After leaving the scorching hot volcano for somewhere far cooler in temperature, Link slept with an ease that could have been considered bliss. Hateno was far better in temperature than Death Mountain had been and washing himself in cold water had taken the burning edge off of his skin. When he woke the next morning to find himself alone in the bed he worried for a moment until he heard movement downstairs. He must have slept later than normal. Propping himself up he looked down and blinked at the bandages covering his arms. Not only had he slept late but Sheik had also taken care of his burns while he was sleeping. His body was barely even sore thanks to whatever cream the other had used.
"You're awake." His head lifted back up and he spotted Sheik making his way over carrying a tray of food. "It's about midday, here you should eat this." The tray was placed on his lap and Sheik moved back, sitting down at the small desk near the end of the bed. He had said it was midday, right? Link couldn't have slept that long. And yet, as he turned and looked out the window, he had to admit Sheik was right. The sky did show midday. "I wouldn't worry about it." He looked back to find Sheik watching him. "The Master Sword relies partly on your strength, right? On top of all that work you did yesterday and the heat. You were probably just very tired."
"You helped me though and you were still up before me." Turning back to the food he took a small bite listening to Sheik hum.
"I didn't get pelted by falling boulders from the sky and wield a sword that draws from me." No, he was just inside the volcano that erupted. Link finished off another bite of food and looked back to Sheik. He was going over those papers he had been writing out before, the ones with the songs that took him places. His hair had been done in a loose braid today, far more wide than the perfectly tiny and tight one he did for fighting. He was still in his sleep shirt and trousers which meant he hadn't gone out anywhere.
Link sat the empty tray of food aside and leaned forward on the bed trying to get a look at the other's face. "Sheik, did you learn anything from the temple?"
He pauses in whatever it is he's doing and looks over. "I did. Most of the temple is falling apart, a lot of places are inaccessible. Common shifting in Death Mountain over the years caused that along with the continual eruptions from the volcano. However, I could still hear Daruina." That was interesting and Link blinked at Sheik waiting for him to continue. "He told me which Sage's were left, including myself." Sheik turned and grabbed a piece of paper, setting it on his lap as he faced Link again. "Princess Zelda acted as the Seventh Sage but we're not counting her for obvious reasons. So, out of the six of us that there was, four of us remain."
"Only four?" That wasn't much, no wonder the Master Sword relied on his strength so much. Given what Sheik said the Sage's praying was what gave it its power. If there was only half the Sage's remaining then logically the swords power would be halved and it would make up the difference by relying on Link.
Sheik nodded and leaned against his desk. "Daruina himself, Saria the Forest Sage, Nabooru the Gerudo Sage of Spirit, and myself." A sigh falls from his lips. "Not that you can even count me right now considering I'm not helping them. But I am technically the Sage of Shadow." Leaning up he turned back to the desk and sat the paper on it again. "Rauru the Sage of Light was reincarnated… into an owl of all things. I can't even explain how that happened. With all the changes to the Temple of Time it must have happened around then. He built the original Temple of Time, you know." That didn't mean much to him but he nodded to let Sheik keep talking. "Ruto died, apparently. He explained to me when but-I don't remember it happening."
He seemed a bit distressed by this, rubbing at his forehead and frowning at the paper. Link scooted a bit to the end of the bed to get closer to Sheik. "Should you?" Living for that long, like the Deku Tree, seemed tiring. Maybe forgetting was the mind's way of protecting itself a bit.
"I don't know, maybe if I was still in the Shadow Temple and Sacred Realm?" This close Link can reach the end of his hair and decides to grab for it, pulling the long braid over to him and working the tie out. "I told you the longer I'm out of there the harder it gets to remember the time between the Hero's journey and now." He gets the braid out and starts running his fingers through Sheik's hair, feeling him relax under the gentle touch.
"How did Ruto die?"
"Ganon, after restarting the Hero of Time's journey, to stop him. Apparently the Sage's, us, tried vanishing him to a different realm. He broke free and killed Ruto. According to Daruina he was eventually defeated by the hero named the Hero of Twilight, a few decades later." That seemed like another entire journey they would take too long to learn about so he didn't ask. Not that Sheik would probably know much considering what he's been saying. "I don't like not remembering."
"I know." It seemed like a major difference between them. Link didn't care if he didn't remember his failure and Sheik seemed desperately bothered by forgetting the smallest detail. "But maybe it's better to forget some things, especially ones that would probably haunt you. Otherwise it would be a lot for you to remember, thousands of years, and Sheik-that is a heavy burden to carry." Fingers tangled in Sheik's hair he settles for pushing himself up and placing a kiss below the others ear. "I am here for you."
He heard Sheik hum as he pushed himself back until he was leaning more into Link's hands. "I know." At this point the braid was completely out and Link was just playing with Sheik's hair, working the knots out of it and massaging his head.
"We should take the day off today, we're nearly complete with everything and I spent about half the day sleeping already anyway. It won't hurt anything to spend the rest of today together." Honestly he was just looking for an excuse to spend more time with Sheik, though he probably should take some time off to recover his strength before rushing at another Divine Beast. Since they've teamed up together Link has made more progress than when he was on his own. If he was honest it felt like he was making good time now too. Link hadn't even heard Zelda lately asking him to hurry.
"Hmm… I did promise to show you a few things. Just so you stop breaking your weapons like sticks. We should do that before you take Ganon on. Though actually, in those last few fights, you were doing better." He pulls his head from Link's hands and turns to face him. "How did you learn to use the Master Sword so quickly?"
Oh… well, they should probably have this conversation eventually. Link nervously licked his lips and looked the other in the eyes. "I went back to the Korok Forest, after we got the Master Sword. I talked with the Deku Tree and they helped guide me back to the Hero of Time's grave." Sheik's expression was neutral which made it incredibly hard for Link to tell what he was thinking. "I used the Master Sword to talk and interact with him. Apparently it can act as a direct connection between us."
"That makes sense, it is tied to every hero before that has used it." He wondered if that meant he could talk to other heroes or if he'd need to find their graves too. If so it was probably unlikely. The Hero of Time seemed like the exception considering how close he was to the Kokiri. Did any of the Korok remember him? The Deku Tree never seemed to die and lose his memory, was it the same for them? "So he taught you some things?"
"He told me his story, from his perspective, and I asked him… about you." This definitely did not surprise Sheik, but thankfully he didn't seem angry at Link either. If only he could actually tell what the other was thinking. Reaching over Sheik's shoulder he dragged the long blonde locks over to him once more and started practicing braiding it as he continued to speak. "He told me he thought of you as a friend but he thought you didn't consider him the same." Undoing the sloppy braid he made he started over. "And he asked me what I thought of you." His gaze flickers up to Sheik's. "I told him I liked you."
It was perhaps the Hero's blessing that gave him the courage to do what he did that morning. Which turned out in his favor honestly, considering he could now get this close to Sheik and the other didn't mind it. He had him all to himself and he completely intended to keep it that way. "After talking he showed me a few things with the Master Sword, and then I came home."
"Sounds eventful." Sheik's face was still blank and Link was starting to not like this. It felt like he had shut himself off from him and after all the progress he had made he definitely didn't want that. Gently he tugged on Sheik's hair, just enough to pull it taunt and get his attention. He tilted his head in the direction of the pull and blinked his eyes at Link. "What?"
"Are you mad at me?"
"Of course not." He tilted his head away, hair still caught in Link's fingers. "If learning from the Hero is what kept you alive when fighting the last blight and the coming one we can only thank him."
"No, not that part." A sigh falls from his lips and he twists Sheik's hair around his fingers, intently focusing on it and the way it weaved in and out between them. "That we talked about you."
He gets a hum in reply and when he glances back Sheik's gaze is still focused on the edge of the desk and nowhere near Link. With a frown he tugs again on Sheik's hair and gets that intense red gaze once again focused on him. "Link, I'm fine."
"Then tell me what you're thinking."
"Nothing so bad as you seem to be thinking." Sheik leans forward and reaches his hands up, taking Link's own and gently detangling his hair from Link's grip. "I just tend to think too much when it comes to all of that. I did what I was supposed to do but there's a difference between that and doing what's considered the right thing, do you know what I mean?" He thought he did. Sheik did what he was taught but he didn't consider what he did the best thing he could have done. If he got the chance to do it over, would he have interacted more with the Hero of Time?
"Sheik?" He's just holding Link's hands in his own, hair now free from his relentless grasp. It's nice, feeling Sheik's fingers wrapped around his hands. He rubs his thumbs over the back of Link's hands, watching the skin with an intensity. At Link's call of his name he makes a questioning sound but doesn't look up. "What did you feel for the Hero of Time?" He'd wanted to ask the question for a while and now he finally managed to get it out.
"He's right, I didn't consider him a friend." Link blinked at that and slowly lifted his gaze from their hands to search Sheik's eyes. "I didn't have the right to call him that. I was just someone who led him to trouble in a world where he'd be forgotten." Honestly, Sheik thinking this didn't surprise him at all. Though it did hurt him to hear it. Even if it was more accurate than not, the truth of what happened. But it was his job, what he was raised to do. "So I suppose I felt a sense of loyalty to him, as the hero of our time, and-" he lets out a hard breath and shakes his head. "I don't know… it's conflicted. Even now after all this time, I'm just not sure."
Considering the little they seemed able to interact in the entirety of their joint mission that honestly made sense to him. To feel so much but unable to sort through those feelings with a set of instructions you had to follow in your mind. He wondered how many of those rules Sheik had and repeated to himself near daily.
"But," he continued softly and Link gave him his undivided attention. "I knew him when he was a child trapped in an adult's body. So I hope he got the best out of life the second time around and I believe he grew into a wonderful person." Which is oddly enough near exactly what the Hero told him he wished for Sheik. To live life to the fullest and become a wonderful person. Even in his death the Hero still wished that for Sheik, a life of happiness.
"Well, think of it this way. If I'm a descendent of his then surely he had some sort of life." Which was true enough, unless the Goddesses cheated in some way which was also quite possible. But, he wanted to give Sheik hope.
Which it seemed to, considering the thoughtful expression he got. "There was a farm girl, Malon. It wouldn't surprise me. It's where he got Epona from."
"The horse you told Kass about?" Sheik nodded and Link blinked. "Huh. I wonder if that song would still work to call for Epona's descendent. Not that I'd trade Blueberry for another horse. Just curious."
"You realize I'd have to teach you to play an instrument, right?"
A surprise snort of laughter tumbled from his lips and he glared playfully at Sheik. "You make it sound like I have no musical talent."
"Whistling is not a musical talent."
Link laughed harder and Sheik dropped his hands, standing from the chair. Shoving it back against the desk he leaned over Link's body and grabbed the band Link had pulled from his hair. Sliding it onto his wrist he picked his head up and gently placed a kiss to Link's cheek before pulling away. "Come on, if you want to spend the day in Hateno we might as well make it productive. I'll show you what I know of swordplay."
They headed downstairs and Sheik vanished into the bathroom to get dressed. Link placed the Master Sword on the weapon rack and took one of the other swords he had along with an extra one for Sheik. He figured training with the Master Sword wouldn't be the best idea if he was trying to build his strength back up from fighting with it the day before. He strapped his sword to his back, fixed his clothes and picked his armor up from the table to put back on. He found the necklace Sheik had gone to great lengths to make him and instantly picked it up to put back on.
"You realize it only protects you from suddenly combusting, right?" Link looks up to Sheik, the other fixing his braid and fully dressed in the Sheikah garb. A smile spreads over his face and Link holds the sword out toward his partner.
"Yes. However, you went to great lengths to get it for me and it protected me during the Divine Beast. I want to wear it." Reaching his hand up he touched the tips of his fingers to the charm. "And it has the Sheikah symbol on it. Like a claim."
Sheik laughed softly and took the hilt of the sword, feeling the weight of the weapon in his hand. "It has the Hylian crest on it too, you know." Which was true but Link didn't care that much.
He dropped his hand back down and took a few steps forward until he was chest to chest with Sheik. Reaching out he grasped the front of the suit, pinched it in his hand, and tugged him closer. Sheik came willingly until their bodies touched, gaze fixed on Link's. "You didn't deny what I said." He didn't. He didn't say he wasn't placing a claim on Link by having him wear the tribe symbol. And Link found he actually enjoyed that idea.
"Hmm… if we don't start training now I'm thinking we won't make it today." He was probably right, Link was tempted to go back upstairs and not leave that bed the rest of the day. Not that there was much time left in the day anyway. Actually, it'd be a great way to spend it. Why were they training again? "Link." He blinks, having clearly drifted off in thought and focuses back on Sheik. "We still have one more Divine Beast and that calamity Ganondorf to take on. I want to at least see you'll be alright. Just a few rounds, I have no doubt you'll be able to beat me."
"Come on, you can't be that bad with a sword." He moves away from Sheik and heads to the front door, pushing it open and stepping out into their yard. They had a good amount of space beside their house that they could use for this. It was supposed to be a grass area for Blueberry but he left her at the stables still for convenience and to make sure she was well taken care of. Sheik followed him over the gate and into the open space, putting a good six feet between each other.
Link spun around and readied his sword at his side. Sheik didn't have a shield but given the way he handled that parry attack from Windblight he wouldn't be surprised if the other was well trained in using one. Or at the very least in using defense. Link spun his sword around in his hand, watched Sheik try to find a proper balance for his own with a hesitant frown. "How do you want to do this?"
"Just come at me."
"Are you sure?" He didn't want to actually hurt Sheik.
"Mhm. I only know the textbook fighting style, whatever my mother taught me. Which, strictly speaking, was during the first time line and when I was ten."
Link blinked, slowly, and his eyes widened in alarm. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Did he even remember how to wield a sword? No wonder he looked at the one he was holding like it was a foreign object.
"The best way to train is by doing, worst case scenario you land a hit."
"I'm actually hoping to avoid that, just so you know." He lets out a heavy sigh and nods. If this was how Sheik wanted to do it, then it's how they'll do it. Making sure he had a good grip on the sword he took a small step forward and then threw himself at the Sheikah.
Their swords clashed against each other's, Sheik blocking the attack and sliding his own blade down the length of Link's. Their gaze met over the gleam of the blades and then Sheik shoved him back. They stumbled apart, gaze meeting across the field and then together they moved as one again. The sound of metal hitting each other echoed across the area again, Sheik twisting to avoid Link's blade and swinging his own only to be met by Link's counter.
Skill wise, Link was definitely better. He had no problem deflecting Sheik's attack and hitting him with his own. Sheik managed to defend himself well but there were those small moments where Link was actually afraid he'd land a hit. But, posture wise and how Sheik carried his weight, he was better than Link. He could see through watching the other move how he put less pressure on his arms and the blade itself and more his stance with his legs. Sheik could throw him off balance easily with the way he stood when defending.
Though it made sense in theory, getting his body which had been fighting a certain way since he began this journey to do it, was harder. Especially in the middle of a fight and Sheik was far from relenting when it came to training. He gave Link no time to adjust himself, no time to fix his stance, he threw himself repeatedly at him with no pause or chance for Link to think. It was unrelenting attacks that Link deflected as much as he could as quickly as he could.
But, as fast as Sheik was, he could tell using the sword tired him out far quicker than his usual fighting style did. Perhaps it was the added weight of the sword or the clashing of the blades, but Sheik already seemed exhausted and his response time was getting delayed. Link was doing his best to keep his attacks from actually hitting Sheik but when he noticed Link doing it the Sheikah would change his movements the slightest bit to keep Link on his guard. He clearly didn't want Link taking it easy on him and was keeping him from being able to do it.
Which was a brilliant plan until the moment Link swung his sword forward, Sheik's block missed, and the tip of his blade cut across Sheik's forearm. The panic that he felt was nothing compared to the alarm on Sheik's own face. Which, felt odd, honestly he should be in pain if anything not looking at Link in nothing short of pure terror. Sheik moved forward a bit and a sharp pain shot up Link's chest from his lower abdomen. His gaze fell downward and there, with a slowly spreading wet spot, sticking out of Link's hip was Sheik's sword.
"Don't move." He didn't plan on it. Shaking his head, Link reached his hand up and gripped Sheik's forearm.
"I'm fine." It was, it barely even hurt. "I've had worse. Been thrown down the side of a mountain before."
"That's not as reassuring as you probably hope it is." Sheik wrapped his arm around Link's waist and gripped the fabric of his tunic in his first. "Take a breath in, good, hold it-" he yanked the sword out and threw it onto the ground, Link letting out the breath in a quick rush with a grunt of pain.
"Shouldn't-" he breathed quickly and painfully, "have left that in?"
"We're not on a battlefield, I'm going to treat you now. Here, move closer." He pulled Link toward him and helped him wrap his arms around Sheik's own neck. When Link had a good hold on him he crouched a bit down and swooped his arms underneath Link's knees to lift him up. The wound pressed into Sheik's chest and a startled hiss of pain left his mouth. Sheik carried him back inside their house and instantly upstairs to the bed. He sat Link down gently and started removing his gear to get his tunic off.
"Sheik, I can do that." He was ignored, completely ignored, as Sheik worked to drag the tunic off over his head. The wound was still bleeding sluggishly, being caught as it dripped down his hip by his tunic Sheik shoved against the side of his body. Link watched him carefully as he took his Lyre from the desk table and climbed up onto the bed, sitting across from Link with his right leg tucked under his left and the other dangling off the bed. He reached up and pulled his mask down, settling the instrument in the crook of his arm.
Link couldn't help but ask. "What are you doing?"
"You asked how the Sheikah heal themselves once. You remember how we have magic, correct?" Link nodded and Sheik tested a string, the sound reverberating through him. "I told you we heal ourselves with music. The song is actually called the Song of Healing. It's a simple tune, and it won't heal life threatening wounds, but I can heal cuts, broken bones and concussions with it. And this." He looked to the inch deep stab wound on Link's hip. "I can close it with the music, but if you have an infection starting I can't cure that. The Song of Healing doesn't cure diseases. It's also draining to do, so the longer I play for the harder it gets to keep going."
Link nodded and Sheik plucked at another string, testing the tune with a few others. Then, as his fingers settled over the strings a song began to form from the instrument as he strummed. It was gentle but… there was a haunting sound about it too, the kind that Link wouldn't want to hear before he went to sleep. However, the song did exactly what it was supposed to do. He could feel a warmth in his side that tingled, to the point it even seemed to pinch him and cause a dull sense of pain, and then it vanished.
When he looked down the wound was closed and there wasn't even a scar from where it had healed over. Facinatined he reached his right hand over his body and dragged the tips of his fingers across the unbroken skin. He was still a bit tired and even dizzy from the blood loss, but his skin was just as smooth as when he started today. Sheik still continued the song, the haunting melody playing over and over in his ears. It was one of those songs you don't forget the tune too and will end up humming later on. When it played the final round of what he assumed to be the chorus Sheik trailed off and opened his eyes, red gaze finding Link's side and where the wound was.
"Good, it works on you too." It didn't seem like he hadn't expected it too and Sheik didn't seem surprised. The instrument was placed on the bed beside him and Sheik reached his hand out, moving the Tunic and checking Link's wound. None, just as he had found out, and Sheik let out a breath of relief. "I'm glad you're alright, I'm sorry you got hurt in the first place."
"Don't be, we were training and accidents happen. It's not like it was that bad anyway and besides," he smiles softly and leans forward to look up at Sheik. "I got to hear you play and I like hearing you play."
"You don't have to be stabbed to hear me play." He shakes his head and places his hand on Link's knee, fingers curling around it. "I'd play if you just ask. But only you, the rest actually have to be stabbed to hear it." A startled laugh falls from Link's lips and he tips himself forward until his forehead rests on Sheik's chest. "I'll play for you anytime you want to hear it."
A small hum falls from him and Link turns his head a bit to the side, hands resting on the Sheikah's hips. "You're too good to me."
"I disagree with that."
"Of course you do." Shaking his head he leaned back to look at Sheik again. "Did you heal the cut to your arm while you were healing me?" Sheik nodded and Link leaned over just to check and make sure. Indeed, he was healed, and that brought him some relief over that. "You did well, you know. Despite your claims that swordsmanship isn't your strong suit you did well. I would have won, but you kept up."
"You were going easy on me." Sheik let out a sigh and shook his head. "The entire point was to learn, not have a play fight and get distracted by attempting to not stab me."
"You're the only person I know that would complain over not being stabbed." He only gets a hum in response but Sheik's face reads amusement and that is enough of a reply for him.
Sheik shifted on the bed and reached his arms up, wrapping them around Link's neck. Displacing his body weight he knocked Link over onto the bed and settled himself down on Link's chest. He tucked his head down and closed his eyes, seeming apparently more comfortable than he ever had been. A smile spread across Link's face and he placed his own hands on the others back to hold him.
"Are you going to sleep on me, Sheik?"
"We don't have anything else to do. And after everything we deserve a nap."
"Fair enough." With an amused laugh Link tilted his head up and placed a kiss to the top of Sheik's head. "Rest Sheik, I'll be here for you."