The quiet of Hyrule Field at night was interrupted only by the distant call of guays and the occasional clatter of a stalchild as it passed under the trees. Even this close to the walls of Kakariko village, there was nothing to indicate that the largest human population in Hyrule resided just a minute's walk away. Once darkness fell, the inhabitants didn't dare leave their homes, lest they draw attention to themselves. While there hadn't been any incidents in the town proper, the townspeople had learned caution over the four years since Hyrule Castle fell to Ganondorf's forces.

For others, however, the dark had its uses. Sheik adjusted his weight on the branch under him as he surveyed the area again. With practically no chance of encountering a person, the only things he had to look out for were minor monsters, which sometimes had trouble noticing humans even when they weren't attempting to hide. He had been in the same tree all night. Impa said it was meant to be an exercise in patience and keeping out of situations where he would have to avoid monsters. But she had also promised him that he could see Hyrule for himself again once four years were up. While that was technically what he was doing, spending two weeks in empty areas at night without so much as a glimpse of the state of the population wasn't what he'd had in mind. If he could at least get to see Kakariko at night he would feel a lot better. After all, while he couldn't exactly interact with anyone, he felt it might do something to alleviate the guilt of knowing he had caused all this. As many times as Impa told him that there was no way he could have known, it still ate at him. Even as a child, Zelda understood the seriousness of what she was doing and wanted nothing more than to protect her kingdom. She had taken up the responsibility and failed.

He shook his head. That wasn't an identity he could hold any ties to anymore. Not for a long time, at least. It hurt to distance himself from his past, but this was the only way. And it wasn't as though he had ever hated being Sheik either.

A few leaves drifted to the ground as he sat. From here, he could see the steps leading up to the village, only a moment's dash across empty space from the treeline. He pulled his scarf up over his eyes and focused on his heartbeat. Impa was right, after all. As much as he wanted to know more, the risk of being caught outweighed any other priorities.

The fabric slipped down off his face and back around his neck. A few more steady breaths. He could handle this. Just a few more hours until it started to get light and then-

"!" Sheik found himself grabbing onto the branch for balance as he stared into the clearing and prayed he hadn't been heard.

A person was walking away from the village towards the trees. While it was unlikely they would notice him, he backed further into the shadows and stayed as still as possible. Not much could be determined about them due to the heavy fabric draped over their shoulders and head, which covered any identifying features. The way the bag across their shoulders folded into itself suggested it was empty. This person was clearly on their way to get something. He could only imagine what it might be.

Only once they had passed under the tree and out of sight did he realize that he was holding his breath. Exhaling, he went through his options. Staying put was the safe thing to do and he had been told not to leave that tree, but he had to investigate. Sheik glanced in the direction they had gone and climbed to the far side of the tree. Stopping only when the furthest out branch began to dip under his weight, he turned his gaze on the floor below.

Fortunately for him, the stranger had decided to stop just in sight - where the edge of the trees met Zora's River, and they were now painfully easy to spot. Lowering the hood revealed a boy with pale purple hair and lighter skin. The outfit that Sheik had found far too conspicuous before made sense now; even in the faint moonlight he almost seemed to glow.

The question of what the bag was for was answered when he saw the boy lean over by the river's edge and begin digging in the soil. A few moments of effort left him holding a small plant in his hands, which he dipped into the water before laying it on a cloth. He repeated the process several times before wrapping them all up and placing them in his bag.

Sheik leaned down further in an attempt to see exactly what the plants were. Being on the edge of a branch meant that it resulted in him bending it dangerously low, snapping part of the end. The noise caused the stranger to look up to glance in that direction. Fortunately, the darkness appeared to have kept him from being seen. While he knew he should be moving further out of sight, the sudden notice of the boy's red eyes left him frozen in place. But that means- he can't be…

After the boy finally pulled the fabric back over his head with a deep exhale and walked out of sight again, Sheik crawled back towards the trunk and placed a hand against the bark to steady the trembling. He needed to talk to Impa. Morning couldn't come soon enough.

XXXXXXXX

"I'm serious, Impa! I know what I saw."

"I don't doubt that you saw something, my dear." She pressed her palms against his shoulders to keep him from rising out of the seat. "You just need to consider that it was dark out, you were tired, and this was the first person you've seen in quite a while. It's possible your perception might have been…off."

Sheik deflected her hand from touching him and turned around. Her soft expression only made him feel worse; she clearly wasn't going to listen to him. "I would've thought you would be more interested in another Sheikah being alive."

She placed her fingers under his chin, tilting his head up to face her. For a while, her only response to his glare was a small smile, but finally she sighed and shifted her hand against the side of his face. "I would be. But in Kakariko? For all these years? It's highly unlikely."

"Maybe he's just better at hiding. We don't know." After all, while Ganondorf would have done thorough searches of any populated areas, there had to have been some citizens that could help them escape. Especially in a former Sheikah village. He swung back around, hands on his knees and head raised a little. If nothing else, she would have to admit it was worth looking into.

A slight tug on his hair. Bits of leaf dropped to his shoulders and down his front as Impa fussed with it more. She held a sliver of bark between her fingers before dropping it to the ground. "As good as having camouflage is, getting an entire sapling in your hair wasn't the idea."

He huffed, slouching a bit. "You're ignoring a potential asset."

"Or a dangerous threat." She let his hair run through her fingers. "I understand your concern, but we have to be careful. You can't go running off after distractions like this." She let him sulk while she redid his braid, waiting until it dropped down against his back to speak again. "After all, your interest in his appearance has already lead you to ignore other details that should be concerning."

"Like what?"

"Someone is sneaking out of town at night to gather who knows what kind of plants, a task that could easily be accomplished during the day. That would seem to suggest underhanded activity." The slow realization on his face and the way he raised his shoulders and looked away was enough for her. She tipped his chair, sending him stumbling to his feet. "I want you to understand the seriousness of it, but you are still learning. We can investigate this together."

XXXXXXXX

Ten nights of watches yielded nothing. Even as he settled into a tree near the spot of the original sighting, Sheik began to question if he hadn't been seen after all. It would make more sense to him that he had frightened off the boy than the idea that he hadn't actually been there. "Couldn't you at least check the village?" he whispered when Impa returned.

"Our concern is the threat involved in someone sneaking out. If they have not left, there is little chance of them meeting with any attackers." She brushed his bangs away from his face. "Get some rest. I will wake you when it is your turn to watch."

Although he appeared to be asleep, Sheik still snapped his hand up to grab her wrist before she could even touch his shoulder to wake him. Only after opening his eyes and seeing that it was her did he release her. The field was empty as it always was. As he turned towards Kakariko, he saw a faint light bobbing around the archway. Interesting that a poe would wander that far over, but nothing of concern.

A slight rustle of leaves. Impa stood beside him, gazing at the sky without meeting his eyes, even when he turned. When he raised his eyebrows at her, she simply said, "you're particularly jumpy tonight. I figured you would appreciate the warning." She silently crouched next to him.

He sighed and closed his eyes. It was at least a small comfort to know he had her helping. In their time in hiding, he had come to believe that he was prepared to face the outside world and what it had become, but even these few weeks had shown him how wrong he was. Her presence was what kept him going and safe.

The security of those thoughts only made the next few moments more jarring, however, as he barely stifled a shout when she forced his head down into the leaves. He stayed there even as the pressure lessened, waiting for an explanation.

"Someone's coming this way."

A patch of brightness began to grow. The irregular rhythm of shuffling leaves suggested the holder of the light was attempting to not be noticed, although Sheik felt the lantern made it a wasted effort.

Impa huffed. Except for releasing her hold on him, she was perfectly still, tracking every shift of the light.

By the time he lifted his head clear of the branches, he found he had a clear view. Mistaking the person for a poe seemed more reasonable now, since the almost-whiteness of his hair and face was probably closer to a ghost than some actual spirits. His attention turned completely away from the boy as he came into Impa's view.

In the seconds that it took for her eyes to fully adjust to the lantern below, the furrow of her eyebrows deepened and she wrinkled her nose. While she continued to watch him as he traveled below them, she made no move to follow his path further into the field.

Sheik pressed his scarf against his face to muffle a laugh when she frowned, mouthing words that he couldn't decipher but were probably questioning. He continued to shake with suppressed giggles even after she had gotten over her confusion, only finally able to stop once she gave him a stern look.

"Well, you were certainly right about what you saw," she began, folding her arms across her chest. "And I have to admit his appearance is certainly questionable."

He grinned. "I told you he was Sheikah. And he looks to be right about my age, which might be a problem at first because he won't have much training, but once we establish contact it shouldn't be too hard to-" the look on Impa's face stopped him. "What?"

"We have no way of knowing if he is actually Sheikah. Even if he is, it's questionable that he would be alive and able to move freely, even in the night, unless he happened to make a deal with someone. Especially since he is clearly looking for something again" She placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Stay here. I need to follow him." With that, she disappeared, leaving Sheik alone with his thoughts.

While he could understand the reasoning, he still couldn't handle what she had said. Yes, it was important to be cautious. He knew that. But there was no reason not to at least think about him as potentially useful. When he calmed slightly, he noticed that he had started plucking leaves off the branches and letting them fall to the ground. As much as it helped, he knew not to cause so much movement. Instead he forced his hands to stay at the front of his shirt, twisting the edge of the fabric.

Impa returned a few minutes later. When he looked up, she shook her head. "This boy seems very interested in the local plants. Unfortunately, I don't know much about them myself, so I cannot determine what their purpose might be." She sighed and closed her eyes. "That means he needs to be watched further." His sudden interest made her laugh. She brushed her hands through his hair again, still faintly smiling. "I will allow you to conduct most of it, since you are so interested. What I ask of you in return," she cautioned, holding up a hand to still him, "is that you give this proper gravity and not allow it to interfere with your duties."

Sheik responded by hugging her, murmuring an "I promise" into the fabric of her shirt.