The next few weeks were full of harsh training and long nights of research for Sheik.
Impa was adamant that she learn all of the elemental magics before the year was out, and she doubted that Ganondorf would take kindly to a delayed report.
Sheik saw little of Zelda in those weeks, as she was also wrapped up in her own studies and trying to plan their next move since Ganondorf hadn't done anything and they were feeling ready to take the initiative.
This was one such night were Sheik was sitting in the dark library with only a single lamp for light and a cup of tea for company, studying one of the many thick and dusty volumes of Kokiri lore. There wasn't much that was fact, since the Kokiri, or anyone who had contact with the Kokiri seldom wrote books or told anyone what they knew.
She already had two pages on the Lost Woods that she had copied from the books, and a half page on the temple itself, but she had learned of a intriguing legend through her search, and was currently reading that, trying to determine what was fact, and what was fiction.
The legend seemed to be a continuation of the legend of the three goddesses and the Triforce, this one about the seven Sages. It was very much like the legend passed down by the Sheikah;
When evil rules all, an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm will call those destined to be Sages, who dwell in the five temples.
One in a deep forest...
One on a high mountain...
One under a vast lake...
One within the house of the dead...
One inside a goddess of the sand...
Together with the Hero of Time, the awakened ones will bind the evil and return the light of peace to the world.
That ancient Sheikah legend had been told to Sheik many times as something of a bedtime story, but with Impa as the closest thing you had to a mother, you didn't get real bedtime stories.
The only difference between the Sheikah story and the one Sheik was currently reading was that there were seven Sages, the Sixth, a Hylian, remained in the Sacred Realm as the last line of defense for the Triforce. The last one is only mentioned briefly, and has no story nor detail attached.
Sheik copied this story, along with notes on her own knowledge, onto a piece of paper and tucked it away. Ganondorf didn't need to know about how much power the temples and Sages held.
Although, he probably already knew, since he'd bothered to ask.
Another two hours and Sheik's research was complete. She guessed it was about three in the morning. Gathering up all of her paper, quills, ink, and other miscellaneous items she had brought with her, she silently made her way through her house and back to her room.
She stashed the papers under her pillow, then fell into bed and was instantly asleep.
-0-0-0-
Three more days passed and Sheik had completed the letter she would give to Ganondorf. It had how to get to the Forest Temple, as asked, and it's location; in the Lost Woods.
She sealed the letter the day before she left, writing King Ganondorf on the front and leaving the letter unsigned.
Now she stood in front of Impa's house, the first rays of light just beginning to appear over the horizon.
"Be careful Sheik." Zelda commanded, giving her friend a hug.
"I will." Sheik promised. Zelda always was concerned when Sheik left the village. After being imprisoned for two months by the person who's nose she was about to sneak under, that was understandable. Sheik frowned beneath her scarf. If only they knew what she had done to escape.
"See you soon." Zelda said, releasing Sheik and stepping back. Nodding, she lifted her deku nut and smashed it onto the hard earth. When Zelda was able to look back, Sheik was gone.
-0-0-0-
Sheik reappeared just outside the Temple of Time and walked inside to stand in front of the Hero's crystal.
"Good morning, Hero." Sheik greeted. She had developed a habit of talking to Link when she came, if only because she could tell him anything and he wouldn't respond, judge, or remember any of it when he awoke.
"It's been over a year now since you went to sleep. Since then things have only gotten worse. The princess's army is now in working order and will soon be deployed to recapture some of the nearby towns." Sheik looked up at the sleeping boy. "But Ganondorf has also made a move. He contacted me last month to get him information about the Forest Temple." a thought randomly occurred to her. "That's where your from, isn't it? Kokiri Forest, near the Lost Woods." she sighed. "If only you would just wake up." Sheik turned and walked out of the temple, she had somewhere else she needed to be. Somewhere she really didn't want to go.
The castle had become even more ominous and dark since Sheik had last seen it. Now it also had some architectural changes.
At the edge of the pit beneath the castle was a Gerudo dressed in purple.
"You! Sheikah!" the Gerudo called. "Do you have the information?" Sheik nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat. The Gerudo called up to someone on top of the floating island and they dropped a ladder.
"Up." commanded the Gerudo. Sheik climbed the ladder quickly, then was taken by the other guard through the castle that had once been her home and into the throne room, all too aware of the naginata at her back the entire way.
Once the double doors had closed behind her, Ganondorf turned to face her, a devilish smirk on his face. He seemed to be less human now, his skin a strange greenish color instead of it's natural tanned one.
"Well, if it isn't my little Sheikah friend." Ganondorf said. Sheik bowed to him, going down on one knee as she had been told to by the Gerudo guard on the way up.
"Did you do as I asked?" Sheik nodded, handing him the envelope with the information inside it without raising her head.
Ganondorf read it, his wicked smile growing even wider, if that were possible.
"In the Lost Woods? How perfect. Have you heard the stories about that place, little Sheikah? They say anyone who goes in, never comes out again." he laughed and then returned his gaze to Sheik.
"You and my best servant will go and imprison the Sage that lives in that temple. I'm sure you've heard that legend." he clapped and the Gerudo who had brought Sheik the first letter, Nabooru, came from a hidden room behind the throne. She walked to the front of the throne and knelt next to Sheik, bowing her head to the king.
"You know what your mission is, now get out, both of you." Ganondorf casually flicked his wrist and sent a wave of magic into Sheik and Nabooru, knocking them both to the floor.
They stood quickly and exited the room.
"So we meet again." Nabooru said, leading Sheik through the halls back to the exit. Sheik nodded, doing her best to memorize the layout of the castle. Now it consisted mostly of a single tower, with the large anteroom at the bottom with several rooms branching off of it, a long spiraling staircase in the center leading through multiple rooms until it reached the top where Ganondorf's large, two story throne room was.
They reached the entrance of the castle fairly quickly and climbed down the rope ladder that was lowered for them.
"So, where to?" Nabooru asked, stretching.
Sheik thought carefully. If she brought Nabooru back to Kakariko, they would probably both be killed, if she didn't Zelda would wonder where she had gone.
"To the Forest Temple." Sheik decided Nabooru frowned.
"Already? Don't you want to go hang out somewhere and have fun while we have some freedom from Ganondorf?" Sheik shook her head. She had friends and a duty to return to and had to finish this as soon as possible.
"If that's what you want." Nabooru shrugged.
So they began their journey to the Forest temple. Neither of them had been to the Lost woods or the Kokiri forest before, so they would have to ride. They got some Gerudo horses from the guards then rode for three days, stopping once at a small town that had not yet moved all it's inhabitance to Kakariko to get supplies.
And because Nabooru wanted to get some sort of alcoholic drink that Sheik had never heard of.
After that they continued without pause until they reached the tunnel that led into the Kokiri Forest.
Inside, they skirted the small settlement, careful not to be seen by the Kokiri. Sheik noted with surprise that now monsters had come to inhabit the clearing as well as the Kokiri. After climbing a short cliff, they reached the tunnel that led into the Lost Woods. Nabooru led the way into the thick trees, and soon they were thoroughly lost.
"Sooo, how do we get through here?" asked Nabooru, turning a circle and trying to find some kind of landmark. Everything looked the same in all directions, tall green trees and more tall green trees.
"The legend says that anybody who enters the Lost Woods never leaves." Sheik said. "As far as I know, their is no way to navigate this place." Closing her eyes, she stretched out all of her senses like Impa had taught her. Sometimes, you couldn't rely on sight alone.
Just as Sheik was becoming attuned to the music of the forest, Nabooru interrupted.
"Kid? What are you doing?" Sheik growled silently, her mask muffled what little noise she made and hid the irritated look on her face.
"Shh." Sheik whispered, closing her eyes again and breathing deeply. Nabooru seemed to take the hint and stayed quiet.
Slowly, Sheik began to notice a pattern, a series of three notes repeated multiple times before altering slightly, then repeating. As she turned in a slow circle, she began to formulate a plan. The music got louder in one direction, while growing softer in the others. The louder the music, the closer to the heart of the forest, which in this case Sheik guessed that was either the Great Deku Tree or the temple. The tree was across the Kokiri's village, Sheik knew, so logically that meant the temple was in the direction of the music.
She opened her eyes and began walking in the direction of the music.
"Hey! Wait up!" Nabooru grabbed her backpack and hurried after Sheik.
Some time later they arrived at another tunnel. Sheik stopped abruptly, causing Nabooru to nearly crash into her.
"This is where the music is loudest." Sheik said.
"Music? What music?" Nabooru was confused, but oh well. She could feel the magic pouring from that tunnel and had come to the same conclusion as Sheik, the Forest Temple was just through that tunnel.
Without a word, they drew their weapons and entered one of the most magical places in all of Hyrule.
-0-0-0-
It was peaceful.
That was the first thing that Sheik noticed when they entered the Sacred Meadow. Everything was peaceful, natural. The small sprites that floated through the air joining together to make long chains that danced and flickered before breaking apart and moving to join new chains. The green of the trees and shrubbery, and the music. The music gave the whole scene a life and energy that one would never have understood existed in this peaceful place without it.
"Wow." Nabooru breathed. "Wow" was as good a description as Sheik could give. There were simply no words to describe what they saw here, in any language.
Sheik wished that Zelda and her other Sheikah friends could see this place. They would love it.
As they stood admiring the view, a small brown rabbit hopped across the grass in front of them, birds flew circles around the clearing, and bugs chirped their strange little songs.
Sheik pulled her harp out of her Bottomless Bag and closed her eyes again and listened to the sounds of the forest.
The notes just poured out of her. Slender fingers gliding across the strings with long practiced ease, producing a song she had never heard, but felt old and familiar.
Nabooru watched in wonder as glowing green spheres winked into existence and surrounded Sheik. More of the lights gathered until Sheik was entirely hidden from Nabooru's sight. The music continued even as the little glowing spheres spiral up and away, and soon, the light, music and Sheik had vanished.
Yellow eyes blinked slowly, as the brain behind them tried to process what had just happened. And found it impossible. Nabooru could feel the lingering magic from the notes Sheik had played, and from that guessed that Sheik had teleported using that song. But how, Nabooru was unsure. As far as she knew, music was not magical, and Sheik had used no magic of her own.
A few minutes passed as Nabooru tried to figure out how that type of magic worked before it dawned on her that she had no idea how to get through the maze that was at the far end of the clearing she was currently standing in and into the Forest Temple now that her guide was gone.
The stupor of amazement was wearing off quickly now, and Nabooru was getting annoyed.
"Stupid Sheikah!" she snapped at the air. "Leaving me all alone in unknown territory, if you were a Gerudo you'd be severely punished. You never leave your companions alone!" swinging one of her massive sabers up to rest on her shoulder, Nabooru walked over to the gate that led into the maze, determined to get through it with or without Sheik.
A/N
This didn't go as far as I wanted it to, sorry.