Horseshoe prints were much easier to see than Link's paw prints from before. She followed him back into the inn, into the secretive hidden room. Where before was an empty room was now bursting with people.
How did they get there?
"Colin!" Link bent down. A young boy raced up and hugged him tight. "Malo, Talo, Beth!" Link called out to the other children. They, too, ran up to him with tears in their eyes.
Sheik stood back awkwardly, glancing away from this tender moment.
"Was it you? Did you save us, Link?" The boy- Colin- asked.
Link nodded. "Yeah, buddy. Oh, and Sheik here."
Sheik glanced at him in surprise. Link gave her an encouraging smile.
"Hi." Sheik gave a small wave.
The kids stared back at her blankly. The smallest one of the bunch seemed to have the most judgemental stare of all.
"Do you know these children?" A tall man in shaman's robes broke the awkward pause.
"Yeah, they're from my hometown. Ordon. Who are you?"
"I am Renado. I'm a shaman here in Kakariko, and I own this inn. Monsters invaded Kakariko and had these children in their possession. Our bombmaker, Barnes," the shaman gestured to a bearded man behind him, "was able to fight off some of the attackers and bring these children to safety. Unfortunately, we weren't safe for very long. I thank you greatly for your help."
Link nodded. "Thank you for taking care of them. Um, where's Ilia?"
"Ilia?" One of the kids asked. "You mean, she's not in Ordon?"
"Oh dear. I hope she's alright. I'm afraid these were the only children we saw." Renado said.
Link bit his lip worriedly.
"Are there more monsters out there?" An older girl asked.
"No, they're all gone. It's safe now." Sheik said gently.
"It's quite late, children. Why don't we get something to eat?" Renado escorted the kids out of the hidden area, frowning at the broken wall but not saying anything more.
The bombmaker, Renado, the children, and a group of soldiers all exited carefully.
"Would you two also like a meal? I could also give you a place to stay for the night, as a thank you."
"Oh, no, we couldn't-"
"Yes!" Link exclaimed.
Renado laughed. "Come, I'll find something to make. And would you be sharing a room, or-"
"Separate rooms, please." Sheik said sharply.
Renado nodded. "I understand."
Renado was able to put together a humble meal of potato stew. Sheik's stomach growled in anticipation. Once he announced that food was ready, she stood to grab a bowl.
"Children first." Renado announced.
Sheik halted in her tracks. Her face flashed red as she altered her path, heading over towards the restroom instead. She looked around to make sure it was empty, then let out a deep breath.
She wasn't used to… this. Sheik pulled down her mask, exposing her face for the first time since the night before. She analyzed herself in the dirty, cracked mirror above the sink. Her unfamiliar red eyes still shocked her. The burn mark on her cheek was still faintly reddened, with a single blister still raised. Her braid was pulled apart, with flyaways and messy strands everywhere. It was hard not being able to recognize herself. Sheik fought back any tears starting to form. Gods, all of this was so hard.
With a sigh, she undid the braid. She'd have to brush it out and redo it. Surely her room must have a bath in it. She had done her best with cleaning, but spring water could only do so much. Her skin needed a deep clean, preferably with soap.
Her hair reached just past her waist. Sheik ran her fingers through it, doing her best to get at least some tangles out. She'd never got to have her hair down very often. It wouldn't hurt to have it down for just a few moments, would it?
She had hidden the restroom too long already. Another heavy sigh shook her body as she composed herself. Tense, stiff body. Her mask pulled up tight. She checked her armor, ensuring everything was in the right place. Her nose wrinkled at the sight of the dirt and grime on the suit. She'd have to wash her clothing tonight, too. She recognized blackened blood splatters from Twili she had killed. Sickness rose in her stomach. She fought to stop her hands from shaking. No. She couldn't think about that right now. She had to compose herself.
"Sheik?" She heard Link's voice outside.
She exited, almost bumping directly into him.
"Oh! There you are. Here, there was almost none left." Link shoved a very full bowl into her hands.
She nodded in quiet thanks.
Link looked her up and down, tilting his head.
Nerves bubbled in her stomach. What, could he tell she was ready to break? "What are you looking at, Link?"
"Nothing." Link turned away quickly. "Um, your hair is just a lot longer than I thought it was. Also, Renado wanted to talk to us? He's at one of the tables."
Sheik frowned. Maybe having her hair down wasn't such a great idea. She pulled it up quickly into a bun and followed him to the very back of the dining area. She was grateful that it was far from the soldiers, who had taken up the bar.
"Ah, there you two are." Renado gestured to the seats in front of him.
Sheik sat down. She looked around the room briefly. No napkins? Spoons? How in Hyrule was she supposed to eat?
Link's loud slurping interrupted her thoughts. She stared at him. He had the bowl picked up close to his mouth, and was drinking from it noisily.
He took another gulp and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. "What?"
Sheik shook her head. More slurping sounds erupted behind her. Apparently, spoons weren't an option here.
She could feel Mother's cursing in her mind as she pulled down her mask, lifted the bowl, and took a small sip.
"What did you want to talk to us about?" Link's bowl was already drained.
"I was wondering if you could help us with something else. See, the Gorons live just up the mountain, a short walk away. Before all these monsters, we had a very good trade system with them. But as the monsters began to invade, the Gorons stopped visiting. When a merchant traveled up the mountain to trade, they reacted violently. They sent him back with a message, threatening anyone who dared visit their domain again. I don't know why this has happened. The Gorons have always been kind to us."
"I was hoping you would consider looking into this. I'm afraid something sinister may have happened to the Gorons." Renado finished.
"Of course. We'll start tomorrow."
A relieved smile broke out on Renado's face. "Thank you, Sheikah. And you, Link. Now if you'll excuse me." Renado sat up and began collecting empty bowls around the room.
"I didn't expect you to help out like that." Link said.
"I was planning on visiting Death Mountain, anyway. The next fragment of the weapon is hidden somewhere around there. I suspect the Goron's behavior and the weapon are linked."
"Oh, so you weren't just being nice?"
Sheik took her last dainty sip from her bowl. "I can be both nice and stay on task."
"Sure." Link let out a yawn.
"I do have a question for you."
"Shoot."
"Before, when we were searching. You knew the people were hiding out here, even though they were trapped in Twilight. How?"
"Oh. One of the wolf perks. Heightened senses. I recognized the kid's scents and followed it to the wall. And then once we got into the room, I could see their spirits. It's like this little blue flame-looking thing. I can sort of see their figure, and listen to their thoughts."
"Their thoughts?"
"Yeah. Um, Beth. The oldest kid. She was crying really bad. And Colin, the little boy, he was hoping I'd come to save them."
"He has a lot of faith in you."
"He does. I'm not sure why." Link glances over at the kids, his faint smile dropping. "It's hard to listen to them, scared like that."
"It did help us, though."
Link shrugged and yawned. "I guess. I think I'm gonna go sleep all this off." He stood up and patted her back, making her jump. "You should get some rest too. You look exhausted."
Sheik pulled her mask up. "I will. Goodnight, Link."
When Sheik got to her room, the first thing she did was strip off all the layers of the dirty suit and give it a deep clean. Luckily, a bath and complementary soaps were provided. She spent about an hour scrubbing each small piece of her ensemble before she finally hung them up to dry. First came gently rinsing off her armor plates: one breastplate, two cuisses for the thighs,two rerebraces for her upper arms, and finally two vambraces for her forearms. Off came her gloves, mask, hair covering, sheaths, and boots. Next, she finally got to unlace her heavy suit layer. This layer was the one woven with metal, and she felt so much lighter when she peeled it off. This piece needed lots of scrubbing to get the stains out. Finally, she undid the last layer of her ensemble, the light cotton undersuit. Luckily, this piece hadn't stained much at all. At last she was able to remove the wrappings covering her chest. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she hung up each piece to dry.
Her triforce was still covered in scabs. A little dried blood was creased within her skin. So it had reopened when she saw Link's wolf form.
Link. What was she going to do about Link?
She quickly cleansed the wound. Sheik caught a glance of herself in a small, oval mirror hanging on the wall. Bruising lined around her torso from the tightness of her wrappings. Her whole chest felt sore. She frowned, touching her newly showing hip bone and her ribs. Impa would be so unhappy to see her like this. As would Mother, although Mother had always been more partial to a more petite look. Impa would say it meant she wasn't getting enough nutrients. If her body was diminishing, then her muscles must be starved as well. Hopefully Renado would be willing to give them some food for the journey. Sheik needed to get stronger, not fragile and weak.
The hot bath was soothing to her stiff muscles. She could see the dirt coming off her body, turning the water dark.
How disgusting.
Sheik shook it off. She'd just take another bath after this. For the next hour, she rigorously scrubbed her body. After her skin felt raw, she began to detangle and wash her hair. She gagged as the water darkened even more. When she felt confident that every inch of dirt was cleansed, she stepped out and re-filled the tub. This time, when she sunk in, the water stayed clear.
Sheik took a deep sigh of relief. Finally, a moment to relax.
Her life had changed so dramatically over the past month. While she appreciated Renado's help, no bath could compare to her own. And the complementary soap was so drying on her skin! At home, she could have any scent she wanted, and have a selection of hydrating creams for after. She had no idea her skin could feel this dry.
And her hair! Thank the gods Impa had taught her how to do a braid before leaving. Usually, people did her hair for her. She had no idea how to do the elaborate styles that she wore daily. Or, used to wear.
Even simple things, such as being fed first. Changing into clean clothes three times a day, four if she counted sleepwear. Never worrying about going hungry, sleeping on a plush bed, not even having to clean her own things.
Sheik supposed there were a few perks, though. Now her neck didn't ache from wearing heavy jewels. Her time was much better spent without the obsession on grooming and getting ready. Her days, although labor intensive, weren't planned out for her by someone else. It was nice having some freedom. Before, she was not allowed to leave Castletown unless escorted. She had such limited interactions with people. If her life had stayed the same, she would've never met Link, even if he did drop off the royal rapier her Father had requested.
Link. What to make of Link?
He was unusually casual with the way he talked and acted. Even when addressing his wolf experience, he spoke plainly. Link's ability to adapt was useful, though. But his impulsive and reckless behavior was quite stressful, especially when dealing with his wolf form. He didn't seem to completely understand her difficulty in communicating.
At least his sword fighting skills seemed mediocre rather than hopeless. She'd have to give him some practice, or some type of instruction. He had a good foundation for his sword, though. His stance was correct, and he seemed to know the right movements. It could be useful to teach him other forms of combat as well.
Overall, Link wasn't the worst choice for being the Hero. He was a little small for it, but she supposed those muscles would develop as they fought more battles. What was important was that he possessed the desire to help and the courage necessary. It wasn't always obvious with his jokes and his nonchalant attitude, but the bravery was there. She did enjoy the light banter between them. It helped keep her spirits up, and she was sure it did the same for him. Besides, she liked to hear him laugh.
Link didn't leave his bath until the water went cold. Hot water was a luxury he only got in the summer, so he was taking full advantage of this. His muscles cried out as he lifted himself out of the bath, grabbing a towel. He towel-dried his hair aggressively then wrapped it around his waist. Link inspected himself in the mirror, his hair sticking up crazily. He really should've had Ilia cut it before he left. She was supposed to, but they kept forgetting. This was the longest it had ever been.
He looked at his arms and stomach. They definitely felt sore, and he searched for any sort of definition. Goat farming built up a little muscle but he wouldn't be against building more. He only saw a slight difference and sighed in disappointment, flopping down on the plush bed.
He hadn't felt this kind of comfort in years. Speaking of, it was probably about time for him to make a new mattress. He'd have to remember that when he made it home. If he made it home.
He didn't realize what a crushing weight the kids missing had on him. Now that they were found, he felt ten times lighter. He had even arranged for Renado to bring them back to their parents in Ordon. There was more hope that he could actually do this. Besides, Ordona had said there was only one more area of Twilight to clear. He could do this one more time.
The Hero clothes hung along the bed frame. He had rinsed them off quickly, hoping they would dry overnight. It took forever. He hadn't realized how many parts there were. The white undershirt, the thin chain mail, and the heavy canvas pants and tunic. They seemed to taunt him with the bright green, reminding him of his responsibilities.
He didn't choose this. Link did always want more than just goat farming, but saving the world was not what he had in mind. The legends always seemed to pick the most unqualified person to be the Hero, to have the Triforce of Courage. He'd never really seen himself as a brave person, just a stupid one.
Link didn't understand why Sheik would willingly choose this. Yeah, it was Sheikah responsibility, but she could be at the castle. Shouldn't she be protecting Princess Zelda? Maybe Zant had kicked her out. When he saw the princess, she had no protection. She was a prisoner of Zant. Still, he was able to reach her. Surely there was a way for Sheik to reach her, too.
Maybe Princess Zelda was protecting herself? There were always rumors about her bloodline owning the Triforce of Wisdom, though nobody had seen any sign of it for the past few generations. At least in the legends, the princess had the triforce.
Perhaps Sheik thought the best way to protect Princess Zelda was to help him. That's what she had said, anyway, and it did make some sense. But Sheik was so private that he wouldn't be surprised if she were lying.
She was always so tense and stiff and battle-ready. Even when she seemed relaxed, her hands still hovered over her millions of daggers. She was also so devoid of emotion. The most reaction he had seen from her was when she laughed and when she got mad at him in the graveyard. Otherwise, she was always straight-faced. Even if she was making different expressions, there was a mask hiding it. The red eyes hadn't gotten any less creepy, either.
He had never seen such long hair, though. All the girls in Ordon had their hair cut above their shoulders. Even the color was brighter than any other girls he had seen. It softened her eyes, made her look less scary and intimidating. He liked how it flowed down her back and over her shoulders, gracing down her frame. He fought the urge to stare. Her braid had already been long, but somehow her hair down made her look so different. Link had felt a small sad twinge when she put her hair back up. He would've liked to see it down for just a little longer.