Alrighty, let's get into the next part, shall we?

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Other Perspectives - 3

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"Seriously?"

Fi thought on it, again. This made Chatt cross her arms and eye the younger girl with some skepticism. She would have suspected a trick, if Fi was the tricking type. Finally she replied, "I thought you might agree to this plan."

The redhead snorted. "Plan? It's an actual plan, now?"

"It could be."

Chatt frowned, tapping her chin, turning a little away from Fi to think. Admittedly, yes, she wanted Lin out of the picture. She was a fearsome fighter, the training sessions the last week proved that, but other than that she didn't seem all that interesting. At least, not enough to keep Tharlaigh interested.

But still. "How is this any of my business?"

"You… seemed to care a lot more than I thought you would."

Chatt scowled, fighting back a blush. "I think your imagination's running wild, Fi."

"I don't have an imagination."

That was true. Chatt scowled deeper, and Fi raised her hands. "Chatt, I just, I don't think Lin is the right person for my brother. What I Saw… she scares me."

On that they agreed, though Chatt rolled her eyes in silent denial. "Your Sight really isn't that powerful, Fi."

"But you agree with me, don't you? I just, I just thought that you might be able to help me. I'm really worried for him."

A little mollified, her crossed arms loosened and Chatt thought on it some more. It wasn't often that Fi asked for help, and breaking Tharlaigh up with that Hylian upstart did have some potential advantages. The way Lin had implied Torail was a weakling still rankled, as did the possibility that said stranger was stronger than herself. Chatt hadn't lost to anybody in ages; she could definitely take on Lin, no matter what Fi said, couldn't she?

And it might free up Tharlaigh for some flirting. After all, it couldn't be that serious if they hardly touched, right? It definitely wasn't a recipe for a healthy relationship.

"Fine, I'll help you. Not that I'd know how. You got that covered, or what?"

"I need to gather some data before we go into the first phase. I just wanted to make sure I had your help, first. Thank you, Chatt."

Chatt grumbled, scratching her cheek. "Come on, we've got some foraging to do. You can tell me all about it then."

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"You know," he mumbled, half-asleep, "If I couldn't See magic I would rate your packing skills below poor."

"I know," Lin shrugged, though a smile twitched her lip, "But you can, and it saves explaining."

He peered at the mask, tilting it against the morning light streaming through the tent flap, testing the stony surface under his fingertips. "Not really. I mean, I can See it does something, but I don't know what it does."

"Guess?"

"Too lazy."

She snorted and ruffled his hair. He moaned, closing his eyes, and her touch lingered a precious moment before she went back to servicing her shield. He watched her, sprawled on his front, the stone mask in hand. Peeking from her pack was a rabbit hood and a pig's face, both magical, both only vaguely revealing what they could do. He imagined Lin wearing the long-eared hood and chuckled.

"...What?"

"Just thinking."

"...I, don't want to know."

"Fair enough."

Yawning he rose, scooting over to the basin where he washed his face and rinsed his hair, careful to wipe away the grime that might have caked in the crevices of his scar. Lin probably thought him ridiculous for it, especially since he hid it under his fringe all the time, but still.

"Do you actually like being called Sheik?" she asked out of the blue, "Or do I stick with Tharlaigh?"

He reached for a cloth and dabbed his face dry. "Where did that come from?"

"I've been thinking about it since I got here."

He hadn't expected that. "Why?"

"Sheik of the Sheikah, the last of my kind," she intoned, putting her shield away, turning to him. "That was how you introduced yourself last time. Or maybe that was Zelda, pretending to be you. But now you're Tharlaigh Hasheik, so sometimes I don't know who you are."

He rolled his eyes. "Lin, I'm me. What you call me doesn't change that."

"No, it does, because… there's a difference between Zelda and Princess Zelda. There's a difference between Sheik and Tharlaigh, and even between your other name that I can't say and Hasheik. There was enough of a difference between Link and Lin that you didn't trust me."

"I thought we put that to rest already."

She hesitated, her hands moving, but speaking no words. "I want, I mean, you're you. When I say your name, I want it to be… not right, just correct? It should be you, not what I think of you. Before we met again, you were just, Sheik, a, a shadow? Something. Sort of… flat. But you're a person, with a family and a clan and, these bits of you that make a puzzle cube and not a jigsaw. In my dreams I still call you Sheik, when I think you might disappear I cling to my Sheik that I think I know, but I should hold onto you. So I… I don't know. I'm not, I'm not good with words."

It was in these moments that he had to suppress the urge to kiss her frown away, to tell her she was thinking too much. Instead he sighed and pressed a thumb against her forehead, physically wiping away that crease between her brows.

She blushed. Goddesses, she was adorable. "You're a philosopher, aren't you."

"...Uh…?"

"Though usually one would think about their own identity, rather than someone else's. Not that I don't appreciate it." he retracted his hand, grinning at her. "You can honestly call me whatever you like. Maybe Sheik will get a few weird looks here, because in some circles it's considered an epithet, but when we're alone? Your call."

She rubbed her forehead, peering at him from under her hand. "Even skull? Or diamond?"

"Um, I guess? Why?"

She stood up and grabbed her sword and hurried out saying she would sharpen her blade at the stream.

Tharlaigh blinked, and slapped his face. Of course. Sheikah. Scahl and ghaiamun. Red and cherry.

...Cherry?

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Chatt found her slicing a mediocre whetstone across her decent blade, splashing water on the steel as she checked it in the morning sunlight. Fi had said they should wait before setting things into motion, but. The redhead was not known for being patient.

"Hello, Lady Lin," she greeted, a basket of wild mushrooms in hand, popping them onto the waters' banks.

She replied hello in Sheikah.

"No, please, let me practice my Common. You must be tired; speaking a new language is difficult."

She softened a little with relief. "Thank you. And yes, but, I'm always tired."

"From Tharlaigh, yes?" Chatt teased, taking a mushroom and washing the dirt away, "I hear he's a beast in cloth walls."

"...Eh?"

"Ah, Sheikah saying. In Common, behind closed doors? Yes. He is very loving man, many women in clans know. To keep him so faithful, you must be the same, no?" she blithely and cheerfully continued, cleaning a mushroom one by one, "Each night is great fun, yes?"

"Uh… we, play puzzle games together?"

Chatt nearly snorted, but kept it firmly back. Instead she went for friendly concern, with a touch of confusion. "Puzzle games? But games is…? Ah, you are adventurous? Oooh, details details."

"No! I mean, like simvar, or… I mean, we hold hands, but, nothing so… I. I have, to, need, I need a cloth. To dry this."

And babbling more polite nothings the Hylian scampered away.

Chatt smirked. Too easy.

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Tharlaigh was perusing the maps when Lin joined them in the commands tent, looking like a statue brought to life. He moved to touch her arm, but she flinched, like she'd done when they'd met for the first time, refusing a handshake with such wariness it had solidified his distrust in the disguised Hero.

He flinched right back, surprised and hurt. "Lin? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing."

He didn't push it, recognizing that hunted look from their earlier testy days. Instead he motioned her closer, passing her the maps. Besides, Owlan was watching, listening. "Right, then. Uh, we've gotten close to the sites. Karane and Pipit are checking the freshest ones in the area, but considering it's months old, it's impossible to say what they'll find. Groose and his team will be back from scouting, soon."

"What can they See?"

"I don't know."

"...Why not?"

"Lin," he sighed, "Not all of us are comfortable with letting others know what our Sight is. I only told you because you wouldn't believe me about your magic. I know Fi's, because she's my sister, and maybe a few more if I'm helping with training some kids, but beyond that? Unless someone has the Sight that lets them see another's Sight, it's up to the person's discretion."

She nodded slowly, and handed him back the maps. "How close is Kanalet?"

The way she asked made him nervous. He glanced at the maps she'd given him back, and sure enough it depicted the mentioned country and its borders with Hyrule. "The prairies are maybe two nights' ride away, just beyond these woods. Why?"

"The prairies are open space. Harder to be caught off-guard."

"That country isn't known for tolerating Sheikah, unless they're in chains," said a foreign voice to the conversation, making Tharlaigh wince. "Thought a Royal Messenger would know that."

It was Groose, broad chest puffed out and hands firmly on his hips, eyeing the girl with pompous disdain. She eyed him back, sizing him and his ridiculous hair up. "No. Sorry."

"Don't sound sorry, messenger."

This is why I didn't want to be a messenger, said her expression. "I thought Sheikah were treated with respect. Everywhere."

"Quite the opposite. It's hard to be considered a respectable threat if you're not considered a part of a country, backed by a military force." said one of his team, Cawlin, Tharlaigh thought his name was.

"If you don't own land, you don't have power. That's their reasoning, anyway." said the other, Stritch, tall, awkward and just as disdainful.

Lin didn't comment, and Tharlaigh butted in in case the three took offense. "Any signs of slavers? Bounty hunters?"

They replied in Sheikah, watching Lin distrustfully. She went back to looking at the maps as they reported in, Tharlaigh quietly fuming at their slight of her. There was evidence of campsites, but nothing so large to support groups of more than two. These woods were favoured grounds of local hunters, so it could have been innocent wanderers. No tracks of wagons capable of holding people. Hardly any horses, either.

"Monsters?"

They all turned around, Lin looking up from the maps.

"Excuse us?" Groose scoffed, still in Sheikah.

"Monsters," Lin replied in kind, "See some? Tektites and… flowers with…?" her limited vocabulary failed her, and she made gnashing motions with her teeth and hands.

"We can handle tektites, who do you take us for?"

"No, numbers. Bigger monsters." she rolled up her sleeve, showing them a thin but jagged scar near the crook of her elbow. "This from here, years ago. Kanalet has many monsters, like Hyrule. Do you see many?"

They blinked. None of them, including Tharlaigh, had known that she'd been to Kanalet before.

"This may be important, boys," Owlan added, making them jump a little, "If the area was clean of monsters, it usually means they were wiped out by a third party."

The three scouts grudgingly muttered that they hadn't encountered any bigger monsters, as the Hylian had put it. Only a few vicious crows, fist beetles,and one lone goponga flower. And even that was a sapling, barely able to chew a child's thumb.

"We shall see what the other scouts say about their monster findings as well. The less there are, the more likely that they were taken out by persons unknown." Owlan switched to Common, addressing the ambassador and his guest. "Tharlaigh, Lady Lin, I take it you know what you're doing?"

"Scouting ahead with Ravio, make sure our route is clear."

"Guarding the girls."

"With Hilda," Owlan added.

Lin nodded, stiffly. "With, Hilda."

They were dismissed, and Tharlaigh went to hold her hand, but he caught himself before she even flinched. Instead he lifted a fist and knuckled his temple, beating back his usual frustration. Patience, patience.

"Have you met Hilda?"

"I don't know."

"You might have. Long purple hair, shorter than you, but a few years older than Fi. I know her pretty well, she's from the same clan as my father. I can introduce you. And Lin, you can trust her in a fight; she's very good with these dual knives, and-"

"How well do you know her?"

He stuttered to a stop. She sounded on the verge of tears. "What's wrong? Honestly, Lin, what's wrong?"

She turned away, fisting her shaking hands, and her voice was so low he could hardly hear her. "I don't… I can't say, I don't… I don't know how to describe it. I never had to before!"

"Describe what? Was it from this morning? If it is I'm-"

"No it, it wasn't that, this, this clawing thing, it doesn't help that… I need to think." She wilted, and her face became scarily neutral. "Please, leave me alone. I need to think. I just need to think. And show me who Hilda is."

"Lin, I-"

"Please!"

He pointed, where everybody else was getting ready for breakfast, and she walked away.

She didn't say a word to him for the next day, not even to say goodbye for the scouting mission.

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It was making no sense. The adults had nothing bad to say about her.

Fi had asked the old men what they thought of her, and they had replied favourably; learned quickly, ridiculously determined, but perhaps a bit (a lot) of a sore loser. This they added with raucous laughter, and looked forward to her inevitable rematch in simvar. The one old lady that had stayed behind to take care of picklings and spices mentioned the excellent foraging skills she seemed to have; Lin had found more rare herbs, roots, mushrooms and nuts within the first two days than one would have expected in two months. The training masters commended her help with fighting simulations, and Owlan had been polite and reserved of his opinions of her. Even the ponies seemed to like her.

Fi sighed, splashing laundry in the river water. The rapids churned froth onto the stone steps of the abandoned shrine before slinking into the wide river that morphed into the bright Gaponga swamps, the sunlight glistening over the lichen and ferns. Tharlaigh had been gone two days now, stuck in those very same swamps, probably, considering he was meant to be back already. What had happened to him? Fi wasn't sure she could dodge any more of Lin's well-meaning attempts at getting to know each other. It was almost a week since they'd left rooted civilisation, and claiming to be busy was not going to hold water.

The blue haired girl sighed again, gathering the laundry and hauling it out of the water into a wicker basket, lugging that onto the stony ruins in turn. She and the younger members of the caravan had been assigned to this task, to much groaning. Still, it was nice to be away from the adults' watchful eyes. They didn't say why exactly the children and mothers and anyone else unfit for battle had been sent on a different route, but Fi had heard about... disappearances. Because of it, probably, the more experienced warriors had kept an extra eye out for her and her peers. Chore or not, the respite was welcome.

"She is so strange," Ciela gushed with genuine horror as Fi approached, "When she was foraging she was wearing this pig's head mask, and Farore, she was sniffing around in it and everything. I mean, sure, she found all those roots and things, but her hands. Who would do that?"

It was oddly strange, to feel so much relief when Fi heard her say that; they agreed with her.

Chatt laughed outright, probably the one who had asked after the Hylian in the first place.

"Maybe someone who believes in hard work," Hilda muttered, wringing out a tent cloth with Torail, "Unlike someone and their inks."

"I am a hard worker! And what's wrong with my inks? I thought you liked them."

"You spend too much time on them, and not enough on your knife skills."

"Oh just because you're a prodigy-"

"What, don't you think she'd odd, Hilda?" Chatt drawled, deflecting the fight before it started, eyeing Fi sidelong as she placed the wicker basket down and spread her own load across the warm stones, "I mean, I hear she doesn't like being touched. You'd know how odd that is with regard to Tharlaigh, wouldn't you?"

Hilda's expression darkened, and Torail nearly lost his grip on the cloth they were wringing out. Fi wished not for the first time that she hadn't shared that particularity with Chatt.

"Oh come on, lighten up, you're making Fi uncomfortable. Seriously, though, what was she like during guard duty? Tell all."

Hilda let the cloth go, letting Torail spread it over the ancient patio to dry. She eyed the broken shrine roof, where the topic of their conversation sat with bow and arrow in hand, playing look out. "She didn't speak a word the whole time. Sometimes I forgot she was even there."

Ciela, who could not stay silent for more than minutes at a time, gasped. "No."

Hilda rolled her eyes. "Is that really so hard to believe? It may just be because she doesn't speak Sheikah."

Since the purple-haired girl was looking at her for confirmation, Fi shrugged. "She speaks it well enough."

"Why are we even discussing her?" Hilda added disdainfully, pulling out another cloth to wring out, "She's Tharlaigh's business, not ours."

"Which makes it Fi's business, and she's worried about them."

"Of course, Chatt. Of course."

It was impossible to tell if Chatt's blush was from embarrassment or anger. "Fi's worry aside, Torail Saw a monster when they dueled. I trust my brother's Sight over anything."

Hilda peered at Torail. "A monster. Dare I ask what kind?"

"Well…" Torail buckled under so much female attention. "Look, it, it was only at first. The Lizalfos thing. And-"

"So you actually Saw a Lizalfos?"

"When she was pretending to be one, yeah. And in the other training sessions, when she was you know, pretending to be Stalfos and octoroks and stuff, I could see those too. Not, not as strongly, but."

"Then what about other times?" Hilda prodded, unconvinced, "You See intention, don't you?"

"It's not just intention, it's mood, and… you think I'm a joke. You think I'm exaggerating things. But I'm not. Now you're sorry for thinking I'm a joke and knowing I know it, but that's my Sight, okay Hilda? Just, I know I'm a joke. Look," he added with unusual force, "Aside from that monster thing at the start, she's actually real sincere. She's been the most serious about training me out of all the teachers I've had, and cares about keeping me alive. I… I like her."

Chatt looked positively betrayed, and Torail's expression said that he knew it all too well.

"Well then, I don't see what you're worried about," Hilda huffed, turning her critical gaze on Fi, "Unless you're basing this on something your Sight made you see."

"I am."

"Of course you are. What did you See?"

"...Violence and power. Enough violence and power to become legend."

"Drama," Hilda scoffed, "I don't know about the power, but you're worried over violence? Our very people is a warrior race, rivalling the Gerudo for goodness' sake."

"I don't see it in any of you, but I see it in her."

"And has she acted on it? Has she threatened you, threatened Tharlaigh?"

Fi's silence was answer enough. Hilda scoffed again.

"I see. Looks to me you're just jealous that he's actually found someone." the purple haired girl went back to wringing out sheets with Torail, adding rather cruelly, "I expected better of you, at least."

Fi's face flared. "Then do you see anything redeeming about her? She's strange, and silent, and unfriendly and violent. That would be fine if she was kind, or funny, or warm, but she's so far been none of those things. She… she terrifies me. And I don't see how she could make him happy!"

"She obviously does, or else he wouldn't love her."

Chatt barked a laugh at that. "How can you love someone you can't even touch?"

"Ask Tharlaigh, because he does." Hilda's comment brooked no room for objection.

Chatt objected anyway. "So is that your Sight, then?"

"Oh please, even a blind person could see that. Just give up your stupid plan and leave them alone."

Ciela perked up. "Plan? What plan?"

"They're trying to break them up, obviously."

Ciela gasped and Torail looked at his sister. "Really?"

Fi's blush escalated. "Well, I,"

"Are they even together?" Chatt rejoined, standing up, "They haven't kissed, they haven't held hands, last I saw they didn't even say goodbye to each other when he left to scout. It's not breaking them up if it's non-existent."

"Your logic is as impeccable as always, and I'm done with this conversation." Hilda dropped the sheet and gathered what dry articles of cloth there was and proceeded to leave. "Hope you enjoy your dive in maturity, Fi."

Fi hugged her knees, on the verge of tears. Ciela patted her back and cooed at her, saying reassuring nothings about how everything would be okay. Meanwhile, Torail was giving his sister a look of betrayal of his own.

"I asked you to go easy on her. She cares about me."

"What, are you saying I don't care about you? She insulted you! She insulted me."

"How?"

"That is none of your business." Chatt replied hotly, and stormed off as well. In a fit of temper she changed her course to head to the shrine, rather than after Hilda towards the main camp. Stupid Hylian, thinking she was so clever getting up on the roof. It was easy. Admittedly, Chatt had never done it before, but she would do it.

...She did it. Her limbs ached, and her palms had some scratches, but she did it.

Now. Chatt glowered at the blonde, blaming her for the unplanned climb, and unsheathed a knife. Why, the girl hadn't noticed that she had company, and she figured herself a lookout? Considering the way she had surprised Torail when she'd first arrived, a little payback was well overdue. Chatt approached on silent feet, knowing her Sight would warn her way before Chatt stumbled back, an arrow through her head.

Then it wasn't.

The two young women gasped at once, the Sheikah stumbling back and the Hylian jerking her aim away, the glacier blue gaze of death softening with recognition. Chatt stood there trembling, horrified, afraid, knowing that, even as Lin stuttered apologies and professed to being surprised, if she had been anybody else she would be dead. The arrow was still lodged in the bow, but her Sight had warned her of her fate too late, and the only reason she was alive was that Lin was just that much faster than her.

"Why, why are you up here?"

"U-uh, we're, we're nearly done. Our duties. So I…"

"Oh, thank you." Lin's eye's flicked towards the knife in Chatt's hand but didn't comment, standing and waving for her to lead the way. Chatt, on peering over the edge, realised that she couldn't; like a cat stuck in a tree she didn't quite know how to get down. It was humiliating, following Lin's minimal instructions as they clawed their way back to the ground.

Chatt was beginning to understand Fi's concerns.

She glanced at Lin, and her Sight flared.

Again, too late. Lin had already smashed the bow against the back of Chatt's legs and sent her sprawling on the ancient moss-covered stones, and she cried out as an elbow made particularly painful contact.

There was an arrow in her chest. Lin's chest.

In the distance someone screamed. It might have been Ciela. What? What?

More arrows whistled in the air and Lin moved, crouching in front of Chatt with small shield raised high, and at least three of the projectiles skittered over the stones.

"Ambush," Lin rasped, the arrow sticking out of her chest bobbing with her words. Chatt couldn't look away; this arrow should have been hers. "Can you run?"

"I, I-I,"

Lin thrust the shield into the girl's hands and stood up, racing towards their attackers. "Run!"

Black lightning burst from Lin's hands, a dragon-like roar filling the skies.

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YEEEEESS, ACTION! FINALLY!

Well, starting in the next chapter.

Hope you enjoyed, adn leave a review!