a blackboard. Holly recognised one of them as Mei, the little girl who had visited her on her first day in the village. She called out to her excitedly without thinking, waving until a sharp look from the teacher made her wince and quickly retreat, calling out apologies as she scrambled up the stairs to get away, the sound of the children’s laughter following her.

Gosh, I guess teachers are scary no matter what tribe they come from, she thought as she went further up, passing older Rito using desks to write and study, while others browsed the collection of books and scrolls.

She eventually made her way back to the centre of the village, and started visiting the shops. Along with the inn there was a general goods store, a weapons shop (which unsurprisingly dealt mostly with archery equipment), a blacksmiths and an armoury/tailors. In the latter she finally got a proper look at the Snowquill she’d seen a few days before, and the kind Rito who owned the place even allowed her to touch some of the material after she’d been staring at it longingly for a while, terrified to get too close when there was no way she could even begin to afford a single piece. He reassured her his wares weren’t so fragile they’d fall apart just by being picked up, and Holly was soon gushing about how soft and warm they felt, much to his delight.

She’d seen and spoken to a lot of Rito during her wandering, but when she went into the general goods store she was surprised to stumble across another familiar face. It was one of the two Rito who had burst in on her and Elder Lila a few days back, and he was eager to apologise for calling her a ‘lunatic Hylian’. She waved off his concerns, reassuring him that she understood and wasn’t angry about it, and they soon got to talking. It turned out his name was Alvan, and he was training to take over the store from his parents one day. She also learned that the Rito who’d been with him back then, the same one she’d bumped into on the stairs, was a childhood friend of his called Revali. The three of them were apparently around the same age, but while Alvan practised sales and accounting, Revali was currently training to be a warrior with a group of fellow ‘cadets’.

Alvan was friendly and easy to get along with, and the two of them talked for a long time, but eventually Holly said her goodbye’s and moved on, wanting to climb to the very top of the village before dinner.

When she finally made it to the highest spot, she gazed over the village as a whole and thought about everything she’d seen that day. She loved how the village was built, how the Rito had worked with nature and embraced the environment around them, building to make best use of it rather then cutting it down. You could see this best on the lower levels of the village where trees and grass were allowed to take root and grow, forming small parks and gardens that they could enjoy. She loved the breeze that flowed around the pillars and through the huts, and the music that followed her everywhere she went. She loved the creaking of ancient wooden boards beneath her feet as she moved, and she even like the stairs, although it was going to be a while before she got used to so doing so much climbing every day!

“I’m soooo lucky!” Holly grinned, swinging her legs merrily over the edge of the platform and clicking her heels together in joy, ecstatic at the thought of being able to live in such an amazing place.

Eventually the bell rang for dinner, and Holly quickly sprang to her feet and scurried back down to the communal kitchen, where Jade was waiting for her. She found a hot meal of salmon fried rice was being offered, along with fresh bread and creamy soup, with some rich nutcake for desert. As she sat and ate she learned that the villagers were free to come along and partake, or make their own separate meals in the smaller residential kitchens if they preferred. Most people seemed to prefer the offered meal if the size of the crowd was any indication, and there was a rather nice communal spirit as Rito milled around eating and talking together, catching up on the days events, praising the cooks for their efforts and passing along suggestions for different seasoning’s. Holly had hoped to see some other Rito her age at dinner, maybe talk to Alvan again, but once she had finished Jade quickly whisked her away to show her where the baths were.

Another long set of stairs led down the side of the rocky island their village rested upon, towards the lake below. There, a good 20 or so feet above the water level, a passageway with multiple branching chambers had been carved into the rock. Jade explained to an awestruck Holly that a manned pump room drew water from the lake below, heating it and then sending it through pipes to the connected bathing chambers. She showed Holly these rooms, the doorways to which were all covered by colourful curtains.

“A red cloth means that room is for males, green is for females, and purple is unisex in case anyone wants to bathe together.” Jade told her, “A black cloth means the room is closed for cleaning.”

“You allow mixed bathing?” Holly asked in surprise, her Grandmother would have a conniption at the very idea.

“Ah yes, I had heard Hylian’s tended to be a bit more...strict about such things.” Jade responded carefully “Just so we’re clear the only thing that goes on in the unisex bath is bathing, it’s a public bath after all, the Council is quite clear on what will happen should anyone be caught fooling aro-”

She caught herself, remembering her young audience. “Ahem. Anyway, please don’t concern yourself. Oh, and pay attention to the colours on the doors, the rooms rotate depending on what’s being cleaned.”

“Okay, I got it!” Holly nodded, thankful for the heads up as Jade led her to the last two rooms at the end of the passage, one marked with a green curtain, the other red.

“We Rito prefer shallow pools for bathing, but we know that other tribes like to be able to submerge their entire body, so we carved these two rooms with deeper baths for our guests.” She explained “You’re welcome to use any of the other rooms, but you might find these more comfortable.”

She led her inside the room with the green curtain, and Holly saw that large holes had been carved into the wall just past the entrance, which Jade explained were so you could keep your clothes or belongings safe and dry while you bathed. Further inside a deep bath had been carved into the floor, big enough to fit perhaps two or three Hylians at a time, the clear water inside steaming invitingly as they entered. Jade told her that the room was cut at slight angle, so any displaced water would flow away from the doorway, down towards the back of the room where there was a large grated drain. There were two pairs of pipes feeding into the room, one set over the bath, and another near the back of the room over the drain. Jade explained how you could open these to allow hot or cool water to flow freely. The set over the bath were obviously for topping up the water level or adjusting the temperature, but Holly didn’t understand the point of having some that poured out so near the drain, wasn’t that a waste of water? When she voiced that question Jade explained how, in order to keep the bath water clean, everyone was expected to wash themselves down using the waterways over the drain before stepping into the bath. There were even wooden buckets and soap set by so you could collect a pail of water at a temperature you preferred, rather then just standing under the open pipes as you washed yourself.

To say that Holly was enraptured by the set-up would be an understatement. Bathing as she knew it usually involved boiling a kettle of water and using that to wipe down your body once it had cooled enough. Sometimes you didn’t even have the luxury of boiling the water first, you just had to look for a clear stream and bite your lip against the cold. Having an actual proper bath was a rare treat considering the time it took to draw and heat enough water to fill even a conservative tub. She’d heard about baths like these of course, with pipes and heated water, but they were only available to the royals and nobles who could afford such an expensive set up- she never thought she’d get to use something like this herself!

Needless to say, she was extremely excited, and after Jade left she spent a very long time playing with the water that rushed out of the pipes, before finally soaking in the tub. She was pleasantly surprised when a few members from the caravan team turned up a little later, apparently the Rito usually only allowed those who paid to stay at the inn to have access to their baths, but because the caravan had been trading with them for so long Heidi had managed to barter access for them. They told her that since Rito village didn’t get a lot of visitors in the first place, most people weren’t even aware the baths existed.

“It’s our little secret, one of the perks of coming here.” They winked at Holly.

Eventually, once she was warm and thoroughly pruney, Holly dried herself off and dressed, climbing the staircase back up to Swallows Roost. By then the sun was just beginning to set, and the many lanterns around the village started to flicker into life as night approached. From a distance it almost looked like large fireflies had come to rest all over the stairs and walkways, and Holly thought it made the village look very beautiful.

“Best day ever.” She grinned, practically skipping the rest of the way, her broom swaying behind her as she moved.

“Good evening!” She called merrily to those she past, her good mood infectious, and she arrived at the inn to find Jade waiting with her wings on her hips.

“I was just about to go made sure you hadn’t fallen in and drowned! Had a good time did you?” She asked, but despite her words the tone of her speech made it clear she was more amused then upset.

“I could live in those baths.” Holly sighed happily, earning a laugh from Jade.

“Well I’m glad you enjoyed yourself. I recommend you get yourself to bed now, we Rito wake with the sun, you’ll have to be up early if you want breakfast before your lesson.”

Holly couldn’t quite hide a groan as she admitted, “I am...I am not amazing at waking early.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll give you the same wake up service as the rest of my customers.” Jade offered kindly. “You just get the one call mind you, if you fall back to sleep afterwards I won’t be chasing you.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it!” Holly smiled, before taking Jade’s advice and heading to bed. There were curtains rolled up into the ceiling rafters around each bed, and she tugged the cord to free them and give herself some privacy as she changed into her sleeping clothes and snuggled down under the warm blanket. After a moment she got up again, rolling the thick exterior curtain that covered the window back up, allowing her to look out at the view across the lake as she laid in her bed.

“….I can’t believe I finally made it.” She murmured softly, glancing at her broom which was resting within easy reach against the head of her bed. “Hope you’re ready for tomorrow partner, cause I can’t wait!”

She thought she’d had trouble going to sleep with the anticipation of lessons starting tomorrow, but all that climbing up and down stairs had really taken it’s toll on her, and she was soon out like a light.

The next thing Holly knew, she was being shaken awake by a large feathered hand.

“Holly? Holly! Goodness child you sleep like the dead.” Jade murmured with a click of her beak as the young Witch finally groaned and sat up.

“M’up” She mumbled, coming around a little when Jade failed to suppress a laugh, covering her beak quickly with one wing as she stared at her.

“Oh I-pfft- I’m so sorry Holly, it seems that our pillows don’t agree with you hair.”

Blearily, the Witch reached up a hand to investigate, soon discovering that her hair was sticking up in just about every direction, defying basic physics in the process.

It didn’t come as a great surprise.

“No, it’s normally like this in the morning.” She yawned, shaking her head in a futile attempt to get the strands to lay down.

“I...see...” Jade said slowly. “Well uh, breakfast is in just over an hour so you have plenty of time to fix it and get ready for the day.”

Holly was glad the kind Rito had turned and started to walk away as she finished speaking, because otherwise she would have seen the utterly traumatised look on her face.

Over an hour??? She could have slept for like- 40 more minutes!!

“Urgh.” She groaned, glancing out the window to see that the sun was only just starting to peer over the horizon. Jade really hadn’t been kidding about Rito rising with the sun, no wonder she still felt so sleepy. She started to flop back down onto the bed in exhaustion, only to catch herself at the last moment as she remembered Jade’s promise not to chase her if she fell back asleep. She quickly threw the covers off, hoping the crisp morning air would help wake her, and forced herself into action.

She went and fetched some water and quickly got herself washed and dressed, brushing her hair out until it started to obey gravity again. There was mirror on the bedside table and, remembering Heidi’s words of warning about how Rito valued appearances, she sat down and spent a few extra minutes trying to make herself presentable.

When she was finally satisfied with her efforts she strapped her broom to her back, wrapped her scarf around her neck, and rolled up the curtains around her bed.

“Oh, Holly? Ready already?” Jade asked, glancing over in surprise as she stepped out into the middle of the inn. “Aren’t you fast.”

The Rito was crouched in front of a much larger mirror, using her beak to carefully adjust her feathers. Holly blinked a little at the sight, she’d seen birds doing that same thing-it was, what was it called, preening?- but it was odd to see a fully grown Rito doing the same thing.

“Um, yes?” Holly replied, momentarily lost for a response.

“Well you’ve still got some time before breakfast.” Jade said, unaware of Holly’s confusion as she continued to arrange her plumage.

“Uh...maybe I’ll take another walk? Oh! Unless you want me to start helping?” Holly asked, eager to show she’d keep her promise.

“Easy girl.” Jade chuckled “I’ll have plenty of chores lined up for you this afternoon after your lesson, don’t worry. Go stretch you legs, you’ll hear the bell when breakfast is ready.”

With little else to do Holly nodded and set off for a gentle stroll. As she wandered through the village she saw that despite the early hour the Rito were indeed already awake, the curtains around their huts rolled up as they bustled around preparing themselves for the day ahead. Holly couldn’t help but notice that everywhere she looked Rito were carefully grooming themselves, paying particular attention to their plumage, just as Jade had been doing. Through windows and doorways she saw parents patiently brushing out their children’s feathers for them, while others sat in front of mirrors or worked with a partner to adjust their plumage to their satisfaction. Some Rito were applying oil to their wings, which gave the feathers a healthy shine, and others were plucking out what she assumed had to be damaged feathers.

As she continued her walk she saw many Rito tying elaborate braids into their hair, bowls full of colourful ribbons, beads and feathers beside them, which they expertly weaved into their work. Others seemed to be spending time deciding what accessories they should wear, holding up anklets and earrings of various colours as they made their choices for the day ahead. She saw quite a few of them applying something to their face with tiny, delicate brushes, though she couldn’t make out quite what it was they were doing from where she stood.

As Holly passed yet another Rito tying braids into her hair, she let out a small wistful sigh. They looked really beautiful, but since the rebellious mop on her head refused to stay in a braid (no matter how carefully made) for more then a minute before it started trying to spring apart, there was little chance she’d get to try the look out herself.

Eventually Holly settled herself down on one of the many landings, letting her legs swing freely over the edge as the first few Rito began to leave their huts and start milling around. She could see now what Heidi had meant about them all looking groomed to perfection, their feathers were perfectly aligned and glistening in the sun as they passed by and bid her good morning. She silently thanked Heidi for her advice, she could only imagine that she’d look even more out of place if she’d just washed herself down quickly and thrown on some clean clothes like normal.

Before long the bell rang for breakfast, and Holly hurried down, any thoughts about Rito grooming habits forgotten as she practically inhaled the freshly baked rolls filled with fruit conserves and cold meats they had on offer.

“Thank you it was delicious!” She said as she handed back her plate, earning a laugh from the Rito serving.

“Did you even taste anything young one? You’d think we didn’t feed you last night.”

“Oh no, it was delicious, really! I’m just really really eager to get to my flying lesson!” Holly said, bouncing from foot to foot.

“We can see that, careful you don’t bounce yourself right off the edge there.” Someone commented as they walked past, tone just a little disapproving.

“I can make no promises.” Holly said while solemnly laying a hand over her heart, before breaking into a grin and laughing.

“Well.” Came a new voice, making her pause and turn. “It seems you’re ready to start then.”

She turned to see Benta standing in the doorway, the warrior resting one wing on his hip as he gazed down at her with clear amusement. He was a tall lean Rito, his plumage pure black except for touches of white around his eyes and the edges of his wings. He could have easily looked imposing, looming over everyone with his height and dark colouring, but their was a spark of humour in his eyes and an easy smile on his beak that made Holly relax.

“Good morning Benta, sir!” She chirped, running over to him. “Thanks again for rescuing me!”

“You’re very welcome Holly, lets see if we can make it so you don’t need rescuing again, shall we? Are you ready to go? Jade’s already given me your lunch.”

“So ready!” Holly said, punching a fist into the air for emphasis “I can’t wait to get in the air again!”

“Being grounded has got you down, hmm?” He asked as they strolled towards a nearby landing.

“A bit, yeah. I understand why it’s necessary though.”

“I’m glad to hear it, that rule is for everyone’s safety, including your own.” He said, crouching down as they reached the edge of the landing and glancing over his shoulder at her. “With that said, climb on.”

“….Um?” Holly said slowly, one hand wrapped around her broom where she’d been about to pull it down from her back. “Don’t I get to fly by myself now?”

“Holly, what did the Elder tell you? No flying around the village.” He replied, a note of warning creeping into his tone.

“Right, sorry, I guess I just thought ‘cause my lesson was starting I’d be allowed to...um, never mind.” Holly trailed off with a nervous laugh at the look in Benta’s eyes, releasing her grip on her broom and obediently climbing onto his back. “...I’m not too heavy for you am I?”

“Not at all. Just hold on to my shoulders and please try not to pull out any feathers. Are you ready?”

Holly gave a nod, and cried out a moment later as Benta launched them over the edge without further ado, the two of them plummeting until he spread his wings to catch the wind, and sent them soaring back up into the sky together.

“Hiya!”

The loud clash of steel on steel echoed round the training ground as two young cadets faced off against one another.

Revali staggered back, his wings aching from parrying Ollet’s heavy blow. He’d been trying to dodge for the most part, knowing from experience just how hard she hit, but a tricky manoeuvre on her part had forced him to block, and now his whole body felt like it was shaking from the force of the impact.

“Keep your sword up Revali!” Kaeli instructed from the sidelines as his wings started to droop, and he barely had time to obey before Ollet was chasing after him, reigning down a relentless assault of blows, refusing to give him time to recover or rest.

His world narrowed as he focused on the colourful feathers dancing under the blade of her spear, dodging and deflecting each blow as it came. He started to notice a pattern to her moves, and knowing that he was soon going to be too exhausted to retaliate, took his chance as soon as he saw an opening. When she executed a particularly forceful thrust he quickly dodged and then batted the shaft away with all his strength, leaving her side completely unprotected. He took quick advantage of the opening he’d made, stepping forward and aiming a heavy hit at her side-

Only for the world to suddenly rotate as something tugged on his foot and he went tumbling forward with a cry, hitting the dirt hard enough that he dropped his weapon. Cursing, he spun around quickly to retrieve it, only to be brought up short as Ollet stood over him, her spear pointing at his chest.

“Too slow.” She grinned, even though she was panting hard herself.

Goddess how I hate close ranged fighting. Revali thought, glaring at the spear.

“Enough.” Kaeli called, and both cadets scrambled to pick themselves up and stand to attention as their teacher strode forward and started to comment on their fight.

“Ollet, that was a very good performance, but you’re still relying too much on your strength to power you through the fight. You’ll be at a disadvantage if you’re fighting against someone who can out-power you, not to mention the fact that your moves start falling into easily predictable patterns after a while. Anyone who can drag out a fight with you can pick up on that and take advantage, just like Revali did.”

He turned to look at Revali. “Revali, focusing on dodging and avoiding swapping blows with an opponent of superior strength was the right strategy. But you let the fight drag out too long looking for an opening, and had to block several blows, all of which drained your stamina. You were so exhausted by the end that even if you had successfully landed your final blow, I doubt you could have continued for much longer if you had failed to down your opponent in one hit. The biggest error though was your failure to pay attention to your surroundings. Fighting on the ground isn’t like aerial combat. You rarely encounter obstacles in the sky so you can afford to focus on your targets, you can’t do so down here.”

He kicked at the tree root that had snagged Revali’s foot “...Case in point.”

Revali kept his head down as he listened to his teachers critique, and it was all he could do to keep his feathers from rising and puffing out in embarrassment and shame as his pitiful performance was detailed for everyone to hear.

“Yes sir.” He finally gritted out, wings clenched into fists by his side, and was glad when Kaeli swiftly dismissed them both to go to the sidelines and watch as the next pair took their turn.

He really, really hated hand to hand combat. The whole thing was just barbaric. Rito were the masters of aerial combat, they shouldn’t have to drag their feathers through the dirt like this in the first place!

“You know, considering what a poor winner you usually are, you’d think you could at least be a graceful loser.” Ollet commented as they dropped off their weapons and sat down.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Revali said, crossing his wings and looking in the opposite direction, glad he could blame any colour that came to his cheeks on his facial markings.

“Oh please, we have to sit through you being completely insufferable every time you come first in an archery lesson all the time.” She said, taking on a haughty tone as she impersonated him in a mocking falsetto “Don’t feel bad everyone, we can’t all be blessed with an abundance of natural skill and talent like me.”

“I do not sound like that.” Revali scowled.

“You sound exactly like that, and now your pouting like a fledgling because you found something you don’t excel at.”

“Hmph. Well, statistically speaking I suppose it had to happen eventually.”

“You’re unbelievable.” Ollet sighed, ignoring him and turning back to their classmates as they started to circle one another, weapon’s drawn.

Revali huffed, but forced himself to pay attention to the lesson despite his disdain for the content. Kaeli insisted they needed to learn this in case they were ambushed on the ground, or their bows shattered at an inopportune moment.

Which meant he had to learn this, no matter how he hated it.

Otherwise he’d never be able to call himself the best.

Holly’s first lesson had been interesting to say the least. Benta started instructing her the moment they got into the air, narrating and explaining his every movement as he flew them to the training ground. Holly had no idea that so much thought went into every movement, that the Rito were constantly reading the flow of the wind and moving to take the best advantage of it as they flew.

“It is one of the most basic principles we teach fledglings.” He told her “Use the wind, don’t fight it. The more you can let the wind carry you, the more you can conserve your strength for when you truly need it.”

Holly nodded, taking the information in. It had never really occurred to her to try to use the wind herself since she didn’t need it to fly, nor did she have feathers to catch it. As such she usually just tried to move in whatever direction she wanted, and when the wind happened to be against her she did her best to press through it. She’d never even thought to try and see if she could use it to help her.

After 20 minutes of flight they finally reached a large open field up in the mountains. It was covered in thick grass and there were several crumbling columns scattered across it. Benta explained that it was used to teach fledglings when they were first learning to fly, the rock pillars giving them a chance to practise jumping into the air to catch the wind, and the thick grass acting as a cushion when someone inevitably fell.

She didn’t think she’d ever mounted her broom as fast as when Benta finally gave her permission to take to the sky again. It felt like it had been forever since she’d last flown, though in reality she knew it had only been just over a day.

Her broom always felt warm to her touch, but when she held it with the intention of flying the palms of her hands always prickled with energy. It was a sensation she didn’t think she’d ever be able to put into words, but it filled her whole body with warmth and strength. An invisible wind picked up around her as she concentrated, making her hair and clothes flutter gently in the unseen breeze. The bristles at the end of her broom stretched out and shifted, the long dead twigs creaking as if they were trying to grow once again, and moments later she was up in the air, flying joyous (if wobbly) circles over Benta’s head.

The rest of the morning was spent with Benta observing her. He asked her to perform manoeuvre after manoeuvre, watching her every attempt closely. Sometimes she was successful, sometimes she failed and crashed into the (thankfully) soft grass below. He never criticised, but every single time he asked her explain what she was thinking and what she was doing, trying to piece together just how her ability worked.

“I have to try to understand how you fly before I can begin to work out how to teach you.” He explained as he helped her to her feet and checked she was okay after she’d been sent tumbling yet again. “Can you keep going or do you need a minute?”

“I’m fine!” She insisted, eager to get back into the air again despite her mounting bruises.

After an hour or so of this he called a halt, forcing her to come down and rest for a moment, handing over a canteen of water.

“Did you learn anything?” She asked hopefully.

“I think I am starting too.” He responded thoughtfully. “But we’ll need to try a few more things first.”

The second half of the morning was pretty much the same as the first. Try this. Do this. Now tell me about it. At one point he asked her to try hovering in place a good 20 feet or so above the ground until he told her to descend. There was little wind so she found it a easy to sit in place, legs swinging lazily as she took advantage of the time to look around. From her vantage point she spotted another field a little further away, which caught her eye because she could see a bunch of Rito down there. Interested, she squinted, trying to make out more details, but from here they were little more then blurry shapes.

Eventually Benta called her down, curious about whether she felt tired at all from hovering for so long. He looked intrigued when she told him ‘no, not really’, but she was more interested in asking about the field she’d seen.

“Hmm? Ah yes, that’s the Training Field, it’s where warriors go to practise their skills. Right now I believe the cadets are having a lesson in close ranged combat.”

She perked up a little at that news, that must be Revali and the group of other Rito her age that Alvan had spoken of!

They went back to practising, and eventually Benta told her she could stop and eat lunch, producing a pack of food and passing it to her with a canteen of water. Spotting her chance, she spoke up cautiously.

“Benta, sir? Would I be allowed to eat lunch with the warrior cadets?”

He turned, raising an eyebrow at her request. “Why would you want to do that Holly?”

“Well, they’re the same age as I am right? I just thought it would be nice to talk to them. I won’t interfere with their training or anything, I promise!” She added hastily

He paused, features softening with understanding. “I see. Well….they’ll be eating lunch too, so I don’t suppose it could hurt. You may go ask if you can join them, but once you’re finished you need to come straight back here.”

“I will I will, I promise!” She smiled, bouncing happily.

Benta flew down with her to the training ground, and she was beyond grateful that he allowed her to fly the distance herself rather then carrying her again, even if he did hover close for the entire short flight. She had to wait a moment while Benta went and spoke to their instructor, who she recognised as the other warrior who had helped rescue her, Kaeli. After a brief conversation Benta turned and nodded permission, gesturing towards the cadets sat on logs eating their meal together a short distance away.

She smiled and waved a thank you, before quickly hurrying over to the group.

They saw her coming of course, and immediately started discussing what on earth the Witch could want from them.

“Perhaps Benta’s told her to ask us for tips on flying?” Leri wondered.

“Maybe she’s delivering a message for him?” Ollet suggested.

“Well we’re about to find out.” Farell murmured quietly just before she finally reached them, stopping and waving cheerfully as she spoke.

“Hi! I’m Holly. Can I eat lunch with you?”

Well. None of them had expected...that.

They all stared, blinking owlishly at her as they tried to think of a response, completely caught off guard by the sudden request. None of them even knew her, why was she suddenly asking this?

She just smiled, apparently oblivious to the awkward atmosphere and she rocked on her heels and waited patiently for a response.

“Um…?” Farell tried, glancing around at the others for hints as to how he should proceed.

She finally seemed to clue into the uneasy atmosphere as the cadets all glanced at one another aprehensively, cocking her head to one side as she added; “It’s okay if you don’t want me too, I won’t be offended or anything. I just wanted to say hello since I might be staying here a while and we’re all the same age.”

Well that finally kicked one of them into motion, a mixture of sympathy (and if he was honest- guilt) causing Leri to motion her over.

“Sure, please join us Holly.”

Revali and Ollet glared at him as if to say ‘what are you doing?’ but he pointedly ignored them, knowing in his heart it was the decent thing to do, especially when she smiled so brightly at the invitation.

“Really? Thanks so much!” She grinned, bouncing over and sitting down on a fallen log between him and Farell.

“I’m Leri, and this is Ollet, Farell and Revali.” He said, motioning to the others one by one as he made the introductions on behalf of the group. “We’re all warriors in training.”

“It’s nice to meet you all, thanks for having me.” Holly said cheerfully, placing her pack of food on her lap and unwrapping it as she spoke, smiling when she saw she had some salmon riceballs and fruit for lunch-goodie!

There were polite obligatory replies of ‘nice to meet you’ in return, before the group fell into another awkward silence that only the Witch seemed to be oblivious off as she continued to smile and eat her food.

“So, uh, Holly.” Farell eventually tried, eager for anything to break the silence. “How was your first flying lesson?”

“Oh, well, Benta’s not really taught me much today, he’s mainly been getting me to fly around and do different manoeuvres while he watches.” She explained. “He says he’s got to work out how I fly before he can decide how best to teach me. Oh! He did tell me something really interesting about flying with the wind instead of fighting against it on our way to the field though.”

“You are joking, surely?” Revali asked in a flat, humourless tone, putting down his fork to stare at her incredulously. “It never occurred to you to try and fly WITH the wind?”

“Well...no?” Holly replied slowly, not seeming to pick up on his tone. “I mean, I don’t have wings? Or feathers? So I didn’t really think I could ‘catch’ the wind.”

“Well that’s perfectly understandable.” Leri said, shooting Revali a glare for his poor behaviour. “And if anyone could help you learn it’s Benta, he’s the best.”

“That’s what I was told, I’m really grateful that he’s giving up his time to teach me.” Holly smiled.

“It’s not just his time.” Revali grumbled, and Farell elbowed him hard in the ribs, trying to talk over him.

“Anyway! You can learn a lot just by watching Benta in the air, he’s got amazing moves.”

“I think I saw him at the festival when I first got here, didn’t he do that amazing shot with Kaeli?” Holly asked eagerly, glancing over at the two older warriors in question who were conversing on the other side of the field.

The mood of the group suddenly improved, each of the cadets eager to talk about the warriors they admired so much.

“That’s right, Benta’s the best flier but Kaeli’s a master archer and he’s even good at hand to hand!” Leri said eagerly “Put together their unstoppable, that’s one of the reason’s why they’re such good Wing Mates.”

“Is it a big thing to be good at hand to hand too?” Holly asked.

“It certainly is! We Rito focus on aerial combat, and usually only learn the very basics of hand to hand, but Kaeli took it further then anyone in the tribe ever has. Even on the ground he’s a force to be reckoned with.” Ollet said proudly, wings crossed across her chest.

“Of course that’s nothing compared to how great he is in the air armed with a bow.” Revali added, nodding along. “Then he’s practically unstoppable.”

“Wow, that sounds amazing.” Holly smiled, glancing over at the Rito in question. Where Benta was tall and lean, Kaeli was shorter, but built of solid muscle. She got the feeling that if a wild boar charged him, the boar would be the one sent flying. On top of that his plumage was also very striking, a vibrant golden brown with streaks of white on the underside of his wings.

“Those two are the best warriors in the village right? That’s what I heard.” Holly asked, thinking back to her conversation with Alvan.

“Yes.” Farell nodded proudly “It’s an honour to be taught by them both.”

“Well it was.” Revali muttered, giving Holly a pointed look.

There was a beat of silence, the other cadets unable to believe he had actually just said that to her face, while Holly just blinked at him, expression unreadable.

Before anyone could react to his unkind words, Benta called out to Holly from across the field.

“Holly? Are you finished? It’s almost time to return.”

“Oh already? Yes, I’m coming!” She waved back, swallowing the last of her food and turning to the group. “It was really nice to talk to you all, would it be okay if I ate lunch with you tomorrow as well?”

“Sure.” Ollet said quickly before Revali could open his beak again, surprised the girl wanted to come back after what he’d just said. Had she not heard him?

“That’s great, thanks a lot and good luck with your training!” She smiled, bouncing back quickly across the field to where Benta was waiting.

“You too!” Leri called, even as Ollet and Farell rounded on Revali as soon as the Witch was out of earshot.

“What is your problem!? You were so rude just now!” Farell hissed at him.

“Oh please, did you see her? She didn’t even notice. It’s a crime that Benta has to waste his valuable time trying to teach such an airhead. I mean ‘I didn’t think to use the wind?’” He scoffed “Please.”

“Revali you are unbelievable.” Leri growled, the others giving him equally scornful looks. “She’s miles from home, all on her own, and just wanted to talk. Would it have killed you to just be nice? Believe it or not she didn’t come here to personally victimise you.”

Revali opened his beak to defend himself, trying to ignore the wave of self-doubt and guilt their words brought, but was cut short by Kaeli calling them back for the rest of their training session. The others went ahead of him, giving him dark, disapproving looks as they passed which only served to reignite his self-indignant anger, crushing any lingering self-doubt.

They just didn’t see how truly foolish she was yet. They hadn’t heard the impertinent way she’d giggled at the Elder in her own hut as she hovered over their heads, hadn’t seen how she’d grinned and laughed after nearly plummeting to her death, like having to be rescued was some sort of game.

Sooner or later they’d come around and see just what a foolish, disrespectful nuisance she was, and then they’d all be apologising for doubting him.

Just you wait and see.

Chapter Text

Holly returned to her flying lesson with great enthusiasm, apparently unaffected by Revali’s harsh words during lunch.

Benta put her to work attempting even more aerial manoeuvres, only now he upped the difficulty level. The young Witch tried her hardest, but tumbled to the ground time and time again as she lost control and slipped from her broom. Her repeated failures didn’t seem to dampen her enthusiasm any though, as each time she crashed she quickly sprang back up again, eager and determined to give it another go.

If nothing else, Benta had to give her points for persistence.

All too soon though it was time to bring the lesson to a close, as Holly had to get back to the village to start her chores. Benta called for her to land, and after a quick check to make sure that she didn’t have anything worse then a lot of bruises to show for all her tumbles, he let her climb onto his back so he could carry her home.

During the short flight back, he took the time to reassure her that he was encouraged by what he had seen of her flying so far. While he was definitely going to have to think outside the box in order to teach her, he didn’t think it would be impossible, and already had a few ideas he wanted to try out tomorrow. Needless to say Holly was overjoyed by the news, and the moment her feet touched the ground she started bouncing again, thanking the warrior profusely for all his help and promising to be ready bright and early tomorrow morning for their next lesson.

Benta waved her away with a smile, and she practically skipped the rest of the way back to the Swallow’s Roost, greeting Jade happily as she entered.

“From the look on your face I take it things went well?” The Rito asked with a laugh.

“So well! Benta’s seen me fly now and thinks he might be able to help me! He’s going to start teaching me in earnest tomorrow!” Holly gushed, hands clasped into excited fists near her chest.

“Well I’m very glad to hear it!” Jade replied sincerely. “Now, I do hate to put a damper on your good mood, but it’s time for you to start your work for me. I’ve got some chores lined up for you, are you ready to start now, or do you need a little break after your lesson?”

“No, I’m good! Bring it on!” Holly cheered, still energised from the good news.

“That’s what I like to hear.” Jade nodded with an approving smile.

Holly was soon handed a large wicker basket full of bed linen that needed cleaning, and Jade pointed her in the direction of the Rito laundry area. The young Witch was delighted to find that, like the baths, this place also had access to running hot and cold water, and soap was set aside ready for her to use. She rolled up her sleeves and set to work, chatting happily to any Rito that wandered in with their own laundry as she scrubbed and rinsed the sheets. It was hard work, and in the end it took her nearly 2 hours to wash all the linen and finally peg it out on the line. Figuring that even with the warm weather it would take a while for everything to dry, Holly returned to the Inn with the empty basket, and asked for her next chore. Jade got her to wash all the cups and plates that the Inn provided, and after that handed her a small ladder and asked her to dust and clean the lanterns.

Holly set to her task with her usual good will, humming and whistling to herself and she scurried about tending to the lights. She was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn’t notice how much time had passed until Jade called out to ask how far along she was.

“Nearly done, just two more left!” Holly reported cheerfully.

“Good work Holly, finish those and then please go bring the laundry in for me, it should be dry by now. If you hurry you should have just enough time to finish and wash up before dinner.”

“Is it almost dinner time?” Holly asked in surprise, glancing at the Inn’s timepiece for confirmation.

“Time flies when you’re busy.” Jade shrugged, her beak already buried back in her accounts book, and Holly hurried to finish the lanterns so she wouldn’t be late.

She had just finished putting the sheets away when the dinner bell rang out. She went to go quickly wash her hands, eager for more of the Rito’s delicious food, only to pause when she caught sight of herself in Jade’s large mirror. There was dirt smudged across her face and hands from the cleaning she’d done, and dust in her hair. Said hair had also worked it’s way loose from her ponytail during the day, only adding to her already dishevelled appearance.

Normally she wouldn’t have worried about it, figuring that a little dirt never hurt anyone, but after seeing how much care the Rito put into their appearance and personal grooming, she could only imagine that they wouldn’t be too pleased with her if she ran into their kitchen looking like this.

Coming to a decision, she ignored her growling stomach and went and fetched some warm water and soap to clean herself up properly. Once she had scrubbed her skin and brushed her hair, and was finally satisfied that she would meet Rito standards, she let Jade know she was leaving (completely missing the approving smile on the Rito’s face as she did so) and hurried to the kitchen.

Dinner turned out to be a portion of fried wild greens with a slice of the most delicious fish pie Holly had ever tasted. The fish was rich and creamy, the sauce delicately flavoured with fresh herbs and lemon, and the whole thing was wrapped in a flaky golden pastry that melted in her mouth. She made a point to tell the cooks how much she liked it as she handed back her empty plate, earning herself a warm smile and their thanks in return.

When Holly returned to the Inn, Jade thanked her for her work, and told her that the next few hours before curfew were hers to do with as she pleased. The young Witch happily sat down to pen some letters to her family, sealing them up and addressing them before heading down to the baths, still excited at the thought of having such a luxurious bathing area available to her.

She’d only been gone a few minutes when a strong breeze knocked the letters off her desk and onto the inn’s floor. Jade looked up at the noise, and as she quickly retrieved the two envelopes and placed the inside Holly’s bedside draw for safekeeping, she couldn’t help but notice that the letter addressed to her brother was about 3 times thicker then the one addressed to her Grandmother.

…It’s none of your business Jade, she told herself firmly, and forced herself to walk away and get back to her work.

Holly’s days soon fell into an easy routine.

...Well, apart from the waking up at the crack of dawn part, that bit she still struggled with.

In the mornings after breakfast she had lesson’s with Benta, who started trying to teach her how to fly in earnest. In the afternoon she did chores for Jade, and then after dinner she had some time to herself before bed. She usually went for walks, visited Heidi and the other members of the caravan, or took care of her broom and personal laundry during this time. There was no flight training on Sunday, it was a Rito day of rest, so she did some chores in the morning and then had the rest of the day to herself.

She also continued to eat lunch with the warrior cadets every day.

Leri, Ollet and Farell were rather bemused by her persistence. While they remained civil and welcoming during her visits, Revali continued to be moody and sullen, often peppering the conversation with sarcastic barbs at her expense. The others assumed his behaviour would drive her away, or even start a fight, but all his attempts to criticise her seemed to fall on deaf ears. She simply smiled and carried on as if she hadn’t noticed his harsh words, which only served to incense him further. Revali became convinced that she was not only childish, but rather slow in the head as well. How else could she remain so oblivious to his attempts to call her out on her unacceptable behaviour?

“Come on Revali, stop being so mean to the Witch already.” Farell sighed one day as they spent time doing essential maintenance- restringing bows and attaching feather fletching’s to arrows.

“He’s right Revali, I know she’s kind of childish, but she means well, I think it’s just her way.” Leri nodded along.

“Yeah, besides at least she’s friendly. You could really learn something from her about being more personable.” Ollet added with a grin, aiming to ruffle his feathers. She was sincerely enjoying watching the Witch frustrate her arrogant friend, and the fact that she seemed to be doing it completely unwittingly only made it all the more hilarious.

“There is nothing I wish to learn from such a vapid simpleton.” Revali replied icily “All she seems to know how to do is smile for no good reason and bounce around like an overexcited fledgling all the time.”

“I mean...I can’t really argue with him on the last part.” Farell shrugged “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her actually walk anywhere, she just kind of bounces from place to place like she ate too many stamina mushrooms.”

“Well I think it’s cute how she gets so excited over every little thing.” Leri smiled.

“Do not encourage her.” Revali scowled “Considering all the favours our tribe is doing for her she should be buckling down and taking this far more seriously, not...not acting like she is on vacation!”

“Oh would you relax already? So she’s enjoying herself while she’s here, it’s not the end of the tribe.” Ollet said with a roll of her eyes, before adding with a laugh. “If nothing else the free entertainment we all get watching her rub you the wrong way without even trying is worth any number of favours.”

Revali’s feathers rose at her words, and he opened his beak to deliver a rebuttal, only to be shut down when Ollet interrupted him to cheerfully announce that it was just about time for his favourite part of the day.

“Oh joy.” He grumbled, voice dripping with sarcasm as they put their equipment away and headed to their usual spot for lunch.

“You know there’s nothing to stop you eating by yourself Revali.” Farell pointed out.

“And let myself be driven away by that idiot? Never.” The proud Rito huffed. It would be like letting her win.

“Then if you can’t think of anything nice to say why don’t you try just keeping your beak shut for once?” Farell sighed as he unpacked his food. “I mean, I do hope you realise the irony of complaining about her being childish and then holding such a silly one-sided feud.”

“I am not-”

“Good afternoon everyone!”

Revali groaned at the cheerful voice, turning to see the Witch running across the field towards them, a bright smile of her face as she waved to them energetically.

“Good afternoon Holly.” Leri replied as she reached them, politely offering her the seat next to him. “How was your training today?”

“Oh, really good!” She gushed excitedly as she took the offered seat “The wind knocked me around like usual, but I remembered what Benta had been teaching me and managed to correct myself and stay in the air!”

“Weren’t you already able to do that when you first got here?” Revali asked “You stopped yourself from crashing into the lake- albeit poorly.”

Holly blinked a bit at his phrasing, but then pushed on regardless with her usual cheer.

“Well, yes- but I’m getting better! I managed to keep my altitude stable and everything, instead of bobbing up and down like a duck on a pond. If I can learn to right myself after a tumble, then it stands to reason I can eventually stop it from happening at all!”

“Glad to hear you’re still in good spirits about it.” Leri smiled, chuckling a little at her unwavering enthusiasm.

The conversation moved on, and Holly asked about their own training, learning about the archery drills they’d been doing in the morning.

“I guess you have to train really hard to become such amazing archers. I mean, from what I’ve heard it’s hard enough to fire while moving on the ground, you guys have to be able to do that while flying.”

“Yes, it takes years to fully master the technique.” Ollet nodded proudly.

“True, though some of us pick it up more quickly then others.” Revali added smugly, chest puffed out as he pointedly ignored the way the other 3 Rito glared at him for his comment.

“Have you done any archery, Holly?” Leri asked, changing the subject before Revali’s ego could get any bigger.

“Me?” She laughed, “No, I’ve never each touched a bow. My brother taught me how to protect myself against monsters, but all the techniques I learned from him are based on close ranged combat.”

“Really? I didn’t know you had any weapons training-what did he teach you?” Ollet asked, honestly interested.

Holly sat up a little straighter as she answered proudly.

“Unarmed combat and dual-wielding daggers.”

There was a beat of silence while the group struggled to process what she’d said, which was broken abruptly when Revali let out a loud guffaw of laughter.

“Un-unarmed combat!? You must be joking.”

“I am not!” Holly pouted indignantly.

“W-What do you think your going to do? Punch a Bokoblin to death?” He continued to laugh, reeling at the sheer absurdity of it. He knew she was foolish but this just took the cake!

The others just about managed to stop themselves from laughing at her words as well, but the glances they were exchanging suggested they were all thinking much along the same lines. You couldn’t fight monsters without some wind of weapon, that was just common sense. In dire straights a warrior might resort to using a tree branch or even a rock- but bare fists? That was just ridiculous.

“-I mean, I don’t think you can punch a monster to death?” Holly continued, apparently giving his question serious thought despite the mocking tone it was delivered with, “But the unarmed skills my brother taught me weren’t really to protect myself from those kinds of monsters anyway, it was in case I had to deal with bandits or drunkards. You know, the other kind of monster.”

Revali stopped laughing.

“Oh! But you know what?” She continued cheerfully, clapping her hand’s together as she had a sudden thought, “I did see my brother use his skills to disarm a Lizalfos when he lost his weapon so he could could use it’s own sword against it, so I guess some of those techniques can work on monsters!”

“Uh well that’s...good, I guess?” Farell said, sharing a rather lost look with his friends. Protecting herself from bandits? What on earth had this girl gotten up to in her youth?

“I can show you some of the things he taught me if you like!” She offered eagerly “My brother was a really good teacher, I was totally useless before he took me in!”

“I take it your brother is some kind of warrior then?” Ollet asked.

“Nope! He’s an adventurer!” Holly replied, voice full of awe and wonder.

“A what?” Leri blinked.

“An adventurer!” Holly repeated enthusiastically.

She immediately launched into a description of her brothers life, more excited then they’d ever seen her before, and it quickly became apparent that the young Witch idolised her older brother.

She told them that he travelled all over Hyrule, exploring the different regions and getting into all sorts of exciting exploits along the way, before jumping right in and listing some of his adventures. Apparently one time he’d run across a group of Zora soldiers who were pinned down by Lizalfos wielding lightning arrows, and after helping them out had been personally invited back to the Zora domain. On another occasion he’d escorted some researchers through the Gerudo desert so they could investigate some Leviathan bones, and ended up getting to visit a Great Fairy Fountain.

“He really loves the Faron region best of all though!” She continued, still in full flow with no sign of slowing down any time soon. “He goes there all the time to explore the ruins, he’s got stacks of notes about the thing’s he’s discovered. He took me with him one time and showed me lots of amazing things, but the best bit was when we climbed to the top of the waterfalls, I got to see the great dragon Farosh rising from the lake!”

That comment was met by some murmurs of excitement from the group. The fiery dragon Dinrall was sometimes spotted in the distant sky by patrolling warriors, and young Rito often talked about hoping to catch a glimpse of him themselves when they were bigger. None of the cadets had ever been lucky enough to see Dinrall with their own eyes though, and here Holly was having seen one of the 3 great dragons up close!

“It all sounds very exciting.” Leri nodded, getting swept away by her enthusiasm.

“It is! Kenta is amazing, he’s strong and brave, but kind and funny too. When I’ve learned how to fly properly I want go join him and be and adventurer myself!”

“That’s what you want to do with your life?” Farell questioned. It sounded exciting and all but not exactly a very settled lifestyle.

“Of course! I only got to see a tiny bit of the world while I was travelling with my brother, but everything was so amazing, now I want to see all the rest!” Holly smiled, stretching her arms out wide for emphasis “Getting to travel all over the land, free to go wherever you please and do whatever you like while you have all sorts of adventures sounds amazing! Not to mention you get to discover and learn all sorts of things, and meet and help all sorts of different people! I can’t think of anything I’d want to do more with my life!”

“Well that certainly sounds...exciting?” Ollet tried, a little overwhelmed by her enthusiasm.

Revali simply narrowed his eyes, noting that despite her comments about helping people, most of her enthusiasm seemed to be about the lack of responsibilities and freedom to do as she pleased- typical selfish Hylian behaviour. Being an ‘adventurer’ just seemed like pure escapism to him.

Holly chose then to glance up at the sun and gasped when she realised she’d taken up almost all their lunch break gushing about her brother and his exciting adventures. She apologised for talking so much, and it was soon time for them all to return to their training. She left with her usual cheer, waving goodbye to the group, while the rest of them were left equal parts confused and amused by all they’d learned.

They were starting to think that was typical for any type of interaction with her.

A week passed in a blur, and before Holly knew it it was time to say goodbye to the good people of the caravan.

She exchanged hugs and handshakes with the people she’d shared so many long days on the road with, and they surprised her by producing a few small parting gifts to try and make her stay in the Rito village more comfortable. She was particularly taken by the plush toy shaped (rather ironically) like a bird someone had made for her.

“He’s so cuddly!” She squealed, hugging it happily, much to their delight.

She thanked everyone for all they’d done for her, and for all their thoughtful gifts, until Heidi interrupted by gently tapping her on the shoulder, also wanting a chance to say goodbye.

“So this is it then.” Her temporary guardian sighed, glancing down at her fondly. “I’m glad it’s all gone so well for you so far, keep up that good behaviour after we’ve gone, you hear?”

“I will!” Holly smiled “Can I write to you all after you’ve left?”

“Oh we’re counting on it. Tales of you and your brother’s escapades make fantastic bedtime stories for the young ones. The only problem is that anyone who hasn’t met you will never believe they’re based on real life!”

“Thanks for the compliment!” Holly laughed, feeling rather proud of herself for some reason.

Heidi laughed along for a moment before quieting, reaching out to gently rest a hand on the young girls shoulder as she continued in a more serious tone.

“Go with all our best wishes Holly. When you finally manage to master that broomstick of yours, and I’m sure you will, feel free to fly on over and say hello any time.”

“I will.” Holly smiled sincerely. “And thank you for everything Heidi, I know I’ve said it before, but I don’t think I would have ever gotten this far if it wasn’t for you.”

“You are very welcome.” Heidi smiled, meaning every word, and held her arms out for the girl, who happily jumped into the offered embrace, giving the woman who had watched over her for so long a tight farewell squeeze.

A few hours later, they were gone.

Holly stood at the edge of the Rito Stables, watching as the last wagon disappeared into the mountain pass, Flora a comforting presence by her side as she and the stable manageress watched them leave together.

“….Well, I guess I better be getting back now.” Holly eventually spoke up when the dust had settled. “Jade will have chores for me, especially now that we finally have some other guests staying in the inn.”

“All right dear, just remember that you’re always welcome here at our stables if you need anything, even if it’s just a chance to talk to another Hylian.” Flora told her kindly.

“Thank you very much.” Holly smiled with a polite bow, before turning and heading back to the village, waving cheerfully over her shoulder as she left.

As she made her away across the small islands that led into the village, with nothing but the soft chirp of birdsong to distract her, the reality of the situation slowly sunk in.

They were gone. Everyone she knew was gone, and she was all alone in the far regions of Hyrule, living with a group people she’d only known for a week.

Her bouncing steps slowed and then stopped completely as her heart fluttered nervously in her chest at the thought.

It...It was kind of scar-

She paused, suddenly realising she had a death grip on the plush toy she’d been given, practically crushing the poor thing to her chest.

She frowned and shook her head firmly, before clamping the toy under one arm so she could smack her cheeks lightly, as if she was trying to wake herself from a bad dream.

This wasn’t scary- it was an adventure! An adventure all of her own where she would learn how to fly! The people here were warm and welcoming, and the village was amazing! There was absolutely nothing to be worried about. Just think of all the incredible things she’d already seen, and all the excitement she still had to look forward too! Her brother was going to be so jealous once he got her letter and read all about it!

Cheered by these thoughts, Holly stepped forward again with the usual spring in her step, smiling brightly as she looked forward to what tomorrow might bring.

“Revali watch your-!”

The warning wasn’t needed, he was already dodging out of the way, rolling and landing in such a way that he was perfectly positioned to fire back at his opponents. Revali’s bow sang out as he released his arrow, and a satisfying cry of “Ouch!” from across the field announced that it had hit home. The young warrior flashed a cocky grin in his opponent’s direction, before quickly slipping behind some rocks, vanishing from sight before they could retaliate.

“Show off.” Farell muttered from his hiding spot.

Today was Archery Combat Training.

The rules were fairly simple, the four cadets were divided into pairs and each given a quiver full of special training arrows. Instead of the usual arrowhead, these non-lethal arrows were tipped with cloth balls that had been coated in the same powdered dye that was used in the festival. They left a distinctive patch of colour on whatever target they struck, and giving each cadet a different set of coloured arrows made it easy to identify who had made a shot and exactly where it had landed.

While the arrows wouldn’t cause serious harm, getting struck with one still stung like crazy. No one dared to complain about it though, not since their first lesson when Kaeli had been quick to snap at anyone who whined that if it had been a real arrow they’d failed to avoid, they’d be a lot worse off then simply sore.

The pairs were made to work together to try and score as many hits on their opponents as possible before Kaeli called time. They were not allowed to fly, and any arrows that hit the core of the body were worth double points, and head shots were were worth quadruple. (Each Rito wore special goggles to protect their eyes from any errant head shots or bursts of powder).

Today it was Revali and Farell vs Ollet and Leri.

Or rather, it was supposed to be. As soon as they’d been paired off Revali had quickly announced that he would take the lead as the best archer, and Farell would provide back up, moving on before his partner could offer up any sort of argument.

The most infuriating part was that Revali was handling the other two almost completely by himself. Farell had managed to land perhaps two hits before taking a few arrows himself, while Revali’s green powder was already liberally coating both Ollet and Leri, every hit a core shot.

Revali alone had not taken a single hit so far, his plumage completely unblemished, dark feathers glistening with subtle iridescence in the sun.

He was so damn smug about it Farell wanted to shoot him himself.

“Did you see where they’ve hidden themselves now?” Revali asked, crouched next to him as they planned their next move.

“No, but what does it matter? You’ve scored so many points it’s practically impossible for them to catch up with the time remaining. The best play here is to stay hidden until Kaeli brings this to an end.” Farell said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his tone as he spoke. Revali had completely taken over this whole exercise, he might as well have not been here at all.

“We still have time to do better. I can land a couple more hits before time runs out if we can simply find them.” Revali said distractedly, so focused on his goal that he completely missed the rapidly souring mood of his companion.

“Revali I already told you, we don’t need to do that. It’s best if we just stay put.” Farell replied, fighting to contain his irritation.

“There’s no need to settle for this when we can still do more. If we’re going to do this we should do our best to excel-”

“Whose this ‘we!’” Farell finally snapped, unable to hold back his ire any longer. “From the start you’ve just been doing whatever you pleased and dragging me along like an afterthought!”

“K-Keep your voice down-” Revali tried, flustered and caught off guard by Farell’s sudden anger.

“Oh now you care about what I have to say? You’ve done nothing but show off you skills since we started, do you even remember that this was supposed to be a team exercise!?”

“I- of course I do. Farell you must calm down and act more professionally or the others will-”

“I’m the only one who HAS been acting professionally you arrogant ass!!” Farell yelled at the top of his lungs, realising his mistake a moment too late as his voice echoed, the sound spreading out around them like a beacon.

Neither of them breathed, bodies held tense as they listened for any little noise to indicate the other party had found them. When a minute past and nothing happened they finally relaxed, and then Revali turned on Farell, drawing himself up again to his full height, addressing his fellow cadet in his haughtiest, most irritated tone.

“Look what you almost-”

THWACK!

Revali let out a cry of pain as a pair of arrows hit him square in the back, sending him staggering. Two cheers went up in the distance, Leri and Ollet whooping in joy as they finally managed to get their own back on him, their purple and orange powder covering his back.

“Take that Revali!” Ollet called down from the trees.

Farell winced, feeling a wave of guilt at getting Revali hit like that, and immediately reached out to help him up.

“Come on, lets find some cover before they shoot aga-.”

“Get off me!” Revali hissed, knocking Farell’s wing away.

“Wait, I-”

“I can do it myself!” Revali seethed, already picking himself up and heading towards the nearest tree for cover. He made it about half the distance, Farell following nervously behind him, when Kaeli suddenly dropped out of the sky.

“TIME!” Their instructor cried, his voice echoing through the small wooded area as he landed between the two pairs. “Everyone front and centre!”

They scrambled to form a line while Kaeli inspected them and counted up the scores. Revali had schooled his face into a stern but neutral expression, but Farell could practically feel the anger rolling off him in waves as they stood side by side and Kaeli counted up the two hits on his back.

Unsurprisingly, they were announced the winners. The last two shots couldn’t hope to change the overall score when Revali had already landed so many hits, Ollet and Leri had known that when they’d fired, they’d just wanted revenge.

“All of you, go clean yourselves up and be back in one hour for our next drill.” Kaeli ordered, only to call out again as they all started to move.

“Not you Revali, I want a word with you.”

Revali refused to look his classmates in the eye as he obediently turned and headed back to his instructor. He listened to the sound of the others flying away, and only once he was sure they’d gone did he force himself to raise his head. Kaeli was facing away from him, his wings folded behind his back as he stood tall with his head held high, looking every inch the proud and noble warrior Revali longed to be.

“Walk with me, cadet.”

Revali hastened to obey, trying to match the great warriors steps, to copy the way he held himself with such dignity, but only succeeded in feeling all the more awkward and clumsy in comparison.

“…I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that regardless of points, you failed that exercise.” Kaeli said sternly after a moment. “I am curious as to if you can tell me why?”

Revali’s feathers rose with indignation. “Farell called out and gave away our loca-”

He was brought up short as Kaeli fixed with with a fierce penetrating stare, the words to dying on his beak.

“...Tell me Revali, what do you think drove Farell to cry out in that way?” Kaeli continued after a moment, once he was sure he had his attention. “I’m sure you can agree that it is certainly not normal behaviour from him.”

“...He was frustrated.” Revali finally replied, lifting his chin proudly. “Obviously because he couldn’t compare to my skills.”

There was a pause, and then Kaeli let out a disappointed sigh that cut Revali like a knife.

“Revali, it is true that your skills in both flight and archery are well above those of your peers. You were born with natural talent, and have worked diligently to train and improve it even since a young age. You’re drive for improvement is to be commended.”

Such praise from someone he respected so much would have normally lifted Revali’s spirits up into the Great Sky Above, but instead he found himself tensing, knowing instinctively there was more to come.

“However. Your pride and arrogance continues to cloud your judgement, and blind you to the feelings of those around you. You were so focused on proving yourself, on showing off your skills, that you completely ignored your partner. This was a team exercise, but I am willing to bet good rupees that from the start you never even considered truly working with Farell, because you were so confident you could handle everything by yourself. Am I right?”

Revali couldn’t meet his instructors eyes, which was really answer enough.

“The warriors of our tribe rarely go into battle alone Revali, we work together to protect our people. And that means being able to trust one another, and being aware of each others moods. One person being discouraged, being irritated or distracted, could cause a false move that could put the entire mission, the entire group, in danger.”

He paused, looking at him pointedly.

“Exactly as it did for you today.”

“But I...” Revali murmured, curling his wings into fists at his side. “I could have done it perfectly if he hadn’t...”

“I suspect you could have, but you still would have failed. I didn’t ask for you as an individual to win. I asked for a pair of warriors to work together. You succeeded in not only alienating your ally, but infuriating you opponents so much they tracked you down even knowing their shots couldn’t make a difference, just because they wanted a chance to get back at you. Imagine how that could have played out in a real battle when you enemies won’t be using practise arrows.”

Revali was trembling, and Kaeli sighed again, turning to glance out over the horizon, giving the young warrior a chance to collect himself.

“There is nothing wrong with being proud of your skills.” He continued softly “But you mustn’t let your drive cloud you to the feelings of those around you. That will only result in you being isolated, and no Rito, no matter how skilled, can truly thrive on their own. You could be exceptional Revali, and I truly hope that one day you can find someone you can trust and open up to. Friendships can help you to grow in the most unexpected ways.”

“….Like you and Benta?” Revali asked softly, glancing up at his mentor.

“Like I and my Wingmate, yes.” Kaeli said, the first hint of a smile crossing his features at the mention of him.

He reached down and clapped Revali suddenly on the shoulder, breaking the mood.

“Now, enough of this talk! Go get cleaned up, and think about what I said. Practise will continue in 40 minutes whether you’re ready or not.”

“Y-Yes sir!” Revali scrambled to reply, quickly launching himself into the air and hurrying to the baths.

He suddenly had a whole lot to think about.

“You’re really having trouble turning with the wind, hmm?” Benta asked Holly as she finally landed, exhausted from her efforts in today’s training session.

“It’s hard, yeah.” She agreed, eagerly taking a sip of water from the offered canteen, before looking up with a determined smile “But I won’t give up! I’m already finding it easier with the tips you’ve given me.”

“You are starting to show some improvement, but I’ve noticed you tend to wobble a lot when you’re flying into the wind, can you think of why that might be?”

“Huh- oh, well- it’s really hard to keep my eyes open with the wind in my face like that, it hurts my face and my eyes especially.” Holly explained after thinking about it for a moment “I keep wanting to close them instinctively and have to squint to see where I’m going.”

“I...never considered that.” Benta blinked “We Rito have an inner eyelid that allows us to fly in even the most extreme conditions without our eyesight being effected, but of course a Hylian doesn’t have such protection...”

Holly stared at him, jaw hanging open. “You...you have a second eyelid?”

Benta chuckled good naturedly at her curiosity “Would you like to see?”

“Really? Can I?” She asked, getting up and crossing over to him.

He nodded and crouched down a little so it would be easier for her to see, turning his head towards her. He blinked slowly, the lid that she was used to seeing moving up and down over his eye. But Holly gave a gasp a moment later when a second transparent eyelid suddenly slid across his eye, travelling horizontally from left to right. Being see-through it was easy to miss if you weren’t standing so close and looking for it.

“Woah! That’s amazing!” She gasped, watching in awe as he blinked his inner eyelid a few more times for her. “Do all Rito have this?”

“Every single one.” Benta nodded, standing back up and frowning a little as he looked at her. “You will have difficulty flying at any great height or speed if you cannot protect your eyes in some way. The cadets use goggles sometimes when training, perhaps I can ask one of the armourers to modify a pair for you.”

“Really!? I’d be so grateful!” Holly said, bowing to her teacher.

“Well don’t thank me yet, we’ll have to see what the professional says.”

Holly smiled gratefully, and before long it was time for lunch, so she flew down to the training field with Benta.

“Oh- it looks like they’re running a bit behind today Holly, they’re still in the middle of practise.” Benta commented as they approached.

Holly couldn’t see much yet at this distance, but she’d already learned that Rito had much sharper eyesight then she did, so she took his word for it. Sure enough when they landed she saw that the cadets were still in the middle of archery practise, so she agreed to wait on the logs where the group normally ate their lunch until they were done.

“Don’t move from this spot until they’ve finished Holly, it’s dangerous to move about on an archery range when people are firing.” Benta warned her.

“I won’t, I promise, I just want to watch!” Holly smiled eagerly

“Very well.” Benta nodded, moving a short distance away to watch himself.

Holly turned her attention to the group, fascinated by what she saw. They had what looked like tiny catapults set up around the edge of the archery area, and each cadet, plus Kaeli, manned one of them while another took position ready to fire. The catapults launched what looked like small dinner plates into the air, sending them flying at different speeds and in different directions, and the cadets tried one at a time to shoot them all down before they fell from the air.

Holly was amazed as she watched Leri take his shots. He was still in the early stages of his training by Rito standards, yet he was leagues better then any adult Hylian archer she’d seen. He hit most of the targets, fumbling just a few, and returned calmly to the side, swapping places as the last cadet took their turn.

Holly watched as Revali stepped into position and readied himself, leaning forward eagerly to see just how he would perform. From the lunches she’d had with the others she’d gotten the impression he was good, but she’d never actually seen him shoot.

Someone yelled “Begin!” and the discs started flying.

Revali moved light lightening.

Holly’s jaw dropped, words escaping her as she watched. Every target fell before him, not a movement wasted, not a single moment of hesitation as he moved from one target to the next. He was speed and efficiency itself, perfect posture and positioning, already turning to the next shot without even waiting to see if the arrow he’d let fly had hit it’s mark. It was over in what seemed like a matter of seconds, the discs were still crumbling and falling from the sky when he calmly lowered his bow and stood back to attention, looking not even a little winded from his exertions.

Kaeli called out to confirm what everyone already knew- full marks, every target had been cleanly hit.

Wow . Holly thought to herself, honestly impressed. He really is absolutely amazing!

She paused, thinking back on their conversations again.

….S’shame he’s kinda a big jerk about it.

Special end of Chapter Bonus!

Chapter Text

Another bright morning crept up on the Rito village, and as usual Holly was roused from her slumber by Jade gently shaking her awake.

As she got up and stretched, she looked out her window at the bright sunshine peeking over the horizon, and once again felt grateful that the weather on Lake Totori was so pleasant. She had been prepared for a lot of cold days living so close to the Hebra mountain range, and had been delighted to find that the weather was as nice as central Hyrule most of the time, just windier. The temperature only really dropped at night, and the thick blankets the Inn provided kept her nice and warm.

Smiling to herself, Holly got ready for the day, eventually rolling up the curtains around her bed and stepping out into the Inn.

“Good morning!” She called cheerfully to Jade, only to see that the Innkeeper was sat before her mirror, carefully applying something to her face using a small, delicate brush. She’d seen other Rito doing this before during her early morning walks, but had never quite worked out what they were doing.

Her curiosity piqued, she tried to edge closer to get a better look.

“Good morning...can I help you with something Holly?” Jade asked, raising an eyebrow as she caught her movements in the mirror.

“Oh, um, sorry Jade.” Holly blushed at being caught out “I was just wondering what is it you’re doing?”

“Oh this?” Jade asked nonchalantly, turning to face her and gesturing to her eyes with the brush. “I’m just applying eye liner.”

Holly stared at Jade’s face in surprise. Every Rito she’d seen had a sharp band of colour around their eyes, which normally extended down over their eyelids as well. This colour was usually (though not always) a darker or lighter shade of their natural plumage colour, though Holly had seen Rito with two different colours around their eyes as well. As she looked at Jade now though, one eye was lined with solid colour, the edges crisp and clear as she was used to seeing, while the other eye looked patchy in comparison, the edges less clearly defined, the colour not so bold or uniform.

She glanced down, noticing a small ceramic jar about the size of a perfume bottle by Jades side. The lip of the bottle was coated in what looked like dried paint the same colour as the lines around her eyes, the same substance coating the bristles of her small brush.

Holly quickly put two and two together, gaping at Jade in astonishment.

“You mean that’s not natural?”

Jade blinked, and then burst into peels of laughter “Oh my goodness Holly, you’re too kind! It’s true we’re all born with these colours around our eyes, but we use eye liner to make them look sharper and cleaner. You can see the difference now, yes?”

“I can! It looks really pretty!” Holly nodded enthusiastically.

“Well thank you.” Jade nodded, feathers puffing up at the compliment.

“Can you use different colours as well?” Holly asked, sitting down next to Jade without waiting for an invitation, full of eager curiosity.

Jade raised an eyebrow at her presumptuous actions, but decided to let it go, letting Holly watch as she started to work on her other eye.

“Yes, many choose to use different colours from their natural shade, or multiple ones, but using a shade close to your normal colouration gives a more natural look. We often dress up with bolder colours during celebrations though, metallic gold is particularly well loved if you really want to show off, but it’s terribly expensive.”

“I love it, it makes your eyes look really sharp and fierce and pretty!” Holly grinned, watching Jade work.

“Sharp?” Jade questioned, smiling a little at the girls enthusiasm as she finished up, cleaning her brush and replacing the lid on the bottle before asking, “Do Hylians not wear make up? I know for certain that the Gerudo do, and they sell their products to other races, so I had assumed...”

“Oh yes, we have it.” Holly nodded “But make up is expensive so only those who are well off can really afford to use it regularly. When I was younger sometimes I saw girls trying to use berry juice for lipstick and ash for eye shadow, but it never really worked well, and I’ve never seen eye liner before at all.”

“Well you’ve been seeing it all the time since you came here, whether you knew it or not.” Jade smiled. “If you like it so much perhaps I could see about getting you a small bottle? You don’t have a plumage colour to match but black works for everyone-”

“Really?! I can have some? I can wear it to?!” Holly asked, jumping to her feet excitedly, her broom waving about on her back at the sudden movement. “It’s allowed?”

“Uh- yes?” Jade blinked, standing up herself, a little taken aback by the extreme response.

“Oh thank you thank you thank you!” Holly squealed, abruptly launching herself forward and hugging the Rito, who spluttered a little, caught of guard by the gesture.

“Y-You’re welcome?” Jade blinked, patting her on the back with one wing, softening a little as she remembered Holly’s words. Perhaps the child had always wanted to try make up but simply couldn’t afford it?

“Did you want to try make up before?” She asked kindly, resting her wings on Holly’s shoulders as the girl pulled back.

“Nope!” Holly grinned cheerfully, throwing Jade for a loop “I never really cared about it at all! But I really, really like how the eye liner looks, so I’m really happy I’ll get to try it!”

“...Has anyone ever told you you’re a very puzzling girl?” Jade asked, shaking her head a little with a smile.

Holly grinned.

“All the time!”

Holly had now been living in the Rito village for a over a month.

Her flying skills had steadily improved, to the point that she could now remain fairly stable in the air, and bring herself back under control when strong winds knocked her off course. While Benta cautioned his over-exuberant pupil that she still had a ways to go before he would consider lifting the ban on flying around the village, Holly was still greatly encouraged by her progress. After all, she’d improved more in one month training with Benta then she had in over a year struggling by herself.

After their discussion about Holly’s need for some kind of eye protection while flying, Benta had taken her to the Armoury to see if something could be made to help her. The Rito craftsmen had happily taken up the challenge, agreeing to make her a special set of goggles, something sturdy that would work to protect a Hylian from the fierce winds she would experience flying at great speed or high altitudes. After clearing it with Jade and Lila, Holly volunteered to work for them in order to pay them back for their work, and so started to split her ‘chore time’ between the Inn and the Armoury.

In the meantime, while she waited for her goggles to be made, she made do with a set of the goggles used by warriors training with practise arrows. They didn’t fit very well, being designed for a Rito head, but Holly was just happy that she could finally keep her eyes open and actually see where she was going while flying.

In amongst all this other activity, she continued to eat her lunch with the warriors in training every day.

For a while, after Revali’s talk with Kaeli, things had actually become rather peaceful within the group. Revali had tried to take his mentor’s advice about being more sensitive to the feelings of others to heart, and so made an effort to be more patient with Holly. He also apologised privately to Farell and the others for his behaviour during their training session, and for a while it seemed like everyone was going to be able to get along.

However in the end it hadn’t take long for Revali’s irritation with Holly to outweigh his good intentions. Her childish, carefree attitude clashed with his natural sense of duty and propriety, aggravating him in a way that he couldn’t ignore. It was like trying to make oil and water mix, and by the end of the week they were right back to where they started. Revali was criticizing and ridiculing Holly again, while she continued to smile through it all, seemingly oblivious, only angering him further.

However as the weeks went on, and Revali continued to hurl thinly veiled abuse Holly’s way, Farell started to notice suspicious cracks in the Witch’s supposed ignorance. Little things which at first he easily dismissed or overlooked, soon started to pile up. The odd pauses before she replied, the brief flickers of emotion that flashed across her face before her usual smile settled into place, or the way her fingers would sometimes curl just that bit too tightly around her broom as she replied to Revali.

Farell said nothing, knowing that if Revali knew his words were getting to her he would only push harder, but he kept a close eye on things, trying to monitor the situation.

It was the same day that Holly discovered Rito eye liner that things took a drastic turn.

“So you’ve been trying to improve your balance?” Leri asked curiously as Holly told them about the training she’d been doing earlier.

“Mhm! Benta thinks it will help me keep myself upright on my broom while I fly.” Holly nodded as she explained. “He’s been helping me run through various balancing exercises, he even demonstrated some himself, though uh-”

She broke off, stifling a sudden burst of giggles which made everyone pause and stare at her.

“Something you’d like to share with the group Holly?” Ollet asked with an amused smirk.

“Oh, sorry, it’s just- he was showing me how to walk along a rope he’d tied between two trees, and he did it perfectly on his first attempt!”

“Well naturally” Revali muttered.

Holly continued as though she hadn’t heard him. “It’s just that, when he got to the end I couldn’t help but applaud, so he turned and spread his wings out to bow...and at that exact moment the wind picked up and he got knocked flying and fell flat on his butt.” She said, bursting into more giggles as she recalled the startled look on Benta’s face as he toppled backwards.

Farell, Ollet and Leri shared a good natured laugh with her at the thought of their instructor suffering such a moment of indignity, while Revali glared at her sternly.

“How dare you laugh when he has been working so hard to teach you!” He snapped “Honestly, it’s not like y ou have any room to speak when it comes to acting undignified.”

“Hey, come on now, I didn’t mean any disrespect Revali, it was just funny, that’s all.” Holly smiled, raising her hands placatingly. Farell was the only one who noticed that her smile was a bit more strained then usual, that she wasn’t laughing his words away as easily as she normally did.

“She’s right, calm down Revali.” Leri said, trying to keep the peace. “This is Benta we’re talking about, I bet he laughed about it himself afterwards, right Holly?”

She nodded enthusiastically in agreement, and he continued, “Well there you are. Anyway it happens to everyone, remember when Kaeli accidentally sat on some dye and ran around with pink tail feathers for half a day before someone worked up the nerve to tell him?”

“Oh goddess that was hilarious.” Ollet laughed, clutching her stomach at the memory.

“You’re all as bad as the Witch” Revali huffed, puffing out his feathers..

“Says the one who nearly spat out his drink when he first saw him.” Farell shot back with a pointed look.

Revali’s feathers fluffed up again, this time in embarrassment, and he turned his head away as he replied “T-That was purely due to surprise.”

“I’m sure your bright red face was due to surprise too, huh?” Ollet asked with a smirk

“That was-! ...Never mind.” Revali huffed moodily.

“They’re right you know, everyone does silly things, even great warriors and heroes.” Holly spoke up, trying to help smooth things over. “My brother was once training with me when we were in the middle of a forest, and managed to run himself face first into a low hanging tree branch he hadn’t seen. He knocked himself silly!” She laughed at the memory, his face had looked much like Benta’s as he laid on the floor blinking up at the sky, asking her what had happened.

“Hmph, well, it doesn’t surprise me that your brother is every inch the fool you are.” Revali spoke without much thought, crossing his wings across his chest and glancing away.

Snap!

The group paused, looking down at the branch that had just snapped under Holly’s boot. The feathers of every Rito present rose slightly, reacting instinctively as they picked up on the sudden change in the atmosphere. They all sensed intuitively that Revali had just stepped over a line.

Holly’s voice was calm and even, but her usual smile was gone and there was a distinct edge to her tone as she replied.

“...I don’t care if you want to look down on me Revali, but please don’t talk about my brother that way.”

There was a beat of tense silence where you could have heard a pin drop. The other cadets all looked anxiously at Revali, praying that he would pick up on the atmosphere, on the way she was acting so out of character- things that screamed ‘abort!’ to anyone with even the smallest amount of common sense.

Really, he should have read the room and kept his beak shut, but after weeks of having her remain oblivious to his attempts to criticise, he just couldn’t help but jump at the chance to push forward now it seemed he’d finally hit a nerve and got her paying attention to him.

“Oh now you care about being disrespectful?” He asked snidely. “You haven’t treated your training seriously even once since you’ve arrived, and after everything the village has done for you!”

“...I’m sorry you feel that way.” She said through gritted teeth, just barely holding onto her temper, “But that doesn’t mean you need to make fun of my brother.”

“You’re sorry I feel that way ? It is not a feeling it is a fact! You are little more then a scatterbrained airhead, ungrateful and unworthy of our help, and I can only imagine this brother of yours is just as bad if not worse then y-”

“-Well at least I’m not a mean, arrogant ass whose ego is bigger then the entire Hebra mountain range!” Holly yelled back, something inside her snapping as all the feelings she’d been holding back for weeks finally became too much for her.

Revali was actually taken aback for a moment, having never witnessed such behaviour from her, but he quickly rallied, rising to his feet with his wings clenched into fists by his side as he hissed-

“If you weren’t a civilian I’d challenge you for that Hylian .”

Holly finally smiled again, not her usual carefree grin, but a defiant one that held a clear challenge. She surprised them all when she stood up and replied-

“Please don’t let that stop you, I’m ready any time.”

“I-” Revali fumbled, caught off guard, “D-Don’t try to provoke me, you know full well the warriors would never allow us to-”

“They know I’ve been trained.” She interrupted “I bet it wouldn’t take much to convince Kaeli and Benta to let us try sparring together if they were there to supervise. Benta’s already said he would like to see my fighting style since it’s so different to your own.”

Revali paused, looking contemplative, and Farell quickly stepped in, trying to make them see reason as everything started to spiral quickly out of control. “Revali no, stop and think about this calmly, please. I know you two have some issues but this isn’t the way to deal with them. This is a really bad idea.”

Holly simply stared across at Revali, refusing to back down.

“…Oh no Farell, I think it’s the best idea she’s had since she came here.” Revali finally replied, meeting her gaze as he spoke, pointing a feathery digit at her as he continued. “Just remember that you asked for this Witch, so don’t come crying to me when you regret it later.”

He’d barely finished speaking before he was spinning on his heel and marching towards Kaeli.

“We’ll see who shows who!” Holly called at his retreating back, quickly heading of to find Benta.

“...Wh-what just happened?!” Leri cried in dismay as they disappeared off in different directions. “That-Holly doesn’t act like that! She’s silly and goofy and doesn’t take things seriously-”

“Leri where have you been for the last 3 weeks?” Farell snapped in annoyance, angry at himself for being unable to prevent this, even though some part of him realised now that a confrontation had been inevitable. “I don’t care how easy going someone is, you can only take so much harassment before something finally snaps. Dragging the brother that she obviously idolises into it was just the straw that broke the sand seals back.”

“I...I guess but...” Leri wavered.

“Farell’s right, and I know I should take our fellow cadet’s side, but honestly I’m kinda hoping she kicks his tail feathers and teaches him a lesson. It would serve him right the way he’s been acting.” Ollet shrugged.

“How can you so calm about this?!” Leri cried, throwing his wings in the air. “They could really hurt each other!”

“Look, I know it’s not ideal, but this might be just what they need, you know?” Ollet said, trying to reassure him. “ Exchanging a few blows, blowing off some steam...heck it might even give them a healthy dose of respect for one another.”

“Plus if it’s a proper sparring match with the two best warriors in the village watching them, it shouldn’t get too out of hand.” Farell said, lying a comforting wing on his friend’s shoulder.

“Don’t tell me you agree with her?” Leri groaned.

“I do. You know what Revali’s like, once he’s got the bit between his beak like this he won’t back down, he’s stubborn as a Stone Talus. At least if they fight, if she can hold her own for even a little while, Revali might learn a little respect for her, like Ollet said.”

“And what if he flattens her?” Leri asked, glaring at them both. “Did you even think of that? I know close range isn’t Revali’s strong point, but he’s been training to fight with seasoned warriors for years- how can Holly hope to keep up when all she’s got under her belt is a few lessons from her brother

“...Guess it depends on how good those lessons were.” Farell murmured, praying that Holly hadn’t been exaggerating when she said her brother was strong.

It took surprisingly little convincing to get the warriors to agree to the match.

Kaeli, having a bigger interest in close ranged combat then most Rito, had also been curious about Holly’s unusual fighting style, and the two of them saw this as a golden opportunity for the youths to learn from one another. When Holly herself was so enthusiastic, it was difficult to say no.

However, Kaeli still insisted on putting a few restrictions on the fight before he let them proceed.

“You will use wooden training swords, I will not permit the use live steel when I haven’t been able to assess Holly’s ability for myself yet. Benta and I will be watching closely, and if we decide your skill levels are too unmatched, or it is becoming dangerous, we will call a halt and you will both stop immediately, is that clear?”

“Yes sir.” Revali nodded, standing smartly to attention.

“Mhm!” Holly agreed, smiling again.

The Witch went to go carefully lean her broom against a nearby tree, and as Revali collected his wooden sword Kaeli took the opportunity to speak to him, careful to keep his voice down so Holly wouldn’t overhear.

“Take it easy on her in the first round Revali, we don’t know her skill level and I don’t want you to hurt her.”

Revali nodded, outwardly keeping his face composed even though inwardly he smirked at the realisation that his mentor was as confident as he was that he would easily beat her. Oh how he relished the thought of knocking the sword from her hand and bringing her to her knees in front of everyone, finally wiping that stupid grin off her face and showing everyone just how foolish she really was.

They went to take their places, and Revali couldn’t help but whisper to Holly one last time as their paths crossed.

“Last chance to back out Witch. No one would blame you.”

“No way.” She shot back firmly, and a few moments later they were facing one another, Holly gripping two short wooden swords while he held one, the others forming a wide circle around them.

Kaeli checked that both parties still wished to proceed, and then finally dropped a wing, signalling the start of the match.

“Begin!”

Revali moved into a ready stance, watching as Holly took one of her own. They circled one another cautiously for a moment, but then Revali, impatient, (and if he was honest, fairly certain that this would be an easy victory,) moved in and delivered a few quick experimental jabs, testing her defences. She blocked them, but she looked obviously harried, only barely deflecting his attacks, her swings wide and her face oh-so surprised.

Too easy. Revali thought with a smirk, and quickly stepped in, delivering a swift thrust that aimed to hit her shoulder and send her staggering.

Three things happened at once.

Holly dropped her swords, pivoted on one foot- and smiled.

Revali felt her hand clamp around his wrist as he stabbed at the empty space she’d occupied just a moment ago. She took advantage of his momentum and pulled hard, sending him teetering forward, and then there was pressure on the back of his neck and something tangling his feet, aiding gravity and sending him crashing down to the ground. Unable to resist, he fell forward and hit the dirt hard, the wind knocked out of him. A solid weight settled on his back a moment later as Holly sat on him, pinning him down hard so he couldn’t move to retrieve his dropped weapon.

It was over in seconds, and there was a moments silence, no one quite able to believe what they’d just seen.

Ollet was the first to break the silence with an astonished laugh.

“Holy shi-”

“Cadet!” Kaeli snapped, cutting her off. “Ahem, Holly, that was certainly an impressive disarming manoeuvre, but you can let Revali up now.”

“Sure!” She smiled, releasing him and stepping back, her point made.

“Cadet, do you still wish to continue?” Benta asked.

“Yes.” Revali snarled, scrambling to his feet as quickly as he could.

If he had been angry at her before, now he was seething.

She did it on purpose. She pretended to be sloppy to make me lower my guard- and I fell for it!

“Guess I’m not so useless, huh?” Holly whispered, just low enough for him to hear as they went to take their starting positions again.

Oh, she was going to get it.

Kaeli signalled the start of the second round and this time Revali held nothing back.

He struck swiftly and precisely, aiming one blow after another at her. She dodged and parried each move, and now she wasn’t acting incompetent to make him lower his guard, it was obvious she must have some actual skill as she managed to keep up with him.

At first at least.

Barely a minute into the fight Revali landed his first blow, his sword hitting her side cleanly. She hissed in pain and stepped back, and he pressed his advantage, landing one, two, three more blows to her shoulder, collarbone and side before she finally managed to catch his blade with her own, the two of them locked in place struggling against one another.

“It seems you’re not so tough when you’re not using cheap tricks.” Revali hissed lowly. “Tell me, is that how your brother taught you to fight? Like a coward?”

Her eyes blazed at his words, and she stamped down hard on his foot.

He yelped, caught off guard, and she moved forward quickly, jamming an elbow into his stomach, and then landing a solid uppercut to his beak that sent him reeling back.

“You-you little savage.” Revali hissed, voice thick where she’d made him bite his tongue.

She was breathing heavily, in obvious pain from his blows, but she just raised her swords, grinning defiantly as she made a ‘come here’ gesture.

“Watch it you two!” Kaeli called out, but his voice fell on death ears, both of them focused entirely on one another.

They clashed heavily. Revali had more training and experience, but Holly had moves he’d never seen before, that he didn’t know how to predict or block. The went back and forth, but as the fight went on Revali’s years of dedicated training started to give him the upper hand and he pressed her back. Eventually a heavy blow knocked her to the ground, and he stepped forward quickly, using his foot to pin her wrist so she couldn’t pick up her weapon as he leaned down to speak to her while he held her in place.

“This is as far as you go, Witch. A fool like you, who can’t take anything seriously, who has no respect, could never match a dedicated warrior like myself.”

Holly couldn’t reply at first, too hurt, and too winded, but she finally managed to raise her head and look at him.

“I’d rather be a fool then a condescending, judgemental ass.”

Revali was stung by her words, and, desperate to get the last word in, struck out at the one thing he knew would hurt her.

“Then it seems your brother’s schooling was as bad as his combat lessons.”

Holly’s blood boiled, and, finding a sudden reserve of energy she didn’t know she had, she yanked her hand free and leapt at him, tackling him bodily to the ground. The two of them went sprawling in a heap, the fight descending to a common brawl as they forgot about their weapons and lashed out at one another with bear hands and wings.

“Dolt! Barbarian!”

“Self-righteous jackass!”

“Fool! Savage!”

“Arrogant blow-hard!”

“-THAT IS ENOUGH!”

The two teenagers were torn apart roughly as Kaeli and Benta stepped in and dragged them away from one another, hauling them to their feet.

Holly suddenly remembered, far too late, that they had an audience as angry voices echoed around the training ground.

Oh no. She thought, icy fingers squeezing her heart. What have I done?

“To say that I am appalled at your behaviour would be the understatement of the century.” Lila scowled at the two teenagers stood before her, her voice echoing around the hut like damning thunder.

Holly and Revali had been taken to the Healing Roost after their altercation, held there in separate huts while they received treatment and Benta and Kaeli reported what had occurred to the Elder. As soon as the Healers had released them they had been summoned to Lila’s hut for judgement.

“Do you two have anything to say for yourselves?”

Holly was silent. She knew she had no excuse, she’d let her anger get the better of her and let everything get way out of hand. She half-expected Revali to speak up and claim that she’d driven him to it somehow, but surprisingly he also held his tongue.

“No? Well doesn’t that just speak volumes?” Lila said coolly, levelling a glare at the both of them.

“Revali, your behaviour today was completely unacceptable for someone who hopes to one day be a warrior and represent our village. Letting your temper get the better of you and seriously attacking a civilian? What where you thinking?!”

She rounded on the Witch next.

“And Holly, after everything we have done for you, the lengths we have gone to show you hospitality and aid you in your plight- this is how you repay us? By attacking one of our own? By all rights I should throw you from the village right now, and forbid you from every returning!”

Holly had to fight to stop tears falling as she replied in a voice thick with emotion.

“I...I understand Elder...I will-”

Lila raised her wing for silence, cutting her off, and then sat back down, sighing heavily.

“That is what I would normally say. However, after Benta and Kaeli told me of your altercation, the other cadets came and spoke to me.”

She turned back to Revali.

“Cadet, is it true that you have been harassing and insulting our guest for weeks? Every time she came to you in good faith to share her midday meal?”

“...I, I would not call it-”

“Revali.”

Her tone brooked absolutely no nonsense.

“…Yes Elder, I did.” He said, hanging his head.

“I see. Well then, you both put me in a difficult position. Holly, you fighting and injuring one of our own is not something I can tolerate from a guest in our village. However, it was Revali himself that drove you to it, and everything I’ve seen and heard since you arrived tells me that this behaviour is drastically out of the norm for you. Revali, you shouldn’t have been injured by a visitor, but it is your own actions that pushed her towards it. Furthermore, from everything I’ve heard, once the conflict started you lost your temper and fought to seriously harm her, instead of putting your personal feelings aside and backing down once you realised how far it was going. That is what I would expect any warrior of our tribe to do.”

She sighed again. “...I am also aware that you are both adolescents, and while I don’t think for one moment that should be used as an excuse for your poor behaviour, I am aware that at this point in ones life one tends to act more on emotion then reason at times.”

There was silence in the hut as Lila came to a decision.

“...On this occasion, in light of the various circumstances, I am willing to give you both a chance.”

Two heads finally looked up from the floor, hopeful but wary eyes settling on her.

“However, you are not going to go unpunished for your actions. Holly, you will receive no training from Benta for the next 2 weeks, and Revali you are forbidden to attend any lessons, nor practise independently during this period. Instead you will both spend your time working for the village, helping out with various chores. Your meals will be simple, and taken independently from the rest of the tribe. Once the two weeks are up, you two will publicly shake wings and apologise to one another. At that point, based on how you have behaved during your punishment, I will decide if you can continue on as you did before or not.”

She turned to the Witch, fixing her with a look.

“Holly, you are not a member of the tribe, and as such I cannot force you to go along with this punishment. However your choice is this: accept my judgement and show you are willing to work to make amends, or leave the village and never return. What do you say?”

Holly’s reply was almost instant, and she bowed low to the Elder, her voice relieved and grateful as she said. “I will accept your punishment.”

“Very well.” Lila nodded. “Let me make this clear to both of you, this was your one and only chance. I will not tolerate such behaviour a second time. Holly, if you step so much as a toe out of line after this I will be sending you straight back to Akkala with the next caravan. Revali, if you behave like this again I can and will withdraw you from the warriors training programme.”

The two teenagers swallowed thickly, each terrified by the very idea of those respective threats being carried out.

Good, Lila nodded to herself, perhaps now they will think twice before acting like that again.

“Do you both understand? Good, then you are dismissed. Go straight to your homes, wash up and rest. I will inform the rest of the village of your crimes and punishment, and in the morning your chores will begin. I hope you will spend this time contemplating the full enormity of your actions. Now, off with the pair of you."

The two teenagers bowed and quickly left her hut, looking thoroughly shaken as they exited.

Holly glanced over at Revali as they stepped out into the cool evening air. Now her anger had abated she felt guilty for hitting him so much, and she turned to him, opening her mouth to apologise-

She caught a glimpse of his face and the words died on her tongue.

They separated without a word, and Holly headed back to the Swallows Roost as fast as she could. For once she skipped the luxurious bath that had become her daily routine, not caring about living up to Rito standards as she hurried straight to her bed. She drew the curtains, shucked off her dirty clothes, and curled up under the covers, clutching the small plush bird she’d been given tight to her chest.

Having secured her privacy, and at least a small measure of comfort, she finally allowed the tears she’d been holding back to fall.

Morning came, and for once Holly woke before Jade came to rouse her, having fallen asleep early the night before, physically and emotionally drained from the events of the day.

She sat up blearily and rubbed her red eyes, blinking when something heavy rolled onto her lap at the movement. Apparently she’d pulled her broom into the bed with her at some point during the night. Shaking her head a little at the oddness of it, she carefully placed the broom back in it’s usual spot, and then lent down to collect the plush toy which had been knocked onto the floor during her slumber.

I really screwed u p. She groaned, hugging the toy to her chest as she recalled everything that had happened yesterday.

At the time all she’d been able to think about was how much she wanted to prove Revali wrong, to finally shut him up for good. Weeks of bottled hurt and irritation had poured out at once, the emotional damn spilling over as he made the unforgivable mistake of insulting her beloved brother. She had felt justified in challenging him, had wanted nothing more then to punch the condescending smirk off his beak once and for all!

...Well, that’s how she felt at the time. Thinking back on it now, with a cooler head, it was clear she’d let her anger get the best of her, and let it all get way out of hand.

Why couldn’t I just ignore him like usual? She berated herself. Kenta would kick my ass himself if he knew I got into a fight over him. Not to mention what he’ll do if he hears I used the fighting skills he taught me for a personal squabble.

She shivered at the idea, Kenta had made it very clear that she was not to use what he taught her for anything other then self-defence.

...And then there’s what Grandma will say if she ever finds out about this. She moaned, hiding her face in the plush toys soft fur. She’ll drag me back to Akkala herself and lock my broom away for good!

“Holly?” A soft voice called, interrupting her thoughts, and she glanced up in time to see Jade pulling the curtain inside, coming in to wake her up.

“Ah. I see you’re awake.” She said, and Holly couldn’t help but notice that Jade did not sound her usual friendly self. She was gazing down at her with clear disapproval on her face.

“The Elder has informed me of what happened.” She continued coolly, crossing her wings over her chest. “I suggest you go take a bath now since you failed to do so last night, you will have a hard days work ahead of you.”

“Y-Yes Jade.” Holly said, trying to smile but finding it more difficult then usual.

She grabbed her things and scurried past the Rito with her head held low, glad to find the bath’s were mostly empty as she entered.

Once she was soaking in the hot water, Holly leaned her head back against the edge of the tub and tried to sort through her thoughts.

All right, okay, I messed up, she acknowledged. I did something wrong and now I feel awful about it. But there’s no point in moping around feeling sorry for myself, that isn’t going to help me fix anything. Lila’s given me a chance, I need to work extra hard and show everyone that I sincerely want to make amends. That’s the best thing I can do at this point.

She nodded to herself, feeling happy to have a plan of action.

...I suppose I also need to apologise to Revali. She added reluctantly. But um...I think I better give him a few days to cool off before I try. She still remembered the look on his face yesterday evening, if looks could kill she’d be 10 feet under by now.

It would have been nice to hide in the bath for a while longer, but Holly realised she wasn’t going to do herself any favours by acting as though she was trying to avoid her punishment.

Time to face the music. She thought to herself once she was dried and dressed, staring at her reflection in a mirror. She paused, slapping her cheeks and shaking her head until she found her smile again.

There. Much better.

Strapping her broom to her back and squaring her shoulders, she stepped out determinedly, ready to get to work.

13 days so far of non-stop chores, Revali sighed to himself as he swallowed down yet another bland meal.

As part of their punishment the two teenagers were only given simple meals with water. While neither of them were in any danger of starving, if Revali had to eat plain boiled fish and vegetables one more time he was going to scream. Not to mention they were forced to take their meals alone, and while at first he had enjoyed the solitude, by the 5 ^th day he was willing to admit he missed the companionship of his friends and fellow Rito as he ate.

Still, scrubbing floors, running errands and cleaning archery equipment had given him plenty of time to contemplate his current situation, and the events that had led to it. He’d been angry at first, brimming with self-righteous indignation, ready to blame the Witch for everything. But you can only stay angry for so long, and eventually when the red fog had lifted from his mind and he took a good hard look at his actions, he could see the truth in his Elders words.

He had been unkind, and his actions had driven the Hylian to loose her temper and challenge him. He’d poked and prodded at her for weeks, and then finally struck out at what he knew was a sensitive subject, just to try and make her see things his way, to finally get a reaction out of her, to...hurt her.

Furthermore, he’d let her goad him into a fight, and then once it had begun he’d let her get under his feathers and lost his temper. He’d actually fought seriously against a civilian! No wonder the Elder had been so angry and disappointed in him, just imagine if a grown warrior had seriously challenged a civilian over a personal dispute. It was completely unacceptable.

...Although, to be fair, she hadn’t fought like a civilian.

She hadn’t really fought like a warrior either though, he sniffed, remembering some of her more underhanded moves.

Savage little Bokoblin.

He hadn’t seen her once since they’d started their punishments, which seemed to have been deliberately arranged by the village. He couldn’t blame them, those first few days he wasn’t sure quite how he would have reacted if he’d run into her. They had probably both needed some time to cool down and think things through.

Although, saying that, some of the things he’d heard made him wonder if she had been thinking things through at all.

From what he’d overheard, her attitude towards her punishment was ruffling quite a few feathers around the village. While strictly speaking she was following orders to the letter, obediently completing all her tasks, she had not been acting in the repentant manner one would expect of someone trying to atone. Revali himself had kept his head down as he worked- but apparently Holly was still smiling and bouncing around like she usually did.

It had soured much of the village’s remaining good will towards her, while in turn Revali found himself receiving a lot more sympathetic gazes as the days wore on. It seemed that everyone else was finally starting to see beyond her ‘bubbly good nature,’ and notice the disrespectful, air headed attitude that he had noticed from day one.

It rather lifted Revali’s spirits. While he still acknowledged that he had acted poorly, and intended to apologise sincerely at the end of their punishment, he now he pictured himself being praised as the repentant warrior, who nobly forgave the unremorseful Witch.

The thought of such praise made his feathers fluff out happily. Of course he would be gracious about it, say that it was only natural that a dutiful warrior such as himself would accept his punishment and learn from his mistakes so that he could do better in the future.

His maturity about the whole situation would surely impress them all the more. Perhaps Kaeli would even recognise his efforts and offer to give him private lessons to make up for the ones he’d missed...

Thinking such encouraging thoughts, he put away his plate, and went to his next chore.

Holly sighed as she finished carrying and piling up all the chopped firewood, stacking it neatly in the storage area that would keep it dry and ready for use in the future.

“Are you done yet Holly?” Called the Rito who was supervising her, and she turned to him with a ready smile.

“Yes sir! Just finished now!”

His face was grim as he nodded and told her coldly that she could take a 5 minute break.

Holly smiled pleasantly and thanked him, but the moment he disappeared around the corner she collapsed into a heap on the floor.

She was exhausted. She didn’t even know if she had the energy to crawl over to her water pouch for a much needed drink.

“Why is this so hard broomy?” She moaned, glancing over at the only steadfast companion she’d had since her punishment had begun.

Like usual, the broom did not respond.

“You’re no help.” She sighed, forcing herself to sit up with a groan.

It wasn’t like she hadn’t noticed how the Rito’s attitude towards her had shifted the longer her punishment went on. While everyone had given her a mix of disappointed and disapproving looks as news first spread of her actions, there had been at least some sympathetic glances mixed in at the beginning. However as time went on, despite working as hard as she could, and trying to keep up her usual positive attitude, the eyes on her turned colder, the sympathy grew less and less.

She just didn’t know what she’d done to earn such ire.

Only one more day left. She reminded herself. Perhaps once I’ve apologised to Revali we can finally put all of this behind us and..and just go back to the way things used to be.

She really hoped so. She liked these people, she wanted to get along with everyone if possible. Their cold attitudes toward her hurt, especially when they had all been so warm and welcoming before.

“Hello Miss Witch! Did you want this?”

The unexpected voice pulled Holly from her thoughts, and she looked up in surprise to see a familiar face.

“Mei?!” She asked, a smile tugging at her lips as she looked at the adorable Rito child. She hadn’t seen her since she’d called out to her during her school lessons all those weeks ago.

“Mhm! Here you go Miss Witch, you look like you need this.” Mei smiled, holding out her water skin for her.

“Thank you so much.” Holly said, taking it gratefully.

“You’re welcome!” Mei chirped, staring at her as she took a big sip.

“...Did you want something else?” Holly asked kindly as she wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve, glad to see that at least sweet little Mei didn’t seem to be angry at her.

“...Is it true you got in a fight with ‘Vali Miss Witch?” She finally asked, staring at her with big innocent eyes.

It was like a direct blow to both her heart and conscience.

“Ah...yeah, I’m afraid I did Mei.” She admitted softly.

“Why? Everyone’s really cross at you for it.”

“...I had a lot of reasons at the time, but none of them make what I did okay. I shouldn’t have hit him.” Holly sighed.

“...Are you sorry?”

“Of course I am!” Holly replied, a little hurt at the insinuation that she might not be. Why would she think that?

“Oh, well that’s okay then!” Mei smiled happily “Mama say’s if you’re really sorry about something, and you apologise, you’ll be forgiven. So I’m sure everyone will forgive you.”

“...Thank you, that means a lot to me right now.” Holly smiled gratefully.

“You’re welcome!” Mei beamed “I gotta get back to my Mama now, see you later Miss Witch!”

“Bye!” She called, waving after her as she chased up the stairs that led back into the village.

Well, at least one person’s not mad at me. She thought, feeling encouraged enough to finally rise back up to her feet.

All right- one last day, let’s give this my best shot!

It was finally the last day of their punishment.

To say Revali was surprised when he found Kaeli waiting for him outside his hut in the morning would be an understatement. He hadn’t seen his mentor since he had dropped him off at the Healing Roost after dragging him and the Witch apart 2 weeks ago.

“S-Sir!” He exclaimed, hastening to bring himself to attention.

“Cadet.” Kaeli nodded, standing with his wings folded neatly behind his back. “Go and collect a quiver of arrows and a bow, then meet me at the entrance to the village, where I will inform you of your final task.”

“Yes sir!” He quickly responded, equal parts excited and curious at the instructions.

He hurried to obey, and was soon running down the stairs towards the designated meeting place, his weapons strapped to his back ready for use.

Kaeli was already waiting for him when he arrived, and wasted no time getting down to business.

“You’ve done well these past weeks cadet. Your final task is to collect herbs that the healers require from the forest. I have prepared a list of what they want, you have until sundown to collect these and return safely to the village, after which you and Holly will exchange apologies.”

“I understand, sir.” Revali nodded as he took the paper from him, understanding now why he had been ordered to arm himself. There was a small chance of running into low level monsters such as Chuchu’s in the forest, which was why only those trained in combat were allowed to carry out such tasks. The warrior cadets were usually only allowed to enter the forest in groups or pairs though, since they were still in-training, and he perked up at the thought that this might mean he would get to work with his fellow cadets again after all this time.

“As is protocol you will of course be working with a partner.” Kaeli said as though reading his mind, glancing over his shoulder just as Revali heard footsteps approaching from behind. “Ah, what good timing, it seems they have just arrived.”

Revali turned around excitedly, only to have his hopes dashed as he saw Benta walking down the steps with the Witch by his side.

The two teenagers stopped and gaped at each other, both speaking at the same time.

“You?!”

Chapter Text

“I see you two still recognise each other then.” Kaeli commented wryly as the two teenagers continued to gape at one another.

Revali shook himself out of his stupor at his teacher’s words, closing his beak and standing back to attention, while Holly looked searchingly at the warriors for an explanation. Benta saw the look on her face and patted her comfortingly on the shoulder as he moved to stand with his Wing Mate.

“I know you two must be surprised to see each other again after all this time.” He began. “You’re here because Kaeli and I decided that you should have a chance to talk to one another before you exchange apologies in front of the village.”

“Indeed.” Kaeli nodded, folding his wings neatly behind his back as he spoke. “I’m sure that you two have much to discuss now that you’ve had time to cool off and reflect on your actions. Therefore your final task will be done as a pair, so you have the opportunity to talk things through. Holly, I already explained this to Revali, but I’ll repeat myself for your benefit. We want you two to go into the forest and collect a variety of herbs that the Healers have requested. You have till sundown to return, and since you are not cleared to fly, you will both carry out this mission on foot.”

He paused, waiting until he was sure he had their undivided attention before continuing.

“Revali, Holly, this is a chance to not only clear the air between you, but to show us that you can put aside your differences and work together. I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the dire consequences that await should you step out of line again. Elder Lila is not one to make idle threats, and we would be only too happy to enforce them should you get into another fight during your mission.”

Both teenagers flinched at the harsh look in his eyes as he spoke, they had no doubt that he would make good on that promise.

“No one wants to see you fail.” Benta added softly when he saw them wince. “We both believe that your actions that day were due to a temporary lapse in judgement, which was out of character. That’s why we are trusting you and giving you this chance. Quite frankly the Elder was against this, she thought you weren’t ready to be left alone together yet, but we convinced her that you could handle this. Please don’t prove us wrong.”

“Yes, sir.” They replied at the same time, glancing at one another in surprise as they echoed each other.

“See? You’re already getting in synch.” Benta laughed. “Off you go now, Revali will lead the way.”

The two teenagers nodded and headed down the pathway that led out of the village, walking with a somewhat awkward distance between them.

“….Do you think they’ll be okay?” Benta asked once they were almost out of sight, leaning against his Wing Mate’s shoulder.

“I have faith in them.” Kaeli replied, glancing up at him.

“...They remind you a little of the two of us when we were younger, huh?” Benta smiled knowingly.

“Indeed, though Revali’s even more headstrong then I was, if such a thing is possible!”

“And Holly is even more carefree then me!” Benta laughed. “But still, we were able to put aside our differences...so perhaps they can to.”

“I hope so.” Kaeli nodded, not taking his eyes of the mismatched pair as they left.

Please children , don’t prove us wrong...

The two teenagers walked together in an uneasy silence, neither sure how to start a conversation with the other after everything that had happened between them.

They held their silence the entire way out of the village, and it was only when they stepped into the woods that Holly finally cracked, unable to stand the tense atmosphere any longer.

“So um...where exactly do we need to go to get these herbs?” She asked tentatively, figuring it was a safe enough topic of conversation.

“We will need to go to several different areas inside the forest to collect everything the Healers have requested, and considering we must travel by foot, we will have to move swiftly if we want to gather everything by sundown.” Revali replied evenly.

Holly winced at his words. “Yeah, um, I’m sorry about that, I’m sure it would have been a lot easier if we could fly...”

Revali blinked, suddenly realising how his words must have sounded to her, even though this time he honestly wasn’t trying to make a snide remark. “No, I did not mean- I wasn’t trying to insinuate-”

She simply stared at him as he fumbled his words, and eventually he clicked his beak in irritation, deciding to push on rather then dwelling on it.

“It does not matter, let’s just get on with this, shall we?”

“Okay Revali, lead the way.” She nodded, holstering her broom on her back as she moved to match his pace.

The movement drew Revali’s attention to a pair of daggers which were held at the small of her back, crossed over one another horizontally so that they could be easily drawn if needed. They weren’t of Rito make, which meant they must be her own personal weapons she’d brought along.

“...Benta said we might encounter monsters so I should bring these for protection.” Holly said carefully when she noticed his gaze.

“Oh yes, I know, it’s standard protocol when cadets are sent on these sorts of missions. Most of the time we do not need our weapons, but it is always better to be safe then sorry.”

“...You’ve done this kind of thing before then?” She asked curiously.

“Oh yes, many times.” He said proudly, unable to resist the chance to boast. Not many Rito his age were allowed to go into the forest after all. “Just follow my lead and we’ll soon be done.”

“Okay!” She smiled, relaxing a bit as the conversation progressed without them falling into another argument. “Can you please tell me what kind of monsters we’re likely to see?”

“Chuchu’s mainly, or perhaps a few stray Bokoblin’s or Keese.” Revali replied as he led her down a dirt path between the trees. “The warriors sweep these woods regularly to stop any monsters trying to set up camp near the village, but occasionally a few sneak through, which is why only those trained in combat are allowed to enter, as a precaution.”

“I see.” She nodded, looking around at the trees a little apprehensively.

He glanced at her, and decided to graciously offer some reassurance when he noticed her unease.

“There is no need to be concerned, the strong monsters live higher up in the mountains and rarely venture down this far. Besides, even if we do encounter something, with my skills I will easily dispatch whatever comes our way before it has a chance to get within striking distance.”

“Thank you Revali, that’s good to hear.” She smiled. She’d seen his skills first hand after all, and knew that he could back up his words.

He puffed up his chest a little, glad that the Witch had the sense to recognise his abilities, and replied modestly; “It’s nothing, it’s a warriors duty to protect civilians after all.”

“We were fighting earlier though.” She pointed out.

“That was-!” He just barely restrained himself from saying ‘that was your fault!’, clamping his beak shut before the words could get out.

Could she be any more insensitive? Bringing that up now of all times?! And just when he was starting to think he might actually be able to get along with her.

I should have known better, he grumbled to himself.

“Revali…?” Holly called tentatively, noticing his sudden change in mood.

“Forget it.” He snapped. “This way Witch, follow me.”

Holly startled at his tone, but dutifully followed after him as he stormed ahead. They fell silent again, and, finally picking up on the atmosphere, Holly left Revali to his thoughts and busied herself looking the scenery. She’d not been into this forest before, and there were a whole lot of interesting things to look at!

They walked for some time, and Revali eventually calmed down and decided to try and talk to Holly again, only to pause when he realised she was not following behind him any more. A quick scan of the area showed she had stopped a few feet back, and was examining some flowers of all things.

“Excuse me, we are not here to sightsee.” Revali called out pointedly.

“Oh, sorry! I’ve just not seen flowers like this before.” Holly said, glancing up at his voice and hastening to rejoin him.

“The only plants you should be concerned about are the herbs we are searching for.” He reminded her sternly, trying to keep her on track.

She nodded and they continued once more, but not 5 minutes later Revali realised she had disappeared again, and spun around to see she that this time she was halfway up a tree.

“What are you doing now?!” He asked, throwing his wings up in exasperation.

“I saw some apples! If we’re going to be at this all day I thought a snack would be nice!” She smiled, reaching up the grab the sweet fruit.

“We already have food! We don’t have time for this!” He cried as she jumped back down.

“...You don’t want one then?” She asked, holding an apple out to him.

“No.” He said firmly, although it honestly did look appealing.

“Oh...sorry.” She murmured, putting it away in her satchel.

Revali had to take a deep breath, reminding himself that his teachers were counting on them to get along before he spoke again.

“Look, just- please stop wandering off and focus on our mission. We don’t have time for all these distractions.”

“Okay Revali, sorry.” She nodded, obediently following him again, although she soon started bouncing along in her usual annoying manner. He ignored it, telling himself he could put up with her foolish bouncing if it meant she was sticking with him and not wandering off, when he suddenly heard a strange noise.

“Hmm hmm mm hmm~”

Was that…?

“Hmm hmm mm hmm hmm!”

Was she humming? When she knew there could be monsters nearby?

He tried to ignore her, but when she went unchecked she got bolder, the cheerful noise getting louder and louder, grating on his last remaining nerve.

“Would you be quiet!” He finally snapped, spinning around to face her.

He took some small pleasure in the shocked look on her face, and the way she nearly tripped over her own feet scrambling to bring herself to a stop.

“I, um-!?”

“No, don’t speak!” He silenced her before she could start to babble again. “Did you even listen to a word Benta and Kaeli said? They went out of their way to give us this chance to prove ourselves, and you’re not taking it even a little seriously! We are not on a tour, we are on a mission, and the noise you’re making could draw monsters to us! You might not care if you get kicked out of the village, but being a warrior is everything to me! I will not let you screw this up for me!”

“Revali, I’m not-” She tried, putting her hands up placatingly.

“Yes, you are. You know how crucial this is yet you persist on acting like a child!” He yelled, pointing at her and glaring with such intensity that she felt rooted to the spot. “If you have even the slightest bit of remorse or intelligence you will follow quietly and listen to what I tell you so we can get through this quickly- do you understand?”

She opened her mouth to reply, then thought better of it and simply nodded.

“Good. Follow me.” He said, turning on his heel.

For a few minutes there was blissful silence as the Witch followed him quietly, making no further attempt to wander off.

He supposed it could only last so long.

“...It’s quiet.”

Revali rolled his eyes so hard their was a real danger they might disappear into the back of his head. “Yes, that’s because you’ve finally stopped making noise.”

“No, I mean-”

“Enough, we’re here.” He cut her off firmly as they stepped into a small clearing. “There should be some Hyrule Herb growing in this area. You do know what that looks like, correct? Or do I have to draw you a picture?”

“Of course I know what it looks like.” Holly pouted indignantly. It was one of the most common and useful medicinal plants that grew in the wild, every child in Hyrule was taught how to identify it!

“Good, then I suggest you start looking over there.” He said, waving towards one side of the clearing and then pointedly making his own way to the opposite end.

Holly pouted at his retreating back, then glanced around at the trees apprehensively, listening to the distinct lack of noise from the woods. She looked back at Revali, wondering if she should try to bring it up again, but soon thought better of it when she remembered his earlier words. He was still really mad and she didn’t want to start a fight.

Biting her lip in worry, she turned and went to go look for the herb.

Minutes past, the silence dragged, and Holly became increasingly nervous as time went on, her hand moving instinctively towards her daggers for protection. Did Revali really not notice this?

“Revali? I think we should go.” She finally called, unable to keep quiet any longer.

“Oh, what is wrong now?” He asked, glancing over at her irritably.

“It’s just too quiet here, I think-”

She froze, eyes widening and face dropping in fear as she spotted something behind him, and Revali spun on instinct, following her gaze to see a pair of glowing eyes peering out of the bushes behind him.

He threw himself to the side just in time as the monster leapt forward with a snarl, slamming into the space he’d occupied just a moment ago. Revali rolled back to his feet, training kicking in as he nocked and arrow and let it fly. It struck the creature in the eye and sent it staggering back, howling in pain as it clawed at it’s face.

“Revali!” Holly called, already running towards him with her weapons drawn and ready, but he yelled at her to stay back as he rapidly fired two more shots into the monster.

His second arrow hit it in the head, and it let out one final howl of pain before disintegrating into black ash, leaving nothing but a pile of talons and a single spear in it’s wake.

Revali panted, adrenaline pumping through his system as he stood and quickly surveyed the area, looking for further enemies, relaxing slightly when nothing else appeared.

“...That was not a Chuchu or a Bokoblin.” Holly said as she cautiously rejoined him, and for once he didn’t mock her for stating the obvious.

“No, it wasn’t.” He said, staring at the remains. A Lizalfos? What was a Lizalfos doing down here, so far from the mountains? They never ventured down this far!

“...It must have gotten separated from it’s group and lost it’s way.” He said, wishing he sounded more certain as he moved to collect his arrows.

“...It was thin.”

Revali paused, glancing over his shoulder and staring at her in disbelief. “….Seriously? We’re attacked by a monster that shouldn’t be in this area and you’re concerned about it’s weight?”

“Yes, very.” Holly said, ignoring his tone as she continued to glance around the clearing apprehensively.

“May I ask why?” Revali asked as he replaced his arrows in his quiver.

“Because my brother always told me that the only thing more dangerous then an angry monster is a hungry one.”

The scathing reply he had ready died on his beak as he grasped the full enormity of her words.

“Well...” He said eventually, swallowing around a sudden lump in his throat, “It’s dead now, but I think it would be best if we went back and reported this to Kaeli and Benta. In light of what’s happened I’m sure they would accept that we had to abandon our mission, reporting this is a much more pressing concern.”

Holly nodded eagerly, anxious to leave.

The two teenagers turned, ready to hurry back the way they’d come, when a horrifying noise split the air.

A long, angry bugle call.

Their stomachs dropped at the noise, and they shared a panicked look with one another, each knowing exactly what that sound meant.

There were more of them.

“Revali, there!” Holly cried, pointing as she spotted a Lizalfos perched high up in an ancient tree, sounding it’s horn for all it was worth and gesturing manically towards the pair of them. Revali wasted no time, firing an arrow that hit it square in the chest and sent it plummeting to it’s death, the notes warbling into silence as it fell.

They’d tried, but the damage was already done, they could hear more monsters coming, snarling angrily as they tore through the tree’s towards them.

“Stay behind me!” Revali ordered, moving quickly back to the centre of the clearing.

“Shouldn’t we try to run for it? Fly away?” Holly asked, even as she moved to stand back to back with him, her daggers out and ready.

“They’d only ambush us in the forest, and we’d never make it through the tree canopy if we try to fly. At least if we stay in the clearing we have the best chance of seeing them coming and fighting them off.” He said, readying his bow before adding quietly “Don’t worry, just keep calm and stay with me, I won’t let them near you.”

Holly was rather touched that he took the time to reassure her, especially considering how angry he’d been at her just a few minutes ago, but before she could say anything in response the first Lizalfos burst through the tree’s and there was no time to think about anything but survival.

Revali’s bow sang out again and again, the string vibrating as he methodically took the charging monsters down, prioritizing the ones that were closest and aiming for vital spots, trying to make every arrow count. Holly was awed by the way he stayed so cool and collected, his aim unwavering even in this tense situation. The fear that had clutched at her heart started to ease off as Revali dispatched one monster after another, not allowing any to get within striking range, just as he’d promised. She actually started to feel rather useless in comparison, only able to call out when she spotted something approaching in his blind spot, turning with him so he could deal with the attacker and watching his back till he could turn around again.

Soon black ash and body parts littered the ground, and finally the monsters seemed to stop coming, the clearing falling quiet again except for Revali’s heavy breathing.

“...Is that it?” Holly asked softly.

“And not a moment too soon.” Revali murmured. Like any good archer he’d been mentally counting down his arrows as he fired, and knew without looking that he only had 2 left.

“You were amazing.” Holly said honestly, turning to look at him now the danger was past.

“Well naturally.” Revali preened, recovering quickly at her praise.

“I mean it, thank you Revali. I’m sorry I couldn’t help you out more.”

“...You did your part.” He admitted after a moment’s hesitation. It was true, she’d listened to his instructions, remained calm, and accurately informed him of enemies approaching from the rear. It was more then he could have asked of a civilian.

“Now, let’s gather my arrows and leave before any more come.”

Holly nodded, moving forward to help him quickly gather them up, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

Revali wandered to the edge of the clearing, grabbing the last few arrows that lay there, and was about to stand up and return to Holly when a set of bushes caught his eye, something about them looking off .

He realised what was wrong a few seconds too late as the lone Lizalfos shed it’s camouflage and sprung up from the ground. It opened it’s jaws and screamed, blackened teeth so close he could make out the scraps of meat between it’s canines as it charged him, talons raised to rake his throat.

He’d never been so close to a monster before, it was a point of pride that he never let them get past his arrows, and to his utter horror he froze up completely as it raced towards him, unable to move out of the way.

“REVALI!”

Holly appeared out of nowhere, slamming into him and knocking him out of the way at the last possible moment. He cried out as the impact carried them both through the bushes and out the other side, where it turned out a steep hill was waiting for them.

They went tumbling down the slope together, helpless to stop themselves as they slammed into rocks and tore through shrubbery, rolling on and on until they finally came to a stop at the bottom.

“Urgh...” Revali groaned, feeling nauseous and woozy, only for the sound of a second bugle call to bring him round like a bucket of ice cold Hebra mountain water to the face.

There were more of them coming.

“Come on!” Holly called, grabbing him by the wing and hauling him to his feet, the pair of them staggering away as fast as they could, still bruised and dizzy from their trip down the hill.

They ploughed into the forest, urged on by the angry shrieks of the Lizalfos giving chase, and Revali started to panic as he realised there was no way they were going to be able to outrun them. He was just about to suggest they find a hiding place when Holly, having had the same thought, suddenly yanked him down into a small space between the roots of an ancient oak with her. Before he could say anything she reached up and quickly dragged some foliage over the two of them, hiding them from view.

They tried desperately to control their ragged breathing and keep quiet, huddling together as the Lizalfos reached their hiding place. They could hear them rooting around nearby, sniffing the air and rummaging through the bushes, frustrated at being unable to find them when they knew they must be close.

Holly suddenly tugged on Revali’s wing to get his attention, pointing urgently to a small brightly coloured plant mixed in with the foliage she’d dragged over them.

Spicy peppers!

He caught on at once, grabbing the peppers and crushing them, spreading them around so the pungent spice would mask their scent. They heard a nearby Lizalfos snarl and spit in displeasure as it got a nose-full of pepper, and they both breathed a sigh of relief as the searchers seemed to move on.

It was around this point Revali realised he was still desperately clutching Holly’s hand, and had in fact been doing so ever since she helped him to his feet at the bottom of the hill.

Swallowing thickly, he gently tugged his wing free, avoiding eye contact as he did so.

“...Now what?” Holly finally whispered when she judged it was safe enough to talk, tactfully not mentioning the hand holding.

“I don’t know.” Revali murmured, trying to pull himself together. “They’re moving away but it doesn’t sound like they’re giving up. We can’t stay here forever, but if we leave they’ll spot us and you’re the only one with weapons right now, I lost my bow when we fell down the hill.”

Holly winced, realising that whole trip down the hill was her fault for shoving him so hard.

“I’m sorry Revali.”

“Don’t apologise, you...you saved my life.” He whispered softly, eyes widening as he realised the truth of his words. If she hadn’t pushed him out of the way when she did-

A vision of black teeth and deadly claws flashed across his mind, and he failed to suppress a shudder at the memory, one wing pressing instinctively against his throat to make sure he was whole and unscathed.

“Well...you saved mine earlier you know, I never would have been able to take on all those monsters by myself.” Holly reminded him softly, smiling kindly as she spoke.

He relaxed a little at her words, nodding to acknowledge them, before they both fell into a tense silence, trying to work out their next move.

The situation wasn’t good. A quick double check of their gear confirmed that the only weapons they had left were Holly’s daggers and 10 arrows, which were useless without a bow to fire them with.

They were staring at their pitiful collection, all that they had to defend themselves, when Holly suddenly broke the silence with a soft laugh.

“Well, this certainly isn’t the adventure I was expecting to have today!”

Revali turned to her, beak dropping open in disbelief as he whispered as loudly as he dared-

“Are you serious?! If there was ever a time for you to take something seriously, this would be-”

“Nope, I can’t do that right now.” She interrupted him, shaking her head firmly.

“Why not?!”

“Because if I do I’ll realise how scared I am and be absolutely useless to you.”

Revali blinked, thrown by the response, and stared at her in confusion for a moment, trying to wrap his head around what she’d just told him. Did that mean she was actually…?

He took a moment to really look at her, and noticed something he hadn’t picked up on before.

She was trembling.

There was a smile on her lips, and a determined glint in her eye, but she was shaking, the grip on her daggers white-knuckled.

“….Are you okay?” He finally asked, at a loss.

“Not really, but I will be, my brother taught me a spell for when this happens.”

“A spell? But I thought you were the only one in your family with powers?!” Revali asked, alarmed that she would keep such information from the village.

“No, not-” she laughed, shaking her head. “Not that kind of spell. It’s just something I chant in my head when I’m scared and need to be brave.”

“….What is it?” Revali asked, his curiosity getting them better of him.

Holly paused, actually thinking it over for a moment before replying.

“...I’m not going to tell you if you’re going to make fun of it. It might seem silly to you but it’s important to me.”

Revali had to stop himself from instinctively denying that he would ever do such a thing, reminding himself that she had every reason to believe he would after how he’d been treating her.

“I give you my word that I won’t belittle you for it.” He said instead, lying a wing over his heart to try and show his sincerity.

She hesitated a moment longer, before staring at the ground between her feet as she finally spoke her magic phrase.

“It’s not scary, it’s an adventure.”

She glanced up at him to judge his reaction, and when his face remained neutral, no obvious snickers or laughter, she explained a little further.

“If I say it, it helps me to think about whatever I’m afraid of in different light. If I can find the fun, the excitement, the adventure in it, then I can focus on that instead and be brave.”

“...I suppose I can understand that.” Revali said slowly after a moment, “But how in Hyrule do you find anything good about this situation?”

She brightened at his question, smiling eagerly as she replied. “Are you kidding? A young adventurer and a warrior in training taking on a band of Lizalfos all by themselves? How can that be anything but an exciting adventure? Just imagine telling everyone about it when we get back to the village!”

“...You’re very good at finding the bright side of things, aren’t you?” He asked dryly, though he had to admit the thought of the bragging rights they would have should they return safely was appealing.

“Yup! My brother says it’s a talent of mine!” She smiled brightly.

Revali sighed, but noticed that as she talked about their supposed ‘adventure’ she had returned to her usual cheer and stopped trembling. This ‘magic spell’ apparently worked for her, even if it did make it seem like she was making light of the situation-

He froze, eyes widening as he thought back to how she’d reacted when she lost control of her broom and nearly fell from the sky while trying to fly across the lake to the village.

“...You weren’t making light of it at all...”

“Excuse me?” Holly blinked, not following.

“I...when you nearly fell into the lake and were rescued by Benta and Kaeli, you acted so...so flippant about it. I thought you didn’t realise how serious the situation was, or how much trouble the warriors had to go to to rescue you.”

“Of course I did.” Holly frowned, “I could have really hurt myself if they hadn’t saved me, that’s why I thanked them so much at the time.”

Revali winced a little at her words, realising now he thought back that it was true, she had thanked them several times, but he’d been so focused on her attitude that he’d glossed over it.

“You were laughing when you landed though.” He argued stubbornly.

“Well, yes?” Holly blinked “I was scared that I was going to fall, but bawling my eyes out as soon as Kaeli and Benta dropped me off wouldn’t have made a very good first impression, so I used my magic spell. I focused on the good, on how I’d nearly made it on my own, and how amazing the warriors were when they rescued me. That way it was exciting rather then scary, just like-”

“-an adventure.” Revali finished for her, understanding dawning.

“Exactly!” She smiled, happy that he seemed to get it.

Revali leaned back against the ancient tree, mulling this new information over for a moment before finally glancing at her again.

“You do realise how easy it is to mistake your...way of coping, for foolishness, yes? Especially when you act so childishly normally.”

“Mhm, I know.” She nodded easily.

“Then why do you keep acting like this?” He asked in frustration “I know you can be serious when you want to, I’ve seen it today! Surely you could find a different way, or at least act a little more sensibly the rest of the time-”

“This is who I am.” She interrupted, voice quiet but firm. “I love looking for the fun and adventure in everything I do, in enjoying every moment of my life as much as I can. I know everyone thinks I’m silly and childish because of it, I know I irritate people like you...but I don’t want to have to spend my whole life pretending to be something I’m not, hiding away the things that bring me joy, just because some people won’t like me for it.”

Revali stared at her, starting to realise that their might be more going on in her head then he had initially given her credit for. While on the one wing he still felt that she should act more sensibly, another part of him felt a small kindling of respect for her.

She continued to be true to herself, even knowing that doing so would turn others against her.

For Revali, who was constantly aware of the eyes on him, and always doing everything he could to earn respect and admiration, such a thing was unthinkable.

She was...brave.

“Um...” Holly called softly, pulling him from his thoughts “I’m happy that we’re getting a chance to talk without fighting and all, but shouldn’t we be focusing on the problem at hand?”

“Yes of course.” Revali nodded, inwardly chastising himself for getting so off track “We can’t hide here forever, we need a plan.”

“Kaeli and Benta will come looking for us if we don’t turn up by sundown, won’t they? Couldn’t we hide till then?” Holly suggested.

“I don’t think we can risk it. It’s not even noon yet, those Lizalfos are still searching for us, and we don’t have any more spicy peppers to hide our scent. They might double back and we’ll be trapped like fish in a barrel if they discover us.”

Holly nodded, following his logic. “Then...I think the first thing we need to do is get you a new bow.”

“And where exactly do you propose we get one?” Revali asked, gesturing to the forest around them. It wasn’t like there was an armoury nearby.

Holly grinned.

“I have an idea.”

“This is a terrible idea.” Revali whispered as they crept through the bushes.

“Only if it doesn’t work.” Holly replied as they stealthily followed their target, a Lizalfos archer armed with a bow. They had spent the last 10 minutes carefully leading it away from its fellow monsters, tossing rocks and shaking bushes, the dumb beast instinctively chasing after the noises, unaware it was being separated from its pack.

“Here, this should be far enough.” Holly whispered, glancing around the clearing they’d led it to.

“You don’t have to do this.” Revali reminded her once again. “I’m the warrior, I should-”

“You’re an amazing archer Revali, but I’m better at hand to hand combat.” She interrupted firmly.

“I beat you at hand to hand.”

“We drew.” Holly shot back “And anyway, if you get hurt taking the monster down then the bow will be useless, and we need your bow if we’re going to get out of here.”

He could hardly argue with that, but still…

Holly noticed his reluctance and smiled encouragingly. “Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. Here though, you better take this for now.”

She passed him one of her two daggers, unwilling to leave him unarmed. He took it with a grateful nod, and she gave him one last encouraging smile before creeping off quietly through the trees, circling around to get behind the Lizalfos. All Revali could do was wait and have faith in her.

The irony of having to place his trust in someone he had dismissed on multiple occasions as being an irresponsible, air headed fool was not lost on him.

He waited tensely, and a few minutes later saw her emerge quietly from the trees behind the Lizalfos, approaching from downwind and moving slowly towards it from the safety of it’s blind spot. As she closed the distance he held his breath, ready to leap forward and intervene at a moment’s notice if needed.

Holly finally reached the monster and immediately leapt into action. She stepped over it’s long tail and drove a hard kick into the back of it’s knee, causing it’s leg to collapse and dropping it to the floor. As it twisted it’s head around to confront her, jaws open to bite and tear, she swung her dagger up into the bottom of it’s unprotected jaw, the blade piercing straight up into it’s brain.

It let out a pitiful gurgle, and promptly disintegrated into a pile of ash.

Revali gaped at her quick and efficient take down. He wouldn’t admit it out loud- but he was actually rather impressed by the skill she’d just shown.

Holly wasted no time, she quickly collected the bow and arrows the monster had dropped and hurried back to him.

“Are you okay?” Revali asked as she arrived.

“Mhm, not even a scratch.” She smiled, quickly handing the weapons to him. “Here, will this work?”

“Well, it’s not a patch on Rito craftsmanship, but I dare say I can make do.” He nodded as he examined the bow, before glancing around the area apprehensively as he heard rustling in the distance. “...Let’s go, stay close to me.”

Holly nodded and followed behind him as he led the way.

Their improvised plan consisted of 2 steps. The first one was now complete, they’d armed Revali with a bow. The second part was to simply try and sneak away, avoiding conflict if at all possible. They might be able to fight their way through a dozen or so monsters now they were both armed, but if they weren’t careful they could easily be overrun by sheer numbers, which was why they’d decided it was best to avoid fighting and opt for a stealthy exit. Revali was fairly sure that there was a cliff edge nearby that he could use to catch the wind and fly away, and had assured Holly that, considering the situation, she was not going to get into trouble for flying with him.

Their progress was painfully slow, as they had to keep stopping and waiting for roaming Lizalfos to pass by before they could move forward again. They ended up crouched in bushes and pressed against trees as the monsters snuffled hungrily nearby, desperately trying to hunt them down. One particular group got far too close for comfort, near enough that they could make out each individual dent in their armour, and Revali didn’t say anything when Holly’s hand found his and squeezed tight. In fact he found himself squeezing right back, the two of them clutching one another until the monsters finally moved on and they could breathe again.

Needless to say, their nerves were shot to pieces by the time Revali finally spotted the cliff edge in the distance. The sense of relief they felt was short lived however, as they soon saw that a bunch of the Lizalfos had settled in the clearing just before the cliff, blocking their path.

“Now what?” Holly whispered, watching as the monsters squabbled over some fruit they’d found.

“Now I take them down with my bow.” Revali said firmly, preparing to fire.

“Just wait a minute.” Holly said, quickly glancing out from their hiding spot to take another look at the situation, face paling when she spotted something.

“Revali, all three of them have horns.” She warned as she pulled back. If even one of them managed to sound the alarm before he took them down...

“Then I’ll have to be quick.” Revali said determinedly, “I can do it-”

“-I know you can.” She interrupted softly, “I trust you, if you say you can do it, then go for it.”

Her words made him falter for a moment- after everything he’d said she still….?

He shook his head, now wasn’t the time for this, and anyway who wouldn’t have faith in his skills?

“On the count of three then, are you ready? We’ll head straight for the cliff afterwards so be ready to fly, I’ll help you in the air as best I can.”

“Okay.” Holly nodded, getting ready to run.

“One...two….three!”

Revali stepped out of hiding, arrows flying, the first Lizalfos dropping before it could utter so much as a sound. The other two swung round, but Revali’s second arrow was already in the air, and cut one down as it tried to bring it’s horn to it’s lips. He turned to the final monster, who roared at them angrily, grabbing for it’s horn, but Revali’s arrow was chasing it down even as it raised up-

It’s shield?!

“No!” Revali cried as the beast ducked down behind the safety of it’s barrier, his arrow bouncing off the surface as it hid behind it and blew it’s horn long and loud.

The noise echoed through the woods, and the two teenagers tensed as loud angry roars echoed back in response.

“Come on!” Revali called, grabbing Holly’s hand and dragging her forward. It was do or die, there was no time to think or plan, they’d just have to charge the beast and try to get past it to the cliff.

“I’ll knock the shield away!” Holly called as she ran, drawing out her daggers as she moved, “Get ready to fire!”

There was no time to argue, Holly had already sprinted forward and started battering at the Lizalfos’s shield. The moment she succeeded in knocking it away she threw herself to the side, giving Revali a clear shot which he took without hesitation, instantly felling the beast.

“Hurry!” He yelled, quickly helping her to her feet and pulling her towards the cliff edge as they heard the snarls of hungry Lizalfos crashing out of the woods behind them. “Get your broom!”

Holly fumbled for it as they ran, her heart thundering in her ears as they approached the edge and arrows started whistling through the air around them. Apparently the Lizalfos they’d taken out earlier hadn’t been the only one armed with a bow.

They were just a few steps away when an arrow suddenly struck her hand, causing her to cry out in pain, her broom tumbling from her grip.

“No!” She screamed, reaching helplessly after it as it bounced over the edge of the cliff, falling to the rocks below.

Revali froze, wings extended as he stood ready to leap into the sky, his eyes meeting hers as a silent, horrifying understanding blossomed between them.

She couldn’t fly without her broom- she couldn’t get away.

Holly swallowed, her frightened eyes narrowing in determination as she looked from him back to the incoming monsters.

“Go on without me!” She said bravely, drawing her daggers. “Go get help!”

Revali hesitated for a split second, before turning back and readying his bow.

“You won’t last 10 seconds on your own!” He snapped, getting ready to fire. “Keep your back to the cliff, and take out anything that gets past my arrows.”

There was no time to argue, the monster’s were already upon them.

Revali’s bow sang out, taking down the archer first, before proceeding to pick off the enemies one by one as they approached. Holly stood ready with her daggers, but once again Revali succeeded in keeping them back on his own. Time went on, and Holly watched nervously as Revali’s arrows started to disappear one by one into the growing crowd. If this kept up he’d be out of arrows in no time, and they’d soon be overrun.

She glanced at the quiver of arrows lying on the floor, dropped by the archer Revali had killed, and narrowed her eyes, making her decision.

“I’m going to get the arrows, cover me!” She called, ploughing into the fray without further delay, trusting Revali to have her back. She hacked and slashed her way through, aware of monsters falling either side of her as Revali helped to clear a path. She finally reached the arrows, snatching them up and hurrying back to the Rito’s side.

“That was completely reckless!” Revali snapped as he took them from her.

“You’re welcome.” She grinned, turning back to the battle.

Revali’s eyes widened as he looked at the quiver- it seemed the Goddess was finally cutting them a break. They were lucky the dumb beast hadn’t thought to use these itself or they might not have held out so long.

“Hold on Holly!” He called, selecting a flame arrow and firing it straight up into the sky, where it cut a bright fiery trail through the air.

“The warriors will come to investigate that, we just have to hold out till they get here!” He called, hope giving him courage.

“Right!” Holly nodded. They could do this, they just had to hold out a little longer!

The monsters fell on them with renewed vigour, and while two more fire arrows gave them a temporary reprieve as the Lizalfos ran about desperately trying to put themselves out, soon they were down to regular arrows and faced with a now burned and furious mob.

Holly had to fight in earnest as the Lizalfos, by dint of sheer numbers, finally managed to slip past Revalis arrows. She worked desperately to keep them away from the archer so he could keep firing, but as the battle drew on the teenagers started to tire, the adrenaline that had kept them going so far only able to do so much.

“Where are the warriors?” Holly called breathlessly as she dispatched yet another monster.

“They’ll be here, keep going!” Revali urged, and Holly turned to respond, only for her mouth to drop open in horror as she saw a camouflaged Lizalfos had snuck past her, and was now just a few seconds away from pouncing on Revali’s unprotected side.

She moved without thinking, throwing herself between him and the monster as it leapt forward with a loud screech of triumph.

The next thing she knew was pain.

Her vision went white and she was only distantly aware of letting out a blood curdling scream as teeth dug into her arm, grating right against the bone. The Lizalfos pushed her to the ground, shaking her arm like a dog with a bone as Revali cried out in horror at the sight. He spun around and shot the monster at point blank range, causing it to dissolve into dust which coated Holly as she writhed on the ground, screaming in pain and clutching her arm.

There was blood everywhere.

“Holly, Holly?! Holly can you hear me?!” Revali called urgently, wanting nothing more then to stop and tend to her, but unable to look away as the Lizalfos charged, scenting blood in the air.

Holly clawed at the ground with her good arm, shrieking in agony, and for a few long moments nothing existed for her outside of the blinding pain she felt. Slowly though the sounds of battle penetrated her foggy brain, and she coughed and rolled over, taking in the sight of Revali standing over her protectively, firing every last arrow he had to keep the monsters back, his face a mask of grim determination.

“Re-Revali.” She called weakly, trying to force herself to her feet even as her arm throbbed in pain.

“Stay down, you’re injured.” He said distractedly, just as he fired his last arrow. “Damnit.” He hissed, backing up and pressing her behind him as she staggered to her feet anyway, almost slipping in a pool of her own blood as she did so.

She passed him one of her daggers wordlessly, clutching the other one with her uninjured arm.

“Holly, I-” He tried to speak around a sudden lump in his throat as the Lizalfos formed a wall around them, penning them in for a final assault.

“Wanna try jumping?” She asked unexpectedly.

“I-what?” He asked, bewildered.

“We won’t make it if we stay here, if we jump there’s at least a few more seconds to think of a new plan.” She explained, somehow smiling despite everything, giving him an exhausted, reckless grin as she added with a laugh. “At this point, what do we have too loose?”

“...Not much.” Revali admitted, wondering in the back of his mind if he could hold onto her and glide them both down somehow. “Ready?”

“Let’s go for it!” She said bravely, fighting to keep herself on her feet.

They turned as one, ready to take the plunge, when two bolts of fire whistled down through the air and the world rocked with a series of explosions, the monsters behind them knocked flying by the force of the blasts.

The teenagers cried out, loosing their footing and falling to the ground, and Revali bravely shielded his injured companion with his wings as falling debris peppered them. He risked glancing up after a moment, heart soaring when he saw two familiar figures cutting through the air towards them, bows drawn and fury in their eyes.

“Kaeli! Benta! Holly, Holly it’s okay, it’s okay they’re here!” He cried joyously as more bomb arrows reigned down on the monsters.

“Thank goodness.” She murmured weakly, slumping into his arms at the news, and Revali blanched as he felt her blood dripping onto his feathers, as he looked down and saw how much of it was spilt on the ground.

“Holly, Holly don’t fall asleep, not now!” He cried, cradling her to his chest as she went limp, her skin far too cold to the touch.

“M’not.” She slurred, his words becoming distant as her eyelids grew heavy.

The last thing she remembered was a drowsy thought that his feathers were so nice and soft, before everything faded away as she lost the fight and let unconsciousness take her.

Chapter Text

After I received two very kind pieces of fanart so quickly after posting that first little black and white sketch of Holly at the end of Chapter 4, I thought you all might appreciate a full, proper, profile image/reference sheet for her! So here it is!

A few key points!

1) Holly's ponytail, impossible to see when she's facing you directly, but it's there!

2) Holly actually really loves her name, and by extension the plant she's named after, a lot. If you look closely there's a few subtle (and not so subtle) hints towards it in her design. (I love her hair tie. I'm just saying).

3) The back view shows you how her daggers are holstered/worn when she's using them.

4) The daggers themselves were a special gift and custom made (more to come on that in later chapters). The wing like protrusion works as a hand guard.

5) Holly's broom is not perfectly straight, the wood has some natural kinks to it. *cough*makes it easier to draw*cough*

6) Holly has a naturally slightly darker complexion then most Hylians, which is heightened by the permanent tan she has from spending most of her life outside. She is also covered in freckles, which are most noticeable on her face and shoulders.

7) Yes, I know an outfit that bares your shoulders is hardly practical when you're living in a cold region like the Hebra territories, but it's what she insisted upon. I went through multiple designs for Holly, but those arm-sleeves stuck through every change and alteration. She just didn't want to let them go!

UPDATED 09 November 2018! Please find below an amazing piece of art I commissioned from my dear friend Chris! If you'd like to commission her yourself, you can find all her commission information on her tumblr: http://charlieslowartsies.tumblr.com/

UPDATED 22 December 2018! I commissioned two more works from wonderful friend Chris! We now have official character profiles for Leri, Farell, Ollet and Jade! Once again if you like her work please and want to thank her for bringing these characters to life, or even commission her yourself, please check out her tumblr page here: http://charlieslowartsies.tumblr.com/

Leri (violet) and Farell (teal)

Jade (brown) and Ollet (white)

UPDATED 01 April 2019!  We now have official character profiles for Kaeli, Benta and Kenta! Remember, if you like Chris's work please check out her tumblr page here: http://charlieslowartsies.tumblr.com/

Kaeli (golden brown) and Benta (black)

Kenta (drawn wearing clothing from his home town, Lurelin village)

Chapter Text

Holly woke to the soft sound of birdsong, the tinkling of wind chimes, and the gentle caress of a breeze across her skin.

She sighed happily at the familiar sounds and relaxed back into her mattress, content to simply lie still and listen for a while. She was warm and comfortable, and it was a long time before she could be bothered to open her eyes. When she finally summoned up the energy to do so, she blinked in confusion when she found herself staring up at unfamiliar wooden ceiling.

... This isn’t the Swallows Roost. She frowned, glancing around the rest of the room. Where am I? The last thing I remember is …

The feeling of peace and contentment she’d been enjoying vanished abruptly as her memories came flooding back to her. She remember the woods, the monsters, fighting side by side with Revali...the-the Lizalfos’ teeth crunching down on her arm.

She swallowed thickly and shivered at that last memory. The pain had been excruciating at the time, and she knew she had lost a lot of blood, but now her whole arm just felt worryingly numb.

Gathering her courage, she forced herself to look down and inspect the damage, and was relieved to see that her arm was still in one piece, with the correct number of fingers attached. It was lying on top of the warm blanket she was resting under, wrapped in clean white bandages and supported by a splint.

While it was incredibly reassuring to see that nothing had been amputated while she slept, the numbness still worried her. She held her breath as she tried to wiggle her fingers, and sagged in relief when they responded as they should, clenching and unclenching according to her will.

Her movements attracted the attention of a Rito who was sat in a nearby chair, and he quickly put down the book he’d been reading and rose to his feet, calling to her softly as he crossed the room to stand by her bed.

“Holly? Are you awake?”

She was a little startled by the sudden voice, but quickly gathered herself, rolling her head to the side to look at the stranger as she replied.

“Ah, yes? Hello?”

“Hello there, it’s very good to see you awake.” The Rito smiled down at her kindly. “Do you know where you are?”

“...The Healing Roost?” Holly guessed, glancing at the Rito’s pale blue tunic, emblazoned with a pair of white wings across the chest. She remembered that was the symbol and uniform of the Roost, and it made sense that she would have been brought there after injuring herself.

“Correct.” He smiled. “I’m one of the Healers here, my name is Helio. I’ve been tending to you since you arrived. I know you’ve only just woken up, but can you tell me how you feel? Any nausea or dizziness?”

“No- I just feel really tired, and my arms numb.” Holly replied, trying to sit up to speak to him.

“No, no, stay where you are please.” He gently admonished, guiding her back down onto the soft pillows as he responded. “Well the exhaustion is unsurprising, you lost an awful lot of blood back there. As for your arm being numb, well, the damage was fairly severe, so we gave you a lot of painkillers after we finished sewing it back together for you.”

“Wh- did you say sewing it?” Holly squeaked, feeling her stomach turn a little at the thought.

“Mhm.” Helio nodded distractedly, picking her arm up and promptly starting an examination. “Does this hurt? No? How about this? Can you wiggle your fingers? Move your thumb? Make a fist?” He nodded happily as she quickly responded to each command. “Excellent. Now please try to lift and bend your arm yourself for me- gently please we don’t want you popping any stitches...wonderful, that’s very good.”

He smiled, apparently satisfied with what he’d seen, and carefully laid her arm back down on the bed beside her.

“Well I’ve got good news Holly, it seems that you’ve retained full movement in your hand and arm. I’d like to say it was mainly down to our skills, but in all honesty you’re very lucky the monster struck you where it did. A few inches higher and we might not have been having this conversation.”

Holly blanched at his words, shivering at the thought. Could she have really…?

“Hey now, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Helio said softly, lying a comforting wing on her shoulder when he saw her reaction. “You’re going to be fine, I promise, though I will need to keep you here for a while so we can monitor your condition. We cleaned your arm thoroughly but your wounds were deep and I want to make sure you don’t develop an infection. The rest of your injuries were minor in comparison, just scrapes and bruises, but you do need plenty of rest and fluids after loosing all that blood.”

Holly sighed in relief. “I understand, thank you for everything Helio.”

She was about to relax back into the pillows when a thought suddenly hit her, making her tense and try to sit back up again despite Helio’s earlier warning.

“Oh! What about Revali!? Is he okay!? He was still protecting me when I passed out!” She asked urgently.

“Easy, easy!” Helio said, quickly settling her back down again. “Bless your feathers child, he’s fine. His injuries were minor, we kept him in overnight to keep an eye on him, but he’s already been sent home. He was more concerned about your condition then his own.”

“Thank goodness” Holly sighed, “Would you please let him know I’m okay?”

“Of course. Now you should really have something to eat and drink, you need to build your strength back up. I’ll fetch you some food but please have this for now.” He said, helping her to slowly sit up with the support of a lot of cushions, before moving and pouring her a glass of water using a pitcher sat on her bedside table.

Holly took it with a grateful smile, quickly draining the glass as she realised just how thirsty she was. She turned to ask for a refill, only to pause when she spotted something resting against the wall beside her bed.

“My broom!” She cried happily, reaching out to grab it with her good arm, only to instantly regret the decision when the sudden movement made the world spin around her. She groped blindly until her hand found it’s way to the warm wood, and quickly flopped back down onto the pillows with the broom now clutched safely to her chest.

“Goodness Holly, be careful! Didn’t I just tell you you’d lost a lot of blood?” Helio chided her, clicking his beak sharply.

“Sorry, I-I thought I’d lost it.” Holly murmured, voice thick with emotion as she cuddled it close. No broom meant no more flying, and that was a terrifying thought for her.

“...The warriors went back and retrieved it for you after they rushed you here.” The Healer explained in a kinder tone, seeing how relieved she was to have it back.

“Will you please thank them for me?” She asked, sniffling a little and wiping her eyes.

“I’m sure you’ll have a chance to thank them yourself soon enough. Now here, take this water and sip it slowly, I’ll be back soon with food.”

“Yes sir.” She nodded weakly. It was strange, she hadn’t even done that much but she still felt so tired, it must be a side effect of loosing all that blood.

“...One last thing Holly.” Helio added softly, hovering by her bed and looking at her with great sympathy. “I am sorry, we did our best but you’re probably going to be left with some heavy scarring on that arm once it’s healed.”

“Oh...well that’s okay.” Holly said after a moment’s thought “My brother says scars just show you’ve lived an eventful life. As long as I can move my arm freely I don’t mind a few scars.”

“That’s very mature of you.” Helio nodded.

Holly laughed tiredly, “I’ve never been called that before, I don’t know if I like it.”

The Healer chuckled softly at her reply and finally left the room, returning swiftly with a pitcher of fresh wildberry juice and a plate of simmered fruit with warm salmon riceballs.

“Get that down you now, there’s some hearty durians mixed in there, imported all the way from the Faron region. Best thing to help you recover your strength.”

“Durians? Really? My brother swore by them!” Holly said, tucking in happily. Everything tasted delicious, and she soon realised she was absolutely starving! Just how long had she been asleep for?

“It’s been almost two days since you were rescued by the warriors.” Helio informed her when she voiced the question out loud

“No wonder I’m so hungry.” Holly murmured round a mouth full of rice.

“Indeed.” Helio nodded, waiting till she had finished her food before taking the tray away from her. “Now, get some rest, I’ll keep everyone away for today, but I’m sure come morning Elder Lila and the warriors will want to speak to you about everything that happened.”

“Okay, thank you Helio.” Holly yawned, tiredness creeping up on her again.

“You’re welcome. If you need anything just pull on the cord hanging beside your bed, and either myself or another Healer will come check on you.” He told her kindly before leaving her in peace.

Once he was gone Holly snuggled back down under the warm blankets, pulling her broom in alongside her after a moments deliberation. She closed her eyes and listened to the gentle notes of the wind chimes hanging in the window, absentmindedly running her hand over the warm wood to reassure herself that her broom was still there as she let herself relax.

She was so tired that she fell asleep within minutes.

Holly was roused later in the day by a different Healer, who apologised for waking her, explaining that it was time to clean and change her bandages.

Holly sat up to let her work, her eyes widening as she got her first look at her arm beneath the dressings. The skin was red and inflamed, and she could clearly make out the places where the Lizalfos teeth had punctured the skin and ripped into her. What really stood out though were the black stitches that ran all around her arm, the thread holding her torn flesh together while it mended, just as Helio had described. It made her look like some kind of patchwork doll, and Holly found the sight so unsettling that she had to look away until the Healer finally told her she was done. She was then given some medicine to take, which she accepted gratefully, assuming from the state of her wounds that she’d be in an awful lot of pain without it.

She was still tired, so after eating and drinking a bit more at the insistence of the Healer, she quickly fell back to sleep again.

When she next opened her eyes it was dark out, and she realised she’d slept the entire day away. There was little else she could do in the middle of the night but sleep some more though, so after stretching a little she lay back down in her bed, drifting in and out of sleep until the sun finally peeked over the horizon, and Helio returned with breakfast.

“Do you feel well enough to see some visitors?” The Healer asked as she ate the porridge mixed with fruit he’d brought her. “The Elder is eager to talk to you.”

“Mhm, I think I’ll be fine, I slept a lot so I don’t feel so tired any more, and the medicine you gave me is keeping the pain away.” Holly said cheerfully, back to her usual spirits after getting plenty of rest.

“Well that’s good to hear. I’ll let Elder Lila and the others know that they can come talk to you today, but if you get too tired and they won’t leave just tug on the cord and I’ll have some stern words with them all.”

Holly laughed at the image of the important Rito being scolded like naughty children, and asked; “You wouldn’t really, would you?”

Helio flashed her a grin as he replied, “Oh you’d be surprised just how scary us Healers can be when someone interferes with our patients!”

Holly laughed again, and they chatted until she’d finished eating, at which point a kind female Healer came in to help her wash, and Helio took his leave.

Holly learned that the Healing Roost had it’s own small pump room, just like the one that supplied water to the public baths in the centre of the village. Because of this, each individual hut in the Roost had access to running hot and cold water, a luxury that could be found nowhere else in the village. Apparently the Rito had devised this system after realising just how important it was for the Healers to have access to clean water, and also that sick Rito often didn’t have the strength to walk to the public baths to bathe. This meant, much to Holly’s delight, that she had her own private bathroom built into the corner of her room. Behind a large set of curtains that screened the area off for privacy, a large copper bath had been set up, with pipes coming out of a nearby wall that allowed her to fill it directly with warm water. There was even a drain built into the bottom so she could let the water run away when she was done.

Holly was excited to have a proper wash after lying in bed for so long, and after promising that she would be able to manage by herself, the female Healer (whose name turned out to be Rita) gave her a set of clean clothes and remained outside to give her some privacy. The outfit she was given was a very simple sleeveless white dress that hung down past her knees, identical in fact to one she had woken up in, and she guessed it must be something they had made for patients to wear while they stayed at the Roost.

Holly pulled the curtains and filled the tub, washing her hair and body carefully (she’d been told to try and keep her bandages dry), before draining the dirty water and refilling it again so she could soak for a while. Even after living in the Rito Village for over a month, she still couldn’t get over the fact that they had such luxurious bathing facilities, and had every intention of making the most of them while she could.

Eventually though her skin started to prune, and she was forced to reluctantly exit the tub. After drying and dressing she stepped out from behind the curtains to find that Rita had stripped and changed her bedsheets for her while she waited. The Healer smiled at Holly and asked her to come sit on the bed so she could change her bandages again, and when she was done with that she very kindly offered to help her with her hair, which was still loose and untied. Holly was rather touched by the offer, knowing how important preening was to the Rito, and sat as patiently as she could while her hair was combed, brushed and braided.

….Or rather, while Rita attempted to braid it.

“Goodness, your hair has a mind of it’s own!” She exclaimed as Holly’s locks continued to spring loose from the braid no matter how she arranged it.

“Um, yes, sorry about that. This is why I normally tie it in a ponytail, it never stays put when I braid it.” Holly admitted sheepishly.

“Hmm, well we’ll settle with your usual style for now since you have visitors waiting, but just you wait and see, I’ll get it in a braid before you’re discharged or I’ll eat my own tail feathers!”

Holly laughed at the mental image. “Well I sure hope you’re able to Rita, the braids you all wear look so pretty, I’d love to be able to wear one myself!”

Rita puffed up her feathers at the compliment, and Holly got the odd impression that she had just accepted braiding her hair as a personal challenge.

Rita quickly finished tying her hair and then ushered her into bed, propping her up with what felt like half a dozen pillows before giving her some medicine and taking her leave. Holly had barely finished drinking the bitter tonic when there was a knock on the door and Helio popped his head in to speak to her.

“Holly, are you ready for your visitors now?” He asked.

“Mhm! Please show them in!” She smiled brightly, feeling rather chipper after her bath.

Helio nodded and pulled back, and a few moments later Elder Lila walked in, flanked by Kaeli and Benta.

“Hello!” Holly called happily, waving to them with her good arm as they entered.

“Good morning Holly.” Lila replied, moving swiftly to stand by her bedside, her eyes flicking to her bandaged arm as she asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good! The Healers said I’m going to keep full movement in my hand and arm, see?” She replied, lifting her injured arm and wiggling her fingers to demonstrate.

“That is very good to hear.” Lila sighed in relief, visibly relaxing as she saw her arm was still moving as it should.

“There now, didn’t I tell you two she’d be fine?” Benta smiled, resting his wings on his hips as he looked at his companions. “You should see how the kid handles a fall, she’s much tougher then she looks!”

“Thanks Benta!” Holly grinned at his praise.

“I’m glad to see you’re still in good spirits Holly.” Kaeli commented with an amused smile as he watched her, relieved to see that the incident hadn’t dampened her usual sunny disposition.

“Thank you sir, it takes a lot more then that to keep me down!” She beamed proudly.

“We can definitely see that.” Lila nodded, before taking a deep breath and standing up straighter as she turned to more serious matters. Holly could feel the change in the atmosphere, things growing more solemn as the Elder reached down and picked up her uninjured hand, squeezing it warmly and meeting her eyes as she spoke.

“Holly, we are so very sorry that you had to go through such a terrible ordeal. I know it can’t begin to make amends for what you had to endure, but please accept our apology.”

“Of course I accept it, this wasn’t anyone’s fault.” Holly replied softly, looking between all three of them as she spoke. “No one knew there was a band of monsters in the woods, and I know you never would have sent us in there if you had any idea it would be dangerous.”

Lila smiled ruefully at her words. “Revali said as much himself, but never the less, while under our care you went through something horrific and suffered a grave injury. I can’t begin to apologise enough.”

“It’s okay, really!” Holly insisted, trying to reassure her. “I know it was an accident, and Revali and I both made it out safely in the end, so it’s fine!”

“No, it is not.” Lila said firmly, the fierce look in her eyes taking Holly by surprise. “No child should ever have to go through something like that. I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been for the two of you.”

“...It was scary.” Holly admitted slowly after a moment, “But we got through it because we had each other for support. I don’t think I would have managed if Revali hadn’t been there with me.”

“He said much the same about you Holly.” Kaeli spoke up, glancing at her injured arm as he added softly, “...He also said that you gained that wound while saving his life, is that true?”

“Oh, well I guess so, yes.” Holly nodded “Revali told me to take care of any monsters that made it past his arrows so he could focus on firing, but one slipped past me, and I didn’t notice until it was almost to late. There was no time to think, it was going to jump him, so I just...”

She gestured wordlessly to her bandaged arm. The rest was pretty self explanatory.

“So you chose to throw yourself between him and danger, despite the fact you’d been fighting beak and talon with him not two weeks prior?” Kaeli asked, wondering if she realised just how extraordinary her actions were.

“Well we were arguing, sure, but that doesn’t mean I would ever let him die.” Holly said, looking horrified at the thought-like she couldn’t understand how anyone could think that way.

Lila shook her head with a soft smile, the Witch was just full of surprises.

“Thank you for protecting him Holly.”

“Oh gosh, you’re welcome! Besides, Revali saved my life at least a dozen times that morning. He took down so many of the monster’s by himself, and stayed really calm and collected even though everything was so awful. I’m sure you would have been very proud of the way he’d acted sir’s” She said, looking at the warriors as she spoke.

“From everything we’ve heard, we couldn’t agree more.” Kenta nodded, smiling softly at her praise of his student.

“Indeed.” Lila nodded “Now Holly, Revali did give us a very detailed report already, but we would like to hear from you as well. Do you think you can talk about what happened? We would understand if it’s too soon...”

“No, I’m okay, I can talk about it.” Holly nodded, and the three Rito took a seat as she started to recount everything that had happened that day.

She tried to be as accurate as she could, but she couldn’t help slipping in a few minor alterations. She didn’t mention holding hands with Revali when they were both scared out of their minds, since she assumed he would be embarrassed if his teacher’s heard about it. She also didn’t mention her talk with him about her magic spell, because that was private. Everything else she recounted as accurately as she could.

“...And that’s when you arrived sir’s.” She finally concluded some time later. “Revali covered me when the explosions from your bomb arrows knocked us to our feet and showered us in debris, and he told me to hold on because help had arrived, but I guess I’d lost too much blood at that point because I just couldn’t stay awake. The next thing I knew I was waking up here.”

The Rito had been silent as she spoke, letting her talk without interruption, and there was another pregnant pause after she finished before Lila finally responded.

“Thank you for going over that for us Holly, I know it must have been difficult. Your report confirms what Revali already told us.”

She leaned back in her chair, looking Holly in the eye as she voiced her thoughts aloud. “ You two were thrown into a dangerous situation that you were not prepared for, yet from everything we’ve heard you acted with outstanding bravery and resourcefulness. Considering the way you were fighting beforehand, the level of cooperation and good judgement you demonstrated is all the more impressive. You are both to be commended.”

“I second that.” Benta added.

“And I concur. You acted admirably Holly, and fought well under serious pressure. Your brother clearly taught you well.” Kaeli said with a nod.

“Oh gosh, thank you.” Holly blushed, swelling with pride at all the praise. “Really I’m just glad that we were both able to get out safely in the end, I wouldn’t want anyone else to have to go through that.”

“There’s no need to worry on that front.” Kaeli said, “Benta and I went back with a platoon of warriors after we’d gotten you and Revali to safety and swept the woods from top to bottom. We got rid of every last Lizalfos, and we’ve got Rito out now investigating to try and find out why they’d come down so far from their normal territories in the first place.”

“That’s good to hear.” Holly smiled in relief. “Thank you sir.”

Kaeli nodded, and there was a moment’s pause before Lila spoke up again.

“Well thank you for talking to us Holly, but I think we had better leave you to your rest before Helio comes in and throws us out.” She said with a knowing smile.

Holly chuckled, remembering his earlier threats to do just that, when a sudden thought made her call out to them. “Oh, um, before you go, do you know where my daggers went? They were a gift from my Uncle and I really don’t want to loose them.”

“Revali held onto them for you after you passed out.” Kaeli replied “I took the liberty of retrieving them from him and taking them to the armoury to be cleaned and sharpened. You’ll get them back in a few days, good as new.”

“Thank you sir.” She smiled, glad to hear they hadn’t been lost.

Kaeli nodded and Lila picked up the conversation again as they all prepared to leave.

“We’ll let you rest now Holly, but please let the Healers know if you want any of your personal possessions brought along from the Inn, I’m sure Jade will be happy to have the excuse to come see you.”

“I will, and thank you all for visiting!” Holly called, waving with her good arm as they left, before sinking back down into the pillows. It had only been a short meeting, but she could already feel tiredness creeping up on her again.

I guess I’m not completely over all that blood loss yet, she thought with a yawn, and settled down to take a nap.

It was later that day, and Holly was already starting to grow bored and restless. She was never one for sitting still for long periods of time, but there was little else she could do while she was confined to bed rest. She didn’t want to sleep any more, and while the Healers had brought her a small selection of books to read, none of the subjects really interested her, and after a while she simply couldn’t keep herself focused on the text.

Which left her staring out the window aimlessly, counting the clouds as they drifted past.

She didn’t really enjoy being left alone with her thoughts. Now that things had calmed down and she had nothing else to distract herself with, her mind kept trying to drift back in time and make her re-live the terrible events of that day. She tried to think about other things, but as time went on she found it more and more difficult, and her good hand moved to rest on the thick swathe of bandages around her injured arm as Helio’s words rang in her ears.

“A few inches higher and we might not have been having this conversation.”

She felt herself tremble at the thought, traitorous tears starting to prickle at the corner of her eyes, and was incredibly grateful when someone knocked on the door, offering her a timely distraction.

She swiftly wiped her eyes and put a smile on her face as Rita stepped in to talk to her.

“Holly, you have another visitor, do you feel up to seeing someone?”

“Oh yes please!” She said, sitting up eagerly at the news.

Rita nodded and pulled back, and a few moments later a familiar figure walked slowly into the room.

“Revali!” Holly cried in delight, “I’m so happy to see you, I was hoping you’d stop by!”

The proud Rito merely nodded in response to her words, looking positively awkward as he stood with one wing tucked behind his back, his gaze locked on the floor beneath his feet as he refused to make eye contact with her.

“...Are you okay?” She asked worriedly. He wasn’t acting like himself at all, where was his usual confidence? Was he still hurting somewhere?

“I am fine.” He said stiffly, finally taking a deep breath and crossing over to her bed, stopping before her and taking out the object he’d been hiding behind his back, all but shoving it in her face as he announced;

“Here, for you.”

Holly blinked, mouth gaping open in surprise as she found herself presented with a beautiful bunch of wildflowers. She was so shocked she didn’t know quite how to respond, and Revali fidgeted when she made no move to take them, eventually glancing to the side and muttering under his breath-

“….Please don’t make this weird.”

His words snapped her out of her daze and she quickly reached out for the flowers, stuttering out a reply as she finally took them from him.

“Oh, yes! I’m sorry I was just so surprised! Thank you Revali!”

“You’re welcome.” He said, relaxing a bit now that his gift had been accepted.

“Really, thank you, they’re beautiful.” Holly smiled as she gently raised the flowers to her face and breathed in their sweet perfume.

“Well naturally.” He said, falling back into familiar mannerisms as he gestured to himself proudly, “You only need to look at me to know that I have astonishingly good taste.”

“Yes of course” Holly smiled, chuckling good naturedly at the comment, glad to see he was acting more like himself again.

He glanced back at her then, his eyes sweeping down her body to rest on her heavily bandaged arm, and he seemed to deflate before her eyes as he asked tentatively;

“How...How is you arm doing?”

He must have been really worried about it, Holly thought to herself, and did her best to reassure him, smiling brightly as she lifted her arm up and wiggled her fingers at him to show it was all right.

“It’s going to be fine, see? The Healers want me to stay here for a while so they can keep an eye on me and make sure I don’t develop an infection, but I can move it just fine, and I feel much better already!”

“Really? But you were-” He paused, swallowing thickly and glancing away again before he finally finished the thought, obviously distressed by the memory it brought. “...There was so much blood...”

Holly paused, a wave of sympathy and worry washing over her as it suddenly occurred to her just how scary it must have been for him, to have her lying unresponsive and bleeding out in his wings.

“I’m fine, really.” She said, voice soft and earnest. “I did loose a lot of blood, but I’ve rested a lot and I’m feeling much better now.”

“...I’m very glad to hear that.” He sighed in relief, but Holly could tell there was still something else he wanted to ask her, and sure enough a moment later he spoke up again.

“Kaeli said that you were- that you are going to have major scaring on your arm once it is healed. Is that true?”

“That’s what they told me.” Holly nodded easily, honestly not that worried about it. Her arms were usually covered by her sleeves anyway, so she didn’t think it would make much difference.

“I...” Revali swallowed thickly at the news, apparently having difficulty getting his next words out. When he finally managed to speak his distress and remorse was palpable.

“Holly I apologise. Sincerely. It is disgraceful that a warrior like myself allowed you to suffer such a grievous injury while you were under my care. I told you so many times that I wouldn’t let anything get close enough to hurt you, but in the end I couldn’t keep that promise, and now because of my failure you’re going to carry scars for life. This is all my fault and I don’t know how I can even begin to-”

“Woah, woah, woah!” Holly interrupted him softly as he started to spiral. “Revali, I appreciate the sentiment, I really do, but this is not your fault! Did you forget how many times you saved my life that day? I never would have made it out of those woods alive if it wasn’t for you!”

“But you got that injury saving me.” He said, finally turning to look at her properly. “You-you jumped right in front of that Lizalfos! I know I told you to watch my back but there are limits you know! Do you even realise what a stupid, foolish, reckless move that was!? You could have been-!!”

He froze, catching himself mid-sentence and back-peddling quickly.

“I am sorry, that was-I didn’t mean-!”

Holly smiled a little sadly, not taking his words to heart because she understood it wasn’t really her he was angry at.

He must have been agonising over this, he blames himself so much…

He was still rambling, and without thinking she reached out and laid her hand on top of his wing to get his attention, calling softly to him.

“Revali”

He paused, glancing down at where she was touching him before looking back up at her face nervously, standing tense as he waited to see what she had to say.

“Revali, this wasn’t your fault.” She said, her voice soft but firm as she spoke. “I don’t blame you for this, and you shouldn’t blame yourself either. You’re right, what I did was completely reckless. Looking back on it I can think of so many other things I could have done, but at the time I didn’t think, I didn’t have time to, I just acted. That thing would have killed you, and I couldn’t let you die.”

She smiled, her last few words bright and honest; “If a few scars are the price I have to pay for saving a life then I’ll wear them proudly. I’m not ashamed of this, and I don’t want you to be either.”

“Holly…” He murmured thickly.

“-And hey you know what?” She pressed on quickly, trying to lift the heavy atmosphere, “You’re always telling me off for being irresponsible, but I think you’ve got the opposite problem. You’re way too responsible! I know you’re strong and mature for your age ‘cause you wanna be the best, but we’re both still kids! We’re learning! No one else thinks that I was your responsibility during that mission, you put that on yourself! And I know you did it ‘cause you’re a good person and wanted to make sure I was okay but...what was it you just told me? ‘There are limits?’”

There was a pregnant pause when she finished, and as the silence dragged Holly started to worry that maybe she’d said too much, but when Revali finally looked back at her there was a faint smile on his face.

“….You’re unbelievable, you know that?”

Holly smiled brightly, laughing as she replied.

“I hear that a lot.”

“Why am I not surprised?” He sighed, gently turning his wing over so he could lightly squeeze her hand as he added softly. “…..Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Thank you for protecting me.” She smiled, squeezing back herself.

“….Next time, I will do a better job of it, I swear.” He said, holding onto her hand and looking at her seriously, his gaze determined.

“...Well I kinda hope we don’t end up being hunted by starving Lizalfos again?” Holly mused, cocking her head to one side thoughtfully.

“Did you just-? You totally ruined my meaningful gesture!” Revali huffed, exasperated (and honestly a little hurt) by her nonchalance. He started to pull away, only for Holly to gently catch his wing again.

“-But I know that if we did there isn’t anyone else I would rather have by my side.” She finished warmly, eyes sincere.

He paused, feathers rising slightly as he blushed, and he gently pulled his hand from hers so he could cover up his embarrassment by coughing into his fist, clearing his throat as he replied with his usual bluster.

“Yes, well, of course you would! I am the best after all! Something I demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt during our exploits I’m sure you would agree. I doubt Farell or any of the other cadets could have taken on an entire pack of Lizalfos!”

“Yeah! You were awesome!” Holly beamed, happy to see he was starting to act like himself again.

“I was, wasn’t I? But don’t sell yourself short, the way you took out that lone archer so swiftly was rather impressive, especially for someone who is not trained as a warrior.”

“Hehe, well I didn’t want it to have time to cry out and alert anyone.” Holly said, rubbing the back of her head modestly before pressing on, “But what about that shot you did at the end! You took out two Lizalfos with a single arrow!”

“Hah! So you noticed that did you? It’s true, quite a masterful piece of archery if I do say so myself. The trick is to get them bunched together and aim for just the right soft spot...”

Holly smiled as she listened to him talk, relishing the fact that they could share a conversation like this without any tension or angry words. Revali was actually very entertaining to listen to as he proudly recounted some of the more impressive shot’s he’d made, and the two of them became so engrossed in their discussion that they completely lost track of time until Rita stuck her head round the doorway and informed them that visiting hours were almost over.

“Oh gosh, already?” Holly asked, glancing at a nearby timepiece for confirmation.

“It seems that time got away from us, I will take my leave shortly.” Revali reassured Rita, who smiled and left them to their goodbyes.

“I suppose I’ll wish you a pleasant evening then.” Revali nodded, rising to his feet.

“You too, thank you so much for the flowers, and for coming by and keeping me company. It’s really boring being stuck on bed rest.” Holly admitted sadly.

“I imagine that for someone with your energy it is near torture.” He commented with a raised eyebrow.

“Exactly” She nodded.

Revali paused for a moment, taking in her downcast expression and thinking about how he had actually enjoyed their conversation just now.

“...I suppose I could find the time to come back and visit you again tomorrow, if it would help alleviate your boredom.” He offered slowly.

“Really?! You would?” Holly asked eagerly, and her obvious excitement at the idea of seeing him again only inflated his already substantial ego.

“Far be it from me to deny you the pleasure of my company.” He preened, gesturing to himself with a lavish sweeping gesture. “Luckily for you I haven’t been cleared to return to training yet so I happen to have some free time on my wings.”

“Thank you so much Revali!” Holly beamed. “I’m glad we’ll get to talk some more!”

“You are welcome. I will see you tomorrow then, do try to get some rest in the meantime won’t you?”

“I’ll do my best!” Holly called, waving after him energetically with her good arm, leaving Revali to wonder if she would be physically capable of sitting still and resting overnight.

A couple of weeks ago that thought would have been driven by mockery and derision, but now he felt only a sense of fond exasperation as he pictured her trying (and probably failing) to lie still.

It was strange how one incident could so thoroughly alter the way you saw things. Without his prejudices clouding his perceptions, Revali had actually found Holly’s company today rather enjoyable. She was an attentive listener, and her praise of him was neither mocking nor empty, but rather sincere and enthusiastic. She had seen his skills first hand and knew he was as good as he claimed to be, and so supported him earnestly. Most people, even his friends, became exasperated and annoyed by his constant boasting and ended up rolling their eyes at him.

Holly’s cheerful enthusiasm was a rather pleasant change.

Furthermore, talking to her had lifted a weight off his shoulder’s he’d been carrying around ever since she passed out in his wings. He never would have thought she could talk to seriously, or say such meaningful words, and he was grateful for her understanding and support. It seemed that, contrary to what he had thought at first, she really could think things through when she wanted to.

All in all he found, to his genuine surprise, that he was actually looking forward to seeing her again tomorrow.

Heh, he mused, staring up at the sky as he made his way home , who would’ve thought…?

Chapter Text

It had been 5 days since Holly had first woken up in the Healing Roost, and if someone didn’t let her out of her room soon she was going to explode.

She understood that being confined to bed was in her best interests, but by the 3^rd day she had most of her usual energy back, and being stuck in one room for so long was akin to torture for the lively girl. She was bored and restless, unable to focus on the books she’d been given, and had become so desperate for entertainment she’d resorted to counting the knots in the woodwork. She would have gone completely stir crazy if it wasn’t for all the kind Rito who dropped in to see her, giving her something to look forward to each day.

Jade was the first to visit after Revali, bringing some of Holly’s things from the Inn to try and make her stay in the Roost a little more comfortable. She even surprised the young Witch by bringing the plush bird toy the people of the Caravan had made for her, commenting that while she hadn’t specifically asked for it, she somehow thought she might appreciate it. Holly thanked her for the thoughtful gesture, and after noticing how restless she was Jade offered to keep her company for a while. During the following conversation she surprised Holly by apologising for being so cold to her during her punishment. Apparently looking back on it now she felt that she’d been too harsh on her in her efforts to show that she disapproved of her behaviour. Holly had quickly accepted her apology, reassuring her that she understood why she’d acted the way she did, and just hoped that maybe now they could put all that behind them and get along again. Jade had been moved by the tentative request, and quickly swept Holly up into a tight embrace, reassuring her that of course they could. Holly’s eyes had widened in delight at the hug, finding that Jade’s large wings wrapped around her like a living blanket, engulfing her in warmth and pressing her against soft fluffy feathers.

She’d had her suspicious, but this confirmed it.

Rito gave the best hugs.

Jade left a little while late r, needing to get back to her I nn, but promised to come and visit again just as soon as she could.

Holly had assumed she’d have no more visitors that day until Revali turned up later on as promised, but Farell, Leri and Ollet surprised her by arriving at lunchtime, having gained permission to take an extended break so they could come and see her. Holly was touched that they’d gone to so much trouble for her, and the three cadets had quickly crowded around her, asking how she was feeling as they handed over a basket of freshly picked wildberrys as a get well soon gift. She’d reassured them that she was doing well, and once they were certain she was on the mend they quickly started peppering her with questions about her recent adventure, eager to hear her version of events. Apparently they’d heard the tale from Revali several times already, but suspected he might have been exaggerating the number of monsters involved to make himself sound more heroic. Holly had laughed as she told them that there really had been an awful lot of monsters, and Revali had indeed saved her life several times with his amazing archery skills.

“He actually took down a whole group of them single handedly!” She told them happily, causing Ollet to let out a pained groan in response.

“Oh Great Sky Above, a whole group? Do you realise how insufferable he’s going to be when he hears you’ve confirmed this? The village is going to collapse into the lake under the weight of his ego!”

Ollet’s word’s had made Holly laugh so hard her stomach hurt, and she ended up passing almost an entire hour in the cadet’s company before they finally had to get back to their training. She wished them well as they left, thanking them for coming, and they promised to try and visit again just as soon as they could.

Jade and the cadets kept their word and came back to see her again several times over the next few days, as did Elder Lila and Benta. Even Alvan showed up one day out of the blue, wanting to personally thank Holly for saving the life of his childhood friend. However out of all of them it was Revali who turned out to be her most frequent visitor. His promise to call on her again was extended to the next day, and then the day after that, until they somehow reached an unspoken agreement that he would simply continue to visit her until she told him otherwise.

At first their conversations all revolved around their recent adventure, the two teens finding solace in talking about what they’d been through with one other. Holly made sure to let Revali know that she hadn’t mentioned their hand holding during her meeting with the warriors, and he was both surprised and thankful that she’d considered his feelings and tried and spare him any embarrassment. For his part he confirmed that he hadn’t mentioned her ‘magic spell’ to anyone, for which she was extremely grateful, since it was rather personal.

Eventually they exhausted that topic of conversation, and started to talk about all sorts of other things instead, learning more about one another in the process. Holly soon found that when he wasn’t actively trying to antagonise her, Revali was actually very good company. He was witty and intelligent, displaying elegant, almost courtly mannerisms in both his speech and conduct. She’d already seen that he was mature and responsible for his age, and as she listened to him it seemed that this was as a result of the high standards he’d set for himself, in his efforts to become a great warrior.

She also quickly saw that he had a real flare for the dramatic. He would often make grand sweeping gestures as he spoke, like he was an actor and the whole world was a stage for him to showcase his brilliance. She’d never known anyone who was so flamboyant and expressive, and it was both impressive and amusing to watch him strut around.

Of course you couldn’t get around the fact that he was also very, very, prideful and arrogant, never missing an opportunity to sing his own praises. Holly already knew this, but found that after everything they’d been through together his constant posturing didn’t really bother her any more. For one thing he’d proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that his word’s weren’t just hot air, he was every bit as skilled as he claimed to be. More importantly though, Holly had seen that beneath all that bluster was a good person, with a good heart. After all, when faced with a life and death situation he had done everything in his power to protect her, despite the fact they’d been fighting just before hand. Even when he’d been given a golden opportunity to fly away and save himself, he had refused to abandon her, staying by her side and fighting with her till the very end.

With that in mind, she found it no hardship to listen to him boast.

All in all, she was really glad that they had cleared up all the misunderstanding’s between them. The more they talked the more she found herself enjoying his company, and considering the fact he kept volunteering to return and see her again, she liked to think that he was enjoying spending time with her to.

While Holly had certainly been blessed with a large number of visitors, the Healers had also done their best to try and ease her boredom when it became clear she was struggling with being confined to bed. Rita in particular ended up spending a lot of time with her as she attempted to keep her promise to braid her hair.

She turned up the day after Holly’s meeting with the Elder, hairbrush in hand, and set to her task full of confidence, certain that she had only failed the first time because she’d been trying to do everything in a rush. Half an hour later she still hadn’t managed to make Holly’s hair stay in a braid, and was forced to leave it in it’s usual ponytail again, much to her chagrin.

Rita returned the next day, armed this time with a selection of hairpins. After 15 minutes and what felt like several pounds of metal being inserted into her hair, Rita ended up calling out to passing Healer for help, needing an extra pair of wings to hold things in place while she worked. Holly found herself in the bizarre situation of having two Rito fussing and clucking over her hair, until eventually they had to once again concede defeat as their duties called them elsewhere.

The next day Rita turned up with an entire basket full of hair grooming products, striding into the room like a warrior about to step onto the battlefield. Apparently word of her struggles had spread throughout the Roost, because she’d barely sat down when two more Rito poked their heads round the door to see how she was doing, offering their assistance. Holly ended up attracting a crowd, the many Rito gathered round her bed offering tips and advice on how to deal with unruly hair as Holly struggled not to laugh at the delightful absurdity of the situation. From what she could tell it seemed that this had become a matter of pride- Rito were famed for their braiding skills, and they were not prepared to admit defeat at the hands (or hair) of one tiny Hylian.

Holly did her best to sit still as Rita combed sweet smelling oil through her hair, softening her tresses before many wings set to work weaving and pinning the strands into place.

2 0 minutes later a collective cheer went up as her hair was finally set in a neat and orderly braid.

“I can’t believe you did it!” Holly cried in delight as she examined herself in the mirror they’d held up for her. Not only had they braided it, they’d even managed to thread a pretty green ribbon through her hair. “It’s beautiful!! Thank you all so much for your help!”

She bowed to the group as she gave them her thanks, and couldn’t help but notice that even though they assured her it was nothing, they all looked rather smug and self-satisfied with the final result.

“There now, didn’t I tell you I’d get it in a braid?” Rita smiled proudly. “It’s the length that’s the main problem you know, if you grew your hair out just a bit longer it would be a lot easier to work with.”

“Applying conditioning oil every few days would also help.” Another Rito added helpfully. “Jade can easily get you some if you ask her.”

“Really? Thank you very much for the advice.” Holly bowed gratefully, mulling it over.

She knew about conditioning oils of course, but she’d never been that interested in them, much to her Grandmothers dismay. She’d always thought that as long as she was clean and tidy that was good enough, and wasn’t interested in spending extra time prettifying her hair when she could be off looking for her next adventure instead.

However she had to admit the Rito all looked so amazing with their beautiful, complicated braids. The one they’d put in her hair was relatively simple, but she still loved the way it looked . Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to ask Jade for the oil, it wouldn’t take that long to comb it through her hair in the morning, right?

First the eye liner and now hair oil, Grandma will want to pay the Rito extra at this rate for making me take more care of my appearance. Holly thought to herself with a small smile and a slight roll of her eyes.

“Holly, is everything okay?” Rita asked, noting her expression.

“Oh, it’s nothing, sorry!” Holly said, shaking her head to clear her thoughts and then smiling brightly at them. “Actually, now I think of it, can I please ask you all a question?” She waited till the group had nodded in agreement before continuing, “I’ve seen lots of different types of braids since I’ve arrived here, do they have any particular meaning?”

The gathered Healers brightened at the question, and quickly launched into a passionate explanation of how the different styles of braiding represented many different things. Apparently even the colour of the ribbon selected or the placement of the beads in the hair could send a subtly different message. Rita turned to show Holly her own braid, explaining how the style she was wearing showed that she was a Healer. Another Rito showed her their own hairstyle, a complicated piece of work where many braids merged into one, with a feather tied prominently in place at the end. She explained that it showed that she was married, and the feather decorating it belonged to her wife. The two of them exchanged a feather each morning, tying them into each others hair as a public display of devotion. Holly thought that was a beautiful gesture, and told them all as much before she eagerly pointed to one Rito who had a particularly magnificent braid, asking what that stood for. The Rito in question blushed when she pointed it out, and the other Healers grinned as they informed her that that particular braid indicated that a person was currently courting someone. The main body of the hairstyle was a standard three strand plait, but smaller braids decorated with beads had been wrapped around the main strand, entwining it like a vine, and there was a feather tied into the end. Like with the married couple, the feather belonged to the lady the Rito was courting, and she in turn wore an identical braid decorated with one of his own feathers.

Holly could have easily sat there all day learning more about the different types of braids , but eventually the Healers had to return to their other duties. Rita promised to bring her a book on the subject later , glad she’d found something that might hold the girls interest and distract her from her boredom.

Before they all left Holly couldn’t help but ask eagerly, “What does my braid mean?”

The Healers shared a somewhat guilty look before gently explai ning that there were also ‘generic’ braids that didn’t hold any particular meani ng, and s ince Holly wasn’t a Rito, that was what they’d used for her. Holly felt a little disappointed that her braid didn’t have a fancy meaning, but made sure not to let it show on her face. T hey’d all spent so much time helping her out after all, and she didn’t want to seem ungrateful!

Later that evening she had proudly shown off her new hairstyle to the cadets when they came to visit. It was actually the first time all four Rito had come to see her together, and as the conversation progressed Leri, Ollet and Farrell were absolutely boggled to see Holly and Revali talking so amicably to one another.

“What on earth happened?” Leri asked, scratching his head. “I mean, don’t get me wrong it’s really nice to see you two getting along, and I know you’ve both been through a lot recently, but this is just so...sudden!”

“Is it?” Holly asked, “I mean...we’ve been talking every day so it doesn’t seem that sudden to me?”

“You’ve been visiting her every day?” Ollet asked Revali, raising an eyebrow at him. He’d never mentioned that to the rest of them.

“As a matter of fact I have. We’ve cleared up a few...misunderstandings between us, and as it turns out Holly is not only a skilled fighter, but also rather pleasant company once you get to know her.”

He paused, looking down his beak at the others as he continued in haughty tones , “ U nlike you 3 she truly appreciates my skills and talents.”

“...Ah, I see how it is.” Farrell nodded knowingly after a moment. “She appealed to your ego and now you like her.”

R evali spluttered in indignation, and the rest of the group broke down laughing at his reaction .

Eventually the conversation moved on, and Holly couldn’t help but smile as she looked around at everyone. The last time they’d all been together like this had been that fateful day she’d lost her temper and challenged Revali. The atmosphere had been so tense back then, but now here they all were, laughing and talking together like friends, just as she’d always hoped they would.

It was really, really nice.

That had been yesterday, and since then, to her great dismay, she hadn’t had a single visitor. She knew that it was unreasonable to think that she’d get visitors every day, but without anyone to distract her from her boredom her restlessness had reached new heights.

She had tried asking Helio for permission to go down to the Healing Roosts garden, desperate for a chance to finally leave her room after being confined for so long. He’d said she was healing very well, and he hoped to send her home soon, so she thought her request would be easily granted, but it wasn’t to be. Helio had gotten to know her rather well during her time in his care, and had refused to let her go without a responsible chaperone to make sure she didn’t run around and overexert herself the second she was let out. Unfortunately since all the Healers were busy with patients that day, there was no one available to take her, and she was forced to stay inside once again.

Holly had therefore spent most of the day rolling around restlessly on her bed, feeling very sorry for herself and entertaining fantasies of simply grabbing her broom and flying out the window when no one was looking.

She had just started to try and re-read the book Rita had brought her on Rito braids when the sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention. She sat up eagerly at the sound, her sensitive Hylian hearing easily recognising Revali and Helio’s voices as they neared her door.

Good old Revali, he really is so dependable! Holly thought to herself with a smile, only to freeze as she was suddenly struck by inspiration.

That’s it!!

The two Rito stepped through the door, only to be accosted by an over-excited Holly calling out-

“Helio! Revali is responsible! He’s super responsible!”

The two Rito stared at her in bewilderment, momentarily taken aback by her aggressive greeting.

Revali found his voice first, preening at the compliment and automatically agreeing with her, while Helio tried to decipher the meaning of her words.

“He certainly is Holly, but is there a particular reason you’re telling us this?”

“Does anyone really need a reason to acknowledge my many virtues?” Revali asked smugly, and Holly groaned at the misunderstanding, forcing herself to take a calming breath and try again.

“Helio, you said I needed a responsible chaperone to visit the garden, what about Revali? I know you’re all busy today, but he’s very responsible, couldn’t he take me?”

“Ah, I see!” Helio smiled as he finally understood, “Well I certainly wouldn’t have any objections to that, provided Revali is willing.”

“Please Revali? Please please?!” Holly begged shamelessly, hands held together in prayer. “Just for an hour or so? It’d mean so much to me!”

Revali’s feathers rose up, his ego swelling at her pleading tone, and smirked cockily as he replied, “Well how could I ever deny such an impassioned request for my company? Of course I’ll escort you.”

“Thank you!” Holly cried, already darting off the bed to grab her shoes as Helio started to lay down some ground rules.

“Just to the garden and back again Revali, no detours or side trips. Don’t let her run around and overexert herself, and make sure she sits down and rests if she starts to get tired.”

“I understand sir.” Revali nodded seriously.

“Wonderful. Well then Holly, are you ready to-”

The two Rito turned to find the girl already had her boots on, her broom strapped to her back, and a warm cloak wrapped around her shoulders for warmth.

“...I’ll take that as a yes then.” Helio smiled, chuckling in amusement. “All right then, you can go. But take it slowly Holly, remember that Revali has my full permission to bring you straight back here if you overdo it.”

“I will! I promise!” She agreed eagerly, starting to bounce in anticipation.

Helio gave her a pointed look and she quickly caught herself and stopped her eager bouncing.

“Ahem. I mean-I will, I promise.” She repeated, this time in much more sombre tones.

Helio shook his head and patted Revali consolingly on the shoulder as he left. “Good luck with that cadet.”

Once they were alone Holly glanced over at Revali, pouting softly as she murmured;

“...I am trying not to get carried away you know.”

“You know the worst part is I believe you.” He sighed in response, before turning and graciously offering her his wing. “Come along then, let’s go.”

Holly smiled as she threaded her good arm through his wing, holding onto him for support as he carefully lead her out of the room and down the spiral staircase that wrapped around the Roost.

“Thank you for this, really.” She sighed in relief once they were outside.

“You are welcome. Considering how stir-crazy you were getting I think you might well have done something drastic if I hadn’t agreed to take you.” He said with a knowing smile.

“I’d like to say the thought hadn’t occurred to me, but that would be a lie.” Holly admitted easily.

“Of course it would be.” Revali sighed, shaking his head again.

“It’s really nice to finally see the rest of the Roost after all this time” Holly commented, eagerly looking around at all the new sights.

It seemed she’d been housed about two thirds of the way up the Roost, and as they went down the steps they passed other rooms just like the one she’d been staying in, where patients were either resting or being tended to by Healers. As they reached the lower levels the rooms became larger, and it seemed that Healers used these areas for consultations and check ups, where patients were just dropping by rather then staying for a long time. These lower rooms were busier, filled with Rito coming and going, and Holly smiled at the sight of a tiny Rito child being handed a honey candy by a Healer for being so brave while they looked at their poorly wing.

“Guess someone tried to fly a little too early, huh?” She commented to Revali, nodding towards the child in question.

“Oh yes, there are a few injuries every year, despite all the warnings not to try and practise on your own.” He nodded, before adding in a kinder tone, “...You can hardly blame them though.”

“Of course not, I know I couldn’t wait to get up into the sky once I realised I could fly, no matter how many bumps and bruises I collected for my efforts.” Holly chuckled.

“Why does it not surprise me?” Revali smirked at her as they reached the end of the staircase and the garden came into view.

“Oh! It’s beautiful!” Holly cried in delight, and started to pull forward, eager to explore, only to be gently held back by the wing still threaded through her arm.

“Slowly now. You haven’t forgotten Helio’s words already have you?” Revali chided her.

“Whoops, you’re right, thanks Revali.” She nodded sheepishly.

“You’re welcome. The garden isn’t going to go anywhere you know, we’ll have plenty of time to see everything.”

Holly smiled and nodded, letting Revali dictate the pace this time as he led her forward.

True to his word, Revali took her round the entire garden. Someone had obviously put a lot of thought into it’s design, as everywhere Holly looked there was something that caught the eye. The paths were lined with interesting flowers and colourful shrubs, and carefully interspersed lavender and honeysuckle bushes gave the air a sweet perfume. The centrepiece of the garden was a large water fountain, where clear water cascaded down three tiered layers before falling into a wide pool at the bottom, which was filled with colourful pebbles and small glass beads. At the very top of the fountain was a beautiful sculpture of a bird, it’s head tilted back and wings spread wide as if it was about to take off and go soaring straight up into the sky. Revali let Holly sit on the edge of the fountain and trail her fingers in the cool water while he explained that it was customary to come here and throw in a pebble or bead into the water, to wish for the speedy recovery of a friend or loved one.

“Did you throw one in for me?” Holly asked curiously.

Revali’s feathers rose and he couldn’t quite meet her eyes as he coughed and murmured evasively, “...Perhaps.”

Eventually they moved on, and Holly started to notice that all sorts of interesting ornaments had been hung from the branches of the surrounding trees. There were wind chimes of course, but also a variety of hanging mobiles which caught the light as they twirled gently in the wind. She was particularly enthralled to discover an ancient looking willow tree which had a large wicker couch suspended from it’s branches, like a sort of giant swing. The way the couch had been positioned meant you would have a clear view out across the garden, yet would also be partially curtained by the thick hanging branches of the tree, which were coated in tiny lilac flowers. Holly asked to stop there for a while, eager to try out the swinging couch, and since they had been walking for some time Revali was only to happy to oblige and give her the chance to rest.

The couch was covered in thick downy cushions and blankets, and once they were both seated comfortably Revali kicked off with his feet, setting them swinging gently back and forth.

“This is magical.” Holly commented happily, admiring the way the light filtered through the branches, casting them both in a soft purple glow.

“It is rather nice, isn’t it?” Revali hummed contentedly.

Holly smiled and leant back for a moment, letting herself relax as she listened to the ever present noise of wind chimes and pin wheels, mixing with the gentle burbling of the fountain in the distance.

“I really love it here.” She sighed happily, feeling the need to voice her thoughts. “Not just the garden, I mean the whole village. You’re really lucky to live here Revali, your home is amazing.”

He nodded in agreement, sitting up straighter as he replied proudly, “Rito village is one of the greatest wonders in Hyrule. Anyone can see that it is a masterpiece of design, not only from a structural standpoint but aesthetically as well. There is nothing in the land that can compare.”

He paused, glancing over at her as he added softly. “...If you are to become an adventurer one day, I’m sure your travels will only confirm this.”

Holly smiled, touched by the way he’d acknowledged her dream. He might not have said anything at the time, but she’d noticed his scornful expression when she told everyone that she wanted to be an adventurer. It meant a lot to hear him say something like that now

“Thank you Revali.” She smiled warmly, glad to have his support.

The two of them sat in companionable silence for a while, just rocking back and forth and enjoying the peaceful surroundings, until Holly finally spoke up again.

“...I meant to ask you, did Elder Lila talk to you about our public apology?”

“Ah, yes.” He nodded. “She said she was prepared to let us apologize in private, just before herself and the council, as act of leniency considering our recent trials.”

“She said the same thing to me, but I said I was still happy to do it in public. If you’d rather take her up on her offer though...”

“No, no.” He cut her off with a shake of his head “I also agreed we should finish our punishment properly.”

There was a brief moment of silence, and Holly got the impression Revali wanted to say something more to her, but was struggling to find the words. She didn’t push, and after a minute or two he finally took a deep breath and continued.

“I...have been thinking about what I should say to you, during the apology I mean.”

“...Oh?” She replied carefully.

“Yes.” He said, sounding more certain as he pressed on. “I’ve been reflecting on my actions, trying to work out just why I was so angry at you in the first place. At the time I was convinced that you were insulting the warriors, insulting my tribe, with your actions and general demeanour. Whether you meant to or not did not matter to me, I thought your behaviour was unacceptable and needed to be corrected.”

“Revali I...”

“Please do not interrupt.” He said sternly, glancing at her intently before looking back out across the garden again as he continued.

“...When I look back on it now, I realise I was so blinded by my own self-righteous anger, by my belief that I was right and you were wrong, that I twisted all the facts to suit my needs. I let myself see nothing but the bad in everything you did, and never once gave you the benefit of the doubt, or even tried to understand you. Now I can look back on things with a clear head, I can see exactly what the others had been trying to tell me from the start. You might be silly and childish at times, but you’ve always been polite and grateful for everything we’ve done for you. I was the only one that saw anything different.”

He shook his head, and Holly could hear the shame and regret in his voice as he continued.

“I was so convinced that I was doing the right thing, that it was my duty to make you see that you were wrong and correct your behaviour. I thought I was acting righteously, in defence of my people, but in reality all I was doing was bullying you. I-I mocked and ridiculed you, for weeks, and when you didn’t react I got angrier and my behaviour became even more hateful. I..I was absolutely foul to you. I could have just talked to you, explained my feelings about your behaviour, but I was so irate I convinced myself you wouldn’t have the brains to listen to me, even if I tried.”

He paused, finally glancing over at her as he added softly. “...Obviously I know now that that isn’t the case.”

Holly nodded, holding her tongue and letting him finish without interruption, since it seemed it was very difficult for him to admit all this.

“I know this doesn’t excuse how I acted, but I thought you deserved...you at least deserved know why. I know this can’t make up for what I put you through...but I apologise Holly, truly and sincerely. I was wrong, and I’m sorry for what I did.”

Holly smiled softly at the apology. There was no audience here, he wasn’t being forced to say all this, but he’d chosen to anyway, and that meant so very much to her.

“Thank you for telling me that Revali, I know it must have been difficult to say all that, but it meant a lot to me to hear it.”

“You’re welcome.” He nodded, and it was obviously how uncomfortable he was. It had been hard for him to open up and talk to her like that, and looking at him she felt that the least she could do was show him the same courtesy.

She took a moment to gather her thoughts, and then spoke into the silence that had fallen between them.

“...I never hated you you know. The things you said hurt, but it’s not like it’s the first time anyone’s ever spoken to me like that. I told you back in the woods, I knew that if I wanted to live like this I would have to accept that some people would be irritated with my behaviour- even hate me for it, and I was prepared for that.”

Holly took a deep fortifying breath she admitted softly, “Revali...I knew the whole time that you were trying to aggravate me. I just pretended not to notice. In the past that’s been...well it’s been the best way to deal with people who were saying mean things to me. If I got angry and fought back, or if got upset and ran away, they only acted worse because they knew they’d gotten to me. But if I pretended I didn’t notice, if they saw that they weren’t going to get the reaction they wanted out of me, eventually they got bored and moved on.”

She paused, glancing at him with a rueful smile as she added. “Not you though, I’ve never met anyone so persistent!”

Revali didn’t look particularly happy to hear that, and Holly continued in a more contemplative tone.

“After a while it became obvious that you weren’t going to give up, that pretending was only making you angrier, but I felt...committed at that point. I thought that if I admitted that I knew you were trying to insult me, you’d only be angrier at me for ignoring you on purpose. So I kept pretending to be oblivious, and it just got worse and worse between us till we hit breaking point. It’s like you said, perhaps if I’d just been brave and actually stopped and talked to you about it, this could have all be avoided.”

She sighed heavily, glancing up at the sky through the branches of the trees as she continued.

“...Do you remember what I told you back in the woods? That I want to enjoy my life, and focus on all the things that bring me joy? Well that’s true, but I’d also never want my actions to put anyone in danger either. That’s why I try to listen to rules, even when they mean I don’t get to do what I want. Like how I agreed not to fly around the village, even though I’d been looking forward to finally being able to fly as much as I wanted, without having to hide what I am...”

Revali glanced over at her in surprise, she sounded so sad, he had no idea being grounded was such a hardship for her.

“Sorry, I’m getting off track.” Holly said, bringing herself back to the point at hand with a shake of her head. “What I’m trying to say is I’ve been thinking about things to, and you were right to scold me back in the forest. I wasn’t taking things seriously enough, and I put us in danger. I was nervous about being on a mission with you after our fight, so I tried to find something fun to distract myself with, and I ended up getting so excited I forgot there could be monsters around. Maybe all that silly humming was what alerted the Lizalfos to our presence in the first place. If I’d just stayed quiet maybe we wouldn’t have had to go through all that….”

Revali’s eyes widened a little as she spoke. During their mission, and from the subsequent conversations they’d had, he’d learned that Holly was perfectly capable of taking things seriously when she had to, she simply preferred not to, choosing to look for the ‘fun’ in things instead. Even so, he was surprised to learn that she’d been thinking about her actions just as thoroughly as he had.

“Well…I think we’re both to blame on that front.” He finally replied, trying to be gracious. “I wasn’t exactly being careful about my own volume when I yelled at you.”

“Yeah, but I pushed you to it.” Holly replied with a small smile before turning to him, speaking earnestly.

“You apologised to me, and I appreciate it, but what I’ve been trying to say is...I’m responsible as well. I’m really sorry I didn’t just come clean and admit that I knew that you were mad at me from the start, and I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you and take the mission more seriously in the beginning.”

She paused, looking up at him hopefully as she asked. “...Do you think that you can forgive me? I’ve really liked talking to you this past week, and I’d like it if we could be friends.”

“...Can you forgive me?” Revali asked a little breathlessly. He couldn’t help but feel that out of the two of them his behaviour had been far worse.

“Of course I can.” She smiled brightly, as if that was an easy decision. “And not just cause you saved me either, I meant what I just said. Now I’ve gotten to know the real you, without all the hostility getting in the way, I’ve found that I like spending time with you. You’re a good person, and I’d like to be your friend.”

Revali felt a lump in his throat at her words. She wanted to be his friend? Many people were impressed by his skills, wit and charm and want to befriend him of course but...but she had seen some of the ugliest sides of him. He had thrown his anger, his spite, his contempt, right in her face...and she was still sitting there saying that she wanted to be his friend. That she thought he was a good person.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of mockery or deception in her voice, she looked bright, earnest and open as she waited for his response.

“I...” He swallowed thickly. “...I would like that Holly.” He finally replied, and for the first time in his life he found himself struggling with the feeling that he’d just been offered something he didn’t really deserve.

Oblivious to these thoughts Holly smiled brightly, reaching out and squeezing his wing with her good hand. “Thank you Revali!”

“You’re welcome.” He managed weakly, feeling a little overwhelmed.

“Let’s just promise that the next time we get mad at one another we’ll talk about it before we start throwing punches, okay?” She asked with a cheeky smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Revali blinked at her request, and found himself laughing despite himself. “Very well, it’s a deal.”

They released their grip on one another and sat back, Holly still smiling warmly while Revali leaned back in his seat, feeling an odd mixture of relieved and exhausted now they’d finally gotten through that intense conversation.

They were quiet for a minute or two, and then Holly broke the silence by suddenly musing out loud,

“I guess this was kinda like practise for our public apology, huh?”

“...I don’t think I will be going into quite so much detail in front of the entire tribe.” Revali said warily.

“Oh no, I understand that. I just hope that when we apologise the rest of the village will stop being so cross at me. I don’t know why, but the longer our punishment went on the more angry everyone seemed to be with me.”

Revali raised an eyebrow. “You do not know why? Truly?”

“...No? Should I?” Holly asked, looking lost.

Revali sighed. “Holly, from what I heard you were carrying out your punishment with your usual bounce and cheer, is that correct?”

“Mhm” She nodded, “I worked as hard as I could!”

“...I’m sure you did, but people expect someone receiving a punishment to act in a chastised and repentant manner. Bouncing around as if nothing is wrong only made everyone think you were not at all sorry for what you did.”

“What?!” She cried in alarm. “B-But that’s not how I felt at all! I just wanted to make the best of a bad situation, to give it my all!”

“Calm down, you can’t let yourself get so worked up.” Revali said sternly, worrying about her health. “It sounds like it was just a misunderstanding, if you explain this to the village during our apology I’m sure they’ll understand.”

“You think so? Really?” She asked hopefully.

“I do. Just try and think about how your actions will be perceived by others a bit more next time, all right?”

“Okay, I’ll try.” She sighed, looking relieved.

Revali nodded, noticing the position of the sun in the sky as he did so “...And with that, I do believe it’s time to bring you back to your room.”

“Wha- already?” She pouted.

“Yes. Come along now, I promised I wouldn’t let you stay out too long.”

“Aww...” She moaned, but obediently took his offered wing, letting him lead her back towards the stairs.

Revali glanced at her glum face and relented a little.

“I can always come take you out again tomorrow, if you wish.”

She lit up like a tiny sun, and for once her giddy grin didn’t make him feel even a little bit irritated.

In the end, it took nearly 2 weeks of monitoring and treatment before Holly was finally allowed to leave the Healing Roost.

Helio removed her stitches before releasing her, an uncomfortable process Holly truly hoped she’d never have to go through again. He reassured her that the tiny holes left behind would soon close up now the thread had been removed, and gave her strict instructions to keep her arm clean, to not do anything that would put great strain on it, and come back once every 2 days for a check up. Holly could already see where the large scars he had warned her about were starting to form, but as she examined herself in the mirror she didn’t think they looked that bad. Plus, if anyone asked about them she had the perfect opportunity to recount the amazing story of her and Revali taking on an entire pack of Lizalfos single handedly!

Jade welcomed her back to the Inn with unrestrained delight, wrapping her up in a big hug before showing her to her bed, which she’d kept reserved for her in her absence. Holly even received a present to celebrate her return.

“I meant to give this to you weeks ago, but after you started receiving your punishment it didn’t seem right to give you a gift, so I put it aside for safekeeping. I’m happy I can finally give it to you.”

Holly’s eyes lit up as she was presented with her own bottle of black eye liner.

“Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!” She gushed, examining her present eagerly.

“You’re very welcome Holly, would you like me to show you how to put it on?”

“Yes please!”

Jade sat with her in front of her large mirror, patiently teaching her how to apply the eye liner, and when they’d finished the lesson (with Jade reassuring her that it took a lot of time and practise to be able to produce a completely smooth line) she produced yet another gift, a small bottle of hair oil.

“You’ve been talking to Rita.” Holly grinned, accepting it happily.

“I have, and I’ll be happy to show you how to get your hair in a braid later on now that the Healers have figured out the trick to it.”

“Thank you so much!” Holly beamed.

Jade insisted that she took it easy, refusing to let her do any chores when she’d only just been discharged from the Roost, so Holly spent the rest of the day walking around the village, revelling in her freedom to go wherever she pleased. Revali and the other cadets were out training, but she stopped by the General Store to say hello to Alvan, and many Rito called out to her as she wandered aimlessly, wanting a chance to talk to her and praise her for her heroics.

The day went by in a flash, and before she knew it it was time for her and Revali to exchange their public apologies.

Neither of them were particularly nervous as they stood before the gathered crowd, they’d already apologised to one another in private, so this simply felt like a formality.

Revali was in his element as he spoke to the large assembly, his words eloquent and moving as he apologised to Holly with a sweeping bow. Holly felt her own apology paled in comparison, she couldn’t compete with Revali’s showmanship, but she was nevertheless sincere and earnest, which was really the most important thing.

Once she had finished her apology she took a moment to speak to the crowd and clear up the misunderstanding about her behaviour during her punishment. Revali had helped her decide what to say beforehand, so the words flowed easily.

“...I understand now that it must have seemed like I wasn’t taking my punishment seriously, and that I wasn’t truly sorry about what I had done, and I can only apologise and assure you that that wasn’t the case. I was just trying to put my best foot forward and show you all that I would work as hard as I could, without any resentment or reluctance. I’m very sorry that I made you doubt my sincerity and repentance.”

She bowed low to everyone, and there were several approving murmurs from the crowd in response. Holly couldn’t help but shoot Revali an elated look- it had worked! Just like he said!

Revali simply smirked, nodding his head at her as if to say ‘of course it did, I helped you after all’.

The two teenagers stepped back now they’d finished, and Elder Lila called everyone back to order.

“I’m sure you’re all aware that after Revali and Holly’s recent acts of bravery this apology was merely a formality. Nevertheless, I would like it noted that they were both offered an alternative arrangement, yet insisted on completing their punishment in it’s entirety. I think that speaks greatly as to their true characters. Revali, Holly, I am happy to announce that with this your punishment is officially over, and you are pardoned for your transgressions.”

“Thank you Elder.” They spoke as one, bowing to her.

She nodded smartly, then suddenly lifted her wings and broke into a smile as she continued.

“Now then! Holly, Revali, everyone has heard of your courageous deeds in the forest. You overcame your differences and worked together to survive, showing great skill and valour in the process. Such bravery cannot go unrewarded!”

There was a cry of agreement from the gathered crowd, and some of the Rito started smiling knowingly, as if they knew what was coming next. Revali and Holly looked at one another in surprise, neither of them had any idea that they were going to be rewarded!

“Revali.” Lila nodded, smiling proudly at the young warrior. “You protected our guest to the very best of your ability, going above and beyond the call of duty. Considering the skill you have shown, the warriors have agreed that you may skip ahead and advance to the next stage of your training. From tomorrow onwards you will begin to practise using elemental and bomb arrows, under Kaeli’s instruction.”

Holly watched Revali’s eyes grow wide as saucers at the news, and he barely managed to gather himself enough to perform a sweeping bow and give them all his most sincere thanks. Holly smiled brightly at him when he looked her way, sincerely happy for him. She knew how eager he was to start using bomb arrows like the village warriors did, but the cadets weren’t due to start training to use them for another 6 months or so. Getting to advance like this was a big deal, but he definitely deserved it.

Lila turned to Holly next.

“Young Witch, you also showed great courage, and fought side by side with Revali, sustaining a grave injury in defence of his life. In thanks our tribe present to you this set of Snowquill armour.”

It was Holly’s turn gape in shock as the village tailor stepped forward with a set of the special cold resistance clothing in his arms.

“Oh my gosh! Thank you, thank you so much! It’s even my favourite colour!” She gushed excitedly. Instead of the standard tan colour the clothing had been dyed crimson, the cloth around the waste changed to dark green instead the usual red for contrast.

The tailor chuckled as he walked over and handed the clothing and boots to her. “Holly coloured clothes to match your name, hmm?”

She laughed and nodded in agreement. “Thank you, I’m touched you remembered.”

He smiled and withdrew, and Holly blinked as she suddenly noticed something was missing.

“Um, I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound rude or ungrateful but...the headdress doesn’t seem to be here?”

“Indeed it isn’t” Lila nodded with a smile. “I’m sure you remember that long before your fight with Revali you asked our armourers to produce a set of goggles for you?”

Holly nodded, she’d spent quite a lot of time doing chores for them to pay them back for the materials and labour that would go into making her goggles. What did that have to do with the missing headpiece though?

“When we decided that we would gift you the Snowquill, the armourers decided to make some modifications to your goggles, as they realised it would be difficult for you to wear both the goggles and the headdress at the same time.” Lila explained, turning and motioning the craftsmen forward to explain further.

“We’ve never made anything like this before, it is one of a kind, just like you young Witch.” One of the armourers smiled as they came to a stop before her, and motioned to his partner, who holding a wooden box in his wings.

“We hope you’ll find it to your liking.” The other craftsman smiled, and opened the lid to show her the contents.

Holly let out an audible gasp as she stared at the treasure inside.

It was a set of googles, but it was also far more then that. The pieces of reinforced glass that would protect her eyes had been set into a piece of crimson leather that matched her dyed Snowquill, and sewn onto the sides were two fake braids, made by weaving white ribbon through what looked like horse hair which had been carefully dyed to match her natural hair colour. When worn it would appear her own hair had been braided in the usual style one wore with a Snowquill headdress. At the bottom of these braids hung colourful beads and two large enchanted rubies which would provide cold resistance. One one side the metal ‘feathers’ that formed such a prominent part of the usual Snowquill headdress had been carefully attached so they would be positioned behind her left ear.

What really drew Holly’s eye though was the large black beak that sat between the googles eyepieces. It was made out of some sort of metal and had been carefully smoothed and polished till it glistened in the evening light.

“You combined the goggles and the headpiece!” She gasped as she realised what they had done for her, “You even gave me a beak! It’s so beautiful!”

“Thank you little miss.” One of the armourers smiled, while the other carefully lifted the goggles out of the box, eager to explain their handiwork.

“When we fly our beaks work to divert the wind away from our faces, so this, combined with the rubies, should protect your face even if you’re flying in bitterly cold winds.”

“It’s amazing, thank you so much.” Holly smiled, carefully putting down her new clothes so she could take the goggles from him, eager to try them out. She felt warmth spreading through her body, particularly her head, as soon as she slipped them on. The enchanted rubies were powerful, with this her face and sensitive pointed ears wouldn’t freeze, even when exposed to the most bitter cold!

She pulled the goggles down into place, peering out through the glass and getting used to the sight and sensation of the fake beak being there, shielding her nose and mouth.

“How do I look?” She asked the crowd, spinning around happily so they could see, the fake braids twirling out with her movements.

There was a chuckle from the gathered crowd, and many voices called out to tell her the new goggles suited her.

“It looks good on you Holly.” Benta agreed, stepping forward. “And now that you’re properly equipped for the cold, I can being teaching you how to fly at high altitudes.”

Holly’s jaw dropped, her eyes widening in hope.

“Does that mean?!”

Benta smiled and nodded “We’ve cleared it with the Healers, you will resume training with me tomorrow.”

Holly couldn’t help it, she gave a delighted cry and tackled the warrior with a hug, the laughter of the crowd ringing in her ears as she pressed her face into his feathers. She could even hear Revali laughing along good naturedly behind her, and it was such a change from the outrage she would have expected from him a few weeks ago for being so forward with one of the villages greatest warriors.

Benta laughed, patting her on the back and warning her to be careful with her new beak, and Holly just squeezed him tighter, overflowing with happiness.

Finally, finally, she was going to fly again!

Chapter Text

The next morning Jade went to wake Holly up as usual, only to find that the young Witch was already up and dressed in her brand new set of Snowquill clothing.

“Goodness, you’re not usually up this early! Eager to get back to flying lessons are we?” The Innkeeper chuckled, resting her wings on her hips as she looked at her.

“I could barely sleep I was so excited!” Holly grinned, picking up her goggles and putting them on so they rested on the top of her head.

“Well I can’t say that I’m surprised. Now, would you like to braid your hair today? I did promise I would show you how.”

“Yes please Jade! Oh- is it okay though?” Holly hesitated.

The book Rita had given her on Rito braids had mentioned that ‘preening’, that is to say, styling someone’s hair or taking care of their plumage, was a very personal activity. It was usually only carried out between family members, close friends, or lovers. The book had gone so far as to say that an unwarranted offer to help with preening could be considered highly offensive, as it suggested a certain level of intimacy between the two parties. With that in mind, was it okay for Jade to help her?

Jade chuckled gently when she voiced her concerns out loud. “Well it’s nice of you to be so considerate, but I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t okay with helping you. There are situations where we make exceptions you know, like if you’re sick or injured, or if you’re a young girl who doesn’t know how to set her hair and needs some guidance?” She finished with a pointed look in her direction.

Holly broke into a relieved smile as she listened to the explanation. “I get it Jade, thank you very much for your help!”

Her words made sense, and also explained why the Healers had been so happy to help her with her hair while she was recovering. She supposed they had to do that a lot for injured Rito who couldn’t take care of their own preening.

Jade led her over to her mirror, sat her down, and showed her how her unruly hair could be carefully coaxed into submission. The experienced Rito effortlessly created a neat and tidy braid, explaining what she was doing as Holly watched her movements closely in the mirror. When she was done she let her hair down again to give the young girl a chance to try tying it herself. Holly set to work with her usual level of enthusiasm, but despite her best efforts the end result was a wobbly, lumpy looking braid with at least half a dozen bits of hair poking out at odd angles where they’d escaped her attempts to tie them down.

“Oh dear.” Jade chuckled, covering her beak with one wing to try and hide her amusement as she examined her work. “It’s like a fledglings first attempt.”

“You mean it’s a mess.” Holly pouted.

Jade rallied at her words, doing her best to console her. “You just need more practise, that’s all. Remember Rito start learning how to braid as children and practise every day, so it’s only natural that we’re all skilled at this. You’ll get the hang of it with time.”

She patted her on the shoulder reassuringly, before adding tentatively. “...Having said that, would you like me to set it for you today?”

“Yes please.” Holly sighed in relief, “I’m pretty sure Revali would never let me hear the end of it if I turned up looking like this!”

Being so vain Revali was even more fastidious then the average Rito when it came to his appearance. She could already picture him taking one look at her and asking what sin her hair had committed that meant she had to butcher it like this in retaliation.

Jade chuckled at her words, agreeing with her assessment as she quickly undid her work and retied her hair neatly once again.

“Once you’ve been applying the hair oil regularly it’ll definitely make braiding easier for you.” She reassured her as she finished.

“Thank you Jade, I promise I’ll keep practising, but I might need you to help me out again, would that be okay?” Holly asked politely. She hoped Jade would say yes, didn’t think their was anyone else she could ask without risking causing offence.

“Of course it is Holly.” Jade smiled “I’ll be happy to keep teaching you.”

“Thank you so much!” Holly grinned brightly, before turning back and looking at her reflection in the mirror, eyes brimming with renewed determination. “Right! I’m going to try and do my eye liner all by myself next!”

“Oh? Someone’s feeling confident.” Jade chuckled, rising to her feet. “All right then, I’ll leave you to it.”

True to her word Jade went back to her reception desk, going over her account book as she let the young girl work undisturbed. A few minutes later she started to hear distressed noises coming from where Holly was settled in front of her mirror, and she peered discreetly over her book, wincing in sympathy as she watched Holly struggling to keep her lines straight and of even thickness. It was tempting to go over and offer to do this for her too, but she knew from experience that the only way to really learn how to produce a smooth line was by practise, so she resisted the temptation to intervene.

It was a good 20 minutes later before Holly finally sat back, not really satisfied, but resigned to the fact this was probably as good as she was going to get it.

“Is it terrible?” She asked Jade, walking over to show off her handiwork.

“...It’s not terrible.” The Innkeeper said kindly as she examined her face. The lines were rather wobbly but she had managed to get them around the same thickness, which was a start. “If anyone says anything you tell them it’s your first time trying this yourself- everyone remembers how crooked their first attempts were.”

“Thanks Jade.” Holly smiled, reassured.

“You’re very welcome. Now go on and get your breakfast, if you’re going to spend all day flying you’ll need a good meal to give you energy.”

“Okay, I will, thanks!” Holly grinned, bouncing happily out the door and dashing up the steps, heart soaring at the thought of finally getting to fly again after so long.

When she reached the kitchen the Rito serving breakfast all complimented her on how smart she looked in her new Snowquill outfit, causing Holly to twirl around happily to show it off more as she thanked them for their kind words. She then quickly accepted a big serving of warm fluffy pancakes, drizzled with honey and served with fresh wildberrys and apple slices. She enjoyed them thoroughly, eating her fill and then washing it all down with a glass of milk, before going to return her empty plate.

One of the servers took her plate and handed over a pre-prepared lunch, packaged in the traditional Rito style, a thin wooden box wrapped up in a colourful piece of cloth to stop the lid flying off during transport.

“I put an extra riceball in there for you.” The Rito whispered conspiratorially to her as she handed it over with a smile. “I’m sure you’ll need your energy today.”

“Thank you so much!” Holly said with a delighted grin, bowing gratefully to the avian. The Rito people had all be nicer to her after she’d gotten injured, but it seemed explaining the misunderstanding about her actions during her punishment had finally washed away and doubts they had about her. They were all being so kind and supportive again, just like when she first arrived.

“Ah, Holly, there you are!” Called a familiar voice, pulling her from her thoughts, and Holly lit up as she spun around to see Benta waiting for her.

“Good morning sir!” She called as she ran over eagerly to meet him.

“Good morning.” He smiled, glancing down at her appearance and nodding approvingly. “The Snowquill suits you well, though I’m afraid we won’t be going high enough today that you’ll need it.”

“Does that mean I have to go change?” She asked forlornly.

Benta chuckled, shaking his head “No, no, it won’t hurt to wear it, you might as well get used to flying while wearing those clothes. Besides, I’m sure you’re eager to try out your new googles.”

“I really really am!” Holly grinned, reaching up to touch them.

“Well I best not keep you waiting any longer then. Lets go!” Benta smiled, leading her towards the nearest landing.

Holly hurried along eagerly, she just couldn’t wait to get up in the air again!

The cadets had settled in their usual spot to eat lunch. The weather was good, training had been productive, and...well Revali was already boasting about the elemental arrow lesson’s he was going to receive in the afternoon, but they’d all been expecting that.

Everyone attempted to keep up a normal conversation, making no mention of the way they all kept glancing in the direction of the field where Holly would be training, searching the sky for the sight of her flying towards them.

They made it halfway through their lunch break before Leri finally voiced what everyone was thinking.

“Guys….isn’t Holly really late for lunch?”

No one replied, sharing uneasy looks with one another as he pressed on quietly.

“….She is coming, right?”

Everyone turned and looked at Revali.

“Don’t look at me like that!” He snapped, puffing up his feathers in indignation. “We’ve already put aside our differences and apologised to one another! She’s not staying away because of me!”

“Come on Revali, you can’t really blame us for thinking...”

“I absolutely can.” He seethed, glaring at Leri.

“All right, let’s just calm down.” Farell said firmly, raising his wings placatingly to stop them bickering.

“It’s probably something simple.” Ollet suggested. “It’s her first flying lesson after being grounded for ages, and we all know how excited she was to fly again. She’s probably just lost track of time.”

“Yeah, she’s right, that’s probably it!” Leri said, trying to sound more sure about it then he actually felt.

Farell glanced around at the rest of the group, noting how they were all trying very hard to pretend that weren’t at all concerned about Holly’s absence any more, and sighed.

Sometimes it was really hard to be the adult of the group.

“You realise we never actually invited her to come eat with us, right?” He spoke up quietly “Why not speak to her this evening and make it clear that she is welcome to join us? That would also give us the opportunity to ask about her absence.”

“Oh! That’s a great idea! I bet she’d be really happy if we actually invited her!” Leri said excitedly, perking up at the suggestion.

Everyone agreed, and a plan was soon made to meet up later that day after the evening meal and go visit her together. Feeling happier now that they had a plan in place, they were able to enjoy the rest of their break in peace, even though Holly never did turn up in the end.

That was fine, they knew they’d be seeing her later after all.

Holly was delighted when they all came to see her in the evening, and pre-empted their questions about her absence by immediately launching into an apology as soon as she saw them.

“I’m so sorry! I was planning on coming to lunch but I had so much to catch up on, and I was so excited to be flying again, that I completely lost track of time! By the time Benta said I had to stop and come down and eat something I realised you guys would have already gone back to your lessons!”

“See, didn’t I tell you it would be something simple like that?” Ollet grinned at the others, smug at having been proven right.

“Does that mean you’re not upset?” Holly asked, glancing around at them anxiously.

“Of course not Holly, we were just a little concerned when you didn’t show up, that’s all. It’s good to know that it wasn’t anything serious.” Farell smiled reassuringly.

“You will be joining us tomorrow though, won’t you Holly?” Revali asked quickly, wanting to be the one who made the official invitation. It was something he felt he needed to do, a small way to make amends for trying to drive her away before.

“Yeah, we’d love it if you came.” Leri added happily.

Holly lit up at the offer. “I’ll be there! If I tell Benta I really want to see you guys tomorrow I’m sure he’ll help me keep a better eye on the time!”

“That’s great Holly, we’ve done so much training while you’ve been away, there’s lots to catch you up on!” Leri smiled enthusiastically.

“I’m looking forward to it!” Holly grinned. “But hey, if I’ve missed out on so much would you guys like to talk now? I’ve finished my chores so I’ve got free time till curfew. Plus I really want to hear how Revali’s first lesson with elemental arrows went!”

“Naturally, who wouldn’t?” Revali smirked, puffing up proudly at the mention of his special lessons.

“What he means to say is yes, we’d like to go talk now.” Ollet sighed with a slight roll of her eyes.

“Great! Oh, I know, how about we got up to the old shrine? There’s space up there to sit and talk without getting in anyone’s way, plus the view is so beautiful!” Holly suggested eagerly.

“That sounds good.” Farell agreed, and everyone else quickly nodded along.

“Great, lets go! Oh, does anyone mind if I grab a warm drink from the kitchen on the way up though?” Holly asked as they started heading up the stairs.

“You can’t possibly be cold, you’ve got Snowquill on!” Leri chuckled.

“No cold, just thirsty!” Holly grinned. “Jade showed me where you guys keep the tea and I really like the blend with all the spices from Gerudo town mixed in.”

“Oh, you mean the ‘Desert Nights’ blend?” Farell asked curiously. He was partial to that blend himself and was surprised to hear that Holly liked it. Somehow he couldn’t quite picture the energetic girl drinking something as soothing as tea.

“That’s the one! I really like it with milk and honey.” She smiled happily.

“It is a rather nice blend, though I prefer it black myself, without anything added.” Revali said snobbishly, as if choosing to drink it without adding anything to sweeten the taste was somehow more impressive.

“I’m quite fond of it to.” Farell added with a soft smile, ignoring Revali’s boast with practised ease.

“Why don’t we just make a big pot and bring it up with us on a tray then?” Ollet suggested.

“That sounds great!” Holly cheered.

“Oh! If we’re going to do that we might as well bring some snacks too! I’m pretty sure there’s still some Nutcake left over from last night!” Leri suggest eagerly.

“This is rapidly turning into a picnic.” Farell chuckled as they reached the kitchen and Leri and Holly immediately started bustling about gathering cups and setting water to boil.

“Why not? A evening picnic on the shrine sounds like fun!” Holly grinned as Revali passed her the tea and Ollet started slicing up the remaining Nutcake.

“….You know what, I think you’re right.” Farell smiled, and went to go get a tray to carry everything.

The 4 cadets and Holly ended up spending the entire evening sat around the shrine talking.

Holly listened eagerly as they told her about all the things she’d missed during her time in the Healing Roost, and of course Revali took the opportunity to go on at length about his lesson with elemental arrows. He boasted and preened, strutting like he was giving a lecture as he educated them on what he’d learned. While the cadets made it clear they were not impressed with his attitude, Holly couldn’t help but notice that they still hung on his every word, trying to learn anything they could from him.

The conversation might have finished sooner, but Holly in her innocence couldn’t help but interrupt Revali to ask why shooting an elemental arrow was so different from shooting a normal one. All 4 cadets had gotten riled up at that, eagerly leaning forward to educate her on the stark differences between the different types of arrows. Holly ended up learning, among other things, how the gunpowder packed into the tip of a bomb arrow made it ‘top heavy’ and so an archer had to compensate for that when firing.

Holly enjoyed learning so much, but in the end she had to excuse herself early as her curfew drew closer. The cadets were understanding, and told her to go ahead and leave clearing up the dishes to them, promising to see her at lunch the next day. She waved goodbye to them all happily, practically skipping down the steps to Inn, delighted that everyone was getting along so well now.

It was really nice to have friends.

Holly made extra sure not to miss lunch the next day.

When Benta came to collect her she made a point of telling him that she had promised the cadets she would see them for lunch, and asked if he would help her make sure she made it on time. Benta was all to happy to oblige, being as far from home as she was he felt it was good for her to have some friends her own age to talk to, and had always encouraged these lunch time meet ups.

When the sun hit it’s highest point he called her down from the sky, the two of them set off for the cadet’s training ground.

“I suspect you’ll be glad you came to see them today Holly.” Benta told her as they flew over.

“Oh?”

“Well I don’t want to spoil the surprise,” he chuckled, “But lets just say they should have gotten some very good news today. I’m sure they’ll be eager to share it with you.”

Her curiosity piqued, Holly thanked Benta for the lift and hurried over to the others as soon as they landed.

She could tell instantly that something was up, the cadets were all talking animatedly amongst themselves, their lunches completely untouched. Leri called her over eagerly as soon as he spotted her, and she’d barely sat down before they were spilling the good news, equal measures proud and excited as they told her.

“What?!” Holly gasped in wonder “You’re going to visit a Fairy Fountain?!”

“It’s a rite of passage for cadets to go once they reach a certain point in their training.” Revali said, his feathers puffed out proudly as they all confirmed the good news.

Their excitement was obvious, even the more restrained members of the group like Farell and Revali couldn’t hide how eager they were. Leri was practically vibrating on his seat as he went into more detail for Holly’s benefit.

“We’re going in a couple of weeks! Kaeli told us we’ll each have to bring 100 rupees as an offering to the Great Fairy, along with some flowers, and apparently she’ll be able to use that to enhance our clothing and make it stronger!”

“Really? That’s amazing! I heard the Great Fairy’s could improve armour but I’ve never actually met someone who had their clothing enhanced!” Holly gasped.

“We’ll be able to fight even more effectively with armour that’s strengthened with fairy magic.” Ollet grinned.

“I’ll bet! Wow, a real Fairy Fountain, you guys are so lucky! I’ve always wanted to go see one!”

“You mean you never visited one in your travels with your brother?” Farell asked, rather surprised.

“Nope! I really wanted to go, and Kenta kept meaning to take me, but things always cropped up and we never actually made it.” Holly sighed, pouting softly at the memory.

The cadets shared a look with one another. Holly had seen so much that they hadn’t due to all the travelling she’d done, she’d even seen one of the legendary dragons for goodness sake, but this was something she hadn’t done that they were going to get to do! They couldn’t help but feel a bigger surge of pride at the news.

“You’ve got to promise to tell me absolutely everything when you get back, okay? Please?” Holly begged, unaware of their thoughts.

“Of course we will Holly.” Farell reassured her with a smile.

“Thanks so much! I really wish I could go with you...Oh, I know! Do you think maybe once I’ve been cleared to fly around the village I could fly there by myself? Is it far?”

“Not at all, even flying at an steady pace you can get there in about half an hour.” Ollet told her.

“That’s great!” Holly grinned, already mentally planning her solo adventure. “Maybe I can take a picnic and make a day of it!”

Farell shared a wary glance with the others at her suggestion. While it was true the Fairy Fountain wasn’t that far away (at least from the perspective of those blessed with the gift of flight) it was located in the remote and mountainous Piper Ridge. The area directly around the fountain would be protected by magic, but if Holly wandered anywhere else (which, lets face it, she was highly likely to do) she could be attacked by monsters, with little hope of rescue or back up making it to her in time. While Holly had proven that she was capable of protecting herself, the thought of her all alone in the middle of nowhere was...unsettling.

An unspoken 4 way conversation took place as the cadets exchanged silent glances with one another, while Holly remained completely oblivious to what was going on, too wrapped up in mentally planning her solo adventure to take notice. It was only when Ollet coughed to get her attention that she looked back at the others.

“Holly, I’m sure you could go by yourself, but wouldn’t you rather come along with us instead?” The avian offered.

Holly blinked, sitting up in surprise at the suggestion. “Come with you? Well of course I’d love to! It’s much more fun to go somewhere with friends but...is that even allowed? I’m not a cadet...”

“No, but we can ask Benta and Kaeli if they’d let you tag along anyway.” Leri suggested. “You’re right, it would be more fun to go all together, right guys?”

The others hastened to agree, and while Holly was delighted they wanted her to come along, she still had a few reservations.

“Guys, I’m really touched that you wanna invite me...but are you sure you’re really okay with that? This is your special rite of passage trip and I don’t wanna intrude...”

“You might not be a cadet but you’ve certainly proven yourself to be a skilled fighter.” Revali spoke up, surprising the others. “It would be a waste for you to miss the opportunity, enhanced clothing would serve you well when you’re out adventuring.”

He paused for a moment, before continuing with a smirk “Besides, if we let you go alone you might well scare the Fairy away for good with your...enthusiasm.”

“Hey!” Holly pouted. “I would not!”

Everyone chuckled at his remark. There was a distinct difference between the malicious comments Revali used to shoot her way and this soft teasing. No one took his comment that seriously, least of all Holly, despite her pouting.

Ollet smiled and stood up once everyone was done laughing.

“Come on, why don’t we all go together to ask Benta and Kaeli if you can come, will that convince you we’re really okay with you tagging along?” She asked, and the boys soon followed her lead and also got to their feet.

Holly broke into a brilliant smile at the move. “Thank you all so much!” She grinned as she followed them over to the warriors.

Kaeli and Benta were eating their own lunch together, but they looked up curiously when the cadets approached them with Holly in tow.

“Hmmm...” Kaeli mused a few minutes later once they’d made their request. “It’s highly unusual, but if you four really want her to come I can see no reason to refuse your request, though I will of course have to run it past Elder Lila.”

He shot the four cadets a soft look that said he would be speaking to them more about this later, wanting to know the true motive behind their unusual request, but he left that aside for now, turning to his Wing Mate instead as he asked, “What do you think Benta?”

“Well,” Benta hummed thoughtfully, “I have been thinking it would good for Holly to attempt a longer flight at some point, and the Fountain isn’t that far away...but the air currents around Strock Lake can be pretty intense and our usual flight path goes straight through it.” He paused for a moment, thinking things through before looking at Holly apologetically.

“I’m sorry Holly, but as you are now, I can’t say I feel you’re skilled enough to handle the trip. You’ve only just returned to your lessons after being injured after all.”

Holly sagged visibly. She couldn’t say she was surprised, she had only just been released from the Healing Roost, but it still felt like a crushing blow after she’d gotten her hopes up. She was about to reply when the warrior interrupted by holding up a wing for silence.

“However. The trip isn’t planned for another 2 weeks. If you work very hard, you may just be able to change my mind.”

Holly lit up at the suggestion. “Really?! So if I meet your standards in time I can go?”

Benta nodded, but Kaeli added a quick cautionary word “If Benta is satisfied that you’re safe to fly the distance with us, I’m happy for you to accompany us, but remember we do still have to get permission from Elder Lila.”

“I know, I know but still-Yay!” Holly cried, jumping up and throwing her arms in the air in joy. “Thank you both so much!”

The cadets all echoed her thanks, and Holly quickly added, “Benta sir, I promise I’m going to work really, really hard!”

“I’ll hold you to that Holly,” Benta chuckled. “Now go and finish you lunch, you’re going to need your strength if you’re going to try and make the trip!”

Elder Lila soon gave permission for Holly to accompany the cadets on their trip to the Fairy Fountain, so long as Benta said she was safe to fly, and the Witch threw herself into her lessons with even more enthusiasm then usual.

She became so engrossed in her training that it soon became hit or miss as to whether she actually managed to see the cadets for lunch. Benta was only available to teach her until the early afternoon, so Holly had to make use of all the time she could. She apologised to the cadets for being so flaky after they’d specially invited her to join them, but they all understood that she was working hard in order to be able to join them on their trip, so took no offence.

Time flew by, and before they knew it they were only a week away from their planned trip, and Holly had yet to gain Benta’s approval, despite her best efforts.

That evening Revali decided to go in search of Holly. He’d finally been allowed to actually try shooting fire arrows, and was eager to discuss the experience with someone. The other cadets had already gone home for the evening, refusing to linger and have to listen to any more of his bragging, but Holly was always an attentive listener, and so he sought her out.

...If his visit also gave him a chance to check and see how she was faring with the deadline looming ever closer, that was just a happy coincidence.

He knew that she should have finished her chores by now, and that after dinner her time was her own, so he wandered down to the Inn to look for her, only to find that he had just missed her.

“I’m sorry Revali, she decided to go on a walk after dinner.” Jade informed him when he asked after her.

“I see, do you know where she went?”

“Well I made her promise not to wander too far, so I guess she’ll be somewhere near the Rito Stables. It’s still light out, you could probably find her fairly easily if you fly over the area.”

“Thank you Jade, I will do that.” Revali nodded, bowing to the Innkeeper gratefully before taking his leave.

A few minutes later he was in the air, rising to a reasonable elevation and then setting a slow easy pace as he scanned the ground below for Holly. He used the Rito Stables as a starting point and then slowly spiralled outward, using his superior Rito eyesight to search for her.

It didn’t take long, he soon spotted a lone figure dressed in red lingering at the edge of the small coppice of trees that bordered the stables.

He glided down slowly, quickly confirming that it was indeed Holly, and was about to call out to so as not to startle her when he dropped from the sky, when her actions made him pause.

Was she...stretching?

Curious, he landed silently amongst the trees, watching her quietly as he tried to work out what she was doing.

She finished her stretching and, to his great surprise, shifted into what was unmistakably a ready position for combat. She soon launched into a series of what seemed to be choreographed movements, including a lot of punches and kicks, transitioning smoothly from one step into the next, before finally ending up back in her starting position. She took a moment to catch her breath, and then repeated the steps again, this time slightly faster.

It was obvious that she was practising her unusual unarmed combat style, in fact as he watched he was pretty sure he recognised some of her movements from the time they’d fought one another. Had she been doing every time she told Jade that she was going out for a ‘walk’? While he couldn’t commend her for lying about her true activities, he was actually rather impressed that she was being so diligent, especially when she was already training so hard everyday to improve her flying, and doing chores on top of that.

Deciding that he had spectated long enough, he went to call out to her again, only to freeze in shock when Holly suddenly ran forward and threw herself down onto the ground. He only barely stopped himself from crying out in alarm, watching as she tucked and rolled with practised ease, rising back to her feet a few seconds later, now armed with her daggers which she had drawn while rolling. Her movements changed now she was armed, the motions more familiar as she practised with the blades, though Revali was intrigued by some of her movements, which were different from anything he had learned during his own sword training. Her style of combat in general was unlike anything he’d ever seen. Learning how to fight unarmed was strange in and of itself, but then there was the way she incorporated the unarmed skills she’d learned even when she was fighting with her daggers…

It sounded like a foolish concept on paper, why would you bother to use kicks and punches when you had a weapon in your hand? Revali however remembered all too well the way she’d thrown him during their fight, not to mention how she’d dropped the Lizalfos to it’s knees with a well placed kick, putting it in a perfect position for a final strike with her blade.

Somehow, she made it work.

Revali shook himself roughly out of these thoughts, he had been watching for far too long, he really needed to get her attention. It was difficult to interrupt while she was in the middle of her practise, so he waited till the next time she paused between sets of movements, and quickly stepped out from the trees and into the clearing, doing his best to appear nonchalant as he called out to her.

“So this is what you do when you go out on a ‘walk’, eh?”

Holly squeaked in surprise and spun to face him, raising her weapons instinctively to defend herself. He gave the daggers a rather unimpressed look and she quickly lowered them in embarrassment, looking equal parts surprised and guilty at being caught in the middle of practising.

“Revali? What are you doing here?!” She demanded as she sheathed her daggers.

“I could ask you the same thing.” He replied smoothly, crossing his wings and staring at her pointedly.

“Ah, well...um...” She stammered nervously, rubbing the back of her head as she finally admitted, “...Training?”

“I can see that.” Revali sighed. “...Does anyone else know that you’re doing this?”

She shook her head. “...I figured it was okay, since I’m doing it during my free time. I’m not neglecting my chores or anything!”

“That’s not what I was concerned about.” Revali sighed again. “Is your arm even well enough to be doing this sort of practise?”

“I-It’s fine! Helio said I could use my arm as normal so long as I avoided lifting anything heavy. He said exercise was good for it to help build back my strength!”

“Somehow I don’t think this is what he meant by ‘exercise’” Revali said pointedly, walking forward to meet her.

“...Are you going to tell everyone that I’ve been practising?” Holly asked quietly as he stopped before her, wondering if she would get in trouble for it.

“Please, I am not a tattle tail.” He sniffed. “Besides, it’s rather commendable that you’ve been so diligent in your training, despite your other commitments.”

She brightened instantly at his praise, easily shaking off her earlier apprehension.

“My brother and Uncle worked really hard to train me, so I thought it would be awful if I got out of practise because I was focusing on flying instead.”

“Quite understandable, and you were kept in the Roost for far longer then I was, so I can see how you would be anxious to get back to your training.” Revali nodded.

“Yeah!” Holly smiled. “There’s only so much I can do by myself, but I want to do whatever I can so my skills don’t go rusty.”

Revali smiled quietly to himself at her words. He never would have imagined a few weeks ago that the hyperactive girl could actually be so diligent about her training and chores. If ever there was a perfect example of not being able to judge a book by it’s cover, Holly was it.

“….Tell me something.” He asked, turning back to her, “When you were practising just now, was that the move you used to throw me during our match?”

“Huh? Oh! I know what you mean, it wasn’t the exact movement, but it is similar.” She smiled, happy that he’d been paying attention and had recognised it.

“Hmm...” He replied non committally, but Holly got the feeling he was more curious then he was letting on.

“Would you like me to show you? How I threw you I mean?” She asked, thinking that it would be nice to practise with someone again.

“I am not interested in learning close ranged combat.” Revali huffed, sticking his beak in the air and sounding vaguely offended by the comment. “I am a proud Rito warrior, and we are the masters of aerial combat. I only tolerate my lessons in swordsmanship and spearmanship out of respect for Kaeli, I certainly have no desire to learn unarmed combat on top of that.”

“Oh. Okay, I understand.” Holly nodded, sounding only a little disappointed at his flat out rejection.

Revali felt a small wave of irritation at her response. He’d expected her to argue with him, or at the very least question his decision, giving him the perfect opportunity to launch into a detailed explanation of just why aerial combat was the ultimate fighting style. Now he was going to have to volunteer the information instead, which wasn’t nearly as satisfying as winning an argument.

“You understand that aerial combat is superior, correct?” He pressed. “Even if you do not practise archery yourself, you fly. Surely you can see the clear advantages of fighting from a place where you are beyond your opponents reach, yet can attack them at will?”

“Of course I can.” Holly nodded with a smile.

Revali smirked, satisfied that his point had been made, only to pause when Holly spoke up again.

“...But I also understand why Kaeli’s insisting on teaching you how to fight close range as well. Being a master of one skill is great, but it can leave you weak in other areas. I’ve seen how amazing the Rito warriors are in the sky, but what happens if you’re stuck on the ground? What if your bow breaks? I mean, think about how scary it was in the forest when you couldn’t fly and lost your weapon.”

Revali scowled, not angry with her so much as the unpleasant truth she was presenting him with. If he still thought she was a senseless idiot it would be easy to dismiss her words as mindless babble from someone who didn’t know what they were talking about, but unfortunately now he knew that she had a brain and was experienced in combat, it was a lot harder to brush off what she was saying. Her last point in particular hit home hard. He did remember all too clearly just how scared he had been when he lost his bow and only had one of Holly’s daggers to rely on. It was not a weapon he was comfortable or familiar with, and suddenly his life depended on him being able to use it effectively. Luckily for him Holly had been able to obtain a new bow before he was forced to use it, but still...still he remembered the fear...

In other words he had been in trouble because he couldn’t use his archery skills, and without them he had been left...vulnerable.

He clicked his beak in annoyance, glancing away as he silently fumed. Dammit all she was right, but he’d pluck himself and stuff a pillow before he’d admit it.

“Is that why your own fighting style is so...flexible?” He asked instead, deliberately dodging her questions.

“Yeah, that’s exactly why! I was...well I got caught out a few times when I was younger because I didn’t have a weapon and had no idea how to defend myself when I was unarmed.” She admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head. “I never wanted to be in that position again, so by brother and uncle taught me how to fight empty handed, and then how to combine those skills with my blade work, so I’d always be able to fight.”

“I see…” Revali said slowly, quietly fighting an internal battle. His pride abhorred the very idea of admitting he was wrong, but his desire to be the absolute best demanded that he fix this weakness now it had been identified. He struggled with himself for several long moments, before finally coming to a decision. He turned back to her, refusing to admit any mistake of his part as he pointed at her and spoke with all the authority of someone making an official proclamation.

“Let me make one thing perfectly clear, I am still firmly of the opinion that aerial combat is superior to any other kind.”

Holly blinked in surprise at his sudden change in tone but quickly nodded to show she understood.

“However, in light of recent events I suppose I can acknowledge that it might...behove me to have some more experience in...other areas of combat.” He admitted reluctantly, pressing on swiftly so as not to linger on that confession. “That being that case, if I must learn some close ranged skills, I suppose I could do worse then learning exactly how you...disarmed me.”

Those last two words were dripping with obvious displeasure, as if saying them aloud had actually left a bad taste in his mouth. The memory of being thrown to the ground in front of his teachers and peers was painful to recall even now.

Holly however didn’t seem to notice his sour tone, or the supercilious manner in which he spoke to her. She filtered all of that out, focusing on the request buried beneath his haughty words. He wanted to train with her!

“Really? That’s so great Revali, I’d be happy to show you!” She smiled, delighted at the idea of having a sparring partner.

“Fine then.” He sniffed with poor grace. “Show me.”

Holly grinned and immediately launched into an enthusiastic explanation.

Revali started off a rather reluctant listener, but the more Holly talked the more his natural curiosity took over, until in the end he was following along attentively. Of course after verbally explaining the move Holly needed to actually demonstrate it’s execution, and this involved throwing Revali to the ground, over and over and over again. Being on the receiving end of the throw during their fight had been humiliating enough, but having Holly casually toss him to the ground even when he knew what she was about to do was just plain frustrating.

Understandably then, when Holly asked if he’d like to try the move out himself and try to disarm her, he was all too eager to accept. It took him a few tries, Holly had to correct his stance and grip, but eventually he succeed in tripping her up and pinning her.

“You picked it up really quickly Revali!” Holly laughed happily from where she was lying on the ground. She looked so genuinely pleased for him that it made him feel brief pang of guilt, he had not been nearly so gracious when she had been throwing him.

“Well naturally.” He said, ignoring the sting of his conscience to focus on the compliment instead. “With my vast talent it’s only natural that I’d easily be able to master any new skill.” He added smugly, tossing his braid over his shoulder and making a dramatic sweeping gesture with his free wing.

“Well I don’t know about master.” Holly said cautiously as she stood up and dusted off her pants. “It’s just one throw after all, but you learned it a lot faster then I did for sure!”

Revali huffed in annoyance at her doubts. “Well show me something else then, I am sure I will pick it up just as quickly.”

“Really?” She asked in delighted surprise. “You want to learn more? Sure! What would you like me to show you?”

Revali opened his beak to respond and realised he’d somehow just talked himself into learning more then he’d planned. He could hardly back down now though, so he pressed on, trying to make it seem like this was all going as he intended.

“Whatever you’d recommend I suppose.” He said, striving to sound casual and aloof.

“Hmm...” She murmured, mulling it over for a moment. “Oh I know! It’s a super useful skill, how to break free if someone tries to grab you!”

“Fine.” Revali nodded, hoping to get this over with quickly.

Holly launched into her next explanation, and since this time Revali was truly paying attention from the start, he was able to appreciate that she was actually a pretty good teacher. She described both the movements and the reasons behind them clearly, and was happy to go over anything he didn’t understand right away.

Once the explanation was over, it was once again time for the practical part of the lesson. They’d already had to grip one another in order to practise the disarming move, but learning how to break free of a ‘grab’ involved them having to wrap their arms (or wings) around each other tight, which Revali found somewhat awkward. Holly however seemed oblivious to his unease, focused completely on instructing him.

“That’s it, stamping back hard on your captors foot will usually surprise them and they’ll loosen their grip, then you follow up quickly with a hard elbow into the stomach.” Holly nodded as he went through the moves in slow motion with her. “That should shake them up enough to break free, but if not follow up by either elbowing them under their chin to knock their head back, or if you can’t get an arm free to do that, throw your head back hard and headbutt them.”

“Won’t that hurt me?” Revali asked, glancing over his shoulder at her sceptically. It sounded like a rather barbaric move.

“Yeah, but it’ll hurt them more. You can brace for the pain if you know it’s coming, it’ll take them by surprise.” Holly explained with a grin.

“I see.” Revali nodded, following along.

“Great! Think you can try it at full speed now?” She asked, releasing him and stepping back with a smile on her face.

“Of course.” He nodded, smirking confidently.

“Okay then- hya!”

She gave him no further warning, one moment she was smiling happily at him and the next she had jumped forward and grabbed hold of him tight. He squawked in shock, flailing instinctively, and was only distantly aware of Holly counting as he yelled at her to let him go.

“4...5...too long!”

“What do you-ack?!”

She released him just as suddenly as she’d grabbed him, pushing him away from her hard so he stumbled forward a few steps before regaining his balance.

“What in Hylia’s name do you think you’re doing?!” He hissed as he spun back round to face her, “That was-!”

“Too slow!” Holly cut him off, pointing an accusing finger at him as she continued. “If someone grabs you you’ve only got a limited amount of time to break free before they can call for help, use a drug to knock you out, or shift into a position that’s even harder for you to break free from! You can’t waste so much time flailing about like that!”

“I-you didn’t give me any time to prepare!” He yelped.

“Do you think someone whose trying to grab you for real is going to wait until your ready? Or give you a heads up that they’re about to jump you?” She asked, giving him a rather unimpressed look.

“That’s-” Revali tried to reply, fumbling for the right words to use against such a logical argument.

However he was saved the trouble, because Holly abruptly sighed, her strict posture slumping as she lowered her arm and looked at him apologetically. “I’m sorry, I know it’s kinda harsh, but this is the way I was taught. My Uncle was really strict, if I complained about being grabbed out of the blue he’d tell me exactly what I just told you, and if I took too long to react he’d toss me on my ass to make a point.”

“I...I see.” Revali said, rather taken aback by the explanation, and even more so by the idea of Holly’s training being...well, strict. She was such a happy go lucky person it was hard to imagine her going through any sort of harsh lessons.

“Sorry, believe me I know how much it sucks.” Holly smiled sympathetically. “But Uncle always told me that when you’re suddenly grabbed most people freeze on instinct, or panic, just like you did. The only way to get past that is-”

“...To train until it becomes instinctual to break out of a grab, rather then freeze.” Revali nodded slowly, following along. “Hmph, I can’t say I like it, but it does make sense.”

There was a long moment of silence, and misinterpreting his thoughtfulness for hesitation, Holly spoke up again.

“...I’d understand if you want to stop now.”

Revali’s feathers rose at the mere suggestion of backing down. If Holly could handle this training there was absolutely no reason that he couldn’t!

“Not at all, I will master this in no time, let us continue.” He said firmly.

He went to get back into position, but then paused, glancing back at Holly as he asked.

“...Did your Uncle really throw you to the ground if you didn’t break free in time?”

Holly laughed at the question. “Yeah, he sure did. Normally he’s really laid back, but he was actually pretty strict once he started training me. It was surprising at first, but eventually I figured out he was only being so hard on me cause he was trying to make sure I’d be able to take care of myself.”

“Hmph. I suppose I should thank you for only pushing me away then.” Revali smiled wryly.

“Nah, you don’t have to.” She shrugged easily before smiling at him again. “Ready to go?”

“I thought you weren’t going to warn-ack!”

He really should have known better.

He spent the next 20 minutes running through the exercise with Holly, trying to train himself to react rather then freeze in shock, until she finally called a stop to it.

“You’ve done great, really, but lets take a break now.”

“I can keep going.” Revali insisted stubbornly.

“I’m sure you can, but maybe I need one huh? Humour me.” She smiled, going over to a nearby log and sitting down heavily, grabbing a water skin she’d stashed there earlier and taking a big refreshing gulp.

Revali huffed, but was left with little choice but to follow, he could hardly continue without a partner after all. He sat down next to Holly, and she kindly offered him her water skin, which he took after a moments hesitation. He didn’t need a drink of course, but it would be rude to refuse her.

“You’re picking this up quickly.” She told him as he drank his fill. “I know it’s not the skill you really want to focus on, but I’d be happy if the moves I showed you today ever help you out in the future. If nothing else it really helps me to have a partner to practise with, so thanks Revali.”

“You’re welcome, I suppose I should thank you for taking time out of your own practise to teach me.” He hummed as he passed back the waterskin.

There was a pregnant pause.

“Well, I mean...if you really want to thank me...” Holly started slowly.

Revali turned to look at her in surprise. Was she really about to ask a favour of him? It was a little suspicious, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t curious.

“I’m listening.” He encouraged cautiously.

“Well, you don’t have to or anything! It was just an idea, I don’t mind just giving you the lessons, we’re friends after all so-”

“Holly out with it already.” Revali sighed, he really had no patience for babble.

“...Do you think you could teach me some archery?”

He blinked in surprise at the request.

“You want to learn archery?” He repeated, as if to check he had heard her correctly.

“Mhm.” She nodded “I’ve been thinking about it, and now that I’m finally learning how to fly properly, it seems like such a waste to have that aerial advantage and not be able to use it when fighting. All the techniques I know are close range, and the thought of seeing someone in trouble and not being able to do anything because I have to fly down and get in close first is horrible. If I could use archery I could fight from the sky, like you all do. And well, the warriors were so impressive when they performing in the festival, and you were so amazing in the forest...it’s just something that I’ve come to realise I’d like to learn.”

“...So you were inspired by my skills and now wish to learn archery yourself do you?” Revali preened. Like Holly he was quite good at focusing on the parts of the conversation he most liked. “Well I suppose I can hardly blame you, my techniques are very impressive, anyone would be captivated after watching me in action."

“...Does that mean you’ll teach me a little?” She asked hopefully.

“Hmph. Let me make something perfectly clear Holly, one does not learn a ‘little’ archery. If I do this I will be teaching you properly, and I am strict, thorough, and have no patience for complaints, especially when I am offering you my valuable knowledge at your request.”

“I just told you my Uncle used to throw me on my ass if I didn’t react in time, I can handle ‘strict’ Revali.” She laughed.

“Very well then.” He said, getting to his feet and removing his bow from it’s holster on his back.

“Wha- now?” Holly asked, scrambling up after him.

“No time like the present.” Revali said simply. “I seem to remember you saying you have no experience at all with archery? Is that correct?”

“Mhm, I’ve never even held a bow.” Holly nodded. “Is that bad?”

“Not for me, it means you won’t have picked up any bad habits I’d have to waste time training out of you.” He turned, holding his bow out to her. “Here, take it.”

“Really? Can I?” She asked, eyeing it eagerly but not making a move to actually grab it.

“I can hardly train you empty handed now can I?” He replied, giving her a look.

“Right.” Holly laughed nervously, finally reaching out and taking the bow from him. Revali let her simply examine it for a moment, but once he was satisfied she’d had adequate time to become acquainted with the weapon he got straight down to business

“First things first, your position."

“I don’t get an arrow?” Holly asked.

He snorted. “Hardly. You get an arrow when I think you’re ready for an arrow. Now, feet apart, body side on….”

Holly had no idea the position you held yourself in when you fired an arrow was so important or complex. Perhaps it was Revali’s perfectionism, but no matter how she tried to imitate his stance, or his grip of the bow, he always found something to nitpick. Whenever she tried to correct one detail it seemed she got sloppy with one another aspect of her pose, and Revali was always quick to point it out to her. Eventually he allowed her to start practising drawing back the bowstring, and she was surprised at how much effort it took to hold it back in place. Luckily her injured arm turned out to be the one she was most comfortable holding the bow in, so it was her healthy arm that took the strain of pulling the string, otherwise she’d never have been able to manage it.

“You archers have some serious arm strength.” Holly commented with a grunt as she tried to hold her position.

“Hmph, naturally.” Revali smirked, before his gaze flicked to her arm and he added sharply, “Your elbow is low, correct it.”

Holly hastened to do as he instructed, he sure hadn’t been kidding about being strict!

He spent the next hour making her go through the movements again and again and again, drilling the positions into into her as he stalked around her in a circle, examining her posture from every angle and correcting even the slightest imperfection. Eventually though Holly noticed the sun was starting to dip low on the horizon, and was forced to interrupt him.

“Revali? I’m sorry but it’s getting late, I need to get back soon or I’m going to miss my curfew.”

He blinked, glancing up and finally noticing the position of the sun in the sky. Holly would be in trouble if she didn’t get back to the Swallows Roost soon.

“All right, we’ll end the lesson here for today.” He nodded.

“Thank you very much for all your help.” She smiled as she handed him back his bow.

“Hmm, well, don’t thank me yet.” He replied as he took it from her and holstered it on his back.

“Oh? Why not?”

“Please, we’ve barely begun your lessons. We have a lot more work to do if I’m going to turn you into a competent archer.”

“Does that mean we’re going to train together again?” She asked hopefully. It had been really fun getting to practise with someone after so long!

“Naturally.” Revali said, motioning for her to start walking back towards the village. “You need more lessons, and I still haven’t quite mastered the techniques you showed me yet. As you well know I do not accept anything less then perfection, so in return for my valuable time I expect you to finish teaching me.”

Holly spun around to face him, her smile bright with unrestrained delight.

“That’s great! It’s going to be so much fun training with a partner again!”

“Just so we’re clear I still believe close combat skills are inferior to archery in every way.” He insisted firmly, “However I must get something in return for my valuable teachings. I hope you realise that if anyone thought that I was giving out lessons for free I would soon be swarmed by hopeful Rito desperate to get private tuition from the most skilled archer in a generation!”

“All right, all right, I get it.” Holly replied, holding her hands up to placate him. “You’re going to graciously accept me teaching you some close combat skills, even though you don’t really want to learn them, ‘cause it’s the only thing I can offer you in exchange, huh?”

“...Precisely.” He nodded, not quite meeting her eyes as he replied.

Holly laughed to herself, just who did he think he was kidding? Still, if the transparent bluff saved his pride and let her keep a sparring partner she was happy to go along with it.

“Guess I should say thank you again then!” She smiled.

“...You’re welcome.” He replied after a pause, suddenly struggling with his conscience. Holly’s easy acceptance of his words was nice, but also made him second guess himself a little. Was she really not going to say anything when he’d talked down about her own fighting style so much? The other cadets certainly would have said something...

“You all right Revali?” Holly asked innocently, noticing he’d slowed down.

“...I’s nothing.” He shook his head, picking up his pace so he was walking alongside her again.

“How often do you want to meet up like this to train by the way?” Holly asked cheerfully, “I’m guessing you want to do so regularly, but every day might be difficult with our other lessons...”

“Yes I agree, every day would be difficult considering our other commitments. For now, how about we commit to Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings? We can adjust if necessary later.”

“Works for me!” Holly grinned, skipping happily beside him as they walked past the Rito Stables. Revali sighed at her childish actions, but let it slide, watching as she waved happily to Flora and the other customers as they headed towards the first bridge which led into the village.

They crossed the bridge together, Revali lost in his thoughts as Holly hummed happily and bounced alongside him.

“...Holly?” He finally spoke up two islands later, the village looming ever closer.

“Hmm? Oh sorry, is my humming bothering you?” She asked.

“No, that isn’t it.” He sighed, looking at the scenery instead of her as he continued cautiously. “Do you...not have any issues with my earlier comments?”

“Like what?”

“I did not...speak well about your preferred fighting style.” He said, choosing his words carefully.

“Well, yeah, but I know how much you love archery. It’s no big deal.” She shrugged, her smile never faltering.

He frowned at her answer. “Do you not take pride in your own fighting techniques?”

She was startled by the question. “Well of course I do, I’m proud of what I was taught, and I’m very proud of my teachers too! But everyone has different opinions, something like that isn’t worth getting into an argument over.”

“...I see…” He didn’t feel particularly happy with that answer somehow, it almost felt like he was being let off the hook to easily.

Holly looked at him for a moment, sensing his doubts, and thought about it a bit more.

“...Look, the thing is I know you. At least well enough to think that you weren’t trying to insult me, you were just really caught up in making sure I knew just how amazing archery is.” She paused and then laughed a little as she continued, “I guess I’ve got an advantage over most people there, I’ve experienced you deliberately trying to insult me so many times that I can tell the difference between when you’re trying to hurt someone’s feelings and when you’re not.”

Revali winced at her words, they reminded him not only of how terribly he had treated her in the past, but also that while Holly may have forgiven him, she had not forgotten what he had put her though.

“So, no, I wasn’t upset by what you said, but I think anyone else would have been.” Holly finished softly.

“I...I see.” He murmured, his pace slowing till he came to a stop in the middle of the path, overcome by a sudden surge of guilt.

“...Revali? Are you okay?” Holly asked, glancing at him in concern. When he didn’t respond she grew more worried and reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him. “Hey, it’s okay, really! I told you I’m not upset.”

“….No, but you have every right to be.” He murmured.

Holly blinked in confusion, only for her face to melt into understanding a few seconds later. Oh. He was still feeling bad about having been mean to her all those weeks ago, and now he realised he’d done it again he was feeling terrible.

Holly frowned, upset that he was upset. She honestly didn’t mind what he’d said, but it looked like he was really feeling guilty over it. She didn’t think she could simply say ‘don’t worry about it’ again, that wasn’t going to make him feel any better. What else could she do? She didn’t want him to keep feeling sad! They were friends now!

She pouted, annoyed at this whole situation.

“Revali!” She called sharply, determined to fix this.

His head snapped up at her tone, staring at her in shock. “Y-yes?”

“Are you sorry for what you said?” She demanded, pointing at him.

“Wha-yes of course I am!” He replied indignantly.

Holly grinned, putting her hands on her hips. “Then it’s all fine! No need to feel sad any more!”

“...Are you-it doesn’t work like that!” Revali spluttered- just what was going on in her head?

“Why not?” Holly asked. “You’re obviously sorry, you apologised, and I’ve already told you that I don’t mind. So there’s no need to be upset any more!”

Revali opened his beak to argue but Holly spun round, holding her arms out wide as she interrupted him by announcing cheerfully.

“Life’s way too short to spend time focusing on bad things and feeling sad! So long as you’ve apologised sincerely and thought about it, there’s no need to waste time feeling blue! It’s not going to fix anything after all!”

Revali stared in shock, his beak dropping open at her speech. How could she, how could she make it sound so simple, so…

But...didn’t she have a point? Wallowing in guilt wouldn’t fix anything, it would only impede any attempts to improve the situation.

Slowly, slowly...his beak closed, and a smile tugged at his face. This was just so...like her.

“You are impossible.” He finally sighed, shaking his head and walking past her, heading into the village.

“I hear that a lot!” She laughed cheerfully from behind him.

His next words were quiet, more to himself then to her. “But...thank you.”

“Revali? Did you say something?” Holly called as she hurried after him, his words snatched away by the wind.

“Nothing at all!” He replied with his usual haughty confidence, standing up straighter and tossing his braid over one shoulder as he moved. “Now, hurry up! If you’re going to be training with me regularly on top of all your other lessons you’ll need your rest!”

Holly grinned, happy to hear that he was sounding like himself again, and hurried after him. It seemed that her words had gotten through to him!

She caught up with him on the stairs a few moments later, just as a thought occurred to her.

“Hey, I almost forgot, why did you come out to see me in the first place? You didn’t know I was training when you found me right? Did you need something?”

Revali’s beak dropped open- he’d completed forgot to tell her about his lesson with elemental arrows!

“Drat, I forgot.” He said, clicking his beak in irritation. “Never mind Holly, it can wait till tomorrow lunchtime, assuming you make it?”

“I’ll do my best, but I really really want to go to the Fairy Fountain with you all, so I’ll stay with Benta if I have to!”

“Well, if you focus as much with Benta as you did with me today I doubt you’ll have any trouble getting his approval in time.”

“Wow was that an actual compliment?” She teased.

“Excuse me but I have complimented you before.” Revali huffed in annoyance. “Several times in fact, which is more then most people ever receive from me. Considering how high my standards are you should feel honoured.”

Holly grinned, “I do, really! Thanks Revali!”

He huffed again at her carefree tone, but it was hard to be too annoyed when she sounded so sincere, despite the merry laughter.

They parted ways a few minutes later, Holly hurrying to the Inn in the hopes she’d still have time to grab her towel and run down to the baths before her curfew. She waved happily to Revali as she left, thanking him again for the lesson until she disappeared from sight. Revali turned and headed for his own home, thinking of following her lead and heading down to the baths himself. As he walked across the suspension bridge that led to his residential pillar, he couldn’t help but think that regular training with Holly would prove to be...interesting, to say the least.

He was rather looking forward to it.

Chapter Text

Holly loved her goggles.

She could feel her hair fluttering wildly in the breeze as she soared through the sky, but thanks to the enchanted rubies attached to her new headgear, she didn’t feel it’s cold sting on her face. The fake beak shielded her sensitive nose and mouth, and most importantly she could finally see clearly, without having to squint against the wind.

She didn’t know how she’d ever managed without them.

“Holly!” Benta called suddenly, swooping down to fly alongside her, “I want you to do a sharp left hand turn on my signal, clear?”

“Got it!”

“….Now!”

Holly twisted sharply as instructed, and went from flying into the wind to having it pound against her side. A month ago the sudden change would have sent her tumbling head over heels through the air, but she was a lot more experienced now. She rocked a little crazily for a moment, but used everything she’d learned to steady herself, and after a moments struggle she carried on in her new direction, without loosing any altitude.

Benta watched from above, and called down a simple instruction.

“Again!”

Holly frowned in annoyance. He was right, she had rocked too much, the change hadn’t been smooth. She needed to be in complete control throughout the whole turn.

Benta was never going to let her go to the Fairy Fountain with her friends if she couldn’t do this perfectly.

Feeling a surge of determination at the thought, Holly ran through the turn again.

Benta watched from above as Holly practised the manoeuvre over and over, studying her every move. Every so often he glided down to her, giving advice or corrections based on what he’d seen, and she always listened attentively, absorbing everything he said.

Really, he thought she was doing incredibly well. Considering how many lessons she’d missed it was remarkable that she’d managed to catch up and get back on track with her training so quickly. Unfortunately, as impressive as her progress was, he still couldn’t allow her to go on the trip when she couldn’t handle turning into strong winds. There was just too much of a risk that she’d loose control flying through the intense air currents around Strock Lake and crash, possibly taking someone else down with her.

It was truly regrettable. She was trying so hard, and had come so far, but when it came down to it Benta had to put everyone’s safety above his own personal feelings, and the truth was she simply wasn’t ready yet.

“All right Holly, that’s enough for now.” He called out, noticing that she was starting to flag, “Time for a break.”

Holly knew by now not to argue with Benta when he said that she needed to stop, so she followed him down to the ground, even though she wanted nothing more then to keep practising till she got it right.

“You’re doing well Holly.” Benta reminded her, seeing the sullen look on her face as she dismounted.

“Not well enough.” She pouted softly, but them looked up at him, eyes brimming with determination as she added, “But I’ll do it! I will!”

Benta resisted the urge to say, ‘I’m sure you will’, not wanting to get her hopes up in case….well.

“I think you should go see your friends for lunch today.” He said instead. “You haven’t been in few days.”

“Oh. Ah-yeah, okay!” She nodded, but Benta noticed her hesitation.

“...Is everything all right? You and Revali aren’t fighting again are you?”

“No no! Revali and I are good friends now!” She insisted. “It’s just...everyone will ask how I’m doing and I kinda don’t want to let them down by saying I haven’t gotten permission yet...”

Benta smiled sympathetically, laying a comforting wing on her shoulder “They’ll understand Holly, you know they will. Besides, I’m sure they’re all eager to see you again after so long, regardless of what news you bring”

“Thanks Benta” She smiled, and the two of them took to the sky not long after, heading for the training field.

It was hard to break the bad news to the cadets. Their hopeful faces fell when Holly admitted she hadn’t yet gotten permission to join them, and while they did their best to hide their disappointment and encourage her, she could tell they were all starting to get worried.

Three days. She only had three days left.

“...Do you think you will make it in time?” Revali asked her later that evening. They were taking a break during one of their private training sessions, and he chose the quiet moment to voice the delicate question.

“...I don’t know Revali.” She sighed softly. “I’m trying as hard as I can, honest-”

“-I do not doubt that.” He cut her off with a wave of his wing, “I’ve seen your work ethic, it’s almost as good as mine. I am certain you are giving it your all to succeed.”

“Thank you.” She smiled gratefully.

There was a moment of silence, and then Revali spoke up again.

“...What is it exactly that Benta wants you to do, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Mostly prove that I can handle turning and flying in strong winds. There’s a particular manoeuvre he wants me to master.”

“That makes sense.” Revali nodded. “He’s preparing you to fly over the lake, and the winds there are notorious. Have you had any luck at all?”

“Oh I’ve managed to do it once or twice, but Benta wants consistency. He said I need to be able to do it at least 5 times in a row to prove I’ve really got the hang of it, and I’m not just succeeding by dumb luck.” She explained.

“Of course, consistency is key.” Revali nodded. “It is no use learning a move if you cannot perform it at will whenever you need it.”

“That’s what he said.” Holly sighed, glancing over at him hopefully as she added, “...I don’t suppose you have any tips?”

“Oh, hundreds.” Revali said smugly. “However I doubt I could offer any advice that Benta has not already suggested. Besides, our flying styles are-”

“-Very different, I know.” Holly smiled, gently touching her broom, which was resting beside her.

Revali glanced over at the wooden cleaning apparatus. He’d seen her flying with it many times now, but even so, seeing it lying there it just looked so...ordinary. It was hard to believe it was a ‘magical’ device.

“Revali?” Holly asked curiously, noticing where he was staring.

“Ah, my apologies, it’s just...it’s still hard sometimes for me to accept that you can fly using that. Uh- no offence.”

Holly chuckled. “None taken, it was weird for me at first too.”

“...If you don’t mind me asking, how exactly do you...” Revali gestured to the broom and then pointed upwards.

“Make it fly?” Holly chuckled again, filling in the blanks.

“Precisely. Is there something you have to do in order to...activate it?”

“Hmm...” She hummed thoughtfully, tilting her head to one side. “It’s kinda hard to explain? I have to think about it...but I also don’t really think about it?”

“….That makes absolutely no sense.” Revali deadpanned.

Holly laughed, “All right, can you humour me for a moment? Wave your wing.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

Revali sighed but did as she asked, a somewhat exasperated expression on his face as he waved his wing at her.

“Okay so, you moved it right? But I bet you didn’t actually sit there and think ‘I need to lift my wing, now I need to bend my elbow, now I need to move my wing back and forth,’ right? I mean you could think through every action like that, and it’ll work, but that doesn’t feel natural.”

She paused for a moment, waiting till he nodded to indicate he’d kept up with her explanation, and then continued. “Well it’s kind of like that for me when I’m flying. I’m thinking about what I’m doing, but all the detailed stuff happens subconsciously. Most of the time I just think about what I want to do and the broom just...does it.”

“Huh.” Revali blinked, staring at his wing. “That is...odd, but I believe I understand what you’re trying to say.”

Holly grinned in relief. “I’m glad, it took forever to figure out how to explain it to Kenta the first time he asked me!”

“Hmm. Well anyway, back to the matter at hand. Can you think of anything you did differently the times you did succeed in manoeuvring in the wind?”

“Honestly no.” Holly sighed, leaning back on the log they were sitting on. “Believe me I’ve been thinking about it a lot, but if anything it felt like I wasn’t focusing properly the few times I did succeed.”

“...How do you mean?” Revali asked, curious.

“Well, since I’ve been struggling so much with this manoeuvre I’ve been going over everything Benta taught me about it in my head as I fly, trying to make sure I don’t miss anything. But the last time I succeeded I...well honestly I got distracted at the last moment. I scrambled to move when Benta called out to me, and the next thing I knew he was praising me for managing the manoeuvre so smoothly. I figured I just got lucky.” She finished with a shrug.

“..Hmm.” Revali said thoughtfully, mulling over this new information. “…Considering what you just told me about how you control your broom, is it possible that in your attempts to recall your lessons, you have actually been over thinking things?”

“I….what?” Holly blinked.

“You said that moving your broom is almost instinctual. Perhaps by thinking so much about what you’re doing, you’ve actually been slowing down your responses.”

“...Like thinking about every stage of a movement instead of just doing it.” Holly said, eyes widening as she followed along, thinking back to her earlier explanation to Revali.

“Exactly. I can’t be certain of course, but it strikes me as a possibility.”

“No Revali you’re right! I’ve certainly not go anything to loose by trying!” Holly grinned, jumping to her feet in excitement. “Thank you so much! I’m so glad I talked to you about this!”

Revali preened at the praise, and gestured dramatically to himself as he replied. “You’re very welcome. My advice is highly sought after, but I’m happy to share it with those who have the sense to truly appreciate it.”

“You’re right Revali, and problems always seem easier once you’ve talked them over with a friend!” She agreed happily.

Revali was rather caught off guard by the remark, but did his best not to show it.

“I...I suppose they do.”

All right Holly, moment of truth. She thought to herself the next day, flying into the wind and waiting for Benta to give the signal to turn. Just don’t over think it this time.

It turned out to be easier said then done.

The first time she attempted the move she focused so much on trying not to think about anything that she confused herself and wobbled in the air. On her second run through she couldn’t help but think about some of Benta’s advice at the last moment, and threw herself off again.

All right, third times the charm. She told herself as she circled back around. You know this, you memorised Benta’s advice days ago! Just trust yourself! Trust your broom!

She thought back to when she was first learning how to get herself off the ground. Specifically the moment of revelation when she realised that hours of giving herself a headache concentrating on the thought of flight didn’t work nearly as well as simply willing herself into the air as easily as you’d think about taking a step forward.

She closed her eyes, felt the wind, and trusted herself.

“Turn now!”

Holly didn’t think about it, she just moved. The wind slammed against her side, but she corrected instinctively, turning in a smooth easy arc, without even the slightest wobble or hesitation.

She cried out in triumph moments later, throwing her hands up in the air and laughing joyously as Benta called down, telling her that was the best turn she’d done yet.

“Great job Holly! Lets see if you can do it again!”

So she did so, over and over and over again, her elation rising higher with every successful turn.

She turned one final time, and then punched the air in triumph, her happy cry echoing across the sky.

Five in a row! That was five in a row!

“Well done Holly!” Benta cheered, flying down alongside her. “That was phenomenal! I must say I’m surprised, you improved so much in such a short space of time, did something happen?”

“Yeah!” She laughed. “Revali helped me figure something out!”

Curious, Benta motioned her down to the ground, and Holly quickly landed and then eagerly recounted the conversation she’d had with her friend last night.

“I see, so you were over thinking it this whole time.” Benta nodded thoughtfully.

“Yeah!” Holly grinned. “With the deadline getting closer I was trying to remember everything at once, and it turns out that actually ended up slowing me down.”

“Hmm, well at least you learned something important about the way you fly.” Benta nodded. “Keep it in mind going forward Holly.”

“I will sir, I will!” She quickly agreed, “But Benta, Benta does this mean!?”

She was looking at him with such big hopeful eyes, and for a moment he was almost tempted to tease her, but in the end he didn’t have the heart to do that to her after she’d worked so hard.

Instead he raised a wing, holding it out over her as he proclaimed with some ceremony;

“I officially confirm that you are now allowed to go to the Fairy Fountain.”

“YES!” Holly yelled, jumping into the air and throwing her arms up as she laughed and danced around in joy. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Benta smiled and let her have her moment, she’d certainly earned it.

Unsurprisingly, there were no complaints this time when he suggested going to see the cadets for lunch. Holly was eager to tell her friends the good news, and as soon as they landed she dashed over to them as fast as she could.

Benta walked at a much more sedate pace to meet his waiting Wing Mate.

“Afternoon Ben.” Kaeli nodded in greeting.

“Hi Kai.” Benta smiled back, pausing when there was a loud cry of jubilation from behind them. The warriors turned in time to see Leri tackling Holly with a hug, the other cadets quickly surrounding her, wide smiles on their beaks as they patted her on the back and congratulated her.

“…I take it we will be taking five teenagers to the fountain then?” Kaeli asked with a soft chuckle as they watched the spectacle unfold.

“Sure will.” Benta grinned. “Hope you’re ready for it!”

The day of the planned trip dawned bright and clear, and Holly was out of bed the second the sun peeked over the horizon. She bounced around the Inn, overflowing with excitement as she got ready for the day, and in the end Jade had to step in and gently remind her that some of the other guests were still sleeping.

Holly did her best to finish getting ready quietly, eventually settling in front of Jade’s mirror to do her eye liner, before asking the Innkeeper to help her with her hair. She had been practising braiding it in the evening, but her attempts were still pretty messy looking, so Jade had agreed to style it for her until her skills improved.

“Thank you for this Jade.” Holly smiled as the Rito carefully wove a pretty yellow ribbon into the braid, “I want to look nice for the Fairy!”

“You’re very welcome Holly.” She smiled as she finished and pulled back, “There, all done.”

Holly grinned and bounced to her feet, twirling to admire her full appearance in the mirror. Dressed in her Snowquill outfit, with her goggles perched on top of her head, her hair neatly styled, and a touch of make up on her face, she felt she truly looked her best.

“Don’t you look smart.” Jade smiled proudly. “Your hair has such a lovely shine to it now you’ve been using the conditioning oil.”

“Thank you Jade, I can’t believe how soft it is now!” Holly grinned, reaching up to run her fingers through her bangs.

“Well I’m glad you appreciate it. Now, you better go get yourself some breakfast, you’ve got a big day ahead of you.” Jade said, motioning her towards the door kindly.

Holly needed no further encouragement, and quickly grabbed her broom and hurried up the steps to the kitchen.

Breakfast was a delicious affair, as usual.

Since everyone in the village took turns making the morning and evening meals, every day there was something different to try, as people brought their personal family recipes to the table. Holly really loved the variety of dishes she got to sample, she’d been served everything from porridge and fruit salads, to bacon sandwiches and fluffy pancakes, and that was just for breakfast. Today she found that they were serving Hot Buttered Apples, huge juicy fruits hollowed out and then baked long and slow, the empty cavity filled with butter, honey, wildberrys and a dusting of cinnamon. They were juicy and delicious, and Holly hummed happily to herself as she ate her fill.

When she finished and went to give back her empty plate and collect her packed lunch, she was surprised to receive a much bigger lunch box then usual.

“A special lunch for a special trip.” The Rito server smiled kindly as she handed it over.

“Wow, there’s so much here! Thank you very much!” Holly said, bowing to them.

“You’re very welcome, remember to mind your manners when you talk to the Great Fairy now.”

“I will, I promise!” Holly smiled, waving goodbye before dashing back to the Inn.

There was still time before Benta was due to collect her, and Holly couldn’t resist unwrapping the large lunch box to have a peak at the contents. Usually her lunch was a mixture of riceballs, (she got different fillings each time), fresh fruit and smoked meat or fish. Today however it seemed they’d pulled out all the stops. There was a portion of fluffy rice, a small salad, two prime meat skewers coated with a thick sticky sauce, a piece of smoked salmon with a wedge of lemon, a small pot a wildberrys, and even a few pieces of honeyed candy.

“This looks amazing!” Holly gasped, it was a veritable feast!

“Those on duty in the kitchen always try to do something extra special when they know there’s an important event happening.” Jade smiled, glancing at the contents over Holly’s shoulder as the young Witch carefully wrapped everything back up. “I had a feeling they’d do something nice for you and the cadets today.”

“I’ve barely had breakfast and now I can’t wait for lunch!” Holly grinned as she packed her meal away in her bag, along with her offering for the fairy and the flowers she’d been told to bring.

Benta arrived soon after to collect her, and the two of them flew over to the training field, where everyone had agreed to meet. Revali and Farell were already waiting for them when they arrived, and within 10 minutes Ollet and Leri appeared. The 5 teenagers were deep in excited conversation when a harsh voice called out suddenly from above, making them jump in surprise.

“Cadets! Attention!”

Holly froze in shock, but her friends leapt into action at the call, falling swiftly into line and standing smartly to attention as their instructor circled overhead. Since she didn’t know what was expected of her, Holly decided to follow their lead and quickly fell into line next to Revali, doing her best to copy his position.

Kaeli dropped from the sky a moment later, landing in front of them and quickly folding his wings behind his back as he marched up and down the line, inspecting them as he spoke.

“Good morning cadets!”

“Good morning sir!” Came a snappy reply that Holly hastened to echo. It was quite a shock to see everyone acting so formally, with military discipline, but she did her best to follow along.

“We will be leaving shortly. As you know the plan is to fly to the fountain, speak to the fairy, and then go to the nearby Ancient Columns for lunch. The Ancient Columns are famous ruins, and you will have time to explore the area before we return to the village in the afternoon. Since it is Sunday, the rest of the day is yours to do as you please once we return. Do you all understand?”

“Yes sir!”

Holly was quite pleased that she was able to reply in time with the others this time.

“Very well, I take it you have all brought your offering of rupees, and collected the flowers we instructed?”

“Yes sir!”

“Very good. Weapons inspection.” He said curtly, and Holly watched as he made his way down the line, checking the cadet’s bows and arrows to make sure they were all in good condition. Ollet had also brought a spear, and Kaeli tested the blades sharpness before handing it back to her. He nodded to the cadets one by one as he completed the inspection, pleased to find all their weapons were in good condition. He didn’t expect they would actually need them, but if Revali and Holly’s recent adventure had proven anything, it was that you could never be too careful.

He finally came to Holly, standing on the end of the line doing her best to stand to attention like the others. He raised an eyebrow slightly at the sight, but didn’t comment on her attempt to mimic the cadets, instead looking at her sternly as he asked.

“Did you bring your weapons Holly?”

“Yes sir!” She replied smartly, partly withdrawing one of the daggers settled snuggly at the small of her back to show the blade.

Kaeli nodded and then held his wings out expectantly. Holly was glad she’d seen him inspect the other cadets first, or she might not have known exactly what he wanted. As it was she fully removed her daggers, spinning them round to present them to Kaeli handle first.

He took them from her swiftly, looking for any sign that they hadn’t been maintained since he had the armours clean and sharpen them for her all those weeks ago. He was pleased to find them in good condition, the blades recently sharpened.

“Good.” He nodded simply, presenting them back to her a moment later.

Holly beamed proudly as she returned the weapons to their holsters, only to pause when Kaeli spoke up again quietly.

“Shoulders back Holly.”

She blinked in surprise, hastening to correct her position as he had instructed. She could have sworn she’d heard the faintest hint of amusement in his voice, but when she glanced at him his face was as stern as ever, and he was already moving back down the line.

“Good, it seems we’re all prepared. Standard v formation cadets, I will take point.” He said, motioning for them to follow him.

Holly smiled, her excitement kicking up a notch as she realised this was it, she was going to fly with everyone! She was going to see the Great Fairy!

Kaeli led them towards the edge of the field, where there was an ideal place for them to launch into the sky. Holly unstrapped her broom from her back, intending to hurry after them, only to feel a feather light touch on her arm, holding her back.

“Do you remember what I taught you about flying in formation?” Benta checked quietly.

“I got it memorised sir, no worries.” She bounced, eager to go.

“All right then, just remember to-”

“Watch out for the winds over the lake! I got it!” Holly replied distractedly, glancing eagerly after the others.

“Watch out for the wind in general Holly. It’s bad around the lake, but a strong gust could hit you at any time.” Benta corrected sternly.

Holly winced a little at his sharp tone and did her best to reel in her enthusiasm and reply seriously. “Yes sir, sorry.”

“All right then, so long as you understand.” He nodded, and motioned her forward to join the others.

Holly quickly caught up with the cadets, and took her place in line behind Revali. As they waited for the signal to go he glanced over his shoulder at her, grinning cockily as he said;

“No need to worry, just follow my lead and you can’t go wrong.”

Holly smiled, bolstered by his confidence, and thanked him. It was nice to know Revali was looking out for her, in his own way.

A moment later Kaeli spread his wings and jumped off the ledge, disappearing from sight for a moment, only to rise up into the air seconds later, lifted by the wind.

The cadets quickly followed his cue, jumping off one after another, and within moments it was Holly’s turn to go. She quickly mounted her broom, pulled her goggles down over her eyes, and pushed off from the ground, soaring straight up into the sky to join the others. Unlike the Rito she didn’t need to let herself fall first in order to catch the wind, so she quickly caught up to them, despite being one of the last to leave.

Once she was in the sky she carefully manoeuvred herself till she was in the correct position, flying behind Revali and in front of Benta, the three of them together forming the left side of the ‘V’. Holly had to carefully control her speed to make sure she kept an equal spacing between herself and the two Rito as she flew, while also keeping an eye on the others in the right hand side of the formation to make sure she was keeping in line with them.

Holly realised now just why Benta had given her an intense crash course on formation flying over the last few days. This was completely different from flying solo, if you didn’t keep a keen awareness of everyone else around you you could easily cause a crash. Thank goodness she’d been able to practise before hand!

Still, the added difficulty wasn’t nearly enough to dampen her enthusiasm.

After all, she was finally on her way!

As Holly flew away with her friends, a stranger rode down the path to the Rito Stables. They stopped only long enough to board their tired horse, and then headed straight back out again, aiming for village.

They passed over the bridges and islands swiftly, and soon approached the central pillar, where a warrior stood watch over the village entrance.

“Good morning.” They called, eyeing the stranger cautiously as they approached.

It wasn’t unusual for visitors to come wrapped in lots of layers to protect themselves from the cold, but the way this travelled was completely covered by their cloak, with the hood down pulled low, made it look like they were deliberately trying to hide themselves from prying eyes.

Suspicious and now slightly on guard, the warrior called out again, ready to block entry if she didn’t like the response she got.

“What business do you have in the village today?”

The stranger stopped and spoke, and the guards eyes went wide.

Unaware of the drama unfolding back in the village, the group visiting the Fairy Fountain flew on, drawing closer to their destination with every passing minute.

At first the cadets glanced over frequently at Holly, checking on her progress and making sure that she was doing okay. In the beginning she looked tense and focused, obviously concentrating hard on maintaining her place in the formation, but as time wore on she gradually started to relax and enjoy herself. After about 10 minutes of flight she was looking around eagerly, a wide smile on her face as she soaked up the view and occasionally paused to wave happily to her friends.

“Enjoying yourself?” Revali called back over his shoulder with a grin, letting himself glide back a little closer to her so he could hear her reply.

“Yes, this is so much fun!” Holly beamed. “Flying with a bunch of people is great!”

Revali blinked in confusion, only for his eyes to widen a moment later as understanding dawned. Of course, no other Hylian had the ability to fly, which meant that Holly would have always flown...alone.

Coming from a village, from a tribe, where everyone was able to fly, Revali took it for granted that he would always have company in the sky, that he would always be able to discuss the joy of flight with others who understood it.

Holly...never had any of that.

Not knowing how to reply while he was still reeling from this realisation, Revali simply nodded to show he understood her words and quickly moved back into his proper position.

Holly flew on, smiling brightly at all the new sights and sensations she was being treated to. The view was amazing, and she was surrounded by friends she could share it with. She swung her legs joyfully, practically bouncing on her seat on her broom. He first flight with friends was turning out to be amazing!

A sudden gust of wind ruffled her hair and she tensed, drawn abruptly from her thoughts and back to the moment at hand.

They were rapidly approaching the lake.

She didn’t miss the way the cadets glances at her changed from being encouraging to anxious, they all knew this was the bit she might have trouble with. She sat up straighter, adjusting her grip on her broom and trying to look confident as she prepared herself to take on the winds as they glided down over the water.

Within moments, the first gust of wind slammed into her side.

She let the instincts formed by all her training take over, and swiftly adjusted to keep herself on course. She didn’t have any time to congratulate herself though, as the winds hit her again and again, slamming into her from different directions as they crossed the lake. She suddenly understood why Benta had been so insistent that she was able to repeatedly execute the manoeuvre before he let her come, she never would have managed the crossing otherwise.

Holly breathed a sigh of relief when they finally put the lake behind them and the winds died down- that had been hard, but she’d done it!

“Good work Holly!” Benta called from behind her, making her turn back to look at him in surprise. He flashed her a thumbs up, a proud grin on his beak, and the cry was soon echoed by the cadets, who waved at her from their spots in the formation, praising her for handling the winds so well.

“Thank you everyone!” She grinned back, her heart soaring.

They flew on in silence for a few minutes, until the mountain range that formed Pipers Ridge rose up before them.

“All right cadets.” Kenta called, gesturing towards a particular area with one wing. “The fountain is just up ahead, stay in formation and follow me down.”

As they glided down towards the rocks after him, Holly was startled to see a bright spot of golden yellow tucked amongst the dull stone.

Was that…!?!

But she didn’t have any time to linger on that excited thought, as the ground was quickly rising up to meet them. She watched Kaeli closely, tracking him as he glided down, noting how he landed and then quickly moved out of the way to make room for the next person. The cadets all did the same, so when it was her turn Holly made sure to swoop in low, dismount, and then quickly run over to make room for Benta, who was the last to land. She pushed her goggles back up onto the top of her head as she joined the cadets, smiling when they all congratulated her once again on a successful flight.

“Thanks so much everyone.” She grinned, and Benta had to cough loudly to get their attention, drawing them from their excited chatter.

“All right cadets, the Fairy Fountain is just up ahead.” Kaeli spoke once they were all silent and standing to attention. “Before entering we are going to climb up these rocks and look in on the fountain from above. This is to give you an opportunity to see the small fairy’s that circle the fountain. Fairy’s always gather at a Great Fairy’s fountain, but they will flee as soon as you try to approach, so this is the best way to let you see them.”

Holly exchanged excited glances with the cadets as they followed their instructor, heading for the vantage point he’d indicated. They were going to see regular fairy’s as well!! This was amazing!

As they approached the rocks Holly was surprised to suddenly pick up on the soft sound of distant music. She paused, not quite believing her ears, but the music persisted, a gentle background noise which grew steadily louder as she started moving forward again. She looked around, but there was no obvious source for the noise, and more importantly no one else seemed to be reacting to it. She started to wonder if she was hearing things, but didn’t voice her concerns, not wanting to worry her friends even as the twinkling tune continued to grow louder.

“Hey..does anyone else hear that?” Leri suddenly whispered, and Holly breathed a sigh of relief.

“It sounds like Harp music.” Ollet nodded, looking confused.

“All Fairy Fountains emit this music, if you ever hear it you’ll know you’re approaching one.” Benta whispered to them with a smile, and Holly suddenly remembered that while Rito eyesight was vastly superior to her own, her Hylian hearing was much sharper then theirs. They probably hadn’t been able to hear the music till now.

Phew .

They crested the rocks a few moments later, and finally got their first look at the fountain below.

“Woah.” Holly breathed, eyes wide and full of wonder, and she heard her friends letting out similar soft gasps all around her.

It was... magical.

There was no other word for it.

In contrast to the barren rocks of the mountain range, the small glade below was filled with lush grass and plants. Giant mushrooms in every colour of the rainbow sprouted all over the ground, and there were even a few apple trees and bushes scattered around, like this one area had been protected from the arid environment outside.

Right in the heart of the glade stood a giant yellow flower, it’s petals spread wide open, filling the clearing. A trail of colourful mushrooms formed a gentle slope that led up to to the centre of the blossom, where there was a huge basin of water which sparkled and glowed, filled with inner light. There were gold decorations around the edge of the fountain, including two large birds that perched on either side, looking in, almost as if they were guarding the pool below.

The music they’d been hearing filled the clearing, and fluttering all around the golden flower, providing bright spots of colour, were fairies.

Holly was captivated by the tiny creatures. She’d seen pictures in books and heard stories of course, but she’d never actually seen them before with her own eyes. They looked like small spheres of light dancing on the breeze, the only thing visible beyond the glow they emitted the delicate dragonfly like wings that kept them aloft. Certain tales claimed that the light they produced hid their real bodies, and in fact they looked very much like tiny Hylians underneath, but as far as she knew no one had ever been able to confirm it.

“They’re beautiful” Holly whispered, utterly charmed. They were making gentle tinkling noises as they fluttered about, adding to the music of the fountain, and while most of them emitted a soft pink light, there were a few other colours mixed in, some of them glowing yellow and blue, and even red and green.

“They really are.” Farell whispered back softly, and as Holly looked down the line at her friends she saw that they all looked as enraptured by the sight as she felt.

Kaeli and Benta gave the cadets a few minutes to soak up the view, and then quietly motioned for them to climb back down off the rocks.

It was time to enter the fountain.

Holly hurried down after her friends, heart thundering with excitement, and with no further ado they made their way towards the glade, heading for the entrance.

Kaeli, Farell and Revali entered first, but as Holly followed and stepped over the boundary where bare rock turned into lush plant life she felt a wave of...something come over her.

She staggered, thrown by the sudden sensation, and Revali turned at the noise, only barely managing to catch her arm and steady her before she could fall.

“Holly? Holly what’s wrong?” He asked, alarmed.

She couldn’t reply for a moment, overwhelmed by this strange new sensation , and just gripped his wing as she tr ied to breathe through it and get a handle on what she was feeling.

It wasn’t bad, quite the opposite in fact. This place felt… Good. Safe. Protected.

It was like….when you were young, and scared, and your mother held you and you felt like nothing could possibly hurt you so long as she was there. It was warm and loving and right.

“Holly, Holly talk to me.” Revali pleaded, still holding her up.

“I’m...I’m okay” She finally managed, finding her feet and standing up by herself, letting go of his wing with a grateful pat. “Wow this is...wow.” She murmured, looking around, noting the fairy’s had all flown away in the commotion. The sensation was still firmly there, but now she had acclimatised to it, it wasn’t so overwhelming.

“Holly what just happened?” Kaeli asked, looking concerned. “Are you all right?”

“I’m sorry sir, I just felt...I can’t really explain it, but as soon as I stepped inside I felt a wave of...energy? I know that sounds strange, but I don’t know how else to explain it. Everything here feels really good, like someone’s trying to tell me ‘you’re safe here’.”

The Rito all glanced at one another, confused and concerned by her words.

“Energy?” The cadets murmured, mystified by her explanation.

“Do you feel all right? Can you continue?” Benta asked, focusing on the most important thing.

“I’m fine now, really! I’m very sorry for worrying you all, but I’m not hurt, and I don’t feel unwell, it just took me by surprise.” Holly insisted.

“Hmm...I wonder...” Kaeli mused, looking thoughtful.

“Did you think of something?” Benta asked.

“Well...Holly is a Witch, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that she’d be sensitive to magic, and a Fairy Fountain would be absolutely overflowing with magical power. After all, Great Fairy’s are some of the strongest magical creatures in Hyrule, only the 3 Great Dragons could beat them in terms of power.”

“Oh, that makes sense!” Leri smiled, relieved to hear a logical explanation. “So Holly can pick up on magical power!”

“Uh, well it’s news to me?” Holly said, rubbing the back of her head nervously, “But I guess it makes sense.”

“Hmm, this is certainly surprising.” Benta nodded, following along. “But if you reacted like this just from stepping into the glade, I worry how you’d take to meeting the Great Fairy herself. Perhaps it would be best if-”

“Please don’t make me leave now sir, it caught me by surprise, that’s all! Now I know to expect it, it won’t catch me out a second time! I promise!” Holly pleaded.

Benta sighed, looking at Kaeli, the two of them sharing a silent conversation. After several long moments Kaeli nodded, and Benta looked back sternly at Holly.

“Very well, since nothing here should pose a physical threat to you we will allow you to stay, but if you start to feel even slightly unwell you must inform us at once and leave the glade, do you understand?”

“Yes sir, I promise!” She nodded eagerly, relief flooding her.

“All right then, Benta and I will summon the Great Fairy, the rest of you line up and wait for your turn to speak to her. Cadets, keep an eye on Holly in case she reacts badly when the Fairy emerges.

They quickly lined up in the order they’d agreed upon beforehand. Holly had insisted on going last since she was a tag along, and Kaeli had no-so-subtly hinted that since Revali was already getting special elemental arrow lessons, letting the other cadets go first would be the honourable thing to do. Holly suspected that if anyone other the Kaeli had suggested it Revali would have turned his beak up and insisted that if anything that should mean he got to go first, but as it was he agreed with his teacher. The remaining 3 had played rock-paper-scissors to decide who went when, and eventually the order had been set with Farell first, then Ollet, Leri, Revali and finally Holly.

The cadets and Holly watched with bated breath as the warriors climbed the mushroom staircase to the lip of the fountain, and Holly didn’t fail to notice the way Revali edged subtly closer to her, ready to catch her if she she stumbled or fainted.

The two warriors reached the edge of the fountain, and each dropped a silver rupee into the water.

There was a moment when nothing happened, but then the water began to bubble and the light shining from within it suddenly intensified. There was a loud splash as something huge emerged abruptly from beneath the water, and then a feminine voice echoed around the glade.

“Ah-HAAAAAAAAAA!”

The teenagers staggered back a few steps in shock as a colossal woman sprung out of the fountain, her arms raised high above her head. She was covered in glittering jewellery, huge rubies and lavish pieces of gold decorating her skin. She wore bright make up around her eyes and cheeks, and her thick pink hair was swept to one side of her face. She curled one hand delicately over the edge of the fountain as she settled in the water, floating in place so she was only visible from the waist up, and Holly noticed that her nails were painted alternatively red and green, each filed to a neat point.

The Young Witch felt a wave of energy as the Great Fairy emerged from the fountain, but she was ready for it this time, and held her ground as a feeling of intense warmth and power swept over her.

“Holly?” Revali called softly, his wings slightly raised as if he was ready to reach out and catch her if needed

“I’m fine” She reassured him with a smile, standing up straight and looking at the giant woman before them.

“Mmmm, well hello there” The Great Fairy purred, looking down happily at Benta and Kaeli. “It’s always a pleasure when such handsome men come to call.”

Holly blinked in surprise. Was she...flirting with them?

“Good morning.” The two warriors nodded, looking a little uncomfortable at the attention, and the Great Fairy chuckled at their obvious hesitance, before glancing behind them and finally noticing the waiting teenagers.

“Arara, is it that time again? It seems only yesterday that you two were standing here behind your own instructors, visiting me for the first time. How big and strong you’ve gotten since then!”

She laughed again, and Holly noticed the glittering fairy wings tucked behind her ear, which shimmered with all the colours of the rainbow as she moved.

“Well then, approach young warriors.” She smiled, beckoning the cadets forward.

Benta and Kaeli stepped back, letting Farell approach.

“Hello there boy. My, what a sweet young thing you are. Tell me, how do you like my fountain?”

“It’s very beautiful, lady Fairy.” Farell said, carefully minding his manners despite looking a little unsettled by the attention she was giving him.

“My, what a flatterer.” She smiled warmly, “Now, tell me, do you have something for me?”

“Yes, an offering.” Farell said, reaching into his bag and producing a silver rupee like the ones Benta and Kaeli had thrown in.

“How wonderful! Now, I’m sure your teachers have already told you, but I can enhance your clothing for you, to make it stronger. Would you like that?”

“Yes please,” Farell nodded.

“Well then, hmm...” The Fairy rested her chin on one perfectly manicured hand, looking Farell up and down searchingly for a moment before continuing. “For the price of 5 Warm Safflina’s I can enhance the clothing you’re currently wearing a little bit. Would you like me to do so?”

“Yes please Great Fairy.” Farell said with a bow.

“What a polite young thing you are, I do appreciate good manners. Please throw your offering and the flowers into my fountain.”

Holly watched as Farell did just that, the flowers and rupee disappearing under the surface of the glittering water.

“Well then, hold still now.” Kaysa smiled before taking a breath, cupping her hands to her face and then blowing across her open palms onto Farell. Particles of gold dust seemed to dance of her hands, glittering in the light as they fluttered around Farell, who stared in awe as the particles settled and then vanished into his clothing.

“Is...is that it?” He asked cautiously, still staring at himself.

“Mhm, all finished.” Kaysa smiled. “You’re clothing is now a little bit stronger, you should be able to feel my love and care in it!”

“T-Thank you very much.” Farell said, gathering himself and giving another bow.

“You’re very welcome dear, do feel free to stop by and visit me any time.”

She waved cheerfully as Farrel walked away and Ollet stepped up to take her turn.

Each conversation went along the same lines. Kaysa flirted with whoever stepped up (apparently she didn’t differentiate between genders), then told them what she would require to enhance their clothing. In each case it was flowers, but the species required was different for each person, and soon Holly understood why Kaeli and Benta had made them bring a variety.

Finally it was Revali’s turn, and he stepped up proudly to take his place, showing no fear or hesitation like most of the others had after witnessing the Great Fairy’s flirtatious manner.

Kaysa raised an eyebrow as he stood before her, her eyes seeing more then most as she glanced down at him.

My, my, my… She thought to herself. What a strong little soul he has…

“Welcome young one.” She purred “My, how dashing you look!”

“Why thank you.” Revali said, tossing his scarf over one shoulder and shaking out his braids, basically preening at the praise. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Great Fairy”

Kaysa laughed, amused by his confidence, and quickly told him that for the price of 4 Electric Safflina’s she could enhance his clothing. Revali paid up eagerly, giving a sweeping bow in thanks to the Fairy once the enhancement was complete.

Then it was Holly’s turn.

Her heart thundered as she approached the Fountain. She was so excited, and as she drew closer the magic (?) she was sensing got stronger, filling her with an almost overpowering sense of warmth and security.

“Well now.” Kaysa chuckled as she approached “So the Rito have started training Hylian’s now? How open minded of yo-”

She froze mid-sentence as Holly stepped up onto the edge of her flower, her eyes going wide as saucers as she stared down at her.

“What.” She said softly, and Holly stood stock still, not sure what to make of this reaction.

“WHAAAAAAT?!” Came the next cry, loud and echoing, and Kaysa’s hands slammed down on the edge of the fountain as she leaned right down to look at her.

“It can’t be! It just can’t be! Oh but it is!”

Her voice changed from shock to delight as she spoke , and before Holly knew what was happening the Great Fairy had literally snatched her up off the ground. Kaysa quickly brought her to her face, nuzzling her against her cheek as she spun around in a circle, laughing joyously before finally holding Holly out in front of her , the young Witch sat on her open palms looking a little dizzy as the F airy exclaimed,

“Oh my stars, a Witch! After all these millennia, a real live Witch! What a treasure you have brought me!”

“Um...hi?” Holly said dazedly, waving softly from her seat on her palm.

“Holly are you okay?!” Benta called up anxiously.

“I’m fine!” She called down, waving at the gathered Rito from over the edge of Kaysa’s palm. “I’m just fine!”

“Oh dear, I suppose I startled you all didn’t I? I just got so excited, I do hope you’ll forgive my outburst.” Kaysa said, very carefully putting Holly back on the edge of her fountain.

“You did surprise me, but it was kind of fun!” Holly grinned, remembering the sensation of being swung around. “It’s very nice to meet you Miss Fairy!”

“And it’s a pleasure to meet you too little Witch. May I ask your name?” Kaysa smiled down at her.

“I’m Holly! Like the tree!” She grinned happily.

“What a pretty name! But tell me little Witch, where is your Mother? Young Witches are always brought on their first visit to see my sisters and I by their Mothers.” Kaysa asked innocently, looking around as if she expected another Hylian to suddenly reveal themselves at her words.

The smile on Holly’s face fell for a second at the question, but she quickly recovered.

“My Mother passed away a long time ago Miss Fairy.” She said simply.

“Oh dear” Kaysa said, raising her hands to cover her mouth. “I’m so sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay, like I said, it happened a long time ago.” Holly replied, “Besides, I’ve been really lucky! I have a wonderful Brother and Uncle, and the Rito have been teaching me how to fly! Benta has been really great!” She said, pointing at her teacher.

“I see, so that’s why your with them.” Kaysa nodded softly.

“Mhm!” She grinned.

“...Well little Witch, let’s get down to business shall we?” Kaysa said, straightening up a little. “I know you probably came here to enhance your clothing like your friends, but I believe I can offer something which might be of greater value to you. Do you have your broom with you?”

“Of course!” Holly said, unstrapping it from her back and holding it out.

“Hmm, a fine piece of work.” Kaysa nodded after examining it for a moment. “Now my dear, rather then your clothes I can enhance your broom for you.”

“Wow, really?!” Holly exclaimed.

“Of course! But to do so I need something more personal then flowers. I need a lock of your hair.”

“My hair?”

“Mhm.” Kaysa nodded, smiling softly.

“Well if that’s all then it’s no problem!” Holly smiled, unsheathing one of her daggers and reaching up to cut some off.

A loud distressed cry from behind her made her pause, and she turned to see Revali and the other cadets reaching out towards her, clamouring for her to stop.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” Revali practically screeched, his cry echoed by the others.

“...She just said she needs some of my hair.” Holly repeated, motioning to the Great Fairy with her dagger and wondering what the problem was. Didn’t they hear her?

“You can’t just...hack a chunk off like that!” Ollet yelped.

“She’s right Holly, you’ll ruin it!” Leri cried.

“My, my, they’re right my dear, I didn’t expect you to just lop off a piece like that! A young lady should take more care of her appearance!” Kaysa said, waggling a disapproving finger at her.

“But I- I don’t really have time to fly back and find a hairdresser!” Holly said, mildly exasperated by their fussing. Surely an inch or so off the bottom wouldn’t hurt?

Farell sighed, stepping forward and holding out a wing expectantly. “I cut my sisters hair for them all the time, please let me do it Holly, I can keep it tidy for you.”

“Oh really? That’s great, thanks, it’ll save so much time!” Holly grinned, handing over one of her daggers. She stood still while Farell worked, Ollet holding a clean handkerchief out to catch the cut hair as it fell away.

“Is this enough Great Fairy?” Farell asked after he’d been working for a few minutes.

“That will do just fine dear. My what a talented thing you are!” Kaysa smiled happily as Ollet handed over the handkerchief to Holly and Farell returned her dagger.

“Thanks guys.” She smiled.

“If you want to thank us then please never do that again.” Farell sighed, shaking his head at her.

“They’re right Holly.” Revali said, clicking his beak sharply as he gave her a rather exasperated look. “Honestly, you would have just butchered it if we’d let you be, wouldn’t you?”

“Ehehe...” She chuckled nervously, turning quickly back to the Fairy before she was forced to answer.

“I have the hair!”

“Wonderful. Now put your offering and your hair into my fountain, then hold your broom out for me.”

Holly quickly did as instructed, and this time Kaysa reached her hands down into the water, scooping up some of the hair she had just thrown in before blowing across her hands as she had with the others.

Golden particles, mixed with strands of Holly’s own hair, flew across the air towards the young Witch. They swirled around her, glittering brightly, before seeming to be sucked towards her broom, where they settled into the wood. Her whole broom pulsed once with golden light, and then the strands of hair seemed to disappear inside the wood as the light faded.

“Woah...” Holly said simply, momentarily lost for words as she stared at her broom, amazed by what she’d seen and felt during that little display.

“Is...is it stronger now?” Leri asked.

“Not exactly dear.” Kaysa chuckled. “I’ve awakened a special ability within it, one that should prove very useful.”

“Really? Wow! What ability!?” Holly asked eagerly.

Kaysa smiled, and then reached forward without any warning and snatched the broom right out of her hands. She tossed it before Holly could even cry out, sending it flying through the air and over the edge of the nearby cliff.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Holly watched her broom sail through the air, and her mind flashed back to that day in the woods when it had also gone tumbling over the edge of a cliff, leaving her trapped at the mercy of the Lizalfos. This cliff was a lot taller then the one back then, her broom would be smashed to pieces if it hit the ground from this height, there would be no recovering it later. No salvaging it. It would be broken and that...that meant...

No flying.

Ever again.

“NO!” She screamed, the cry ripping it’s way out of her throat, and her hand reached out after her broom instinctively, even though she knew it was too late to save it.

And then she felt a pull.

The broom stopped abruptly in mid air, like a yo-yo reaching the end of it’s string, and span end for end to face her. It hovered in place for a split second, hesitating, and then flew straight back to Holly like an arrow from a bow, slamming into her still open hand.

Her fingers closed instinctively around the handle, and the clearing fell silent as everyone stared in shock at what they’d just seen.

“What...the….” Holly finally managed a few moments later, only for the tense atmosphere to be abruptly broken as Kaysa gave a happy squeal behind her, clapping her hands together in delight.

“Oh isn’t it just so handy? We used to do this for young Witches on their first Fountain visit! You can recall your broom to your hand any time you want now, just by willing it so! Oh, but it will only travel in a straight line, so if there’s a wall or anything between you it will get stuck, be careful!” She warned with a playful wag of her finger.

For once Holly didn’t respond, staring in shock at the broom in her hand, her eyes flicking up to meet Revali’s, a single thought running through her head.

If she’d been able to do this back then...they’d…

Revali features softened as he met her gaze, it was easy to guess what she was thinking. He gave the slightest shake of his head, trying to discreetly tell her that it was okay.

“Oh! That reminds me!” Kaysa said, pulling everyone’s attention back to her “Long, long ago, some Witches became skilled enough that eventually they could do more then just make their brooms come back to their hands, they could direct them fly wherever they wanted!”

The Great Fairy paused, appraising Holly critically for a moment “Hmm...you’re a long way off being able to handle such complicated magic though.”

“I-I understand, thank you so much for all your help Great Fairy” Holly said, bowing low “Please, may I come back and talk to you again some time? I feel like I’ll have questions you may be able to answer.”

“Of course little Witch. Come speak to me, or any of my three sisters, any time you wish.” Kaysa smiled kindly, before turning to address them all.

“Well, this has certainly been an exciting day! Good luck little warriors, please do come visit me again some time!”

She lifted her hands above her head, and with an echoing laugh twirled down back into her fountain, vanishing as quickly as she had come.

There was silence, and everyone stared at Holly, who was still stood on the lip of the fountain, clutching her broom.

“Well...” Benta said eventually “...That was surprising!”

There was a lot of talking after that, but by the time they went to eat lunch things had calmed down again. Holly spent half the break running around the ancient ruins, and the other half throwing her broom away just to summon it back to her hand again, marvelling at her new ability. The cadets trailed after her, struggling to keep up with her boundless energy as she scaled crumbling pillars and ran through the remains of what might once have been houses, in full ‘adventurer’ mode.

“I’m glad she’s in good spirits again.” Leri whispered as Holly laughed merrily from where she was perched on the very top of a pillar.

“Yes, it’s a relief, she looked so shocked earlier.” Ollet nodded.

Revali frowned slightly at their words, but said nothing. It seemed he was the only one who had noticed the slightly frantic edge to her energy, like she was desperately trying to distract herself from something. He made a mental note to pull her aside later and speak to her privately about all this.

Before they knew it it was time to fly back home. Holly was rather proud of the way she negotiated the air currents on the way back, she found the trip easier the second time round, perhaps because she knew exactly what to expect this time. They headed back to the training field together, and from there the group would split, the cadets free to do as they wished for the rest of the day, while Benta and Kaeli would take Holly to Elder Lila so they could discuss what had happened at the Fairy Fountain.

The field came into sight in no time, and Holly was surprised when Kaeli called back to inform them that there were several figures who looked to be waiting for them up ahead. She couldn’t make out these figures herself till they got a lot closer, and was surprised to discover it was Elder Lila herself, accompanied by one of the warriors and a stranger who was bundled up in a thick travelling cloak.

They landed, and Benta motioned for Holly and the cadets to stay back while he and Kaeli went to investigate.

“Elder Lila” Kaeli bowed politely, shooting a curious look at the person covered in the cloak as he spoke. “You’ve saved us a trip, we were going to come find you. Might I ask the reason for this personal visit?”

“We’ve had a unique visitor.” Lila said, nodding towards the stranger. “We needed someone to identify him.”

“I see.” Kaeli frowned “And just who-”

“-Holly?”

Everyone paused as the stranger spoke for the first time, and Holly jerked bolt upright at the voice, spinning around to face them with wide eyes.

They lowered their hood, finally revealing their face, and Holly let out a cry and sprinted across the field as fast as her legs could carry her, crashing into their open arms moments later with a tearful cry.

“KENTA!”

Chapter Text

“Kenta!” Holly cried, launching herself into her brother’s arms.

“There’s my Holly-Berry!” The stranger- Kenta, laughed as he scooped her up and hugged her tight.

“I missed you!” Holly sniffled, nuzzling closer.

“I missed you too, so much!” He smiled, rubbing small comforting circles on her back and letting her burrow into his arms.

Holly squeezed him tight, and when she did reluctantly pull back a few moments later, it was only so that she could ask him a burning question.

“I’m so glad to see you, but how on earth did you get here so fast!? Last I heard you were in the Zora’s domain!”

“I was! But I headed here as soon as I heard about your injuries Holly-Berry, of course I did!” He said, glancing at her arm worriedly as he spoke, “I woulda been here sooner but your letter got delayed and then I got held up by some bad storms. I should have been here weeks ago by rights!” He huffed, clearly annoyed at how long it had taken to reach her.

“Well that explains why it was taking you so long to write back!” Holly laughed, finally letting go of him and stepping back a little.

Kenta smiled and rested his hands on her shoulders, getting his first proper look at her after being separated for so long. He was happy to see that she seemed to be in good health, and even had some neat new accessories to show for her time in the Rito village.

“Look at you! Someone’s gone native.” He chuckled, playfully poking the beak on her goggles.

Holly laughed at the comment, and spun around to show off her Snowquill outfit, the fake tail feathers swinging out behind her as she asked, “Do you like it?”

“Yeah I do! It looks great!” He grinned “Love the outfit, love how happy yah look. You having fun kiddo?”

“So much fun!” She smiled, throwing her hands up in the air for emphasis. “The Rito have all been so kind to me Kenta, and their village is amazing! Do you know they have proper heated baths here? That everyone can use for free?”

“What?! No way!” He exclaimed, looking as excited and eager as she did. “You gotta show me! I wanna see!!”

The two Hylian’s quickly fell into a passionate discussion, bouncing energetically on the balls of their feet as Holly listed the amazing features of the village and Kenta all but begged to be shown them right away.

“….Oh Hylia there are two of them.” Revali murmured quietly as he watched.

“Her personality suddenly makes so much more sense.” Farell nodded in agreement, caught between amusement and bewilderment as he watched the two Hylians interact.

“Ahem.” Elder Lila coughed, causing silence to fall and everyone to turn their attention back to her. “I’m sorry to interrupt your reunion Holly, but I take it from your reaction that this is indeed your brother?”

“Yes! This is Kenta!” She smiled happily, grabbing her brothers arm and hugging it as she spoke. “Oh, I’m sorry! I got so excited I forgot to introduce you all didn’t I? Let me start over...”

She quickly went around and introduced her brother to all the Rito, starting with Elder Lila and ending with the cadets. Kenta smiled and inclined his head to each of them politely, and if his gaze lingered on Revali a little longer then the others when he was pointed out, no one noticed.

“Well, now that Holly’s kindly introduced us all, perhaps you would care to accompany us back to the village Kenta? I’d be happy to update you on your sister’s progress, and I’m sure you have questions of your own.” Elder Lila said politely once Holly had finished.

“Sure, that would be great! Thank you very much!” Kenta smiled, bowing gratefully.

“Ah, Elder? May Benta and I also accompany you?” Kaeli called, raising a wing to get her attention. “Kaysa took a great deal of interest in Holly when we brought her to the fountain today, and we’d like to update you on all that occurred when they met. If her brother is here now, he should also be informed.”

“I see.” Lila said, hiding her concern at the unexpected news with practised ease and making sure to keep her tone calm as she continued. “In that case yes, you should both accompany us. Matik, will you please give Kenta a lift back to the village? Benta I take it you have no problem with carrying Holly?”

“Of course” The two warriors nodded.

“Huh? Can’t you fly yourself kiddo? I just saw you fly in, you were doing really well!” Kenta asked, confused as to why they were offering to carry her.

“Oh...um...” Holly hesitated, reluctant to admit the truth. “Actually...I’m not allowed to fly anywhere near the village yet in case I bump into anyone and cause a crash, I just got special permission for this one trip.”

“Oh I see, that makes sense. No worries Holly-Berry.” Kenta smiled, ruffling her hair comfortingly, and she seemed to perk up at the gesture.

With that it was time to leave, so Holly said a quick goodbye to the cadets and then led her brother over to where Matik and Benta were waiting. Kaeli took the time to officially dismiss the young Rito for the day, and they all left a few minutes later, leaving the cadets behind.

“Well that was exciting.” Leri commented as they watched them leave. “I can’t believe we actually got to meet Holly’s brother after she talked about him so much!”

“Yes, and it seems that he’s just as excitable as his sister.” Ollet chuckled, remembering how the two of them had been talking so eagerly about the village.

“It would seem so,” Revali nodded, crossing his wings across his chest. “And I can’t help but worry whether the village is ready to handle having two hyperactive Hylians running around.”

“I think it will make things more lively!” Leri grinned “Anyway, what are you all going to do now? Any plans for the rest of the day?”

“I’m going to go show my family my new improved clothes.” Ollet grinned proudly, tugging on her tunic.

“I’m going to go see my family too.” Farell smiled. “My sisters really want to hear all about the Great Fairy.”

“Aww, you guys are lucky, I promised my brother and sister I’d help with their homework once I got back.” Leri sighed.

“As for me.” Revali spoke up haughtily, tossing his braid over his shoulder, “I’ll be making use of this time to get in some extra practise.”

“Of course you are.” Ollet replied with an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes up to the Great Sky Above. All of the cadets knew that “free time” just meant “more practise time” as far as Revali was concerned.

“It’s like you don’t understand the concept of relaxing.” Leri said, elbowing him in the side teasingly.

“I can relax once I am the best archer in the village.” Revali replied coolly, turning on his heel and heading towards the storage shed so he could set up a target.

“I will see you all at training tomorrow.” He called out, waving over his shoulder to them as he left.

The 3 remaining cadets shook their heads at his stubbornness but said their own goodbyes and took to the sky, heading back to the village without him.

“You know...I suspect that even if he does become the best archer in the village, he still won’t take it easy.” Farell sighed as they left, and the others could only agree with him.

Back at the training field, Revali let the familiar motion of firing arrows calm and centre him. Whenever he was troubled, or dealing with a difficult problem, he always sought out the archery range, where he could find peace in repetitive practise.

Right now, he was thinking about Holly.

Her reaction when they entered the Fairy Fountain had taken everyone by surprise, himself included, and that bothered him. Looking at it in hindsight, it seemed obvious that she would have some sort of reaction to meeting one of the most powerful magical beings in Hyrule. She was a Witch after all, and therefore had a natural affinity with magic herself. It would have been odder if she hadn’t reacted in some way.

W hich begged the question- why had no one thought of that before hand? In all the weeks leading up to the trip, why had n’t it occurred to anyone? Why hadn’t it occurred to him?

He mulled over the question as he fired, and came to a rather unsatisfying conclusion.

N o one had really remembered that Holly was... magical.

It seemed a foolish thing to think now, she flew after all, but the truth was Holly simply did not give the impression of being a ‘magical’ being. The Great Fairy might not have turned out to be anything like he’d imagined, but she had still radiated a sense of ancient power that left you with no question as to her status.

Holly...did not.

Which was why no one had remembered what she was, and therefore how she might react to meeting the Great Fairy, or how the Great Fairy might react to meeting her.

Speaking of which...

Revali still remembered how shocked they’d all been when Kaysa had s uddenly cried out and snatched Holly up off the ground . Despite the F airy’s r eassurances that she meant no harm, h e hadn’t been able to relax until she’d put her back down and he could see with his own eyes that she was unharmed . Then, while they were all still trying to process what had just happened, the Fairy had started going on and on about the ‘ incredible treasure ’ they’d brought her . She had gush ed over Holly like she was the most amazing thing she’d ever seen, even though he had stood before her only a few minutes earlier .

His next arrow thudded into the target with a bit more force then was strictly necessary as he continued this line of thought.

If he was being completely honest with himself, he supposed he could admit that he might have, just possibly, felt the tiniest tinge of...envy, as he watched her receive such special attention.

Thud.

I t didn’t mean anything, obviously. The Great Fairy had only been interested in her because she hadn’t seen a Witch in a very long time. It wasn’t like Holly had done anything particularly special to earn that praise.

Thud!

I f Kaysa knew anything about archery she obviously would have singled him out for his tale nt s , and ig nored Holly entirely -

THUD!

He paused, snapping out of his spiralling thoughts as he noticed his last arrow had strayed from the centre of the target.

He lowered his bow, and immediately felt a swell of guilt for thinking so badly of Holly. She deserved better then that from him. It was hardly her fault the Fairy had reacted that way after all, and she’d done nothing to encourage the behaviour.

He took a moment to calm and centre himself, and then he drew his bow and continued firing.

Really, when he thought about it, Holly had been through an awful lot today. Her first group flight, learning she could sense magic, the Fairy lavishing her with attention, gaining the ability to recall her broom, and then her brother coming to visit her unexpectedly, all within the space of a few hours. He could only assume that, despite her carefree smiles, she actually had a lot on her mind…

He frowned as he remembered the look that had passed across her face when the Fairy had asked about her Mother, the pain she had quickly pushed aside and tried to cover with a smile.

She’d never spoken of her parents, not even once. Her Brother, Uncle, and Grandmother yes, but never her Mother and Father. You didn’t just completely leave out two such important people in your life unless...unless something had happened. Unless they were no longer around.

He had suspected she might be an orphan, but had never questioned her about it, feeling he had no business asking such a personal question.

Also...he understood all to well how painful it might be to talk about.

...He found that he wanted to speak to her. Just to...check, to see how she was really doing beneath all the sunny smiles and laughter. She might like to focus on things that brought her joy, but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel sorrow just like anyone else.

Thud.

But that was a foolish sentiment. Her brother was here now, the brother she idolised and adored. She would naturally speak to Kenta about any worries she had before she would think about confiding in him, no matter how brilliantly supportive he would obviously be.

Thud.

Her brother would be there for her if she needed support. There was no need to interfere.

Thud Thud Thud.

...Why was it that did not sit well with him?

Revali frowned, and focused his attention on the target instead, letting all other thoughts drift away in his search for perfection.

It was difficult for Holly to sit still and listen patiently as the meeting between her brother and the Rito dragged on...and on...and on.

It was fun at first, seeing how proud Kenta looked as he listened to the reports on her flying lessons and heard how helpful she’d been around the village, but then things had gotten tense as they finally addressed the Stone Talus in the room.

Her fight with Revali, and the punishment which had led to her injuries.

It was painfully obvious the Rito were walking on eggshells as they explained things, afraid Kenta would be angry at them, but when Lila and the Warriors finished recounting all that had happened and offered their sincere apologies, Kenta only shook his head with a smile.

“Thank you for apologising, but you don’t need to bow your heads to me. You were right to punish her for fighting, if I’d been here I woulda agreed with that decision. Heck, I would have punished her myself if yah hadn’t.” He said, shooting Holly a look as he spoke that made her duck her head and glance away in shame.

“As for her injury, it was an accident, plain and simple. Holly told me your warriors check those woods regularly, you had no reason to think it wouldn’t be safe when you sent the two of them inside. You rescued them as soon as you discovered they were in trouble, and got Holly the best treatment you could. Thanks to the Healers here all she’s got is a few scars and an interesting story to tell, it could have been far worse.”

The Rito were honestly shocked when Kenta finished by bowing to them deeply.

“Thank yah all so much for taking care of my sister.”

They quickly waved off his thanks, insisting that it was the very least they could do, and Holly smiled to herself as she listened. She knew Kenta wouldn’t be mad, he spent a lot of time adventuring in the wild and knew just how easily you could be blind sided by an unexpected disaster, despite all your planning and preparation. He’d always told her that it was how a person reacted when things suddenly went south that mattered, and the Rito had done everything in their power to help Holly, and been upfront and honest about what had transpired, rather then trying to cover up the accident. There was no way he’d be mad at them.

...She wished she could say the same for everyone she knew.

Things became more pleasant once they’d put that discussion behind them, but the meeting still dragged on, and it was only Kenta’s steadying hand on her shoulder that stopped Holly from fidgeting and bouncing restlessly on her cushion. She was desperate for them to finish up so she could go show him around the village, and it seemed to take forever before they finally got to the new, interesting news about the Fairy Fountain. Lila was rather shocked by the update, but Kenta took everything in his stride, excited by the new development.

“Wow! So you can sense magic now, huh?”

“Apparently!” Holly grinned.

“That’s great! I bet being able to call your broom back will be really useful to yah as well, right?”

“Mhm!” She nodded, smiling brightly.

“I concur, and I’d be happy to work with her so she can master this new ability.” Benta offered kindly, and that soon started everyone talking about her training again.

Holly struggled to suppress a groan, she thought they were finally done and she could go explore with her brother! Thankfully Kenta knew her well enough to tell that was getting to the end of her rope, and interrupted the Rito softly.

“I’m very grateful for your reports, and I would like tah hear more, but I don’t think we really need Holly here for the rest of this, do we? Would it be okay if we let her leave?”

“Of course.” Elder Lila nodded, understanding that the energetic girl must be struggling to sit still for such a long meeting. “You’re free to go Holly.”

“Thank you Elder, thank you sir’s” Holly said, springing eagerly to her feet and bowing to the Rito. “Kenta, I’ll wait for you by the Shrine, okay?”

“All right kiddo, off you run now.” He grinned, waving goodbye.

Holly smiled and quickly dashed out the door, relishing her freedom as she headed to the Inn. She bet Kenta hadn’t had time to reserve a bed yet, so she’d go ask Jade if she could hold one open for him!

She bounced down the steps eagerly, whistling a happy tune the whole way. Things were going to be even more amazing now Kenta was here!

It was much later in the day when Revali finally called a halt to his practise and headed back to the village. His muscles were sore from repetitive firing, so he headed homewards, hoping to quickly grab a towel and then head down to the baths to soak the pain away.

He had barely got one foot inside the door when he was pounced upon.

“Revali! There you are!” Elena cried, hurrying over to him. “No no, don’t tell me, you’ve been practising at the training field.” She cut him off when he opened his mouth to explain his late appearance. “Never mind that now, tell me, is it true Holly’s brother has arrived at the village?”

“News travels fast, yes it’s true, I saw him earlier.” Revali nodded, carefully moving past her to hang up his bow and quiver, inwardly noting that he’d need to do maintenance on them later.

“Wonderful! I want you to go invite Holly and her brother to come have dinner with us tomorrow.”

“...I beg your pardon?” Revali blinked, glancing over his shoulder at her in surprise.

“You heard me.” She said sternly, waving a finger at him “You and that girl got into a right old tussle, the least we can do is invite her family over for dinner to show there’s no hard feelings.”

“Don’t even bother arguing with her Revali.” Alvan called down from where he was perched in his hammock reading a book. “She’s determined that this is going to happen.”

“Exactly.” Elena smiled smugly, resting her wings on her hips. “Eli agrees with me too, don’t you dear?”

Her Husband looked up from the book he was reading and nodded in agreement, smiling softly as he added, “She’s right Revali, it’s the decent thing to do.”

The young Rito sighed, realising he was effectively out voted three to one, and was unlikely to win any argument he put forward. “Very well then, I will go look for the two of them.”

“There’s a good lad.” Elena smiled, patting him fondly on the cheek. “Once your back we’ll all go get some dinner, Marci is on cooking duty tonight, and you know how good her stew is.”

“I’ll be back shortly.” Revali nodded, resigning himself to the fact his bath was going to have to wait a while.

It shouldn’t be hard to find them, he thought as he headed out, Kenta seems to be very much like Holly, so I probably only need to follow the sound of commotion...

It didn’t take long to secure a reservation from Jade, business was slow and the Innkeeper was more then happy to hold the bed next to Holly’s open for her brother. The young Witch thanked her profusely and then dashed back up the stairs, burning off all the restless energy she’d built up sitting still for so long as she charged ahead. She reached the Shrine in no time and climbed onto it’s roof to wait for her brother, swinging her legs back and forth as she kept an eye out for him.

She didn’t have to wait long.

“Hey up there! Having fun?” Kenta called as walked down the stairs from the Elder’s hut.

“It’d be more fun with company!”

“Well how can I refuse such a kind invitation! Move over squirt.” He grinned, quickly climbing up to join her.

“I’m glad to see that the Elder and your teachers are just as nice as you said in all your letters.” He commented as he settled down next to her, squeezing her to his side in a one armed hug as he added quietly, “But they sure can talk, huh?”

Holly giggled into her hands, and he grinned wider at the reaction and hugged her a little tighter, prompting her to snuggle happily into his arms

“I’m glad you’re all caught up now, but I wish it hadn’t taken so long!” Holly pouted softly when they released each other a few moments later. “The sun will be setting soon, and I wanted to show you around the village!”

“Well I’ve got some good news for you then!” Kenta smiled, “Elder Lila and your teachers said you can have tomorrow off from your chores and lessons so we can catch up!”

“Wha-really?!” Holly asked, looking up at him with big hopeful eyes.

“Really really!” He grinned.

“That’s great! I can show you round everywhere tomorrow!”

“I mean, you can show me round some stuff today, right? Come on you talked about this place so much! I wanna see it!” Kenta pleaded, nudging her eagerly.

“Okay!” Holly laughed “Oh, but we gotta go to the Inn first! Jade’s reserved a bed for you, once you’ve paid up I can take you down and show you the baths!”

“Ooooh, so I can finally meet the famous Jade!” Kenta grinned, sliding down off the Shrine’s roof with her. “She’s the one who did this, right?” He asked, pointing towards the braid in her hair.

“Yeah! Remember how much trouble I used to have tying it up? Well the Rito figured out how to actually get it to stay in a braid! I’m still learning how to do it myself, so Jade’s styling it for me till I can do it properly.”

“Yeah? Well it looks good on you, the make up to! I didn’t think you were a fan of that stuff.”

“I don’t dislike it, it just always seemed too time consuming to bother with.” Holly hummed easily as they walked. “But I really like how this makes my eyes look all sharp and pretty, so I don’t mind spending a few extra minutes doing it in the morning! Once I get better at applying it I’m going to buy some more colours as well!”

“Sounds great,” Kenta laughed as she led him towards the stairs. “So, Inn first right?”

“Mhm, then we can- oh!” Holly paused, spotting a familiar figure climbing the steps. “It’s Revali! Hi Revali, what at you doing up here?”

“Looking for you two, as it so happens.” He replied as he walked over to meet them, bowing his head politely to Kenta in greeting.

“Oh?” Holly asked, curious. “Can we help you with something?”

“As a matter of fact, you can.”

Revali cleared his throat and then announced with as much grandeur as he could muster, “My guardian Elena would like you both to do us the honour of joining our family for dinner tomorrow.”

Holly blinked at his phrasing- his guardian?

“Really?” Kenta smiled “Well that sure is nice of her! Please thank her for us, and tell her we’d be happy to come, right Holly-Berry?”

“Sure!” Holly grinned, “But hey, um...where exactly do you live, Revali?”

“Holly you don’t know?” Kenta laughed, “Aren’t you two friends?”

“I’ve never been to his home before!” She pouted defensively.

“We live in the 3^rd residential pillar, the Azure Pillar.” Revali interrupted, pointing it out for them.

“Wait, do the residential pillars have names?” Holly asked, sounding awed by this new discovery.

“Of course, you didn’t know?”

“Nuh-uh!” She said, looking at him with eager expectation.

Revali sighed and shook his head. “I will tell you later if you wish, but I must return home now, my family is waiting for me.”

“Oh sure, I understand.” Holly nodded agreeably. “Before you go, will you please let everyone know I won’t be around for lunch tomorrow? Kaeli and Benta have given me the day off so I can catch up with Kenta.”

“I see, I will inform them all of your absence. Hmm, thinking about it, I suppose we will also have to cancel our own training session since we will be preoccupied with dinner.”

“Your right, I guess we will.” Holly nodded, missing the curious look Kenta shot them both. What training session?

“Very well then, I will see you both tomorrow. I wish you a pleasant evening.” Revali said, excusing himself with a grand sweeping bow.

“Night!” They echoed, waving as he left.

“...You friend talks really posh Holly.” Kenta commented after he’d gone, sounding rather impressed.

“Yeah, isn’t it great?” She laughed “Come on, the Inn’s this way!”

“Sure, but hey, what’s this about training sessions?”

Holly smiled and happily explained it to him as they walked.

Kenta ended up paying up front for two weeks stay in the Inn, and to Holly’s great delight he and Jade hit it off right away. After he had thanked her for taking such good care of Holly, and she had reassured him that it was her pleasure to play host to her, they had soon started chatting like they were old friends, and in the end she had to drag Kenta away so he didn’t miss dinner. By the time they’d eaten and she’d taken him down the baths (Kenta was just as amazed and enamoured by them as she’d been), it was so late that they decided it would be better to just go to bed and look around the village in the morning.

Holly was up with the sun the next day, bursting with excitement at the prospect of finally showing her brother round the village. Kenta wasn’t quite as used to such early starts as she now was, but once he’d woken up he was just as eager to go, and as soon as he was dressed they were off.

They had breakfast together in the communal kitchen, where Holly told her brother enthusiastically about all the great food she’d gotten to try due to the way the villagers all took turns cooking. As soon as they had finished eating they headed out, exploring every nook and cranny of the village together. Kenta was just as excited to see everything as Holly was to show it off, and they made quite a pair as they ran around like eager fledglings, sticking their noses into everything and talking to everyone they met. Later on many Rito would comment that it was like when Holly had first come to the village all over again.

The day passed in a flash, and before they knew it it was time to go to dinner at Revali’s. Holly dragged her brother back to the Inn, insisting that he changed and spruced himself up before they left.

“Appearances are super important to the Rito, Kenta.” She lectured him from the other side of the curtain as he changed into a smarter outfit. “If you don’t make an effort they’ll be offended.”

“Okay, okay!” He laughed, doing as she asked and coming out a few minutes later in clean clothes with his face and hands washed and his hair neatly brushed. He spun around slowly so Holly could examine him from every angle and asked. “Well, how do I look? Will I pass muster?”

“You look great!” Holly beamed, having taken the opportunity to tidy herself up as well.

They were about to leave when Jade gently interrupted them.

“You both look very nice, but can I ask if you have a present to give the family in thanks for inviting you over? It’s somewhat expected around here.”

Kenta and Holly both shared alarmed looks at her words and Jade smiled fondly at the pair of them. “I thought as much, I picked this up for you just in case.”

She handed over a bottle of wildberry wine, and Kenta thanked her profusely, insisting on paying her back for it right there and then, even though she said it could wait till later.

“You really saved us, I owe you Jade!” Kenta thanked her as they left, and the two of them quickly headed to the Azure Residential Pillar.

Revali was waiting for them at the bottom of the steps, looking, if possible, even smarter then usual. He was wearing a different tunic from the one he and the other cadets usually wore for training, this one was cut differently and was covered in fine embroidery. He also had bright ribbons in his braids and silver anklets on his legs, which caught the light as he moved to meet them. Kenta took one look at him and murmured a quiet thank you to Holly for insisting he smartened up before he came.

“Welcome. Please follow me, I’ll show you the way.” Revali greeted them politely with a sweeping bow, before leading them up the stairs.

It didn’t take long to reach Revali’s home, and three Rito were waiting inside to greet them when they arrived, one of whom Holly recognised immediately.

“Alvan!” She called happily.

“Hi Holly!” He waved from where he was stood between two older Rito who were obviously his parents. The resemblance was really quite striking, Alvan had inherited his fathers dark maroon plumage and curved beak, and while his mothers feathers were a lighter daffodil yellow, they both had the same bright blue eyes.

As Revali moved into the room to join them he looked very much the odd one out with his indigo feathers and piercing green eyes, but Holly didn’t spare that thought much attention.

After all, she didn’t look anything like her brother, but it didn’t mean they weren’t family.

“Thank you both so much for coming, it’s so nice to meet you at last.” Alvan’s mother greeted them warmly.

“Thank you very much for inviting us ma’am.” Kenta replied with a bow which Holly hastened to echo. “We brought you a little something to thank you for having us.”

“Oh well isn’t that kind of you, we really weren’t expecting anything.” She smiled, taking the offered bottle from him.

Introductions were made, and Elena didn’t waste any time inviting them to come in and sit around the table, where she and her husband served them tea, promising that dinner wouldn’t be long at all. They exchanged the usual pleasantries, passing time and getting to know one another until the food was brought to the table.

The meal was delicious, and it seemed everyone in the family had been involved in it’s preparation. Alvan was responsible for the mushroom skewers they had to start the meal, which he had coated in a crisp golden batter flavoured with garlic and black pepper. For the main course they had a spicy meat and seafood stir fry, which Elena had cooked with Revali’s assistance. The spiciness was enough to warm the two Hylians through without overpowering or obscuring the other rich flavours of the dish, and they ate up happily. They were pretty stuffed at that point, but when Eli brought out a fresh wildberry pie he’d baked just for the occasion...well it would have just been rude to refuse a slice. Especially when it was served with fresh whipped cream and drizzled with honey.

“That was amazing!” Holly sighed as the plates were cleared away. She and her brother had offered to help with the clear up several times, but Elena had insisted firmly that as guests they stay put and relax.

“I’m glad you both enjoyed it so much.” She beamed, happy to have two people who so obviously enjoyed their food at the table.

The dishes were quickly whisked away, and as the sun started to sink into the horizon everyone was feeling relaxed and happy.

It was at that point that Eli cleared his throat and turned to Kenta, his gaze serious and his tone sincere. It seemed the whole evening had been building towards this conversation, and he finally felt it as time to speak up.

“Kenta, I’m glad we were able to meet you and Holly today. We’ve hoped that we would have a chance to apologise for our boy’s behaviour towards you sister. We’ve spoken to Revali at length and made it clear that his actions were unacceptable, and we’re all very sorry for what happened between them. We hope that, seeing how they’ve managed to make amends and start afresh, there aren’t any hard feelings?”

Kenta blinked, having been half asleep at the table after such a big meal, but woke up rapidly as things suddenly turned serious. He’d been expecting this to be brought up at some point during the evening, but he hadn’t been prepared for them to spring it on him so suddenly.

“Of course not!” He scrambled to reply “Honestly, I really appreciate what you said, but I kinda think I also owe you all an apology for my sister’s behaviour.”

“Well thank you but...I’m not quite sure I follow?” Eli blinked, glancing at his wife in confusion. Holly had been the one who received the most insult, surely?

Kenta scratched the back of his head, mulling over how he should reply. He didn’t really want to get into this right now and spoil such a lovely evening, but he realised he had little alternative at this point now they’d brought it up.

“Well...Revali was very unkind to Holly, but his insults were all verbal.” He started slowly. “Now that’s not to say that words can’t cut deeply, or that what he said wasn’t hurtful, but even so, Holly was the one who escalated things by challenging him. We set down rules when I taught her how to fight, and one of those rules was that the techniques she learned were to be used for self-defence, not settling personal squabbles. Honestly, if she hadn’t made it an official duel, with trained warriors supervising them, then I would have taken her home myself, regardless of whether she’d passed your Elder’s punishment or not.”

He glanced at Holly as he spoke, and she looked like she wanted to find the nearest hole and crawl into it.

“So yes, I’m sorry that Holly lost her temper and fought with your son. Perhaps if she’d kept her cool there wouldn’t have been a need for them to be punished in the first place.” Kenta said with a deep bow.

The Rito were honestly surprised by this turn about, but quickly assured Kenta that while they were grateful for his words, they didn’t blame Holly for what had happened, and held no animosity towards her.

“Thank you, I’m glad to hear it.” Kenta smiled. “I don’t hold anything against you either Revali, I hope yah know that.” He added, turning to look at the young Rito. “In the end, when it really counted you went out of your way to protect Holly, even after you’d been arguing. I think that speaks highly of your character. You and Holly had a misunderstanding, it’s sad, but unfortunately not that uncommon for her. I’m just glad you two sorted it all out in the end.”

“I...thank you.” Revali said, rather taken aback by his words. He thought Kenta would surely hold some animosity towards him, or at the very least have doubts about his budding friendship with Holly, but he seemed to genuinely harbour no ill will towards him.

“Thank you for protecting her.” Kenta smiled warmly.

“And thank you Holly.” Elena added, talking directly to the young Witch. “I know we’ve all thanked you before, but I really don’t know what would have happened to Revali if you hadn’t stepped in when you did. You were very brave, and I’m so glad you didn’t suffer any permanent damage from your wound.”

“Oh, your very welcome!” Holly smiled. “I’m just glad I made it in time.”

There was a moments pause in the conversation, no one quite sure how to proceed after such a serious talk, so Elena clapped her wings together purposefully and tried and to move things along.

“Well then! I’m glad that’s everything’s sorted, and we can put all this behind us now.”

Everyone smiled and nodded in agreement, and with a little effort the conversation turned back to more cheerful subjects. Alvan asked Kenta about his work as an adventurer and explorer, and the Hylian happily entertained the family with stories of his adventures. Holly quickly joined in, and together they painted grand sweeping pictures of the world outside the Hebra region, speaking of distant towns, ancient ruins, daring fights and perilous journeys.

Revali listened attentively to the stories, but as interesting as he found them, the more he heard the more he began to realise something. It seemed that Holly had something he did not- knowledge and experience of the world outside the Hebra region.

In his 16 years under the Great Sky Above he had never strayed far from his village. Even when he took long flights to stretch his wings, he always ensured he would be able to get back home by nightfall. The trip to the Fairy Fountain was probably the furthest he’d ever been from home, and that in itself suddenly struck him as a rather pitiful thought.

Revali loved his home, but as he listened to the Hylian’s stories he started to wonder if he needed to see more of the world outside it. He understood now how Holly had been able to stay so calm when they were trapped by the Lizalfos, why she hadn’t been startled when they sprang up out of nowhere, and why she had noticed the sudden silence in the woods and tried so hard to bring it to his attention.

He had the training, but she had real-life experience.

The conversation moved on as Revali stewed internally on this new information, and his family started telling Kenta of some interesting local spots he might like to explore during his stay. Revali tried to pull himself out of his thoughts and engage more in the conversation so as not to seem rude, but before he knew it everyone was saying their goodbyes and getting ready to leave.

“Thank you so much for having us.” Kenta smiled as he and Holly stood on the family’s doorstep. “It was really nice tah meet yah all!”

“It was nice to meet you too, please feel free to drop by any time!” Elena smiled, and the rest of the family wished them well as they took their leave and headed back to the Inn for the night.

“Well goodness, they were such nice cheerful siblings!” Elena commented a few minutes later as they all cleared the remaining cups away. “And it sounds like they’ve had such eventful lives despite being so young!”

“Yeah, didn’t all their adventures sound so exciting?” Alvan smiled widely.

“They did indeed, and the way they stay so positive in the face of all the struggles they’ve been through is truly impressive.” Eli nodded.

“That’s...one way to put it.” Revali said carefully, not wanting to get scolded by Elena for being rude, but also thinking that they were so happy-go-lucky they probably didn’t even realise they should be more concerned about the dangers they’d faced.

“Well personally I’m glad that Holly is such a cheerful, friendly girl. Spending time with her will be good for you.” Elena nodded to Revali, as though happy with herself for coming to this decision.

“And why exactly do you think that?” He asked, caught off guard by the comment.

“Maybe because you’re 16 and you try to act like you’re 40?” Alvan smirked as he handed Revali a cup.

Revali scowled and opened his beak to give an indignant comeback, only to be interrupted by Elena before he could get a word out.

“Exactly! Spending time with her might help you lighten up and enjoy yourself a little more, you’re only a teenager once you know.” She smiled, wagging a finger at him.

“I enjoy my training.” Revali muttered.

“You’re dedication is impressive Revali, but it would be nice if you acted your age and socialised a little more.” Eli said, reaching out and patting his shoulder comfortingly.

Revali huffed a little at the comment, but kept his beak shut. He’d had this same discussion many times with his family, and arguing never got him anywhere. Besides, he intended to spend time with Holly anyway, since they were going to continue their training sessions. If that extra time with her also got his family off his back about spending more time socialising with other’s his age then it was all the better for him.

He smiled a little to himself at the thought. His family would be satisfied, and he wouldn’t miss any training time.

It was perfect.

It had been several days now since Kenta had arrived at the village, but to his annoyance, Revali had still not been able to speak to Holly about everything that had occurred at the Fairy Fountain. When she wasn’t practising her flying or doing chores for Jade she was spending every spare moment with her brother, and so it had been impossible to get hold of her long enough to speak privately.

However they were due to meet this evening for one of their private training sessions, and Revali was determined that he would finally talk to her. They always had a short break between Holly’s close combat training and his archery lessons, and it would be the perfect opportunity to speak to her without having to worry about being interrupted or overheard.

However, when the moment finally came, Revali found himself hesitating. Holly was in good spirits, and he suddenly found himself wondering whether it was wise to bring up the past right now, when she seemed so content. It had been a few days since the incident, perhaps she had already resolved everything, and he would only be bringing up uncomfortable memories if he spoke of it now. Perhaps it was better to- what was that Hylian phrase? ‘Let sleeping dogs lie?’, rather then risk upsetting her.

As he mulled this over, Holly happened to glance over and notice that he was frowning deeply, apparently deep in thought, and so she called out in concern.

“Revali? Hey, Revali, are you okay? Is there something on your mind?”

Oh well now that was hardly fair, Revali thought to himself, she was practically handing him the perfect opening to ask his questions.

He hesitated, wrestling between his conscience and his curiosity, and eventually settled on a compromise, asking what he deemed a ‘safe’ question, where she could choose how much information she wanted to divulge.

“I was merely thinking about our trip to the Fairy Fountain. A lot happened to you when you met Kaysa, and it would be understandable if you had some...concerns, after all you learned.”

Holly blinked, looking confused for a moment, but then a smile slowly crept across her face as she asked,

“Are you worried about me Revali?”

The young Rito instantly felt his feathers puff out, and he let out a rather undignified squawk before he could wrestle himself back under control.

“W-Worried? Perish the thought!” He snapped, sticking his beak in the air as he continued in an high and mighty tone. “As your teacher I am merely concerned about your concentration. As you know archery is a skill that requires a significant amount of focus, something that you struggle with at the best of times.”

He shot a pointed look at her legs as he spoke, which were swinging and bouncing about restlessly, as if she couldn’t even manage to sit still for a few minutes when they were supposed to be resting. Holly winced and quickly stilled them as Revali continued.

“However, since we have already established that I am a veritable fountain of excellent advise, I am prepared to graciously listen to your troubles and offer my guidance so that you can fully apply yourself to my lessons. Please feel free to thank me now for my magnanimity.”

Holly struggled to keep her expression neutral as she listened to Revali’s speech. She honestly wasn’t sure why always tried to cover up any sort of vulnerability or uncomfortable emotion with a lot of arrogant grandstanding. It had taken her nearly loosing an arm to get him to speak openly about how much he regretted being hostile to her at first, and it seemed like it was going to take something equally dire before he’d be willing to do so again. Holly quietly hoped that if their friendship held out (and she really hoped it would), that he would one day trust her enough to speak honestly with her.

However, for right now...

“I understand, thank you Revali, that’s very kind of you.” She played along easily.

“So long as you understand” He huffed, glancing away and crossing his wings behind his back. He paused a moment, then finally glanced back over his shoulder, asking in a slightly softer tone.

“So- do you? Have any concerns I mean?”

Holly hummed thoughtfully for a moment before she replied.

“If I’m honest...I was pretty overwhelmed at first. I mean, sensing magic for the first time, Kaysa getting so worked up over me, then learning a new skill and my brother coming back all in the same day? It was a lot to take in....”

“That’s understandable.” Revali nodded, turning back to give her his full attention. “And there was also...”

He hesitated, and Holly looked at him curiously, wondering what was wrong.

“...Forgive me if I am speaking out of turn, but I couldn’t help but notice how you reacted when Kaysa mentioned your...Mother.”

Holly’s eyes widened at his words, and she quickly turned her face away to hide her expression from him.

“My apologies.” Revali said swiftly, inwardly kicking himself for being so insensitive, “I shouldn’t have brought up such a-”

“No, no, it’s okay.” Holly spoke up, waving one hand to cut him off. “It just...caught me by surprise, that’s all. No one’s spoken about her in a long time and I still…”

She grew quiet, her next words a soft whisper he might have missed if he wasn’t paying attention.

“I still miss her. A lot.”

Revali paused, considering his next words carefully. Comforting people didn’t come naturally to him, he tended to end up making things worse when he tried, but in this case his reply came to him quite easily. Perhaps because he knew so intimately what she was talking about, and was sure that if anyone would understand these words, and just how much it meant for him to admit them, Holly would.

“I understand...I miss my Mother to.” He confessed softly.

She glanced up at him, and they shared what could only be described as a silent moment of understanding. In that instant they each confirmed something they’d already suspected about the other, and felt some small sense of kinship, knowing they’d both suffered the same tragic loss. Holly reached out and squeezed one of Revali’s wings softly, giving him a thankful smile, but neither of them offered up any further information. The loss of their parents was personal, and they weren’t yet close enough to feel comfortable sharing something so sensitive with each other.

For now, it was enough to know that someone understood.

Holly took a calming breath, and after thanking Revali for his kind words, they picked up the conversation again where they’d left it before getting sidetracked.

“...So anyway, I talked about everything that happened with my brother, and once I calmed down a bit I realised that it was all really positive. I’m sure being able to sense magic will turn out to be useful someday, and Kaysa seemed to know about Witches, so maybe she and her sisters will be able to tell me more about my powers. I did feel bad about learning that skill to recall my broom to my hand only after it would have been so useful, but Kenta told me not to be silly, it’s not like I had any idea that a Great Fairy could teach me that.”

“I had a feeling you’d be feeling guilty about that.” Revali sighed “Your brother is right, there is no reason to feel responsible for something you weren’t even aware of.”

“I get that now, and I’ve decided that I’m going to stop worrying about it and focus my energy on training this new skill instead, so I don’t ever get stranded and put someone in danger again.” Holly nodded determinedly.

“That’s an admirable attitude.” Revali nodded, giving her an approving smile, “And a far better use of your time.”

“Thanks Revali, I think so to.” She smiled.

“So...is that it?” He asked after a moment. “No other worries?”

“Nope, I’m good!” She smiled “Honestly, talking to my brother about everything helped a lot.”

“Well I am glad to hear it.”

“...Talking to you has helped as well.” Holly added, making sure to catch his eye as she told him earnestly, “It’s really nice to know that you’re looking out for me, thanks Li.”

Revali puffed up his chest proudly at the thanks. “You are welcome, I suppose knowing that you are under the watchful eye of a warrior of my calibre must be incredibly reassur-”

He paused mid-sentence, halting his arrogant boasts as his mind processed what she’d just said.

“-Wait, what did you just call me?” He asked in a scandalised tone.

“Li!” Holly smiled brightly, apparently oblivious to his displeasure. “It’s a nickname I came up with for you! I know you hate being called ‘Vali-”

“-I loathe it, yes.” He interrupted quickly, scowling at her as he spoke.

“Well I don’t think it’s right for you either.” Holly agreed. “So I thought about it, and decided that ‘Li’ suits you much better.”

“I do not recall ever asking you for a nickname.” Revali replied in icy tones. “My full name is highly distinguished, and I see no reason to diminish it just to imply some level of familiarity. It is both childish and unnecessary.”

“Awww...” Holly pouted “I thought you’d like it.”

“You thought wrong.” He said bluntly.

“Really? That’s too bad. I figured since it sounds like Kaeli, who you admire so much, you’d approve.”

Revali froze.

Like...Kaeli?

There was a long pause, and when he finally spoke up a few moments later he studiously avoided her gaze, choosing to turn away and fold his wings behind his back instead.

“…Well...seeing as you’ve put so much thought into it, I suppose I can allow it.”

“Huh? Really?! It’s okay?!” Holly asked joyously.

“Yes, but I must insist that you only to use it when the two of us are alone.” He said firmly, turning back around and pointing a finger at her for emphasis. “I do not want this nickname spreading throughout the village, Ollet and Leri are so childish I’m sure they would try and find some way to mock me with it, so you must promise to keep it between the two of us or not use it at all.”

“Huh? Mock you with it? I’m sure they wouldn’t be so mean, but of course I’ll just keep it between the two of us if that’s what you want.” She agreed easily, clapping her hands together happily as she added, “I’m just happy you like the name I came up with!”

“’Like’ is a strong word.” Revali muttered.

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing.” He replied, quickly changing the subject “Now come along, we have lost a lot of time talking, and I must insist that we start your archery lesson now before the light starts to fade.”

“Oh, do I get to use actual arrows today?” Holly asked, bouncing after him eagerly as he picked up his bow and quiver and walked towards the rudimentary target they’d set up.

“Hmph, ambitious aren’t we? You can have arrows when I think you’re ready for them, and you’re not there yet. Your posture is still far from perfect.”

He expected her to pout or whine about his decision, but she only smiled agreeably as she skipped after him.

“Okay Li!”

To his great surprise, the nickname didn’t bother him nearly as much as he thought it would.

Li….like Kaeli.

…He could think of worse things.

Later that evening, after the two teenagers had finished their training session, Holly met up with her brother so they could catch up. Kenta had become rather attached to the shrine that rested at the top of the village, saying he really liked the view from it’s roof, so Holly had agreed in advance to meet him there once she was finished.

“Heya kiddo, did yah have a fun training session?” He asked when she joined him, handing over a cup of tea he had thoughtfully prepared for her.

“It was great!” Holly smiled, gratefully accepting the hot drink as she filled him in on how the session had gone.

“Oh, and he’s going to let me call him ‘Li’ from now on!” She finished cheerfully a few minutes later “Ah, but don’t tell anyone else that, okay Kenta? I promised to keep it just between to two of us ‘cause he thinks the others will make fun of him for it.”

“Got it, I won’t say a word.” He chuckled, and Holly hummed happily and took another sip of her drink.

“Speaking of not saying a word...” Kenta suddenly spoke up again a moment later, his words soft and tentative, almost as though he was reluctant to speak at all. “...Have you told your Grandmother about what happened to you yet?”

Holly froze, and the cup she was holding slipped through her fingers.

Chapter Text

Holly quickly closed her fingers, just barely managing to catch the cup before it tumbled to the ground.

“...I take it that’s a no then.” Kenta said softly, watching as she held onto the cup with a white knuckled grip.

“I...” She paused, swallowing thickly, “I did tell her a little...”

“A little?” He asked suspiciously. “Holly come on now, be straight with me. What exactly did you tell her?”

She glanced away, unable to meet his eyes as she replied.

“...I told her that I argued with a friend, and the two of us were asked to do some chores to make up for causing a commotion. I said I got injured while completing one of those chores, but the Rito patched me up and now I’m fine.”

Kenta felt his jaw drop, scarcely able to believe what he was hearing. She’d completely trivialised a major incident!

“Holly, that’s-!”

“I know, and I’m not proud of it!” She interrupted quickly, her hands starting to tremble as she spoke. “I know it was wrong to twist the facts like that, but I had to! If I told her everything she would have ordered me to come home right away, you know she would have!”

“I know, I know, believe me kiddo I get it.” Kenta replied placatingly, reaching out to rest a hand on her shoulder. “But you have to know this isn’t going to work. She’ll find out the truth eventually, and it’s going to be worse for you if she realises you lied and tried to keep it from her.”

There was a pause.

“...Technically I didn’t lie-”

“Holly!” Kenta snapped, and she flinched back, looking chastened.

“You know full well that you didn’t tell the truth, even if you didn’t lie outright.” He lectured her, only to soften almost immediately when he saw how shamefaced she looked. She already knew what she’d done was wrong, she’d admitted as much herself. Scolding her and making her feel worse wasn’t going to help anyone.

“C’mere Holly-Berry, I’m sorry for snapping at you.” He sighed, opening his arms for her.

A look of relief flashed across her face at the offer, and she quickly cuddled close, letting him comfort her. Unfortunately the peaceful reprieve could only last so long, the matter still had to be resolved after all, so once Holly had settled down Kenta spoke up again, his tone gentle but firm.

“...I get why you did it, but you have to come clean kiddo. You know that, right?”

“...I know.” She admitted softly after a moment. “I never meant to hide it forever I just...I just wanted to put it off as long as possible. I wanted to stay here for as long as I could.”

“...You really love it here, don’t ‘cha?” He asked quietly. He’d never seen her get so attached to a place before, she usually had her fun and then was eager to move onto the next location, the next adventure.

“Yeah, I really do.” She nodded. “I love living here with the Rito. Their village is amazing, and I’ve made some great friends and learned such a lot since I arrived. Plus you know...everyone here knows I’m a Witch and they still accept me. I don’t have to hide anything, I can fly to my hearts content, and no one gets angry at me or thinks it’s strange. I’m...I’m happy here, I don’t want to go back to Akkala, I don’t want to go back there.”

“...I get it kiddo, I do.” Kenta said gently, moved by her words. “But you still have to come clean about this. It’s not just your Grandmother’s trust your breaking, I can’t imagine Elder Lila and the other Rito who have been helping you would be very happy if they found out you kept this a secret.”

Holly flinched visibly, and finally nodded her head softly in agreement.

“Come on sis, chin up, it’ll all be okay, you’ll see. I’ll help you write a letter to your Grandmother, and we’ll explain everything together.” He smiled, trying to sound encouraging.

“Thank you.” She murmured quietly, looking rather small and miserable as she huddled against him.

Kenta frowned softly at her expression and rubbed comforting circles on her back, trying to be supportive. He hated seeing her like this, and honestly if he thought she could get away with it, he probably would have kept his mouth shut and let her keep the truth hidden. But he couldn’t do that, not when he knew she was only borrowing trouble by trying to conceal things. Besides, he was her big brother, he had to be responsible and set a good example….right?

Still, she looked so sad, and he hated that he was the cause of it.

“Holly-Berry, it’ll all be okay, I promise. We’ll make sure she understands.”

She managed a small smile for him, but he couldn’t help but notice that it didn’t reach her eyes.

Something was wrong with Holly.

Revali didn’t know what exactly, but something was off. She was smiling and bouncing around like usual, but it felt distinctly forced, like she was putting up a front so as not to worry anyone. If the way she kept getting lost in her own thoughts was any indication, something was weighing heavily on her mind.

He just didn’t know what.

It was truly vexing. She’d seemed fine when they’d parted ways after their training session, the one where she’d given him his ‘nickname’, but the very next day she’d started acting strangely. At first he’d brushed it off as Holly being...well, Holly, but after a while it became obvious that something was troubling her. The other cadets had noticed her odd behaviour too, but when they tried to speak to her about it she just smiled and apologised for worrying them, then swiftly changed the subject without explaining anything. Concerned by this reaction, Revali had approached her during one of their training sessions, certain that she would speak to him about her concerns, even if she wasn’t willing to talk to everyone else. He was honestly shocked when she stubbornly refused to break her silence, thanking him but insisting that she just wanted to focus on their training.

As the days went on and her odd behaviour continued, Revali went so far as to speak to Kenta, voicing his concerns and asking if he knew what was troubling Holly. Frustratingly, the older Hylian admitted he did know, but refused to give him any information, saying it wasn’t his place to say.

The longer the situation went on the more irritated Revali became. He tried again and again, but Holly refused to budge, which simply made no sense! Hadn’t she agreed that he was a fountain of good advice? That speaking with him was helpful when she was troubled? So why on earth would she choose to clam up now, when she was so obviously in need of his help!

A week went by in the blink of an eye, and unable to tolerate it any longer, Revali decided to try one final time to get the truth out of her. He asked her to meet him one evening and delivered (in his opinion) one of the most eloquent and articulate speeches of his life, reminding her what a wonderful confidant and excellent advisor he was, before offering to listen to her concerns.

She still said no.

She was polite about it, but the rejection stung, and he immediately felt foolish for having gone to such lengths for her. His frustration bubbled over, and he drew himself up to his full height and told her coldly that if that was the way she felt, she didn’t need to bother turning up to their training session tomorrow, since apparently she didn’t need his help for anything.

He turned on his heel and marched away, not sparing her so much as a backwards glance as he took off.

He wanted more then anything to go to the training field and fire a few quivers of arrows into a target to vent his anger, but the sun had gone down, so that was out of the question. Instead he marched home and tossed his bag down with more force then was necessary, then climbed up into his hammock and starting to polish his archery equipment vigorously.

A few moments later a soft voice spoke up from the opposite side of the hut, startling him so much he almost dropped his bow.

“So you obviously had an enjoyable day.”

“Eli! I-” Revali coughed, quickly clearing his throat and composing himself. “I did not realise you were home.”

“Yes, I gathered that. I take it your talk with Holly didn’t go as planned?

“No. It did not.” He replied stiffly, sitting up straighter in his hammock.

“I’m sorry to hear that, did she reveal anything at all?”

“No, nothing. She is still being incredibly stubborn about it.” Revali huffed, sticking his beak in the air as he continued in haughty tones. “So I have decided to wash my wings of the matter. I have made repeated attempts to offer my assistance, if she doesn’t have the good sense to accept my help I can do no more.”

“...I’ve never known you to be the type to give up on something.” Eli said softly, sounding surprised by his decision.

“I-I am not!” Revali snapped, his feathers ruffling at the suggestion that he was somehow at fault. “But even I cannot help if I do not know what the problem is! Am I supposed to keep asking her forever until she gives in?”

“Son...”

“No, it is- she is being frustrating and nonsensical! She told me herself that my advice was helpful, and that she felt better after speaking to a friend about her troubles. But now that she obviously needs assistance she refuses to accept it! I can do no more- she can solve this problem herself, whatever it is, since my help is obviously not good enough any more.” He finished in a huff, crossing his wings and turning his head away.

Revali heard the sound of Eli’s talons clicking on the floor as he walked across the room, but refused to look at him, even when a soft wing landed on his shoulder as his guardian spoke.

“I know it must be very frustrating that Holly isn’t willing to come to you with her problems, especially when you’ve been through such a lot together. But if you want her to open up, you can’t make this about you.”

Revali’s head snapped round, his feathers rising at the words. “Excuse me? Are you trying to suggest that I am the one at fault here?”

“No, I’m not trying to blame anyone for this.” Eli said firmly “But let me ask you something, when you offered Holly your help, did you actually tell her that you were worried about her? Or did you just try to convince her that it was in her own benefit to speak to you?”

“I-well...” Revali spluttered, his mind flashing back to the grand speech he’d made not twenty minutes ago. He’d spent a long time detailing all the reasons why she should speak to him but...but had he actually…?

“Revali, I wish I had had a fraction of your confidence when I was your age.” Eli said kindly “But the problem with thinking so highly of yourself, is that you have an unfortunate habit of talking down to those around you, even when you don’t necessarily mean to. I know you meant well when you spoke to her, but from the look on your face I’m going to guess you got so carried away telling her how amazing you are...you forgot to tell her that you’re worried and you want to help.”

“I-that’s implied, surely.” Revali huffed, trying to defend himself.

“Yes, but sometimes we need to hear these things out loud. Especially when we’re worried or anxious. It’s hard to trust someone who seems more concerned with making themselves look good then actually listening to you.”

There was a moments pause as Revali absorbed this information, and when he finally spoke again his voice was uncharacteristically small and quiet.

“...It doesn’t matter now, I doubt she would care to hear from me, even if I did try to speak to her again.”

“Whys that?” Eli asked, his eyes furrowing in concern.

“...When my last attempt to get her to speak to me didn’t go well, I...”

He couldn’t quite meet his guardian’s eyes as he explained his cold parting words to Holly.

“Oh Revali.” Eli sighed. “That’s all the more reason why you should go and speak to her now. It’ll only become harder to talk to her the longer you leave it.”

“I suppose you’re right...” He muttered, moving to get up.

“Good lad, I know it’s going to be a little awkward, but friends should be able to handle having a few awkward conversations.”

Revali simply nodded, steeling himself as he headed out to go track Holly down.

“Revali?” Eli suddenly called, making him pause in the doorway.

“I know it’s difficult for you, but try to put aside your pride and just speak to her honestly about how you’re feeling. She’s your friend, you don’t need to prove anything to her.”

Revali tensed, his feathers rising at the words.

He finally spared Eli one curt nod and then hurried out into the evening twilight, his expression unreadable as he went to go find Holly.

He found her sitting alone on the roof of the village’s shrine, apparently lost in thought as she stared at the distant snow capped mountains with unseeing eyes.

He hesitated, hovering just out of her line of sight, wondering how he should approach this conversation. Normally he would strut up confidently, covering up any worries or doubts with his usual arrogance, but with Eli’s words still fresh in his mind, he just couldn’t bring himself to do that.

Deciding that it was better to get this over with before he could talk himself out of it, he took a breath to centre himself, and then stepped out into view, clearing his throat loudly to draw Holly’s attention.

She jerked at the noise and turned to face him, her eyes going wide when she saw him standing there.

“Re...vali?” She asked hesitantly, as though she thought she might be seeing things.

“Hello Holly.” He replied, folding his wings behind his back as he stood there stiffly. “I would like to talk to you, if I may. Might I join you?”

He pointedly gave her the option to decline, it didn’t seem fair to force this conversation on her if she was still smarting from his earlier words and wanted some space.

She seemed surprised by the request, but nodded after a moment, shifting aside to make room for him on the roof. He climbed up next to her and spent more time then necessary settling down, making a show of arranging his tail feathers as he stalled for time to try and think of what to say next. It was harder then it should have been, every time he caught a glance of Holly out of the corner of his eye his thoughts ground to a halt.

She was sitting perfectly still. No bouncing, no fidgeting, no smile.

The Holly he knew was constantly in motion, overflowing with more energy then she knew what to do with. She bounced where others walked, made animated gestures with her hands as she spoke, and spun and danced around when there was no need to, simply because she could, and it brought her joy. She was able to find enjoyment in anything, even the most mundane task, and whenever he pictured her in his head she was laughing and smiling. He’d never seen her looking so still and sombre. Frankly he felt he could have coped better with her openly wailing and sobbing, at least then she’d be expressing herself in her normal animated manner.

This just felt...wrong.

“Are you all right?” He asked before he could help it, the words spilling out unplanned and unprepared.

Holly blinked, started by the question, and finally managed a small smile for him.

“I’ll be okay.” She said, which was not at all reassuring.

Revali supposed he only had himself to blame for that. Eli was right, she’d been struggling with something and he’d only added to her worries by loosing his temper and snapping at her.

That thought somehow made his next words easier.

“I am sorry for what I said to you earlier. I lashed out in a moment of anger, it was unkind of me and I hope you know that I didn’t mean it.”

“...You didn’t?” She asked, sounding hopeful.

“No, I didn’t.” He said firmly.

“I’m really, really glad to hear that. Thank you Revali.” She said with a big sigh of relief, and her smile seemed a bit stronger this time, a bit more heartfelt.

They lapsed into silence again, and Revali realised he could simply leave things here. He’d apologised, she’d accepted, there was nothing to stop him wishing her goodnight and leaving her to her thoughts. There was no need to divulge the reasons behind his anger, to explain himself further….

Except for the fact she still looked troubled, and it might help her understand where he was coming from.

Just be honest, Eli’s words echoed in his head. She’s your friend, you don’t need to prove anything to her.

Revali stared out at the distant mountain range, the familiar snow capped peaks he knew so well, and kept his eyes on them as he spoke.

“I...” He started, “I truly do regret my words. I only lashed out because you will not let me help you, which is very frustrating because...because I am worried about you.”

Holly turned to look at him in surprise, but he refused to meet her eyes as he hurriedly added-

“That is to say, everyone is worried. It is clear something is troubling you, and I know that you are trying to act as if nothing is wrong, but you are fooling no one. We are all concerned and I...I thought that since we are friends, and I have proven to be an invaluable confidant and talented advisor on many occasions, that you would come to me with your worries.”

He paused, his next words uncharacteristically soft. “I suppose I was...hurt, when you refused to confide in me. After all we’d been through together I thought you could trust me with most anything.”

He suddenly straightened, his usual confidence seeping back into his tone as he continued.

“Perhaps that was presumptuous of me. We have in fact only known each other a few months, and we were fighting for much of that time. I should not have gotten so upset at you, you are clearly shouldering a large burden and if you do not feel you can tell me that is your decision, and I should respect it.”

Holly was shocked to hear the normally guarded Rito speaking so honestly. She knew that it was a big deal for him to admit so much to her, to not hide his feelings behind a wall of bravado and arrogance like normal. She was honestly very touched, and also very alarmed to hear that he thought she didn’t have faith in him.

“It has nothing to do with trust.” She said quickly, hoping to reassure him, “I trust you very much Revali, it’s just...”

She trailed off, seeming to deliberate her next words for a moment, but Revali’s moment of honestly made her more inclined to reciprocate, and so she finally admitted,

“It’s a difficult subject for me, and I thought you would be angry if you heard what I did. I’ve really enjoyed being friends with you and I...I didn’t want us to fight again.”

Revali blinked in surprise at the confession. She thought he’d be angry? That’s why she’d held out on him? Because she...didn’t want to loose his friendship?

That was...so….

He swallowed thickly and asked,

“...Have you done something that could threaten the village?”

“What?” She asked, quickly raising her head to look at him in alarm, “No, of course not!”

“Insulted myself or the warriors, threatened my family or friends?”

“No, never!” She cried, sounding horrified at the very idea.

“Then I can say with some confidence that whatever it is is not likely to anger me” He replied, the slightest hint of amusement creeping into his tone. “So please put your mind at ease.”

“Oh...”

“You still do not have to tell me anything if you do not wish to.” He added quickly, “I just wanted to reassure you, so you have one less thing to worry about.”

Holly’s eyes widened at his words, only to quickly soften into something warm and grateful.

“Thank you Revali, that means a lot to me.”

He simply nodded in response, and they fell into silence again, the young Witch thinking over all this new information. Revali sat patiently, letting her work through her thoughts in peace, and after a few minutes she looked up and called out to him hesitantly.

“...Revali?”

“Yes?”

“...Could I...borrow your shoulder for a minute?”

He blinked in surprise, thrown for a loop by the unexpected question.

“I beg your pardon? You want my shoulder?”

“Yes please.” She nodded. “But only if that’s okay with you.”

“I-ah-of course it is.” He replied quickly, refusing to admit that the request perturbed him, “You may borrow it for a time, if you so wish.”

“Thank you” She smiled, and carefully shuffled closer to him.

Revali allowed her to do so, wondering what on earth she was up to, and got his answer a few moments later when she slowly, carefully, leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder.

“...Um...” He murmured, feeling distinctly awkward with her leaning against him like this.

Holly felt his tenseness and immediately started to pull away. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

“No, no!” He shook his head firmly, refusing to back down. “It is fine, I gave you permission.”

“Revali...” She trailed off, giving him a doubtful look.

“It’s fine.” He insisted, gesturing for her to move back to her original position, and after a moments hesitation she slowly settled herself against him again.

They sat in silence for a moment, Revali acutely aware of Holly’s warm weight against his side, and just when he was starting to wonder where on earth she was going with this, she finally did what he’d been badgering her to do all week.

She told him everything.

It all came tumbling out as she leant against him for support, the way she’d censored her letters to her Grandmother, how her brother had discovered her subterfuge, and the new letter she’d been forced to write confessing everything.

“I know it was wrong to lie.” She sniffled as she finished her explanation. “But Kenta doesn’t get it, he doesn’t know Grandma like I do. It doesn’t matter what excuses I give, or that everything’s been resolved and we’re friends now. As soon as she hears that I started a fight I’ll be ordered right back home.”

Revali wasn’t sure what he expected but it...it wasn’t this.

“...Just so I am clear on this.” He asked slowly. “Your Grandmother has no idea that we battled a pack of Lizalfos single-handedly? Or that you received such a serious injury you were with the Healers for a month?”

“….No?”

“Holly!”

“See!” She cried, lifting her head of his shoulder to look at him, “This is why I didn’t tell you! I knew you’d be mad!”

“I-!” He paused and forced some calmness into his voice before continuing, “I am not mad. Shocked and surprised, yes, but not angry.”

“...Are you disappointed?” She asked in a very small voice.

“…No.” He replied after a moments thought. “No, I’m not disappointed, just confused. This doesn’t seem like you at all, you’ve never stuck me as the type to hide something so important from your family.”

“I know...” She murmured, hugging her knees to her chest. “I just...I didn’t want her to make me go home.”

“Well...I can certainly understand why you would not want to leave our magnificent village. Your home must pale in comparison after living here for so many months.” Revali said proudly, only to falter when he saw Holly was still curled up miserably beside him, his boastful words falling on deaf ears.

He sighed heavily, and continued in a more sombre and serious tone. “Honestly Holly, while I understand your reluctance to leave part way through your training, I do think your Grandmother has every right to ask you to come home after you hid something like this from her.”

Holly groaned, hiding her face against her knees, and it occurred to Revali that he might need to be a bit more tactful while she was so obviously upset.

He cleared his throat and tried again. “Look, what you did was bad, yes, but the situation is not irreparable. I’m sure the Elder will assure her that you are still welcome here, and I will write to her myself and confirm that there are no hard feelings between us if it will help. Once you have apologised, and she has calmed down and seen for herself that you are well, I am sure she will allow you to return.”

“….You don’t get it either.” Holly mumbled, turning her head away from him.

“Well then help me understand.” Revali asked, fighting down a wave of irritation that his words were being so swiftly dismissed.

Holly seemed to wrestle with herself for a moment before she finally replied.

“Grandma...Grandma never wanted me to come here in the first place.”

“Holly that makes absolutely no sense.” He frowned, “Your Grandmother wrote a letter of introduction for you, she has been sending money to pay for your lessons!”

“…Grandma only sent that letter because she believed your people would refuse to teach me no matter what she said.”

“I...what?” Revali blinked, for once at a loss for words.

Holly sighed heavily, resting her head against his shoulder again as she explained. “Grandma...she never wanted me to have flying lessons in the first place. She thinks that being a Witch will bring me nothing but trouble, and that I’d be much better off hiding my powers and pretending to be a normal Hylian. I tried to do what she said and respect her wishes but I...I couldn’t Revali, I love flying so much, I couldn’t give it up.”

“Of course you couldn’t.” He nodded easily. How could anyone willingly give up the utter joy and freedom that was flying? The idea was ludicrous.

“She wouldn’t let me fly, not even in private where no one else would see me, so I started sneaking out at night to try and practise on my own.” Holly admitted softly “But eventually she found out what I’d been doing when I hurt my ankle and I couldn’t explain how I got the injury. She...she was really mad, but Kenta stepped in and managed to convince her that I was going to keep trying no matter what she did, and if she didn’t want me to break my neck the best thing she could do was send me here, where I could get lessons from someone who knew what they were doing. She agreed, but only because she was so certain you would turn me away. She didn’t believe your tribe would offer to help a complete stranger, and...”

She paused, shifting a little closer to him as she added softly,

“Well I guess...I guess she thought that if you refused to help me I might finally give up on it...”

Revali’s eyes widened at her words, unable to believe what he was hearing. How could any parent want their child to give up on flying?

“Anyway” She sniffed, pulling back and sitting up beside him, trying to lift the heavy atmosphere a little as she concluded, “I’m sure when she wrote and offered to pay money for my lessons she never thought she’d actually have to make good on her promise. I bet her expression was priceless when she got my letter saying you’d agreed to teach me.”

“Holly.” Revali said sternly when she started to giggle at the idea of it, and she obediently quietened.

“Sorry, sorry, that was mean.”

“Yes it was.” He nodded. “Still...I understand you concerns now. You believe that she will seize upon our fight and your injuries as an excuse to keep you at home, correct? That way she can prevent you from having any more lessons, and stop you from flying.”

“That’s right.” Holly nodded softly.

Now that he understood her situation better, Revali immediately felt more sympathy for Holly’s plight. If he thought that someone was going to force him to give up flying, he too would go to extreme lengths to try and prevent himself from being grounded.

Sympathy however wasn’t going to help Holly now, what she needed was a plan of action, a solution to the problem! So Revali carefully considered things for a few minutes, and then put forth a suggestion.

“Well...I cannot prevent her from ordering you to come home, but perhaps you can use that to your advantage.”

“I...can?” Holly blinked.

“Of course, a face to face discussion is far more effective when it comes to getting your point across then a lengthy conversation via letters. Once you have reassured her you are fine, and apologised for your deceit, you can convince her that it’s better for you to come back to the village and resume your lessons. I will help you come up with eloquent, persuasive arguments, and we will have the Elder and the warriors write letters supporting your return. She will simply have to let you come back.” He said confidently.

“You...you really think so? She’s pretty stubborn...”

“Of course! There is no way someone can argue with my well thought out discourse. And with the backing of the village, how can she possibly refuse?” Revali preened smugly, resting a wing on her shoulder as he added,

“It will be okay Holly, trust me. We won’t let her take the skies away from you.”

For the first time since he’d joined her on the roof, she broke into a wide relieved smile, her eyes shining with emotion as she replied.

“Thank you so much, Li!”

“You are welcome. Hopefully next time you will see sense and come speak to me sooner, then you won’t have to suffer needlessly for so long.” He said haughtily, crossing his wings and lifting his head up high.

Holly smiled and obligingly agreed. “Of course, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good. Now, it is late, I will walk you back to the Inn so you can get some rest. You will need it if we are going to start strategizing in the morning.”

Holly smiled, a weight lifting from her shoulders as she accepted Revali’s wing and let him help her down. He understood. Her brother had tried his best, but he simply didn’t get why she was so anxious, so afraid to go back.

Li did. He understood and he was going to help her.

“You really are the best.” She smiled happily as he escorted her home, her usual bounce starting to return to her steps.

“Naturally.” Revali replied without missing a beat, and Holly’s laughter echoed across the village as she happily followed after him.

It didn’t take long for word of Holly’s predicament to spread throughout the village.

It couldn’t be helped, Revali’s plan involved asking for letters of support from several different people, and they couldn’t very well ask for them without explaining why they needed them in the first place. Holly had to sit through some very stern lectures on the importance of telling the truth and not hiding things from your family, but in the end she did get all the letters she requested, much to her relief.

When the news got around, many Rito were left dumbstruck by the idea that Holly’s Grandmother wanted to stop her from flying. Flight the greatest of gift the goddess could bestow, and the fact that a Hylian of all people had been blessed with it was nothing short of a miracle! What sort of cruel caretaker would want to keep their charge from the sky?

Those who had children of their own were a bit more understanding. They could see that if Holly started flying around in public, word would soon get out that she was a Witch, and all sorts of unscrupulous individuals might try to track her down so they could take advantage of her abilities. It was only natural that her Grandmother would try to protect her from such danger.

In the end, all the Rito could agree on one thing. The poor misguided woman simply didn’t understand what she was asking Holly to give up. If she only knew how amazing it was to soar freely through the sky, she would have surely found some sort of compromise to allow her to keep flying.

While the village gossiped, Revali and Holly continued to work on their plan to ensure she would be allowed to return.

Once they’d gotten the letters of support from Elder Lila, Benta and Kaeli, Revali dutifully set about writing his own, as promised. It ended up spanning 6 sides of parchment, and he handed it to Holly with a flourish, telling her in no uncertain terms that it was a masterpiece, and that no one in their right minds could read it and not feel moved. To Holly’s great surprise and delight, the cadets also insisted on writing their own letters when they heard about Revali’s plan, and then Jade and several other Rito she’d befriended pitched in as well. Soon she had a pile of correspondence from those who wanted to ensure she returned to the village, and Holly felt rather emotional as she looked through the letters.

“You’ve got some great friends here kiddo.” Kenta had smiled as he watched her, and Holly agreed whole heartedly. She’d only been here a few months, but just look at all the people who wanted her to come back! She was moved beyond words, and that fragile hope Revali had kindled in her grew and grew. It had seemed impossible before, but with this surely even her stubborn Grandmother couldn’t refuse to let her return!

The help didn’t just stop with the letters though, during their lunch breaks the cadets helped her think of come backs to all the obvious objections her Grandmother might put forth, and Revali coached Holly further, helping her think of eloquent, intelligent counter arguments.

By the end of the week, having had no reply yet from her Grandmother, and with everyone supporting her so thoroughly, Holly’s fears had all but vanished, and she was finally able to turn her attention to the things she had let slip while she’d been consumed by her worries.

First of all, she asked her brother to continue her lessons in close ranged combat. She hadn’t had any proper guidance on her blade work since they’d parted ways all those months ago, and it would be a waste not to take advantage of this time they had together now. Kenta was happy to oblige, and they spoke to the warriors, who kindly said that they could borrow a corner of the training field to practise together. It was difficult to fit the extra training into her already packed schedule, but in the end Lila agreed that she could cut back on her chores with Jade for a while so she could fit in a couple of hours practise with Kenta after her flying lessons.

Of course, this meant that Holly and her brother were practising on one side of the field while the cadets were training on the other. Both groups couldn’t help but take an interest in the other, Kenta impressed by the Rito’s bowmanship, while the cadets were equally fascinated to see an expert in close ranged combat work. Kaeli was especially intrigued, being one of the few Rito who showed a real interest in close ranged combat, and after a few days of each group getting distracted watching the other practise, Kaeli approached Kenta with a proposal.

The Hylian happily agreed to the plan, and two days later Kenta and Holly did a demonstration of their close ranged combat skills for the Rito, after which the cadets showed off some of their more advanced archery techniques in return. It was a tremendous success, each group learning a lot from the other, and when they were finished they sat down to eat lunch together.

“I still can’t believe that you guys can already handle a bow like that, and you’ve not even finished your training yet!” Kenta gushed at the cadets. “Your already way above the skills of most full grown Hylian archers!”

“Well that’s only natural.” Revali preened, tossing his braid over his shoulder as he spoke, “no one can approach the skills of the Rito when it comes to archery.”

“He’s right, I wish you could have seen the warriors at the Festival of the Air Kenta, some of the shots they pulled off were unbelievable!”

“I bet! I’m sad I missed out on it.”

“But the things you two did were also incredible!” Leri quickly interrupted “I never knew you could fight so effectively empty handed, or combine kicks and throws with blade work like that!”

“Well I can’t take credit for the unarmed skills, it was Ray who taught us those.” Kenta replied modestly.

“Ray?” Leri asked, giving Holly a curious look.

“My Uncle! I mentioned him before right? He taught me alongside Kenta.”

“Oh yes, of course.”

“So, how long have you guy’s been training in archery anyway?” Kenta asked as he took a bite of his sandwich. “Must have been a while to get so good.”

“Oh, about 10 years” Ollet shrugged.

“Wha-seriously?” Holly blinked, startled “Doesn’t that mean you’ve all been training since you were little kids?”

“Of course.” Farell nodded, looking slightly confused by her surprise. “That’s when everyone starts to learn.”

The cadets quickly explained that all Rito learned archery as part of their formal education, which began when they turned 6 years old. It was one of the ‘7 core subjects’ they learned; reading, writing, arithmetic, history, music, flying and archery.

“So then every Rito knows how to use archery? Even those who aren’t warriors?” Holly couldn’t help but interrupt.

“Of course, that way everyone is capable of defending themselves should trouble arise.” Ollet nodded matter of factly.

“Though naturally the skills of those of us who choose to become warriors are vastly superior to those who decide on other professions.” Revali added smugly.

The cadets went on to explain that when a Rito turned 13 they started a period of their education which was known as the ‘trial years’. Basically, while continuing their core education, the young Rito also started spending time working with different professionals, trying out different jobs. They might, for example, spend 2 months helping out at the armoury, then another 2 assisting a merchant in one of the shops, getting first hand experience of whichever professions they were interested in. In this way the older Rito got free help, and the younger Rito got to try out various careers, allowing them get a feel of what job they might like to pursue. Once they turned 15 their core education finished, and they were able to start an official apprenticeship in whichever profession they’d decided upon. Revali and the other cadets had all obviously decided to join the Rito warriors, and so their training with the bow had intensified, while those who had chosen other careers were no longer obligated to practise archery any further.

“Of course you can change careers if you realise that what you’ve picked isn’t for you, or if the apprenticeship doesn’t work out.” Farell added, “It’s not like you’re locked into your choice, but most of us are pretty sure after the trial years what we want to focus on.”

“Wow, that’s amazing!” Holly grinned “Getting to try out all the different careers sounds like a lot of fun!”

“Sure does.” Kenta agreed with a smile.

The cadets were then curious about how the Hylian education system differed from their own, and they ended up discussing the differences between their two schooling practises until Kaeli and Benta said it was time for them to resume their training.

In the end, since the demonstration had gone so well, Kaeli asked Kenta if he would be interested in sparring with some of the older warriors, and also possibly giving the cadets a few lessons in close ranged combat. Kenta happily agreed, wanting to pay the Rito back for treating his sister so well, and also eager to have a chance to swap techniques with the more experienced warriors. Besides, he had time to spare now that he had decided to stay in the village until Holly heard back from her Grandmother.

Soon he was as busy as his sister, splitting up his time between exploring the local area (after buying a set of Snowquill so he could venture out safely into the colder zones), sparring with the warriors, and training Holly and the cadets. Since they were both so busy, Kenta took to helping Holly out with her chores around the Inn, since it gave them more time to chat. Jade tried to tell him that as a guest he didn’t need to help, but he wouldn’t be dissuaded, shrugging off her concerns with an easy grin and insisting that it was no problem.

The two Hylians were really quite a sight as they bustled around the Inn together, joking about playfully and managing to turn even the most boring chore into something more enjoyable in the process. Holly had already livened things up, but with two of them working together the whole place was filled with laughter and energy.

The siblings did have their quiet moments though, and Jade was particularly touched when she came home one evening to find the two of them sitting cross legged on Holly’s bed, Kenta sitting still patiently as Holly practised braiding his hair, an open book beside her for reference as she worked. It was exactly like how Rito siblings bonded through preening, and was incredibly heart warming to watch. Kenta even asked Jade to teach him how to tie Holly’s hair for her, so that he could help her with it, and soon they were tying one another’s hair in the morning, without Jades assistance. The braids were far from perfect, often crooked or with bits of hair escaping, but it was sweet how hard they were trying.

All in all, things were rather peaceful and happy in the village.

Things had been going so well lately that Holly was rather worried when Elder Lila suddenly asked to speak to her one day. To her great relief there was no news from her Grandmother, she simply wanted to ask if she was willing to go on the kitchen rota and start helping with the communal meals. Holly was overjoyed to get the invitation, and since she was so eager to participate Lila wasted no time and marked her down to start the very next day.

When Holly arrived at the kitchen at the appointed time she found several Rito already inside waiting, their clothing and braids indicating that they were from a wide variety of backgrounds. The leader of the group appeared to be a plump older Rito, whose feathers were so thick and fluffy he looked almost spherical, much to Holly’s amusement. Upon spotting her he broke into a wide smile and quickly waddled over to greet her.

“Ah, there’s our helper for the day! It’s nice to meet you Holly, I’m Dolci, and I’ll be organising the meal today.” He said cheerfully, grasping her hand and shaking it warmly.

“It’s nice to meet you too, thanks for having me!” Holly beamed, shaking his wing and waving to the rest of the group behind him in greeting.

“Always happy to have another set of willing wings!” He chuckled merrily, bustling around to fetch her an apron before gesturing for her to go stand with the others. “Now I know it’s your first session, but just follow along and you’ll be fine. Feel free to ask for help if you don’t understand anything though, we were all new once!”

Holly barely had time to nod in agreement before Dolci started explaining the meal he had planned; roast prime steak with herb butter, a side of fried wild greens, and freshly baked nutcake for dessert. It sounded delicious, and he quickly started assigning jobs, splitting up the tasks between them so they could be as efficient as possible as they worked. Holly assumed she would be asked to do simple tasks like washing dishes and chopping vegetables since it was her first day, but Dolci surprised her when he suddenly asked;

“Little Witch, I’ve heard you enjoy cooking, is that true?”

“Oh, yes sir! My brother taught me lots and I really enjoy it!”

“Wonderful! I’ll let you decide on the second side dish then, it would be nice to have a new item on the menu.”

“Eh?!” Holly cried, shocked that they would give her such a big responsibility right off the bat, but the rest of the Rito only chuckled knowingly as she gaped, leading her to think they had discussed this amongst themselves before she arrived.

“You know the rest of the meal so try to pick something that will compliment it.” Dolci pressed on cheerfully, heedless to her shock, “Hana will take you down to the pantry and let you see what’s available, you can make use of anything you like. Once you’ve come up with an idea run it by me first, and if I think it’s okay you can get started.”

“O-Okay!” Holly nodded, her shock rapidly transforming into excitement as she thought of all the dishes she could make with free reign of the pantry.

“All right then, lets all get to our tasks.” Dolci smiled, clapping his wings together to get everyone moving.

“Holly, over here.” Hana called, beckoning for her to follow as she walked towards the back of the kitchen. Holly obediently trailed after her, her eyes widening when the Rito suddenly kneeled down and grasped a metal handle that was recessed into the floor. She had never noticed it there before, and as she watched Hana gave it a swift tug, lifting up a section of the floor to reveal a set of stairs that led down into a cellar like room beneath them.

“You’re kidding! The pantry’s beneath us?” Holly grinned, bouncing in excitement at the new discovery.

“Of course! It has to be, there’s no where else we could fit it!” Hana chuckled, picking up a lantern and motioning Holly to follow her down the steps into the room below.

It became noticeably cooler as they descended into the gloom, and Holly followed Hana’s example and kept one hand on the rock wall to their left to keep herself steady on the stairs. Once they reached the bottom Hana set about lighting some lanterns so they could see what they were doing, revealing a large windowless chamber. Looking around, Holly realised the Rito must have carved down into the rock foundation the kitchen sat upon to create this room.

It was a huge pantry. Dozens of shelves had been carved into the rock walls, and they were all packed with different foodstuffs, such as vegetables, grains, and jars of preserves. Hooks had been hammered into the ceiling, allowing sausages and other cuts of meat to hang down, and one corner of the room was filled with wooden barrels of all shapes and sized, which Holly guessed must contain wines, spirits and oils. As if all this storage space wasn’t enough, there were further wooden crates and some chests of draws positioned around the room, which Holly itched to examine.

“Feel free to look around, you need to see what’s available to decide what to make.” Hana prompted when she saw her hesitate, and Holly needed no further encouragement. She quickly started to open the various cupboards and draws, chatting to Hana as she went.

“This pantry is amazing, I’ve never seen one so big before!”

“It’s this large out of necessity” Hana explained as she gathered the ingredients she needed. “The winters here are long and bitter, and while we Rito might be equipped to survive the cold, the game becomes scarce if the winter drags on, and it’s impossible to grow anything in the ground when it’s frozen over. We have to have a large pantry to make sure we have enough stores to last till spring.”

“That makes sense.” Holly nodded, blinking a little as she noticed that it was getting colder as she moved towards the back of the room. She followed the coldness, and was surprised to discover another door at the back of the room, with more steps leading further down.

“Curious?” Hana smiled, making Holly jump a little. She’d been so distracted she hadn’t noticed her approach.

“Ah, yes, is there another room down below? Can I look?”

“Hmm...well it will be a bit cold for a Hylian, but I suppose we can take a quick peek.” Hana nodded, picking up a lantern and indicating that Holly should go first.

Holly went down slowly, and to her shock discovered that this smaller room was filled with huge chunks of ice, the temperature so bitter cold as a result that the walls themselves had started to ice over.

“Wh-what is this?” She asked, her breath fogging in the cold air and her teeth threatening to chatter as she wrapped her arms around herself to try and preserve some warmth.

“A special Rito invention for keeping food from spoiling! We call it a ‘freezer’.” Hana explained proudly.

“A f-freezer?”

“That’s right, we discovered a long time ago that you can preserve food for months by freezing it, so we hit upon the idea of creating a ‘freezing cold’ room using ice from the nearby mountains.”

“Wow, that’s amazing!”

“Sure is, isn’t it?” Hana smiled, “Plus all the ice in the freezer keeps the pantry above nice and cool, even if it’s blazing outside. Super efficient, right?”

“It’s I-incredible!”

“Yes, but I think we better get you out of this cold now.” Hana said, frowning as she noticed how badly Holly was starting to shiver. “Come on, back up with you.”

Holly didn’t need to be told twice, and quickly back hurried up the steps to the pantry, which felt almost warm in comparison to the freezer below. Hana took a moment to check that she hadn’t been too badly affected by her trip downstairs, and once Holly had assured her she was fine they went back to selecting their ingredients.

Something to go with steak and vegetables….something I can prepare for a lot of people….Holly thought to herself as she looked inside boxes and rummaged through shelves, mentally running through all the recipes she knew. She’d thought of a couple of different options when she suddenly spotted a large sack lying neglected in the corner of the room. Her face lit up when she saw the contents, and after checking to see if they had a few other things, she dashed up the stairs and poked her head up through the trapdoor, calling Dolci over and telling him her idea.

“That sounds delicious! Go ahead Holly, give Hana or me and shout if you need a hand.” He smiled, and now that she had permission Holly hastened back down to gather up what she needed.

It took a few trips, but with a little help she eventually got everything she needed up the stairs, and could finally get to work. First of all she needed to peel a chop a lot of potatoes into rough chunks, and she took the opportunity to watch what the other Rito were doing as she worked. They all made such delicious food, and she was eager to pick up any tips and learn new recipes from them. She mostly watched in silence, not wanting to disturb anyone, but she couldn’t help shouting out the occasional question when she saw someone doing something she’d never seen before. The Rito were a little surprised by the questions, but happy enough to answer, faintly amused by the girls obvious interest and desire to learn.

Eventually Holly finished preparing the potatoes, and set about dividing them between two large cooking pots, covering them with fresh water and adding in a large dash of freshly grated rock salt. She put one batch to the side, and set the other over the cooking fire, boiling the potatoes until they just started to go soft.

“Holly, those aren’t finished cooking yet, they need at least another 10 minutes or so boiling.” A Rito called out tentatively when they saw her removing them from the heat, sounding like they were torn between wanting to correct her and not wanting to dash her confidence.

“Oh, thank you, but it’s okay, I’m going to cook them more after this!” Holly smiled reassuringly, and carried on draining them.

She hummed a happy tune to herself as she added olive oil, freshly chopped rosemary, salt, pepper, and finely diced garlic to the potatoes. She carefully turned the mixture over, coating the potatoes without breaking them up, and let them sit marinading while she went to heat up the oven. Once it was hot enough, she spread the potatoes out on a shallow tray and started to roast them. Soon a delicious aroma of garlic and rosemary started wafting across the kitchen, adding to the already delicious smells coming from the other work stations. The savoury scent caught the attention of several of the kitchen staff, who came over to peak inside the oven and look at the potatoes as they crisped to a beautiful golden brown.

“What a wonderful idea! Does this recipe have a name?” Dolci asked eagerly.

“Garlic and Rosemary Roast Potatoes!” Holly grinned. “It’s really simple, I can write it down for you later if you like.”

“Please do Holly, if it tastes as good as it smells I’m sure we’d like to add it to the communal cook book.”

She beamed happily at the suggestion, proud that they thought her recipe was good enough to add to their book, but didn’t have long to bask in their praise, as it was almost time to start serving. She pulled her cooked potatoes from the oven and put them in a serving tray so they were ready to go, then went and put the second batch on to boil so she could top up the tray later on. With her own dish now basically completed, she ran around seeing who needed help finishing up their own work.

In what seemed like no time at all the first Rito poked their head through the door, smiling as he told everyone that dinner smelled delicious. Holly was busy helping to pull Nutcakes out of the oven, but she couldn’t help but glance over anxiously as people started to file in, wondering if anyone would try her potatoes. It turned out she needn’t have worried as they were quickly scooped up, many of the Rito delighted to see a new dish being presented, and eager to try it out. Holly was pointed out often as they creator of the potatoes, and she waved and smiled happily as Rito called out their thanks and praised her for her contribution.

She was just pulling the second batch of potatoes out of the oven when she heard some familiar voices.

“Holly! Hey, Holly!”

She turned around, still holding the tray with a large pair oven mitts, and was delighted to see Leri waving eagerly to her, the other cadets, Jade, and her brother all following behind him.

“Guys! You’re all here!” She called happily.

“We weren’t going to miss your first day in the kitchen! You were so excited about it” Ollet smiled.

“Not that you aren’t always excited about everything.” Revali added with a slight roll of his eyes, and Holly still marvelled that what once would have been delivered as a scathing barb at her expense was now spoken as a piece of playful, even fond, banter.

“Well you guys have great timing! I just got the second batch out!” She laughed, walking over and adding the steaming potatoes to the almost empty tray.

“Those look amazing dear!” Jade praised her.

“Forget look, they smell incredible!” Leri grinned, all but drooling at the sight.

Kenta craned his head over the cadets to get a look at what she was serving, and broke into a grin when he saw the dish. “Ah, garlic and rosemary roast potatoes huh? Nice!”

“You know this recipe?” Hana asked, overhearing the conversation as she served someone some fried wild greens

“He should do.” Holly laughed, “He’s the one who taught it to me!”

Everyone started to fill up their plates with food, and Dolci kindly told Holly that since she’d finished making her dish she could take a break and eat with her friends. She thanked him profusely, and Jade told everyone they could come use the large table at her Inn to eat together.

“It seems you were not selling yourself short when you said you enjoyed cooking.” Revali commented as they ate. “These are delicious.”

“Hehe, thanks, but I’m only this good because Kenta was such a great teacher. He made it really fun to learn.” Holly grinned.

“I must admit I’m surprised to hear that, I had heard that amongst Hylians cooking was a duty usually reserved for women. Am I wrong?” Farell asked politely, glancing between Kenta and Holly.

“Nah, you’re right.” Kenta nodded easily. “Usually the girls are left tah do the cooking, and us guys aren’t really taught that much about it. But see the thing is, when I became an adventurer I quickly got sick of eating travelling rations all the time. I mean, it’s all so bland! Jerky, biscuits, dried fruit and cheese- it got so boring to keep eating the same thing over and over again. I kept looking at all the wild plants and game around me and thinking there had to be a better way. So I picked up a few cookbooks and guides on edible plants and started teaching myself how to cook. I got pretty good in the end, if I do say so myself.”

“Kenta’s great! He can make a really yummy meal out of just about anything!” Holly added, eager to show off how talented her brother was.

“And it seems he passed down those skills, hmm?” Jade smiled, sampling another potato and looking at the two Hylian’s fondly.

“Yup!” Kenta grinned, popping the ‘p’ as he spoke. “I couldn’t let my little sis go hungry now could I? I wanted to make sure she’d always be able to make herself something good to eat, no matter where her travels took her!”

“And I’m super grateful!” Holly beamed, reaching over to hug him tight.

Kenta ruffled her hair fondly, and the conversation moved on, the cadets speaking about their training, and how much they’d enjoyed their first few lessons with Kenta. They talked for a while, and just as Holly was starting to think that she had better get back to the kitchen, Jade suddenly piped up with an unexpected suggestion.

“I’ve been thinking Holly, seeing as you plan to stay in the village a while longer, we should really get you some better winter clothes.”

“Huh? Won’t my Snowquill do?”

“You can hardly wear that everyday.” Revali pointed out. “You’ll need something else.”

“He’s right Holly, we’re shielded from the worst of the elements here on the lake, but it will still be bitterly cold for someone who doesn’t have feathers once winter arrives.” Farell added.

“I think a thick winter cloak and a warm tunic would be a good start.” Jade mused, looking Holly up and down appraisingly. “We should speak to the tailors, I’m sure they could make something for you, I can take you there tomorrow if you like.”

“That would be great, thank you so much Jade!”

“If you need help picking out a fabric feel free to call upon me, as you know I have impeccable taste” Revali preened as they all started to gather up their empty plates.

“I’ll keep that in mind” Holly chuckled, turning around and blinking in surprise when she saw Elder Lila walking across the short suspension bridge that led to the Inn.

“Hello Elder.” Jade nodded politely as she approached. “Can we help you with something?”

“Hello everyone, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I have some urgent business with Holly.”

Holly glanced up at the Elders face and she just...knew. Lila didn’t need to say anything, her expression said enough.

“...She’s ordering me home, isn’t she.” Holly asked, and though it was phrased like a question it didn’t sound like one.

“...Yes” Lila admitted softly, looking truly regretful as she handed over an envelope covered in familiar handwriting. “Your Grandmother says you must return home at once Holly.”

The young witch opened the letter, and felt the hope Revali and built up crack and splinter as she read the contents.

She was in so much trouble.

Chapter Text

There was a lot that Holly and Kenta had to get done if they were going to be ready to leave in the morning, and so the rest of the day passed in a blur of activity.

Thankfully the Rito were both kind and generous, doing all they could to assist them with their preparations. Benta pulled Kenta aside so they could look over a map together, using his local knowledge to help the Hylian plan the best route, and Lila told Holly she could take whatever rations they needed from the pantry. The cadets helped out to, following Holly to the kitchen to help her gather up food, and then back to the Inn to aid her with her packing. Their assistance was greatly appreciated, especially since they helped keep her spirits up as they worked, constantly reassuring her that she would be back before she knew it, and changing the conversation to more cheerful subjects when her spirits started to sink at the thought of her imminent departure.

Holly was extremely grateful for their support.

However, in what seemed like no time at all, the sun started to set and the cadets had to return to their own homes. Holly thanked them for all their help, and once they’d left she headed down to the baths, desperately trying to ignore the way her mind kept trying to think of it as her last chance to use them. She returned to the Inn a while later and got ready for bed, knowing she’d need her rest for the journey ahead, but despite her best efforts she struggled to drop off. She tossed and turned as her mind kept churning with unpleasant thoughts, presenting her with one terrible scenario after another as she tried to imagine what might happen when she finally reached Akkala.

In the end she was only able to snatch a few hours sleep before her brother came and roused her.

Jade fussed over her as she got ready, insisting on tying her hair and helping her with her eye liner, tucking her cloak around her warmly even as she lamented the fact they hadn’t had time to order her a thicker winter cloak before she left. Kenta wasn’t spared her attentions either, she braided his hair and helped him triple check that he had everything he needed, constantly reminding him to be careful on the road as she did so. She also gave them both a bottle of Wildberry Gin, a luxury item that was brewed exclusively by the Rito people, telling them to give it to Holly’s Grandmother as a small token of apology for the distress she’d been caused.

When it was finally time to leave Holly hesitated in the doorway, staring longingly at the little bed she’d slept in for the last few months, and the beautiful view she had gotten used to seeing every morning. She couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever get to see these things again...

“Holly?” Kenta called softly. “Do yah need a moment?”

“No, no,” She shook her head, knowing if she lingered too long she might never leave, “I’m sorry, let’s go.

They left the Inn, Jade following behind them, and climbed up the steps to the main village landing, where all their friends were waiting to bid them farewell. Holly was quickly swarmed by the Alvan and the cadets, while Kenta shook hands (and wings) with Kaeli, Benta and Elder Lila, thanking them yet again for all their help. Jade quickly started tearing up, and gave both Hylian’s a big hug goodbye, making them promise yet again to be careful on their journey, until finally Elder Lila called for silence as she stepped forward to speak.

“Holly, Kenta, I think I speak for everyone when I say you two will be greatly missed. You have managed to make a strong impression on us all in a rather short amount of time. I have assigned two warriors to fly you out of our territory, they will carry you to Tabantha Stable, where you will be able to rent a horse to aid you on the rest of your journey. Go with all our best wishes, and my word that you are welcome back here in our village at any time.”

“Thank you for your kindness and your hospitality.” Holly and Kenta spoke as one, bowing respectfully to the leader of the Rito, who smiled and nodded at the pair of them.

The time to leave was now upon them, but the cadets couldn’t let Holly go without one last goodbye. Each of them stepped forward in turn to give her a warm hug and say a few final words, until Revali was the only one left.

“I hope you realise I’m not one for hugging.” He said quickly when Holly turned to him, and while she was a little saddened by his rejection, she wasn’t at all surprised by it. He’d always seemed uncomfortable with physical gestures of affection, and in a public setting like this with his teachers watching she couldn’t imagine him being willing to allow it.

“I understand.” She nodded, carefully hiding her disappointment as she reached out a hand to him instead, only to pause when he suddenly stuck his beak in the air and added in an incredibly haughty tone which was clearly being used to cover his embarrassment-

“However I suppose, in this instance, I can make an exception.”

Holly smiled in delight, and quickly moved forward before he could change his mind. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into the soft silken feathers at the crook of his neck, and felt a wave of emotion wash over her as his wings enveloped her in return. Despite their rocky start they had become so close, and been through so much together.

What if...what if she never saw him again?

“I’m going to miss you Li.” She murmured thickly, making sure to keep her voice down so the nickname wouldn’t be heard, even as she tightened her grip on him.

Revali frowned at the quiver in her voice, and as they pulled apart he rested his wings on her shoulders and met her eyes as he said firmly;

“You will see me again soon enough. Stick to our plan, and you’ll be back before you know it.”

She managed a smile at his words, feeling bolstered by his unwavering confidence. “Of course, I’ll see you soon Revali.”

Kenta gently rested a hand on her shoulder to get her attention, and she knew it was time to go.

The two Hylians climbed onto the waiting warriors backs, and they were soon soaring through the air, heading to the outskirts of the Hebra Region.

Holly watched over her shoulder until the tall spires of the village finally disappeared from view.

The warriors dropped the two Hylians off at the stables as promised, and they started out on their long journey to Akkala City.

Normally Holly would have been excited to be back on the road again with her brother, but this was one trip she simply couldn’t find it in herself to enjoy. Knowing that every step took her further away from her friends and closer to her Grandmother made her heart sink down into her boots.

Kenta knew she was struggling and did his best to bolster her spirits, going out of his way to find interesting diversions to try and give her something more positive to focus on. Holly tried to immerse herself in whatever distraction he provided so she could wring some enjoyment out of the trip, but the closer they got to Akkala, the more withdrawn and worried she became. In the evenings when they made camp she would cuddle close to Kenta for comfort, then pour over the letters the Rito had written for her, reading them over and over as if she was trying to memorise every line.

Many weeks later, when they finally caught sight of Akkala forest, the famous swathe of red and orange trees that were locked in a perpetual autumnal state, Holly looked like she might cry. Kenta took one look at her and insisted on stopping for the night, assuring her that taking one more day to reach the city at this point wasn’t going to hurt anyone. Holly was incredibly grateful for his kindness, and for the extra night to compose herself before they entered the city.

They headed out again the next day, and in no time at all they spotted the spires of Akkala Citadel in the distance. Positioned at the top of a prominent hill, the large fortress was built to stand watch over the entire region from it’s vantage point. The Citadel was the ancestral home of the Duke of Akkala, who managed the entire region from this base, answering directly to the Royal family. A large bustling town had formed around the fortress over time, growing larger and larger with each successive generation, until the entire hill had become one large fortified city. It was known as one of the largest and busiest Hylian settlements, second only to Castle Town in size and scope.

It was here, amongst all the hustle and bustle, that Holly’s Grandmother lived.

Holly swallowed thickly as they approached the main entrance to the city, which was protected by a large gatehouse. The huge oak doors they passed through were four feet thick, and reinforced by metal beams that Goron craftsmen had installed countless generations ago. Once inside the gatehouse they reached the check point all visitors had to pass through, and while everyone was supposed to be treated fairly, Holly had noticed that Hylians always seemed to enter with a lot less fuss and bother then the other races. Of course, the city guards claimed this was because most Hylians carried identification papers, a practise that none of the other races had adopted, which slowed down their processing.

Holly truly hoped that was the only reason, but she wasn’t so naive as to think that there wasn’t any animosity amongst the tribes, even after hundred’s of years of peace.

In any case, she and Kenta entered the city with little fuss, and they were soon weaving their way through the crowded streets, heading for the nearest Post Office.

“I promised I’d write as soon as I got here.” Holly reminded Kenta as she led the way.

“I know kiddo, I know.” He agreed easily, knowing full well that she was just looking for an excuse to delay her reunion with her Grandmother a little longer.

When they finally reached the Post Office Holly quickly bought a sheet of parchment and an envelope from a clerk, then used one of the tables and quills provided for patrons to start writing a message to her friends back in Rito Village. She had fully intended to send them a long, detailed message, but quickly found that she was so nervous about the upcoming meeting with her Grandmother that she couldn’t concentrate on the task at hand. In the end she only managed a few lines confirming her safe arrival, before signing off with a simple ‘I miss you all’, followed by her signature, which was her written name alongside a cute little drawing of a bunch of Holly leaves and berries.

She addressed the envelope to Elder Lila, trusting that she would pass the message around to everyone who needed to see it, and handed it over to the postal clerk, who raised an eyebrow at the address but never the less took her rupees and promised that the letter would be delivered as soon as possible.

With that, it was time to go face the music, and Kenta wrapped an arm around Holly’s shoulders for comfort as they headed towards her Grandmother’s house.

“I’m sorry I can’t go in with you Holly-Berry,” He murmured anxiously as they walked. “Yah know I’d stay with you if I could! It’s just-”

“Kenta it’s okay, we already talked about this,” She reassured him quickly. “Grandma was pretty firm about you never showing your face around her again after last time, it makes sense for you to keep your distance.”

“Exactly.” He sighed heavily, “If she sees me it’ll probably put her in an even worse mood, and I don’t want tah make things any harder for you.”

“I understand, really I do. Besides, you’ll be close by if I need you, right?”

“Absolutely. I’ll be staying at the Maple Leaf Inn nearby, if you need anything come and get me right away. Do you remember the signal we worked out last time in case she grounds you but you need to talk to me?”

“Leave something hanging out my bedroom window?”

“That’s the one.” He nodded, “I’ll walk past your window every night Holly, and if I see your signal I’ll climb up and check on you, I promise.”

“Thanks Kenta, I can always count on you.” She smiled warmly, reaching out and hugging him tight as they finally came to a stop outside her Grandmothers home.

“I can at least walk you to the door...” Kenta offered when they pulled apart, throwing an anxious look between her and the house.

“No, it’s okay, I should really do this bit myself” She replied, trying to sound more confident then she actually felt.

“All right then kiddo, good luck.”

He stepped back reluctantly, giving her one last encouraging smile (and one more quick hug), before finally turning and walking away.

Left by herself, Holly glanced at the ordinary looking door before her, and immediately felt her stomach start to tie itself in knots at the thought of knocking. She forced herself to take a few deep breaths, stalling for time by brushing some dust off her tunic and adjusting her hair, which Kenta had braided Rito-style for her that morning to help boost her confidence.

“It’s not scary, it’s an adventure” She finally whispered to herself for courage, and then quickly rushed forward and knocked on the door before she could talk herself out of it.

For a moment there was silence, and hope rose in Holly’s chest as she suddenly thought that maybe her Grandmother had gone out, maybe she didn’t have to deal with this today after all!

Then a voice called out from inside the house, and her heart sank.

She tensed as footsteps approached the door, followed by the scraping sound of a metal latch being lifted, and then the door suddenly swung back to reveal her Grandmother Mirabel.

Muscle memory kicked in, and before Holly could think about it she was dropping into a deep curtsey, holding her cloak out in lieu of a skirt, the greeting that had been hammered into her already on her tongue.

“Good afternoon Grandmother, I am home.”

There was no response, and she stayed frozen in place for what seemed like a small eternity as the silence dragged on, until she finally couldn’t take it any more and risked glancing up through her bangs to try and judge her Grandmother’s mood.

She was gazing down her long hooked nose at her, scrutinizing her with a distinctly displeased expression.

She looked...exactly as Holly remembered her. Tall and thin, with cheekbones that could cut glass and even sharper grey eyes. She was wearing a white buttoned blouse and a long heavy skirt, accessorised with a frilly cravat and a glistening pearl broach. As always the collar of her blouse had been ironed and starched so much that it probably could have been classified as a torture device, and her long hair was pulled straight back and piled on top of her head in a rigid bun.

Holly remembered once, when she didn’t know any better, jokingly telling Mirabel that perhaps she wouldn’t have such a sour expression on her face if she didn’t insist on tying her hair back so tightly all the time. Her Grandmother hadn’t seen the humour in her comment, and for speaking so rudely she wasn’t allowed to eat dinner for 2 weeks. She had insisted that this couldn’t be considered a punishment, as she was far too heavy for a girl her age, and stopping her from eating so much was really in her best interests.

Holly remembered going to bed hungry for 2 weeks, her stomach growling with nothing but water inside it, while her Grandmother reassured her that it would all be worth it when she could fit into a smaller corset.

“So...you actually returned.” She finally spoke, bringing Holly abruptly back to the present.

“Yes of course, I said I would.” She replied as she rose out of her curtsey.

“And why should that mean anything?” Mirabel asked scathingly. “You’ve made it perfect clear that you have no qualms lying to me.”

Holly winced and automatically felt herself hunkering down, like she was trying to present a smaller target.

“And just look at the state of you.” She continued, clicking her tongue in disapproval and resting her hands on her hips. “Could you not at least have bathed before you arrived?”

“I-I’m sorry Grandmother, you said I should come as soon as possible so-”

“I know what I said.” She interrupted sharply. “I suppose expecting you to use some common sense was too much to ask?”

Holly bit her lip and said nothing, knowing that offering any argument would only make things worse.

Mirabel sighed heavily, as if this small interaction with her granddaughter had already tried her patience, but finally relented and gestured for her to come inside.

“Well come along then, don’t just stand there like a doorstop.”

Holly scurried inside obediently, and as soon as the door had been shut behind her Mirabel started issuing commands.

“First things first, go clean yourself up and put on some proper clothing. I can’t possibly have you running around looking like that. You are not travelling any more, and I won’t have you wearing such unladylike garments.”

She paused, glancing down at Holly’s feet and quickly adding-

“And for goodness sake take off those filthy boots before you track mud everywhere!”

“Yes Grandmother.” Holly nodded, hastening to pull them off.

“There is no hot water, you will have to make do with cold.” She continued matter of factly, “I didn’t light the fire since I did not know whether you would actually turn up. Once you have unpacked and made yourself presentable you may come back downstairs and we will talk.”

Holly swallowed thickly. She knew from experience that the best thing to do when her Grandmother was in one of these moods was to speak as little as possible and to do whatever she asked quickly and without complaint. Every instinct she’d formed while living under this roof screamed at her to do just that, but…

What about Revali’s plan?

He had advised her that she should apologise to her Grandmother at the first opportunity, to try and show how sincerely remorseful she was. He had helped her memorise a beautiful, eloquent speech that explained her actions were due to a moment of weakness, of panic, and that she truly regretted what she’d done. He, no, all of her friends had worked hard to help her come up with this plan, she owed it to them and herself to at least try.

So she screwed up her courage and replied;

“Of course Grandmother, I’ll do so at once, but first I would like to apologise for-”

“I do not care to hear you apology.” She cut her off coldly. “If you are truly remorseful you will stop wasting my time and go do as you are told.”

Revali’s eloquent speech died on her tongue, and Holly nodded and quickly turned to leave, only to freeze when Mirabel called out-

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

Cold dread washed over the young girl and settled like a lead weight in the pit of her stomach. She knew she shouldn’t, knew that having pushed her luck once already she should reply immediately, but she still hesitated, her fingers reaching back and curling tight around the handle of her broom as she stuttered;

“I, I-”

“Do not make me ask you twice young lady.”

Holly trembled, but obediently unhooked her broom and handed it over, watching as her Grandmother held it gingerly at arms length.

“This will be locked away, out of sight and out of mind. Do not even think of asking for it back.”

“No Grandmother.” She replied, her voice a tiny whisper.

“Of you go then, chop chop.”

Holly practically fled the room, hurrying up the stairs as quickly as she could, even as she felt the familiar dull ache that always accompanied being separated from her broom start to settle in her chest.

She supposed she was just going to have to get used to it again.

She rubbed her chest to try and ease her discomfort, then walked down the hall and opened the door to her old room, finding it exactly as she’d left it all those months ago. Everything was neatly packed away, with large sheets thrown over the furniture to keep off the dust. The fireplace was bare and the air was musty and stale, the large window at the back of the room firmly bolted shut.

It looked like Mirabel really hadn’t expected her to return.

Holly quickly rolled up her sleeves and got to work, thankful in an odd way that there was so much work to be done, as the chores provided a welcome distraction from her thoughts. She pushed the window open as wide as it would go, then set about wiping down all the surfaces where dust had gathered and sweeping the dirty floor. Next she took the dusty sheets downstairs to be laundered later, and fitted clean ones on the bed. Finally she unpacked, cleaned her muddy booths, and drew water from the well to wash with.

She had really been doing quite well at keeping all her unpleasant, looming thoughts at bay, but it all started to unravel when it finally came time to bathe. She daren’t light a fire without permission, she still remembered how much trouble she’d gotten into the last time she did that, which meant she was going to have to settle for wiping her body down with cold water.

She sat alone in her room, shivering as she drew a cold cloth up her arms, and thought of the heated baths back in Rito village.

The tears came before she could help it, and Holly let herself have a little cry, knowing it was better to get it out of her system now while she was alone then risk doing so in front of Mirabel.

When she’d finished (both washing and crying) she opened the wardrobe, looking at all the dresses and skirts inside. No trousers of course, because trousers were not appropriate for ladies, or so her Grandmother insisted time and time again.

I must remember to hide my pants somewhere safe or she’ll throw them out again when I’m not looking, Holly thought to herself as she quickly select ed a blue dress made out of a thicker, warmer fabric, throwing it on quickly to ward off the chill from her ‘bath’ . She towelled her hair dry as best she could, and then, because it made her feel a little better, braided it neatly the way the Rito had shown he r, threading in a ribbon.

She straightened her skirts, slipped on some soft indoor shoes, and then padded down the stairs to meet her Grandmother in the parlour.

“I’ve changed Grandmother.” She called from outside the room, waiting until she was given leave to enter before walking inside and curtseying politely.

The older woman put down her book and looked her up and down over the top of her glasses.

“Well” she sniffed “I suppose it’s a start.”

Holly wisely kept her feelings about that comment to herself, instead watching silently as her Grandmother rose from her chair and walked towards her.

“Let me see it then.” She said abruptly, causing Holly to blink in confusion.

“I-I’m sorry?”

“Your injury girl! Let me see how bad the damage is!” Her Grandmother snapped, and Holly felt something inside her soften in relief. She was worried about her!

“It’s just here, on my arm.” She explained quickly, rolling up her sleeve to reveal the scars, letting her Grandmother take hold of her arm and turn it this way and that as she examined it.

“I’m fine now, you see?” She added eagerly. “I can move my arm and fingers just as well as I used to, there’s no lasting damage-”

“Yes yes, I’m glad to see it.” Mirabel interrupted distractedly, “More importantly, it seems the injury is high enough up your arm that it will be easy to conceal.”

“...Excuse me?”

“Oh that’s right, you have been living out in the middle of nowhere so you wouldn’t have heard. The court fashions have changed this season, they are now favouring shorter sleeves on gowns.

“...What?” Holly asked softly, not wanting to believe the horrible suspicion that was creeping up on her.

“Your injury dear, if it was lower down the new style would reveal it for all to see. Your other deformity is easy to cover up so long as we keep that broom out of your hands, I had feared this one might prove more challenging.”

Holly felt her mouth open and close, but she couldn’t find the words to express what she was feeling. Hurt and anger sizzled out quickly, replaced by a sad sort of weariness, as if some part of her was wondering why she had ever expected a different reaction.

“Now then, come sit down and we will discuss your lies.” Mirabel pressed on quickly, gesturing to the chair opposite her.

Holly moved numbly to the seat indicated, and as soon as she had sat down her Grandmother wasted no time letting her know exactly what she thought about her actions, pulling out the letter she had written her and waving it in the air for emphasis as she spoke.

“When I gave you leave to go to Rito village you gave me your word that you would be on your best behaviour, that your actions would reflect well on this family. Is this what you call being well behaved? Starting fights? Causing a ruckus so big the head of the village had to get involved? And then lying about everything to try and keep me from finding out the truth?”

“No Grandmother.” Holly mumbled softly, her head bowed low.

“I should think not.” She sniffed. “Honestly I blame myself in part, I don’t know why I expected anything different from you, why I thought your word would actually mean something this time. I should never have allowed you to go in the first place...”

Holly curled in on herself as her Grandmother continued to talk, her hands clutching the fabric of her skirt like it was a lifeline, and when Mirabel finally noticed the reaction she quickly changed tactics, her voice loosing it’s ire as she continued in a softer tone.

“I’ve tired to be patient with you Holly, truly I have. I know that you had a difficult childhood, what with loosing both your parents (goddess rest their souls) at such a young age, and then being dragged all over Hyrule by two well meaning but thoroughly unsuitable ruffians...”

Holly had to bite her lip hard to stop herself from crying out at the wrongness of that statement. Kenta had found her at the lowest point in her life, half starved and shivering in the hollow of an ancient tree, a young girl still stubbornly waiting for the mother who was never going to return for her. He could have handed her over to the nearest orphanage, no one would have expected him to do more, but instead he had taken it upon himself to search for any surviving family members who could take her in. His best friend Ray had insisted on coming along with them, saying that Kenta would need help if he was going to travel all over Hyrule with a 10 year old in tow, and the three of them had visited all the major Hylian settlements together, searching for Holly’s missing family. Unfortunately they turned up no leads despite their best efforts, and eventually the two young men, who had become rather fond of Holly during their travels, realised that she might have nowhere else to go except the orphanage.

...Unless of course, they continued to take care of her.

When they presented her with the choice, Holly chose the two of them instantly.

Kenta threw himself into his new role of ‘big brother’ with great enthusiasm. He took Holly with him as he continued to journey across Hyrule, showing her all the wonders of the land and inspiring in her a great love of travel and adventure. Ray’s particular skill set meant he was often called away for dangerous, not-strictly-legal work, but he still stayed with the pair of them as often as he could, helping to teach and educate Holly so that one day she would be able to take care of herself.

Those had been the happiest years of Holly’s life, every day was an adventure with her brother and uncle by her side, and it still hurt when she remembered just how quickly it had all ended. She and Kenta had visited Akkala City to stock up on supplies one day, and crossed paths with Mirabel by chance. She had recognised Holly, despite all the years that had passed since she’d last seen her, and having been reunited with the Granddaughter she’d thought long dead, she had immediately insisted on taking over her upbringing.

Sometimes, in her darker moments, Holly wished they’d never decided to visit the city that day.

Mirabel suddenly clapped her hands together to emphasise a point she’d just made, and Holly winced and forced herself to pay attention to the conversation again, knowing she’d be in more trouble if her Grandmother knew she wasn’t paying attention.

“-and so I have tried to make allowances for your behaviour, but time and time again you continue to put your own wants and desires above your obligations to this family! I have told you so many times I’ve lost count, it is your duty to secure a future for us by marrying a wealthy, respectable gentleman. My late husbands pension won’t last indefinitely, and we’ll be out on the streets if you don’t succeed! Yet despite knowing this you make no effort to enhance your feminine charms, you don’t apply yourself to my lessons on manners and etiquette, and time and time again I have caught you running around acting in the most unladylike fashion, putting all our plans at risk. The only useful skill you seem to have any interest in is cooking, and even that is detrimental to our efforts to get your weight under control! Don’t think I haven’t noticed that you’ve piled on the pounds again since I let you out of my sight!”

Holly flinched and hunkered down in her chair at the comment, she knew it was coming but it still hurt to hear. She never seemed to be skinny enough to make Mirabel happy, and she knew the weight and muscle she’d put on after getting regular meals and lots of exercise at Rito Village would aggravate her.

“And now, when I am generous enough give you leave to the Rito Village despite all your previous transgressions, this is how you behave! I could forgive the fight, and even you hiding the injury from me-but this, this is the final straw!”

She took a deep breath, resting a hand over her chest and sounding absolutely mortified as she continued.

“You went alone, unescorted, into the woods with a boy! A Rito boy at that! What on earth were you thinking!? Do you realise the scandal this will cause if it gets out?!”

Holly blinked, and then frowned in confusion at her words. What was she talking about? Alone in the woods with…

No. She couldn’t mean…?

“Are you...are you talking about when I went to gather herbs with Revali?” She asked tentatively.

“Of course I am! What else could I be talking about!?”

“...Grandmother we were attack by Lizalfos.” Holly said slowly, some part of her still unable to believe that this was truly what she was most upset about. “We spent most of the day running for our lives.”

“So you say.” She sniffed dismissively. “But that doesn’t change the fact you were alone with a boy for hours! Don’t you understand Holly? If word gets out you were alone with a boy no respectable gentleman will ever consent to court you! Let alone marry you! You should have refused, or at least demanded an escort!”

“I-I was being punished Grandmother,” Holly tried to defend herself “I wasn’t exactly in a position to make demands-”

“You are a lady,” Mirabel cut her off curtly. “And a lady has every right to protect her virtue.”

“My-?!” Holly let out a strangled sound, blushing furiously as she continued “My virtue is just fine!”

“Well I should hope so.” Mirabel nodded primly, “But as I said, it is irrelevant what actually happened, the news that you were alone with a boy will be enough to ruin you. Just think yourself lucky that Rito Village is so far removed from any civilised Hylian outpost that it is nigh impossible for the news to reach Akkala, or worse yet, Castle Town. You have had a very narrow escape, far too narrow for my comfort.”

Holly nodded softly to show she was still listening, and Mirabel pressed on.

“This is the final straw Holly, your actions very nearly brought scandal and shame to our good name. You could have lost us our reputation. Obviously I have been too lenient on you so far, and that is going to change. You will not be going back to that village, and you will certainly not be doing any more flying. You will stay here, away from bad influences, and we will intensify your lessons on how to act like a respectable lady. You will step up and fulfil you duty to this family.”

“B-But I..” Holly whispered, fighting to get the words out as she clutched her skirt so tight she nearly tore the fabric, “I don’t want to-”

Mirabel leaned forward in her chair, meeting Holly’s eyes and cutting her off as she hissed- “Do you truly think that, after all you’ve put me through, you’re in a position to make demands?”

Holly wanted to reply, but all of a sudden she remembered the advice Revali had given her when they were making their plans all those weeks ago.

‘Your Grandmother will likely be so upset when you first get home that there will be no arguing with her. Don’t waste your breath, just do as she asks and wait for her temper to ease before you make your case.’

“...Yes Grandmother.”

Mirabel nodded, apparently satisfied for now, and sent Holly to go make the pair of them something to eat. Holly wandered into the kitchen in a daze, feeling shaken and scared, and told herself that she just needed to play along for a few days, just long enough to let Mirabel calm down.

Revali’s plan would work, and she would get back to the village. She had to believe that.

Back in Rito Village, life carried on as usual. The warriors patrolled the skies, the fledglings went to school, and communal meals were served twice a day, just as they’d always been. Holly and Kenta’s absence was felt of course, especially by those they had befriended, but at the end of the day everyone still had to get on with their lives.

Revali was no exception to this.

He applied himself to his lessons with his usual dedication, unwilling to let any lingering sentiments interfere with his training. The cadets threw up their wings at his behaviour, calling him callous for not being more effected by Holly’s departure, but he ignored them all, certain that she wouldn’t want him to loose focus because of her.

However, while he might not have allowed himself to slack off on his training, that didn’t mean he had forgotten all about the young Witch. Honestly he was surprised by just how long Holly lingered on his mind. He had expected to become accustomed to her absence after a few days, but even when a full month had passed he still found himself thinking about her at odd moments, particularly in the evenings when they would have held their private training sessions.

It was during these evenings, time he suddenly had to himself again, that he most often found himself reflecting on the Witch who had suddenly barged in on his life.

It was a strange thing to focus on, but he couldn’t help but remember how she’d always been so happy to see him. It wasn’t like he was oblivious to the way people often rolled their eyes and groaned when he talked, or made excuses to avoid listening to him go on at length about his latest accomplishments. He knew that when he spoke about his great feats others couldn’t help but feel that they paled in comparison, which often led to friction. But that was their problem, not his. He had never seen why he should have to censor himself just to make others feel better.

Holly had never acted like his boasts made her feel lesser in comparison. She accepted him precisely as he was, and encouraged and supported his ambition, instead of telling him to be more modest and humble about his talents and progress. Admittedly she had occasionally pointed out where he could make...improvements, but it was never in a demanding way. She never said he should change something...just that he could, if he wanted to.

He missed that. He missed talking to someone who didn’t chide him for his pride, or act as if speaking to him was annoying and exasperating. He missed having someone who wanted to see him and hear what he had to say.

He missed Holly. Maybe he didn’t show it in the way his friends or family expected him to, but that didn’t mean he didn’t miss her.

And then one day her letter arrived.

Revali had rushed forward with the other cadets when Elder Lila came to deliver it, but was sorely disappointed by the contents. Nothing more then a few hastily scribbled sentences confirming that she had arrived safely, without even a return address so that they could write back to her. The others all agreed that she would surely send a longer, more detailed message once she had settled in, but Revali didn’t bother to hide his irritation that she had failed to send them something more substantial to begin with.

He couldn’t help but vent his irritation to his family that evening at dinner, but annoyingly they all agreed with the cadets.

“She’s probably just busy dealing with her Grandmother right now.” Eli insisted as he poured everyone something to drink. “Once they’ve patched things up I’m sure she’ll have time to focus on writing a longer letter.”

“He’s right Revali.” Elena agreed. “Just be patient, I’m sure you’ll hear from her again soon.”

“I’m still surprised that she hid the truth from her Grandmother at all.” Alvan mused as he took a bite out of his riceball. “I mean, she just never struck me as the type who would lie about something so important, you know?”

“She had good reason to do so, you know that.” Revali replied with a frown.

“Still though, if she could cover up something like that, it makes you wonder what else could she keep secret...”

“What exactly are you implying Alvan?” Revali asked sharply, his feathers bristling.

“Hey hey, I’m not trying to insult her or anything!” Alvan said, hastily back-pedalling. “I was just thinking out loud, I didn’t mean anything by it!”

“Well I should hope not.” Elena replied, frowning across the table at him. “We don’t speak that way about friends of the family Alvan. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, and we don’t jump to conclusions about someone’s character based on one bad decision, especially not when we’ve already seen them do so much good.”

She couldn’t help but glance at Revali as she spoke, and the young Rito ducked his head in embarrassment. No doubt she was thinking about how he might have perished if it hadn’t been for Holly’s intervention.

The conversation moved on, but later that night, as he laid in his hammock, Revali couldn’t get Alvan’s words out of his head. As much as he hated to admit it, he did have a point. Holly had kept quiet about the lies she was telling her Grandmother for months, without the slightest hint of an uneasy conscience. She had only openly shown guilt and regret over her actions after she’d been found out.

The realisation that she could lie and conceal something so important so easily was...unsettling.

Her words…

“You’re a good person, and I’d like to be your friend.”

“It’s going to be so much fun training with a partner again!”

“You really are the best.”

“There isn’t anyone else I would rather have by my side in a fight.”

...He could believe her words...couldn’t he?

Revali shook his head as if to dislodge those uneasy thoughts from his mind, and rolled over in his hammock, telling himself that he was over tired from his training sessions and not thinking clearly.

In the morning, things would surely make more sense.

For the next few days, Holly did her best to meet all of her Grandmothers expectations. She completed every task she was set without complaint, worked hard during her lessons on manners and etiquette, and patiently accepted every criticism that was levelled against her.

By the end of the third day it seemed her good behaviour was finally starting to improve her Grandmothers mood, and so Holly took the opportunity to make her formal apology. She had been practising the speech Revali had written for her every night, and her friends eloquent words went down well with Mirabel. While she didn’t accept the apology, she did compliment her on her use of language, stating that she was finally starting to sound more like a lady.

Holly took it as a step in the right direction.

Not willing to loose this sliver of good will, she continued to be good and obedient. She didn’t utter a word of complaint about the restricted diet her Grandmother put her on, or the way she made her practise embroidery till she’d pricked her thumb raw with the needle, or even the fact she was made to do all the chores around the house while she stood nearby and criticised. She told herself it would all be worth it if she was able to go back to Rito Village in the end.

A full week later, she finally felt secure enough to fetch the bundle of letters from the Rito and give them to Mirabel. To ease the handover Holly presented them alongside the bottle of Wildberry Gin Jade had given her, and to her relief Mirabel accepted everything, telling her to go make dinner while she read through the correspondence and sampled the drink.

Holly left feeling lighter then she had in days. She’d feared Mirabel wouldn’t even accept the letters, but now she was actually reading them! Once she saw how helpful she’d been in the village, and how much everyone wanted her back, she might be less angry at her for her actions, and more open to changing her decision and allowing her to return!

Thing’s were finally looking up!

Holly made her Grandmother’s favourite meal to help smooth things along, humming cheerfully to herself as she worked, and returned to the parlour an hour later to cheerfully inform her that dinner would be ready shortly.

The smile fell from her lips when she saw the thunderous expression on her Grandmother’s face. There was a pile of opened letters beside her, and she was trembling with barely suppressed rage as she read the contents of the one that was currently clutched in her hand.

Holly felt every muscle in her body tense at the sight. Wh-what was wrong? How could she be so angry? Those letters had nothing but praise for her!

Her Grandmother finally noticed her hovering in the doorway, and quickly rose to her feet, spitting fire and venom as she levelled an accusing finger at her.

“So, this was your game. I thought you had finally started to understand your responsibility to this family, but no! All this good behaviour, all the attention to your lessons, it was only to make me more receptive to this!”

Mirabel threw the letter in her hand down onto the table with as much force as she could muster, and Holly’s muscles locked up in fear.

“You never intended to listen to me at all! You just wanted to butter me up so I would consider sending you back to that village! Oh you wicked, selfish little girl! You never think of anyone other then yourself! Do you even care what will happen to me if you don’t find yourself a husband?”

“O-Of course I do Grandmother! I don’t want to cause you hardship-”

“Hah! Look at that, you’ll even lie right to my face! If you really cared about me you would forget about that stupid village and focus on learning how to be lady!”

“But I don’t want to be a lady!” Holly cried, the damn inside her finally bursting after suffering in silence for so long. “I’m sorry Grandmother but I’m a Witch and I want to fly! I want to go on adventures! I don’t want to settle down and get married! There has to be another way that I can support you-!”

SLAP

The noise echoed round the room, and Holly blinked slowly, raising a hand to touch her burning cheek in shock.

“You insolent brat!” Her Grandmother hissed, face scarlet with rage. “Your selfishness knows no bounds! After everything I’ve done for you- you dare?! That is it, I am through wasting my time trying to better someone who doesn’t want to learn! And as for these letters, I don’t know how you managed to trick the Rito into writing them- no doubt you spun some fanciful lie- but this is what I think of them!”

With that she snatched up the letters and threw them into the fireplace, where they instantly started to crackle and burn.

“No!” Holly cried, making a mad dash for the fireplace in the hopes of saving something, only to be stopped by Mirabel, who grabbed her wrist as she ran past and tugged her to a halt. She could have easily broken free, but as she stared at the burning letters she found herself frozen in shock, her eyes tearing up as she watched her treasured messages burn.

Her Grandmother didn’t waste the opportunity, and quickly tugged the unresisting girl out of the room and up the stairs. She was ranting the whole way, but the noise was little more then static to Holly, who was reeling from everything that had just happened. She didn’t come back to her senses until Mirabel shoved her into her bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

“Wha-hey, wait!” She cried, running to the door and trying the knob, only to find that it had been locked from the outside.

“Grandmother what are you doing?!” She cried. “Let me out!”

“You can stay in there until I am ready to deal with you again!” Mirabel called from the other side of the door. “I didn’t want to have to resort to such drastic measures Holly, I really didn’t, but you’ve left me no choice!”

“Grandmother? Grandmother what are you talking about, what are you doing?” Holly cried desperately, but the only answer was the sound of footsteps walking away from the door, followed a few minutes later by the front door opening and closing. She ran to the window just in time to see her Grandmother hastening down the street, a shawl wrapped around her shoulders for warmth.

As everything sunk in Holly turned away from the window and pressed her back to the wall, slowly sliding down it until she found herself seated in a heap on the floor.

Then she cried for a long, long time.

When she finally managed to pull herself back together again, she forced herself to dry her eyes and focus on what she should do next. Should she leave? Run away? She could signal her brother, he would definitely come help her, but that was a risky move. There was a reason she had never let Kenta and Ray know exactly what went on between these walls. Oh they knew she was unhappy, and that Mirabel was strict, but she had carefully downplayed the extent of it.

That was because the one time she had defiantly told her Grandmother that her brother and uncle would come and get her if she continued to be so pushy, Mirabel had reminded her that while they might call themselves her family, Kenta and Ray had no legal claim to that title. As her last remaining blood relative, she alone was her lawful guardian. And as such, if she was to suddenly disappear one night, she would of course do her civic duty and report it to the guards, along with a description of the men who might have taken her.

Holly still remembered the hand on her shoulder, the kind tone of her voice which was completely at odds with the triumphant light in her eyes as she finished by asking her,

“Do you know what they do in prison to men who snatch up young girls?”

Holly shuddered at the memory. No, she couldn’t call in her brother, not yet.

She walked around the room, looking at her options. She could escape out the window if she needed to, it would be easy to tie some sheets together and climb down to the ground. Her bedroom door was locked, but it was only a very simple mechanism, so it would be no issue to open it and leave through the front door either. Looking at it that way, she wasn’t really trapped at all, and that thought brought her a lot of comfort.

Still, she couldn’t possibly consider escaping without her broom. Before she did anything else she needed to find where her Grandmother had hidden it.

Normally she would hesitate, but with the memory of the burning letters still fresh in her mind Holly didn’t spare a moment gathering two hairpins and kneeling by the door. As she applied tension to the pins she couldn’t help but think that when her Uncle had insisted on teaching her how to pick locks in case she got kidnapped or captured, he probably never imagined she’d be using those skills on her own door one day.

...Would the Rito be upset if they knew she could do this? It’s not like they had locks on their huts, or doors at all, but she supposed it was the principle of the thing. She had been trained to break locks so she could escape, but most people would immediately think about how those skills could also be used to break in.

Revali certainly wouldn’t approve, she knew that for certain.

She frowned at the thought, even as the lock opened with a satisfying click.

Holly shook her head and opened the door, deciding to search her Grandmothers room first, as it was the most likely place she would have hidden her broom. She found the door unlocked, but as she stepped inside she felt a small wave of uncertainty, the righteous anger that had been pushing her forward wavering for just a moment as she invaded such a private area.

...Was she a bad girl? Mirabel hadn’t been wrong after all, she had only been going along with her instructions in order to make her more open to the idea of allowing her to go back to Rito Village. She supposed she was being selfish, she wanted her freedom, even though she knew refusing to get married would ruin her Grandmother’s plans and put her in a difficult situation.

It was just...the way her Grandmother spoke of marriage made her stomach turn. She didn’t make it sound anything like the stories she’d read as a child, where the loving couple rode of into the sunset together for their happily ever after. She spoke as if she would be little more than an indentured servant to her husband, expected to obey his commands and cater to his every whim, just because that was her duty as his wife. There was never any mention of love or affection in this relationship, only financial stability and a respectable lifestyle, and Mirabel made it clear that the former was unimportant so long as you had the latter.

Holly had learned early on that her Grandmother dreamed of living in Castle Town amongst the aristocracy, that she idolised the lifestyle of the elite, and it hadn’t taken long for her to work out why she was so fixated on getting her married to a rich man with a title no matter what.

The fundamental problem was that Mirabel thought nothing was too big a sacrifice if you could climb your way up the social ladder, while Holly valued her freedom above all else, and couldn’t ever imagine being happy in a place where she would constantly be constrained and stifled.

“...We were never going to see eye to eye, where we?” She whispered to herself, wondering exactly when she’d started crying as she felt tears roll down her cheeks.

She scrubbed her face quickly, trying to shove her turbulent emotions down.

Broom. She needed her broom. She could worry about everything else later.

She began a careful search of the room, making sure to leave no sign of her activities, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn’t there. She bit her lip and glanced around nervously, knowing that she didn’t have time to search the whole house, not when her Grandmother could be back any minute. If only there was some way to narrow down the location…

She was suddenly struck by a burst of inspiration, and held her hand out above her head.

“Come here!” She called, willing her broom to return to her while straining her ears for any noise around the house.

Thump!

That came from the attic!

Holly quickly ran to the hall and drew down the ladder, scrambling up into the gloom and sighing in relief when she saw her broom lying on the floor just a few feet away. She quickly ran to it, sweeping it up and hugging it tightly to her chest.

“Oh broomy!” She cried joyfully, not caring how silly it looked or sounded. Warmth blossomed in her chest as soon as she picked it up, washing away the dull ache she’d been forced to endure ever since they’d been separated, and the bristles, which had started to wither, fanned out and straightened, becoming full and healthy once more.

Holly knew that she should really leave her broom in the attic so as not to rouse suspicion, but she found she couldn’t even consider leaving it behind now that she’d found it. Instead she flew back down the stairs (and oh how good that short flight felt after so long), and folded up the ladder behind her. Then she darted to the kitchen, grabbing a drink and making a quick sandwich (all while scowling at the sight of the perfectly good dinner she’d made being left to go cold) before running back to her room and re-locking the door behind her.

She curled up on her bed with her broom, munching her food and listening carefully for the sound of her Grandmother returning. She could leave any time she liked now, she could fly away and no one could stop her, and secure in that knowledge she decided she would wait a little longer and see exactly what her Grandmother had planned for her before she did anything.

She started packing a bag so that she had all her things together in case she needed to make a quick getaway later, and mid way through this task she heard the sound of her Grandmother returning with guests. She quickly finished her packing and hid the bag at the bottom of her wardrobe, then pressed her ear to the door, trying to overhear what was going on. Unfortunately she could only catch the occasional word, not nearly enough to put together a sentence, let alone a conversation, and eventually she gave up and crawled back to her bed, waiting to see if anyone would come fetch her.

The guests stayed for hours, not leaving till long after the sun had set, but still no one came to her door. She waited tensely, but when the house fell silent she realised that Mirabel must have gone to bed, and she was unlikely to be disturbed till morning.

With nothing else to do, she got under her covers and tried to get some sleep.

Holly woke up to the sound of something clattering down by her door.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes, waking up rapidly as she remembered her current situation. She wasted no time slipping out of bed and moving to the door, quickly finding that a tray containing a glass of juice and some thin watery porridge had been left for her. She ate it slowly, thinking longingly of the hearty breakfasts back at the Rito village as she did so, where the porridge was always rich and creamy, topped with fresh berries and accompanied by thick slabs of buttered toast.

She sighed heavily as she finished the meal and pushed her empty plate away, still feeling hungry as she got herself washed and dressed for the day ahead. She could hear quite a few people moving around downstairs as she bustled about, from the sound of it the guests from yesterday had returned for further discussions with her Grandmother.

When she finally finished getting ready she realised that there was nothing more she could do but sit and wait until someone came and got her. Time crept by slowly, and just like the day before she was completely ignored as everyone downstairs carried on with...whatever it was they were doing. No one brought her lunch, and in the end it was almost evening before her Grandmother finally came and unlocked the door, not bothering to knock as she stepped inside and announced curtly;

“You may come out now. Follow me, we have much to discuss.”

Holly nodded nervously and followed her back down to the parlour, blinking in confusion when she saw the room had been set up for high tea. The good china was out, and a fresh pot of tea had been made, steam curling up from the spout and floating gently towards the ceiling. A tiered serving dish stood in the middle of the table with the remains of what must have once been a very impressive spread of finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, and fresh fruit.

Grandmother must have been entertaining someone really special if she went to this much trouble for them. Holly thought to herself, somehow growing more anxious at the thought.

“Please, have a seat.” Mirabel said, gesturing towards a chair. “Would you like some tea?”

“Yes...please?” Holly replied cautiously, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up as she sat down. What was going on? Why was she being nice?

“I’m afraid it’s only leftovers, but do help yourself to some cake won’t you?” Mirabel asked as she poured the tea. “You must be starving, you haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

And whose fault is that? Holly thought to herself, not missing the snide tone or the knowing smile that tugged on her Grandmothers lips as she spoke. She took the offered tea silently, and watched tensely as Mirabel slowly poured herself a cup and then smoothed down her skirts before proceeding.

“There now, isn’t this more civilised? Now, before we begin talking about your future, there is someone I need to you meet.”

She paused, twisting around and calling out towards the door- “You can come on in now dear!”

There was noise from the hallway, and a moment later a young girl stepped delicately into the room. She was small and slender, with big blue eyes and remarkably smooth, clear skin. Her long reddish-brown hair was partially tied back with a ribbon, leaving the rest of it to fall in soft curls around her shoulders.

Wow, she’s really pretty, Holly thought to herself as the girl dropped into a perfect curtsey, sweeping her skirts out around her as she bowed her head low.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Holly, my name is Iris.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you to.” Holly replied automatically, even as she wondered what on earth this girl had to do with her disagreement with her Grandmother.

Iris stood and offered her a shy smile, revealing a charming little dimple in the corner of her mouth.

“Do come join us Iris.” Mirabel said, gazing at her with undisguised fondness as as she stepped demurely into the room and seated herself carefully. As Holly watched her arrange her skirts she couldn’t help but think that her dress looked familiar, and her eyes widened when she suddenly realised that was because it was one of her dresses.

Her hands trembled slightly and she curled her fingers around her cup to steady them.

Why...why was this girl wearing her clothes?

“Well then, I shan’t beat around the bush.” Mirabel said, placing her cup down on her saucer and announcing as casually as if she was commenting on the weather, “Holly, Iris is your sister.”

Holly let out a strangled sound, nearly dropping her cup in shock.

“What?!” She finally managed, staring at Iris in awe.

“Half-sister, to be exact.” Her Grandmother continued briskly, and while she put on airs of being calm and collected Holly could just tell that she was enjoying every moment of this as she added smugly, “Do please close your mouth Holly, it’s so undignified to gape.”

Holly automatically did as she was told, even as she turned to Iris for confirmation, watching in shock as she met her eyes and gave the tiniest of nods.

“An acquaintance of your late father reached out to me some time ago.” Mirabel continued, and Holly struggled to pull herself together so she could pay attention to what she was saying. “He told me that he believed a dalliance of your fathers, before he married your mother of course, had resulted in a child. That would be Iris.”

Holly narrowed her eyes, angered by the blatant lie. Iris was close to her age, or perhaps even younger, but there was absolutely no way she was older then her. That meant that she must have been conceived after her parents had gotten married.

“I investigated the situation,” Mirabel continued, unaware of Holly’s thoughts, “But as Iris seemed to be living comfortably with her Aunt and Uncle, and you had recently returned to me, so I saw no reason to intrude on her life and complicate things.”

You mean you didn’t want to take in an extra mouth to feed when there was nothing in it for you. Holly thought angrily.

“However, after your recent string of selfish and shameless behaviour, I started to re-evaluate that decision. I got in contact with the family, introduced myself and explained our connection. I discovered what a charming young girl Iris is, and that, unlike you, she wishes nothing more then to become a lady worthy of a seat at the royal court.”

Holly glanced at Iris, looking again for confirmation, but the girl was staring fixedly ahead, refusing to meet her eyes.

“Her Aunt and Uncle want the best for their niece, and would like to help her pursue her dream, but they do not have the funds, connections or knowledge to educate her in the ways of high society. Fortunately for them, I do.”

Mirabel reached behind her chair and pulled out a long, official looking document, quickly spreading it out before Holly. It was stamped with the crest of the Duke of Akkala, meaning it had been written by an official clerk, and was a binding document.

“I had Iris and her guardians come over yesterday, and we had a long discussion about how we could help one another. I paid for a clerk to come and draft this document for us to make everything legal, and as you can see, it already bears all of our signatures.”

Holly looked down, seeing that it was just as she said. There were only two spaces left, one for the clerk to authorize everything...and one with her name printed neatly below.

“Grandmother...what is this?” Holly asked softly, even as she mentally put the pieces together and come to her own conclusion.

“This is a legal document which transfers all your rights as a member of this family to Iris.”

“...You’re disowning me?” Holly asked in a small voice.

“You’ve made it quite clear you do not wish to contribute to this family Holly, did you think I would continue to let you sponge off me, even as you run around bringing shame to our good name? Honestly I thought you would be delighted by this offer. You will get everything your selfish heart desires. Sign this, and you are free. You can go live with the bird people, you can go be an adventurer with that man you call brother, you can finally do precisely as you please. In the meantime Iris will take your place, I will teach her what it is to be a lady, and with her beauty and grace she will surely find a good match and do this family proud, rather then dragging it’s name through the mud.”

Mirabel had worked herself into quite a tizzy with that speech, her feelings bleeding through the mask of propriety she always strove to wear, and she had to pause and take a calming breath before continuing.

“Never let it be said that I am unreasonable though. I understand that this is a life changing decision, and as such I will not force you to sign this, nor will I insist that you make a decision here and now. Read this document through thoroughly, make sure you understand all that it entails, and consider it overnight. I will hear your decision in the morning when you have had a chance to think it over.”

With that Mirabel and Iris rose and quickly took their leave so Holly could read in peace, and the young Witch slumped back in her chair and stared at the document before her, feeling completely overwhelmed.

Where did...where did she even begin with all of this?

What was she going to do?

Chapter Text

Holly wasn’t sure how long she sat there in daze, but by the time she came back to her senses her tea had gone cold.

She poured herself a fresh cup, more out of habit then because she was actually thirsty, and drank it slowly as she tried to calm herself down and think things through logically.

Logic was always a good fall back when your emotions were all over the place.

Let’s just...break this all down. She thought to herself, trying to ignore the way the cup trembled in her hands. First things first, I really need to look at this paperwork and make sure that it really is what Grandma said it is. Uncle Ray always said that when an offer seems to be to good to be true, it usually is.

Feeling slightly better now that she had a plan in place, Holly settled down to start reading.

She spent the next hour checking and double checking the document, and was quite surprised to find that her Grandmother had been telling the truth. She searched it thoroughly, but could find no hidden clauses, no loopholes or extra lines hidden in the fine print that would put her at a disadvantage. It appeared to be completely genuine. The first half of the document stated that she was leaving the family, and as such she renounced any claim to her family name, as well as any wealth, inheritance or other assets that would have been due to her. The second half, which was already signed by all parties involved, was an adoption paper, legally making Iris Mirabel’s Grandchild, and giving her all the rights that Holly had relinquished.

Holly felt a humourless smile tug at her lips as she finished reading. 10 pages of technical jargon that boiled down to the fact her Grandmother had found a legal way to get rid of her, the ‘defective’ granddaughter, and replace her with a younger, prettier model. It would almost be funny if it wasn’t so utterly manipulative and deplorable.

However...as much as this whole thing unsettled her, Holly had to admit that her Grandmother was right. This was an amazingly good deal for her. If she signed she would be completely free, Mirabel would no longer have any power over her, and she could do whatever she wished. She was being handed her freedom on a silver platter, and the thought of it made her itch to snatch up the pen and sign straight away!

...One nagging thought stayed her hand.

What about Iris?

However Holly looked at it, it seemed that her freedom came at the price of Iris’s own. She was her sister for crying out loud- true she’d only learned of her existence a mere hour ago, but that didn’t change the fact that they were siblings. Could she really throw her under the horse and cart just to secure her own freedom? Iris didn’t know what their Grandmother was truly like, she didn’t fully understand just what she was signing herself up for. Oh Mirabel could be kind and encouraging when it suited her, when you were doing what she wanted, but Iris hadn’t seen just how quickly she could turn nasty if you dared to disagree with her.

What sort of person let their little sister walk blindly into such an arrangement? Kenta would never do such a thing to her, she knew that much for certain.

Holly sat mulling things over for a long time, and was so caught up in her internal dilemma that she found she had no appetite for the fine food before her, despite the fact she hadn’t eaten since breakfast.

Eventually the hour grew late, and she retired to her room, no closer to a decision then she had been when she began.

She washed and dressed for bed, thinking that sleeping on the problem might help, but gave up quickly when she found she was simply too anxious to settle. She got up and paced instead, her desire for freedom battling with her conscience, and she had just decided to signal her brother to ask for his opinion when there came a quiet knocking on the door.

“...Hello?” She called cautiously. She’d never known Mirabel to knock so tentatively, it usually sounded like a woodpecker was attacking her door when she came to rouse her in the mornings.

The door opened the tiniest crack and, to Holly’s great surprise, Iris poked her head through.

“U-Um, please forgive me for disturbing you so late.” She called shyly, her gaze fixed firmly on the floor as she spoke. “I know you must have a lot on your mind, it’s just- I cleared the tea away and you didn’t seem to have eaten anything? I was worried you might be hungry so I brought you up a tray...”

Holly blinked in surprise as Iris nudged the door open a bit further, revealing a small wooden tray full of sandwiches and cake that she was carefully carrying.

“I...I guess you might not want to see me right now.” She murmured, glancing around for a flat surface she could leave the tray on. “I’ll just leave this here and-”

“No, no, please wait!” Holly called, quickly walking over to her. “I’d really like to talk to you- if you wouldn’t mind I mean.”

“….You would?” Iris asked tentatively, finally glancing up and making eye contact.

“Of course!” Holly said eagerly, only to pause, her tone to dropping to something softer and more sincere as she continued, “I mean...you’re my sister, and I don’t even know anything about you. That just doesn’t feel right to me.”

Iris’s eyes widened at her words, and then promptly filled with tears. Her hands shook, the tray clacking ominously, and Holly dove forwards, just managing to catch it before it could tumble to the ground.

“It’s okay, I got it.” She reassured her, carefully putting the tray down on a nearby dresser, only to turn back to find Iris openly weeping.

“I-I thought you’d h-hate me!” She sobbed, hiding her face in her hands, “I-I’m t-taking your place here so I-I th-thought-”

“Hey, hey” Holly soothed, reaching out to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder, “It’s okay, I don’t hate you, I promise.”

“Y-You don’t?”

“Not even a little.” She nodded firmly.

“...C-Can I-I?” Iris whimpered uncertainly, holding her arms out in a silent plea, and Holly smiled understandingly and quickly gathered her up in a warm embrace. A thin pair of arms wrapped around her with surprising strength, and Holly let Iris bury her face in her shoulder, rubbing her back soothingly and murmuring gentle reassurances until she calmed down.

“Do you feel a little better?” She asked when her sniffling quietened. “Do you want a handkerchief?”

“Y-Yes please.” Iris nodded, and Holly led her over to the bed, sitting her down and passing her a clean handkerchief so she could dry her tears. She left her there for a moment, giving her space to gather herself, and went and fetched the tray of food. She noted with a small smile that Iris had brought a small pot of tea and two cups, which suggested that she hadn’t been the only one hoping that they would have a chance to talk.

“Here, drink this.” She said once she had poured the tea, pressing a warm cup into Iris’s shaky hands.

“Thank you, I’m-I’m really sorry for making such a scene. Please do eat something won’t you? You must be hungry.”

“Don’t even worry about it.” Holly reassured her, reaching out and taking a sandwich as she spoke. “It sound’s like you were really worried, I’m just glad you feel better now.”

She coaxed Iris into taking a slice of cake herself, thinking that eating something sweet might help cheer her up, and things were peaceful for a while as the two girls ate together. Holly’s appetite returned with avengence once she’d taken a bite of something, and she revelled in being able to eat her fill for the first time in days, thanking Iris repeatedly for bringing the food.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?” She asked once they’d cleared the tray away.

“Of course, please ask me anything!” Iris smiled eagerly.

“...How old are you really?”

Iris’s eyes widened at the question, and she quickly glanced away, refusing to meet her eyes as she replied hesitantly, “...Fifteen?”

Holly stared at her pointedly, and the young girl quickly gave in and admitted in a tiny voice;

“...Thirteen.”

Holly exhaled softly at the news. She’d already been fairly certain, but there really was no doubt about it now. Her Grandmothers story about Iris being conceived before her parents got married was a load of rubbish, her father must have cheated on her mother when she was just a few years old.

“...Are you upset?”

“Huh?” Holly blinked, glancing down to find Iris huddled next to her, looking small and ashamed, apparently bracing herself for her reaction.

“I mean....” She swallowed thickly, “Our father was with my mother when he should have been with yours.”

Oh.

That would be the normal reaction wouldn’t it? Anger and outrage that your father had betrayed you and your mother like that. Holly didn’t feel furious, she didn’t even feel surprised by the news. She just felt...sad. She remembered only a little about her father, but that little was enough to form a pretty low opinion of him. He’d been so entitled, acting like the world and everyone in it existed to serve him, and so it seemed completely believable that he would think he could have a wife AND a woman on the side as well.

But that...

“Iris, that’s his fault, not yours.” Holly stated firmly. “If I’m mad at anyone it’s him for betraying both our mothers like that, but he’s long gone now, so it’s pointless to be angry.”

“Thank you.” She smiled, looking very relieved for a moment before taking a deep breath and continuing hesitantly- “Can...Can I ask what happened to him? Mirabel refuses to speak of it, she changes the subject whenever I ask. It seems like a very sensitive subject for her.”

“Yeah, well...he was her only child and she adored him. His death hit her very hard.” Holly muttered, sighing heavily when she saw Iris glancing at her hopefully. Honestly she didn’t want to talk about this either, but Iris had a right to know, and if Mirabel wasn’t going to tell her she was the only other person who could.

“When I was 10 years old, Father took me and Mama with him on a business trip.” She said matter of factly, trying to get this over with as quickly as possible. “We were running late, and he’d heard about a short cut from some travelling merchants, so he took our cart off the main road and into the wilds to try and find it. Long story short, we didn’t mind the short cut, we found a Moblin and Bokoblin camp instead. I...I was the only one who made it out alive.”

Iris’s eyes went wide with shock and she gave a soft gasp, quickly covering her gaping mouth with her hands as she murmured, “I-I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have-”

Holly shook her head, cutting her off before she could finish her kind sentiment. “It’s okay, it happened a long time ago.”

“...Thank you for telling me.” She said instead, gently placing her hand on top of Holly’s in a comforting gesture, and Holly smiled and squeezed her hand gratefully.

“I...I hope this is not to forward of me.” Iris spoke up again after a moment “But...I don’t know when we’ll be able to see each other again and I’d...I’d really like to know more about you. Only what you’re willing to share with me of course! I don’t want to sound pushy, it’s just...”

She paused, biting her lip and finishing shyly “...I want to know what my big sister is like.”

Holly felt her heart swell with a sudden surge of affection for the young girl, and squeezed her hands warmly as she replied, “I want to know more about you to. I want to know all about my little sister.”

Iris broke into a delighted smile when Holly called her sister in return, and insisted on speaking first.

Holly was saddened to hear that Iris had had a rough start to life. It seemed their father had thoroughly seduced her mother, and she had ended up falling hopelessly in love with him, despite her better judgement. She was so infatuated that even when she learned he was already married she still stuck by him, believing all his promises that he would soon leave his wife and marry her instead.

Then she had fallen pregnant with Iris, and he had swiftly disappeared.

Her parents had been less then understanding, they disowned her as soon as they found out she’d gotten pregnant out of wedlock, and sent her away to Akkala to avoid scandal. They sent enough money to make sure she could keep a roof over her head for the sake of their young grandchild, but refused to have anything more to do the pair of them beyond that.

Iris told Holly that her mother had worked hard to provide for them both, and had always been kind and affectionate, but there was an air of sadness around her that never truly went away. It seemed that she’d never truly gotten over their father’s betrayal, and eventually a combination of heartbreak and years of hard labour sent her to an early grave. Iris’s Aunt and Uncle had taken her in after that, and her tale finished on a happier note, saying that she had spent the last few years living with them on their farm, where she had been well loved and cared for.

It was then Holly’s turn to talk, and she quickly described how Kenta and Ray had taken her in and raised her after she’d lost her parents, speaking fondly of both men and the kindness they had shown her. She went on to talk about the adventures she’d had as they travelled all over Hyrule together, and Iris’s eyes grew wide with wonder as she listened, obviously excited to hear about all the different provinces she’d visited and people she’d met.

“Oh, but the best thing that ever happened when we were travelling was when we were exploring the Faron region!” Holly bounced eagerly some time later, so happy to speak to someone who was as excited by the talk of adventure as she was.

“What, what?!” Iris asked enthusiastically, leaning forward to hear her better.

“I discovered I’m a Witch!” Holly said proudly, placing her hands on her hips and striking a pose.

Iris blinked, the excited look on her face swiftly transforming into one of wary confusion.

“A...Witch?” She repeated slowly.

“Mhm!”

“….Holly are you-are you teasing me? Is this some sort of joke?” She asked, staring to sound a little upset.

“No, I really am a Witch.” Holly insisted, rising to her feet as she spoke.

“But...Witches aren’t real. They’re just stories we tell little children, like the old fables about the Kokiri and the Minish.”

“Those stories have to come from somewhere.” Holly pointed out, opening the wardrobe and reaching inside to retrieve her broom from it’s hiding place.

“Well I suppose so but-but Holly seriously.” Iris pressed, sounding quite distressed now. “You don’t really think your a, a Witch...do you?”

“Judge for yourself.” Holly grinned, and with no further ado she sat down on her broom and rose straight up into the air.

Iris shrieked, falling back onto the bed in shock, her hands flying up to her mouth in a belated attempt to stifle her cry. The grin fell from Holly’s face when the noise echoed around the quiet house, and she dropped swiftly back down to the ground, tossing her broom under the bed and hurrying to the door, listening intently for approaching footsteps.

She counted to 60, and when there was no noise other then the usual creaks of the house settling she finally let out a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding.

“It’s okay, I think we’re clear.” She called back softly over her shoulder.

“I’m so sorry.” Iris whispered. “I-I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s not your fault, I should have given you more warning.” Holly replied, walking back over and retrieving her broom from under the bed.

“But, but, but- you flew!” Iris said, struggling to keep her voice down as her excitement grew once more now the danger had passed. “On a broom! You- you really are a..?”

Holly grinned and nodded, resting her broom over one shoulder.

“A Witch! My big sister’s a Witch!” Iris cried as loudly as she dared.

“I sure am!” Holly laughed.

“Oh this is amazing! You must tell me everything, please!” Iris begged, and so Holly did.

She told her all about her failed attempts to master flying, how she had eventually gone to the Rito for help, and the immeasurable kindness they had shown her by not only agreeing to teach her, but by also allowing her to live amongst them while she learned. She talked at great length about her time in the village, describing the beautiful views and the great friends she had made, not to mention all the interesting things she’d learned about Rito culture.

She was just telling her how Jade had taught her how to braid her hair and apply eye liner, when her words suddenly caught on a sob, and her eyes widened in shock as she realised she’d started crying.

“I-I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m-” She hiccuped, startled by her own reaction.

The truth was, ever since she’d arrived in Akkala she hadn’t allowed herself to think too much about what she’d left behind, focusing instead on just getting through one day at a time while she lived under her Grandmothers roof. Now that she’d let herself speak freely about how wonderful life had been in the village, all the pent up emotions she’d been holding back had finally started to burst free.

She really, really wanted to go back.

She tried to hold back the tears, but it was like a damn inside her had finally cracked after being under pressure for far too long, and the tears just kept coming. She tried to explain why she was crying to poor startled Iris, and eventually her sister shushed her, pulling her gently but firmly into her arms and letting her get it all out of her system.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to cry all over you.” Holly murmured once she’d finally calmed down, pulling away and drying her eyes on her sleeve.

“Don’t be, I cried all over you earlier, remember? Besides, it sounds like you needed a good cry, you’re obviously very homesick.” Iris smiled kindly.

Homesick? Holly blinked. But the village wasn’t her…I mean, to be honest she didn’t really have a ‘home’ as such. She had no idea what had happened to the place she grew up in with her parents, and her brother and Uncle were constantly travelling, so when she was with them they either camped outside or stayed in Stables and Taverns. Technically her Grandmothers house should be her ‘home’, but there was no way she could ever think of it that way.

Which left Rito Village, where she had been safe, happy, and surrounded by people who cared about her.

Oh.

“...Yeah, I really am.” She finally nodded softly.

“Well, honestly...I’m quite relieved to hear that.” Iris admitted softly “I’m sorry if that sounds callous, it’s just that- well I was so worried that I was taking your place here. Seeing how badly you want to leave, that you have somewhere else you’d much rather be, it eases my conscience a lot. Mirabel was right, this arrangement really does work out well for everyone involved.”

Holly tensed at her words, and realised that she had an important choice before her. She could keep quiet and agree, and Iris would happily go along with Mirabel’s deal, leaving her free to return to Rito Village. Or she could be honest and let Iris know exactly what she was getting herself into, in which case there was every chance she would change her mind, and she would be trapped once again.

But could she really trick her like that, just to make sure she got what she wanted? After everything they’d just shared with one another?

No. She’d be no better then her Grandmother if she did that.

Holly shuddered at the thought, but it steeled her resolve, and she forced herself to speak.

“Iris, I do want to go, but honestly I’m worried about leaving you here.” She admitted, reaching out and squeezing her hands. “Before you make your decision...there’s some things about our Grandmother you need to know.”

It was one of the most difficult conversations Holly had ever had, but she forced herself to be brutally honest, making sure Iris understood the full extent of Mirabel’s manipulative nature. She told her how their Grandmother could be kind and doting when she wanted to be, lulling you into a false sense of security and making you more agreeable to her suggestions, but would turn on you the moment you showed the slightest hint of disobedience or defiance. She described how strict and controlling she had been, how she had planned out her whole life out for her, and wouldn’t allow even the slightest deviation from her plans. She talked about the punishments she’d been given, the harsh words that ground down her self esteem, and how she had quickly worked out that Mirabel was just using her to get what she wanted, despite her reassurances that this was all in her best interests.

Iris listened quietly as Holly spoke, her eyes widening in shock and sympathy with every word, and when she finally finished she was quiet for a long time before replying.

“…First of all, I want to say thank you for telling me all that, I know it can’t have been easy” She said softly, squeezing Holly’s hands gratefully.

“...Have you changed your mind now?” Holly asked, pretty sure she already knew the answer.

“No, I still intend to go through with the adoption.” Iris said calmly, making Holly’s head snap up in shock.

“What? Why?!! You aren’t doing this just so I can go back to Rito Village are you? Please don’t-”

Iris raised a hand to cut her off before she could work herself into a tizzy, and smiled patiently at her as she explained.

“No Holly, I’m happy that this will help you out to, but I’m doing this for me. I already had some suspicions about Mirabel, some of the things she said just didn’t sit right with me, especially after meeting you, so what you said just confirmed my fears. But even so, my dream is to be a lady in the royal court one day, and this is the only path open to me. I understand the risks, but I just can’t let this chance slip away.”

“...Surely there’s another way?” Holly asked softly.

“For a commoner born out of wedlock? No Holly, without Mirabel’s help the only way I’d ever get into the Castle is as a scullery maid.”

Holly exhaled heavily, thinking for a moment before finally asking, “Do you really want to be lady that badly?”

“Yes.” Iris replied without a moments hesitation. “I saw the late Queen when I was younger you see, during one of her visits to Akkala, and I was utterly inspired by her. She was strong, beautiful, courageous and kind, the most perfect lady I’d ever seen. I wanted to be just like her one day, and I still do.”

“...I see.” Holly said softly. There was no ignoring the awe and longing in Iris’s tone when she spoke, it was clear that this was a dream she had set her heart on.

“I won’t stop you if this is truly what you want, but please remember what I said and be careful. Mirabel might be nice to you right now because you want the same thing that she does, but as soon as your opinions differ she’ll turn on you in an instant.”

“I know, and that’s actually another reason why I’m staying. It’s true I admired the Queen, but I do realise that she was an exceptional noble. Everyone knows the royal court is a vipers den, with lords and ladies backstabbing one another left and right to gain favour and power. If I go there as I am now, I’m sure I’ll be chewed up and spat out in no time. That’s why I think living here is exactly what I need if I want to be tough enough to survive in that world. Watching Mirabel will surely teach me how to spot manipulation and avoid it, it seems that she’s every bit as ruthless as the lords and ladies of the court when it comes to getting what she wants.”

“Iris...are you really sure? That’s very brave of you, but-”

“Don’t worry Holly, I’m a lot tougher then I look.” She smiled confidently “This is a dream I’ve held onto for years, to become a elegant lady and use my power to help people, just like the Queen did. Now that I finally have a shot at it I’m going to give it my all! ...You’ve got a dream too don’t you? You understand, right?”

“A dream?” Holly echoed quietly. “I...don’t know about that. I want to learn how to fly, and I want to be an adventurer one day, but I don’t have any one goal I’m truly dedicated to, not like you and Revali.”

“Oh, your friend who wants to be the best warrior amongst the Rito, right?”

“Mhm. You had the same look in your eyes just now that he did when he talked about wanting to be the best, it’s how I knew you were serious.” Holly chuckled lightly.

Iris laughed along with her for a moment before replying sincerely. “I’m sure you’ll find a dream of your own one day Holly, something you want to do more then anything else, but I definitely don’t think you’ll find it here. You should go back to where you’re happiest.”

“...Then I will.” Holly nodded, feeling a weight lift from her as she realised this was really happening, she’d told the truth and she was still getting to go free, with a clear conscience. However she couldn’t leave without one final word of warning. “But please promise me that if it gets too bad here you’ll leave, and for goodness sake don’t let her try and marry you to someone horrible just so she can attend royal luncheons!”

“I promise.” Iris chuckled before asking tentatively. “Holly...can I write to you? At Rito village?”

“You’d better!” The young Witch grinned “I just found out I have a sister, I don’t want to loose touch with you so soon after finding you!”

Iris laughed and hugged her tightly, practically nuzzling into her arms, and the two sisters spent the rest of the night chatting, learning as much about one another as they could while they had this time together. Holly even took Iris for a short flight around her room, and promised to take her on a real flight up in the sky one day once she’d learned how to do so safely.

Eventually the younger girl fell asleep, and Holly very carefully picked her up and carried her back to her own room, putting her to bed and tucking her in warmly. After that she gathered up the cups and plates they’d used, taking everything downstairs and washing it so as to leave no trace of their secret meal. Only then did she finally return to her own room and put herself to bed, curling up happily under her sheets and dropping off with a warm smile on her face for the first time since she’d arrived.

It finally felt like things were going to be okay.

Breakfast was slid through the door the next morning, but Mirabel didn’t actually come to fetch Holly till noon, knocking on the door so loudly that she nearly fell off the bed in shock.

She was escorted straight down to the parlour where the document was still waiting, along with a man who, judging by the emblem on his cloak, was an official clerk here to verify her signature.

“Well, you’ve have overnight to think, have you reached a decision?” Mirabel asked without further ado.

Holly glanced behind her, spotting Iris standing demurely at the back of the room, and when their eyes met her sister gave her a small encouraging nod, so she took a breath and turned to face the woman who had caused her so much pain.

“I have just one question Grandmother.”

“Yes?”

“Will this make you happy?”

Mirabel actually seemed taken aback by the question, her mouth gaping open in shock for a moment before she quickly composed herself and replied in her normal haughty tones;

“Of-of course it will. As I said, we all benefit from this arrangement.”

Holly nodded, trying to ignore the sting of pain that came with the realisation that Mirabel really was happy to be getting rid of her. She had been shocked by her question, but there was no hesitation, no flicker of doubt in her eyes.

...No sign that a Grandmother might be at least a little sad to be loosing her Grandchild.

“Okay then, I’ll sign.” She said, trying to think about the happy future that awaited her, and not the hollow, empty feeling currently sitting in her chest. The clerk insisted on going over everything again, making sure she understood exactly what she agreeing to, and when he was done Holly picked up the quill and signed on the dotted line.

With that, it was done.

It was rather anticlimactic really.

The clerk said he would go process the document straight away, promising to return in a few hours with a copy for everyone involved and new travel papers for Holly, since her family name now needed to be changed to her mothers maiden name.

“Well then, that’s that!” Mirabel said as soon as he had left, smiling with unrestrained delight as she addressed the two girls. “I do believe this is the best decision you’ve ever made Holly, and I’m sure Iris is very grateful to you for being so sensible, aren’t you dear?”

“Yes Grandmother.” Iris nodded politely, and Holly was a taken aback for a moment to hear her referring to Mirabel that way.

“I believe we’ll order a cake from the bakery to celebrate you officially joining the family Iris.” Mirabel continued cheerfully. “We’ll invite your Aunt and Uncle over and have a little party. Oh I know! We can get some fresh flowers to decorate, and open that special bottle of wine in the pantry...”

As Mirabel went on and on Holly found herself wondering if she was saying all this in front on her on purpose, just to be spiteful, or if she really had just forgotten about her in her excitement.

“I’d like to go and talk to my brother about this, please.” She called out, daring to interrupt her while she was in such a good mood.

“Hmm? Oh yes, of course, feel free to do as you wish.” Mirabel replied airily, gesturing towards the door with a wave of her hand. “Do make sure you come back soon though, Iris will want to move into her new room as soon as possible, so you’ll need to clear your things out for her.”

Holly’s initial delight at being given permission to leave was short lived. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised that Mirabel was wasting no time getting rid of her after everything else she’d done, but it still stung to hear it put so bluntly.

She happened to glance at Iris just then, and when she saw her little sisters concern she did her best to smile and act like she wasn’t bothered by Mirabel’s words.

“Of course, I’ll be back soon.” She nodded, before quickly turning and heading for the door.

It was a relief to step outside again after being stuck inside for so long, but she resisted the urge to dawdle, and headed straight for the Maple Leaf Inn where her brother was staying. She found him chatting to some fellow travellers near the Inn’s bar, and when he spotted her he nearly knocked over a table in his haste to reach her.

“Holly-Berry there you are! I’ve been worried sick!” He cried, running over and hugging her tightly, only to suddenly pull back and look her up and down, as if searching for injuries. “Are you all right? Did something happen?”

“I’m okay Kenta, I’m sorry for not coming sooner, but a lot happened and I couldn’t get away.” She reassured him quickly. “But yes, something did happen, and I really need to talk to you right now, are you free?”

“For you? Always. Come on, let’s grab a seat.” He replied, concerned by the urgency in her tone, and quickly lead her over to a free table in a quiet corner of the Inn. Her stomach growled as they sat down and he frowned and ordered her some food, muttering about her Grandmother failing to feed her properly again.

Over a plate of bacon and eggs, Holly quickly summarised what had happened, and when she finished he yelled so loud half the Inn stopped talking to stare at him.

“You did what?!”

Needless to say, it took quite some time to explain everything to his satisfaction.

Kenta’s face went through a roller-coaster of emotions as he listened to her, and at one point Holly thought that Mirabel might be in actual danger he looked so mad. Thankfully the anger swiftly passed as she told him all about Iris and her newly acquired freedom.

“You realise Ray would have a heart attack if he knew you’d signed such an important document without having one of us look it over first, right?” He asked when she’d finished.

“I did read it through twice before I signed it.” She protested with a soft pout. “And the clerk was there, he went over it with me again, so it’s not like I signed it blindly.”

“Well that’s something.” He sighed, “And you’ll get a copy of it this afternoon, right?”

“Yup, and yes, you can read it.”

“Good.” He exhaled in relief, sagging down wearily into his chair as if the entire talk had drained him.

“...I’m sorry I didn’t call you over before I signed it.” Holly added softly, because he was obviously upset that he hadn’t been consulted.

“...You’re old enough to make your own decisions kiddo.” He replied thoughtfully after a moment. “Would I have liked to have been there to support you? Hell yes. But I get it, it was a difficult situation, and you did the very best yah could. I’m proud of how well you handled yourself.”

She flushed with pride at his words, but couldn’t help but add tentatively; “...Even picking the lock?”

“Especially picking the lock.” He grinned, leaning forward and whispering conspiratorially. “Your Uncle woulda been so proud of you for that.”

Holly giggled at the comment, that did sound just like her Uncle!

“So, what’s the plan now champ? I take it you wanna get out of here, yeah?”

“Hell yes.” Holly nodded emphatically, and Kenta couldn’t help but laugh at how ardent she sounded. They had a brief discussion about the options available to her, and it came as no surprise to him when she decided to go back to Rito Village.

“I had a feeling you’d want to go there,” He winked cheerily. “No problem kiddo, I’ll get you there safe and sound.”

“Thanks so much Kenta.” She smiled, feeling incredibly relieved as she reached out to hug him tight “I can always count on you.”

“Hey now, what are big brothers for?” He grinned easily.

When Holly got back to Mirabel’s house, she started packing right away.

She decided to leave her skirts and dresses behind, since they weren’t practical for a traveller like herself, along with all her books and jewellery. The books were too heavy to carry and she’d memorised them all long ago anyway, and the jewellery had been picked for her by Mirabel and wasn’t at all to her tastes. She gave all of it to Iris, who protested at first, but eventually gave in when Holly told her to consider it 13 years worth of missed birthday presents.

In the end, all her worldly possessions folded away into two small bags, and it probably would have been less then that if Iris hadn’t insisted on making her take at least one dress and a skirt with her, ‘just in case’.

When she came downstairs, bags in hand and broom strapped to her back, she found Kenta still talking to the clerk from earlier. The government official had returned to the house shortly before they’d arrived, and had been noticeably relieved to see that Holly had another guardian ready and willing to take responsibility for her now that her Grandmother had turned her away. She’d left the two of them looking over the paperwork together while she went upstairs with Iris to pack, and it seemed they were still at it. She was quite happy to see that Mirabel had been forced to retreat to a chair at the back of the parlour, having been utterly excluded from their conversation.

“Ah, are you all done Holly-Berry?” Kenta asked, smiling as she entered the room.

“Mhm, all ready to go.” She nodded, placing her bags down by her feet.

“Well then, I should get going.” The clerk smiled, and again Holly was happy to note the way he shook hands with her, Iris and Kenta, yet only spared Mirabel a brief nod before he left.

It seemed he really didn’t approve of the way she had treated her.

“I suppose you two will also be leaving now?” Mirabel asked once he’d left, rising from her chair and speaking in her haughtiest tone, as if trying to make up for the way she’d been forced to back down earlier.

Kenta turned and glared at her, and it seemed like he was about to deliver quite a cutting rebuttal when Iris suddenly stepped forward, interrupting smoothly.

“Grandmother, before Holly leaves, didn’t you say you wanted to give her that item from her mothers dowry?”

Mirabel paused, looking confused for a moment before her face lit up with recognition. “Oh, yes, I’d quite forgotten, what a thoughtful girl you are Iris.”

Her voice had been warm when she was talking to Iris, but it turned noticeably cold again as she spun around and addressed Holly and her brother. “I will be right back, wait here.”

“...Something from my Mother’s dowry?” Holly wondered aloud once she had left.

“She mentioned it to me yesterday, and I thought it might be a good way to get rid of her for a moment so I could speak to you both in private. I hope that wasn’t presumptuous of me?” Iris asked timidly.

“Not way, that was really clever Iris!” Holly grinned proudly.

Iris smiled and then walked over to Kenta, formally introducing herself to him. She was obviously nervous, not sure how he would feel about the girl who had taken his sisters place, but he soon put her at ease, greeting her warmly and without the slightest trace of anger or resentment. Holly was happy to see them getting along, with Kenta already fussing over her, double checking that she was really happy to stay here.

“Thank you for worrying, but I’m sure.” She nodded firmly. “I’m going to work hard to pursue my dream.”

“Holly told me about that, it’s a very noble dream Iris, and I really hope it all works out for you.” He smiled, and then suddenly knelt down so he was eye level with the young girl.

“Now I hope this isn’t too forward, please tell me if it is cause’ I promise I won’t take offence, but as far as I’m concerned when Holly learned she had a sister I got another sister as well. So if yah need anything, anything at all, you feel free to write me, okay? I’ll be with Holly at Rito Village for a while, and when I move on I’ll make sure to let you know where you can reach me in case you need anything. Is that okay with you?”

Iris looked like she was going to cry with happiness, and quickly replied in a voice that was thick with emotion, “It’s more then okay, thank you so much!”

Kenta smiled and gave her hands a reassuring squeeze before rising again, and then it was Holly’s turn to say goodbye. The two sisters stared at one other for a moment, and then wordlessly embraced one another tightly.

“I’ve only known you a day but I’m going to miss you so much.” Iris murmured, burying her face in Holly’s shoulder.

“I’m going to miss you too.” Holly replied thickly. “Make sure you write to me, okay?”

“You too, I want to hear all about Rito Village and your adventures.”

“I promise.” Holly smiled, finally releasing her and wiping away some stray tears. She wanted to say more, but she heard the creak of Mirabel coming back down the stairs and settled instead for giving her a warm smile and holding onto her hand defiantly as her ex-Grandmother approached.

“Here, your mother gave this to our family as part of her dowry, but I have no use for it.” Mirabel said simply, shooting a disapproving look at the sisters joined hands as she handed over a small book. Holly opened it curiously, and her eyes widened as she saw that it was filled with different kinds of pressed flowers.

“It’s worthless, I have no idea why it was included in the dowry.” Mirabel sniffed.

“I do.” Holly said softly, staring at the last two pages, a pressed rose and a pressed sprig of holly.

Mirabel looked at her curiously, and Holly took great pleasure in putting the book in her bag without saying a word.

“I’m ready to go now Kenta.” She said instead.

“Okay then kiddo, let’s get going.” He smiled, picking up her bags for her.

“Take care Iris.” She smiled, and then glanced at Mirabel, thinking of all the cutting, damning things she’d always wanted to say to her, and how this might be her last chance to do so.

She looked at her face, how defiant she looked, as if challenging her to say something, and realised that nothing she said would reach her. She’d just be giving her exactly what she wanted-one last chance to argue and prove that she was right.

Holly decided then and there that she didn’t want to waste any more energy on her, and so she simply said goodbye, took her brothers hand, and left the house without looking back.

Somehow, the simple act of leaving felt more powerful then anything she could have tried to say.

Holly and Kenta spent the night at the Maple Leaf Inn, and left Akkala Town the very next morning, stopping only long enough to let Holly post a letter to Rito Village before heading for the gate.

They set out at once for the Hebra region, and for those first few days on the road Holly’s emotions were erratic to say the least. One moment she was revelling in her new found freedom, running around excitedly and talking about all the things she was going to do now that she had her independence. The next she was quiet and withdrawn, obviously distressed that her own Grandmother had been so eager get rid of her. The tears always came at night, and Kenta held her close as she cried, giving her his support as he let her work through her feelings at her own pace.

Four days after they’d left the city Holly approached her brother once they’d finished setting up camp for the night, and the look on her face and tremor in her voice as she asked if she could speak to him instantly put Kenta on high alert. He tried to stay calm, settling her down next to him and reassuring her that he was happy to chat about anything she wanted, but he knew instinctively that she was about to drop some heavy news. Holly took a deep calming breath before she spoke, but despite her best efforts she quickly broke down sobbing as she finally revealed the full extent of Mirabel’s cruelty.

“Holly, Holly why in the name of the Goddess didn’t you tell me sooner?” Kenta asked, absolutely beside himself as he held the weeping girl close. Having her meals withheld to make her loose weight? Being told she had to get married in order to support the family? Being forced to endure a constant stream of emotional manipulation, derogatory remarks and outright bullying as Mirabel tried to mould her into something she was not? How on earth had he missed all that?!

“S-She said if I left, or if you and Uncle Ray came and took me away, she would have you both arrested for abducting a minor!” Holly sobbed brokenly, clinging to him even tighter as she explained. “A-And I knew if I told you how bad it was you would have come for me no matter what she threatened! I-I’m sorry Kenta but I couldn’t-I just couldn’t let you get thrown in jail ‘cause of me! S-So I didn’t tell you!”

Kenta had wanted to strike a woman before, but if Mirabel had been in front of him right then he really didn’t know what he would have done. He had never liked her, but to think she had used Holly’s own kindness to trap her in that situation, had threatened her family to stop her from reaching out for help- it absolutely made his blood boil.

His poor baby sister, his little ball of sunshine, had been suffering for nearly a year, and he’d not only failed to notice, he’d helped deliver her back to that awful place. He could kick himself for being so blind! Suddenly all her out of character behaviour, the lying, the desperation to stay in Rito Village, or rather, the desperation to not go back- it all made sense.

“I’m sorry Holly, I’m so sorry.” He whispered, hugging her tight and rocking her back and forth as she sobbed, “I should have realised, I should have gotten you out of there sooner...I...I let you down.”

She sniffled and shook her head. “S’not your fault, I-I didn’t tell you everything, I hid the truth so you wouldn’t come. I-I lied to you, I lied to so many p-people” Her voice broke as she finished, “I really am a horrible, wicked girl!”

“Holly!” He cried, alarmed that she would say such things. “Holly no, no you’re not! Don’t you ever think that, not even for a moment! Yes, you lied, but you were trying to protect us! You were trying to protect yourself! You’re a good girl, and you have every right to try and keep yourself safe. You obviously wanted to stay away from that horrible situation, but you never once put anyone else in danger to do so, even though it would have been so much easier for you. You’re the most selfless girl I know.”

Holly smiled at his words even as she choked on another emotional sob, so happy and relieved to finally have everything out in the open, to hear her brother tell her she was good, not bad or wicked like Mirabel kept saying.

They talked for a long time, until Holly finally drifted off in Kenta’s arms, emotionally exhausted from their discussion. He carefully put her to bed, and in the morning once she was up and about he had an interesting suggestion for her.

“It’s just an idea, but how’d you like to swing by the Zora’s Domain on the way back to Rito Village? It will only add a week or so to our trip, and I think it’ll be good for yah to have some time to unwind and process everything before you go back to the Rito. You really liked the Domain when we visited before, and it’s so peaceful there with all the running water and sculptures...I just thought it might be nice for yah, that’s all.”

“That...that does sound nice.” Holly murmured thoughtfully. She’d missed travelling with her brother, and it would be good to have some more time to think things through before she had to go face her friends.

“Yes, I think I’d like to do that.” She finally nodded, coming to a decision.

“All right then, we’ll alter our course and head east to the Lanayru Region!” Kenta smiled brightly, unrolling a map so he could plan the best route. “We can stop at a Stable along the way, and you can send another letter to your friends to let them know about our detour.”

Holly smiled, feeling lighter then she had in days, and they set off less then a hour later, heading for the aquamarine world of Zora’s Domain.

Holly’s letters ended up arriving at the same time, and Elder Lila delivered them to the cadets herself during one of their lunch breaks. The four young Rito quickly forgot all about eating in favour of pouring over the letters together, and Revali was insufferably smug when he discovered that his plan had worked so well that Holly would be returning to the village far sooner then anticipated.

“It’s only to be expected, with my articulate arguments there’s no way her Grandmother would fail to swiftly capitulate and allow her to return.” He preened, his eyes continuing to scan the page as he spoke. He was just about to elaborate on how this was all down to his careful planning, when he suddenly froze in shock as he read the next sentence.

“She what?!” He squawked, snatching the letter out of Farell’s wings and ignoring his cries of complaint as he re-read the words to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood.

“She has a long-lost sister?!”

The others all echoed his surprise, and immediately scrambled to pull the letter to a position where they could all read it. Holly had filled an entire page with details about her reunion with her half-sister Iris, describing how sweet she was and how quickly they had bonded. Apparently Iris was going to stay behind in Akkala while Holly had been allowed to leave, and Ollet immediately guessed that their Grandmother must have been more inclined to release Holly since she now had another granddaughter to fawn over in her absence.

“Well I’m sure it helped, but it was mostly down to our letters and my careful planning.” Revali insisted.

They moved on and opened Holly’s second letter, and Revali’s good mood soured when he read that she had decided to visit the Zora’s Domain before returning to the village.

“She’s going to have forgotten everything I taught her about archery after so long with no instruction.” He huffed, crossing his wings over his chest.

“Oh hush, you were expecting it to take weeks for her to convince her Grandmother to let her return. Even with this detour she’ll still probably get back long before we were expecting her.” Ollet shushed him, fully aware that it wasn’t really the missed training he was upset about.

“Still though, you would have thought she’d want to come back here as soon as possible now she has the freedom to do so.” He sniffed.

The letter didn’t say much more, it had obviously been written rather hastily, but it did finish with a note that if they wanted to write to her (because she’d love to hear from them), they could send their letters to Zora’s Domain. Everyone was eager to write back, having never had an opportunity to exchange long distance correspondence with anyone before. The idea was both novel and exciting, and Leri eagerly announced that he would write to her that very night. Farell and Ollet echoed his sentiments, but Revali did his best to act aloof, claiming that while he would certainly write to her, it would be hard to find time in his busy schedule to do so.

The others exchanged knowing glances as he spoke, but for once no one hassled him for the pompous lie. Instead Farell handed the letters to him, asking him to keep hold of them overnight, and Revali had the decency to recognise the gesture for what it was and took them with a soft word of thanks.

The evening, after dinner (where he had shared the good news of Holly’s imminent return with his family), Revali sat down to write her a reply. He rolled out a fresh piece of parchment and plucked a feather from his wing, trimming the end to form a quill he could write with before eagerly setting to work.

His words flowed as easily on paper as they did when he spoke aloud, and after quickly confirming that everyone in the village was doing well, he spent an entire paragraph gloating over how well his plan had worked. Only once he was satisfied that he’d made his point did he finally move onto other subjects, and he found himself writing at length about a great many things that had happened since her departure. Before he knew it he had filled 3 sides of parchment with text, and he blinked and sat back a bit when he realised just how verbose he’d been.

He put down his quill, trying to work out just why he had felt the need to tell Holly so much, and his feathers rose in embarrassment as he realised it was because he wanted her opinion on these matters.

Because he had missed talking to her.

He shifted uneasily in his seat, flustered by that admission, even if it was only to himself.

He finished the letter quickly after that, signing off by telling her to be careful on her travels before adding his elegant, sweeping signature to the bottom of the page. He was particularly proud of how he’d managed to make the ‘l’ in his name look like a wing.

Hmph, Holly’s not the only one who can embellish a signature with art, he thought to himself smugly, before sitting back to check over his letter one final time for any spelling errors. Once he was satisfied he addressed an envelope, and he was just about to seal his letter inside when he paused, suddenly thinking that it might be a good idea to read Holly’s letters again to make sure he hadn’t forgotten to respond to anything she said.

He started to re-read them, but after a few minutes a frown creased his features. He hadn’t noticed it before, so swept up in the feeling of success that came with knowing his plan had worked, but now he read the letter’s again he couldn’t help but notice the glaring lack of information about exactly how their plan had unfolded, or precisely what agreement she had reached with her Grandmother.

‘Good news! Our plan worked, and Grandmother Mirabel has told me I can to go where I like and do as I please from now on. I’m going to return to the village as soon as possible, so I should be seeing you all again soon! I also have the most amazing news, it turns out I have a little sister! It came as a total shock...’

His brow creased further as he re-read that particular passage. The strange phrasing, the vague explanation, the sudden change in topic as if she was trying to distract the reader...it was all distinctly suspicious. Why wouldn’t she elaborate and tell them all the details? She certainly knew him well enough to know he’d want to hear all the particulars after working so hard on the plan, so why was she being so cagey?

It was almost like...she was trying to hide something.

He clenched his quill tightly at the thought, recalling Alvan’s words from all those weeks ago, the ones that even now lingered in his mind and filled his head with doubts.

‘I f she could cover up something like that, it makes you wonder what else could she keep secret...”

His mind immediately started coming up with dozens of unpleasant explanations for her secrecy. Had she done something that she was trying to cover up? Or perhaps...she had been so utterly opposed to going back home, could it be there was something more she hadn’t told him? Something back home she was ashamed off...even... afraid of?

He ground his beak in worry, his anxiety shifting quickly to frustration as he realised there was nothing he could do about it. She was miles away on the other side of Hyrule, and he could hardly confront her with his suspicions in a letter. It would be far too easy for her to dodge his questions, and even worse, it might put her on edge and then she’d refuse to talk to him when she did return.

There was nothing to do but wait for her to get back, and try to assess the situation then.

Still, his conscience nagged at him, and almost without thinking he found himself adding an extra line to the bottom of his message.

P.S. You are all right, aren’t you?

It wasn’t nearly enough, but it was the best he could do for now.

Please Holly, he thought, glancing out the window at the distance horizon, come back soon.

From his vantage point on one of the higher levels of the Domain, Kenta watched fondly as his sister played with a group of Zora children.

...Well, they looked like tiny children, but considering how long lived and slow to age the Zora race were, they could well be as old as if not older then Holly.

Still, that didn’t seem to matter to the group below as they ran around energetically, playing a unique game of tag that involved diving in and out of the water. Holly had the advantage on land with her much longer legs, but in the water the Zora swam circles around her, so it all evened out, and they seemed to be having a whale of a time.

Kenta was glad to see Holly like this, a bright smile on her face and laughter on her lips as she ran around like she hadn’t a care in the world. It had taken a over a week to get to the Domain after they’d made the decision to visit, and there had been a lot more tears shed during that time as she talked more about her life with Mirabel. She seemed to have settled by the time they arrived, but he was still keeping a close eye on her just in case.

Speaking of keeping a close eye on her, he glanced down just in time to see a small red Zora child approach Holly’s little group, obviously wanting to join in the fun. The rest of the children hesitated, for some reason looking uneasy at his presence, but Holly smiled and beckoned the little one forward, crouching down so she could talk to him. Kenta smiled proudly as she called the others over and soon had the newcomer integrated into the game, all of them playing happily together.

“It seems your sister has settled in well.” A soft voice called out to him, and Kenta turned towards the noise, immediately dropping into a respectful bow as he saw the Zora Princess herself was walking gracefully towards him.

“Princess Mipha.” He greeted her politely.

“Please, there’s no need to stand on such formality.” She smiled, leaning on her Lightscale Trident as she spoke. Kenta’s eyes flicked briefly to the weapon, admiring not for the first time it’s beautiful craftsmanship. The Zora had outdone themselves with it’s creation, it was undoubtedly a work of art, yet they had not compromised it’s integrity and functionality as a weapon first and foremost. The Princess was a healer by nature, but it was said that her skill with the trident was unmatched in all of Hyrule. Having seen her practise Kenta could confirm that those rumours were not exaggerated.

“I am so glad to see your sister is enjoying her stay, I don’t think the children have been so well entertained in years.” Mipha continued with a gentle laugh, glancing over the railing and watching the group below. It seemed the children were now eagerly showing off their swimming skills for Holly, who clapped and cheered as they all competed to see who could leap the highest out of the water, all except for the newest addition to the group, who hung back beside her, looking shy and uncertain.

“We’re grateful for your hospitality.” Kenta nodded, turning back to the Princess. “Holly really needed a vacation, I think coming here has been good for her.”

“You and your sister are always welcome, we owe you a debt of gratitude for rescuing our warriors from those Lizalfos.” She smiled, inclining her head to him. “Now do excuse me for leaving so abruptly, but I must go collect my brother.”

“The young Prince? I don’t believe I’ve seen him.” Kenta replied curiously as Mipha walked past him and started heading down the stairs.

“I do believe you have.” She called back with a chuckle, mirth twinkling in her eyes as she pointed down below. “He’s currently sitting on your sister’s shoulders.”

Kenta’s eyes went wide as saucers, and he grabbed the railing with both hands and peered down at the lower level anxiously. That little red Zora from earlier was now perched on Holly’s shoulders, laughing happily as she dashed about while carrying him, his overly long headfin trailing out behind them as they went.

Oh holy Hylia, that child was the Prince?!

“Holly be careful!” He called down frantically “That’s the Prince you’ve got!”

Holly slowed down to a stop, blinking in confusion for a moment before glancing up at the little Zora who was still holding onto her head.

“You’re Prince Sidon?” She asked curiously.

“M-Mhm” He nodded shyly, worried she might stop their game now.

Holly however simply smiled brightly up at him. “Well it’s nice to meetcha your highness! Do you wanna keep playing?”

A look of relief spread across his face, and he broke into a sharp-toothed grin as he replied eagerly, “Yes please!”

Kenta smacked his palm onto his face as the two of them set off again without further ado, giggling happily as they went, and he wondered not for the first time just how on earth Holly managed to get herself into these situations.

He glanced over at Mipha anxiously, and the knot that had formed in his stomach loosened when he saw her chuckling gently behind her hand. It seemed Holly’s behaviour hadn’t caused any offence.

“Ah well.” He sighed, leaning heavily on the railing. “At least they’re having fun.”

It had been nearly 3 months since Holly had left Rito village.

The seasons had changed, and the weather was now getting noticeably colder, which meant that the Rito were busy preparing for winter. No one was exempt from helping with such an important task, and everyone was expected to do their fair share. The young helped pick fruit, warriors hunted extra game while it was still plentiful, and many Rito went out to the fields to help the farmers gather in the last of the harvest. The cadets had done their part to, spending an entire day assisting older Rito who were making jams, chutneys, pickles and preserves, and then another one helping to salt and dry various cuts of meat and fish. The huge pantry in the main kitchen was now almost full to capacity, and even the smaller pantries hidden beneath the residential pillar’s kitchens were well stocked. The stores of wood had also been filled, meaning they wouldn’t run out of fuel any time soon, and in a few weeks time there would be a grand feast to celebrate the last of the warm weather- the Autumn Twilight Festival.

Everyone was busy completing the last of their winter preparations when a warrior swooped into the village, carrying exciting news. Holly and Kenta had been spotted making their way across Kolami bridge! The Hylians had apparently been confident that they could make it to the village just fine by themselves, but when Kaeli heard the report he dispatched two warriors to collect them anyway. They were friends of the village after all, and the very least they could do was ensure they had safe and speedy passage through their lands.

The village was soon abuzz with news of the Hylians imminent return. Jade was overjoyed and quickly busied herself readying beds for them, trying to make everything warm and welcoming after their long journey. Revali was tending to his equipment at home when Ollet burst in to tell him the news, and he was out the door moments later, Avlan following behind him as the cadets all gathered at the main village landing to look out for them.

Half an hour later they spotted a pair of warriors flying towards the village, with two familiar looking passengers on their backs. Leri waved energetically, signalling them to come to their landing, and the warriors quickly altered their flight path accordingly.

They touched down just a few minutes later, and Holly leapt down nimbly from her warriors back, her cloak billowing out behind her as her feet touched the ground. The fabric had barely settled back down into place before she was running towards the group, a wide smile on her face as she saw they were all gathered there waiting for her.

“Everyone!” You’re all here!” She cried joyously.

Revali opened his beak to say something witty in response, but before he could get a word out Holly crashed into him, hugging the poor startled Rito tight as she cheered-

“I’m finally back!”

Chapter Text

Revali let out an undignified squawk as Holly hugged him tightly, burying her face in his feathers.

“E-Excuse me!” He bristled, his plumage standing up in embarrassment and his wings hovering awkwardly in the air around her, “I seem to remember quite clearly telling you I am not one for hugging!”

Holly laughed but quickly released him, taking a step back as she replied cheekily, “I thought you made exceptions though? Does this not count?”

“W-Well I suppose it might do.” He huffed, trying desperately to hide his embarrassment, “But I would appreciate being asked first!”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” She replied sincerely, aware she’d made him uncomfortable, “I was just so happy to see you again I couldn’t help myself!”

Revali’s chest swelled with pride at the admission, and he opened his beak to give one of his usual arrogant replies, only to be rudely cut-off by Leri.

“Oh ignore him Holly, I want a hug!” The violet Rito cheered, and Holly laughed and ran eagerly into his embrace.

Revali fumed at the interruption, but turned his attention to smoothing down his ruffled feathers while Holly went about hugging Leri, Farell and Ollet in turn.

Honestly, he couldn’t believe she’d just thrown herself at him like that! He knew she was impulsive, and that she must have missed him dreadfully (who wouldn’t?), but there were limits. If they weren’t friends he would have had some serious words with her about such presumptuous behaviour!

...Still, he supposed he couldn’t be too upset with her. He could hardly blame her for being completely overjoyed to see him again, anyone would feel that way after being deprived his dazzling company for so long.

Yes, considering the circumstances, he supposed he could find it in his heart to pardon her just this once.

He finished smoothing his feathers, feeling rather smug about his decision, and was about to rejoin the others when a sharp cry pierced the air, making everyone pause.

Jade had arrived.

The Innkeeper ran across the landing and quickly swept Holly up into a tight hug, practically smothering her with her wings in her excitement. The cadets snickered to themselves as Jade quickly dragged Kenta into her embrace as well, speaking a mile a minute as she fussed over the pair of them.

“Oh just look at you both! It’s so good to have you back safe and sound! I want to hear all about your trip, but that can wait till later, you must be exhausted after having to walk all that way! Goodness I can barely imagine it! I’ve got your beds all ready for you, and a light meal prepared to keep you going till dinner. Now I’m sure you must be dying for a proper bath after so long on the road so lets get you down to-Holly? Goodness child what’s the matter?”

Everyone turned at the cry, and Revali’s eyes widened in alarm when he saw tears running down his friend’s face.

Holly looked just as shocked as they were to discover she was crying, and hastily wiped her face as she replied. “S-Sorry! I’m okay! Really! I-I don’t know why I’m, um-”

“-Sorry Jade, it’s been a long trip and we’re both very tired.” Kenta swiftly interjected, wrapping a protective arm around his sister and subtly shielding her from view as she dried her eyes. “We just need a bit of rest.”

“Oh yes of course, I understand.” Jade nodded, giving Holly a sympathetic smile. “Let’s get you down to the Inn.”

“Thank you Jade.” She smiled, before turning back to the cadets. “Sorry for leaving so quickly guys, do you think we could meet up later? I really wanna catch up properly with you all.”

“Of course Holly, we’ll come see you tomorrow, so you just focus on resting up today.” Leri replied kindly, and the others swiftly echoed his sentiments.

“Thank you.” She smiled, and waved goodbye to them as Jade and Kenta swiftly lead her away.

The cadets waved back until she disappeared from sight, at which point they all shared an uneasy look with one another.

“What was all that about?” Ollet asked softly.

“...I’m sure it’s like Kenta said, she’s just over-tired from her trip!” Leri said with forced levity. “Once she’s had a proper nights sleep I’m sure she’ll be her usual self again!”

Farell and Ollet both nodded, though neither of them looked entirely convinced, and Revali didn’t bother to respond at all. His eyes were fixed on the stairs, the last place he’d had a clear view of Holly.

He’d been worried after receiving her letters, but now he was downright concerned.

Just what had happened in Akkala?

Holly had to fight to hold herself together when she stepped into the Inn and saw just how much care Jade had put into welcoming her and Kenta back. Their beds were made and ready for them, and a little packet of freshly baked cookies had been placed on each of their pillows as a special treat. There were also clean towels prepared for them to use in the bath, and a vase of freshly picked wildflowers on each of their bedside tables. It was all so sweet and thoughtful that Holly felt herself start to tear up again, and she was incredibly grateful when Kenta came to her rescue, helping her to quickly escape by prompting her to go freshen up.

She left the Inn a few minutes later, towels and a clean change of clothes tucked under one arm, and was relieved to find that the deeper bath reserved for non-Rito visitors was deserted. She really needed a little privacy to calm down and compose herself, so having the place to herself was ideal.

She stepped into the steam filled room and quickly undressed, revelling in having access to hot running water again. She could finally take her time cleaning herself, rather then having to rush to finish before the water she’d heated went cold. She took full advantage of the soap and shampoo that was set aside for visitors, scrubbing herself clean before stepping into the huge stone bath in the middle of the room. The water was the perfect temperature, and she sunk right down to her shoulders, sighing contentedly.

It was pure bliss.

The minutes ticked by, and as her initial euphoria wore off, Holly slowly remembered what had driven her to hide in the first place.

She’d cried, right in front of all her friends.

The memory made her squirm in embarrassment. She hadn’t meant to, it was just that Jade’s warm welcome had made her remember Mirabel’s icy one all those months ago, and comparing the two events had brought her to tears before she’d even realised it.

She took a deep breath and leaned back against the edge of the tub, closing her eyes as she tried to sort through her emotions. She didn’t feel like crying any more, which was good, but she still felt sad and hurt. She was trying to put Mirabel’s cruelty behind her, and hated that the tiniest things kept reminding her of what she’d been through, bringing back painful memories that reduced her to tears. Kenta had said that it would take time to truly get over it, but she had cried so much already, and was sick of feeling sad. She just wanted to enjoy being back in Rito Village with her friends, was that so much to ask?

A thought suddenly occurred to her, and she frowned as she remembered that Kenta had said they had to explain things to Elder Lila, which meant she was going to have to go over all those unpleasant memories again. He’d promised her that they wouldn’t reveal any more then she was comfortable with, but the thought of having to talk to Lila about any of this made her anxious. She respected her a lot, and couldn’t help but worry what she would think of her if she learned the truth.

She worried about what a lot of people would think….

Holly sighed, her spirits flagging, and got out of the bath a short while later.

When she got back to the Inn Jade welcomed her warmly, asking if she’d enjoyed her bath before kindly offering to braid her hair for her. Holly had come to like having her hair styled by someone else, so she happily accepted and settled down in front of Jade’s large mirror so she could watch her as she worked. There was a warm familiarity to listening to Jade talk while she felt the gentle pull of a brush passing through her hair, and the light touch of feathers against the nape of her neck. She couldn’t help but relax as Jade styled her hair, tension she didn’t even realise she’d been carrying lifting from her shoulders.

At times like this Holly could really understand why preening was so important to the Rito. It made you feel so….cared for.

She was so relaxed that she couldn’t help but pout a little when the braid was finally finished, and Jade chuckled when she noticed her expression and offered to do her eye liner as well, which quickly brought a smile back to her face.

Kenta returned from his own bath just as they finished, and Jade whipped up the light snack she’d promised them earlier, a portion of warm salmon riceballs and two generous bowls of creamy vegetable soup. It was delicious and filling, and Holly hummed happily as she ate. Kenta had fed her very well while they were on the road, creating many delicious dishes for her, (she got the feeling he was trying to make up for the forced diet Mirabel had put her on), but she’d really missed Rito cooking.

Jade cleared away their plates once they were done and left them to finish unpacking, at which point Kenta revealed that he’d gone ahead and made an appointment for them to speak with Elder Lila while she was in the bath. The young Witch felt a brief flash of anger that he’d done so without consulting her first, but quickly pushed it aside. If Kenta had left it up to her she would have procrastinated for days before going to see her, and it probably was better to get this over with as soon as possible.

She kept telling herself that when they walked up the stairs to Lila’s hut a short time later, but despite her best efforts to be positive, her steps lacked their usual bounce as they climbed.

Lila welcomed them warmly and showed them both inside, pouring them tea as she asked about their trip. She was particularly interested in hearing about their visit to Zora’s Domain, apparently she’d never been and wondered if the architecture was as impressive as she’d heard. Holly brightened as she described the luminescent stonework, spiralling staircases and elegant archways of the Domain, and she talked at length about the giant fish sculpture that formed the royal throne room. She could have talked for hours, but after a while Kenta gently reached out and touched her shoulder, causing her to pause.

“Sorry to interrupt kiddo, but we did come here to discuss something in particular with the Elder, remember?”

“Oh right, sorry Kenta.” She flushed, falling silent.

“I had assumed you had wanted to tell me the details of whatever agreement you’ve reached with your Grandmother.” Elder Lila said tactfully. “Your letter was rather short on details, so I assumed that it was too sensitive a matter to discuss via mail, hence the meeting now.”

“You’re right.” Kenta nodded, turning to face her. “The thing is...well...” He suddenly faltered, trying to work out how he could say this without bringing up Mirabel’s terrible behaviour, which Holly desperately wanted to keep private. “...Mirabel will no longer be paying for Holly’s lessons.”

Lila frowned briefly at the news, but quickly schooled her face into a more neutral expression. “I see. Can I assume that you will be paying in her stead?”

“Yes, but I was hoping that I might be able to pay for a few months up front? It will be difficult for me to make regular payments like Mirabel did since my travels take me all over Hyrule. It would be a lot easier if I could make larger deposits every now and then instead.”

“We can certainly work out a new payment schedule for you Kenta, that won’t be a problem.” Lila nodded, before glancing sideways at Holly as she carefully added. “...May I ask if your Grandmother is well? If she could not make the payments we could have made similar adjustments for her...”

“She’s fine.” Kenta replied just a bit too sharply, and he winced as he realised he’d probably just raised Lila’s suspicions with that tense retort. “She’s just...I’ll be paying from now on.”

“...I see.” Lila said slowly, and though her words were simple, her tone spoke volumes.

“Things...have changed.” Kenta continued carefully, trying to smooth things over. “With the arrival of Iris, Mirabel is fully occupied taking care of her new Granddaughter, so I’ve agreed to take sole custody of Holly. I’m sure Ray will agree to continue supporting her as well once I’ve had a chance to speak to him about all this, but for now it’s just me.”

Lila was silent, but her gaze bore into the two Hylians before her. Holly had learned early on that all Rito could deliver an incredibly piercing look when they wanted to, something about their eyes and facial features just lent themselves to intense gazes. Right now Lila was using that ability to it’s fullest effect, practically pinning them in place with a look. She dragged the silence out till the two Hylians started to squirm, and when she finally spoke her tone was glacial.

“Am I to understand that Holly’s Grandmother has abandoned her duty of care to one of her grandchildren in favour of the other?”

“Uh, well-” Kenta stumbled, glancing at Holly for help, not sure how much she was willing to let him reveal “...S-Something like that?”

“...Do Hylian’s not have laws about abandoning ones dependants?” She asked, her voice starting to betray her ire. “I do not wish to judge another culture, but if such a thing happened in my village the person in question would be brought before the council for questioning. As far as the Rito are concerned a responsible adult should not agree to care for an additional child unless they are quite certain that they can support both children.”

“Uh, well, we do have laws about it.” Kenta murmured, panicking under Lila’s scrutiny and accidentally letting slip- “Mirabel just found a way around them.”

Kenta realised his mistake a moment too late, and shot Holly a distressed look, wishing he could cram the words back down his throat somehow.

Holly swallowed thickly and turned her attention back to Lila, looking for her reaction. The Rito’s feathers had flared out slightly, betraying her shock, and when she spoke her voice had that sort of forced calm of someone who was just barely reeling in their temper.

“I hope you’ll forgive me for saying that it sounds like you need to report this to an official of some kind. She surely cannot be allowed to simply discard one of her charges whenever she so pleases, it makes it seem like she is trying to replace Holly!”

Holly winced at her words, Elder Lila had no idea just how close to the mark she was hitting.

“Normally I would agree, but in this particular case-”

“How can you possibly agree? If she’s willing to discard Holly so easily there’s nothing to say she won’t do the same to Iris!” Lila pressed on hotly.

“Well that’s-”

“Holly should have-!”

“Enough.” Holly said softly, raising her hands, and both adults immediately stopped their bickering, something in her tone commanding their attention.

“Enough, please.” She repeated, sighing heavily before lifting her head and giving her brother a small grateful smile. “Thank you for trying so hard to follow my wishes Kenta, but I think it’s pretty clear at this point that we’re going to have to tell Elder Lila the whole story, or we’re just going to keep going around in circles.”

“…I think that’s a good call kiddo.” He replied softly, resting a hand on her shoulder and smiling down at her proudly.

Holly took a deep breath, squeezing Kenta’s hand for strength as she turned to face the leader of the Rito.

“I’m sorry for not coming clean straight away Elder,” She began. “The truth is...”

Revali had already been very concerned for Holly, but now he was downright anxious.

He had been flying back from the training field when he spotted a familiar splash of red inside Elder Lila’s hut, his keen eyesight easily allowing him to see Holly and her brother conversing with the Elder inside. He assumed they were simply reporting on their trip, and was about to turn and head for home, when something truly alarming happened.

Elder Lila stood up and drew the curtains, shielding them all from view.

While every hut in the village was fitted with curtains, the Rito rarely ever used them. The entire tribe hated confined spaces, and preferred to have their homes open to the sky so they felt spacious and airy. Curtains were only drawn when weather conditions became severe, or when someone required privacy. That was why it was an unwritten rule in the village that you did not disturb someone when they had their curtains drawn.

If Elder Lila had felt the need to draw the curtains during her talk with Holly and Kenta, then something truly serious must have happened.

Revali quickly landed, loitering nearby so he could keep an eye on things, and his worry only grew when he saw Lila start to summon people to her hut. First Kaeli and Benta were called, then several other council members, and finally Jade from the Inn and Helio from the Healing Roost. They all disappeared inside one by one, yet none of them came back out again.

Time passed, but there was still no movement from inside the hut, and Revali was rapidly running out of excuses to linger nearby. The nearby shopkeepers were already starting to give him curious looks as he paced restlessly back and forth, unable to completely cover up his anxiousness despite his best efforts to appear casual. He knew he would have to leave soon, he was expected home to help with the dinner preparations, but by this point he was absolutely desperate to know what was going on.

He was just about to reluctantly admit defeat when all of a sudden the curtain around Lila’s door lifted, and Holly stepped outside. Revali could scarcely believe his eyes, it was like the Goddess herself had heard his thoughts and granted him a boon. He watched as Holly inclined her head to those still inside, then dropped the curtain and paused for a moment, seeming to gather herself before turning and heading down the stairs. It was unlike him to act in a rash or undignified manner, but after waiting for so long the thought that she might slip away before he could speak to her drove him to act impulsively, and he dashed forward, calling out to her as she descended.

“Holly!”

He was pleased to see her brighten when she spotted him, her face lifting into a smile.

“Revali!” She cheered, skipping down the last few steps to meet him, the ever-present broom on her back waving with the motions. “Were you waiting for me?”

“I-um-” He cleared his throat, striving to act cool and composed. “I simply happened to be in the area when I saw you emerge. May I ask if everything is all right? I noticed the curtains were closed.”

Her face fell at the question, and though she did her best reply with her usual cheer, it was obvious his query had unsettled her. “Ah, um, yeah, it’s...it’s fine. It’s just been a very long discussion and I needed a break. Luckily Elder Lila said they could handle the rest without me so I could leave.”

“Handle the rest of what?” Revali pressed.

“Ah, well...” She hesitated, mulling things over for a moment before finally turning back to him and pleading, “I’m really sorry Revali, but would you mind if we didn’t discuss this right now? I’ve been talking about nothing else for the past 3 hours and I really don’t want to think about it any more. I need a break.”

“…. Very well.” He reluctantly complied , settling on a compromise as he added, “But I hope you will be willing to speak with me about this later? I believe we have already established that I am an excellent confidant, I may well be able to help.”

“...If you really want to know, then yes, I promise I’ll tell you.”

She sounded so weary, like she was resigning herself to an unpleasant task, and Revali instantly felt bad for pressing the issue when it was so obviously a sensitive subject. He was just wondering how he could apologise (without acknowledging that he was actually at fault), when Holly’s stomach suddenly gurgled, providing a timely distraction. He raised an eyebrow at her, tsking disapprovingly at such uncouth behaviour, but she just laughed in response.

“Sorry, Jade did give us some soup earlier but it was a long trip and I guess I’m hungry again. I was actually just going to grab some dinner from the kitchen when you caught me.”

“You’re a little early, I doubt the cooks will have finished preparing it yet.” Revali replied, glancing at the position of the sun.

“Oh.” She pouted, making no effort to hide her disappointment, before asking hopefully, “Maybe I can see if they need any help getting it ready?”

“I doubt they’ll let you assist them, everyone knows you’ve only just returned, and it would be rude of them to have you help when you’ve barely had a chance to settle in.” Revali replied, and as he spoke an idea came to him. “Would you like to come eat with my family instead? Elena always makes too much, and I was just about to return for dinner.”

“Oh, really?” She perked up. “That would be amazing- if you’re sure I wouldn’t be imposing?”

“Not at all, but if you’re coming we must get going straight away, Elena hates it if you’re late. She thinks there’s nothing worse then letting good food go cold.”

“Well she’s absolutely right!” Holly chuckled, before gesturing for him to lead the way. “All right then Li, let’s get going.”

Revali blinked a little at her words, he hadn’t heard that particular nickname in months, and for some reason he felt a smile tugging at his beak to finally hear it once again.

“...It’s good to have you back Holly.” He acknowledged quietly, folding his wings neatly behind his back as he walked alongside her.

“It’s good to be back.” She smiled brightly, and for a moment all felt right with the world.

Any lingering worries Holly had about imposing on Revali’s family were quickly dispelled. Alvan ran to hug her when she appeared at the door, and Eli and Elena wasted no time laying an extra place for her at their table. Revali and Alvan were excused from helping with dinner so they could keep Holly company while the meal was prepared, and they took a seat either side of her, peppering her with questions about her journey while they waited. Holly answered happily, feeling like she might burst from a mixture of happiness and gratitude. She was so lucky to have such a good friend, with such a kind family.

In no time at all Eli and Elena arrived with dinner, balancing 5 large colourful bowls on a tray. Holly admired the cheerful patterns on the tableware even as the savoury scent wafting from inside them made her drool. She accepted her portion gratefully, and discovered that her bowl had been filled with a mixture of stir fried rice and vegetables, over which thick slices of grilled prime steak had been laid. A generous portion of a rich peppery sauce had then been ladled ever everything, and as Holly ate she discovered the sauce had slowly sunk down into the rice below, infusing it with flavour.

“This is delicious!” Holly hummed happily as she ate. “Could I please have the recipe? I’d love to make it for my brother.”

“Of course dear, I’m glad you like it so much.” Elena smiled. “Would you like a bit more? We have extra.”

“Yes please!” Holly grinned, happily accepting a second helping, and as she ate she couldn’t help but think how nice it was to be able to eat her fill without being shamed for doing so.

The family were eager to hear more about Holly’s latest travels, so she happily told them about her journey across Hyrule as they ate. From the lush expanses of Hyrule Field, to the aquamarine world of the Zora’s Domain, she made sure to paint a vivid picture of the places she’d visited. They also asked her about Iris, curious to hear more about her long lost sister, and Holly was delighted to tell them all how sweet and charming she was.

It wasn’t just her talking the whole time though, Revali and the rest of his family filled her in on all the latest village news, and unsurprisingly most of it was centred around the upcoming Autumn Twilight Festival.

“Revali told me all about it in his letter, it sounds amazing!” Holly beamed, bouncing on her cushion in her excitement. “I’m so glad we got back in time for it!”

“Well I’m sure you and your brother will enjoy it a great deal, it is one of the biggest seasonal festivals, and certainly the one where we eat the most!” Eli chuckled.

“Aww come on Dad, we’re never short on food at any of the festivals.” Alvan grinned, and his father laughed as he agreed.

They talked for a while longer, until Elena announced that there was going to be a special desert tonight, in honour of Holly’s return.

“Oh gosh, please don’t go to any trouble for me!” Holly tried to insist, only for Alvan to laugh and quickly shush her.

“Shhhh Holly, don’t spoil it now!” He grinned mischievously. “We don’t usually get to eat dessert on a week day you know!”

He only barely ducked the playful swing his mother took at him.

“Cheeky!” She called out, and the whole table laughed.

The special desert turned out to be fresh crepes with home made whipped cream, wildberries and honey. The fillings were placed on the table along with a stack of still steaming crepes, and everyone was allowed to assemble their desert however they saw fit. Holly loved this arrangement, it turned the whole thing into a truly social event, with everyone commenting on each others creations. The end products were absolutely delicious, and she made sure to thank them all profoundly for such an amazing treat.

When they finished their food Holly insisted on helping with the washing up, and managed to get her way despite Elena’s attempts to make her sit and rest as a guest. She worked alongside Alvan and Revali as they cleaned and put away the dishes, and when they were done Holly thanked them all again for the meal, but said she must go find her brother now, as he was probably wondering where she’d gotten to.

“You come back any time you like young Holly, we’re always happy to have you.” Elena said, giving her a warm hug and handing over a copy of the recipe she’d requested earlier.

“Thank you so much, for everything. You all have a lovely evening!” Holly beamed, waving goodbye as she left with Revali, who had volunteered to walk her back to the Inn.

“I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.” He commented wryly as she bounced down the steps two at a time with a wide grin on her face.

“What can I say?” Holly laughed, unperturbed by his tone, “There’s no better cure for what ails you then good food and good company, and I’ve just had the best of both.”

“Well naturally.” Revali replied smugly, happy to hear himself and his family complimented so highly.

“You’ve got a really great family Li.” Holly smiled, wondering somewhere at the back of her mind what it would have been like if Mirabel had turned out to be as kind as the Rito. Would she have been able to have such fun meals with her family if her Grandmother hadn’t been so fixated on turning her into something she wasn’t?

...No point wondering about that now she supposed.

She shook her head, refusing to dwell on any more sad thoughts, and quickly asked Revali about his training, knowing he would have lots to talk about. He seemed rather pleased to hear her ask about it, and quickly launched into a detailed description of the progress he’d made since she’d left. Holly listened earnestly, fascinated to hear how his training with elemental arrows was going, and the two of them became so engrossed in their conversation they almost walked straight into Kenta as they rounded a corner.

“Holly, there you are!” Kenta cried as soon as he spotted her. “I’ve been looking all over for you, no one saw you in the kitchen for dinner and I was worried.”

“Oh, whoops.” She winced. “Sorry Kenta, I ran into Revali and he invited me to eat with his family, so I never made it down to the kitchen. I was so excited that I totally forgot to tell you!”

“Oh is that what happened? No worries Holly, I’m just glad you had a nice evening.”

“I really did, it was amazing!” She beamed brightly, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Then I must thank you and your family for being such amazing hosts, Revali.” Kenta smiled, meaning it sincerely. When he couldn’t find Holly in the kitchen he’d feared that she’d sought out some secluded corner so she could cry in private, and was utterly delighted to instead find her looking more cheerful then she had in weeks. He didn’t know exactly what Revali’s family had done, but Holly was bouncing again, and he could have kissed each of their feathered cheeks for bringing about such a change in her.

“It was nothing, and Holly has already thanked us all thoroughly.” Revali replied graciously.

“Well I’m glad to hear that.” He smiled, before turning back to his sister. “Now Holly, are you coming back to the Inn? Or are you and Revali planning on chatting a while longer?”

“Oh, well, Revali was just keeping me company on the walk back, I think he has to get home now.” Holly said, glancing at her friend for confirmation.

“You are correct.” He nodded. “I have an early morning training session tomorrow, and you surely need you rest after such a long journey. I do hope we can continue our discussion tomorrow though?”

“For sure!” Holly grinned, brightening at the prospect of speaking to him again so soon.

“Goodnight then to you both.” Revali smiled, giving a sweeping bow before taking his leave.

They waved him goodbye, and then Kenta turned to face his sister.

“I really need to catch you up on what happened after you left Lila’s hut Holly, can we talk now? Or do you want to get some sleep and discuss it in the morning?”

“No” Holly sighed, drooping a little as she was forced to think about that again. “Let’s get it over and done with.”

Kenta nodded and they headed back to the Inn, settling on his bed and closing the curtains around themselves to secure a measure of privacy for the discussion they were about to have.

“So...what did I miss out on?” Holly asked softly, bracing herself for his response.

“Don’t look so tense kiddo, you didn’t miss much.” Kenta replied, trying to put her at ease.

“Though I will say Lila had a devil of a time maintaining order once you’d left. As soon as you were out the door half the council were on their feet, demanding to make a formal complaint to the Hylian government about Mirabel. I suspect they would have been demanding to go rescue Iris to, if you hadn’t insisted that she knew the risks and wanted to remain where she was. ”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. Anyway, eventually Lila took charge and cooler heads prevailed. She reminded everyone that with no evidence it would be difficult to make any complaint hold up in court, and they agreed to drop the subject. Oh, but Ariel, the Councilwoman representing the Bards and Artists, has asked for you to go have a check up at the Healing Roost.”

“Whatever for?” Holly asked.

“She’s worried that Mirabel’s poor treatment of you might have had some unseen side effects, and Helio agreed it wouldn’t hurt to see you again just to double check.”

“...Do I have to?” She asked plaintively. She never liked sitting still for...well anything, but check ups were particularly vexing for her, and she’d already seen enough of the Healing Roost to last a lifetime.

“No, of course you don’t.” Kenta said softly. “But they’re worried Holly, and after how kind they’ve been I think it would be a nice gesture on your part to go along and help put their minds at ease. After all, they have agreed to keep this information strictly private-”

“Yeah, private between about 20 people.” She muttered, unable to help the bitterness that leaked into her tone. She understood why Lila wanted to inform her teachers about such a serious matter, but then she had gone and called in the entire village council, along with Jade and Helio. She had made good, logical arguments for including them in the discussion, (arguments Holly really couldn’t dispute) but she still felt upset that such a private matter had ended up being shared with so many people.

“Holly...” Kenta said slowly, before sighing and pulling her into a hug. He couldn’t really scold her for that little outburst, she had every right to feel upset. “It’ll be okay, they’re not going to tell anyone else, and now you’ve got a bigger group of people who can support you if you need it. That’s good, right?”

“I guess.” Holly murmured, hiding in his arms, and she was quiet for a moment before asking softly. “So...what happens now?”

“Well, the council decided that you should have the next three days off to rest before you get started on your lessons and chores again-”

“What!? Three?! I don’t need three!” Holly protested quickly. “I’ve lost so much time already! I want to get back to my flight training right away!”

“I know kiddo, but it’s out of my hands! You know how terrible everyone felt when they heard what had happened to you, they absolutely insisted that you had plenty of time to rest before you re-start your lessons. I tried to tell them you’d prefer to get straight back to it, but they just wouldn’t listen.”

“That’s not fair.” Holly muttered, hiding against his chest.

“Come on kiddo, chin up!” Kenta said, rubbing her back as he tried to cheer her up, “You’ve waited months already, I’m sure you can handle a few more days. Besides, you’re back now! You can explore the village, hang out with your friends, you’ve even got a whole library of books at your disposal!”

“I guess...” Holly nodded sullenly. “It’s just...I really want to fly again Kenta.”

“And you will!” He promised quickly, “You just have to wait a few more days, it’ll pass in no time, you’ll see!”

“I suppose you’re right.” She sighed, trying to think more positively. “Besides, like you said, I can play with my friends again now!”

“That’s the spirit!” Kenta grinned. “Now...about that check up they requested?”

Holly sighed but relented. “Fine, if it’ll make them feel better, I’ll go.”

“Thatta girl.” He smiled, ruffling her hair.

Holly chuckled softly at his actions, before glancing up and adding sincerely, “Hey Kenta? Thank you for helping me out with all of this, I know it must be tough on you.”

He smiled, touched that she would still think of him when she was dealing with such a lot herself, and quickly reassured her that it was absolutely no problem at all.

They chatted for another hour or so, until Holly remembered that she still needed to write a letter to Iris. They rolled the curtain back up around the bed, and as soon as they did so Jade appeared as if by magic, anxiously taking Holly’s hands and asking her if she was feeling all right. Holly smiled and gave the poor worried Rito a hug, reassuring her that she was fine, but Jade still looked concerned. She quickly explained that she had been planning to go out with her friends this evening, leaving her brother to mind the Inn while she was gone, but now she knew about what had happened in Akkala she was worried to leave in case Holly needed anything.

“What? Jade, you don’t need to miss out on my account!” Holly quickly insisted, “I’m going to go to bed as soon as I’ve finished writing my letter, so there really isn’t any reason for you to stay, you’d only be watching me snoring!”

It took a little more convincing, but eventually Jade agreed to go out as planned. Holly was honestly very touched by her concern, but at the same time she found herself quietly hoping that she would tone it down a little in the future, or else people were going to start asking if anything had happened to warrant such extreme fussing.

Jade’s brother arrived just as Holly finished her letter, and she quickly introduced him to her Hylian guests. It turned out his name was Dia, and he worked as a jeweller on the other side of the village. He was a fairly easy going individual as far as Holly could tell, but he was obviously used to dealing with his worry-wart of a sister. He gently but firmly shooed her out of the Inn before she could talk herself out of leaving, promising that he would take very good care of her guests while she was gone, so she should go enjoy herself.

Holly waved Jade goodbye and then chatted to Dia for a little while, interested in hearing about his work. However pretty soon her tiredness caught up with her, and she excused herself so she could turn in early. She thought she’d have trouble dropping off, but she was so tired, and so happy to be back in her familiar little bed in the Inn again, that she fell asleep in no time at all, the sound of wind chimes and evening bird song lulling her to sleep.

Kenta smiled to see his sister resting so peacefully, and then went to his desk, sitting down to write a long overdue letter to Ray. He needed to tell him about Mirabel, and there simply hadn’t been any time to do so before now, he’d had his hands full just trying to comfort Holly and get her safely back to the village. He put pen to paper, quickly confirming that they’d arrived safely, but then came to a screeching halt, juggling words and phrases in his head- none of which sounded right.

How was he supposed to explain that he hadn’t realised Holly was suffering, even though he’d been right by her side? That by the time he’d found out what was going on there was nothing he could do except try to pick up the pieces and comfort her as best he could?

His hand clenched around his quill in a white knuckled grip.

...Ray would have noticed something was wrong, if he’d been here.

He quickly grew frustrated at his inability to write, and decided to go for a walk to clear his head, knowing Holly would be perfectly safe while he was gone. He told Dia he’d be back in a bit, then started wandering around the village, trying to burn off the restless energy he’d worked up.

He had just ambled into a residential pillar, and was trying to work out how to get back to the heart of the village again, when someone called out to him. He turned, wondering who would want to speak to him at this hour, and was surprised to find Kaeli and Benta waving to him from a nearby landing.

“Hello there, I didn’t expect to see you two again so soon!” He called as he wandered over to them.

“Good evening.” Kaeli nodded, and Kenta couldn’t help but notice that even though he was off-duty he was still standing ramrod straight with his wings folded neatly behind his back.

“We were surprised to see you.” Benta smiled, looking far more casual as he stood with his one wing resting on his hip. “We thought you’d be sound asleep by now after such a long journey! Is there something on your mind?”

“Hah...is it that obvious?” Kenta asked with a weak laugh.

“Just a little.” Kaeli replied gently.

“Hey, I know!” Benta grinned, “We were just about to go back to our hut and open a bottle of wine, would you like to join us? Maybe we can help take your mind of it.”

“What? I mean-gosh that’s really kind of yah, but I wouldn’t want to intrude-”

“You’re hardly intruding if we invite you.” Kaeli cut him off matter of factly, giving him a look that made him feel like a schoolboy again.

“Come along.” He said expectantly, and Kenta couldn’t help but fall meekly into step behind him as he lead the way.

Benta laughed at his reaction, wrapping a wing around his shoulders and whispering to him conspiratorially as they walked.

“Don’t feel bad, Kaeli was born to be a teacher. No one can resist that tone.”

Kenta simply gave a weak smile in return.

It turned out their hut was only a short walk away, and they quickly invited Kenta inside and settled him down at their table. They wasting no time pouring the drinks, serving them alongside fresh bread, cheese and thick slices of smoked salmon. The wine was easy to drink and the company was good, and before Kenta knew it they’d finished a bottle between them and moved onto a second. Feeling rather more relaxed now, he finally felt comfortable enough to ask them a question that had been weighing on his mind for a while.

“Hey, can you guys tell me what exactly a ‘Wing Mate’ is? I’ve heard Holly and the cadet’s use that term to describe you two lots of times, but I honestly have no idea what it means.”

“Ah, that’s all right.” Benta chuckled, amused by his honesty. “Hmm, let me see...I guess the simplest explanation is that it’s a special partnership formed between two Rito warriors.”

“Technically any two Rito can form a Wing-Mate bond, but over the years it’s become fairly exclusive to the warriors.” Kaeli corrected quietly. “It’s a very serious commitment, there’s a lot of conditions that have to be met before you can even ask someone to become your Wing Mate.”

“Yeah, okay, but what do Wing Mates do?” Kenta pressed.

“Anything they like.” Benta chuckled, his tone somewhat suggestive, and Kaeli elbowed him hard in the ribs.

“Please excuse him.” He said, shooting Benta a disapproving look before slipping into teacher-mode as he started his explanation. “The purpose of Wing Mates is to support and better one another. In the case of warriors it’s a partner who, among other things, helps you hone your skills and stands by your side on the battlefield.”

Kaeli went on to impress upon Kenta just how special the Wing Mate bond was to the Rito. If two people met the necessary conditions and decided to become Wing Mates, there was a whole ceremony they went through to make it official, and the partnership was expected to last until death. Kenta couldn’t help but comment that it sounded a lot like marriage in that respect, and to his surprise they both agreed with him quite easily. After all, Wing Mates lived together, trained and fought together, and supported one another both on and off the battlefield.

“So then it’s like...a marriage for warriors?” Kenta asked, trying to work this out.

“I guess you could call it that.” Benta chuckled, highly amused by how he was taking this. “But you can be someone’s Wing Mate and still marry someone else.”

“You can?”

“Sure.” He nodded “Wing Mates are supposed to have a deep bond, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be a romantic one. If you fall in love with someone else, there’s nothing to stop you courting and marrying them.”

“Huh, that’s interesting” Kenta mused, thinking over everything they’d just told him. “...I can certainly see why it would be good for warriors to have a partner for support. Some of the things I’ve experienced during my travels...well, I might not have gotten through them if it hadn’t been for Ray.”

“Quite so.” Kaeli nodded, happy the Hylian understood. The Wing Mate bond wasn’t often discussed with outsiders as they tended to misunderstand it, so it was very pleasing to hear that Kenta recognised how valuable it was.

“I’ve always thought it’s a shame the other tribes don’t have something similar.” Benta hummed thoughtfully to himself.

Kenta smiled wryly at the comment, but carefully kept his mouth shut. Only men were allowed to join the Hylian army, and that sort of bond between two males would never hold water with the highly conservative nobles. He could already picture them screaming about it being ‘completely inappropriate’ and ‘threatening the sanctity of marriage.’ It wouldn’t be so bad if it was just the nobles who thought that way, but unfortunately most of the Hylian population shared the same opinion, so there was no way such a proposal would ever be accepted.

Kenta couldn’t quite hold back a sigh at the thought. Adventurers like him, who got out into the world and experienced the far more liberal cultures of the other tribes, tended to be a lot more relaxed about such things. Because of this he was often left feeling awkward, and even angry, when he had to listen to his fellow Hylians say things that would have landed them in very hot water with the other tribes.

He slipped into silence at the thought, staring rather morosely at his glass, and the two Rito shared a conspiratorial look, deciding to take this chance to make their move.

“So...how are you dealing with all of this?” Benta began carefully.

“All of what?” Kenta asked distractedly, his mind obviously elsewhere.

“...Learning about what Holly went through.”

Kenta’s head jerked up in surprise. He hadn’t expected the conversation to suddenly turn in this direction, but his feelings on the matter had been building for some time now, and with several glasses of wine inside him he was more inclined to speak up.

“...I feel like a failure.” He admitted bitterly after a moment. “I promised to take care of her, but she was suffering for over a year, and I didn’t even notice.”

He drained his glass, placing the empty container back down on the table with far more force then was necessary.

“Some guardian I am.” He laughed humourlessly.

“...You cannot be expected to protect her from something you didn’t even know about.” Kaeli said gently.

“I should have known though. Looking back on it there were so many signs, so many hints that something was wrong, I should have picked up on something.”

“It’s always easy to notice things after the fact, things are always clearer in hindsight.” Benta tried to console him.

“You know what really hurts?” Kenta asked suddenly, turning to look at them both. “This whole time I thought I was doing something good for her. Letting her spend time with her last remaining blood relative, giving her a taste of a more settled lifestyle….Ray and I did our best, and I know she loved travelling, but I thought it would be good for her to spend some time in the same place, in the company of a fellow woman. I can’t believe how wrong I was.”

The Rito nodded along, but kept quiet, letting him get this all off his chest. At the meeting earlier that day everyone had been so concerned for Holly that no one seemed to have considered what her poor guardian must be going through. He was young to have taken on the responsibility of caring for a child, and now this had happened and his support, this Ray person, was nowhere to be found. He was obviously trying to keep up a brave face for Holly, but Kaeli and Benta worried that without someone to talk to, without some way to express his own worries and concerns, he would buckle under the stress.

Which was why when they saw him wandering alone at night, looking burdened by heavy thoughts, they invited him over.

“I’ll never forget the way she broke down when she told me what she’d been enduring all this time.” Kenta murmured, shuddering at the memory. “The look on her face, the way she sobbed, how...how ashamed she sounded. Like she thought it was her fault. If Mirabel had been within my reach that day, I honestly don’t know what I would have done to her.”

“Completely understandable.” Benta said darkly, glaring out the window as he spoke. He’d become rather fond of Holly during their lessons together, and hearing what she’d been subjected to had angered him greatly. She’d received nothing but scorn and condemnation from a person she should have been able to trust, and the thought of it made him want to fly all the way to Akkala just so he could give that woman a piece of his mind.

Kenta sighed heavily, clutching the empty glass in his hands as he continued. “I worry you know, about the lasting effects of Mirabel’s words and actions. I know that the trauma from something like this lasts long after the event itself is over. Holly says she wants to put it all behind her and move on, but I can already see some changes in her behaviour, and I’m worried about what else might be yet to come.”

He couldn’t quite keep his voice from trembling as he finally admitted what he had been fearing all this time. “What if...what if I can’t help her? What if I can’t give her what she needs to heal? I’ve already failed her once...I can’t fail her again.”

The two Rito shared a look with one another, then turned to face him as a united front.

“Kenta.” Kaeli started softly, reaching out and squeezing his shoulder comfortingly. “I will not lie to you. There are no magic words that will instantly heal her, no specific thing you can do that will wipe away her pain. It will take time and patience to undo what has been done. All you can do is be there for her, to help her work through her thoughts and feelings. What Holly needs is love, support, and a listening ear, and you are well equipped to provide all of that.”

“And, for the record, you absolutely did not fail her.” Benta added firmly. “You acted with the best of intentions, no one would ever think she’d be in danger from her own Grandmother. What matters is that when you did find out what had happened, you did everything you could to help her.”

“Quite so.” Kaeli nodded. “Just know that you do not need to bear this burden alone. Everyone here cares about Holly’s well being, and we’ll do all that we can to support you both.”

“Yeah, and you can always come talk to one of us if it gets too much for you.” Benta smiled.

Kenta felt tears come to his eyes at their words, and he hung his head, overcome by an intense wave of pure relief. A sob escaped him, and someone gently wrapped a wing around his shoulders, guiding him until his face was resting against soft feathers. He leant against that warmth, borrowing the Rito’s strength as his body shook with silent sobs.

Kaeli and Benta carefully wedged him between them, and held him until he finally stilled and pulled away some time later, wiping away the last of his tears by himself.

“Thank you.” He murmured in a small shaky voice, staring at the ground as he spoke.

“There’s no shame in crying.” Kaeli said when he noticed his embarrassment, his voice soft but firm. “It is as necessary as any other emotion. Hold you head up.”

“...Thank you.” Kenta said again, actually looking at them both this time, and they smiled kindly in return. Benta then carefully steered the conversation onto more easy, light-hearted subjects, while Kaeli refilled the Hylians glass with water to prevent him from suffering too terribly in the morning.

He fell asleep at their table less then an hour later, looking like a man who had finally been relieved of a heavy burden. Neither Kaeli or Benta had the heart to wake him, so they carefully lifted him up into Benta’s hammock, covering his featherless skin with a blanket for warmth.

“Guess we’re nesting together tonight then.” Benta murmured softly to his Wing Mate as Kenta snored softly overhead.

“Oh what a tragedy.” Kaeli replied, rolling his eyes sarcastically but not resisting when Benta slipped his wings around his hips and pulled him closer.

“Somehow, I think you’ll survive.” Benta murmured with a knowing smirk.

“...I do believe you’re right.” Kaeli whispered back, taking his wing and leading him up to his hammock.

After all the wine they’d drunk, they’d certainly sleep soundly tonight.

The warriors weren’t the only ones indulging themselves that night.

On the other side of village, Jade and her friends had been sampling several different varieties of gin and wine as they caught up with one another. They all worked very hard at their various professions, leaving less time then they’d like for socialising, and so this monthly meet up was a much anticipated gathering. Normally it was a chance to celebrate successes and air grievances to sympathetic ears, but tonight something was off. Jade, normally one of the chattiest members of the group, was quiet and withdrawn, and drinking far heavier then usual, as though trying to drown some secret sorrow.

It was rather bringing down the mood of the group.

They made several attempts to get her to talk, but she was strangely stubborn, insisting that she couldn’t speak, as it wasn’t her place to tell. While that certainly piqued everyone’s curiosity, they respected her wishes and moved the conversation along. They covered a wide variety of subjects, eating and drinking heartily as the hour grew late.

“I’m so proud of my little Jellet,” One member of the party spoke up sometime later, “I told her to enjoy her trial years and experience as many trades as she could, and that I would support her no matter what career she chose, but in the end she has decided to carry on the family tradition and become a tailor.”

“Oh how wonderful! She’s so talented I’m sure she’ll do well!” Someone replied, and the rest of the group quickly echoed her sentiments, only to collectively freeze when there was a loud thump as someone slammed their fist down on the table in a fit of passion.

“You see! That’s what a parent is supposed to do!! Love and support their child!! Let them make their own choices!”

Everyone turned to see Jade slumped over her cup, her eyes rather unfocused and face flushed as she spoke.

“Oh dear.” Someone murmured, quickly moving to her side and gently but firmly prying the cup from her fingers.

“I think you’ve had enough of that now, don’t you? Here dear, have some water instead.”

“Thank you.” She sniffed, taking the new glass she was offered. “But-But still! My point remains! That’s how a guardian should act!” Her eyes teared up at her words, and she suddenly wailed, “T-That poor girl!”

“Jade? What poor girl?” Her friend asked, wrapping her wing around her shoulders comfortingly as she sobbed, while the others members of the group all gathered round in concern. “You’ve been upset about something all evening my dear, is someone in trouble?”

Jade looked up at the kind faces of her friends, and with nearly two bottles of wine loosening both her tongue and her resolve, she found she simply couldn’t keep it in any more. The sheer injustice of the situation was more then she could stand.

She told them everything.

Holly woke to the sound of birdsong, and smiled happily when she opened her eyes and saw the beautiful Hebra countryside stretching out all around her.

It was so good to be back in Rito Village!

She sat up and stretched, taking a deep breath of the crisp morning air, and couldn’t keep the smile of her face as she washed and dressed for the day. She felt refreshed after her long sleep, and couldn’t wait to see what the Rito were making for breakfast!

She finished dressing and rolled up the curtains around her bed, bidding Dia good morning as she stepped out into the Inn, heading to Jades mirror so she could braid her hair and apply her eye liner.

“Jade’s not back yet?” She asked when she noticed the motherly Innkeeper was nowhere to be found.

“No,” Dia chuckled, “But that’s hardly unusual. That lot usually end up drinking too much when they all get together. She probably crashed at one of her friend’s huts for the night, but I’m sure she’ll be along later.”

“Oh, I see.” Holly laughed as she tied off her braid. “What about my brother? Has he gone out already?”

“Kaeli stopped by earlier and said that Kenta would be breakfasting with him and Benta this morning.”

“Oh really? Well that was very kind of them.” She smiled, happy that Kenta was making friends in the village as well.

She finished getting ready and then waved Dia goodbye, heading up to the kitchen for breakfast. She left the Inn with a definite spring in her step, bouncing along and giving a cheery greeting to everyone she passed. She was just so happy to be back in the village again that she couldn’t help it! In fact she was so caught up in her euphoria that she completely missed the odd looks she was getting in return, and only noticed something was off when she entered the kitchen and the room suddenly fell silent.

She froze on the threshold, an uneasy feeling settling in the pit of her stomach as everyone stared at her.

“Is...everything all right?” She asked nervously.

The Rito all glanced at one another uneasily, no one willing to come forward with an explanation. Holly feared she wasn’t going to get an answer at all, when a familiar voice suddenly called out from the back of the room.

“Oh ignore them Holly, they’re just surprised to see you again after so long.”

Holly turned towards the voice and was delighted to see her Rito cooking instructor standing behind the stove.

“Dolci! It’s so good to see you again!” She called happily, running over to him and feeling a wave of relief when everyone started to talk again as soon as she turned away from them.

“It’s good to see you too! Now I’m guessing you’re here because you’re hungry, yes?” He asked with a knowing smile.

“Yes please! I’ve been looking forward to breakfast ever since I woke up!”

“Well it’s good to know you didn’t forget about our cooking during your travels!” He chuckled. “Grab a plate, it’s pancakes with bacon today.”

“Wow! Lucky me!” Holly grinned, picking up a plate and blinking a little when the Rito serving breakfast insisted on giving her an extra large helping.

She sat down to eat, trying hard to ignore how it felt like everyone was staring at her as she did so. She told herself that she was just being paranoid after that weird moment earlier, and tried to focus on her food instead. Luckily the second she took a bite of her breakfast all her other worries floated away. The pancakes were soft and fluffy as clouds, and had been liberally covered in sweet honey, which contrasted wonderfully with the sharp salty crunch of the bacon. It was delicious.

Dolci appeared as if by magic as she took her last bite, and as he leaned down to collect her empty plate he took the opportunity to speak to her quietly.

“I don’t want to alarm you my dear, but it seems beaks have been wagging while you slept. There are some awful rumours circulating about your Grandmother, which is why everyone is acting so strangely around you this morning.”

Holly froze, the smile dropping from her face and her blood turning to ice at his words.

They...they couldn’t have. They promised!!

Dolci took one look at her expression and carefully shielded her from view with a wing.

“Run along to the Healing Roost,” He said firmly. “I’ll find your brother and tell him to meet you there. I’ve no doubt he’s already got wind of this and is trying to find out what happened, I’m sure he’ll have more news for you.”

“Thank you.” Holly managed faintly, more out of habit then because she was consciously replying to him, and fled as quickly as she could.

As she ran away it was all she could do to hold back her tears. How could this has happened?

What was she going to do now?

Chapter Text

Holly ran through the village, her heart beating a mile a minute as she hurried to the Healing Roost just as fast as she could. She knew she was probably just imagining things, but now that she knew her secret was out, it felt like everyone was staring at her as she passed. Everywhere she turned the same pitying, sorrowful looks seemed to follow, and her heart thumped hard against her ribcage as panic and paranoia started to set in. She forced herself to keep her head down to block out the stares, but as she passed by a group of Rito she couldn’t help but overhear what they were saying.

‘-her own Grandmother! Can you believe it? That poor girl...’

Her blood ran cold, and it took everything she had to keep moving and not freeze in place.

They knew. They knew. She wasn’t imagining these looks, they were staring at her! Whispering about her! How could this have happened, Elder Lila and the others all promised they’d keep her secret, and she’d never doubted for a moment that she could trust them with it. They were all such good people- this had to be a mistake of some kind!

The Healing Roost suddenly loomed up before her, and Holly felt a wave of relief when she saw it. No one would bother her in there, she could take a moment to compose herself away from all the prying eyes. Feeling encouraged by that thought, she sprinted the remaining distance and quickly slipped inside.

“Good morning. Do you have an appointment?” The Healer stationed at the reception desk asked when he heard her enter.

“Um...” Holly hesitated, starting to panic again as she realised she might not be allowed to stay if she didn’t have a good reason for doing so. She scrambled desperately for a response, and almost jumped for joy when she remembered she already had the perfect excuse to hang around.

“I have an appointment to see Helio for a check up.” She said with a sigh of relief.

“I see, and your name-”

The Healer froze as he finally looked up from his work and saw Holly standing before him. Shock and concern flickered briefly across his face, but he quickly schooled his expression into something more professional as he continued.

“Ah, I see. Hello Holly, welcome back to Rito Village.”

“Thank you.” She replied with a somewhat strained smile. Judging by his reaction it seemed her secret had already spread as far as the Healing Roost.

“I’m afraid Helio is with another patient right now” He moved on quickly, flipping through an appointment book as he spoke. “Can you wait, or would you rather come back later?”

“I’d like to wait please.” Holly replied, shooting a nervous glance over her shoulder at the entrance of the Roost.

“That’s absolutely fine.” He nodded, before picking up a small bell and summoning another Healer, who he quickly gave instructions to.

“Acti, can you please take Holly to one of the small consultation rooms, and then notify Helio that she has arrived? She can wait for him there until he’s ready to see her.”

“Of course, please follow me Holly.” The new Healer said with a kind smile.

Holly was fairly certain that people were usually asked to wait in the main lobby, and was touched that they were going out of their way to move her to a more private area.

“Thank you very much.” She replied with a bow.

“You’re welcome.” The receptionist smiled, before gesturing for her to hurry up and follow Acti. She nodded and took a few steps, only to suddenly pause and call back to him.

“I’m sorry to bother you again, but my brother should be coming here to meet me, would you be able to bring him to me when he arrives?”

“Of course, I’ll keep an eye out for him.” He nodded kindly.

Holly thanked him again, and then followed Acti, who led her up the stairs to a small hut on the middle level of the pillar. There was a tray of refreshments on a table in the middle of the room, and Acti told her to help herself while she waited, before politely taking her leave.

Holly breathed a sigh of relief once she was gone, glad to finally have some privacy so she could compose herself. She spent the next few minutes calming herself down by running through some breathing exercises and stretches her Uncle had shown her, and once she’d managed to relax a little she turned her thoughts to the problem at hand.

Someone had revealed the truth about Mirabel. That was awful, but she could worry about who broke their promise later. Right now her top priority was stopping the news from spreading any further. The village was huge, there was no way everyone could have heard about this yet, which meant she still had time to act. Maybe….yes, that was it! If she got Elder Lila to make an announcement of some kind, asking those who had found out ‘certain private information’ to keep it to themselves...no no, that wouldn’t work! It would only confirm that the rumours were true, and make everyone who hadn’t already heard the news even more curious about it!

Holly tried desperately to think of a solution, but she quickly found flaws in all her plans. Any kind of announcement was out of the question, and trying to approach the Rito individually, or even in small groups, would take too long. By the time they’d done that the rumours would have spread throughout the entire village.

She swallowed thickly as the reality of the situation slowly sank in. No matter how she looked at it, it was too late to suppress this, too late to ‘fix’ it. It was only a matter of time until the entire village knew.

Her eyes widened as a thought suddenly struck her like an arrow through the chest.

Oh Goddess….her friends were going to hear about this. Revali was going to hear about this. She was planning to tell him everything eventually, but in her own words, and in private! She didn’t want him to find out like this! What if he decided he didn’t want to be her friend any more!? He was so strong and proud...she could hardly blame him for not wanting a pathetic person who got bullied by her own Grandmother as a friend.

Her heart twisted at the thought and she snatched a biscuit from the refreshment tray, shoving the sugary treat into her mouth for some form of comfort and distraction. She was just about to grab a second one, when the sound of someone hurrying up the stairs towards her made her pause. Her sensitive Hylian hearing easily picked up the echo of boots, the noise distinct from that of Rito steps, which always ‘clicked’ as their talons hit the floor.

Her brother was here.

She ran to the doorway, and a few moments later Kenta was sweeping her up into a tight hug.

“Holly-Berry, are you okay?” He asked frantically. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here sooner.”

“It’s okay, you’re here now.” She murmured thickly, and burrowed into his chest.

It seemed she was more interested in being comforted then having a discussion right now, so Kenta held her close, rubbing her back and soothing her until she stopped trembling and finally released him.

“How much do you know?” He asked softly when she pulled away.

“Enough. Someone broke their promise, and now my secret is spreading through the village, right?”

“...Yeah, that about sums it up.” Kenta replied with a heavy sigh. “I’m so sorry Holly, I don’t know how they all found out, but Kaeli and Benta are looking into that for us now. They were with me all evening, so we know neither of them are responsible.”

“Kenta, I don’t care whose responsible! I just want to stop the news spreading any further!” Holly cried in exasperation, only to pause, her voice wavering as she continued, “But...I’ve been thinking about it and...it’s too late for that now, isn’t it?”

“….Yeah, it is.” Kenta admitted softly, pulling her back into his arms again as he spoke. He hated having to confirm her fears, but he knew it would be worse for her in the long run if he lied.

She sniffled against him for a moment, and when she finally replied it was clear she was close to tears.

“Kenta...w-what if-”

“Ahem.”

The two Hylian’s turned at the noise, and found Helio hovering in the doorway.

“I’m terribly sorry to interrupt, should I come back later?” He asked, sensing that this was not a good time to disturb them.

“No no, it’s okay Helio.” Holly sniffed, wiping her eyes and beckoning him forward. “Please come in.”

The Healer glanced at Kenta for confirmation, and when he nodded encouragingly he walked over to Holly, taking her hands in his own and giving them a warm squeeze as he spoke.

“I know you must be dealing with a lot right now, so please let me reassure you that you’re welcome to take shelter in the Healing Roost for as long as you like. No one will bother you here, I guarantee it.”

“Thank you Helio” Holly smiled, touched by his kindness.

“You’re very welcome.” He nodded. “Also, considering the circumstances, I completely understand if you want to leave your check up for another day.”

Holly paused, thinking about that for a moment.

“Actually...I think I’d like to do it now.”

“Really?” Two voices spoke as one, and Holly chuckled a little as Helio and Kenta looked at one another in surprise.

“Yes, really.” She nodded. “I think it might help take my mind off things for a while.”

“Well if that’s how you feel we can get started right away!” Helio smiled, obviously pleased with her decision.

Kenta decided to to go see what progress Kaeli and Benta had made while Holly was having her check up, though he promised to return by the time she was done. The siblings exchanged a quick hug, and then Helio lead Holly to a nearby consultation room where Rita, the kind Healer who had first braided her hair, was waiting for them. Holly was delighted to see her again, and after a brief exchange Rita quickly explained what would happen during the check up. Once Holly confirmed that she understood and was happy to proceed, they started the exam, and both Healers made sure to keep up a jovial mood while they worked to put her at ease.

They finished in just over an hour, and Holly was given a clean bill of health, much to her relief. They even made a point of telling her that her weight was perfectly normal for a girl her age, so there was no need to hold back during mealtimes. Holly was rather amused when Helio then gave her a piece of Honey candy as a reward for bearing with the lengthy check up. She was pretty sure the treat was usually reserved for rowdy fledglings who didn’t want to sit still for an exam, but she was hardly about to look a gift-horse in the mouth.

And people say there are no benefits to being childish, she thought happily to herself as she accepted the treat.

She ate her candy as Rita led her back to the first room she’d been waiting in, the two of them making easy conversation as they walked. Holly had almost managed to push her troubling situation to the back of her mind, but when they rounded a corner and saw a crowd of familiar faces waiting for them, it all came rushing back at once.

Elder Lila looked stern, her brother and teachers looked furious, and Jade was crying her eyes out, yet no one was making any move to comfort her.

Holly felt dread settle like a lead weight in the pit of her stomach. There was only one reason these kind people would ignore Jade’s obvious distress.

“Jade...” She murmured thickly, trying to ignore the whole way her body trembled as she spoke.

“What did you do?”

Revali prided himself on his dedication to his warrior training. Even if he found the subject dry, or the task beneath him, he applied himself fully to all his lessons, aiming to be the best.

Right now however, even his great resolve was being tested.

The cadets were having an academic lesson in the library today, and Leri had arrived late to class, looking particularly ruffled as he dashed into the classroom. He had tried desperately to speak to his friends, but hadn’t gotten any further then ‘Hey, did you guys hear about-?’ before their teacher had swiftly cut him off, saying that if he wanted to chat he should have arrived early and done so before class. Suitably chastised, Leri had no choice but to apologise for his tardiness and meekly take his seat.

Revali had assumed that would be the end of it, but throughout the lesson Leri kept trying to speak to them, completely ignoring the disapproving glares he received in return for his efforts. Revali truly wanted to focus on his studies, but it was very difficult when Leri kept turning around and waving his wings in his face to try and get his attention the second the teachers back was turned.

When Leri was caught actually trying to pass a note to them (and really, what were they, fledglings?) the teacher finally had enough and said they could all work in silence for the rest of the lesson.

Leri looked like he was going to combust if he didn’t get to talk to his friends soon, but they continued to steadfastly ignore him. Leri’s three older sisters were notorious for being insatiable gossips, and Leri had picked up their fondness for rumormongering at a young age. Last time he’d been acting like this it had turned out the villages most talented singer, a singular beauty named Dawn, had five separate suitors all trying to woo her at the same time.

Interesting, yes, but hardly urgent news.

Time passed, and Leri continued to twitch in his seat while the rest of them worked. Revali had just started to wonder if his friend was going to start stress-moulting soon from the strain of having keep quiet, when a scholar suddenly entered and asked if he could borrow their teacher for a moment, as her expertise was needed elsewhere.

“Of course, I’ll be there presently.” She nodded, before turning to glance at them all sternly as she added, “I will return shortly, and I expect to find you all still working in silence when I get back.”

The all nodded meekly in response, and to Leri’s credit he waited and entire five seconds after the teacher had left before spinning around to talk to them.

“Please tell me you guys have heard about Holly!” He hissed urgently, and the snide reply Revali was about to shoot back died on his tongue.

“Holly?” Farell asked, blinking in confusion, “What about Holly?”

“You guys seriously haven’t heard? Ugh! Why do you think I was trying so hard to get your attention all through class! Do you think I’d go that far if it wasn’t important?” Leri growled in annoyance.

The three cadets shared a rather sheepish look with one another, and Leri narrowed his eyes at them, throwing his wings up in exasperation.

“Really guys?”

They all apologised for dismissing him, but then quickly pressed him for details, wanting to know exactly what the news was about their friend.

When the teacher came back into the room some time later, she was not greeted by silence.

Jade told Holly everything, confessing the whole sorry tale.

She was obviously repentant, and said that when she woke up in the morning she’d immediately realised her mistake and tried to fix things, but by then it was already too late. Her friends had been so scandalised by the news they couldn’t help but tell their families, and from there word had spread like wildfire. There was nothing she could do.

“I’m so so sorry Holly.” She sobbed wretchedly as she finished.

“I also apologise, on behalf of us all.” Elder Lila spoke up, stepping forward now Jade had finished explaining things. “You trusted us with a heavy secret, and one of us broke that trust. I do not take such a thing lightly. Jade may have some excuses for her actions, but she still broke her promise, and as such she will receive a suitable punishment.”

Holly glanced over at Jade, who was still sniffling into a thoroughly sodden handkerchief. She thought she’d be angry when she discovered who’d betrayed her, but she just felt...sad. This was Jade, the kind Innkeeper who had been with her since she first arrived at the village, offering her help and support as she adjusted to life with the Rito. She hadn’t intended to hurt her, she’d just...made a mistake in the heat of the moment.

Holly understood that all to well what that was like. She still remembered the moment she’d given into her anger and challenged Revali to spar with her. It had been a momentary lapse of judgement, but it had led to a fight, 2 weeks of punishment, and a life and death battle with a pack of Lizalfos. Holly had never intended for any of that to happen, and she knew that Jade never meant to let everyone know about Mirabel either.

It was just...an accident.

“I think…” She said softly. “That Jade is already beating herself up pretty hard for what’s happened. I don’t think you need to add another punishment on top of that.”

The adults all turned to stare at her in shock and surprise.

“Holly, are you sure?” Benta asked, looking concerned.

“Jade didn’t mean to do this, she’s obviously repentant and...well I kinda understand what it’s like to make a mistake in the heat of the moment.” Holly said with a shrug and a wry smile, and their expressions softened in understanding.

“...If that’s your wish Holly, then we’ll abide by it.” Elder Lila said with a nod, though it was obvious she didn’t fully agree with her decision.

“Holly- Holly are you sure?” Jade sniffed, “E-Even if I didn’t mean to, I still hurt you, a-and I-”

“Jade, it’s okay.” Holly said softly, reaching over and giving her wings a reassuring squeeze. “Maybe...maybe it’s better like this. I don’t want to lie to anyone, most especially my friends, and now I won’t have to. Everything’s just...out in the open.”

She meant to sound positive, but she couldn’t quite stop her voice from quavering on those last few words. It might be better to be open and honest, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t still petrified about what her friends would think of her now.

Elder Lila noticed the way her voice shook, and walked over and rested a comforting wing on her shoulder. “I think that’s a very mature way to think about this Holly.” She said gently. “I know you must be worried about how everyone will react, but I promise you there is nothing to fear. From what little I’ve heard walking around the village, no one thinks any less of you for what happened, and quite honestly anyone who does isn’t worthy of your time or friendship.”

“Here, Here.” Kaeli spoke up from the back of the room, and his call was quickly seconded by both Benta and Kenta.

Holly felt a smile tugging on her lips as she listened to them, and she quickly thanked them all for their support. She truly admired and respected all of these people, so their encouragement meant a great deal to her.

“Now, is there anything we can do to make this easier for you Holly?” Elder Lila asked. “It’s the very least we can do after what’s happened, so please don’t hold back.”

Holly was surprised by the offer, and thought it over for a moment for a moment before replying.

“I know you want me to rest, but I’ve been grounded for months now, and I really want to fly again. I’d love to get out of the village for a while and practise my flying, I think it would help keep my mind off things.”

Elder Lila’s face softened at her words. “Of course my dear. Forgive me, we still think of you as a Hylian, but it seems that like all those blessed with the gift of flight, you long for the Great Sky Above. After being grounded for so many months, of course you are desperate to fly again, I should have considered it earlier. Benta, do you have time today to give her a lesson? Or should I ask someone else?”

“Holly’s been given a clean bill of health, right? Then we can go right now if she’s up for it.” Benta smiled easily, before turning and addressing Holly directly as he added with a cheeky wink,“Luckily for you I happen to be free today, and I’m always up for flying practise.”

“Really? Thank you so much Benta!” Holly cried, running over and hugging him impulsively.

Everyone chuckled at her antics, and Benta patted the top of her head and carefully steadied her as she clung to him. “You’re very welcome, it’ll all feel better once we get you up in the sky again, yeah?”

Holly nodded, pulling back and quickly scrubbing her eyes before smiling up at him happily.

She was going to fly again! Things were finally starting to look up.

Revali and the cadets went to look for Holly the second they were dismissed for lunch. They ran straight to the Inn, figuring it was the best place to start their search, but found it was empty except for her brother Kenta, who looked up in surprise when they burst into the room.

“Hi guys...can I help you with something?” He asked when they rushed in.

They all hesitated, not sure if they should mention the rumours to Kenta, and his eyes softened in understanding when he saw the distress on their faces.

“Let me guess...you heard some bad news about Holly, and now you’re looking for her to see if she’s all right?” He asked gently, rising to his feet and walking over to them as he continued. “I’m afraid she’s out having a flying lesson with Benta right now, and I doubt she’ll be back till later this evening. From the looks on your faces, I guess I don’t need to explain why she wanted to stay out of the village for a while.”

“Is it true?” Leri asked quickly, unable to help himself. “Did her Grandmother really-?” He stopped mid-sentence, unable to bear repeating the horrible things he’d heard.

“...I don’t know exactly what you’ve heard.” Kenta replied carefully, “But yes, I recently discovered her Grandmother has been treating her appallingly.”

“Did she really disown her?” Farell asked urgently, “And take in Iris to replace her?”

“That was...part of it, yes.” Kenta admitted with a wince. “There were other reasons too, but none of them are any better.”

“Is Iris going to be okay with her? What is she abandons her too? Or worse!” Ollet asked, obviously concerned.

“Iris will be fine. She knows what Mirabel’s really like, but she decided to stay with her anyway. It’s a long story, but basically she wants to become a lady in the royal court, and Mirabel’s knowledge and connections offer her the best chance of success. She decided that pursuing her dream was worth the risk.”

“But-what if Mirabel is cruel to her too? Like she was with Holly!” Leri pressed.

“It’s unlikely.” Kenta replied, trying and failing to completely keep the bitterness out of his tone as he spoke. “Unlike Holly, Iris actually wants the same thing Mirabel does, and as long as their goals align she’ll treat her like a Princess. The danger only comes when you try and go against her. Holly and I will keep in touch with her to make sure she’s okay, and she’s also has her Aunt and Uncle close by for support. We won’t let what happened to Holly happen to her as well, don’t worry.”

The cadets seemed relieved to hear that, and Kenta smiled, touched that they would show such concern for Iris, even though they’d never met.

“...Why didn’t Holly fight back?”

Kenta turned to stare at Revali, startled by the sudden question.

“Holly isn’t weak, or a pushover.” Revali continued, his wings balling into fists as he spoke. “So why did she let this happen to her? Why didn’t she fight back?”

Kenta felt his blood boil, and it took every ounce of self-control not to snap at the young Rito for daring to suggest that Holly had ‘let’ anything happen.

“She was threatened.” He said icily, staring Revali down. “Mirabel said she would have me and Ray arrested if she tried to leave her. It would have been easy for her to do so, we never officially adopted Holly, so there’s no legal record of us being her guardians. She could simply claim that two strange men kidnapped her granddaughter, and give the guards our descriptions. Abducting a child is punishable by anything from long term imprisonment to death. Holly knew that if she told us she was suffering we would have come to rescue her no matter the danger, so she deliberately didn’t say anything, to protect us.”

Kenta felt very satisfied by the way Revali’s eyes widened in horror as he listened, until he finally looked away, too ashamed to maintain eye contact any longer. However smugness quickly gave way to shame when he saw just how upset all the cadets were, and he cursed himself for loosing his temper. He could have said that in a far kinder manner, Revali wasn’t the one he was really mad at.

“...I’m sorry Revali, I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.” He apologised, raking his bangs back from his face as he spoke. “This has been difficult for me, but that doesn’t make it okay for me to loose my temper when you’re just trying to understand the situation. I’m sorry.”

The young avian glanced up and offered him a small nod, apparently accepting his apology, and Kenta breathed a sigh of relief. Then he quickly gathered himself and spoke again, this time addressing all four of them.

“Listen, I know you’re all really worried about Holly, but I just want you to know...she didn’t want any of this to become public knowledge. It all got out by accident.”

The cadets paused, glancing at one another uncertainly, not sure what to do with that information.

“...What are you saying? Should we pretend we didn’t hear about this?” Ollet asked cautiously.

“No, no, that’s not what I’m saying at all.” Kenta said with a shake of his head. “I just want you to understand why Holly’s so upset. The news got out despite her best efforts to keep it secret, which is obviously frustrating, and now she’s worried about how everyone’s going to react. It’s why she’s trying to steer clear of the village till things calm down.”

“Then what should we do?” Farell asked plaintively, “How can we help her?”

Kenta glanced down at the four earnest faces before him, and felt a smile tug at his lips.

“...I think you’ll help her best just by being there for her. What Holly needs most right now is good friends by her side, and I can’t think of anyone more qualified then you four.”

The cadets smiled, their feathers puffing up at the praise, and Kenta continued on a more cautious note.

“Having said that….you should probably leave her be for today. It was a big shock to learn that her secret got out, and I think she needs a little space right now."

The cadets glanced at one another, and then Leri spoke up on behalf of the group.

“Then we’ll wait and give her space today, but don’t worry, she’s our friend, and we’ll all go see her tomorrow and let her know we’re here for her.”

Kenta smiled as the others quickly echoed his sentiments, all of them looking determined to do right by their friend.

“Thank you all very much, if there’s anything else I can help with, please feel free to come talk to me any time.”

The cadets thanked him and then quickly excused themselves, as they needed to go eat something before their break was over. Kenta waved them goodbye, and found himself feeling more hopeful as he watched them leave.

With good kids like them supporting her, he was sure that Holly would would be all right.

Maybe it was just paranoia, but when Revali walked home later that evening, it felt like more people then usual were gathered together gossiping. He hurried past them all, resisting the urge to listen in and see if they were talking about Holly, and felt relieved when he finally stepped inside the sanctuary of his family’s hut.

That relief was short lived however, as everyone immediately came rushing over, all of them talking at once as they tried to ask him if the rumours circulating about Holly were true. With a heavy heart, Revali was forced to explain what he’d learned from Kenta, and his family were equal parts horrified and incensed to hear what Holly had been through. Elena kept threatening to fly to Akkala so she could give Mirabel a piece of her mind, and it took quite a while to calm her down.

Needless to say, dinner that night was a quieter affair then normal. Alvan did his best to lift his families mood, but Revali’s attempts to engage with the conversation were half-hearted at best, as he was too busy worrying about Holly.

Eventually he put his knife and fork down with a heavy sigh, half of his dinner still untouched, and for once no one chided him for not emptying his plate. He got to his feet and went to the sink to start the washing up, only to pause when Eli suddenly appeared by his side.

“Revali, are you okay? You were so quiet over dinner.” He asked softly. “I know you must be upset about Holly...do you want to talk about it?”

“...Not particularly.” Revali mumbled, drying his plate with more force then was strictly necessary. “I just...I don’t like not being able to do anything about this. I want to go speak to her, but Kenta said we should give her some space today, and being forced to be idle is incredibly vexing.”

“Well, he probably has a point.” Eli nodded thoughtfully. “...On the other hand, you two formed a pretty strong bond after that Lizalfos battle, it wouldn’t be that strange if she did actually want to see you.”

Revali eyes widened at his words. He’d never even considered the possibility that Kenta’s assumption might be wrong, but now he quickly latched onto the idea.

“Yes, of course! I’ve already proven myself to be an invaluable confidant, it makes sense that in her hour of need Holly would want my guidance! Kenta simply never considered that when he made his suggestion!”

“That...might be stretching it a little.” Eli said tactfully. “But I don’t think it would hurt to go see her, so long as you left if she asked for space.”

“Yes yes, I wouldn’t force my company upon her if she wishes for privacy.” Revali muttered distractedly, but he was already wrapping a scarf around his neck and getting ready to leave. “Thank you for opening my eyes Eli!”

“Your welcome.” The older Rito replied in a faintly amused tone.

“Give her our love dear.” Elena called as Revali headed out, Alvan nodding alongside her. “And let her know she’s welcome to come over for dinner again any time.”

Revali promised to convey their messages, and took to the sky a few minutes later. He flew to the training field first, hoping to catch Holly as she finished her lessons, but when he found it empty he circled back and headed to the small clearing they’d used for their private training sessions all those months ago. It was a long shot, but he couldn’t think of many other places she could go if she wanted to stay out of the village. He felt hopeful as he landed, but it soon became clear that no one had been there in some time.

“Of course.” He murmured softly to himself. “I should go back and check the Stables, perhaps she went there-.”

“-Li?”

He froze at the voice. There was only one person who called him that.

He turned around slowly, and there, standing at the edge of the clearing...was Holly.

For a moment the two friends simply stared at one another, neither of them sure how to start a conversation after everything that had happened since they last spoke.

“...I’m glad to see you Li.” Holly finally spoke into the silence, offering him a small smile.

“I am glad to see you to.” He replied softly.

There was a beat of silence, and then Holly asked tentatively,

“...I’m guessing you heard the rumours and came looking for me?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “Leri, Ollet, Farell and I...we were all very worried when we heard the news, so we went to look for you and ended up speaking to Kenta instead. He explained everything to us and...well he said you wanted some space right now, but I decided to come look for you anyway. I hope you don’t mind?”

“No, not at all,” She replied with a shake of her head. “I’m glad to see you, and I’m glad you talked to Kenta. I was worried that by the time the story had gone through half the village it would have been completely warped, but Kenta would have told you the honest truth.”

“...Do you want to talk about it?” Revali asked carefully, giving her the chance to decline before going any further.

“Not really.” She sighed wearily, and Revali felt his heart sink, but then she suddenly turned and continued, gracing him with a small smile as she spoke. “But you’re my friend, and you must have questions, so yeah, lets talk.”

Revali felt a wave of relief, but was careful not to show it.

“…Shall we sit?” He asked instead, gesturing to the log they had rested on so many times before during their breaks.

Holly nodded, and as they took their seats she couldn’t help but ask,

“So...does everyone in the village know yet?”

“If they don’t already they will soon.” Revali replied bluntly, “Leri heard about it from his sisters, and anything told to those three will be common knowledge across the entire Tabantha Region in less then a day. Their communication network for gossip is superior to any mail system the royal family has ever tried to implement.”

Holly winced at his words and Revali realised too late that his delivery could have been a bit more tactful.

“I guess that’s that then.” She sighed heavily, only to continue in a more thoughtful tone a moment later. “You know I really did want to keep this private, but I’ve been thinking about it, and now I can see that it might actually be better this way. I’m trying to think of this whole mess as like...ripping off an old bandage. It hurts now, but at least it’s over and done with, and now I don’t have to lie to anyone, or worry about having to explain things over and over again.”

“I think that’s very sensible.” Revali nodded softly, and she smiled and thanked him before continuing.

“...I would have liked to tell you about this in my own words, but I guess it’s too late for that now. I bet you’ve got a load of questions, so go on, ask. I might not be able to handle answering everything tonight, but I’ll do my best for you.”

Revali had one burning question he was dying to ask, something that had been simmering at the back of his mind ever since his talk with Kenta, but he forced himself to pause for a moment before responding, not wanting to overwhelm her by immediately launching into an interrogation.

“Why did you let me encourage you to go back to that woman?” He asked when he felt a suitable amount of time had passed. “You must have known she would never listen, no matter what brilliant plan I came up with, yet you spent weeks learning speeches and helping me gather letters anyway. You knew it was a waste of time, but you never once tried to discourage me. If you’d pushed back, if you’d argued more...if I had even the tiniest hint that you would be in danger I never would have-”

He stopped mid sentence, a growl of frustration leaving him as he glanced away, curling his wing into a fist as he finished,

“I never would have pushed you to tell the truth and return to her.”

“Revali...” Holly murmured, noting how his fist shook, his whole body trembling with barely suppressed emotion. He was seriously upset that he had unintentionally put her in harms way, and without thinking she reached out and laid a hand on his wing, trying to offer comfort.

“It’s okay.” She soothed him. “You didn’t know.”

Revali didn’t reply straight away, instead he surprised Holly by uncurling his fist and turning his hand over, tentatively wrapping his large feathered fingers around her smaller hand as he asked,

“Holly, why?”

His question was tinged with just a hint of desperation, his eyes boring into hers, and Holly made sure to choose her next words carefully, not wanting to give a flippant reply to such a serious question.

“...If I had made a big fuss, if I’d flat out refused to listen rather then simply being reluctant, you and Kenta would have gotten suspicious and dragged the truth out of me. And I knew that if Kenta found out what Mirabel had been putting me through, he would have refused to let me go back, and then-.”

She seemed to have trouble finishing that thought, and unconsciously clutched Revali’s hand for comfort as she continued with a quavering voice. “-and then Mirabel would have made good on her threats, and had him arrested a-and maybe even ki-kill-.”

“...Killed.” Revali finished softly for her.

Holly nodded, and needed a moment to compose herself before she spoke again.

“That wasn’t the only reason though.” She finally said, sounding more positive now as she squeezed Revali’s wing to get his attention. “You made me believe that I might be able to convince her. Your plan seemed so sound, and the speeches you gave me were so amazing, that I really thought I had a chance. I felt that with your plan, maybe I could make her understand that training, flying...being an adventurer...it was just as honourable a pursuit as being a lady.”

“But it didn’t work.” Revali muttered, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice as he spoke. It seemed he’d gotten her hopes up only to have them dashed all the same, and that made him feel even worse. It was like he’d failed her.

“That wasn’t your fault Li.” Holly said softly, and there was something in her tone that made him look up and pay close attention to her next words.

“I was thinking about it a lot during the journey back here.” She started thoughtfully. “Somehow, talking about everything with Kenta, listing all the things Mirabel did to me out loud...it made a lot of things clearer. I realised that the only way she would have ever accepted me was if I threw away my own thoughts and desires and became her obedient doll. I know that sounds dramatic but...I think it’s true. Every time I tried to resist her demands or voice my own feelings she punished me, and I was constantly criticised and belittled for failing to meet her expectations. The only time she ever gave me a sliver of affection was when I suppressed my feelings and did as she asked without complaint. Looking back on it now...I can see that she was trying to break me and mould me into what she wanted. She didn’t care if I was sad, miserable or lonely, so long as I was doing what she said. She did that to her own Granddaughter Revali, and she didn’t think for a second that she was doing anything wrong. She was completely adamant that she was in the right.”

She turned to face him, and though she tried to smile her voice quavered and there were tears in her eyes as she continued.

“S-So, it wasn’t your fault Li. I don’t think it would have mattered if the Goddess herself had descended and given me her blessing, she was never going to listen to anything that went against what she wanted. You didn’t fail me, s-she did, so please don’t feel bad.”

“...I can’t believe you’re thinking of my feelings at a time like this, you little fool.” He murmured in response, and it might have seemed harsh if it wasn’t for the way his own eyes shined with tears, his hand clutching hers so tightly it shook as he spoke. “You should- you should never have had to go through that.”

“No, I really shouldn’t have, should I?” She whispered, clutching his hand back just as tightly.

The conversation paused as they both took a moment to compose themselves, sniffling quietly and clinging to one another’s hands until they were forced to untangle themselves so they could dry their eyes.

“So...that was a bit emotional, huh?” Holly said once they’d managed to pulled themselves together, trying to lighten the mood.

“Just a little.” Revali replied with a wry smile.

There was a beat of silence, and Holly scrambled for something to say, eager to move the conversation on again.

“So um...did you have any more questions for me?” She finally asked.

“Well...do you mind if I ask what your plans are now that you’re free of Mirabel?” Revali replied, also eager to move past that emotional moment. “Also, I heard that family names are important to Hylians, will giving up yours disadvantage you at all?”

Holly snorted at the last question, rolling her eyes as she replied. “If I’d actually wanted to be a member of high society or something then yeah, giving up my name would have been a huge disadvantage, b ut I’ve got no interest in that so it’s fine. I’m still aiming to be an adventurer , and for that job it doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, as long as you’ve got the skills you’ll be accepted. As for my plans, I’ m going to stay here till Spring and keep working on my fl ying , but I might decide to stay longer depending on how it all goes . I have got a lot of missed time to make up for after all!”

“I see, so you’ll be staying for a while then.” Revali said, trying not to think too hard about how that statement brought a smile to his face.

“Yup!” Holly smiled, seeming much more chipper now they’d stopped talking about Mirabel, her legs swinging back and forth happily as she spoke. “And I was kinda hoping you’d want to re-start our training sessions now I’m back?”

“Do you take me for the kind of Rito who leaves a task half-finished?” Revali asked cockily. “Of course we will resume our lessons. I hope you practised while you were away.”

“I did, I did!” Holly laughed, before asking more seriously, “So, what that it? No more questions?”

“No, no more.” Revali said with a shake of his head. “Thank you for talking to me about this, I know it can’t have been easy.”

“...It wasn’t, but I’m glad we talked.” She smiled softly.

They settled into a companionable silence, and while Holly did feel tremendously better for having talked with Revali, there was still one thing weighing on her mind, a question of her own she hadn’t yet found the courage to ask. She wrestled with herself as the silence dragged on, wanting to ask her question, but also scared of what the answer might be, and her indecisiveness froze her in place.

“Are you ready to return to the village?” Revali asked suddenly, making her snap back to the present. “It is late, so most people will have returned to their huts by now, and I’m happy to escort you to ensure no one bothers you on the way back. But if you’d rather wait longer, we could always go to the Stables instead.”

Holly smiled, grateful for his thoughtfulness. “No, that’s okay Li, lets head back to the village. Kenta must be wondering where I’ve got to.”

“Let’s get going then.” Revali nodded, rising to his feet.

Holly stood up, but hesitated to follow him as she realised that this was her last chance to speak to him privately. Once they were back in the village it would be too late, and who knew when she’d get another chance like this?

“...Is everything okay?” Revali asked, noticing her hesitation, and Holly realised it was now or never, the thought finally pushing her into action.

“Li...I was honestly really worried about what you’d think of all this.” She admitted softly. “You’re my friend, and your opinion means a lot to me. I-I just want to know...do you think any less of me for what happened?”

“What? No, of course not!” Revali replied immediately, shocked that she could even entertain the idea.

“...Really?” She pressed softly, and when he saw how nervous she looked Revali realised a simple ‘no’ wasn’t going to suffice, he needed to firmly reassure her. He started to mentally concoct a grand speech that would buoy her spirits, something dramatic and elaborate that wouldn’t fail to impress, only to pause when he met her eyes and Eli’s words from all those months ago sprang unbidden into his mind.

‘Just be honest.’

He slowly closed his beak, realising in that instant that a speech, no matter how eloquent, would mean nothing right now if it wasn’t sincere. So he stopped, took a breath, and started over again, this time giving her his honest thoughts on the matter, without any grandstanding.

“Honestly, when I first heard what had happened to you, I couldn’t understand how someone who leapt fearlessly into battle with a horde of Lizalfos could be cowed by an old woman. But after talking to your brother, I understood why you did what you did. You made a choice. You chose to put yourself in harms way, and endure a terrible situation, so that you could protect your family. I do not think less of you, if anything my respect for you has increased. You were brave and selfless, and there is absolutely nothing for you to be ashamed off. I’m proud to call you my friend.”

Holly’s eyes widened and then filled with tears as he spoke, a look of utter relief sweeping over her face, and Revali knew he’d said the right thing.

“T-Thank you. Li” She sobbed, and he politely looked away as she tried to slow her tears.

“Hey...Li?” She called out a few moments later. “Can...Can I hug you?”

“...Must you?” He asked, but his resistance was half-hearted at best.

“Sorry, I’m a hugger.” Holly sniffed, shrugging and looking entirely unapologetic.

“Very well then, come here.” He sighed, making sure to sound highly exasperated as he opened his wings for her.

Holly crashed into him a moment later, nearly knocking him off his feet as she hugged him tight and buried her face in his feathers. He gave a sharp squawk and opened his beak to yell at her for thundering into him like a stampeding Lynel, only to pause when he felt the tremors racking her body and heard a soft muffled sob. He hesitated a moment, then carefully wrapped his wings around her, and in response she whispered a choked ‘thank you’ into his neck.

“You’re welcome.” He murmured, awkwardly patting her back as she sniffled against him.

There was a beat of silence, and then-

“...But if you get mucus on my feathers I will drop you off the nearest cliff.”

There was absolutely no bite to his words, and Holly laughed at the mental image of her friend disgustedly punting her over a cliff edge for getting snot on him.

“I promise I won’t.” She murmured once she’d stopped giggling, closing her eyes and leaning against him trustingly.

Despite his earlier protests, Revali held her patiently, keeping her safely wrapped up in his wings until she pulled away on her own some time later.

It was an evening they’d remember for the rest of their lives.

Benta collected Holly right after breakfast the next day, whisking her away to the training field before anyone could try and question her about the rumours that were still circulating. She was incredibly grateful for his thoughtfulness, and welcomed the distraction of her flying lesson. It was easy to forget her worries as she revelled in being in the air once again, and she focused hard on her training, trying to make up for all the time she’d lost while she was travelling.

The morning went by in a blur, and before Holly knew it, it was time for lunch. Revali had reassured her yesterday that the rest of the cadets were also on her side, but even so, she couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive as she approached the group. She tried to push down her nervousness, and plastered a smile on her face as she called out to get their attention, wondering all the while just how they would react once they saw her.

It turned out she needn’t have worried.

The moment Leri saw her he jumped to his feet and dashed over, almost crashing into her in his haste to wrap her up in a tight, protective hug.

“Holly!” He cried as he crushed her to his chest. “Are you okay? We’ve been worried sick!”

“Leri! What happened to not smothering her?” Farell called as he and the others raced to join them.

“I couldn’t help it! I was so worried!” He wailed as he hugged her like a overprotective mother, and Holly couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

How could she ever have doubted them?

Leri wasn’t willing to let go of her right away, so Ollet and Farell had to settle for holding her hands as they asked if she was okay, their words warm and compassionate as they questioned her gently. Holly was truly touched by their concern, and had to fight back tears as she reassured them that she was all right. Revali had hung back since he had already spoken to her yesterday, but when their eyes met he gave her a knowing smirk as if to say ‘I told you so’.

Smug jerk. She thought fondly.

Eventually Leri let go and gave the others a chance to hug Holly, and as soon as they had reassured themselves that she was okay their sympathy quickly turned to anger on her behalf. Revali rejoined the group now all the sappy stuff was over, and the 4 young Rito cried out at the injustice of what had happened. They were all furious to hear how she’d been treated, and raged against Mirabel, swearing to get justice for Holly one day. Ollet started making creative ‘suggestions’ about just where she’d like to stick her spear if she ever happened to cross paths with the woman, her descriptions getting more and more inventive until eventually Leri interrupted with a soft, and rather queasy sounding,

“ Damn Ollet….”

“Are you telling me she doesn’t deserve it?” She shot back instantly.

“...Well I didn’t say that .” He murmured, glaring faintly.

They continued to rally around Holly, offering support and solidarity, and she made sure to tell them all just how grateful she was. They waved off her thanks and asked if they could do anything to help her, and when Holly said she just wanted to put this all behind her and enjoy her freedom, they obligingly changed the subject, talking about more cheerful things instead.

As they sat around chatting about the upcoming festival, a warm sense of nostalgia wrapped itself around Holly like a comforting blanket. She was back in the place she loved best, surrounded by her friends, and had only good things to look forward to.

She’d been through so much, but right now she felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

Holly’s friendship with Revali and the cadets was stronger then ever, and with their support the idea of facing the rest of the tribe didn’t seem so daunting any more.

She stopped hiding and headed back into the village again, only to find that the stares and hushed whispers had been replaced with looks of concern and sympathy. No one said anything to her directly, the Rito had too much tact for that, but they expressed their feelings in other ways. She started to receive extra portions of food at mealtimes, and whenever she went to do her laundry someone appeared as if by magic to offer their assistance. When she took her daggers and goggles to the armoury for maintenance they insisted on doing the work for free, and the tailors turned up out of the blue one day, handing over warm tunics and trousers they’d made for her and Kenta to see them through their first Hebra winter. The parents of the village seemed to feel particularly protective of her, and kept popping in to see her at the Inn, often leaving little gifts under the guise of having an extra of something that they no longer needed. Holly soon had a wonderful collection of ribbons, beads, and other hair accessories, plus a few small broaches and anklets. She suspected that someone had let slip that she’d given all her jewellery to Iris, and was incredibly touched by the Rito’s thoughtfulness. With all the kindness she was shown it became abundantly clear that everyone was on her side, and once Holly realised that her worries vanished and she was able to happily move about the village again.

Everything seemed to be looking up for her, and if she had one complaint, it was that the ‘no chores’ rule was still in effect. Elder Lila refused to budge on that decision, saying that she had already made a generous concession by allowing her to resume her flying lessons, so she wasn’t going to let her do anything else on top of that. She promised to revisit the matter after the Autumn Twilight Festival, but for now Holly was told to rest and relax, which meant she had nothing to do once her flying lesson was over for the day.

Within three days she was bored out of her mind.

She explained the problem to her friends, and after some discussion, Farell hit upon the idea of inviting her to have dinner with their families so she had something to look forward to each day. The idea cheered Holly up immensely, and the cadets eagerly took up the suggestion, treating her to 4 straight days of delicious food and fantastic company.

She visited Leri’s home first, and discovered that he had a huge family, who were all as friendly and energetic as he was. With so many people it was a bit of a squeeze to fit everyone around the dinner table, but they make a joke of the situation and managed somehow. She went to Farell’s home next and met his parents and two baby sisters, Kita and Luna. They both adored Farell, and spent most of the evening hanging off his legs and wings while he tried to help his parents cook, telling him all about their day as they did so. At Ollet’s home, Holly learned that her friend was the youngest of three siblings, but wouldn’t remain that way for long. Her mother’s stomach was already visibly bulging, and when Holly offered her congratulations she was told that the egg was due in the Spring. Ollet was very excited at the prospect of being a big sister, and having recently discovered she had a younger sibling herself, Holly emphasised a lot. Her final visit was to Revali’s family, and she had a wonderful evening catching up with them all. Elena made crepes again since she’d enjoyed them so much last time, and sent her home with a big bag of freshly baked cookies, making her promise to come back and visit them again soon.

Holly assumed she was done being treated to dinner after that, but it turned out Kaeli and Benta had been inspired by the cadets actions, and they issued their own invitation the very next day. She and Kenta went to see them that evening, and though Holly felt a little awkward around her teachers at first, they quickly put her at ease. Kaeli even surprised her by turning out to be an excellent cook, producing a delicious meal of salmon meuniere for them all. She enjoyed getting to know her teachers better, but what really made her happy was seeing how relaxed and happy her brother was in their presence. The three adults had always been on good terms, but recently they seemed to have become a lot closer, and she was happy to know that Kenta had made such good friends.

Time passed quickly, and as the date of the Autumn Twilight Festival drew closer, preparations started in earnest. Holly watched in delight as decorations started going up all over the village, and quickly got involved in helping to hang up colourful banners and ornaments. Sweet music started to echo from the bards pillar as they practised for the big day, and aerial dancers twirled overhead as they rehearsed their routines in the sky. Holly learned that the warriors didn’t do an archery display during the Autumn festival like they did during the Summer one, however Benta, as the villages best flier, would present an aerial demonstration. She couldn’t wait to see it.

Finally it came time to start the work Holly had most been looking forward to- the cooking. She was worried at first that she wouldn’t be allowed to help, but apparently festival preparations weren’t considered a chore, and so she was welcomed into the kitchen with open wings. There was lots to do if they were going to generate enough food for the entire village after all, so every extra pair of hands was welcome.

Holly’s first job was to assist in preparing a variety of meat dishes. Along with prime meat skewers marinaded in different sauces, she also helped to create fish pies, fragrant curries, hearty stews, and spicy stir fries. The Rito had even managed to import some of the famous pumpkins the Sheikah tribe grew, and they hollowed them out and filled them with a mixture of spiced meat and mushrooms before baking them whole in the oven.

Once they’d gotten the meat preparation out of the way, Holly started helping out with the vegetable dishes. She seasoned wild greens so they were ready to be fried fresh on the day, and made copious amounts of veggie rice balls, green risottos, and salads. She even made a huge batch of garlic and rosemary roast potatoes upon request, and was honoured that the chefs asked her to make them.

Next it was time to start baking, and Holly ended up covered in flour as she helped to mix and knead large quantities of dough. She was sent away to wash up while the bread was proving, but arrived back in time to help make nutcakes (a Rito favourite), and pumpkin, wildberry and apple pies. The chefs had over estimated the amount of ingredients they’d need, but they made honeyed fruit, candied nuts, and egg pudding with the leftovers, so in the end nothing was wasted.

The final stage of the food preparation was to make a Rito festival speciality, Sunset Buns. Holly had heard about the Cloud Buns that were made during the Festival of the Air (she was still bitterly disappointed that she hadn’t gotten to try one), and apparently this was a variation of the same recipe made exclusively for the Autumn Twilight Festival. The sweet buns were essentially the same, however they were filled with wildberry jam, and the top was decorated with a tiny piece of red icing in the shape of a maple leaf. Holly was allowed to sample the first batch for ‘quality control’, and they were absolutely delicious.

Finally all the preparations were done, and Holly was sent home to rest up for the big day. She bounced back to the Inn in high spirits, and went straight to bed after her bath, wanting the morning to come as quickly as possible.

She just couldn’t wait for tomorrow!

The day of the festival dawned bright and clear, as if the Goddess herself was blessing the occasion.

Holly woke with the sun, and immediately leapt from her bed, eager to begin the day. Her friends had told her that everyone dressed up for the festival, so she made sure to pick out her nicest clothes, and paid extra attention to her hair and eye liner as she got ready. She even put on a few pieces of jewellery, including a pretty hairpin shaped to look like a colourful set of feathers. It fitted just nicely behind her ear.

She was just checking her finished appearance in the mirror when Jade suddenly coughed to get her attention.

“I have some something for you.” She smiled softly, offering her a large box. “I was going to save this for later, but I thought you might like to wear it today.”

“Oh gosh, what’s this?” Holly asked, carefully taking the package and gasping when she opened it and saw the beautiful winter cloak inside. It was a gorgeous dark blue colour, trimmed with white fox fur and lined with Rito down for warmth. There was a metal clasp around the neck so she could fasten it securely, and it reached just past her hips, so it would keep her warm without restricting her movement.

“Jade this is beautiful.” She gasped. “Thank you so so much, but this must have been really expensive. Are you sure it’s all right to just give it to me?”

“Consider it an apology for all the trouble I caused you. Though I know it can hardly begin to compensate...”

“Oh Jade, don’t say that.” Holly said, stepping forward and giving her a warm hug. “I forgave you for that a long time ago, you know that, right?”

“I know, but I still wanted to do something nice for you.” She replied, hugging her back gratefully all the same.

The two of them had had a long heart to heart after things had calmed down, and while Jade had seemed much happier afterwards, Holly knew that it would take time for her to fully forgive herself and move on. She wished there was more she could do, but for now she guessed she just had to let Jade work through things at her own pace.

“Hey.” Holly said, pulling back and glancing up at Jade with a warm smile. “I’m not going to accept this as an apology, but I will accept it as a welcome home present. What do you say?”

“I say you’re adorable.” Jade laughed, wiping away some stray tears that had formed in the corner of her eyes. “But yes, lets go with that. Can I help you put it on?”

“Yes please!” Holly beamed happily.

She left the Inn a short while later, sporting her new cloak and waving happily to Jade as she went.

“Are you off to meet your friends now?” Kenta asked as they walked up the stairs together. There was no breakfast being served since there would be so much food throughout the rest of day, but as they passed the kitchen many Rito were handing out Sunset buns and other snacks for people to eat as they watched the performances.

“Mhm, we’re going to meet up at the Old Shrine!” Holly grinned, already bouncing with excitement at the thought of it. “I’m so happy Elder Lila gave us special permission to stay in the village so we can watch the performances with everyone!”

“It was really nice of her, wasn’t it?” Kenta smiled. “You know Kaeli said it’s the first time in living memory any outsiders have been allowed to stay in the village during a festival. We’re very privileged to be allowed to be here today.”

“I’ll make sure to thank Lila again next time I see her.” Holly nodded solemnly.

“Well don’t worry about that now, just go enjoy the festival!” Kenta laughed, patting her on the back heartily. “You’ve been waiting for this day for weeks now, so don’t waste a moment! I’m going to go meet up with Kaeli and Benta, but I’ll see you later, kay?”

“Kay! Thanks Kenta!” Holly grinned, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a quick peck on the cheek before dashing off up the stairs, taking them two at a time in her hurry.

Her friends were already waiting for her when she arrived at the Shrine.

“Wow! You guys look amazing!” Holly gushed as soon as she reached them, her eyes shining with wonder as she spoke.

They were all wearing bright, colourful clothing that was far more elaborate then their normal cadet uniforms. Small glass beads had been embroidered onto the fabric, and they sparkled like tiny jewels whenever they caught the light. Their braids were more intricate then normal to, with ribbons and feathers woven into the strands, and they were all wearing beautiful jewellery. Holly gushed about each of their outfits in turn, and they preened at the compliments, returning the favour by admiring her new cape as she twirled around to show it off for them.

As soon as they’d finished admiring one another they climbed up on top of the Shrine, securing their seats as they waited for the performances to start. Farell had brought Sunset buns and Wildberry cordial, and they passed out the food as the crowd grew around them, chatting and eating happily until at last Elder Lila appeared and called everyone to order.

“It’s starting!” Holly bounced excitedly, and the others shushed her with a smile.

The air was quickly filled with the most amazing music Holly had ever heard as the musicians started to play. Listening to them was like being taken on a journey, one moment the music was bright and joyful, the next it was soft and wistful. Sorrowful notes changed to become hopeful, then rousing, like a rallying cry calling to all those who listened. A choir suddenly joined the musicians, adding their voices to the song and making it even more beautiful, and when they finally finished it was to thunderous applause.

Next a single Rito stepped forward, and when the crowd started murmuring excitedly Farell leaned over and explained that she was the most talented singer in the village, a musical prodigy named Dawn. She started singing without any musical accompaniment, and within moments Holly understood why everyone had been so excited to hear her. Her voice was breathtaking, and the young Witch was moved to tears within minutes as she listened to her song. When the singer finished there wasn’t a dry eye in the crowd, and she ended up doing an encore at the peoples request before finally leaving the stage.

Next came the dancers, and Holly gasped in delight as they spun through the air with their colourful ribbons trailing out behind them. She’d seen them perform before during the Festival of the Air, but now that she knew from personal experience just how difficult it was to perform those manoeuvres, she had a whole new appreciation for their skill and talent. They looped and twirled gracefully around one another in time with the music the bards played, and Holly applauded just as loud as everyone else when they finished.

Up next was the last performance of the day, Benta’s aerial demonstration. Holly wasn’t quite sure what she expected from her teacher, they’d already had a fantastic display of aerial gymnastics from the dancers after all, so how would this be any different?

She turned to ask the cadets that very question, only to freeze when she saw the looks of intense concentration on their faces, like they didn’t want to miss a second of what was coming next.

Holly swallowed thickly, and trained her eyes on Benta as he walked calmly onto one of the main landings, waving happily to the crowd as he went.

He took up a ready stance and then dived off the platform, plummeting down towards the lake below so quickly that Holly feared for his safety, only to pull up at the very last second, his talons just barely touching the water as he hurtled back up into the sky even faster then he’d fallen. Holly’s jaw dropped as he started to perform pinpoint turns at speeds she had previously thought impossible, banking and diving around the village with incredible precision and accuracy. He moved at speeds that were almost impossible to follow, weaving easily around the rocky pillars that dotted the lake, even spiralling up one in an incredible manoeuvre that brought him only inches away from the rock wall as he hurtled upwards. One by one, Benta did things in the air that her short amount of training had led her to believe were impossible. And not only did he do these things, but he did them with style, adding flourishes and embellishments to his movements that caused the crowd to cheer for him. Holly’s heart leapt into her throat as she watched, her hands clutched tight to her chest and her eyes wide. Her attention was completely focused on Benta as he twirled and dived before her, and she tried desperately to memorise his every movement.

He looked so free. It was like the sky was his personal playground, and he could do absolutely anything he wanted in the air. Even when he was performing daredevil stunts where a single wrong move could end his life, he was smiling joyously, like he was having the time of his life, and Holly ached to see it, her heart longing to soar like that.

She knew in that instant that just learning how to fly safely was never going to be enough for her- not any more.

“I want to fly like that.” Holly told her friends, her voice a strained whisper as Benta landed to thunderous applause.

“Doesn’t everyone?” Leri laughed, oblivious to her intense feelings. “But Benta’s the best of the best Holly, we’d be lucky to fly even half as well as him.”

“That’s right, Benta’s one in a million, it’s unlikely any of us will ever reach his level.” Ollet nodded sadly.

The uplifting feeling in Holly’s chest shattered at her friend’s flat denial. W-What were they saying? It would be difficult, yes, but if she worked really hard then surely-

She glanced over at them, saw the same sad expression echoed across three different faces, and felt her resolve start to waver. They were all so much better at flying her, and had years more experience. If they didn’t think it was possible, that what chance did she have? She’d only started learning a few months ago!

Elder Lila stepped forward to thank all the performers and officially open the feast, but while Holly clapped alongside everyone else, she barely heard a word of what was said, her mind too preoccupied with her crushing realisation.

Her friends leapt down eagerly from their perch the moment the speech was done, eager to grab some food before the crowds got too big, but Holly hesitated, too wrapped up in her own thoughts to move right away. They called for to her to hurry up, and she tried to snap herself out of her dark mood and smile, not wanting to be a downer on such a happy day.

“I’ll be right there! Go grab me a seat!” She called, and they eagerly dashed off to do so.

She took a breath to steady herself, and was about to slide down after them when a gentle touch on her shoulder made her pause.

She turned to see Revali crouched beside her, an odd look on his face as he stared at her, and she suddenly realised that he was the only one of her friends who hadn’t looked sad and defeated earlier.

“It’s not impossible you know.” He said softly, “The proof of that stands before us.”

Holly followed his gaze and saw that he was looking squarely at Benta.

“If Benta can do it, that means it can be done.” Revali continued, his voice growing more passionate with every word. “There is nothing stopping anyone from attaining his skills, so long as they have the resolve and perseverance to do so.”

There was something fiery in both his gaze and tone as he spoke, and Holly listened with rapt attention as he continued.

“It is much easier to dismiss his skills as being impossible to achieve, and settle for easy mediocrity, then to push oneself in the pursuit of greatness. Benta did not get where he is today by settling for just being ‘good’ at flying. Like Kaeli with archery, he pushed and struggled and worked harder then anyone else, and ended up taking his skills further then any Rito before him. You cannot expect to achieve the same unless you are willing to do just as much yourself.”

He paused, turning to face her, and Holly recognised the look in his eyes as he spoke, it was the same one she had seen in Iris’s when she talked about her dream. An absolute unbreakable determination to reach a goal.

“I will do the same.” He said fiercely, curling one wing into a fist. “No matter how hard I have to train, I will be the best the village, no- the world, has ever seen.”

“...You don’t want to just be as good as Kaeli and Benta, you want to surpass them.” Holly said softly, and though it was phrased like a question, she said it like a statement of fact.

“Yes.” Revali nodded, quietly impressed that she’d realised it. Most people were too small minded to think so big.

Holly paused, thinking about this for a moment, and then quietly asked,

“...Do you think I can fly like Benta?”

Revali gazed at her consideringly, and there was a long pause before he replied.

“In the short time we’ve known one another you’ve already proven that you are not afraid of hard work, and that you are prepared to endure great hard ships in the pursuit of something you believe in. If you are truly willing to put in the work, I see no reason why you couldn’t.”

Holly face brightened, her heart lifting at his words and her crushed hopes rising once again.

“Thank you Reva-”

“However.” He suddenly snapped, making a sharp gesture that caused Holly to jerk back in surprise. “I’m afraid you will have to settle for second best, as I don’t intend to relinquish the top position to anyone.”

Holly blinked and then laughed at his smug proclamation, only he would have the nerve to say something like that.

“You’re way too greedy Revali, the best archer, the best warrior, and the best flier?”

He grinned cockily, looking completely unapologetic as he replied. “What can I say? I believe in being thorough.”

“Yeah? Well I-” She paused, hesitating for a moment, but then she thought of what she’d just seen, and of Revali’s words, and made her decision.

“Well I’m sorry,” She continued boldly, “But you’re going to have to settle for two out of three.”

“Oh?” He asked, raising an eyebrow at her curiously.

“I’ll be taking the title of best flier, so you can’t have that one.” She said firmly, and saying it out loud felt like she was making a promise to herself, and to the world. It felt good.

Revali blinked in surprise at her bold claim, but then he grinned, his eyes blazing with challenge. Finally, here was someone with the resolve and determination to be a worthy rival.

“Well you may certainly try.” He smirked, before making a grand sweeping gesture at himself as he added, “But get used to looking at my stunning figure soaring past you into the distant horizon. I will not go easy on you simply because we are friends you know.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to!” Holly grinned, echoing the same challenge right back at him. “Don’t worry, you may have had a head start, but I’ll catch up quick.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” Revali smiled.

Holly laughed and suddenly scrambled to her feet, turning back and holding out a hand to him.

“First one to the top then?”

Revali smile grew stronger, and he reached out and gripped her hand with his wing, shaking it firmly as she pulled him to his feet.

“First one to the top.” He nodded, only to lean in after a moment and add smugly, “Do try not to disappoint me.”

Holly laughed, somehow feeling freer and happier then she had in months. She had a home. She had her freedom. And now she had a goal she wanted to work towards, and a friend and rival who would race her to the finish line.

“I’ll do my best.” She promised, letting his wing go with a warm squeeze. “For now though, we better hurry up and go after the others, or they’re going to start wondering where we are!”

“You’re quite right. After you then.” Revali said, letting her slide down off the shrine roof first before quickly joining her.

They headed down to the feast together, Revali taking calm measured steps while Holly bounced happily alongside him, smiling brightly as they chatted about their future plans.

Revali was right, they could do anything they wanted. So long as they were prepared to put in the work, nothing was out of reach.

The future looked bright.

Questions and Answers

Please find below my answers to all the questions you sent in!

Festivals

Lots of people asked what other Rito Festivals there were, so please find a breakdown below!

Springs Dawn Festival: A celebration of Spring/New Life.

Festival of the Air: A Summer celebration of sky and flight.

Autumn Twilight Festival: A Harvest Festival. Lots of eating is involved.

Festival of Gratitude: A Winter festival very similar to Christmas/Thanksgiving.

Day of Remembrance: A day to remember those who have died. Paper lanterns are released into the sky in memory of those who have passed, and paper boat lanterns fill Totori Lake as well. There is no grand feast for this holiday, instead families and friends gather together and have their own private meals as they remember their loved ones.