Link was very aware of Impa's stare. Still, he made no attempt at conversation.

Finally, the Sheikah groaned. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing," Link signed absently. "Get some sleep. We've been up since yesterday."

"Oh, I'm aware."

Link grinned at the passive-aggressive remark. He was well aware that she bore him no ill will, but considering their lack of sleep, meals, and exposure to Roderick, the young woman was struggling to maintain patience with anyone. Still, it was touching that she continued to put off rest just to make sure that he was doing okay. He couldn't think of anyone else, other than his mother, who had ever shown him such kindness and consideration. Whatever higher power watching over him had shown him a great deal of favor when they had arranged her arrival in his life.

"You saw it, didn't you?"

The squire looked up sharply, his translator now having his full attention. Maybe she knew him a little too well.

"So, what did it look like."

"I only saw the top of its head. It has bright red scales and yellow eyes."

"Descriptive," Impa muttered dryly as she tossed herself onto one of the chairs, setting a hand on her forehead as she yawned. "So, why are you so interested in it?"

"Reminds me of the stories Aryll used to love." It wasn't a complete lie. As he had left that morning, it had occurred to him that whatever it was, Aryll would likely have gushed over it. In her younger years, the girl had loved myths and legends surrounding the sea. Every year, for her birthday, all she would ask for was some sort of trinket or ornament that somehow represented the underwater world she so adored. She had even learned how to read (and at a far faster pace than most) so that she could read a book that he had bought her for her fifth birthday.

Of course, his little sister's childhood fascinations were only a minor explanation for his fixation on… whatever inhabited the lab's tank. Though he had only seen them for a moment, those eyes had been etched into his memory. He couldn't reconcile those eyes, which had the same spark that any human's had.

Maybe it was a bit strange, but he couldn't help but feel some odd sense of kinship with the creature. Rationally, it didn't make any sense; however, he couldn't help but feel like he understood a bit of what they were going through. The Hylian tilted his head as he considered the unintentional use of a pronoun. Consciously, he had opted to not refer to the creature as a monster as he no longer thought it appropriate (despite everything he knew concerning the recent history of the lab). Even so, he was holding off on pronouns until he knew more…

Still, 'they' was neutral enough and far better than referring to the creature as an "it."

"You're not thinking about doing anything stupid, are you?"

The sound of Impa's voice broke Link out of his musings. Looking over, he tilted his head in curiosity.

"The last time I saw you this interested in a wild animal, you nearly got mauled by a wolf."

"I'm just curious."

Impa groaned again. "Heard that one before. Just get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay, mom…"

"How? How do you manage to sound sarcastic while signing?"

Link simply laughed, waving the exhausted woman off. Drawing his curtain, the Hylian climbed onto his mattress, which was surprisingly soft. He grinned to himself as he listened to Impa grumble quietly to herself, before drawing her own curtain and falling onto her own bed. Laughing silently, he laid back, resting his head on his pillow.

As silence fell over their little home, the squire's mind once again drifted back to the creature that he was to guard. As the moment in which he'd seen golden eyes framed by bright red scales played through his mind over and over, Link found himself unable to relax. Tossing back and forth, the Hylian finally sat up and lit up his candle. Reaching for his nightstand, he picked up the little book resting there. Taking a moment to run a finger over the leather-bound pages, Link took a second to send a quick prayer to the goddess, asking her to continue to watch over his little sister. Before he had left Castle Town, the young lady had paid him a visit, handing him a gift that she hoped would help him to remember her. Unwrapping it had revealed a little blue book that had been worn after years of use. At one time, it'd had a lovely cover featuring a peculiar whale with three crescent moons resting back to back in the center of its body. Unfortunately, the cover had long since been replaced.

Link wasn't prone to crying, but he'd been forced to wipe away a few tears. It was the very same book he had gifted her years prior, in the height of her fascination with the ocean.

With a fond smile, the squire cracked the book open, flipping through the yellowed pages as he searched for anything that might give him any information on his charge.

"…"

"… Perhaps it's due to the stress. She has shown sensitivity to environmental changes before."

"Could she be capable of recognizing members of the team?" Purah asked. "Kind of like the fish you keep on your desk."

"It's quite possible," Robbie replied thoughtfully, clicking his pen as he stared into the tank.

Behind them, Link was standing and listening intently. They two had yet to notice him, which was just fine as far as the knight-in-training was concerned. He assumed that he was more likely to hear about the creature if they were unaware of his presence. So, he did nothing to make himself known as he made mental notes on everything he heard. He hadn't expected to arrive on-site and hear anything of note, so he intended to make the most of this opportunity. Who knew when he'd get another chance to learn directly from those who had the most expertise.

"Many aquatic species do measure a little higher in intelligence than most realize." Robbie seemed to be thinking out loud now, "I haven't studied amphibians to the same extent but…" He fell silent for a moment. "Can you think of any other factors that might have induced a stress response?"

Stress response?

"Maybe Link knows something," Purah suggested. "Impa mentioned that he likes wild animals. Maybe he tried to interact with her?"

Having brought a sheet of paper and a pen with him already, Link pulled it out and began jotting a note out for Robbie. The scientist jumped when he tapped him on the shoulder; however, he took the proffered note worldlessly, adjusting his goggles as he held it up.

"Hey, Link!"

Link flashed Purah a small smile. While he'd never really gotten the chance to speak with Impa's sister, his translator had told him a number of interesting and, quite frankly, humorous stories regarding her. He'd already taken quite a liking to her.

"You only saw her eyes and the top of her head?"

He nodded.

"And you did nothing? Not even approached the tank when she disappeared?"

Link shook his head before motioning for the paper. He scribbled another note while Robbie waited patiently. He handed it back once finished.

"… You're right. She is incredibly dangerous."

"Doesn't sound like the Link Impa told me about," Purah laughed. "Didn't you almost get impaled by a boar?"

The squire shot her a glance but said nothing. Robbie had yet to answer either of the questions he had asked. What had stressed her out?

The man in question was studying him silently. "You're aware that she was involved in the death of the previous captain?"

"Yes."

The pen began clicking again. "… Since her capture, she has lost a significant amount of weight, but she eats little, no matter how much we give her. At this rate…" The man trailed off thoughtfully before pointing his pen at Link. "We don't know what all her diet entails but we do know how aggressive she can be when in a desperate situation. I know you're far from stupid but I will reiterate that you need to be on your guard tonight. And do not, under any circumstances, approach the tank unless absolutely necessary."

Link nodded even as he considered the best ways in which to approach the tank without putting the creature too on edge. If she were violent, then he'd have to make sure that he did nothing to make her feel threatened and there was no way to do that while approaching her domain. At the same time, he couldn't sit idly by while an innocent life was suffering and he had the power to alleviate that suffering. Sure, whatever she was had killed a man but, knowing the knights as he did, he wouldn't be surprised if Sir Corrin had done something to earn a death at her hands.

He wouldn't begrudge anyone for defending themselves.

"Hey!" Suddenly, Purah was in front of him, hunching down slightly so that her face was in his own. For once, the fun-loving smile was gone. "Impa told me all about that look. You're trying to figure out how to feed her, aren't you?"

The squire said nothing.

"We're not joking when we-"

"Purah."

The young woman stopped at the sound of her name.

Robbie stepped forward, looking down at Link with an enigmatic expression on his face. "I suppose we will not be able to stop you from attempting this?"

Link paused for a moment before slowly shaking his head.

"You're in-"

"Purah!" The head scientist sighed, rubbing his chin. After a few seconds, he gestured toward a sizeable ice chest in a corner of the room. "The fish we feed her are kept in there. Just…"

Link nodded, furrowing his brow in an attempt to convey his understanding of the situation. While the decision would endanger him, he had a feeling he would be okay. The night prior, she had disappeared as soon as he had so much as looked at her. If that were the case, she would probably only attack if he got too close.

Probably.

"I'm glad you understand." Robbie adjusted his goggles yet again as he looked toward the last of the researchers vacating the lab. He looked back at the squire, appearing as though he wished to say something more; however, he thought better of it and turned away. "I hope to see you in the morning, Link."

Link made no attempt to reply, simply watching as Robbie turned away and left the lab behind, only stopping to gather up a few notes.

Purah, on the other hand, felt her presence was necessary for just a few seconds longer. "Listen here," she said, placing her hands on her hips as she got in his face again, "I get that you feel sympathy for her and all that but you better not go and get yourself killed or injured. My sis doesn't have a lot of friends and I'd hate for her to lose one of the few she does have."

Link gave a single nod.

"You really are insane," she grumbled quietly. She shook her head before turning her back and storming out of the lab, stopping in the door to send him one last irritable glance. Shaking her head in frustration, the woman stalked away, leaving the squire alone in the lab. Truth be told, Link wouldn't be surprised if Impa were to storm the lab and drag him out, orders be damned. Then again, his translator likely knew there was nothing she could do to stop him and was also aware, after a fair amount of arguing, that Link viewed her presence during situations like this as a factor that increased the risk of violent outbursts. Hopefully, she would know better than to intervene.

Glancing toward the tank, the Hylian noticed that his charge was still out of sight. Considering how the chains binding her remained still, he could only surmise she was either asleep or hiding. Knowing that nothing good would come of drawing close to the tank without some form of consent, he set to work on his duties as Roderick's squire. Placing the man's sword in his lap, he ran a whetstone along its edge, pausing to cast a furtive look toward the pool of water on the other side of the room.

Eventually, the chains began clinking and scraping, alerting Link to the creature's awakening. Of course, she still didn't appear but that was okay. The longer it took, the more time he had to complete his daily tasks. It didn't stop him from looking up every few seconds to see if he was being watched by a pair of golden eyes. So, he did his best to keep calm and focus on quietly cleaning the lab, as he had already finished tending to Roderick's equipment.

Link was sweeping a sizeable pile of dirt into the dustpan when he felt a tingling along his spine. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that her eyes were boring a hole into him from across the room. Straightening slowly, Link turned, his breath hitching as he came face to face with her. Just as the night before, her golden orbs watched him guardedly, expecting him to threaten her in some way.

The Hylian didn't allow his gaze to linger long. Trying to stare her down would only drive her back below the surface. Instead, he turned toward the icebox, forcing himself to relax even as nervous energy coursed through him. Making his way toward the chest, Link maintained a measured pace. Upon reaching the box, he withdrew two fish before returning his gaze toward his charge. Fighting the urge to look directly at her, Link held up the fish where she could see as he approached the tank with agonizing slowness. It was difficult, gauging her responses to his actions using only peripheral vision, but he continued toward the tank steadily. The whole time, he kept his hands up where she could see them.

Thankfully, the creature was still above water, though he did notice her draw back as he reached the edge of the fountain. Pausing, Link carefully placed the fish down before backing away just as slowly, keeping his empty hands up. Now that he was retreating, he allowed himself to gaze at her directly. Just as before, he was transfixed by her. Even though he could only see her head, there was something fascinating about her alien appearance. Even so, he didn't fail to notice that she was sizing him up very differently now. Though she still appeared guarded, her eyes had lost some of the hardened glint that had been there previously.

On a whim, Link formed an upward-facing crescent with his thumb and index finger. Bringing his hand down and around, he tapped his thumb against his chin twice. "Salmon."

While she may not have understood what he was saying, he did hope it would further set her at ease. He doubted that anyone had made any serious attempts to communicate with her and, if they did, it likely lacked any sort of warmth or friendliness.

She tilted her head, watching him with a renewed interest.

"Salmon," Link repeated before pointing toward her meal.

Her eyes flicked toward the fish, then back to him. Advancing slowly, she watched him just as intently as he watched her. Reaching the edge of the tank, she reached up with a webbed hand, sharp black claws digging into the offering before disappearing in a flash. With one last glance at him, she too sunk below the surface of the water.

Link let out a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. He continued staring at the spot in which she had disappeared as though he might catch another glimpse of her. It was unlikely, to be sure, but he still found himself hoping. Maybe, if he continued to be friendly, he could develop some sort of relationship with her. After all, she had been at least somewhat receptive to his efforts to reach out, meager as they were. And, if she continued to be receptive, maybe she would be more comfortable interacting with him. He had been somewhat curious as to what she looked like before but now, after seeing a very human-like hand, he was even more so. Did she have a torso like a human? Legs? Or did her lower half bear more of a resemblance to a fish? Link shook his head at the thought. Robbie had mentioned that she was an amphibian so she must have legs. What did they look like? What kinds of fins did she have? Did she even have fins? Were they the same color as her scales?

So very many questions that he very much wanted the answer to.

Unfortunately, such questions would have to wait. If he were to act on his curiosities now, he would only make her withdraw and her health and safety were his primary concerns. He didn't like to wait but he could, and would, do it.

Doing his best to regroup mentally, the squire attended to the rest of his tasks. Despite his best efforts to focus, he found his gaze drawn toward the tank on more than one occasion; however, she remained out of sight for the rest of that night.

"You what?!"

Link said nothing, considering how best to explain himself.

"Yes, I understand what you think you're saying," Impa growled, "but what you're actually saying is that you're trying to get yourself killed."

"Then why didn't she attack last night when I wasn't watching? What about when I brought her food? Why did she only kill Sir Corrin?"

"That's beside the point!" the Sheikah snapped. "What we do know is the last person foolish enough to get close to that… thing was murdered and brutally enough to shake up every other knight there." Impa took a moment to collect herself, rubbing both of her temples. "Are you… are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"No."

"It sure sounds like you are."

"I'll be careful, I promise."

"If I had a rupee for every time you said that I could buy all of Kakariko. If I had two for every time you proceeded to throw caution to the wind, I could buy the entire kingdom."

Link snorted before wandering into their kitchen.

"What are you up to?"

"Do we have any fish?"

"That doesn't answer the question." Impa narrowed her eyes. "You're planning on taking new fish for her to try, aren't you?"

Link nodded as he opened their icebox and dug through it.

"Just don't take the tilapia, please," the Sheikah sighed, her resignation plain to hear.

Link nodded absently. He was surprised at the variety of fish they had, though it did make sense the more he thought about it. Both he and Impa had a fondness for an array of seafood and with his love of experimenting when it came to cooking, it was no surprise that Impa had stocked up. Of course, the breadth of variety was a bit shocking, until he realized that said variety was limited to freshwater fish. Granted, they were close to one of Hyrule's largest lakes, so abundant and cheap options for freshwater fish did make sense. It also didn't hurt that he and Impa had quite a few rupees saved up between them.

The squire was quite looking forward to experimenting, assuming that Impa was still willing to share. Granted, he had no qualms with paying her back (probably throwing in a few extra rupees for the inconvenience to her) but he didn't want to use all of the food she had bought for himself, even if he would be the one cooking it.

Setting aside a few trout, carp, and bluegill, Link closed the lid. He would have to leave himself a reminder to wrap a few of them to take to the lab when he woke up that evening. That could wait a little while though.

Rapping the counter with his knuckles, he got Impa's attention. "Hungry? "

"That's not an actual question, right?"

Link grinned as he opened one of their cabinets and dug out a few pans. Within a few minutes, a pleasant crackling filled the kitchen as Link kept an eye on the frying bacon, while cracking eggs in another pot. He grinned as he silently estimated how long it would take for his roommate to find her way to the kitchen, guided by her sensitive nose and an empty stomach. He gave it a minute at most.

In half a minute at best, she appeared over his shoulder. "You're going to-"

Link nodded as he took a pinch of parsley and sprinkled it on followed by salt and pepper.

"And you'll-"

Link nodded again as he took the pan of bacon and poured just a dollop of the grease into the eggs. Enough to add flavor but not enough to leave that disgusting film over his tongue and the roof of his mouth. Sometimes, he was made very aware of just how different their palates were. It could be a bit frustrating at times when Impa was unable to taste the complex flavors he had lovingly crafted. A mental shift had been required, leading him to think of it as a challenge to create something they could both appreciate to the fullest. It was fascinating how difficult it was despite his knowledge and experience, but he had never been one to back down. Especially when it came to his passions.

Soon enough, he was plating their breakfast for dinner, laughing silently as Impa snatched her plate before he could place the garnish. He knew that she didn't care for it but it was often entertaining to watch her decide between humoring him or simply grabbing her plate. Of course, she had recently figured him out and never waited for him to finish properly plating their food unless she knew he was in a foul mood or otherwise needed that small uplift. Maybe some found such a notion of finding comfort in making a plate of food look artistic baffling but he was certain he would find whatever coping methods they employed equally as ridiculous.

Rolling his eyes with a rueful smile, Link watched as Impa retreated to her corner, drawing her curtain. He'd have to make a mental note to ask her permission to gather her dishes later.

Settling down at their small, round table, Link was quick to inhale his food, then set to work cleaning up after himself. In no time at all, the kitchen was sparkling, leaving the Hylian with nothing to do other than retreat to his corner. Climbing into bed, he stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully as there was finally nothing left to distract him. While he was tired, images of the amphibian flowed through his mind. He found himself enthralled by the idea of what the rest of her might look like. The mystery of it alone was enough to make him restless. Here he was, guarding a creature that had never been seen before in recorded history and all he had seen was the top of her head, a pair of eyes, and a scaly hand. If ever there was a person who wouldn't be driven mad by the curiosity of it all, he sincerely didn't want to meet them.

And that was to say nothing of her response to the single word he had signed to her. Had she understood? And if so, to what extent?

The multitude of questions left the squire tossing and turning, unable to relax as his instinctive need to satiate his curiosity overrode his exhaustion.

With a sigh, he gave up, sitting up as he considered what little he did know. Unfortunately, his knowledge was quite lacking when it came to amphibians and marine life. Mildly disgruntled, the Hylian reached for his nightstand and lit the candle resting on it, and, as his eyes finally adjusted, they fell on a little blue book from his sister.