Author's Note: Sorry it's been a while. But to make up for the wait I do have two chapters. Enjoy!

"Sheik."

Link had journeyed half a day to reach the hidden village of old Kakariko. It was located north, in a canyon that spanned from Zora's Domain all the way to the Eldin Bridge. In-between there was a tunnel of sorts which had been blocked off by a giant boulder the first time Link had come by it. But bombs had made quick work of it, leading him straight into the ruins of old Kakariko. It was a tiny village, with homes and shops built with not even a person's width between them. At a time it may have looked like a very quaint, canyon version of Ordon Village, but now it looked as though it were a ghost town. The only resident left was the village elder, Impaz, who had survived the Bulbin invasion by boarding herself in her home with her many cats.

But when Link arrived to speak to her about the Sheikah, and the demon Fanadi had warned him about, he could not find her. The house was empty, the cats gone. The only movement around was from a dusty tumbleweed. For a moment, the hero wished he could turn into his Twilight Beast form so he could sniff her out, but that was impossible now without Midna. Where could the old woman have gone? Did she perhaps go out looking for the Sheikah that went after the demon? He doubted that, seeing as Impaz was a terribly small and from what he could tell, not too strong. He checked every home, all desolate and in shambles. Nothing seemed to clue him in on where the elder had gone. It was though she had vanished into thin air. Link walked out of the final building, head hung in puzzlement.

"You won't find her here, honey," a voice he knew all too well called.

He jumped before he turned abruptly to see Telma the Castle Town bar-tender at the entrance of the village upon her horse-drawn wagon. The black and white mare tossed its head as he quickly approached.

"Telma!" Link exclaimed, feeling his eyebrows raise in surprise. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

The dark-skinned woman gave a sultry wink. "Well I just followed the musky scent of man right to you!" she chuckled before giving a faint sigh, face slowly slipping into a more serious expression. "No, I didn't actually mean to find you. You see, I got a letter from Renaldo saying that Impaz was very sick and staying in his village so he could tend to her. I was on my way there when I saw Epona right by the cave entrance. Which brings me to ask, what are you doing here?"

"Sick?" he echoed, ignoring her inquiry momentarily. "That's not good… I needed to ask her something."

The busty bar-tender pursed her lips. "Ah, I see. Well, how 'bout this, sweetie: we can go to Kakariko together. I do miss our little adventures," she cooed with a smirk. In the earlier parts of his journey, Link had guarded her from the monsters of the bridge and Hyrule field while escorting her and Ilia to Kakariko so that the Renaldo could tend to a young, Zora prince named Ralis. But there were no monsters this time. Just Telma and her sharp tongue.

Link smiled. "That'd be great."

Telma was a tall woman, taller than him, with a sharp nose and small eyes. She had dreaded red hair that she pulled back into a high ponytail. Her figure was bulky. She had wide shoulders and hips to support her large chest, and arms made for bear-crushing hugs. She was a sweet woman, incredibly clever and funny, and had aided him much in his previous journey. All about her was an air of stern dignity, and her chin never tilted down. She was a natural born leader.

On their way to Eldin Bridge, they began to discuss their business with Impaz.

"My Resistance all split up now that peace has returned to Hyrule," Telma began as Link kept up beside her on Epona, "and all of my team was accounted for when they came back from all their individual investigations. All but one." She shook her head. "My informant never came back. I have absolutely no idea where the fool went, and I need to make sure they're alright. I sent a letter to their family members asking if they had returned without me knowing and only one responded saying she didn't know where she was. The other… well the other is sick in Kakariko, and I figure-"

Link started in his saddle. Sick in Kakariko… Impaz… His eyes widened. "Wait! Are you perhaps talking about Sheik?"

Telma looked at him with surprise. "Why, yes! How do you know Sheik? Have you seen that blasted escape artist?"

"I've never actually met her," Link admitted, shaking his head. Telma looked disappointed. "But I'm looking for her too. Well, I will be once I get some questions answered by Impaz," he went on to say. "Fanadi said she'd try and scout her out in the meantime."

The bar-tender clucked her tongue. "Those Sheikah… always full of secrets. Well, as I was saying, I figure since Impaz is Sheik's grandmother, she'd be there helping tend to her…" Telma paused. "You've spoke to Fanadi then? That pompous woman never tells me anything. Did she say something about where Sheik went? If she's alright?"

Link had to bite the inside of his cheek. It probably wouldn't be a great idea to tell Telma about the demon, she'd get invested in helping and it sounded like the Sheikah family wanted to deal with the matter as quietly as possible as to not arouse any commotion or rumors. Telma wasn't the sort of person to deal with things quietly. "Uhh, no…" he lied. "She didn't say. I don't think she even knew Impaz was sick. She told me to come to the hidden village to talk with her."

Telma sighed, defeated. "I see."

There was a minute of tense, uncomfortable silence. It hovered over the air like a thick blanket, stifling the mood. Link shifted in his saddle, giving Telma a sideways glance. "Uh, how do you know about the Sheikah tribe anyway? I thought their race was kinda… I don't know. I hadn't even heard about them till a few days ago."

The Resistance leader scoffed. "Many people don't know they exist nowadays, sweetie. However, near extinct Hyrule races is a bit of a passion of mine. Did you know that I am a quarter Gerudo?" She looked at him with a bit of a twinkle in her eyes, laughing when he only looked at her confused. "Ha! You probably haven't heard of them either. That race is pretty much gone now due to interbreeding with other races. It was an all-female tribe that lived in the Gerudo Desert. One male was born every hundred years. They were mostly known for being greedy desert thieves and pirates, but some made it as travelling merchants. My grandmother was a Gerudo, probably one of the last pure bred ones… Anyways, in my studies on Gerudo, I stumbled on other extinct or near extinct tribes such as the Sheikah. And when Fanadi came to the city I knew she was a Sheikah. The eye symbol gives it away. However many people around don't recognize it any longer."

Link nodded. "I'm not really shocked I don't know much about Hyrule's history… I grew up in a very rural setting, we didn't have much reading material. The only races I knew of were Hylian, Goron, and Zora. And even then I thought the Zora and Gorons to be myths. It was hard to imagine such creatures in my small hometown, especially when no one but the mayor had seen them in person."

Telma chuckled. "Well, you are more than welcome to look at some of my books, honey. Besides, I miss seeing your pretty face at my bar. What have you been up to, anyways? I haven't seen you around in ages!"

The hero didn't go into too much detail on his journey. He only said that settling down wasn't in the cards for him now, and that he felt like there were some strings pulling him in new directions, new adventures. He needed to get out and explore, see the world, save as many people as he could along the way.

"The life of those clad in green," the woman mused. "I get that. But boy, I was bettin' that you were gon'na become some fancy knight for Queen Zelda now that everything's all back to normal. Perks would've been great! Free lodging at the castle, amazing pay, access to Zelda twenty-four hours a day…" She gave him a broad smile and another one of her infamous winks.

Link shook his head, his face feeling warm and flushed. "Ha, we both have our duties… I don't think that would've worked out for either of us. Besides, we're uh… just friends."

"Mmhm," Telma sighed. "No knight in shining armor ending for Hyrule then, huh?"

"No, I don't think so."

Their conversation tapered off to more idle subjects. They chatted all the way across the great Eldin Bridge and the rolling eastern plains of Hyrule Field. It was strange crossing all these land masses without having any dangers around. It was abnormally quiet and peaceful. Whereas before the field was littered with Bulbin riders and large raptors, now there were only small, chirping birds and darting insects.

By the time they had gotten to the wide canyon where the new Kakariko village was nestled in, it had gotten dark. Link offered to tether their horses so that Telma could go tell the village shaman Renaldo they had arrived.

New Kakariko was of course much larger than the hidden village. Since the monsters had left Hyrule with the defeat of Ganon, many villagers had returned to the once desolate settlement, working on rebuilding their homes and shops. Gorons came down from Death Mountain to help with some heavy lifting, since Link had restored their alliance with the Hylians. Piles of timber and stone were mounded on the sides of the street. Even Barnes's bomb shop, which had remained mostly intact during the Twilit Beast invasion, appeared to be undergoing some renovations as well. Hopefully Kakariko would come out bigger and better than it had been before.

After Link drew some fresh water for Epona and Telma's horse, he made his way to the large Kakariko inn, where Renaldo typically worked on sick patients. The building was built right up against the canyon wall, its upper floors opening to the top where a hot spring was nestled. The inside was very roomy. The first floor was a tavern of sorts. There was a kitchen in the back, and tables scattered all about. A few new faces Link didn't recognize seemed to be relaxing down here, enjoying a drink or two in the hazy candlelight before heading to bed. To the right was a stair case that led to the second floor, which Link quickly ascended. Before entering the room where the beds were, there was a balcony that looked down to the tavern below. A rustic looking wardrobe rested against the wall next to the entryway from which Telma and Renaldo's hushed voices carried.

Link poked his head in, seeing rows of beds on either side of the space, the large form of Renaldo standing at the end of the room beside the last bed. Telma was at the foot with crossed arms, her face full of mournful pity. Link presumed Impaz to be the one residing in the bed, however between the shaman and bar tender, he could not actually see her.

They noticed his presence quickly, beckoning him to come over. He did so quietly as to not disturb the sickly Sheikah elder. "Link," Renaldo greeted, his voice deep and sullen. "It's good to see you. Telma told me you came to see Impaz as well. She's…" He halted to let out a disgruntled sigh. The hero nodded knowingly. It must not be looking good.

Her body was snugly tucked under the covers, making only her aged, wrinkled face visible. Her silver hair, which normally was tied into small buns behind her ears, was down and hanging about her shoulders. She was paler than he remembered her to be, and from the looks of her clammy skin and open mouth, it didn't take a shaman to know she was extremely sick.

"When she came here, she was only a bit weary from the trip," Renaldo explained sadly. "But only a day or so later, she was bed-ridden with a fever. She is barely ever awake now, and her body has been unresponsive to my medicine herbs… All I can do now is try and let her sweat it out."

Telma shook her head. "The poor woman… How could Sheik have left her here like this? Her own grandmother…"

There was a silence between them all as they gazed with their own thoughts at the elderly woman. Only a few minutes had past, however they felt like hours. Telma was the first to leave, a hand over her face either to cover her sadness or her anger. Link couldn't tell. Soon after, Renaldo prompted that they too should both leave Impaz in peace for now. However, before Link departed down the stairs to follow Telma and ask her more about Sheik, the shaman stopped by placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Wait."

Renaldo peeked over the side of the balcony, seeing that the Resistance leader was nowhere to be seen. She must've gone outside or to the kitchen to seethe alone. He steered the hero back towards the wall where the old, carved wardrobe sat, where no eyes or ears could disturb them.

"I needed to speak with you in private. About something Impaz said," Renaldo said in a hushed voice, his gaze intense.

Link blinked, giving the shaman a quizzical face. "What was it?"

The raven-haired man let out another deep sigh like before, shaking his head. "Impaz told her granddaughter something before she took off in a hurry. I never asked what their business was, figured it wasn't my place, but in some of Impaz's fevered induced states, she spoke to me as if thinking I was…" here he paused, collecting his thoughts. "She kept… saying things like, 'the demon has escaped the well', and 'find the boy from the forest to help us'… Do you know anything about that?"

Link suppressed a look of shock. The demon has escaped the well? The Sheikah demon came out of a well? What well? The only well he knew of was a barren one in the Kakariko cemetery that was all covered up now. "I can't say I do," Link admitted softly.

"Hm." Renaldo stared down at the floorboards, his long, tribal robe covering his arms as he crossed them in thought. "Something bad must be going on… I have known the Sheikah family a long time, and Sheik would never leave her ill grandmother alone unless something dire had arisen. You do know who I mean don't you? Sheik?"

He had heard that name quite a bit in the past few days. "Yeah... I suppose Sheik didn't tell you where she was headed?" Link asked with little hope of an answer. Renaldo shook his head somberly. Link felt his shoulders sag in disappointment. "Didn't think so…"

"The Sheikah are a very secretive bunch," Renaldo admitted with a bit of annoyance. "But I'm willing to bet that 'the boy from the forest' is you, Link. You need to go find Sheik. She may be in trouble. I wish I could tell you where to start looking…"

"I'll head out tomorrow morning. Sheik's aunt in Castle Town said she may be able to figure out where she is," the hero proclaimed.

The shaman's charcoal eyes locked into his. "Something big is coming, Link. I don't know what, but it's not good. This peace is only the calm before another storm. Be careful and wary. Evil still lurks in this world."

After Link assured he would be cautious, Renaldo excused himself, going down the steps of the inn to take care of other village matters before heading back to his home near the Eldin Spring to join his daughter, Luda. Link stayed up on the balcony, eventually bracing his back against the wall and sinking down into a sitting position on the floor. The hero was tired from traveling all day. His eyes were heavy with exhaustion, but he was too intrigued and worried about the demon to consider sleeping. Hyrule was yet again at risk and in need. He began piecing together all that Renaldo had told him, trying to mesh it together with what Zelda and Fanadi had said about the Sheikah.

The Sheikah may be related to the Twili… A Sheikah demon is on the loose… It might be looking for something connected to the Twilight Realm… Sheik is going after it.

And now something about it coming from a well? Maybe Impaz meant a spring? A light spirit spring perhaps? Link pondered to himself. The hero's shoulders stiffened. Perhaps one of the spring spirits knew something? He hadn't seen nor tried to communicate with them since his previous adventure. Might be worth a shot.

He rose to his feet, equipment jingling against his body. It was a short walk from the inn to the spring. It was only at the end of the wide dirt road behind Renaldo's home. The clear sparkling water reflected the surface of the moon in a way that could be seen even from as far down the road as Link was. He shut the inn door behind him as he left, a blast of cool night hair hitting his face. It was extremely refreshing after a long hot day riding in the plains.

The windows of the village homes were either dark, or dim with candlelight. It was late, most people were asleep now at this hour. As eager as he was about his lead on the spring, he did not run as he would have liked to. There were Gorons still out and about doing late-night business, and dashing around would look fairly suspicious, not to mention his legs were so sore from riding he would probably collapse if he was to run.

It took only a few moments to reach the spring. As soon as he touched the edge of the water, Link stopped. There was a calming energy about the light spirit springs. Such a soothing and inviting atmosphere. The hero slowly trudged into the shallows of the water. He cleared his throat, hoping his presence would be noticed by the aviary guardian.

"Great spirit, Eldin?" he called softly. "Are you there? Can you hear me?" A gust of wind rushed through the canyon, making the long hat on his head sway.

A low hum vibrated from the water. "… Link…"

Excited he paced a few steps closer. "Yes, yes, it's Link! Is that you Eldin? I need to ask you something."

"… I am here… I am listening…" The voice was deep and soft, like a wise, old father.

Link suddenly didn't know where to start. He fumbled for his words for a moment before relaying his worries. "You watch over this providence. You must know about the Sheikah that live within these lands. Right?"

"… I know of all living creatures in my borders…" came the reply.

"Impaz, Sheik… They say a demon is on the loose. Impaz said something about it coming from a well. Do you know anything about this?"

There was such a moment of silence Link worried if the spirit had left him. But there came a breath from the land, as if the shining bird creature was sighing. "… I feel the evil creature in this world… It stings me and my brethren… This creature did not escape from a well. Not this time... Its master, its creator, had it buried within a well beside him for quite some time, many centuries ago… locked inside an enchanted object. It was later stolen from the well by a traveling salesman… then the demon escaped the artifact and was eventually banished to the Twilight Realm by one of your late ancestors… It would appear it has escaped and is looking for a new host… and revenge."

"Where is it?" Link asked desperately. "Let me slay it for you!"

"… It hides deep in Snowpeak Mountain… But it will not find a host there. Soon it shall retreat elsewhere… Link, you must go now. Leave this village and return to Lanayru. You will find the lost Sheikah girl there…"

Link tried to coax more from the spirit, but the energy from the water had gone. Eldin had left. And it appeared as though he would have to leave this place as well.

He had told Renaldo he wasn't going to leave until morning, but this seemed too urgent of a matter. Besides, there was a shortcut to Castle Town from here. As much as he was weary from his travels today, for the sake of Hyrule, the hero could stand to ride once more tonight. Link rushed to where he had Epona tethered, saddling up her tack in a hurry. "Sorry, girl. Got to run you just a little more," he apologized to the tolerant mare. The horse made a snorting sound at him in turn. Link clambered onto her back, grimacing as he settled into a position that made his legs cramp in the most painful of ways. He bit back a cry, only hissing at the discomfort.

Pulling on her reigns, Link swiftly whirled Epona around so that they could make a clean gallop out of Kakariko. In no time, they were gliding across the large Eldin plains heading right back to Lanayru Providence. The ride did not take near as long as one might've imagined. There was a way into the eastern side of Castle Town right outside the canyon Kakariko was nestled in. A short gallop across the edge of the gorge and the hero was crossing into Lanayru's territory. It was late into the night, with only a few hours left till dawn by the time Link had settled Epona into a comfortable stall. The city was quiet, sound asleep and peaceful. A few lit windows indicated some activity, but nothing worthy to take note of the hero's attentive mind. He dully noted that this was the most he had been to the capital since the end of his last journey.

As tempting as it was to just collapse there in the hay beside his loyal mare, he had just enough dignity left to check into an inn just outside the Castle Town square. It was a small place, but cozy. The attendant led him up to his quarters without missing a beat. It must be hard working such late hours. Link made a point in his mind to give the woman a nice tip come morning for troubling her at such an indecent hour.

The room was quite simple. It had a bed big enough for two set up against the far wall, a small nightstand with a candlestick upon it sitting next to it. There was a long tapestry hooked off to the side of the sole window, big enough to let in just a small bit of moonlight in. Link didn't even bother checking out the wash basin or anything else for that matter. He only had eyes for the bed. Kicking off his boots and undoing his tunic belt, he quickly shrugged off his weaponry and set them on the floor, flopping face-first into the soft pillows with a grunt. It felt like laying on a beautiful cloud. His muscles sighed with instant relief as all the travel-weary pain eased away. The hero couldn't even remember the last time he had slept in an actual bed. It was a luxury he was certainly happy to splurge on tonight.

He wanted to think about the demon some more, but his mind would not focus for anything. Within minutes he gave up, resolving to start up the case again in the morning.

Link hadn't even attempted to take off his hat and gloves before he was sound asleep.