Finally an update. Sorry folks, been busy with my life.
With no leads by mid-noon the following day, the band of teens were beginning to grow discouraged. Though outwardly Sheik appeared calm and composed compared to his partners, on the inside he was ready to just bolt for the nearest hole in the wall and lock himself inside until someone less idiotic than these villagers could tell them where Impa left to.
Tempted to take himself away from everyone, Sheik jolted when someone suddenly touched his arm, making him withdraw instantly. His blood red gaze quickly found the young Goron child he had seen before, and he raised a curious brow.
"You want to know where white haired lady went, bruddah?" The stony boy questioned.
Sheik nodded.
"I saw her go up the mountain to my people. She seemed really worried about something, and wanted to tell our elders, bruddah." The child explained as best he could.
"Thank…you." Sheik was once again displeased by his inability to speak such simple words clearly and fluidly. His chilling tone wouldn't allow it, or so it seemed.
He turned and left the child to search for Link and Velvet, who hadn't noticed he had been pulled off to the side by the young Goron. He trotted up to them quickly, capturing their attention in the process.
"She went up the mountain to the Gorons." Sheik spoke quickly.
Velvet and Link exchanged surprised glances, but whether they were more surprised about the destination, or simply Sheik's luck at finding information would remain a mystery to the man.
"Well, I suppose we shouldn't waste any time getting there." Link muttered.
"What about the horses?" Velvet inquired.
Link smiled, rolling his eyes as if the question had been downright ridiculous. Sheik though found Velvet's inquiry to be well placed. Epona may have been accustomed to Link's strange travels, but Laban was a completely different story.
"Don't worry, Epona will keep track of Laban for us." Link assured, but Sheik still found that he was skeptical of the younger teen.
"Whatever you say Hero of Time." Velvet rolled her eyes, not believing the Hylian either.
"Oh come on, have a little faith in me. I have done this before." Link sighed in exasperation.
"Yeah, all alone with one horse and only yourself to look out for." The blue haired girl snuffed.
"That's not true…I had Navi." Link's voice softened on the last part, and a distant look danced through his sky blue orbs.
Sheik and Velvet exchanged glances, surprised by the usually cheery man's sudden twist in attitude. Sheik however shrugged it off faster than Velvet though; probably because he wasn't that concerned.
"Okay Link, I trust you." Velvet finally smiled.
Link blinked in confusion for a moment, before finally grinning and nodding in affirmation. Sheik assumed he had zoned out for a few seconds, and hadn't processed what Velvet had said until after she had finished speaking. He found it slightly annoying.
"Let's just go." Sheik turned and began walking towards the mountain.
"Wait, I've got to tell Renado what are plans are!" Link darted away, back towards the hut. Sheik contemplated stopping, but ultimately did not.
He glanced back to see Velvet watching him leave, and was startled to find a longing look in her eyes. Perplexed by the cause of her expression, he nearly tripped over his own two feet. Luckily he regained composure quickly and returned to his neutral expression and strode away. He didn't stop until he had reached the base of the mountain, where he sat himself up on a tall boulder to wait.
Sheik pulled out his lyre and plucked a soothing tune, finding the simple act stress relieving. His eyes closed as he played, not needing them to play his favorite melody. The hair prickled on the nape of his neck, and he cracked his crimson eyes open just enough to see Velvet staring up at him curiously.
The music stopped and he put away his instrument, making the girl frown slightly.
"Why'd you stop?" Velvet's voice was riddled with disappointment.
Sheik just lifted his bloody orbs up towards an approaching Link, and then sprang down from his perch, offering no words of response to the teenaged girl. The Hero of Time then reached their sides, and they began their assent up the mountain.
At first all Velvet could do was gape at the scenery, and comment how pretty it was. She would ramble on and on about how she believed this is what her eagle saw everyday, and how jealous she was. To Sheik's relief though the girl soon tired, and the only noise that came out of her mouth was the sound of her panting.
"How much farther until we arrive, Link?" Velvet gasped, her face flushed with color from strain and exhaustion.
The young man glanced back from his lead point. He frowned in thought for a moment, comically lowering his pointed ears as if the process was uncomfortable. Sheik probably would have laughed if he still had his old personality but now only blankly stared at the blonde.
"I believe just before nightfall, if we don't too many breaks." Link answered her.
"Ah that's just great…" Velvet puffed, and for a moment Sheik thought she was going to give up. "Oh well, at least I've got this view."
Sheik nearly rolled his eyes, when a rumbling noise suddenly caught his attention. Stiffening, Sheik's bloody orbs swiftly flashed up to the mountain wall they walked alongside, only to see a bizarre sight coming barreling straight for him.
It looked like a Goron rolled up tight, spinning rapidly down the mountain side. However, this isn't what Sheik was staring at. It was a young Zora, running backwards on top of the Goron in attempt to stay on. A giant grin was plastered to his scaly face when his strangely teal eyes suddenly spotted Sheik and his companions. A surprised yell sounded from him, and the Goron quickly flipped back into his normal bipedal stance, skidding safely to a halt. The Zora however wasn't so lucky.
He went sailing straight at Sheik, and collided with the teen, the two then tumbling head over heels on top of one another until coming to a less than graceful stop against a hard boulder.
"Sheik!" Velvet was the first to react to the strange and sudden new situation.
He grunted as he hefted the Zora off, whose face was dark with embarrassment. Sheik could now see the long Bermuda blue stripe running down his head and fin, only to continue down his back where it branched out around his ribs and gills to form a very skeletal design like that of a rib cage. His scales were surprisingly silvery, even possessing a metallic blue glow as the fading sun hit them. The silver blue scales though deepened into Bermuda blue once more when they ran down the Zora's arm fins.
The strange Zora stood, practically shaking himself out after his tumble. Sheik winced a pulled himself to his feet, feeling battered and bruised.
"Sorry about that sir, I didn't think anyone was coming up the mountain today." The Zora smiled apologetically.
Sheik quickly determined that he could be no older than twenty years, and judging by his size, was a bit on the short size for a Zora, being only around six foot, but built rather lengthy and limber.
"Who are you? And what were you doing just now!?!" Link stepped forward in confusion.
The Zora blinked as if registering Link's presence for the first time. To Sheik's surprise he saw that within the teal color of this Zora's eyes were powder blue flecks as well, which was another trait that distinguished him from most other black eyed Zoras.
"I'm called Azerian, and you must be the Hero of Time these Gorons are always rambling on about! I must say, I thought you'd be a bit taller." He laughed with the usual Zora melody that all of his people seemed to possess, but somehow his was more guttural, if that was even possible.
"Well met Azerian, I'm Link, this is Velvet, and that is Sheik." Link introduced them.
Azerian's smile grew strained when he looked at Sheik, and he nervously rubbed the back of his slick neck.
"Sheik eh?"
Sheik made no facial expression to ease the Zora's mind and much to his satisfaction Azerian began to fidget.
"I uh, am truly sorry for running into ya." He apologized yet again.
Sheik released a disapproving tisk, which only made the Zora frown further. Velvet sprang in front of him though, creating a comfort barrier for Azerian.
"Don't mind Sheik. He doesn't like anyone." She smiled warmly.
Sheik glared at her, but she was either immune to his mental stabs, or was simply oblivious. He had a strong feeling it was the first one.
Azerian grinned at that, flashing a pair of slightly sharper teeth. Sheik felt his brow draw together as he tried to piece together what exactly the Zora had been doing, and why he had been balancing on top of a rolling Goron.
"So, Azerian, what exactly were you doing?" Link asked just as perplexed as Sheik, only showing it outwardly.
Azerian shrugged, and innocent look coming across his stream line features. "I was just taking up a bet with one of the Gorons that I wouldn't ride one of them down the mountain. And, I just won." He puffed up with pride.
Sheik crossed his arms, quickly drawing the conclusion that this Zora was nothing like the rest of his people. He noted that this guy even wore clothing, even if it was revealing, which was extremely different from his bare skinned people.
Draped around his hips was a thick belt made of bones, with a fish skull clasp in the front. Pouches were slung on it, most empty or ripped. Beneath his belt a long jet black cloth fell down that shimmered from dark imbedded scales, covering both his lower torso and rear, that would have been very revealing if he had been human. Save for the belt wrapped around his hips, his sides were completely exposed, along with his legs.
"Won? What did you win?"
Azerian chuckled, and glanced up at the Goron that was treading carefully down the mountainside to join them. He threw a friendly wave towards them, eyeing Link especially.
"Just a few orange rupees to tie me over until I find a place to settle down," the Zora admitted.
"A few? How many is a few?" Velvet's eyes had lit up, and Sheik wondered if she had an attraction to treasures like most young women her age.
Azerian's eyes swerved up to the sky in thought, "erm, fifty."
Velvet's eyes widened to the point where Sheik was ready to catch them if they fell from her head. Orange was the most valuable of rupees after all, and he had never actually possessed such a gem, simply because his people never had much need for wealth or luxury.
"Only fifty to run down the side of a mountain on top of a Goron?" Link cocked a brow, making both Velvet and Sheik stagger to catch their breath.
The boy was expecting him to get more than that? Sheik could scarcely believe his ears.
"Unfortunately." Azerian winced.
Sheik found himself exchanging a surprised glance with Velvet despite himself. Neither could believe what these two were saying. Sheik couldn't help but place a wrapped hand on his own money pouch, draped loosely just behind his hip. Half of him was surprised it was still there after Azerian's collision, and the other half was disappointed it was almost empty. Only two small rupees were within it; there color hardly making them of any value at all. He couldn't even buy a jar of milk if he really needed it.
Velvet seemed to notice his uncomfortable movement but quickly turned away, as if she was embarrassed to have seen. Sheik shrugged it off, but couldn't help but feel a nag in the back of his mind, telling him he should have been more concerned about his financial situation.
A sigh escaped him as he shut his eyes. It didn't really matter at the moment, he reasoned. As soon as this job was completed for the Princess, he was sure he could provide well enough for himself to move into a small populated area, on the outskirts of it of course. That way he could live in relative peace, with no monsters constantly plaguing him every time he took a walk.
His fantasies were quickly stifled when Link's and Azerian's combined laughter rattled the mountainside. The Goron had just reached them, but had slid and fallen right down on his face, getting a mouthful of dirt.
The large rock man seemed disturbed by it, but not disgusted. A rocky diet did do that to a person. Now with the Goron in tow, they resumed there walk up the mountain, only now with Azerian and Link chattering away like they were long lost friends or something.
Velvet's eyes twinkled with fascination as she studied the Zora before her, trying to absorb every detail about him. Sheik almost wondered why she was so transfixed on the aquatic humanoid when her pale gaze suddenly fell upon him.
"I've never met a real Zora before." She whispered to the Sheikah quietly enough so the others couldn't hear.
"Well he's a bad first impression." Sheik commented just a lowly.
"Why's that?" Velvet was only curious, but Sheik couldn't help but grow put off by her questioning. The person she should have been asking was Link, not him. Link obviously had more experience with Zoras, while Sheik himself had only had a few brief encounters and sightings. A life on the edge of a desert tended to keep away species that needed large amounts of water.
"He's weird." Sheik put it simply.
This of all things made the girl suddenly burst into a nearly uncontrollable fit of laughter. Everyone turned to stare back at her and Sheik felt himself yearning to slip away. Attention was not something he wanted; ever.
"Sorry, sorry, but that, coming from you!?! Hysterical!" She gasped for breath as her laughter slowly subsided.
Sheik failed to see the humor in it all, which caused his eyes to narrow in annoyance without his consent. Velvet immediately clammed up and stared at the ground with a new found interest.
Something tugged within Sheik's chest; uncomfortable but not quiet painful. He struggled to understand what it was for a second, until he realized it was not a physical feeling, but an emotion. Guilt.
It confused him as well as worried him. He was supposed to be immune to such a trivial emotion by now; why was it bothering him?
"Erm Sheik, we're going to leave you behind if you don't hurry up!" Link's voice called from up ahead, jolting the Sheikah back to his senses.
Another sigh escaped him. He could try figuring out his mental state later.