CHAPTER EIGHT
Heeeey! I'm back with another chapter! Aren't you guys excited?!
… No one? No one at all?
Oh, okay then… I'll just be over here in this corner pouring my heart and soul into the next chapter if anyone needs me.
X-X-X
Sheik panted softly as she rolled over the now dead Alpha, checking to see if the beast was truly deceased.
When she was assured that it breathed no longer, she glanced down at her bleeding leg and grimaced as it throbbed painfully.
The wolfos had surrounded Sheik just as they did with Link, but thanks to her agile and limber body, she dodged most of the attacks. Unfortunately, one wolfo had managed to latch onto her shin before a dagger was plunged into its back.
"I'm usually cautious when fighting," Sheik frowned. "How I have gotten so careless?" Her true feelings betrayed her thoughts, however, for she knew why her battle was so hasty.
The Sheikah hurried to Link's bruised and bleeding frame, picking him up as gently as she could by placing his arm on her shoulder and wrapping her own arm around his waist. Her jaw dropped as she felt Link's blood soaked tunic. "Oh no…"
Suddenly, a shrill voice shouted, "HEY! PUT HIM DOWN, YOU SAVAGE!"
Navi dove at Sheik from out of nowhere, pulling on her hair and shouting in her ears. "I can't believe you'd show your face again after what you did!" She screeched, yanking on Sheik's long bangs.
"What the-?!" Sheik's step faltered slightly at the ear-piercing screams, but she held firm of Link's torso. Navi then desperately began to pull on the woman's fingers around her friend's arm. "I'm not letting you kidnap him!"
"I am not kidnapping him!" Sheik retaliated before flicking the fairy off of her bandaged appendages.
"LIES!"
"I am speaking truthfully!"
The little blue woman flew to Link's chest and clutched onto his tunic. "I w-won't let you t-take him!" Navi's voice shook as she held back tears. "I WON'T!"
Sheik stared down at Navi, her frustration slowly turning into pity as she then realized how Navi was feeling.
Navi must have felt so useless, knowing that a little fairy like herself could never fight off a wolfo. The thing would eat her whole in one bite. She could do nothing except watch as her friend was nearly mauled to death by the merciless dogs.
"Please, accept my words," She sighed, pulling Link's limp body along while trying not to drag him. "I am not doing anything that would hurt your comrade any further."
"How can I when you were the reason this happened!?" Navi cried, flying up to Sheik's eye level.
The Sheikah barely glanced at her before looking away, guilt weighing down on her own shoulders. "... It was never my intention to put you two in danger." She murmured, trudging past the furious fairy.
"Sure seems that way, leaving him almost defenseless out in the pouring cold rain!" Navi called as she flew behind the two, refusing to leave Link alone with the mysterious woman.
"I never meant t-"
"You're probably an outcast of all the Sheikahs and that's why you're all by yourself!"
"Please, I am no-"
"I shouldn't be surprised that you'd do something so cold-hearted anyway, being a criminal and all. Who knows, maybe you have even committed murder. You practically murdered Link!"
Sheik whirled around and stared at Navi straight-faced for a few moments until she spoke in a monotone whisper...
"How dare you."
The fairy slightly flinched backwards, almost as if she had been struck by the words.
"You do not know me, nor will you ever know me... but never judge someone without learning about them first. You do not know what I've gone through, and you do not know the life I live. You do not know what I have done, and you do not know what I intend to do."
Sheik leaned in close to the shocked sprite and squinted her crimson eyes in annoyance. "If you truly must know what I plan on doing with Link, I am going to disinfect and dress his wounds when I get to a safe shelter."
Navi gaped with wide eyes at Sheik's intimidating red ones, no words coming to mind.
"Do you have a problem with that?"
It was more of a statement than a question, but the blue fairy nodded nonetheless.
"Good." Sheik turned on her heel and continued to hold Link up, walking faster than she had before, causing Navi to snap out of her shocked state. She flew beside the injured pair and followed silently with her eyes downcast.
X-X-X
A relieved sigh echoed through the dimly lit treehouse as Sheik gently laid Link on her bed. He groaned in discomfort as his injured neck was pressed against the pillow under his head.
Sheik looked around the treehouse for the little girl who had previously slept there. "Mary?" She called as she walked to the small kitchen area across the room, scanning the shelves for her basket of ointments and medicines.
"Mary, are you here?"
Sheik waited for a reply before she shook her head and went back to looking for her first aid equipment. "She must have returned to her home in Kakariko," She assumed.
When she finally found the basket of medicines, she grabbed some bandages and a bowl of water and rushed back to Link's side. At the sound of objects moving around, Navi flew out from underneath the green cap that she had retreated to during the walk. "And it was a good thing that she did," Sheik thought to herself, for Navi would have seen the pathways she had taken to get to her hidden treehouse.
"Do… do you think I can help in anyway?" Navi hesitantly asked the Sheikah. At her soft nod, Navi hopped off the bed and sat on the basket of ointments. "What does he need?"
"If you could go to the kitchen cupboards and bring me a rag, that would be most appreciated."
Navi nodded and flew to the cabinets, searching for a clean piece of cloth.
While the fairy was occupied with that task, Sheik opened a bottle of ale and waited, looking over the cuts on Link's face. She tenderly brushed his strands of blonde hair away from his face, her fingertips grazing his forehead slightly.
Although bruised and bleeding, Link had very handsome features. High cheek bones, smooth tan skin... and even though his eyelids were closed, Sheik could still see his sky blue eyes with that glint of mischievousness he had always displayed since he was a boy.
"I found some, Sheik!" Navi grunted, carefully trying not to drop any of the large rags.
The woman drew back from Link's face, grabbing a cloth and dipping it into the bowl of cold water. Carefully dabbing at the scrapes and gashes on his cheeks, she sighed as she began to feel guilty again.
"I never meant to do this to you, Link," Sheik thought as she reflected on her foolish actions. Staring down at the handsome man, she chuckled a bit to herself. "I didn't even know it was you at first. You look so different, but you also look the same. I never imagined that you'd become so attractive."
"We need to remove his shirt, Navi." Sheik told Navi as she wrung out the rag. Said fairy nodded and helped Sheik carefully pull the ripped tunic, chainmail, and undershirt over his head.
Navi gasped, "Oh my goodness.."
Angry black and blue bruises with red slashes covered Link's chest, stomach, and arms. Blood still trickled down from the teeth and claw marks that marred his physique, making Navi turn away in horror.
"I… I can't…"
Sheik poured fresh ale onto the rag in her hand and went to place it on Link's injuries, but then hesitated when she thought about how badly it would hurt him. She shook her head as she chided herself, "Sheik, you fool. It will only become worse if it is not properly cleansed. He will have to take the pain for a while, unfortunately."
Taking a deep breath, the Sheikah pressed the wet cloth against his skin.
Link instantly hissed in discomfort and pulled away unconsciously. Sheik moved away for a moment, only to come back and gently hold the rag to Link's body once more.
He finally stilled while she cleaned the gashes, but continued to wear a distorted expression.
While Sheik attended to the knight, Navi desperately tried not to look at his face. Link's hurt appearance made her feel very uncomfortable, almost nauseous.
"... I feel like I've failed him."
Sheik stopped her ministrations shortly to glance at the fairy in confusion. "What do you mean, Navi? You have not failed him."
"Yes, I have."
"How so?"
Navi flew to the nightstand beside the occupied bed and looked down at her feet in dejection. "I failed him. I have failed as a guardian fairy to her protege. I was supposed to protect him from harm and danger, but look at me… I'm just a dumb fairy who can't even protect herself!"
Sheik's eyes soften as she gazed at Navi with sudden tenderness, "Navi." Said woman looked up at the Sheikah with tears beginning to fill her blue eyes. Sheik sighed and returned to applying ointment to Link's injures while talking over her shoulder.
"I once knew someone that was in a similar position as you are now. She was a wise woman… strong willed, caring, thoughtful, motherly… but she simply tried too hard to protect a little girl that she watched over."
Sheik chuckled lightly at her memories of the woman and the little girl, "Although, the little girl was a bit reckless, so I understand why her guardian kept an eye on her constantly."
"It sounds like the girl's guardian does a great job," Navi laughed.
"Yes, she did."
Navi stopped laughing immediately at the meaning of those words. She glanced at Sheik's eyes, which held sorrow and regret. "... What happened?" She asked hesitantly, almost afraid to hear the rest of the story.
"The little girl grew, and as did her enemies. They found her alone one day and attacked her without mercy."
Navi gasped in shock. "W-what?! But that's not fair!"
Sheik nodded her head in agreement. "The girl escaped, however, and her guardian somehow found her later on. She was greatly wounded, almost dead… and the woman blamed herself for not being there for her ward."
Navi looked over at Link, whose injuries had been wrapped in clean bandages. His face held a certain peace that calmed her enough to relaxed again.
"The guardian took care of the girl's wounds and told her that she would deal with her attacker. The girl tried to make her stay, but as I said before, the woman was strong-willed and very protective. So she left that night, promising the girl that she would be back at day-break."
Navi's mind finally registered what Sheik was trying to tell her, and her eyes widened in shock. "Wait, are you meaning to say that.."
"The girl waited 'till daybreak, and then afternoon, and then evening… but she never came back."
The blue sprite whispered, "I'm sorry, Sheik. You're right. I shouldn't hate myself over what just cannot be helped."
Sheik nodded and began to put the medical supplies and bandages back into their basket.
"What ever happened to the girl?"
The Sheikah paused, trying to think of something that would suffice the questions that Navi had. "She grew up and moved away to another town. Who knows, maybe she even found someone to settle down with." With that said, she stood and walked into the kitchen.
Navi stared down at her hands clasped in her lap, silently thinking to herself. She looked at the young man with fresh bandages and smiled a bit.
Even though she'd never admit it, Link was like a son to her... and no one wants to see their child hurt.
X-X-X
Yes, I know, I know… I wanted it to be a bit longer, but I actually just really wanted to get this chapter done. Don't worry, I'm already working on chapter nine!
… Wow. Chapter nine. Heh, I didn't think I'd get this far!
I'm sorry if there were any mistakes, typos, etc. I'll probably come back later and re-edit all of the previous chapters.
Now go forth, hero! Click that review button and save Hyrule!
YAY!