((rndomfan left a review asking about why, a few chapters ago, Sheik impersonated a Gerudo while running away in the market. After all, in this au, the Gerudo haven't been seen for centuries. I have to say: good job catching that one! It was a complete oversight on my part, and if/when I go back through and edit these, I'll be sure to correct that. For now, I suppose I can explain it away as Sheik being too panicked to really think about what she was turning herself into. Very sorry for that oversight, and I'll be more careful about that sort of thing from now on. ))

In the morning, Sheik could feel her bruises before she even opened her eyes. But once she did, she saw Link within arm's reach in a similar state. The sight made her chest feel tight, and it took Sheik quite some time to identify what she was feeling, and why.

It wasn't until she realized she'd been watching Link for several minutes that she understood.

On their first meeting, Link had nearly died. He'd been a stranger, and she'd stumbled upon him in an alleyway being brutalized by guards. She'd helped him escape, then panicked and left him in an inn, not saying a word to him that first meeting.

And yet, here they were, several weeks later.

He was sleeping close enough that she could reach out and touch him if she wanted—and his arms were varying shades of red and brown and yellow.

Even though he was safe now, and she knew his injuries had been because of their sparring—and she had received nearly as many as he'd taken—she couldn't help but feel pain on his behalf.

It wasn't guilt, Sheik knew that much. She'd known enough guilt recently that she'd know that feeling anywhere.

Instead, all she could think now was that she was grateful he was here, and that he was well enough to have fought with her last night. The first time she'd ever seen him, he'd been so covered in blood that she nearly hadn't recognized him their second meeting.

Yet no matter what he'd been through—no matter how badly he'd been hurt—Link was still willing to spar with her—to fall at her hand, then get back up.

Sheik sat up, watching him for a moment more. But she knew she'd have to get up soon. Sunrise was nearly over now, and they had a long way to go. Where they were going, she wasn't sure yet. But they were nearly out of Ordon Province, so she knew they needed to decide soon.

Hoping not to wake him just yet, Sheik rolled up her blankets and put them in a travel bag. Because they had so little with them, it didn't take long for her to tidy up her things and load up Epona. Still, by the time she was sliding on her armor and debating what to use for breakfast, she heard Link start to stir.

"I'm ready to go as soon as you are," Sheik said, not turning to face him as she dug through the travel bags. "Do you want to lead Epona, or sit in the back?"

"Good morning to you, too," Link said, voice still thick with sleep. Sheik could hear him rolling up his blankets and getting up behind her, but she didn't turn to face him till she was sure he'd pulled his tunic back on.

The sight of his torso covered in bruises was something she wasn't fond of starting the day with, no matter how fun last night had been.

"So," Link started, sounding a little more awake. "Where are we headed?"

As Link put away his blankets and pulled on his boots, Sheik tossed him an apple. "Hena mentioned Ise, and the northern mountains. There's probably a bigger holding site of some kind up there."

"Kind of far for a holding site." Link frowned, taking a bite of the apple. "It might be the base they're bringing the girls to long-term."

Sheik frowned. "It doesn't make sense for Ise to be either short-term or long-term," she said. "It's too cold. There aren't tunnels like there were in Ecchar. And if they brought the girls through all the ice of the Snowpeak mountain range, then they'd have to risk some of the girls dying on the path…"

"Not to mention they have to sneak past Zora's Domain. Everyone knows they aren't exactly friendly to Hylians," Link said. "How would they avoid being charged with trespassing?"

There were too many strange things happening in Hyrule these days, and Sheik couldn't figure it out. Even before she met Ilia and found out girls were going missing, things were already starting to twist.

Like the soldiers and guards all heading for the Gerudo Desert, abandoning towns and leaving their people unprotected. And the threat on the Royal Family. And the Hylian-lookalike monsters. And Ardock.

Goddesses, would anything ever be normal again?

The thought of normal times, though, brought back memories of her nomadic youth, and hiding, and being the perfect thief.

And, speaking of thievery, she couldn't help but remember those jewelry pieces she'd lifted from Oxon. Though she'd promised herself she wouldn't see Ravio again—for his safety as much as hers, if she was being honest with herself—she knew he was probably her best bet for a good deal.

Not to mention she'd be a hypocrite if she cut him out of her life because he'd taken too much of an interest in her. Goddesses knew Link had attached himself to her side.

And seeing Ravio would mean going to Solen—and that was somewhere she knew Link wouldn't mind visiting, since both Telma and Ilia lived there now.

"How about we go back to Solen for a bit?" she asked. "It's on the way up north, so if we decide to continue up towards Ise, then we'll be well on our way. You can visit Ilia, and we can make sure she's still safe with Telma."

"Why wouldn't she be safe?" Link asked, already looking concerned.

Sheik shook her head. "I'm sure she's fine, but—I mean, it couldn't hurt to see her and check, could it? In Ecchar, people said that those monsters were starting to go into homes and just take girls."

That reminder was enough to get Link to hurry packing. Sheik almost felt bad—especially since her intentions were mostly to see Ravio so she could finally pawn off the goods she'd stolen—but her warning had gotten the job done.

Yet, the sight of Link so worried about Ilia made her stomach flip.

Ilia deserved to be worried over, she knew, and Link had known this girl since they were small. It wasn't a surprise that he would be so concerned at the mere thought of his childhood friend being in danger. Sheik didn't have a problem with Link being worried for his friend, or for caring about Ilia.

Yet, as he hurriedly packed up the rest of his things and hopped onto Epona, Sheik couldn't help but feel a bit small as she climbed on behind him.

It wasn't jealousy, she knew, that was making her feel this way. It was just the reminder that everyone else in the world had someone to care for them. All the missing girls had homes to return to, had families to take them into their arms.

And yet Sheik, the cause of this mess, was the only one who had absolutely no one. It was her own fault, she knew, for not reaching out to friends through her life. She didn't want family—not adopted family, because she wouldn't allow anyone to replace Impa, and she certainly didn't want any of her blood relations.

But friendship…

Sheik wished, not for the first time, that she hadn't had to push people away to preserve her identity.

Even Link was too much of a risk, she knew. For as long as they were partners, she would stay beside him, but once they parted ways, she'd knew she would have to sever ties with him. It would hurt, of course. She could already tell that once he was done with her and left, she would feel an ache in her heart that wouldn't go away for weeks—same as with any friend she'd had to part ways with in her childhood. But she'd just have to do what she always did. When that ache threatened to overwhelm her, she'd just have to close her eyes, take a deep breath, and remind herself that this was how it had to be.

If she wanted her freedom, she'd have to be alone.

Loneliness, Sheik realized. That small feeling, that growing distance between her heart and her stomach. It was loneliness.

Loneliness, and the reminder that while Ilia had Link to worry for her and cross entire provinces just to check on her, Sheik had no one.

But she had the sky above Lanayru, and the earth beneath her feet, and her well-worn Sheikah warrior ensemble—her last gift from Impa.

They were all the home she needed, Sheik reminded herself. They were enough.

(For the first time in years, though, she felt a seedling of doubt.)

"I wish we knew what was up with those cities," Link said, voice quiet against the soft wind in the grass and the hum of bugs hiding in the trees. Their camp was peaceful tonight, but Sheik still found herself on high-alert. Even Link was still sitting up and keeping a lookout, even if he'd chosen to break the silence of their watch. "You know—Ardock and Oxon."

And Link must have been tenser than Sheik had realized, if he was dwelling on the cities of all things. But Sheik supposed he had a point—they'd just been traveling along a road much like today's when they'd seen a fiery Oxon in the distance. Considering she'd seen both cities first-hand, Sheik couldn't help but be curious, too—and the conversation was necessary, she supposed, if she was to stay alert and not be lulled asleep by the peace and quiet.

"Whoever enchanted them must have been incredibly powerful," Sheik said. "They have a very different kind of magic than Sheikah magic."

"Yeah?" Link turned towards her, curious. "What's the difference?"

"Sheikah magic runs on life energy and is determined by how much Sheikah blood you have in your heritage," she said. "No Sheikah has enough energy to sustain magic that powerful."

"What kind of magic is it, then?" Link asked, but just after the words left his lips, her explanation came together in his mind. "Sheik, wait—your magic's been running off of—"

"It must be some kind of dark magic that those cities are running on," Sheik said, cutting him off before he could lecture her. "There are some other types of magic in the world. This could be one of the commonly known ones, or something else entirely. I don't think we have enough knowledge of the enchanter to make that call."

"Does all magic run off of life energy?" Link asked, and found himself faced with a glare. "—I mean, just out of curiosity. Maybe this guy's does, too. If it does, maybe we can make it backfire on him somehow."

"All magic runs off of something." Link's silence meant that he wanted to hear more—especially with those curious eyes trained on her—so, reluctantly, Sheik continued. "The Gerudo's magic comes from the sun. Hylian magic comes from a goddesses' blessing. The Kokiri's magic came from the same things that make plants grow, though we only ever had one source on that subject, so we still know very little about them. The Triforce has magic, too, and it's said that anyone who even has a piece of the Triforce will have otherworldly power." After sparing a glance at Link, though, Sheik knew he wasn't satisfied. "Alright, yes, as far as we know, the Sheikah are the only magically blessed group to have their magic run on their own life force, are you happy?"

"No," Link said. "I'm not happy. Sheik, if your magic runs on your life force, wasn't it really dangerous to overuse it like you did?"

Sheik tightened her lips. "I know what I'm doing," she said. "I took a risk, and five girls were freed because of it. I didn't ask for you to carry me out of there—you could have easily left me behind."

To her surprise, though, Link fell into an icy silence. His posture stiffened, and his lips pressed into a tight line and held it for a while before he found his voice again. "You really think," he said, voice strained, "That I'd just leave a partner behind?"

"We're in this to save the girls," Sheik said. "I could probably get myself out if worst came to worst. So, yes, I respect your intelligence enough to think you'd leave me behind, because it would be the smart option."

When he turned to look at her, though, Sheik was surprised to find that he didn't look angry. Instead, he looked upset.

"I don't care about the smart option, Sheik. You're my partner. I'm not going to leave you behind."

But his words were too fresh from that night at Coro's house. Sheik remembered all too clearly what he'd said when he thought she'd been sleeping. And for him to repeat himself whether or not she was awake… Though Sheik wanted to accept it, her heart wouldn't allow it. "I can handle myself just fine," she said. "If there's situation where there's no way out, then I don't want you to try to go back for me. You understand?"

"I can't accept that," Link said. "I understand where you're coming from, and if you won't go back for me, I get it. But you can't ask me to do the same to you. I won't leave a partner or a friend behind."

Sheik raised her brows at friend. He already saw her as something more than just a partner or teammate?

Undeterred, Link continued. "Even if you don't plan on sticking around… I'll be here, alright? I don't—I've never been one to just—to leave someone. I'm in this for the long-haul, whether you like it or not. So if you leave after this is over, fine, but—I'll still be here if you need a partner again."

"Big words," Sheik said. But the bite to her words was gone. The agitation from before had all but died, and Sheik was left feeling small. "Let's let time be the judge of that, alright? You ought to keep your options open."

"Sheik…" He sounded like he wanted to continue the conversation, to make her believe him, rather than allow her to shelve this talk. But if she didn't kill this conversation, then she didn't know what might happen. "Don't just—"

No matter how small she felt, no matter how vulnerable her heart felt in that moment, Sheik couldn't allow him to change her mind. She'd done just fine on her own—who was Link to come in and try to convince her that she needed him?

So she summoned up her anger as best as she could, though neither fiery anger nor ice came easily to her. And the goddesses knew that she wasn't the best at acting. Still—she couldn't just let him convince her. She had her pride, if nothing else, and it was her pride that allowed her to find her voice once more.

"Don't what?" Sheik squared her shoulders and tilted her head up, forcing some irritation into her voice, even if the only one she truly felt irritated with was herself. "We've been partners for, what, a week? Don't act like you know what's best for me—you don't know the first thing about me."

Link's lips pressed into a thin line, and it looked like he was holding something back. What it was, Sheik couldn't place it. But he shook his head and set his sights straight ahead, on the open land of Hyrule Field. "If I know nothing about you, it's because you haven't told me anything."

"What, like you're supposed to want me to?" Sheik looked away, realizing that his silence meant that, yes, he probably was interested. Goddesses damn it all. "Forget it. It's none of your business."

"You haven't told me anything about yourself, and you haven't asked me anything, either," Link pressed. "Look, I get it, you don't think of me as anything more than a temporary teammate—fine! But I'm trying to give you the option here, so you could at least acknowledge it!"

"The option of what?"

"Of actually letting someone in! I was raised on the streets, too, Sheik—I know how hard it is to trust people if you didn't grow up with them. I don't blame you for not wanting to trust me, and not wanting me to care about you. It's safer that way, I know," he said. "Look, all I'm saying is that I understand. And… and that I'm here. That's all I'm trying to tell you."

Sheik opened her mouth to argue, but she knew if she spoke now, she might not be able to keep her story to herself. Though she still couldn't bring herself to feel true anger, no matter how much Link pushed her, she couldn't help the whirlwind of thoughts that were stirring within her. You don't know the first thing about me, she wanted to say. I've been on my own since I was ten. I've wandered from town to town for years, never having enough. I've lied, I've stolen, I've hurt people. I saw more as a child than you've probably seen in your whole damn life, she wanted to say. My father disowned me, and I spent five happy years with someone who actually gave a damn about me, and she died when I was still a child, leaving me alone with no one else to turn to. Everyone I've ever wanted to stay with, I had to leave to keep my freedom, because I couldn't trust them if they found out who I was. I've had to sacrifice my happiness, my comfort, my safety, and my emotions to keep my freedom—so don't you dare lecture me about trusting someone.

There is no one I should trust, not even you. So stop asking me to try.

Sheik turned bodily away from him, startled to feel a tightness in her chest and a lump in her throat. But if she couldn't even trust him, then there was no reason she was going to allow him to see her break down.

"If you're just going to ignore me," Link finally said, breaking the last few minutes' silence, "Then I'm going to bed." His tone was a bit gruffer than usual, and she could already hear him rummaging in the bags to find his sleeping mat and blankets. But before he'd even settled down to sleep, he piped back up again in his usual, gentle tone. "But the option's still there, alright? Even if you ignore me, and shut me out, and try to make me leave, I'm not going to give up on you. That's a promise, Sheik."

Sheik just gritted her teeth and stayed silent. Link finally took the hint and laid down on his sleeping mat, his breathing slowly evening out until it was nothing more than a peaceful accompaniment of the wind and the chirp of crickets hiding in the grass.

It wasn't until Sheik was sure he was asleep that she finally risked going to get her own sleeping mat and blankets. Not wanting to wake him, and not wanting to be near him when she was feeling vulnerable, she set it up some distance from Link.

But, as she lay awake, too agitated to sleep as she ran Link's words over and over again in her mind, she nearly jolted back up as she realized exactly what Link had said.

Because, mixed in with his message of acceptance, and understanding, and, goddesses forbid it, friendship, he'd said something worrisome enough to make her blood run cold.

"I was raised on the streets, too, Sheik!"

Too.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, now, and she found she could barely breathe. Sheik didn't know what he knew—whether it was the full truth (had he seen her eyes, had he put the pieces together, did he know, did he know, did he know?)—

-or just that she wasn't a proper Sheikah, she had no idea.

But anything he knew was too much.

And yet—he had said that mixed in with such understanding and kindness. Even if he did know, he was asking her to trust him, and promising her over, and over, and over again that he wouldn't leave her or give up on her.

But if he knew she was lying to him about her identity, then why in Farore's name would he be so loyal?

Though the thoughts conflicted, and she couldn't sort out his intentions, his unwavering offer of friendship and partnership was enough to calm her. His original job, after all, was to protect the princess. Even if he did know, he wouldn't do anything to endanger her—and, likely, was smart enough to realize that any attention to her heritage would only draw unwanted attention to her, and probably get her kidnapped.

Link wasn't an idiot. If he had figured it out, he had to know that she needed to remain Sheik if she was to stay safe.

And yet—

No matter how she tried to reason with herself, and no matter how his reassurances calmed her, it didn't stop the worries in her heart. Because if he knew—and she was praying to all three golden goddesses that he didn't know—then that would mean he wanted to take her to the Castle, wouldn't it?

The Castle was no place for Sheik. Perhaps if she'd stayed Zelda, she would see it as a home. But she was Sheik now—trained by Impa, and more familiar with the streets and hiding places of Hyrule than anyone else in the kingdom.

If she wanted to, she could sneak away tonight and never look back. She could make do with her own supplies, and the money she had left. She'd managed on less.

But if she left now, then she wouldn't be nearly as capable of aiding the missing girls. She might not be able to undo the curses left on cities around Hyrule. And, though she pushed the thought away and tried to tell herself it didn't matter, she knew she would be leaving Link, too. And the thought of leaving him behind made her stomach twist, even if he did know too much.

No matter the iciness between them now, and no matter that she felt her heart skip a beat every time she thought of him saying "I was raised on the streets, too, Sheik!" she knew she couldn't just leave him.

Even though she knew that, though, that didn't stop her mind from weighing out the pros and cons of leaving. Every escape route, every city she could take refuge in, every weapon she would need to stay safe—but Link's face when she left was enough to make her reconsider her every move.

Sheik tried not to think about why that might be.

Morning brought a chill, beaten only by the continued icy silence between Sheik and Link. But Sheik wouldn't allow it to slow them down, so she packed up her things then woke her partner. No matter how he tried to get her attention or start up a conversation, Sheik ignored him, instead only focusing on packing up Epona.

It was a stark contrast to just a few nights ago, when they'd sparred. Any thoughts of finding her fire had vanished; ice had served her well enough before, so why should she try anything different now?

And, like her power with ice, her cold detachment was also the familiar choice. She slipped into it as easily as she guided Epona, pushing her faster and further than she knew Link would have allowed.

But to Sheik, it was worth it if they got to Solen sooner.

Though she knew she wouldn't abandon Link there, and that they'd be setting off for another city together once they finished their business in Solen, Sheik needed her space.

She needed to get what money she could, and find out information on her own. She needed to remind herself that she didn't need Link—that even if she did abandon him here, she could carry on just fine on her own.

Loneliness didn't matter. And her growing attachment to Link didn't matter, either. And if she'd let that get in the way of preserving her identity, then she was a fool and a child for hoping that someone would actually stick around.

It didn't take long to get to Solen from there, though, and soon Sheik led Epona to the outskirts of the city, paying a stable more than enough to care for the mare for the next several days.

With her things in a pack at her side, she started to walk towards the city. But Link's voice stopped her in her tracks, no matter how she wished she would have been able to ignore him.

"You're not—" Link started, sounding truly worried for a moment before his voice became almost uncannily calm. "You're not just leaving, are you?"

Sheik didn't turn around. "I have business to take care of," she said, and it surprised her how much she felt her heart sink when she heard silence behind her. Though she'd half been expecting him to look relieved at the possibility that she wouldn't come back, when she turned, she instead found him avoiding eye contact. But even though he wouldn't look at her, there was no hiding the worry and heartbreak on his face. The words left Sheik's lips before she could stop them. "But I'll be at Telma's by this evening."

Link looked up at her in an instant, surprise and relief flooding into his face. "So we're—"

"Don't pry into my history anymore," Sheik said, cutting him off. "But yes. We have a job to do. You're… Useful," she said, hating how callous she sounded. "I'm not going to just stop being your partner."

"I won't ask anything else if it bothers you." Link approached her, his own pack on his back, and offered her a hand. "…Are we alright, then?"

Sheik looked at his hand for a moment. Deep down, she knew that this wasn't just a pact between teammates. If she took his hand, she was opening herself up to all sorts of familiarity. After all, teammates didn't touch more than necessary. Helping each other, holding onto each other on Epona—that was one thing. But this was something new. Something different.

Sheik took his hand anyways. "We're fine now," she said. With that, she let go and adjusted her pack, looking towards Ravio's. "I'll see you later tonight."

"Alright," Link said, and Sheik just knew he had a smile on his face. "See you tonight!"

As she started down the road to Ravio's pawn shop, Sheik couldn't help but wonder just what she was getting herself into. But, she supposed there were worse people to trust. And if Link respected her privacy enough not to go digging into her past, then she supposed she could continue to work alongside him.

Still.

It bothered her that he seemed to know more about her already than he was letting on.

There were all kinds of saying about keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. But she'd never learned where teammates fell—and what to do if someone you worked with knew too much.

As she walked, she told herself that the reason she'd taken Link's hand was to keep him in line. If she was beside him, he wouldn't be able to spill her secrets because she'd always be there to stop him.

And, in a way, she knew her anxiety about her identity would make her do just that. No matter how trustworthy Link was, Sheik couldn't have him talk about her at all. The less people that knew she even existed as Sheik, the better. Too many people knew her as it was—she didn't need Link opening his mouth to anyone else.

But yet, as she rounded the corner to Ravio's shop, she knew that that wasn't the only reason she'd taken Link's hand.

One way or another, she wouldn't leave him. She wouldn't allow him to get hurt if she could be there to protect him. If he was continuing his search, she wanted to be next to him, helping him every step of the way. She hadn't saved him for nothing the first time she'd seen him, after all—and she certainly wasn't going to let anything happen to him now that she knew him better.

"You're still alive?!"

Sheik had just walked through Ravio's door. She hadn't even looked in the man's direction, hadn't pulled out her goods, hadn't even had time to breathe.

And yet, Ravio sounded the most excited she'd ever heard him. In an instant, he'd jumped over the counter and pulled her into a hug. On reflex, Sheik pushed him away, but even that didn't wipe the huge grin off his face.

"Well, I mean—of course you're still alive, they aren't really killing all those girls, I don't think, but—you're here! You're not kidnapped!" He was practically vibrating with excitement, and it was all Sheik could do to put a finger to her lips and shush him. "Sorry, sorry. It's just—it's been a while! I mean, it hasn't been that long, and you've been away for longer, but—with everything going the way it is, and all of those girls going missing even here… Goddesses, Sheik, I'm so glad you're still around!"

Sheik shifted uncomfortably. Ravio hardly knew her, and she got this strong of a reaction from him? She held her upper arm, looking distinctly out of place, though the pawn shop owner didn't seem to pick up on it. "I, um. I've been lying low," she said. Ha. "Don't worry, I've... Been avoiding the worst areas. Staying safe."

Ravio seemed encouraged to hear it—though Sheik almost felt bad, knowing that they were complete lies. "Well, that's good to hear, old friend! Whatever you do, don't go to Ecchar." Sheik averted her eyes, not that Ravio noticed. "I hear there's a whole lot of bad things going on there now that the kidnapping business is booming. Lots of cities are either being evacuated for weird things that are happening in them, or they're overrun with crime and kidnapping. Solen isn't bad yet, thank the goddesses, but I bet it's only a matter of time."

Sheik pressed her lips into a thin line under her mask and scarf. "Have a lot of girls been going missing here?" she asked. She knew of at least one—the daughter of the man who'd threatened Link a few weeks ago. But on her way here she was sure she'd seen at least one or two girls her age, so the kidnappings must not have been quite as widespread as in Ecchar, where girls were afraid to leave their homes. "If there's any information you have, I'd like it."

"Information? Buddy, I'm a pawnbroker," Ravio said. "I get criminals all the time—especially now that all the soldiers and guards are in the desert, so I got nothin' but information." After a moment, though, he turned a bit skeptical. "Wait, hey—if you're lying low, then why would you—"

"I'm a Sheikah, it's my job," Sheik said quickly. "I'm just trying to pass information along to people who can help."

Ravio still looked skeptical—and a bit wary, by the way he was glancing around his otherwise empty shop—but after a moment's hesitation, he took a deep breath and relaxed. "Alright, Miss Sheikah. But you better not tell anyone I said anything, I mean it."

"What do you take me for?" Sheik took out the jewelry she'd stolen back in Oxon. "Will this compensate for whatever information you can offer?"

Though she could see that Ravio was tempted, to her surprise, he shook his head. "I got my own reasons to want this all to end, yeah?" With a small smile, he added, "And… I mean, I know I said to stay outta Ecchar, and I mean it. But if you ever wind up there… There's a tavern near the middle of town. If, uh. You see a lady with dark hair and pretty red eyes… Could you—I mean… would it be possible…"

Sheik furrowed her brows. There was someone else in Ecchar with red eyes? But dark hair… She didn't sound like a Sheikah. As Sheik puzzled through it, though, Ravio seemed to be losing confidence, and finally he just shook his head.

"Aw, nevermind. She probably wouldn't want to hear it." A troubled look appeared on his face, too, as he added, "Actually, all things considered, you probably ought to avoid Ecchar at all costs—and especially that tavern. It's not safe anymore."

Though Sheik nodded, she was already making plans to go exactly there next time she was in the area.

"But, uh, you were asking for information, huh," Ravio said. "There's been a lot of people trading in wares from a couple'a spots around Hyrule. Usually when I get a lot of things from far-away cities, all from different people, there's gotta be some kind of organized crime going on. And where there's organized crime… you might have a lead on the kidnappings."

"What cities have these goods been coming from?"

"Ardock—it's been abandoned for a while, and I don't think anyone's come back to it," Ravio said. "Come to think of it, you were the first one to turn in something from Ardock…"

Sheik looked away. "Anywhere else?" she asked, voice raising.

"No, no, hold on now—did you have something to do with Ardock being unfrozen?"

"None of your business," Sheik said, and realized all too late that anything other than a No in this context would immediately be realized as a Yes.

"So you did do it! How did you do it? Some kinda Sheikah magic?" Ravio asked, leaning forward with wide, excited eyes. "Goddesses, I really gotta start spreading word that Ardock is safe now, otherwise the people returning will have no goods to return to!"

"Ravio," Sheik said, grabbing hold of his shoulder to get him back on track. "Please. The other towns?"

"Right, right," he said. "Well, there's Ise, and I recently got one or two things from Oxon, and I heard rumors that that one was on fire recently. Ise and Marr are the ones where I hear about the most kidnappings happening, though. And with Ecchar being the way it is, it's starting to look like the west is the only safe area we have left."

Sheik pursed her lips. Marr, too… She and Link would have to go East sometime soon, then. "What about rumors of strange things happening to cities?"

"The weird stuff?" Ravio hummed. "Nothing too clear, but there's been a lot of people fleeing from Sarin, Tal, and Kakariko, but I'm sure you already knew that, it being your hometown and all."

"My," Sheik started, face paling. "My hometown?"

"You're a Sheikah, aren't you?" Ravio raised a brow. "Don't Sheikah come from Kakariko before they go to work at the castle? Hey, speaking of which, how'd you escape from there, anyways?"

Sheik tried not to look too relieved as she forced her heartbeat to slow. "If I said anything, rumor might spread and they'd tighten security on the rest," she said quickly. "Sorry. But—do you know what happened to those cities?"

"They're saying that Sarin's turned into some kind of strange jungle, and Tal has been raised high into the sky. No one knows how to even get up there, but fortunately all the people managed to escape in time. Whoever's doing these weird things to the towns sure is doing a lousy job if they're looking to hurt people. As far as I know, there hasn't been a single casualty at any of these places!"

"Kakariko, though," Sheik prodded. "What about Kakariko? What happened to it?"

Ravio quirked his lips up into a frown. "That's the thing. No one really knows. It just all of a sudden vanished. Some say the very ground swallowed it up, and others are saying that it disappeared forever, or teleported halfway across the world and hasn't been found yet. There's nothing but grass left where it once stood."

Sheik closed her eyes. "Thank you," she said, hoping not to let grief overwhelm her. Even if she was a nomad now, Kakariko was where she had spent her only good years. It was where Impa had raised her and taught her. It was where she'd picked wildflowers every day to set at the table.

It was where Impa was buried, too. Had her grave vanished along with the city?

Sheik took a deep breath, exhaling it slowly so that she'd be calm enough to find her voice again. "I…I'll pass on the information."

As she turned to go, though, Ravio caught hold of her wrist. "You were gonna trade in that jewelry, weren't you?" he said. Though his voice wasn't one that adopted gentleness well, Sheik knew he was trying. Ravio was trying to help, in his own way, and Sheik had to avert her eyes to keep from getting too emotional. "I'll give ya a fair price for it, how about it?"

"Thank you," she said, and handed him the jewelry from Oxon. Though he looked up at her with a curious expression—presumably because of its origins—Sheik didn't pay it any mind. Let him wonder. He'd been helpful, and she half wished she could tell him more about Ardock, and Oxon—even what had happened in Ecchar, since he seemed particularly concerned with that area. But she could scarcely breathe, let alone speak in full sentences.

Because Kakariko was gone.

If she'd been there to protect it, maybe it would still be standing.

But goddesses, it was so close to Castle Town. Even now, knowing that it needed saving… Would she be brave enough to even visit its remains?

Though Sheik's pack felt heavier with the added bonus to her wallet, it was the knowledge of Kakariko that was weighing her down the most. So as she walked up to Telma's bar, it was all she could do to put one foot in front of the other and trudge past the welcome desk and the bar.

Sure, she could sleep here, and wash up, and visit Ilia, and Telma, and talk to Link. Here was a place of rest, and of safety.

But what good was her safety when Kakariko was gone?

With a heavy heart, Sheik made her way up to the upper rooms, finding Link already occupying one. As it had two beds and the other one was empty, she could only assume that they were supposed to share a room. She didn't hesitate as she unpacked her things, but once she'd ran out of tasks, she found herself absolutely numb.

For once, she had no idea what to do with herself. So she took a seat on the edge of the empty bed and just stared at the wall.

She felt too empty inside to let her hair down, to take off her mask and scarf. Even if she was just in Link's company, she felt too numb to move—let alone do something to make herself comfortable. What was her comfort for, when Kakariko was gone? What could she possibly hope to gain from anything that wasn't immediately seeking out the fate of her home?

And yet—

Could she even return?

Was she brave enough to risk getting caught? It was so close to Castle Town, and with so many people looking for the King's Daughter, she'd have to hide every step of the way. Would she even be able to save Kakariko if she was sneaking around so much?

Rationally, she knew it was just a place. Granted, a place with some of her only fond memories—but a place nonetheless.

But it had been her place, before. Her and Impa's.

And if Kakariko was gone, and Impa had been buried there… Then it was almost like losing Impa all over again. All of the memories they made in that small home on the outskirts of the village. All of the wildflowers she'd plucked for the table then laid out on the grass. Every night that Impa had tucked her in and told her stories of princesses and heroes long past—

Every tangible memory of her childhood was gone now, in the blink of an eye.

Sheik couldn't move, couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

It wasn't until Link crossed the room and sat beside her that she realized he must have been trying to talk to her. But she didn't turn her head towards him. She just stared at the wall across her, gaze as hollow as she felt.

"What happened?" Link asked, tentatively reaching out to her. His hand found its way onto her shoulder, and she was far too numb to move it off of her. "You can talk to me, you know?"

It took Sheik a long time to find her voice. But when she finally did, the words didn't feel like her own. They were dull, and flat, and heavy with grief. "Kakariko," she said. "Kakariko is gone."

((Actual notes on Sheik and Link's relationship and why first impressions matter: When Sheik finds Link, he's hurt and she's not sure if he'll live, so she does her best to save him. That's a very powerful first impression. Any time she saves someone, she wants to check in on them and make sure they're alright, so from the start, she was always going to care about his safety and wellbeing. Hence, when he's upset, her first instinct is to try to help him, even if she doesn't trust him. However, as time goes on, she sees him as more and more capable, which is why she lets him stick with her. As for Link, his first impression of Sheik was someone who was strong, fierce, kind, and independent. But over time, he's seen more and more of her weaknesses. As someone who's looked out for and provided for Ilia for most of his life, he quickly takes a more protective stance over Sheik because he's used to being a provider and a defender. When he saw the bruises on her back when she was thrown into that table, that's when he decided that, though Sheik seemed determined to do everything alone, Link wanted to be beside her to help her as much as he could.

Sorry for the longwinded rant but I just really wanted to explain, just in case anyone was confused about their interactions and why they behave the way they do around each other. Thank you so much for your reviews and your favs and follows—and I hope that you like this chapter as much as you liked the last one! Please, if you like it, and even if you don't, review! I'd love to hear what you all have to say about this one!))