Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.

Soul Secrets

Chapter 21

Sheik's lips tightened under his mask as he stared at the building on the other side of the street from the behind the cover of a privy. "Another apartment complex," he muttered.

"Think it's another trap?" Nikal asked, standing behind him. She was holding her nose, their hiding spot providing little in the ways of fresh air.

"I wouldn't put it past them," Sheik said, glancing at the bloody paper again. The writer of the address had even been kind enough to provide an apartment number, the window of which he was keeping a close eye on. "But I doubt it."

"Why?"

"Where are we, Nikal?" he asked.

She took a few seconds to think about this, knowing that her Master wasn't interested in a geographical position. "We're in one of the wealthier parts of the city," she finally said.

"Not very wealthy, but certainly not a slum," Sheik said. "And highly trafficked. Not really the sort of place a group of terrorists would choose to hide, unless they wanted to be caught...and I think we've established that it's not one of their goals." He folded the paper. "Third floor, fourth to the right," he said. "We'll have to be quick."

"Shouldn't we call for reinforcements?" Nikal asked. "We don't know what to expect in there."

"That didn't work out too well the last time," Sheik said. "I'd rather catch them by surprise for once." He looked at her. "You don't have to come, you know."

"Are you joking, Master?" she asked, looking insulted. "You've gotten hurt twice trying to do something alone; I'm coming."

"Then let us waste no more time. Which apartment?"

"Third floor, fourth to the right."

"Weapons?"

"Daggers and stilettos only, too cramped for swords."

"Right, let's go then. Stay close."

They quickly crossed the street and entered the building. It was one of many in the area, and followed the same design principles as them. A small entrance hall was followed by a long corridor lined with doors to the first apartments. Halfway in the corridor, there was a stairwell. Sheik and Nikal quickly made their way to it, ignoring the confused looks of a tenant who was on his way to the privy. Climbing the stairs, Sheik kept a close eye on their surroundings.

He knew he should have been more suspicious of the sudden and convenient appearance of an address, but he was tired of being on the defensive. If there was even a chance that the information was genuine and something he could use to his advantage, he was damn well going to press his attack. The terrorists had made a fool of him twice already—there wasn't going to be a third time!

So far, nothing indicated that the dangerous group used this building. In fact, it seemed the exact opposite, that it was simply a place where many made their homes. They reached the third floor of the nine-story building without issue and quickly found themselves outside the door they were looking for.

There was no one else in the corridor, probably because it was so late in the night. Most people would be asleep by now. Sheik put his ear to the door, closing his eyes to better focus. There was definitely someone on the other side...but not many. Just one, possibly. He could hear them moving around, their muffled footsteps continually circling a certain spot on the floor, like they were pacing. They were reckless with security, too. The door wasn't even locked.

"Wait on the landing in the stairwell," he told Nikal in a hushed tone. "Whatever happens when I open the door, don't let them escape."

Nikal didn't look too happy with the plan, but nodded anyway. "If they get past you?"

"Non-lethal takedowns only," he said. "We need them alive."

Waiting until he heard her footsteps in the stairwell, he took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob. Hoping to the Goddesses he wasn't wrong, he shoved the door open and strode in like he owned the place. The apartment was a simple one-roomer, with a bed in one corner and a small cooking area in the other. The windows were too small to offer an escape route.

There was only one occupant. A blonde Hylian woman, wearing the same type of robe the warlock he'd encountered in Blackbrook had, as well as the group by the explosion in the city. Her eyes were a dazzling azure.

Finally, he thought. Some progress for once.

She had clearly not expected Sheik of all people to march in, judging by the expression on her young face; a mix of surprise and loathing. Hatred for him, or simply at having been discovered? Sheik didn't care, he was just happy to have the element of surprise for once.

"You know who I am," he told her, spreading his arms to show display the Sheikah Eye on his chest. "And you know why I'm here."

"How did you find me?" she asked, pacing back and forth slowly, trying to intimidate him with a predatory glint in her eyes. A scowl marred her pretty face, her teeth displayed aggressively. "I was assured this place was secure."

"Someone sold you out," Sheik said, not mentioning his dead informant. Roza would be avenged, that was for sure, but he couldn't let his anger at her murder cloud his judgement now. "Seems your friends aren't as loyal as you expected." He pointed one of the daggers at her. "I'd choose my allies a bit more wisely the next time."

She laughed. It was an ugly laugh, smug and scornful. "They didn't sell me out," she said confidently. "There'd be no point to it, because I'm one-hundred per cent loyal to the cause. Silver's the one who's gonna stick a knife in our backs."

"Silver," Sheik repeated. "Thank you for the name. Now," he dropped into his standard combat stance, minutely adjusted for the cramped quarters the apartment offered. "Are you going to come quietly, or will I be forced to knock you out?"

"Take one guess, little boy," she said, dropping into a combat stance of her own. Sheik didn't recognise it, but it was far too deliberate and perfectly positioned to be a brawler's haphazard style. She was trained in combat, then. That was fine; Sheik always enjoyed a challenge. "I suggest you get out of my way," she said.

"That is not an option," Sheik said calmly, studying her quietly. Judging by the way she positioned her centre of balance, it seemed to be a style more suited for speed than power, which made sense given her slim frame. The position of her feet suggested an emphasis on kicks rather than punches. "I am giving you one last chance: In the name of Princess Zelda of Hyrule, I am placing you under arrest. Surrender peacefully, and you will not be harmed."

She laughed again. "It's always so cute when the kitten thinks it's a lion."

She spoke with an odd accent; there was a bit of a slur to her words. It suggested a southern origin. Sheik filed that information away for later. Seems his informant was on to something with his theory on where the group originated.

"Surrend—"

She moved faster than he expected, lashing out with a roundhouse kick that would have knocked him senseless if he hadn't ducked just in time. She hit his left hand, which knocked the second dagger out of his grip with ease. In return he made to slam the handle of the one in his right hand into the back of her head, but she twisted out of the way, using the momentum to aim another kick at his head. He dodged...and was caught right in the face by her fist, which he'd failed to see coming. Stumbling backwards, he lost his balance and hit the wall by the bed, his vision clearing just in time to see the woman running out of the apartment, heading for the stairwell.

"Nikal!" he shouted. "Stop her!"

"Master!" his student called back, just before he heard the woman curse and a scuffle ensuing. He raced after her, and found Nikal sitting on the second landing, looking confused. He heard the woman running...upwards. She was heading for the roof!

"Nikal, are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah, she just pushed me," she replied, pointing up. "She's going—"

"—for the roof," Sheik finished, already three steps up. "Come on!"

The woman was climbing the stairs with impressive speed, and Sheik could only keep up with her speed. She was just out of reach for a reliable throw of his dagger to take her down—he couldn't afford to accidentally sever an artery now. He sheathed the dagger instead, knowing it was more of a hindrance than help now. He'd have to take her out the old-fashioned way. Below, he heard Nikal labouring up the stairs as well, hot on his heels.

They burst onto the flat roof and into the cold air, the blood in Sheik's ears pounding with excitement and adrenaline. He barely even noticed the skipped beats of his heart now.

The woman seemed to be trying to find somewhere to jump or climb to safety, but the buildings on either side of the apartment complex were taller and completely smooth with no handholds anywhere. The back and front only offered sheer drops to the ground below.

She didn't seem particularly perturbed by a lack of an escape route and was, in fact, grinning by the time she turned to face Sheik, who was only a few paces away. Behind them, he heard Nikal reach the top of the stairs and step up behind him.

"Oh dear, I seem to be cornered," the woman said, sounding amused. "Whatever will I do?"

"Surrender," Sheik said firmly. "I can guarantee that you will not be hurt as long as you cooperate."

"How did you find me?" she asked. "I was so careful in choosing this place, but then you show up the night after I relocate. Is there a traitor in our midst? Who told you about this address? It was Silver, wasn't it? Figures he'd start talking to you people."

"I ask the questions here." Sheik moved to the side so that Nikal and he could begin circling the woman on either side of her, trapping her. "And I told you to surrender. Will you do so?"

"What do you think, brat?" she asked, snorting.

"Then I'll be forced to subdue you."

"You already tried once—it didn't work, did it? Silver should have made Ogre crush your chest the other night. Hell, he should have just left your boy to die instead of fixing him up."

Sheik's eyes narrowed, and he noticed the slight pause to Nikal's movements behind him. He'd have to deal with that later. "Nikal, focus," he said.

"Yes, Master," she replied instantly, her focus snapping back to the situation at hand.

"And I think I'm going to have a talk with this Silver later," he told the woman. "He sounds like a weak link in your chain."

She said nothing to that, but let her actions speak for her. With a quick flick of her wrist, a knife appeared in her hand, and she rushed forward. Sheik dodged the first two strikes and parried the third, quickly finding himself on the defensive, surprised by the aggressive skill she was showing. She was clearly an experienced fighter, not just in unarmed combat.

Seeing an opening, he tried to sweep her legs from under her, but she saw it coming and jumped over his sweeping kick, lashing out with a fist that caught him just above his unseeing eye. He answered with one of his own, hitting her squarely in the jaw and sending her stumbling backwards with her eyes wide in shock.

"You...you hit a girl!" she exclaimed. "Men can't hit women!"

"Good thing I'm not a man, then," Nikal said, suddenly behind her. The kick struck the woman's temple and sent her crashing to the ground.

Sheik quickly moved in and kicked her knife away, but she was too quick for him to pin her down, rolling away and to her feet, putting her back to the edge of the rooftop. She glanced down, looking thoughtful.

"You're trapped," Sheik told her. "Surrender now, and tell us everything you know."

"I'm not surrendering to you," she said simply, glaring at them both. "I'm not a traitor."

"But you are a murderer and a terrorist, and whatever reprisals you expect from your allies for betraying them will be a like a walk in the park compared to what I will do to you if you refuse to cooperate." Sheik took a step forward as he spoke. "I was trained by the best in interrogation, and there isn't a damn thing you won't tell me once I break you!" He pointed a finger at her. "This is the last time I will say it: surrender!"

"Compelling argument. It seems I'm caught between a rock and a hard place," the woman said, an odd expression appearing on her face. An odd mix of exasperation and...acceptance. Sheik smirked under his mask. She knew she had nowhere to go, and trying to fight now would only lead to more bruises and broken bones. If she'd just—

"Master!"

"No!"

Both he and Nikal moved too slowly. The woman spread her arms wide and allowed herself to fall backwards, off the roof. They heard the thump of her hitting the ground just as they peered over the edge, seeing the body on the cobbles below. A dark pool of blood was already spreading under her head.

They stared at the body for several seconds. Sheik's nails dug into the palms of his hands. They'd had her. They'd been offered one of the conspirators on a silver platter, and he'd failed to secure her.

"Damn it," he shouted, glaring down at the dead woman.

Nikal was staring wide-eyed at the body, and Sheik quickly seized her by the shoulder and began leading her back towards the stairs. "Why did she do that?" she asked.

"Loyal to the end," Sheik offered as explanation. "Admirable, in a way." He was grinding his teeth with annoyance, both at his own inability to capture...and the slight admiration he felt for the woman's dedication. "Are you all right?" he asked for the second time that night.

"She only pushed me, Master. I didn't even hurt my ankle."

"I see...good."

By the time they reached the ground floor and left the building, the watch had already shown up, with Gren at the front. He gave Sheik a withering glare as they approached the body.

"Care to explain why you're throwing people off rooftops, Lord Sheik?" he asked. "I realise you have a great deal more operational freedom than me, but surely this is beyond even yours?"

"She was one of the conspirators, commander," Sheik said, not rising to the challenge. The night was already long enough without having to deal with the annoying man as well. "And I didn't throw her off the roof—she did that to herself."

"A martyr, huh?" the commander said, looking down at the body. "How'd you find her? And why didn't you come to me for backup? Oh, wait, the dead woman near Thatcher, right? One of yours, of course, she had information on her. As for no backup..."

"I wanted to get here quickly, in case she was relocating again. And I certainly didn't want her to know I was coming—and one does not come to the watch for subtlety or stealth."

"Right, because we're the hammer compared to your needle, eh?" Gren said, crossing his arms. "The dumb grunts who only know how to point their spears and grunt."

"Your words, not mine."

"And what does your lordship want done with this, then?" Gren kneeled down by the body.

"I'd like you to find out who she was and where she was from," Sheik said, ignoring the hostile tone the commander was speaking with. He understood Gren's anger, he truly did. He hadn't wanted the position as commander, and he certainly hadn't wanted Sheik to run around his streets, undermining his authority and causing trouble. It was too bad the commander didn't seem to think they were on the same side. "She lived in this building, third floor, apartment three-ten."

"Fine," Gren said. He glanced at Nikal. "Should she be out and about?" he asked. "She looked like hell the last time I saw her."

"She can take it," Sheik said, looking at Nikal as well. Her eyes were still wide, but Sheik had a feeling it didn't have anything to do with the suicide she had just witnessed. Knowing her past, she had probably seen much worse during the occupation. "I'd like a report as soon as possible."

"You'll have it when it's done," Gren said dismissively, directing a pair of his men to enter the building and secure the dead woman's apartment. "Let me do my job, Lord Sheik, and I'll let you do yours."

"Very well, commander. Good night."

They left the watch to do their jobs and trudged quietly through the streets, heading back to the castle. Sheik's jaw was clenched the entire time, annoyed with just about everything right now. He hadn't expected the group members to be so bloody loyal...but then, the mass suicide he had seen at Leonthal's arrival feast should have alerted him that they were zealots and prone to desperate means.

The attack didn't make sense to him, though. Why would they manage to infiltrate a high-security place like the castle, and then only aim to murder the council members and their successors? Why not go for the prince and princess in a bid to take the throne, or kidnap them and demand ransom? What was even the group's goal in the long run? What was the truth they all kept squawking about? Why had they shown up now, of all times? Just as the prince was set to arrive—

He paused in his step, causing Nikal to look at him with confusion.

"Master?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said, continuing to walk. "Just thinking..."

It made sense, didn't it? The group could be affiliated with Leonthal, even specifically brought to Hyrule to cause trouble...but for what purpose? The Storm Plains didn't have any outstanding issues with Hyrule, nor did the Ashlands. Was it a ploy to make Zelda more susceptible to Leonthal's courtship? Maybe he'd offer his assistance to her, and slowly but surely eradicate the group to prove himself a worthy suitor... He shook his head. No, it was too simple, too obvious...unless that was what he counted on, to make everyone assume no one would be that stupid and attempt such a plan...

He was tired, his thoughts beginning to blend into each other. It was past midnight, and all he really wanted to do right now was to slip into bed beside Link...that, and solve this case, but that wasn't happening right now.

"Master?" Nikal said again, though he was certain he hadn't done anything strange this time.

"Yes?" he said, looking at her.

"What did she mean when she said that this Silver person fixed Eren up?"

Sheik suppressed a wince. She had realised who they'd been talking about, then. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to cover it up. It wasn't his tale to tell, only Eren's.

"Don't lie to me, Master," Nikal said, grabbing his arm and forcing him to stop. The disrespectful action caught him off-guard, and it didn't even occur to him to scold her for it. "I know she was talking about Eren since he was the only who was there with you when the building exploded. You said he wasn't hurt, and it didn't seem that way...but then he couldn't sleep or eat, and he looked like he'd seen a ghost or something until he finally fell asleep earlier today. You know what happened. Tell me."

He slowly removed her hand from his arm. "First of all, never make demands of me again," he said in a low, warning tone. "I realise you're a bit rattled right now, but I am your teacher and master, and you will show me respect. Second, do not touch me without permission. Third...yes, something happened to Eren, but it is not my place to tell you what that was. If you want to know, ask him yourself. If he wants you to know, he will tell you." He glared at her.

Discipline is everything, he thought. The sooner they learn it, the better.

"I'm sorry, Master," she said meekly. "I just...I'm worried."

Sheik sighed, knowing he'd been harsher than necessary. "It's...all right," he said. "It's been a long night for both of us. For what it's worth, Eren only told me what happened because he was desperate, I think. I'm certain he will tell you sooner or later."

"...yes, Master."

"Now come on, let's go get some rest. Tomorrow will be another long day, I think."

They parted ways in the entrance hall. Sheik headed upstairs to the grand guest chambers, and Nikal went for the lower chambers where she and Eren stayed.

The halls were quiet, and there seemed to be little activity save for the strengthened guard duty that had been put in place after the attack. Sheik exchanged nods with a few of the guards by the chambers and quietly slipped inside his. Pausing as he closed the door, he listened carefully. Someone was snoring quietly in the darkness of the room, and Sheik found himself smiling as he quickly undressed. Climbing into the bed, he quickly found himself ensnared by a pair of strong arms and a face burying itself into his neck.

"You're cold," Link murmured. His complaint was hard to take seriously when the rest of his limbs came to trap Sheik against him. "And sweaty."

"Had a fight," Sheik replied, allowing Link's warmth to envelop him.

"Didja win?"

"Technically...but not really."

"Hm?"

"We found one of the conspirators...and I tried to take her alive...but she killed herself before I could."

"Hm..."

"And moreover..."

"Yuh?"

"Roza is dead...and I've no idea who did it..."

"I'm sorry, Sheik."

Sheik didn't say anything to that, burrowing further under the blankets and letting Link's body slowly warm him up. They'd had far too few nights like these the past two years, and he wasn't going to let the outside world ruin his one source of solace these days. When Link kissed him between his shoulder blades, he practically melted.

"The dinner?" he asked.

"Kaura scared the hell out of the prince with stories about us."

"Hah, I can imagine... Zelda wasn't mad that I left, was she?"

"No. Now go to sleep," the Hero's voice whispered soothingly. "We can deal with everything else in the morning."

And by the Goddesses, Sheik did just that.

Sitting on her bed, Nikal was staring at the wall. A lot had happened that night. Between the woman killing herself and the dead informant, she doubted she'd get much sleep that night. But the thing that bothered her most of all had been the paper that Master had found on Roza's body. She had been able to keep her recognising it a secret—Master had been too focused on Roza to look at her...but it didn't change the fact that it was the same paper that Garrett had shown her earlier that day...and then said he'd find a way to make its discovery more believable.

Had he killed Roza? Or had he given the paper to her, and then someone else had knifed her in that alley? Perhaps Garrett had told or paid them to...

She couldn't understand why, if that was the case. Garrett had said he was on her side, that he wanted the case solved just as badly as she did...but why would he then go around killing Master's informants?

Wringing her brain around the issue wasn't getting her any closer to the answer. She didn't know enough about Garrett or his motivations and goals... Maybe he was a liar and actually an enemy...but then why was he pretending to help them? So far he hadn't asked anything of Nikal, only offered them.

Groaning, she stood up and paced around her chambers for a while before growing frustrated with that too. She left her chambers, intending to take a walk around the castle grounds and wait for her head to clear, but she paused outside Eren's door. Inside, she heard the calm breathing of a person who was firmly in the realm of sleep. Opening the door, she slipped inside the room and closed it behind her.

Eren was fast asleep in his bed, looking utterly peaceful. Without giving it much thought, she kicked off her boots and climbed into the bed and laid down next to him.

When she was little, she had shared a bed with her older sister. That had been one of the hardest things to get used to after her family was torn apart during the war: sleeping alone. That, and living in a cucco coop. Slipping under the covers, she decided that it didn't matter much if she fell asleep—Eren wouldn't be able to do anything anyway, drugged as he was. Besides, he wouldn't dare to.

She had a knife, just to be safe.

To be continued…

Things never work out the way they should, do they?

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