It was evening by the time Link and Sheik arrived in Kakariko Village, so the streets were mostly deserted. These days it was dangerous to be out and about at nightfall, since it was rumored that evil spirits and enchanted creatures that worked for Gannondorf roamed the earth. For this reason, Link was wearing a hooded cloak that shadowed his face and hid the sword on his back, not wanting to risk being recognized as the Hero of Time.
Link and Sheik rode their horses to the front of the inn Sheik had spoken of. It was a small, shabby looking place, noisy with the sounds of drinking and merry-making within. The two got off their horses and tied them to the available poles. Sheik's horse (whom he called T'kano) stood there calmly, but Epona stamped her foot and let out a whinny of indignation at being restrained.
"Sorry, girl," Link said, petting the horses brow, "I can't have you running around town."
As Sheik finished tying his own horse, he turned to Link. "Link, listen carefully," he said, "I chose this inn because it's the kind of place where no one asks questions as long as you've got the money, which is good for us. HOWEVER, it also means that criminals and lowlives frequent here. People who'll slit their mother's throat for a few rupees. Don't TALK to anybody, don't LISTEN to anybody, don't even make EYE CONTACT with anybody – "
As if on cue, the doors of the inn were suddenly flung open and a man came stumbling out. His clothes were torn and he was sporting a black eye.
"And don't come back, ya Moblin fodder!" cried a drunken voice from within.
"Lousy bums!" the man muttered as he struggled to compose himself. He suddenly noticed Sheik and Link watching him and pointed to the inn. "DON'T go in there, it's a bloody madhouse!"
Link, before Sheik could stop him, asked the man, "Well, why don't you go complain to the owner?"
The man let out a bitter laugh. "I AM the owner."
Link blinked as the man stumbled out into the street. He looked at Sheik. "Okay," he said, "you've made you're point."
"One more thing – " Sheik said, pointing at Navi, "SHE can't show herself at anytime while you're in there. A Hylian man with a faerie will bring a lot of attention that you DON'T want."
"Don't worry, we'll be careful," Link assured Sheik while Navi flew in under the cloak to hide herself, "but wait – aren't you coming with us?"
Sheik seemed a bit startled by this question. His eyes flitted about confused before he answered, "No. I have to go –"
He was already turning away, but Link grabbed his wrist. Zelda's heart leapt as Link's hand brushed against her bare fingers. It was the first time they had touched in seven years.
Zelda cursed herself. What was she DOING? If she were really focusing, she would've used her Sheikah skills to disappear as she'd done before. She had already spent too much time with Link. The Mission would be compromised.
With all these thoughts flying through her head, it took a moment for Zelda to focus on what Link was saying to her:
"Wait, please, you ALWAYS disappear at the most annoying moments. It's dangerous to be out at night – you know that – stick around for a bit. C'mon, I'll get us something to eat."
"But Link!" Navi cried suddenly. She zipped out from Link's cloak and flew into his face. Startled, Link let go of Sheik's wrist and Zelda felt she could breathe again. As she looked at Navi, Zelda was surprised to see a red hue surrounding the little faerie rather than it's usual blue tint.
"You know very well you barely have enough rupees to get yourself a meal! That's just like you to go waste money, it's ridiculous, you're always giving out money to anyone who asks and then we're stuck chasing after POES of all things to get a decent – MMMPF!"
Navi's rant was cut off by Link cupping his hands and calmly closing them around the faerie. Navi's scolding could still be heard from within his hands but was now mercifully muffled. Link gave Sheik, who was staring at the two with a raised eyebrow, a sheepish grin.
"Okay, maybe eating's out, but at least come spend the night."
"Why are you so set on me coming with you?" Sheik asked. "Surely the Hero of Time isn't afraid of going into a inn alone."
Link blinked. Was Sheik teasing him? This was new. "It's NOT that," he insisted, "it's just – well, I know there aren't many Sheikah left; you and Impa are the only ones I've ever known of. That can't be easy for you – "
"What's your point?" The words came out sharper than Zelda intended, but she was becoming nervous. Every time she looked into Link's eyes, her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies. This was NOT how a Princess pretending to be a Sheikah boy to save her country was supposed to act.
"My POINT is – you seem lonely," Link gave a little grin, "and, truth to tell, I'm kinda lonely too."
"What am I, chopped liver!?" Navi had managed to poke her head through Link's finger and was glaring up at him. "By the way, Link, you have GOT to wash your hands."
Link laughed loudly and opened his hands, letting the grumbling faerie out. "Navi, you're one of my best friends, you know that. I just thought Sheik could use some friends." He looked over at Sheik. "Whad'ya say?"
Shiek sighed, "Fine, I suppose so – knowing you, you'll probably end up getting into some sort of trouble before the night's over, and I'll have to save your hide."
"Sounds good to me!" Link said cheerfully, "Let's go!" He began to make his way towards the inn. Sheik rolled his eyes and followed.
Navi was about to fly after them when she suddenly gasped. At that moment she distinctly felt what seemed like an icy cold finger running down her back. She spun around.
The street was empty.
Navi floated there for a moment, almost completely still, waiting, watching. Nothing seemed out of place. The windmill slowly rotated, she heard the clucking of some nearby Cuccos, the well –
The WELL.
Navi squinted, trying to see through the darkness. Was there something moving near the well?
"Navi!"
Navi turned back to the inn. Link was at the door, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"Are you coming or what?"
"Yes, yes," Navi muttered, hurrying over to Link. She hid herself under his cloak and the group entered the inn.
(Whoo hoo! Another chapter! Okay, sorry if the story seems a little slow – next chapter it gets kinda interesting, trust me!
Archer4 ARCHER! Hi! Glad you updated your fic, it looks good! I WOULD like to talk to you sometime – email me or something, 'kay?
carpenterkf Thanks, but what exactly was confusing about the summary? I could try changing it so it makes more sense.
Lee Jun-Fan LOL Thanks, but I actually meant to spell fairy "faerie". I just kinda liked how Old English it looks, so that's why I spelled it like that. But yeah, I've spelled Gannondorf wrong too. LOL
GuruGuru214 Gee, thanks. blush Though I think I should make one thing clear right now: this fic is NOT meant to be yaoi! I know it kinda seems like that with Link being so clingy to Shiek, but it's more like he's trying to do some male bonding. Which is complicated by the fact that Sheik is technically not a guy. LOL
Link and Sheik rode their horses to the front of the inn Sheik had spoken of. It was a small, shabby looking place, noisy with the sounds of drinking and merry-making within. The two got off their horses and tied them to the available poles. Sheik's horse (whom he called T'kano) stood there calmly, but Epona stamped her foot and let out a whinny of indignation at being restrained.
"Sorry, girl," Link said, petting the horses brow, "I can't have you running around town."
As Sheik finished tying his own horse, he turned to Link. "Link, listen carefully," he said, "I chose this inn because it's the kind of place where no one asks questions as long as you've got the money, which is good for us. HOWEVER, it also means that criminals and lowlives frequent here. People who'll slit their mother's throat for a few rupees. Don't TALK to anybody, don't LISTEN to anybody, don't even make EYE CONTACT with anybody – "
As if on cue, the doors of the inn were suddenly flung open and a man came stumbling out. His clothes were torn and he was sporting a black eye.
"And don't come back, ya Moblin fodder!" cried a drunken voice from within.
"Lousy bums!" the man muttered as he struggled to compose himself. He suddenly noticed Sheik and Link watching him and pointed to the inn. "DON'T go in there, it's a bloody madhouse!"
Link, before Sheik could stop him, asked the man, "Well, why don't you go complain to the owner?"
The man let out a bitter laugh. "I AM the owner."
Link blinked as the man stumbled out into the street. He looked at Sheik. "Okay," he said, "you've made you're point."
"One more thing – " Sheik said, pointing at Navi, "SHE can't show herself at anytime while you're in there. A Hylian man with a faerie will bring a lot of attention that you DON'T want."
"Don't worry, we'll be careful," Link assured Sheik while Navi flew in under the cloak to hide herself, "but wait – aren't you coming with us?"
Sheik seemed a bit startled by this question. His eyes flitted about confused before he answered, "No. I have to go –"
He was already turning away, but Link grabbed his wrist. Zelda's heart leapt as Link's hand brushed against her bare fingers. It was the first time they had touched in seven years.
Zelda cursed herself. What was she DOING? If she were really focusing, she would've used her Sheikah skills to disappear as she'd done before. She had already spent too much time with Link. The Mission would be compromised.
With all these thoughts flying through her head, it took a moment for Zelda to focus on what Link was saying to her:
"Wait, please, you ALWAYS disappear at the most annoying moments. It's dangerous to be out at night – you know that – stick around for a bit. C'mon, I'll get us something to eat."
"But Link!" Navi cried suddenly. She zipped out from Link's cloak and flew into his face. Startled, Link let go of Sheik's wrist and Zelda felt she could breathe again. As she looked at Navi, Zelda was surprised to see a red hue surrounding the little faerie rather than it's usual blue tint.
"You know very well you barely have enough rupees to get yourself a meal! That's just like you to go waste money, it's ridiculous, you're always giving out money to anyone who asks and then we're stuck chasing after POES of all things to get a decent – MMMPF!"
Navi's rant was cut off by Link cupping his hands and calmly closing them around the faerie. Navi's scolding could still be heard from within his hands but was now mercifully muffled. Link gave Sheik, who was staring at the two with a raised eyebrow, a sheepish grin.
"Okay, maybe eating's out, but at least come spend the night."
"Why are you so set on me coming with you?" Sheik asked. "Surely the Hero of Time isn't afraid of going into a inn alone."
Link blinked. Was Sheik teasing him? This was new. "It's NOT that," he insisted, "it's just – well, I know there aren't many Sheikah left; you and Impa are the only ones I've ever known of. That can't be easy for you – "
"What's your point?" The words came out sharper than Zelda intended, but she was becoming nervous. Every time she looked into Link's eyes, her stomach felt like it was full of butterflies. This was NOT how a Princess pretending to be a Sheikah boy to save her country was supposed to act.
"My POINT is – you seem lonely," Link gave a little grin, "and, truth to tell, I'm kinda lonely too."
"What am I, chopped liver!?" Navi had managed to poke her head through Link's finger and was glaring up at him. "By the way, Link, you have GOT to wash your hands."
Link laughed loudly and opened his hands, letting the grumbling faerie out. "Navi, you're one of my best friends, you know that. I just thought Sheik could use some friends." He looked over at Sheik. "Whad'ya say?"
Shiek sighed, "Fine, I suppose so – knowing you, you'll probably end up getting into some sort of trouble before the night's over, and I'll have to save your hide."
"Sounds good to me!" Link said cheerfully, "Let's go!" He began to make his way towards the inn. Sheik rolled his eyes and followed.
Navi was about to fly after them when she suddenly gasped. At that moment she distinctly felt what seemed like an icy cold finger running down her back. She spun around.
The street was empty.
Navi floated there for a moment, almost completely still, waiting, watching. Nothing seemed out of place. The windmill slowly rotated, she heard the clucking of some nearby Cuccos, the well –
The WELL.
Navi squinted, trying to see through the darkness. Was there something moving near the well?
"Navi!"
Navi turned back to the inn. Link was at the door, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"Are you coming or what?"
"Yes, yes," Navi muttered, hurrying over to Link. She hid herself under his cloak and the group entered the inn.
(Whoo hoo! Another chapter! Okay, sorry if the story seems a little slow – next chapter it gets kinda interesting, trust me!
Archer4 ARCHER! Hi! Glad you updated your fic, it looks good! I WOULD like to talk to you sometime – email me or something, 'kay?
carpenterkf Thanks, but what exactly was confusing about the summary? I could try changing it so it makes more sense.
Lee Jun-Fan LOL Thanks, but I actually meant to spell fairy "faerie". I just kinda liked how Old English it looks, so that's why I spelled it like that. But yeah, I've spelled Gannondorf wrong too. LOL
GuruGuru214 Gee, thanks. blush Though I think I should make one thing clear right now: this fic is NOT meant to be yaoi! I know it kinda seems like that with Link being so clingy to Shiek, but it's more like he's trying to do some male bonding. Which is complicated by the fact that Sheik is technically not a guy. LOL