Legal blurb – Hey there again, let me be the first to say that I am poor first year university student, if I owned anything, even remotely like Zelda, I would be living in a nice house, fully furnished, with a game cube and a dog and enough left over to bribe my professors for good grades. As it stands, I have none of those things. You do the math. Me no own anything.

God I hate school, and writing essays, and especially grammar, I swear, the written language hates me. Grrrrrrrrr, anyway, here I am again, and there you are again, and I wonder if anyone even reads this? Not much to say today, so read review and be merry.

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Chapter Four

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright, quoted in Reader's Digest, June 1995

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I can feel birdsong dragging me from sleep, against my will I might add, and back into reality.

I didn't dream this time.

I didn't get to see him again.

Maybe it was just a one time thing? Maybe it actually was just a dream.

I shake my head, more to dismiss that thought then wake myself up fully.

No! It was real! It had to be.

"It's about time you woke up!" Rin growled from where she was sitting on the ground watching Sha'doe. "I was beginning to think you'd sleep the day away!"

I regard her curiously. "What time is it?" my voice still thick with sleep.

"A little past noon," she answered.

I groaned. Khaz was going to skin me alive and bake me for lunch!

As if reading my mind Rin grinned, "Khaz came by earlier, much earlier, looking for you," she stood up and dusted herself off. "He decided to let you sleep."

Can't say Is aw that coming. Why'd he let me sleep?

"I have to tell you Sheik, something going on and it's not in the least little bit good," the grin on Rins' face fell away and left her with a troubled look. "They won't tell me anything because I'm not an active Sheikah yet, I'm still in training, but I heard something about a murder."

Murder? Oh goddess, did Ganondorf find out about the Sheikah? About me?

"Do you know who?" my voice sounds strange even to me, like it's someone else talking.

Rin lowers her head, her eyes hidden behind her bangs. "It was Dune," she said solemnly, but I can hear the anger beneath it.

I can't help but gape at her.

Dune!? It can't be Dune! Dune would have been the leader in place of Aria if she hadn't decided to retire to Summer-fell and try her hand at non-active life. She was suppose to be coming up today to visit with Aria about something!

"When?" I ask, still dumbfounded.

"Last night, she left Summer-fell and headed here. She was killed somewhere in between."

A thought suddenly strikes me. Dune was a mother. "What about her kids?"

"They haven't been told yet."

Farore. . .

This can't be happening.

"Any clue who did it?"

Rin shook her head again. "No, but whoever it was must have been a professional. Dune was the top of her class, and not one to be taken by surprise."

I don't believe it. I won't believe it.

Ganondorf hasn't found out, he hasn't found the Sheikah, it has to be something else.

It has to be.

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I walk slowly towards Khazs' room, lost in thought with a growing feeling of dread eating away at my mind. I can't help but feel that the worst is yet to come.

I reach for the door and push it open, stepping inside.

The room is empty.

It takes a moment for my mind to catch up with my body, and I find myself completely and utterly lost.

I don't know what to do.

Dune is dead, and I can feel it in my heart that she's only the first of many. I can't let it happen, I can't let Ganondorf do this!

I clench my fist at my side and glare at the empty space in front of me.

I have to stop him.

But I can't do it alone, I need help.

The fleeting image of Keapora flashes before my eyes.

There are other sages.

If I could find them, awaken them somehow we would be strong enough to stop Ganondorf at least long enough for Link to come back and finish the job!

But that's closer to impossible then I care to admit to myself.

I'd need an army to pull it off.

"So how much do you know?"

I jump nearly a full foot in the air and swear under my breath spinning on Aria, she's leaning casually against the doorframe, one eyebrow raised in question.

Her face, as always, is unreadable. But the eyes don't lie, Dunes' death hit her hard, they were friends after all. I wonder how long before Impa knows . . .

"Well?" she asks, "Rin has talked to you hasn't she? She has this way of knowing everything she's not suppose to, and subsequently telling you."

"She told me there was a murder," I answer quietly. "She told me it was Dune,"

Aria nodded, she was expecting that answer. "I don't think I need to tell you that the caverns are on lockdown, and that an emergency state has been issued for all active Sheikah."

Lockdown? That means they think it was a Sheikah who did this!

"You, and Rin, as well as all the other trainees, are being taken to Summer-fell as a necessary precaution."

It's voice now that I hear, drifting to me from a memory

If you don't like the way things are going then bloody change them, or at least do something!

"No." My voice is quiet, but the tone is final. I can't do anything From Summer-fell, I won't even know what's going on from there.

"What?"

I grind my teeth, my resolve hardening. I'm tired of sitting at the sidelines letting other people stand as human shields in front of me.

"I'm not going."

"Sheik, I don't think I need to tell you why I think this is happening,"

And she doesn't, because the exact same thoughts have already crossed my mind. Ganondorf is behind this, he knows I'm here, at least he suspects.

"If he knows I'm here and if it is a Sheikah working for him it won't matter where I go, Aria." I take a deep breath, my mind is screaming at me to just listen to her and go, that it's for my own good.

I ignore it, my heart is screaming the opposite.

Aria chuckled softly, taking me by complete surprise. "So you want to be involved do you? You want to fight?"

I just look at her, let my eyes hold my answer.

"Well, there are a few like you who've made similar demands. You can stay with them. You will be our go-to kids, running messages between me and other ranking Sheikah, and performing all the meaningless chores you hate so much while the others are all busy."

Which means that I'll basically be a servant.

"Fine by me," I answer.

"Impa won't like this, you know."

Something in her voice tells me that what Impa wants isn't high on the priority list right now. This of course, suits me just fine.

I nod.

"Good, go to the training field where Sha'doe is corralled, I'll meet you there in a while."

"Aria?" I say quietly as she moves to leave. She pauses in the doorway, her back to me. "I'm sorry." I hesitate for moment, "I know you were friends, and . . . and I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time of things."

She bows her head slightly, "Thank you," she whispers, I hear tears in her voice.

She's gone before I can say anything else to her.

I decide not to waste time and head out for the field where I accidentally spent the night, and most of the day.

I'm not surprised to find Rin waiting there for me when I arrive. Sitting nearby are five more people.

A tall girl with grey hair, and a shorter boy standing next to her I hadn't seen for a while, both wearing grim expressions. It takes a second before I recognize them as Ketari and Thomas. Dunes children.

The other three are all boys, one with black hair and blue eyes, and two with brown hair and crimson that look like they may be twins, all five are wearing the traditional Sheikan colours of blue and white, though the uniforms differ slightly for each.

"I was wondering when you'd show," Rin said with relief, "beginning to think you were on your way to Summer-Fell."

She held a hand out towards the others. "These guys want to help us," she said in a hushed voice. "Those two are Ketari and Thomas, they're here from Summer-fell. Dune was their mother."

I notice Thomas, being the younger of the two, flinch and turn away at the mention of Dune. Ketari is wearing her Sheikah face andgives no hint to the emotions she has right now.

"The two with brown hair are Kayl and Kris, like us they're here for training. The guy with dark hair is Tas, he's a chosen like you."

What exactly is Rin trying to play here?

"Guys," Rin continued, shoving me out towards them. "This is Sheik," They all nod to me in acknowledgment. "Anyone who wants out now better go, because after this you're in it 'til it's done. What we're going to be doing is dangerous and has the potential to get us all exiled from both Summer-fell and the caverns, and probably Hyrule as well. If we're caught, that is."

I've obviously missed something here, but it doesn't really matter . . .

I already know what Rin is talking about.

Since the active Sheikah won't tell us what's happening, and the non-active don't know one way or the other. We're going to play a rather dangerous game of spy.

We're going to do something rather then sit around and be shoved into a corner so we don't get in the way of the active Sheikah.

We're gonna take this whole nasty affair into our own hands.

Not quite the army I wished for, but it was certainly a start.

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A/N – Alright, the stage is set, the players are introduced, and the plot has started rolling. Bye Bye Introduction to the story, welcome the body.

Kay then, how'd ya like that? Is there anything you'd like to see? Any helpful hints you think I could use? Please send them along via reviews, I can't get enough of those and I'll love you forever.

In the next chapter, Can the new kids be trusted? Sheiks' secret. And maybe Detsu will make an appearance, dastardly guy that he is. Not entirely sure yet, I know what I want in it for sure, the rest in the air.

Ciao