A/N: I'm not dead I swear, just extremely lazy. Alright sixth installment of Heroic Assassin! Yay! Now we're getting somewhere :)

Disclaimer: Don't own and never will own Zelda

Heroic Assassin

Chapter 6

He's outraged, upturning everything in his path in search of one tiny thing. One tiny thing that will be of great help to him, if only he could find it! The late king's room and study held nothing, as did the dungeons, and library.

"Where is it?" He spat acidly, storming the hallways of the forlorn castle in vain. "Where is that blasted Ocarina?" He searched every possible location in the castle and still came up short. Where did that damned queen hide it? And then it hit him.

The queen, her room. Smiling evilly to himself, the Gerudo Lord stormed into the absent queen's room only to find it magically imbued with a protection spell.

Damn that woman! No matter; he could still tear it down with his own limited magic; at least, he hoped he could. The little magic he had learned without his Triforce was exactly that: limited. It's not nearly as powerful as it was before when he had the aid of the Goddess Din at his disposal.

After having muttered a three-worded spell and the queen's room remained closed, he began to pound uselessly against the magical barrier with his fists. His punches reverberated through the hallways, alerting servants, but when they saw what the cause of the noise was, they immediately left the enraged conqueror alone.

Finally admitted to defeat, if only for a moment, he ceased his pounding fists and began to trudge to his study. There were other ways to getting into the room that doesn't involve magic and all he had to do was clear his mind and enter another's. He knew exactly who to use as a puppet, but first he must find his once top assassin's location. From there, he will send out more assassins to capture them both.

He would not fail, not this time around.

…

Be wary of him and his followers…Great Sage of Time…the one beside you may not always be himself…

My eyes flicker open when the bright sunshine hits them and I let out a faint groan, turning on my side to hide my face from the impending rays. Even after seven years of sleeping on a hard cave floor as Sheik I'm still not accustomed to the solid ground as a bed.

Before my mind wanders too far, I latch onto the last remnants of my vision. I was shown Ganondorf and his search for the Ocarina of Time. I can remember that much from the blurry images that would fade in and out of focus. There was something else, too. Something important that continues to elude from my mind's grasp. I finally just give up on it, saving it for another time. Looking back on the images I can manage, I realize where our attention should be, but isn't.

We have to break into the castle. We have to keep the Ocarina out of Ganondorf's grasp. Nice to know my defense spell mechanism worked. Now I'm the only one who can enter my room.

For some odd reason, telling Link this makes me nervous. I know what his reaction will be: an angry retort about us going in the wrong direction all this time, a heated argument between the both of us that will indefinitely end in his way of staying clear of the castle. Perhaps I will refrain from telling him just yet.

Tuning my ears in to my surroundings, I can hear birds awakening from their long slumber and chirp at the rising sun. Tiny critters scurry across the forest floor and scamper up tree trunks. Morning dew covers the matted grass beneath me and the crisp breeze rustles the leaves overhead. So maybe waking up surrounded by nature isn't all bad.

And then I hear it: snoring. It's faint, but I can still hear it clearly, most likely because the snorer is right next to me. I sit up cautiously, my eyes never leaving his inert form. This is the only time I've ever caught him sleeping. He's always the one to stand guard during the night, telling me to go to sleep and then, even if he does sleep during the night, he's always awake before me.

No one can outrun sleep forever though, not even Link.

His hood conceals his face like always and I see my chance. Leaning over, I whisper his name and don't receive a response. I wave my hand in front of his face and still he does not show any sign of waking. My outstretched hand reaches for the bothersome hood and just as my fingers graze the rough fabric my wrist is seized in an iron grip. I let out a soft gasp as I realize the hand belongs to Link.

Farore, he's just as bad as a Sheikah!

"What do you think you're doing?" He asks, irritation lacing his words.

"I-I was just going to-"

"Going to take my hood down?" He finishes for me, his lips set in a flat line. I nod my head meekly. "Well, don't. There's nothing to see."

Says you...

He stands and raises his arms above his head, stretching out his limbs. He looks around at our location as if observing every last detail. He turns his head towards the sky and then gazes toward the direction of the castle. I raise an eyebrow at him, truly wondering if he's lost it. His eyes briefly pass over me and they send shivers up my spine.

Something's not right.

I'm just about to say something when Link suddenly freezes, his posture tense and alert. He takes one more look at me and then turns on his heel, walking out of the clearing. I blink after him, a bit stung by his abrupt departure. I contemplate going after him, but decide against it, knowing full well that he'd only get angry.

So I instead recline back against the tree and mull over my dream. It was a vision, of the past, present, or future I wasn't certain, but I've learned from previous experience not to disregard my dreams. They always seem to mean something, even if it is meaningless. The voice that had spoken directly to me was sagely and achingly familiar, but I can't pinpoint a name. What had they said again?

Be wary of him and his followers…Great Sage of Time…

I had to be cautious of Ganondorf that much I understand and his followers must mean his assassins. There was one more thing that the voice had added on, a last minute piece of warning.

The one beside you may not always be himself…

Are they talking about Link? All these puzzles are giving me a headache. The sun is almost at its peak in the sky and I haven't made any progress in my dream analyzing, nor has Link returned from his sudden retreat. I had pulled up my hood hours ago, the sun becoming unbearably hot. The last part of my dream remained in my mind, not backing down until I understood the meaning behind it.

"'The one beside you may not always be himself,'" I whisper out loud, wiping a hand across my forehead in frustration. So Link isn't himself all the time; but does that mean because of his lost memories or something else entirely?

My mind wanders back to yesterday, just before we entered Zora's Domain. Link had said his mind and Ganondorf's were connected, that if Link wanted to, he could access Ganondorf's thoughts. If Link can do that, then Ganondorf must be able to do the same. I recall feeling the chills run up my spine when Link had looked at me this morning before he had ran off and how it didn't feel right. Can Ganondorf look through Link's eyes as if they were his own? If so, then that would explain why we were always—

My eyes widen as I make the connections.

That's why we are always found by other assassins. Ganondorf looks through Link's mind to see where he's at and then send assassins out to attack him. Then that would mean that this morning when Link was acting so weird…no, it wasn't Link. It was Ganondorf and he knows where we are. I need to find Link and we need to relocate.

I stand and start running in the direction Link had fled. I only make it two steps out of the clearing when I hear a thud reverberate from behind me. Turning, I see a man dressed in all black, with his hood up, rising from his crouched position where I sat not ten seconds ago.

"Link—" My speech is cut off when a gloved hand clamps over my mouth. My immediate reaction is to struggle, but my captor anticipates it and wraps his other arm around my midriff, pinning my arms to my sides.

"Calm down, Blondie. It's just me," Link whispers in my ear. When my body relaxes, he releases me and brings a finger to his lips. I nod my head in understanding and can't help but notice how close we are. So close that I can almost see past his hood. He must realize it too and takes a step back, putting distance between us. I frown at his retreating back as he sneaks up behind the other assassin. He's dealt with rather quickly, a clean cut across the assassin's throat and he's down.

Link turns towards where I'm standing just on the outside of the clearing and doesn't see the second assassin emerge from the trees behind him. Instead of calling out to him, I run and charge the assassin head on. He sees my attack coming and slashes at me, but I've already ducked and rolled behind him. I quickly locate his most lethal pressure points and jab at them. He falls to the ground, unconscious. I bring my eyes up to Link who has by now spun around to witness everything. A self-satisfied smile spreads across my face at Link's dumbfounded expression.

"Seeing as I don't have a weapon to kill with," I gesture to the assassin at my feet. "Do what you do best."

After Link had disposed of the bodies in the river and returned to our makeshift camp, I immediately bombarded him with questions.

"How long have you known about Ganondorf locating us through your mind?"

"Hello to you, too, Princess," He replies dryly, avoiding eye contact.

"Link," I seethe, my temper unraveling to a thread.

"Not long, to be honest. I had my suspicions a few days ago, but never really made a connection." He shrugs and scratches behind his head, almost as if in embarrassment.

"Well, we have to find a way to stop him, otherwise he'll figure out our plan."

"We have a plan?" Link asks sarcastically.

"Shut up, Link," I say humorously, shaking my head at his witty antics.

"Where'd you learn to fight, Blondie?" Link suddenly asks, completely changing the subject and catching me off guard.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I huff, crossing my arms indignantly. Even though I did know what he's hinting at. I had had several years of combat training with Impa. She wanted me to be able to defend myself against any enemy and I didn't argue with her. I'm not about to tell Link that, though, it would just give him more leverage to irritate me.

"Don't play dumb with me. You fought an assassin—"

"No, I lost to an assassin; he pushed me down a river, remember?" I cut in angrily, not liking to bring up my past mistakes only for him to make fun of them.

"That one, yes, but not the one you just fought. Look, on normal circumstances, you'd be dead if you lost to an assassin and you're clearly not dead, so I assume you have some fighting skills," Link retorts quickly, almost as if he knew I would say that.

"I was taught by a Sheikah and then lived as one for a few years." I shrug my shoulders indifferently.

"Fight me," He says unexpectedly and I blink at him in bewilderment.

"I'm not going to fight you, Link."

"You scared?" He taunts, a feral grin splaying across his face.

"Of course not, why would I be afraid of you?" I shoot back almost too quickly.

"Because you are."

I roll my eyes at his clever comeback.

"Link—"

"Fight me."

"No."

Instead of making another childish remark, he throws a punch straight at my head, nearly clipping my jaw. I jerk my head to the side reflexively and feel the wind from his punch wisp past my ear.

"Link!" I exclaim in disbelief. He jabs at me again, but at my stomach this time, forcing me to back up; right into a tree. Link doesn't hesitate to lunge at me and pin me against the sturdy tree. My wrists are held firmly in his hand above my head and his other hand is wielding a dagger to my neck.

"If this was a real fight, you'd be dead."

"Wonderful, now let me go." I try pushing away from the tree, but Link is there with his iron-like grip on my wrists, holding me captive.

"Why won't you fight me? You fought the other assassins."

"Yes, because I was in danger and I protected myself." I can practically see him raise an incredulous eyebrow at me even through his hood.

"And this isn't danger enough for you? I have a knife at your throat. With one clean swipe I could slit it."

"I know full well that you can, but you won't do it," I say firmly, reassuring myself some.

"What makes you say that?" He asks, insulted.

"Because, you're Link and—" I cut myself off with a hiss as I feel the cool blade kiss my neck, drawing a drop of blood.

"You're in danger, so fight me," Link fumes, leaning in closer to my face. I sigh as I realize that I'll have to consent to his demands, but he never said I couldn't play cheap.

So, putting on my best innocent smile, I ask, "How can you fight me when you're on your knees?" Before he can even comprehend what I meant by that question, I bring my knee up and smash it in between his legs. As I suspected, he falls to the ground onto his knees, puffing out all of his air with a pained groan.

"There, I'm safe," I say smugly, crossing my arms and look down at him nursing his bruised anatomy.

"That was a low blow, Princess," He wheezes out. I nod my head in approval, ignoring the double meaning to his words.

"That's what I was aiming for." He looks up at me with clenched teeth and hisses out two words.

"You bit—" He catches himself before finishing and looks away sharply. His incomplete words don't faze me in the slightest.

"'Bitch?' Is that all you can come up with?" He turns his head back to me slowly, confusion lining his features, or at least the features I can see, which is only his mouth. I continue, "I've been called every name in the book, Link. Not always to my face, but I've been called worse."

"Who would call you that?" He asks, his voice still coming out weak. I sit down where I'm at and cross my legs over one another, leaning back on my hands.

"Not everyone in my kingdom liked me or believed in what I did. Every king or queen is going to have haters." I shrug my shoulders and avoid his covered gaze. "I'm no exception."

"You have enemies?"

I give him a flat look. "Well, obviously; you've met Ganondorf, right?"

"Don't get snippy with me, Blondie. I'm not in the mood."

I smirk and can't resist letting this moment pass by.

"Why, because you just got beat by a girl, O Mighty Assassin?" If looks could kill (and if I could see his face) I'd be dead three times over. I can't help the laugh that escapes my lips and bring a hand up to my mouth as if that will conceal my laughter.

"Funny," Link says dryly, "but that move you pulled won't work every time."

"Honestly Link, I only did that because my tolerance level for you had vanished. Don't get on my nerves again."

"Point taken."

I break the silence that settles between us before it becomes too thick, returning to the question I asked before our fight broke out.

"Link, we have to figure out how to block Ganondorf from entering your mind. We can't keep fighting assassins. Sooner or later one of us is going to slip up and get caught," I say, my voice carrying gentleness and firmness all in one.

"They won't beat me," He answers quickly, standing up abruptly. He clenches and unclenches his fists in determination, or is it uneasiness? I can't tell. It's difficult to read his emotions when his face is concealed. My lips quirk up ever so slightly at his declaration, knowing full well his pride is too big to be beaten.

"Maybe not, but what happens when Ganondorf decides to invade your mind permanently? What will you do then?" I retaliate. He's silent, thinking it through and seeing no alternative. My question hit a nerve for him. I continue.

"You're physically strong, Link, any normal person can see that, but you're not mentally strong. How familiar are you with magic?"

"I don't know any magic. Ganondorf kept me in the dark when it came to that."

I figured as much. Ganondorf always turned a blind eye on the Triforce of Courage, believing it accounted to nothing. He only wanted it to complete the full Triforce, he didn't care what powers came along with it. Courage is a mighty force, not something to be taken lightly. Ganondorf realized that when he was defeated by its wielder. Power makes a person greedy and arrogant.

"I could teach you everything you want to know about magic," I pause and then add an afterthought for good measure. "Aside from Dark Magic, of course."

"What if I don't want to know anything about magic?" He remarks. I narrow my eyes at him.

"Link…" My voice trails off. He's avoiding my ideas.

"Okay, okay, so I should learn magic. I just…" He doesn't finish.

"You just what?" I prompt him and he lets out a deep breath in frustration.

"I just hate it when you're right."

I laugh, but try and hide it when Link turns his head sharply at me. I can imagine the glare he's sending me and I attempt to wipe all emotion from my face.

"I'll learn magic on one condition," He starts and I roll my eyes. Of course he wants something in return.

"And what is that condition?" I ask, knowing it couldn't be too bad. I hope.

"You teach me magic and I'll teach you how to fight." I scoff.

"Why do you care if I know how to fight or not?"

"Because I don't want to have to look after you all the time. I want you to be able to fight any opponent you're up against." I stand up to be somewhat eye level with him. Did he not just see what I did to the assassin and him?

"I can fight. I was trained by a great Sheikah warrior," I say rather smugly. I'm slowly realizing that Link can bring out the worst in me.

"I'm sure you were, and props to that person who trained you. I know you can fight," He says and then mutters, "my groin is still feeling your kick." I give him an apologetic look, but I'm not completely sorry about it. He needed to learn not to piss me off. "You only know how to fight like a Sheikah; hand to hand combat and that's great. How good are you with a sword?" I avoid meeting his hooded gaze and cross my arms, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"I can pick up sword, that's about all I can do." I shrug my shoulders. "I've never really had the time to learn. I'd be willing to learn. I don't like feeling like a damsel in distress."

"So it's a deal then. Magic lessons from you and sword fighting lessons from me." Link outstretches a gloved hand to me and I hesitate, glancing at his hidden face. He notices my hesitation but doesn't say a word, his expression betraying no emotion. I sigh, resigning to his steady silence, and grab his offered hand. His grip is gentle as we shake our hands once.

"Deal."

No sooner has the word left my mouth is he grinning wolfishly at me. I keep my face stoic, not revealing the sudden panic lacing through my nerves.

What did I just get myself into?