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Urbosa was no stranger to the cold nights of the desert, but the cold of Hebra was a different animal of cold altogether. And the desert had no blasted snow like the mountains did! At least this Snowquill Armor was doing its job, but she still found it most awkward to wear.
Nevertheless, she pressed on, even as a snowstorm whipped up, until she reached the Flight Range. As she suspected, she saw Revali, not even healed from the injuries he had sustained during his battle with Windblight Ganon, using the updrafts of the Flight Range to allow him to practice his archery.
Urbosa stood on the platform in front of the course, watching Revali train for some time before she snapped her fingers to create a small bolt of lightning to get his attention.
If Revali had been startled by the lightning, he had refused to show it; instead, he flew back towards the platform, hovering in front of Urbosa.
“Can’t you just wave or call out like everyone else?” he queried.
“Neither of those are that effective in the desert haze,” she intoned. “Call it a habit.”
“Hmph,” the Rito scoffed. “What brings you to this frozen land, then?”
“You. We were wondering where you’d gotten to,” she replied.
“Were you now? Everyone?” Revali asked. “Even the Chosen Knight of the Master Sword couldn’t get along without me?”
Urbosa’s deadpan stare didn’t flicker as she continued to address him.
“Don’t you think this obsession with trying to outdo Link has gone far enough?” she asked.
“Is that what you think this is about!?” Revali snapped.
“He had to intervene to save you and Teba from Windblight Ganon; I imagine that must have been a blow to your ego.”
“I didn’t enjoy that, sure,” Revali quipped. If he’d had teeth, he’d have been gritting them. “But this is about so much more than that.”
“Really?” Urbosa asked. “Enlighten me.”
Revali’s glare seemed to pierce through the blizzard even more intently.
“Windblight Ganon would have turned Vah Medoh against Rito Village,” he hissed. “I was unable to protect my own people! No, I had to get assistance from the ‘Chosen Hero’ just to achieve the bare minimum of what was expected of me! Yes, Urbosa, this is an obsession—an obsession to ensure that I’m strong enough to protect those under my care! You can go back to the others and tell them that, if that’ll satisfy you!”
He turned to resume his training, but looked back in exasperation as Urbosa snapped her fingers to create another small lightning bolt.
“What!?” he snapped, a scowl on his beak.
“Do you think you’re the only one who shoulders the same sentiment?” she returned. “I, too, was unable to defend my people against Thunderblight Ganon on my own! But, perhaps, we were never meant to undertake this endeavor on our own.”
“If that’s what gets you through the night, then fine,” Revali scoffed. “I’ll see it like it is and shoulder my responsibility.”
“Shoulder your responsibility?” she repeated. “If I were truly to shoulder my responsibility, I would be responsible for defeating all of Calamity Ganon’s shards, and the Calamity itself. I bear a burden you will never understand, Revali—this thing was not one of your people, as it was once one of mine!”
Revali blinked; this was news to him.
“It… it was once a Gerudo…?”
“Don’t even think for a minute that I wouldn’t desire to rid Hyrule of its evil by myself,” she stated.
“Surely you alone aren’t meant to atone for its actions…!” Revali pointed out.
“And you alone are not meant to face it, either,” she pointed out. “Having pride is one thing, Revali. But don’t let it kill you.”
Having said her piece, she turned to go, but, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Revali land on the platform and follow her. She turned her head slightly to arch an eyebrow at him.
“I suppose I’ll go back with you and help you protect the others,” he said, by way of an explanation. “I’m sure you’re all hopeless without me.”
He was just blowing smoke, and Urbosa knew it—but that was merely a defense mechanism, and she would accept that.
“We’ll be taking shelter on Satori Mountain—to rest and decide our next course of action,” she said. “You feeling up to joining the watch rotation?”
“But, of course,” Revali returned.
His feeling of responsibility wasn’t limited to just his people—not that he would ever admit it, of course.
But Urbosa didn’t need to hear it. As insufferable as Revali was, she knew he was a loyal ally that she could trust with her life.