"Apply this scrub, please." A female voice instructed softly.
"Like this?"
"Yes, that's fine. Could you fetch me a bucket of water?"
"Alright."
Sheik's eyes stung with dry tears. He tried to open them but failed, they felt as heavy as rocks.
"Is he waking up?" A familiar voice inquired. Sheik's mind wandered.
"I think so," the female replied "you should let him rest, that was a mighty big wound."
Sheik heard some muffled noises from in front of him. Someone was wrapping bandages around his ribs. He heaved a heavy sigh and tried to force his eyes open again.
"Are you awake, Sheik?"
Sheik's throat felt numb and weak. He hummed in response and it caused him to cough up phlegm. The careful hands wrapping his bandages stopped for a second and Sheik tried to cover his mouth to be as sanitary as possible. As Sheik lifted his hand to his mouth, the familiar cloth wasn't there. Sheik's eyes frantically opened.
"Where is my cowl," he snapped, glaring at the female in front of him. Her green eyes widened in shock as she quickly gave the cowl back to Sheik.
"We had to take it off so we could let you breathe." She tried to explain. The lady was twiddling her thumbs while looking to Link for help. Link stood beside Sheik who was lying down on the table.
"Sheik," Link started.
"No - go away."
Link swallowed a lump in his throat and started to reluctantly walk away from the table.
His mind still foggy, Sheik shuddered and closed his eyes while the lady continued to wrap his wounds in thin and dirty bandages.
_
The next couple hours were brutal. Sheik had tried to get up and walk, but he fell over and threw up. Link watched from a distance painfully. The lady gave him a potion that apparently helps with nausea.
Once he took the entire cup, Sheik closed his eyes once again.
The place Link brought Sheik to when he was injured was in a nearby village called Kakariko. Sheik knew the village really well, so he needed little to no explanation when he finally woke up. The lady who helped Sheik dress his wounds was named Ternia. She was the innkeeper in Kakariko.
Ternia opened the windows to aerate the room. Sheik shook from the cold, it wracked his entire frame. When Link noticed, he got up from his chair near the window and searched through a chest of fabric across the room. Link's footsteps walked back towards him and suddenly the Sheikah felt a thick wool quilt being draped around his shoulders.
"Thank you," Sheik whispered. He still hadn't made eye contact with Link.
"Anytime," Link replied, getting up to walk outside for a moment.
Kakariko was pretty much empty, especially at this time of night. It wasn't extremely cold at the moment, so Link decided to take his mind off of things by building a fire in the side lot of the inn. He collected wood, rocks and other things before carefully placing them in a circle, away from plants and other wood that could catch. Link blew air on the fire and heard a crackling sound which meant it would catch soon. He was hopeful.
Sheik, on the other hand, felt useless and empty. How could he have let himself become so hurt? Sheik sighed and touched the bandaged area on his stomach. It stung so he quickly pulled his hand away. Outside, Link was doing something. Sheik decided it was time for him to try walking again.
Sheik hesitantly sat up and put pressure on his legs. He lifted himself off the table and stood. He wasn't nauseous… yet. He kept a firm bandaged grip on the table before letting go.
Sheik's head wavered as he took steps to the door. The floorboards creaked and snapped as he moved. Thankfully the room was on the ground floor. Sheik walked outside and breathed fresh air before looking around for Link.
He finally spotted said boy who was sitting beside a small fire. He must have heard him.
"How are you feeling now?" Link asked. Sheik walked over beside him and sat down near the fire. He still wore the quilt around his shoulders.
"Okay," he uttered. Link watched him stare into the flames. Sheik's eyes were fatigued. Link thought about when they would be able to leave and continue to Castle Town. Link pulled his knees up to his chest and stared into the brilliant orange flames. They were beautiful.
Sheik cleared his throat.
"I want to tell you the truth..."
Link kept his mouth shut while watching Sheik intently. Sheik's eyes met Link's for once.
"...the Sheikah tribe is almost completely gone as many people already know. I am one of the last ones left. I have never been able to show my face for two reasons. Firstly, I grew up in the desert, so the sand constantly blows around and ends up everywhere. I am used to wearing it. Nothing feels right without it."
Link kept watching Sheik. His dark red eyes watched the flames devour a piece of wood.
"Secondly," Sheik started "Secondly…"
Sheik's eyes darkened and his eyebrows furrowed. Link watched him with curiosity. Sheik didn't say a word.
"Sheik?" Link questioned. Not a word came from the Sheikah. His sandy blond hair tumbled into his eyes. The fire suddenly felt warmer. Sheik stood up and walked back inside. Silence.
The sky was dark already. Tomorrow, if Sheik felt better, they could leave and continue on. Link assumed that the Sheikah didn't like sharing things. Link stood up, doused the fire with water and went inside the inn to sleep. Sheik was already lying down. His shoulders rose and fell.
Link's eyelids felt heavy. He felt himself drifting away. The only thing Link could think about was the way the flames in that fire danced.
(A/N: Chapter 2! Yay! I hope you like it guys I have been trying really hard to expand my vocabulary and make it less boring. I assure you, this will get way better later on.)
