Thievery

Disclaimer: [Shepherds in a lot of plot bunnies carrying briefcases]. We plot bunnies declare that Soda is not affiliated with Nintendo in any way, so is merely borrowing the characters to follow our whimsical story guidance.

Last chapter, I finally got some action in (at last!) So, our good old Alexis/Blaise friend is now trooping off in order to find Artemis and save Sheik's (dwindling) sanity.

Apologies for yet another huge gap in between updates. But.....well, you know how it is when you haven't any ideas for what to write, right? Hopefully, I haven't gone too off the rails of this story. If it seems like it doesn't flow well, tell me, and I'll try to remedy the matter!

:: :: = Ganondorf's thoughts, [] = Alexis'/Blaise' thoughts and italics = memories

I had no idea how long it had been since the black-cloaks had attacked the catacombs and taken Artemis, so therefore didn't know if the trail I was following was hot or cold. To be honest, I was just glad I had been able to find a trail to follow at all. The black-cloaks were (luckily for me) terrible at covering their tracks. And, another consolation was that fact that the attack couldn't have been anything over six hours ago, so they couldn't be too far.

[That's if they didn't use magic of course, stupid!] The more logical half of my brain chimed away. I often wondered whether I might be a little crazy, the way I seemed to have two minds in one. [Yeah, well, you can't claim to have ever been quite sane, can you?] I shrugged the voice off, and looked down at a heavy set of footprints in the mud of ground. Luckily, it was wet, so the tracks showed up well.

These tracks I followed, hand hovering over the hilt of my sword, and one eye looking out for any oncoming attacks. The trail followed the road for perhaps three hundred yards, and then dove back into the woods. I now had to use one hand to clear away the branches of trees that hung over the dodgy pathway through the vegetation. The call of a bird close-to made me jump, and one of the branches thrummed back to hit me squarely on the nose. [Ow! Demons!] I rubbed the sore spot tenderly, before deciding to duck under the branch in order to continue.

Ten minutes of this began to frustrate me – it seemed I was getting nowhere, for I couldn't see nor hear the black-cloaks, and I feared they were now too far away for my trek to be of any use at all. As the plant life began to thicken all around me, I knew I was approaching the old heart of this tiny forest, and had to pick my way over the rotting carcasses of long dead trees, as well as pushing the new bursts of life from my way. There came a point when I half drew my sword, having the idea to cut my way through, and then decided against it. If merely pushing these branches had exerted me, then what good would slashing away like a lunatic do?

After all, if I did manage to find the black-cloaks, I would need to be able to fight them, wouldn't I? What good is a weary warrior in the midst of battle? [Mind you, Vyxennia was the place of many – almost all in fact – battles in which I was way over the limit of normal waking hours.] That was due to the obscenely long nights, as well as the huge amount of vampires, werewolves and other sentient daemons gathered in the place.

I stumbled into a clearing, and was drawn out of the reverie. [Funny, I seem to have a habit of them.....] The clearing itself was empty, so I didn't know exactly why my sword was in my hand, or my shield suddenly on my arm, and my battle-senses ready. Truly, there was nothing!

It dawned on me. Nothing.....

I looked down, to find the footsteps (all many sets of them) stop abruptly in the very centre of the clearing. Lying in the slightly charred grass were the carcasses of dozens and dozens of Deku-Nuts, used and discarded. I could only hazard a guess about where they had gone, and my guess would be; back to the castle, and their sorcerer master. Perhaps Aghanim meant to use Artemis as bait to lure Sheik, and persuade him to hand Catherine over.

There was a sense of relief as I found myself in the certain knowledge he wouldn't do that. Not straight away anyway – nor without a plan. [But what's my plan about this?] I stopped before the burnt out Deku-nut shells, and saw something glowing golden in the midst of them. Hardly believing my luck, I bent down, and retrieved a Deku-nut that was still intact. Having a sudden impulsive, and probably, very stupid idea, I picked up one of the used ones, and held it in my sword hand.

In the other hand, (the arm leading to it supporting my shield), I held the transporting device that still held magic. Hoping that by some sheer luck and twist of magics, I would end up where the abductors had gone, I threw (well, dropped) the Deku-nut onto the ground. I squinted against the flash, and felt myself pulled away from the world, and then dropped again harshly.

Just before I had landed, there had been soft chanting of both male and female voices going on far off, and then, closer to, the sound of snoring. When I did land, the snoring stopped, and was replaced by a man heavily cursing, and rising from a chair to pull some sort of rope. Without really thinking about it, I slashed my sword out, and he crumpled to the floor, sliced so deep that I knew he wouldn't rise again. Strangely, it didn't bother me. I didn't usually like to kill the more humanoid forms of evil, but so many years in my job must have steeled me, because I next searched the man for any means of key, weapon, or clue to where Artemis may be.

I found a key, a pouch of Deku-nuts (which would be very handy later on, I was sure), and a flask of pungent whisky. I pocketed the key and pouch, and after a milli-second's silent debate with my conscience, also took the flask. [After all, he won't be needing it, will he?] I reasoned. Standing up from my search of the body, I took a proper look around the place. I'd never been in the new castle, so I couldn't tell if that was where I was or not. Wherever this place was, judging by the water seeping in through the walls, it was underground. And, it wasn't a wine cellar, nice underground place.

Oh no – that chanting in the distance was working to weave a spell, that much I knew. Magic hung heavy in the air, clinging to me, and seeping into me, crawling through the pores of my skin, and seeming to set my very soul aflame. It was a struggle to prevent my Angel form from erupting from behind my disguise. Luckily, I managed – the room in which I stood was small as it was, and with wings, it would be decidedly cramped.

However, back to the task at hand. I had to find Artemis. [I wonder if this magic is theirs or borrowed.....it doesn't feel black, or white.....maybe they channelled it somehow.] I shook my head. I was always like this around magic! Having not had it for those seven or so years of my life, it now acted as a sort of drug to me; if I had some, I always wanted more and more of it. [I swear, I've never felt any magic like this before – damn, must keep track!] I shook my head again, more vigorously this time, and crept my way to the door of the room, treading as silently as I could.

The door lay slightly open already, and I shifted so that I could look through the crack of it. There was a corridor beyond, which was wide and expansive in comparison to the room in which I stood, and also completely empty. Kicking the body (around which a disparagingly large pool of blood was forming) out of the way, I opened the door further, and ventured to poke my head out. No shouts sounded, and no weapons or spells came whizzing towards my head, so I dared to look around. The corridor was sort of an 'L' shape, and I was in the corner of the L.

To the right, there was a softly lit tunnel, at the end of which I could see the glow of some much brighter lights. Now that I was out of that blasted room, the chanting was a lot louder, and a lot harsher. It was also more complex than I had taken it for, more than one set of spell words being spoken at a time, so that they all wove in and around one another like a tapestry of sorts.....

Straight ahead was a dank, cold corridor, with no light, other than that which could make its way around the corner of the 'L' – which was little. However, iron grey hair and a small stature do stand out, even in the dark, and I dropped down to the floor, doing a controlled tumble across, and came up against the wall of the inside of the 'L' corner, so that if anyone came down the right corridor, I would see their shadow before they even knew I was here.

Artemis looked up, blinking his eyes, his one good one glazed over so that I worried they may have blinded him! However, he blinked, and the glaze went away so that he looked at me with perfect comprehension. "Ah – would you be my rescue?" he whispered softly, knowing full well what danger we were both in.

"That I would – here, I believe this is the key for your cell." I handed it to him through the bars, and he fumbled for the keyhole, whilst I kept a watch on the state of the shadows on the floor. There was a click as he slid it into place, and then a grating sound as he turned it. However, no joy.

"It won't open."

"Damn....." I went to option 'B', and looked around for something I could pick the lock with. I had nothing – never in my life had I worn a hairpin. "Do you have anything I could pick a lock with?"

"No – they took all that away when they threw me in here."

"How long have you been here?"

"About two hours or so. There was some talk about using me as a sacrifice," he looked about as worried as Sheikah can look, and then his face went back into the normal repose of neutrality. "However, I doubt they would – I would be perfect material for blackmailing Sheik with.....stupid man....."

I sighed quietly, and checked my person again – and almost hit myself for my asinine stupidity. "Here," I pulled out a Deku-nut and gave it to him. He managed a ghost of a grin, and stood up from where he had been sitting on the damp, cold floor. "Back to the cottage?" He nodded, and threw his Deku-nut – the explosion took him away out of the cell, and I reached back into the pouch to get another of the nuts for myself. Only to find it not there.

"Got your bag missy miss!" a snaggle-toothed old witch of a woman laughed, ever so loudly. "Bet you didn't expect that, did you, missy miss?" I snarled, and made a grab for it, but this had obviously been her plan, because she pulled the pouch away, and her cell-mate (a similarly ragged looking man of un-guessable age – anywhere between eighteen and fifty) grabbed my arm. He then proceeded to pull it as hard as he could, dragging me closer to the bars as well. I knew that they meant to take all my other things this way as well, and possibly to alert the black-cloaks as they did so. I did not wish this to happen, so merely twisted my hand in such a way that the man had to let go, or have his arm broken.

He didn't let go in time, and I heard a sickening crunch – the woman leant forward, forgetting the pouch in her hand, to try and get me back for injuring her partner in crime. I just grabbed the bag, and rapped her on the knuckles with the flat of my sword (which was still drawn, though my shield I had put away for manoeuvrability). She shrieked loudly, and the chanting down the right hall faltered, only to be commanded back into action.

Shadows on the floor told me I had to get going, as did the thundering footsteps of the guards who were coming to get me. I withdrew a Deku-nut, and after a tiny deliberation, threw it along with Artemis' one into his now empty cell. The explosion whisked me away, and the old woman shrieked even louder, so that it hurt my ears. She had the last laugh all right on that one..... During the weird time between disappearing and appearing, I managed to place my hands over my ears in pain, and landed thus, almost on top of poor Artemis and Sheik, who had been tenderly hugging.

I rolled over, and apologised, before running off again. Sheik, of course, called after me, and I just called back, "Don't worry – just getting the kid!" And that's just what I did. I didn't have to run more than a dozen yards before seeing Firen and Delia walking with Catherine down the road, their weapons raised. Firen raised an eyebrow at me, and I looked down to see that for the most part, my tunic was soaked.

Then, Delia and Firen looked past me to where Artemis stood with Sheik, and their eyes lit up. [So nice to see that the Sheikah do actually have emotional moments] I thought, wondering at the randomnisity of my mind. Then knowing randomnisity wasn't a word. [Shut up!] Catherine was the only one who stopped to speak to me.

"You're soaking! What happened?"

"Just a jail break-out," I smiled, turning back towards the cottage. "Nothing major. You all right?"

"After being knocked unconscious and almost taken hostage? Oh yeah, I'm fine," she retorted darkly, and then added in a shocked voice, "Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be so rude – oh dear – I-"

"No need to apologise – I know what it's like. It was a dumb thing to ask." We both settled into a slightly uncomfortable silence, and waited for the four Sheikah to once again acknowledge our very existence.

Finally, after much quick speech in their own language (which I only knew the barest essentials of.....we hadn't thought it necessary for me to learn all the tongues of Hyrule this time), Firen and Delia left, and Artemis ascended the steps that led up to the collapsed front door of the cottage. Sheik looked at him as he did, and then raised a hand in farewell, as Artemis went inside, and back down into the ground.

Then, as soon as the man-child was out of sight, Sheik turned back to Catherine and I, a surprised look on his face. He beckoned me over, and Catherine started to come too – I just held out an arm and shook my head at her. She frowned, and stayed put, sitting down by the side of the road to wait. [Poor child.....there are so many mysteries she'll never solve – so many things she won't ever know.....] I had no idea where that thought came from, and blanked it, focusing upon whatever insult Sheik wanted to throw at me. [Though he doesn't look ready to insult you, does he?]

"Artemis told me what you did," he said simply.

"Aye?"

"Aye..... And, well, as well as wanting to tell you I think you're mad, I wanted to say..... Wanted to say thank you." He nodded his head to me in gratitude.

"Uh – no problem," I replied, absently trying to wring out my tunic.

"Yes – well – thank you again," he repeated jerkily, not seeming to know where the conversation was supposed to go after this.

"Perhaps we should get going – to somewhere safer, I mean."

"Oh yes..... Kakariko we decided on, wasn't it?"

"Aye, I think that was it." I was just about to turn around and head for where we had – urm – 'parked' the horses – when a question entered my mind. "What about Artemis? He won't be safe here....."

"Art..... oh, he's just gone to get a few of his belongings before heading off towards one of the old Sheikah strongholds."

"Oh, right." I nodded, and didn't ask him about one of his missing 'belongings'. I didn't want him to know what I had seen of him.....

"Ow!" we span around as one to face Catherine, our weapons drawn. I was puzzled to see only her there, still sitting on the grass, but with her index finger in her mouth, a look of pain over her face.

"What is it?"

"Something stung me – it was a bee I think."

"A bee?"

"Yes, a bee! And it damn well hurt!"

"I'm sure it did, but I think we've more important things than bee stings to think about right now," Sheik interjected. "Let's get back to the horses..... I hope the beasts haven't run off."

Luckily for us, when we returned to the clearing in which we had first met with Delia and Firen, we found that the horses were still there, meandering about and cropping the lush grass at the base of the young trees. I swung up onto Nostawen, and Sheik went onto his own charger – however, we had neglected the fact that we had left the smaller charger which Catherine was to ride back at our camp. I had a nasty feeling that we shouldn't go back there, and it seemed that Sheik sensed something to.

"But – we have to go back and get my horse!" Catherine protested as Sheik hopped down off of his own and grabbed her roughly around the waist. He then carried her back to his horse, and chucked her over the saddle. "Ow! This isn't very comfortable!" she yelled, the sound muffled by the horse's flank. After a brief struggle, she managed to sit up straight, and then moved back so that Sheik could get up in front of her.

"There will be some of them coming back soon, won't there?" I called over to Sheik, who was untangling the reins of his steed.

"That there will – Aghanim will not give up so easily..... We must fly, before they do return."

"Can't we just stay and fight?" Catherine said. "After all, I'm sure you two could take down some of those black-cloaks!"

"Have you ever seen the marks spells can leave on people?" Sheik asked over his shoulder.

"I – no.....but, surely, if you could just-"

"Silence! Unless you want me to tip you off this horse and leave you here, don't say another word about things you don't understand!" Catherine cowered in the saddle behind Sheik, no doubt glad that she couldn't see his eyes at that precise moment. Then, without much warning, he snapped the reins, and dug his heels into his horse's sides. The beast took off, and Catherine had to fling her arms around Sheik suddenly to prevent herself falling off.

I followed suit, watching with worry as we continued onwards over the great field towards Kakariko. At this pace, it wouldn't take us much more than an hour to get there from where we were. And perhaps, just perhaps, it would be at the Shadow Temple that we would find Impa and Saria. Memories of the Shadow Temple went through me – how the dead there had shut me out, and not allowed me to enter as an adult..... I shivered slightly in the saddle as their warning came back to me.

- Get what you came for and leave. Never return murderer.

You have what you need - do not return, on pain of death. -

Would their warnings still apply to me now that David had returned to the world? Could even the dead themselves find it possible to forgive me? Whatever they thought of me, I would soon be finding out if I judged Sheik's reasons for heading to Kakariko so soon correctly.....

::I'd quite forgotten just how charming being able to breathe really is!:: Ganondorf thought to himself as he wandered around the Temple in which he had landed. He knew this place well – in fact, very well – from his childhood, so long ago now. Right now, he was within the inner sanctum, wiping sand away from the magical carvings at the bottom of a huge statue. It showed a Gerudo warrior woman staring blankly ahead, seeming to 'guard' over the room.

::Now, to see if I can find my way out of this place.:: He stood up, and continued in his slow journey out of the great building. He had already been there almost an entire day, just bathing in the glow of the past, and admiring how the Tri-Force of Power glowed so brightly on the back of his hand. He chuckled out loud as he waved his fist, and a misty picture appeared before him, of three people upon two horses. Two of those people he wanted dead.....and the other..... ::The other one I merely want. After all, one must check that everything is still in working order.:: Another chuckle tipped out of his mouth, and he began to ascend a great staircase, which led to an ornately carved archway.

Stepping through the archway, he found himself assaulted by bolts of both red and blue magic. He held up his hand and deflected them easily. "The students of the line of Koume and Kotake I believe?" he called into the gloom of the room before him, and the torches all about lit up with blue and red flames alternately. His eyes alighted on two Gerudo women, who had both dropped full length to the floor upon seeing him. One wore red, and the other blue, so it was easy to distinguish what magic belonged to whom. "Arise," he barked, enjoying this sudden return to having power over people.

"My lord, we have waited so long!" the red.

"So long have we waited, for you to return to us!" the blue.

"Yes, yes, all that is very well....." he waved a hand carelessly. "Take me to the exit of this dratted place – it has been so long since I was last here."

"Yes, of course!"

"At once your lordship!"

It didn't matter which one said what to him.....they were both ugly, as was the way with Koume and Kotake's selected daughters. Poor creatures – they had probably been attractive once, he supposed. He followed them through the twists and turns of the Temple, slowly remembering things as they passed wall hangings and carved stone lettering. And, as he slowly remembered, anger built up within him. ::It was those witches who held me back for so long – they advised against taking Hyrule at all for the first few months – I could have had the princess killed at the ports had I not listened to them!::

By the time the two sorceresses had led him to the entrance hall of the temple, his fury was so great that when they opened the doors for him, and bowed for him to exit, he merely rose his all-powerful hand, and turned them into stone with a mere thought. ::And that,:: he smirked, ::is why you never, ever, mess around with power.:: Then, he walked past the two, in his mind, grotesque statutes, out into the desert beyond. He had no steed, but that didn't bother him. He could not magic his way through, but what damage could it do him? Any creature foolish enough to attack him would find itself in ashes, and any storm would be blocked by a mere shield charm.

"And I may as well let them believe they have a chance this time," he called to the wind as he stepped out into the dusk.

We reached Kakariko just as the lamps outside the gate were being lit. "General sir!" one of the guards at the gate waved a hand, and Sheik returned the gesture, managing a strained smile. "Good to see you again sir," the guard bowed, and then pulled his side of the gate closed behind us. "I'd like to speak to you soon if I may?"

"What about my good man?"

"There's been an increase in the number of monsters on the field recently, and we have to close the gate earlier these past months."

"Ah – of course – I shall meet you for a briefing in Impa's house in the morning. Eight sharp."

"Yes sir!" the man saluted, and then ran to get the wooden bar to fix the gate with along with his partner guard.

"Bloody Ganondorf," Sheik growled. "Not that it's enough he tries to kill us all, he brings back the monsters even without trying....." He turned towards the house of Impa, which lay upon the slopes at the very foot of Death Mountain Valley. The ground sloped upwards towards the graveyard, and then it fell away steeply after a hundred yards of forest into a deep gorge. At least, that was what my map-work on the way to Hyrule had told me.

Sheik stopped in front of the door to Impa's house, which also held a pair of guards, who bowed and let the three of us in. Once inside, Sheik lit the wood in the fireplace with a Deku-nut, just as he had at his own house. "I'm not sure what kind of state this place is in," he told the both of us as he began to make his way up the stairs to the first floor. "I haven't been here for decades now.....not since my brother....." he stopped abruptly, obviously feeling he had said too much, and waited for us at the top of the stairs. "Just go along this corridor, and you should find bedrooms enough for you to have one each to sleep in. I'm going to go and see whether I can get us anything to eat from one of the shops before they close for the night."

He grabbed me as I walked past – Catherine carried on to find herself a room. "I'm trusting you now.....don't let me down woman." I broke away from his grasp.

"I'm not going anywhere – I'm too curious now." He raised an eyebrow and was about to ask what about, when Catherine's voice squealed,

"Running hot water! Score!" He raised his eyes to the heavens and shook his head.

"I'll be back in about half an hour."

"Is it all right if I use the hot water?" Catherine leant out of what was evidently the bathroom.

"As much as you like – the water comes directly from hot springs halfway up Death Mountain." Sheik then turned and hurried down the steps, and out of the front door. Fleeing from me, not just to get the food. I saw the fear in his eyes for that split second when he promised his trust.

[I won't let you down. If only because I need your help.....] I'd never say that to his face of course.....

I walked away from the stairs, and opened doors at random (being careful not to open the door to the bathroom, since Catherine was in there.) I came across a sewing room, complete with ancient spinning wheel and pedal- powered sewing machine. Then there was a walk-in-wardrobe, full to the brim with Sheikan clothing of all shapes and sizes, as well as equipment. Throwing disks sparkled in the sunset on the windowsill, beautifully deadly.

The next door I tried already had Catherine's sword and shield dumped within it. The room was gorgeous, almost beyond words. The carpet was deep and sensuous looking, a profound wine-red. The rest was again, all in the Sheikah colours, and daubed with the eye of truth. A four-poster bed stood against one wall, draped with velvet around the struts, and with silken curtains, all out of indigo fabric. Strangely, instead of looking the same as Sheik's house, it looked like a completely new style. No two Sheikah ever have the same appearance after all..... Here, the eye of truth was always in silver. [Perhaps Impa's colour?] I didn't know.

I retreated from that room, and moved on to the last door, at the very end of this side of the corridor – there was still the other half of the house yet to explore up here. Throwing the door open, I was almost blinded by the full assault of the sunset, which came in through the floor to ceiling windows. This room was long and narrow, and the walls were bare, apart from two pictures on the wall. One, was of course, the customary eye of truth. The other one was a family portrait [hmm, I never knew Impa had a family.....] My eyes widened as I studied it more closely. I had to remove it from where it hung on the wall to see it properly, for the sun was reflecting off of the glass front.

[Impa's Sheik's mother?] A slamming door along the hall made me jump, and I fumbled to prevent myself dropping the picture. I clumsily managed to hook it back on the wall, and then hurriedly left the room, feeling my mind turning over and over as I added this to my huge amount of extra information about Sheik. [Why? Why didn't I ask more about him back then?] But, I knew the answer to that only too well.....I didn't think it fair to ask him all about himself, if I couldn't tell him anything about me at all.

"Blaise? Do you want to use the bathroom?" Catherine was wrapped in a fluffy looking red towel, her long braided hair sopping wet.

"Huh? Oh, no – I've still to find myself a room.....I – uh – I will in a minute," I gabbled, trying to sound normal.

"Right.....Well, I'll just go and dry myself off, and then I'll go downstairs and wait for Sheik, 'K?"

"Yeah, that sounds fine." She went into her already chosen room, and I crossed past the stairs to look at the other half of the corridor. [Please don't let it hold too many more surprises.] Thankfully, the first door I flung open contained another of the beautifully stylised bedrooms, and I retreated into it immediately, dropping all my weapons along the way (which was a lot of them!) On emptying my pockets, I found the flask of whisky I had 'confiscated' from the black-cloak earlier. Shakily, I unscrewed the top and poured a large amount of the burning liquid down my throat.

"Demons, that's strong!" I gasped, and took another gulp, before replacing the lid. Slightly fortified by the drink, I dropped down onto the four- poster bed, and removed my shoes. As well as having a stiff tunic, which had dried to crispness after my rescue mission, I also had black tights full of holes and ladders. [Why do women subject themselves to these ridiculous things anyway?] With some difficulty, I removed the stretchy black things, and sat there barelegged, the tunic reaching to my knees in my sitting position.

[This is so comfortable.....] I lay back on the soft mattress, and dropped the flask onto the coverlet next to me. My eyes drifted closed of their own accord, and I bought my now bare legs curling up towards my torso. [That's better]. It had always been my normal sleeping position to be curled up. I knew I was getting a bit too comfortable when I started to yawn, and had to force myself to sit up. [Maybe a good shower will wake me up.] It was certainly worth a try – and, you never did know when you'd next get a chance to wash properly in missions like this.

I went barefoot down the corridor to the bathroom, toes curling against the absurd softness of the carpet. We didn't even have carpets like this in the Angel-world, and, not to boast, but we're very advanced in industry. Obviously not in carpet-making though.....

The bathroom was filled with steam, and the mirror was as such steamed up. I walked over, and cleared a little space on the mirror, so that I could just see my eyes and nose. There was no point in even having them red anymore, and I lifted up the sleeve of my tunic to get the armlet from there. It had only been about five minutes since Sheik had left, and Catherine wouldn't come back up soon (at least, I hoped she wouldn't). I pressed the summons button, and waited – again, the placard appeared, this time reading 'Not you again!'

Loki appeared this time. "Demons! Could you have picked a smaller room?"

"Sorry," I apologised quickly.

"No worries," he snapped his fingers and appeared in his wingless form. "What do you want?"

"Well, Sheik already knows who I am, and Link managed to recognise me, so I thought I may as well just go back to my normal eye colour."

"OK – and the hair?"

"Uh – may as well just leave it. It hasn't annoyed me too much so far, and if it does, I can cut it off."

"Right you are – hang on, I'll have to minify my staff in here." Indeed, a miniature version of his staff appeared in his outstretched right hand, and he made a five point star shape, which tore clear pieces in the steamy air. "Tadum!"

"Done already?" I was surprised.

"Of course – reversing spells is always much easier than casting them.....remember, oh sieve-brained one?" I grinned at him, and then checked my eyes in the mirror – yes, back to violet.

"Thanks."

"That's all, right?" I nodded, and he disappeared, calling as he did so, "Be careful!"

"I always try to be," I muttered, walking towards the deep-bottomed bath, and turning on the hot tap. I had come in here to have a shower, but obviously there wasn't one of those, so it looked like I was to have a bath instead. Removing the necessary things to be removed (all right, that would be everything), I grabbed a towel from a stack of them in the corner, and climbed into the bath, which was already half-full with just too hot water. I reached over and turned on the cold faucet as well, so that the water began to mix around me. It was a strange sensation; one side was too hot, and the other frozen.

I managed to get the temperature balanced properly after a little time of playing around with the taps, and lay back in the warm water. My hair was already stuck to my forehead by the steam, and I submerged fully to soak it properly. [Soap! Damn, I should have thought of that before I got in!] I then saw that Catherine had left a bar of it on this tiny shelf next to the bath, and I reached up to get it. I took it and made up a lather between my hands, which I then used to wash the dirt and grime out of my hair. [If only I had the time to do the same to my clothes.]

Then, I dipped fully back under the water, and washed the suds from my hair. That done, I leant back against the end of the bath, and sighed contentedly. [I could stay here forever.....]

"Gah!" I woke up suddenly, splashing a lot of water over the floor. Guess I did fall asleep after all – oops. Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I registered that the voice that had woken me was male!

"Shit! Who is that?" I reached out to get the towel I had discarded on the floor, but couldn't reach it without leaving the lukewarm safety of the water.

"Sorry miss – my name's James – I'm a guard in the Hylian army. I didn't know anyone was in there miss – sorry!"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be out in a second." Chancing it, I climbed out of the bath, shuddering as the cold air assaulted my wet skin. I grabbed the towel, and wrapped it around myself. I picked up my clothes, and then gently opened the door, to discover a scarlet-faced young man clad in armour standing there.

"Oh dear," he looked up, and then down again, blushing more profusely. "Urm – sir Sheik wants to see you down-stairs....."

"Well, go down and tell him I need to get dressed first."

"Yes, of course," still blushing, he stumbled over to the stairs and near fell down them in his haste. I went to my room, and got dressed as quickly as I could manage, not bothering to even put the ruined tights back on, and leaving my legs bare again. My tunic was still terribly stiff, and sat uncomfortably over my damp skin as I towelled my hair to get rid of the most of the water there.

The towel I then wrapped over my shoulders to catch the dripping water from my hair, and I went down the stairs with feet bare. Catherine was sitting at the large table off to the left of the main ground floor room, tucking into a feast of fish and baked potatoes. Sheik was on the other side of the room, conversing quietly with the young guard.

He looked up as I descended, and raised an eyebrow at my – urm – lack of leg attire I suppose. They're not exactly the nicest of things – pale and bony like the rest of me. He blinked, and then summoned me over, pulling out a chair for me to sit on across from him and the young guard. In order to prevent the boy any more embarrassment from bare skin, I removed the towel from my shoulders and lay it over my knees so that it covered the better part of my legs.

"James tells me you fell asleep in the bath? That's not a very clever thing to do," he said, with an amused smile.

"Well, it wasn't planned." I started when I realised he had smiled – but the smile was gone now. "What is it that's so important you sent this lad to look for me?"

"I wanted your help to look through the Shadow Temple of course. This 'lad', as you call him, I've called in to look after Catherine whilst we're gone. Black-cloaks aren't allowed within Kakariko, but I thought it better safe than sorry."

"Good idea. So, you want to go and look at the Temple now?" I was horrified at the idea of going out straight away, still soaking and not quite with it.

"I did think so, but you'll need to eat and dry off a little more, evidently," he frowned. "Go ahead – go and eat – before it's all gone," he cast a laughing pair of eyes towards Catherine, who was still going strong with the food. I got up, wrapped the towel around my shoulders once more, and approached the table carefully, wondering whether Catherine would spring to protect her food.

[You really are insane!] My brain told me, and I snorted at myself. Catherine looked up, a huge hunk of fish halfway to her mouth.

"Hello – help yourself, this stuff's great!" I sat down, and picked up my own knife and fork, and helped myself to some food. Back at the other side of the room, Sheik sat talking to the young man, no doubt briefing him about his mission for the night.

"Where are we?" the small green clad child whimpered, two fairies doing little to light the gloomy air around her.

"I'm not quite sure, little one.....though I have an idea," her much taller and older companion answered, sweeping silver hair away from a strong face. "Let us look around and see....."

"It's scary in here," the child insisted, hurrying to catch up with the armour-clad woman, and grab onto her cloak so as not to get lost. The two fairies, one sunbeam yellow, and the other one pure white, settled in the green hair of the girl. The woman, unlike the other three, was seemingly unafraid, and indeed looked quite comfortable in the surroundings.

"Nonsense. This is nothing more than the Shadow Temple." The silver haired woman held up a hand, and was able to conjure a small orb of purple light which illumined the way better that the fairies had. Beads of sweat formed on her brow as they walked onwards. "Aiyee, it's much harder to summon outside of the realm....."

I'll have to cut it off there, or this chapter will go on forever and ever! The search of the Shadow Temple for the two sages will happen next chapter. (Fun fun!) And, I promise we shall be having some proper fighting soon enough.....I just have to get over all of this ridiculous mystery everywhere. It's very different to 'Repaying a Debt', since I have nothing whatsoever to base the whole adventure on [grumbles about plot bunnies, then looks around fearfully lest they come and get her].

Anyway, that was chapter ten. (Hooray). Tune in next chapter.....if you know what's good for you!

RR

Soda