Chapter Four: The Village People
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Link: We would like to interrupt your reading for a short announcement.
Sheik: OracleVortex, as usual, owns nothing.
Link: We now return you to your regularly scheduled fanfiction.
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It was only one day of walking from the castle to Kakariko Village, at the foot of the mountain. Hylians, Navi had told Link in private, lived there, yes, but it was mostly Sheikah. Kakariko was the hometown of the Shadow people, and was therefore the centre of their training.
Sheik and Shaya wove through the city with skill leading Link and Navi down winding streets. Link learned that this was because they, too, were Sheikah – as could be identified by the signature red eyes and the red eyes symbol. The symbol was a reference to the Eye of Truth; which took place of a patron Goddess. It was a deity of no gender, being only an all seeing eye that knew truth from lies and shadows from light. It was also known for spiritual balance and balance of the universe. Without the Eye to keep balance, there could be an excessiveness of god or evil, causing the scales to tip, and utter chaos to prevail.
The villagers greeted them with warm smiles and open waves. Many arenas were set up among the houses, where people from as young as five to as old as they could come sparred unarmed. Other arena, for skilled fighters with experience, even showed a display of knife sparring. Link, who had seen many displays of open combat, was surprised by their intensity and skill. Even those who were younger than him were able to turn perfect back flips without breaking stride. It had taken Link forever to perfect that single move.
Sheik opened the door to a two-story house. "Let's stop here for a moment." The four stepped in. It was a busy main floor, bustling with red-eyed inhabitancies, getting bandaged up or slathered with healing potions.
"Anju?" Shaya called into the din. An elderly woman to their right pointed upstairs.
"She's with the sick." She told them helpfully.
"Thank-you." Sheik said. They climbed the staircase, careful of the youngsters playing on the banisters. Sheik opened the door at the top. This room, though as big as the downstairs, was nowhere as noisy. It was filled with beds, some of which held sleeping or eating Sheikah. A single red-haired woman attended them.
"Anju." Shaya called out, waving. The woman turned, smiled and set down a platter of soup. She joined the four youths in the hall.
"Sheik, Shaya, how nice it is to see you again!" Long red hair was tied messily back, hanging into her eyes. She wore a plain emerald bodysuit; black boots and belt her only accessories. Red earrings dangled from both lobes, shaped like the Eye. "Who are your friends?"
Shaya indicated to each person in turn. "This is Link and Navi. Link, Navi, this is Anju, one of the few Hylians who live in the Village."
Link shook hands with Anju, feeling a callused palm. Upon closer inspection, he saw that her eyes were indeed blue. "Hello."
"Why have you come to the village?" Anju asked, leading them back downstairs. "Usually you come only a few times a season anymore, and it's never with friends."
Sheik shrugged. "We're going up to Goron City. We decided to drop in and say hi."
"Well, I'm much obliged," She grinned. "Will you stay for the night?"
"Of course." Shaya said. "How couldn't we?"
~*~*~*~
The next day, they were supposed to leave at dawn, but Sheik seemed eager to help expand Link's knowledge of the outside world. Before Shaya and Navi were even awake, Sheik had thrown a tunic in Link's face and cheerfully told him to get up and get dressed. He, of course, was already ready to go.
"Where are we going?" Link yawned stumbling out of bed. He had dreamed of Sheik's eyes again. Why? Why wouldn't they go away? Was it a message or something?
"You'll see." Sheik said, shoving a roll into Link's mouth. "Hurry up, I let you sleep in."
"Swee ehn?" He tried to say. Pulling the soft bread out of his mouth, he tried again. "Sleep in?"
"Yes!" Sheik pointed at the horizon, where the sun was just rising. "We could have been here hours ago!" He took Link around the town, taking him into shops and houses to introduce him to all the people that had a tidbit of information. By noon Link had heard many tales not only about the Sheikah and The Eye, but about Zoras and Gorons, and even the race of thieves, the Gerudo. After munching on lunch while watching two men spar with knives, Sheik led him to an empty stretch of land, a target at one end of the area. "Do you know how to use a slingshot?"
"Of course." Link said, pulling out his own. Although he preferred his spear, he did have a sling. "Why?"
Sheik plucked it out of Link's hands. "I'm going to teach you how to use a bow and arrow. It's basically the same thing."
"Bows and arrows?" Link asked. "I thought that the Sheikah didn't use them…"
Sheik opened a box. After sizing up Link for a long moment, he selected a bow and strung it for him. He handed it to Link, along with a single, violet fletched arrow. "We usually just use arrows for sending messages silently. Our fletching," he showed Link the twine that it was tied with, "is attached in a certain way so that it flies through the air without whistling, like most arrows do." Sheik winked at Link. "But I think you can find other uses for bow and arrows."
Link looked down at the weapon in his hands. "What do I do with it?"
"Here, let me help you." Sheik positioned his hands and arms on the bow and arrow, folding fingers firmly around the end of the arrow. Walking around Link, he turned his shoulders, and forcefully moved his feet into a proper standing position. "Relax, Link. It's almost exactly like shooting a slingshot."
"Farore's wind it is!" Link burst out, suppressing the urge to stammer. What was this spell that Sheik was weaving over him? He could hear his own blood pounding in his veins, jumping every time that Sheik touched him. What was this? It was almost as if he—no. He was a guy. Sheik was a guy. It wasn't going to happen. With a decided mood, Link pulled back on the string letting the arrow go. It thunked into the target, close to the painted red centre.
"Nice shot!" Sheik said in surprise. He handed Link another arrow. "Let's see you do that again." Keeping the same thought in him mind, Link readied himself and let another fly loose. This one hit even closer to the centre of the target. "Good!" Sheik laughed, giving Link the quiver. "Not so hard, is it?"
Link's next shot missed, because the mantra in his head was disrupted by the addictive sound of Sheik's laughter. He wanted to hear it again, but couldn't bring himself to make the boy laugh. It wasn't going to happen. He drew another arrow. It hit the centre of the target. No way was it going to happen. The next one hit centre as well. But he wanted it to. The third missed.
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A new chap. Two at the same time. Aren't you lucky readers? ;)
So, Link is only a good archer when he isn't thinking about Sheik. Hmm. Does he sound like he's in denial? Well, think about it; he's probably never even heard of a guy liking another guy That Way. Besides, he's fifteen…he's got the whole hormones thing to worry about. ;) Much fun to write with.
Next chapter will hopefully be completed soon.
Luv ya lots,
OracleVortex
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