8. Mix 'n' Match
About two months into Link and Sheik's sixth year, the twins showed up.
They were a year or two younger than Link, very quiet and a little bit creepy. They were identical twins, the type that moved in unison, were always together, and finished each others sentences, though the twins spoke rarely if at all.
They were physically identical as well, and rather difficult to tell apart. They both had shoulder-length blond hair, wide ruby-colored eyes, slim muscular figures, and perfect golden tans. They were so pretty that most of the boys had no trouble admitting they were attracted to them, and the twins didn't seem to mind. No one knew what they had done to get in juvie, or how long they were in for, but their eerie calm led many to believe they were murderers.
They were Sheikah.
That was what drew them to Sheik. They sought him out, in their own quiet way, and within ten minutes Sheik had nicknamed them Smith and Wesson. They loved the names, and refused to answer to anything else. Link didn't even know their real names.Few did.
They followed Sheik everywhere, were his loyal servants and devoted followers. They still spoke rarely to most people, but they had many long whispered conversations with Sheik. Once or twice Link overheard them, and figured out that they were catching Sheik up on all the gossip.
They called him "Boss."
Link was insanely jealous of them.
He tried to tell himself it was just because they were so good-looking, and because they had that slightly spooky mystique about them that made others fear them. Some people feared Link, but not they way they feared the twins. Their nicknames certainly helped that.
But sometimes, late at night, Link had to admit to himself that the real reason he was so jealous was that they had stolen Sheik away from him.
Many people couldn't tell Smith and Wesson apart at all, and most that could went by which side they parted their hair on (Smith was left, Wesson was right). They didn't know that the twins parted their hair completely arbitrarily. But Sheik could tell them apart seemingly without any trouble at all, and eventually Link learned the subtle differences as well. For example, Wesson was just a bit prettier than Smith, a fact that Link blamed purely on genetics since Smith took more care with his appearance.
It was very strange to see Sheik wandering around with his two little identical shadows, especially when Link was used to having Sheik to himself. So he took to glowering at the twins whenever he saw them, and made it as clear as he could that he didn't appreciate their intrusion on his world.
He didn't tell Ruto about it, but she knew something was up. Even Sheik, happy as he was with his new friends, noticed how quiet Link was at their morning sparring sessions, which was what the fighting lessons had recently become. Link said nothing to anyone. Instead, he poured all his feelings into his journal, which was quickly filling up.
He'd just decided that maybe all this was silly and he should just give up hope of ever having Sheik to himself again, when Tagger came back.
Tagger had gotten his nickname from what he was in for the first time Link and Sheik had met him. It was the same thing he was in for this time, and the same thing he'd been in for the last three times.
"Tagging," he said, "is an art. No, a way of life."
"Right, sure man, whatever you say," Link said.
"It is!" Tagger insisted.
"I know. I believe you."
"You do not!"
Link laughed. "Okay, you got me. So explain it to me."
Tagger stared off into space like a man close to achieving nirvana. "When I'm tagging a building or a car or a train or whatever, it's like I'm putting a little piece of myself into it. Like it's becoming something more than it was, because now it's...tagged."
Link cocked his head. "What are you on and where can I get some?"
"I'm not on anything!"
"He's just passionate," a soft voice said.
"It's good to feel that strongly about something," an almost identical voice added.
"Even if it is illegal."
"At least it's harmless."
"True."
Link glared at Smith and Wesson. "What do you two want?" he snapped.
They just blinked at him.
"Well?"
"Nothing," they said at the same time.
"And stop doing that!" Link shouted.
"Doing what?" they asked, still in unison.
Link sighed. "Where's Sheik?" he asked.
"Visiting his friend," Smith said.
"Bonanza?" Link asked.
"No," Wesson said.
"Miss Impa," Smith corrected.
"She's very kind."
"But they needed to talk alone."
"Hmph," Link folded his arms and slumped in his seat. "So Tagger," he turned to the other boy and deliberately ignored the twins. "If tagging stuff is so important to you, why don't you do it in a way that's not, you know, illegal?"
"What, you mean like an artist?" Tagger snorted. "No one thinks of what I do as art."
"Well just tag something other than buildings."
"Like what?"
"Umm..."
"People," a voice said. Link turned and saw Sheik standing behind them.
"Sheik!" he exclaimed.
"People?" Tagger repeated. "You expect me to tag people?"
"Sure, why not?" Sheik slid over the back of the couch and planted himself between Link and Tagger. Link tried to pretend he wasn't aware of the warmth of Sheik's thigh against his. "People do it all the time."
"They do?" Tagger asked.
"Sure." Sheik grinned. "It's called 'tattooing.'"
Tagger stared at him. "Tattooing?" He blinked and stared off into space. "Tattooing..." A slow smile spread across his face. "Yeah...yeah that's perfect! It means even more when it means something to the person too."
"So you gonna do it?"
"Absolutely!" Tagger was positively grinning now. "It's, like, my calling..."
"In that case," Sheik grinned too. "I have a proposition for you..."
zzz
It took a bit of work to convince Bonanza to smuggle in tattooing tools, but Sheik knew which buttons to press and within a week Tagger had translated his mad graffiti skillz to tattoos and was open for business. Naturally, since all the boys in the facility were underage, what he was doing was illegal, but if no one fingered him he couldn't get in trouble.
After another couple of weeks only a quarter of the boys had gotten tattoos, and no one had gotten one that they didn't want to get. Tagger had such a high moral code that he actually turned aside some of the younger boys, and all those who wanted to get tattoos of things he knew they would regret (like pirate dinosaurs and girl's names).
Smith and Wesson expressed some interest in matching tattoos, but couldn't think of anything good to get, and Sheik told Link later that Wesson had remembered their mother would kill them.
"I'm actually thinking of getting a tattoo," Sheik said, with exaggerated casualness.
Link stared at him. "You're kidding right?"
"No, I think it would be cool."
"But...what would you get it of?"
"Well..."
"You're not just thinking of getting a tattoo for the sake of getting a tattoo are you?"
"No..."
"Because that's dumb."
Sheik sighed and pulled his knees up to his chest. They were in their room, waiting for lights out, both sitting on Sheik's bed. "I guess I kinda want to rebel."
"Sheik, you're in juvie. You don't get much more rebellious than that."
"Yeah, but Impa has gotten it in her head that this was all intentional, because I knew it would... I mean, never mind."
"Knew it would what?" Link asked.
"Nothing."
"No Sheik, not nothing." Link leaned towards him. "Knew it would what?" he said seriously.
Sheik shook his head, then leaned his forehead against his knees.
Link felt a horrible empty feeling in the pit of his stomach. He and Sheik were close together, but Link had never felt farther away from him.
"Please Sheik..." he said softly. "You can tell me. I...want you to tell me things."
"I know Link," Sheik's voice was muffled. "But I can't. Not now."
"Then when?"
Sheik was silent for a long moment. "I...don't know."
Link was silent for a moment too. "I see." He got up and headed toward his own bed, then stopped when Sheik grabbed his hand.
Link had not held Sheik's hand since they had shaken on that first day. He was not surprised to find that it was stronger now, and calloused, but it was still soft, and warm...
"Let's get tattoos together," Sheik said, his forehead still on his knees. "Matching ones. The Triforce on the backs of our hands. Because you're the Legendary Hero and I'm...someone who would help you in your quest."
"I'm not on a quest," Link said, not looking back at the other boy. "I'm not a hero. And you're still not telling me anything."
"I can't Link. I want to, so much, but I can't. It's nothing so important but... Link I- I-"
Link shook his hand free of Sheik's, and for a moment Sheik thought his heart was breaking, then he felt strong hands on his shoulders and looked up into Link's smiling face.
"If you say I'm a hero, I suppose I ought to believe you. You do seem to know things like that."
"I do," Sheik said, daring to hope. "It's part of what I can't tell you. I know things."
"I believe you." Link stood up, still smiling. "Let's do it, let's get tattoos."
Sheik beamed.
"But you have to promise me one thing."
"Anything," Sheik said recklessly.
"Smith and Wesson can't know about this. This is just for you and me."
"Sure."
That night, Link dreamed of Sheik and his "guaranteed lay." Sheik did too.
zzz
"Cold feet," Link muttered. "This was your idea and you're getting cold feet."
"I am not getting cold feet!" Sheik shouted. "I just want this to be perfect, which is why I want to wait."
"Um, guys," Tagger frowned at them. "You're holding up the line."
There was no one else in the room.
"What line?" Sheik demanded.
"Figure of speech," Tagger said calmly. "Now do you want to do this or not?"
"We do," Sheik said firmly, "but we can't yet."
"Oh we can so," Link folded his arms.
"No we can't! We need yellow, or gold. Preferably gold."
Tagger held up the non-toxic ballpoint pens he used for his art. "I have black."
"That's not enough!"
"Why not?" Tagger asked. "Tattooing the Triforce would be the easiest thing in the world, it's just triangles for crying out loud! Even if you do want it on the backs of your hands I'll still have no problem. I can even do some hatching shading if you want. Why is yellow so important?"
"I just...want it to be perfect," Sheik said uncomfortably. "I mean, it's permanent... and... it's important."
"Important," Tagger repeated. He sighed. "Well, there's nothing I can do if you want yellow ink. I wouldn't even know where to find it."
"Sheik, can I talk to you for a second?" Link jerked his thumb toward the door.
"Sure." Sheik followed him out.
"This is really important to you, isn't it?" Link asked once they were alone.
"Yeah," Sheik nodded, not meeting Link's eyes.
"Why?"
"Because..." Sheik rubbed his arm. "This is...ours."
"Ours?"
"Yours and mine. That's why..."
"I see."
For a moment neither one of them said anything. Then Link spoke.
"I know where to get yellow ink."
zzz
"She has green hair and her name is Saria," Link said to Bonanza. "Even if she's not there one of the others will know where she is."
"I just don't know..." Bonanza fiddled with her skirt. "I mean, smuggling is one thing, but going on a manhunt?"
"It's not a manhunt," Link rolled his eyes. "You just need to tell her I need to see her."
"Please?" Sheik said. "It's important."
Bonanza seemed to be swayed for a moment, then shook her head. "I just don't think I can go all the way to the Kokiri Forest. I mean, they don't like visitors, and I have chores...and...stuff..."
Sheik knew Bonanza well enough by now to know her resolve was faltering. "But Bonanza, you're the only one who can do this for us. For...me."
Flattery will get you everywhere.
Three days later Saria showed up, and once again both Link and Sheik came to meet her.
"Saria," Link said, "this is going to sound very strange, but we need some of that saffron ink you made that one time."
"Saffron ink?" she repeated. "Well sure, but why?"
"It's for a friend of ours," Link bent the truth smoothly, "he's an artist and he needs yellow ink, preferably non-toxic. Saffron is edible, so it's about as non-toxic as a thing can get. Please?"
"Sure Link, no problem."
"Thanks Saria," Link bent down and kissed her on the cheek. Only Sheik seemed to noticed that she flushed, and his only response was to clench his fists.
"I- I'll bring the ink for you the day after tomorrow," Saria said, recovering herself. "How much do you need?"
Link opened his mouth, closed it, and looked at Sheik.
Sheik stared at the back of his hand for a moment before answering. "A couple of cups should be plenty."
"All right, see you in a couple days."
"Bye Saria," the boys waved goodbye.
"You know what I just realized?" Link asked.
"Hm?"
"I'm way taller than her."
"No shit Link. You're sixteen. She's a Kokiri. Do the math."
"Math?"
"Never mind."
No one had noticed the bit of green fabric peeking over the top of a chair nearby.
zzz
Mido had recruited Skull Kid only a few weeks ago, because of the smaller boy's nimble fingers. Skull Kid would have a small, but crucial, part in this latest plan of the Kokiri's.
Link was paranoid, there was no doubt about that, but it didn't mean he was wrong. Mido had been biding his time.
"Your job, Skull Kid, will be to place this," Mido held a small, seemingly innocuous item out to the boy, "in Link's pocket."
"But what if Link doesn't have pockets?" Skull Kid asked, all innocence.
Mido blinked at him. "We all wear the same clothes, Kid. We all have pockets."
"Oh yeah," Skull Kid smiled sweetly. He was an adorable kid, that was for sure, but Mido couldn't be swayed by things like that.
He shook his head. "Just do your job, I'll worry about the rest."
"'Kay." Skull Kid took the object and put it in his own pocket for now. "But when should I do it?"
Mido frowned, thinking. "Well...the rest of the plan won't go into effect for at least a couple of days, so... Around noon, two days from now."
"Sure thing Boss!"
zzz
For once, Link suspected nothing. Nothing about Mido, nothing about Skull Kid, nothing about his deep attachment to Sheik, which seemed to be growing deeper every day. His journal was a confused jumble of daily events and half-conscious ramblings he did by flashlight at three in the morning, when his feelings found him most vulnerable.
He had strange dreams sometimes. Dreams of fire, dreams of water, dreams of battle, dreams of love. Once or twice he'd dreamed of saving the world. Those dreams were silly of course, and Link blamed Sheik for all his old stories of heroes and princesses. The only real princess Link knew of was still in hiding, no one had seen her for years.
Saria seemed like a princess the day she arrived with the ink. It was, as she'd said, easy enough to make, but it meant so much to Sheik that Link couldn't help but get caught up in it.
He couldn't help teasing her a little though. "You won't believe what this is going to cause," he said with a grin. "I can't wait to see the look on your face."
"What are you talking about?" Saria frowned. "I thought you said that ink was for your artist friend."
"Oh, it is, but it involves me and Sheik too. Why else would we have asked you?" He grinned broader. "You really will be surprised."
"Link! You aren't doing something bad are you?"
"Um, no?" His grin turned sheepish. "Not really. I can make my own decisions can't I?"
Saria sighed. "Not like I can stop you. I just...don't want you doing anything you'll regret."
That got Link thinking. A tattoo was forever. A real never-go-back situation. And he was getting it on the back of his hand, where it could be seen by anyone at any time. Did he really want that?
But it was the Triforce. Looking religious wasn't a bad thing, even if he wasn't particularly devout. Besides, it was important to Sheik. Even though the eye of truth was more of a Sheikah symbol, he had suggested the Triforce for them, because Link was not a Sheikah. The Triforce was worshiped by everyone. And now, it would be their symbol.
Theirs.
This tattoo was theirs. Their link to each other. Forever.
"I won't regret this," Link said, unaware of the dreamy look on his face. "No way."
"All right then Link," Saria said, looking at him warily. "If you're sure."
He nodded. "I am. I...really am."
zzz
When Saria got back to the forest everyone wanted to hear her report. She was very vague about where Link lived, and would only tell them that he was safe, and happy, and had new friends.
But today when she returned there was the oddest look on her face. As though she was shocked and bemused and sad and happy all at once, and honestly didn't know which she should feel.
"What happened Saria?" Tido asked.
She shook her head, that same odd expression on her face. "I think... I think Link might be in love."
zzz
With the ink, Link and Sheik went to Tagger to finally get their tattoos. On their way through the common area Skull Kid ran up and tried to ask where they were going, but Link just shoved the boy off playfully and didn't answer.
Tagger only needed a few minutes to clean his needles and get some fresh ink. "Who first?" he asked, looking at his latest customers.
Link and Sheik looked at each other.
"Me," they said in unison.
Tagger laughed. "Try rock paper scissors," he suggested.
They did, and Sheik won. He sat at the little card table across from Tagger and laid his hand flat on it. First, Tagger drew a picture of the Triforce. It was very good, perfectly balanced and just the right size. Tagger picked up his needle.
"Now, this is only going to hurt for a while," he said reassuringly. "But damn, will it hurt."
Sheik bit his lip and said nothing.
Before Link knew what he was doing he was standing beside Sheik with his hand outstretched. "Squeeze as hard as you want," he said.
Sheik smiled gratefully and took the other boy's hand with his free one.
The tattooing didn't take long, but Sheik took full advantage of Link's offer. He gritted his teeth, but when it was all over he grinned up at his friend and said, "Easy as hell."
Link made a face that was halfway between a grimace and a grin. "My turn."
After Sheik's hand was cleaned and bandaged he got up and let Link sit down.
"Want my hand?" Sheik asked.
"Not the tattooed one," Tagger warned.
"Of course not," Sheik rolled his eyes.
Tagger had been right about the pain, getting jabbed repeatedly with a needle is bound to hurt, but Link gritted his teeth and squeezed Sheik's hand and tried to take his mind off it.
He focused on Sheik's hand. It was soft and warm and strong, and he hadn't noticed before how much smaller than his own it was. Also, it was shaking, just a bit. Link eased his grip.
Sheik flashed that same grateful smile and for a moment Link really did forget everything but Sheik's smile...
"All done," Tagger announced, wiping the last of the blood off Link's hand with antiseptic. "Make sure you guys keep 'em clean, and keep 'em covered for at least a few days. Oh, and you might want to-"
But they never found out what they might want to do, because suddenly the door burst open and Mido and a trio of his toadies charged in.
"Caught you red-handed!" Mido crowed. "You know it's illegal to tattoo minors, and it's just as illegal to aid someone in it!"
"Oh it is not," Sheik sighed.
"How do you know?"
"Well, uh... How do you know you're right?"
Mido grinned. "Doesn't matter. Boys..."
They attacked.
Tagger, who may have been the smartest of them all, ran for it as soon as he could, stopping only long enough to grab the most important of his tools. Sheik and Link meanwhile, were busy with Mido and his toadies. Though all of the boys were smaller than Sheik and Link, there were more of them and they knew how to fight as well.
"I told you he was biding his time!" Link shouted, shaking one of the boys off his arm.
"Not now," Sheik snapped.
"Hey!" Mido had dipped a hand in Link's pocket. "What the-"
"Not there," Mido muttered.
Link tried to grab Mido but he ducked around to his other side and reached in his other pocket. "What the hell do you think you're doing!" Link demanded.
"Damn!" Mido shouted. "Where did he- Uhn!"
Link had landed a punch. "Get you friggin' hands off me!" he shouted.
"Fine," Mido stuck a hand in his own pocket and removed a small object. "I'll just have to do it myself!" He lunged.
Link dodged and grabbed his arm. "What is that?" he looked at the object. "A shiv?"
"No!" Sheik gasped. He was struggling under the other three boys. "No, Link!"
Mido flicked his wrist and a bright blade sprung from the small object. He wrenched his arm from Link's grasp and drove it toward his stomach. Link just barely managed to dodge, and when he tried to hit back he just threw himself even further off balance.
Mido swung with the switchblade again.
Link wouldn't be able to dodge this time.
But Sheik had an ace up his sleeve, always.
There was a flash of bright light in the room, temporarily blinding everyone. When it cleared Sheik was nowhere to be seen and Link was on the floor, having fallen, but Mido didn't notice the other boy's absence. He just grinned and struck at Link.
Then Sheik reappeared, right in the blade's path.
Mido managed to shift in mid-stab, so that Sheik's stomach was only grazed, but the blade caught on Sheik's vest and tore it almost in half.
"Friggin' ow!" Sheikexclaimed as he hit the ground. He clutched at his midsection and gritted his teeth. "Okay, if I get a scar you are so dead."
"Sheik!" Link exclaimed. "Are you okay?"
"Mm, I think so," he muttered.
Link glared at Mido. "You tried to kill me."
"I was aiming for your arm!"
"You stabbed Sheik."
"Cut! I cut Sheik!"
"I am going to frickin' kick your ass!"
And he did.
zzz
It took some time, and in the end it only stopped because Tagger returned and said the guards were coming, but Link and Sheik felt comfortable calling themselves the winners. Sure they had a few scrapes and bruises, and Sheik's cut, which wasn't that bad but bled for awhile, but they still came out of it better than Mido and his cronies. Their biggest loss was Sheik's vest.
It was completely shredded. Mido had kept flailing around with his switchblade until it was knocked out of his hand, and Sheik had pulled his shiv to fight back. In the process of the fight Sheik's vest had taken a lot of damage.
Later, in their room, Sheik sat on his bed and looked at the torn and blood-stained remains of the only physical reminder of his Sheikah heritage. At least he wasn't crying.
"This sucks," Sheik sighed. "What am I supposed to tell Impa?"
"You know that thing was too small for you," Link said. "It had been for ages."
"I know, but it meant a lot to me. The eye of truth..." He sighed again, then look at the back of his hand, which was still bandaged. "At least I've got this. It may not be Sheikah, but it's there forever." Suddenly he grinned. "Oh man, maybe Impa will forget about the vest when she sees this."
"You've still got me you know," Link said as casually as he could. Then he grinned."If you need to be reminded of your heritage I can always start addressing you by racial slurs."
Sheik laughed. "Do you even know any racial slurs?"
"Weeell... No. But I can probably learn some."
"I'd really rather you didn't." He smiled fondly. "But I appreciate the offer. You're a good friend, Link."
Something about that statement bothered Link, but he didn't have a clue what.
The call for lights out echoed down the hallway, and Link and Sheik crawled into bed. Link sighed softly as his head sunk into his pillow. He realized that he hadn't thought about the twins once all day, and didn't much feel like thinking about them now.
There was something unbelievably comforting about sleeping beside Sheik, though he would never admit to it.
zzz
A week later the bandages came off and the two boys could admire their tattoos.
"This is so cool!" Link couldn't stop grinning. "I really look like a legendary hero!"
"You know, you're right. You really do." Sheik put his hand beside Link's and compared the two. "Maybe because your hands are so huge."
"My hands are not huge," Link sniffed. "Yours are just tiny."
"Are not."
"Are so."
"Are not."
"Are so."
"Boss?" A soft voice interrupted their bickering.
The two boys turned and saw Smith and Wesson standing at attention. "Can we talk to you?" Wesson asked.
"Of course," Sheik said.
The twins looked at each other. "Alone, please?" Smith asked.
Sheik looked at Link. Link nodded. "No problem guys." Sheik got up and followed them.
As soon as Sheik was gone, Skull Kid bounded up and plopped on the couch next to Link. "Guess what?" he asked cheerfully.
"What?" Link sighed.
"You owe me! Big time."
"Do I now?"
"Yah. Mido wanted me to put this thingie in your pocket, but I didn't." Skull Kid handed Link a small object.
Link stared at it. It was a different style from the one Mido had pulled, but it was unmistakably a switchblade. Mido had been trying to frame him.
Link gulped. "Um, Skull Kid, you should put this away. Or throw it away, that would be good."
"How come?"
"You just...you don't want anyone to see that you have that, okay?"
"'Kay." Skull Kid took it back and put it in his pocket.
"Do you know where Mido got it?" Link asked.
"Sure, I got it for him. Outta that room where they put the stuff they take away from people."
Link shook his head. "Don't do stuff like that, Kid," he said. "First of all, it's not good to have weapons in here. Second, imagine what it would be like if somebody stole something from you."
"I'd just steal it back."
"But what if you couldn't? What if somebody stole something from you and you could never get it back? Not ever."
"That would be bad..." Skull Kid looked thoughtful.
"Yeah, which is why stealing is bad."
"Wow." Skull Kid scratched his head. "You're really smart Link."
"Mm, not really. I've just seen a lot. You learn stuff when you hang out with criminals all day."
"Like me?"
"Not like you anymore, right Kid?"
"Right Link!"
zzz
Much to his surprise, the twins led Sheik to the entrance hall. "What's up guys?" Sheik asked.
"We're leaving," Smith said.
"We're done." Wesson added.
"We were only in for three months."
"Sorry, we forgot to remind you."
"Forgive us Boss?"
"Please?"
"Yeah..." Sheik said. "Of course, but...well...I'll miss you."
"We'll miss you too, Boss." The twins glanced at each other, then looked around. The hall was empty.
"Boss?" Wesson stepped closer to him.
"Yeah?" Sheik replied.
Wesson reached out and took Sheik's face between his hands. He pulled it down, just a little, and kissed the older boy on the mouth.
Immediately Shiek slammed his fist into Wesson's face, knocking him away. "What the hell do you-"
Smith got there before Sheik could finish, grabbing him and kissing him just as his brother had done.
This time Sheik punched the boy in the stomach, hard. "You little bastards! What makes you think you-"
"You're not very good at hiding it you know," Wesson said.
Sheik blinked. "I- I'm not hiding anything."
"We knew from the start there was something different about you. We followed you because we like and respect you, but we were originally interested in you because...we knew."
Sheik's voice was soft with fear. "What...did you know?"
The twins smiled at each other, then at him. And they said it, what they had known. They said it in unison, but quietly, so that no one but Sheik could hear.
"Don't...don't tell anyone..." Sheik said, his voice now barely more than a whisper.
"Oh, we won't Boss," Smith said, regaining his voice. "We're loyal to the end. Always and forever true to those we swear allegiance to."
"But- but you haven't sworn anything to me."
"Not yet," Smith agreed.
"But we will," Wesson added.
"Someday."
"We promise."
"We want to follow you."
"You're a good leader."
"Even if you are so girly."
Sheik flushed, and the twins laughed.
"Goodbye Boss," they called as they headed out the door. "Call us anytime."
Then they were gone.
Sheik returned to the common room, face carefully blank, and sat down beside Link..
"What did they want?" Link asked.
"To say goodbye," Sheik said calmly.
"Goodbye?" Link repeated. "They're gone?"
"Their sentence was three months. I guess I forgot just how short a time that is."
"So then...they're really gone?" Link couldn't stop himself from smiling.
Sheik laughed. "Yes Link, it's just you and me again."
"That's not what I-"
Sheik just laughed.