CHAPTER FIVE
Heyo! What's up, my dear readers?
I will admit that I was a bit disappointed that I only got two reviews on chapter four. I worked pretty hard on it…
Oh well. You can't force someone to review.
Here's chapter five!
X-X-X
The king watched with sly eyes as Link placed a satchel on Epona's backside and climbed into the saddle. He grunted, turning away from the window to look at the captain of his guards.
"Are you sure that the boy can do this task, Captain Viscen?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
Viscen nodded.
"I know that he can. I have seen him in action myself… back when Zelda was still with us," Viscen murmured sadly.
Ganondorf sighed and turned to face the captain. "May she rest in peace, but I believe that my dear niece wouldn't wish for us to dwell on her death, Captain Viscen."
"Of course, Your Majesty..."
"You are dismissed, Captain."
"Thank you, Your Majesty." With that, Viscen turned on his heel and left the room.
Ganondorf smiled to himself.
"You had best not fail me, Link."
X-X-X
Link pulled himself up onto Epona's saddle and placed his feet in the stirrups as he grabbed the reins. "Ready to go, Navi?" At his words, Navi flew into his tunic and held onto the collar with a grin. "Ready! Now let's go catch us a criminal!" With a kick of Link's heels, Epona galloped towards Kakariko Village.
Link was told that Sheik had been sighted at Kakariko Village multiple times and that he should ask the villagers if they had noticed anyone acting suspicious recently.
Suddenly, Link noticed a small boy running towards him. "Whoa, Epona," He ordered, pulling the reins back.
The boy stood next to Epona and tried to catch his breath. As the child panted, Link noticed that he wore dirty, torn clothes and that his face was dirty as well.
"Can I have some food, Sir?" He asked with pleading eyes. "I'm very hungry, Sir…"
Now Link was confused. He figured that some villagers would be poor, but not to the point of starvation. "Where is your family, boy?"
The child's eyes began to fill with tears as he pulled his brown hair over his face. "Me and Mama live in the forest. Daddy's been gone a real long time…"
Link's eyes softened as he reached into his satchel and pulled out two apples. "I'm sorry about your father. Here… one for you and one for your mother."
The boy wiped his eyes and grabbed the fruit gleefully. "Gee, thank you, Sir!" He exclaimed. "Mama'll be real happy!" Link grinned, but then remembered his duties. He reached into his satchel again and pulled out the wanted poster that Ganondorf had given him. "Have you seen this woman before, boy?"
The brown haired child looked over the painting of Sheik before he stiffened. Link's brows furrowed together in confusion. "What's wrong? Do you recognize her?"
The boy stepped back and stuttered with shocked eyes,"Uh… n-no, I don't! I gotta go, b-but.. uh, thanks for the food, Mister!" With that said, he turned and ran into the forest.
Link stared down at the poster for a minute before placing it back into his satchel. "It almost seemed as if he was afraid…"
X-X-X
Link looked up at the sign above the entrance to the small town, "Welcome to kakariko Village!"
"We're here?" Navi spoke up, shooting up out of Link's tunic. He nodded. Navi grinned and flew into Kakariko. "Well? What are you waiting for?" She called.
Link simply shook his head with a smile and stepped into the small village that he remembered from his childhood.
Next to a tree near the entrance were two men laughing.
"You got stuck!?" The man in red gasped.
"Oh, yes! I was eventually found by the guards," The man in blue laughed. "I was thrown out and they doubled the security afterwards!" He smiled. "Though I'll admit that I am a bit sad that I never had the chance to meet her."
Link watched curiously before he remembered his mission. "Excuse me, gentlemen," He called. The men turned around smiled at Link.
"Oh, hello! What can we do for you? You can call me Red," One suggested. "And you can call me Blue!" The other said. "We're known as the Twin Jugglers!"
Link nodded, "Greetings to the both of you." He pulled the poster out of his satchel and handed it to Red. "I wanted to know if either of you have seen this woman recently?"
Red and Blue looked down at the poster before looking at each other. "Nope!" They said in unison.
"Never seen her before in my life!" Red claimed.
"Nor have I! Although she does seem familiar..." Blue affirmed.
"Yes! She does, doesn't she, Brother?"
"Indeed! How about that girl in Castle Town?"
"Ah, yes! But she and this woman are not the same!"
"Oh, quite right! What about-"
Link sighed. "I'm getting nowhere with these two…" Instead of waiting for their belated answer, he took the poster back and walked away from the bumbling duo.
He caught sight of a red-headed woman named Anju standing near a house with a fence full of cuckoos and decided to try his luck with her.
"Excuse me, Miss Anju?" Link called.
Anju smiled and asked, "What can I help you with, Sir?"
Link asked her the same he had the twins and showed her the poster. Her smile slowly faded away and was replaced with a frown. "I'm sorry, but I haven't seen this woman here before. Now if you'll excuse me, I have chores to do." With that said, she walked inside the house.
Link tried again with a burly man named Mutoh.
"Bah!" Mutoh grunted. "I ain't seen nobody like her 'round here… now scram, kid! I gotta get my work done!" He turned back around and continued what project he had started, mumbling something about his workers being lazy bums.
Link looked down at Navi who was sitting on his shoulder. "Didn't King Ganondorf say that Sheik had been seen here multiple times?" Navi nodded, "I believe so!" Link groaned and ran his fingers through his bangs.
This was much more frustrating than he had expected it to be.
X-X-X
Link had asked around Kakariko all evening if anyone had spotted the Sheikah woman, but everyone claimed that they never saw her. That night, he and Navi decided to stay at an Inn so that he could search for Sheik in the morning.
Link removed his cap and his boots while Navi flew around the room, being her normal talkative self.
"Everyone said that they haven't seen Sheik, but the king said that she was seen here more than once! Does that mean that the king was given incorrect information or what if the king is actually evil?! … No, he couldn't be. Wait, maybe this lady's not even a Sheikah at all! We don't know much about her, therefore the possibilities are endless! Do you suppose-"
Link swiftly grabbed Navi by her wings and pulled her up close to his face. "Please. Stop. Rambling."
Navi glared into his annoyed eyes. "I am not rambling! I am only trying to help you, you stupid boy!" Link rolled his eyes at her insult. "I am not a boy, Navi. I am a twenty two year old man."
Navi placed her hands on her hips, although she still dangled from the knight's fingers. "Oh really? I didn't know that…" Navi said sarcastically. Link shrugged, "With that little fairy brain of yours, I didn't expect you to."
Navi gasped in offence before huffing and looking away from his face.
"Aw, don't be like that, Navi… you know that I was only jesting." He placed his fairy companion down on the bedside table. Link chuckled when Navi immediately sat down and crossed her arms, looking at anything but him.
"There she goes again… she won't speak to me until I apologise," Link mused as he situated himself underneath the bed covers. He looked over at Navi on the bedside table, who was using his cap as a bed.
"Navi?"
The blue fairy begrudgingly looked up at the man's face.
Link blew out the candle beside Navi and whispered quietly, "I'm sorry for teasing you. Goodnight." He laid his head down on the feather pillow and closed his eyes. However, he smiled to himself when he heard a small voice.
"Goodnight, Link."
X-X-X
Blue eyes slowly opened at the sound of birds singing their happy tunes as the morning dew glittered in the sunlight… it was a shame that Navi had to ruin the moment.
"LINK!" The fairy shrieked into his Hylian ear and she yanked on his bangs. "Link, wake up! It's time to get going! If you want to catch Sheik, then you have to wake up!"
Navi stood on Link's forehead to catch her breath. "Yeesh.. how can the world depend on such a lazy boy?"
Link sat up, causing Navi to fall into his lap. He glared down at her with tired eyes, "That is not the most pleasant way to wake someone up." Navi smirked. "But it's the most efficient way!" Link rolled his eyes at his fairy friend.
He yanked the blankets off of his body, stood up and pulled his tunic over his head. He then put on his boots and strapped his sword and shield to his back. Navi sat down on his shoulder when he had gathered all of their belongings and pointed to the door. "Onward, Link! MUSH!"
The knight wouldn't budge.
Navi sighed, "Please?"
Link grinned and opened the bedroom door to pay the Innkeeper.
X-X-X
A small girl with long red hair ran deep into the woods with her hands cupped around her mouth as she called out for her best friend.
"Hello?! Are you out here? It's me, Mary!" She hollered, standing in the middle of a small pathway.
Mary suddenly heard something in the distance… a high-pitched whistle echoed through the wind and ricocheted off of the tall oaks.
The girl beamed with joy and sprinted through the trees on bare feet, already aware of the sound's location. She sighted a large oak tree with a heart carved into the trunk and smiled before swerving to her right and then her left. She then took a final right turn and skidded to a halt when her bright green eyes found her destination.
In the middle of a circle of oaks stood a large, rustic and well-built tree house with swaying vines hanging from its branches.
The melodious sound of strings being plucked caught Mary's attention, causing her to look up at the harpist in a tall tree.
"I knew you would be here, Sheik!"
Sheik's lips curved into a joyful smile underneath the cowl at the sight of the redheaded child. Her fingers continued to dance across the golden harp while she spoke, "Hello, Mary. Have you come to keep me company?" Mary grinned, confirming the Sheikah's question.
Sheik leapt down from her position and landed gracefully in front of the child. "How has your day been?"
Mary held Sheik's hand as they walked towards the huge treehouse. "It was good, but a knight came to the village," The child said. Sheik exhaled softly at Mary's news.
"They were searching for me again?"
"Uh-huh!"
Sheik eyes softened as she looked down at Mary and ruffled her hair. "Mary? You do realize what could happen if they ever find me, right?"
Mary nodded sadly, "They'd take you away."
X-X-X
Small twigs cracked beneath a boot-clad foot as Link notched an arrow on his bow and watched the large trees, listening to his surroundings. Navi slept soundly under his green cap while the knight searched for Sheik throughout the forest, looking for clues or footprints.
Link gained no luck finding the thief in Kakariko Village. Most of the people in the town claimed to have never seen the criminal or they'd turned him away with a scowl.
One woman had bluntly said, "I wish that you'd all leave us be!" before slamming the door in his face.
Link sat down under a shady tree and pulled his armor off along with his quiver of arrows, placing them beside him as he laid down on the soft green grass. "I don't understand," He whispered to himself. "King Ganondorf informed me that Sheik had been near Kakariko, but I have yet to find her and yet to hear any news from the villagers."
After a couple of minutes of laying there, Link heard the sound of rushing water.
"A creek, maybe?" He thought and pulled his canteen out of his satchel, only to discover that it was almost empty. "I might as well fill this up while I have the chance." The knight slung his bow and quiver over his shoulder as he stood from his position and walked towards the water with the canteen in hand.
Link looked over shrubs and caught a glimpse of a slender figure before dropping the canteen and immediately ducking down. He notched an arrow on his bow string, cautiously looking over the bushes in the process.
Link nearly froze in shock.
There, beside the waters edge with her back turned towards him, sat a female with a long blonde braid and a blue Sheikah attire. When she turned her head to a different angle, Link saw that she wore a cowl and had a red eye, having one covered by her bangs, confirming that this woman was indeed Sheik.
Link slowed his breathing and raised his bow, his fingers ready to release the feathered arrow. "I won't kill her," Link thought. "but I'll have to at least immobilize her." He closed one eye as he zoned in on his target and softly exhaled...
"Sheik! Look!"
Blue eyes widened in shock and fear as the knight swiftly lowered the bow and kneeled once more, his heart racing at the fact that he had been sighted. "Was that a child's voice?!" Link thought and spied through the leaves of the bushes.
A girl wearing a long patched dress ran through the creek's water with a tiny bird held in her hands, causing water to splash all around her as she called out, "Sheik! Look at what I found! Look!"
Link sighed with relief, incredibly grateful that his location had not given away, but he then questioned the reason why a little girl was with the Sheikah.
"Does the girl know that Sheik is a criminal? Were lies told to her? Maybe she was brainwashed with magic…"
The hylian shook his head to clear his mind. He was beginning to sound like Navi (who still slept soundly under his cap).
Link knew that he would have to search for Sheik all over again, but he knew that he could not shoot her with the child watching. Instead, he slowly began walking backwards, taking his leave quietly.
"I think she's hurt!" Mary cried and gently held the little blue bird out. Sheik quietly inspected it for several minutes before removing the cloth around her fingers and re-wrapping it around a broken wing. "Are you going to care for it?" She asked while tending the injured wing. Mary nodded and held the blue bird close to her chest, "I'll feed her seeds and berries and I'll protect her… just like how you protect me!"
Sheik smiled underneath her cowl. Mary recognized the happiness in her friend's red eyes and smiled back, but the grin faded slightly.
"Sheik…?"
The Sheikah nodded, waiting for her to continue.
"Will you always stay with me and protect me for forever?"
Sheik stared at Mary with concern and wondered what had brought up the question. When realization struck her, she smiled down at the child with love and gently brushed her red bangs out of her green eyes. "I promise you, Mary… I will always be there for you."
Suddenly, a loud snap filled the quiet atmosphere.
Link winced and glanced down at the forest ground to see a crushed twig beneath his boot.
A sudden whizzing sound caught his attention as he looked up once more, only to turn his head to the side to miss the deadly incoming knife. He felt a stinging impact on his cheek followed by the sound of a thud before dashing into the woods in haste.
Sheik ran towards the shrubs where she had hurled her throwing knife seconds ago and found it in the bark of a tree. The Sheikah narrowed her eyes as she yanked it out and examined the blade…
Blood.
"Go back to Kakariko!" Sheik told Mary and sprinted into the woods after the person who dared to spy on her.
X-X-X
ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED.
This is the longest chapter I have written, so I hope all of you guys who asked for longer chappies are happy!
Anyways, if you are confused about anything, just P.M. me and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.