((A few notes before we get started:
-NaNoRiMo's goal isn't just 50,000 words, but a fully completed novel. This is planned to be quite a bit longer than that in order to fully flesh out the plot. That said, since I can't complete the full story by the end of November anyways, I can stop stressing about churning out new chapters so frequently. It's unrealistic, especially since Finals weeks is quickly approaching, and I'll be working soon. So a chapter a week ought to work better—and give people more time to read the chapter before a new one comes out.
-I might be creating a few side-stories to go along with this. Because this is so plot-driven, there's not a whole lot of room for cutesy scenes between characters. However, side-stories provide a great opportunity for those. There might even be one focusing on the relationship between Link, Telma, and Ilia—so be on the lookout for those!
-There will be sensitive material within this story, particularly concerning Link's history. Consider this warning in advance for later chapters, though I'll make sure to mention in notes at the head of those chapters.))
When morning came, Sheik woke to the sound of a door creaking and too-bright light filtering in from the window.
It was the creaking door that bothered her the most, for what it entailed. Someone was here. Someone had walked into her room early this morning, while she was—
Sheik blinked her eyes open, grateful that the glamour hadn't faded. But though the glamour hadn't faded, she was only wearing a part of her costume to give some respite to her bruised back—leaving her back wide open for this intruder to see. In an instant, she sat up, a fire in her eyes, and glared at the silhouette in the doorway.
"Get out," she snapped, voice not betraying how vulnerable she felt. Though her chest was covered, her back had been almost entirely uncovered, and she knew from the ache that the bruises on her back must have been quite dark. After all, she'd been thrown into that table hard enough for it to split down the middle.
The intruder backed up a step, holding up a hand of surrender, though the other contained a bottle of red potion. "I—Sorry, sorry, I just didn't want to wake you," Link said, holding up the bottle. "I thought—after you got thrown into that table… I was just going to put it on the nightstand so you could take it when you woke, honest."
Sheik's expression didn't waver. There was no reason for this boy to barge into her room—what if her glamour had faded during the night and she'd opened blue eyes? She couldn't risk any part of her identity being found out, and this stranger felt it was acceptable to just walk into her room while she slept?
"Leave," she said, voice just as short as ever.
Though Link hesitated, he didn't linger for long. With a sigh and disappointment on his face, he left—though he set the bottle of red potion inside the door before he left.
Sheik glared at the bottle long after Link had left, feeling spitefulness creep up on her.
Really, though, how dare he treat her like a child who needed looking after?
She wasn't fragile. She didn't need medicine for a mere bruise. If she'd been severely injured, that was one thing—but even then, if she couldn't get medicine for herself, she hardly deserved to have it.
So as she stood up, ignoring the ache in her back, she washed, put on her suit, braided her hair, and walked out of the room, ignoring the bottle she passed on her way. That medicine could rot for all she cared.
The worst of it was, though, that now Sheik couldn't even get medicine if she did need it. If she ordered a painkiller this morning, she'd be giving into Link's babying. Though she had no qualms about toughing it out, it was irritating that she was forced to—all because Link had left that potion in her room.
Still, Sheik kept her back straight and proud as she walked down the stairs. She'd certainly faced worse—and this gave her an exercise in tolerance, she supposed, though it was one she wished she could do without.
As she started down the stairs, though, she became aware of voices coming from the dining area.
"—think she's getting up soon, yeah," she heard Link say, and she couldn't help the irritation underneath her mask. "Walked in on her… Not, um, the best of situations."
"Honey, you shouldn't have expected anything else," Telma said, and Sheik turned the corner just as she watched Telma put a hand on Link's shoulder. "You can't just walk in on someone who's sleeping—especially a woman. You don't know if a wanderer like that sleeps naked or not, you know."
"She wasn't mad because of that!" Link exclaimed, face flushing. Sheik stayed just around the corner, curious now as to why he thought she was angry, if he knew it wasn't because she was worried about being found naked. "She seemed just… angry that I'd walked in at all, to be honest."
Telma tsked and shook her head. "Well, you know how irritated you get when you're woken unexpectedly," she said. "Next time extend the same courtesy to her. If you must leave red potion, at least leave it outside. And what was it even for, honey? She looked fine to me."
"…She rode for almost six days straight," Link said. "She's gotta still be sore, that's all."
In her place on the stairs, Sheik took a step back, a strange feeling welling up in her chest. Why had he covered for her? He'd seen her get thrown into a table, and she knew he must have seen the bruises on her back.
Yet he'd respected her privacy, even though she'd snapped at him?
That strange feeling only continued to grow, and Sheik leaned against the wall in annoyance, trying to puzzle through it. There was a flash of understanding, though, and in an instant, she understood.
Gratitude.
Her heart was trying to get her to feel grateful—all because this boy was willing to cover for her.
But it was her own goddess-damned business in the first place, and he had no reason trying to butt in. Her feelings could keep their damned gratitude, but Sheik would have none of it. So she stuffed those feelings deep, deep down, and preserved the scowl on her face as she walked down the stairs. Not that it did much good—her mask and scarf covered all but her eyes.
The bar's floor was still a mess, with tables and chairs knocked everywhere. But Telma, Link, and Ilia were already up and about fixing it up. Sheik joined them, not wanting the burden to fall to them when she'd been half the reason the bar was a mess. Of course, had she not fought back it would have been in even worse condition—but she'd have felt bad if they had to clean up a mess she caused.
She worked silently for a while, grateful that no one was attempting to speak to her so early in the morning. But once everything was picked up, it all went downhill.
"So, Sheik," Link said, walking up to her with a smile on his face. "That was sure somethin' yesterday, huh?"
Sheik kept her eyes trained on the wall across the room, refusing to even dignify that with a reply. He had treated her like she was weak earlier—the last thing she wanted was to commend him on his teamwork.
Undaunted, Link kept on. "I was just thinking… If we worked that well together on such short notice last night, then maybe… It would be better for the both of us to work together in the future. What do you say? I know you want me to keep my eyes open here, but I really think the Princess knows not to come through here. I need to find her."
"What about Ilia?" Sheik said, still not making eye contact. "You'd leave her alone here, in a new town?"
"She's hardly alone, she has Telma," Link said. "But the princess—as far as we know, she doesn't have anyone. Someone's gotta protect her—someone's gotta make sure she doesn't fall into the wrong hands. If her Triforce of Wisdom is taken by—"
Though Link cut himself off, glancing around behind him to make sure Telma and Ilia hadn't heard, the damage had been done.
So, Sheik thought. That was all they were really after.
Well, it wasn't like she'd been hoping her father was looking for her because he, goddesses-forbid, cared about her. No, he just wanted to know if she had the Triforce of Wisdom, and he wanted to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.
Whose 'wrong hands' he feared remained to be seen, but Sheik knew it had to be something big if her father had only started looking for her now.
And, hadn't there been something about someone threatening the Royal Family?
Though Impa hadn't told Sheik much about the Triforce, she'd mentioned that the Triforce of Courage traditionally went to an era's hero—and that the Triforce of Wisdom tended to go to the princess. No part of the Triforce had been seen in centuries, though, and Sheik certainly didn't have any new marks on the back of her hand.
Well. If they were only looking for her because of the possibility she had the Triforce of Wisdom, they could forget about it. She didn't even have it.
Sheik just wished that she could write to the king and tell him that, but if someone was really targeting the Royal Family, then it would be foolish to let them know that she was alive. Perhaps if she laid low for long enough, then they would think she was dead.
And as far as Sheik was concerned, Zelda was dead.
She was gone, never to return, and the world would just have to accept that. She wasn't the heir to the throne, she wasn't the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. She was just the King's first child, the fruit of an unmarried union that had been cast aside once there were other, legal, heirs.
Sheik had been silent for too long, though, frozen in her anger, and Link gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, um, you alright there? I know I'm not supposed to say what they're looking for but—you kind of blanked out there…"
Sheik knocked his hand off of her shoulder. "I'm fine."
"So, is it a yes or not? I need to start heading into a different city anyways. I don't know why, I just have a feeling I won't find her here," Link said. And goddesses, it was almost comical how sure of that he was. "And if we're both going to other cities, we might as well go together. It's safer that way, isn't it?"
"I'm not made of glass, and neither are you," she snapped. "My goal is to save any girl that's been caught up into this, not just the king's daughter. Any girl could be the king's daughter, and for all we know she's already been captured. So if you're only set on finding one specific girl, then you're wasting my time."
Link looked taken aback by how short she'd been with him, but in an instant, he'd taken hold of her hand. He pulled her back, forcing her to look at him, not breaking eye contact. "I want to find her just as much as you do," he said. "I will find her, with or without your help, but if you think you're going to hold me back from finding her, you've got another thing coming."
"You can look for her in other cities on your own, then," Sheik said, pulling her hand sharply out of his grasp. "There's no sense in having two people looking for someone together when they could have eyes in different cities."
"It's dangerous for either of us to be traveling alone all over Hyrule looking for her! You're just asking for someone to rob you, or worse—"
Sheik glared at him so coldly she felt, for a moment, that it might freeze fire. "I'm not asking for anything but to find the king's daughter," she said. "And I don't need your protection—and you don't need mine."
"Then at least tell me what leads you have, damn it," Link said, raising his voice. "You're always off goddesses-know-where in Hyrule doing something. You have to have some kind of lead if you're following it so far!"
"Girls are going missing all over Hyrule," Sheik said, shaking her head. "All over Hyrule. There are leads everywhere because everyone is being affected. We don't know where the Princess even is—she could be in another land entirely for all we know. But I won't know that unless I look, far and wide, in every city and village that I can."
"But people aren't just taking blue eyed blonde haired girls anymore, Sheik," Link said. "They're taking any girl around your age—it's not safe for you to travel alone!"
Sheik's back straightened up, and she squared her shoulders, looking down at Link the same way she might look at someone who insulted Impa. "Then we have leads everywhere, if every girl my age is being looked into—and, in case you haven't been listening, I can protect myself."
But Link didn't back away, instead standing up taller and looking her square in the eye. He was no coward, Sheik would grant him that, but right now the last thing she wanted was opposition. "You were saying to not waste my time just going after the princess—you have to care about other girls' safety, don't you?"
"Obviously," Sheik said. She crossed her arms, still staring him down. Impa would have liked this one, she knew—but she couldn't quite bring herself to feel the same.
"Then let me care about all girls' safety, too," he said. "Including yours. Please, Sheik. It's not safe. Believe me—I've been in Solen, hearing a lot about girls being taken from other towns." He paused for a moment, seeming to gather the strength to continue speaking, and what he said nearly stopped Sheik's heart. "And if the King is so willing to risk your safety—then… then I'll write him and demand that he gives you someone to protect you."
No.
No, no no no. No, Sheik couldn't let him write the King. If he told him about her, then he'd find out that she wasn't actually a Sheikah—and he'd demand answers, and she'd have to go into complete hiding, and she wouldn't even be safe as Sheik—
"It isn't necessary," Sheik said, trying to hide the panic in her voice. "I prefer to work alone, Link. There is no need to get yourself involved in this. I know what I'm doing."
"Just because you're a servant of the Royal Family doesn't mean you should have to put yourself in such a dangerous situation," he said. "I don't care if it's what you're used to, it's not right!"
"Drop it, Link," she snapped. "I mean it. I'm leaving tomorrow morning, I can't alter my plans just so you can tag along—"
"I won't be just tagging along, Sheik. I want to help you—I want to find the princess just as much as you do. And if you leave without me, I am writing the King. Even if he doesn't agree, he at least ought to know what you're putting yourself through. If he knew I'm sure he'd—"
"It's fine," Sheik said, barely keeping a lid on her growing panic. "Just leave it alone already!"
"Not until you let me help you. One way or another, I'm going to make sure you have someone to keep you safe."
"Need I remind you of how we met?" Hands clenching into fists at her sides, Sheik wanted nothing more than to hit him in her frustration, but she restrained herself. "Twice, Link—twice I saved you, and yet you don't believe I can handle myself?!"
"That's different! You're a Sheikah, no one wants to cause trouble with a Sheikah around. It's not like you really fought those guys!"
"I have handled myself alone in fights far larger than those. I can protect myself just fine." Frustration building, she pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead, headache building. "Goddesses damn you, Link, I don't want you butting in anymore! What I do is my business and my business alone!"
This—this was why she didn't want to get close to anyone. People were frustrating creatures who constantly butted in and tried to control her. All she wanted was her privacy, and her freedom. She didn't have a lot in the world—no family, no friends, no home to call her own—so the least she deserved was her right to go where she wanted, and when.
And now someone was trying to take away even that?
Her heart clenched painfully, but she forced back her feelings just enough that her glamour wouldn't fade. If she got much more worked up, she'd be at a serious risk of losing it—and then she'd really have to go into hiding.
"I get it—you work alone. But you don't have to, Sheik," Link said, voice equally frustrated. "We're on the same team. I can respect the way you search—and I'm more than willing to help you with it. You saved Ilia—and if there's a chance of saving other girls, too, then I want to help. But if we're going to be working on the same team, doing the same things, then it makes no sense not to work together."
Sheik took a deep breath, forcing her panic down. "You have no right threatening to write the king," she said. "No right."
Link frowned, finally averting his eyes. "Maybe I don't," he said, "But if it means you'd be safe, then I'd be glad to overstep my bounds."
Though Link was clearly set on her safety, all Sheik could think was that he was meddling—and she'd never liked meddlers. But what choice did she have? It was either this, or let him write to the King—and then she'd be hunted for impersonating a Royal Sheikah. Of course, her ensemble was that of a warrior's, not a servant's, but it wasn't her fault that most didn't know the difference.
Even if she wasn't realized as the King's daughter immediately after her capture, she knew the penalties for deceiving the King. She'd either have to come clean about her parentage or rot in a cell for the rest of her days.
Between her limited options, there wasn't much else to do.
"You can come with me temporarily," Sheik finally agreed. Seeing the start of a smile on Link's face, she held a hand up, cutting him off. "But only until you realize that I'm fine working alone."
"What if I prove that we work better as a team than alone?" Link asked, still undeterred. Goddesses, did anything make him upset long term? "Would you change your mind then?"
"If you proved that, you wouldn't have to convince me. But I doubt you'll be proving much of anything. I prefer to work alone."
Though she managed to keep her exterior quite calm, it was becoming difficult with all the anxiety bubbling in her stomach. So she shook her head and started upstairs, eager to be alone with her thoughts for at least a little while.
As she mounted the stairs and came back to her room, though, Link called up after her. "So when are we heading out?"
"Dawn," Sheik said, nearly tripping over the bottle of red potion still sitting on the floor from that morning. Her irritation only grew when she saw it, and without thinking about it, she took it and threw it to the bottom of the stairs. Link was waiting there, and he caught the bottle with a puzzled expression. Rest assured that he'd caught it, Sheik raised her voice, though kept it flat-toned and painfully collected. "And take your goddess-damned potion back already, I'm getting sick of looking at it."
She shut the door before she could say another word, sinking to the floor in front of it just as soon as she was out of sight.
What was she going to do?
The rest of the day was spent with Sheik avoiding looking at Link, which was easy enough. Though her possessions were few and packing didn't take long, she had plenty of a journey to plan, and she had rupees to budget. Having been a nomad for years, she'd stayed in nearly every town in Hyrule, so she knew which inns had the lowest prices—and which ones were worth a bit extra, if it meant staying safe. But now she had Link to worry about—and that would require extra rooms. In case he didn't have the money, she'd quite possibly have to use up more of her money, which would require completely working her budget. She could always, of course, only book one room with two beds which wouldn't be quite as bad as buying a separate room entirely—but she didn't want to sleep around him.
Her glamour had worn off because of nightmares before, and she couldn't allow him to discover her secret.
That would make camping difficult, too—meaning she'd probably have to use a tent if she wanted to keep her privacy. Goddesses damn it all, why did he have to go and complicate everything?
Just days ago, she'd planned out her journey for the next several weeks. But with Link, she'd have to change it all! There wasn't a chance of her going to Lanayru now. The best she could hope for was Eldin or Ordon province again—perhaps the very outskirts of Lanayru in the areas she hadn't traveled so much as a child.
And she couldn't steal, either. Not if she wanted to maintain her cover as a Sheikah.
That would mean she couldn't replace her funds, so she had to save money as often as she could for food and supplies—which would mean a hell of a lot of camping outside and bathing in rivers.
Even if Link did provide for himself, Sheik still only had enough to last her a few months, if that. She wouldn't be able to replace it unless she found odd jobs—because it wasn't as if the King was actually paying her.
It was giving her anxiety just thinking about it—but her partnership with Link couldn't possibly last that long, could it?
By the time Sheik's funds ran out, they would have surely already parted ways.
And, if not, she supposed she'd just have to make a run for it.
If Link asked the King about the Sheikah who'd traveled with him for the past several months, she'd have to deal with the consequences—but at least that would buy her a bit more time, right?
But, as she looked over her notes and her maps, her strict budgeting regiment compared to the supplies she already had, Sheik knew that her biggest worry should have been the missing girls.
She was to blame, however indirectly, for their capture—and no matter how difficult Link might make it, she would find the girls, and she would save them. If Link stood in her way, then she'd have the perfect excuse to get rid of him—and if he helped…
Well. At least then there would be more girls they could save.
That in mind, Sheik took a deep breath and started repacking her notes in her satchel, along with her wallet.
Though she half hoped that he'd be a nuisance enough that she could be rid of him, Sheik knew that she should be hoping he was helpful. There was more at stake here than just her freedom—she knew that. There were girls all over that had no chance of freedom without someone to rescue them. Even if she was found out as the King's daughter, she'd at least be free to sneak away in the dead of night and create a new identity.
But those girls?
Without her, they didn't stand a chance.
If Link could be a help, so be it—
But Sheik wasn't going to get too attached to him, either.
The following morning, Sheik rose early and packed her belongings on her horse. Half of her was hoping to leave without Link, since the sunrise came and went without him showing. But, to her dismay, she heard his footsteps behind her just as she was finishing up loading her horse.
"So, you are coming," she said in place of a greeting. Not bothering to make proper eye contact, she simply kept at packing her horse and checking to make sure everything was secure. Though she didn't spare him a glance, though, she didn't miss the patter of hooves. "I take it you have your own horse?"
"Ilia's giving me the one she bought, since it was with my money," Link said. "Packed her up last night. Name's Epona." He affectionately patted the mare. "So I'm ready to go whenever you are."
Sheik nodded and finished tying the saddle-bags.
"We're heading south," she said, keeping her map out. "South, past Ordon, unless we get a lead redirecting us."
"Isn't that by Ecchar?" Link asked, mounting Epona. "Will we be stopping there?"
"There were men threatening Ilia," she said. "I saw one of their faces. If I see him again, I might be able to get some information out of him." Sheik mounted her horse as well, saddling up and putting the sun to her left. "It's going to be a long trip, though. You can back out any time you like."
"I'll take my chances." A confident smile on his face, Link let out a loud "Hya!" and started forward towards the South.
Sheik could only shake her head and follow close behind him.
She just hoped that she wouldn't regret this as much as she thought she might.
((Sorry for being late with this, but as I stated before, things are getting a bit hectic, and it won't really meet NaNoRiMo requirements anyways. However, I will still try to update frequently—and, as always, I appreciate your reviews. They motivate me to write more than anything else and I re-read them frequently. So if you liked this chapter—or if you didn't!—please review to tell me what worked, what didn't, and what you want to see more of!))