The late morning was hot, and though Sheik knew Link was in a good mood, she couldn't help but feel, if anything, more irritated as she felt the sun on her back. It was as if the sun had become more cheerful right along with her partner, and the two of them were conspiring against her.

Was her rationality really slipping enough that she was comparing her partner to the sun?

But she couldn't be blamed, really; anyone would feel irritable if they'd been arguing for the better part of an hour over what city to go to first.

"We heard about Ise first," Sheik repeated for what must have been the fifth time, leaning over the map she and Link had been poring over for most of the afternoon. "Word about this sort of thing only travels so fast—if we've already heard it, then it must have already been going on for a while."

Link shook his head. "Marr is a lot further away, so word was going to travel slower here regardless. For all we know, it's been going on for even longer. And anyways, no matter who we heard about first, it doesn't mean it's an indicator of which place is being hit the hardest."

"But we still heard about Ise first. When you hear about someone in distress, it's our responsibility to help them first, before anyone else, unless we hear about someone else in a real crisis. We're honor-bound to—"

"Sheik," Link cut in. "We're not 'honor-bound' to do anything." At her blank confusion, Link clarified. "It's our job to look for the princess. Everyone else we're helping of our own free will. We don't have to do it in any specific order—especially since we don't have to be doing this at all."

Sheik bit the inside of her cheek, grateful that her mask was on so she wouldn't give away the irrational anger she was feeling. "Right," she forced out. "The king's daughter."

If Link seemed confused that she'd already forgotten her role as a supposed Sheikah bodyguard, then he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he redirected his focus back to the map. "Anyways, Marr is a lot further away. Wouldn't it be better to get it dealt with first before we move elsewhere?"

"It'll be a hell of a lot more expensive," Sheik said. "So we'll have to find a way to replenish our supplies in Marr, or Tal, before we can return to Solen."

"Then it's all the better to go to Marr first. If we go to Ise and Sarin first, then I'm not sure if we'll have enough rupees to even come to Marr." Link paused, looking up at her. "But Castle Town is only a short detour on the road back east. You could always go to Castle Town and try to see the King. I'm sure if you could find a way in, he'd be willing to give you some extra funds to help pay for the rest of the trip through Marr—"

Sheik's heart skipped a beat, and she swore she felt someone rip the air from her lungs. "I'm the only Sheikah I know of that escaped the Castle," Sheik said, forcing her voice to stay steady no matter how panicked she felt. "It would be suicide to try it again."

"That escaped, huh," Link said, half to himself. Sheik felt her pulse quicken, and she prayed he wouldn't ask her anything further. As a gift from the goddesses, though, he didn't question her again. "Well, that's rough. I was hoping somehow you were still getting paid. But I guess if I'm not getting paid because the castle can't send messengers, you wouldn't be getting paid, either." He hummed. "Marr will be the most expensive, though, and we'll have to buy a lot of provisions for it no matter what. I say we do what we can while we still have the money to do it."

As much sense as Link was making, Sheik still felt guilty for not going to Ise first. They needed help, and she had known about them first. It wasn't fair that they were leaving them to their own devices.

But if they wanted to go to both of them, then Link was right. They'd have to go to Marr while they still had the budget for it, because Ise wouldn't require near as many provisions.

Not to mention, both Marr and Tal were quite wealthy cities. If she nicked a few treasures while she was there, they could probably fund heading back to Solen, and the entire return trip to Ise. She'd have to slip away from Link to steal the goods, and slip away in Solen to exchange them, but if it meant saving even one more girl from whatever goddess-forsaken life awaited her after being kidnapped, then it was worth it.

"Marr it is," Sheik finally said. "But if we want to leave tomorrow morning, then we need to get all the preparations done tonight."

Link nodded, already starting to roll up the map and put it in its proper place. "I can get some food that won't spoil from Telma, but she can only spare so much. We'll have to get some more red potion, too… Though, for how much I've used, a shield might be a better option…"

"You have a sword but not a shield?" Sheik raised a brow. "I'll buy your shield if I have to. All the red potion in the world won't help you if you get skewered."

"Well, it might help a little," Link said, a sheepish smile on his face. "But I'll find one somewhere, don't worry."

"Just get one before tomorrow morning. I'm going to double check what we already have—rope, and blankets and the like," she said. "No sense buying more of what we have."

Link nodded, waving her away. "Have fun in the market. I'll stay here and see what provisions we can get for free before I head out to the city square. Will you be back late?"

"Depends on how quickly I can find what we need." With that, Sheik headed out of their shared room, grabbing her wallet on the way. It only struck her as she passed the doorway, though, just how more at ease Link seemed about her going on her own.

She supposed it had everything to do with Ecchar being Ecchar This was Solen, after all; there was no reason in the world why she wouldn't be able to head out on her own, so she didn't dwell on it.

Sheik couldn't help but think it was nice, having someone that trusted her to come back.

Most of their non-essentials had been left with Epona, so Sheik ended up in the stables on the outskirts of town, searching through the stalls till she found the mare, and the supplies carelessly left beside her.

In the saddle-bags, there were five blankets, four water-skins, two empty bottles, four full bottles (of potion and food and things that had been sitting in the sun so long that Sheik wasn't sure was either), eighteen feet of rope, two sleeping mats, Sheik's own sparse winter gear, Link's even sparser winter gear, clean underclothes, soap, a half-empty bag of oats for Epona (which Sheik guessed Link was saving for the less grassy areas they traveled over), and a nearly empty bag meant to contain all of their food.

As she took in just how much Epona had been carrying, Sheik wished now more than ever that she still had her own horse. Epona was a strong mare, but to have already carried two people, all of the supplies she had now, and more when their rations were still full? She patted Epona's neck, murmuring an apology into her velvety ears.

"We'll see if we can't find another horse once we can afford one," she said. "But until then, you'll have to just do your best. There's an awful lot of supplies we'll have to bring with us on our way to Marr."

Though Sheik knew Epona couldn't understand her, her eyes were soft and gentle and almost understanding. Had it been a person giving her that look, Sheik would have been offended. But because it was Epona—and because no one was around—that expression earned the horse another gentle pat on the neck.

"I'll see if I can't find some apples for you," she whispered. When Epona's eyes brightened—and Sheik supposed she might really have understood the word 'apples'—Sheik hid a smile. "Don't mention it."

As she left Epona and the supplies in the stall, she ran through a list in her head of what they could afford to leave behind—winter gear and some of the extra blankets—and what they definitely needed more of—food, obviously, and extra clothes, and more soap and oats and rope.

Sheik closed her eyes, wondering how she would possibly be able to pay for the supplies they needed and another horse. They really would have to just cope with Epona for now.

Maybe she could even steal a horse. So long as it wasn't from a poor person, she had no qualms about it. There were plenty of criminals on Hyrule Field, too, and she certainly had no problem taking a horse from them. It would be worth the hassle (and the guilt) if it meant saving people faster. Not to mention it would finally end the awkward way she and Link had to hold onto each other, depending on who was leading. Yes, the sooner they could be done with that, the happier she'd be.

As she walked to the marketplace, though, she saw Link not far ahead of her, purchasing food at the market.

She supposed he must have already finished sorting things with Telma; it had been quite a long walk to and from the stables on the outskirts of town.

And yet, as she trailed some distance behind him, looking for a supplier for what they needed, she couldn't help but watch him out of the corner of her eye. With the sweet way he addressed the people in the marketplace, and the friendly smiles he sent to everyone he passed, it was hard to believe that he had ever stolen, like Ravio had said. Just seeing how he interacted with people, it was hard to believe that this boy had ever been involved with the wrong crowd. He seemed too kind for it—too sensitive to others.

But all the same, Sheik knew better.

And, as a young boy stole an apple from a stand and was called out for it ("Stop, theif!") Sheik watched as Link startled and whipped around.

There was panic on his face only for a moment before he calmed down. Sheik supposed it was similar to how she reacted when she heard the name 'Zelda' said in public.

Curious, now, as to how Link would react, Sheik watched him, and how he stared down the thief.

The boy was running in Link's direction, too. Sheik watched with baited breath, wondering how on earth her partner would react if this boy came much closer.

As soon as the thief came close enough, Link stopped him in a flash, taking hold of the boy's wrist and taking the apple from his hand.

The sight shocked her so much that she nearly couldn't help her expression. Sheik wondered, shock and anger filling her, what in Hyrule he thought he was doing. After all, this was the same boy who was so set on helping people, yet here he was, handing a boy over because he tried to steal an apple?

But just as he led the boy back to the cart he'd stolen from, Link pulled out several rupees—enough to pay for that apple, and two more. He then handed the boy all three he'd bought, leaned down to whisper something in his ear, and sent the boy on his way.

It took a moment for Sheik to truly understand what he'd done. But once she had, heat rose to her cheeks. More worrisome, though, was the pace at which her heart was beating, and the lump rising in her throat.

Sheik couldn't understand why she felt so strange as she watched him.

But wary of being seen (for reasons she couldn't understand), Sheik ducked into a cross-street, hiding behind the corner of the building so that she was just out of Link's line of sight. They were in public, of course, and there was nothing wrong with what she'd just seen, but…

Somehow, it felt as though she'd been witness to something incredibly private.

Her racing heart slowed after a moment, but the heat in her cheeks remained. Though her mask at least hid the redness on her face, it did nothing for the excess heat, and she found herself uncomfortably warm despite the cool breeze blowing through the market.

As much as she wanted to finish collecting supplies, Sheik was incredibly tempted to just stay put. Not being seen by Link would be wonderful—especially since she was sure seeing him would just make her heart pick back up and worsen the heat under her skin.

But, no matter what she wanted, she had a job to do.

And Sheik, though she had hidden for most of her adolescent years, was not a coward. So she took a deep breath and steadied herself, attempting to think of anything other than Link and the scene that had just transpired.

The only thoughts about apples she would allow were the ones she was going to pick up for Epona.

That in mind, she started across the street and quickly accosted her partner, stopping him with a hand on his shoulder. "How has your search gone?" she asked, looking more at his satchel of supplies than at his face. How could she look at him, really, when he still had such a contented smile on his face?

If Link found her aversion of eyes strange, he didn't say a word. Instead he just turned towards her, smile brightening as he looked her over. "I wasn't expecting to see you till later! I already got Telma's approval to take a look through her pantry and take anything that had a spare, but there's a lot she didn't have spares of, so I made a list and I'm looking for sales around here…"

With that sweet smile and the tone that came with it, Sheik wouldn't stand a chance. So she cleared her throat and attempted to sound more serious—more devoted to business. "We need to have enough for the return trip, too," Sheik said. "And enough extra to last us in case we get delayed a day."

Confusion met her, and Link's smile looked, for a moment, a bit forced. "Why would we get delayed a day?"

"Just in case. Sometimes unexpected things happen, and we have to prepare for them." Sheik forced down the memory of Link, badly burned from the fire monster of Oxon. If they hadn't found red potion… "I'd rather not push our luck, that's all. And another day's rations means that we could stretch out our rations if something happens."

"Well, it is almost a week and a half's trip, with Epona burdened as much as she is…" Link bit the inside of his cheek, brows furrowing in indecision. "But we still don't know how hot it'll be, or how many days Epona can keep up a good pace…"

"With as long as it'll take, it might be better for two days' extra. It might take her longer than we anticipate, considering how many consecutive days we'll be riding her." Sheik frowned. "We might have to walk, some, to give her a break."

"We'll definitely have to get some extra oats for her, too. Marr is hot this time of year, and with all the weird cities around Hyrule, there's no guarantee she'll be able to eat grass at Tal…"

Sheik nodded. "Two days' extra should be enough to cover the difference, just in case. I'll cover the difference if need be."

"No, no, I," Link started, smile faltering just a moment. "I, um, would prefer it if we had enough. I hadn't realized that we might get delayed."

Though Sheik could see some worry in Link's eyes, and she knew that falter in Link's smile hadn't been a trick of the light, it wasn't any of her business. So she looked away again, willfully blinding herself to any other slip-ups that might disrupt his smile.

"Well," she said, trying not to feel guilty. "I—If there's nothing you need me to help you with, then I ought to get started on collecting my own part of the list."

"Yeah." Link glanced up at her, as if trying to get a better look at her face. They stood in silence a moment, neither of them willing to move, before finally Link spoke again. "Well," he said, glancing cross the market and starting to move towards it. "I guess I'll just—I'll see you at Telma's tonight."

Sheik watched him as he went. "Right."

And, though she soon turned and went about her own business, she couldn't help but to look over at him from time to time. His interactions were as friendly as ever, naturally; Sheik was coming to expect it from him. The vendors seemed to enjoy his company even more than his money, and the ordinary people milling about the city square hardly seemed better. Everyone he passed smiled at him, or asked him how he was doing, or wished him a good day. It was foreign to Sheik, but fascinating, and she couldn't help but listen in even when she wasn't watching.

Some of them, though, seemed a bit too interested. Particularly the young women—as well as a few young men—that she caught staring. They looked embarrassed if they saw that she'd noticed, but not so embarrassed that they wouldn't look away.

It as frustrating as it was fascinating. Almost everyone seemed to like him, and even the ones that didn't seem to know him were friendly.

But of course they were, Sheik thought. By Hylian standards, Link was good-looking, if a bit short and stocky. His face was symmetrical (even if he had rather round cheeks), and his freckles were nice (she supposed), and it was obvious just by looking at him that he was strong (and Hylians were interested in that sort of thing, weren't they?). Why wouldn't other people think he was good looking?

It was just an inconvenience, Sheik told herself as she vindictively bagged and paid for a sack of apples for Epona. Because if people noticed he was good-looking, then they would only slow him down as he tried to do his job.

As she packed up rope, and extra clothes, and a few extra water-skins, though, she couldn't ignore the tension in her spine. But it wasn't that she was jealous. Link had spent more time with her than anyone else, and he had been the one to offer a title of 'friend' first. She was quite comfortable with their relationship, and she didn't feel threatened by anyone else.

It was just inconvenient, she thought. Incredibly inconvenient of these people—who had probably been acquaintances of his for years—to brush shoulders and shake hands—touch him more freely than she ever could—with her partner. He had a job to do.

As she watched him laugh and joke with a group of boys and girls around his age, Sheik turned her warm face away. Inconvenient as the people were, she decided, they weren't wholly to blame. It was in Link's nature to be friendly, and to be sweet, and to be every bit as heroic as the legends of old.

Sheik grit her teeth.

Damn the goddesses for allowing this boy to be cute as well as kind.

Telma's was quiet that evening, and if anyone noticed Sheik drinking alone at the counter, they didn't approach her. How could they, when she so clearly wanted to be left alone? Sheik usually liked to think she wasn't quite as stand-offish as she appeared, but tonight, she was glad that her resting expression put people off. Because right then, the only company she wanted—or so she told herself—was Telma, and that was because Telma didn't mind giving her drinks.

This time Sheik was more than happy to pay—not wanting Ilia to cover it—and Telma, funnily enough, seemed happier to accept her money.

It seemed that the good of saving Ilia was downplayed because she had put Link in danger. But Sheik could hardly blame Telma if she was angry; the way she treated Link, Sheik would have assumed he was her actual son. Anyone would be angry if they found out their child had been put in danger.

But Telma didn't stop her from drinking, and she didn't confront her, either. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Sheik was happy to keep things as they were.

So she drank in silence and listened across the room.

For the first half of the evening, she'd merely drank and stared into nothing, her thoughts far from her as she kept Kakariko on her mind. But as the night wore on, and she drank enough that her thoughts didn't dwell so heavily on sad subjects, she couldn't help but listen to what some of the other tenants were talking about.

One table in particular caught her interest: Link, Ilia, and what must have been Link's friends from Solen. Link didn't do much of the talking, Sheik noticed, but he certainly seemed to be having a good time.

He hadn't gotten a single alcoholic drink—something to do with Telma's mothering, Sheik suspected. But he'd gotten plenty to eat, and he looked happier and more peaceful than she'd seen him in a while—perhaps the most relaxed she'd ever seen him.

It was kind of nice.

For most the evening, they discussed carnivals, and fairs, and what jobs they were hoping to apprentice at. Most of Link's friends wanted to be soldiers, but one wanted to be a chef. Ilia, apparently, wanted to work with horses or other farm animals. But Link… Sheik tried not to feel disappointed when all he said was, "I'm happy with anything, so long as I can pay for whatever I need."

Sheik supposed it wasn't really a surprise, though, all considered.

The friends in Solen clearly missed Link, and made an effort to tell him so a number of times through the conversation. They had every right to want him to stay, of course, and Sheik almost felt bad for pulling him away from his life here. She could tell that Link felt a bit bad, too—though he always got curiously quiet every time they asked him to stay.

She wondered, heart feeling curiously heavy, if he was starting to regret going with her.

No matter his quiet moments, though, he was happy. Rarely did more than a few minutes go by without someone laughing—and usually, Link joined in with them.

It was nice, Sheik decided, hearing him so cheerful.

But, all good things came to an end eventually, and Sheik hid her frown behind her latest sip of ale as she heard their conversation turn to more serious matters.

"So, Link—you still working for the King even though the castle's been sealed off?"

Much as she wished Link could just enjoy this evening, Sheik couldn't help but listen closer.

"Still having trouble finding her, but yeah," he said. "I've, uh, ended up expanding my search a lot, though. There's a lot of weird stuff happening around Hyrule. Maybe she's connected to it, you know?"

"Feels like it'd be pretty convenient if she was," one of the girls said. "I mean, she's just the king's daughter. The only thing directly connected to her would be the kidnappings, right?"

"Yeah, but everyone knows why they're looking for the princess in the first place," one of the boys said. "Something about ancient magic. Goddesses only know why anyone even still believes in the triforces, though. They haven't been seen in generations."

"Did the Hero of Twilight have one?"

"If he did, he never said much about it," the boy said, then looked back up at Link. "But I guess you might be onto something. All magic's the same. If one thing weird is happening, it's probably connected to some of the other weird stuff."

Link was quiet a moment, and he sounded strange when he answered. Sheik listened closely lest she miss Link's soft voice, almost defensive as he answered. "You're wrong about that, not all magic is the same. And the princess might not have the Triforce of Wisdom. It hasn't been seen in a while, just like you said." Before anyone could protest that he was taking his words back, he continued, "But the kidnappings are happening because they're looking for the princess, right? What if—what if the cities have something to do with that? They haven't hurt anyone from what I've seen."

"Oxon was on fire, wasn't it? How can you say no one was hurt?"

"I was at Oxon," Link said. Everyone at the table started speaking at once, but Ilia quieted them, allowing Link to continue. "My—my partner and I, we ended the curse on it. But the city was abandoned. You couldn't get in or out without some kind of magic to protect you. Whatever happened, the people must have been evacuated beforehand."

Sheik sipped her drink. Apparently her partner was more thoughtful than she'd thought. But then, he'd also figured out that the tunnels were where the girls were being kept…

Perhaps she'd underestimated him.

"…Wasn't Sheik at Ardock shortly after it was unfrozen, too?" Ilia asked. "She said it had been abandoned when she found it, too…"

Link nodded. "Whoever's doing this, they're not trying to hurt anyone—I don't think so, anyways. But they're causing an awful lot of trouble."

"What if the princess is the one doing it?" a different boy asked. "I mean, if she does have the Triforce of Wisdom like they say, then surely that's enough magic to—"

"Magic isn't all the same," Link repeated. "If she does have magic from the Triforce, it's from the Goddesses' blessing. Maybe if she had the Triforce of Power, sure, but Wisdom?"

"Then what magic is causing it?" one of the girls asked. "I didn't even know there were different types…"

Sheik finished the last of her drink, trying to blink her blurry vision away. If she had much more, she knew she'd just end up sullen and dizzy with too few inhibitions. And for as many secrets as she carried, it wouldn't be wise to risk them just to relax.

But if she wasn't drinking, then there wasn't much excuse for her to continue sitting there and eavesdropping.

With an irritated frown, Sheik paid for her last drink—along with a decent-sized tip, as was her habit—and got up from her seat.

She hadn't expected to actually feel dizzy upon standing, but she supposed it was her own fault. At least she was sturdy enough to walk on her own. Unfortunately, Link's friends were on the way to the staircase, and Sheik couldn't avoid passing by them.

"Wait—Is that her? Is that your partner, Link?" one of the girls whispered. "I've never seen a Sheikah up close before…"

Sheik's ears burned, but she ignored her, pretending that she hadn't heard. Still, no matter how much she'd drank, her hearing was sharp as ever, and it didn't stop her from continuing to hear them on her way to the stairs.

"Yeah, that's Sheik," Link said. "She's, um." He hesitated, and Sheik wondered in vain what he was going to describe her as, because he soon abandoned the effort altogether. He cleared his throat, forcing a yawn. "…Actually, we're heading back out in the morning, so I should probably get to bed soon, too. I don't want to wake her when I come in."

It was the wrong thing to have said. Sheik grimaced as she heard the collective gasps and gossip that followed such a statement. "But she's—" "You're sharing a—?" "I thought you were—"

Really, how scandalous, to share a room when they'd defeated monsters together. How bizarre. Sheik started up the stairs, trying not to roll her eyes where they could still see.

Still, Link's answers followed her up the stairs. "It's not like that! It's just—easier. We can head out together in the morning and we don't have to pack our things separately—"

Sheik closed the door, effectively blocking him out.

It wasn't Link's fault that his friends here in Solen were so ignorant about magic, or about partnerships that didn't include a romantic entanglement. But despite his friends, Sheik couldn't help but be slightly—slightly—impressed by Link's responses.

Especially his thoughts about the cursed cities.

Whoever was casting those curses might have been trying not to hurt anyone. Maybe the people of Ardock and Oxon weren't lucky to escape alive. Maybe that had been the plan all along.

Sheik frowned.

But all that was doing, then, was creating refugees. Wanderers. More people on Hyrule Field, and more people calling other cities home.

And if they kept cursing cities… Then more and more people would be homeless, and flee to other cities until the cities were overcrowded, and there were only a few—maybe even only one—city left for them to go.

Sheik pursed her lips into a frown.

The Sheikah were a stubborn, hardy people, and they had magic on their side.

Perhaps that was why it had vanished altogether. Any Sheikah that remained in Kakariko might have won against the curses, and the monsters that tried to overtake their city.

As proud as she was of her people, it didn't make her feel any better.

Girls were being kidnapped, Hylians were possibly being herded into one city through the destruction of the others, the Royal Army was off doing Goddesses-knew-what in the Desert… and, as far as she knew, only she and Link were fighting back.

They had already done a lot, she knew, but they couldn't do everything themselves.

If Hyrule was going to stand a chance against whoever—or whatever—was behind all of this, then the people needed to start doing more in their own defense.

She could only pray that Ecchar, at least, had had luck.

But before she could think too much on it, the door opened, and Link slipped through it. He closed his eyes and leaned against the door, letting out a relieved sigh as he slid down to rest more comfortably against it.

"I take it," Sheik said, looking him over, "That they were a bit overwhelming?"

Link nodded, scratching the back of his neck. "I love them, and I miss them when I'm away, but… Goddesses. They want me to stay here forever, and I just…"

"You have a job to do," she finished for him, a hint of a smile on her face. It took her a moment to realize she was still without her mask, and she turned her face away. "You… You had some good insight about the cities tonight."

"You could hear us?" His cheeks turned a bit pink, and Sheik had to force away the smirk that rose to her lips. Perhaps he was embarrassed at the last moments she had heard him, as she'd been coming up the stairs. "I didn't… I mean—I wasn't—they were the ones who brought it up."

"It was a good point nonetheless," she said. Though her theory had made perfect sense in her head, because of how much she'd drank, it was a bit difficult to articulate them, and when she opened her mouth again to speak, she found herself at a loss. "The person who—whoever is responsible for cursing those cities… they might not be trying to hurt anyone. They might just be…" She struggled for the words, a slight frown on her face. "Herding Hylians. Like goats."

Link looked her over, his wide blue eyes concerned for a moment. "Herding Hylians like goats," he repeated. "By destroying their homes?"

"Yes," Sheik said. "Getting rid of towns to gather everyone into one or two. So they can," and here, she hesitated, because she wasn't entirely sure why they were doing it. "So they can sort through them easier, maybe. Control them easier."

It took him a moment, but Link seemed to get it. "…Sorting through them easier," he said, frowning in contemplation. "It would make looking for the princess easier, that's for sure. They don't know where she is, so they're destroying everywhere she might be, till there's only a few places for her to go."

Sheik blinked. "That," she said, "That is a good point."

Link looked her over again, the contemplative frown quickly replaced by concern. "You should probably get to sleep," he said. "You won't be very happy riding tomorrow if you have a hangover."

"I haven't had that much," she said. "Just… just a bit. I'll be fine."

Link didn't look convinced. "We can talk more on the road," he said, looking her over and apparently finding her less than satisfactory. "For now, just take a bath and get to bed. We'll both need our sleep if we're gonna make it to Marr in one piece." When she nodded and started to get up, though, he added, "And I promise I won't tell the king about you, uh. Breaking the rules. So don't worry about that."

And Sheik, for all of her careful consideration of her disguise, for all the times she'd held her tongue lest a secret spill out, couldn't stop herself from the bitter words that escaped her. "As if he actually controls me."

But she shut the door and started the water before she could realize what she'd said—and she was already in the water before she even realized it was a mistake.

By the time she realized she'd made such a grave mistake, though, she was already in the bath and more at ease than she'd felt in days. Maybe it was because she was surrounded by Nayru's element, maybe it was because she'd had a bit too much to drink, and—though she'd never admit it—maybe it was because some part of her trusted Link, even if he knew she wasn't a Sheikah. More than likely, it was all three. But Sheik would take her peace where she could get it.

When she got of the water and prepared for bed, the lights were already off, and Link was in bed.

Sheik crept by him, silent as ever, but stopped before she could get to her own bed.

Link's blankets were off of him, and the room was far too cold for him to sleep comfortably without them. Sheik hardly thought about it as she pulled the covers back up over his shoulders.

She knew from his conversation with Telma early that morning that he hadn't been getting very good sleep. The least she could do was make sure he was at least warm enough to get a good night's sleep. It wasn't a big deal, she told herself as she slipped under her own blankets. She was just being a good partner.

And hopefully come morning—whether or not she'd helped him at all—he'd be rested and ready to continue on to Marr.

But if not…

Sheik supposed she could always return the favor he had done her on the way to Ecchar. If he needed to sleep, then she wouldn't deny him. It was the least she could do for this partner who had been so diligent in helping her.

Morning came far too early, and with a headache to worsen the sunrise.

Sheik regretted drinking last night, to be sure, but there was nothing she could do about it now. So she simply headed downstairs—sneaking past a sleeping, yet tossing-and-turning Link—and bought water and red potion. Neither completely soothed the ache between her temples, but she couldn't deny that she felt a bit better after drinking them.

When she returned upstairs to finish packing, she found that Link was still asleep. Sheik watched him a moment, focusing on the dull grey circles under his eyes.

He probably hadn't been able to sleep much last night, either… And even as she watched him, he continued to toss and turn.

Sheik wondered if it had anything to do with what she'd let slip last night, or if he was remembering Hilda and Ecchar. Either way, she couldn't find it in her to wake him.

So she started packing alone, taking extra care to load the food so that the heavier, more durable foods wouldn't crush the softer ones. It was difficult, though, considering how much there was of it. Sheik could understand packing extras in case they got stranded, but goddesses—they could have probably fed a third person with how much Link had packed.

She nearly opened her mouth to wake him and ask him about it, but in the end, she thought better of it.

She'd lived on the streets long enough to understand the importance of having extras. And with what she knew of Link…

Sheik packed everything without complaint, but stopped short of trekking out to Epona.

As much as she wanted to let Link sleep a while longer, they had people who needed them. So she stood over his bedside and gently shook his shoulder. "We need to head out soon, before it gets late."

Link woke slowly, and Sheik felt guilty when she saw how tired his eyes still looked. But he smiled and sat up nonetheless, quickly dressing and checking around the room for his things—including his new shield, which he strapped to his back, fingers clumsily fastening the unfamiliar straps. "You, uh, already—?"

"You were sleeping," Sheik explained, sliding on her exterior armor. "Figured you should get whatever sleep you can. It's going to be a long day."

Link looked, if anything, nervous when she said that. "…Yeah," he finally managed. "About—about last night, um…"

"I know what I said," Sheik said, forcing an unconcerned tone into her voice. "If you want to back out, now's the time, before we set out together. I'd rather not get stranded in the middle of nowhere if you change your mind later, since Epona is technically your horse. So either tell me now so I can make my own arrangements, or—"

"Sheik," Link cut in. "I'm not going to back out on you. I just want to ask you—"

"If you're not going to back out, then let's get going," Sheik said. She put her mask and scarf on, avoiding eye-contact all the while. "If it's that important to you, we can talk on the road, but we need to get going. Daylight only lasts for so long."

Link sat on the edge of the bed and slid his boots on. "I take it this is why you don't want to go to Hyrule Castle, huh?"

Sheik sent a half-hearted glare his way. "Wait until we're on the road. This isn't a conversation I want others to hear."

Especially since she wasn't sure how much Link knew.

Sure, by now he had to have figured out that she wasn't a real Sheikah. But did he know that she was the King's Daughter?

Her heart raced at the possibility. But with her mask and scarf on, she could worry less about hiding her expression. Half to calm herself, Sheik took her braid out and started re-braiding it, weaving the strands together till they laid in a heavy block against her back.

Link watched her a moment, but seemed to decide that further conversation could wait. "I'll ask later," he finally said. "But this is something I need to know. Alright?"

Sheik nodded. In her heart of hearts, she was grateful for it, really, even if she'd only postponed the inevitable.

Sooner or later, Link would have confirmation that she wasn't a true Sheikah. She just hoped that it would be later rather than sooner.

The trek to Epona was long, and the bags they carried were heavy with supplies. Sheik didn't envy Epona in the slightest, especially knowing that the mare would have to carry them, too. But there wasn't time enough to buy another horse, and this early in the day, it wasn't as if anyone was selling one.

Sheik still had half a mind to steal one, but horses were expensive, and the last thing she wanted was to steal a poor person's means of transportation.

So on Epona she would stay. She slipped Epona one of the apples from yesterday before she could start feeling too guilty about it.

Soon they were fully loaded up, and it was with dread that Sheik set out, taking the reins while Link sat behind her.

The further out they traveled, the more likely Link was to ask. They could only postpone that conversation so long, Sheik knew, and she had half a mind to bring it up herself. But fear kept her from asking, so they rode together in silence for at least an hour, though to Sheik's racing heart, it felt much longer. It wasn't till the midmorning sun beat down on them that Link finally opened his mouth, and Sheik tensed even as the first word left his mouth.

"So," he started. "You don't actually serve the King."

Sheik took a breath to calm herself. It did little to steady her racing heartrate. "Correct."

"Mind telling me who you do serve, then?"

"I am in no one's direct service," Sheik said. "I'm a nomad. You figured that part out a while ago, though, didn't you?" Her mind still echoed his 'I lived on the streets, too!' any time she got too comfortable around him.

Link hummed in affirmation. "It was kind of hard not to. You don't trust anyone."

"You do, and you lived on the streets," Sheik said. Her grip on the reins was tight, and she felt as if she could barely breathe. But she kept her voice strong and steady nonetheless. "Explain."

"Telma could make anyone trust her, and I've known Ilia since before I can remember," Link said. "I'd hardly call myself an exception."

Sheik pursed her lips. "It's not exactly Sheikah custom to trust outsiders. How could you know that it wasn't a cultural difference?"

"Why does it matter?" Link asked. "Look, I figured it out, you're not in the King's service, you've lived on the streets at least for the last year or so, I'd wager—why does it matter so much to you how I figured it out?"

"Because if you figured out I don't serve the king, what's to stop others from figuring it out?" Sheik turned to face him, eyes steely even if her resolve wasn't. "This cover is the only thing that allows me unrestricted passage, and that passage has allowed me to help people for years. If there is something that gives me away, I need to know."

Link was quiet for a while, as if weighing her words. Finally, though, he sighed. "You have incredible survival skills, and that might be an attribute of the Sheikah, but you fight like someone from the streets. Sheikahs have more finesse, and either fight fairly, or don't hold back at all, depending on their targets."

"And how would you—"

"The King hired me to find his daughter, Sheik," Link said. "He wouldn't trust just anyone with that. I've spent time at the Castle—I know what King's Sheikahs are like, and you're not like any of them. Not to mention you insult the king whenever someone mentions him."

Sheik's face burned.

Link continued, holding nothing back. "You know of Sheikah customs, I'll give you that. The best I can figure is that you were raised Sheikah and left at some point, but still managed to find the costume of a Sheikah warrior. It's a bit out-of-date by now, so I can only guess it came from a relative, unless you found some way to illegally purchase it. And, considering you've been buying from Ravio for the better part of three years, I wouldn't put it past you."

When Link quieted, Sheik released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Is that all?"

"Pretty much. Still can't figure out why you pretended to work for the king when we first met, though."

"You had information about the missing girls and what was going on in Hyrule," Sheik said. "I wanted that information."

"Well, congratulations. You have it." For the first time, a bitter edge was creeping into his voice. Sheik found she couldn't blame him. "Anything else you're lying to me about?"

Sheik pursed her lips. She wanted to say, Nothing I can tell you without endangering my own safety, thanks. Or, Thanks but no thanks, I'll keep my Royal Heritage to myself. Or even, I'll tell you my history when you tell me yours, ex-criminal.

But the only thing she could bring herself to say was, "Not about anything that matters."

It was the wrong thing to say.

"And what, exactly, matters enough to tell me the truth, huh?" Link's voice was tense, and Sheik was grateful that she was the one leading Epona, lest he try to stop her and turn them around. "I'm working for the King to find his daughter and protect her, Sheik. This is my job, and while I'm glad we can help those girls, every minute I spend focusing on them is a minute I'm not focusing on what I'm actually supposed to be doing."

"The safest thing for the King's daughter to do right now is hide. Even if you found her, what good would it do anyone?" When Link started to answer, she cut him off. "Or have you forgotten that Hyrule Castle is closed off to the rest of the world, and that girls around Hyrule are being kidnapped as it is?"

"I thought you said you didn't serve anyone," Link said, voice suspicious.

Sheik grit her teeth. "I don't."

"Really? Because it sounds an awful lot like you've met her, or you're shielding her somehow." When Sheik averted her eyes all too quickly, Link pressed further. "The King sent his daughter to be raised by a nursemaid, Sheik. You know who that nursemaid was?"

"No," Sheik said. "It's not like it's common knowledge. Care to fill me in?"

"A Sheikah. The King sent his daughter to live with a Sheikah nursemaid who raised her till Princess Zelda was ten. And then that nursemaid died, and goddesses only know what happened to the King's daughter then. But you know, Sheik?"

Sheik practically felt her heart stop in her chest.

"You lived in Kakariko. The other night's evidence of that enough—you were devastated when you heard it was gone. So tell me—when were you going to tell me that you knew the princess?" When Sheik fell silent, he continued. "You had to have met her, or at least known of her if you lived in Kakariko around the same time. Did you know where she ran off to? How she kept herself hidden?"

"I didn't—"

"I need to know, Sheik. Be honest with me," he said, voice pleading. "If she's out there—if you have any idea if she's even still alive, I need to know."

Sheik took a deep breath. Her heart might never beat at the same speed again, she was sure, but for right now, she needed to tell him anything that would get him off her case. So she steeled her heart against the guilt that was caging it, and told, perhaps, the most dangerous lie she'd told in years.

"She was a few years younger than me, so we weren't extremely close," Sheik said slowly, closing her eyes as she tried to find the perfect words to sell her story. "I was being trained by her nursemaid, though—she was a Sheikah woman named Impa."

"You were trained by…?"

"I lost my parents at a young age, so Impa was almost like a mother to me. It devastated me when she died. So, my sincerest apologies if I was focused more on Impa's passing than what happened to Zelda." Sheik grit her teeth once more, agitation setting in the longer she had to answer him. "When she left, I had no idea where she was going. If I had known, I would have gone with her, I swear. But I was only a young teenager when she went missing. I wish I had paid more attention to her, but I didn't realize she was gone till it was too late. I looked for her, too, but I didn't have any more luck than the others who tried to find her after she left."

"So you have no idea if—?"

"I bet you anything that she's still alive somewhere," Sheik said. "But I don't know where. She was a smart one, even when she was young—I'll grant her that. Not a magical drop in her body, but she was smart."

Link was quiet for a while. It seemed to Sheik that, finally, he was done interrogating her. But after a few minutes had passed, he asked something that Sheik didn't expect.

"Is that…" he started, voice unexpectedly soft. "Is that why you're so determined to help those girls? Because one of them might be Zelda?"

"Every girl deserves to be saved," Sheik started. But if she wanted to sell this story, then, yes—she would have to subvert even her greatest goal. Guilt gnawed at her stomach as every word passed her lips. "But… yes. I want to find her, Link. She could be anyone, anywhere, and she would want all of these girls to be set free." Not wanting to sound as if she was speaking for Zelda herself, she added, "That was just the kind of person she was. She even didn't have the heart to keep a pet, she was so scared of making the animal feel like it was trapped." Her cheeks warmed even remembering such a thing; goddesses, had she really been that innocent? "On the chance that she isn't alive, though, the least I can do is honor her memory. Whether I find her or not, I'm saving all of these girls. Don't ask me to abandon them."

Sheik waited with bated breath for Link to either accept or reject her story.

But it didn't take long for him to answer her, and when he did, it was with a gentle tone, and a hand on her arm. "We'll find her," he promised. "Whatever it takes. If she's as smart as you said, I'm sure she's out there somewhere. And we'll find everyone else while we're at it. I promise."

Sheik felt the guilt wrap around her heart even as she rested her hand on top of Link's. She didn't deserve such a show of support—not when she knew the truth. But she could use the lump in her throat to further sell her story, so she managed a small, strained, "Thank you."

She prayed to all three Goddesses that Link would never find out the truth. The guilt alone might kill her before he ever found out, but… goddesses. She prayed he would never know the lie she had just told him.

Time would only tell if that prayer came true, though, and Sheik had neither the time nor the patience to dwell on it.

She had a job to do, after all. She and Link both did.

((A very Shink chapter—and I sure hope you all liked it! It took me forever to write, and this ended up being the longest chapter we've ever had, so, uh, cheers to that?

Here are a few answers to questions in reviews! If I don't answer yours here, you probably have an account, so I probably answered it in a PM, or am about to answer it in a PM shortly after this gets published.

To 100: The city name are very, very loosely structured. Some of them are purely created for how they sound (like Ecchar—pronounced Ek-khar—which sounds guttural and kind of reminds me of something grimy and dirty). Other ones, though, reference characters from games (Sarin – Saria), or are created because of their location (Ise – located in an icy area). As for if they're based on any real cities… Some of them are, in their own way. Ecchar reminds me of a Great Depression 'Hooverville' mixed with modern-day Chicago. Solen is something like a moderate sized wealthy city, well-maintained and polished. Castle Town in this will be pristine in the center, but increasingly impoverished towards the outskirts. Mostly, I just think about what I need them to serve for the purpose of the story, and their design comes from there.

To Davey: Link will definitely learn to use a shield now that he has one! When he was working for Hilda, he was definitely being trained to attack rather than defend himself, so he'll have to unlearn a lot, and then relearn quite a bit about how to fight while actively trying not to die. But he'll have Sheik's help with that as they train together on the road. It'll take him a while, though…

As always, thank you all for your reviews! I never get tired of reading them. Thank you so much for your continued support, and—as always, if you liked this chapter—and even if you didn't!—please review! It means so much to me that you're following along so diligently! I didn't expect that so many of you would like this story as much as you do, so I hope that this chapter, and the rest, don't disappoint!))