Sheik awoke to darkness, and the steady clopping of hooves on hard earth. Lifting his eyelids further, he saw that they were now on a dirt road, worn through the Hyrule fields by the ages. He saw no sign of their destination ahead of them, but it was also dark, so it very well could have been hidden in the dim night air.

Still not lifting his head, he could feel he was still rested against Velvet's shoulder, which was taunt from long hours of supporting him and attempting to keep him steady. His stomach then released a low grumble, signaling he needed sustenance.

Velvet inclined her head to look at him, and their eyes barely met, Sheik's skull not being at the best angle to make eye contact.

"Sheik?" Her voice was questioning, but soft.

He straightened up, taking his weight off of her, but feeling light headed from the movement. Velvet turned and looked back at him, seemingly concerned.

"How much farther?" His voice was low and hollow, and carried a slight rasp.

"We should get arrive just before dinner tomorrow." Link called back, having heard the Sheikah stir.

A sigh escaped his covered lips, and weakness weighed down his limbs, preventing him from taking the reins from Velvet. Her eyes radiated concern that Sheik thought to be almost misplaced. Hadn't she been angry with him before? He was confused by her change in demeanor, and could only assume the Moblins had deeply shaken her.

"How are you feeling?" Velvet asked.

Sheik was reluctant to answer, knowing that his companions needed to know the extent of his abilities if some other danger arose, but also not wanting to feel like he was going to hold them up.

"Better." It was the only answer he could give without lying.

"We'll stop and set up camp in a bit, and then we can eat." Link stated from ahead nonchalantly.

Sheik nodded, and couldn't help but close his eyelids again, still feeling tired even after his long nap. It didn't help he had been hunched over for long hours either. He could feel Velvet staring back at him without even having to crack open his eyes.

Slowly he unsealed them, staring directly into the girl's peach eyes. The color was very unusual for a Hylian, though the Sheikah had seen some with blue hair before in his youth. For reasons unknown, her peachy eyes began to bother him, like he was missing an important detail that would have made him look foolish if he were in front of his peers.

"Are you sure you feel all right?" Velvet broke him from his chain of thought.

"Just tired." Sheik didn't want to expand any further.

"Are you weak?" She wasn't satisfied with his response.

Sheik stared at her again for a moment, before turning his blood red gaze elsewhere, but not actually looking at anything in particular.

"A bit."

"A bit huh? And that coming from a Sheikah must mean you probably couldn't throw a pebble much less carry your own weight." She concluded confidently, but for once didn't sound like she was trying to best him.

"How do you know about my people?" Sheik was curious, and on edge by her knowledge, and how she brandished it with little thought to the possible consequences.

"My eyes aren't peach cause of magic, bandage boy." Velvet smirked.

Sheik just waited, knowing she was preparing to expand.

"My father's mother was a Sheikah that had gotten separated from her clan. She found a young Hylian adventurer to help her learn of what happened to her people, but fell in love with him on their adventures together, and after reuniting with her clan, she decided she'd rather be with my Grandfather, so they settled down together and basically lived happily ever after." Velvet explained. "But…that clan died off because they had no children."

Sheik remained expressionless, without any readable thought passing across his covered features.

"My father told me all sorts of stories when I was real young about the Sheikah, and what they were like and could do. It was such a long time ago though, I guess I had forgotten all the tales until I remembered what your symbol meant, and realized you are a Sheikah."

He still harbored no response, but his eyes lowered to his chest, looking over the tattered fabric that possessed the red crying eye. It was not a symbol to be taken lightly, and he even admitted to himself he wore it out of pride; however small that pride was.

Velvet's gaze had also fixated on his chest, but as he glanced up to look at her, he saw her gaze trail down to his torso, and then back up to his shoulders, following every sculpted curve of his lean frame.

He fidgeted, unwanted memories flooding back through his head, and once fond times saddened by tragedy. Velvet stiffened at his fidgeting, and realized what she had been doing. Misinterpreting his uncomfortable movements, a deep blush turned her face scarlet, and was easily recognizable even in the dark.

Her head immediately whizzed around, and she sat tall and rigid, both embarrassed and flustered now. Sheik cocked a brow, wondering why she had been checking him out. The girl didn't like him, and he didn't exactly like her, so there was no reason for her to have been staring at him in such a manner. Of course, her view of him could have changed while he had been unconscious.

A frown slipped across his covered lips. Any sort of relationship, even a small friendship, was not something he wanted. He knew his reasoning was a bit selfish yes, but, he didn't want to get hurt again; not like before. His loner lifestyle provided him an easy escape from that possibility, and ensured his already tattered feelings could slowly mend back together. Velvet and Link though were slowly beginning to pull apart his elaborate cloak he had made to hide himself in, one stitch at a time. Hopefully his quest to save the world would be over before any lasting relationships or feelings could be made.

They stopped and set up camp, and divided up their food once more. While Link paused in eating to check all their equipment, Velvet began to count stars, obviously bored and still a bit flustered. She turned back down to Sheik after only reaching one hundred, and saw that all his food and water was gone.

"I must say, you're a very fast eater."

Sheik stared down at his empty canteen, for once longing for more water. He was dehydrated from being asleep all day, and the water remaining from his earlier use hadn't been enough to quench his thirst. It also didn't help that he was now dizzy.

"Sheik, you look kinda faint." Link glanced over at the Sheikah, and his expression immediately grew worried.

"Do you want my water?" Velvet offered, holding out a nearly full canteen.

Sheik was very tempted to take it, but reservations about everyone's needs as a whole kept him frozen in place.

"Come on, you lost a ton of blood, you need it." Velvet scooted closer, so she could force the canteen in his lap, and then crawled back over to her original spot.

She rocked back and closed her eyes, and Link continued his sifting through their equipment. After he had finished, he glanced over at Sheik once more, only to find the ninja like warrior asleep, with an empty canteen bottle in his hand, and a peaceful expression relaxing his brow.