I apologize for this being so short and will make up for it in the next chapter, but it was hard to write it.

Chapter four

Sheik walked in front of his father as they passed the mouth of Dodongo cavern when he heard the hiss of a sword being drawn. He frowned and turned around in time to see a man dart out of the cavern. Then it seemed as if time slowed down for him as his eyes widened in horror. He could see every detail about the man as it burned itself into his memory. The man's dark red hair seemed to change to the color of flames as he ran out into the sunshine. His mouth was drawn back in an evil sneer in his olive skinned face. Sheik's eyes fixed on the gleaming blade that the man raised into the air. Sheik felt his muscles turn to stone even though he screamed at them to move.

His father had just turned around when the man's blade descended and time seemed to crawl by. Sheik saw the blade cut through the air as it headed toward his father's chest. As the blade plunged into his father's chest, He felt as though it had gone into his own heart. He heard two screams; his father's and his own. Link's hands clutched at the hilt in a vain attempt to pull the sword out. The man angled his blade and Link slid off of the sword. As his father crumpled upon th ground, The man's voice broke the spell that held Sheik, "That is so you won't foil my plans like you did my father's!"

Sheik found himself looking into the man's golden eyes and started forward. The man turned and ran off only to disappear into a cloud of oily black smoke. Sheik didn't care at that moment about the man, but his feet carried him to his father's side. He half slide as he hurried to kneel at his side and grabbed him by the hand. The smell of blood was heavy in the air and his father's eyes were already distant. He brushed Link's hair away from his face and bit his lip. His strangled voice whispered as he suppressed tears, "Don't die, Dad..."

Link raised a hand toward his voice, but continued to stare at the sky, "Sheik," Sheik couldn't find his voice and squeezed his father's hand. Link turned toward him, "Where's Malon?"

Sheik swallowed hard, "She's at home, Dad."

"I love her."

"She knows that."

His father leaned his head back against the ground, "My spirit will..."

Sheik's hand tightened on his father's hand as it went limp and he saw Link's face relax. His heart sounded loud in his ears as a large lump formed in his throat. He couldn't speak for fear the lump would move upwards and tears would fall. He stretched his hand out and laid it gently on his father's throat. Sheik stared at his father's wide open eyes. Nothing moved beneath his hand.

His chest tightened and forced the suppressed tears to leak from the corners of his eyes. This couldn't have happened! His father was suppose to live forever! He was the hero of time!

He felt himself tremble at the sight of those wide open eyes as the realization that his father was dead sunk in. He moved around and cradled his father's head as the tears gushed forth in hot waves. The sobs that shook his body continued until they forced him to cry out loud, "NO...!"

He bowed his head in grief and lost himself in his despair there on the trail to death mountain, oblivious to all.