I woke up during the night, just once.

It'd been an incredibly restful night, all things considered. The bed was warm and the cabin cozy, the fire's dying light casting dancing shadows through the cabin, and my belly was full.

And yet though I knew that the blizzard had raged all through the night, it wasn't until the shutters about one of the windows came loose and began to whip about in the wind that I was reminded of it.

It had been easy to forget about the storm raging outside because of the company I kept, and in how I was keeping.

Startled when the shutter came loose, I had woken up; yet soon soothed by the warmth of the bed and the familiarity of my company, and since I was so tired and bleary that I had not yet noticed the proximity or situation, I had begun to doze off immediately once more... only until my mind caught up with the fact that I was awake.

—

The rattling of the shutter against the window became as the wind and fire crackling had been - background noise, that which only added to my lullaby. And for a few minutes, I was content with that. I tried to fall back into the dream I had been experiencing, which by all accounts had to be a pleasant one for how warm my heart still was from it. Whatever it was, it was good, that I knew for sure.

I gathered up that which I was cuddling up closer to my chest. I settled my chin against it, and began to settle back in to fall back asleep. My mind began to race with ideas of what I might have dreamt about and what I might like to return to. Daydreaming was, of course, a wonderful way to set up that which one actually dreamed about and as I thought about it more, I realized that the way my heart was so warm was indicative of something in particular.

It was the way my heart would warm when I was around Link. It was a general comfort by now, one I was getting increasingly flustered by as I became more aware of it - but it was true. Simply being around him made me feel warm and safe, content and comfortable. It was a truth that I was equal parts comforted and flustered by, and I was less and less aware of how to deal with such a thing.

Regardless, I felt warm in the way I always would when with Link, so the dream I just emerged from had to be about him, right? Er, maybe not about him, but at least including or featuring him, right?

...Right?

I sighed a little, and the bundle set securely against my chest seemed to sigh in response.

...

What?

My eyes, heavy though they were, snapped right open at the realization that what I was cuddling was in fact cuddling back. I began to call Link's name, but upon looking down only slightly and seeing a mess of unruly blond hair, my breath caught in my throat and I realized that doing so would be useless because why call for help from the one who was in fact holding me in place?

Because, oh yes, I could feel it now: Link was holding me here. Perhaps not purposely, but he was. He had tucked himself - or perhaps I had done so - against my chest. Because I was wearing such a thin shirt, I could feel his gentle breaths ghosting down towards my stomach, disappearing within the confines of the thick covers. He was all but pressing his face to my chest and he seemed perfectly content - his arms around me kept me from going anywhere, but I tried anyway. I didn't get very far.

As soon as I started sitting up, he was pulling me back down, letting out a discontented little groan at having to do so. I did not resist any longer - I relaxed back against the bedding and when I let out a resigned sort of breath, Link in his slumber seemed to take that as permission to get a little closer, though how that was possible I had no idea, and I realized with a start why this was such a well-beloved trope in fiction, the whole "there only being one bed" thing.

...not that it made it any better to live through, though.

His arm was an admittedly comforting weight wrapped around my waist and hanging limply at my back. And so I relaxed into it, giving into his unknowing embrace.

"Can't believe this is happening to me," I muttered to myself. "Me, of all people. And with you..."

I looked down at Link once more, shaking my head as a smile crept onto my lips. I made to say something more but I hesitated, because as I ran my fingers into his hair, they caught right away on his ponytail.

"Don't you know you'd be more comfortable with your hair down?" I undid his hair from its tie, and I eased his hair down. If he felt it, he reacted only by breathing in deeply and letting it out in a relieved and blissful kind of sigh.

"I think I've got it bad, hero," I murmured, resting my head comfortably against the pillow. I tried to keep my gaze and my focus from Link, for my brain knew that was the logical thing to do if I wanted to get back to sleep but... but my heart won in the end, and eventually I descended into an easy and dreamless sleep. With him curled up against me just so, and the thought that he might be here in the morning, I rested well.

And I dreamed that maybe someday we could run from it all, so that he might not ever be in harm's way ever again.

—

I'm not sure why I was reminded of it all right now, but I was.

I was reminded of it here, after sledding down a snow-covered hill atop my shield, Link beside me. I was reminded of it here, after Link forewent his own shield and leapt onto my own - only to find that it wasn't big enough, and he miscalculated his leap. I was reminded of it here, when he and I went tumbling down that hill the rest of the way, head over heels, over and over each other until we landed in a heap at the bottom of the hill and into a snowdrift.

I was reminded of it here, as I laid on my back, snowflakes in my hair and my back incredibly chilled from landing - and remaining - in the snow. I was reminded of it here as Link laid half-suspended over me, his hands caging in my head and planted firmly in the snow. I was reminded of it here, with him smiling down so happily at me.

I was reminded of it... because I felt it once more. I felt that perhaps we really could run from it all, so that he might not ever be in harm's way ever again.

But even if we could, we should not. And even if we should, we could not.

It was terrible, really. I could not take him from this, and he could not take himself from it. And we certainly could not let each other run away.

Link would vow that this was too important to me, that discovering oneself was too great, that adventuring was as joyful and wonderful as I thought it was, and that he had to prove it to me. And I would proclaim that this was too important to Hyrule, and to the goddesses, and to Zelda herself.

This was no less than the fate of Hyrule, in his case, though he would argue that my own was just as important. My own fate, my own destiny...

"You didn't bundle up," I said to him, getting a smile out of him. Before leaving the cabin, I had told him to dress appropriately for the weather, and he hadn't. He had listened to me, sure, but he hadn't listened.

His cheeks were red, as were the tips of his ears. But his eyes were alight, filled with joy and a certain blissful glow, one that I was growing increasingly used to seeing. All of this, these peaceful and calm days where we did little more than what we wanted, were little more than a farce. We were having fun yet looming over our shoulders was the harsh reality of what we would soon face. We had rolled down this hill, with snow clinging to lashes and hair and to clothes, and we had clung to each other.

But someday soon, that which loomed over his shoulder - his duty - would catch up with us. Rather, we could catch up to it. Even now, I could see the Divine Beast of the Rito, circling the sky so far away. Yet it was closer now than it had been before, and with each passing day we surely got closer.

It was all so much, yet it was nothing at all, and it was awful.

How could I possibly continue to enjoy this time with him when I knew that all too soon, it might end? He had fallen in battle once before, and unlike a century ago, he did not have the Champions alongside him and the princess' steady presence, nor a kingdom's worth of soldiers to stand behind him. He... he only had himself, and he only had me.

He didn't know what awaited him up there in the Divine Beast, and we didn't exactly have a plan to get him up there, either.

It was all so much... yet it was nothing at all.

"No," Link said unabashedly. "I didn't."

"And why is that? Do you want to catch a cold?"

"No," he said once more. "Of course not."

"Then why?"

"Because I wanted to make sure you'd feel bad seeing me so cold so we could go back to the cabin for a nap," he said easily, so easily it took me completely by surprise. When I realized what he said, I laughed, and I shook my head incredulously.

"And if I say we should really get going to the Snowfield Stable?"

"Only I know the way," he said, reaching towards his hip to affectionately pat the Sheikah Slate. "Your map only showed Necluda."

I made to say something, then pursed my lips. After watching his expression for a moment, mulling over my words and watching the way he did what he could to hide the true intent of his smile (which was useless considering I could see it all in his eyes), I rolled my eyes and gave in. "Good point."

"I know," he said, then got off of me. He stood, but stayed low, and reached out for me. "Now come on, I bet you're tired, too."

"Actually," I said, starting to say that I was in fact tired, but I wasn't. I'd have lied if I said that. "Actually," I repeated, taking his hands and letting him help me up, "I slept really well last night. I'm rather well-rested, Link. It's not like we've been up for that long, either."

"Yeah, but everyone loves a good nap," Link argued, letting go of only one hand and leading me along. "I know I do."

"That's an understatement," I said, referring of course to his century-long snooze. I said those words, yet I couldn't quite dispute the fact that a nap would be nice right now. And... I was happy that at that moment, he was too busy laughing to notice that I couldn't quite look away from our joined hands.

—

"Link," I began hesitantly, "how exactly are we going to tame that thing?"

"I'm not sure," Link said, looking up at it warily, "but there's gotta be an off switch on it, right...or at least an instruction booklet lying around up there?"

I smiled briefly before lowering my eyes to the long road in front of us. Our nap was over, and we were back on the road. It was actually the next day - we'd traveled through the day, reached Snowfield Stable, and were not continuing on towards Rito Village.

"Say, (Y/n)," Link said, his eyes lowering from the bird and meeting the road before the horses, the road we were traveling along that was devoid of anything to look at but the village and the Divine Beast. He paused uncharacteristically, looking more than a bit troubled, and I glanced at him concernedly.

"Yes, Link?" It was obvious he was choosing his next words carefully, which had alarm bells going off in my mind. "Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong, but this is just something you might not necessarily like." His blue eyes finally came to meet mine, and I did not like the look in them. "Lisen, firefly. When I go and tame the Divine Beast, I..." He sighed, then summoned up his breath to say in one fell swoop: "I don't want you to come up with me."

My face fell from concerned and curious to furious, and he winced. Despite my feelings, I forced my voice to stay even and calm as I asked, "And why not?"

I tried not to sound accusatory, but when he saw my face, he averted his eyes and certainly looked guilty. "Because," he began hesitantly, "there's no telling what's up there. Any of Ganon's goons can be up there, and I don't want you to get hurt."

My anger melted just as quickly as it had arrived. "Link, we both know that I can take care of myself," I said quietly. "You made sure of that. I handle myself pretty well, don't you think?"

"Of course you do, I know that, and that's not in question. But..."

"Our agreement was simply that I wouldn't fight Ganon."

"But these are under his control," he argued. "There's no telling who or what he has guarding them. He knows of the strategic value to controlling the Beasts, else he would've let them go by now! He surely knows that I'd be back to reclaim them," he explained, almost desperately.

"But still, you could need my help", I said firmly. "You can't do it alone, so let me-"

"(Y/n), please," he cut in. His eyebrows furrowed now and he looked me right in the eyes. He even went so far as to stop Epona (who snorted in displeasure) and reached over to tug on Sky's reins as well to stop my own mare. He kept his grip on Sky's reins as he leaned over towards me. I sat up straighter, meeting his eyes but refusing to back down. "I can't have you getting hurt over me. You're a tremendous help, believe me, and I appreciate it - and you - more than I could ever say. But I can't have you dying now or... or ever."

"Link..."

"Firefly," he pleaded, "I need to make sure that you're safe. Who else will escort me to the next beast, in the event that you're mortally wounded or die?"

It was obvious by now that he wasn't going to let me come, whether I agreed to it or not.

Instead of arguing more, I sighed in defeat. There was definitely something endearing about his words and the meaning behind them, but then again, there was also something very infuriating about not being able to go with him. It's why I was here, after all.

"Alright, Link," I resigned myself to say.

"And another thing, (Y/n)... wait, what?" He stopped speaking next sentence - he must not have been expecting me to give up so easily - and he loosened his grip on Sky's reins.

I met his gaze surely, noting the relief in them, and the confusion. I suppose I was more stubborn than I thought, if me giving in so easily was surprising to him?

"I won't go with you," I reaffirmed. "I'll help you prepare, but I'll wait for your return down in the village."

He let out a breath - relieved and content, clearly. "Thank you," he said quietly, his gratitude clear in the way his shoulders slumped and more than that, clear in his eyes in a dazzling way.

"This doesn't mean I'm happy about it," I mentioned, giving him a stern look.

He smiled, the cheeky bastard. I looked down my nose at him even as he smiled, trying to hold back the one that was fighting to make its way onto my own face. Needless to say, I didn't win that fight. The smile appeared on my face, and, seeing how Link's grew, I rolled your eyes and pushed him back onto Epona.

"Feeling up to a race to the base of the village, (Y/n)?"

"That eager to head up to the Beast and be without me, are you?"

"No, of course not! I just mean-"

I cut him off before he could grow too worried. "What's the prize?"

"Do we need a prize? How about just the satisfaction that you won?"

"Can the winner brag as much as they want that they won?"

"Don't we anyway?"

"Fair point," I said as I shifted in the saddle and prepared to go for an all-out gallop. "Ready?"

"Three," Link began. Epona snorted, earning a competitive neigh from Sky in return.

"Two," I said, tightening my grip on Sky's reins as a wicked smile stretched across my lips and she pawed the ground anxiously.

"One!"

—

There were a lot of stairs in Rito Village. These past few (many) months traveling ensured that I now had increased stamina and muscle - traversing the land, climbing, adapting to life on the road, horseback riding, and fighting all made sure of that - but dammit, there were a lot of stairs.

I didn't have to complain about it, though. Link did it enough for the both of us. There was a near-endless amount of stairs, and he did a near-endless amount of complaining about it.

I didn't see a need for that many, in all honesty. So, they could fly. But why make things so difficult? Honestly. Regardless, we had left the two horses at Rito Stable below the village, crossed some rickety old bridges, and made it to the base of the village. And now here we were, climbing staircase after staircase.

They certainly fit the look of the place and it made sense for them to be there for guests in the village like us who couldn't fly from one platform to the next, but still...it was a tad excessive. They could at least make it somewhat more visitor-friendly, right?

Still, the view from the village was gorgeous, almost enough to make it all worth it. Since the village was quite high up, we had an amazing view of the world all around us - or we would, if the weather was better. It was an overcast day, so our view of the lands down below and the far-off horizon was limited, but what we could see really was pretty; the clouds blanketing the sky, a gradient of grays and darker blues, fit the look of the village quite well.

The village itself was quite monotone and with the chilly air that intensified as we traversed higher up, the gray sky matched the village perfectly. What made the village pop was its residents. I glanced at each Rito you passed, hoping I didn't upset them terribly by doing so. I knew it was bad manners, but I had never seen someone of the Rito race before, let alone meet one. Link smiled each time he noticed me crane your neck for a better view of the Rito as we passed by them. It wasn't my fault their plumage was all so pretty!

A strong gust of wind blew through the village as I thought about it, chilling me to the bone immediately. I didn't dare complain; Link would be even higher up and fighting for his life atop a giant bird in just a short while. I'd have to remember to get him gloves or something of the sort. A sword is useless with numb fingers, of course. The trick then would be to get him to actually wear them.

I sighed and tucked my hands under my armpits as we continued up towards another landing, keeping them warm for the time being. After climbing up the stairs for a few minutes more, I saw a small shop and dragged Link in with me. I looked at the different clothing options that were available for the Rito and admittedly, I was intrigued - but it wasn't why we were here. We weren't even here to have a short reprieve from the cold. Though better sheltered from the wind, it was just as cold here as it was out in the open.

The shopkeeper noticed this and its beak somehow managed to form a small smile. "Welcome in," the shopkeeper called to us. I greeted the Rito kindly, and started to ask a question when Link cut in.

"(Y/n)," Link said, examining a Hylian-shaped mannequin. "I'm going to buy you these. We'll just have to tailor them a bit to make them fit, ok?"

"...What?" I approached him then, wondering what he was going on about. "Why should it fit me?" He stared dumbly at me, and for a moment I thought maybe I'd shocked him silent. "Well, now, why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're cold," he said simply, as though that answered everything. And I suppose for him, it did. It made sense for him, just not for myself.

"Link," I said, "I don't need these."

"Sure you do," Link replied easily. "You've been cold as soon as we entered this region. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

"Of course not, but..."

"But nothing," he said, turning back to the set. "I'm buying this for you." He looked over to the keeper, who was watching our interactions closely. "This set here - good for keeping warm?"

"That, sir," the shopkeep replied easily, "is the Snowquill set of clothing. Hand-tailored and lined with our own downy feathers, there is nothing in Hyrule better suited to keep you warm. It's incredibly resistant to the cold and, dare I say it, incredibly comfortable. Or so I've heard."

"Perfect," he said. "I'll take one set."

"Oh, hold on," I cut in. I smiled to the Rito, and took Link's upper arm in my hands. "Let us just discuss something for a moment please, will you?"

"Of course," they replied, but we were already facing the other way. I kept a tight hold on his arm, keeping him close as I metaphorically bent his ear to speak to him.

"I don't need it," I pressed. "Why would I need the set?"

"Because you're cold and-"

"I'll be waiting down in the stable," I reminded him. "You'll be up Hylia only knows how much higher. That bird is flying around in the clouds, Link. That's a few steps colder than dealing with some flurries on the ground."

"Maybe," he said, "but you've been shivering and it can't be comfortable, right? You're miserable, it's obvious."

"Forget about that for a second," I huffed. "You're the priority here, right?"

"Not exactly," he countered right away, but I continued prattling on.

"Link," I said firmly, "I don't need it."

"I don't want you to be cold," he said, and I sighed a little.

"I can bundle up and sit by the fire wrapped up in all the stable's blankets," I offered, though Link looked skeptical. "Why is it so important for me to have it, Link?"

"Because I'll be worried about you," he said right away, a hint of hesitation, of near-nervousness in his voice. Then he said, quietly: "That's why."

I turned to face him, and it was rather instinctual when my hands slid from his upper arm and down, only to catch on his hand. I looked him in the eyes, finding that those pretty blue eyes of his - ones that had been so stormy before - now cleared and instead of snowy skies I found myself looking into clear skies of blue.

"I'll be worried about you, too," I murmured, and I smiled when he blinked, clearly surprised, and a fine dusting of blush coated his cheeks. I chuckled lightly, feeling heat rise to my own cheeks. "Hadn't considered that, had you?"

"I sometimes forget," he said quietly.

"Forget...?"

"That someone else could care," he said in a hushed whisper.

"Mm," I hummed, considering it, "it has been a long time since someone has, right?"

"More than that," he said, shaking his head, "it took a long time for the other champions and especially for Princess Zelda to warm up to me. They did not choose me, I was chosen. But you..."

I didn't reply, not right away. I only smiled and looked away rather shyly at first. You chose me, is what he meant to say, and it was so obvious that neither of us figured it needed to be said. It was obvious because it's exactly what I had done.

"I'll take the set," he relented, and at that I lifted my eyes to meet his own. He was looking away, still deep in thought, and I watched the way the gray clouds interacted with the sapphirine hues of his eyes. That's when he nodded, then met my gaze surely. "Under one condition."

"I help pay?"

"Absolutely not," he said without missing a beat. "Actually, I'll leave you my cloak. It's pretty warm, so as long as you promise to wear it, I'll wear this. How's that sound?"

I shook my head fondly; I could hardly believe this boy was the one meant to save Hyrule, sometimes. "Alright, hero. I promise."

"Good, then," he said, sighing out a relieved sort of breath. "I should probably head up to meet with the Rito Elder. Meet me down at the stable later?"

"I'll be there," I assured him and from there, we parted ways. I stocked up on some items for myself, and watched as he purchased the Snowquill set for himself, and I continued exploring the village for a while.

I listened to the trilling of the Rito children and the murmured song of the older ones, and I managed to learn more about their race through short stories I managed to overhear. The children began following me around, shocked and surprised by the sight of a Hylian here, and I indulged them. There was no reason for me not to, and honestly, they were adorable.

They eventually began to lead me along, and I followed them to and fro. I was eventually escorted to a wooden landing pad jutting out from the rock. I stepped out onto it at the encouraging cheers from the children and heard the gentle creak of the wood as Ii walked further out onto it. There were odd markings painted onto the wood, one I knew I had seen before. After a moment of racking through my brain, I remembered exactly where I had seen it.

It was a symbol designated to the Rito Champion, Revali. When I was younger, I read a lot about the history of Hyrule - that was obvious by now - and that of course included that of the Rito. Nearly every book on Rito history and customs had that symbol on the cover, and nearly each book had a chapter (or several chapters, in many cases) dedicated to Revali, and always included this symbol and explained its significance.

There was a sign on the side of the landing, and it read, 'Revali's Landing'. I walked further out onto it, in awe of the view of the world from its edge. I felt the wind blow through your hair and goosebumps pop up on my skin, but I didn't worry about that, just for a moment. I focused instead on the vast world in front of me, one that I had every intention of exploring fully.

From the landing, I could see the wide, rushing rivers that were mere lines in the landscape, snow capped mountains in the distance, and large villages that you felt I could stomp on from this height.

"So that's where you went off to," I heard Link say.

"Mm-hm," I hummed, not bothering to ask how long I'd been here looking out at Hyrule.

It didn't matter - he had found me anyway, and he'd already done what he needed to with the elder, at least for now. It was obvious, because he was here and seemed to be in no hurry. I could tell, because his approaching footsteps were calm and even, well-paced and slow.

"I've just been appreciating the view," was my reply. He stopped when he was next to me, and he looked towards the horizon too. "What did the elder say to you?"

"I have to go to the Flight Range," he said. "I'll talk to one of the Rito who apparently has been trying to attack the Beast himself, and hopefully convince him to help me."

Having nothing to say, I nodded. "When are you planning on leaving?"

"As soon as I can, I suppose," he said with a sigh.

"It's getting late," I said, and it was true - the sun was to set soon. "You should probably head out in the morning."

"I suppose," he said. "What do we do for now?"

"We should head back down to the stable at the base of the village," I suggested evenly. "You can get out of the cold for the night that way." Link didn't reply to that, and concerned, I looked up at him to see him looking down at the wooden platform, his brow furrowed. He was thinking deeply about something, and I figured that he was just worried for tomorrow. He had no idea what he was up against, after all.

I'd be nervous too.

Hylia, I was nervous.

"Link," I said quietly. When I failed to get his attention, I reached up and, with one hand, cupped his cheek and turned his head to face me, forcing his attention to center on me and only me. His conflicted blue eyes met my own and I smiled as warmly and as reassuringly as I could at him. "You'll be fine."

He let out a breath and closed his eyes, leaning into my hand slightly. After a moment, he opened his eyes again and smiled. He still looked worried, but there was a confident gleam in his eyes. "If you say so, then I guess it must be true, firefly."

I nodded and lowered my hand from his cheek. "Of course it's true," I said. "I'd never lie to you. Now come on, you can choose what we'll have for dinner."