Shiekah Training:
Shiekah training may be some of the most vigorous in the entire Zelda universe. This training takes place over the entire land of Hyrule, as well as under the land in the Maze of Tears. This training starts when a Sheikah child reaches the age of twelve, before which they have been studying the basics of Shay De Bo, The Dance of Tears, the Shiekah's style of unarmed combat, as well as silent movement, and the secret tricks of the Shiekah. Shiekah children who wish to aspire as medical specialists have already began learning the healing herbs in the area, and practicing surgery on straw and cloth dummies. When it is time for a child to move on to primary training, the parents of the young Shiekah throw a large party in the village square. At this party the young Shiekah is given his first set of knives and his own bag of Deku Flash and a small bow and quiver full of goose-feathered arrows. The Shiekah drinks their first goblet of spiced wine, symbolizing their passage into adulthood. The males receive their first razor blade to shave as no Shiekah except for the Master of Shadows is allowed to grow a beard. They receive their wooden leather covered canteen, their first official armor jumpsuit instead of the long tunic which all children under twelve wear belted around the waist. The recruit then bids farewell to his mother, father, and siblings, before jumping onto his horse and following the rest of the crowd out of the village at a racing gallop with the wind whipping through his newly grown long hair. The destination is three days ride away in the Kokiri village. The Shiekah will begin their low diet training by being fed only salted meat and stale bread with water. After day one the water in the canteens begin to taste more like leather and less like water. Once the forest is reached, lessons can officially begin. The young shiekah are taught the techniques of forest survival and the weaknesses of forest monsters such as Wolfos and Moblins. They practice agility and strength at the Forest Training Center. Only the course's first level is open to outsiders, the other three levels, hidden in the tall Deku trees, are reserved for the Shiekah's training purposes.
The course's first level consists of two giant boulders which roll around a maze of shoulder high grass and thick stone walls. The only way to avoid the boulders, is to duck into small square "hiding holes" into which only the fittest contestants can remain for even short periods of time. After reaching a small ladder at the other end of the maze, the young warrior hauls their body up the rungs. The trick to the ladder is that every fourth rung is rotten. Most Shiekah fall on their first three attempts before figuring out the illusion. On the second level, two boulders and four spinning blades rotate around the maze on a random basis. The warrior struggles to avoid the boulders as the maze is now no longer stone. The deku branches twine thickly together, blocking the route to any new path. The real trick as most adult Shiekah know, is to throw a Deku Flash and teleport to the ladder at the end of the paths. Upon reaching the ladder, the young warrior discovers that the entire thing is rotten, thereby forcing them to use a nearby vertical traveling blade to haul themselves up. The third level is in total darkness, all light blocked out by the large leaves of the trees. There are no traps on this course, just a test of the Shiekah's night vision capabilities. The fourth level is the most difficult. Here there are no visible traps, merely a series of disguised trap doors, capable of sending the recruit four stories down. After passing the course, the recruits are set to stalk each other through the Sacred Forest Meadow, filled with Moblins and Deku Scrubs. Upon reaching the stone steps to the Inner Meadow, the teams discover a giant moblin with a spiked club. The entire point of this exercise is to show the recruits that one cannot do what a unit may accomplish. After defeating the Moblin, the Shiekah are given their first harps. Each harp frame is made of Moablite, a light but strong metal taken from moblin hide. The strings are made from braided silver, and precious stones emboss the frame. The warriors are taught Saria's Song, which allows them to communicate with their fellow teammates as long as the keep playing the melody together. The next day the warriors mount and saddle their horses, riding towards Kakariko village for their first assessment. The recruits must use every ounce of agility in their bones to climb the steep Tektite and boulder filled slope of Death Mountain. Upon reaching the top, they are taught by the Gorons the basics of forging swords and shields. They learn to make an herbal mixture, which renders them flameproof for one month for every mouthful they take. The powder is bitter and spicy, but the recruits are grateful for it once they find that in return for the Goron's fine made swords, they must hunt down and kill a Dodongo and skin its hide. The next day, after all hides are collected they set of again for Zora's Domain, journeying down the Octorock filled pathways. There they are taught diving and swimming techniques. The diving is practiced off of the three story waterfall just beyond the Zora King's Royal Chambers. The Zora life-guard running the waterfall throws a handful of rupees into the water. The Shiekah is told to dive off the edge and collect all twenty rupees in under ten seconds. Once passing they are given another mixture that has two functions. The recruits are required to dive fifty feet into the ground to reach the miniscule opening into Lake Hylia. They must collect frog legs from the Strange Doctor. They must return this to King Zora in under three minutes for him to mix up a vial of Frog Drops. These are first placed in the eyes and then drank. This gives the recruits the added abilities of perfect vision and the ability of water breathing. The next journey is to Lon Lon Ranch in Hyrule field. Every Shieakh's horsemanship is challenged. Each is allowed two days to pick out a sturdy horse to replace the small ponies that they recently have been riding. These will be the horses that carry them throughout Hyrule, through war and flight. The real challenge comes after they have found their horse. They must race Talon, the owner of the ranch, for their horses. The Shiekah masters have mentally pumped up their charges so much that only three people have ever failed the first race. Those three were the evil warriors who were not of Shiekah birth at all but still took the training. Their names were Ganondorf, Agahinim, and Veran. The young recruits last test is the Shadow Temple, or as the Shiekah call it, the Maze of Tears. The young Shiekah are challenged to complete the temple alive. In the process they are shown what true terror is as they struggle with the control of their own minds as the dead creatures in the temple fight to brainwash them, as they had been brainwashed many years ago. The true fight is with Bongo Bongo, and as the young Shiekah soon learn, the fear of nothing is really the fear of the unknown. If they pass alive, they are put on "standing duty", where they are given the most basic of missions and assignments guarding the least dangered Royal Family members such as great- great half- uncles. This concludes Shiekah training. Do not forget the Shiekah motto that is drilled into every warrior's head from the time they are babies.
"In the Shadows, Only the Strong Survive!"