Link groaned as he awoke to the sound of rushing water. He blinked and covered his eyes from the harsh sunlight. He sat up rubbing his head, wondering why it was throbbing. He paused when he noticed his right arm was bandaged.
"Are you feeling better, hero?" asked Sheik softly while he peered over the low rocky wall he knelt next to. The events from earlier suddenly came rushing back to him.
"You knocked me out didn't you? How is that supposed to keep me safe?! Not that I need a bodyguard, but bullshit like that makes it very difficult for me to trust you," growled Link. He clutched his fists and bared his teeth as his eyes narrowed to glare menacingly at Sheik.
He was angry. So angry. He partially understood why but his temper hasn't been quite this explosive before. He felt like lashing out. Ripping limbs. Tearing skin. Shattering bone. Shiek's cautiously narrowed eyes just fueled the flames. Who was this stranger?!
Then his world narrowed down to the pain racing up his injured arm and flooded his senses. He glanced down at the bandages covering his arm and took a deep breath, relaxing his tightly coiled muscles.
Blue eyes glanced up to take in the defensive stance Sheik had taken. Obviously recognizing the threat Link was becoming. Sighing, the hero slowly walked up to Sheik. He started scratching the back of his head in embarrassment, now that his temper has calmed somewhat.
"Look, I'm really stressed and worried about this whole thing. I'm sorry. You did save my life," said Link bashfully.
"Under the circumstances hero, I really can't blame you for thinking such things. If you wouldn't mind, would you come here? I thought it would help if you were to see why the Light Spirits of the forest can't help us," replied Sheik. He gestured for the hero to come closer.
Link curiously approached the low rocky wall until he was standing at Sheik's side. A cloth covered finger pointed to his left to what looked like another part of the wall to Link. Confused, the hero looked a little closer. He gasped as he suddenly recognized the long curved tail. He stumbled out of the small hidden crevice to get a better look.
"Is that…Faron? But why does it look all…stony?" asked Link as he reached the front of where Faron was supposed to be. It was as if someone had created a perfect life sized stone statue of the monkey-like entity and placed it in this pond.
"Because it is petrified hero and that is why I am desperate to get you out of here. If this enemy is strong enough to not only petrify two of the Great Light Spirits, but also create shadows that are equal to your skill level, then the one who created them is not a foe we should face just yet," said Sheik as he followed close behind Link. The hero's gaze was intense, trying to focus on the rippling water at his feet. The sight of Faron like this was making him angry again.
Link crossed his arms, careful to place the injured one on top. He took a deep breath and then studied the petrified Light Spirit, a sense of sadness replacing his anger.
Faron was the one that reversed his cursed form and gave him a purpose. Now it stood frozen in a perpetual state of stone, unable to do its own duty. Only watch while it's home was attacked while it could do nothing. Or maybe it wasn't aware of it's surroundings. He wasn't sure what was worse. Was Faron even aware of what happened to Ordon?
"I don't know of anyone that could overpower Faron and Ordona like this other then Ganon. He was dead and buried six feet below the ground the last time I saw him though." Grumbled Link.
"This is not the work of the Evil King of Darkness, hero. He is still right where you left him…no, this is someone far more in tune with the shadows of the world then he," said Sheik as he scanned the area for danger.
"If you are ready, then we should leave soon. Dawn has past and those strange shadow creatures haven't surfaced since the last time we saw them in your village. I have a suspicion that they are tied to the night." muttered Sheik once he decided that there were no immediate dangers.
"I said I'm not leaving yet. Not without at least knowing the fate of everyone else," replied Link firmly as he glanced at his savior from the corner of his eye. Sheik sighed impatiently.
"I thought we moved past this…how will you help them if you find them alive when you are unable to wield a sword? Unless you are, of course, left handed as well?" asked Sheik shortly. Link looked down at his feet, suddenly realizing Sheik was right.
What use am I if I can't even fight a couple of Bulblin's?
"No, I'm not left handed." whispered Link. His eyes narrowed once he remembered something.
"But, I do have other weapons that I can use with my left hand."
"I doubt that whoever sent those shadows to Ordon would allow the villagers to live when they obviously wanted you dead." stated Sheik wearily. Link closed his eyes. He then dropped his hands to his side and balled them into fists.
"Look, these people may drive me crazy but they are the closest thing to a family that I have. I couldn't live with myself if I just abandoned them. I have to do whatever I can," said Link firmly. His eyes opened, looking almost feral in their intensity. It was both intimidating and awe-inspiring. Sheik could tell this man was no ordinary person. Something lay buried within him. Something inhuman. Sheik wasn't sure if it was something to be trusted but it was powerful nonetheless.
"Let's make a deal then. I don't really understand what you're after, but I'll leave with you or whatever you want if you help me save them,"
Sheik stared at him for a moment as he considered it.
"Your life is my first priority, hero. As often as you may hear this, the fate of the world does rest on your shoulders. I will not risk that for a lost cause," said Sheik cautiously. His eyes softened when Link looked so miserable.
"However…I suppose the villain that tried to end your life will know by now that you're not dead yet. So, it would be likely that they would at least keep some of those villagers alive to lure you back. I suppose it would be worth it to get your equipment also. I find it odd that you don't wear chainmail. Did you truly face the creatures of Twilight and the Bearer of Power himself in nothing but the clothing you wear now?" Asked Sheik as he ran a critical eye along Link's form. The hero looked plenty strong but surely one good swipe of a claw, weapon or even a well aimed bash in the right place could leave him vulnerable with such little protection for his body?
Link looked sheepish before glancing down at his torn, dirt covered and blood soaked tunic.
"Ah, I do actually wear chainmail. Leather gauntlets as well. I didn't really see the point in wearing them while herding goats and shoveling manure though. Would have made those jobs a lot harder then they should have been. Now I wish I threw them on anyway." laughed Link with a sheepish smile. Sheik hummed in thought before glancing back at the hero.
"We do need to get you better protection then the cloths on your back. You can wield other weapons with your left hand?" asked Sheik. Link nodded.
The red eyed man raised his right arm, bringing his hand to rest against the side of his head. He curled all but his index finger that he laid on the top of this forehead and rubbed his temple with his thumb. His other arm reached around to lightly grasp his other elbow to keep it there. He stayed like that for a few moments. Calculating the odds. Planning strategies. Until he finally decided that earning the hero's full cooperation would be the best course of action. They knew next to nothing about their enemy also. That was information that could make a difference later.
Crossing his arms, he fully faced Link.
"If you truly won't let this go, then this is what I'll promise. If any of the villagers are indeed alive, then I shall help you in their rescue only if it is possible. If they happen to be within a situation that is irreversible, then we must leave them and come back with others. You swear to this and I shall help you," said Sheik as he gave Link a hard look, easily saying that he will agree to nothing else.
"You got yourself a deal," replied Link with a grin. He held out his left hand. Sheik shook it, his red eyes scrutinizing the hero. This seemed to easy, but Sheik could not see a hint of deception in the hero. Link didn't strike him as someone that would hide his intentions anyway. Sheik nodded, then with a last scan of the area, he headed back toward Ordon Village. Link followed, but stopped once he reached the edge of the spring. He glanced back at Faron.
Don't worry…I'll free you guys. Just give me some time.
Link turned back to find Sheik waiting for him patiently. When Link reached his side, Sheik turned to lead the way. The hero followed, confused.
"Aren't we gonna do that disappearing act of yours?" asked Link as he caught up to Sheik. The red eyed man shook his head.
"The term is 'teleporting' hero and no. I will not use it now because it drains my energy. I only use it during an emergency," replied Sheik. Link nodded but was curious as he thought of something. His gaze swept over Sheik's form again, trying to place wear he might have met anyone like him before.
I swear something about this guy seems almost...familiar. He has similar abilities to Midna as well.
The thought of the Twilight Princess shot a pang of remorse through his heart. No one pissed him off quite like Midna could. No one was as good a friend like her either though. Ilia was an important friend to him, but she wasn't there beside him during his worst moments when he thought he couldn't go on.
"Are you related to the Twili people?" Asked Link curiously. Sheik glanced back briefly to give a look of confusion, obviously wondering where such a question surfaced from.
"Not that I know of. Why do you ask?" Asked Sheik hesitantly. Did the hero think him an enemy in disguise?
"I had a good friend that could zip us places like you just did except...it was just to places connected to the Twilight. It felt different then teleporting too. Its the only thing I've experienced that could be compared to it though. Thought maybe teleporting was just another way to do what Midna used to do. It's pretty cool though. Hell, everything you've done so far has been pretty cool. Except for the head smashing part of course." said Link with a grin. Sheik huffed, flustered which only made Link snicker.
"I am a Sheikah, hero. One of very...few." said Sheik in a hard tone, signifying that he was not comfortable speaking about this subject. Not wanting to upset him farther, Link stayed silent.
He couldn't help but become even more curious about his new companion though. Impaz was the only other Sheikah that he'd met but she never moved like Sheik was now. Like he was almost a part of the shadow's around him. Making his movements graceful and precise.
Of course, the fact that Impaz was probably older then Sheik and him combined might have something to do with it but there was just something about this red eyed stranger that he never sensed in Impaz.
They soon reached the bridge and Sheik stopped him before Link could even put a foot on it.
"From here, there will be an increased number of enemies. Since we have not seen any of those shadow creatures I believe that they either only appear in a certain area or they only appear when summoned. So, I ask you to stay near me in case we need to make a quick escape," said Sheik quietly as he thoroughly checked the bridge for any traps.
"You got it," said Link. Not finding any traps, Sheik motions for the hero to follow him.
Sheik passed Ordon Spring, but Link caught sight of the petrified Light Spirit within and couldn't help but enter its spring to get a good look at it.
Almost walking off without him, Sheik does a double take when Link isn't behind him. He back tracks to find him in Ordon Spring.
"Hero, please. I just said to stay near my side," said Sheik shortly. Spinning around, Link gave him an apologetic look.
"Sorry about that. I just couldn't help it. Who would do this though? Who has this kind of power?" asked Link as he turned back around and laid a palm against Ordona's face sadly.
"Only the Goddess's know, but we best move on if you want to find the others alive. The more time we waste, the less of a chance that they have of surviving," said Sheik as he stood by Link's side. Link nodded then turned and walked out of the spring.
Sheik took the lead again, scouting ahead and making sure the path was clear of anything that could alert nearby enemies of their arrival. Soon they reached the area right outside of Link's house.
Tall trees hid them from sight but Sheik's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He found it odd that a raid of this magnitude would not have patrols around the area. Just a few monsters in front of the gates into town and the couple of bulblin's they'd snuck past on the way that were, in his opinion, just fooling around and not really looking for anyone.
His red eyes scanned for the best way to enter the hero's house undetected and decided the best way inside is through the window at the very top.
"There are many bulblin's and bokoblin's near the gates but I don't see any near your house. I would prefer to teleport but I would rather not risk the chance of whoever brought this nightmare to your home to sense it. I'll get us to the roof, but what we do there depends if there are enemies inside your house," whispered Sheik. He approached the tree just to the right of Link's house and peered up into its branches. It stood just out of sight from the monsters crowding the gates, making Link pat its trunk fondly.
I will never doubt your usefulness again.
Link reached up to grasp the closest branch to him and began the slow climb up. Sheik had to help several times but soon they reached the top. Link quickly noticed it was to far to jump to his roof. When he turned to inquire Sheik about it, he flinched back when something snapped passed his face and attached to a nearby tree branch that hung over the top of Link's house.
"My apologies, hero. I should have warned you first," said Sheik quietly, though the amusement in his tone didn't make him sound particularity sorry. Link wouldn't be surprised if Sheik was grinning under that infuriating shawl of his. He tested the strength of what Link now saw was a whip. Not used to such a weapon, Link crouched there waiting to see what Sheik was planning to do with it.
"Hold on to my waist. I'll have to keep a hold of you with my legs because I'll need both my hands to support our weight," instructed Sheik. Then with a swift motion, he jumped and hooked his legs around Link's waist and swung them to the roof.
The landing was a bit awkward, for Link's feet hit the roof first but Sheik needed the hero to be their anchor. Once they landed, Link had to set Sheik back on the ground.
"That was pretty awesome, but I still like my way. It's faster," snickered Link.
Rolling his eyes, Sheik pulled his whip free and rolled it back up and then slipped it behind his tabard.
How in the world is that whip not falling out right now? I can't even see it anymore. Maybe that sleeveless jacket thing is like my pouch? Weird.
"I don't see anything, but I hear movement in your basement," said Sheik quietly as he couched next to the window of the roof and peered inside.
"Figures. I keep my food on the bottom level but my alcohol is down there. That way it's away from the kids," said Link irritably. They heard a crash from inside that sounded suspiciously like glass braking.
"Follow me. Once we reach the second level I will keep watch while you get your equipment, alright?" whispered Sheik as he began climbing into the window. Link nodded and then followed.
They made it to the second level where the last ladder was. Sheik stepped aside, getting into a defensive crouch while Link began climbing down the ladder.
Link reached the floor and snuck up to the dresser against the wall that held all his equipment. He equipped everything as quickly but quietly as possible, stuffing anything he didn't wear into his extendable adventure pouch on his belt. He paused once he was done, noticing something wrong. Two of his items weren't there.
I always keep my stuff together in here though…
As he peered closer, he also noticed something else. The few things he didn't grab, mostly memorabilia he'd collected throughout his journey, wasn't where he would normally place them. As if someone had been searching through them.
I can't do anything about it now.
He turned and started to creep back to the ladder but couldn't help but feel flustered and a bit jealous. He didn't like the thought of some random monster out there using anything of his. Each piece he placed in that drawer meant something to him.
As if summoned by his inner frustration, Link suddenly noticed something metallic laying across the surface of a table near the basement.
My Clawshots!
"What is the matter, hero?" whispered Sheik urgently once he noticed Link starting to veer from his path to the ladder.
"Some of my stuff was missing but I see one of them over there," whispered Link. He suddenly froze as he had a flashback of a particular scene during the attack.
Malo doesn't have a slingshot…that's how I missed them. They came here looking for me.
He took a deep breath to try and calm his mounting fury.
If it wasn't for this useless arm, I would go down there and kill every last one of them!
Shaking his head, Link crept over to the table.
"Hero! They could hear you! Stay away from the basement!" whispered Sheik frantically. Link gestured that he knew what he was doing and approached the table. He quietly picked up his Clawshots and slipped them into his adventure pouch. He turned and snuck back toward the ladder.
He had almost reached the ladder leading up to where Sheik was crouching when he suddenly stepped on a lose floorboard. It filled the quiet space with a loud creaking sound. Like the house itself was groaning at Link's horrendous luck.
The hero froze, as well as the drunken voices below them. Then they heard the sound of something climbing up the ladder from the basement. Not wasting a second, Sheik jumped right above where Link was standing and flipped himself upside down while gripping the edge of the second level balcony with his legs. He grabbed Link around the shoulders, and then teleported them to the roof just before a bulblin poked its head over the opening of the basement.
Link listened intently to make sure no one was heading their way from inside the house while Sheik was nervously scanning the area outside to make sure no one was coming to investigate the discharge that his teleport had surely created. Once the coast seemed clear Sheik swung in Links direction with a harsh glare.
"If you want this rescue attempt to be successful, then you need to communicate with me. I can't help you if I don't know what you're doing," Sheik hissed at Link.
"I'm sorry! I didn't think what I was doing would be a big deal!" whispered Link angrily. Sheik took a deep breath to calm himself.
"If this is how things will progress with you then I will most likely die from a heart attack. Anyway, I believe the best place to look for the others would be somewhere big but easy to control." said Sheik. He took a seat next to the window with a tired sigh.
"I think we should try the ranch first. Its closer." replied Link as he started to head for the edge of the roof.
"Give me a moment, hero…it has been awhile since I have teleported this often in one day," muttered Sheik. He closed his eyes and didn't move from where he was.
Glancing back, Link took in Sheik's slightly slumped form against part of the ceiling of his house. Link returned to Sheik's side and sat down next to him. For several minutes the hero tried to focus on anything other then what might have happened to his family, but the broken and still burning parts of his hometown were a constant reminder. Taunting him with each piece of wood that fell from a broken building. Charred and brittle, half buried in the ground from the fall. Looking like it could have been a body from this far away. He closed his eyes, but he couldn't shut off his sense of smell. Not without suffocating himself. He turned to his comrade when a thought occurred to him.
"How did you know Ordon was being attacked?" asked Link as he raised his face toward the sky. Sheik suddenly opened his eyes and stood to his feet.
"That is a question we best save for later because it will surely lead into a lengthy conversation," said Sheik. Disappointed but understanding, Link followed him to the edge of the roof. They both crouched and peered over the side. Just as Sheik had said, there were plenty of both bulblin's and bokoblin's standing guard near the gates.
"How are we going to get to the other side?" asked Link.
"I am rather good with stealth. It wouldn't be hard to reach the other side if I stayed in the shadows. What of that metal gadget of yours? Could you keep to the top of the trees until you reached the other side?" asked Sheik as he squinted to try and see if there was anything they had to deal with in town.
"Um, not if we are going for stealth here. My Clawshot's are kinda noisy. Reliable, but noisy," said Link. Sheik cursed. The words sounded strange to Link so he figured it was a different language.
"I am wary of doing so, but if our enemy didn't sense me teleporting this close to town already, then there's a good chance that they can't or are unaware how to," replied Sheik softly. He then grabbed a hold of Link's left arm. Link had only teleported twice but he was getting better at fighting the urge to throw up his lungs each time.
At least it's not making me sick anymore. It's easier to handle now that I'm prepared for it.
Link feels that weird sensation of being pulled through a narrow space again and suddenly found himself near the northern exit of town that led up to the ranch. They both snuck up the dirt path leading up the hill, making careful strides and both pairs of eyes always moved to keep as much of their surroundings in their sight as possible. They soon approached the wall on the right side that is just out of sight and climbed over. Once their feet hit the ground they sprinted for the cover of the trees again.
Sheik then brought out his whip again and they swung from treetop to treetop until they finally climbed on top of the roof of the barn. Crawling to the edge, they both peered over.
What they saw was not what they were expecting.