A.N Sorry guys, had my heart broken since the last time you heard from me. Had a bit of a depression there but do not fret, all is going super good now =D I'm just gonna post what I have. Just to say I'm sorry for disappearing. I'll finish it later.

So in this chapter, people continue on their way and I break the fourth wall again =P

Link sat outside the tent after Ember went to sleep. The air was cool outside but he barely felt it. His fur kept him insulated and warm. Ember was quick to avoid much contact with him after he had attacked Shad. He felt terrible about it but still didn't understand what had happened. Auru's allegations of him being jealous just weren't true at all.

He decided to distract his thoughts with anything he could to ease his mind. Link looked at his paws in the sand, gently raking his claws through it and wondering why they didn't scorch from the hot rocks under him. Though he had been through the desert in his wolfen form many a time, he always wondered why his paws never felt the sting. Even if they were calloused over, shouldn't they still have some kind of reaction to the heat?

He dropped the subject after a while. His forepaws were buried halfway into the tiny rocks beneath him due to him subconsciously digging them in like a child in a sandbox. He wasted to go check on Ember to see if she was sleeping okay but decided against it. He feared harsh words from her despite her strange attachment to his wolf form. She already didn't like him as a human; he couldn't have her disliking him as a wolf. Though she probably would anyway if she knew he WAS the wolf.

But enough of Ember, he had more interesting things to think about. Auru knew he could shift freely from this form to his previous, but what of the others? They were supposed to wait for him to get back from seeking Ember. 'Link' hadn't returned, but a wolf did. Were they going to wait for him and in doing so, put the whole plan at risk because he failed to show up? Or would they go ahead, thinking he had abandoned them, or worse; that he was dead?

Auru wouldn't let that happen. He already defended his absence once and surely he could do it again. It would bide him time, but eventually he needed to reveal himself while still keeping his secret, well, a secret. But that would mean, Ember losing her companion. He didn't want to do that as she seemed to have attached herself onto him.

If it came down to it, he would have to let the others know. It would give them peace of mind. The only problem would be keeping his secret from Ember. He trusted Auru could do it easily. He was not so sure of the other two.

Ashei had a mouth that could scream secrets across mountains. It wasn't her fault, but her up-bringing never taught her how to control what she said. He doubted this worked with trusted information either. Shad fumbled when talking to Ember, Link had seen it first hand before he assaulted him. Well he wouldn't say assaulted, it was that damn wolf instinct. Pure and simple; nothing more. But that wasn't the point; the point was that Shad would bumble on his words and may accidently share his secret with her when he got too nervous to keep it in.

"Damnit" He though, growling a bit to himself and hunching his head down. "Why did he have to like her of all people? This would be so much easier if he didn't"

"Hey." Auru spoke to him from a few feet away. "Don't let Ember hear you doing that or she might think you rabid." Link huffed and laid down, his head on his paws. He knew Auru wasn't trying to scold him, but because of his animalistic display earlier, Auru most likely wanted to make sure he didn't get into any more trouble. Link could feel the guilt once again rise up in him. Twice he had barked at Shad, literally and figuratively, and both times Auru had to intervene to keep the peace. He was a patient man and Link felt bad he had to deal with his outbursts.

Though he never used to be like this, Link was a patient boy. A simple herder he was; a job which takes all the patience in the world to get the animals where you want them to go. But somewhere he changed. May-haps it was all the fighting he did? No, even then he was always calm and collected. Nothing seemed to faze him. Not even having to wait patiently for that giant spider to get into the right position before whacking it down. And that was only after slowly making his way up to the top of the temple and even slower; getting that damned statue back down to the first floor. It was enough to frustrate anyone who didn't know what they were doing.

"Or Lakebed. Damn stairs; I didn't know which way to put those things. I don't think I could remember what I did if I had to do it all over again."

His attention was brought out of his own thoughts and he almost forgot he was in the desert. He had to blink a few times to make sure he was where he thought he was.

He desperately wanted to check on Ember. He would move to go, but kept returning to lying down. Auru was watching him and after a while got a bit impatient waiting for him. "Quit fidgeting, your making my joints itch." He paused for a moment after Link had settled down. "You know, Shad has a bit of a crush on Ember." He rolled his eyes.

Yeah, I've noticed.

Auru ignored this gesture and continued. "I wouldn't be surprised if he chose to sleep next to her. You know how restless young men can be in their sleep." Link perked his head up. Auru was teasing him, but he knew how it went. He had the same mishap that night he had Ember stay with him. And how he woke up, that didn't end well for him. That was with a large bed; in the tent, It was cramped and all Shad had to do was roll over slightly. Who knows where his hands would land.

He got up stiffly and poked his snout into the tent. Thankfully Shad wasn't getting too friendly with her while she slept. Nevertheless, he was still sleeping right next to her and that bothered him slightly.

Ember had kicked the blankets off in her sleep and was now curled up into a ball to keep her warm. He assumed from being restless with another bad dream. It didn't really matter why though, it was cold in the desert at night and she shouldn't have it off her. Link crept forward, the tent flaps sliding back together as he entered, and gently grasped the edge of the blanket in his jaws. He walked in between Ember and Shad, gently pulling the blanket up and placing it just below Ember's chin. He nuzzled the edge forward as it had folded over backwards when he set it down. Ember gratefully took the blanket and wrapped herself in it. Link wondered if she might have woken, but then realized her body acted on its own in her sleep.

He yawned. It had been a long day for him. Traveling about and attacking his friends took a lot out of a hero. He deemed it time for him to rest. He stretched his back, careful not to disturb the sleeping bodies around him, and took a spot between Ember and Shad.

The next morning went by uneventfully. The camp was packed up while Link sat aside, unable to help in his current condition. Ashei suggested they waited for a little longer for Link to return, but Auru urged them to get moving.

The day was particularly hot. No one was happy to carry anything. Even the water seemed too warm to be any kind of refreshing. Ashei hadn't even bothered to dawn her armor as the metal would conduct too much heat for her body to withstand. Even Link, whose fur insulated his body and kept cold in, was huffing up a storm.

How he accomplished running around in the desert beforehand, he knew not. Then again, he didn't have other people with him. It was usually a get in get out job. Even when he had to get through the Arbiter grounds and its temple, it never took long. And the Temple itself provided some escape from the heat. Now, he has been there for going on three days. The desert heat was taking its toll on everyone.

About mid-day, they had neared the edge of the dessert mesa they had been traveling on. The gate to the lower level of the desert was in their sights. As they entered to slope that lead to the lower section, "Hold up." Ashei stopped a bit behind the group, making then turn to face her. "We should wait until nightfall to continue, just in case." The suggestion was met with agreement.

"Oh good, I could use something to eat anyway." Ember pulled off her pack, and sat down, leaning herself against the wall of sand gathered around the way to the lower section. Ashei, Auru and Shad followed her example, thankful for the little bit of shade it had to offer. Link, on the other hand, had decided to station above them so he could get a better view of the desert and to also keep an eye on everyone. He laid his furry self down right near the edge, his paws dangling in the air, and kept look out. For what he didn't know, but from experience of traveling about, you can never be too careful.

He watched Ember open her bag to retrieve some food, he smirked his wolfy jaw and remembered that the food she had was what he bought her.

Ember swore when she recalled her food was spoiled when she went over the falls at Lake Hylia. "Everything okay?" Ashei asked.

No, everything's okay, that's why I'm upset. Over nothing. Please.

"Yah, just that I went for a bit of a 'swim' in the lake earlier and my stuff got wet. No food." She tossed her bag to the side of her. "Some wolf I am. Can't even prepare for a hunt." She muttered under her breath. "Meh, it's whatever, I didn't pay for it anyway." She leaned her head on her fist which rested on her knee.

"EMBER! You stole food?" Shad interjected appalled.

"What? No-"

"If you're a thief please do tell. I'd rather not want to keep extra watch on you and that wolf of yours." Auru looked above him to Link who snuffed at him and turned away.

"For goddess sake, I didn't steal anything. Hero boy bought me food when I couldn't afford it. I can't afford much of anything and barely food enough to keep me afloat, but I would never steal. A very good friend taught me that when I was little and I will not disappoint. Anyway it was a waste of money on his part. Barely even got to eat it"

Fiera Fia