The sidequest "The Duchess Who Disappeared" in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is one of the countless small sidequests that await you everywhere in Hyrule.
Here's the deal: As you fight your way through the snow-covered mountains of the Hebra Range, you're almost certain to run into Shield Surfer students Russel and Fin at some point. They are looking for their trainer Selmie, who has disappeared. Russel waits in Selmie's Spot for her return, while Fin keeps his eyes open further southwest at a campfire. We'll show you the exact points on the map below.
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Talk to one of the two students to start the sidequest "The Duchess Who Disappeared" in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. To rescue Selmie, you need to find the East Biron Snowshelf Cave. Below, we'll show you the way from Fin's campfire, since it's shorter from there than from Selmie's Spot.
The cave is very close by. Just jump down the slope to Fin's right. At the bottom of the opposite rock face is the entrance to the cave. If you haven't chased him away yet, the entrance is also marked by a Rumi.
Inside, the way is blocked by debris, which you can blast away with two arrows plus Thunder Flower. Once the way is clear, you will meet Selmie after a few meters. Talk to her and then run further into the cave. There you will again encounter a boulder barrier. Blow it apart with two thunder arrows and talk to Selmie again.
Selmie will leave the cave next and ask you to visit her in her hut. There she will give you a Strong Zonaite Shield as a reward for saving her. Selmie also offers to take you in as a student and teach you how to surf a shield.
From now on, you can take lessons from Selmie for a small fee of 20 rupees. In it, you'll first have to prove your shield surfing skills on the beginner track before you can unlock the expert track. The latter is much more challenging and also longer. Once you have mastered this challenge, Selmie will give you a soldier shield. You can also buy different shields there now.
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