Time's Melodies
I
The sun did it's best to pierce the thick canopy of the Faron Woods. But it only partially succeeded; only tiny cracks gave way for the sunlight breaking through; the old, crumbling Temple of Time stood tall, a testament to Hyrule, and to time itself.
Sat on one of the higher tree branches of the forest, was a woman. Quite androgynous in appearance, she was sat playing a small harp, her eyes closed, both in peace, and focus. She was dressed in her traditional Sheikah garments; two small kunai hung from her belt, the all too familiar symbol emblazoned on her chestpiece, of a tribe long forgotten to time. She knew not of her proper name from birth, so she adopted a shortened version of her tribe: Sheik. She liked the solace and silence of the woods. It brought her peace, and, even if only for a small amount of time, it vanquished the worries of the world.
She heard footsteps approach from a fair distance away, causing her fingers to freeze, causing the soft melody that the strings had been providing to stop all too soon. With that, her eyes opened, welcoming her back to the world around her. She looked down from the branch, spotting a figure below her.
"Who is this person? They are not the Hero of Time... Only he with the Triforce of Courage may set foot here."
She internally monologued for a moment. After all, the Sheikah monk had learned this many times before; everytime the hero of time pulled the Master Sword from the pedestal, they were destined to seal away the ancient evil that threatened Hyrule. It was the same old song and dance. But yet, she found herself assisting the hero again and again.
"The flow of time is always cruel… Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it…"
That was the mantra she had learned off by heart now. And yet, it rang true every single time she had to remind herself. It was a reminder to herself, one that stabbed at her heart harder than any evil-sealing blade ever could. Though, of course, she had to remain strong. After all, she was seen as the "guide" to the hero; she watched from afar, following the hero on his quest, only giving him vague yet valuable advice for his next movements. All of this, without giving away her true identity. After all, it would create more questions than answers.
By the time she had separated herself from her thoughts, the figure she had seen had disappeared. As though they had never even existed to begin with. She hadn't heard any footsteps, any leaves crunching, or any feet tapping against the tiles of the temple floor. That, or she'd distracted herself long enough for the person to pass through. She only knew it was either; most likely the former. Shaking her head to regather her thoughts, she blinked and did a quick double-take. Still nothing.
"By Farore, I must have stayed out a little too long. Perhaps I should retire back to the village."
She sighed lightly, climbing down acrobatically from the tree, hitting the ground below with the grace of a dancer, along with the lethality of an assassin. After pondering it for a moment, she decided time back home would help her. For as long as she could remember, the village of Kakariko was a quaint one, and one where the Sheikah had long inhabited; her ancestors' ancestors had been there. Scanning her surroundings, she narrowed her eyes; the temple and its surroundings were empty, but she didn't feel alone. She never did. The route to the village was quite simple, and Sheik remembered it like the back of her gloved hand. Closing her eyes for a moment, she exhaled softly behind her mask.
"It's time to come home, if only for a while."