[X] Yes, you'll need somewhere to camp anyways.
-[X] Try to come into sight of the other camp from a safe distance away to see what is there and if it is safe.
You both guide your horses towards the music, each of you ready to turn your horses away if it proved to be an army camp or worse. As you came closer it became slightly harder to not charge on ahead, as the smell of cooking vegetables and meat drifted towards you on the wind. The camp you quickly spot was on an outcropping of rock off the side of a hill, rather close to the edge for most people to be comfortable yet those on top definitely did not care how high off the ground they were. They were humanoid birds, a male, and female. Rito, you quickly realize. The male Rito was large and muscular, his blue feathers standing out like a beacon. He was playing an accordion while looking out over the valley, so engrossed in his music he seemed to not be paying attention to anything else.
The female was younger and far less colorful in appearance. Most of her feathers were a beige-colored white, but she also had a rather noticeable crest of red feathers that resembled a long mane of hair tied into a ponytail. You really weren't familiar with Rito though but at a guess, you'd say she was a similar age to you and Zelda. She was tending to a pot sitting over a fire, stirring its contents with a sturdy ladle. A lyre sat near her, one made of exceptional craftsmanship and gilded in what could only be gold.
"That's... I recognize that Rito on the ridge! It's Kass! He was the apprentice of my music teacher, the court poet." Zelda quietly tells you, her eyes wide.
"And the girl?"
Zelda shakes her head, " She looks familiar but I don't think I ever met her.... Hmm, Kass, if I'm remembering right, left my teacher's service to get married to one of the daughters of my mother's ladies in waiting, who was a Rito. She... bears a remarkable resemblance to her actually, that's her old Lyre actually, though is far too young to be his wife. She must be the younger sister and his sister in law."
You stop Epona, looking over to Zelda with a serious look, "Could they be dangerous to meet?"
Zelda pauses, gripping her reigns tightly in her hands as she considers the situation, "There... is a danger Kass would recognize me. I don't think it'd be a safe idea to go by anything other than Sheik while with them. But... my late teacher was Sheikah and a great judge of character. He dropped everything to attend Kass's wedding, and they kept in touch. I... I would like to believe they're good people, and that we can trust them no matter what they realize about me. I also would like to know more about the Rito, how they've faired since the empire's occupation."
You nod and direct Epona up the slope towards the Rito's camp site. Zelda follows behind you, fiddling with her scarf to cover her face. You both take it slow, not wanting to look like bandits charging in on the Rito's camp. The girl spots you first, jumping to her feet and holding the ladle up as an impromptu club.
"Kass... Kass!" She begins to call out to her companion, "Big brother!"
The other bird finally noticed as both you and Zelda hopped off your horses, raising your hands up in a placating gesture.
"It's alright, we're just travelers. We don't mean you any harm," Zelda says, looking towards the girl, "Sorry for the intrusion, but we heard your music and followed it here."
The girl relaxes, lowering her deadly soup ladle and looking a bit ashamed of herself. The blue Rito laughs, patting his companion on the shoulder, "Haha, it's alright Medli. Sorry, we've had a few bad encounters lately so we are a bit jumpy. I am Kass, a traveling bard and this is my apprentice Medli," Medli bows in greeting and Kass looks at you both with a curious expression, "What brings you two out here?"
Zelda steps forward, "I'm Sheik, and this is Link. We're also traveling musicians and... um... is something..."
Kass's eyes had gone wide, his beak hanging open as he stared at Zelda, even leaning forward to get a closer look.
"Those eyes! You're...!"
"I um... don't know what you mean..." Zelda mumbles nervously, glancing away. Medli just seems confused, glancing between Kass and Zelda.
Kass blinks and seems to realize something, he coughs into his... wing...hand.... Hand, "Yes um... sorry. My teacher was a member of your tribe so I got a bit carried away."
Zelda seems visibly relieved, and you didn't think it'd be best to correct her assumption, "It's perfectly alright, though I'm a bit nervous that you recognized me as Sheikah."
Medli's eyes go wide as Kass chuckles, shaking his head, "I understand, please come and warm yourselves by the fire. Though I'm afraid we don't have enough to offer you a meal."
"It's alright, we have our own supplies," You reply, waving a hand and Kass nods.
The two of you return to your horses and get your food before returning to the fire pit, Kass and Medli having taken out bowls and wooden spoons for their stew. Taking a seat on nearby rocks you notice Kass looking at the two of you with a curious expression. Medli, however, was barely concealing her curiosity and was watching both of you with wide red eyes, her spoon nearly missing her beak.
"I don't mean to pry, but I never imagined to find a Sheikah in Lanayru. May I ask what you're doing here?" Kass suddenly asks, and Zelda nods. Wordlessly she pulls down her scarf, revealing her horrifically scarred face. Ruined flesh stretched and strained, translucent pitted skin making it look like someone was peeling back rotting flesh from a skull. Kass winced noticeably as Medli gave a horrified gasp, her spoon falling from her fingers back into her bowl as she clapped a hand to her mouth. When she realized what she had just done her horrified expression turned to shame, and she opened her beak to apologize. Zelda shook her head, giving the girl a sad smile but Medli could not meet Zelda's eyes.
"I'm... sorry, for everything you must have gone through," Kass says solemnly, eyes downcast.
"No no, it's alright. But thank you for your concern, though I must ask you the same question. Lanayru has been..."
"A pit," Kass finishes her sentence, his expression now grave, "Like you though, we have little choice. Soldiers spend their rupees readily to alleviate boredom, and a bard trained by the old court poet has little value to anyone else."
"The court poet?" You ask, and Kass nods.
"Yes, a wonderful man who taught me everything I know. A Sheikah like your friend, he entertained the courts by teaching them of Hyrule's ancient history through his ballads. Music can carry the most powerful of magic, and his knowledge was second to none."
"He... always seemed to know a poem for the occasion, always teaching a lesson through song..." Zelda muttered quietly to himself, and Kass gave her a sad look.
"The Yiga took many great lives that day, and we're all lesser because of it. I do my best to carry on my master's teachings, singing his ballads to whoever will listen so that we never forget our past. I believe that would have been my masters wish."
Zelda's expression was sad, but the smile sitting on her face was as genuine as it could be, "I am sure he is honored and rests easy at the goddess's side knowing his songs are in such good hands."
Kass inclines his head, "Thank you, your kind words move me. Though... I must ask, how... did anyone else..?"
"Our villages still stand, we lost many friends but the Sheikah survive," Zelda informs Kass, and a palpable wave of relief seems to flow over him.
"That's.... after that night and the chaos that spread we'd feared you were all..."
"We are the ancient shadow tribe of the goddess, it'll take more than the Empire to end us," Zelda states, her tone darkening.
Kass nods, then look's over to you and Medli, who were watching the conversation with obvious interest, food hovering halfway to your mouths, "Haha, I apologize for speaking of such a heavy topic during dinner. You two must feel rather left out!"
Medli shakes her head rapidly, "No no, it's fine! I'm fine with just letting you two talk!" She says, and you nod in agreement.
"Come now, Link was it?" Kass asks, eyeing you up. His eyes seem to focus on your clothes and a spark of recognition goes through his eyes, "That's quite an interesting outfit you have there. Where are you from?"
"Oh, this?" You say, pulling on your green tunic "Sheik got it for me, I'm actually from Ordona."
Kass rubs his beak, a glint in his eye, "Link Ordona then, I can't tell if you resemble your father or your mother more."
You freeze. He would have known both of them, wouldn't he? Medli was now staring at you as well, crimson eyes as wide as they could go.
You rub the back of your neck, a nervous laugh escaping your throat, "Haha, you caught me."
"Well, this is truly a most joyous meeting then! Tell me, how is your father?"
You scratch your cheek, unsure of how to respond. "He passed away a few years ago..."
Kass offers you a sympathetic look, "My apologies, he was a great man and a true knight. Is there anything I can do?"
"Thank you, and yes actually. Could you tell us why you're even bothering with getting rupees from the soldiers here? Surely it'd be safer to remain in the Rito's lands?"
Kass sighs despondently, while Medli sets her spoon down into her bowl, "You wouldn't know if you've been living in Ordona, too far from it all and the empire has done much to suppress the truth. We've been driven from our homes, our lands taken and divided up for the Empire's people. The Rito are now wandering bands, forbidden to settle in Imperial lands. Medli and I sell our musical talents to buy needed tools and supplies."
"It's been... hard, on everyone," Medli suddenly speaks, her voice quiet, "We're often gone for long stretches of time, and we both miss my sister and nieces terribly. I'm just happy that I'm able to be of some use to everyone."
"What do you mean?" You ask, concerned.
"Before all this I was training to be a priestess, to follow in my mother's footsteps. I even learned some wind magic," She tells you, holding out her hand. An intense gust of wind seems to form and pull itself towards the palm of Medli's hand, dust, and debris gathering to form a miniature cyclone before with a flick of her wrist it vanishes, "But... the empire attacked and there was no one to teach me, and a few gusts of wind do not find food or medicine. I am grateful that I could learn what I did though, the dances, songs, and prayers gave me an understanding of music that could actually help my family, though nowhere close to Kass's."
"You're too modest Medli, you've been an indispensable help," Kass reassures his sister in law, but she doesn't look convinced.
"This isn't right..." Zelda mutters, and you only notice then she was glaring at the flames, her red eyes flashing as she clenched her fists, "There has to be something I... we can do to change this!"
Kass was watching Zelda with a contemplative expression, glancing between her and you for some reason. Medli, however, places her hand onto Zelda's, "Please, do not burden yourself when you've already suffered so greatly. Just knowing there are people who care about what happens to us is enough to give us the strength to continue through this hardship."
Zelda doesn't look remotely convinced.
"Actually, speaking of that there is a song I would like to sing to you, a warning of what land you are heading into," Kass suddenly says, cutting off Zelda's retort and knowing her reveal of who she is.
"Oh? But we have nothing to pay you for it though, it doesn't seem fair when it's your only source of income," Zelda replies, waving her hands but Kass simply shakes his head.
"Then why don't you sing to us afterward? You did say you were also musicians. I'd consider it a fair trade!" Kass says with a laugh.
Zelda looks over to you, uncertainty on her face. You nod, and she turns to accept Kass's deal as you ponder his intentions. Kass due to his bardic training probably viewed music as the best way to get a message across. More, you suspected Kass intended for Zelda to learn the song herself, for what purpose though you'll have to wait to hear the song.
Medli and Kass converse among themselves for a moment, before taking up positions across from the two of you their instruments in hand.
Then they begin....
♫
Oh early in the morning, fore the sunrise
They get outta bed an open their eyes
Wit dirty old trousers in reds an blacks
they pick up their tools and pick up their ax
♫
say way oh, the dust it blows
say way oh, the dust it blows
♫
They just march down that road, to Dorephan's old mine
Just like their elders when the wages were fine
But Dorephan's long gone, and so is his grace
now ain't no one happy in this miserable place
♫
Say way oh, the stone it glows
Say way oh, the stone it glows
♫
Down underground it's dark and it's cold
They don't get no breaks they do as their told
The dust crews get down on their hands and knees
to do anything that angry foreman please
♫
Say way oh, the dust it blows
Say way oh, the stone it glows
♫
But the foreman he's under the Dukes greedy thumb
Making them miners work till they're numb
They pull out that stone and make that man rich
An' come home broken, face black as pitch
♫
Say way oh, the dust it blows
Say way oh the stone it glows
♫
An' up in that palace, where the greedy Duke hides
there's riches and treasures he ne'er divides
But down in Lanayru, a dirty wind blows
The stews are thin and there's rags for clothes
♫
Oh the Dust Domain, she's a terrible place
Put a limp in yer walk, and a scowl on yer face
when the miners come back with pittance for pay
Makes you wonder why the e'en get up the next day
♫
Say way oh, the dust it blows
Say way oh the stone it glows
Say way oh, the dust it blows
Say way oh the stone it glows
♫
As the last note fades both you and Zelda clap, and Medli and Kass both bow. Zelda's expression though is dark, an anger you've never seen before from the princess practically radiating off her. It was the kind of you would expect to be a prelude to a bitter violence, something you aren't sure you ever wanted to see from her.
"So, what'd you think? I was planning for it to be mostly for travelers so-" Kass begins to ramble, but the unexpected calmness in Zelda's voice when she replied cut him short.
"It was a lovely song and quite informative on the state of Lanayru. Would you perhaps mind if I were to share it with others?"
So that's Kass's game, a blow to the Duke's image told through song and a warning of the poverty you will encounter on your way to the capitol. But you don't think Kass expects or is even aware of the fire in Zelda he just lit with that spark.
"Of course Sheik." He replies as Medli returns to her seat, setting her golden lyre down beside her.
"Ah, but we have our own song to play. Come on Link, I think the song we've been practicing might be a welcome reprieve from tonight's heavy tone."
You shrug, and the two of you collect your instruments before returning to Kass and Medli, who were eagerly awaiting your choice of music. The two of you stand before them, a princess and her tag-along woodsman, and ready your instruments.
Zelda strums her Lyre, eyes closed as you bring your panflute to your lips. Then she begins to sing...
♫
Beside the sea red roses growing
Beside the sea white lilies showing
Beside the sea their beauty telling
My true love sleeps within her dwelling
♫
Beside the sea the stones lie scattered
Where tender words in love were uttered
While all around there grew the lily
And sweetest branches of rosemary
♫
Beside the sea blue pebbles lying
Beside the sea gold flowers glowing
Beside the sea are all things fairest
Beside the sea is found my dearest
♫
Full the sea of sand and billows
Full the egg of whites and yellows
Full the woods of leaf and flower
Full my heart of love for ever.
♫
Fair the sun at new day's dawning
Fair the rainbow's colours shining
Fair the summer, fair as heaven
Fairer yet the face of Elin
♫
++++
While Kass was giving pointers to Zelda you and Medli were setting the camps up for the night. It was going to rain from the looks of things, so you and Zelda will probably have to share a tent again which was an embarrassing thing to have to do when you were sharing a campsite, as neither of you wanted to create any assumptions from your new friends. You did get a chance to talk with Medli a little bit. She was so serious about everything and seemed to go out of her way to make herself useful. You couldn't help but feel she was putting more of a burden on herself than was necessary.
You finally finish setting up camp when you hear someone walk up behind you, the strange light footfalls easily telling you who it was.
"Yeah, what is it Medli?" You ask, turning to face the Rito girl. Medli starts a bit, her beak clicking shut. Evidently, she didn't expect you to notice her that quickly.
Her surprise quickly vanishes though, and uncertainty seemed to fall over her.
"Um..." She begins, before she looks at her feet, wringing her hands.
"It's alright, you can ask me anything," You say, grinning. You wonder what she could want-
"Do you remember my mother!?" Medli blurts out, before clapping her hands over her mouth.
"Pardon?"
Medli starts bowing repeatedly, saying quite quickly "I'm sorry that was rude I shouldn't have just suddenly asked out of the blue and- "
You hold up a hand, "It's alright Medli, breathe. You don't have to apologize. Could you repeat your question?"
Medli straightens up, breathing out a sigh of relief. Huh, her and Zelda share a lot of mannerisms. You wonder if the Rito and Sheikah have similar social etiquettes.
"Sorr- err I mean, what I wanted to ask was when you lived at the castle did you happen to meet my mother, do you... remember her at all?"
You shake your head sadly, "Sorry, I barely even remember seeing my own mother much. Their duties to the Queen must have taken up much of their time."
Medli bows her head, disappointment clear on her face, "It seems we're very similar then..." She says quietly.
"You didn't get to see your mother much?"
Medli shakes her head, "No, Hyrule castle was so far away and my mother was always so busy. When she did return she would always seem so tired until she saw my sister and I..."
She turns slightly, glancing towards her Lyre she had set against a stone wistfully, "Our mothers were truly amazing people. They along with the other ladies in waiting and Queen Tetra were known as the Seven Sages, the greatest sorceresses in all of Hyrule. They helped so many people, changed so many lives for the better. Many still remember them as holy figures, even though the Empire would rather they be remembered as evil witches. It's... hard to imagine after hearing all their great deeds that they were even real..."
"They were our moms, that's how I'll always remember them," You state, leaning against a tree, "No matter what people say of them."
Medli nods, but her eyes linger on her lyre.
"That lyre belonged to your mother, didn't it?"
"Yes..." She says, eyes downcast with a hand pressed to her chest, "It is the Rito Harp, a sacred artifact to my people passed down from our ancestors. My mother would use it as a focus for her magic, her holy powers allowing her to unlock the Rito Harp's full potential. She... left it to me before she left to deal with the plague, told me when she returned she would teach me how to unlock its powers..."
She looks away from the Rito harp, blinking away tears "It seems fate never wished for me to follow in my mother's wingbeats. I feel guilty every time I use it, hoping that a more worthy owner would appear..."
You put a hand on Medli's shoulder, and she looks up in shock, "I think it's in the hands of the owner most deserving of it. Your mother gave it to you because she loved you, and it's a symbol of that love for you. She would be proud of the amazing, caring young women her daughter grew up to be."
Medli's feathers seem to become a bit ruffled looking, and she clicks her beak a few times. She then looks away towards the ground, yet even though she wasn't physically capable of it you could tell she was smiling, "Thank you Link, your kind words mean a lot to me."
You let go of her shoulder and she steps back a bit, scratching a cheek with her feather... finger...feather-finger.
A silence stretches out, and just as you're about to feel awkward a thought strikes you.
"So..." You begin, hoping to change the subject to one less heavy, "You and Kass seem pretty close."
"Mmm," Medli nods, looking over to her brother in law who'd taken out his accordion again, "Even before he and my sister started dating he was close to my family, always spending time with me and Amali. He was always something of an older brother to me. I... think how he was always looking out for me was what made my sister fall for him."
She paces a bit, eyes downcast as she remembered, "When... my mother passed he helped alleviate the burden on my sister, and it wasn't long until they were married and my nieces were born."
She chuckles a bit, "I never imagined the two of them as parents, but I guess raising me helped prepare them for five daughters."
That poor woman...
Medli snickers at your expression, "Yes, Saki always teases them that she doesn't know how they ever sleep when she barely got a wink with Tulin."
"You know, Kass would tell me stories about you whenever he returned from the castle," She says, glancing back over to you.
"Oh?"
Medli nods, "He'd tell me how the castle maids would have to physically separate you and the princess when you got into a fight, but then an hour later the two of you would go off exploring the gardens, the Princess collecting snails and bugs to show off."
...Has your relationship with Zelda changed that little?
"Do you... miss her?" Medli suddenly asks.
Uh oh, you aren't sure if you can tell Medli you'll be trying to block out Zelda's snoring later tonight.
"Well..." You manage to get out, trying to think of something, "It's been a very long time."
She nods, her expression mournful, "My apologies, I shouldn't have asked you to try and recall something that must feel like it happened a lifetime ago, especially with the Empire's lies distorting the truth."
You raise an eyebrow, "I take it you're not a fan of their narrative."
"No, the Princess Zelda my brother told me about is amazing because she is so... normal. A normal girl who suffered far too much, yet continued on despite it all. Her story... gave me the strength to continue on when all seemed lost. I wish I could have met her, perhaps.... perhaps she would have found a proper path for me," Medli mutters the last part, her eyes again drifting back to the Rito Harp, "Perhaps she was the one the Rito Harp was truly for..."
"You think she's really dead?" You ask, trying to keep Medli from slipping back into the self-doubt.
"No, " Medli says resolutely, "I... I know she's out there, in hiding. Maybe she's given up on it all and has chosen a quiet life. Perhaps we shall meet her on our journey, Kass and I. If that happens I... I want to give her the Rito Harp. So she has something to connect her to her mother through my own. And I'll tell her you're alive, I promise you!"
You sigh, folding your arms in front of you, "If Zelda's the same dork I knew I think she'll just want to be your friend, she might even want to play music with you. I think that's what you should give her if you ever meet Zelda."
Medli nods, and you get the impression she's smiling at you again. However, noting the position of the moon (or rather how it had disappeared behind some rainclouds) causes her to jump, and she wishes you a good night before running over to her brother in law in a flurry of feathers, almost tripping in her haste.
You sigh again, a faint smile on your lips before you glance upwards, "She sure does look up to you."
Zelda leaps down from the tree branch above you, landing softly beside you, "I hope I can become friends with her, she's pretty amazing despite her self-doubts."
You smirk, "You two sure do have that in common-ow," Zelda had just lightly punched you in the shoulder, cutting you off.
Shaking her hand because she forgot you were wearing chainmail Zelda sighs, "But I don't know if I can face her as Zelda. Even if she knows the real me I... I don't think I'm..."
"Not overthinking it," You finish the sentence for her, "Look, you're not comfortable with revealing who you are right now. That's alright. But we'll meet her again, I know we will. When that happens, I know you two will end up the best of friends."
Zelda gives a small smile, not even her scars serving to hamper it, "Thank you Link..."
The two of you stand there a minute, the faint smell of rain drifting in on the breeze. A thought strikes you then, a question you should have asked in the beginning.
"Uh... Zelda?"
"Yeah?" She answers, sounding confused.
"Why were you in the woods when you overheard us?"
She looks away, embarrassment clear on her face, "Not everyone has an iron bladder like you Link."
++++
The next morning the four of you pack up, and Kass and Medli say their goodbyes and best wishes to you before taking off. They do give one last bit of advice though, healings are rare now despite the Zora Healers still being intact. No doubt the duke was responsible, but they don't know the details. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as first impressions suggested?
Zelda too was fired up from all the injustices the duke apparently committed. She suggested trying to find whatever resistance those feral Zora represented, perhaps they could aid you or at least provide more information. However, there was no guarantee that they had the information or had a healer. Finding them would be easy though, all you needed to do was find a Korok.
[] Head to Zora's Domain, try your luck with the Duke.
[] Find the Zora Resistance using a Korok to guide you.
[] Write-in
