Sheik's dreams were dark, and quiet. Though she couldn't see the world around her, she knew that the area she was standing on was solid, if too small to move from. But she also knew that if she tried to move, she would be unable.
She was frozen there, on that small platform, trapped in the darkness.
Had she just been being trapped, she almost could have coped. But the voice she heard, loud and clear in the darkness around her, was infinitely worse than just being trapped.
Impa's voice rang out around her, but it wasn't like it had been. The softness was gone from her voice, leaving only a stern tone and anger. "You lied," she said. "You lied to him, Zelda."
"I had to protect myself," Sheik said, voice small and scared and so unlike the voice she spoke with as an adult. "You know they can't find me! I can't let him know the truth!"
"Then you should have hid it from him better so he wouldn't ask," Impa said. "You lied to him, and worse, you disowned your own identity by saying it was separate from yourself!"
"But I'm not Zelda!" Sheik said. "I'm not! This is who I am now—I'm Sheik! I'm not Zelda anymore!"
"Not Zelda?" Impa shouted, and Sheik felt the platform she was standing on quiver below her. And suddenly, it snapped, and she felt herself falling, falling, with Impa's voice chasing her down all the way.
"My dear girl," Impa said, voice fading the further Sheik fell, "If you're not Zelda, then who are you?"
Sheik woke in a cold sweat.
The night air was chilly, and between it and the dampness on her skin, Sheik's blankets didn't stand a chance of keeping her warm.
Still, as she sat up and looked around her, reassuring herself that, yes, this was the world she lived in, not the dark, lonesome one she'd just woken from, Sheik couldn't feel at ease.
Though she tried to tell herself it was because she and Link were camped on Hyrule Field—one of the most dangerous places in all of Hyrule—she knew it was deeper than that. The guilt from lying to Link had kept her awake for hours earlier that night, and even when she'd fallen asleep, it seemed she couldn't be at peace.
Knowing that she wouldn't be getting any sleep that night, Sheik sighed and resigned herself to restlessness.
There was a river nearby, she remembered—and though it was cold, Sheik had often been acquainted with cold baths. If anything, it was all the better tonight; the cold could distract her from her disturbing dreams.
She prayed that it was nothing more than a meaningless nightmare brought on by stress and a change in circumstance. But, whether it was a meaningless nightmare or not, it didn't change the question that still echoed in her mind.
If you're not Zelda, then who are you?
She was Sheik, of course—she felt it more deeply than the blood in her veins and the breath in her lungs. And yet, when confronted with it, her stomach twisted in an ache she hadn't felt in years. Who was she, if she wasn't Zelda?
Who was she if she denied her title and lived life running from fate?
Who was she if she was the king's daughter yet didn't possess the Triforce of Wisdom?
Who was she if she lied to Link about her entire childhood?
Sheik splashed her face with the cold water, silencing the interrogation before it could make her search for answers. No matter how much she might have liked to find the answers to those questions, it wasn't an option. Not just because she didn't have the time—and she didn't, regardless; her job was too important to waste energy on something so meaningless—but because she didn't want to hear the answers.
She was Sheik, not Zelda.
Perhaps she had been Zelda, at one point. In her childhood, she had responded to the name without hesitation—she was proud of her heritage, of her namesake, of the kingdom she (mistakenly) thought one day she would rule.
But that child was gone.
So after Sheik was finished with her impromptu soak, she came out of the water and dried herself, forcing the meaningless questions from her mind.
No nightmares in all of Hyrule could keep her down, she vowed as she started back to camp. But, as she contemplated lying back down on her sleeping mat, she hesitated.
Even if nightmares wouldn't keep her down… Sheik found no shame in staying up.
If it would only result in waking in another cold sweat, and more distracting questions invading her mind, then she would stay awake for tonight and the next night. So long as she didn't have to deal with the consequences of the nightmares—and, admittedly, the nightmares themselves—then she was happy to do whatever it took to keep them at bay.
Caught up in her own thinking, Sheik was slow to notice the anomaly at camp.
All their things were right where she left them, of course, and her tossed-aside blankets were just as rumpled as they'd been when she left. But there was something strange about Link's sleeping mat.
Sheik realized all too late that Link, too, was awake at this hour. And not just awake—awake and about.
Panic set into her chest as she realized she couldn't see him anywhere on their campsite. It was dark, and the campfire provided little light to their campsite, but Sheik had long since trained herself to see in the dark. And Link, she realized as she looked not only around the campsite, but for silhouettes beyond, wasn't even in the hills beyond.
She was certain that he'd still been there when she left, and she had only been gone for an hour at most. Though it didn't feel very long—especially considering her heart still beat too quickly because of the intensity of her dream—it was certainly long enough for Link to have slipped away.
Logically, Sheik knew he would return. He had, after all, left all of his things here. But to slip off in the dead of night without a word? It was hypocritical of Sheik, she knew, but she couldn't help but worry when he disappeared so late.
Sheik frowned, unsure whether or not to search for him. Epona was still here, so he couldn't have gone far. And he likely hadn't set off for the river like she had—otherwise she was sure she would have passed him when she returned, or at least heard him nearby while she was there. That left the small, wooded area just to the south, and the wide open fields to either side…
The forest.
Somehow, the words didn't feel like her own. But she trusted the advice more than her own guesses, and if she was wrong, there wasn't much she would lose, anyways. Link would return eventually. Sheik just wanted to…
Sheik frowned.
She wasn't sure what, exactly, she wanted out of this. Though she had no strange, otherworldly instinct telling her why she needed to find him, she knew that she didn't want to leave him alone tonight.
So she set off to the forest before her thoughts could weigh her down.
It took only a quarter of an hour to find him. Sheik kept her footsteps quiet, searching through the forest following instinct just as much as her knowledge of tracking. It seemed Link hadn't gone too far into the forest anyways; when she spotted him, Sheik could still see the sky if she looked up through the canopy of trees.
It seemed the sky was why Link had chosen this area, too, because when Sheik looked up at his figure, high up in a tree, his eyes were fixed on the night sky. He had a better view of it than Sheik. How could he not when he was half up a tall tree, perched on a sturdy branch that let him see over the rest of the forest.
Despite his view, and though Sheik was too far away to see his expression, his figure made for a rather lonely silhouette.
Sheik couldn't just leave him here.
So against her better judgment, she started for his tree and quietly climbed up to meet him. After all, she didn't want to disturb him. With the way he was so transfixed on the night sky, Sheik wasn't sure he'd be happy if anything disrupted him, let alone her.
As she climbed closer, Sheik could see Link's face clearer and clearer, till finally she could make out his expression.
Whatever he'd come up here for, it wasn't good.
That sad expression didn't belong on such a sweet face. If he'd looked lonely when she was further away, he looked awful now—alone and wistful, staring up at the sky like it was the only thing that could understand him.
Sheik slowly climbed onto a branch nearly level with him, but perpendicular, so she could see him easier.
It seemed that, with the ambience of the forest and the wind rustling the leaves, Link hadn't heard her approach. He didn't look her way, didn't say a word of greeting. He didn't seem aware of her at all. His eyes were fixed on the horizon, on the stars, on the moon; he looked half in a trance.
Whatever he was out here for, Sheik decided she didn't want to let it continue. Or, at least, she didn't want Link to dwell on it, whatever it was that had prompted this lonely escapade.
So she leaned closer and raised her voice just enough that he could hear her. "Hey."
Link startled so much that he nearly fell off his perch.
Sheik winced as she realized just how far of a drop it was—but Link recovered before he could fall, gripping tightly to the tree's trunk. "Farore, Sheik," Link swore, breathing quickly and shallowly. "What did you do that for?"
"I didn't think you'd startle that much."
Link sent a weak glare her way. Sheik supposed she deserved it, even if she hadn't meant to scare him. More than anything, though, she was grateful he was distracted. She'd rather see him irritated with her than so lost and alone.
They sat in silence, Link's eyes eventually trailing back towards the skyline. He looked more peaceful than sad this time, which Sheik supposed was a good thing. But he still looked somewhat off.
"What brings you out here, anyways?" Sheik asked, praying she didn't sound like she was interrogating him. "It's late. You ought to be sleeping."
"So should you," he said. "You were gone when I woke, so I figured you wouldn't mind if I slipped away for a bit, too."
Sheik frowned. "You shouldn't have gone out alone. It's dangerous out on Hyrule Field—"
"Like you're one to talk." Link managed a lopsided smile, and Sheik couldn't help but wonder how genuine it was. "You alright though?" he asked. "You don't usually leave at night like that."
"I needed to clear my head," she said, unwilling to acknowledge her nightmare aloud. "And how would you know if I usually leave at night or not?"
Link's silence was answer enough.
Sheik looked closer at Link's face, getting a good look at the circles around his eyes. She knew his sleep had been restless—she'd heard him toss and turn often enough for that. But she hadn't realized it was so serious, or gone on long enough to show so obviously on his face.
"We ought to go back to camp," Sheik said. "Epona's tough, and we're in the middle of nowhere, but I can't guarantee that no one would try to steal her."
Link nodded, but as Sheik started immediately down the tree, Link lingered. When Sheik looked up, she found him still staring at the sky—almost as lost and lonely as when she'd first found him. It twisted something in her stomach, but she didn't know how to ask him about it. So she simply stood under him, waiting for Link to take the hint and get a move on.
Perhaps another night she'd have the strength and courage to ask him. Till then, this was her role: to stand near him, frozen, and pray that he would take the hint and follow.
The walk back to their campsite was short, and silent, and Sheik was forever finding herself ahead of Link. Had it been just due to his shorter legs, Sheik wouldn't have minded. But Link seemed lost in himself, staring into the horizon with wanderlust in his eyes. Sheik looked back on him often, half afraid he'd wander away like a stray cat if she didn't keep an eye on him.
Even when they arrived at camp, he still didn't return to his normal.
Sheik watched as he pulled off his cloak and boots and sat down on his sleeping mat. Link made no move to get under them—much like Sheik herself.
"You ought to rest," Sheik said, ignoring the hypocrisy of the statement. "You look exhausted."
Link barely raised his head in acknowledgement. But he must have taken her words to heart, because he finally laid down and pulled his blankets up. Sheik might have been glad, if not for his wide-open eyes. Save for lying down, he didn't seem to be trying at all to sleep.
"Link. Resting involves sleep," she said, agitation coloring her words. "Just… just close your eyes already and get to bed, alright?"
"You really aren't one to talk," Link muttered. Before Sheik could open her mouth to argue, he cut her off. "You're not going back to sleep yet either. And don't act like you just happened to get up in the middle of the night for nothing, Sheik. I heard you," he said. "You were having a nightmare, so you got up and—and did whatever it was that helped you calm down. I just—if you're not going back to sleep, the least you can do is let me do the same. I have my own reasons, alright?"
"Don't compare us," Sheik said. "If I don't sleep for one night, it's hardly cause for concern. But Link—you look like you've hardly gotten any sleep the last several days—"
"I have my own reasons," Link repeated. He tried to sound firm, and yet Sheik could hear the exhaustion in his voice. Fighting was just wearing him out more, she realized. "Just… please, Sheik. I don't want to deal with this tonight."
Sheik was quiet for a while. But the spark of an idea had flashed in her mind, and there was no ignoring it now.
Even a verbal fight was wearing him out—she could see the weariness on his face already. And if he was tired of even a war of words, perhaps if they sparred, he'd be so worn out that he'd sleep for the rest of the night.
It was worth a shot, Sheik decided.
So she removed her outerwear till she was dressed for a fair fight. A fistfight, that was—sparring with their weapons while they were both sleep-deprived was bound to lead to an injury.
"What are you doing?" Link finally asked, sitting up and watching her, tired eyes squinting in the dark. "It's cold out."
"If neither of us will sleep, then we might as well do something practical," Sheik said. "Spar with me."
"Sheik…" Link rubbed at his eyes. "I don't have the energy to—"
"Then this will be good practice if you're in a situation where you don't have the energy to fight." Without any warning, she pulled him upright. "We haven't gotten the chance to spar the last few nights anyways."
Link's mouth pulled into a frown, but when she started walking outside their campsite, he followed. Whether or not he really wanted to spar, it seemed he was willing. When Sheik faced him and took up a defensive pose, he matched her stance.
They said nothing as they fought, instead communicating with blows and blocks. Link's movements were slower and a bit clumsier than Sheik was used to, but he put up a good fight. If she wasn't so worried about him, she might have been impressed.
Still, as the fight wore on, it became more and more unbalanced. Link's punches were weaker, and less coordinated than she'd ever seen them. But it was nothing to his slowed reaction time. Sheik knew Link knew how to dodge—but after dodging far too late with every strike she threw his way, finally he stopped even trying to dodge.
When Link ended up on the ground after a light but well-placed strike, Sheik decided it was high time to call off the match.
She knelt to the ground and offered him a hand.
"I think that's enough for tonight," she said, and Link didn't protest. Instead, he grabbed her hand and allowed her to help him up.
As they walked back to the camp site, Link was unsteady on his feet and slow, and Sheik had to resist the urge to support him even for that short distance.
But he got onto his sleeping mat without complaint, burrowing under the blankets. Sheik followed suit, though she knew sleep would still be a long time coming for her.
To her surprise, though, the first noise she heard from Link wasn't a snore, or an indication that he was asleep. Instead, he spoke. "Don't think I don't know what you did," he said, exhaustion clear in his voice. "The sparring, I mean. You did this on purpose."
"Go to sleep, Link," Sheik said, unwilling to either confirm or deny it. "We have a lot of traveling to do in the morning.
And, to her surprise, Link shifted onto his stomach and within minutes, was asleep.
Sheik watched him across the campfire, feeling a strange, unfamiliar calm. There were still circles under his eyes, and his entire body sagged with exhaustion—but he was alright.
Unbidden, thoughts of their first meetings came to mind, along with the memory of him laid out on the ground, side badly burned from the fire monster of Oxon. Sheik grit her teeth and tried to force the thoughts away, but she found she couldn't.
Especially remembering Ravio's story—of how he was the one to drop Link at Telma's, and how it was no surprise that Link didn't remember. His injuries had, after all, been bad enough that Ravio had thought him dead these past three years.
Clearly, Link was no stranger to near-death experiences.
But, as Sheik watched him sleep and prayed it would be a restful night for him, she couldn't help but wonder if her partner had a death wish.
There was no sense in dwelling on it, but all the same, Sheik knew she wouldn't stop worrying about him any time soon.
"Neither Tal or Marr are really on the way to the other," Sheik said, looking at their map as Link loaded up Epona the next morning. "Which should we go to first?"
"Whichever is closest," Link said, voice more cheerful than usual. "I think Marr is only a half-day's trip from Tal, and we'd reach Tal first with the direction we're leaning towards."
Sheik hummed, rolling up the map and stashing it away in a saddle-bag. "We could always adjust our course now and head towards Marr."
"Yeah, but it'd take longer," Link said. "By the time we get to either of them, Epona could seriously use a break. We could stay at Tal for a night, then set out in the morning."
"Epona gets a break at night anyways," Sheik said. "But Tal is closer, so I suppose it would be better…" The thought of failing at Tal, though, and never even reaching Marr made Sheik's stomach twist. What if they never even got the chance to free the girls trapped there? "…I wonder what happened to Tal," Sheik said, hesitating. "If it's something we can't handle… I couldn't forgive myself if we abandoned the girls of Marr to go fixing cursed cities."
"We'll be fine," Link said, finishing up the last of the packing before stroking Epona's mane. "The goddesses wouldn't give us more than we could handle. We're doing good work for Hyrule."
"The goddess Hylia tasked my race with acting as a servant or a bodyguard to her descendants," Sheik said. "I doubt She's looking out for me while I do extra tasks for Hyrule's benefits rather than to protect one of her own." Double-checking that they were all the way packed, Sheik hopped onto Epona and offered a hand to Link.
Link accepted her hand, but rolled his eyes at her comment. "I forgot, you guys serve Hylia."
"And you serve the Three," Sheik countered. "Only Farore even cares about life on Hyrule. The rest couldn't care less about Hylians—or the rest of life in Hyrule, for that matter."
"That's why she's my patron goddess," Link said, as if it was obvious. "Besides, plenty of people serve the smaller gods and goddesses. If you don't think Hylia is looking out for you, then pick a different goddess."
"As if I could throw away my loyalty like that," Sheik said, offended. Even if she had been born Zelda, a Hylian, she couldn't ignore the Sheikah culture she had been brought into. Though she knew much about the Three, she had been taught since she was young to serve Hylia.
…Though, thinking about it now that she was older, it seemed strangely self-serving, considering she was a descendant of Hylia's mortal form, the first Zelda. Sheik tried not to think too much on it.
As she started off towards the still-rising sun, Sheik couldn't get Link's words out of her head. "Is it common for people to simply choose a different goddess?"
"Ilia's gone through about five," Link said, and Sheik could practically hear the grin in his voice. "Telma serves the Gerudo Goddess of the Sand, believe it or not, and most of my friends serve Din."
"Din?"
"Hey, she's not that bad," Link said. "It's not like her Triforce of Power is cursed or anything. She's just… misunderstood, and her power has been used for evil a few times, that's all."
"A few times?" Sheik asked, turning her head towards him. "Do you realize how often it's fallen into the wrong hands?"
Link bit the inside of his cheek, seemingly having trouble conveying what he meant. "She might not be my Patron Goddess of Life, but she's a sign of prosperity. Poor people serve her because they're powerless, and pray that she will bless them with enough of their own power to get out of poverty." He shrugged. "I just think it's kind of a shame that Din is only associated with corruption when most of the people who serve her are just down on their luck."
Sheik found herself at a loss for words. She had never considered the possibility—she had merely taken the stories she'd learned as a child at face value. Ganondorf and other villains had always taken the Triforce of Power, and it had always corrupted them. It had never made sense to her for anyone to serve Din.
And yet, she had never realized that there might be more to Din-worshipping than a search for excessive power.
"I've never been close to a Three worshipper before. I didn't realized that there could be anything more to it," she said, voice quiet as she headed onwards. "I'm sorry."
"Nah, you didn't know," Link said, waving it off. "Besides, it's not like you offended me. I serve Farore, not Din."
"All the same. It was thoughtless of me." Sheik rode on, lost in the rhythm of Epona's hoof beats and her own thoughts. Finally, though, she brought herself to ask one more question. "…What about Nayru?"
Link sounded, if anything, amused at her question. "What about Nayru?" he asked. "Fewer people worship her than Din."
"Oh," she said. For some reason, she felt a strange sadness at that. "Why is that? She's the goddess of… Law, isn't she?"
"Something like that," Link said. "She's Goddess of Wisdom, and she created the laws of the universe and magic. Out of all of the Three, she's probably the most confusing."
Sheik furrowed her brows. "She doesn't sound all that confusing…"
"She's considered to be the coldest and most distant of all the Three. Most people believe that she judges people for their actions and holds them accountable." Before Sheik could protest that that wasn't confusing, either, he added, "But despite that, the Triforce of Wisdom is seen as something kind and good, and she also offers a power called Nayru's Love."
Sheik stared straight ahead, thoughts spinning. It all came back to the Triforce of Wisdom, didn't it? And yet… "Why is it strange that Nayru's Love is associated with her?"
"She's cold and calculating, and judges people for their worth. You can't really associate someone like that with love, can you?"
It felt, somehow, like a personal attack. Sheik pressed her lips into a thin line. "You can be cold and calculating and still love," she said. "And you said earlier that people assumed that she judged people for their actions and held them responsible. Just because people assume something doesn't make it true."
"Goddesses," Link swore, amusement returning to his voice. "What's got you so worked up?"
"Nothing," Sheik said. "I just—It's unfair."
"Unfair," Link said. "Sure."
Sheik didn't bother chastising him. Instead, she rode ahead, pushing Epona faster. There was no point in arguing with him—especially when he was so…
Well. She couldn't call him closed-minded, knowing his wider view of Din-worshippers. But all the same, he wasn't exactly open-minded about Nayru.
Sheik shook it off to the best of her ability. But something about what Link said bothered her. She wasn't sure if it was being told that cold and calculating people couldn't love, or if it was just general anxiety about hearing of the Triforce of Wisdom. Either way, though, Sheik found she couldn't rest easy, and it was entirely Link's fault.
She'd ignore him all day if she had to. Yet somehow, she didn't think she'd feel any better for it.
Sheik couldn't ignore the warm weight on her back.
She could ignore the scattered attempts at conversation, the silence, and even the yawns from behind her, but when he finally leaned forward and sagged against her back, she couldn't ignore him any longer.
"I could understand if you wanted to get my attention," Sheik snapped as soon as she felt him against her, "But to—to lean against me when you don't need to—"
Link let out a deep, slow breath instead of answering.
After a beat of silence, Sheik realized that Link had fallen asleep against her. Her skin burned at the touch, embarrassed at this touch that was neither necessary, nor practical. Not to mention she was still irritated with him. The arms around her waist were a necessary evil, and they were bad enough—but for him to be touching her not only around her waist, but on her back as well, where she was the most defenseless… Sheik's face burned with both agitation and embarrassment.
But, even after a good night's sleep last night, Link still had circles around his eyes. It would take several days of proper rest to remove them, and Sheik couldn't wait to be rid of them.
So she didn't disturb him.
Instead, she took a deep breath and slowed Epona to a trot rather than a gallop. She couldn't risk Link falling off.
Irritated with him or not, he was still her partner.
And she owed him this favor from Oxon, didn't she?
When they had set out from Solen, Sheik hadn't fully realized just how long of a trip it was to Marr. The days passed slowly, and the only variation in their schedule was when they switched who held the reins, and when they sparred at night.
Many nights, Sheik forgot that they had started sparring in addition for her practicing magic. More often than not, they would spar till they were both ready to drop, and Sheik simply wouldn't have the energy, or the memory, to practice her magic.
After over a week on the road, Sheik half wanted to run the rest of the way, if just to get a break from riding.
And, of course, that was when she got her wish, because Epona no longer galloped.
The journey had taken its toll on all of them, it seemed. They needed to lessen the horse's load, and soon. Of course, as they ate the food it had slowly (painfully slowly) lightened the saddle bags, but it had been a long, long week, and Epona was understandably tired.
Walking instead of riding was a welcome change for the first day. But they went through their rations faster now that they were active all day rather than on the back of a horse.
As a result, they were running through their rations much faster than anticipated. Not terribly so—Sheik was sure they would have plenty to get to Tal, at least—but as the days went on, Link was getting more and more concerned.
And, as they continued on, Sheik watched as he started to take out less and less food.
Was he truly that worried about running out?
By the third day of walking—and Goddesses, they were so close to Tal she could almost taste it—Link was taking so little Sheik was concerned for his well-being.
So when breakfast came and Link took nearly nothing, Sheik pulled extra from her own and passed it to him.
"Sheik," Link said, a frown on his face. "You don't have to—"
"Don't," Sheik cut him off. "We'll be arriving to Tal by tomorrow evening, and we have plenty to last us till then."
Link bit the inside of his cheek, fidgeting with his share. "But—if we don't get a chance to restock at Tal…"
"Then we'll decide to ration together, if we're actually in danger of running out on the way to Marr. But Link—if bandits come, what good will you be at fighting them off if you're too tired to swing your sword?" Link was silent, so Sheik took it as encouragement to continue. "Even if there are no markets open at Tal, I'm sure there's food there somewhere. So stop taking so little for yourself, alright? We'll be fine."
Link pressed his lips into a thin line. It seemed he was having trouble accepting what she said—but after hesitating for a long while, he finally started to eat.
As they continued down the road, Sheik kept an eye on her partner. He seemed to be fine, of course—and better than past days, since he'd eaten properly, and he'd been getting decent sleep since they started sparring regularly and spending so much of the day on their feet.
But he looked indecisive—like he was looking to say something.
Sheik braced herself for when he finally opened his mouth to speak, unsure of what, exactly, he might ask her—
But before he could get a single word out, Epona stopped.
After several moments, she didn't budge, not even when Link and Sheik continued on beside her.
Sheik and Link glanced at each other, but neither dared push her forward. Epona had been burdened enough these past few days—it wouldn't be fair to push her on if she was struggling.
"I'll get the bags," Sheik said, already hurriedly untying the heavier saddle-bags. The first one she seized was the one that held oats and water. Link took it from her without a word, letting Epona help herself to it as he gently patted her neck.
"We can't keep pushing her like this," Link said. "It's only another day, but…"
"If she gets an injury from being pushed too hard, we'll need another horse," Sheik finished for him. "The map showed a ranch not far from here… They might have a horse for us to buy. That way we can split the luggage between them, and Epona won't have to carry the both of us again."
Link nodded solemnly, coming his fingers through Epona's mane. "I'm sorry, girl," he said softly. "We've been hard on you, haven't we…?"
Sheik pulled out the map, lips twisting into a frown as she searched for it. "It's half a day's walk north," she said. "We might get there before we even need lunch."
"Think Epona can walk all the way?"
"She'll have to," Sheik said, taking off the rest of the saddle-bags. "I'm sure they'll be able to care for her, then we'll be on our way tomorrow."
Link gave Epona one more gentle pat on the side of her neck before he started loading himself down with the saddle bags. "Guess this is our punishment for making her carry us and these, huh?"
Sheik, fastening most of the heavier ones to her, rolled her eyes. "At least we traveled light. It could've been worse."
Link nodded. He took a tentative step, sighing as he realized just how much more difficult it was to walk with so much weighing him down. "It's gonna be a long trip…"
"Then we'd better get a move on. Come on," Sheik said, grabbing Epona's reins and leading her north.
Goddesses… At least it was still early morning. Perhaps they'd arrive before the heat of the day started to set in.
It only took two hours before they desperately needed a break. They took it wordlessly, only sharing a glance before Sheik shrugged off her load and Link quickly followed suit.
The sun was rising far too quickly, and it was so warm that Sheik had long since tugged off her mask. But it still wasn't enough—her armor was too thick, and her suit was too dark in the sunlight. Link was faring little better, she knew, with his tunic and boots and long-sleeved undershirt.
He seemed to have the same idea she did, because as soon as he'd cast off his burden, he took off his tunic and undershirt both, tossing them into a saddle-bag.
"You oughta remove your boots if the terrain gets better," Sheik said. She closed her eyes, sighing with relief as she tugged off her outer armor and put away her mask and scarf. Her hair, too warm and heavy on her neck, was too much to bear, so she quickly undid her braid and tied it up in a single, high ponytail.
Though the Gerudo had been missing for ages, she couldn't help but remember them. They knew how to survive the desert, what with their loose pants and short shirts.
It wasn't dark, and Sheik didn't dare ask Link for a set of pants—as if they'd fit her around her waist, anyways—but nothing was stopping her from changing into her sparring gear.
"We ought to change back before we arrive." Sheik helped herself to a canteen of water, pouring some onto her hands and splashing her neck and face with it. "I'd rather not be caught unaware if there's something strange going on at the ranch."
"Strange?" Link asked, taking out his own canteen and nearly emptying it before continuing. "Strange how?"
Sheik snorted. "What have we seen lately that hasn't been strange?"
"Good point." Link wiped his forearm against his brow, grinning. "Hopefully it'll be good strange."
"Good strange," Sheik said. "Right."
Link sat down against his pack, letting out a sigh of relief. He looked like he could fall asleep at any moment, and Sheik sympathized immensely. Her shoulders were already aching from carrying so much, and they weren't even half-way to Lon Lon Ranch. Not to mention it was only going to get hotter from here on—they hadn't even reached midmorning yet…
Sheik closed her eyes and sat down against her own pack. "Goddesses," she swore. "Why are the heroes of legend the only ones that get magical transportation?"
"Just a myth, isn't it?" Sheik cracked one eye open, forearm resting on her brow as she considered him. "I heard certain instruments could warp heroes, if they knew the right notes…"
"Sheikah mythology speaks of that, yes," Sheik said. "But it had something to do with the Triforce, and other magical objects. So unless we find a few of those lying around, we'll be walking."
"So I take it you don't have a Triforce to spare," Link quipped. Part of Sheik tensed at the mention of the Triforce, but the rest of her… The rest of her was just too tired to care. "A damn shame."
"Tell you what, if you with your—with your goddess-damned blonde hair and green tunic—if you end up becoming the Hero of Legend, then you'd better share that magical transportation with me," Sheik said. "If you don't I'll be upset."
Link laughed outright. "Hero of Legend," he managed, reduced to wheezing as if it was truly absurd. "Oh, Farore…"
Sheik closed her eyes again, not bothering to look closer. "Yeah, well. Stranger heroes have been chosen. Don't sound so sure of it. One always seems to show up when Hyrule is in a crisis… and Hyrule's not looking so good right now."
His laughter still hadn't died when he answered. "Please, Sheik—don't insult the goddesses' taste."
Though the words bothered her, she couldn't help her wry smile. "The goddesses aren't known for having good taste with chosen heroes, really," she said. "They tasked a nine-year-old with saving Hyrule once, according to Impa."
"A nine year old?" Link sat up. "Now this I gotta hear."
"A nine year old," Sheik repeated. "He was from a race of woodland people called the Kokiri. But he was, uh, actually a Hylian, according to the legend."
"But he was only nine," Link said. "Really?"
"Well, according to legend, the goddesses realized their mistake," she said, "And when he tried to pull out the Master Sword, he was frozen in time for seven years till he reemerged as an adult. But by then Hyrule had already fallen to ruin, so everything was just made even more difficult for him."
Link let out a low whistle. "I'd hate to be that kid."
Sheik shrugged, then winced as the motion made her muscles even sorer. She rubbed her shoulder, gritting her teeth as she tried to force out the stiffness already settling into it. "He had help, at least," she managed. "A fairy, and the people he helped along the way. He tended to make friends easily, though I suppose it's only natural to like someone who'd saved you. He had a Sheikah guide, too, who helped quite a bit."
"A Sheikah guide?" Link raised a brow. "Wait, wait, wait—you're telling me a Sheikah helped the Hero instead of the princess?"
"He…" Sheik hesitated. It would be, perhaps, too much of a coincidence to speak of a Sheikah named Sheik who was really Princess Zelda in disguise. "…He was under orders from the Princess. After all, she wanted what was best for Hyrule, so she was prepared to give up even her most loyal guard if it meant saving Hyrule."
Link was quiet for a while, seemingly lost in though. But when he spoke up, there was nothing but admiration in his voice, and Sheik couldn't help but feel some kind of pride as well. The story of the Hero of Time and his Sheikah guide had always been her favorite, and she was happy to share it with someone who appreciate it. "I used to know all about the heroes of old," he said. "But I've never heard this one before. It sounds amazing."
Sheik smiled and shook her head. "It's just a Sheikah legend, as far as I know. Impa was the only one who told it to me, and every time I'd search libraries for more information, I found almost nothing. The Zelda in this tale was hardly mentioned in the history books, and there was never any record of the war in this story, or of any sort of Hero of Time." She shrugged. "But… The story also talks about how Princess Zelda managed to send him back through time so the hero could get his lost childhood back. It's possible that after being sent back, he managed to stop evil's takeover before it ever happened."
The story's end put a strange look on Link's face. It was almost as if he felt truly sorry for the hero—but Sheik couldn't understand why. He had gotten his childhood back in the end, hadn't he? But Link didn't say anything, and soon the strange look faded from his face.
Not wanting to ask about it, Sheik shrugged again—wincing as, yet again, her stiff shoulders twinged in protest. She stretched them out as best she could, but they protested any movement, and eventually, she gave up the effort.
She would need a long, hot bath and several days to recover from today. But the sooner they got to the ranch, the sooner they could fix Epona up, and the sooner they could get to Tal.
So, not wanting to waste even another minute, Sheik stood and offered a hand to Link.
Link didn't look happy about having to get up so soon, but he took hold of her hand anyways and pulled himself up.
As they piled the saddle-bags back onto themselves, neither said a word, instead just setting off as quickly as they could manage while being as weighed down as they were.
Lon Lon Ranch was a gift from the goddesses.
Even from afar, Sheik was sure that it was the most beautiful thing she'd seen in her life. Perhaps it was the heat addling her brain, but the green acres surrounding it and the huge, beautiful farmhouse perched atop the hill looked like paradise. Sheik wanted nothing more than to run the rest of the way, heavy saddle-bags or not.
Before they got any closer though, Sheik got a hold of herself and made a signal to stop. Hot, dirty, and tired as they were, they at least needed to put on their outerwear before arriving, lest they be turned away as vagabonds.
But just as they finished dressing—no sooner than Sheik had slid on the last of her armor—there was a scream from Lon Lon Ranch.
Sheik stiffened immediately. She glanced to Link, who looked similarly alarmed, before he looked back at their things.
They grabbed and equipped their weapons at once, Sheik's an easier feat than Link's, as she only had knives to grab and tuck into wrappings, whereas he had to put on his sword and shield and bracers.
"Just go," Link said, seeing that Sheik was already finished. "I'll be right behind you."
Sheik only gave him one more glance before taking off at breakneck speed towards Lon Lon Ranch. The pace was difficult after such a hard morning, but there might be lives on the line for all she knew. And if monsters or kidnappers had made it all the way out here, in open terrain, then what chance did the people of Lon Lon Ranch have against them—?
Sheik leapt over a fence, running blind until another scream caught her attention.
It was coming from behind the barn, she realized. Sheik's face paled. Goddesses—she had no way of knowing how many creatures were here, and no way of knowing how strong they were. What if there were too many? What if she was too late already?
She couldn't stop, though—not for one second to catch her breath. Someone might need her, and if she went down, she'd rather go down fighting than allow someone to suffer for her cowardice.
But all too soon, she rounded the corner of the barn and saw her enemy face to face.
Behind it were five of those Hylian lookalike monsters, their magic energy setting off alarms in Sheik's head.
And they were surrounding a girl, no taller than Link, who was only holding a pitch-fork in defense.
Sheik raised her knife to throw it at one of the monster's heads, but before she could even pull her arm back to throw it, the girl lunged forward with her pitchfork, impaling the monster closest to her.
It screamed and evaporated into a column of smoke.
Sheik stared at her, arm frozen in midair.
There were four monsters left now, but while the other monsters were still trying to come at her, she lunged through the opening left by the dead one's smoke. It gave her an opening to run through, but the monsters were quick on her tail.
It took Sheik a moment to shake off her shock, but finally she remembered herself. She threw one dagger and stuck a monster in the back of its head, reducing the number to three.
The girl, confused that a monster she hadn't attacked had evaporated into nothing, was quick to look for the source of the knife.
She met Sheik's eyes with surprise, but didn't say a word. Instead, she nodded at her, then refocused her efforts on driving her pitch fork through one of the monsters' middles, allowing Sheik to handle another one.
And, while Sheik was busy angling her knife to take out a second, Link finally came on the scene, sword brandished for all to see.
Between the three of them, the monsters didn't have a chance, and soon the only ones left behind the barn were Hylians.
"So," the girl said, leaning against the barn to catch her breath. "I take it you didn't send those monsters, considerin' you helped me kill 'em off?"
Sheik glanced at Link. "…Correct."
The girl sighed. "Damn. And here I was hoping to figure out who sent those goddess-damned things."
Link looked around the barn, double-checking that there were no more monsters to be had, then finally sheathed his sword. "Um, sorry—hate to ask, but… who are you?"
"I oughta be askin' you that, considerin' this is my property," she said. "Malon, proud co-owner of Lon Lon Ranch. And who might you be, stranger?"
As she stuck a hand out to Link, Sheik couldn't help but notice the flirtatious smile on her face. Well. It wasn't like Sheik could blame her, really—Link was (admittedly) rather cute, not to mention he'd just helped her rid her property of monsters. What surprised her, though, was the way Link's face pinked as he took her hand and shook it.
"Link, ma'am," he said, letting go of her hand a bit sooner than necessary. Goddesses, was he embarrassed that she was flirting with him?
Malon sent him a coy smile, but soon offered a hand to Sheik as well. "And you, mister Sheikah?"
"Sheik," she said, not bothering to correct her. It wasn't like they'd be staying long enough for it to matter. What surprised her, though, was Malon's strange, knowing grin, and her strong handshake.
It was no wonder that a woman like this made Link blush—she'd taken down several monsters on her own and had the handshake to prove it.
"A pleasure, fellas," Malon said. "Now, I take it you weren't just passin' through?"
"No, uh," Link started. "We—our horse needs help. She's not far from the property, but—we heard the scream, and thought it was a person screaming… And, well, with everything going on in Hyrule…"
"You thought you needed to rescue someone?" Malon sent a sweet smile his way. "How kind. It was helpful gettin' rid of 'em faster, I'll grant you that. But don't expect a discount for it."
Malon's body-language alone was enough to tell Sheik she was flirting with her partner. But though it made her grit her teeth in annoyance the longer it continued, she tried not to let it bother her. "If you'll excuse me," she said, "I'm going to start bringing Epona and our things towards the ranch."
Link, somewhat in a daze as he stared at Malon, didn't seem to realize that the load required either two people, or two trips. "Yeah—um—I'll just be," he started, earning a smile from Malon. Distracted, Link abandoned that train of thought completely, instead just finishing with a halfhearted, "See you soon."
Sheik was grateful that her mask hid her expression. Otherwise she might not have been able to hide her disdain.
Either way, she didn't call Link on his behavior.
So what if he ignored their partnership just because a pretty girl stood in front of him? Link hadn't gotten to see anyone cheerful, or kind, or pretty since they'd left Solen, she tried to tell herself. He couldn't help it.
But if her thoughts became increasingly bitter as she led Epona and carried two loads back to the ranch, well. She couldn't really help that, either, and she certainly wouldn't apologize for it.
When she returned, Malon was perched atop a fence, listening closely to what Link had to say. Sheik tried not to roll her eyes. She left the saddle-bags at the side of the barn, but she didn't want to abandon Epona so soon, especially on a ranch when there were so many other horses nearby.
Malon caught her eye as she approached and was quick to wave at her. That knowing smile was back, and Sheik couldn't help her puzzlement.
—Honestly, was Sheik seeing things, or did it seem like Malon was flirting with her, too?
She couldn't say she minded, really—especially if it meant Malon wasn't so focused on Link. But all the same, she found it quite strange.
"It would have only taken us another day and a half by horseback," she started without precedent, "But several days ago, she stopped being able to carry us, so we walked. And then she couldn't support our luggage, either, so this morning we altered course to come here instead."
Malon's brows rose dramatically. "She was carrying the both of y'all and your luggage?"
"We packed light," Sheik said. "She managed just fine for almost a week."
It didn't seem to make Malon think any higher of her. "Great goddesses above, it's no wonder your horse stopped supporting you," she accused. "She's probably downright exhausted, the poor thing. She can't go on like this or you'll run her into the ground!"
Link, sensing the conflict in the air, finally managed to snap out of his daze. "What—Wait, but—what are we supposed to do, then? We have to get to Tal!"
"Buy or rent other horses," Malon said. "I can't in good conscience let you keep ridin' her like this. Look at her," she said, concern ebbing into her voice as she gently reached out and stroked Epona's neck. "She needs a good long rest before anyone's ready to ride her again."
Sheik looked at Link, concern in her eyes. He matched it, albeit less so. "…We can decide what to do after Epona's condition has been further assessed," Sheik finally said. "How much would it cost to rent a room or stay on the grounds for the night?"
Malon looked at them shrewdly, all flirtation gone from her face. "Depends," she finally said. "Stay for lunch and tell me what in the goddesses' name a Sheikah and a knight are doing out here together, sharing a single horse and in a great big hurry to Tal."
Sheik tensed, indignation immediately setting fire to her tongue. "It's none of your damn—"
Link elbowed Sheik in the side. "I guess it does look pretty strange," he said. "You don't want us drawing monsters if we're up to something suspicious, right?"
"A girl's gotta protect her farm," Malon said. "But I take it it's a long story, whatever it is. So—lunch is on me, but if you're a threat, there's not a lot more I can do for you, past rent you a horse or two."
Link looked expectedly up at Sheik, who was fighting not to glare too obviously. "…We'll tell you what we can," she said. "But certain things aren't common knowledge, and I would prefer to keep them that way. Understood?"
"Oh, yes," Malon said, an amused smile on her face. "My lips are sealed, Mister Sheikah. Don't you worry about a thing."
While Sheik trusted Malon to keep her word, there was something about that flirtatious, knowing smile that made her worry.
Sheik prayed to Hylia that nothing strange would happen here—
But considering her and Link's track record, she knew it was too much to ask for.
A few of you have complained about how long I take to update. I understand your complaints (because hey, I would love to update faster, too!), but I would like to put things in perspective, if I may. Many fics take weeks and weeks to update, with only a few thousand words, if that. There's no problem with that system of updating because fanfiction writers write for free. We are not getting paid for this. Nevertheless, because I enjoy writing, and storytelling is fun (especially for such a wonderful audience, and I really do appreciate all of you!), I try to update quickly. Last chapter, chapter fourteen, took just a little over a week to update, and it was over 9000 words. That's faster, and with more content, than many authors produce at once—not that other authors are doing poorly because again, we write for free. So I would very much appreciate if you wouldn't rush me. Now that I'm back at college, I have to maintain almost perfect grades to keep my scholarship, otherwise I will not be allowed to stay at college, because without my scholarship it's too expensive for me. So yes, I try to write frequently, but I also have classes that require a lot of extra time studying. Not to mention I also struggle with anxiety, and if this fic starts to stress me out because some of you are asking for faster updates than I can manage, then I might end up taking even longer—which is part of why this update has taken longer than the others. I'm sorry that I can't write as fast as you would like (and genuinely sorry, at that, because I would love to be able to spend more time writing). But I do have a life to keep track of.
That being said, I appreciate all of you, and I know you only want this to update so quickly because you enjoy the story. Thank you so much for your support, and for your patience. Your motivation keeps me going, and I hope that I won't disappoint you too much—whether it's with the plot, or with the speed at which I update. I treasure each of your reviews, and they help motivate me to keep writing even when things are stressful. So, as always, if you liked this chapter (and even if you didn't!) please, review! I would love to hear what you like or didn't like about this chapter.