Sheik couldn't sleep. Ever since that meeting with Saria, he was having trouble sleeping. Tonight, he and Marra were camping out right outside the inn at Kakariko village. There was no room for them there tonight, which was rather odd. Lots of people were moving from the Castle Town and taking refuge in Kakariko. In turn, the village was rapidly expanding into a small city. Sighing, Sheik leaned up against the wall. People were coming so fast that they didn't have time for houses to be made, and people were reduced to sleeping outside until they found a place to stay.

He watched Mara sleeping, a grimace on his pale, pointed features. His mentor was visibly weakening, but she tried to not let it on in the way she acted. Yet it wasn't natural. She tossed fitfully in her sleep, and Sheik just looked on emotionlessly. There was nothing he could do to help.

Taking out Camor's book, he flipped through it in a bored way. He hadn't looked through it in ages, save the parts which instructed him on how to play music. He'd practiced incessantly, to a point where Mara would have to cut him off because his fingers bled. That's all he'd been doing the past few weeks, was playing, playing, playing. Mara had insisted on a break from sage hunting, much to Sheik's protests. A few weeks, she assured him, wouldn't matter.

Looking down into the red eyes of the Sheikah musician, he found his eyes simply locking onto them. Red meeting red…

Delicate singing was heard. Sheik found himself staggering through desert sands, not really surprised, but found it peculiar that he wasn't surprised that he was in a desert when he was just in Kakariko. Pausing, he smiled slightly. A voice was singing, a light tenor ringing out with the gentle strums of a harp. The man who possessed the voice and the harp stood at the tip of a mountain of sand, his ragged robe belted by a frayed rope and covering pale skin. A talent for the harp, and the voice of an angel.

"How were you ever such a good harp player?" Sheik asked Camor, stepping through the sands even as it burned his bare feet. The singer paused, then turned to face Sheik. Immediately, he was overwhelmed by the sense of power that emanated from the young-looking man. Camor smiled coldly.

"Sheik, of the Sheikah," he responded drolly. His voice was distant, yet familiar. "Or Zelda, of the Hylians. You called for me?"

"On accident," Sheik responded absently. Camor chuckled to himself.

"I always practiced the harp," he answered. This was apparent—he never once stopped his strumming through the conversation.

"I've been practicing the harp a lot, too," Sheik responded, raising his hands to show Camor his fingers. However, the man only glanced down at them briefly with his red eyes before focusing his attention back into Sheik's own.

"Play with me," the man stated simply. Sheik frowned.

"I left my harp in Kakariko," he explained. Amused, Camor shook his blonde head.

"No, you didn't," he pointed out, motioning his head toward Sheik's hands. Raising his eyebrows, Sheik looked down. He was holding his harp. Wordlessly, he brought it up beside him, and his bandaged fingers found themselves improvising a counter-melody with Camor.

"Well, since I'm here," Camor remarked mildly, his fingers never stopping their strumming, "I might as well warn you. Something stirs in the mountain."

"What?" Sheik inquired, not really paying attention. He was moved by the music.

"Evil has been sleeping in the mountain, but it's waking up now," he replied, almost in a bored tone. Sheik just nodded in disinterest. Music was more important right now. The conversation there stopped abruptly, with both boy and man consumed by the music they made.

It felt like hours, playing with Camor, who never moved, nor motioned him to stop since he last spoke. To them, all time was still…

"Wake up, dolly," a tired voice broke through Sheik's dream. He groaned as he was nudged awake. It was a nice dream. Mara's tired face came into focus, but he wished he could just turn it off, and get back to playing his…

Harp. Frowning, he looked into his lap, where his hand clutched his harp. His fingers were bloody and sore, and some droplets stained the pages of Camor's book. Mara, seeing what caught his eye, grimaced.

"You were playing it in your sleep," she pointed out.

"That's so weird," he murmured. "Because… I was dreaming about playing the harp." He didn't mention the fact that it was with Camor. Knowing Mara, she would over-analyze, and then make fun of him.

But of course, this was Mara he was talking about. Of course she'd make fun of him. A smirk spread across her features. "This is what happens, I suppose, when I make you stop playing it and sleep sometimes," she remarked dryly. "I think you've taken it upon yourself to be rebellious against me. 'Bout time you showed some backbone!" Letting out her normal, booming laugh, Sheik ignored her words. He had seen Camor. Why hadn't he asked him about why his eyes were red?!

Cursing his stupidity, he slowly stood up, placing his harp beside him. His fingers throbbed. Mara sighed, obviously displeased that he hadn't found her as funny as she thought she had been (even though this was his reaction to every 'funny' thing she said), and bent to their packs. "Well, time to change your bandages," she told him with false cheer, pulling out a roll of white bandages. Wordlessly, Sheik held out his bloody fingers.

Mara clucked her tongue, taking his hands roughly and undoing the white cloth. However, she paused, and removed all of the bandages on his hands. This motion made the boy jump, and he tried to wrench his hand away from the Sheikah. However, she was strong despite her weak appearance. Pulling the mark of the Triforce closer to her gray eyes, she frowned. "What I don't understand," she said slowly, "is why Ganon isn't looking harder for you."

Sheik didn't respond. Mara wrapped the bandage back around his hand, and readied fresh ones to wrap around his fingers. "I mean, I'm sure he's looking undercover for you, but he's just… Aren't 'Wanted, Dead or Alive' signs even more effective?"

Sheik shrugged his skinny shoulders, not even flinching as Mara tightened the bandages. He was probably biding his time, he figured. Ganon wasn't stupid.

"Which sage are we after next?" Mara frowned, but her eyes betrayed her as they flickered up to Death Mountain. Sheik stared. "Am I… going to Death Mountain?" Silently, Mara nodded. "But… the Gorons live there! They don't like many people," he added hesitantly. It was true; the Gorons were infamous for being grumps. It was only through many negotiations that his father had become a 'Sworn Brother.' And with Ganon in charge, they were undoubtedly even grumpier…

"Don't worry; just… look around. I'm sure they won't harm you. They can be irritable sometimes, but believe me, if they realize you're fighting for Hyrule, they'll ally with you," Mara reassured her. She paused. "Just… Take plenty of food. Unless you enjoy eating rocks, of course," she added lightly, obviously trying to spark some cheerfulness back into the conversation. However, Sheik's red eyes had already drifted to the volcano.

Something stirs in the mountain.

Wow... I finally updated! What's this, a year later? I suddenly had the urge to write again. And if anyone has any ideas for things for Mara to do, let me know. I'm out of things for her to do. Haha.