disclaimer in first chapter.
a/n: thank you to chibi fairy and nefthoron. you'll want to slap ganondorf
a bit more after this.
The Sages' Sheik .chapter seven.
"The sisters are expecting you this morning. Remain with them until I return."
Sheik nodded quietly, fastening his cloak and checking his saddlebags. A large desert dark hand came into view and tilted his head to meet amber eyes.
"That means no exploring without notifying Kotake or Koume first." Sheik grinned up at the Gerudo. How the sisters had shrieked when they couldn't find an eleven year old child in that sandy behemoth! Especially as said child belonged to a more powerful mage than the pair of them together.
"You look so adult, I can hardly see my magelet in you." The Gerudo commented quietly. Sheik glanced down at himself. The word scrawny came to mind at first, then wiry as the weapon master had once confessed after a long, useless spar in which neither had landed a blow. The gerudo women had often called him cute, adorable and other sickly-sweet names. They still did, but with a look to their eyes that made Sheik feel like a prized breeding stud. He flushed a little at that thought.
A hand ruffled his hair, causing his bangs to come loose and hang in his eyes.
"Hey!" Sheik huffed, frowning while trying to push back the wheat-blond strands.
"There's my magelet" was chuckled. "Nearly a full mage. You'll prove your use soon," the Gerudo mumbled to himself, yet Sheik heard.
"Now, you'll stay at the Sanctuary with the sisters. I should return within the week. What is it?" was asked when Sheik opened his mouth and paused in question.
"What if..." he whispered, uncertain. The Gerudo had been moody of late, something to do with the Gorons in the Northern Mountains. He didn't wish to anger his caretaker...
"Yes magelet?"
"If I visit him..." he trailed off again, lowering his eyes to his boots.
"Don't get caught this time little Sheikah," Ganondorf teased. With a whisper of his cloak and magic, the Gerudo left. Sheik smiled at his boots, starting to hum a simple tune from childhood.
********
Kneeling in the hot sand, at someone's feet no less, was not in his original plan. Sheik spat out a bloody mouthful of saliva, the inside of his cheek inflamed from the woman's left hook. Her right had winded him, thus his hunched form in the Spirit Temple's shadow.
"How did you get in here?" Sheik found himself hefted upwards and thrown against the entrance archway. He couldn't answer when an arm leaned on his throat and held him still against the pillar. He relaxed, his training keeping him loose and ready for a second's chance to escape.
"Impa, you cannot expect an answer while crushing his throat." Nabooru's cultured tones startled Sheik. His eyes widened at the approaching gerudo. She sneered at him, looking him up and down. "It's Ganondorf's pet. I did not know he allowed you out of the castle." She pulled Impa's arm back, easing some of the pressure on his throat.
"Explain yourself, before I kill you."
He was fully released from the woman's choke hold and sank gratefully onto the ground. Coughing, he looked up at her, eyes watering from the light reflecting off her steel grey armor. He glanced at Nabooru, busy fiddling with her blade handle and staring down at him as would a hawk its prey. His eyes widened and his mouth felt full of sand from her glare.
"He," here Sheik gulped at the look the armored woman shot. "He left me to the sisters' care while away on Gerudo matters. I was hoping to sneak out."
"Where were you sneaking to?" Nabooru questioned, causing Sheik to duck his head. "Ah, back to that rundown Temple of yours. How many times have you been caught either there or on your way? I would need two more hands just to count!" Nabooru chuckled and turned to the woman. "A boy's game, nothing more."
"What do you call this Temple, what is your child's game?" The grey woman had relaxed, muscles smooth against her armor. Sheik mumbled a response to the sand. He had never to explain himself to Ganondorf: Both knew why he visited the old Temple and it was allowed, if not accepted by the Gerudo.
"Speak up!" Nabooru demanded with a prod of her boot.
"It's the Temple of Time and I go and see if... if Link's woken up yet." He knew they would laugh, the legendary Temple a destroyed building in Castletown, and have no inkling of who Link was or would be. There was no laughter and obviously, Sheik knew nothing, for the grey woman was staring at him, mouth hanging open so slightly.
He was once again slammed against the pillar, by Nabooru this time.
"Who told you of the Temple's location? Does Ganondorf know? Tell us boy!" Sheik winced as his head was rattled on hard stone.
"Sheik?" Nabooru and Sheik booth looked to the grey woman, one in confusion the other with wary curiousity. He hadn't heard that name in years, often being called 'magelet' or a fond 'little Sheikah' by his caretaker. Never that name, which was being repeated by the woman.
"Sheik, you're alive, how..." She trailed off, recalling what Nabooru had said and forced a smile to her face. "It's me, Impa. Do you remember?" She asked hopefully. Sheik nodded hesitantly and found himself pressed into Impa's chest plate, trying to breath as she squeezed him tightly.
"I'm so glad you're alive," she whispered fiercely, releasing him from her arms. Sheik looked at her, puzzled. Hadn't she known about the distraction at the Castle, about his chances to live through... He glanced past Impa, spying a tiny blonde figure in desert robes approaching.
"Impa! Nabooru! What is the matter?" A girl's high voice called out. Sheik looked on in shock as she came closer, became familiar.
"Zelda," he whispered as she paused behind the two women.
"Sheik." Her eyes were as cold as her voice.
-end chapter seven.
The Sages' Sheik .chapter seven.
"The sisters are expecting you this morning. Remain with them until I return."
Sheik nodded quietly, fastening his cloak and checking his saddlebags. A large desert dark hand came into view and tilted his head to meet amber eyes.
"That means no exploring without notifying Kotake or Koume first." Sheik grinned up at the Gerudo. How the sisters had shrieked when they couldn't find an eleven year old child in that sandy behemoth! Especially as said child belonged to a more powerful mage than the pair of them together.
"You look so adult, I can hardly see my magelet in you." The Gerudo commented quietly. Sheik glanced down at himself. The word scrawny came to mind at first, then wiry as the weapon master had once confessed after a long, useless spar in which neither had landed a blow. The gerudo women had often called him cute, adorable and other sickly-sweet names. They still did, but with a look to their eyes that made Sheik feel like a prized breeding stud. He flushed a little at that thought.
A hand ruffled his hair, causing his bangs to come loose and hang in his eyes.
"Hey!" Sheik huffed, frowning while trying to push back the wheat-blond strands.
"There's my magelet" was chuckled. "Nearly a full mage. You'll prove your use soon," the Gerudo mumbled to himself, yet Sheik heard.
"Now, you'll stay at the Sanctuary with the sisters. I should return within the week. What is it?" was asked when Sheik opened his mouth and paused in question.
"What if..." he whispered, uncertain. The Gerudo had been moody of late, something to do with the Gorons in the Northern Mountains. He didn't wish to anger his caretaker...
"Yes magelet?"
"If I visit him..." he trailed off again, lowering his eyes to his boots.
"Don't get caught this time little Sheikah," Ganondorf teased. With a whisper of his cloak and magic, the Gerudo left. Sheik smiled at his boots, starting to hum a simple tune from childhood.
********
Kneeling in the hot sand, at someone's feet no less, was not in his original plan. Sheik spat out a bloody mouthful of saliva, the inside of his cheek inflamed from the woman's left hook. Her right had winded him, thus his hunched form in the Spirit Temple's shadow.
"How did you get in here?" Sheik found himself hefted upwards and thrown against the entrance archway. He couldn't answer when an arm leaned on his throat and held him still against the pillar. He relaxed, his training keeping him loose and ready for a second's chance to escape.
"Impa, you cannot expect an answer while crushing his throat." Nabooru's cultured tones startled Sheik. His eyes widened at the approaching gerudo. She sneered at him, looking him up and down. "It's Ganondorf's pet. I did not know he allowed you out of the castle." She pulled Impa's arm back, easing some of the pressure on his throat.
"Explain yourself, before I kill you."
He was fully released from the woman's choke hold and sank gratefully onto the ground. Coughing, he looked up at her, eyes watering from the light reflecting off her steel grey armor. He glanced at Nabooru, busy fiddling with her blade handle and staring down at him as would a hawk its prey. His eyes widened and his mouth felt full of sand from her glare.
"He," here Sheik gulped at the look the armored woman shot. "He left me to the sisters' care while away on Gerudo matters. I was hoping to sneak out."
"Where were you sneaking to?" Nabooru questioned, causing Sheik to duck his head. "Ah, back to that rundown Temple of yours. How many times have you been caught either there or on your way? I would need two more hands just to count!" Nabooru chuckled and turned to the woman. "A boy's game, nothing more."
"What do you call this Temple, what is your child's game?" The grey woman had relaxed, muscles smooth against her armor. Sheik mumbled a response to the sand. He had never to explain himself to Ganondorf: Both knew why he visited the old Temple and it was allowed, if not accepted by the Gerudo.
"Speak up!" Nabooru demanded with a prod of her boot.
"It's the Temple of Time and I go and see if... if Link's woken up yet." He knew they would laugh, the legendary Temple a destroyed building in Castletown, and have no inkling of who Link was or would be. There was no laughter and obviously, Sheik knew nothing, for the grey woman was staring at him, mouth hanging open so slightly.
He was once again slammed against the pillar, by Nabooru this time.
"Who told you of the Temple's location? Does Ganondorf know? Tell us boy!" Sheik winced as his head was rattled on hard stone.
"Sheik?" Nabooru and Sheik booth looked to the grey woman, one in confusion the other with wary curiousity. He hadn't heard that name in years, often being called 'magelet' or a fond 'little Sheikah' by his caretaker. Never that name, which was being repeated by the woman.
"Sheik, you're alive, how..." She trailed off, recalling what Nabooru had said and forced a smile to her face. "It's me, Impa. Do you remember?" She asked hopefully. Sheik nodded hesitantly and found himself pressed into Impa's chest plate, trying to breath as she squeezed him tightly.
"I'm so glad you're alive," she whispered fiercely, releasing him from her arms. Sheik looked at her, puzzled. Hadn't she known about the distraction at the Castle, about his chances to live through... He glanced past Impa, spying a tiny blonde figure in desert robes approaching.
"Impa! Nabooru! What is the matter?" A girl's high voice called out. Sheik looked on in shock as she came closer, became familiar.
"Zelda," he whispered as she paused behind the two women.
"Sheik." Her eyes were as cold as her voice.
-end chapter seven.