Sorry for any delay...been busy with my new puppy!

Sheik had had his doubts about the horses returning the following morning, but upon waking up, he saw that they were right there, waiting for them. Epona nickered happily upon seeing Sheik open his eyes, and to his surprise her velvety muzzle nuzzled his exposed cheek affectionately. He let out a startled gasp, and rolled away, springing to his feet in the process.

An amused glimmer lit up the large mare's eyes, and Sheik could have sworn she was teasing him. Link though let out a snort as he awoke, making the Sheikah swiftly spring back into his usual nonchalant self. Epona shook out her mane, like she was displeased with his cover up.

"Morning Sheik…sleep well?" Link yawned as he stretched out his firm frame.

Sheik did not respond, simply examining the strange warmth emanating from the Hylian's eyes. Had the boy heard his late night song for Velvet; or was he just in a really good mood? It troubled the Sheikah more than it should have, which irritated him even more.

"Okay then, feel like some breakfast?" Link's smile refused to fade despite Sheik's hard gaze.

He sighed finally in defeat, and nodded in confirmation. Link then eagerly dove through the saddle bags, fishing out whatever food remained. They had originally planned to have a week's worth of food, but now with an extra mouth to feed, and the earlier delay, Sheik estimated that they only had two days worth left, and that was if he skipped out on lunch. Link obviously did not think their situation was so desperate, because he grabbed a healthy amount and evenly distributed it.

Velvet sat up, wiping some of the sleep from her eyes and groggily looking about. Once her gaze found Sheik though, she immediately turned to focus on Link. It wasn't because she was scared of him anymore; Sheik could see that much, but he wasn't sure if it was because she was unhappy with him, or just in a foul mood.

"So Link, how long before we reach Kakariko?" Velvet smiled at the younger teen pleasantly, showing Sheik that she was in fact unhappy with him.

"Well, if we don't have anymore delays…I'd say about two days." Link murmured, glancing in Sheik's direction.

The Sheikah turned away, tacking up Laban and feeding his steed an apple from a nearby tree. Velvet watched him curiously as he did this, but the moment their eyes met again she snuffed up her nose and pretended not to care.

"We should go now." Sheik decided, eyeing the portion of food Link had set aside for him.

"Shouldn't you eat something first?" Link questioned uncertainly.

Sheik made no further comment, and mounted Laban. Link exchanged a glance with Velvet, but she didn't seem to be as concerned, but Sheik wasn't really paying attention. He knew very well that food was essential to maintain a good all around performance level, but he also knew that a less trained body would be more heavily effected, and Velvet was one such example. If anything went wrong again, which was more likely than Link was bothering to admit, he'd have to ensure they could all compensate for it.

Link offered Velvet a hand up onto his mare Epona, but the horse didn't appear to happy about it. Sheik assumed the mare was one of the rare horses that actually chose its master, and preferred not to carry anyone else. However the horse did allow Velvet to get on, at least with Link up there with her. Sheik had his doubts that Epona would allow Velvet to remain mounted if Link were to fall off for any reason.

The girl seemed uncertain up on the powerful horse, and Sheik realized the girl had probably never ridden in her life. Link sat in front of her, and she clung all too willing to his torso, making the hero of time blush out of habit. For reasons Sheik didn't understand, he shifted uncomfortably, but steered Laban away, hoping that distancing himself would relieve some of the discomfort.

By noon, they had traveled a good deal, having not run into many creatures along the way. Sheik was thankful for it, but also wary. When monsters that were commonly found in an area didn't appear, it usually didn't prelude anything good. Link however was once again completely unconcerned, making the Sheikah feel like he had to be even more alert for everyone.

Taking a break for lunch, Sheik conveniently skipped again, this time by simply keeping himself distanced from the others. Link shot him a concerned glance, but he paid it no mind, knowing what the hero was thinking.

Velvet was also losing her attitude towards him, and seemed to be growing worried like Link, only displaying that concern differently. Instead of glancing at him, she began twiddling her fingers together, and stroking out her perfectly smooth silky hair rather roughly.

At nightfall however, Sheik decided it would be best to eat, knowing he was weakening from hunger. They sat down around the fire, it crackling merrily in the waning light.

"So Link, why are we headed towards Kakariko?" Velvet seemed to have been waiting until know to ask the important questions, so that she was far enough away from home to not get sent back. Or at least sent back alone.

Link cringed, looking unable to tell the girl of their intentions. Sheik however, didn't share his reservations.

"We're going to stop some twins that unleashed something that only a Sheikah can seal away." His words were plain and cold, the bare minimum of what he knew.

"Wow…that's the most you've ever spoken to me Sheik." Velvet giggled, almost like she hadn't heard his actual words, and just the sound.

He glared at her, but his dark orbs seemed to have lost their daunting effect on the girl, because her smile only grew triumphant.

"The twins are called Castor and Pollux, and what they've unleashed is a very dangerous object called the Ebony Locket. Since it was the Sheikah that originally sealed it away, only another Sheikah can reseal it, and they must be of pure blood." Link decided to interrupt and expand, so the same situation as the night before wouldn't happen again.

"Just what can the locket do?" Velvet turned to the hero of time, allowing Sheik to visibly relax.

"Well…I personally don't know." Link admitted, and Sheik was very tempted to face palm himself.

"Then how do you know it's so dangerous?" The blue haired girl demanded, shifting her eyes in Sheik's direction slightly.

"Princess Zelda said that it had been used in one of the great wars long ago, before the Sheikah…served Hyrule. Its potential was lost to the ages after it had been sealed, but it was rumored that the Sheikah clan knew of its capabilities." All eyes turned to Sheik now.

Sheik looked between them, knowing what they expected of him, but having no answers. He had left right after he had come of age, so therefore hadn't been told any of his race's important history yet. It had been a safety issue, incase a young Sheikah child were ever caught by an enemy.

"W…" Sheik stopped, his eyes widening as he saw the reflection in Velvet's fire lit eyes. "GET DOWN!"

He sprang, shoving Velvet's head down just in time for an arrow to whiz past where it had been moments ago. The girl let out a surprised yelp, and Link jumped to his feet, pulling out his sword and brandishing it with an impressive swing.

Moblins moved in around them, their red eyes glowing in the shadows of the forest. Sheik glanced at the open air of the Hyrule fields, but deduced they'd be open targets out there. However the Moblins seemed acquainted to forest life, and probably knew how to hunt best in it. Epona and Laban were also gone, having been set free to roam for the night.

"Sheik, back to back. Velvet stay low." Link commanded, an authorative and wizened air coming off of him.

Velvet crouched low on her knees, shielding her head with her arms. Jumping over her figure, Sheik landed at Link's back, and quickly turned and twined his throwing needles through his fingers, ready for a fight.

The Moblins stalked around them, their revolting features vaguely visible with the aide of the fire's light. From what Sheik could tell, they were wary of Link's sword, but confident they would have to deal with hand to hand combat. Sheik though threw a knot in their easy kill as he brandished his deadly needles.

"When I say three, duck." Sheik whispered so that only Link could hear.

The hero nodded his head just enough so Sheik could see out of the corner of his eye. Widening his stance, Sheik gave his enemies one final examination.

"Three!" He snarled with no warning.

To his relief Link immediately fell to his knees, and Sheik whizzed his needles in a wide circle, striking each Moblin through the head. They fell silently, dead before evening hitting the ground.

"Whoa." Velvet lifted her head up, glancing around at the grisly sight. "Is that all of them?"

Sheik glared into the darkness. With a quick mental deduction, he realized that the arrow fired at Velvet had come from above, and not from any of the Moblins he had killed.

Spinning his head up to the branches, Sheik's eyes widened as a Moblin drew back its bow string from above, aimed directly at Velvet.

"Velvet move!" Sheik ordered, and quickly flung himself at her.

The arrow twanged off its strings, and Sheik tackled Velvet to the ground, both teens letting out a loud oomph as they collided into the hard dirt. Link drew his own bow, and shot up at the monster, killing it easily and watching it fall from its perch, to join its fallen brethren.

"You guys okay?" Link knelt down next to them, worriedly looking them over.

Sheik stared down at Velvet beneath him, and to his amazement; and horror; a deep blush scorched her face. He crawled off the girl, more flustered than he'd prefer. His arm stabbed at him slightly, and Sheik grabbed it without thinking.

"Are you hurt?" Velvet sat up, regaining her composure faster than Sheik had.

He glanced down at his left arm, and winced slightly as he removed his hand to see the extent of the damage. Sheik sighed as he saw his bicep had been slashed by the arrow. It wasn't too deep, but it was still not an injury to be taken lightly.

"Nothing I can't handle." He defended shortly, not liking being the center of attention.

"But Sheik…" Velvet began to protest.

"I can take care of it." He growled, backing away from their concerned faces.

"Sheik, you were the one that wanted me to see a doctor so badly. Shouldn't you take your own advice now?" Link asked, truly irritated.

"If I hadn't had to keep her head intact, we would be having this issue." Sheik snapped back, carefully beginning to take some of his extra bandages and wrap it around his bleeding arm.

"Excuse me, but I didn't exactly need to be saved. I was going to duck either way." Velvet yelled back at the older teen.

"Didn't look like that from my standpoint." Sheik muttered, but growing tired of their argument already.

"Well sorry I didn't scream when I saw him!" Velvet wasn't doing anything to help the situation.

"Then what use are you? You did nothing to warn us, couldn't fight, and I don't see you doctoring anyone either." Sheik rattled off, his red eyes glimmering hotly in the darkness.

"I'm plenty useful!"

"Yeah? How? Where's those wolves of yours huh? Or even that freak for a bird?" Sheik demanded quickly.

"They…I…you know what, fine! I don't have to deal with this!" Velvet declared. "I'm going home. Have a nice remainder of your life, Sheikah!" She snarled finally, and then huffed away, marching back on the trail they had treaded earlier that day.

"Sheik…we can't just let her leave." Link worriedly watched after her as she took off into a blind run, and quickly ducked out of sight in the forest.

"She left." Sheik glared at the hero.

Link bawled his fists, as if preparing to punch the Sheikah. He readied himself, but the blow never came.

"Go get her back." Link suddenly ordered, his voice nearly as icy as the Sheikah's own.

Sheik raised a brow, wondering if Link was serious. The hero of time grabbed his good arm, and suddenly shoved him in the direction Velvet had taken.

"Get her back, now!"

Sheik hissed lowly to himself, but stalked off anyways, finding all this arguing had tired him out. Of course, that also could have been due to his blood loss. Sheik couldn't help but grip his bicep as he walked, wondering if he had actually been a little harsh on the girl. He rarely ever argued with anyone, even before his exile, so now why was whenever he was with her were things different? She was just an average girl, nothing special at all.

Her tracks suddenly changed course, leading into the thicker area of the forest. He raised a brow, wondering if the girl had any sense of direction at all. From what he could tell, no other tracks were with hers, so there was really no reason for her shift in direction.

It dawned on him to look up in the trees. Dark as it was, he easily spotted a few cracked branches, and scratches in the bark from sharp metal instruments.

"Damn." Sheik whispered.

Quickly he took off, running full speed after Velvet's path. She was in danger again, and this time it could very well have been his fault.

He flew through the forest, scarcely making a noise on his light feet. No life could be heard, which was never a good sign. Sheik searched desperately for any clue to the girl's whereabouts, but so far came up empty. Suddenly a distressed shout rang out.

Sheik turned and sprang towards the noise. The screams increased, and to his surprise grew closer.

"Sabler!" Velvet's cries grew specific.

The girl suddenly emerged into Sheik's line of vision, and running straight for him. She collided into him, not paying any heed to where she was going. Sheik caught her, but the teen lashed out, blinded by panic.

"Owe, stop!" Sheik cringed as she struck his bad arm.

"Wha…Sheik!?!" Velvet looked up at him in confusion. "We've got to go get Link! They're after us!"

"Who?" Sheik shook his head.

"About twenty Moblins, they're all armed. You can't fight them all alone." Velvet was losing it, and she was clinging much too tightly to Sheik for comfort.

"Why me?" Sheik murmured to himself, breathing out a tight sigh.

"Come on!" Velvet tugged at him, hoping he would give into her pulling.

"Keep running back to Link. And find those wolves of yours. I'll slow them up." Sheik snapped, shoving her off of him.

"No, Sheik…" Velvet tried to protest.

"MOVE IT!" He roared.

Velvet visibly paled, even in the dark of the night. She was done protesting though, the sound of the raging Moblins approaching fast.

"Sabler, here boy!" She yelped again, and then took off like Sheik had commanded.

He turned, and pulled out his specially made swords. Short and sharp, they were best suited for close hand to hand combat, but he had no other suitable weapon for such late night fighting. He narrowed his eyes and counted the Moblins as they appeared.

Twenty two, all armed to the teeth, but only minimal armor, so they could travel faster and quieter. They also seemed different from the first mob of Moblins, because they were taller, with leaner muscle frames and a more structured pattern of movement.

Suddenly they launched themselves at him, and Sheik dove to the side, avoiding all their slices at him. With a flip he launched his limber body into the trees, and now had an advantage over his opponents.

Within only a few seconds, he was down to fifteen opponents, but these ones seemed to be holding back. They snarled and growled with one another, speaking in a manner the Sheikah could only guess was a language. He shifted in his tree, searching for a reason behind their delay in firing their arrows at him.

From what he could tell, they were stalling for something. Why they wanted to stall unnerved the lone warrior. They still had an advantage in numbers, and had no idea Link would be coming to aid him. It just didn't make sense.

Sheik then realized to look up at the tree branches surrounding him. He glanced to the side, just in time to see an approaching Moblin halt on its branch and pull back on its bow. Sheik sprang back as the arrow shot off its string.

And an evil cliffhanger insues...I apologize....sorta...kinda...hehe!

I wasn't exceptionally proud of this chap however. I hope you like it more than I do.